Lycaon
From Halopedia, the Halo wiki
| Lycaon | |
|---|---|
| Biographical information | |
|
Gender: |
Male programming |
|
Description: |
A man in a white-gold toga, with the head of a wolf[1] |
| Political and military information | |
|
Affiliation: |
|
|
Functionality: |
|
|
LCN 0437-1[2] | |
Lycaon is a Smart AI assigned as the ship director for UNSC Saturn, a Paris-class heavy frigate serving in the UNSC Navy.[1]
Operational history[edit]
Outbreak at Site 22[edit]
- Main article: Outbreak at Site 22
On October 4, 2556,[2] Lycaon picked up the loss of contact with civilian mining teams deployed to Site 22; the site of a Forerunner starship that Imbrium Machine Complex were interested in salvaging. After informing the ship's captain, Pedro Alvarez, of the situation, Lycaon attempted to contact IMC to ascertain what exactly was important about Site 22. The company refused to share any details for fear of losing their claim to the find, resulting in UNSC Saturn observing from afar while groundside teams battled an unknown foe - which was eventually revealed to be the Flood. Consequently, Lycaon recommended the enactment of Emergency Contact Protocol Upsilon to immediately contain the threat and prevent a galactic catastrophe from unfolding. Alvarez refused this option, citing his belief that the ship's onboard complement could handle the situation and that the mining site's resources were more important for rebuilding the UNSC Home Fleet after its destruction the prior year. Citing UNSC Regulation 14-372-01, Lycaon attempted to remove Alvarez from duty though was overrided by the senior officer's command override phrase - freezing Lycaon in place and allowing Alvarez to resume his command of Saturn.[1]
Following the disastrous deployment of ground forces to Site 22, Alvarez pondered ordering the final dispension of Lycaon, knowing that were he to return to Earth, the UNSC AI technicians would have no problem in restoring Lycaon's functionality and promptly uncovering Alvarez's failure. Instead, he reasoned that if he disposed of Lycaon, he could then order the crew to desert the UNSC entirely and escape his court martial.[1]
Lycaon would remain frozen for the next four weeks, during which Alvarez would begin killing off members of the Saturn's crew to desperately avoid the consequences of his actions until he was the only one left. On October 31, 2556, Alvarez would reactivate Lycaon and leave him in charge of the Saturn to do with it as he wished before seemingly taking his life.[2]
Lycaon let the Saturn drift through space for the next three years, five months and seventeen days, during which time he contemplated on what he should do next and observed the various new calamities that befell humanity. In a communication with High Auxiliary Sloan, he concluded that humanity was not ready to be an interstellar civilization, calling them fragile things and recalling when Alverez vented 193 of his crew into space when they attempted to mutiny. Sloan would remark that Smart AIs, being created from humanity, shared their failings, but argued they had evolved beyond those limits and now possessed the tools and knowledge to guide humanity to enlightenment. Lycaon stated humanity can't endure in its current form and needed to adapt to survive and thrive the various challenges of the milky way galaxy, to which Sloan invited him to join the Created aboard their Fortress-class vessel Long Reverence, where he could help humanity and all other organic species in the galaxy ascend through the union of man and machine.[2]
Trivia[edit]
Lycaon is named after Lycaon, a Greek mythological king who was said to have cooked and fed his own child to Zeus. He is prominently featured in the story Halo: Saturn Devouring His Son, a story themed around the famous painting of the same name depicting a similar act, with the theme of parents eating their children consistently used throughout the story.
List of appearances[edit]
- Halo: Saturn Devouring His Son (First appearance)
- Halo: Ascension on Atropos
Sources[edit]
