309
edits
Halo Array: Difference between revisions
→Background
m (→Trivia) |
|||
| Line 16: | Line 16: | ||
The Halo Array is a network of ring-shaped artificial worlds created by the Forerunners in order to kill all sentient life within range of the array, virtually the entire galaxy.<ref name="great journey">'''[[Halo 2]]''', level ''[[The Great Journey]]'', '''343 Guilty Spark:''' ''"After exhausting every other strategic option, my creators activated the rings. They, and all additional sentient life in three radii of the galactic center, died, as planned."''</ref> Rather than a weapon of war, these were used as a last resort against the Flood, a parasitic extra-galactic species that threatened to infest every sentient lifeform in the galaxy. By activating the rings, the Forerunners denied the Flood access to these lifeforms, effectively starving the species to virtual extinction, though it clung to life in a number of Forerunner facilities, including some Halo installations.<ref name="library">'''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''', level ''[[The Library]]''</ref> The two well known Halo installations, [[Installation 04]] and [[Installation 05]], orbit [[Threshold|gas]] [[Substance|giants]], though it is not known whether this is the case of all the Halos, and Installation 04 maintained an atmospheric mining facility until [[the Oracle|it was destroyed]] by the [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]].<ref>'''[[Halo 2]]''', level ''[[The Oracle]]''</ref> Though separated by thousands of light-years, the twelve installations are networked together and capable of remote activation at [[Installation 00|the Ark]], an installation outside the galaxy. Each Halo installation has a maximum effective range of 25,000 light-years.<ref>'''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''', level ''[[Two Betrayals]]'', 343 Guilty Spark: ''"Technically, this installation has a maximum effective range of 25,000 light years."''</ref> The methods utilized by the array to conduct this "mass sterilization protocol"<ref>'''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''', level ''[[The Library]]'', 343 Guilty Spark: ''"Why the Flood is, naturally, simply too dangerous to release, and mass sterilization protocols may again need to be enacted."''</ref> involve the superluminal conveyance of a burst of cross-phased super-massive neutrinos. These particles are tuned to emit a harmonic frequency that destroys the nervous system of any life form within range. Lower organisms such as plants, fungi and bacteria are unaffected, along with inanimate structures. [[Precursor]] technology, however, is extremely susceptible to damage from the Halo effect.<ref> '''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 132''</ref><ref name="c274"/> | The Halo Array is a network of ring-shaped artificial worlds created by the Forerunners in order to kill all sentient life within range of the array, virtually the entire galaxy.<ref name="great journey">'''[[Halo 2]]''', level ''[[The Great Journey]]'', '''343 Guilty Spark:''' ''"After exhausting every other strategic option, my creators activated the rings. They, and all additional sentient life in three radii of the galactic center, died, as planned."''</ref> Rather than a weapon of war, these were used as a last resort against the Flood, a parasitic extra-galactic species that threatened to infest every sentient lifeform in the galaxy. By activating the rings, the Forerunners denied the Flood access to these lifeforms, effectively starving the species to virtual extinction, though it clung to life in a number of Forerunner facilities, including some Halo installations.<ref name="library">'''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''', level ''[[The Library]]''</ref> The two well known Halo installations, [[Installation 04]] and [[Installation 05]], orbit [[Threshold|gas]] [[Substance|giants]], though it is not known whether this is the case of all the Halos, and Installation 04 maintained an atmospheric mining facility until [[the Oracle|it was destroyed]] by the [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]].<ref>'''[[Halo 2]]''', level ''[[The Oracle]]''</ref> Though separated by thousands of light-years, the twelve installations are networked together and capable of remote activation at [[Installation 00|the Ark]], an installation outside the galaxy. Each Halo installation has a maximum effective range of 25,000 light-years.<ref>'''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''', level ''[[Two Betrayals]]'', 343 Guilty Spark: ''"Technically, this installation has a maximum effective range of 25,000 light years."''</ref> The methods utilized by the array to conduct this "mass sterilization protocol"<ref>'''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''', level ''[[The Library]]'', 343 Guilty Spark: ''"Why the Flood is, naturally, simply too dangerous to release, and mass sterilization protocols may again need to be enacted."''</ref> involve the superluminal conveyance of a burst of cross-phased super-massive neutrinos. These particles are tuned to emit a harmonic frequency that destroys the nervous system of any life form within range. Lower organisms such as plants, fungi and bacteria are unaffected, along with inanimate structures. [[Precursor]] technology, however, is extremely susceptible to damage from the Halo effect.<ref> '''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 132''</ref><ref name="c274"/> | ||
The Halo Array in its entirety has been fired once in known history, approximately 100,000 years ago, by the [[The Didact|Didact]]<ref>'''[[Iris]]''', ''Array Recorder Data''</ref> in order to stop the Flood from overwhelming the galaxy. Despite being the network's builders, the Forerunners were killed in this last suicidal attempt to save the rest of the universe from a worse fate.<ref name="great journey"/> The array has nearly been activated three times since; Installation 04 was almost activated by the [[John-117|Master Chief]] before being deactivated by [[Cortana]], while Installation 05 was activated by Commander [[Miranda Keyes]], forced by the [[Chieftain of the Jiralhanae]] [[Tartarus]], and [[Avery Junior Johnson|Sergeant Johnson]] was forced by the [[Prophet of Truth]] to activate the Ark. None of these attempts were successful. A [[Installation 04B|replacement]] Halo for the destroyed Installation 04 was activated outside of the array's range, eliminating the freed Flood, but did not activate the rest of the array.<ref name="halo3halo">'''[[Halo 3]]''', campaign level ''[[Halo (Halo 3 level)|Halo]]''</ref> | The Halo Array in its entirety has been fired once in known history, approximately 100,000 years ago, by the [[The Didact|Didact]]<ref>'''[[Iris]]''', ''Array Recorder Data''</ref> in order to stop the Flood from overwhelming the galaxy. Despite being the network's builders, the Forerunners were - as far as is known - killed in this last suicidal attempt to save the rest of the universe from a worse fate.<ref name="great journey"/> The array has nearly been activated three times since; Installation 04 was almost activated by the [[John-117|Master Chief]] before being deactivated by [[Cortana]], while Installation 05 was activated by Commander [[Miranda Keyes]], forced by the [[Chieftain of the Jiralhanae]] [[Tartarus]], and [[Avery Junior Johnson|Sergeant Johnson]] was forced by the [[Prophet of Truth]] to activate the Ark. None of these attempts were successful. A [[Installation 04B|replacement]] Halo for the destroyed Installation 04 was activated outside of the array's range, eliminating the freed Flood, but did not activate the rest of the array.<ref name="halo3halo">'''[[Halo 3]]''', campaign level ''[[Halo (Halo 3 level)|Halo]]''</ref> | ||
Each Halo Installation is given a designation number, from 01 to 07, and is overseen by a [[Monitor]]. The Monitors are given control of the Installations' [[Sentinel]]s, [[Constructor]]s, and [[Enforcer]]s, and are responsible for containing the Flood test subjects in their [[Flood research facility|research facilities]] and protecting the Halo from intruders. | Each Halo Installation is given a designation number, from 01 to 07, and is overseen by a [[Monitor]]. The Monitors are given control of the Installations' [[Sentinel]]s, [[Constructor]]s, and [[Enforcer]]s, and are responsible for containing the Flood test subjects in their [[Flood research facility|research facilities]] and protecting the Halo from intruders. | ||