Halo Array: Difference between revisions

[[File:TerminalArkArray.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Array at [[Installation 00]], just before their departure to firing sites across the galaxy.]]

Though separated by thousands of light-years, the installations are networked together and capable of remote activation at [[Installation 00|the Ark]], their [[intergalactic space|extragalactic]] construction foundry. Each Halo installation has a maximum effective range of 25,000 light-years in every direction.<ref>'''Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary''', ''[[Terminal (Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary)#Terminal 8|Terminal 8]]'' (''"25,000 light years. That is the effective range of this installation."'')</ref><ref name="radius">'''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''', level ''[[Two Betrayals]]'', 343 Guilty Spark: ''"Technically, this installation's pulse has a maximum effective radius of twenty-five thousand light years."''</ref> The method utilized by the array to conduct this "mass sterilization protocol"<ref>'''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''', level ''[[The Library]]'', 343 Guilty Spark: ''"Why the Flood is, naturally, simply too dangerous to release, and mass sterilization protocols may again need to be enacted."''</ref> involves the superluminal conveyance of a burst of cross-phased super-massive neutrinos, tuned to emit a harmonic frequency that destroys the nervous system of any life form within range. Simpler organisms lacking a neural system are unaffected, along with inanimate structures. [[Precursor]] technology, however, is extremely susceptible to damage from the Halo effect due to its quasi-living [[neural physics]] composition.{{Ref/Reuse|c274}}<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 132''</ref>

The Halo Array in its entirety has been fired only once in known history, approximately 100,000 years ago, by the [[IsoDidact]] in order to stop the Flood from overwhelming the galaxy. All beings in the Array's effective range, including Forerunners themselves, were wiped out by the Array's pulse,{{Ref/Reuse|great journey}} with the exception of those who took refuge on the [[shield world]]s. A number of Forerunners survived at the lesser Ark but chose to exile themselves from the galaxy.<ref name="rebirth">'''Halo: Rebirth'''</ref> The array has come close to activation four times since; Installation 04 was almost activated by the [[John-117|Master Chief]], Installation 05 was activated by Commander [[Miranda Keyes]] at the behest of the [[Jiralhanae]] [[Chieftain of the Jiralhanae|Chieftain]] [[Tartarus]], [[Avery Junior Johnson|Sergeant Johnson]] was forced by the [[Prophet of Truth]] to activate the Array from the Ark, and [[Bobby Kodiak]] was forced by [[000 Tragic Solitude]], the Monitor of the Ark, to activate the Halo Array from the Ark as a revenge. None of these attempts were successful; the first was stopped by Cortana, while the other three attempts were halted by UNSC and [[Swords of Sanghelios|Sangheili]] intervention. A [[Installation 08|replacement]] Halo for the destroyed Installation 04 was partially activated outside of the galaxy, but before it could fire the Halo ring shook itself to pieces with the resulting explosion destroying the ring, damaging the Ark, and heavily damaged the Flood back into a feral stage without a Gravemind.{{Ref/Level|Id=halo3halo|H3|Halo_(Halo_3_level)}}

Twelve Halos, each 30,000 kilometers in diameter, were originally commissioned by Master Builder Faber and constructed by the [[guild]] of [[Bornstellar's father]] at the [[greater Ark]], the first Ark installation to be constructed. Only one of these original rings ultimately survived to be used in the Forerunners' final plan; this ring was designated [[Installation 07]]. Later on, an improved, separate array of six installations was constructed at the [[Installation 00|lesser Ark]],<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 329'' (''"Slowly it dawned on me that I was looking upon another array of installations: six rings, each rising from one of the petals of an enormous flower."'')</ref><ref name="s250">'''Halo: Silentium''', ''pages 250-251''</ref> although the construction of the second Ark and its more powerful Halos was delayed by the Council for some time to prevent the Builders from becoming too powerful.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 45''</ref>

[[File:Array.png|thumb|right|300px|Installation 00 sending the Halo Array through a [[slipspace portal]] during the [[Forerunner-Flood war]].]]

It was later discovered that a species called the [[Xalanyn]] had somehow survived the firing of the Halo Array. Frightened, the Forerunners brought [[Installation 07]] into orbit of the Xalanyn homeworld under the pretense of a meeting and imprisoned them on the ring for containment and study.{{Ref/Game|Hi|Detail=[[Audio log (Halo Infinite)|Audio logs]]}}

The seven Halos then remained relatively dormant for approximately one hundred thousand years, though at least [[Installation 05]] experienced a major Flood outbreak, while [[Installation 04]] was visited briefly by other species,<ref>''"[[Conversations from the Universe]]"''</ref> including a [[unidentified alien vessel|major crash-landing]] in [[40,000 BCE]].<ref>'''Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary''', ''[[Terminal (Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary)|Terminals 5-6]]''</ref>

[[File:H2A-AlphaHaloDestruction.jpg|250px|right|thumb|The destruction of Installation 04.]]

[[File:HSS-Infinity-Halo.png|thumb|250px|The {{UNSCShip|Infinity}} approaches a Halo installation.]]

A day later, after the Didact's [[New Phoenix Incident|defeat at Earth]], the Forerunner and some of his Promethean forces fell on Installation 03 via a slipspace portal. SPARTAN-II [[Blue Team]] followed, resulting in a [[Skirmish on Installation 03|a skirmish]] fought on both Installation 03 and the [[Composer's Forge]]. The Forge's monitor, [[859 Static Carillon]], transported Installation 03 over the Forge for the Didact, who intended to use the ring to finally destroy humanity.{{Ref/Comic|Id=HE9|HE|Detail=''[[Halo: Escalation Issue 9|Issue 9]]''}} However, the monitor instead allied with the Spartans due to his disagreements with the Didact and helped them defeat the Forerunner. After John-117 disabled the Halo's failsafes, Static Carillon ejected the segment housing the [[Control Room (Installation 03)|control room]], causing it to fall upon the Composer's Forge. The monitor then stabilized the ring and took it to an unknown location for repairs.{{Ref/Comic|Id=HE10|HE|Detail=''[[Halo: Escalation Issue 10|Issue 10]]''}}

In October 2559, the Banished succeeded in opening a slipspace portal to [[Reach]] through which Atriox and some of his forces returned to the Milky Way galaxy in a [[Eklon'Dal Workshop Lich]]. Before the portal was shut down, [[Castor]] and the [[Keepers of the One Freedom]] hijacked Atriox's Lich and used it to fly back through the portal to the Ark, intending on using the Ark to fire the Halo Array and start the Great Journey.{{Ref/Novel|Id=SoR|SoR}} On the Ark, the Keepers allied themselves with [[Prelate]] [[Dhas Bhasvod]] and his [[Covenant loyalists]], guided by the Forerunner [[archeon-class ancilla]] [[Intrepid Eye]] who sought to fire the Halo Array in order to destroy the [[Domain]] and defeat [[Cortana]] for the sake of her own plans. The combined factions were opposed by both forces from the ''Spirit of Fire'' and the Banished spearheaded by the [[Clan of the Long Shields]] as neither the Banished nor the UNSC wanted Castor and Bhasvod to succeed. The Covenant and Keeper forces were able to reach [[Epsilon Clarion]], the only facility on the Ark capable of firing the Halo Array that was not inaccessible or inoperable. However, they suffered heavy casualties from UNSC and Banished [[Battle of Epsilon Clarion|attacks]] along the way and Castor abandoned his plans after learning the truth about the true purpose of Halo. On the order of [[Veta Lopis]], the ''Spirit of Fire'' launched an [[orbital bombardment]] of [[EMP]] [[MAC]] rounds that destroyed Epsilon Clarion and with it, Intrepid Eye and the Ark's ability to fire the Array. The Keepers were left decimated with only Castor and Sangheili [[Blademaster]] [[Inslaan 'Gadogai]] surviving while Bhasvod, after killing [[Mark-G313]], departed to link up with the rest of his own forces.{{Ref/Novel|Id=DW|DW}}

In [[2559#December|December 2559]], the Banished took over Installation 07 in search of the [[Xalanyn]] who had been imprisoned on the ring following the [[Great Purification]]. When the UNSC came to the ring in order to stop [[Cortana]] once and for all, [[Installation 07 conflict|a conflict]] erupted on the ring between the two sides, leading to the apparent destruction of the ''Infinity''. In [[2560#May|May 2560]], the [[Harbinger]] succeeded in locating her species just before the Master Chief killed her. Subsequently, Atriox reached and unlocked a facility on Zeta Halo holding the [[cylix]]es of the Xalanyn.{{Ref/Game|Hi}}

[[File:LoreStream_Halo_Scale_Comparison.png|left|thumb|250px|A scale comparison of the UNSC ''Infinity'' Mt. Rainier and a Halo Ring.]]

The Halos encountered in the modern times are 10,000 kilometers in diameter; this size is roughly similar to that of [[Earth]], which is 12,756&nbsp;km in diameter. While the original twelve Halos had a diameter of 30,000 kilometers,<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 310''</ref> concerns about their structural stability and transport led to the second series of rings being reduced in size.{{Ref/Reuse|maker}} The surface of each ring is 318 kilometers wide,<ref>'''Halo: The Essential Visual Guide''', ''page 6''</ref> with a depth of 22.3 kilometers<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 339'' (2001)</ref><ref>'''Halo: The Flood''', ''page 13'' (2003)</ref> to 47 kilometers.{{Ref/Reuse|Lorestream}}{{Ref/Note|The depth laid out in ''Halo: The Fall of Reach'' lists the ring's thickness as 22.3km, while the Lore Stream conducted by 343 Industries lists a depth of 47km. It is possible this disrepancy comes from the inclusion (or lack thereof) of the outer walls keeping the atmosphere in.}} The overall circumference of the ring is 31,415&nbsp;km and the interior surface area is 9,985,200&nbsp;km² - roughly the size of Canada.{{Ref/Reuse|Lorestream}} The main structure of the ring is constructed of a superdense foundational material,<ref>'''Halo: The Flood''', ''page 340''</ref> with elaborate scaffolding and cantilever structures laid over it to support the artificial landmasses and the myriad tunnel networks and caverns that riddle the installation's internal structure.{{Ref/Reuse|halo3halo}} Many of these tunnels are transit conduits meant for use by the ring's Sentinels, though some of them can be traversed by humanoid beings.<ref>'''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''', campaign level ''[[Halo (Halo: Combat Evolved level)|Halo]]''</ref>

[[File:343.JPG|right|thumb|250px|343 Guilty Spark, monitor of Installation 04.]]

[[File:AnniversaryControlRoom.png|thumb|right|250px|The [[Control Room]] of Installation 04.]]

|[[Omega Halo]]

|Gyre 11

|Changed into [[Installation 07]]

|[[Khaphrae system]], [[Scutum-Centaurus Arm]]{{Ref/Reuse|WarfleetGalaxy}} {{C|formerly}}

|[[Ephsu I]] orbit, [[Ephsu system]], [[Sagittarius Arm]]{{Ref/Reuse|WarfleetGalaxy}} {{C|formerly}}

|Destroyed Over Installation 00

== Gallery ==

File:H2A - ZenithRing.jpg|Installation 05 in ''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]''.

*''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''

*''[[Halo 5: Guardians A Hero Falls trailer|A Hero Falls]]''

*''[[Halo Mythos]]''

*''[[Halo: The Television Series]]''