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CHAPTER EIGHT

0930 Hours, September 11, 2525 (Military Calendar) / Epsilon Eridani System, Reach UNSC

Military Complex, planet Reach

Dr Halsey reclined in Mendez’s padded chair She considered pilfering one of the Sweet Williaars from the box on his desk--see why he considered the fro How did he stand them?

The door opened and CPO Mendez halted in the doorway "Ma’ahter "I wasn’t infor today In fact, I had understood that you were out of the systeements"

"I’m sure you would have" She folded her hands in her lap "Our situation has changed Where are my Spartans? They are not in their barracks, nor on any of the ranges"

Mendez hesitated "They can no longer train here, ma’am We had to find themother facilities"

Dr Halsey stood and sray skirt "Maybe you should explain that statement, Chief"

"I could," he replied, "but it will be easier to show you"

"Very well," Dr Halsey said, her curiosity piqued Mendez escorted her to his personal Warthog parked outside his office The all-terrain coun on the back had been reent Vmountain roads "Reach was first colonized for its rich titanium deposits," Mendez told her "There are mines in these mountains thousands of e"

"I presu inventory today, Chief?"

"No,past a e tunnel that sloped steeply underground

The road wound down in a spiral, deeper into sold granite Mendez said, "Do you remember the Navy’s first experiments with powered exoskeletons?"

"I’m not sure I see the connection between this place, my Spartans, and the exoskeleton projects," Dr

Halsey replied, frowning, "but I’ll play along a bit further Yes, I know all about the Mark I prototypes

We had to scrap the concept and redesign battle arround up for the MJOLNIR project

The Mark Is consuenerator or use inefficient broadcast power--neither option is practical on a battlefield"

Mendez decelerated slightly as he approached a speed bu’s massive tires thudded over the obstacle

"They used the units that weren’t scrapped," Dr Halsey continued, "as dock loaders to ht they have been dumped in a place like this?"

"There are dozens of the suits here"

"You haven’t put my Spartans in so them for their own safety," Mendez replied "When the Spartans recovered froet back to their routine However, we experienced soht word "difficulties"

He glanced at his passenger His face was grim "Their first day back, three trainers were accidentally killed during hand-to-hand combat exercises"

Dr Halsey cocked an eyebrow "Then they are faster and stronger than we anticipated?"

"That," Mendez replied, "would be understating the situation"

The tunnel opened into a large cavern There were lights scattered on the walls, overhead a hundredthe floor, but they did little to dissipate the overwhel next to a s He jumped out and helped Dr

Halsey step froestured to the roo had three glass walls and several monitors marked MOTION, INFRARED, DOPPLER, and PASSIVE Mendez pushed a button and the roo the wall until they were twenty meters off the floor

Mendez keyed a hts snapped on and illuminated a section of the cavern the size of a football field In the center stood a concrete bunker Three men in the primitive Mark I power armor stood on top Six more stood evenly spaced around the perimeter A red banner had been planted in the center of the bunker

"Capture the flag?" Dr Halsey asked "Past all that heavy armor?"

"Yes The trainers in those exoskeletons can run at thirty-two KPH, lift two tons, and have a thirty- armatures--stun rounds, of course They’re also equipped with the latest motion sensors and IR scopes And needless to say, their arht weapons It would take two or three platoons of conventional Marines to take that bunker"

Mendez spoke again in the microphone, and his voice echoed off the cavern walls: "Start the drill"

Sixty seconds ticked by Nothing happened One hundred twenty seconds "Where are the Spartans?"

Dr Halsey asked