Catherine Halsey: Difference between revisions
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===Spartan origins=== | ===Spartan origins=== | ||
{{Quote|There is an ancient saying, "The beginning of wisdom is ignorance." So where do we begin to create the ultimate warrior? With innocence.|Halsey, writing in her journal, appropriates a maxim oft attributed to [[Wikipedia:Socrates|Socrates]] for her own ends.}}<ref name="HJ61913"/> | {{Quote|There is an ancient saying, "The beginning of wisdom is ignorance." So where do we begin to create the ultimate warrior? With innocence.|Halsey, writing in her journal, appropriates a maxim oft attributed to [[Wikipedia:Socrates|Socrates]] for her own ends.}}<ref name="HJ61913"/> | ||
After arriving at Reach, Doctor Halsey spent a few months setting up the new laboratory afforded to her.<ref name="HJ8810"/> For weeks prior to [[2510#August|August 8, 2510]] she found it impossible to concentrate due to the confluence of new [[Insurrectionist|insurgent]] reports, new ideas, and the constant supervision of ONI. At one point during this time she stopped at a local shop while coming from the main base where she was stationed and purchased a cup of [[coffee]] and a [[Dr. Halsey's personal journal|journal]] in which she could record her thoughts and research notes without having to fear them being read by anyone in ONI. By August 8, the day on which she recorded her first entry in this journal, she had begun to undertake [[Spartan-II Program|a project]] she had been simultaneously dreading, desiring, and being inspired by. By this point Catherine had already designed a number of intrusion algorithms that could be employed to bypass [[artificial intelligence]]-enhanced data recording and storage systems.<ref name="HJ8810"/> By [[2510#December|December 4]] of that year Halsey's new lab was still unstaffed apart from herself and racks of [[A.I.]] matrices and optical routers were yet to be removed from their sealed crates.<ref name="HJ12410"/> While sitting in the lab on this date Halsey endeavored to create her second entry in her journal, recalling the series of events which had led her Reach and to be working for ONI. She ended the entry by asking how many lives would need to be spent to save all humanity and whether any price was too high to pay in order to ensure its security, resuming her work thereafter. Evidently to aid in this endeavor, she also made herself a reminder to acquire more dark [[coffee]].<ref name="HJ12410"/> On [[2511#February|February 15, 2511]], Doctor Halsey in her journal went over details of the [[ORION Project]] and recorded ways in which she believed [[Spartan-II Program|its successor]] could improve on what it had accomplished.<ref name="HJ21511">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''February 15, 2511''</ref>[[File:HM-Halsey.png|250px|thumb|left|At just twenty-two or twenty-three years old, Halsey became the youngest scientific advisor in ONI's history in 2515.<ref name="WaypointCatherineHalsey"/>]] ORION had been designed to create a nontraditional force of soldiers in order to remove the budding dissident leadership in the Outer Colonies without massive carnage, and to this end volunteers were recruited from the UNSC's [[UNSC Special Forces|Special Forces]]. Based on the failures documented surrounding the genetic augmentation and immunosuppressant administration provided to ORION candidates, Halsey determined that the most suitable candidates fur a future generation of augmented warriors would need to be prepubescent and possess more malleable and robust [[Wikipedia:DNA|DNA]] structures and [[Wikipedia:DNA polymerase|repair enzymes]]. In order to locate individuals with the improbable genetic criteria required, she calculated that thirty-nine billion DNA records would need to be screened. Halsey realized the [[Colonial Administration Authority]]'s [[Outer Colony vaccination program]] possessed the largest DNA database at that time and resolved to recalibrate her selection criteria to find markers which would expedite the sifting process. Additionally, she recognized that in order to mitigate the [[Wikipedia:Posttraumatic stress disorder|posttraumatic stress disorder]] and sympathy for the insurgents exhibited by many from ORION, total indoctrination would be required. She was opposed to the sort of brainwashing several of her counterparts in the intelligence community had suggested, noting instead that the mission of "[[Spartan-II Program|Generation-II ORION]]" demanded at least a decade of training, persuasion and acclimation. Above all, she wrote, absolute control must be maintained over those chosen. It was clear to Halsey, based on these parameters, that children were ideal for this project. The ethical and moral implications of such an idea forced her to take extra time to think about this, however. Illustrations drawn in her journal on this date outlined her considerations of various [[human augmentation]]s suitable for the next generation of the ORION Project, which she also was considering renaming something more inspirational on behalf of her military counterparts.<ref name="HJ21511"/> Just over a week later, on [[2511#February|February 23]], Halsey read the news about a [[Nuclear weapon|nuclear]] [[terrorism|terror attack]] at the [[Haven arcology]] on [[Mamore]] which left two million dead and millions more expected to die from the fallout.<ref name="HJ22311">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''February 23, 2511''</ref> It was reported that the [[Freedom and Liberation Party]] was claiming responsibility and upon learning this Halsey became even more convinced than she already had been that she ''had'' to stop the violence in the Outer Colonies from escalating further.<ref name="HJ22311"/> | After arriving at Reach, Doctor Halsey spent a few months setting up the new laboratory afforded to her.<ref name="HJ8810"/> For weeks prior to [[2510#August|August 8, 2510]] she found it impossible to concentrate due to the confluence of new [[Insurrectionist|insurgent]] reports, new ideas, and the constant supervision of ONI. At one point during this time she stopped at a local shop while coming from the main base where she was stationed and purchased a cup of [[coffee]] and a [[Dr. Halsey's personal journal|journal]] in which she could record her thoughts and research notes without having to fear them being read by anyone in ONI. By August 8, the day on which she recorded her first entry in this journal, she had begun to undertake [[Spartan-II Program|a project]] she had been simultaneously dreading, desiring, and being inspired by. By this point Catherine had already designed a number of intrusion algorithms that could be employed to bypass [[artificial intelligence]]-enhanced data recording and storage systems.<ref name="HJ8810"/> By [[2510#December|December 4]] of that year Halsey's new lab was still unstaffed apart from herself and racks of [[A.I.]] matrices and optical routers which were yet to be removed from their sealed crates.<ref name="HJ12410"/> While sitting in the lab on this date Halsey endeavored to create her second entry in her journal, recalling the series of events which had led her Reach and to be working for ONI. She ended the entry by asking how many lives would need to be spent to save all humanity and whether any price was too high to pay in order to ensure its security, resuming her work thereafter. Evidently to aid in this endeavor, she also made herself a reminder to acquire more dark [[coffee]].<ref name="HJ12410"/> On [[2511#February|February 15, 2511]], Doctor Halsey in her journal went over details of the [[ORION Project]] and recorded ways in which she believed [[Spartan-II Program|its successor]] could improve on what it had accomplished.<ref name="HJ21511">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''February 15, 2511''</ref>[[File:HM-Halsey.png|250px|thumb|left|At just twenty-two or twenty-three years old, Halsey became the youngest scientific advisor in ONI's history in 2515.<ref name="WaypointCatherineHalsey"/>]] ORION had been designed to create a nontraditional force of soldiers in order to remove the budding dissident leadership in the Outer Colonies without massive carnage, and to this end volunteers were recruited from the UNSC's [[UNSC Special Forces|Special Forces]]. Based on the failures documented surrounding the genetic augmentation and immunosuppressant administration provided to ORION candidates, Halsey determined that the most suitable candidates fur a future generation of augmented warriors would need to be prepubescent and possess more malleable and robust [[Wikipedia:DNA|DNA]] structures and [[Wikipedia:DNA polymerase|repair enzymes]]. In order to locate individuals with the improbable genetic criteria required, she calculated that thirty-nine billion DNA records would need to be screened. Halsey realized the [[Colonial Administration Authority]]'s [[Outer Colony vaccination program]] possessed the largest DNA database at that time and resolved to recalibrate her selection criteria to find markers which would expedite the sifting process. Additionally, she recognized that in order to mitigate the [[Wikipedia:Posttraumatic stress disorder|posttraumatic stress disorder]] and sympathy for the insurgents exhibited by many from ORION, total indoctrination would be required. She was opposed to the sort of brainwashing several of her counterparts in the intelligence community had suggested, noting instead that the mission of "[[Spartan-II Program|Generation-II ORION]]" demanded at least a decade of training, persuasion and acclimation. Above all, she wrote, absolute control must be maintained over those chosen. It was clear to Halsey, based on these parameters, that children were ideal for this project. The ethical and moral implications of such an idea forced her to take extra time to think about this, however. Illustrations drawn in her journal on this date outlined her considerations of various [[human augmentation]]s suitable for the next generation of the ORION Project, which she also was considering renaming something more inspirational on behalf of her military counterparts.<ref name="HJ21511"/> Just over a week later, on [[2511#February|February 23]], Halsey read the news about a [[Nuclear weapon|nuclear]] [[terrorism|terror attack]] at the [[Haven arcology]] on [[Mamore]] which left two million dead and millions more expected to die from the fallout.<ref name="HJ22311">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''February 23, 2511''</ref> It was reported that the [[Freedom and Liberation Party]] was claiming responsibility and upon learning this Halsey became even more convinced than she already had been that she ''had'' to stop the violence in the Outer Colonies from escalating further.<ref name="HJ22311"/> | ||
On [[2511#July|July 30, 2511]] Halsey received test results for a new [[polymerized lithium niobocene]].<ref name="HJ73011">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''July 30, 2511''</ref> The material had been developed for discharging the vast amount of static energy that plagued ships in [[Slipspace|slipstream space]] but Halsey was interested in its potential applications as a sheath or suit of artificial muscle for a Gen-II ORION soldier. Though manufacturing an entire suit with it was cost-prohibitive at that point, Halsey mentioned in her journal on this date that Stanforth, now a vice admiral and the head of [[ONI#Section Three|ONI Section Three]], had assured her this would be addressed in the "production phase" of the project.<ref name="HJ73011"/><ref name="HTFOR1"/> Given the scope, Halsey remained doubtful.<ref name="HJ73011"/> Additionally, although she believed there was a way to couple the polymerized lithium niobocene to a wearer's nerve inductions to increase reaction time and had created notes on the subject and stored them within the A.I. [[Jorjet]], she had yet to solve the matter of the energy required for such a design. She'd concluded a small nuclear or fusion reactor would need to be attached to the suit, which would be unwieldy, dangerous, and expensive.<ref name="HJ73011"/> Halsey and others agreed that the concept behind the Navy's original [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor#Mark I exoskeleton|Mark I prototype]] [[powered exoskeleton]]s needed to be scrapped for [[Mjolnir|Project: MJOLNIR]].<ref name="HJ73011"/><ref name="HTFOR8"/> Needing to be plugged into a generator or to rely on [[Wikipedia:Wireless power transfer|broadcast power]] made them wholly inefficient for battlefield use.<ref name="HTFOR8"/> Looking over the Mark I's antiquated design at this time, Halsey still wondered how much of it could remain useful.<ref name="HJ73011"/> | On [[2511#July|July 30, 2511]] Halsey received test results for a new [[polymerized lithium niobocene]].<ref name="HJ73011">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''July 30, 2511''</ref> The material had been developed for discharging the vast amount of static energy that plagued ships in [[Slipspace|slipstream space]] but Halsey was interested in its potential applications as a sheath or suit of artificial muscle for a Gen-II ORION soldier. Though manufacturing an entire suit with it was cost-prohibitive at that point, Halsey mentioned in her journal on this date that Stanforth, now a vice admiral and the head of [[ONI#Section Three|ONI Section Three]], had assured her this would be addressed in the "production phase" of the project.<ref name="HJ73011"/><ref name="HTFOR1"/> Given the scope, Halsey remained doubtful.<ref name="HJ73011"/> Additionally, although she believed there was a way to couple the polymerized lithium niobocene to a wearer's nerve inductions to increase reaction time and had created notes on the subject and stored them within the A.I. [[Jorjet]], she had yet to solve the matter of the energy required for such a design. She'd concluded a small nuclear or fusion reactor would need to be attached to the suit, which would be unwieldy, dangerous, and expensive.<ref name="HJ73011"/> Halsey and others agreed that the concept behind the Navy's original [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor#Mark I exoskeleton|Mark I prototype]] [[powered exoskeleton]]s needed to be scrapped for [[Mjolnir|Project: MJOLNIR]].<ref name="HJ73011"/><ref name="HTFOR8"/> Needing to be plugged into a generator or to rely on [[Wikipedia:Wireless power transfer|broadcast power]] made them wholly inefficient for battlefield use.<ref name="HTFOR8"/> Looking over the Mark I's antiquated design at this time, Halsey still wondered how much of it could remain useful.<ref name="HJ73011"/> | ||