Gameplay

Foundation (Halo Infinite): Difference between revisions

From Halopedia, the Halo wiki

m (→‎Transcript: link cleanup, replaced: [[The Harbinger| → [[Harbinger|)
 
(43 intermediate revisions by 7 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Era|RW}}
{{Status|Gameplay}}
{{Title|Foundation (''Halo Infinite'')}}
{{Title|Foundation (''Halo Infinite'')}}
{{disambig header|the [[Halo Infinite]] campaign level|the [[Halo 2]] multiplayer level|Foundation}}
{{disambig header|the [[Halo Infinite]] campaign level|the [[Halo 2]] multiplayer level|Foundation}}
Line 24: Line 24:


==Overview==
==Overview==
{{Article quote|The Master Chief descends into the underbelly of Zeta Halo searching for the weapon that ended the war. The weapon, an AI created by Dr. Halsey for the express purpose of infiltrating the Ring and neutralizing Cortana, tells Chief that though her primary mission was successful, her self-deletion protocols failed. Chief informs the Weapon of the new mission: to stop the Banished from taking control of Halo by any means necessary. Chief and the Weapon fight their way to the surface of the Ring.}}
{{Article quote|The Master Chief descends into the underbelly of Zeta Halo searching for the weapon that ended [[Created Conflict|the war]]. The weapon, an AI created by Dr. Halsey for the express purpose of infiltrating the Ring and neutralizing Cortana, tells Chief that though her primary mission was successful, her self-deletion protocols failed. Chief informs the Weapon of the new mission: to stop the Banished from taking control of Halo by any means necessary. Chief and the Weapon fight their way to the surface of the Ring.}}
 
[[Outpost Tremonius]] immediately begins when this mission is complete.


==Transcript==
==Transcript==
Line 41: Line 43:
''The holo-image changes to that of ''Echo 216'', with hundreds of UNSC IFF tags surrounding it.''
''The holo-image changes to that of ''Echo 216'', with hundreds of UNSC IFF tags surrounding it.''


*'''Ship AI''': "1986 UNSC tags detected."
*'''Ship AI''': "1,986 UNSC tags detected."


*'''John-117''': "Status."
*'''John-117''': "Status."
Line 51: Line 53:
''Scene continues to circle around the Chief as it fades to black.''
''Scene continues to circle around the Chief as it fades to black.''


''Scene opens on [[War Chief]] [[Escharum]] and another [[Jiralhanae]] watching a hologram of the exploding ''[[Ghost of Gbraakon]]''.''
''Scene opens on [[War Chief]] [[Escharum]] and another [[Jiralhanae]] watching a [[hologram]] of the exploding ''[[Ghost of Gbraakon]]''.''


*'''[[Tremonius]]''': "The Master Chief lives? Atriox assured us of his death! Are you not angered?"
*'''[[Tremonius]]''': "The Master Chief lives? [[Atriox]] assured us of [[Battle over Installation 07|his death]]! Are you not angered?"


*'''Escharum''': "No..."
*'''Escharum''': "No..."
Line 61: Line 63:
*'''Escharum''': "I feel... invigorated."  
*'''Escharum''': "I feel... invigorated."  


*'''Tremonious''': "You promised us revenge! Superiority! Renewal!"
*'''Tremonious''': "You promised us [[Razing of Oth Sonin|revenge]]! Superiority! Renewal!"


''Tremonius slams a fist down on the [[Holotank]].''
''Tremonius slams a fist down on the [[Holotank|holotable]].''


*'''Tremonius''': "He threatens everything-"
*'''Tremonius''': "He threatens everything-"
Line 71: Line 73:
*'''Tremonius''': "Atriox is ''dead''! It is his fault that we are stuck here!"
*'''Tremonius''': "Atriox is ''dead''! It is his fault that we are stuck here!"


''Escharum slams his fist on the holotank.''
''Escharum slams his fist on the holotable.''


*'''Escharum''': "The Banished will never bow..."
*'''Escharum''': "The Banished will never bow..."


''Something invisible grabs Tremonius from behind and shoves his head onto the holotank.''
''Something [[Active camouflage|invisible]] grabs Tremonius from behind and shoves his head onto the holotable.''


*'''Escharum''': "To anyone again!"
*'''Escharum''': "To anyone again!"


''Hologram of three [[Covenant]] cruisers appears.''
''Hologram of a trio of [[Covenant]] {{Pattern|Ket|battlecruiser}}s appears.''


*'''Escharum''': "Not the Covenant."
*'''Escharum''': "Not the Covenant."
Line 85: Line 87:
''Hologram changes to that of the Prophets of [[Prophet of Truth|Truth]], [[Prophet of Mercy|Mercy]], and [[Prophet of Regret|Regret]].''
''Hologram changes to that of the Prophets of [[Prophet of Truth|Truth]], [[Prophet of Mercy|Mercy]], and [[Prophet of Regret|Regret]].''


*'''Escharum''': "Not the Prophets."
*'''Escharum''': "Not the [[San'Shyuum|Prophets]]."


''Hologram changes to a [[Cylix|sarcophagus-like Forerunner artifact with a humanoid figure engraved on its surface]].''
''A triangular device appears below the Prophets, who vanish as the device splits into three individual pieces. A [[Cylix|sarcophagus-like Forerunner artifact with a humanoid figure engraved on its surface]] appears above the pieces. The damaged [[Zeta Halo]] surrounds the artifact.''


*'''Escharum''': "Not [[The Harbinger|her]]."
*'''Escharum''': "Not [[Harbinger|her]]."


''Tremonius' attacker decloaks, revealing itself to be a [[Jega 'Rdomnai|sinister-looking Sangheili]] with a prosthetic left arm. The Sangheili ignites a red energy blade mounted on his artificial arm and holds it to Tremonius' throat.''
''The holograms dissolve. Tremonius' attacker decloaks, revealing itself to be a [[Jega 'Rdomnai|sinister-looking Sangheili]] with a [[Artificial limb|robotic left arm]] and a pair of artificial left mandibles. The Sangheili ignites a [[Ghostpierce|red energy blade]] mounted on his artificial arm and holds it to Tremonius' throat.''


*'''Escharum''': "This Ring ''will'' be operational."
*'''Escharum''': "This Ring ''will'' be operational."
Line 99: Line 101:
*'''Tremonius''': "''Please...''"
*'''Tremonius''': "''Please...''"


*'''Escharum''': "Then you will have your revenge."
''Satisfied, Escharum smiles and gives the Sangheili a nod. The Sangheili withdraws his blade and releases Tremonius.''


''Jega withdraws his blade and releases Tremonius. Humbled, Tremonius rubs his throat, then turns and leaves without another word.''
*'''Escharum''': "''Then'' you will have your revenge."
 
''Humbled, Tremonius rubs his throat, then turns and leaves without another word.''


*'''Escharum''': ''(to Jega)'' "[[Blademaster]]. Follow the Spartan. From a distance. I want to know everything about him."
*'''Escharum''': ''(to Jega)'' "[[Blademaster]]. Follow the Spartan. From a distance. I want to know everything about him."


''Jega bows his head obediently, then leaves.''
''The Sangheili bows his head obediently, then leaves.''


''Escharum growls softly as the scene rotates around him before fading to black.''
''Escharum growls softly as the scene rotates around him before fading to black.''
Line 138: Line 142:


''The cockpit door opens and [[Fernando Esparza|the pilot]] walks out.''
''The cockpit door opens and [[Fernando Esparza|the pilot]] walks out.''
*'''Ship AI''': "Triangulation in progress."


*'''Pilot''': "We're done, right, Chief? If we stay out here any longer they're gonna come back. They'll find us, and they'll kill us."
*'''Pilot''': "We're done, right, Chief? If we stay out here any longer they're gonna come back. They'll find us, and they'll kill us."
Line 209: Line 215:
''The Pelican's bay door opens. John-117 walks over to the entrance.''
''The Pelican's bay door opens. John-117 walks over to the entrance.''


*'''Pilot''': ''(exasperated)'' "What is wrong with you?! Remind me never to pick up a Spartan! This is a terrible idea! They're coming for us! All of them!"
*'''Pilot''': ''(exasperated)'' "What is wrong with you?! Remind me to never pick up a Spartan! This is a terrible idea! They're coming for us! All of them!"


''The Chief gives him a brief glance, before turning his attention to the scene outside. The Pelican is now hovering above a damaged Forerunner structure. A [[Banished Phantom]] arrives. The Chief sees it and promptly jumps out of the Pelican.''
''The Chief gives him a brief glance, before turning his attention to the scene outside. The Pelican is now hovering above a damaged Forerunner structure. An [[Eklon'Dal Workshop Phantom]] arrives. The Chief sees it and promptly jumps out of the Pelican.''


''John-117 lands. At the same time, the Phantom drops off a single [[Sangheili Mercenary]] before taking off.''
''John-117 lands. At the same time, the Phantom drops off a single [[Sangheili Mercenary]] before taking off.''
Line 222: Line 228:


*'''Pilot (COM)''': "Okay, okay."
*'''Pilot (COM)''': "Okay, okay."
----
''If the Chief stalls:''
*'''Pilot (COM)''': "If you're having second thoughts about this... well, so am I. But you should get moving."
----


''The Master Chief kills the Sangheili and proceeds on foot.''
''The Master Chief kills the Sangheili and proceeds on foot.''
Line 227: Line 241:
*'''Pilot (COM)''': "Heads up. Lots of Banished craft heading your way!"
*'''Pilot (COM)''': "Heads up. Lots of Banished craft heading your way!"


''The Chief encounters an Unggoy and Kig-Yar patrol, which he quickly eliminates.''
''The Chief encounters an [[Unggoy]] and [[Kig-Yar]] patrol, which he quickly eliminates.''


*'''Pilot (COM)''': "More reinforcements! This weapon of yours must be really worth it."
*'''Pilot (COM)''': "More reinforcements! This weapon of yours must be really worth it."
Line 233: Line 247:
''A second Banished Phantom arrives and drops off a few Brutes. The Chief kills them all and continues his journey.''
''A second Banished Phantom arrives and drops off a few Brutes. The Chief kills them all and continues his journey.''


*'''Pilot (COM)''': "Careful, Chief. Another dropship on your location."
*'''Pilot (COM)''': "Careful, Chief! Another dropship on your location."


''Another Phantom drops off more troops. The Chief deals with them. While this is going on, the Forerunner structure constantly trembles and random discharges of energy lash out at the surface, making it clear just how extensive the damage here is.''
''Another Phantom drops off more troops. The Chief deals with them. While this is going on, the Forerunner structure constantly trembles as random discharges of energy lash out at the surface, making it clear just how extensive the damage here is.''


*'''Pilot (COM)''': "This whole place looks likes it's dying. Like it's... clinging to life somehow. How is that possible?"
*'''Pilot (COM)''': "This whole place looks like it's dying. Like it's... clinging to life somehow. How is that possible?"


*'''John-117''': "Each Ring is different."
*'''John-117''': "Each Ring is different."
''The Chief proceeds further across the structure.''


*'''John-117''': "I see an entry point in the wall ahead."
*'''John-117''': "I see an entry point in the wall ahead."
Line 245: Line 261:
*'''Pilot (COM)''': "Get in there. Find this weapon. Then we can go... right?"
*'''Pilot (COM)''': "Get in there. Find this weapon. Then we can go... right?"


''The Chief kills the Banished guarding the entry point, then uses his Grappleshot to get to it.''
''The Chief kills the Banished guarding the entry point, then uses his [[Grappleshot]] to get to it.''


*'''Pilot (COM)''': "Be careful. They're still coming. You really pissed them off back there."
*'''Pilot (COM)''': "Be careful. They're still coming. You really pissed them off back there."
Line 263: Line 279:
*'''Unggoy''': ''(not seeing the Chief)'' "That's stupid! You're stupid! [[John-117|One human]] can't [[Warship Gbraakon|kill]] an entire [[Ghost of Gbraakon|ship]]."  
*'''Unggoy''': ''(not seeing the Chief)'' "That's stupid! You're stupid! [[John-117|One human]] can't [[Warship Gbraakon|kill]] an entire [[Ghost of Gbraakon|ship]]."  


''The Chief ambushes the patrol and wipes it out. He then heads further into the Foundation, battling more Banished. Eventually he comes across a [[Gravity lift]]. He steps inside the grav lift and starts ascending.''
''The Chief ambushes the patrol and wipes it out. He then heads further into the Foundation, battling more Banished. Eventually he comes across a [[gravity lift]]. He steps inside the grav lift and starts ascending.''


*'''Whispers''': ''"If you knew how you were going to die..."''
*'''Whispers''': ''"If you knew how you were going to die..."''


''The Chief arrives at the upper level. He continues his journey through the Foundation. After clearing out a Banished picket (led by [[Sangheili Officer]]), he enters a massive open chamber containing a ring of floating [[Cylix|sarcophagus-like devices]] surrounding a platform at the center of the room. Each device has a humanoid figure engraved on its surface.''
''The Chief arrives at the upper level. He continues his journey through the Foundation. After clearing out a Banished picket (led by a [[Sangheili Enforcer]]), he enters a hallway.''
 
*'''Whispers''': ''(multiple overlapping voices)''
 
''The Chief enters a massive chamber containing a ring of floating [[Cylix|sarcophagus-like devices]] surrounding a platform at the center of the room. Each device has a humanoid figure engraved on its surface.''


*'''Pilot (COM)''': "What are those things? This is Forerunner, right? I've heard the stories but man... this is crazier than I imagined."
*'''Pilot (COM)''': "What are those things? This is Forerunner, right? I've heard the stories but man... this is crazier than I imagined."
Line 281: Line 301:
''His transmission fades into static.''
''His transmission fades into static.''


''The Chief gets past the devices and as he approaches the holo-pedestal, it pulses with an intense blue light, shaking the room, and creating a glow blue orb around itself. A hologram of a fully intact Zeta Halo appears above the pedestal. As the Chief draws closer, the pedestal gives off another pulse of energy that shakes the room. A section of the holo-Zeta Halo breaks off, so the image now mirrors the Ring's current state.''
''The Chief gets past the devices and as he approaches the holo-pedestal, it pulses with an intense blue light, shaking the room, and creating a blue sphere around itself. A hologram of a fully intact Zeta Halo appears above the pedestal. As the Chief draws closer, the pedestal gives off another pulse of energy that shakes the room. A section of the holo-Zeta Halo breaks off so that the image now mirrors the Ring's current state.''


''The Chief is almost in reach of the pedestal when the orb "sucks" the light from the holo-Halo into itself and releases one final pulse of energy.''
''The Chief is almost in reach of the pedestal when the sphere "sucks" the light from the holo-Halo into itself and releases one final pulse of energy.''


'''{''Cutscene''}'''
'''{''Cutscene''}'''
Line 289: Line 309:
*'''[[The Weapon]]''': "It's been six months! Where have you been?"
*'''[[The Weapon]]''': "It's been six months! Where have you been?"


''The blue orb transforms into an avatar of a miniaturized human female. She looks ''exactly'' like [[Cortana]].''
''The blue sphere transforms into an avatar of a miniaturized human female. She looks and sounds ''exactly'' like [[Cortana]].''


*'''John-117''': "What happened? Where is Cortana?"
*'''John-117''': "What happened? Where is Cortana?"
Line 305: Line 325:
''The Chief starts pacing around the Weapon.''
''The Chief starts pacing around the Weapon.''


*'''Weapon''': "Don't you remember? My instructions were to enter this installation, imitate Cortana and lock her down for retrieval. Yours were to take her back to the ''Infinity'' for deletion." ''(pause)'' "So if it wasn't you..."  
*'''Weapon''': "Don't you remember? My instructions were to enter this installation, imitate Cortana and lock her down for retrieval. Yours were to take her back to the ''Infinity'' for deletion. ''(pause)'' So if it wasn't you..."  


''She suddenly seems worried.''  
''She suddenly seems worried.''  
Line 391: Line 411:
*'''Weapon''': "No. It's not her. [[The Maw|Just dust and echoes.]]"
*'''Weapon''': "No. It's not her. [[The Maw|Just dust and echoes.]]"


*'''John-117''': ''(alarmed)'' "''What did you say?''"
*'''John-117''': ''(alarmed)'' "What did you say?"


*'''Weapon''': "What? It's just pieces of data cycling until they run out of power. It's all around us."
*'''Weapon''': "What? It's just pieces of data cycling until they run out of power. It's all around us."
Line 397: Line 417:
''The platform comes to a halt at the end of the conduit.''
''The platform comes to a halt at the end of the conduit.''


*'''[[Catherine Halsey]] (memory)''': ''"Today I was called an emotionless automaton. They saw faces. [[SPARTAN-II program|Seventy-five healthy subjects.]] Hand picked by me."''
*'''[[Catherine Halsey]] (memory)''': ''"Today I was called an emotionless automaton. They saw faces. Seventy-five healthy subjects. Hand picked by me. Perfect for [[SPARTAN-II program|the program]]."''


''The platform starts rising again.''  
''The platform starts rising again.''  
Line 403: Line 423:
*'''Halsey (memory)''': ''"They will not all survive. I understand that and have made peace with it. Mostly. There is one subject that I find myself hoping does live through this. He is perfectly suited for what is coming."''
*'''Halsey (memory)''': ''"They will not all survive. I understand that and have made peace with it. Mostly. There is one subject that I find myself hoping does live through this. He is perfectly suited for what is coming."''


''The platform enters another chamber and comes to a final stop. "Echoes" of young children appear and disappear around him. He steps off the platform and moves up a ramp, seeing more echoes of children, which appear to be creating a path for him to follow.''
''The platform enters another chamber and comes to a final stop. Ghost-like "echoes" of young children appear and disappear around the Chief. He steps off the platform and moves up a ramp, seeing more echoes of children, which appear to be creating a path for him to follow.''


*'''Halsey (memory)''': ''"He has been assigned a number. 117."''
*'''Halsey (memory)''': ''"He has been assigned a number. 117."''


''John follows the path of echo-children into a corridor outside of a larger chamber. Looking through a glass barrier, John can see Sentinels flying around the chamber, as well as Banished troops patrolling the ledges.''
*'''Halsey (memory)''': ''(echoing)''  ''"117."''
 
''John follows the path of ghostly children into a corridor outside of a larger chamber. Looking through a glass barrier, John can see Sentinels flying around the chamber, as well as Banished troops patrolling the ledge on the left. There's a blue glow coming from a platform at the end of the chamber.''


*'''Weapon''': "There's something up ahead. I can feel it calling out to me."
*'''Weapon''': "There's something up ahead. I can feel it calling out to me."
Line 419: Line 441:
*'''Weapon''': "They smell even worse than I imagined!"
*'''Weapon''': "They smell even worse than I imagined!"


*'''John-117''': "You can smell them?"
*'''John-117''': "You can ''smell'' them?"


*'''Weapon''': "Well, an array of sensors in your armor can, and I analyze the input. ''You'' smell fine, by the way."
*'''Weapon''': "Well, an array of sensors in your armor can, and I analyze the input. ''You'' smell fine, by the way."


''The Chief clears out the Banished, then moves on to an upper ledge. He can now see another blue data sphere on a platform in the middle of the chamber. A deep chasm separates him from the sphere. Nearby is a [[Crucible|machine]] that seems to be missing a power source.''
''The Chief clears out the Banished, then moves on to an upper ledge. He can now see the blue glow is coming from another data sphere. A deep chasm separates him from the sphere. Nearby is a [[Crucible|machine]] that seems to be missing a power source.''


*'''Weapon''': ''(indicating the sphere)'' "Look! Over there. That's the source."
*'''Weapon''': ''(indicating the sphere)'' "Look! Over there. That's the source."
Line 435: Line 457:
*'''Whispers''': ''"[[Composer (level)|They'll pair you with another AI. Maybe even another Cortana model if Halsey lets them. It won't be me... You know that, right?]]"''
*'''Whispers''': ''"[[Composer (level)|They'll pair you with another AI. Maybe even another Cortana model if Halsey lets them. It won't be me... You know that, right?]]"''


''The Chief goes back up, power seed in hand, and inserts it into the Crucible for the bridge. The light bridge activates, allowing the Chief to cross the chasm. He approaches the data sphere, which is hovering above a pedestal, just as the Weapon had been doing earlier.''
''The Chief goes back up, power seed in hand, and inserts it into the Crucible. The light bridge activates, allowing the Chief to cross the chasm. He approaches the data sphere, which is hovering above a pedestal, just as the Weapon had been doing earlier.''


'''{''Cutscene''}'''
'''{''Cutscene''}'''


''The Chief opens his hand and deploys the Weapon. She slowly reaches out toward the data sphere. There's a rising tide of whispers as she makes contact. The Chief reflexively pulls his hand back, pulling the Weapon away from the sphere.''
''The Chief opens his hand and deploys the Weapon. She slowly reaches out toward the data sphere. A ringing sound emanates from the sphere as she makes contact. The Chief reflexively pulls his hand back, pulling the Weapon away from the sphere.''


*'''John-117''': "Is it safe?"
*'''John-117''': "Is it safe?"
Line 451: Line 473:
''John extends his hand, allowing the Weapon to walk off his palm and onto the pedestal. She studies the data sphere, running her hand through it.''
''John extends his hand, allowing the Weapon to walk off his palm and onto the pedestal. She studies the data sphere, running her hand through it.''


*'''Weapon''': ''(in disbelief)'' "This... this is part of me. I don't know why. I don't know how, but it is me. It was the last part I remember being deleted."
*'''Weapon''': ''(in disbelief)'' "This... this is part of me. I don't know why. I don't know how but it is me. It was the last part I remember being deleted."


''She extends her hand further into the data sphere.''
''She extends her hand further into the data sphere.''
Line 463: Line 485:
''John-117 turns around to see [[Halo: The Fall of Reach|an echo of Halsey standing before him]].''
''John-117 turns around to see [[Halo: The Fall of Reach|an echo of Halsey standing before him]].''


*'''Halsey (memory)''': ''"[[Covenant|Our enemies]] are getting smarter and more numerous every day. What I am about to show you will help turn the tide of war. I have been working to harness the strategic power of a ship-borne AI onto the battlefield. Are you ready?"''
''Scene shifts to the Master Chief's POV.''
 
*'''Halsey (memory)''': ''"[[Covenant|Our enemies]] are getting smarter and more numerous every day. What I am about to show you will help turn the tide of [[Human-Covenant War|war]]. I have been working to harness the strategic power of a ship-borne AI onto the battlefield. Are you ready?"''


*'''John-117 (memory)''': ''"Yes, Doctor Halsey."''  
*'''John-117 (memory)''': ''"Yes, Doctor Halsey."''  
Line 469: Line 493:
''Halsey cups her hands together and Cortana's avatar appears in her palms.''
''Halsey cups her hands together and Cortana's avatar appears in her palms.''


*'''Halsey (memory)''': ''"Unlike previous AI models, she will reside ''between'' your mind and [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark V|the suit]], directly communicating with your [[neural interface]]. Think of her as a new set of eyes to aide your reactions and upgrade your reconnaissance."''
*'''Halsey (memory)''': ''"Unlike previous AI models, she will reside ''between'' your mind and [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark V|the suit]], directly communicating with your [[neural interface]]. Think of her as a new set of eyes to aid your reactions and upgrade your reconnaissance."''


''The Halsey memory offers the Cortana avatar to the ''real'' Master Chief, who opens his hand and allows the avatar to walk onto his palm.''
''The Halsey memory offers the Cortana avatar to the ''real'' Master Chief, who opens his hand and allows the avatar to walk onto his palm.''


*'''Halsey (memory)''': ''"She's not the driver, but a way to level the playing field."''
*'''Halsey (memory)''': ''"She is not the driver, but a way to level the playing field."''


*'''John-117 (memory)''': ''"What do I call her?"''
*'''John-117 (memory)''': ''"What do I call her?"''
Line 481: Line 505:
*'''Cortana (memory)''': ''"Hello, Master Chief. I'm Cortana."''
*'''Cortana (memory)''': ''"Hello, Master Chief. I'm Cortana."''


*'''Halsey (memory)''': ''"Together, you become our newfound hope. Together you become our key to humanity's survival. She will do anything to make sure that your mission is accomplished. Even if that means sacrificing herself - or you - to accomplish it."''
*'''Halsey (memory)''': ''"Together, you become our newfound hope. Together you become our key to humanity's survival. She will do anything necessary to make sure that your mission is accomplished. Even if that means sacrificing herself - or you - to accomplish it."''


''Scene rotates so that the Chief can now be seen from the front, holding Cortana in the palm of his hand until she fades away. John flexes his now empty hand, unsure of what to make of all this.''
''Scene rotates so that the Chief can now be seen from the front, holding Cortana in the palm of his hand until she fades away. John flexes his now empty hand, unsure of what to make of all this.''
Line 527: Line 551:
...
...
./ ACTIVATING FILE SYSTEMS
./ ACTIVATING FILE SYSTEMS
SYS_LOAD\> [YSTEM PERIL DISTRIBUTED REFLEX]
SYS_LOAD\> [SYSTEM PERIL DISTRIBUTED REFLEX]
...
...
./ ISOLATING AI
./ ISOLATING AI
Line 542: Line 566:
*'''Weapon''': "Did I miss something? There's a file that's been unlocked but I don't have access."
*'''Weapon''': "Did I miss something? There's a file that's been unlocked but I don't have access."


*'''John-117''': "We need a route out of here."
*'''John-117''': ''(ignoring her question)'' "We need a route out of here."


*'''Weapon''': "Okay. Let's see. There's a breach close by. It should lead us to the surface."  
*'''Weapon''': "Okay. Let's see. There's a breach close by. It should lead us to the surface."  
Line 558: Line 582:
''The Chief heads across the newly-assembled bridge. Banished troops appear and open fire on him.''
''The Chief heads across the newly-assembled bridge. Banished troops appear and open fire on him.''


*'''Jiralhanae''': "Tremonius will know my name when I bring him your head!"
*'''[[Jiralhanae]]''': "Tremonius will know my name when I bring him your head!"


''The Chief defeats all the Banished and reaches the plinth. The Weapon materializes on it.''
''The Chief defeats all the Banished and reaches the plinth. The Weapon materializes on it.''
Line 568: Line 592:
*'''Weapon''': ''(smile fades slightly)'' "Noted. Let's go."
*'''Weapon''': ''(smile fades slightly)'' "Noted. Let's go."


''Another bridge assembles itself. The Master Chief crosses and confronts more Banished troops, including a Jiralhanae manning a [[Type-58 plasma cannon]]. After a protracted fight, the Chief kills all the Banished. He then exits the chamber.''
''Another bridge assembles itself. The Master Chief crosses and confronts more Banished troops, including a Jiralhanae manning a {{Pattern|Shea'p|plasma cannon}}. After a protracted fight, the Chief kills all the Banished and then exits the chamber. He enters a heavily damaged corridor and has to climb over some wreckage. A lone [[Unggoy Mule]] guards the exit. The Chief kills it and moves on.''


''Eventually, the Chief finds a room containing a gravity lift. A single Brute [[sniper]] armed with a [[Skewer]] stands guard atop a pillar at the back of the room. The Chief eliminates the Brute and approaches the grav lift.''
''The Chief enters a room containing a [[gravity lift]]. A single [[Jiralhanae Sniper]] armed with a [[Flaktura Workshop Skewer]] stands guard atop a pillar at the back of the room. The Chief eliminates the Brute and approaches the grav lift.''


*'''Weapon''': "Oh no."
*'''Weapon''': "Oh no."
Line 582: Line 606:
*'''Weapon''': "If you want to get up to the surface, we need to restore power to this gravity lift."
*'''Weapon''': "If you want to get up to the surface, we need to restore power to this gravity lift."


''The Chief finds the Power Seed on the pillar the Brute Sniper was standing on.''
''The Chief finds the power seed on the pillar the Brute Sniper was standing on.''


*'''Weapon''': "This object. It's part of the Ring's life force. It's called a Power Seed."
*'''Weapon''': "This object. It's part of the Ring's life force. It's called a power seed."


''The Chief plants the Power Seed into the gravity lift's [[Crucible]], reactivating it. He then steps into the lift and rides it up.''
''The Chief plants the power seed into the gravity lift's [[Crucible]], reactivating it. He then steps into the lift and rides it up.''


*'''Whispers''': ''"All space. All time. The stars. Swelling. Collapsing. Ending. Serving their longer. Shorter use."''
*'''Whispers''': ''"All space. All time. The stars. Swelling. Collapsing. Ending. Serving their longer. Shorter use."''
Line 600: Line 624:
''The Chief approaches the fallen [[SPARTAN-IV program|Spartan]]. Noticing a green glowing module next to her body, he kneels down and picks it up.''
''The Chief approaches the fallen [[SPARTAN-IV program|Spartan]]. Noticing a green glowing module next to her body, he kneels down and picks it up.''


*'''Weapon''': "She was carrying an enhanced shield module."
*'''Weapon''': "She was carrying an [[Overshield|enhanced shield]] module."


''The Chief integrates the module into his armor, upgrading his shields. He then turns his attention to the deceased Spartan.''
''The Chief integrates the module into his armor, upgrading his shields. He then turns his attention to the deceased Spartan.''
Line 610: Line 634:
*'''Weapon''': "This is Spartan [[Bonita Stone]]. Recon specialist. Her vitals have been offline for nearly a month. Cause of death was an [[Type-1 energy sword|energy blade]], but... different. Stronger. A single strike. She never saw it coming."
*'''Weapon''': "This is Spartan [[Bonita Stone]]. Recon specialist. Her vitals have been offline for nearly a month. Cause of death was an [[Type-1 energy sword|energy blade]], but... different. Stronger. A single strike. She never saw it coming."


''John stands back up. He goes up some stairs and enters a room full of Banished hardware.''
''John stands back up. He goes up some stairs and enters a room full of Banished hardware. Numerous Unggoy and Kig-Yar, including [[Kig-Yar Sniper]]s, patrol the area.''


*'''Weapon''': "We're here. That elevator should take us to the surface."
*'''Weapon''': "We're here. That [[elevator]] should take us to the surface."


''The Chief kills all the Unggoy and Kig-Yar in the room.''
''The Chief kills all the Unggoy and Kig-Yar in the room.''
Line 618: Line 642:
*'''Weapon''': "We need to call down the elevator. Look for a control terminal."
*'''Weapon''': "We need to call down the elevator. Look for a control terminal."


''The Chief finds a control terminal but it's not powered.''
''The Chief finds a Banished control terminal but it's not powered.''


*'''Weapon''': "This elevator's drawing power from the Ring. Well... it was. The seed is missing."
*'''Weapon''': "This elevator's drawing power from the Ring. Well... it was. The seed is missing."


''After some searching, the Chief discovers a massive chamber with a Power Seed inside. The chamber is filled with the sarcophagus-like devices he came across earlier.''
''After some searching, the Chief finds a corridor that leads to a massive chamber filled with the sarcophagus-like devices he came across earlier.''


*'''John-117''': "What are these things?"
*'''John-117''': "What are these things?"
Line 632: Line 656:
*'''Weapon''': "I was stuck in that room for six months surrounded by them. Let's just say they talk. A lot."
*'''Weapon''': "I was stuck in that room for six months surrounded by them. Let's just say they talk. A lot."


''The Chief retrieves the Power Seed.''
''There's a bridge that extends from the entrance and terminates in the middle of the chamber. The power seed is located at the end of the bridge. The Chief heads across and retrieves the seed.''


*'''Weapon''': "That should do it. Let's get back to the elevator."
*'''Weapon''': "That should do it. Let's get back to the elevator."


''The Chief returns to the elevator and installs the Power Seed. He then deploys the Weapon onto the elevator's control terminal.''
''The Chief returns to the elevator and installs the power seed into the Crucible.''
 
----
''If the Chief stalls:''
 
*'''Weapon''': "Get that cradle powered up."
----
 
''After inserting the power seed into the Crucible, the Chief deploys the Weapon onto the elevator's control terminal.''


'''{''Cutscene''}'''
'''{''Cutscene''}'''
''The Weapon studies the elevator.''


*'''Weapon''': "This isn't [[Forerunner]]. It identifies as Banished."
*'''Weapon''': "This isn't [[Forerunner]]. It identifies as Banished."
Line 646: Line 680:
*'''Weapon''': "In my sleep. Not that I sleep but... ''(realizes)'' Oh, I don't need to. It's already on its way down."
*'''Weapon''': "In my sleep. Not that I sleep but... ''(realizes)'' Oh, I don't need to. It's already on its way down."


''The Chief looks up to see that the elevator is indeed on its way down.''
''The Chief looks up and sees that the elevator is indeed already on its way down.''


*'''John-117''': "Incoming."
*'''John-117''': "Incoming."
Line 654: Line 688:
*'''John-117''': "It isn't."
*'''John-117''': "It isn't."


''He uploads the Weapon back into his armor, just as the elevator arrives, bringing Tremonius along with two [[Kig-Yar Raider]]s. Tremonius snarls and flexes his arms threateningly, before using his [[Jump pack]] to get off the elevator. He lands in front of the Chief and a security barrier activates behind him, confining all combatants to an enclosed area.''
''He uploads the Weapon back into his armor just as the elevator arrives with [[Tremonius]] and two [[Kig-Yar Raider]]s. Tremonius snarls and flexes his arms threateningly before using his [[Jump pack]] to get off the elevator platform. He lands in front of the Chief and an [[energy barrier]] activates behind him, confining all combatants to an enclosed area.''


*'''Tremonius:''' "Escharum's orders are that you should be brought before him! He did not specify in how many pieces."
*'''Tremonius:''' "Escharum's orders are that you should be brought before him! He did not specify in how many pieces."
Line 664: Line 698:
{{Center|For Tremonius' dialogue during the fight, see [[Tremonius/Quotes#Boss Fight|here]].}}
{{Center|For Tremonius' dialogue during the fight, see [[Tremonius/Quotes#Boss Fight|here]].}}


''Tremonius proves to be a formidable adversary, even for the Spartan, but eventually the Master Chief prevails and kills both Tremonius and his Kig-Yar guards. The security barrier deactivates.''
''If the Chief tries to activate the elevator before Tremonius and his guards are defeated:''
 
*'''Weapon''': "It's too dangerous, Chief."
 
''Tremonius proves to be a formidable adversary, even for the Spartan, but eventually the Master Chief prevails and kills Tremonius and the Kig-Yar guards. The energy barrier deactivates.''


*'''Weapon''': "You were right. He was not friendly. By the looks of him he was some sort of [[Jiralhanae Warlord|leader]]. They called him 'Tremonius'."
*'''Weapon''': "You were right. He was not friendly. By the looks of him he was some sort of [[Jiralhanae Warlord|leader]]. They called him 'Tremonius'."
Line 702: Line 740:
|}
|}


==Production Notes==
==Collectibles==
*'''Audio Logs''' (3): [[Audio log (Halo Infinite)/Banished/Escharum/02|Escharum's Testimony 02 - Cylix]], [[Audio log (Halo Infinite)/UNSC/Prisoner/01|Prisoner 01 - Not My Fault]], [[Audio log (Halo Infinite)/UNSC/Recovered/02|Recovered File 02 - The Question]]
*'''Skulls''' (1): [[Halo Infinite skulls#Cowbell|Cowbell]]
 
==Production notes==
The ''[[Discover Hope]]'' trailer depicted the gameplay section where [[John-117]] approaches [[the Weapon]]'s pedestal as a cutscene.
The ''[[Discover Hope]]'' trailer depicted the gameplay section where [[John-117]] approaches [[the Weapon]]'s pedestal as a cutscene.
==Mistakes==
When the Halsey memory says ''Think of her as a new set of eyes to aid your reactions and upgrade your reconnaissance'', the subtitles incorrectly use the noun ''aide'' instead of the verb ''aid''.


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
===Concept art===
===Concept art===
<gallery>
<gallery>
File:HINF FoundationStartConcept.jpg|Concept art of the start of the level.
File:HINF FirstPersonConcept.jpg|First-person concept art of the same area.
File:HI DH Chief ControlRoom Concept.jpg|Concept art of John-117 approaching the pedestal where finds the Weapon.
File:HI DH Chief ControlRoom Concept.jpg|Concept art of John-117 approaching the pedestal where finds the Weapon.
File:HI ChiefMOD Control Room concept.jpg|Another concept art of John-117 finding the Weapon.
File:HI ChiefMOD Control Room concept.jpg|Another concept art of John-117 finding the Weapon.
File:HINF ForerunnerInteriorConcept.png|Concept art of John-117 in a partially-intact Forerunner hallway.
File:HINF ForerunnerInteriorConcept.png|Concept art of John-117 in a partially-intact Forerunner hallway.
File:HINF_LightBridgeConcept.jpg|Concept art of John-117 crossing a lightbridge while debris hover around.
File:HINF_LightBridgeConcept.jpg|Concept art of John-117 crossing a lightbridge while debris hover around.
File:HINF Concept Foundation.jpg|Concept art of John-117 within a chamber on the level.
</gallery>
</gallery>


Line 723: Line 771:
===Screenshots===
===Screenshots===
<gallery>
<gallery>
File:HINF BestBuddies.png|Jega restrains Tremonius while Escharum speaks.
File:HINF Foundation Level.png|A Phantom at the partially-built foundation of the ring.
File:HINF Foundation Level.png|A Phantom at the partially-built foundation of the ring.
File:HINF Foundation Structure.png|A large Forerunner room and door.
File:HINF Foundation Structure.png|A large Forerunner room and door.
File:HINF Foundation damaged area.png|A damaged area of the level.
File:HINF Cylix.png|Cylixes around where the Weapon was retrieved.
File:HINF Cylix.png|Cylixes around where the Weapon was retrieved.
File:HINF Zeta Halo Broken.png|A hologram displaying the damaged ring.
File:HINF Zeta Halo Broken.png|A hologram displaying the damaged ring.
Line 731: Line 781:
File:HINF Cortana Dust and Echoes.png|Residue data of Cortana dispersed in a room.
File:HINF Cortana Dust and Echoes.png|Residue data of Cortana dispersed in a room.
File:HINF Zeta Halo Hologram.png|Hologram of the damaged ring where the Weapon was found.
File:HINF Zeta Halo Hologram.png|Hologram of the damaged ring where the Weapon was found.
File:HINF Tremonius Full Armor.jpg|Tremonius and his Kig-Yar confront John-117.
File:HINF Foundation Chief finds Weapon.png|The Chief finds the Weapon.
File:HINF Foundation Insert Chip.png|The Chief prepares to upload the Weapon into his armor.
File:HINF Foundation Ghost Child.png|A fragment of memory manifesting as a ghostly child.
File:HINF Foundation Chief Weapon find data sphere.png|The Chief and the Weapon find a data sphere.
File:HINF Cortana introduced.png|Memory of Cortana being given to John-117.
File:HINF Weapon Framework.png|The Weapon absorbs the Framework into herself.
File:HINF Foundation Chief with plasma turret.png|The Chief guns down the Banished troops in his path.
File:HINF Bonita Stone Corpse.jpg|Finding Spartan Stone's body.
File:HINF Foundation clearing elevator.png|The Chief secures the elevator room.
File:HINF Tremonius Full Armor.jpg|Tremonius and his Kig-Yar Raiders confront John-117.
File:HINF Tremonius battle - incoming.png|The Chief battles Tremonius.
File:HINF Tremonius defeated.png|Tremonius slain.
</gallery>
</gallery>
==Sources==
==Sources==
{{Ref/List}}
{{Ref/List}}

Latest revision as of 16:21, November 8, 2023

This article is about the Halo Infinite campaign level. For the Halo 2 multiplayer level, see Foundation.

Prev:

Warship Gbraakon

Next:

Outpost Tremonius

Foundation
Zeta Halo Hologram

Game:

Halo Infinite

Player:

John-117

Date:

c. May 28, 2560[1]

Location:

Underneath Outpost Tremonius, Installation 07[2]

Objective(s):

Main-Legendary.png

Halopedia doesn't currently have a walkthrough for this level; could you write one?

 
Look for a weapon in the broken section of the Halo.

Foundation is the second campaign main mission in Halo Infinite, under the first campaign section "Ringfall".

Overview[edit]

The Master Chief descends into the underbelly of Zeta Halo searching for the weapon that ended the war. The weapon, an AI created by Dr. Halsey for the express purpose of infiltrating the Ring and neutralizing Cortana, tells Chief that though her primary mission was successful, her self-deletion protocols failed. Chief informs the Weapon of the new mission: to stop the Banished from taking control of Halo by any means necessary. Chief and the Weapon fight their way to the surface of the Ring.

Outpost Tremonius immediately begins when this mission is complete.

Transcript[edit]

{Cutscene}

Scene begins inside Echo 216's troop bay.

A hologram of the Infinity appears before him. Scene rotates around John-117 as he studies the hologram.

  • Ship AI: "UNSC Infinity. Class: Supercarrier. Crew size: 7150. Not found."
  • John-117: "Near-field perimeter scan."

The holo-image changes to that of Echo 216, with hundreds of UNSC IFF tags surrounding it.

  • Ship AI: "1,986 UNSC tags detected."
  • John-117: "Status."
  • Ship AI: "Deceased."

All UNSC tags turn red and are marked "Deceased".

Scene continues to circle around the Chief as it fades to black.

Scene opens on War Chief Escharum and another Jiralhanae watching a hologram of the exploding Ghost of Gbraakon.

  • Escharum: "No..."

The hologram disappears.

  • Escharum: "I feel... invigorated."
  • Tremonious: "You promised us revenge! Superiority! Renewal!"

Tremonius slams a fist down on the holotable.

  • Tremonius: "He threatens everything-"
  • Escharum: "Do you question my leadership? Atriox's vision?"
  • Tremonius: "Atriox is dead! It is his fault that we are stuck here!"

Escharum slams his fist on the holotable.

  • Escharum: "The Banished will never bow..."

Something invisible grabs Tremonius from behind and shoves his head onto the holotable.

  • Escharum: "To anyone again!"

Hologram of a trio of Covenant Ket-pattern battlecruisers appears.

  • Escharum: "Not the Covenant."

Hologram changes to that of the Prophets of Truth, Mercy, and Regret.

A triangular device appears below the Prophets, who vanish as the device splits into three individual pieces. A sarcophagus-like Forerunner artifact with a humanoid figure engraved on its surface appears above the pieces. The damaged Zeta Halo surrounds the artifact.

  • Escharum: "Not her."

The holograms dissolve. Tremonius' attacker decloaks, revealing itself to be a sinister-looking Sangheili with a robotic left arm and a pair of artificial left mandibles. The Sangheili ignites a red energy blade mounted on his artificial arm and holds it to Tremonius' throat.

  • Escharum: "This Ring will be operational."

Tremonius gasps pitifully.

  • Tremonius: "Please..."

Satisfied, Escharum smiles and gives the Sangheili a nod. The Sangheili withdraws his blade and releases Tremonius.

  • Escharum: "Then you will have your revenge."

Humbled, Tremonius rubs his throat, then turns and leaves without another word.

  • Escharum: (to Jega) "Blademaster. Follow the Spartan. From a distance. I want to know everything about him."

The Sangheili bows his head obediently, then leaves.

Escharum growls softly as the scene rotates around him before fading to black.

Scene cuts back to Echo 216. John-117 starts heading over to the cockpit.

  • Ship AI: "Armor link connection requested."

John stops at the door to the cockpit.

  • John-117: "Accept."

A hologram of a green swirling spiral of data appears.

  • Ship AI: "Encrypted message found."
  • John-117: "Read."
  • Ship AI: "Attempting decryption."

The hologram freezes, turns red, and disappears.

  • Ship AI: "Decryption failed."

John turns around.

  • John-117: "Locate message source."

A hologram of Zeta Halo appears. The Ship AI begins scanning the Ring.

  • Ship AI: "Triangulation in progress."

The cockpit door opens and the pilot walks out.

  • Ship AI: "Triangulation in progress."
  • Pilot: "We're done, right, Chief? If we stay out here any longer they're gonna come back. They'll find us, and they'll kill us."

The Chief doesn't answer.

  • Ship AI: "Triangulation in progress."
  • Pilot: "What is it you're searching for?"

Scan finishes. The damaged section of the Ring gives off a red ping.

  • Ship AI: "Match found. Signal located. Waypoint uploaded."

Hologram changes to a cluster of structures. A red triangle hovers above a circular platform, indicating the source of the message.

  • Pilot: (annoyed) "There's nothing there. You're looking in the wrong direction. We need to go home."
  • John-117: (to the Ship AI) "Plot the waypoint."
  • Ship AI: "Requesting manual flight control override."
  • John-117: "Do it."
  • Ship AI: "Autopilot engaged."
  • Pilot: "Wait, what?!"

The pilot waves his arms frantically as the hologram deactivates and the autopilot takes control.

  • Pilot: "Are you kidding me? Why would we go down there?"
  • John-117: "The Banished plan to wipe us out. All of us."
  • Pilot: (angrily) "And what? You think we can stop them on our own?!"

Frustrated, he punches the Master Chief in the chest with both fists. The Chief doesn't budge. The pilot recoils from the impact and grunts in pain. He then turns away, shaking his head.

  • Pilot: "I told you. We lost."

He turns back to the Chief.

  • Pilot: "We need help, not heroics."
  • John-117: "No. We do our duty. Protect Humanity. Whatever the cost."

The pilot paces about.

  • Pilot: "I can't be the only-"

Echo 216 shakes violently. An alert blares.

  • Ship AI: "Entering atmosphere. Autopilot disengaging in five..."
  • John-117: "We have a new mission, soldier."
  • Ship AI: "Four..."
  • Pilot: "What is it? What's down there?"
  • Ship AI: "Three..."
  • Ship AI: "Two..."
  • Pilot: (confused) "A weapon? How many guns do you need?"
  • Ship AI: "One..."

The Pelican's bay door opens. John-117 walks over to the entrance.

  • Pilot: (exasperated) "What is wrong with you?! Remind me to never pick up a Spartan! This is a terrible idea! They're coming for us! All of them!"

The Chief gives him a brief glance, before turning his attention to the scene outside. The Pelican is now hovering above a damaged Forerunner structure. An Eklon'Dal Workshop Phantom arrives. The Chief sees it and promptly jumps out of the Pelican.

John-117 lands. At the same time, the Phantom drops off a single Sangheili Mercenary before taking off.

{Gameplay}

  • Pilot (COM): "Incoming! All directions! It's not safe!"
  • John-117: "Pull back."
  • Pilot (COM): "Okay, okay."

If the Chief stalls:

  • Pilot (COM): "If you're having second thoughts about this... well, so am I. But you should get moving."

The Master Chief kills the Sangheili and proceeds on foot.

  • Pilot (COM): "Heads up. Lots of Banished craft heading your way!"

The Chief encounters an Unggoy and Kig-Yar patrol, which he quickly eliminates.

  • Pilot (COM): "More reinforcements! This weapon of yours must be really worth it."

A second Banished Phantom arrives and drops off a few Brutes. The Chief kills them all and continues his journey.

  • Pilot (COM): "Careful, Chief! Another dropship on your location."

Another Phantom drops off more troops. The Chief deals with them. While this is going on, the Forerunner structure constantly trembles as random discharges of energy lash out at the surface, making it clear just how extensive the damage here is.

  • Pilot (COM): "This whole place looks like it's dying. Like it's... clinging to life somehow. How is that possible?"
  • John-117: "Each Ring is different."

The Chief proceeds further across the structure.

  • John-117: "I see an entry point in the wall ahead."
  • Pilot (COM): "Get in there. Find this weapon. Then we can go... right?"

The Chief kills the Banished guarding the entry point, then uses his Grappleshot to get to it.

  • Pilot (COM): "Be careful. They're still coming. You really pissed them off back there."

The Chief finds a door leading into the structure and goes inside. He goes down a short corridor and enters through the door on the other end. A swarm of Aggressor Sentinels flies past him. Looking in the direction the Sentinels flew in, he spots an active light bridge leading down a massive chamber. Beyond the bridge, he sees shattered platforms and pillars floating in midair.

The Chief starts crossing the light bridge.

  • Pilot (COM): "Look at this place! It's beautiful. And broken. Very, very broken."

The Chief reaches a central platform with a small pillar atop of it. A second light bridge extends from the opposite end of the platform.

  • Pilot (COM): "I need to move. There are Banished ships... everywhere."

The Chief starts to cross the second light bridge. As he does, he spots a patrol of Unggoy and Kig-Yar up ahead on the left crossing an intersecting bridge.

  • Unggoy: (not seeing the Chief) "That's stupid! You're stupid! One human can't kill an entire ship."

The Chief ambushes the patrol and wipes it out. He then heads further into the Foundation, battling more Banished. Eventually he comes across a gravity lift. He steps inside the grav lift and starts ascending.

  • Whispers: "If you knew how you were going to die..."

The Chief arrives at the upper level. He continues his journey through the Foundation. After clearing out a Banished picket (led by a Sangheili Enforcer), he enters a hallway.

  • Whispers: (multiple overlapping voices)

The Chief enters a massive chamber containing a ring of floating sarcophagus-like devices surrounding a platform at the center of the room. Each device has a humanoid figure engraved on its surface.

  • Pilot (COM): "What are those things? This is Forerunner, right? I've heard the stories but man... this is crazier than I imagined."

The Chief proceeds down a ramp and starts navigating his way around the devices. He soon spots a holo-pedestal on the central platform.

  • Pilot (COM): "Dumb question. How do you know this isn't a trap?"
  • John-117: "I don't."
  • Pilot (COM): "Great. I hope this weapon of yours is worth the risk. I'm reading multiple enemy ships heading this way. Too many. We're running out-"

His transmission fades into static.

The Chief gets past the devices and as he approaches the holo-pedestal, it pulses with an intense blue light, shaking the room, and creating a blue sphere around itself. A hologram of a fully intact Zeta Halo appears above the pedestal. As the Chief draws closer, the pedestal gives off another pulse of energy that shakes the room. A section of the holo-Zeta Halo breaks off so that the image now mirrors the Ring's current state.

The Chief is almost in reach of the pedestal when the sphere "sucks" the light from the holo-Halo into itself and releases one final pulse of energy.

{Cutscene}

  • The Weapon: "It's been six months! Where have you been?"

The blue sphere transforms into an avatar of a miniaturized human female. She looks and sounds exactly like Cortana.

  • John-117: "What happened? Where is Cortana?"

The Weapon places her hands behind her back.

  • Weapon: "The rogue AI known as Cortana is gone. She's been deleted."

Stunned, the Chief turns to the Weapon.

  • John-117: "How? By you?"
  • Weapon: (baffled by his inquiry) "Of course not. Did you hit your head or something?"

The Chief starts pacing around the Weapon.

  • Weapon: "Don't you remember? My instructions were to enter this installation, imitate Cortana and lock her down for retrieval. Yours were to take her back to the Infinity for deletion. (pause) So if it wasn't you..."

She suddenly seems worried.

  • Weapon: "Okay then... there's something else. On successful deployment, my deletion routine was suppose to be complete." (shrugs) "Still here." (chuckles nervously)

John-117 stops pacing. He looks over his shoulder at her.

  • John-117: "Good."
  • Weapon: (confused) "Good? My programming failed. I'm not supposed to be here. You need to delete me."

John-117 turns to face her.

  • John-117: "No."
  • Weapon: "No? I was created for one purpose and that purpose is no longer needed. My mission is over."
  • John-117: "We have a new one. The Banished are planning to fire this Ring. We need to make sure they don't."
  • Weapon: "First of all, what's a Banished? Second, you may have noticed that a significant piece of this installation has been damaged making that impossible... And third, to fire this Ring they would need an Activation index. Cortana had the Index. I had parts of it as well-"
  • John-117: "Something stopped your deletion. We need to find out why."
  • Weapon: (uncertain) "But this wasn't the mission."
  • John-117: "The missions change. They always do."
  • Weapon: "Are you sure?"

In response, the Chief pulls the data chip from the back of his helmet and holds it out to her. After hesitating for a moment, the Weapon reaches out with one hand and dematerializes, uploading herself into the chip. Once the upload is complete, the Chief prepares to insert the chip back into his helmet.

Player receives a prompt: INSERT CHIP

The chip is inserted.

{Gameplay}

A series of messages appear on the Chief's VISR.

Armor Bios // MJOLNIR / VER_12.22.12 / ID_117
>> PRIMARY SUPPORT SYSTEM CHECK
./ WEAPON CONTAINMENT DEVICE
SYS_AI_CON_\>: INSERTED
...
./ VERIFICATION
SYS_DIR\> AI.QUARANTINE.MANAGER.PRESENT
...
SYS_LOAD\>AI.SYS.BROKER
...
./ AI DETECTED
SYS_LOAD\> AI.HANDSHAKE.MKR
...
SYS_LOC\> ACCESSING
...
./ IDENTIFYING
SYS_LOC\> DIRECTIVES
...
SYS_LOC\> RTN.NULL.VALUE
...
>> PROGRAM INCOMPLETE <<
FAILSAFE\> RECOMPILER.PROCESSING
...
./ REBUILDING CONNECTIONS
SYS_DIR\> MANIFEST.RESET.CORE.SRV
...
./ DEPLOYMENT SUCCESSFUL
CONFIRM\> WEAPON CONTAINMENT . [ACTIVE]

While this is going on, the platform the Chief is standing on starts rising.

  • John-117: "Did you do that?"
  • Weapon: "No. Removing me triggered a response from the Ring."
  • Whispers: "I need you to understand. There's not much time."
  • Whispers: "If you knew how you were going to die... how would you live your life differently?"

The platform stops its ascent. A door opens and the platform starts traveling horizontally through a conduit.

  • John-117: "That voice. It's Cortana's."
  • John-117: (alarmed) "What did you say?"
  • Weapon: "What? It's just pieces of data cycling until they run out of power. It's all around us."

The platform comes to a halt at the end of the conduit.

  • Catherine Halsey (memory): "Today I was called an emotionless automaton. They saw faces. Seventy-five healthy subjects. Hand picked by me. Perfect for the program."

The platform starts rising again.

  • Halsey (memory): "They will not all survive. I understand that and have made peace with it. Mostly. There is one subject that I find myself hoping does live through this. He is perfectly suited for what is coming."

The platform enters another chamber and comes to a final stop. Ghost-like "echoes" of young children appear and disappear around the Chief. He steps off the platform and moves up a ramp, seeing more echoes of children, which appear to be creating a path for him to follow.

  • Halsey (memory): "He has been assigned a number. 117."
  • Halsey (memory): (echoing) "117."

John follows the path of ghostly children into a corridor outside of a larger chamber. Looking through a glass barrier, John can see Sentinels flying around the chamber, as well as Banished troops patrolling the ledge on the left. There's a blue glow coming from a platform at the end of the chamber.

  • Weapon: "There's something up ahead. I can feel it calling out to me."

The Chief heads out onto the ledge on the left and engages the Banished troops.

  • Weapon: "These are the Banished?"
  • John-117: "Affirmative."
  • Weapon: "They smell even worse than I imagined!"
  • John-117: "You can smell them?"
  • Weapon: "Well, an array of sensors in your armor can, and I analyze the input. You smell fine, by the way."

The Chief clears out the Banished, then moves on to an upper ledge. He can now see the blue glow is coming from another data sphere. A deep chasm separates him from the sphere. Nearby is a machine that seems to be missing a power source.

  • Weapon: (indicating the sphere) "Look! Over there. That's the source."
  • John-117: "The bridge is out."
  • Weapon: "Yes it is. Maybe there's a way to power it back up nearby."

The Chief heads down a ramp to the lower ledge, where he finds another machine, this one containing a power source. He removes the power source from the machine.

The Chief goes back up, power seed in hand, and inserts it into the Crucible. The light bridge activates, allowing the Chief to cross the chasm. He approaches the data sphere, which is hovering above a pedestal, just as the Weapon had been doing earlier.

{Cutscene}

The Chief opens his hand and deploys the Weapon. She slowly reaches out toward the data sphere. A ringing sound emanates from the sphere as she makes contact. The Chief reflexively pulls his hand back, pulling the Weapon away from the sphere.

  • John-117: "Is it safe?"
  • Weapon: "I think so..."

She pauses for a moment to analyze her readings.

  • Weapon: "Yes. It's safe."

John extends his hand, allowing the Weapon to walk off his palm and onto the pedestal. She studies the data sphere, running her hand through it.

  • Weapon: (in disbelief) "This... this is part of me. I don't know why. I don't know how but it is me. It was the last part I remember being deleted."

She extends her hand further into the data sphere.

  • Weapon: "Let me just-"

The Weapon vanishes in mid-sentence. A moment later, the data sphere shrinks into a pair of smaller blue spheres that float away.

  • Halsey (memory): "You are here because you were chosen."

John-117 turns around to see an echo of Halsey standing before him.

Scene shifts to the Master Chief's POV.

  • Halsey (memory): "Our enemies are getting smarter and more numerous every day. What I am about to show you will help turn the tide of war. I have been working to harness the strategic power of a ship-borne AI onto the battlefield. Are you ready?"
  • John-117 (memory): "Yes, Doctor Halsey."

Halsey cups her hands together and Cortana's avatar appears in her palms.

  • Halsey (memory): "Unlike previous AI models, she will reside between your mind and the suit, directly communicating with your neural interface. Think of her as a new set of eyes to aid your reactions and upgrade your reconnaissance."

The Halsey memory offers the Cortana avatar to the real Master Chief, who opens his hand and allows the avatar to walk onto his palm.

  • Halsey (memory): "She is not the driver, but a way to level the playing field."
  • John-117 (memory): "What do I call her?"
  • Halsey (memory): "Ask her. She named herself."
  • Cortana (memory): "Hello, Master Chief. I'm Cortana."
  • Halsey (memory): "Together, you become our newfound hope. Together you become our key to humanity's survival. She will do anything necessary to make sure that your mission is accomplished. Even if that means sacrificing herself - or you - to accomplish it."

Scene rotates so that the Chief can now be seen from the front, holding Cortana in the palm of his hand until she fades away. John flexes his now empty hand, unsure of what to make of all this.

  • Weapon: "What happened?"

The Chief turns around to find that the Weapon and the data sphere have reappeared on the pedestal.

  • Weapon: "I touched it and-"
  • John-117: "Was that real?"
  • Weapon: "It's just data. It's... it's just here. Clusters of recursive code. But this, on the other hand..." (indicates the data sphere) "This is the framework I used to trap Cortana. It contains a copy of the Activation Index. At least fragments of it. What should we do with it?"
  • John-117: "Do we need it?"
  • Weapon: "Well, based on what you've told me so far, the bigger question is do the Banished need it?"

John thinks for a moment, then nods.

  • John-117: "Do it."

The Weapon reaches out with both hands and absorbs the data sphere into herself. She gasps and falls down on all fours.

  • Weapon: (breathing hard) "That was... something."

She looks up at the Chief.

  • Weapon: "Let's go."

John reaches his hand out and she uploads herself back into his armor.

{Gameplay}

Another light bridge activates.

Another series of messages appears on the Chief's VISR.

Armor Bios // MJOLNIR / VER_12.22.12 / ID_117
>> PRIMARY SUPPORT SYSTEM CHECK
./ AI CONNECTED
SYS_AICM\>: RUN
...
SYS_REC\>: PREPARING AI INTRUSION COUNTERMEASURES
...
./ ACTIVATING FILE SYSTEMS
SYS_LOAD\> [SYSTEM PERIL DISTRIBUTED REFLEX]
...
./ ISOLATING AI
...
SYS_LOAD\> VISR.HUD.SYS.SPDR
...
./ INITIALIZING FAILSAFE PROTOCOL
SYS_LOAD\> SPDR_00 ... 01 ... 02 ... 03 ... 04 ... 05 ... 06 ... 07
...
./ PROTOCOL INITIALIZED
CONFIRM\> S.P.D.R . [ACTIVE]
  • Weapon: "Did I miss something? There's a file that's been unlocked but I don't have access."
  • John-117: (ignoring her question) "We need a route out of here."
  • Weapon: "Okay. Let's see. There's a breach close by. It should lead us to the surface."

The Chief crosses the second light bridge and heads through the door. He goes down a series of ramps and corridors, eventually entering another open chamber with a chasm that needs to be crossed. He inserts the Weapon onto a pedestal.

  • Weapon: "Give me a second and I'll get this bridge activated."

A bridge starts assembling itself. The Weapon looks over her shoulder.

  • Weapon: "We've got company, Chief. Meet me at the plinth up ahead."

She vanishes into the pedestal.

The Chief heads across the newly-assembled bridge. Banished troops appear and open fire on him.

  • Jiralhanae: "Tremonius will know my name when I bring him your head!"

The Chief defeats all the Banished and reaches the plinth. The Weapon materializes on it.

  • Weapon: (smiling) "Wow. You got here fast. Not the type to waste any time, huh?"
  • John-117: (curtly) "No."
  • Weapon: (smile fades slightly) "Noted. Let's go."

Another bridge assembles itself. The Master Chief crosses and confronts more Banished troops, including a Jiralhanae manning a Shea'p-pattern plasma cannon. After a protracted fight, the Chief kills all the Banished and then exits the chamber. He enters a heavily damaged corridor and has to climb over some wreckage. A lone Unggoy Mule guards the exit. The Chief kills it and moves on.

The Chief enters a room containing a gravity lift. A single Jiralhanae Sniper armed with a Flaktura Workshop Skewer stands guard atop a pillar at the back of the room. The Chief eliminates the Brute and approaches the grav lift.

  • Weapon: "Oh no."
  • John-117: "What's wrong?"
  • Weapon: "This gravity lift should be powered up. We need to find a way to bring it back online."

If the Chief stalls:

  • Weapon: "If you want to get up to the surface, we need to restore power to this gravity lift."

The Chief finds the power seed on the pillar the Brute Sniper was standing on.

  • Weapon: "This object. It's part of the Ring's life force. It's called a power seed."

The Chief plants the power seed into the gravity lift's Crucible, reactivating it. He then steps into the lift and rides it up.

  • Whispers: "All space. All time. The stars. Swelling. Collapsing. Ending. Serving their longer. Shorter use."

John-117 reaches the upper level.

  • Whispers: "The yearning amply fed at last. Prepared to meet you."

The Chief enters a room littered with bodies. Most are Banished, but one is human.

  • Weapon: "Chief, stop. How is... Is that a Spartan? We need to find out what happened."

The Chief approaches the fallen Spartan. Noticing a green glowing module next to her body, he kneels down and picks it up.

The Chief integrates the module into his armor, upgrading his shields. He then turns his attention to the deceased Spartan.

  • Weapon: "Let's see what I can find out about her. Accessing..."

John solemnly places a hand on the fallen Spartan's shoulder.

  • Weapon: "This is Spartan Bonita Stone. Recon specialist. Her vitals have been offline for nearly a month. Cause of death was an energy blade, but... different. Stronger. A single strike. She never saw it coming."

John stands back up. He goes up some stairs and enters a room full of Banished hardware. Numerous Unggoy and Kig-Yar, including Kig-Yar Snipers, patrol the area.

  • Weapon: "We're here. That elevator should take us to the surface."

The Chief kills all the Unggoy and Kig-Yar in the room.

  • Weapon: "We need to call down the elevator. Look for a control terminal."

The Chief finds a Banished control terminal but it's not powered.

  • Weapon: "This elevator's drawing power from the Ring. Well... it was. The seed is missing."

After some searching, the Chief finds a corridor that leads to a massive chamber filled with the sarcophagus-like devices he came across earlier.

  • John-117: "What are these things?"
  • Weapon: "Genetic repositories. Forerunner storage vessels. Cylixes."
  • John-117: "How do you know this?"
  • Weapon: "I was stuck in that room for six months surrounded by them. Let's just say they talk. A lot."

There's a bridge that extends from the entrance and terminates in the middle of the chamber. The power seed is located at the end of the bridge. The Chief heads across and retrieves the seed.

  • Weapon: "That should do it. Let's get back to the elevator."

The Chief returns to the elevator and installs the power seed into the Crucible.


If the Chief stalls:

  • Weapon: "Get that cradle powered up."

After inserting the power seed into the Crucible, the Chief deploys the Weapon onto the elevator's control terminal.

{Cutscene}

The Weapon studies the elevator.

  • Weapon: "This isn't Forerunner. It identifies as Banished."
  • John-117: "Can you operate it?"
  • Weapon: "In my sleep. Not that I sleep but... (realizes) Oh, I don't need to. It's already on its way down."

The Chief looks up and sees that the elevator is indeed already on its way down.

  • John-117: "Incoming."
  • Weapon: "But... what if it's a friend?"
  • John-117: "It isn't."

He uploads the Weapon back into his armor just as the elevator arrives with Tremonius and two Kig-Yar Raiders. Tremonius snarls and flexes his arms threateningly before using his Jump pack to get off the elevator platform. He lands in front of the Chief and an energy barrier activates behind him, confining all combatants to an enclosed area.

  • Tremonius: "Escharum's orders are that you should be brought before him! He did not specify in how many pieces."

He points an MLRS-2 Hydra at the Chief and activates his personal energy shields.

{Gameplay}

For Tremonius' dialogue during the fight, see here.

If the Chief tries to activate the elevator before Tremonius and his guards are defeated:

  • Weapon: "It's too dangerous, Chief."

Tremonius proves to be a formidable adversary, even for the Spartan, but eventually the Master Chief prevails and kills Tremonius and the Kig-Yar guards. The energy barrier deactivates.

  • Weapon: "You were right. He was not friendly. By the looks of him he was some sort of leader. They called him 'Tremonius'."
  • John-117: "Not anymore."
  • Weapon: (amused) "That's almost funny."

The Chief gets on the elevator and takes it to the surface.

  • Pilot (COM): "[static] -on the way! I repeat, multiple Banished craft are converging on your location. They're coming for you!"
  • John-117: "Sierra 117. Understood."
  • Pilot (COM): "I've been trying to reach you. You vanished. I thought I was on my... okay, I got your location. On my way. Be ready!"

Level ends

Achievements[edit]

The following achievements can be unlocked on Foundation across the all editions of Halo Infinite.

Xbox Steam Title Unlock requirement
File:HINF Achievement TogetherAgain?.png Halo Infinite Steam Achievement icon for numerous campaign-related achievements Together. Again? Explored the underbelly of Zeta Halo and retrieved a weapon to turn the tide of this conflict.
Halo Infinite Achievement Ascension achievement art Halo Infinite Steam Achievement icon for numerous campaign-related achievements Ascension Defeated the Banished warlord Tremonius.

Collectibles[edit]

Production notes[edit]

The Discover Hope trailer depicted the gameplay section where John-117 approaches the Weapon's pedestal as a cutscene.

Mistakes[edit]

When the Halsey memory says Think of her as a new set of eyes to aid your reactions and upgrade your reconnaissance, the subtitles incorrectly use the noun aide instead of the verb aid.

Gallery[edit]

Concept art[edit]

Pre-release[edit]

Screenshots[edit]

Sources[edit]

  1. ^ Halo Infinite Campaign Gameplay Premiere
  2. ^ Halo Infinite, campaign mission Connections: FOB Alpha: "We are just a stone's throw away from Outpost Tremonius, just above where we met." - The Weapon