Halo_ Ghosts of Onyx - Eric S. Nylund [53]
Dr. Halsey rechecked the engine schematic with a trembling finger. "Increase power
output to thruster by one hundred sixty percent."
"Yes, ma'am."
The aft section of the Beatrice shuddered and metal groaned from uneven stress.
The twilight region of the planet's moon filed the viewscreen with canyons of blue ice and
methane geysers.
"Aft view," Dr. Halsey breathed. The corners of her vision darkened.
The viewscreen switched. In the black of space, pinpoints of white sparkled and lances
of energy slashed through the dark.
Kelly gripped the sides of her chair with such force that the metal bent.
"Initiate roll," Dr. Halsey whispered. "Two radians per second."
The Beatrice spun. The incoming beams were bright as solar
flares, and the video feed distorted chromatic as they closed— then passed.
"Missed!" Kelly almost leapt out of her harness.
Dr. Halsey's heart pounded in her throat. She closed her eyes and tapped in commands. It was too hard to talk now, but her fingers knew what to do. She programmed the time-delayed burn, her best guess at how much oversurge the plasma coils could withstand, calculated reentry angles, and although she didn't believe in God, she prayed to… someone.
When she reopened her eyes, she couldn't see. Blood pooled in her central organs, depriving oxygen from her brain.
On her keypad she pressed Enter.
"That is an inadvisable course of action. Doctor," Jerrod said.
"Kelly," Dr. Halsey murmured. "Find them. Save them."
CHAPTER
EIGHTEEN
1020 HOURS, NOVEMBER 3, 2552 (MILITARY CALENDAR) \ ZETA DORADUS SYSTEM, ORBITAL ENTRY VECTOR OVER PLANET ONYX \ ABOARD DECOMMISSIONED UNSC CHIROPTERA-CLASS VESSEL (ILLEGAL REGISTRY) BEATRICE
Kelly unbuckled her harness and checked Dr. Halsey. She was breathing, but without a pressure suit the acceleration had been too much for her.
Unfamiliar frustration coursed through Kelly. She resented not being briefed about this new mission, being thrust into the middle of a conflict she knew nothing about, and worst of all— having no way to fight.
But maybe it had happened too fast for John and the others to
revive her. Everything had happened too fast since the fall of Reach. Still, something didn't add up.
Kelly understood, though, that she wasn't getting any answers from Dr. Halsey in the
near future, assuming either of them had a future.
First thing first. Locate your enemy.
"Update on pursuit craft?" Kelly asked the AI.
The tiny holographic spark answered, "From our emergent position on the far side on the
satellite, I now only detect one hundred forty-seven vessels. Two minutes until they are again within weapons range."
"Only a hundred and forty-seven?" Kelly muttered. "Lucky break for us."
A blue-green planet appeared centered on the viewscreen.
"What was Dr. Halsey's last course correction?"
"Planetary insertion," the AI said.
The Beatrice shuddered. A crackling hiss was emitted from the engine room, then another from the port wing strut. The temperature dropped twenty degrees.
"Twelve percent per minute loss of cabin pressure," the AI reported.
"We can't insert at this velocity," Kelly said. "The only things that reenter this fast and touch down are meteors."
"Only partially correct, SPARTAN-087," the AI said. "Dr. Halsey's last burn instructions solve that part of the problem, at least in theory."
"Explain."
The ship rotated 180 degrees and its nose angled up.
"Dr. Halsey's calculation is for a counterthrust. I am about to initiate an overcharge bum from the coils. But this is only a theoretical operation as it exceeds the engineered coil output by two hundred forty percent."
On-screen wisps of heat curled. Long trails of smoke appeared.
"Entering upper atmosphere, and—" The AI paused. "Stand by. Incoming weak
transmission on the E-Band."
The E-Band was the UNSC emergency broadcast channel.
"On audio, quick," Kelly said.
There was a wash of static and then: "—is automated general