第70页
"Powering down Shaw-Fujikawa translight engines," Jerrod said. "Exit vector calculated."
Mathematics scrolled across the screens.
"Very good," Dr. Halsey said, scrutinizing his equations. "But the saddle point in the imaginary plane should convolute here." She touched the screen. "That way we recapture the particle accelerator energy in the plasma coils."
"Yes, Doctor, but there is a risk involved with coil overload."
"Which is well within the operational limits of this craft," she countered. "Please alter the exit vector."
"Of course. Doctor." There was a touch of annoyance in Jer-rod's voice.
A slight nausea passed through Dr. Halsey as the Beatrice transitioned from Slipstream space into the normal universe.
Stars snapped on the displays, and a golden disk the size of an ancient penny shimmered center screen.
"We are approximately two hundred million kilometers from system center of the stellar coordinates provided," Jerrod reported.
"Look for planets in the habitable zone," she said.
"Doctor, we have a full system survey on file."
"Look," Dr. Halsey ordered.
"Yes, ma'am."
Kelly stirred, shook her head clear—then lightning fast she ripped through her restraints, hooked one foot around the chair base, and held up both hands, poised cobras, ready to fight.
"At ease, Spartan," Dr. Halsey said. "You're with me. Safe."
"I was drugged." Kelly looked around the bridge; her hands dropped a bit, but not completely.
"Correct. The last stage of dermacortic steroid treatment is overly stimulating. It would have been unpleasant for you." This was, of course, true, but it was nothing a Spartan couldn't have handled.
"Where are we?"
"On Governor Jiles's ship. We have appropriated it for a new mission."
"John and Admiral Whitcomb?" Kelly dropped her hands.
"They know," Dr. Halsey said. Also technically not a lie. They undoubtedly did know that Dr. Halsey had kidnapped one of their Spartans and stolen this ship.
Kelly cocked her head. "Doctor, this is highly irregular. There is a strict chain of command, protocols to—"
"Which were followed," Dr. Halsey assured her. "New developments occurred while you were unconscious."
It was impossible to read Kelly's expression behind the polarized faceplate of her MJOLNIR armor. She looked, however, to Dr. Halsey, unconvinced.
"Anomalous planet found," Jerrod announced.
On-screen a world that looked like a sphere of turquoise appeared.
"Plot course and move toward it at one-half speed."
"Answering one-half full. Doctor."
"Ma'am," Kelly said and moved closer. "You will have to explain. I thought we were bound for Earth to warn them about the Covenant."
"Proximity warning!" Jerrod said. "Incoming vessels. Configuration matches neither UNSC nor Covenant profiles."
On-screen a radar silhouette appeared: an odd trilobed symmetry. Thermal images revealed a center sphere emitting a blackbody radiation of six thousand degrees Kelvin.
"What is it?" Kelly whispered.
"What are they," Jerrod corrected. "Detecting three hundred twelve of these ships. On an intercept course. Vectors suggest an attack pattern."