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John also knew that humanity had a fighting chance . . . and he was ready to go to war.
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SECTION III
SIGMA OCTANUS
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
0000 Hours, July 17, 2552 (Military Calendar) /UNSC Remote Scanning OutpostArchimedes , on the edge of the Sigma Octanus Star System
Ensign William Lovell scratched his head, yawned, and sat down at his duty station. The wraparoundview screen warmed to his presence.
“Good morning, Ensign Lovell,” the computer said.
“Morning, sexy,” he said. It had been months since the Ensign had seen a real woman—the cold femalevoice of the computer was the closest thing he was getting to a date.
“Voiceprint match,” the computer confirmed. “Please enter password.”
He typed: ThereOncewasAgirl
The Ensign had never taken his duty too seriously. Maybe that’s why he only made it through his secondyear at the Academy. And maybe that’s why he had been onArchimedes station for the last year, stuckwith third shift.
But that suited him fine.
“Please reenter password.”
He typed more carefully this time:ThereOnceWasAGirl .
After first contact with the Covenant, he had almost been conscripted straight out of school; instead, hehad actually volunteered.
Admiral Cole had defeated the Covenant at Harvest in 2531. His victory was publicized on every vidand holo throughout the Inner and Outer Colonies and all the way to Earth.
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That’s why Lovell didn’t try to dodge the enlistment officers. He had thought he’d watch a few battlesfrom the bridge of a destroyer, fire a few missiles, rack up the victories, and be promoted to Captainwithin a year.
His excellent grades gave him instant admission to OCS on Luna.
There was one small detail, however, the UNSC propaganda machine had left out of their broadcasts:Cole had won only because he outnumbered the Covenant three to one . . . and even then, he had losttwo-thirds of his fleet.
Ensign Lovell had served on the UNSC frigateGorgon for four years. He had been promoted to FirstLieutenant then busted down to Second Lieutenant and finally to Ensign for insubordination and grossincompetence. The only reason they hadn’t drummed him out of the service was that the USNC neededevery man and woman they could get their hands on.
While on theGorgon , he and the rest of Admiral Cole’s fleet had sped among the Outer Colonieschasing, and being chased by, the Covenant. After four years’ space duty, Lovell had seen a dozenworlds glassed . . . and billions murdered.
He had simply broken under the strain. He closed his eyes and remembered. No he hadn’t broken; hewas just scared of dying like everyone else.
“Please keep your eyes open,” the computer told him. “Processing retinal scan.”
He had drifted from office work to low-priority assignments and finally landed here a year ago. By thattime there were no more Outer Colonies. The Covenant had destroyed them all and were pressinginexorably inward, slowly taking the Inner Colonies. There had been a few isolated victories . . . but heknew it was only a matter of time before the aliens wiped the human race out of existence.