343 Guilty Spark (level)

Looking for 343 Guilty Spark, the Monitor of Installations 04 and 04 (II)?

343 Guilty Spark is the sixth campaign level in Halo: Combat Evolved. It takes place at the Alpha Halo Flood Containment Facility. The first chapter of the level is set in a swamp and the second chapter, "The Flood" is set in the Alpha Halo Containment Facility and the third chapter is outside the Containment Facility. In this chapter, the Master Chief is dropped from Echo-419 to search for Captain Keyes who has been out of contact for seven hours. Soon, the Master Chief stumbles upon a structure and ventures within it, only to find out that the Marines accompanying the Captain has been slaughtered by an unknown force. After realizing the fate of the Marines, the Master Chief fights his way out to the swamp and encounters a new ally.

Part 01: Well Enough Alone
{Cutscene}

{''Opening Cinematic - Camera flies over a group of Jackals and Grunts running through a swamp, panicky and obviously in retreat. As it pans over them, you see through the fog and rain the outline of a dropship, which further materializes as the camera draws closer.''}

Foehammer (O.S.): "The last transmission from the Captain's dropship was from this area. That was over twelve hours ago. When you locate Captain Keyes, radio in, and I'll come pick you up."

{Gameplay}

{''In certain parts of the level, you can hear a radio transmission coming from a crashed human dropship and a Covenant communications terminal. As it repeats, it seems that this is some sort of distress beacon. Static pervades the transmission, and the signal fades in and out of clarity.''}

Dropship Victor 933's Pilot : "Dropship Victor 933-(static)-Pillar of Autumn-(static)-need assistance. We are under att-(static)-attack by some new kind of hostile-(static)-isn't Covenant. (Static) Captain Keyes has been captured by hostiles. (static) -dug in at a large structure in a swamp-(static)-We need to pull out. Please-(static)-I will set this message to repeat at-(static)-regular intervals. Dropship Victor 933, clear."

{An explosion is heard, and Grunt and Jackal bodies fall out of the air, followed by empty Covenant weapons.}

{''The Master Chief crosses a log bridge, and sees multiple shadowy forms running around on the top of the cliff to the right. Also, his motion tracker shows friendly units in the swamp not too far from his location, but they suddenly disappear off radar.''}

{''As he reaches the other side, the things are gone. Assault Rifle fire is heard and it's coming from the entrance to an A-shaped structure. Grunts and Jackals are running away. A frag grenade explosion throws a Shade turret around.''}

{''The Chief, thinking Marines are attacking them, hurry to the entrance, but then they once again vanish. A lift arrives for him.}''

{''The Chief passes through several large rooms and many smaller ones inside the structure, filled with Grunts, Jackals, empty Shade turrets, and dead bodies, both Marine and Covenant. The Jackals and Grunts mark doorways as if expecting an attack.''}

{''As you come into an area blasted with gunfire and scorch marks, there is the sound of shattering glass. A lone Marine sits leaning against a wall, Pistol pointed at you. He shoots at you if you come too close, while screaming at the top of his lungs the following phrases. He also fiddles around with his pistol a lot, checking to see if the magazine is full.''}

Marine:
 * "Stay back! Stay back, you're not turning me into one of those things!"
 * "I'll blow your brains out! Get away from me!"
 * "GAAAAAHH! AAAAAAHH! Don't touch me, you freaks, I won't be like you, I'll die first!"
 * "Find your own hiding place, the monsters are everywhere!"
 * "Play dead! That's what I did... played dead. They took the live ones... oh, God, I can still hear them!"
 * &lt;Sob&gt; "Monsters..."
 * "Ahhhhhh! Ahhhhaaahhh...
 * "JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"
 * Sarge? Mendoza? Bisenti? "Oh, God... the things took them, oh God, I can still hear them... &lt;mumbles and cries&gt; They're gone! Get it? GONE!"
 * "They won't get me! Oh God... oh God I don't want to be like them, please, please no, nooo..."

{''The Chief leaves him, and finds a way to the second floor. An Assault Rifle lies on the ground, pointing towards a door like an arrow. The Chief goes in, passes a dead Marine, and walks down a ramp.''}

{As you come down one of two ramps on either side of a door which has been recently opened by a UNSC spoofer.}

'{Cutscene}

{''The Master Chief approaches the door cautiously. There is a noise behind him; he turns around, gun ready to shoot, but sees nothing. After a moment, he turns back to the door, listens for any movement inside, then making sure it was clear, he places his gun on his shoulder and opens the door. When it opens, a dead Marine falls into his arms. The Chief advances a few paces, places the body on the floor gently, and sweeps his Assault Rifle about the room. He notices a helmet lying on the floor, and, crouching, moves swiftly towards it. Once he's there, he surveys the room one more time, places his rifle on the floor, and picks up the helmet. The name JENKINS is stamped across it. There is a large, jagged hole punched through the top of it. The Master Chief shakes his head, and removes a Recorder Chip from inside the Helmet Recorder, near the HUD, and inserts the chip into a socket in his helmet''}.

Open Record View (2552.5.27.5:52:56 L).

Pvt. Jenkins, Wallace A.

&gt;Play&gt;

{''Helmet cam view (night vision enabled). A Marine (Jenkins) looks around the inside of the dropship Victor 933. There are several other Marines seated in the dropship with him. Johnson's favorite music (flip music) blares over the cabin speakers.''}

Private Mendoza: "Why do we always have to listen to this old stuff, Sarge?"

Sergeant Johnson: "Watch your mouth, son. This "stuff" is your history. It should remind you grunts what we're fightin' to protect."

Private Mendoza: "Hey... if the Covenant wanna wipe out this particular part of my history, that's fine by me."

Private Bisenti: "Yeah... better it than us."

Sergeant Johnson: "You ask 'em real nice next time you see 'em, Bisenti. I'm sure they'll be happy to oblige."

Pelican Dropship Pilot (O.S.): "LZ looks clear! I'm bringing us down!"

Sergeant Johnson: "GO GO GO!"

&gt;FFW&gt;&gt;

&gt;PLAY&gt;

{The Squad advances through the swamp towards the same structure you are in now.}

Sergeant Johnson: "Stay close, Jenkins!"

{They reach the entrance and sweep their weapons across it, wary.}

Sergeant Johnson: "Mendoza! Move it up!"

{Mendoza advances in a crouch, gun at the ready.}

Sergeant Johnson: (To Jenkins) "Wait here for the Captain and his squad, then get your ass inside."

Private Jenkins: "Sir!"

Sergeant Johnson: "Okay, let's move!"

&gt;FFW&gt;&gt;

&gt;PLAY&gt;

{''The squad stands around an Elite carcass. Its chest is torn wide open. Private Mendoza is examining another similar carcass on the left hand side of the screen.''}

Private Kappus: "-which is weird, right? I mean... look at it {''Prods the Elite with his foot.}}. Something... scrambled the insides." ''

Sergeant Johnson: "What's that? Plasma scoring?"

Private Kappus: "Yea...I dunno. Maybe there was an accident. You know, friendly fire or something?"

{Captain Keyes approaches the squad.}

Captain Keyes: "Well what do we have here, Sergeant?"

Sergeant Johnson: "Looks like a Covenant patrol. Badass Elite units, all KIA."

Captain Keyes: "Real pretty. Friend of yours? (Meaning 'did you kill it?')"

Private Kappus: (sounds slightly apprehensive) "Naw, we just met. (Meaning 'no, I just saw it lying around)."

&gt;FFW&gt;&gt;

&gt;Play&gt;

{The squad, along with Captain Keyes and his own squad, stand around a locked door-the one you have just come through.}

Captain Keyes: "Right. Let's get this door open."

Private Kappus: "I'll try, sir. But it looks like these Covenant worked pretty hard to lock it down."

Captain Keyes: "Just do it, son."

Private Kappus: "Yes, sir."

{''Kappus removes a Spoofer from his pocket and sticks it to the door. He punches a few keys, and the door opens. He waves the squad through. Bisenti takes point through the door, Jenkins close behind him, and the rest of the squad fans out around him.''}

Private Mendoza: "I've got a bad feeling about this..."

Sergeant Johnson: "Boy, you always got a bad feelin' about something-"

Corporal Lovik (O.S.): -Captain, Sarge... can you hear me?!

Captain Keyes: "What's going on, soldier?"

Corporal Lovik: "We've got contacts...lots of them...but they're not Covenant...they're just tearing through us...what the!...ooooohhh...nooooo!! (Flood noises can be heard in background)"

Sergeant Johnson: "Corporal? Do you copy, over?"

{No response}

Sergeant Johnson: "Mendoza, get your ass back up to Second Squad's position, and find out what the hell is goin' on."

Private Mendoza: "But, si-"

Sergeant Johnson: "I don't have time for your lip, soldier! I gave you an order."

{The same noise that the Master Chief heard before entering the room is heard.}

Private Kappus: "Sarge! Listen!"

{An odd hissing noise grows louder and louder.}

{Everyone scans the room,trying to find the source of the strange sounds.}

Private Bisenti: "What is that?"

Sergeant Johnson: "Where's that coming from, Mendoza?"

Private Mendoza: "Everywhere... I don't-there! Mira!"

{Mendoza points to a nearby door, which has just exploded outwards. Small squid-like creatures swarm from it.}

Private Riley: "Ahh... augh! Get it off! Get it off- augh!"

{''Riley lies on the ground, one of the Infection Forms attached to his chest. Kappus tries to pull it off him.''}

Private Kappus: "Hold still, hold still!"

{''Kappus pulls the creature off of Riley, who goes limp. Kappus tries to hold the creature which is now trying to infect him.)''.

Sergeant Johnson: "Let 'em have it!"

{''The Marines and Captain Keyes open fire, to little effect. Infection Forms are now all around them.''}

Captain Keyes: "Sergeant, we're surrounded!"

Sergeant Johnson: "Goddammit, Jenkins, fire your weapon!"

Private Mendoza: "There are too many, Sarge!"

Sergeant Johnson: "Don't even think about it, Marine!"

Private Mendoza: {Staggers for the door, several infection forms on his back.} "Yo, this is loco!"

Captain Keyes: (With an angry tone) Get back here, Marine! That's an order!"

{The Marine squad is overtaken, still firing, while their blood sprays as infection forms continue to crawl onto them.}

Sergeant Johnson: "Jenkins!"

{''Several Infection Forms attack Jenkins and block his helmet cam. After a moment the screen blacks out. After another moment, words flash''}.

&gt;Unexpected Halt X (WND/INCAP/KIA? Ref.a4 3d.3) (WND stands for Wounded, INCAP stands for Incapacitated, KIA stands for Killed In Action; the question mark indicates the status is unknown.)

&gt;End Record View (2552.5.27.6:39:23 L)

{''The Chief removes the chip from his helmet, shakes his head, and tosses it to the ground. He stands quickly, gun ready''}.


 * NOTE: Even though Sergeant Johnson is attacked by Infection Forms, he survives because the Flood cannot infect him due to his Boren's Syndrome. How he manages to escape to the surface is explained in the Halo Graphic Novel story: "Breaking Quarantine", and how he escapes Halo in "Halo: First Strike".

Part 02: The Flood
{Gameplay}

(The door the Chief came through is now locked. Five doors holding dozens of infection forms break open, their inhabitants attacking him)

{''The entrance breaks open. Massive amounts of Infection forms skitter inside, followed by unarmed Combat Elite Forms.''}

{Master Chief escapes the facility, encountering Flood forms and some Covenant infantry struggling to survive.}

{Master Chief tries to take the elevator he entered with, while he waits for it to come down it suddenly falls down with an high speed and crashes down to the bottom of the facility, and creepy music starts playing!}

{''Master Chief arrives at another elevator, but it goes deeper underground and Grunt blood is seen painted on the elevator's shaft. This detour forces him to fight his way back up.''}

{Chief eventually sees to Marines armed with Shotguns or Assault Rifles fighting the Flood.}

{Although their weapons give them a distinct advantage, a single infection form or a single combat form attack can kill them.}

{If they survive, they hold their position inside the room}

{As Chief reaches the final elevator and rises to an exit from the structure.}

Foe Hammer (O.S.): This is Echo 419. Chief, is that you? I lost your signal when you disappeared inside the structure. What's going on down there? I'm tracking movement all over the place!

''{The Chief reaches the top. There is a group of Marines helplessly cornered by the Flood, who are waiting for them outside the structure.''}

{''It is obvious they used a lot of ammo to escape, and it is all stacked in a pile. Most Marines hold Shotguns and Assault Rifles, one or two have Plasma Rifles.}''



Corporal Lovik: We could use your help, sir.

PFC Chips Dubbo: (Desperate and afraid) Sir! Thank God you're here! We've been lost out here for hours. After we lost contact with the rest of the mission, we headed for the RV point, and then these....these, things...they ambushed us. We've gotta get out of here!

Foehammer (radio): There's a large tower a few hundred meters from your current position. Find a way above the fog and foliage canopy and I can move in and pick you up.

{The Marine squad eagerly follows the Chief outside, where the Flood close in from all sides. Some Marines are attacked by Infection Forms, and their allies are forced to shoot them.}

{''As the Chief comes near the tower Foe Hammer was speaking of, an odd blue object and a flotilla of Floating Robots descends from the mist. The robots begin to slice away at any nearby Flood, avoiding your Marines. After a few secounds of fighting around the base of the tower, the screen fades to white) {Cutscene''}

Part 03: 343 Guilty Spark
(The Master Chief suddenly finds himself enveloped in a bright gold light, and then appears on top of one of the legs of the tower. The blue object hovers in front of him)

(Gunfire is still heard below, and bright beams slice through the dark swamp. The Chief and the object ignore the commotion)

343 Guilty Spark: Greetings. I am the Monitor of Installation 04. I am 343 Guilty Spark. Someone has released the Flood. My function is to prevent it from leaving this installation. But I require your assistance. Come. This way.

{The Chief vanishes in another series of amber flashes.}

Foe Hammer (radio): Chief, I've lost your signal! Where'd you go? Chief? Chief!

Glitches

 * If you play in co-op and use the stay on Pelican glitch, then leave one player in the upper swamp and the other player walks along the tree trunk, then the player that is above can see the Flood up close and kill them easier.
 * When the Covenant run away from the structure early in the level, there are Assault Rifle shots coming from the structure. To see this fully, use the "Stay in Pelican Trick" to get to the higher level of the swamp. Walk towards the entrance and slide down. You will see two MA5Bs and Captain Keyes' pistol floating in the air pointing at different angles firing wildly for 5 seconds.
 * At the part right before you find Private Jenkins when you activate the light bridge that later becomes broken, if you don't activate it and instead run around the edge, when you return after encountering the flood, you can activate the bridge and it will be undamaged.
 * If you look closely at the dead Marine before Master Chief lays him on the floor in the cutscene, you can see that the Marine will blink about two to four times despite the fact that he's supposed to be dead.

Mistakes

 * During the Private Jenkins' helmet cam cutscene, when the Pelican dropship lands, you will see a crashed Pelican in the background. It is also odd that the Marines do not inspect the downed Pelican. Though, an explanation could be that V933 is one of the other Pelicans that landed to drop off troops for the mission but, probably crashed. In addition, John probably fast forward the recording before the player could see the squad inspect the crash site. Another sign of evidence supporting why the V933 is different from Johnson's Pelican would be that the voice of the repeating recording left by the pilot of V933 was male but, the voice of the pilot in the other dropship was female. One additional explanation would be that in the "Jenkin's recording" cutscene, Johnson orders several marines to wait at the structure's entrance for when Captain Keyes and a "second squad" arrive. Another theory is that either Victor 933 was Second Squad's pelican or Johnson's Pelican's wingmate.
 * The date on the timestamp of Private Jenkins' footage is May 27, 2552; months before the game actually takes place. This may be caused by a malfunction with the Marine's armor, or a simple mistake by Bungie.
 * If the player pushes the Shade turret the way of Jenkins's scripted walk path prior to entering structure beforehand, he will get stuck in the spot where the turret was placed but continue his scripted movement while the rest of the squad moves ahead of him into the structure due to the fact that the recording takes place in the exact same places that you previously traveled. This is because the game doesn't "clear out" the room and return it to the state that it was in when Jenkins and his companions were in it.
 * Master Chief would've known that there are other Installations, as referenced by the Monitor's line "I am the monitor of Installation 04", and his line in Two Betrayals, "...but once the others follow suit...". However, it is strange that John does not react. This could be that he doesn't know Halo's true purpose at the end of the level, but in Two Betrayals, Cortana revealed it, in which he still does not react. Also, The Core contains as much, or perhaps even more information that the Monitor knows, whereas Cortana would've also known about the other Halos.
 * After you encounter the Crazed Marine, there is a Plasma Rifle laying on the ground. There was supposed to be a dead Elite beside in but, oddly it only appears in Jenkins' Recording despite that same Elite being encountered by John in Halo: The Flood as well.

Easter Eggs

 * During the first chapter of the level, dead corpses will spawn in the swamp when you are at some point of the inside of the installation. Walk back outside before the Private Jenkins helmet cam cutscene and bodies of Marines will be scattered through the lower level of the swamp. If you can make it to the upper level of the swamp (around Mendoza and such), you will find corpses of Covenant and Human Flood forms.
 * There is a hidden Active Camouflage in this level. After you kill the Jackals on the tree trunk that goes to the next part of the level, get onto the tree trunk. Once in the middle, you must stop. Turn right. Jump down. There is a pipe leading up to a small ledge that is too high to jump to. There is a ramp. Go up it. Go as far back as you can on the ledge, and inside a bush there is an Active Camouflage power-up.
 * Private Jenkin's chip says "Do Not Eat". However it is only visible if you open the map with HMT and look at the Bitmaps tab.
 * The Plasma Rifle located in the room with Crazed Marine is the only Plasma Rifle found on the entire level.

Miscellaneous

 * The song playing during the Pelican ride with Sergeant Johnson and the Marines is titled Shreddin', from the game Marathon: Durandal as "flip music", another Bungie creation rather than their previously planned licensed song which was going to be "Paint it Black" by the Rolling Stones. Marty O'Donnell stated this on the Halo 3 Legendary Edition bonus disk.
 * This is one of two levels in the entire Halo trilogy where you can see and use Needler ammo magazines, the other being the Halo 2 multiplayer map Uplift.
 * The swamp area in the end of the level was later re-used for the map Backwash in Halo 2.
 * In Jenkins' helmet cam, the Marines exit the Pelican from at least 10 ft off the ground.
 * The Pelican, Victor 933, is stated in Halo: The Flood, to have been only one of the many UNSC forces sent to investigate the alleged "weapons cache". Thus, explaining the reason for the large numbers of human Combat Forms.
 * Playing the level on "Easy" is the only way to play the level according to events from Halo: The Flood due to the fact that you can only obtain a shotgun at V933's crash site as mentioned in the book on "easy" where in comparison to higher difficulties the shotgun won't be encountered until the events that occur after the "Jenkin's recording" cutscene.
 * At the start of the level, the Flood that run into the mist at the big tree and the hill will appear as yellow blips, indicating that they are allies. This may be an error by the motion sensor, as later on in the game, they become enemies. Another possible explanation is that the Friend-Or-Foe tags that are still embedded inside the Flood forms, which could possibly be mutated Marines, however on closer inspection, all of the Flood forms encountered are Elite combat forms. This adds to the mystery and tension of the setting, creating an atmosphere of fear in the player.
 * If player examine the floor to the right of the unlocked containment door, you can find the neural chip that John tossed aside after the "last recording" cutscene. However, it will disappear as if it was a particle over a short period of time.
 * It is impossible for V933 to be Johnson and Keyes' Pelican because the voice in the distress signal was male. However, in Halo: The Flood, the pilot of their pelican was female. Therefore, the Pelican could have crashed when attempting to takeoff and was later attacked by already escaped Flood since it was also stated that Johnson's squad found evidence of combat before they even arrived. In conclusion, it is more than likely that the V933 was attacked by the Flood before Johnson and Keyes even arrived and was later overlooked by them due to the possibility that the swamps fog was probably thicker when they arrived.
 * Before entering the unlocked Flood containment room, there is what appears to resemble a vault or door of some type. Its purpose and function is completely unknown though, it is most likely another more advanced lock containing more Flood captives. In addition, on both sides of the "door" there are four mechanisms inserted into the walls. The four mechanisms are believed to be earlier versions of the Forerunner energy cells that appear in Halo 2 and Halo 3 though these variants are indestructible do to graphic limitations.
 * The dead Elite seen in the "recording" was specifically made for the cutscene due to it having its own file and model. In addition, its the only deceased Elite in Combat Evolved to have its jaws stay in their proper positions after death.
 * Before you enter the installation in this level and choose to linger in the swamps, one can hear in the background Flood gurgles and howls.
 * Above the passage way to the first player encounter with the Flood, there are red Forerunner symbols, indicating danger.