The Flood: Natural or Artificial?

Wild, speculative theories born from the communications with AdjutantReflex.

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Echelon Three
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Re: The Flood: Natural or Artificial?

Unread post by Echelon Three »

failedparachute wrote:I disagree that this excerpt clarifies whether or not the Flood can survive in a vacuum. If anything it leans towards the Flood not being able to survive in a vacuum. Why do I think that? The bit "...energy shields shimmered, frequencies matched...". To me that seems like by matching the shield frequencies the Flood used the two shields to form a zero-gee bridge between the two ships. Under the shield there was quite obviously atmosphere. To me that shows that the Flood cannot survive in the vacuum of space. If someone can find a different quote or passage to refute me go ahead, but this passage doesn't appear to support their surviving in a vacuum.
I'm pretty sure the Covenant wouldn't waste energy putting an atmosphere between their shields and the ships themselves. Covenant shields must locally disengage before their plasma or lasers can be shot--otherwise they'd hit the shield. Also, there are several instances where John-117 and Friends are in zero-gee on the surface of a Covenant warship below the shield, and Elites engage them on the surface of the ship in pressurized suits. If the area under the ship was pressurized, why would they need the pressure suits? It seems like a waste in several areas.
yakaman wrote:Consider this: the only reason there was Flood left on the Halos is because they were specially "preserved" by the Forerunner. In fact 343GS says he is happy to see that some survived to reproduce, which suggests to me that this was in doubt, even with the preservation.

Flood must die in vacuum, and without food, or else why the hell fire the Halos at all? If the infection forms are going to be hanging around waiting to infect the first new life that arises, then why do it at all?

Think in larger terms. We think it's great to break the sound barrier. Earthlings of 2552 think it's great to break the light barrier. What would we think is great in a million years? In the realm of SciFi, you only need imagination. If the Flood infected an Uber-Advanced species in another galaxy that had Supersassy Spank Drives that provided galaxy-to-galaxy travel, you'd have your answer.
343GS is so cryptic and vague in the Library that he could be talking about anyone. He says he is grateful that "they" survived to reproduce. At this point the context could mean the Forerunner just as easily as the Flood. Of course, that means Forerunner=Humans or Covenant or both, or whatever, but there just isn't enough proof to grammatically show who GS was talking about. I wish we knew, but 343 is a jerk who assumes humanity already knows everything.

Also, the Flood could potentially live in vacuum, it just needs food like you've said. That doesn't disprove the purpose of the Halos. Presumably the vast majority of our galaxy was Flood-controlled at the time of the first Halo array firing; yet the only specimens are in the Halos. So I agree with part of what you're saying, but I don't see how that disproves the whole idea.


As for the concept of Flood homeostasis in vacuum, I have no idea. All I know is that I quoted Halo canon, which said meanies went from ship-to-ship, most likely in vacuum.

EDIT: Supersassy Spank Drives? :shock: They sound like they're powered by masochists or something. Sorry, I don't mean to offend...but Supersassy Spank Drives? Dude. :P
yakaman
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Re: The Flood: Natural or Artificial?

Unread post by yakaman »

At this point the context could mean the Forerunner just as easily as the Flood. Of course, that means Forerunner=Humans or Covenant or both, or whatever, but there just isn't enough proof to grammatically show who GS was talking about
I have made up my mind that the stuff in this ARG has disproven the Humanity=Forerunner link. Thus the lifeform that 343GS was referring to was the Flood. Though I agree that he was so maddeningly vague that it's kept me guessing for years.

At least, until now.

Let me quote myself, which is not egotistical in the least:
Alright, I'll take the bait.

Humanity=Forerunner is dead, dead, dead. Deader than fried chicken. Why I say this:

- the comic, showing humanity in it's primitive state, watching the Forerunners machines
- Episode 4 video, indicating that the Forerunner confronted the enemy while shielding the weak
- the fact that in every occasion, monitors draw a distinction between Reclaimers and their creators

But surely the Forerunner messed with our DNA? Yes - in order to direct our course, push us forward, and of course, to give us the keys to the Galaxy. How else would the index "know" who was pushing it in? It's their fingerprints on our DNA that make us Reclaimers.

Then what the hell was 343GS talking about in H1? There was a human there when it was fired. Or many. There must have been. How else did the Flood/Ark mythology make it into the mythology of humanity (I'm talking within the Haloverse, of course)? The Forerunner must have brought some people in to pass the information down to those that would follow. However, it appears as if only the informal information was passed. Through legends and myths. Father to son, mother to daughter. The formal channel (i.e. Reclaimer College taught by a Forerunner AI) got sabotaged. Or otherwise derailed.

I would bet my left testicle that Humanity is not Forerunner. Or the right, if you prefer. It does not matter.
Echelon Three
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Re: The Flood: Natural or Artificial?

Unread post by Echelon Three »

yakaman wrote:
At this point the context could mean the Forerunner just as easily as the Flood. Of course, that means Forerunner=Humans or Covenant or both, or whatever, but there just isn't enough proof to grammatically show who GS was talking about
I have made up my mind that the stuff in this ARG has disproven the Humanity=Forerunner link. Thus the lifeform that 343GS was referring to was the Flood. Though I agree that he was so maddeningly vague that it's kept me guessing for years.

At least, until now.

Let me quote myself, which is not egotistical in the least:
Alright, I'll take the bait.

Humanity=Forerunner is dead, dead, dead. Deader than fried chicken. Why I say this:

- the comic, showing humanity in it's primitive state, watching the Forerunners machines
- Episode 4 video, indicating that the Forerunner confronted the enemy while shielding the weak
- the fact that in every occasion, monitors draw a distinction between Reclaimers and their creators

But surely the Forerunner messed with our DNA? Yes - in order to direct our course, push us forward, and of course, to give us the keys to the Galaxy. How else would the index "know" who was pushing it in? It's their fingerprints on our DNA that make us Reclaimers.

Then what the hell was 343GS talking about in H1? There was a human there when it was fired. Or many. There must have been. How else did the Flood/Ark mythology make it into the mythology of humanity (I'm talking within the Haloverse, of course)? The Forerunner must have brought some people in to pass the information down to those that would follow. However, it appears as if only the informal information was passed. Through legends and myths. Father to son, mother to daughter. The formal channel (i.e. Reclaimer College taught by a Forerunner AI) got sabotaged. Or otherwise derailed.

I would bet my left testicle that Humanity is not Forerunner. Or the right, if you prefer. It does not matter.
To each his own, I suppose. The jury is honestly still out in my book.
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