From: ISitInA.ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE
Origin: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE
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Sent: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE
Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net Upload Permissions Denied
Attachments: 3 (UEM-F484-U.MP.S-2276A6-A, UEM-F484-U.MP.S-2276B1-A, UEM-F484-U.MP.S-2276B1-E, 31 Mb total)
Subject: There's a reason we codenamed it Halo
Captain,
I just got the transcript from your speech to the crew and... Wow! I wouldn't be half surprised if a couple of ONI agents show up during your debriefing to make you an offer or two. You showed a great deal of political savvy in that speech. I know it probably just comes with being a Captain, but I'm impressed!
The way that you bent the truth impressed me. This coming from a woman who used to infiltrate Insurrectionist cells when she was young. If that doesn't make the crew at least a little more at ease, then I don't know what will.
I'm also told that your XO was impressed as well. High praise from a woman who turned down several offers to work for ONI.
Honestly, Captain, be proud, and know that you made the right decision. With the crew being twitchy, you're doing a great job of keeping them calm. You've more than earned your rank.
Also, I'm told that Helen made a request for some classified information on some old projects. I pulled some strings. She'll get the information tomorrow. I don't know how good it'll be to you (all of it admittedly is too technical for me to understand) but I hope it helps somehow. It's the least that I can do for your patience.
I find it funny that I can ease into a related subject: highly classified, and beyond my comprehension at times.
Part of the reason why Halo is so highly classified is because of the true nature of the artifact. At least, what F484's reports say about the true nature of the artifact. Even he admits that it might be compromised information. His source isn't exactly considered 100% reliable, even if everything else she said is true.
It seems that the aliens who built the structure discovered a parasitic race which consumed its hosts. (Details are sketchy at best, but I'm trying to explain as best I can.) This race, apparently, were of a great threat to the aliens, infesting multiple planets. A single “spore” (the use of that term is a source of great concern amongst scientists in the know) could cause an entire world to fall surprisingly quickly. Even worse, this race, referred to as the Flood, could operate Forerunner starships. And somehow the aliens, who could create slipstream effects that are still considered the realm of science fiction and Dyson spheres and Ringworlds, were losing the war.
The Halo array system was their final scorched earth answer to the war. A final, most drastic solution. A way to defeat the Flood, but at a terrible cost: All intelligent life in the galaxy.
And their final act was to use that weapon.
Yet, numbers don't quite check out, initially. Initially, it appears that from the reported time of activation of the Array, Humanity's ancestors should have been wiped out. For a while, this caused the entire thing to be dismissed as nothing. Indeed, I wouldn't even be bringing it up except for what happened later, and one bit of scientific evidence that actually supports this theory.
The Ross-Ziegler Blip, as it's known (who the hell names things a blip?) shows that there is a small, almost unnoticeable gap in fossil records across multiple worlds. Such a gap may have been caused by the Halo array firing.
Needless to say, even if it were false, one cannot blame F484 for wishing to ensure that something along those lines would ever be repeated. I can think of a few Admirals who would have thought Humanity safe and tried firing the array. Fortunately, they would have been talked down, but...
Sincerely,
Chair
*************
Note by Hive: Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. It uses the third set of encryption protocols. Below is the unencrypted message.
*************
Was that your real reason? I cannot believe it to be the only purpose you had behind it. What went on in your mind?
*************
UEM-F484-U.MP.S-2276A6-A wrote: Myung: Just a second. I have to open these doors.
(PAUSE, 22.8 SECONDS)
F484: Why does it take so long to open these things anyway?
Myung: Three things. Containment protocols and safeguards, in case the Flood ever overran the ring; the fact that these doors haven't been used in millennia; and the fact that they're only supposed to be opened by a Monitor so it takes me a little bit, alright?
F484: Hacking your way in?
Myung: Not quite, but it's a close analogue.
F484: Fair enough.
(PAUSE 97.2 SECONDS)
Myung: I showed you mine, how about you show me yours?
F484: (SURPRISED) Excuse me?
Myung: I guess it's more accurate to say you forced yourself into seeing mine.
(PAUSE, 1.8 SECONDS)
Myung: (FLATLY) Your face, idiot.
F484: (UNCOMFORTABLY) Why?
Myung: Because I like to look people in the eye.
F484: Later.
UEM-F484-U.MP.S-2276B1-A wrote: Myung: So, where are you from?
F484: Classified. (PAUSE, 0.9 SECONDS) Check your corners.
(PAUSE, 9.7 SECONDS)
Myung: How about your name at least?
F484: Foxtrot four-eight-four.
Myung: Your real name, I mean.
F484: I just told you. Foxtrot four-eight-four.
Myung: (ANNOYED) That's not- (INTERRUPTED)
F484: Light up ahead. This Index thing supposed to be in there?
Myung: Right.
F484: Say 'Affirmative.' You stay here, watch my six. I'll go collect.
Myung: There's nothing out here!
F484: Unless that Monitor thing wakes up from its cycle and decides we're mucking everything up and unleashes the defenses on us. Relax, I'm not running with it or anything. (PAUSE, 2.4 SECONDS) There's nowhere to go.
UEM-F484-U.MP.S-2276B1-E wrote: Myung: Aren't your superiors worried about you?
F484: I've got another three days before they become concerned. (PAUSE, 4.2 SECONDS) My orders were to seek out information about the ring and bring as much data as I could back for analysis. (PAUSE, 1.5 SECONDS) We learned that I operate best when my orders are vague.
Myung: So they gave you a five day leave to get it done?
F484: Mostly.
(PAUSE, 5.3 SECONDS)
Myung: So, when are you going to rest?
F484: Excuse me?
Myung: We've been at this for over a day now and you haven't even paused. When are you going to rest?
F484: My stims will last me another two.
(PAUSE, 8.2 SECONDS)
Myung: (ADAMANTLY) I am not going any farther until you at least sit down and rest for a few hours.
F484: Why?
Myung: Because you can't keep pushing yourself like that all the time!
F484: (OFFHANDEDLY) I do it all the time. It's not a problem.
F484: (DETERMINEDLY) Besides, I still don't know what your deal is. You're an Innie. I already surmised that before you said squat to me about your past. You haven't told me how you got here, I can't be sure of your intentions, and I can't be sure that you aren't going to take this railroad spike of doom and run the moment I fall asleep. You're asking me to do a lot on just a story that sounds straight out of science fiction, and you haven't given me a single thing in return. So if you don't mind, I just want to analyze all the data I've collected while we get out of here, send a pulse back to base camp, and figure out what I'm going to do from there.
(PAUSE, 97.4 SECONDS)
Myung: (CAUTIOUSLY) What if I give you a way to get food here?
F484: (PLEASANTLY) You have my attention.