Halo_ The Fall of Reach - Eric Nylund [41]
Mendez stood. “It has been an honor to serve with you.” Instead of saluting, he held out his hand. John got to his feet. He took the Chief’s hand and they shook. It took a great deal of effort—every instinct screamed at him to salute.
“Good-bye,” Chief Mendez said. He turned briskly on his heel and strode from the room. John never saw him again.
CHAPTER TWELVE
1750 Hours, November 27, 2525 (Military Calendar) / UNSC frigateCommonwealth en route to the UNSC Damascus Materials Testing Facility, planet Chi Ceti 4
The view screen in the bunkroom of the UNSC frigateCommonwealth clicked on as the ship entered normal space. Ice particles showered the external camera and gave the distant yellow sun, Chi Ceti, a ghostly ring.
John watched and continued to ponder the wordMjolnir as they sped in-system. He had looked it up in the education database. Mjolnir was the hammer used by the Norse god of thunder. Project MJOLNIR had to be some kind of weapon. At least he hoped it was; they neededsomething to fight the Covenant.
If it was a weapon, though, why was it here at the Damascus testing facility, on the very edge of UNSC-controlled space? He had only even heard of this system twenty-four hours ago.
He turned and surveyed the squad. Although this bunkroom had one hundred beds, the Spartans still clustered together, playing cards, polishing boots, reading, exercising. Sam sparred with Kelly— although she had to slow herself down considerably to give him a chance.
John was reminded that he didn’t like being on starships. The lack of control was disturbing. If he wasn’t stuck in “the freezer”—the starship’s cramped, unpleasant cryo chamber—he was left waiting and wondering what their next mission would be.
During the last three weeks the Spartans had handled a variety of minor missions for Dr. Halsey. “Tying up loose ends,” she had called it. Putting down rebel factions on Jericho VII. Removing a black-market bazaar near the Roosevelt military base. Each mission had brought them closer to the Chi Ceti System.
John had made sure every member of his squad had participated in these missions. They had performed flawlessly. There had been no losses. Chief Mendez would have been proud of them.
“Spartan-117,”Dr. Halsey’s voice blared over the loudspeaker.“Report to the bridge immediately.”
John snapped to attention and keyed the intercom. “Yes, ma’am!” He turned to Sam. “Get everyone ready, in case we’re needed. On the double.”
“Affirmative,” Sam said. “You heard the Petty Officer. Dog those cards. Get into uniform, soldier!”
John double-timed it to the elevator and punched the code for the bridge. Gravity faded out and then
back again as the elevator passed between rotating sections of the ship. The doors parted and he stepped onto the bridge. Every wall had a screen. Some showed stars and the distant red smear of a nebula. Other screens displayed the fusion reactor status and spectrums of microwave broadcasts in the system.
A brass railing ringed the center of the bridge, and within sat four Junior Lieutenants at their stations: navigation, weapons, communications, and ship operations.
John halted and saluted Captain Wallace, then nodded to Dr. Halsey. Captain Wallace stood with his right arm crooked behind his back. His left arm was missing from the elbow down.
John remained saluting until the Captain returned the gesture. “Over here, please,” Dr. Halsey said. “I want you to see this.” John walked across the rubberized deck and gave his full attention to the screen Dr. Halsey and Captain
Wallace were scrutinizing. It displayed deconvoluted radar signals. It looked like tangled yarn to John. “There—” Dr. Halsey pointed to a blip on the screen. “It’s there again.” Captain Wallace stroked his dark beard, thinking, then said, “That puts our ghost at eighty million
kilometers. Even if it were a ship, it would take a full hour to get within weapons range. And besides—” He waved at the screen. “—it’s gone again.”
“May I suggest