CE:Two Betrayals

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Next:	Keyes
Two Betrayals
Game:	Halo: Combat Evolved (Anniversary)
File name (?):	c40
Player:	Master Chief
Date:	September 21, 2552
Location:	On the surface of Installation 04, in and around the Control Room.
Objective(s):	Destroy 3 Phase Pulse Generators to disable Halo's primary weapon.
Par Time:	00:20:00 (Master Chief Collection-only)
Par Score:	16,000 (Master Chief Collection-only)
	Halopedia has a walkthrough guide for this level; see CE:Two Betrayals/Walkthrough.

“

Re-activate the weapon at the heart of Halo... and learn the truth.

”

Two Betrayals is the eighth campaign level in Halo: Combat Evolved. This is the last level in which Jackals are fought. It is also the first level where Sentinels are hostile enemies instead of your allies.

In 2026 the level was remade entirely for inclusion in Halo: Campaign Evolved.

Summary

The Master Chief, after teleporting back to the Control Room, proceeds to activate Installation 04. However, Cortana, who after spending twelve hours in the control room has discovered Halo's true purpose, stops him just in time. After stealing the Activation Index, she tells the Chief that Halo will wipe out all life in the galaxy, and turns the Chief against the Monitor who confirms Cortana's claims, confused that the Master Chief didn't already know this. Spark sends Sentinels to take the Spartan's head, and the AI inside his helmet, but they are quickly destroyed.

Cortana decides that they must destroy Halo to keep it from being fired and decides that the best course of action is to detonate the UNSC Pillar of Autumn's fusion engines which will destabilize the ring and cut through a number of primary systems. To buy them some time in case the Monitor finds another way to activate Halo, Cortana orders the Master Chief to disable the three phase pulse generators in the area to force the Monitor to make repairs before Halo can be fired. The Master Chief is forced to fight through a combination of Covenant, Flood and Sentinel forces and use Banshees to reach each generator which Cortana uses an EMP to disable. Cortana is able to use the Covenant battlenet to locate the Pillar of Autumn's crash site, but requires Captain Jacob Keyes or his command codes to activate the ship's self-destruct. After disabling the third pulse generator, Cortana is able to locate Keyes, who is still alive, onboard the Covenant Ket-pattern battlecruiser Truth and Reconciliation. At Cortana's suggestion, the Master Chief allows the AI to draw power from his suit to use Halo's teleportation grid to teleport them to the battlecruiser rather than calling for a ride which will take more time that they don't have.

Transcript

{Original Cutscene} {Anniversary Cutscene}

Long shot of the Control Room. Master Chief and 343 Guilty Spark teleport in, obviously in the middle of a conversation, explaining something about the Flood.

• 343 Guilty Spark: "...which means that any organism of sufficient mass and cognitive capability is a potential vector."

Master Chief pauses as though sensing something is not quite right.

• 343 Guilty Spark: "Is something wrong?"

• Master Chief Petty Officer John-117: "No... Nothing."

• 343 Guilty Spark: "Splendid. Shall we?"

Master Chief and 343 Guilty Spark move up to the main control panel.

• 343 Guilty Spark: (random humming) "Unfortunately, my usefulness to this particular endeavor has come to an end. Protocol does not allow units with my classification to... perform a task as important as the reunification of the Index with the Core. That final step is reserved for you, Reclaimer."

Master Chief takes the Index, and puts it into a slot on the console. Lights and holograms appear, but then fade.

• 343 Guilty Spark: "Odd. That wasn't supposed to happen."

Cortana suddenly appears over the console.

• Cortana: "Oh, really!?"

There is a flash of light, and 343 Guilty Spark is thrown back, and down to the ground.

• John-117: "Cortana!"

• Cortana: "I've spent the last 12 hours cooped up in here, watching you toady about, helping that thing get set to slit our throats!"

• John-117: "Hold on now, he's a friend."

• Cortana: (Sarcastically) "Oh! I didn't realize. He's your pal, is he? Your chum? (angrily) Do you have any idea what that bastard almost made you do?!"

• John-117: "Yes... Activate Halo's defenses and destroy the Flood, which is why we brought the Index to the Control Center."

• Cortana: "You mean this?"

The Activation Index hologram appears in Cortana's hand.

• 343 Guilty Spark: "A construct? In the Core?! That is absolutely unacceptable!"

• Cortana: "Sod off!"

• 343 Guilty Spark: "What impertinence! I shall purge you at once!"

• Cortana: "You sure that's a good idea?"

Cortana's avatar absorbs the Index.

• 343 Guilty Spark: "How... how... how dare you?! I'll-"

• Cortana: "Do what? I have the Index! You can just float and sputter!"

• John-117: "Enough!"

The Chief brings both hands up in the middle of them as if to stop a fight, then turns back to face Cortana.

• John-117: "The Flood is spreading. If we activate Halo's defenses, we can wipe them out."

• Cortana: "You have no idea how this ring works, do you? Why the Forerunners built it? Halo doesn't kill Flood, it kills their food. Humans, Covenant, whatever. We're all equally edible! The only way to stop the Flood is to starve them to death. And that's exactly what Halo is designed to do: Wipe the galaxy clean of all sentient life. You don't believe me? Ask him!"

Cortana points at Spark. Master Chief hesitates, and then turns to 343 Guilty Spark.

• John-117: "Is it true?"

• 343 Guilty Spark: (pauses) "More or less. Technically, this installation's pulse has a maximum effective radius of twenty-five thousand light years. But, once the others follow suit, this galaxy will be quite devoid of life, or at least any life with sufficient biomass to sustain the Flood." (Pause) "But you already knew that... I mean, how couldn't you?"

• Cortana: "Left out that little detail, did he?"

• 343 Guilty Spark: "We have followed outbreak containment procedure to the letter. You were with me each step of the way, as we managed this crisis."

• Cortana: (alarmed) "Chief, I'm picking up movement!"

• 343 Guilty Spark: "Why would you hesitate to do what you have already done?"

• Cortana: (urgently) "We need to go, right now."

343 Guilty Spark threatens the Chief with his Sentinels.

Four Aggressor Sentinels float up behind 343 Guilty Spark, their beams aimed menacingly on the Chief.

• 343 Guilty Spark: "Last time, you asked me, if it were my choice, would I do it? Having had considerable time to ponder your query, my answer has not changed."

Master Chief looks around at the Sentinels, and backs towards the panel. He takes Cortana's data crystal chip out of the console, and inserts it into his head.

• 343 Guilty Spark: "There is no choice. We must activate the ring."

• Cortana: "Get - us - out - of - here!"

• 343 Guilty Spark: "If you are unwilling to help, I will simply find another. Still, I must have the Index. Give your construct to me, or I will be forced to take her from you."

• John-117: "That's not going to happen."

• 343 Guilty Spark: "So be it." (to the Aggressors) "Save his head. Dispose of the rest."

343 Guilty Spark teleports away. The Chief readies his weapon.

{Gameplay}

• Cortana: "Look out!"

The Sentinels open fire at the Chief, but are soon eliminated.

The Gun Pointed at the Head of the Universe

• Cortana: "We can't let the Monitor activate Halo. We have to stop him - we have to destroy Halo. According to my analysis of the available data, I believe the best course of action is somewhat... risky. An explosion of sufficient size will help destabilize the ring, and will cut through a number of primary systems. We need to trigger a detonation on a large scale, however. A starship's fusion reactor