000 Tragic Solitude: Difference between revisions

|activationsite=[[Installation 00]]<ref name="promises">'''[[Halo: Fractures]]''', "[[Promises to Keep]]", ''pages 103-105'' (Google Play edition)</ref>

|ended=[[2555|March 20, 2555]]<ref name="hitd345">'''[[Halo: Hunters in the Dark]]''', ''pages 345-348'' (Google Play edition)</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/bsangel/status/711590383940075520 '''Twitter''': ''Today in Halo - 3/20/2555'']</ref>

|color=*Blue illuminations with silver casing<ref name="TSTATT">'''[[Halo Wars 2]]''', ''[[Phoenix Log]]: The Snake that Eats the Tail''</ref>

*Represented by a green [[sigil]]<ref name="h3">'''[[Halo 3]]''', ''[[Terminal/Halo 3|Terminal 3]]''</ref>

|function=Keeper of [[Installation 00]]<ref name="hitd235">'''Halo: Hunters in the Dark''', ''page 235'' (Google Play edition)</ref>

'''000 Tragic Solitude''', often referred to simply as '''Solitude''', was a [[Forerunner]] [[monitor]] that served as the caretaker of [[Installation 00]]. Originally the Forerunner politician [[Splendid-Dust-of-Ancient-Suns]], the former [[First Councilor]] willingly chose to become a monitor with the intentions of aiding the [[Reclaimers]] once they arrived at the installation.<ref name="promises"/> However, millennia of isolation following the [[Great Purification|the firing]] of the [[Halo Array]] and damage the Ark incurred during the [[Battle of Installation 00]] in [[2552]] led to Tragic Solitude falling subject to [[rampancy]].<ref name="hitd270">'''Halo: Hunters in the Dark''', ''pages 270-281'' (Google Play edition)</ref>

{{Quote|I name you the protector and guardian of the Lesser Ark. You will keep it safe for the true inheritors of the Mantle. Any thoughtlessness, or cruelty, or arrogance is washed clean from you now. Yours is not—cannot be—a happy end. And thus I name you Tragic Solitude… for you shall be alone, and your noble sacrifice shall aid the Reclaimers… but in doing so, it shall break what is left of your heart.|The IsoDidact, upon 000 Tragic Solitude's creation.<ref>'''Halo: Fractures''', "Promises to Keep", ''page 105'' (Google Play edition)</ref>}}

Like most Forerunner [[ancilla]]s, Tragic Solitude was only given information relevant to his duties; in his case, protecting Installation 00.<ref name="hitd270"/> Over time, his memories as Splendid Dust would fade.<ref name="promises"/> Following the exodus of the surviving Forerunners, Tragic Solitude was left alone in isolation on Installation 00 for millennia. The long period of isolation had an adverse affect on the monitor and instilled a distrust and hatred of the Forerunners in the monitor, who felt betrayed by his creators.<ref name="hitd320">'''Halo: Hunters in the Dark''', ''pages 320-323'' (Google Play edition)</ref> In [[29,823 BCE]], Tragic Solitude dismantled a {{Class|Despair|fighter}} once apparently belonging to the [[Librarian]], placing the [[Space fighter|fighter]] back into its original [[design seed]] form. The monitor found himself tempted to launch the fighter from its stasis, but instead chose to busy himself with other tasks as per his instructions.<ref name="atb">'''Halo Wars 2''', ''Phoenix Log: A Tensed Bolt''</ref>

After millennia of relative peace on the Halo Array, the Halo installations became a battleground for the ongoing [[Human-Covenant War]] in [[2552]]. In the resulting conflict, [[Installation 04]] was destroyed by humanity and [[Installation 05]]'s surface was [[Glassing|glassed]] by the [[Sangheili]] to quell a Flood infestation. These acts greatly disturbed Tragic Solitude, but he nonetheless began creating [[Installation 04B]] on the Ark to replace the destroyed Installation 04.<ref name="hitd270"/> On [[2552#December|December 11, 2552]], Installation 00 became a [[Battle of Installation 00|place of conflict]] for the last battle of the Human-Covenant War. Utilizing the [[Portal at Voi|slipspace portal]] at [[Voi]], [[Kenya]] on [[Earth]], the [[Covenant]] and a joint [[United Nations Space Command]] and Sangheili [[Fleet of Retribution|fleet]] traveled to Installation 00.<ref name="The Ark">'''Halo 3''', campaign level, ''[[The Ark]]''</ref> When [[343 Guilty Spark]], the monitor of Installation 04 that had allied himself with the UNSC and Sangheili, attempted to gain access to the Ark's systems during the battle, Tragic Solitude addressed the former's lack of authority on the Ark and informed Guilty Spark that the facility housed the [[Librarian]]'s archives of the Conservation Measure. When Guilty Spark continued to persist, Tragic Solitude threatened the monitor with the installation's complement of [[Sentinel]]s.<ref name="h3"/> However, Tragic Solitude was unable to intervene in the battle, as he watched Guilty Spark aid the humans and Sangheili in engagements across the installation.<ref name="mythos154">'''[[Halo Mythos]]''', ''pages 154-155''</ref>

Later in the battle, Tragic Solitude watched in horror as Installation 00 was severely damaged after the incomplete Installation 04B was fired at the installation in a successful effort to eradicate the Flood's presence on the installation.<ref name="mythos154"/><ref name="halo">'''Halo 3''', campaign level, ''[[Halo (Halo 3 level)|Halo]]''</ref> This action also damaged Tragic Solitude and inflicted a state of [[rampancy]] upon him. The monitor sought to repair his installation, however he could not gather resources from other worlds as Tragic Solitude had lost connection to the portal after it was disabled by humanity.<ref name="hitd270"/> Seeking revenge against humanity and a way to repair his installation, Tragic Solitude began building an army of heavily armed [[Retriever]]s. In addition, he exponentially increased power to his side of the portal to allow objects to travel through at much greater speeds.<ref name="hitd308">'''Halo: Hunters in the Dark''', ''pages 308-311'' (Google Play edition)</ref>

{{Quote|No, this is not vengeance. This is justice.|000 Tragic Solitude on his plans<ref>'''Halo: Hunters in the Dark''', ''page 278'' (Google Play edition)</ref>}}

On [[2554#August|August 10, 2554]], {{UNSCShip|Rubicon}} arrived at Installation 00 for research and survey purposes. Tragic Solitude unleashed the installation's fauna and constructs on the [[remote contact team]]s deployed by ''Rubicon'' and destroyed nearly all teams. However, [[RCT-06]] returned with the remains of 343 Guilty Spark. Guilty Spark eventually took control of ''Rubicon''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s systems and left the installation for his own purposes. Meanwhile, on August 21, Tragic Solitude oversaw the destruction of RCT [[Broadside]] at the hands of [[chaefka]]. The [[squad]]'s leader, [[Bobby Kodiak]], was heavily injured in the attack, but managed to escape the animals. Using the human's earpiece for communication, Tragic Solitude spoke to Kodiak and offered to save him if he surrendered himself to the monitor. With no other chance of survival, Kodiak accepted.<ref>'''Halo: Hunters in the Dark''', ''pages 5-8'' (Google Play edition)</ref> The monitor "healed" the soldier, but the outcome resulted in Kodiak becoming a cyborg with disfigured body. Tragic Solitude then forced Kodiak to initiate a countdown that would lead to the activation of the Halos.<ref name="hitd329">'''Halo: Hunters in the Dark''', ''pages 329-333'' (Google Play edition)</ref> On [[2555#January|January 14, 2555]], Solitude recorded a message wherein he questioned whether the humans should be allowed to obtain the Mantle. The monitor concluded that humanity must be dealt with for their seemingly purposeless, violent nature and began to further his plans to repair his installation.<ref name="TSTATT"/>

On [[2555#March|March 8, 2555]], the countdown to the activation sequence was discovered on [[Installation 07]] by Doctor [[Luther Mann]] and [[Henry Lamb]]. In response to this discovery, the United Nations Space Command and [[Swords of Sanghelios]] formed a joint team tasked with [[Operation: FAR STORM|traveling]] to Installation 00 to stop the activation sequence. As expected by Tragic Solitude, the team reopened the slipspace portal that led to his installation, giving the monitor access to the galaxy once again. Tragic Solitude sent a Retriever through to begin mining Earth, but it was promptly destroyed by UNSC forces, as was the next Retriever that followed.<ref name="hitd232">'''Halo: Hunters in the Dark''', ''pages 232-241'' (Google Play edition)</ref> When the UNSC–Sangheili's {{Class|SDV|heavy corvette}} ''[[Mayhem]]'' entered the portal and exited over the Ark on [[2555#March|March 17, 2555]], Tragic Solitude initially intended to use his army of heavily armed Retrievers to destroy the vessel, although he decided to allow them to survive upon learning that [[Huragok]] [[Drifts Randomly]] was aboard the ship. Tragic Solitude sought to capture the Huragok to help repair the Ark, while also capturing a human to replace the wounded Kodiak. To determine which human would be the best to capture, Tragic Solitude tested the abilities of the humans and Sangheili by pitting various species of animals on Installation 00 against them, hoping that those who were weak would perish.<ref name="hitd270"/>

While the human and Sangheili forces battled [[morolaath]] and [[chaefka]] on the Ark,<ref name="hitd184">'''Halo: Hunters in the Dark''', ''page 184'' (Google Play edition)</ref> Tragic Solitude communicated with [[Olympia Vale]] through her earpiece and manipulated a psychotropic effect generated by an agent released by the chaefka<ref name="hitd232"/> to make her walk away from a battle and towards the Citadel.<ref name="hitd184"/> As she neared the Citadel, Tragic Solitude opened the ground beneath her and Vale descended down an angled tube that brought her to a long hallway. Tragic Solitude soon personally traveled to Vale's location and transformed himself into a golden replication of Vale, as he believed that this form would make her more comfortable. As the monitor revealed his intent to her, Vale fruitlessly attempted to convince Tragic Solitude to stop his plan.<ref name="hitd232"/> Vale tried to convince Tragic Solitude to stop the Halos' activation and mine other worlds to rebuild the Ark, rather than Earth. However, the monitor remained unmoved by Vale's arguments and eventually induced her to sleep.<ref name="hitd270"/> Shortly after, the humans and Sangheili succeeded in averting the Halo Array's activation. However, Tragic Solitude proceeded to launch his army of Retrievers through the portal to Earth, where some began mining the planet's surface while others [[Invasion of Earth|engaged]] the [[Home Fleet|local fleet]]. The monitor intended to use the Retrievers to force humanity to submit to him, where he would then use Vale to reactivate the Halo Array and eradicate all life in the galaxy.<ref name="hitd308"/>

{{Quote|Fools! Did you think I would be so easily deterred? I made the mistake of trusting your kind before. Never again! Betrayal! This place is mine! I am the Ark!|000 Tragic Solitude's last words, directly before his destruction<ref>'''Halo: Hunters in the Dark''', ''page 346'' (Google Play edition)</ref>}}

As the Retrievers continued their destruction, Drifts Randomly succeeded in infiltrating Tragic Solitude's systems and seized control of Installation 00.<ref name="hitd320"/> Tragic Solitude agreed to a compromise with Vale, claiming he would recall the Retrievers if Vale convinced Drifts to return full control of Installation 00 and bring the Huragok to him. When the monitor provided Vale with the opportunity to speak to Drifts and Doctor Mann remotely, she defied Tragic Solitude and told them to not give into his demands. As Tragic Solitude cut off the broadcast, Vale declared that she would rather be killed than have to continue to be with the monitor for another moment. Returning to his original monitor form, Tragic Solitude proceeded to bring Kodiak forward and ordered the two to fight to the death—the "victor" of the duel was to reactive the firing sequence of the Halo Array.<ref name="hitd329"/> Kodiak attacked Vale, though she was reluctant to fight and severely overpowered. Just as the cyborg was about to kill her, [[Spartan Operations#Rank structure|Spartan]] [[Frank Kodiak]]—a [[SPARTAN-IV program|Spartan-IV]] member of the UNSC team and the brother of Bobby Kodiak—arrived at Vale's position to assist her. Meanwhile, Spartan [[Elias Holt]], Commander [[N'tho 'Sraom]], and [[Zon 'Vadum]] discovered the monitor's data stores and began firing upon them. Tragic Solitude agreed to recall the Retrievers if they stopped, to which Spartan Kodiak accepted and had his allies stand down.<ref name="hitd335">'''Halo: Hunters in the Dark''', ''pages 335-340'' (Google Play edition)</ref>

As the humans and Sangheili recouped, Tragic Solitude summoned the Retrievers back to Installation 00. Just as the group began to relax, Tragic Solitude suddenly attack them again and fired an energy blast at Spartan Kodiak, knocking him back and dazing the Spartan. As Holt moved to attack the monitor, Tragic Solitude hit him with an energy blast, knocking him across the room. Seemingly mistaking the humans for the Forerunners amidst his state of rampancy, Tragic Solitude declared that he would not trust them again and claimed the Ark as his alone. Out of options, Vale grabbed on to the monitor's "body", but she was easily thrown off. Vale attempted to calm him down, but Bobby lunged at the construct and grabbed on to the monitor. Tragic Solitude attempted to fling the cyborg off of him, but Kodiak was able to plunge his bladed forearms into the monitor's housing, fatally damaging the construct. Tragic Solitude rose high up above the ground, before promptly plummeting back into the floor and violently exploding, killing Bobby Kodiak in the process.<ref name="hitd345"/> Following the monitor's death, the members of the UNSC–Swords of Sanghelios expedition returned to Earth shortly after, having averted the crisis on the installation. Despite the monitor's actions, Vale felt pangs of regret for not being able to convince Tragic Solitude to stop his plans, despite her skills in diplomacy.<ref name="hitd356">'''Halo: Hunters in the Dark''', ''pages 356-357'' (Google Play edition)</ref>

{{Quote|I have had the ability to observe what sentient life has been doing with the opportunities presented it. The war, the destruction. There seems to be no regard for life's sanctity among your kind, or others. It matters not the species, or the place, or the age—it always ends the same.|000 Tragic Solitude<ref>'''Halo: Hunters in the Dark''', ''page 274'' (Google Play edition)</ref>}}

{{Quote|multi=yes|q1=Why don't you look like the other monitors? From the Halo rings?|Olympia Vale|q2=I was created just like the others by my maker, yet, over the great passage of time, I found such a form unaccommodating. I needed to merge with this facility in order to keep it. I have become one with it: I am the Ark. But I have created this shape in order to interact with you. To put you more at ease.|000 Tragic Solitude|Olympia Vale and 000 Tragic Solitude, after the monitor replicated her appearance<ref>'''Halo: Hunters in the Dark''', ''page 237'' (Google Play edition)</ref>}}