Broken Circle Read Free Page A

down into the chutes, now! There’s not a second to waste!”

    Equipped with a new chair, Mken sped into the orbiting shuttle’s control room, shouting for the communications officer. “Signal the Dreadnought! I want the modulated cleansing beam on Site One! Hurry!”
    â€œMy Precious High Lord,” the communications officer said, “it is a privilege to—”
    â€œJust be quiet and do it!”
    There was a moment as the officer conveyed the order and another as the Dreadnought’s attack array—weapons the San’Shyuum had added to the ancient Forerunner keyship—powered up to firing capacity, drawing on energies the Forerunners had intended for other purposes, some of those unknown.
    â€œModulated beam prepared and focused, High Lord.”
    â€œDischarge!”
    Mken could see the Dreadnought on a viewscreen, in orbit over the Purple Line, well above the churning atmosphere of the Planet of Blue and Red; the convergence of the Forerunner craft’s armament was now pulsing with bright blue energy. Like a blade of fire, the energy suddenly stabbed down into the atmosphere. The viewscreen split to show its impact on Site One.
    Mken silently prayed to the Prophets that the beam was modulated properly—their computational systems had assured him that the cleansing bolt would not harm the hardened Holy Dome exposed by the excavation. But it should destroy any living thing at the site.
    The surface glowed with the Dreadnought’s destructive power—but to Mken’s relief, the Holy Dome appeared to be undamaged.
    â€œWe’re getting a number of organic incineration indicators,” the communications officer said.
    â€œHow many?” Mken demanded.
    â€œSix, seven . . . no more.”
    Mken sighed. “Fire at Site Two! Destroy all troops there!”
    â€œSome of them are already retreating into bunkers—”
    â€œThen burn the ones you can! Quickly!”
    â€œIt is my privilege to obey.”
    Mken touched the control arm of his floating chair. “Kucknoi, have you docked?”
    â€œWe are here on the shuttle, High Lord,” confirmed the head researcher from Site One. His voice carried a hint of accusation as he went on: “Do I understand that you are attacking the excavation?”
    â€œIt is not being harmed, merely cauterized. We have modulated the beam to be certain of that. Kucknoi, there were tunnels under my drop pod. You were aware of them?”
    â€œNot until they were breached. There is a great deal under the surface we have not yet charted, High Lord.”
    â€œAnd under Site One?”
    â€œThere is a subterranean chamber, noted by our subsurface resonator. We believe it could be a major reliquary. We had just found an entrance and were hoping to open it, when this untimely interruption wrenched us from our work . . .”
    â€œHad we not interrupted you, I can assure you the Sangheili would have. They would have cut you all to pieces. Is there a way Sangheili can penetrate the subterranean chamber, from above, without major excavation?”
    â€œThere are air shafts that one Sangheili at a time could use, I suppose. We did not choose to utilize them . . . They are not suitable for our chairs or antigrav belts.”
    Mken grunted. “No doubt. And no doubt Ussa ‘Xellus knew about them. They are nimble creatures, capable of going exactly where we cannot. We’ll have to send the Sentinels in and clear those Sangheili out.”
    But by then, Mken knew, Ussa would have probably moved on. He’d have found his way out of the hoary Forerunner structure, and would make ready to strike again at the San’Shyuum.
    Mken was surprised at his own feelings—he was inwardly glad Ussa had escaped, though he’d have destroyed the Sangheili,rather than allow the saurian commander to further interrupt their excavations.
    Yes, there was potential in this Ussa