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Vinh and Isaac bounded into the room. "Enemy contacts at extreme range," Vinh reported.
"Down," Dr. Halsey said, and she held a palm-sized data pad for Fred to see. It had a map on its display ... but not of this base. "We have to go lower."
Fred wondered if Dr. Halsey was delirious.
"Down the elevator shaft in Section Sigma," she explained. "We'll seal it behind us. We can't let them follow."
"Kelly, take point," Fred ordered. He grabbed two of the new
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magnum pistols, loaded them, and then tossed them to Kelly, along with three extra clips. "I guess you get to test these."
Kelly gazed at the new weapons and gave a low whistle.
Fred opened the bags with die new rifles and handed them out to his team. "Will, you mule the extra parts and ammo."
"Roger," Will replied and slung them over his shoulders.
"Those satchels, over there," Dr. Halsey said and waved to four duffel bags. "Medical supplies. Food and water. We'll need them, too."
Will grabbed them as well.
"Just a few more things," Dr. Halsey whispered. "We can't let them get into ONI's records." She tapped her pad once and then said to Kalmiya, "Begin Operation White Glove. Irradiate all computer memory crystal. Code file access Beta-Foxtrot-99874." Dr. Halsey closed her eyes as if she were concentrating, and she whispered, "Not all AIs have the fail-safe option, my dear Kalmiya... just the ones that matter."
"I understand, Doctor." There was a pause, and the AI spoke again, her voice sad. "Voice and fingerprint accepted and veri?fied. Fail-safe code verified. It has been ... a pleasure working with you, Doctor Halsey."
"The pleasure has been mine, Kalmiya." She stood straighter and said, "Fail-safe override access: 'Ragnarok.' Give us a three-minute countdown."
A three-minute counter appeared in the corner of Fred's heads-up display.
Dr. Halsey turned to him. "I've activated the explosives cache under this base, which will level the complex. We have to get be?low, to the original titanium mine tunnels."
Fred wished she had consulted with him before she had given them only three minutes. Then again, Dr. Halsey knew what was at stake, what secrets were hidden in this base, and what damage could occur if the Covenant got their hands on those secrets.
Five minutes might be too much time considering what was at risk.
"Understood," Fred replied. "Isaac, you're rear guard. Vinh, stick close to Kelly. I'll take Doctor Halsey." Fred picked up the doctor with great care. She couldn't have weighed more than fifty kilos—light as a stick.
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HALO: FIRST STRIKE
"I've lost targets on motion sensors," Vinh whispered over the COM. "They were close, too."
"Kelly, watch for camouflaged Elites."
"Affirmative," she said. She scanned the room, moved to a cabinet, and grabbed a tin can marked TALC.
"Let's move," Fred ordered. "Kalmiya, kill the lights in the base. Hand signals only—I want radio silence."
Four blue acknowledgment lights winked on.