Codename: COALMINER is an operative of ONI and a member of the highly classified project Operation: HYPODERMIC in 2552. "Coalminer" informed Codename: SURGEON via encoded message of a security breach which could compromise the operation. That compromise was actually Cortana, having broken into the ONI database and discovering that the Circumference was an ONI Prowler. "Coalminer" then deleted the Circumference from the databse of Reach Station Gamma.[1] This later proved deletrious as NAV data aboard the ship could not be automatically destroyed by Doppler (as per the Cole Protocol) during The Battle of Reach, forcing SPARTAN-117 to lead a team to the station and destory that ship manually.
NOTE: "Coalminer"'s name, rank, gender, and current status are unknown.
Sources
- ^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, pages 281/282