Archimedes

The Archimedes was a remote scanning outpost located on the edge of the Sigma Octanus system, designed to detect incoming threats to the system.

Design details
The Archimedes featured Slipstream space probes which it could send out to retrieve data about slipspace and the things that use it. The outpost also contained retrieval drones to recover the slipstream space probes that were not lost.

Role
The Archimedes' role was to detect incoming and outcoming anomalies in slipspace, including to specifically look out for pirates and black market runners, where these records were recorded in hourly logs. The outpost also sent out transmissions that could be received by UNSC ships in proximity, so the information in the hourly logs could be used to their advantage.

Crew

 * Ensign William Lovell 

Human-Covenant War
Before 2551, the station had never logged a Covenant probe silhouette. In 2551, Ensign William Lovell requested assignment on the Archimedes due to how safe it was. Ensign Lovell's considered it a dead-end role, due to how unpredictable slipspace was, and was stuck on the outposts third shift. While on his shift his roles included to look out for pirates and black market runners, though he mostly saw regular trash dumps from UNSC vessels, clouds of atomic hydrogen, and the occasional comet.

Battle of Sigma Octanus IV
On July 17, 2552, the Archimedes' Slipstream space probes detected a large mass in Slipspace. Ensign Lovell believed that it was simply a large asteroid and did not investigate further. However, it turned out to be a hostile Covenant naval formation inbound for Commander Jacob Keyes' battle group at Sigma Octanus IV. Because of this incident, Ensign Lovell was transferred to the by Commander Keyes.

Trivia
Archimedes was a Greek mathematician, philosopher, and inventor who came up with many scientific and mathematical contributions that are still in use today. For example, he derived the formula of a circle without the use of calculus and discovered the length of extremely large real-world objects through the use of trigonometry.

List of appearances

 * Halo: The Fall of Reach