Index chamber

The Index Chamber is a large room within the core of every Library on each Installation. Inside every chamber is the Index. The Index Chamber is the most heavily protected area in any of the Forerunner installations. Intruders are met by Sentinels, who are programmed to keep the intruders from violating the Index Chamber. .

Background
It is the storage area of the repository of all Forerunner knowledge and study of the Flood, the Index. The Index itself is a T-shaped object of similar size to a human forearm. It is both a store of information and the key to activating a single Installation.

At the very center of the Index Chamber is the Index, suspended in mid-air by an anti-gravity device, as this can be seen when there's a glow around it, sort of like a shield. It can only be reached via a vast anti-gravity powered lift that remains docked four levels above the floating Index.

This lift may require the authorization of the Installation's Monitor in order to be activated, starting the process of retrieving the Index and the final act of activating the Installation and killing every sentient being (Humans, Sangheili, San 'Shyuum, etc.) in the galaxy.

Installation 04
The Index Chamber of Installation 04 was at the center of a massive underground security facility. This facility was protected by large groups of Sentinels and security doors. However, many of the Flood found their way into the area, using ventilation shafts and access tunnels to quickly infiltrate the entire structure. Even the Index Chamber was contaminated, with a large group of Combat Forms lying in wait inside. Following containment protocol, 343 Guilty Spark led the Master Chief through the Library and to the facility, where he retrieved the Index. Spark then teleported them both to Halo's Control Room. The Chamber's subsequent status is unknown, although it is certain that it was destroyed with the rest of Alpha Halo when the Master Chief detonated the Pillar of Autumn's engines.

Related Articles

 * Library
 * Index