I'm home and full of Taco Bell. Let's do this. As usual no proof read, we die by the rambling
Possible, in game, future for the Halo Universe. All for fun.
I'm pretty sure it's established that the Master Chief, Fernando and the surving UNSC personal are stranded on Zeta Halo for the foreseeable future due to Cortana moving Zeta Halo along with the deactivation of the Guardians.
So if Master Chief and the survivors get the Banished to something manageable what's next? Most likely a colony.
I got thinking about this after a video talking about Spartans and retirement.
There's already sort of the start of a colony in the wreckage of the Infinity and Lifeworker Central. With both Soldiers and unsc personal you've found across the Halo. Lifeworker Central being mentioned in the novel Edge of Dawn. Now out of the two Lifeworker Central already operates more as small colony so it would be the better choice, while the Broken Infinity can beat military outpost.
There's no guarantee that even with Joy's help and knowledge that they are going to find a way off Halo. They are in an uncharted section of space, so trying to navigate back to UNSC space or other might prove fruitless. The Guardians are also deactivated so UNSC and ex convenant are going to focus up resources on rebuilding.
With a colony comes along with it all. Homesteads, communities, small government etc.
John in a village Elder role.
Teaching the a new generation about combat, leadership the history of the War. Kids running around him playing 20 questions, which is protocol for child-elder relationship. Maybe he's slowed down over the years, he still go out on mission but he's not as nimble as he once was. With the lack of cryosleep he should start ageing like any human, if a little slower with all the aguments from the Spartan program.
Joy and him are still investgating a way to contact the rest of UNSC space but focus shifts to how to protect and help the colony using the existing forerunner infrastructure.
There is other Spartans on the ring both for the UNSC and aligned with the Banished. Maybe he has a small task force he manages. Maybe trains civis to be Zeta Spartans, lol.
It's fun to think about a Zeta Colony, might think about this more later on.