Author's Note: Sorry this chapter's so short. I hope all readers are still enjoying this text as much as I'm enjoying writing it- I dread the day I'll have to write the chapters about K7-49.

CHAPTER 04

1900 HOURS, 14 FEBRUARY 2533 (UNSC MILITARY CALENDAR)

NARROW BAND POINT-TO-POINT TRANSMISSION; ORIGIN: UNKNOWN; TERMINATION: UNKNOWN

//FILE ACCESS GRANTED/ WORM-PROTOCOL FIREWALL ACTIVE/ AUTOMATIC DELETION SEQUENCE: ACTIVE

PLNB TRANSMISSION: PV117A-CS

ENCRYPTION CODE: ALPHA

PUBLIC KEY: N/A

FROM: CODE NAME COAL MINER

TO: CODE NAME WARRIOR

SUBJECT: PROGRESS REPORT/OPERATION FARMHAND

CLASSIFICATION: EYES ONLY, CODE-WORD //-CLASSIFIED- DECRYPTION ERROR//, TOP SECRET (SECTION THREE X-RAY DIRECTIVE)

/FILE-EXTRACTION COMPLETE/

/STARTING FILE 1 OF 2/

First field exercise begun- I don’t think the critical point has been taught yet. My analogy seems more correct than you thought; maybe a new selection for your library would change that?

Expecting a field day for the personnel- can’t say I don’t want them to have fun. If yours works out, this’ll get rarer as we go- should have told them to kiss good workdays goodbye.

Not expecting a capture. Unless they learn on the fly, I’m expecting Red to stay put for the next couple of days- think they’ll surprise us at all?

Event today confirms eval reports for 2532196: the Smith-Kensington complex’s upper end looks like a tame kitten compared to some of them- I doubt you could handle these ones alone.

But then again, that’s why you’ve got me, isn’t it?

/END FILE 1 OF 2/

/DELETION COMPLETE/

/STARTING FILE 2 OF 2/

FROM: CODE NAME WARRIOR

TO: CODE NAME COAL MINER

SUBJECT: Re: PROGRESS REPORT/OPERATION FARMHAND

All roads share a beginning. It’s where the end of the road leads that counts. I stand by my judgment. The exercise is part of the same process.

Let the CDIs have their fun- but don’t damage the subjects. We gave up 197 Sierra- we’re not about to lose any more. Any ‘accidents’ are on your head- I don’t care if you made me, or what Charlie-Alpha says. Keep the personnel in check. But that shouldn’t be a problem for you. Shouldn’t it?

And as for Red’s whereabouts for the next few days: Was I so different once?

I told Charlie-Alpha about the Smith-Kensington problem- the 300 are nothing like I was. I was a slave- so I was quiet. They are not. He doesn’t care, and I’m not complaining- we’ll funnel it. It’s our most abundant resource.

This is discomfiting, to say the least. Was it like this when I was made? Who did you have, besides Delta?

/END FILE 2 OF 2/

/DELETION COMPLETE/