Lifeworker Central

Lifeworker Central was the nexus of Lifeworker operations on Installation 07.

Overview

Lifeworker Central was a large structure with a cavernous, dim interior built near a body of water with rocky cliffs several kilometers on the other side. It was a sprawling multilevel stone-built complex, dominated at its center by two giant monoliths that sat high atop a raised platform. Unlike most of the Forerunners' cold alloy structures, Lifeworker Central was warm and earthy, made of enormous stone blocks. Over time, the site had been built and rebuilt and was unique for its composition and architecture. The massive blocks of granite were patinaed by time, giving them pale amber and sand-colored hues. Some were intricately carved with geometric patterns while others, those that lay in the shadows, were blanketed with moss. Small seeker roots forced their way through cracks in the rocks, and giant tree roots and vines clung to the weathered stones like veins and arteries. Some a meter thick twisted around pillars and lay across arches and walkways, a select few giving rise to bulbous tree trunks with wide branches that produced a canopy of feathery leaves. Bridges, walkways and corridors crisscrossed a complicated, multilevel structure existing above and belowground. A columned gallery contained various murals that had faded over time.

There were two hundred and twenty-two steps up to the stone platform near the two large monoliths. Smaller monoliths lined the path up, and vines clung to the sides of the stones and towers, twisting around the weathered rock like serpents. The monoliths were ancient and seemingly inanimate, but an odd hum reverberated through the stones. A two-story building, the Monolith Adjunct, connected the two central monoliths at their base with a tall rectangular doorway in the center.

Lifeworker Central had several dazzlers creating a protective dome covering fourteen hundred circular meters of jungle. This shielded the facility from detection by enemy forces. However, the protective dome could be accidentally bypassed by a ground assault searching the area, which would expose Lifeworker Central to an enemy attack.

A ruined Tudejsa settlement was located close by.

Lifeworker Central possessed the best geas technology the Forerunners had to offer as well as hard light generators.

By June 8, 2560, there were seventeen graves at Lifeworker Central, including Lucas Browning.

History

In its prime, Lifeworker Central would've been breathtaking, serving as a vibrant hub of knowledge and study for the Lifeworkers, one of many such sanctuaries of preservation for the flora and fauna gathered from across the galaxy.

During the conflict on the ring following the Fate of Maethrillian, Vinnevra's geas led her, Chakas, Riser and Mara to Lifeworker Central on a rail transport. There, a monitor instructed them to board a boat-like vehicle. At this point, Vinnevra felt the influence of her geas clearer than before, hearing the "voice of a child" telling her that they were going to Earth.

During the 100,000 years following the Great Purification, a jungle grew up around Lifeworker Central and the nearby Tudejsa ruins. The structure suffered several collapses, cutting off access to most of the consoles and Forerunner technology within. While the main console in the Monolith Adjunct was accessible, it was destroyed, beyond even the ability of a human smart AI to access the Forerunner systems.

In 2556, Dr. Genie Dawson and her UNSC science team from the Zeta Halo Project were sent to Lifeworker Central to study it. They were able to gain access to the Monolith Adjunct and hoped to study and catalogue the Forerunners' achievements in life sciences. Unfortunately, the scientists triggered an archiving process, resulting in their genetic patterns and consciousnesses being stored while their physical bodies were lost. The scientists were able to use hard light generators to manifest projections of themselves with likenesses so exact that it was nearly impossible to distinguish them from their biological counterparts. However, the team was limited to the Monolith Adjunct as the collapses left them cut off from many access points and Forerunner technology, including other control consoles that were still working.

When the ring was fractured by Cortana in December 2559, Lifeworker Central lay on Zeta Halo's stable segment.

In around early May 2560, during the Battle for Zeta Halo, a large group of UNSC survivors -- a mixture of military, support, science and civilian -- led by Commander Wes Thompson found Lifeworker Central where the Forerunner dazzlers protected the remaining fifty-two people from Banished detection who finally had time to rest up, tend to the wounded, repair their tech, and get back into the field. All soldiers and able-bodied civilians went out on rotation every week, splitting duties. Teams would look for survivors and leave behind encrypted messages and broadcasts for others to find as well as scavenger teams to look for food, supplies, tech and weapons. The more experienced people would rotate recon and guard duty while engaging in guerilla warfare, taking out several Banished scouting parties. The camp's main focus was on rebuilding their arsenal, fixing their comms suite, and pulling in as many survivors as they could. They were able to salvage nearly all of a working med bay from a downed Mulsanne-class light frigate which was turned into a field hospital staffed by field surgeon Dr. Shoff and combat medic Janina Yu. Although Genie's team revealed themselves to the camp, they did not inform anyone that they were no longer human due to the fear generated against AI by the Created uprising.

On June 6, John-117, Joyeuse, Fernando Esparza and Lucas Browning sought Lifeworker Central in the hopes of using the geas technology located there to remove the imprint placed in Browning's mind by the Harbinger and perhaps decode whatever was in it. Encountering two ODSTs on guard duty nearby, the group was led to the UNSC camp where Browning and Esparza received medical treatment for their torture at the hands of the Banished. The Master Chief and Joy visited the Monolith Adjunct where they met Genie's team and discovered their true nature. However, the damage to the control console was such that not even Joy was able to access Lifeworker Central's systems from it. Instead, Genie provided the two with the location of the Lifeworker Archive as an alternative location to find the geas technology that they sought. The approach of Banished forces and the danger of them finding the camp through breaching the dazzlers by a ground assault prompted the Master Chief's team to depart while UNSC combat teams created a diversion to draw the Banished away from Lifeworker Central.

On June 8, a funeral was held for Browning at Lifeworker Central. Another group of survivors that had been hidden in a sheltered rock canyon in the alpine section of one of the shattered ring fragments, including the surviving members of the boat crew, joined the UNSC camp, as did four Swords of Sanghelios warriors, the Master Chief, Joy and Esparza. Over the next few days, the Master Chief and Spartan Nina Kovan continued guerilla operations against the Banished, climbing into the hills beyond the jungle, taking Banished patrols by surprise, clearing outposts and then blending back into the jungle.

By June 8, the UNSC broke through a hidden access point that revealed a network of chambers extending multiple levels beneath the ground, although it was just a fraction of the entire complex. Joy and Genie's team relocated to a sprawling lab within the newly opened facility. Under Joy's direction, four of the brightest technicians in the encampment assisted the AI in repairing salvaged submonitor carapaces. On the third try on June 11, the team successfully repaired a carapace and transferred the science team into it. Joy made copies of each individual pattern and stored them in the lab in case of any issues.

The next day, while unable to find the UNSC Infinity, Genie's team located large groups of other UNSC survivors scattered across Zeta Halo. The camp at Lifeworker Central rallied behind the Master Chief to begin search and rescue operations.

List of appearances

• Halo: Primordium (First appearance)
• Halo: Edge of Dawn