Mombasa Tether: Difference between revisions

 

The '''Mombasa Tether''',<ref>''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe|Halo: Evolutions]]'', [[Palace Hotel]]</ref><ref>[http://halo.bungie.net/projects/odst/guide.aspx ''Bungie.net'': Halo 3: ODST Field Guide - New Mombasa]</ref> also known as the '''Mombasa Space Tether'''<ref name="universe">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/locations/new-mombasa ''Halo Waypoint'': New Mombasa]</ref> or the '''New Mombasa Orbital Elevator''',{{Ref/Book|[[Halo Encyclopedia (2011 edition)]]|Page=296}} was a [[space elevator]] located at the heart of the [[East African Protectorate]] city of [[New Mombasa]] on [[Earth]]. It was used for lifting heavy ordnance from the surrounding port facilities into a station in [[geosynchronous orbit]] at the top of the elevator structure, a transport method much cheaper and more efficient than booster rockets filled with expensive fuel. The company in charge of the management of the space elevator was called [[New Mombasa Uplift]].{{Ref/Level|Id=streets|[[Halo 3: ODST]]|[[Mombasa Streets]]}}

In [[2302]], Mombasa was chosen to be the Earth's first tether city.{{Ref/Book|Id=evg|[[Halo: The Essential Visual Guide]]|Page=129}} As a cheap gateway to space, the elevator is the key to New Mombasa's economic and strategic importance. The presence of the elevator radically changed the structure of the city. The elevator's base resides on an artificial island with service roads and a [[Maglev train]] line radiate out from it.{{Ref/Level|Halo 3: ODST|[[Prepare to Drop]]}}

During the [[Battle of Mombasa]], the Mombasa Tether was shut down.<ref name="story">''Halo 3: ODST'', [[Sadie's Story]] - Audio log 14, Circle 5, Arc 2</ref> When the [[Prophet of Regret]] retreated, his flagship, ''[[Solemn Penance]]'', initiated [[Slipstream space|slipspace]] transition over the city, right beside the orbital elevator. The resulting shockwave swept through the structure, weakening it considerably.{{Ref/Level|[[Halo 2]]|[[Metropolis]]}}

Under an hour later on the same day, the damage from the Slipspace rupture was too much for the support structure to handle. It exploded at multiple points, and the tether snapped at some two kilometers above the surface. The upper portion of the tether was instantly pulled upward by its orbital counterweight, now severed from the groundside anchor point. The lower section collapsed, leaving only a small portion of the lower support structure intact, even though heavily damaged. Several pieces of debris crashed around the city and the surrounding area, while more fallout presumably caused considerable damage to buildings near the tether.{{Ref/Level|Halo 3: ODST|[[Uplift Reserve]]}}

A large portion of the tower's debris was left scattered around Earth's surface, while most of the tether was pulled into space. Debris such as support rings and cables rained down to the surface far as the town of [[Voi]] and its surrounding regions, leaving large areas littered with debris and damaging infrastructure, such as the [[Tsavo highway (location)|Tsavo Highway]].{{Ref/Level|Id=tsavo|Halo 3|[[Tsavo Highway]]}}

After the end of the [[Human-Covenant War]], in [[2553|March, 2553]], some debris from the elevator still remained in the area near Voi.{{Ref/Level|[[Halo 3]]|[[Halo (Halo 3 level)|Halo]]}} Eventually, the [[East African Protectorate]] would decide to rebuild the tether along with much of Mombasa as part of [[Project Rebirth]], a plan to restore areas damaged in the war.{{Ref/YouTube|Id=IGN|loVzmkTojNo|IGN|Halo Infinite: ‘Streets’ Multiplayer Map Revealed - IGN First}}{{Ref/Site|Id=CFShowcase|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/showcase-sensitive|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Canon Fodder - Showcase Sensitive|D=25|M=11|Y=2021}} Circa [[2560]], the tether's base had been rebuilt to a height far surpassing any nearby skyscrapers, with a large scaffolding erected to one side seemingly for reinforcement during the building process.{{Ref/Map|Id=Bazaar|HINF|[[Bazaar]]}}{{Ref/Map|Id=Streets|HINF|[[Streets]]}}