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Halo: Primordium: Difference between revisions
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(Bornstellar and the Didact appear in their original forms as Chakas describes the events of Cryptum.) |
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The group is finally found by a transport which brings them to the lair of Mendicant Bias. Chakas, Riser, and all of the other humans from Earth are gathered and have their imprinted ancestral personalities removed and implanted into monitors. Mendicant Bias promises the "spirits" revenge on the Forerunners, but first they and the humans must save the Halo from colliding into a planet it has been steadily approaching. The humans who do not agree are killed, while Forthencho lies to Mendicant Bias that Chakas agrees and the two are sent to the [[Silent Cartographer]] to coordinate the Halo's movements. The plan is for the Halo to position itself in such a way that the planet will pass through the Halo, which will suffer heavy damage but will survive. | The group is finally found by a transport which brings them to the lair of Mendicant Bias. Chakas, Riser, and all of the other humans from Earth are gathered and have their imprinted ancestral personalities removed and implanted into monitors. Mendicant Bias promises the "spirits" revenge on the Forerunners, but first they and the humans must save the Halo from colliding into a planet it has been steadily approaching. The humans who do not agree are killed, while Forthencho lies to Mendicant Bias that Chakas agrees and the two are sent to the [[Silent Cartographer]] to coordinate the Halo's movements. The plan is for the Halo to position itself in such a way that the planet will pass through the Halo, which will suffer heavy damage but will survive. | ||
As the Halo moves towards the planet, Chakas is connected to a Flood-infected Forerunner - kept obedient by a machine known as the Composer - in order to interface with the Halo. A fleet led by the Didact then appears from the other side of the planet and the ships move in to provide power the Halo's damaged systems, while the Didact purges Mendicant Bias from the installation. The Didact then enters the Cartographer and commands that the Halo be saved by moving it to an [[Ark]] installation for repairs. To successfully move through a [[Slipspace portal|portal]], however, the Halo must shed a large portion of its constituent structure, thus reducing its diameter from 30,000 kilometers to 10,000 kilometers. Though heavily damaged, the Halo survives and moves through the portal. | As the Halo moves towards the planet, Chakas is connected to a Flood-infected Forerunner - kept obedient by a machine known as the Composer - in order to interface with the Halo. A fleet led by the Didact then appears from the other side of the planet and the ships move in to provide power to the Halo's damaged systems, while the Didact purges Mendicant Bias from the installation. The Didact then enters the Cartographer and commands that the Halo be saved by moving it to an [[Ark]] installation for repairs. To successfully move through a [[Slipspace portal|portal]], however, the Halo must shed a large portion of its constituent structure, thus reducing its diameter from 30,000 kilometers to 10,000 kilometers. Though heavily damaged, the Halo survives and moves through the portal. | ||
Shortly afterward, the Didact brings a mortally wounded Chakas - his mind already in the process of being transferred out of his body - with him to confront the Primordial, who has been imprisoned. The ensuing conversation reveals that the Primordial is actually a Gravemind, a Flood central consciousness, and that more Precursors may have survived [[Forerunner-Precursor war|their war with the Forerunners]]. The Primordial asserts that "there is no difference" between the Flood and the Precursors, although it does not reveal the precise nature of their relationship. It also reveals that there was no real cure to the Flood, but the Flood can choose whether to infect or not infect, thus explaining how some humans were thought to be "immune" to the Flood by the Forerunners. The Primordial then states that the Precursors meant humanity to inherit the [[Mantle]] instead of the Forerunners. Once the Forerunners are eliminated by the Flood, humanity is going to be "tested" by the Flood to judge their worthiness of inheriting the Mantle. At the conversation's conclusion, the Didact kills the Primordial by activating a reverse stasis chamber that forces the Primordial to go through a billion years of aging in several seconds, causing it to disintegrate. | Shortly afterward, the Didact brings a mortally wounded Chakas - his mind already in the process of being transferred out of his body - with him to confront the Primordial, who has been imprisoned. The ensuing conversation reveals that the Primordial is actually a Gravemind, a Flood central consciousness, and that more Precursors may have survived [[Forerunner-Precursor war|their war with the Forerunners]]. The Primordial asserts that "there is no difference" between the Flood and the Precursors, although it does not reveal the precise nature of their relationship. It also reveals that there was no real cure to the Flood, but the Flood can choose whether to infect or not infect, thus explaining how some humans were thought to be "immune" to the Flood by the Forerunners. The Primordial then states that the Precursors meant humanity to inherit the [[Mantle]] instead of the Forerunners. Once the Forerunners are eliminated by the Flood, humanity is going to be "tested" by the Flood to judge their worthiness of inheriting the Mantle. At the conversation's conclusion, the Didact kills the Primordial by activating a reverse stasis chamber that forces the Primordial to go through a billion years of aging in several seconds, causing it to disintegrate. | ||
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Back at present day, the ONI researchers reluctantly accept that the monitor telling the story is actually a version of [[343 Guilty Spark]], the monitor of [[Installation 04]]. In the final segment of the story, Guilty Spark briefly explains what happened after he had become a monitor; he reveals that the [[Ecumene Council]] was reinstated and the debates on new strategies against the Flood renewed under the direction of the Didact, who he last saw walking with the Librarian on the [[greater Ark]]. He is also pleased to learn that Riser and Vinnevra survived, and were relocated on the Ark. | Back at present day, the ONI researchers reluctantly accept that the monitor telling the story is actually a version of [[343 Guilty Spark]], the monitor of [[Installation 04]]. In the final segment of the story, Guilty Spark briefly explains what happened after he had become a monitor; he reveals that the [[Ecumene Council]] was reinstated and the debates on new strategies against the Flood renewed under the direction of the Didact, who he last saw walking with the Librarian on the [[greater Ark]]. He is also pleased to learn that Riser and Vinnevra survived, and were relocated on the Ark. | ||
The book ends with the Guilty Spark duplicate being ejected into space after powering down, but not before he injects his data stream into the ship's computer, subdues the shipboard AI and takes control of the ship. He then explains the crew that he desires to resume his quest to find the Librarian, as well as the old spirits of Riser and Vinnevra. Knowing that the Librarian is actually alive, he puts the crew to sleep and has the ship proceed to her location. | The book ends with the Guilty Spark duplicate being ejected into space after powering down, but not before he injects his data stream into the ship's computer, subdues the shipboard AI and takes control of the ship. He then explains to the crew that he desires to resume his quest to find the Librarian, as well as the old spirits of Riser and Vinnevra. Knowing that the Librarian is actually alive, he puts the crew to sleep and has the ship proceed to her location. | ||
==Characters== | ==Characters== | ||