第183页

　　Thanks  to  the  lightning-fast  and  extremely  well  coordinated  nature  of  the  attack,  the  humans  controlled  more  than  eighty  percent  of  theTruth  and  Reconciliation  ,  and  were  preparing  to  lift  off.  Those  compartments  not  under  human  control  could  be  dealt  with  later  on.  There  hadn’t  been  any  contact  with  Cortana  for  a  while—and  Silva  intended  to  play  it  safe.  If  Halo  was  about  to  blow,  he  wanted  to  befar  away  when  the  event  took  place.
　　The  cruiser’s  Control  Room  was  a  scene  of  frantic  activity  as  Wellsley  wrestled  with  the  ship’s  nonsentient  nav  comp,  Naval  personnel  struggled  to  familiarize  themselves  with  all  manner  of  alien  control  systems,  and  Silva  gloated  over  his  latest  coup.  The  attack  had  been  so  fast,  so  successful,  that  his  Helljumpers  had  captured  a  being  who  referred  to  himself  as  a  “Prophet,”  and  claimed  to  be  an  important  member  of  the  Covenant’s  ruling  class.  Now,  safely  locked  away,  the  alien  was  slated  to  become  yet  another  element  in  Silva’s  triumphant  return  to  Earth.  The  officer  smiled  as  the  ship’s  gravity  locks  were  released,  the  hull  swayed  slightly  in  response,  and  the  final  preflight  check  began.
　　Many  decks  below,  McKay  felt  someone  touch  her  arm.  “Lieutenant?  Do  you  have  a  moment?”
　　Though  not  in  the  same  chain  of  command,  Lieutenant  Commander  Gail  Purdy  outranked  the  Helljumper,  which  was  why  McKay  responded  by  saying,  “Yes,  ma’am.  What  can  I  do  for  you?”
　　Purdy  was  an  Engineering  officer,  and  one  of  those  sixteen  individuals  who  rated  bodyguards,  both  of  whom  had  their  backs  to  the  officer  and  were  facing  out.  She  was  middle-aged  and  stout,  with  ginger-colored  hair.  Her  eyes  were  serious  and  locked  with  McKay’s.
　　“Step  over  here.  I’d  like  to  show  you  something.”
　　McKay  followed  the  other  officer  over  to  a  large  tube  that  served  to  bridge  the  one-meter  gap  between  one  blocky-looking  installation  and  the  next.  Jenkins,  who  had  no  choice  but  to  go  wherever  his  Marine  guards  went,  was  forced  to  follow.
　　“See  that?”  the  Naval  officer  inquired,  pointing  at  the  tube.
　　“Yes,  ma’am,”  McKay  answered,  mystified  as  to  what  such  a  structure  could  possibly  have  to  do  with  her.
　　“That’s  an  access  point  for  the  fiber-optic  pathway  that  links  the  Control  Room  to  the  engines,”  the  Engineer  explained.  “If  someone  were  to  sever  that  connection,  the  power  plants  would  run  wild.  There  may  be  a  bypass  somewhere—but  we  haven’t  found  it.  Given  the  fact  that  twenty  percent  of  the  ship  remains  under  Covenant  control  I  suggest  that  you  post  a  guard  on  this  piece  of  equipment  until  all  of  the  Covenant  are  under  lock  and  key.”
　　Purdy’s  suggestion  had  the  force  of  an  order,  and  McKay  said,  “Yes,  ma’am.  I’ll  take  care  of  it.”
　　The  Naval  officer  nodded  as  the  deck  tilted  and  forced  both  women  to  grab  onto  the  fiber  channel.  Two  people  were  thrown  to  the  deck.  Purdy  grinned.  “Pretty  sloppy,  huh?  Captain  Keyes  would  have  a  fit!”
　　Silva  wasn’t  worried  about  the  finer  points  of  ship  handling  as  the  final  loads  of  UNSC  personnel  were  deposited  in  the  shuttle  bay,  the  Pelicans  were  secured,  the  outer  doors  were  closed,  and  theTruth  and  Reconciliation  struggled  to  break  the  grip  that  Halo  had  on  her  hull.