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| {{Title|''Soma the Painter''}} | | {{Title|''Soma the Painter''}} |
| {{Status|RealWorld}} | | {{Era|RW}} |
| '''''Soma the Painter''''' is a short story exclusive to the separate Volume I edition of ''[[Halo: Evolutions]]''. It takes the point of view of [[Soma]], a [[Forerunner]] inhabitant of [[Seaward]], as she experiences the first sighting of the [[Flood]] in the [[Milky Way]] since the [[human-Forerunner wars]].<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions''', ''Soma the Painter''</ref> The short story was penned by [[Frank O'Connor]].{{Ref/Site|D=01|M=6|Y=2020|URL=https://www.gregbear.com/archives/board_2010_2.htm|Site=Greg Bear|Page=Discussion Board Archives}} | | {{Ratings}} |
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| ==Plot synopsis==
| | '''''Soma the Painter''''' is a short story exclusive to the separate Volume I edition of ''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''. It takes the point of view of [[Soma]], a [[Forerunner]] inhabitant of [[Seaward]], as she experiences the first sighting of the [[Flood]] in the [[Milky Way]] since the [[Human-Flood War]].<ref>'''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''', ''Soma the Painter''</ref> |
| The short story begins with the [[Forerunner]] [[Soma]] waiting for the sunset on the planet of [[Seaward]]. It is explained that all the Forerunners on Seaward live with only the basics of technology and live a relatively primitive lifestyle. [[Forerunner personal armor|Personal armor]], starships and communications are either not used or use to only a very limited extent. Most of the planet's residents, including Soma, live in the small community settlement of [[Wharftown]]. Located on the edge of the [[Milky Way galaxy]], Seaward is designated uninhabitable and was only open to extremely wealthy individuals or high-ranking politicians.
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| As the sunset begins, Soma begins to paint it with her [[jetbrush]]. She captures the unique optical effect caused by its two suns, called ''Twofire''. As the jetbrush automatically paints on her glass easel, Soma notices that it has made an error: drawing a dark gray streak in the sky, with a sickly trail of yellow smoke following it. Upon looking up at the sky, she notices that [[Flood|the object]] on her easel is in fact in the sky. As the object moves towards the horizon, she packs up her equipment and returns to Wharftown, realizing that something is wrong.
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| Sometime later, the [[Auditor]] receives a report from the [[Prelate (Forerunner)|Prelate]] detailing the events, recorded by an automated monitoring system spanning the Forerunners' [[ecumene]] and employing a variety of devices: a trade beacon, a medical station, and Soma's jetbrush. Unaware of the true danger, only a [[transorbital balloon]] is initially sent to Seaward to give supplies to the damaged medical center. The two Forerunners decide to inform the [[Ur-Didact|Didact]] of the event, claiming that their "test has come".
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| ==Appearances==
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| {{Featurelist|secondcolumn=title-5|title-1=Characters|
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| *[[Auditor]] {{1st}}
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| *[[Ur-Didact|Didact]] {{Fm}}
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| *[[Prelate (Forerunner)|Prelate]] {{1st}}
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| *[[Soma]] {{1st}}
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| |title-2=Species|
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| *[[Flood]]
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| *[[Forerunner]]
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| |title-3=Organizations|
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| *[[Ecumene]]
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| |title-4=Locations|
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| *[[G617]] {{1st}}
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| **[[Seaward]] {{1st}}
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| ***[[Wharftown]] {{1st}}
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| |title-5=Events|
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| *[[Forerunner-Flood war]]
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| |title-6=Vehicles|
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| *[[Transorbital balloon]] {{1st}}
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| |title-7=Technology|
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| *[[Forerunner personal armor]] {{Fm}}
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| *[[Jetbrush]] {{1st}}
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| *[[N-barrier]] {{Fm}}
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| *[[Triangulation]]
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| }}
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| ==Production note==
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| ''[[Halo: Cryptum]]'' reveals that the Didact was not awakened from [[Cryptum|exile]] until the last decade of the [[Forerunner-Flood war]], meaning the Auditor and the Prelate could not have informed him of the Flood's return for roughly 300 years.
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| ==Sources== | | ==Sources== |
| {{Ref/Sources}}
| | <references/> |
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| {{Evolutions}} | | {{Evolutions}} |
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| [[Category:Halo: Evolutions]] | | [[Category:Halo: Evolutions]] |
