Data Hive

Data Hive is the penultimate campaign level in Halo 3: ODST. It is set in the immense data facility below the city of New Mombasa, where the Covenant are trying to gain access to the Superintendent's data core. It is the first linear level in the game after the hub.

Completing this level on Normal or higher unlocks the Data Hive achievement and the Chasm Ten Firefight map, which is based on this level.

Summary
The Rookie, having found Dare's distress signal after exploring the city, descends down an underground elevator shaft into the Superintendent's Data Center. He arrives at sub-level 7 of the complex and must fight his way down to sub-level 9, where Dare is hiding. On the way down The Rookie has to defeat a range of Covenant, including Brutes and Drones, during this time the Rookie runs into an NMPD Officer searching for his men. He follows the Rookie until he is killed by either the Drones or the Rookie (Depending on the amount of audio logs found). Once the Rookie and Dare are reunited, Dare informs the Rookie of the true nature of their mission. The two then fight through a Drone hive to the Superintendent's core to secure its data as well as "the asset," revealed to a rogue Huragok named Quick to Adjust that has taken refuge there. Quick to Adjust has assimilated the Superintendent's data with its own knowledge, particularly the Superintendent's Vergil subroutine, making it an extremely valuable defector to the UNSC and a major liability for the Covenant. Buck fortuitously arrives just as Covenant reinforcements attempt to secure the complex, and with his help Dare and the Rookie escort Vergil safely to the surface through heavy resistance.

Transcript
{Cutscene}

''View of a dimly-lit room in the Superintendent's Data Center is shown, with an elevator car on the bottom of its shaft. The Rookie descends from the elevator shaft, and drops to the top of the elevator car.''


 * Captain Veronica Dare (COM): "(Static) They've got me cornered! I'm low on ammo! If you can hear me, I'm on sub-level nine, near station t-"

As Dare is cut off by static interference, the Rookie clicks his comlink with his fingers, and glances at the wall to his right, where the text "SUBLEVEL 07" is written, accompanied by the Superintendent's avatar.

{Gameplay}

After going down the first service corridor for some time, the Rookie can overhear a brief conversation between two Grunts before they spot him.


 * Grunt #1: "Why Yanme'e not yet seal this entrance?"


 * Grunt #2: "Too busy building fancy spit house!"


 * Grunt #1: "Nah. If traitor escape, it their fault, not ours."


 * Grunt #3 (After spotting the Rookie): "Alarm! Intruder, in tunnels!"

''The Rookie traverses through the facility, encountering small amounts of Covenant resistance. He then starts to pick up a conversation between the Superintendent and a lone survivor.''


 * Brute: "This way! We have it trapped!"


 * Survivor: "Do it Vergil, now!"


 * Superintendent: "CONSTRUCTION AHEAD. EXPECT DELAYS."


 * Survivor: "I'm gonna die, you hear me!"

As the Rookie pushes through a few Covenant lances, he rescues the survivor, who turns out to be an NMPD Officer.


 * NMPD Officer: "Thanks, Trooper, they almost had me. I'm trying to get down to the next level checking my team, but...this stack is locked down tight."

The Data-Stack suddenly activates when the Rookie approaches it.


 * Superintendent: "WELCOME. ACCESS GRANTED."


 * NMPD Officer: (whispering) "Well, guess you have something I don't."

or


 * NMPD Officer: (whispering) "Well, looks like you got the magic touch."

or


 * NMPD Officer: (whispering) "Guess you have the magic touch."

Drones suddenly fly out of the shaft.


 * NMPD Officer: "Buggers, look out!"

The duo quickly dispatch the Drones.


 * NMPD Officer: "What's wrong with you, Vergil? You trying to get me killed?"


 * Superintendent: "WARNING! HITCHHIKERS MAY BE ESCAPED CONVICTS!"

''The two descend down into the stack. They drop into a circular room. The Rookie heads through a door.''


 * NMPD Officer: "Can't see a damn thing. You go first."

The Rookie can see Drones eating some bodies.


 * NMPD Officer: "Son of a bitch! These are my guys. Buggers got all of them! (whispers) Now I'll have to check on the Doc myself..."


 * NMPD Officer: (to the Rookie) "What are you doing down here, anyway? Don't want to tell me? That's all right...we all have secrets."

The two continue through many locked data stacks filled with Covenant.


 * Brute: "Seal all exits from the lower levels!"

''The two defeat the Covenant forces. They eventually hit a dead end with a Data Stack.''


 * NMPD Officer: "You going down to Level 9 too? Guess I could use some backup..."


 * Superintendent: "WELCOME. ACCESS GRANTED."


 * NMPD Officer: "Go ahead, trooper, raise the stack."

If the player doesn't have 29 of the Audio Logs, the officer will stay up as Drones appear.


 * NMPD Officer: "You hear that? Buggers! Down at your level. Oh no! They're up here too! Coming out of the damn vents! Get back! No! Ahhh!"

The stack closes as the officer is killed by the Drones.


 * Superintendent: "CRIME DOESN'T PAY!"

Alternatively, if the player does have 29 Audio Logs, the officer jumps down with the player.

''After heading through the door, the two emerge into an icy hallway, with Covenant patrols and a War Chieftain ahead. The two kill all of them.''


 * Jiralhanae War Chieftain: "Kill it! Don't let it get past!"


 * NMPD Officer: "Trooper, hold up a sec. I got to check on a...personnel issue."

The officer walks up to a door on the left side of the frozen room.


 * Superintendent: "CRIME SCENE. RESTRICTED ENTRY."


 * NMPD Officer: "Shut up, Vergil! You hear me?"


 * Superintendent: "ICY CONDITION. CHAINS REQUIRED."


 * NMPD Officer: "Freaking machine! The whole city's gone to hell... Wait here, watch for hostiles! I'll be back."

If the player follows him:


 * NMPD Officer: "What are you, stupid?! I told you wait outside!"

In front of him, a frozen body is crouched against the wall.

When the Rookie approaches the body:


 * NMPD Officer: "Step away from there. This ain't none of your business!"


 * NMPD Officer: "Kinsler gave me real specific instructions: Make sure the Doc's dead, and make double sure no one knows about it."


 * Superintendent: "CAUTION, TRAVELER! CAUTION!"


 * NMPD Officer: "Sorry, friend... You know way too much."

''The Officer fires on the player. The Rookie kills the traitor.''


 * Superintendent: "CRIME DOESN'T PAY. GOOD CITIZENS DO THEIR PART!"

If the Rookie approaches the telephone next to Sadie's father, he can download the last part of Sadie's Story.

If the Officer was already killed by the Drones, the door into Endesha's office will remain shut:


 * Superintendent: "CRIME SCENE. RESTRICTED ENTRY."


 * Sadie Endesha (recording): "Can you get dad for me? Vergil can't reach him! Something's wrong..."

''The Rookie (leaves the room and) continues to a crossroad. To the left is a dead end with a Flamethrower in the corner. Up ahead is a path. The hall starts to go from frozen to normal temperature.''


 * Dare (COM): "Buck? Who knows if he can hear me but... I'm sorry. I should have told you more about this mission, more... about everything."

''At the end of the hallway is a Covenant lance, trying to break through a locked door. The Rookie kills them. The door at the end of the hallway opens.''


 * Superintendent: "WELCOME. ACCESS GRANTED."

''The door leads to a narrower hallway, with a locked door at the end. The Rookie knocks on the door.''

{Cutscene}

''The Rookie approaches the door cautiously, watching the hallway, SMG at the ready. He lowers it and knocks on the door two times. He readies his SMG again. The door opens and Dare pulls the lever on her pistol. Seeing the Rookie there, she looks surprised.''


 * Dare: "It's you! I thought..."


 * Dare: "Never mind... What was your name again?"

The two hear a Drone's screeching coming from the hallway.


 * Dare: "Inside! Now!"

''The Rookie enters the room. Dare hits a button and the door closes and locks. Cut to one of the Superintendent's cameras. It looks over the room that Dare and the Rookie are in.''


 * Dare: "This way, and stay quiet!"

''The view cuts from the Superintendent to a view of the window, in which Dare and the Rookie can be seen walking towards the window. He displays the "Happy" expression upon seeing them.''


 * Dare: "Some idiots blew the building at the top of the shaft. Woke the whole hive."

''A Drone crawls on the wall above the window, then flies away. The view goes inside the room. The Rookie walks up to the window.''


 * Dare: "Down there? That's the Superintendent. The AI that runs every system in the city. My mission — our mission, is to secure the Superintendent's data."

The view goes to the Superintendent's camera, showing the Rookie and Dare.


 * Dare: "Problem is, there's only one way in from here...right through the hive. It would've been suicide to go alone, and I was hoping for more backup. I guess you're it."

''View returns to the room. Dare walks up to the exit.''


 * Dare: "You've been solo since we dropped? Fighting on the surface?"

The Rookie nods his head.


 * Dare: "Unless you spent all night hiding in your pod...you must know your stuff."

Dare readies her pistol.


 * Dare: "Show me."

{Gameplay}

''The two head to the exit at the end of the room. Back at the hall, the two encounter Covenant reinforcements.''


 * Dare: "Company!"

The two defeat the first group and encounter more groups Covenant.


 * Dare: "Hostile reinforcements!"

The two destroy the reinforcements.


 * Dare: "This is just the start of the hive. It'll be worse down below. Come on, we'll have to find a way down."


 * Dare: "Here, trooper, through the door."

The two make their way to the hole.


 * Dare: "We'll have to jump."

If player stalls.


 * Dare: "You first trooper, into the hole."

''The Rookie jumps through the hole and lands hard, injuring himself slightly. Dare jumps after him. They emerge into a huge room. The two turn into another room with a Covenant patrol. The Rookie and Dare kill all of them and turn right, into a huge cavern like room with Covenant crates all around.''


 * Dare: "It's getting warmer. We must be right under the hive. Head across the bridge. Let's see if we can find a way up."

The two make their way across the bridge, heading left to an open door.


 * Dare: "Trooper! Through here."

The door opens to a small room with another door, locked, and an elevator.


 * Dare: "I found an elevator! Come to me."

If the player stalls:


 * Dare: "Trooper, come to my position."

or


 * Dare: "Get on the elevator, trooper."

''The Rookie gets on the elevator and activates it. It starts to go up.''


 * Superintendent: "ELEVATOR UP. NEXT STOP:"

The Superintendent doesn't finish the sentence, but Dare speaks up.


 * Dare: "...bugger central."

''The elevator opens to a narrow hallway. The two walk through it, reaching an opening in it in the middle. They reach another cavernous room. The room's ceiling has become a Yanme'e hive.''


 * Dare: "Let's stick together. Move fast and quiet."

However, it isn't long before the Drones find them and swarm them.


 * Dare: "Damn! Here they come."

''The Drones start firing. The Rookie and Dare defeat them, but as they progress, more Drones appear.''


 * Dare: "We can't go back. We have to keep pushing through."

The two eliminate more Drones as they move on.


 * Dare: "Good shooting, trooper. Keep it up! We're almost there."

The pair encounter more Drones.


 * Dare: "Follow me. I see a way across. The data center is close."

''The door at the end leads to a narrow hallway. At the end, a short drop leads to an open door. The door opens to a huge room, with the data center in the middle. A Phantom arrives.''


 * Dare: "Won't be long before they smash through that door. Let's take them out, now!"

The two run to the door, where a Brute Chieftain and his bodyguards are trying to break in.


 * Brute Chieftain: "(roars) Open this door, traitor!"


 * Superintendent: "SPAY AND NEUTER YOUR PETS. ALL DOGS MUST BE KEPT ON LEASH!"


 * Brute Chieftain: "By the Prophets... You will pay for your insolence!"

The Rookie and Dare defeat them and secure the door.


 * Dare: "Not bad. You do know your stuff."

or


 * Dare: "Wow. I'm impressed!"

or


 * Dare: "Something tells me you're not actually a rookie..."


 * Superintendent: "WELCOME. ACCESS GRANTED."


 * Dare: "Nice and slow. Check your corners."

''The door opens to a slanting hallway with another door at the end. That door opens to a hallway with a scanning device. At the end is another door, which opens to the entrance to the data center.''

{Cutscene}

''The view shifts to inside the data center. The entrance opens to reveal the Rookie and Dare standing outside. They walk in slowly, weapons at the ready. At the end of the room is what appears to be the data core. As the two look at it, a spark lights off in it and there is a strange noise. The door closes on them. Dare activates the flashlight on her pistol. She points it at the core.''

''The view goes to the Superintendent. The camera is above the Rookie and Dare.''


 * Superintendent (on-screen): "CRITICAL ERROR [MEMCORE 530.21 OFFLINE]. EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN INITIATED."

The screen goes to static, then shuts off entirely.

''Scene cuts back to the Rookie and Dare as they walk to the core. Suddenly, Dare's flashlight shows a small tentacle sticking out of a hole in the core.

With All 30 Audio Logs

''Dare will raise her pistol but the Rookie stops her and shakes his head. He then whistles as a token of friendship. A long and thin head sticks out from the terminal. The view goes to the pair, where it reveals it's a Huragok.''


 * Dare: "We've seen them before on other ops, but we've never gotten this close."

Dare places her pistol on the floor.


 * Dare: "Best we can tell? They're prisoners, or slaves. Either way, they don't like the Covenant any more than we do."

The Huragok comes close to them, as the Rookie step forward in curiosity, and reaches out his hand close to the Huragok.


 * Dare: "The Slipspace event fried most of the Superintendent's circuits. I thought it might be finishing the job.

The Rookie lowers his hand.


 * Dare: "But now I see that you weren't trying to hurt the Superintendent."

Dare reaches out her hand and puts it close to the Huragok.

Without All 30 Audio Logs
 * Dare: "You were trying to fix it."

The Rookie will raise his SMG but Dare objects.


 * Dare: "Don't shoot!"

Dare places her pistol on the floor.

''A long and thin head sticks out from the terminal. The view goes to the pair, where it reveals it's a Huragok.''


 * Dare: "We've seen them before on other ops, but we've never gotten this close."

Dare places her pistol on the floor.


 * Dare: "Best we can tell? They're prisoners, or slaves. Either way, they don't like the Covenant any more than we do."

The Huragok comes close to them.


 * Dare: "I spotted this one in the tunnels, watched it access comm lines, security cameras, traffic controls, you name it. Eventually, it holed up here."

''The Engineer points his head toward an explosive charge on his back. Dare reaches up and takes it off. Dare reaches out and the Huragok appears to sniff her hand.''


 * Dare: "ONI calls them Engineers, believes they're some sort of biological supercomputers. If I'm right, this one's taken the Superintendent's data and combined it with its own."

Dare starts to pat the Huragok's head.


 * Dare: "Everything we need to know about the Covenant, what they're looking for under the city is right...in...here."

''A beeping noise from the core catches their attention. The Huragok floats toward it and uses a tentacle to push a button, revealing a small monitor. The Superintendent zooms in on some Jet Pack Brutes landing on the rooftop. The view goes back to the room. Dare approaches the monitor.''


 * Dare: "Damn! Buggers must have raised the alarm."

''The Superintendent zooms out of the Brutes and zooms in on a black figure. It's an ODST.''


 * Dare: "Buck!"


 * Gunnery Sergeant Edward Buck (COM): "Veronica? Where the hell are you?"


 * Dare: "Data Center, but we're coming out."


 * Buck (COM): "We?"

The Superintendent zooms in on him from another camera.


 * Dare: "No time to explain but do not, I repeat, do not shoot anything pink!"


 * Buck (COM): "Whatever you say, just come on!"

The view goes back into the data center, where Dare picks up her pistol.


 * Dare: "Those Brutes are here for the Engineer. They'll kill it if they get the chance."

Dare pulls the lever on the pistol.


 * Dare (to the Engineer): "You. Stay behind me. Okay?"

''Dare then nods to the Rookie, who's standing next to the door. The Rookie opens the door. They both raise their weapons.''

{Gameplay}

''The three head back to the exit. Both troopers have energy shields now, provided by the Engineer.''


 * Dare: "The Engineer still has shields, but they won't last long in a firefight. Take point, clear a path to Buck."

''Outside, two Jet Pack Brutes jump out while a Phantom drops off more. The Rookie and Dare defeat them. They soon see Buck in the distance battling more Covenant.''


 * Dare: "Go, trooper! I'll cover the Engineer."

The Rookie clears out most of the Covenant.


 * Buck: "Veronica! Over here! Hurry!"

Once all the Covenant are eliminated:


 * Buck: "Rookie? I could use a hand over here. Come on!"

''Buck and the three regroup. A door opens to the right.''


 * Buck: "This is our exit, Rookie. Head through the door."

''Behind the door is a short hallway leading to a hole. The Rookie and the others drop inside a dark room filled with sleeping Drones. They can either fire on them or sneak past. Buck is now protected by the Engineer's shields as well.''


 * Buck: "About this uh, asset. Feel free to fill me in whenever."


 * Dare: "Not now, Buck!"

If the Rookie starts assassinating the sleeping Drones:


 * Buck: "Whoah. Easy does it, Rookie"

''An opening in the left part of the room leads to the hallways that look like the ones at the beginning. The four head to a right.''


 * Buck: "Door's locked. Damn!"


 * Dare: "Don't worry. We have a key."

The Engineer heads to the door and starts unlocking it.


 * Buck: "I've seen hundreds of these things today! Why is this one so important?"


 * Dare: "This Engineer knows what the Covenant is after. If I could safely capture more of them I would. What they know can win the war!"


 * Buck: "Oh."


 * Dare: "You haven't...killed any of them, have you?"


 * Buck: "No! Well, maybe one or... two."


 * Dare (sarcastically): "Nice work."


 * Buck: "How was I supposed to know?"

''After this conversation, the Engineer successfully opens the door. Up ahead, more sleeping Drones are spotted. The four can kill them or simply ignore them. The four head to a door at the end of the hall. It leads to a small room with an elevator. At this point, the Drones awake and start attacking.''


 * Dare: "Buggers! Stay alert!"

The Drones are defeated.


 * Buck: "Elevator. Come on."

The level ends as the four gather on the elevator.

Trivia

 * Any weapon the player acquired from the supply caches on Mombasa Streets will not be carried over into this level; attempting to do so will cause the player to begin the level with the default loadout: M7S SMG, M6C/SOCOM and two M9 fragmentation grenades. Covenant weapons such as the Fuel Rod Gun or the Beam Rifle will carry over.
 * The only exception is if the player is able to access the supply caches, but does not use the following weapons: Rocket Launcher or Sniper Rifle. Any of both weapons carried on the data hive will result in the loadout being reset to M7 SMG and M6C/SOCOM.
 * Another possibility is if the player was using weapons that were not acquired from the supply caches before the final clue, the weapons will be carried over.
 * The player starts the level on Sublevel 07, another 7 reference. The nine sublevels before the player meets Dare is one of the game's many references to The Divine Comedy, specifically the nine circles of hell. According to the book, the ninth level of hell is actually cold, as reflected by the frozen area where the player finds Dr. Endesha's body.
 * Throughout the level are monitors showing data on the Superintendent's status. If the player goes too close to these screens, the Superintendent will interrupt the displays, labeling the information as classified. In addition, some "corrupted screens" will flash the binary code for "BARRETT," a reference to level designer Chris Barrett.
 * Drones can create a suitable hive in a surprisingly short amount of time, considering the short time frame (i.e. less than a day) between the initial Covenant attack and the setting of this level. This is partially explained by the first two Grunts encountered on this level, who point out that the Drones have spent most of the time building their hive rather than sealing the complex's entrances as ordered.
 * Just before entering Sublevel 08, the player will encounter an NMPD officer. The Superintendent is seen acting strangely towards him, refusing to open data stacks for him and saying phrases like "WARNING! HITCHHIKERS MAY BE ESCAPED CONVICTS!" The latter is a reference to the final segment of the level The Maw in Halo: Combat Evolved.
 * Drones can be seen feasting on deceased NMPD bodies, as lower Covenant species and Brutes are known to do.
 * Using Theater mode, one can see that the NMPD officer does not actually die if ambushed by Drones. He simply takes a few steps before disappearing.
 * This is the only level in the games in which the player can use a Flamethrower against non-Flood NPC enemies.
 * Dare's quip to the Rookie about him sleeping in his pod is quite ironic, as the Rookie did in fact stay in his pod for six hours after the drop, thus receiving relatively light contact with the Covenant as compared to his squadmates.
 * The Superintendent's data core housing is very similar in design to Pfhor power core chambers in Marathon video game series.
 * Two different cutscenes are possible when Dare and the Rookie meet Vergil. The default cutscene plays if the player has not collected all 30 audio logs and shows the Rookie arming his gun and aiming at Vergil before Dare tells him to stand down. If the player recovered all the logs, the cutscene changes to reflect the information gained from reading them. Dare aims at Vergil instead, and the Rookie will motion for her to stand down and whistle for Vergil to come out. In the Sadie's Story audio logs, Vergil had learned how to whistle to communicate with the creatures, explaining how the Rookie would know to do so.
 * Interestingly, Vergil gives a slight pink/red glow if not all audio logs were collected, but has a brighter blue glow if otherwise.
 * At the exit of the Drone hive, a lone Yanme'e Leader occasionally makes a final effort to falter the Rookie's progress. It is worth noting that this is the only Yanme'e Leader encountered in the campaign; suggesting it may be the leader of all the Drones encountered in New Mombasa.
 * If the player swaps weapons with Dare, she will revert to an M6C/SOCOM after finding the Engineer.
 * The player can push Dare through the floor on this level through a glitch. When one and Dare are about to enter the small elevator, activate the elevator before Dare boards. After the elevator goes up, she will remain standing under it, and lowering the lift onto her will push her into the ground. She will later reappear on the upper levels of the hive.
 * When the Rookie links up with Dare, she comments on "some idiots" blowing up the building at the top of the shaft and waking up the whole hive. This is a reference to the level ONI Alpha Site and Dutch and Mickey.