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ERIC NYLUND
87
Had it seen what she had done? Had it understood what she'd
just accomplished? And if so, why declare it a "heresy"?
True, manipulating eighty-eight stochastic variables in
eleven-dimensional space-time was not child's play... but it was
possible that the other AI would be able to follow her calculations.
Perhaps not. The Covenant were imitative, not innovative;
at least, that's what all the ONI intelligence gathered on the col-
lection of alien races had reported. She had thought this was
exaggeration, propaganda to bolster human morale.
Now she wasn't so certain. Because if the Covenant had truly
understood the extent of their own magnificent technology,
they could have not only jumped into Slipspaceyrow a planet's
atmosphere—but jumped into a planet's atmosphere, too.
They could have simply bypassed Reach's orbital defenses.
The Covenant AI had called this heresy? Ludicrous.
Maybe the humans could eventually outthink the Covenant,
given enough access to the enemy's technologies. Cortana real-
ized the humans actually had a chance to win this war. All they
needed was time.
"Cortana? Status please," the Master Chief said.
"Stand by," Cortana reported.
The Chief felt decompressive explosions reverberate through
the deck, thunder that suddenly silenced itself as the atmosphere
vented.
He waited for an explosion to tear through the engine room, or
for plasma to envelop him. He scanned the engine room for any
signs of Grunts or Elites, and then exhaled, and stared into the
face of death for the countless time.
He had always been a hairsbreadth from death. John wasn't a
fatalist, merely a realist. He didn't welcome the end; he knew,
though, that he had done his best, fought and won so many times
for his team, the Navy, and the human race . . . it made moments
like this tolerable. They were, ironically, the most peaceful times
in his life.
"Cortana, status please," he asked again.
There was a pause over the COM, then Cortana spoke.
"We're safe. In Slipspace. Heading unknown." She sighed, and
her voice sounded tinged with weariness. "We're long gone