Flood: Difference between revisions
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The Forerunners employed countless measures to contain the Flood outbreak, all of which failed. Finally, the Forerunners were forced to a Pyrrhic solution: using an array of seven ring-shaped megastructures collectively known as the [[Halo Array]] as superweapons, the Forerunners would purge the galaxy of all sentient life. Because the Flood were parasitic, and their survival was directly linked to the presence of potential hosts, the Forerunners reasoned that eliminating all potential Flood hosts would render the parasite unable to grow and spread, and eventually cause it to starve to death. Additionally, as a result of the Master Builder's test of [[Installation 07|a Halo]] at [[Charum Hakkor]], it was found that the Halo effect could destroy neural structures: in other words, all animal species, the Flood, and Precursor artifacts could be killed.<ref name="cryptum 293">'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 293-294''</ref> The decision led to political battles and even a civil war, but after exhausting every countermeasure, the Forerunners activated the Halos in [[97,445 BCE]]. | The Forerunners employed countless measures to contain the Flood outbreak, all of which failed. Finally, the Forerunners were forced to a Pyrrhic solution: using an array of seven ring-shaped megastructures collectively known as the [[Halo Array]] as superweapons, the Forerunners would purge the galaxy of all sentient life. Because the Flood were parasitic, and their survival was directly linked to the presence of potential hosts, the Forerunners reasoned that eliminating all potential Flood hosts would render the parasite unable to grow and spread, and eventually cause it to starve to death. Additionally, as a result of the Master Builder's test of [[Installation 07|a Halo]] at [[Charum Hakkor]], it was found that the Halo effect could destroy neural structures: in other words, all animal species, the Flood, and Precursor artifacts could be killed.<ref name="cryptum 293">'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 293-294''</ref> The decision led to political battles and even a civil war, but after exhausting every countermeasure, the Forerunners activated the Halos in [[97,445 BCE]]. | ||
As a result of the firing of the seven Halo installations, the surviving Flood were successfully contained and eventually died out. The only surviving specimens were contained in state-of-the-art, high-security Forerunner research facilities, such as the Halo installations, certain Shield Worlds, and the [[Threshold gas mine]]. Precursor artifacts and structures, composed entirely of neural energy, were also destroyed.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 326''</ref> Many sentient species throughout the galaxy (including humanity) survived the firing of the Halo Array, having been safely relocated beyond the galaxy by the Forerunners on [[Installation 00|the Ark]]. | As a result of the firing of the seven Halo installations, the surviving Flood were successfully contained and eventually died out. The only surviving specimens were contained in state-of-the-art, high-security Forerunner research facilities, such as the Halo installations, certain Shield Worlds, and the [[Threshold gas mine]]. Precursor artifacts and structures, composed entirely of neural energy, were also destroyed.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 326''</ref> Many sentient species throughout the galaxy (including humanity) survived the firing of the Halo Array, having been safely relocated beyond the galaxy by the Forerunners on [[Installation 00|the Ark]]. During their expansion throughout the Orion Arm, the [[Covenant]] would find and occaisionaly release the Flood, employing [[Zealot]]s and their [[Temple Wraith]]s to contain the outbreaks.<ref>''Halo 5: Guardians'', [[Temple Wraith]] REQ card description</ref> | ||
===Outbreak on the Etran Harborage=== | ===Outbreak on the Etran Harborage=== | ||
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===Aftermath=== | ===Aftermath=== | ||
Even though the Gravemind was destroyed, and all Flood on the Ark apparently eradicated, | {{Quote|You've never heard of a major Flood outbreak since the war because of what they do, not because the ugly suckers haven't broken out of their cages since then.|[[Gabriel Thorne]]'s comment on SPARTAN-IV personnel volunteering to join Flood containment teams.<ref name="OSFM">''[[Halo: Official Spartan Field Manual]]'', PART 09: ALIEN FACTIONS, The Flood (p. 172-175)</ref>}} | ||
Even though the Gravemind was destroyed, and all Flood on the Ark apparently eradicated, the Flood still exists on the other Halo rings (excluding Installation 05 which was sterilized by Sangheili forces) and other remaining Forerunner installations. Even though [[Path Kethona]] was sterilized by [[Omega Halo]] near the end of the Flood war, given the Flood's extragalactic origin, it is possible that more pockets of Flood exist outside the galaxy - or more disturbingly, that other, more distant galaxies may have fallen to the Flood. | |||
Though the UNSC kept the Flood's existence concealed from the general population, it did make preparations for the possibility of the Flood's return. The new [[Spartan Operations|Spartan]] branch was designed as a first line of defense against the Flood,<ref name="HSA">'''[[Halo: Spartan Assault]]''', ''[[Flood Missions]]''</ref> and | Though the UNSC kept the Flood's existence concealed from the general population, it did make preparations for the possibility of the Flood's return. The new [[Spartan Operations|Spartan]] branch was designed as a first line of defense against the Flood, with the [[SPARTAN-IV program|SPARTAN-IV]] complement of the {{UNSCShip|Infinity}} running simulations depicting the possible return of the Flood. This is realized through both [[War Games]] [[Flood (gametype)|exercises]] and the interactive [[UNSC Tactical Simulator|TACSIM]].<ref name="HSA">'''[[Halo: Spartan Assault]]''', ''[[Flood Missions]]''</ref> Some Spartans volunteer to join [[Flood containment Fireteams]] dedicated to going up against Flood outbreaks, with several outbreaks occurring following the end of the war and being successfully contained due to their actions.<ref name="OSFM"/> Teams were deployed to quarantine any areas of potential Flood contamination during the UNSC's initial forays onto Halo [[Installation 03]],<ref>'''[[Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide]]''', ''page 200''</ref> though it is unclear whether the parasite was actually encountered. The UNSC has otherwise seen the development of the [[Hazops Cyclops]] dedicated to fighting the Flood threat, and the "Flood" variant of the [[Visual Intelligence System, Reconnaissance|VISR]] - given to Spartan personnel involved in Flood containment duties..<ref>''Halo 5: Guardians'', Flood visor description</ref> The UNSC includes a briefing on the Flood in the [[Official Spartan Field Manual]], wherein it details protocols such as [[Emergency Contact Protocol Upsilon]] and the [[CORRUPTER]] cryptonym - to be declared in the suspected presence of a Flood outbreak and upon infection of a Spartan, respectively.<ref name="OSFM"/> | ||
Three days after the [[Battle of Installation 00]], with some of the Flood spores having survived the [[Raid on Installation 08|firing]] of [[Installation 08]] and the destruction of High Charity's reactor, [[Installation 00|the Ark's]] [[monitor]] [[000 Tragic Solitude]] had the ruined Covenant capital city of [[High Charity]] sealed off with a [[containment shield]] and the Ark's [[Sentinel]]s raze the perimeter and modify the refugia nearby so that no sentient life would survive in the vicinity, thus depriving the Flood of new host bodies were they ever to escape. Tragic Solitude also set a battalion of Sentinels on patrol around the perimeter, not only to keep the Flood contained, but to defend against any future outsiders who might try to enter the wreckage and thus unleash the Flood.<ref name="AUT">'''[[Halo Wars 2]]''' ''Phoenix Logs'' - ''Idle Hands II''</ref> | Three days after the [[Battle of Installation 00]], with some of the Flood spores having survived the [[Raid on Installation 08|firing]] of [[Installation 08]] and the destruction of High Charity's reactor, [[Installation 00|the Ark's]] [[monitor]] [[000 Tragic Solitude]] had the ruined Covenant capital city of [[High Charity]] sealed off with a [[containment shield]] and the Ark's [[Sentinel]]s raze the perimeter and modify the refugia nearby so that no sentient life would survive in the vicinity, thus depriving the Flood of new host bodies were they ever to escape. Tragic Solitude also set a battalion of Sentinels on patrol around the perimeter, not only to keep the Flood contained, but to defend against any future outsiders who might try to enter the wreckage and thus unleash the Flood.<ref name="AUT">'''[[Halo Wars 2]]''' ''Phoenix Logs'' - ''Idle Hands II''</ref> | ||
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{{Quote|I told you NOT to go inside. FOR GOOD REASON!|[[Atriox]] to [[Voridus]]<ref name="Manifestation">'''[[Halo Wars 2]]''', campaign level ''[[Manifestation]]''</ref>}} | {{Quote|I told you NOT to go inside. FOR GOOD REASON!|[[Atriox]] to [[Voridus]]<ref name="Manifestation">'''[[Halo Wars 2]]''', campaign level ''[[Manifestation]]''</ref>}} | ||
[[File:HW2_FloodTankForm_Concept.jpg|right|thumb|250px|A [[Flood tank form]] overwhelms a Warthog.]] | [[File:HW2_FloodTankForm_Concept.jpg|right|thumb|250px|A [[Flood tank form]] overwhelms a Warthog.]] | ||
{{Main| | {{Main|Outbreak on Installation 00}} | ||
In early [[2559#June|June 2559]], after the loss of the ''[[Enduring Conviction]]'', the [[Jiralhanae]] brothers [[Pavium]] and [[Voridus]] were tasked to salvage the wrecks around [[High Charity]] for weapons to use in [[Second Ark Conflict|the conflict]] with the humans of the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}}. The [[Banished]] leader Atriox, aware of the potential danger of the Flood having survived in the city, gave specific orders to only scout the shell and not to go inside lest surviving Flood be disturbed. However, [[Voridus]], like many of the Banished, did not take the threat of the Flood seriously, believing it simply be another lie of the [[San'Shyuum|Prophets]]. Ignoring the warnings of both Atriox and his own brother Pavium, Voridus deactivated the Ark's Sentinel defense network and used a [[Banished Scarab]] to burn a hole in the [[containment shield]] around the former Covenant holy city. When Voridus' troops entered the wreckage to salvage it, they were ambushed by thousands of Flood [[infection form]]s lurking within High Charity which were then set loose upon the Ark. With the Sentinel defense network down, the Flood were left unhindered by the Ark's defense systems.<ref name="What Could Go Wrong?">'''[[Halo Wars 2: Awakening the Nightmare]]''', campaign level ''[[What Could Go Wrong?]]''</ref> | In early [[2559#June|June 2559]], after the loss of the ''[[Enduring Conviction]]'', the [[Jiralhanae]] brothers [[Pavium]] and [[Voridus]] were tasked to salvage the wrecks around [[High Charity]] for weapons to use in [[Second Ark Conflict|the conflict]] with the humans of the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}}. The [[Banished]] leader Atriox, aware of the potential danger of the Flood having survived in the city, gave specific orders to only scout the shell and not to go inside lest surviving Flood be disturbed. However, [[Voridus]], like many of the Banished, did not take the threat of the Flood seriously, believing it simply be another lie of the [[San'Shyuum|Prophets]]. Ignoring the warnings of both Atriox and his own brother Pavium, Voridus deactivated the Ark's Sentinel defense network and used a [[Banished Scarab]] to burn a hole in the [[containment shield]] around the former Covenant holy city. When Voridus' troops entered the wreckage to salvage it, they were ambushed by thousands of Flood [[infection form]]s lurking within High Charity which were then set loose upon the Ark. With the Sentinel defense network down, the Flood were left unhindered by the Ark's defense systems.<ref name="What Could Go Wrong?">'''[[Halo Wars 2: Awakening the Nightmare]]''', campaign level ''[[What Could Go Wrong?]]''</ref> | ||
