第145页

　　"So  we're  stuck  between  systems."
　　"Negative,"  Cortana  replied,  and  her  voice  took  on  a  new  chill.  "Admiral  Whitcomb  is  quite  adamant  that  we  risk  another  Slipspace  transition—regardless  of  the  cost  in  human  life.  Other?wise,  it  would  be  weeks  before  we  would  be  able  to  contact  UNSC  High  Command."
　　HighCom?  Two  facts  suddenly  clicked  into  place:  the  Admi?ral's  need  to  contact  the  rest  of  the  Admiralty—no  matter  the  price—and  Dr.  Halsey's  attempts  to  revive  Linda.
　　"What's  compelling  the  Admiral's  tactics,  Cortana?"
　　Cortana's  holographic  outline  softened.  "I  told  you  this  be?fore,  Chief,  but  apparently  it  did  not  stick  in  your  semiconscious  state."  She  then  came  into  sharp  focus  and  crossed  her  arms  over  her  chest.  "The  Covenant  have  discovered  the  location  of  Earth."
　　The  Master  Chief  stood,  suddenly  wide  awake  and  alert.  He  set  aside  his  pain  and  fatigue.
　　"Explain,"  he  demanded.
　　Cortana  outlined  her  discovery  of  the  encoded  subchannel  within  normal  Covenant  communiques.  She  explained  how  the  Covenant's  military  orders  were  disseminated  with  startling  effi?ciently,  and  she  then  showed  him  symbols  that  represented  the  coordinates  for  Sol...  and  Earth.
　　He  stood  mute  and  listened.  The  UNSC  had  worked  so  hard,  for  so  long,  to  preserve  this  secret.  It  was  only  a  matter  of  time;  he  had  always  known  that  the  Covenant  had  to  find  Earth  sooner
　　238 HALO:  FIRST  STRIKE
　　or  later.  He  had,  however,  always  thought  it  would  be  later  ...  and  never  now.
　　The  Master  Chief  stared  at  the  tiny  triangles,  squares,  dots,  and  bars  that  made  up  the  spatial  coordinates.  "We've  seen  these  before,  on  Cote  d'Azur."
　　"Yes.  And  according  to  Doctor  Halsey,  her  team  on  Reach  found  similar  markings  in  the  underground  vaults."
　　"What's  the  connection?"
　　"Unknown."
　　The  Master  Chief  put  these  facts  aside  for  the  moment;  the  greater  meaning  of  the  symbols  and  translation  he'd  leave  up  to  Cortana  and  ONI.  The  only  insight  that  mattered  to  him  was  that  the  Covenant  were  going  to  attack  Earth.
　　"Was  there  a  timetable  or  any  other  data  encoded  on  the  sub?channel?"  he  asked.
　　"Affirmative.  There's  a  coordinated  series  of  orders  to  Cove?nant  warships  scattered  across  the  galaxy  to  rendezvous  with  a  mobile  command-and-control  base  they  call  the  'Unyielding  Hierophant.'  When  they  have  sufficient  force,  they  will  collec?tively  make  the  jump  to  Earth."
　　The  Master  Chief  moved  toward  the  medical  bay's  doors.  They  automatically  parted.  "Where  is  Admiral  Whitcomb?"
　　"The  Admiral  is  currently  on  the  bridge,"  Cortana  replied.  "But  Doctor  Halsey  gave  me  strict  orders  that  you  are  not  to—"
　　"I  don't  take  orders  from  civilians,"  he  snapped.  "Not  even  her."  The  Master  Chief  passed  out  of  the  medical  bay  and  marched  down  the  corridor.
　　"You  know,"  Cortana  said,  her  voice  now  coming  from  his  helmet  speaker,  "your  attitude  has  degraded  since  we  started  this  mission—even  before  the  battle  for  Reach."
　　"Noted,"  he  replied.
　　The  dim  white  light  flooding  the  Gettysburg's  passages  was  a  welcome  change  from  the  blue  illumination  the  Covenant  used  on  their  ships.  John  was  glad  to  have  his  feet  once  more  firmly  planted  on  the  raw  steel  decks  of  a  human  vessel,  even  if  the  walls  of  this  passage  were  soot-stained.