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Star road: Difference between revisions
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{{Era|Forerunner}} | {{Era|Forerunner}} | ||
'''Star roads''', also known as '''unbending filaments''',<ref name="c114">'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 114''</ref> were | '''Star roads''', also known as '''unbending filaments''',<ref name="c114">'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 114''</ref> were [[neural physics]]-based [[astroengineering|megastructures]] created by the [[Precursor]]s.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium'''</ref> | ||
==Overview and history== | ==Overview and history== | ||
One of the more common types of artifacts left behind by the Precursors, star roads were seemingly inert, several-kilometers-thick,<ref name="s95">'''Halo: Silentium''', ''pages 95-96''</ref> virtually unbreakable cables on an immense scale that lay across the galaxy for millions of years. On some worlds, star roads formed orbital and suborbital structures like [[orbital arch]]es. On a larger scale, they were used to connect and link planets and even entire star systems to one another.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 212''</ref> Like other Precursor technology, star roads were not made of ordinary matter, instead being composed of exotic [[neural physics]] construction.<ref name="s95"/> | One of the more common types of artifacts left behind by the Precursors, star roads were seemingly inert, several-kilometers-thick,<ref name="s95">'''Halo: Silentium''', ''pages 95-96''</ref> virtually unbreakable cables on an immense scale that lay across the galaxy for millions of years. On some worlds, star roads formed orbital and suborbital structures like [[orbital arch]]es. On a larger scale, they were used to connect and link planets and even entire star systems to one another.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 212''</ref> Like other Precursor technology, star roads were not made of ordinary matter, instead being composed of exotic [[neural physics]] construction capable of changing its mass at will.<ref name="s95"/> In some star systems, significant portions of locally available mass had been converted into these structures.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 119''</ref> | ||
In their dormant state, star roads and the larger structures some of them comprised automatically adjusted to changes in planetary and stellar orbits, even occasionally removing portions of themselves to avoid collisions with planets. A particularly complex web of star roads in a system in [[Path Kethona]] had not survived the eons completely intact, having crumbled in several sections; not even the Precursors could predict the sum of the system's orbital movements for many millions or billions of years in advance. Despite their self-adjusting capabilities, [[Forerunner]] [[Builder]]s insisted that star roads and other Precursor constructs were completely inert and lacking any form of internal process or activity. The [[Lifeworker]]s were highly skeptical of these assertions, believing the artifacts were alive in some way.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 114''</ref> | |||
[[Charum Hakkor]] and [[Charum Hakkor system|its system]] was once home to many star roads, which were used by [[Prehistoric human civilization|prehistoric humans]] to link their orbital defenses surrounding the planet.<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 118''</ref> | |||
===Weaponized star roads=== | ===Weaponized star roads=== | ||
During the last decade of the [[Forerunner-Flood war]], it was revealed that the star roads were not completely inert. Having amassed a sufficient level of sheer intellect to elevate them to a state of [[transsentience]], the [[Flood]]'s newly-developed [[Key Mind]] | During the last decade of the [[Forerunner-Flood war]], it was revealed that the star roads were not completely inert. Having amassed a sufficient level of sheer intellect to elevate them to a state of [[transsentience]], the [[Flood]]'s newly-developed [[Key Mind]] intelligences began to take control of star roads, along with other once-inactive neural physics constructs, and wield them as weapons. The star roads, in their weaponized form, were incredibly powerful, being capable of either physically tearing apart [[Forerunner fleet]]s or interfering with Forerunner [[Slipstream space|slipspace]] travel as well as generating suppression fields to disable Forerunner weapons, [[ancilla]]s and [[energy shielding|shields]]. The Flood moved star roads across interstellar distances by using the Precursors' neural physics-based method of superluminal travel, which they also utilized to transport their converted vessels.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 213''</ref> The Flood-controlled star roads warped reality around them which not only enabled organic beings to feel when they were nearby,<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 253''</ref> but also mutated space-time and converted slipspace to be unsuitable for Forerunner transit.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 236''</ref> In many engagements near the end of the Forerunner-Flood war, star roads were used to trap Forerunner forces that were soon overwhelmed by the Flood. One example of this is the [[Battle of Kan Pakko]], in which the Forerunners were defeated by the Flood due to the star roads' influence.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''pages 188-189''</ref> The star roads were also used by [[Mendicant Bias]] to trap most of the surviving Forerunners before the [[Battle of the greater Ark]]. | ||
The Flood configured star roads to various formations when using them as weapons. One common star road configuration was shaped like two parallel double-arcs, over 50,000 kilometers in diameter, and contained thousands of interwoven star roads.<ref name="s95"/> In the center of each double-bow was a point of inky darkness surrounded by a glowing ring.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 127''</ref> These double-bow configurations were capable of tearing planets apart with their sheer tidal forces and kinetic energy by wrapping around them; one such formation destroyed [[Uthera Midgeerrd]]. It was theorized by [[Maker-of-Moons]] that the Precursors moved stars the same way, by forcing changes on their orbits with star road formations.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 106''</ref> | The Flood configured star roads to various formations when using them as weapons. One common star road configuration was shaped like two parallel double-arcs, over 50,000 kilometers in diameter, and contained thousands of interwoven star roads.<ref name="s95"/> In the center of each double-bow was a point of inky darkness surrounded by a glowing ring.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 127''</ref> These structures had a constantly fluctuating apparent mass, and were seemingly nonsolid.<ref name="s95"/> These double-bow configurations were capable of tearing planets apart with their sheer tidal forces and kinetic energy by wrapping around them; one such formation destroyed [[Uthera Midgeerrd]]. It was theorized by [[Maker-of-Moons]] that the Precursors moved stars the same way, by forcing changes on their orbits with star road formations.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 106''</ref> | ||
===Destruction=== | ===Destruction=== | ||
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==List of appearances== | ==List of appearances== | ||
*''[[Halo: Cryptum]]'' {{1st}} | *''[[Halo: Cryptum]]'' {{1st}} | ||
*''[[Halo: Silentium]]'' {{C|First identified as | *''[[Halo: Silentium]]'' {{C|First identified as star roads}} | ||
==Sources== | ==Sources== | ||
<references/> | <references/> | ||
{{Forerunner-Flood War}} | |||
[[Category:Precursor]] | [[Category:Precursor]] | ||