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Menachite portal complex: Difference between revisions
I've moved the Trivia section to the body of the article and have added the conjecture templates.
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{{Era|Forerunner|UNSC|HCW}} | |||
{{Ratings}} | {{Ratings}} | ||
{{quote|We did not discover the full extent of those ruins and likely never will.|Dr. [[Catherine Elizabeth Halsey]]<ref>'''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''', ''page 270''</ref>}} | {{quote|We did not discover the full extent of those ruins and likely never will.|Dr. [[Catherine Elizabeth Halsey]]<ref>'''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''', ''page 270''</ref>}} | ||
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The corridor empties onto a landing overlooking an approximately circular room with a diameter of three kilometers, the center of which contains a flickering pedestal<ref name="room">'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 144''</ref> that holds the Forerunner Crystal.<ref name="crystal">'''Halo: First Strike''', ''pages 145-146''</ref> The landing is on one of twelve tiered levels that have no railings and encircle the room. The floor, approximately one hundred meters beneath the landing, is made of innumerable blue tiles that appear to shift around into patterns SPARTAN-104 describes as "frustratingly familiar".<ref name="room"/> Unlike the floor in the corridor, these tiles form squares, circles, bars, and triangles.<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''pages 144-145''</ref> The ceiling is a dome with a holographic golden sun, a dozen moons,<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 185''</ref> blue sky, and cottony clouds that morph into geometric shapes such as spheres, pyramids, bars, and cubes.<ref name="room"/> | The corridor empties onto a landing overlooking an approximately circular room with a diameter of three kilometers, the center of which contains a flickering pedestal<ref name="room">'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 144''</ref> that holds the Forerunner Crystal.<ref name="crystal">'''Halo: First Strike''', ''pages 145-146''</ref> The landing is on one of twelve tiered levels that have no railings and encircle the room. The floor, approximately one hundred meters beneath the landing, is made of innumerable blue tiles that appear to shift around into patterns SPARTAN-104 describes as "frustratingly familiar".<ref name="room"/> Unlike the floor in the corridor, these tiles form squares, circles, bars, and triangles.<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''pages 144-145''</ref> The ceiling is a dome with a holographic golden sun, a dozen moons,<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 185''</ref> blue sky, and cottony clouds that morph into geometric shapes such as spheres, pyramids, bars, and cubes.<ref name="room"/> | ||
When Dr. Halsey and her Spartans approached the pedestal, they experienced spatial disorientation in which their path was distorted. Despite their attempts to reach the center as a close group, they found themselves heading off in separate directions. SPARTAN-104 described feeling a sense of vertigo as if he was walking on the ceiling instead of the floor.<ref name="vertigo">'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 145''</ref> A test of rolling a ball bearing on the ground showed the floor initially sloped toward the center, but shifted around as the ball bearing rolled until it came to a total stop.<ref name="vertigo"/> [[Kelly-087|SPARTAN-087]] was able to intuitively determine the true direction toward the pedestal, ostensibly the opposite direction.<ref name="vertigo"/> The pedestal in the center is made of the same gold material as the symbols in the corridor. Above it floated | When Dr. Halsey and her Spartans approached the pedestal, they experienced spatial disorientation in which their path was distorted. Despite their attempts to reach the center as a close group, they found themselves heading off in separate directions. SPARTAN-104 described feeling a sense of vertigo as if he was walking on the ceiling instead of the floor.<ref name="vertigo">'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 145''</ref> A test of rolling a ball bearing on the ground showed the floor initially sloped toward the center, but shifted around as the ball bearing rolled until it came to a total stop.<ref name="vertigo"/> [[Kelly-087|SPARTAN-087]] was able to intuitively determine the true direction toward the pedestal, ostensibly the opposite direction.<ref name="vertigo"/> The pedestal in the center is made of the same gold material as the symbols in the corridor. Above it floated a [[Forerunner crystal]], which spun and pulsed a bright glow of sapphire-blue light.<ref name="crystal"/> | ||
{{Conjecturalization}} | |||
The spatial distortion effects near the center of the main chamber may have been generated by a [[baffler]], a Forerunner device used to create geometric distortions to hide an artifact or a location, or a [[dazzler]], a Forerunner device employing a camouflage technique that causes visual and auditory delusion.<ref>'''[[Halo: Cryptum]]''', "page ???"</ref> | |||
{{Conjecturalization End}}{{Clear}} | |||
==History== | ==History== | ||
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Colonel [[James Ackerson]] of ONI knew of the existence of the Menachite Forerunner Complex, and made uncovering its secrets a secret project. He was, however, unable to learn of its entrance. The entrance was later discovered by SPARTAN-104 by accident and his group gained entry into the complex. | Colonel [[James Ackerson]] of ONI knew of the existence of the Menachite Forerunner Complex, and made uncovering its secrets a secret project. He was, however, unable to learn of its entrance. The entrance was later discovered by SPARTAN-104 by accident and his group gained entry into the complex. | ||
When the [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]] invaded Reach, they began digging into the mountain in search of the crystal. Dr. [[Catherine Halsey]], along with SPARTANs [[Vinh-030|030]], [[Isaac-039|039]], [[William-043|043]], [[Kelly-087|087]], and [[Frederic-104|104]], fled the endangered CASTLE Base and into the remaining mine tunnels. There they discovered the outer part of the complex and managed to gain entrance. Just after they took the Forerunner Crystal, Covenant forces successfully blasted their way into the complex, and Covenant infantry killed Isaac and Vinh, although the others managed to retreat into a deep tunnel. After several hours, [[John-117]] along with a small human force assaulted the main chamber with a captured [[Spirit]] dropship. They managed to rescue the remaining | When the [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]] invaded Reach, they began digging into the mountain in search of the crystal. Dr. [[Catherine Halsey]], along with SPARTANs [[Vinh-030|030]], [[Isaac-039|039]], [[William-043|043]], [[Kelly-087|087]], and [[Frederic-104|104]], fled the endangered CASTLE Base and into the remaining mine tunnels. There they discovered the outer part of the complex and managed to gain entrance. Just after they took the Forerunner Crystal, Covenant forces successfully blasted their way into the complex, and Covenant infantry killed Isaac and Vinh, although the others managed to retreat into a deep tunnel. After several hours, [[John-117]] along with a small human force assaulted the main chamber with a captured [[Spirit]] dropship. They managed to rescue the remaining SPARTANs and Dr. Halsey, and then outran thousands of Covenant soldiers trying to capture the Crystal. | ||
==Sources== | ==Sources== | ||