Graham Alban: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 15:16, January 26, 2014

"I have taken my own life because the SPARTAN-II program is a crime against humanity, and I should have had the moral courage to refuse to work on it. I did not. I complied."

— Graham Alban on his reason for committing suicide.^[1]

Graham J. Alban, MD, MCNS, MCPP was a neuroscientist and psychologist who worked in the Office of Naval Intelligence's Special Projects division. He became disillusioned with the perceived injustices he found himself willingly committing through the SPARTAN-II Program, leading to his suicide in 2523. His brain was later used in the creation of the AI Black-Box.^[2]

Biography

Suicide and brain donation

Dr. Alban expressed severe remorse for his actions in the SPARTAN-II program, calling the entire project "morally indefensible". He considered his actions (or rather, inaction) to be more reprehensible than Dr. Catherine Halsey's. In March 2523, Alban committed suicide in a way that he was confident would cause little damage to his brain. He asked Vice Admiral Margaret Parangosky to preserve his brain and use it to create an artificial intelligence that would be used to support and protect SPARTAN-IIs.^[3]

Parangosky granted Alban's wish. In August|August 2552, over 29 years after his death, Alban's brain was used as the template for an AI: Black-Box (BBX-8995-1).^[4] Black-Box would retain elements of his donor's personality, such as his hatred of Catherine Halsey and a deferential, apologetic demeanor toward Staffan Sentzke, the father of one of the abductees.

Personality and traits

Dr. Alban and then-Vice Admiral Parangosky regarded each other as friends, a sympathy the latter extended toward Black-Box. Alban was an atheist or agnostic, and believed that if God did exist, then He was an extremely neglectful father to have allowed humanity to behave in the way it does. He expressed in his suicide note that if he were surprised by the existence of either Heaven or Hell, then he would put in a good word for Parangosky at whichever gate he arrived in front of.^[4]

Production note

Although Alban's suicide note is dated March 2523, it refers to the Covenant as a known threat. The Covenant's existence was not discovered until they were encountered on Harvest in 2525.

List of appearances

Halo: Mortal Dictata (First appearance)

Sources

^ Halo: Mortal Dictata, page 489
^ Halo: Mortal Dictata, page 490
^ Halo: Mortal Dictata, page 491
^ ^a ^b Halo: Mortal Dictata, page 492 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "pg492" defined multiple times with different content

[1] Halo: Mortal Dictata, page 489

[2] Halo: Mortal Dictata, page 490

[3] Halo: Mortal Dictata, page 491

[pg492-4] Halo: Mortal Dictata, page 492 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "pg492" defined multiple times with different content

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 |gender = Male
 |era = * [[Insurrection]]
-|notable = * Neurosurgeon and psychologist for the [[SPARTAN-II Program]].
+|notable = * Neurosurgeon and psychologist for the [[SPARTAN-II Program]]
-* Brain donor for AI [[Black-Box]].
+* Brain donor for AI [[Black-Box]]
 |affiliation =
-* [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]]; [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] ''(former)''
+* [[United Nations Space Command]], [[Office of Naval Intelligence]]
 }}
 {{Quote|I have taken my own life because the SPARTAN-II program is a crime against humanity, and I should have had the moral courage to refuse to work on it. I did not. I complied.|Graham Alban on his reason for committing suicide.<ref>'''[[Halo: Mortal Dictata]]''', page 489</ref>}}
-'''Graham J. Alban, MD, MCNS, MCPP''' was a scientist who worked in the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]]'s Special Projects division, is his capacity as a neurosurgeon and psychologist. At some point after his work on the Spartan-IIs, he became disillusioned with the perceived injustices he found himself willingly committing, and decided that if no one could or would punish him, then he would do so himself.<ref>'''[[Halo: Mortal Dictata]]''', page 490</ref>
+'''Graham J. Alban, MD, MCNS, MCPP''' was a neuroscientist and psychologist who worked in the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]]'s Special Projects division. He became disillusioned with the perceived injustices he found himself willingly committing through the [[SPARTAN-II Program]], leading to his suicide in [[2523]]. His brain was later used in the creation of the AI [[Black-Box]].<ref>'''Halo: Mortal Dictata''', page 490</ref>
-== Biography ==
+==Biography==
-=== Death and Brain Donation ===
+===Suicide and brain donation===
-Doctor Alban expressed severe remorse for his actions in regard to the SPARTAN-II program, and in March of 2523, Alban committed suicide in a way that he was confident would cause little damage to his brain, and asked [[Vice Admiral]] [[Margaret Parangosky]] to preserve his brain and use it to create an AI that would be used to support and protect Spartan-IIs.<ref>'''[[Halo: Mortal Dictata]]''', page 491</ref>
+Dr. Alban expressed severe remorse for his actions in the SPARTAN-II program, calling the entire project "morally indefensible". He considered his actions (or rather, inaction) to be more reprehensible than [[Catherine Halsey|Dr. Catherine Halsey]]'s. In [[2523|March 2523]], Alban committed suicide in a way that he was confident would cause little damage to his brain. He asked [[Vice Admiral]] [[Margaret Parangosky]] to preserve his brain and use it to create an [[artificial intelligence]] that would be used to support and protect SPARTAN-IIs.<ref>'''[[Halo: Mortal Dictata]]''', page 491</ref>
-His wish was granted, and in August of 2552, over 29 years after his death, an AI using his brain in its creation was commissioned: BBX-8995-1, or Black-Box.<ref name="pg492">'''[[Halo: Mortal Dictata]]''', page 492</ref>
+Parangosky granted Alban's wish. In [[2552|August|August 2552]], over 29 years after his death, Alban's brain was used as the template for an AI: [[Black-Box|Black-Box (BBX-8995-1)]].<ref name="pg492">'''Halo: Mortal Dictata''', page 492</ref> Black-Box would retain elements of his donor's personality, such as his hatred of Catherine Halsey and a deferential, apologetic demeanor toward [[Staffan Sentzke]], the father of [[Naomi-010|one of the abductees]].
-== Personality and traits ==
+==Personality and traits==
-Alban was an atheist, or at least agnostic, and believed that if God did exist, then He was an extremely neglectful father to have allowed humanity to behave in the way it does. He expressed in his suicide note that if he were surprised by the existence of either Heaven or Hell, then he would put in a good word for Parangosky at whichever gate he arrived in front of.<ref name="pg492">'''[[Halo: Mortal Dictata]]''', page 492</ref>
+Dr. Alban and then-Vice Admiral Parangosky regarded each other as friends, a sympathy the latter extended toward Black-Box. Alban was an atheist or agnostic, and believed that if God did exist, then He was an extremely neglectful father to have allowed humanity to behave in the way it does. He expressed in his suicide note that if he were surprised by the existence of either Heaven or Hell, then he would put in a good word for Parangosky at whichever gate he arrived in front of.<ref name="pg492">'''[[Halo: Mortal Dictata]]''', page 492</ref>
-== List of appearances ==
+==Production note==
-* ''[[Halo: Mortal Dictata]]'' {{1st}}
+Although Alban's suicide note is dated March 2523, it refers to the [[Covenant]] as a known threat. The Covenant's existence was not discovered until they were [[First Battle of Harvest|encountered]] on [[Harvest]] in [[2525]].
+==List of appearances==
+*''[[Halo: Mortal Dictata]]'' {{1st}}
 == Sources ==