Chapter 1: Discovery
Dr. Halsey sat back in the shuttle’s seat relieved. She and Kelly had succeeded and were now traveling through slip-space back to Earth. Their ETA was approximately thirty minutes and she hoped they were not too late. While onboard the Gettysburg, she had been reviewing all the data Cortana had gotten from the Halo installation. Amidst all the data, she had uncovered a detail of great significance, the location of an important and powerful forerunner artifact. In order to get to the artifact before the Covenant learned of its location and powers, she had “abducted” Kelly and rushed off to retrieve it. Much like the blue crystal they had previously encountered, this artifact had a similar ability to shift time and space. In short, where ever this artifact was that location simply disappeared, sort of a Bermuda Triangle effect. Which is how it had remained hidden from the ever-alert Covenant, who did not have access to the Halo data. Her hope was to bring the artifact back to Earth and make the planet hidden from the Covenant juggernaut.
“Disengaging slip-space engines Dr.” reported Kelly.
“Very well Kelly. When we enter normal space, try to raise High Command HQ in Sydney.”
The tiny shuttle dropped out of slip space a million miles from Earth, nothing could have prepared them for what they saw next. The planet was dead, forests burnt to the ground, oceans vaporized; Earth it seemed, had been glassed. A few hundred Covenant ships were also in the area, though what they were up to they could not guess. Dr. Halsey sat in full silence, utterly shocked. They were too late. The Covenant had found Earth and they had won.
“What now Dr.?” asked Kelly, interrupting her thoughts.
“I don’t know Kelly; I need to think for awhile.”
“What about the Covenant ships in system?”
“They pose no threat to us; we’re invisible thanks to the artifact.”
She had to think fast. Earth was gone, but she refused to believe that John was dead. He would have managed to escape and lead some of humanity away from the doomed planet. The question was, where would he lead them? “Kelly, set a course for Reach.”
A puzzled look came over Kelly’s face. “Reach? The Covenant glassed Reach.”
“Not all of it, just the poles and enough to hem us in the area surrounding the ONI facility, CASTLE base. It’s also the last place the Covenant would look for anyone. John knows this and I’m sure he’ll head there. If he’s alive…”
