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Then, once the outer part of the structure had been cleared, the Master Chief parked the LRV where the Marines could provide him with fire support, and ventured inside. A series of ramps led down through darkened hallways to the antechamber below. It was full of aliens. The Master Chief tossed a grenade in among them, backed up out of the way, and sprayed the ramp with bullets. The grenade went off with a satisfyingwham! and body parts flew high into the air before thumping to the floor.
Cortana said, “Don’t let them lock the doors!”
Too late. The doors noiselessly flashed shut.
The Spartan polished off the last of the resistance, checked to confirm that the doors were locked, and was already on his way back to the surface when the AI accessed the suit’s radio.“Cortana to Keyes . . .”
“Go ahead, Cortana. Have you found the Control Center?”
“Negative, Captain. The Covenant have impeded our progress. We can’t proceed unless we can disable the installation’s security system.”
“Understood,”Keyes replied.“Use any means necessary to force your way into the facility and find Halo’s Control Center. Failure is not an option.”
The Master Chief was back in the ’Hog and halfway to the LZ by the time the Captain signed off.“Good luck, people. Keyes out.”
If the front door is locked—then go around back.That’s what the Spartan figured as the LRV rolled back the way it had come, through the LZ. The Marine seated next to him exchanged insults with a buddy stationed on the beach.
They had just rounded a bluff when Cortana said, “Look up to the right. There’s a path that leads toward the interior of the island.”
The AI had no more than finished her sentence when the gunner said, “Freaks at two o’clock!” and opened fire.
The Spartan ran the Warthog up a slope, allowed the M41 LAAG to handle the heavy lifting, and positioned the vehicle so the gunner could put fire on the ravine ahead. “Tell me something, Cortana,” the Master Chief said, as he lowered himself to the ground. “How come you’re always advising me to go up gravity lifts, run down corridors, and sneak through forests while making no mention of all the enemy troops that seem to inhabit such places?”
“Because I don’t want you to feel unnecessary,” the AI replied easily. “For example, given the fact that your sensors are telling both of us that there are at least five Covenant soldiers lying in wait farther up the ravine, it’s logical to suppose that there are even more beyond them. Doesthat make you feel better?”
“No,” the Spartan admitted as he checked to ensure that both of his weapons were fully loaded.
He charged up the ravine and took cover behind a large outcropping of rock. Plasma bolts melted the stone near his head, and he snapped a quick shot in return. The Grunt snarled and dove for cover, as a pair of his partners opened up on the Spartan’s position. Behind them, a cobalt-armored Elite urged them forward.
The Master Chief took a deep breath.Time to go to work, he thought. He sprinted from his cover and his pistol’s reports echoed through the narrow ravine.