Chapter 6

1130 Hours March 09, 2525 (Military Calendar) /Epsilon Eridani System, Office of Naval¹ Intelligence Medical Facility, in orbit around planet Reach“I want that transmission decoded² now,” Dr. Halsey snapped at Déjà.

“The encryption scheme is extremely complex,” replied Déjà with a hint of irritation³ in her normallyglass-smooth voice. “I don’t even know why they bothered. Who else but Beta-5 Division even has theresources to use this data?”

“Spare me the banter⁴, Déjà. I’m not in the mood. Just concentrate on the decryption.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

Dr. Halsey paced across the antiseptic white tile of the Observation Room. One side of the room wasfilled with floor-to-ceiling terminals that monitored the vital signs of the children—test subjects, shecorrected herself. They displayed drug uptake rates and winking⁵ green, blue, and red status indicators⁶:

EKGs, pulse rates, and a hundred other pieces of medical data.

The other side of the observation room overlooked dozens of translucent⁷ domes⁸, windows into thesurgical bays on the level below. Each bay was a sealed environment, staffed with the best surgeons andbiotechnicians that the Office of Naval Intelligence could drum up. The bays had been scrubbed andirradiated and were in the final preparation stages to receive and hold the special biohazardous materials.

“Done,” Déjà announced. “The file awaits your inspection⁹, Doctor.”

Dr. Halsey stopped her pacing and sat. “On my glasses, please, Déjà.”

Her glasses scanned retinal and brain patterns, and the security barrier of the file lifted. With a blink ofher eyes, she opened the file.

It read:

United Nations Space Command Priority Transmission 09872H-98Encryption Code:RedPublic Key:file /excised access Omega/From:Admiral Ysionris Jeromi, Chief Medical Officer, UNSC Research Station HopefulTo:Dr. Catherine Elizabeth Halsey M.D., Ph.D., special civilian¹⁰ consultant¹¹ (civilian IdentificationNumber: 10141-026-SRB4695)Subject:Mitigating factors and relative biological risks associated with queried¹² experimental medicalprocedures.

Classification:RESTRICTED (BGX Directive)/start file/Catherine,I am afraid further analysis has yielded no viable¹³ alternatives to mitigate¹⁴ the risks in your proposed“hypothetical” experimentation¹⁵. I have, however, attached the synopsis¹⁶ of my team’s findings as well asall relevant case studies. Perhaps you will find them useful.

I hope it is a hypothetical study . . . the use of Binobo chimpanzees in your proposal is troublesome.

These animals are expensive and rare now since they are no longer bred in captivity¹⁷. I would hate to seesuch valuable specimens¹⁸ wasted in some Section Three project.

Best,y.j.

She winced²⁰ at the veiled rebuke²¹ in the Admiral’s communiqué. He had never approved of her decisionto work with the Office of Naval Intelligence, and made his disappointment with his star pupil evidentevery time she visitedHopeful.

It was hard enough to justify²² the morality of the course she was about to embark²³ upon. Jeromi’sdisapproval only made her decision more difficult.

Dr. Halsey gritted²⁴ her teeth and returned to the report.

Synopsis of chemical/ biological risksWARNING: the following procedures are classified level-3 experimental. Primate²⁵ test subjectsmust be cleared through UNSC Quartermaster General Office code: OBF34. Follow gamma codebiohazard disposal protocol²⁶.

1. Carbide ceramic²⁷ ossification:advanced material grafting²⁸ onto skeletal structures to make bonesvirtually unbreakable. Recommended coverage²⁹ not to exceed 3 percent total bone mass because ofsignificant white blood cell necrosis. Specific risk for pre- and near-postpubescent adolescents: skeletalgrowth spurts³⁰ may cause irreparable bone pulverization³¹. See attached case studies.

2.Muscular enhancement injections: protein complex is injected intramuscularly to increase tissuedensity and decrease lactase recovery time. Risk: 5 percent of test subjects experience a fatal cardiacvolume increase.

3. Catalytic thyroid implant:platinum pellet containing human growth hormone³² catalyst³³ is implanted inthe thyroid to boost growth of skeletal and muscle tissues. Risk: rare instances of elephantiasis.

Suppressed sexual drive.

4. Occipital capillary³⁴ reversal:submergence and boosted blood vessel³⁵ flow beneath the rods and conesof subject’s retina. Produces a marked visual perception increase. Risk: retinal rejection³⁶ and detachment.

Permanent blindness. See attached autopsy³⁷ reports.

5. Superconducting fibrification of neural³⁸ dendrites:alteration of bioelectrical nerve transduction toshielded electronic transduction. Three hundred percent increase in subject reflexes. Anecdotal evidenceof marked increase in intelligence, memory, and creativity. Risk: significant instances of Parkinson’sdisease and Fletcher’s syndrome³⁹.

/end file/PressENTER to open linked attachments⁴⁰.

Dr. Halsey closed the file. She erased⁴¹ all traces of it—sent Déjà to track the file pathways all the wayback toHopeful and destroy Admiral Jeromi’s notes and files relative to this incident.

She removed her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose.

“I’m sorry,” Déjà said. “I, too, had hoped there would be some new process to lower the risks.”

Dr. Halsey sighed. “I have doubts, Déjà. I thought the reasons so compelling when we first startedproject SPARTAN⁴². Now? I . . . I just don’t know.”

“I have been over the ONI projections⁴³ of Outer Colony stability three times, Doctor. Their conclusion iscorrect: massive rebellion within twenty years unless drastic military action is taken. And you know the‘drastic military action’ the brass⁴⁴ would like. The SPARTANS⁴⁵ are our only option to avoidoverwhelming civilian losses. They will be the perfect pinpoint⁴⁶ strike force. They can prevent a civilwar.”

“Only if they survive to fulfill⁴⁷ that mission,” Dr. Halsey countered. “We should delay the procedures.

More research needs to be done. We could use the time to work on MJOLNIR. We need time to—”

“There is another reason to proceed expeditiously,” Déjà said. “Although I am loath⁴⁸ to bring this to yourattention, I must. If the Office of Naval Intelligence detects a delay in their prize project, you will likelybe replaced by someone who harbors . . . fewer doubts. And regrettably for the children, most likelysomeone less qualified⁴⁹.”

“I hate this.” Dr. Halsey got up and strode to the fire exit. “And sometimes, Déjà, I hate you, too.” Sheleft the observation room.

Mendez was waiting for her in the hallway.

“Walk with me, Chief,” she said.

He followed without a word as they took the stairs to the pre-op wing of the hospital.

They entered room 117. John lay in bed and an IV drip was attached to his arm. His head had beenshaved and incision⁵⁰ vectors had been lasered onto his entire body. Despite these indignities⁵¹, Dr. Halseymarveled at what a spectacular physical specimen¹⁹ he had grown into. Fourteen years old and he had thebody of an eighteen-year-old Olympic athlete, and a mind the equal of any Naval Academy honorsgraduate.

Dr. Halsey forced the best smile she could muster⁵². “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine, ma’am,” John replied groggily⁵³. “The nurse said the sedation would take effect soon. I’mfighting it to see how long I can stay awake.” His eyelids⁵⁴ fluttered. “It’s not easy.”

John spotted⁵⁵ Mendez and he struggled to sit up and salute⁵⁶, but failed. “I know this is one of the Chief’sexercises. But I don’t know what the twist is. Can you tell me, Dr. Halsey? Just this time? How do Iwin?”

Mendez looked away.

Dr. Halsey leaned closer to John as he closed his eyes and started to breathe deeply.

“I’ll tell you how to win, John,” she whispered. “You have to survive.”

1 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

2 decoded   

v.译（码），解（码）( decode的过去式和过去分词 )；分析及译解电子信号

参考例句：

• The control unit decoded the 18 bits. 控制器对这18位字进行了译码。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Scientists have decoded the dog genome. 科学家已经译解了狗的基因组。 来自辞典例句

3 irritation   

n.激怒，恼怒，生气

参考例句：

• He could not hide his irritation that he had not been invited.他无法掩饰因未被邀请而生的气恼。
• Barbicane said nothing,but his silence covered serious irritation.巴比康什么也不说，但是他的沉默里潜伏着阴郁的怒火。

4 banter   

n.嘲弄，戏谑；v.取笑，逗弄，开玩笑

参考例句：

• The actress exchanged banter with reporters.女演员与记者相互开玩笑。
• She engages in friendly banter with her customers.她常和顾客逗乐。

5 winking   

n.瞬眼，目语v.使眼色( wink的现在分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮

参考例句：

• Anyone can do it; it's as easy as winking. 这谁都办得到，简直易如反掌。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The stars were winking in the clear sky. 星星在明亮的天空中闪烁。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 indicators   

（仪器上显示温度、压力、耗油量等的）指针( indicator的名词复数 )； 指示物； （车辆上的）转弯指示灯； 指示信号

参考例句：

• The economic indicators are better than expected. 经济指标比预期的好。
• It is still difficult to develop indicators for many concepts used in social science. 为社会科学领域的许多概念确立一个指标仍然很难。

7 translucent   

adj.半透明的；透明的

参考例句：

• The building is roofed entirely with translucent corrugated plastic.这座建筑完全用半透明瓦楞塑料封顶。
• A small difference between them will render the composite translucent.微小的差别,也会使复合材料变成半透明。

8 domes   

n.圆屋顶( dome的名词复数 )；像圆屋顶一样的东西；圆顶体育场

参考例句：

• The domes are circular or ovoid in cross-section. 穹丘的横断面为圆形或卵圆形。 来自辞典例句
• Parks. The facilities highlighted in text include sport complexes and fabric domes. 本书重点讲的设施包括运动场所和顶棚式结构。 来自互联网

9 inspection   

n.检查，审查，检阅

参考例句：

• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。
• The soldiers lined up for their daily inspection by their officers.士兵们列队接受军官的日常检阅。

10 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

11 consultant   

n.顾问；会诊医师，专科医生

参考例句：

• He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
• Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来，加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。

12 queried   

v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问

参考例句：

• She queried what he said. 她对他说的话表示怀疑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• \"What does he have to do?\" queried Chin dubiously. “他有什么心事？”琴向觉民问道，她的脸上现出疑惑不解的神情。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

13 viable   

adj.可行的，切实可行的，能活下去的

参考例句：

• The scheme is economically viable.这个计划从经济效益来看是可行的。
• The economy of the country is not viable.这个国家经济是难以维持的。

14 mitigate   

vt.（使）减轻，（使）缓和

参考例句：

• The government is trying to mitigate the effects of inflation.政府正试图缓和通货膨胀的影响。
• Governments should endeavour to mitigate distress.政府应努力缓解贫困问题。

15 experimentation   

n.实验，试验，实验法

参考例句：

• Many people object to experimentation on animals.许多人反对用动物做实验。
• Study and analysis are likely to be far cheaper than experimentation.研究和分析的费用可能要比实验少得多。

16 synopsis   

n.提要，梗概

参考例句：

• The synopsis of the book is very good.这本书的梗概非常好。
• I heard there wasn't a script.They only had a synopsis.我听说是没有剧本的。他们只有一个大纲。

17 captivity   

n.囚禁；被俘；束缚

参考例句：

• A zoo is a place where live animals are kept in captivity for the public to see.动物园是圈养动物以供公众观看的场所。
• He was held in captivity for three years.他被囚禁叁年。

18 specimens   

n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人

参考例句：

• Astronauts have brought back specimens of rock from the moon. 宇航员从月球带回了岩石标本。
• The traveler brought back some specimens of the rocks from the mountains. 那位旅行者从山上带回了一些岩石标本。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 specimen   

n.样本，标本

参考例句：

• You'll need tweezers to hold up the specimen.你要用镊子来夹这标本。
• This specimen is richly variegated in colour.这件标本上有很多颜色。

20 winced   

赶紧避开，畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He winced as the dog nipped his ankle. 狗咬了他的脚腕子，疼得他龇牙咧嘴。
• He winced as a sharp pain shot through his left leg. 他左腿一阵剧痛疼得他直龇牙咧嘴。

21 rebuke   

v.指责，非难，斥责 [反]praise

参考例句：

• He had to put up with a smart rebuke from the teacher.他不得不忍受老师的严厉指责。
• Even one minute's lateness would earn a stern rebuke.哪怕迟到一分钟也将受到严厉的斥责。

22 justify   

vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护

参考例句：

• He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
• Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

23 embark   

vi.乘船，着手，从事，上飞机

参考例句：

• He is about to embark on a new business venture.他就要开始新的商业冒险活动。
• Many people embark for Europe at New York harbor.许多人在纽约港乘船去欧洲。

24 gritted   

v.以沙砾覆盖（某物），撒沙砾于( grit的过去式和过去分词 )；咬紧牙关

参考例句：

• He gritted his teeth and plunged into the cold weather. 他咬咬牙，冲向寒冷的天气。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The young policeman gritted his teeth and walked slowly towards the armed criminal. 年轻警官强忍住怒火，朝武装歹徒慢慢走过去。 来自《简明英汉词典》

25 primate   

n.灵长类（目）动物，首席主教；adj.首要的

参考例句：

• 14 percent of primate species are highly endangered.14%的灵长类物种处于高度濒危状态。
• The woolly spider monkey is the largest primate in the Americas.绒毛蛛猴是美洲最大的灵长类动物。

26 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。

27 ceramic   

n.制陶业，陶器，陶瓷工艺

参考例句：

• The order for ceramic tiles has been booked in.瓷砖的订单已登记下来了。
• Some ceramic works of art are shown in this exhibition.这次展览会上展出了一些陶瓷艺术品。

28 grafting   

嫁接法，移植法

参考例句：

• Even grafting new blood vessels in place of the diseased coronary arteries has been tried. 甚至移植新血管代替不健康的冠状动脉的方法都已经试过。
• Burns can often be cured by grafting on skin from another part of the same body. 烧伤常常可以用移植身体其它部位的皮肤来治愈。

29 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

30 spurts   

短暂而突然的活动或努力( spurt的名词复数 )； 突然奋起

参考例句：

• Great spurts of gas shoot out of the sun. 太阳气体射出形成大爆发。
• Spurts of warm rain blew fitfully against their faces. 阵阵温热的雨点拍打在他们脸上。

31 pulverization   

n.弄成粉，粉碎；粉化

参考例句：

• Do photosensitive pulverization to beauty parlour, establish lever to see a movie. 到美容院做光敏雾化，立杆见影。 来自互联网
• Cryogenic pulverization system uses it to Seperate and collect powder. 低温粉碎系统应用它分离粉体并起集粉作用。 来自互联网

32 hormone   

n.荷尔蒙，激素，内分泌

参考例句：

• Hormone implants are used as growth boosters.激素植入物被用作生长辅助剂。
• This hormone interacts closely with other hormones in the body.这种荷尔蒙与体內其他荷尔蒙紧密地相互作用。

33 catalyst   

n.催化剂，造成变化的人或事

参考例句：

• A catalyst is a substance which speeds up a chemical reaction.催化剂是一种能加速化学反应的物质。
• The workers'demand for better conditions was a catalyst for social change.工人们要求改善工作条件促进了社会变革。

34 capillary   

n.毛细血管；adj.毛细管道；毛状的

参考例句：

• Rapid capillary proliferation is a prominent feature of all early wound healing.迅速的毛细血管增生是所有早期伤口愈合的一个突出表现。
• When pulmonary capillary pressure is markedly elevated,pulmonary edema ensues.当肺毛细血管压力明显升高时，就出现肺水肿。

35 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

36 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。

37 autopsy   

n.尸体解剖；尸检

参考例句：

• They're carrying out an autopsy on the victim.他们正在给受害者验尸。
• A hemorrhagic gut was the predominant lesion at autopsy.尸检的主要发现是肠出血。

38 neural   

adj.神经的，神经系统的

参考例句：

• The neural network can preferably solve the non- linear problem.利用神经网络建模可以较好地解决非线性问题。
• The information transmission in neural system depends on neurotransmitters.信息传递的神经途径有赖于神经递质。

39 syndrome   

n.综合病症；并存特性

参考例句：

• The Institute says that an unidentified virus is to blame for the syndrome. 该研究所表示,引起这种综合症的是一种尚未确认的病毒。
• Results indicated that 11 fetuses had Down syndrome. 结果表明有11个胎儿患有唐氏综合征。

40 attachments   

n.（用电子邮件发送的）附件( attachment的名词复数 )；附着；连接；附属物

参考例句：

• The vacuum cleaner has four different attachments. 吸尘器有四个不同的附件。
• It's an electric drill with a range of different attachments. 这是一个带有各种配件的电钻。

41 erased   

v.擦掉( erase的过去式和过去分词 )；抹去；清除

参考例句：

• He erased the wrong answer and wrote in the right one. 他擦去了错误答案，写上了正确答案。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He removed the dogmatism from politics; he erased the party line. 他根除了政治中的教条主义，消除了政党界限。 来自《简明英汉词典》

42 spartan   

adj.简朴的，刻苦的；n.斯巴达；斯巴达式的人

参考例句：

• Their spartan lifestyle prohibits a fridge or a phone.他们不使用冰箱和电话，过着简朴的生活。
• The rooms were spartan and undecorated.房间没有装饰，极为简陋。

43 projections   

预测( projection的名词复数 )； 投影； 投掷； 突起物

参考例句：

• Their sales projections are a total thumbsuck. 他们的销售量预测纯属估计。
• The council has revised its projections of funding requirements upwards. 地方议会调高了对资金需求的预测。

44 brass   

n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器

参考例句：

• Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。

45 spartans   

n.斯巴达（spartan的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The ancient Spartans used to expose babies that they did not want. 古斯巴达人常遗弃他们不要的婴儿。
• But one by one the Spartans fell. 可是斯巴达人一个一个地倒下了。

46 pinpoint   

vt.准确地确定；用针标出…的精确位置

参考例句：

• It is difficult to pinpoint when water problems of the modern age began.很难准确地指出，现代用水的问题是什么时候出现的。
• I could pinpoint his precise location on a map.我能在地图上指明他的准确位置。

47 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

48 loath   

adj.不愿意的；勉强的

参考例句：

• The little girl was loath to leave her mother.那小女孩不愿离开她的母亲。
• They react on this one problem very slow and very loath.他们在这一问题上反应很慢，很不情愿。

49 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

50 incision   

n．切口，切开

参考例句：

• The surgeon made a small incision in the patient's cornea.外科医生在病人的眼角膜上切开一个小口。
• The technique involves making a tiny incision in the skin.这项技术需要在皮肤上切一个小口。

51 indignities   

n.侮辱，轻蔑( indignity的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The soldiers who were captured suffered many indignities at the hands of the enemy. 被俘的士兵在敌人手中受尽侮辱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• What sort of indignities would he be forced to endure? 他会被迫忍受什么样的侮辱呢？ 来自辞典例句

52 muster   

v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册

参考例句：

• Go and muster all the men you can find.去集合所有你能找到的人。
• I had to muster my courage up to ask him that question.我必须鼓起勇气向他问那个问题。

53 groggily   

adv.酒醉地；东倒西歪地

参考例句：

54 eyelids   

n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色

参考例句：

• She was so tired, her eyelids were beginning to droop. 她太疲倦了，眼睑开始往下垂。
• Her eyelids drooped as if she were on the verge of sleep. 她眼睑低垂好像快要睡着的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

55 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。

56 salute   

vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮

参考例句：

• Merchant ships salute each other by dipping the flag.商船互相点旗致敬。
• The Japanese women salute the people with formal bows in welcome.这些日本妇女以正式的鞠躬向人们施礼以示欢迎。