Filter
Top Products
274
HALO: FIRST STRIKE
He smoothed his hand over his shaved head. "I'm kind of busy
right now, so if this can wait—"
"Whatever you're doing," Dr. Halsey told him, "this is more
important." She nodded to Kelly's prone form. "I need your help
getting SPARTAN-087 to the launch bay."
"Is she okay?" he asked and took a step toward her.
"She's fine, but I have to transfer her to the asteroid base. They
have a piece of equipment necessary to complete her treatment."
Locklear appeared unconvinced. "But I just saw her—"
"She's fine," Dr. Halsey assured him. "Just sedated. This pro-
cedure is.. . unpleasant, even for a Spartan."
Locklear looked into Dr. Halsey's eyes and then nodded, ac-
cepting this explanation. He moved the head of the table and
wheeled it through the doors, the med bay, and out into the waiting
elevator.
Dr. Halsey followed on his heels.
When the elevator doors closed, she turned to the Corporal.
"Your hand, please."
He looked puzzled but held out his hand.
Dr. Halsey took it and turned it palm-up. She set the long, lu-
minous blue artifact in his grasp. The light emitted by the alien
artifact shone onto their faces and made the interior of the eleva-
tor colder. "This is what the Covenant so desperately want. They
tore up Reach to get it. They followed us into Slipspace. And
Po-laski died protecting this thing."
She watched Locklear carefully, gauging his reaction, and saw
that he pulled away slightly at this last remark; it had hit home.
"And what the hell am I supposed to do with it?"
"Keep it safe," she told him. "Guard it with your life, because if
the Covenant ever get it, they'll be able to jump through
Slipspace a hundred times faster than they can now. Do you
understand?"
Locklear closed his large fist around the crystal. "Not really,
Doc. But I can take care of it." He paused and wrinkled his
forehead in confusion. "But why me? Why not ask one of your
Spartans?"
" 'My' Spartans," Dr. Halsey replied in a whisper, "could be
ordered to hand it over to Lieutenant Haverson. And he'd risk