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Dr. Halsey leaned against the glass wall staring at the carnage below. “Very well, Chief Mendez, whatelse do I need to know?”
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“Your Spartans can run at bursts of up to fifty-five KPH,” he explained. “Kelly can run a little faster, Ithink. They will only get quicker as they adjust to the ‘alterations’ we’ve made to their bodies. They canlift three times their body weight—which, I might add, is almost double the norm due to their increasedmuscle density. And they can virtually see in the dark.”
Dr. Halsey pondered this new data. “They should not be performing so well. There must be unexplainedsynergistic effects brought on by the combined modifications. What are their reaction times?”
“Almost impossible to chart. We estimate it at twenty milliseconds,” Mendez replied. He shook hishead, then added, “I believe it’s significantly faster in combat situations, when their adrenaline ispumping.”
“Any physiological or mental instabilities?”
“None. They work like no team I’ve ever seen before. Damn near telepathic, if you ask me. They weredropped in these caves yesterday, and I don’t know where they got black suits or the rope that for thatmaneuver, but I can guarantee they haven’t left this room. They improvise and improve and adapt.
“And,” he added, “theylike it. The tougher the challenge, the harder the fight . . . the better their moralebecomes.”
Dr. Halsey watched as the first trainer stirred and struggled to get out of his inert armor. “They might aswell have been killed,” she murmured. “But can the Spartans kill, Chief? Kill on purpose? Are theyready for real combat?”
Mendez looked away and paused before he spoke. “Yes. If we ordered them to, they would kill quiteefficiently.” His body stiffened. “May I ask what ‘real combat’ you mean, ma’am?”
She clasped her hands and wrung them nervously. “Something has happened, Chief. Something ONI andthe Admiralty never expected. The brass wants to deploy the Spartans. They want to test them in a realcombat mission.”
“They’re as ready for that as I can make them,” Mendez said. He narrowed his dark eyes. “But this is farahead of your schedule. What happened? I’ve heard rumors there was some heavy action near Harvestcolony.”
“Your rumors are out-of-date, Chief,” she said, and a chill crept into her voice. “There’s no morefighting at Harvest. Thereis no more Harvest.”
Dr. Halsey punched the descent button, and the observation room slowly lowered to the floor.
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“Get them out of this hole,” she said crisply. “I want them ready to muster at 0400. We have a briefingat 0600 tomorrow aboard thePioneer . We’re taking them on a mission ONI has been saving for the rightcrew and the right time. This is it.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Mendez replied.
“Tomorrow we see if all the pain they’ve been through has been worth it.”
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CHAPTER NINE
0605 Hours, September 12, 2525 (Military Calendar) / UNSC DestroyerPioneer , en route toEridanus System.