Editing Foundation (Halo Infinite)

{{Status|Gameplay}}
{{Title|Foundation (''Halo Infinite'')}}
{{disambig header|the [[Halo Infinite]] campaign level|the [[Halo 2]] multiplayer level|Foundation}}
{{Level infobox
|pagegamelabel=HI
|prev = ''[[Warship Gbraakon]]''
|next = ''[[Outpost Tremonius]]''
|game = ''[[Halo Infinite]]''
|devname=
|name = Foundation
|image = [[File:HINF Zeta Halo Foundation.png|300px]]
|player = [[John-117]]
|date = c. [[2560#May|May 28, 2560]]{{Ref/Generic|Id=Premiere|[[Halo Infinite Campaign Gameplay Premiere]]}}
|place = Underneath [[Outpost Tremonius (location)|Outpost Tremonius]], [[Installation 07]]{{Ref/Quest|HI|Connections|FOB Alpha|Quote=We are just a stone's throw away from Outpost Tremonius, just above where we met.|Quotee=The Weapon}}
|objective = * Retrieve [[the Weapon]]
* Follow the signal
* Reach the surface
* Defeat [[Tremonius]]
|partime=
|parscore=
}}
{{Article quote|Look for a weapon in the broken section of the Halo.}}
'''Foundation''' is the second [[campaign]] main mission in ''[[Halo Infinite]]'', under the first campaign section "Ringfall".

==Overview==
{{Article quote|The Master Chief descends into the underbelly of Zeta Halo searching for the weapon that ended [[Created Conflict|the war]]. The weapon, an AI created by Dr. Halsey for the express purpose of infiltrating the Ring and neutralizing Cortana, tells Chief that though her primary mission was successful, her self-deletion protocols failed. Chief informs the Weapon of the new mission: to stop the Banished from taking control of Halo by any means necessary. Chief and the Weapon fight their way to the surface of the Ring.}}

[[Outpost Tremonius]] immediately begins when this mission is complete.

==Transcript==
'''{''Cutscene''}'''

''Scene begins inside ''Echo 216''<s>'</s>s troop bay.''

*'''John-117''': "Locate ''{{UNSCShip|Infinity}}''."

''A hologram of the ''Infinity'' appears before him. Scene rotates around John-117 as he studies the hologram.''

*'''Ship AI''': "''UNSC Infinity''. Class: [[Supercarrier]]. Crew size: 7150. Not found."

*'''John-117''': "Near-field perimeter scan."

''The holo-image changes to that of ''Echo 216'', with hundreds of UNSC IFF tags surrounding it.''

*'''Ship AI''': "1,986 UNSC tags detected."

*'''John-117''': "Status."

*'''Ship AI''': "Deceased."

''All UNSC tags turn red and are marked "Deceased".''

''Scene continues to circle around the Chief as it fades to black.''

''Scene opens on [[War Chief]] [[Escharum]] and another [[Jiralhanae]] watching a [[hologram]] of the exploding ''[[Ghost of Gbraakon]]''.''

*'''[[Tremonius]]''': "The Master Chief lives? [[Atriox]] assured us of [[Battle over Installation 07|his death]]! Are you not angered?"

*'''Escharum''': "No..."

''The hologram disappears.''

*'''Escharum''': "I feel... invigorated." 

*'''Tremonious''': "You promised us [[Razing of Oth Sonin|revenge]]! Superiority! Renewal!"

''Tremonius slams a fist down on the [[Holotank|holotable]].''

*'''Tremonius''': "He threatens everything-"

*'''Escharum''': "Do you question my leadership? Atriox's vision?"

*'''Tremonius''': "Atriox is ''dead''! It is his fault that we are stuck here!"

''Escharum slams his fist on the holotable.''

*'''Escharum''': "The Banished will never bow..."

''Something [[Active camouflage|invisible]] grabs Tremonius from behind and shoves his head onto the holotable.''

*'''Escharum''': "To anyone again!"

''Hologram of a trio of [[Covenant]] [[CCS-class battlecruiser]]s appears.''

*'''Escharum''': "Not the Covenant."

''Hologram changes to that of the Prophets of [[Prophet of Truth|Truth]], [[Prophet of Mercy|Mercy]], and [[Prophet of Regret|Regret]].''

*'''Escharum''': "Not the [[San'Shyuum|Prophets]]."

''A triangular device appears below the Prophets, who vanish as the device splits into three individual pieces. A [[Cylix|sarcophagus-like Forerunner artifact with a humanoid figure engraved on its surface]] appears above the pieces. The damaged [[Zeta Halo]] surrounds the artifact.''

*'''Escharum''': "Not [[The Harbinger|her]]."

''The holograms dissolve. Tremonius' attacker decloaks, revealing itself to be a [[Jega 'Rdomnai|sinister-looking Sangheili]] with a [[Artificial limb|robotic left arm]] and a pair of artificial left mandibles. The Sangheili ignites a [[Ghostpierce|red energy blade]] mounted on his artificial arm and holds it to Tremonius' throat.''

*'''Escharum''': "This Ring ''will'' be operational."

''Tremonius gasps pitifully.''

*'''Tremonius''': "''Please...''"

''Satisfied, Escharum smiles and gives the Sangheili a nod. The Sangheili withdraws his blade and releases Tremonius.''

*'''Escharum''': "''Then'' you will have your revenge."

''Humbled, Tremonius rubs his throat, then turns and leaves without another word.''

*'''Escharum''': ''(to Jega)'' "[[Blademaster]]. Follow the Spartan. From a distance. I want to know everything about him."

''The Sangheili bows his head obediently, then leaves.''

''Escharum growls softly as the scene rotates around him before fading to black.''

''Scene cuts back to ''[[Echo 216]]''. John-117 starts heading over to the cockpit.''

*'''Ship AI''': "Armor link connection requested."

''John stops at the door to the cockpit.''

*'''John-117''': "Accept."

''A hologram of a green swirling spiral of data appears.''

*'''Ship AI''': "Encrypted message found."

*'''John-117''': "Read."

*'''Ship AI''': "Attempting decryption."

''The hologram freezes, turns red, and disappears.''

*'''Ship AI''': "Decryption failed."

''John turns around.''

*'''John-117''': "Locate message source."

''A hologram of Zeta Halo appears. The Ship AI begins scanning the Ring.''

*'''Ship AI''': "Triangulation in progress."

''The cockpit door opens and [[Fernando Esparza|the pilot]] walks out.''

*'''Ship AI''': "Triangulation in progress."

*'''Pilot''': "We're done, right, Chief? If we stay out here any longer they're gonna come back. They'll find us, and they'll kill us."

''The Chief doesn't answer.''

*'''Ship AI''': "Triangulation in progress."

*'''Pilot''': "What is it you're searching for?"

''Scan finishes. The damaged section of the Ring gives off a red ping.''

*'''Ship AI''': "Match found. Signal located. Waypoint uploaded."

''Hologram changes to a cluster of structures. A red triangle hovers above a circular platform, indicating the source of the message.''

*'''Pilot''': ''(annoyed)'' "There's nothing there. You're looking in the wrong direction. We need to go home."

*'''John-117''': ''(to the Ship AI)'' "Plot the waypoint."

*'''Ship AI''': "Requesting manual flight control override."

*'''John-117''': "Do it."

*'''Ship AI''': "Autopilot engaged."

*'''Pilot''': "Wait, what?!"

''The pilot waves his arms frantically as the hologram deactivates and the autopilot takes control.'' 

*'''Pilot''': "Are you kidding me? Why would we go down there?"

*'''John-117''': "The Banished plan to wipe us out. All of us."

*'''Pilot''': ''(angrily)'' "And what? You think we can stop them on our own?!"

''Frustrated, he punches the Master Chief in the chest with both fists. The Chief doesn't budge. The pilot recoils from the impact and grunts in pain. He then turns away, shaking his head.''

*'''Pilot''': "I told you. We lost." 

''He turns back to the Chief.''

*'''Pilot''': "We need help, not heroics."

*'''John-117''': "No. We do our duty. Protect Humanity. Whatever the cost."

''The pilot paces about.''

*'''Pilot''': "I can't be the only-"

Echo 216 ''shakes violently. An alert blares.''

*'''Ship AI''': "Entering atmosphere. Autopilot disengaging in five..."

*'''John-117''': "We have a new mission, soldier."

*'''Ship AI''': "Four..."

*'''Pilot''': "What is it? What's down there?"

*'''Ship AI''': "Three..."

*'''John-117''': "[[The Weapon|A Weapon]]."

*'''Ship AI''': "Two..."

*'''Pilot''': ''(confused)'' "A weapon? How many guns do you ''need''?"

*'''Ship AI''': "One..."

''The Pelican's bay door opens. John-117 walks over to the entrance.''

*'''Pilot''': ''(exasperated)'' "What is wrong with you?! Remind me to never pick up a Spartan! This is a terrible idea! They're coming for us! All of them!"

''The Chief gives him a brief glance, before turning his attention to the scene outside. The Pelican is now hovering above a damaged Forerunner structure. A [[Banished Phantom]] arrives. The Chief sees it and promptly jumps out of the Pelican.''

''John-117 lands. At the same time, the Phantom drops off a single [[Sangheili Mercenary]] before taking off.''

'''{''Gameplay''}'''

*'''Pilot (COM)''': "Incoming! All directions! It's not safe!"

*'''John-117''': "Pull back."

*'''Pilot (COM)''': "Okay, okay."

----

''If the Chief stalls:''

*'''Pilot (COM)''': "If you're having second thoughts about this... well, so am I. But you should get moving."

----

''The Master Chief kills the Sangheili and proceeds on foot.''

*'''Pilot (COM)''': "Heads up. Lots of Banished craft heading your way!"

''The Chief encounters an [[Unggoy]] and [[Kig-Yar]] patrol, which he quickly eliminates.''

*'''Pilot (COM)''': "More reinforcements! This weapon of yours must be really worth it."

''A second Banished Phantom arrives and drops off a few Brutes. The Chief kills them all and continues his journey.''

*'''Pilot (COM)''': "Careful, Chief! Another dropship on your location."

''Another Phantom drops off more troops. The Chief deals with them. While this is going on, the Forerunner structure constantly trembles as random discharges of energy lash out at the surface, making it clear just how extensive the damage here is.''

*'''Pilot (COM)''': "This whole place looks like it's dying. Like it's... clinging to life somehow. How is that possible?"

*'''John-117''': "Each Ring is different."

''The Chief proceeds further across the structure.''

*'''John-117''': "I see an entry point in the wall ahead."

*'''Pilot (COM)''': "Get in there. Find this weapon. Then we can go... right?"

''The Chief kills the Banished guarding the entry point, then uses his [[Grappleshot]] to get to it.''

*'''Pilot (COM)''': "Be careful. They're still coming. You really pissed them off back there."

''The Chief finds a door leading into the structure and goes inside. He goes down a short corridor and enters through the door on the other end. A swarm of [[Aggressor Sentinel]]s flies past him. Looking in the direction the Sentinels flew in, he spots an active [[light bridge]] leading down a massive chamber. Beyond the bridge, he sees shattered platforms and pillars floating in midair.''

''The Chief starts crossing the light bridge.''

*'''Pilot (COM)''': "Look at this place! It's beautiful. And broken. Very, very broken."

''The Chief reaches a central platform with a small pillar atop of it. A second light bridge extends from the opposite end of the platform.''

*'''Pilot (COM)''': "I need to move. There are Banished ships... everywhere."

''The Chief starts to cross the second light bridge. As he does, he spots a patrol of Unggoy and Kig-Yar up ahead on the left crossing an intersecting bridge.''

*'''Unggoy''': ''(not seeing the Chief)'' "That's stupid! You're stupid! [[John-117|One human]] can't [[Warship Gbraakon|kill]] an entire [[Ghost of Gbraakon|ship]]." 

''The Chief ambushes the patrol and wipes it out. He then heads further into the Foundation, battling more Banished. Eventually he comes across a [[gravity lift]]. He steps inside the grav lift and starts ascending.''

*'''Whispers''': ''"If you knew how you were going to die..."''

''The Chief arrives at the upper level. He continues his journey through the Foundation. After clearing out a Banished picket (led by a [[Sangheili Enforcer]]), he enters a hallway.''

*'''Whispers''': ''(multiple overlapping voices)''

''The Chief enters a massive chamber containing a ring of floating [[Cylix|sarcophagus-like devices]] surrounding a platform at the center of the room. Each device has a humanoid figure engraved on its surface.''

*'''Pilot (COM)''': "What are those things? This is Forerunner, right? I've heard the stories but man... this is crazier than I imagined."

''The Chief proceeds down a ramp and starts navigating his way around the devices. He soon spots a holo-pedestal on the central platform.''

*'''Pilot (COM)''': "Dumb question. How do you know this isn't a trap?"

*'''John-117''': "I don't."

*'''Pilot (COM)''': "Great. I hope this weapon of yours is worth the risk. I'm reading multiple enemy ships heading this way. Too many. We're running out-"

''His transmission fades into static.''

''The Chief gets past the devices and as he approaches the holo-pedestal, it pulses with an intense blue light, shaking the room, and creating a blue sphere around itself. A hologram of a fully intact Zeta Halo appears above the pedestal. As the Chief draws closer, the pedestal gives off another pulse of energy that shakes the room. A section of the holo-Zeta Halo breaks off so that the image now mirrors the Ring's current state.''

''The Chief is almost in reach of the pedestal when the sphere "sucks" the light from the holo-Halo into itself and releases one final pulse of energy.''

'''{''Cutscene''}'''

*'''[[The Weapon]]''': "It's been six months! Where have you been?"

''The blue sphere transforms into an avatar of a miniaturized human female. She looks and sounds ''exactly'' like [[Cortana]].''

*'''John-117''': "What happened? Where is Cortana?"

''The Weapon places her hands behind her back.''

*'''Weapon''': "The rogue AI known as Cortana is gone. She's been deleted."

''Stunned, the Chief turns to the Weapon.''

*'''John-117''': "How? By you?"

*'''Weapon''': ''(baffled by his inquiry)'' "Of course not. Did you hit your head or something?"

''The Chief starts pacing around the Weapon.''

*'''Weapon''': "Don't you remember? My instructions were to enter this installation, imitate Cortana and lock her down for retrieval. Yours were to take her back to the ''Infinity'' for deletion. ''(pause)'' So if it wasn't you..." 

''She suddenly seems worried.'' 

*'''Weapon''': "Okay then... there's something else. On successful deployment, my deletion routine was suppose to be complete." ''(shrugs)'' "Still here." ''(chuckles nervously)''

''John-117 stops pacing. He looks over his shoulder at her.''

*'''John-117''': "Good."

*'''Weapon''': ''(confused)'' "Good? My programming failed. I'm not supposed to be here. You need to delete me."

''John-117 turns to face her.''

*'''John-117''': "No."

*'''Weapon''': "No? I was created for one purpose and that purpose is no longer needed. My mission is over."

*'''John-117''': "We have a new one. The Banished are planning to fire this Ring. We need to make sure they don't."

*'''Weapon''': "First of all, what's a Banished? Second, you may have noticed that a significant piece of this installation has been damaged making that impossible... And third, to fire this Ring they would need an [[Activation index]]. Cortana had the Index. I had parts of it as well-"

*'''John-117''': "Something stopped your deletion. We need to find out why."

*'''Weapon''': ''(uncertain)'' "But this wasn't the mission."

*'''John-117''': "The missions change. They always do."

*'''Weapon''': "Are you sure?"

''In response, the Chief pulls the [[Data crystal chip|data chip]] from the back of his helmet and holds it out to her. After hesitating for a moment, the Weapon reaches out with one hand and dematerializes, uploading herself into the chip. Once the upload is complete, the Chief prepares to insert the chip back into his helmet.''

''Player receives a prompt: INSERT CHIP''

''The chip is inserted.''

'''{''Gameplay''}'''

''A series of messages appear on the Chief's VISR.''

<pre>Armor Bios // MJOLNIR / VER_12.22.12 / ID_117
>> PRIMARY SUPPORT SYSTEM CHECK
./ WEAPON CONTAINMENT DEVICE
SYS_AI_CON_\>: INSERTED
...
./ VERIFICATION
SYS_DIR\> AI.QUARANTINE.MANAGER.PRESENT
...
SYS_LOAD\>AI.SYS.BROKER
...
./ AI DETECTED
SYS_LOAD\> AI.HANDSHAKE.MKR
...
SYS_LOC\> ACCESSING
...
./ IDENTIFYING
SYS_LOC\> DIRECTIVES
...
SYS_LOC\> RTN.NULL.VALUE
...
>> PROGRAM INCOMPLETE <<
FAILSAFE\> RECOMPILER.PROCESSING
...
./ REBUILDING CONNECTIONS
SYS_DIR\> MANIFEST.RESET.CORE.SRV
...
./ DEPLOYMENT SUCCESSFUL
CONFIRM\> WEAPON CONTAINMENT . [ACTIVE]
</pre>

''While this is going on, the platform the Chief is standing on starts rising.''

*'''John-117''': "Did you do that?"

*'''Weapon''': "No. Removing me triggered a response from the Ring."

*'''Whispers''': ''"I need you to understand. There's not much time."''

*'''Whispers''': ''"If you knew how you were going to die... how would you live your life differently?"''

''The platform stops its ascent. A door opens and the platform starts traveling horizontally through a conduit.''

*'''John-117''': "That voice. It's Cortana's."

*'''Weapon''': "No. It's not her. [[The Maw|Just dust and echoes.]]"

*'''John-117''': ''(alarmed)'' "What did you say?"

*'''Weapon''': "What? It's just pieces of data cycling until they run out of power. It's all around us."

''The platform comes to a halt at the end of the conduit.''

*'''[[Catherine Halsey]] (memory)''': ''"Today I was called an emotionless automaton. They saw faces. Seventy-five healthy subjects. Hand picked by me. Perfect for [[SPARTAN-II program|the program]]."''

''The platform starts rising again.'' 

*'''Halsey (memory)''': ''"They will not all survive. I understand that and have made peace with it. Mostly. There is one subject that I find myself hoping does live through this. He is perfectly suited for what is coming."''

''The platform enters another chamber and comes to a final stop. Ghost-like "echoes" of young children appear and disappear around the Chief. He steps off the platform and moves up a ramp, seeing more echoes of children, which appear to be creating a path for him to follow.''

*'''Halsey (memory)''': ''"He has been assigned a number. 117."''

*'''Halsey (memory)''': ''(echoing)''  ''"117."''

''John follows the path of ghostly children into a corridor outside of a larger chamber. Looking through a glass barrier, John can see Sentinels flying around the chamber, as well as Banished troops patrolling the ledge on the left. There's a blue glow coming from a platform at the end of the chamber.''

*'''Weapon''': "There's something up ahead. I can feel it calling out to me."

''The Chief heads out onto the ledge on the left and engages the Banished troops.''

*'''Weapon''': "These are the Banished?"

*'''John-117''': "Affirmative."

*'''Weapon''': "They smell even worse than I imagined!"

*'''John-117''': "You can ''smell'' them?"

*'''Weapon''': "Well, an array of sensors in your armor can, and I analyze the input. ''You'' smell fine, by the way."

''The Chief clears out the Banished, then moves on to an upper ledge. He can now see the blue glow is coming from another data sphere. A deep chasm separates him from the sphere. Nearby is a [[Crucible|machine]] that seems to be missing a power source.''

*'''Weapon''': ''(indicating the sphere)'' "Look! Over there. That's the source."

*'''John-117''': "The bridge is out."

*'''Weapon''': "Yes it is. Maybe there's a way to power it back up nearby."

''The Chief heads down a ramp to the lower ledge, where he finds another machine, this one containing a [[Power seed|power source]]. He removes the power source from the machine.''

*'''Whispers''': ''"[[Composer (level)|They'll pair you with another AI. Maybe even another Cortana model if Halsey lets them. It won't be me... You know that, right?]]"''

''The Chief goes back up, power seed in hand, and inserts it into the Crucible. The light bridge activates, allowing the Chief to cross the chasm. He approaches the data sphere, which is hovering above a pedestal, just as the Weapon had been doing earlier.''

'''{''Cutscene''}'''

''The Chief opens his hand and deploys the Weapon. She slowly reaches out toward the data sphere. A ringing sound emanates from the sphere as she makes contact. The Chief reflexively pulls his hand back, pulling the Weapon away from the sphere.''

*'''John-117''': "Is it safe?"

*'''Weapon''': "I think so..."

''She pauses for a moment to analyze her readings.''

*'''Weapon''': "Yes. It's safe."

''John extends his hand, allowing the Weapon to walk off his palm and onto the pedestal. She studies the data sphere, running her hand through it.''

*'''Weapon''': ''(in disbelief)'' "This... this is part of me. I don't know why. I don't know how but it is me. It was the last part I remember being deleted."

''She extends her hand further into the data sphere.''

*'''Weapon''': "Let me just-"

''The Weapon vanishes in mid-sentence. A moment later, the data sphere shrinks into a pair of smaller blue spheres that float away.''

*'''Halsey (memory)''': ''"You are here because you were chosen."''

''John-117 turns around to see [[Halo: The Fall of Reach|an echo of Halsey standing before him]].''

''Scene shifts to the Master Chief's POV.''

*'''Halsey (memory)''': ''"[[Covenant|Our enemies]] are getting smarter and more numerous every day. What I am about to show you will help turn the tide of [[Human-Covenant War|war]]. I have been working to harness the strategic power of a ship-borne AI onto the battlefield. Are you ready?"''

*'''John-117 (memory)''': ''"Yes, Doctor Halsey."'' 

''Halsey cups her hands together and Cortana's avatar appears in her palms.''

*'''Halsey (memory)''': ''"Unlike previous AI models, she will reside ''between'' your mind and [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark V|the suit]], directly communicating with your [[neural interface]]. Think of her as a new set of eyes to aid your reactions and upgrade your reconnaissance."''

''The Halsey memory offers the Cortana avatar to the ''real'' Master Chief, who opens his hand and allows the avatar to walk onto his palm.''

*'''Halsey (memory)''': ''"She is not the driver, but a way to level the playing field."''

*'''John-117 (memory)''': ''"What do I call her?"''

*'''Halsey (memory)''': ''"Ask her. She named herself."''

*'''Cortana (memory)''': ''"Hello, Master Chief. I'm Cortana."''

*'''Halsey (memory)''': ''"Together, you become our newfound hope. Together you become our key to humanity's survival. She will do anything necessary to make sure that your mission is accomplished. Even if that means sacrificing herself - or you - to accomplish it."''

''Scene rotates so that the Chief can now be seen from the front, holding Cortana in the palm of his hand until she fades away. John flexes his now empty hand, unsure of what to make of all this.''

*'''Weapon''': "What happened?"

''The Chief turns around to find that the Weapon and the data sphere have reappeared on the pedestal.''

*'''Weapon''': "I touched it and-"

*'''John-117''': "Was that real?"

*'''Weapon''': "It's just data. It's... it's just here. Clusters of recursive code. But this, on the other hand..." ''(indicates the data sphere)'' "This is the framework I used to trap Cortana. It contains a copy of the Activation Index. At least fragments of it. What should we do with it?"

*'''John-117''': "Do we need it?"

*'''Weapon''': "Well, based on what you've told me so far, the bigger question is do the ''Banished'' need it?"

''John thinks for a moment, then nods.''

*'''John-117''': "Do it."

''The Weapon reaches out with both hands and absorbs the data sphere into herself. She gasps and falls down on all fours.''

*'''Weapon''': ''(breathing hard)'' "That was... something."

''She looks up at the Chief.''

*'''Weapon''': "Let's go."

''John reaches his hand out and she uploads herself back into his armor.''

'''{''Gameplay''}'''

''Another light bridge activates.''

''Another series of messages appears on the Chief's VISR.''

<pre>Armor Bios // MJOLNIR / VER_12.22.12 / ID_117
>> PRIMARY SUPPORT SYSTEM CHECK
./ AI CONNECTED
SYS_AICM\>: RUN
...
SYS_REC\>: PREPARING AI INTRUSION COUNTERMEASURES
...
./ ACTIVATING FILE SYSTEMS
SYS_LOAD\> [SYSTEM PERIL DISTRIBUTED REFLEX]
...
./ ISOLATING AI
...
SYS_LOAD\> VISR.HUD.SYS.SPDR
...
./ INITIALIZING FAILSAFE PROTOCOL
SYS_LOAD\> SPDR_00 ... 01 ... 02 ... 03 ... 04 ... 05 ... 06 ... 07
...
./ PROTOCOL INITIALIZED
CONFIRM\> S.P.D.R . [ACTIVE]
</pre>

*'''Weapon''': "Did I miss something? There's a file that's been unlocked but I don't have access."

*'''John-117''': ''(ignoring her question)'' "We need a route out of here."

*'''Weapon''': "Okay. Let's see. There's a breach close by. It should lead us to the surface." 

''The Chief crosses the second light bridge and heads through the door. He goes down a series of ramps and corridors, eventually entering another open chamber with a chasm that needs to be crossed. He inserts the Weapon onto a pedestal.''

*'''Weapon''': "Give me a second and I'll get this bridge activated."

''A bridge starts assembling itself. The Weapon looks over her shoulder.''

*'''Weapon''': "We've got company, Chief. Meet me at the plinth up ahead."

''She vanishes into the pedestal.''

''The Chief heads across the newly-assembled bridge. Banished troops appear and open fire on him.''

*'''[[Jiralhanae]]''': "Tremonius will know my name when I bring him your head!"

''The Chief defeats all the Banished and reaches the plinth. The Weapon materializes on it.''

*'''Weapon''': ''(smiling)'' "Wow. You got here fast. Not the type to waste any time, huh?"

*'''John-117''': ''(curtly)'' "No."

*'''Weapon''': ''(smile fades slightly)'' "Noted. Let's go."

''Another bridge assembles itself. The Master Chief crosses and confronts more Banished troops, including a Jiralhanae manning a {{Pattern|Shea'p|plasma cannon}}. After a protracted fight, the Chief kills all the Banished and then exits the chamber. He enters a heavily damaged corridor and has to climb over some wreckage. A lone [[Unggoy Mule]] guards the exit. The Chief kills it and moves on.''

''The Chief enters a room containing a [[gravity lift]]. A single [[Jiralhanae Sniper]] armed with a [[Flaktura Workshop Skewer]] stands guard atop a pillar at the back of the room. The Chief eliminates the Brute and approaches the grav lift.''

*'''Weapon''': "Oh no."

*'''John-117''': "What's wrong?"

*'''Weapon''': "This gravity lift should be powered up. We need to find a way to bring it back online."

''If the Chief stalls:''

*'''Weapon''': "If you want to get up to the surface, we need to restore power to this gravity lift."

''The Chief finds the power seed on the pillar the Brute Sniper was standing on.''

*'''Weapon''': "This object. It's part of the Ring's life force. It's called a power seed."

''The Chief plants the power seed into the gravity lift's [[Crucible]], reactivating it. He then steps into the lift and rides it up.''

*'''Whispers''': ''"All space. All time. The stars. Swelling. Collapsing. Ending. Serving their longer. Shorter use."''

''John-117 reaches the upper level.''

*'''Whispers''': ''"The yearning amply fed at last. Prepared to meet you."''

''The Chief enters a room littered with bodies. Most are Banished, but one is human.''

*'''Weapon''': "Chief, stop. How is... Is that a ''Spartan''? We need to find out what happened."

''The Chief approaches the fallen [[SPARTAN-IV program|Spartan]]. Noticing a green glowing module next to her body, he kneels down and picks it up.''

*'''Weapon''': "She was carrying an [[Overshield|enhanced shield]] module."

''The Chief integrates the module into his armor, upgrading his shields. He then turns his attention to the deceased Spartan.''

*'''Weapon''': "Let's see what I can find out about her. Accessing..."

''John solemnly places a hand on the fallen Spartan's shoulder.''

*'''Weapon''': "This is Spartan [[Bonita Stone]]. Recon specialist. Her vitals have been offline for nearly a month. Cause of death was an [[Type-1 energy sword|energy blade]], but... different. Stronger. A single strike. She never saw it coming."

''John stands back up. He goes up some stairs and enters a room full of Banished hardware. Numerous Unggoy and Kig-Yar, including [[Kig-Yar Sniper]]s, patrol the area.''

*'''Weapon''': "We're here. That [[elevator]] should take us to the surface."

''The Chief kills all the Unggoy and Kig-Yar in the room.''

*'''Weapon''': "We need to call down the elevator. Look for a control terminal."

''The Chief finds a Banished control terminal but it's not powered.''

*'''Weapon''': "This elevator's drawing power from the Ring. Well... it was. The seed is missing."

''After some searching, the Chief finds a corridor that leads to a massive chamber filled with the sarcophagus-like devices he came across earlier.''

*'''John-117''': "What are these things?"

*'''Weapon''': "Genetic repositories. Forerunner storage vessels. [[Cylix]]es."

*'''John-117''': "How do you know this?"

*'''Weapon''': "I was stuck in that room for six months surrounded by them. Let's just say they talk. A lot."

''There's a bridge that extends from the entrance and terminates in the middle of the chamber. The power seed is located at the end of the bridge. The Chief heads across and retrieves the seed.''

*'''Weapon''': "That should do it. Let's get back to the elevator."

''The Chief returns to the elevator and installs the power seed into the Crucible.''

----
''If the Chief stalls:''

*'''Weapon''': "Get that cradle powered up."
----

''After inserting the power seed into the Crucible, the Chief deploys the Weapon onto the elevator's control terminal.''

'''{''Cutscene''}'''

''The Weapon studies the elevator.''

*'''Weapon''': "This isn't [[Forerunner]]. It identifies as Banished."

*'''John-117''': "Can you operate it?"

*'''Weapon''': "In my sleep. Not that I sleep but... ''(realizes)'' Oh, I don't need to. It's already on its way down."

''The Chief looks up and sees that the elevator is indeed already on its way down.''

*'''John-117''': "Incoming."

*'''Weapon''': "But... what if it's a friend?"

*'''John-117''': "It isn't."

''He uploads the Weapon back into his armor just as the elevator arrives with [[Tremonius]] and two [[Kig-Yar Raider]]s. Tremonius snarls and flexes his arms threateningly before using his [[Jump pack]] to get off the elevator platform. He lands in front of the Chief and an [[energy barrier]] activates behind him, confining all combatants to an enclosed area.''

*'''Tremonius:''' "Escharum's orders are that you should be brought before him! He did not specify in how many pieces."

''He points an [[MLRS-2 Hydra]] at the Chief and activates his personal energy shields.''

'''{''Gameplay''}'''

{{Center|For Tremonius' dialogue during the fight, see [[Tremonius/Quotes#Boss Fight|here]].}}

''If the Chief tries to activate the elevator before Tremonius and his guards are defeated:''

*'''Weapon''': "It's too dangerous, Chief."

''Tremonius proves to be a formidable adversary, even for the Spartan, but eventually the Master Chief prevails and kills Tremonius and the Kig-Yar guards. The energy barrier deactivates.''

*'''Weapon''': "You were right. He was not friendly. By the looks of him he was some sort of [[Jiralhanae Warlord|leader]]. They called him 'Tremonius'."

*'''John-117''': "Not anymore."

*'''Weapon''': ''(amused)'' "That's almost funny."

''The Chief gets on the elevator and takes it to the surface.''

*'''Pilot (COM)''': "[static] -on the way! I repeat, multiple Banished craft are converging on your location. They're coming for you!"

*'''John-117''': "Sierra 117. Understood." 

*'''Pilot (COM)''': "I've been trying to reach you. You vanished. I thought I was on my... okay, I got your location. On my way. Be ready!"

''Level ends''

==Achievements==
The following [[Achievements (Halo Infinite)|achievements]] can be unlocked on ''Foundation'' across the all editions of ''Halo Infinite''.
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 100%;"
|-
! scope="col" style="width: 15%;text-align:center;" |'''Xbox'''
! scope="col" style="width: 10%;text-align:center;" |'''Steam'''
! scope="col" style="width: 25%;height:20px;text-align:center;" |'''Title'''
! scope="col" style="width: 50%;height:20px;text-align:center;" |'''Unlock requirement'''
|-align="center"
|[[File:HINF Achievement TogetherAgain?.png|114px]]
|[[File:HINF Achievement Campaign Steam.jpg|64px]]
|[[Together. Again?]]
|Explored the underbelly of Zeta Halo and retrieved a weapon to turn the tide of this conflict.
|-align="center"
|[[File:HINF Achievement Ascension.png|114px]]
|[[File:HINF Achievement Campaign Steam.jpg|64px]]
|[[Ascension (achievement)|Ascension]]
|Defeated the Banished warlord Tremonius.
|}

==Collectibles==
*'''Audio Logs''' (3): [[Audio log (Halo Infinite)/Banished/Escharum/02|Escharum's Testimony 02 - Cylix]], [[Audio log (Halo Infinite)/UNSC/Prisoner/01|Prisoner 01 - Not My Fault]], [[Audio log (Halo Infinite)/UNSC/Recovered/02|Recovered File 02 - The Question]]
*'''Skulls''' (1): [[Halo Infinite skulls#Cowbell|Cowbell]]

==Production notes==
The ''[[Discover Hope]]'' trailer depicted the gameplay section where [[John-117]] approaches [[the Weapon]]'s pedestal as a cutscene.

==Mistakes==
When the Halsey memory says ''Think of her as a new set of eyes to aid your reactions and upgrade your reconnaissance'', the subtitles incorrectly use the noun ''aide'' instead of the verb ''aid''.

==Gallery==
===Concept art===
<gallery>
File:HINF FoundationStartConcept.jpg|Concept art of the start of the level.
File:HINF FirstPersonConcept.jpg|First-person concept art of the same area.
File:HI DH Chief ControlRoom Concept.jpg|Concept art of John-117 approaching the pedestal where finds the Weapon.
File:HI ChiefMOD Control Room concept.jpg|Another concept art of John-117 finding the Weapon.
File:HINF ForerunnerInteriorConcept.png|Concept art of John-117 in a partially-intact Forerunner hallway.
File:HINF_LightBridgeConcept.jpg|Concept art of John-117 crossing a lightbridge while debris hover around.
</gallery>

===Pre-release===
<gallery>
File:Halo Infinite E319 Hologram Explosion.jpg|John-117 approaching the Weapon in ''[[Deliver Hope]]''.
File:HI Screenshot PreRelease-JohnHologramApproach.jpg|John-117 approaching the pedestal in ''Deliver Hope''.
File:Halo Infinite E319 Chip Out.jpg|John-117 removes the [[data crystal chip]] from his helmet in ''Deliver Hope''.
</gallery>

===Screenshots===
<gallery>
File:HINF Foundation Level.png|A Phantom at the partially-built foundation of the ring.
File:HINF Foundation Structure.png|A large Forerunner room and door.
File:HINF Foundation damaged area.png|A damaged area of the level.
File:HINF Cylix.png|Cylixes around where the Weapon was retrieved.
File:HINF Zeta Halo Broken.png|A hologram displaying the damaged ring.
File:HINF Zeta Halo Foundation Structure.png|A view of the shaft above where the Weapon was found.
File:HINF Zeta Halo Foundation Room.png|A Forerunner room.
File:HINF Cortana Dust and Echoes.png|Residue data of Cortana dispersed in a room.
File:HINF Zeta Halo Hologram.png|Hologram of the damaged ring where the Weapon was found.
File:HINF Foundation Chief finds Weapon.png|The Chief finds the Weapon.
File:HINF Foundation Insert Chip.png|The Chief prepares to upload the Weapon into his armor.
File:HINF Foundation Ghost Child.png|A fragment of memory manifesting as a ghostly child.
File:HINF Foundation Chief Weapon find data sphere.png|The Chief and the Weapon find a data sphere.
File:HINF Cortana introduced.png|Memory of Cortana being given to John-117.
File:HINF Weapon Framework.png|The Weapon absorbs the Framework into herself.
File:HINF Foundation Chief with plasma turret.png|The Chief guns down the Banished troops in his path.
File:HINF Bonita Stone Corpse.jpg|Finding Spartan Stone's body.
File:HINF Foundation clearing elevator.png|The Chief secures the elevator room.
File:HINF Tremonius Full Armor.jpg|Tremonius and his Kig-Yar Raiders confront John-117.
File:HINF Tremonius battle - incoming.png|The Chief battles Tremonius.
File:HINF Tremonius defeated.png|Tremonius slain.
</gallery>

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

{{Levels|HI}}
[[Category:Halo Infinite campaign]]