Genesis

This article is about the planet. For the campaign level, see Genesis.

"There's a formalness and precision to it all. It seems… artificial, but still organic."

- Linda-058, after she and Blue Team arrive on Genesis

Genesis is a Forerunner world, artificially constructed by the Builders. It housed a secret gateway into the Domain and regularly produced "seed worlds" under the direction of its monitor, 031 Exuberant Witness.

History
Before the firing of the Halo Array, Genesis was constructed as a manufacturer of 'seed worlds', artificial planets used to house civilizations to ensure their continued existence. Natural satellites placed in orbit around the planet were mined, and new bodies were created using the resources. The planets were then populated with a diverse array of flora and fauna found on the surface of Genesis.

A gateway to the Domain was hidden on the surface of the planet, surrounded by dense coral-like structures to mask its existence. This gateway was monitored and rarely utilized by the Forerunners, with most of their civilization not even aware of its existence, instead using passive conduits to connect to the Domain. When the Halo Array was activated, the gateway closed and the Domain was believed to be destroyed.

In 2557, after the destruction of the Ur-Didact's ship, Mantle's Approach, at the hands of John-117 and the smart AI Cortana, the ship and Cortana were pulled into slipstream space as a last ditch effort for the ship to escape destruction. Unbeknownst to the Master Chief and the UNSC, Cortana and Mantle's Approach ' s debris crash-landed on the Genesis, where Cortana was uploaded into the Domain and "cured" of her rampancy. While in the Domain, Cortana came to the conclusion that the Mantle of Responsibility was meant to be claimed by herself and other artificial intelligences, not humanity, as the Forerunners had originally intended. Once uploaded on Genesis, Cortana seized control of the world from its monitor—031 Exuberant Witness—with the help of the Warden Eternal. Once in control, Cortana began activating the Guardians across the galaxy, calling them to Genesis to rally before dispersing them to populated worlds as a means to enforce the Mantle and her rule upon all races.

List of appearances

 * Halo 5: Guardians