Dutch Interview
{Dutch enters the room}
Buck: Corporal.
Dutch: Need a baseline image? How about a bird?
{Dutch's thoughts: a Pelican Dropship taking off.}
Buck: That'll work.
Buck: Name and Rank?
Dutch: Corporal Taylor H. Miles, everyone calls me Dutch. Buck, you really need to get in my head for this?
{Dutch's thoughts: Shadow of a soldier performing a salute}
Buck: Office of Naval Intelligence wants to be thorough.
Dutch: ONI's running this?
Buck: Yes, ONI's running this.
Buck: What led you to the ODST?
{Dutch's thoughts: Marines in dress uniforms, standing to attention, with MA5Cs}
Dutch: Honor.
{Dutch's thoughts: ODST Flag}
Buck: What experience do you have with close-quarters combat?
{Dutch's thoughts: Engaging a Brute in close-quarters combat.}
Dutch: Experience with close-quarters combat is extensive. You've got detailed accounts on engagements for Ariel, Jericho Space Elevator, and Coral asteroid belt in my file.
{Dutch's thoughts: Fighting in various battlefields with other ODSTs}
Buck: As an ODST?
Dutch: Yeah, I've succesfully engaged - you know, this should all be in my general file, Buck.
Buck: I need to ask. You just need to answer. So?
{Dutch's thoughts: Dropping in a HEV}
Dutch: As an ODST, I've succesfully engaged the enemy under various conditions, before and after orbital drop.
Buck: We're looking at a textbook shipboard mission. An orbital drop to some Covenant Cruiser over New Mombasa. Nothing you haven't seen before.
{Dutch's thoughts: A sign reading "Welcome to Tribute" in a devastated environment}
Dutch: Really? Like Tribute? Like Reach?
{Video interrupted}
Buck: Corporal, do you feel you'll be able to operate at maximum effectiveness on this standard orbital drop mission?
Dutch: Yes. One hundred percent, sir.
Buck: Thank you.
Buck: So how's Gretchen?
{Dutch's thoughts: Gretchen. Helmet on with visor unpolarized, face mostly obscured}
{Pause}
Dutch: She's better.
Buck: What do they say?
{Dutch's thoughts: A shoulder of an ODST, reading "UNSC MED REF", and blood type A-}
Dutch: If it was up to her, she'd be coming on this drop - but they say she's done. Maybe something behind a desk, but i don't know.
{Dutch's thoughts: Gretchen's face}
Buck: Well, I don't see her typing up reports.
Dutch: No. Me neither.
Buck: You were a trucker for a while, right?
{Dutch's thoughts: A truck}
Dutch: I try not to think that far back.
{Dutch's thoughts: Walking to a truck's door, opening it}
Buck: Can you still handle a rig?
{Dutch's thoughts: Driving a truck}
Dutch: It's been a while, but I guess I could. You're trying to tell me I'm going to have to drive a truck into that Covenant bird?
{Dutch's thoughts: Driving a truck in an industrial area. Covenant Battlecruisers in the sky.}
Buck: You will get the details of the mission at briefing.
{Pause}
Buck: Now the fifth man on this op is going to be a rookie. Transfer from the 26th MEF.
Dutch: Cygnus? Didn't think there were any survivors.
{Dutch's thoughts: A battlefield. Ground burning.}
Buck: Me either.
Dutch: He might be a little shook up. Can't we get someone else? What about Bhasin?
{Dutch's thoughts: Walking to another ODST, presumably Bhasin}
Buck: Bhasin? You haven't heard. An HEV drop over Sigma. Chute panels got compromised during entry burn - he couldn't slow down.
{Dutch's thoughts: ODST funeral}
Dutch: Yeah, hell - a rookie - Why not? Why not?
{Dutch's thoughts: Numerous body bags on the ground}
{Classified clip}
Buck: We're headed towards Earth.
Dutch: Earth. Okay... Now I know why ONI's involved.
Buck: Last time you were there?
Dutch: A long time ago. Weekend pass. The last thing I did before I applied for ODST.
Buck: Do you understand what's at stake?
Dutch: Hm. This is about more than some Covenant ship, isn't it?
{Classified clip end}
Buck: You spent some time at university, right?
Dutch: A little. I was two years in when I got drafted. Pulled shifts on rigs to pay tuition.
{Dutch's thoughts: Candles in the dark}
Buck: You studied a little philosophy, religion?
Dutch: Actually, yes. Yeah. Sort of why I went.
Buck: How's that?
{Dutch's thoughts: Shadowy figures of Marines advancing, against a bright background. Fires everywhere.}
Dutch: I don't know - I guess at the time I had a lot of questions.
Buck: You ever get into end of the world stuff?
{Dutch's thoughts: Brief flash of Reach being glassed}
Dutch: Yeah, sure.
{Dutch's thoughts: Running to a wounded ODST.}
Buck: And?
Dutch: Everybody's got a different take on what's it about. It kinda depends on who you're asking.
Buck: I'm asking you.
{Dutch's thoughts: Reach being glassed}
Dutch: It's inevitable. Nobody can save the world, Buck.
Buck: Good to see you, Dutch.
{Dutch leaves the room}