第158页
“Strange? Yes, Lieutenant. You might act a little strange if you seen and been through as much as theyhad.”
“Some people say they’re not even humans in those suits—that they’re just machines.”
“They’re human,” Captain Keyes said.
The elevator doors parted and Captain Keyes stepped onto his bridge. It was much smaller than he wasaccustomed to; the command chair was only a meter from the other stations. View screens dominatedthe room, and a massive, curved window afforded a panoramic view of the stars.
“Status reports,” Captain Keyes ordered.
Lieutenant Dominique spoke first. “Communication systems are green, sir. Monitoring FLEETCOMReach traffic. No new orders.” Dominique had gotten his hair shorn since he had been on theIroquois .He also had a new tattoo around his left wrist: the wavy lines of a Besell function.
“Reactor shakedown eighty percent complete,” Lieutenant Hall reported. “Oxygen, power, rotation, andpressure all green lights, sir.” She smiled, but it wasn’t like before—an automatic gesture. She seemed
----------------------- Page 256-----------------------
genuinely happy.
Lieutenant Hikowa took her seat and strapped in. She gathered her black hair and tied it into a knot.“Weapons panel shows green, sir. MAC gun capacitors at zero charge.”
Ensign Lovell finally reported: “Navigation and sensor systems online, Captain, and all green. Ready foryour orders.” Lovell was completely focused on his station.
A small hologram of Cortana flickered on the AI pedestal near navigation. “Engine shakedown runningsmoothly, Captain,” she said. “All personnel onboard. You have half-power now if you wish to movethe ship. Fujikawa-Shaw generators on-line . . . you can take us into the Slipstream at your pleasure.”
“Very good,” Captain Keyes said.
Keyes surveyed his crew, pleased at how they had sharpened up after Sigma Octanus. Gone were thebleary, haggard expressions, and the tentative, nervous mannerisms.
Good, he thought. We’re going to need everyone at the top of their game now.
The crew had been briefed on their mission—part of it anyway. Captain Keyes had insisted. They weretold they would be attempting to capture Covenant technology, with an aim to disabling one of thealiens’ ships and bringing it back intact.
What the crew didn’t know were the stakes.
“Approaching Reach system’s edge,” Ensign Lovell reported. “Ready to generate a Slipstream—”
“Captain!” Lieutenant Dominique cried. “Incoming Alpha priority transmission from FLEETCOM HQat Reach . . . sir, they’re under Covenant attack!”
----------------------- Page 257-----------------------
SECTION V
REACH
CHAPTER THIRTY
0000 Hours, August 29, 2552 (Military Calendar) / narrow-band point-to-point transmission:origin UNKNOWN; termination: Section Three, Omega secure antenna array, UNSC HQ EpsilonEridani System, Reach Military Complex
PLNBPriority Transmission XX087R-XX
Encryption Code:GAMMA
Public Key:N/A
From:CODENAME:COALMINER
To:CODENAME:SURGEON