Editing Dr. Halsey's personal journal

{{Status|Canon}}
{{Pageimage|H5G-Halsey's Journal.png}}
[[File:Reach Halsey Journal Cover.png|thumb|300px|Dr. Halsey's journal.]]
'''Dr. Halsey's personal journal''' was a journal detailing the thoughts and discoveries of [[Catherine Halsey|Doctor Catherine Halsey]] over a period of 42 years, between [[2510|August 2510]] and [[2552#August|August 2552]]. The journal was classified under [[Protocol Aurora-7|Double-Blind Protocol Aurora-7]] and kept from declassification by [[Special Executive Order 0-99-447S]].

==Owners==
===Halsey===
Halsey bought the journal at a [[Reach]] shop on August 2510. She kept it with her for the next four decades to document her research to counter the [[Insurrectionist]]s, and later, the [[Covenant]] threat. She also expressed her thoughts on her personal relationships with [[Jacob Keyes]] and [[Miranda Keyes|their daughter]], [[SPARTAN-II program|her Spartans]], and the apocalyptic [[Human-Covenant War]]. Halsey eventually left the journal behind at the [[Babd Catha Forerunner vessel]], where it was retrieved by [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] personnel just before the site, along with [[SWORD Base]], was destroyed.

===ONI===
Following its recovery from SWORD Base into the hands of [[ONI]], the journal together with an interactive disk chronicling [[Noble Team]]'s final operations had the reference number '''UNSC X16-69859-02''' and were contained in a [[600 series ONI security container]]. In [[2553]], various ONI personnel and psychologists read and analyzed the journal. Based on information from the journal, AI [[Black-Box]] suggested that Halsey was trying to cleanse her conscience by hiding her Spartans on [[Onyx]].{{Ref/Novel|HGla|Chapter=2}} BB, who had an exceedingly negative view on Halsey, also noted based on the journal that Halsey had a sense of ownership over people, yet was confused that Halsey gave her daughter to Jacob Keyes.{{Ref/Novel|HGla|Chapter=6}} BB believed the journal would eventually become required reading in psychology classes as what he saw as "''a glimpse into the mind of a narcissistic sociopath''" and referred to it as being "''like [[Wikipedia:Mein Kampf|Mein Kampf]] with pictures''".{{Ref/Novel|HMorDi|Chapter=15}}

[[Captain (Navy)|Captain]] [[Serin Osman]] after reading the journal came to despise Halsey for her extremely unethical work on the [[SPARTAN-II program]]. This led to [[Naomi-010]] also reading the journal, and having mixed feelings on it.{{Ref/Novel|HGla|Chapter=14}} When finally meeting Halsey on [[Ivanoff Station]] in March 2553, ONI director [[Admiral]] [[Margaret Parangosky]] remarks that she was impressed by Halsey's abilities as an artist, referring to the plentiful sketches she had drawn throughout her journal.{{Ref/Novel|HGla|Chapter=18}} Following this the journal was sealed up and finally fully documented on [[2553#June|June 1, 2553]].

===Other===
By June 1, 2553, the journal was handled by [[W. B. Eton]], who later gave the journal to someone who was involved in [[Operation: WHITE GLOVE]]. At somepoint the individual had passed away and the journal was given to [[Unidentified Beta-5 Division operative|a subordinate operative]]. In [[2610]], The operative later sent the journal to his cousin on [[Earth]]. The operative told his cousin to either deliver it to the curator of the [[Museum of Humanity]], Ms. [[Bjarne]], or give it to the old guard at IN.{{Ref/Game|HR|Edition=[[Halo: Reach Legendary Edition|Legendary Edition]]|[[:File:Journal Package Letter.jpg|journal package letter]]}}

==Content==
In the journal, several important revelations are made regarding [[Cortana]] and Halsey's relationship with Captain [[Jacob Keyes]] and [[Miranda Keyes]]. Halsey states in an indirect fashion that she and Captain Keyes had a relationship and that though Halsey had been close to Miranda, they had drifted apart. It is strongly implied that Halsey is the mother of Miranda Keyes.

In November [[2524]] Halsey wrote that she was reunited with "her lieutenant" while attending a conference at the [[University of Calippus]], from which it is inferred that the two became intimate. Four months later she wrote a small side note stating "''she will have to answer for making me drink <u>decaf</u>''," suggesting Halsey was pregnant. In September, [[2525]], ten months after her reunion with Keyes, she wrote about experiencing [[Wikipedia:Separation anxiety disorder|separation anxiety]], noting "I guess not hearing her cry wakes me up at night too." Then, on July 12, [[2531]] on the side of the page, Dr. Halsey wrote, "Jacob has agreed to take her in. I'll miss her, but it's for the best."

Furthermore, it is stated that when Miranda received command of her first ship, {{UNSCShip|In Amber Clad}}, she had invited Halsey to attend the ceremony but Halsey refused, stating, "I didn't go. Because her father would be there? Because I am neck deep in the final stages of a half-dozen projects? I know why I didn't go. I don't want to say it." Another hint toward Miranda's parentage is that Halsey wrote in the journal that Miranda had her surname changed to "Keyes", which she believed was done to try and impress her father. It is also mentioned by Halsey that Cortana's appearance somewhat resembled Miranda. Since Cortana was derived from Dr. Halsey's own brain, this remark would not have much sense or relevance had Miranda not been biologically related to her. 

The journal also provides an explanation of why Cortana was seen on Reach as well as mentioned in ''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', assisting [[John-117]] and his team of SPARTANs on their mission. It seems Halsey needed to analyze the [[Forerunner]] symbols and systems in Professor Sorvad's site. Halsey and Cortana both independently figured out the "Solomonic solution" which helped "divide" Cortana and allow "parts of her" to help Halsey while updating her "incarnate" self on the {{UNSCShip|Pillar of Autumn}} until the last minute. The two parts were reunited sometime after [[Armored matrix|Cortana's fragment]] was delivered by [[SPARTAN-B312]] to Captain Keyes before the ''Pillar of Autumn'' left Reach.

It provides an explanation for the inconsistent numbers of Spartans, particularly involving those not present during the [[Operation: RED FLAG]] briefing. Halsey states, "That lie about all the Spartans gathered here, save for [[Gray Team|Gray]] - will that come back to haunt me?" Halsey notes that the bodies of the candidates who were killed during the augmentation procedures were placed in cryo-stasis, with the possibility that they may some day be resuscitated, though they appeared to be buried in space. She also notes that at least some of the candidates who were crippled could some day be rehabilitated and sent to active duty.

The journal also confirms that Dr. Halsey was aware of the existence of SPARTANs who were "not [hers]" well before the events of ''[[Halo: First Strike]]''. She and [[Kalmiya]] had uncovered numerous ONI documents and encrypted files that suggested the existence of [[SPARTAN-III program|another SPARTAN program]] after the {{UNSCShip|Hopeful}} was deployed outside the Epsilon Eridani system for a week, carrying various [[Project CHRYSANTHEMUM|"carcinogenic", "mutanogenic", and "experimental" drugs]]. Upon his return, [[Vice Admiral]] [[Ysionris Jeromi]] informed her that he knew little of what was going on, and could tell her nothing. Finally, Halsey reveals that her suspicions of other SPARTANS were confirmed when she met [[Noble Team]] at [[SWORD Base]]. Later, at [[CASTLE Base]], she discovered that they, with the exception of [[Jorge-052]], had been SPARTAN-IIIs.

===Accompanying items===
When the journal was recovered from [[SWORD Base]] by [[Beta-5 Division|Beta 5 personnel]] in 2552 prior to its destruction as part of [[Operation: WHITE GLOVE]], the journal had the following documents and items in it:
*Three [[Intersystem News]] kiosk tear sheets; ''"HAVEN TERROR BOMBING KILLS TWO MILLION"'', ''"BLISS DECIMATED"'', and ''"LCDR MIRANDA KEYES AWARDED SILVER STAR"''
*DNA sequencing chart of [[ORION Project|ORION]] [[ORION Candidate 047|Candidate 047]] 
*BIOnano card of [[John-117|SPARTAN-117]]
*Single-image photo of a [[High Charity|space anomaly]], recorded by a [[Mars]] telescope in [[2524]], accompanied by a note
*A memo from the log of {{UNSCShip|Accra}} detailing the [[glassing]] of the colony of [[Bliss]]
*An ONI memo regarding [[Covenant]] glyphs, accompanied by a photo of the symbols on a [[Sangheili]]'s [[Combat harness|armor]]
*Heavily redacted deployment info note of [[Jorge-052|SPARTAN-052]], sent to Dr. Halsey by [[Urban Holland|Colonel Urban Holland]]
*A print of a screencapture from a security video of [[NOBLE Team]]'s operations
*Schematic of the [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark IV|Mark IV MJOLNIR PAA]]
*Hand-drawn diagram of the "[[Keyes Loop]]"
*[[Colonial Administration Authority|CAA]] [[:File:Reach map.png|map of Reach]], annotated with Halsey's notes on artifact sites and ONI facilities
*Dr. Halsey's ONI [[Information card|security badge]]
*[[:File:Spartan-II Insignia.png|SPARTAN-II unit patch]]
*Partial SPARTAN-II candidate records of [[Kurt Ambrose|SPARTAN-051]] (accompanied by a psychological evaluation), [[Caleb Aagard|SPARTAN-095]] and [[Carris-137|SPARTAN-137]].

<gallery>
File:Intersystem_News_Haven.jpg|Intersystem News report on a terrorist bombing on the [[Haven arcology]].
File:Intersystem_News_Bliss.jpg|Intersystem News report on the [[Battle of Bliss]].
File:Intersystem_News_Miranda.jpg|Intersystem News report on Miranda Keyes' promotion. [[Lord Hood]] personally awarded Keyes with the [[Silver Star]].
File:ORION 047 DNA.jpg|A DNA analysis chart for ORION Candidate 047.
File:117_BIONano_Card.jpg|John's BIOnano card.
File:X16-69909-01_front.jpg|Single-image photo of a space anomaly.
File:X16-69909-01_back.jpg|Note on the other side of the anomaly photo.
File:Accra_Log_1.jpg|The Accra's record of the [[Battle of Bliss]], page 1/2.
File:Accra_Log_2.jpg|The Accra's record of the Battle of Bliss, page 2/2.
File:Security footage Sangheili glyphs.png|An ONI memo regarding a Covenant glyphs photo.
File:Jorge Deployment Details.jpg|Heavily redacted deployment info note of Jorge-052.
File:Noble Surveillance.jpg|Photo of Noble Team.
File:Mark_IV_schematic.jpg|Schematic of the Mark IV MJOLNIR PAA.
File:Keyes_Loop.jpeg|Halsey's drawing of the Keyes Loop.
File:Reach map.png|Map of Reach.
File:Halsey ID badge.png|Halsey's [[Information card|ID badge]] under natural light, partial black light, and total black light.
File:Spartan-II Insignia.png|Spartan-II unit patch.
File:Kurt_Record_1.jpg|Kurt-051's candidate record, page 1/2.
File:Kurt_Record_2.jpg|Kurt-051's candidate record, page 2/2.
File:Kurt_Agincourt.jpg|Kurt's drawing of the [[wikipedia:Battle of Agincourt|Battle of Agincourt]], with comments by Dr. Halsey.
File:Caleb_Record_1.jpg|Caleb-095's candidate record, page 1/2
File:Caleb_Record_2.jpg|Caleb-095's candidate record, page 2/2
File:Carris_Record_1.jpg|Carris-137's candidate record, page 1/2.
File:Carris_Record_2.jpg|Carris-137's candidate record, page 2/2.
</gallery>

===Excised pages===
There are two pages (four sides) that were torn out from the journal entry dated September 4, 2547. Dubbed '''REF. UNDD 5213.9-R''' to ONI, the pages document Dr. Halsey's private experiment to create a fractal [[Artificial intelligence|AI]] housing within slipspace. Halsey supposedly tore these two pages out after the experiment, presumably to ensure secrecy.{{Ref/Game|HR|Data pads|Detail=Data pad #17}}
<gallery>
File:Halsey's Journal excised leaf 1.png
File:Halsey's Journal excised leaf 2.png
</gallery>

==Replacement journal==
Halsey continued to log her findings in a new electronic encrypted journal after the loss of the original. In [[2558#July|July 2558]] she recorded her thoughts on working alongside [[Jul 'Mdama]] and [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant|his Covenant]], their [[Battle of Oban|recent raid]] on [[Oban]] and campaign against {{UNSCShip|Infinity}}, and her musings on the nature of the [[Promethean Knight]]s in Jul's service.{{Ref/Novel|Id=TMB|Halo: The Machine Breaks}}
<gallery>
File:TMB HalseyJournal.jpg|Blank space artwork in Halsey's 2558-era journal.{{Ref/Reuse|TMB}}
</gallery>

==Production notes==
{{Novel infobox
|name= 
|variant=
|image=
|author=
*[[Eric Nylund]]{{Ref/Reuse|NylundHBO}}
|cover artist= [[Lorraine McLees]]{{Ref/Reuse|NylundHBO}}
|cover artist-title=Art director
|illustrator=[[Mike Vaillancourt]]{{Ref/Site|Id=Mike|URL=https://mikevaillancourt.myportfolio.com/copy-of-halo-reach|Site=Mike Vaillancourt|Page=Halo Reach|D=23|M=09|Y=2025}}{{Ref/Reuse|NylundHBO}}
|editor=
*[[Kevin Grace]]{{Ref/Reuse|NylundHBO}}
*Brent Metcalfe{{Ref/Reuse|NylundHBO}}
|publisher=[[Microsoft Game Studios]]
|publication=[[2010#September|September 14, 2010]]
|media=
|length=200 pages
|ISBN={{Convert|7.25|in|cm|disp=flip|sp=us|sigfig=3}} x {{Convert|5.25|in|cm|disp=flip|sp=us|sigfig=3}} x {{Convert|1|in|cm|disp=flip|sigfig=3}}
|ISBN-title=Dimensions
}}
In the real-world, Halsey's journal is a physical book included in the [[Halo: Reach Limited Edition|Limited]] and [[Halo: Reach Legendary Edition|Legendary]] editions of ''[[Halo: Reach]]''.{{Ref/Site|URL=http://halo.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=25773|Site=Bungie.net|Page=Halo: Reach Game Editions|D=12|M=10|Y=2014}} For ''Reach''{{'}}s fifteenth birthday in [[2025]], the journal was released as a free digital PDF download (linked below).{{Ref/Site|Id=CFFeetFall|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/canon-fodder-feet-first-into-fall|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Canon Fodder - Feet First Into Fall|D=29|M=09|Y=2025}} The journal was co-written by [[Eric Nylund]] in conjunction with [[Bungie]] and [[343 Industries]]. Full credits, as provided by Nylund, include:{{Ref/Site|Id=NylundHBO|URL=http://halo.bungie.org/misc/enylund_interview_04_2010.html|Site=halo.bungie.org|Page=Eric Nylund Interview, April, 2010|D=23|M=09|Y=2025}}
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-2}}
;Bungie
*[[Lorraine McLees]] (art director){{Ref/Reuse|NylundHBO}}
*[[Robert McLees]]{{Ref/Reuse|NylundHBO}}
*[[Jim McQuillan]]{{Ref/Reuse|NylundHBO}}
*[[Eric Osborne]]{{Ref/Reuse|NylundHBO}}

;Microsoft Game Studios
*[[Mike Vaillancourt]] (illustrator){{Ref/Reuse|NylundHBO}}
*[[:Category:Images by Jeannie Voirin-Gerde|Jeannie Voirin-Gerde]] (Senior Media Design Lead){{Ref/Site|URL=https://jeannievg.com/halo-reach-legendary-limited-collectors-editions|Site=Jeannie Voirin-Gerde|Page=
Halo Reach Legendary & Limited Collectors Editions|D=23|M=09|Y=2025}}
*Shane Hartley{{Ref/Reuse|NylundHBO}}
*Doug Startzel{{Ref/Reuse|NylundHBO}}
*Brent Metcalfe (editor){{Ref/Reuse|NylundHBO}}
{{Col-2}}
;343 Industries
*Alex Cutting{{Ref/Reuse|NylundHBO}}
*[[Frank O'Connor]]{{Ref/Reuse|NylundHBO}}
*[[Jeremy Patenaude]]{{Ref/Reuse|NylundHBO}}
*Jacob Benton{{Ref/Reuse|NylundHBO}}
*[[Kevin Grace]] (editor){{Ref/Reuse|NylundHBO}}
{{Col-end}}

The book serves to help tie the story of ''Halo: Reach'' with then-previous, and future, ''Halo'' media, with a particular focus on connecting the game with the contradictory narrative for the Fall of Reach and the SPARTAN programs presented in Nylund's previous [[The Original Series|Original Series]] of novels. According to Nylund, the project began with the simple idea of being a journal written by a witness to the Fall of Reach, before evolving into Halsey's journal due to her unique insights and well-connected nature, which then transitioned into a broader project spanning from the beginning of the SPARTAN program to the Fall of Reach itself.{{Ref/Reuse|NylundHBO}} According to illustrator Mike Vaillancourt, his own real-world naval service records were used as a design inspiration for the UNSC records included in the book.{{Ref/Reuse|Mike}}

A small number of copies of the journal — no more than five according to Eric Nylund — did not have the two missing pages ripped out. This was so the ''Halo'' fan community could discover the pages on their own. Nylund expected the fans to find the pages within "a few weeks"; however, the pages failed to surface until May 6, 2016,{{Ref/Site|URL=http://ericnylund.com/?p=1288|Site=ericnylund.com|Page=Missing Halsey Journal Pages|D=03|M=07|Y=2016}} when [[Jeff Easterling]] released them in the [[Canon Fodder]] article.{{Ref/Site|Id=CFIntentions|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/canon-fodder-noble-intentions|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Canon Fodder - Noble Intentions|D=08|M=07|Y=2016}} Both pages can be read [https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/community/blogs/canon-fodder/halseyjournal_excisedleaves-6691217d69c54707b5a0fd97d0b25e77.pdf here] (internal archive {{file link|HR_Halsey'sJournal_ExcisedPages.pdf|here}}).

While working on the journal with Nylund, 343 Industries' Franchise Writer [[Jeremy Patenaude]] had the initial seeds planted of what would later become the [[2025]] novel ''[[Halo: Empty Throne]]'', presumably involving the story of [[James Solomon]] and Halsey's clone, [[Chloe Hall]].{{Ref/Site|URL=https://paulsemel.com/exclusive-interview-halo-empty-throne-author-jeremy-patenaude/|Site=paulsemel.com|Page=Exclusive Interview: “Halo: Empty Throne” Author Jeremy Patenaude|D=23|M=09|Y=2025}}

In ''Halo: Reach'', Halsey's journal can be found as an in-game object on level "[[The Package]]" in the [[Tribute Room]] (it is also visible during the cutscene set inside her lab if one looks closely). It is seen again in Halsey's office (likely the one in [[CASTLE Base]]) during the first cutscene of ''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]'' on the mission ''[[Osiris]]''.

==Trivia==
Vice Admiral [[Michael Stanforth]] is referenced throughout the journal as "the [[Vice Admiral]]", but he is never mentioned by name.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Journal_Classified.jpg|The journal's classification instructions.
File:Journal_Contents.jpg|The list of contents for the ONI container which contains the journal.
File:Journal_Note.jpg|A note from [[Colonel]] [[W. B. Eton]] to the journal's recipient.
File:Journal_Package_Letter.jpg|A letter from the journal's sender, a former [[Beta-5 Division]] operative, to their cousin.
File:Journal Needler.png|A page of the journal, featuring Halsey's drawing of a [[needler]].
File:Halsey's Journal.jpg|A page of the journal, detailing the [[SPARTAN-II augmentation procedures]].
File:Journal_1.jpg|Another page, with information on the creation of [[Cortana]].
File:Dr halsey's journal.jpg|The journal in [[Tribute Room|Dr. Halsey's lab]].
File:HR-DoctorHalseyJournal.png|Close-up in-game view of Doctor Halsey's personal journal.
File:H5G-Halsey's Journal.png|The journal in ''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]''.
</gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo: Reach]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo: Glasslands]]''
*''[[Halo: Mortal Dictata]]'' {{mo}}
*''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]''
*''[[Halo: The Television Series]]''
**''[[Transcendence]]''
*''[[Halo: The Machine Breaks]]''

==External links==
*[https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/community/blogs/canon-fodder/halseyjournal_excisedleaves-6691217d69c54707b5a0fd97d0b25e77.pdf Halsey's Journal ripped pages on Halo Waypoint] ({{file link|HR_Halsey'sJournal_ExcisedPages.pdf|local archive}})
*[https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/community/halseyjournal_full-8aca7bb5e6104301afd73d0ed95a24e1.pdf Halsey's Journal on Halo Waypoint] - including the ripped pages and all supplementary items ({{file link|HR_Halsey'sJournal.pdf|local archive}})

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

{{Navbox/Media/ShortStories}}
[[Category:Books (Halo)]]
[[Category:Canon]]