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Halo Array: Difference between revisions
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As it is known in modern times, the Halo Array is a network of seven ring-shaped megastructures created by the Forerunners, designed to exterminate all sentient life within the Milky Way galaxy.{{Ref/Level|Id=Great Journey|H2|The Great Journey}} Built following the [[Human-Forerunner War]], these ringworlds were later used as a last resort against the Flood, a parasitic extra-galactic species that threatened to consume every sentient life-form in the galaxy. By activating the rings, the Forerunners wiped out every sentient being in the galaxy, effectively starving the Flood to virtual extinction, though specimens were kept in a number of Forerunner [[Flood containment facility|containment facilities]], including the Halo installations themselves.{{Ref/Level|Id=Library|HCE|The Library}} | As it is known in modern times, the Halo Array is a network of seven ring-shaped megastructures created by the Forerunners, designed to exterminate all sentient life within the Milky Way galaxy.{{Ref/Level|Id=Great Journey|H2|The Great Journey}} Built following the [[Human-Forerunner War]], these ringworlds were later used as a last resort against the Flood, a parasitic extra-galactic species that threatened to consume every sentient life-form in the galaxy. By activating the rings, the Forerunners wiped out every sentient being in the galaxy, effectively starving the Flood to virtual extinction, though specimens were kept in a number of Forerunner [[Flood containment facility|containment facilities]], including the Halo installations themselves.{{Ref/Level|Id=Library|HCE|The Library}} | ||
A total of eighteen Halo rings existed during the reign of the Forerunners; an older array of twelve 30,000-kilometer-wide rings produced by the [[greater Ark]] and six 10,000-kilometer rings, constructed at the newer [[Installation 00|lesser Ark]]. Of these, only seven survived to be included in the final Array. The Halos were originally deployed in orbit over large gas giants.<ref name="gas giants">'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 237''</ref> However, as of [[2557]], [[Installation 03]] orbited a rocky planet. | A total of eighteen Halo rings existed during the reign of the Forerunners; an older array of twelve 30,000-kilometer-wide rings produced by the [[greater Ark]] and six 10,000-kilometer rings, constructed at the newer [[Installation 00|lesser Ark]]. Of these, only seven survived to be included in the final Array. The Halos were originally deployed in orbit over large gas giants.<ref name="gas giants">'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 237''</ref> However, as of [[2557]], [[Installation 03]] orbited a rocky planet.{{Ref/Level|Id=Composer|H4|Composer_(level)}} Installation 04 maintained an atmospheric [[Threshold gas mine|mining facility]] in its anchor planet [[Threshold]]'s atmosphere until [[Battle of the Threshold gas mine|it was destroyed]] by the [[Covenant]].{{Ref/Level|Id=The Oracle|H2|The Oracle}} | ||
Though separated by thousands of light-years, the installations are networked together and capable of remote activation at [[Installation 00|the Ark]], their [[intergalactic space|extragalactic]] construction foundry. Each Halo installation has a maximum effective range of 25,000 light-years in every direction.<ref>'''Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary''', ''[[Terminal (Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary)#Terminal 8|Terminal 8]]'' (''"25,000 light years. That is the effective range of this installation."'')</ref><ref name="radius">'''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''', level ''[[Two Betrayals]]'', 343 Guilty Spark: ''"Technically, this installation's pulse has a maximum effective radius of twenty-five thousand light years."''</ref> The method utilized by the array to conduct this "mass sterilization protocol"<ref>'''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''', level ''[[The Library]]'', 343 Guilty Spark: ''"Why the Flood is, naturally, simply too dangerous to release, and mass sterilization protocols may again need to be enacted."''</ref> involves the superluminal conveyance of a burst of cross-phased super-massive neutrinos, tuned to emit a harmonic frequency that destroys the nervous system of any life form within range. Simpler organisms lacking a neural system are unaffected, along with inanimate structures. [[Precursor]] technology, however, is extremely susceptible to damage from the Halo effect due to its quasi-living [[neural physics]] composition.{{Ref/Reuse|c274}}<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 132''</ref> | Though separated by thousands of light-years, the installations are networked together and capable of remote activation at [[Installation 00|the Ark]], their [[intergalactic space|extragalactic]] construction foundry. Each Halo installation has a maximum effective range of 25,000 light-years in every direction.<ref>'''Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary''', ''[[Terminal (Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary)#Terminal 8|Terminal 8]]'' (''"25,000 light years. That is the effective range of this installation."'')</ref><ref name="radius">'''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''', level ''[[Two Betrayals]]'', 343 Guilty Spark: ''"Technically, this installation's pulse has a maximum effective radius of twenty-five thousand light years."''</ref> The method utilized by the array to conduct this "mass sterilization protocol"<ref>'''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''', level ''[[The Library]]'', 343 Guilty Spark: ''"Why the Flood is, naturally, simply too dangerous to release, and mass sterilization protocols may again need to be enacted."''</ref> involves the superluminal conveyance of a burst of cross-phased super-massive neutrinos, tuned to emit a harmonic frequency that destroys the nervous system of any life form within range. Simpler organisms lacking a neural system are unaffected, along with inanimate structures. [[Precursor]] technology, however, is extremely susceptible to damage from the Halo effect due to its quasi-living [[neural physics]] composition.{{Ref/Reuse|c274}}<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 132''</ref> | ||
[[File:H2A - Halo Array hologram.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Readout of the seven Halos.]] | [[File:H2A - Halo Array hologram.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Readout of the seven Halos.]] | ||
The Halo Array in its entirety has been fired only once in known history, approximately 100,000 years ago, by the [[IsoDidact]] in order to stop the Flood from overwhelming the galaxy. All beings in the Array's effective range, including Forerunners themselves, were wiped out by the Array's pulse,{{Ref/Reuse| | The Halo Array in its entirety has been fired only once in known history, approximately 100,000 years ago, by the [[IsoDidact]] in order to stop the Flood from overwhelming the galaxy. All beings in the Array's effective range, including Forerunners themselves, were wiped out by the Array's pulse,{{Ref/Reuse|Great Journey}} with the exception of those who took refuge on the [[shield world]]s. A number of Forerunners survived at the lesser Ark but chose to exile themselves from the galaxy.<ref name="rebirth">'''Halo: Rebirth'''</ref> The array has come close to activation four times since; Installation 04 was almost activated by the [[John-117|Master Chief]], Installation 05 was activated by Commander [[Miranda Keyes]] at the behest of the [[Jiralhanae]] [[Chieftain of the Jiralhanae|Chieftain]] [[Tartarus]], [[Avery Junior Johnson|Sergeant Johnson]] was forced by the [[Prophet of Truth]] to activate the Array from the Ark, and [[Bobby Kodiak]] was forced by [[000 Tragic Solitude]], the Monitor of the Ark, to activate the Halo Array from the Ark as a revenge. None of these attempts were successful; the first was stopped by Cortana, while the other three attempts were halted by UNSC and [[Swords of Sanghelios|Sangheili]] intervention. A [[Installation 08|replacement]] Halo for the destroyed Installation 04 was partially activated outside of the galaxy, but before it could fire the Halo ring shook itself to pieces with the resulting explosion destroying the ring, damaging the Ark, and heavily damaged the Flood back into a feral stage without a Gravemind.{{Ref/Level|Id=Halo|H3|Halo_(Halo_3_level)}} | ||
Each of the Halo installations manufactured at Installation 00 is given a sequential designation number based on their order of construction, beginning from 01, | Each of the Halo installations manufactured at Installation 00 is given a sequential designation number based on their order of construction, beginning from 01,{{Ref/Reuse|neoteric}} and is overseen by a single [[monitor]]. The monitors are given control of the Installations' [[Sentinel]] automatons, from [[Sentinel Aggressor|Aggressors]] to [[Constructor]]s and [[Enforcer]]s, and are responsible for containing the Flood test subjects in their [[Flood research facility|research facilities]] and protecting the Halo from intruders. | ||
The Array also encompasses [[Installation 00]], an extra-galactic construction facility that can create replacement installations in the event that one is destroyed. All Halos can also be remotely activated from the Ark without being subjected to their effects, as the megastructure is out of the Array's range.<ref name="thecovenant">'''Halo 3''', level ''[[The Covenant (level)|The Covenant]]'', '''343 Guilty Spark''': ''"The Ark is out of range of all the active installations!"''</ref> The Forerunners also built [[shield world]]s as a means to escape the effect without having to leave the galaxy.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page ??''</ref> | The Array also encompasses [[Installation 00]], an extra-galactic construction facility that can create replacement installations in the event that one is destroyed. All Halos can also be remotely activated from the Ark without being subjected to their effects, as the megastructure is out of the Array's range.<ref name="thecovenant">'''Halo 3''', level ''[[The Covenant (level)|The Covenant]]'', '''343 Guilty Spark''': ''"The Ark is out of range of all the active installations!"''</ref> The Forerunners also built [[shield world]]s as a means to escape the effect without having to leave the galaxy.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page ??''</ref> | ||