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ERIC NYLUND
317
The light from the reactors shifted; blue plasma tinged white
and spread like a poison through the interconnecting conduits.
"Overload commencing," the copy of Cortana announced. "I
suggest Blue Team move at top speed to the exit."
A NAV triangle indicated a ladder that ran to the catwalk
overhead. John held up two fingers at Will and Fred and then
nodded to the patrolling Jackals. Fred and Will knelt, braced,
and waited for him to go ahead.
John climbed the ladder. As he neared the top, three shots rang
out behind him. The sound was nearly drowned out by the inten-
sifying reverberations from the reactors. He cleared the top
of the ladder and saw three dead Jackals on the catwalk. He
swept both directions with his rifle and then waved Will and Fred
forward.
His countdown timer read 9.47. The heat and light from the re-
actors grew stronger, and John's shields flared slightly.
Blue Team jogged down the catwalk to an elevator. They got
inside, the doors closed, and the car immediately ascended.
When the doors opened again, artificial blue sunlight filled
the car—as did the shadows cast by two Elites waiting for the
elevator. Blue Team opened fire and cut down the Elites, leaving a
spray of blood across the ground.
The Chief edged around the frame of the elevator door and
saw a tangle of pipes and fountains and one of the curious spiral
waterways that fell up from its center. This was a heat exchange
plant for the reactors below. Already the water in the canals
steamed and boiled.
He saw that Covenant Elite and Hunter pairs had converged at
the entrance to the temple a hundred meters to his right. Over the
temple dozens of Banshee fliers circled the carnage.
A gang of Grunts managed to clear an opening to the temple.
There was a flash of light and fire that roiled out in a long plume,
burning them as well as their Elite overseers.
"Good-bye, Grace," John whispered.
The detonation of her power pack would buy them more time
while the Covenant forces tried to figure out what just happened—
perhaps they'd think Blue Team was still inside the temple. Grace
had also taken out a dozen Grunts and four Elites with her last
action. That would have pleased her.