It can't be a new Monitor.

[Kiloh Ekim]

Let's assume for a second that this follows the same rules as ILB and the obvious story parts are not questioned. IE: Adjutant Reflex is an A.I. of some sort, the Array is reffering to the array of halos, and programs, given the proper circumstances, can travel through time.

This A.I.'s name doesnt follow the rules for all Monitors so far. Adjutant is the equivalent of "to help" and reflex is common language for an automatic movement within the human body. However I believe the term is being used in the name in order to show what he meant to his creators.

Let me explain: Guilty Spark and Pentinent Tangent both mean roughly the same thing. Both are feelings of regret and guilt for the activation of the rings. Fitting names for the eternal caretakers of the super weapons from which you were forced to commit genocide.

An adjutant Reflex would be something (in this case especially with an A.I.) would be an automatic helper. Fitting, as it seems that he is trying to maintain the flux of the rings after a hasty containment via the Master Chief.

So this would be (story-wise) an A.I. that, following standard protocol, used the ring's power to move backwards in time to a more primitive system in order to maintain the flux and try to stabilize the system. This was all done automatically and, like in ILB, is seeking refuge in a primitive (Bungie's) server in the past.

[3of9]

Very well put.

[Lanik]

I concur. It's unlikely that he is a monitor- maybe he's the direct assistant of a monitor? Since it's doubtful he's a monitor, we should probably avoid asking it the questions we would want to ask a monitor- things about Reclaimers, keys, and such.

[Aldiron]

I think this A.I. isn't for Monitoring. I think it's safe to assume that it's here to assist the Reclaimer activate the Halos. Or, (Spoilers from GoO.) to assists us with the Micro Dyson Sphere...

[endejas]

I'm thinking he's an AI within the Ark, to "assist" with the firing of the Halos. I also think that no time travel has taken place, and that he is existing in our time. That he is the Forerunner as it exists in 2007 in correlation with the Halo universe.

And the fact that every Monitor has introduced himself with his number prefix leads me to believe that AR is an AI on a different plane than that of GS or PT.

[Aldiron]

For some reason, I don't think this is set in our time. Why would all this happen at this time anyway? No one has touched the Array for 100,000 until the Autumn(Or ONI, whoever got there first...) got there... I highly doubt this A.I. would just appear here and start a countdown. It's Illogical.

[3of9]

In ILB, the time displacement was a combination of Forerunner tech and SlipSpace.

Since the Covenant opened a SlipSpace window above New Mombasa (which is supposedly near the dig site seen in the teaser)... it may be safe to assume that the appearance of the Reflex in our timeline is related to that event.

[Jman]

What even confounds this problem even more is the existence of Halo 3. So this might actually just be hard for me only, because I never played ilovebees, but could someone clarify this for me:

Are the Halo games, and the "fictional universe" that Bungie has created, in a "bubble" that resides outside of this ARG. I know we're assuming the Halo storyline is REAL, but then the existence of the games confounds that idea does it not?

[3of9]

ILB explained the timetravel component of the AI existing on both the webserver and co-existing on a kids computer in the Halo timeframe.
ARGs are about making the distinction between reality and the game as gray as possible.

The appearance of the AR should naturally be explained in a similar fashion. Otherwise, it's a poor ARG.

[yakaman]

What did SPDR stand for? Wasn't that a reflex as well?

This suggests that AR is a helpful reflex, triggered by some event to aid humanity. He is forerunner in origin. He is on Earth. He must be part of the ark.

If he isn't here to instruct us regarding our legacy (as Reclaimers)....?