Flood dispersal pod

The dispersal pod is a Flood dissemination mechanism. In essence, and in practice, the Flood dispersal pod is the equivalent of the evacuation crafts used by Forerunner Prometheans, the SOEIVs used by UNSC Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, and the orbital insertion pods used by Sangheili Special Forces. The dispersal pod uses hardened Flood biomass to shape the pod and protect the occupant from the stresses of orbital deployment.

Fall of Nomdagro
When the Flood invaded the planet Nomdagro circa 100,000 BCE, millions of dispersal pods were deployed to the surface. Their numbers were so vast that they darkened the sky. Many of the pods broke apart in the upper atmosphere, while others landed in the oceans or land, covering the entire biosphere of the planet in spores and thus quickly altering it to suit the Flood's purposes. Many of these pods landed near the Didact and Librarian's villa just before the couple, along with the IsoDidact, escaped to the greater Ark.

Battle of Installation 00
Large numbers of dispersal pods were deployed from High Charity as the Gravemind arrived with its army at Installation 00, scattering Flood forces all over the artificial world, delivering significant numbers of combat forms to the surface. The Flood infestation was also spread across the unfinished Installation 04B. Later, after the destruction of High Charity, more pods were used to deliver combat forms to the Control Room of the new Halo built by the Ark, in an attempt by the Gravemind to stop the Halo's activation.

Design
Dispersal pods are misshapen lumps of Flood biomatter roughly the size of a human SOEIV. The pod bears several spikes on its front, while the rear trails several tentacles and what appears to be a stream of exhaust. It is possible that the pod is capable of limited self-propulsion, expelling gases from the rear and adjusting the stream of exhaust using its tentacles.

Each pod can carry one or two combat forms, which emerge from the pod upon impact after the outer casing shatters.

Trivia
On rare occasions in Halo 3, a pod may land on the ground but will not open and release its occupants.

List of appearances

 * Halo 3
 * Halo Wars
 * Halo: Silentium