第178页

　　Admiral  Whitcomb  stood  and  said,  "Very  well,  Master  Chief.  Mission  request  approved."
　　ERIC  NYLUND 291
　　The  Master  Chief  parked  the  groaning  overloaded  robotic  dolly  next  to  the  side  hatch  of  the  Covenant  dropship.  The  dolly  held  four  tons  of  carbon-molybdenum  steel  I-beams.
　　Will  unloaded  the  cargo  and  hauled  it  inside,  where  Fred  and  the  Sergeant  cross-braced  and  welded  the  beams  in  place.
　　This  was  the  final  reinforcement  to  the  dropship.  The  interior  of  the  craft  was  so  cramped  that  two  armored  Spartans  could  barely  pass  one  another.
　　They  had  welded  layers  of  lead,  boron  fibers,  and  Titanium-A  hull  plates  they  had  removed  from  the  Gettysburg.  According  to  Cortana's  calculations,  this  was  the  only  way  to  give  them  better  than  fifty-fifty  odds  of  emerging  from  a  Slipspace  transition  with  an  intact  ship.
　　Admiral  Whitcomb  monitored  the  display  of  a  computer  re?pair  cart,  then  looked  up  and  said,  "Cortana  is  ready  for  you,  Chief."  He  waved  him  over.
　　The  Chief  marched  to  the  cart  and  let  the  Admiral  hook  up  the  interface  to  the  base  of  his  neck.  "This  should  feel  just  like  a  nor?mal  download,"  he  said.
　　Chilled  mercury  filled  John's  mind  just  like  it  always  did  when  Cortana  entered  and  fused  with  his  thoughts.  This  pres?ence,  however,  warmed  too  quickly,  as  if  it  were  just  thin  ice  melting  against  his  body's  heat.  It  was  like  a  recollection  of  Cor?tana  inside  his  head—not  the  real  thing.
　　"Initializing  MJOLNIR  armor  systems  check  and  subroutine  unpacking  protocols,"  Cortana's  voice  whispered.
　　At  the  same  time,  the  real  Cortana  also  spoke  over  the  COM:  "Don't  listen  to  her.  She's  only  half  the  woman  she  used  to  be."
　　"As  long  as  you  only  copied  the  good  parts,"  the  Chief  replied.
　　"I'm  all  good,"  Cortana  replied  tersely.  "Just  don't  get  too  used  to  a  passenger  you  can  order  around."
　　"I  wouldn't  dream  of  it."
　　"Systems  check  complete,"  the  copied  Cortana  whispered.  "All  systems  are  functional."
　　Linda  approached  the  opposite  side  of  the  Covenant  dropship;  a  robot  dolly  followed  stacked  with  rifles,  Lotus  antitank  mines,  explosives,  and  crates  of  ammunition.  She  angled  the  dolly  and  led  it  up  the  loading  ramp  until  it  butted  against  the  hull.
　　292 HALO:  FIRST  STRIKE
　　Fred  emerged  from  inside,  and  Linda  handed  him  an  armful  of  submachine  guns.
　　The  Master  Chief  detected  a  slight  limp  to  her  stride  and  an  almost  imperceptible  awkwardness  to  her  usual  fluid  motions.
　　He  opened  a  private  COM  channel  to  Linda.  "What's  your  sta?tus?  Are  you  fit?"
　　She  shrugged.  This  gesture  was  notoriously  difficult  to  per?form  in  MJOLNIR  armor  with  its  force-multiplying  circuits.  It  took  a  degree  of  concentration  and  dexterity  that  spoke  volumes  about  Linda's  true  coordination.
　　"Doctor  Halsey  would  say  I  needed  a  month's  bed  rest,"  she  wryly  replied.  "But  I'm  squared  away,  Chief.  I  still  have  this."  She  picked  her  sniper  rifle  off  the  dolly  and  slung  it  over  her  shoulder  with  a  liquid  grace.  "And  I  still  have  this."  She  patted  her  helmet.  "Even  though  the  Covenant  did  their  best  to  shoot  it  off  last  time."  She  stepped  closer  to  him.  "I  can  take  care  of  my?self.  And  I  can  take  care  of  the  team's  back.  I've  never  let  you  down,  sir.  I  don't  plan  on  doing  so  now."