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CJ Russell (ceej123@hotmail.com) writes:
There's been a lot of speculation about the flood-like plants in GS, and I think I may have an idea as to the nature of these plants (which are contained in one part of Halo that we see).
Assuming for a second that the Forerunners preserved the Flood, despite the imminent danger to the rest of the sentient creatures in the galaxy (through both the flood and the Halo that contained them), for the purpose of maintaining a balance of life, then how would they utilize the flood? They could, presumably, keep them locked up on Halo forever (or until their release as in the game), or they could keep them there until such a time came that they found a USE for them.
Enter the trees.
Now, while a swamp is not a place I would personally choose to live, it IS a place where life could thrive. Many places we see on Halo connect the "natural" portions to the constructed sections. Would it not be feasible to connect just the environmental components (specifically atmosphere) to another section of Halo, just above it? Go with me here...GS talks about how the flood "alter the atmosphere"-it doesnt matter how, or into what, but what IS important is that it's apparently not compatible with our physiology, and he mentions how the suit will "protect" us. What if the trees in the swamp were genetically engineered by the Forerunner for the purposes of converting Flood exhalations into breathable atmosphere? If that were true, then the Flood would have value as an organism capable of terraforming planets relatively quickly, between the gas exchange of modified flora and the flood. If the Jjaro are to Forerunner what the S'pht are to humanity, then haven't we already seen manipulation of a lifeform to the greater will of a "supreme" alien race?
Also, it seems obvious to me that the flood come from a high-G planet. Not only are the primary forms very short, but they can also jump quite far in what we consider to be "normal" gravity, and even farther after they have gained a host, and altered their physiology. Connections to the race imprisoned by the Jjaro in the gravity well abound as a result of this, but then, most people have already seen that parallel.
There's that "J" word again. ;-) Very nice work putting it together, though. That "balance of life" concept is so simple, but can lead to such a wealth of fascinating situations, especially in conjunction with our (current) favorite inscrutable alien race. :-)
-mnemesis
