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276
HALO: FIRST STRIKE
The hatch parted with a hiss.
She smiled. "Not even Cortana could crack their crypto, in-
deed." She waved Locklear inside.
Locklear obliged her and pushed the gurney into the ship. Dr.
Halsey followed, secured the examination table, and escorted
Locklear outside. She turned and headed back into the vessel.
He started back toward the elevator, then halted. "Doc, when
we were talking... you said when 'you'jump to Slipspace. You
meant when 'we'jump to Slipspace, didn't you?"
Dr. Halsey locked eyes with him for a moment. Then she
touched a button inside the ship, and the hatch hissed closed be-
tween them.
The Master Chief stepped off the elevator and onto the bridge
of the Gettysburg. Lieutenant Haverson and Admiral Whitcomb
stared at the displays at Weapons Station One and Engineering.
"Sirs," the Chief said.
The Admiral waved him forward without bothering to look up.
The Chief had two tasks. First, he would inform the Admiral
of his first-strike mission plan. He had to convince him there was
no risk to their primary goal of returning to Earth—and a huge
payoff if they succeeded. The only thing Admiral Whitcomb
might object to was the high risk to his team.
The Chief's second task would be more difficult. He touched
the belt pouch containing Dr. Halsey's data crystals. One was her
analysis of the Flood infection mechanism and a possible way to
block it. The second data crystal contained the source files of
that discovery, and according to Dr. Halsey it would lead to
Sergeant Johnson's undignified, and unnecessary, death.
And yet, if it gave Section Three a better chance to stop the
Floods—if indeed that threat had any meaning after the destruc-
tion of Halo—maybe it was worth one man's life. Maybe if
Sergeant Johnson knew, he'd volunteer.
The Chief's duty was clear: He had to hand over all files to the
Lieutenant—but deep down, he had to admit that it didn't feel
right.
"Cortana." Admiral Whitcomb crossed his arms over his bar-
rel chest. "Give me an update on our power."
Cortana's tiny image flickered to life on the holopad near the