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I have to say, Cortana. Killing all sentient life if pretty cudgely to me.
(zloty5@netscape.net) writes:
I've been listening in on 343 Guilty Spark's conversation (Delusions and Grandeur) with the Arbiter and I had a little trouble with the lack of a transcript for that level [Yes, yes, we know - Ed.]. But there are certain facts that stand out from that conversation.
I've searched the Halo Story Transcripts. Nowhere does 343 Guilty Spark mention the Forerunner, except that once. And it's still a classic 343 conversation-twisted and ambiguous, with huge holes in it.
1. Inside the library in Halo 1, 343 tells Master Chief that the installation (04) was built specifically to study and contain the Flood. He later acknowledges its vast destructive power-the ability to destroy sentient life in a 25,000 light-year radius.
In Halo 2, 343 tells the Arbiter that the Halos are weapons of last resort, built by the Forerunner.
The Halos are not specifically weapons - "This isn't a cudgel, you barbarian!" - They're multifaceted facilities for Flood eradication. They're meant to get rid of the Flood by whatever method it takes. Killing all sentient life is merely the last resort. They're not weapons, why does 343 present only the ring's destructive aspect? What about the constructive aspects of the ring-their intent to eradicate the Flood with the minimum possible trouble?
The answer: The Chief is a Reclaimer, and the Arbiter is not. The Arbiter doesn't need to know most things about the ring-he's not authorized. Under pressure from the likes of Tartarus and Sarge and all the others present in that room, 343 gave a half-true answer instead of blabbing everything.
2. Three radii from the galactic center? Radii of what?? The blast radius of a single ring, of course! Seven rings put together can probably add up their blast and direct it inwards so that everything within a 75,000 light-year radius is destroyed. This radius includes that of the earth and perhaps the covenant homeworlds as well. There was a way to spare them- again, something a non-reclaimer need not know. 343 Guilty Spark would probably have told MC a lot more if he was in the Arbiter's place.
3. 343 implies that getting rid of all sentient life would render the Flood harmless. That's absurd. It's like saying that malaria/anopheles mosquitos will become harmless if all the humans on earth are nuked.
Following that theory, I would say you had more evidence to the human/Forerunner connection.
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-Jillybean
