Avail: A Halo Journey

Prologue: The Decision

The year is 97,100 BCE, three hundred and forty-five years after the firing of the Halo Arrays. Far off on the edges of the Orion arm of the galaxy was an artificial planet, built by the Forerunners. A shield world as they were referred to, Shield 10024 , designation Essence. Shield world installations such as this one were planet-sized shelters, built by the Forerunners, commonly designed with a metallic exterior surface or an artificial biological surface and an internal artificial environment nearly indistinguishable to a natural planets surface. The artificial preserve was entombed by the planets outer shell, protected from all outside harm. The Forerunners created many of these shield worlds as a defensive measure against the parasitic life form known as the Flood. With seemingly inexorable hunger, the Flood multiplied ferociously as it scoured the galaxy for any organism with sufficient biomass to sustain itself. The Forerunner shield worlds all served as a part of the same purpose, The Conservation Measure. The sampling of specimens of all life forms across the span of the galaxy and their protection from the firing of the Halo arrays, giant ring shaped worlds, weapons of last resort. Near the end of the ensuing conflict, Halo was the only weapon that could stop the all consuming Flood. When the Halo's were activated, it resulted in the mass sterilization of all sentient life across the entire galaxy. As a result, the Flood starved. With no available host to supplement the parasites nature, they died out and the only samples that survived the firing of the rings were cataloged and studied by the intelligent designs the Forerunners left in their wake. To not wipe out the parasite entirely was a pivotal debate among the Forerunner leadership and although they had great cause to render the parasite extinct, they elected to continue studies on the Flood, in hopes that a cure or vaccination might be discovered. Once the parasitic threat was rendered harmless and considered exterminated, all sampled specimens, excluding the Flood, would then be redistributed to their collective home worlds. After the rings were activated, the Flood and the Forerunners perished and the species were returned to their places of origin.

But it was not so for the specimens who resided within shield world Essence. A wine-red orb makes its descent within the mega-voluminous corridors of this monumental construct. At a closer glance, the orb is seen to be a metallic sphere with concave edges and an illuminated photo receptor, emanating the bright glow of dark red from which served as a single eye at its center. It is the physical embodiment of the artificial intelligence, 227 Key Master. A Monitor-class construct, built by the Forerunners to oversee the systems of their designated installations and the continuous functionality of their programmed assignments. Designed with a male personality and an indefinite lifespan, he had developed a cold mechanical grasp on consciousness but viewed all life as practically sacred. He reserved this kindness for all things except the Flood, which he despised bitterly. After thousands of years in libido 227 Key Master wrestled with not only his own protocol, but his responsibility for maintaining shield world Essence. Six months ago the shield world began experiencing several uncommon and unexpected complications, primarily - internal security systems, containment fields, monitoring devices and other maintenance related areas began experiencing issues. All primary internal planetary systems, save for life support, gravity and environmental systems, occasionally became unresponsive. As a Monitor, he was designed to oversee the planetary functions of species conservation and redistribution. His second responsibility was much more grievous. Shield World Essence also served a dangerous purpose, that of preserving specimens of the infection known as the Flood for study and examination. Deep within the shield worlds ante-chambers, near the very the core of the planet, samples of the parasite were locked in high-security research facilities. The installations malfunctioning systems created many obstacles for 227 Key Master. The Conservation Measure saw the collection of as many sentient beings in the galaxy as possible. The samples would then be housed within each designated shield world in order to survive the firing of the Halo array's, which would result in the eradication of all 'non-sheltered' life in the galaxy, thereby rendering the Flood harmless and effectively starving them. The final stage of the conservation measure would see the redistribution of the indexed lifeforms once the parasite had been deemed sterilized. Each sampled species would be transported from the sheltered installations back to their respective home worlds to continue a natural progression in their existence. The Monitors of each installation housing indexed species were responsible for seeing them returned safely to their planets of origin. It was in this task that Key Master experienced gridlock. He was unable to properly redistribute the specimens housed in his instillation and return them to their respective home worlds due to a complication he practically could not resolve. The 'Key Ships', vessels witch were utilized for the purpose of species extraction and redistribution on a galactic scale, were stationed on their launch pads within the Shield World. But theses vessels, much to Key Masters confusion, were unusable. The ships simply did not react or respond to any commands issued by Key Master. He dispatched thousands of Sentinels to assess the Key Ships and prepare them for departure but it was no use. For some reason, the ships themselves were accessible upon initial examination, but a closer look at the internal systems revealed they had been tampered with and utterly damaged, to the point of replacement being necessary for functionality. The resources needed for a complete repair of all five of the ships internal systems were not at his disposal, not here in this Shield World. By the evidence collected and reviewed by Key Master, he was able to determine that the damage was done by the the Flood and it had been done recently. He grew weary of the parasitic lifeforms he was also responsible for maintaining. He considered exterminating the cataloged samples entirely to reduce the risk of infection. The Parasite were devious and cunning. Key Master was well aware of how well the Parasite could 'play dead' and execute their malicious intent under the guise of defeat or dormancy. After long years he revised his consideration and followed protocol for further study and examination of the parasite. As for the standard sentient specimens preserved in advanced Forerunner cryo-preservation, Key Master knew to long an extended period of this type of stasis-inactivity would eventually render these samples lifeless. Key Master was uncertain how long it would be before his system reactivated or if he would receive any form of assistance whatsoever. He reviewed the conditions of the artificial landscapes that filled the interior of the shield world and he identified that the environmental systems were only partially malfunctioning but they could still sustain life. Once the crisis had been averted, In an act of selfless concern for the well being of his preserved specimens, he released them from their preservative state and scattered them across the Shield Worlds interior, so they might adapt and prosper. This was an unusual decision for an AI responsible for the strict protocol of the conservation method, but a lot of unusual things were happening on this shield world.

The three preserved species who had developed the capacity for Intelligent reasoning, communication and self-awareness were Homo-Sapiens (Humans), Macto Cognatus (Elites), and Servus Ferox (Brutes). For a millennia, these species, along with a countless number of unique animals thrived in the planets interior living in steady co-existence. Each species adapted and developed accordingly. They all continued to advance their language and technological understanding at an accelerated rate thanks to the assistance of Key Master, who was intent on their appropriate development. He knew he could not dispatch the Key Ships to return all of these species to their appropriate places of origin, but he devised a brilliant strategy to ensure that should they one day be able to return home, their development would not put them at odds with the evolution of their fellow kind on their respective home worlds. Key Master took delight in helping each species climb the ladder of evolution by giving them gentle nudges in the right directions. He especially prided himself in helping them all accelerate while maintaining a degree of harmony among the three very different species. But all that changed in the year 2529.

More than one hundred thousand years later and four years after the beginning of the Human-Covenant war. Covenant forces had discovered the shield world. These ships he did not entirely identify but their were signs of the same species aboard this second fleet as the ones he had raised within his shield world. Macto Cognatus and Servus Ferox. He did not know it but it was the Covenant. He immediately identified their accelerated rate of atmospheric entry and he promptly hailed the ships to slow their course. The small fleet of Covenant ships ignored his warnings, quickly forming defensive formations and rallying on the planets star-side. It was then he identified a much larger fleet of ships following behind the others. Key Master was delighted to identify the second fleet of ships was a fleet of Humans, or 'Reclaimers', as the Forerunner AI referred to them as. Yet he could not open the planets external surface and present the world within the world, so his visitors might enter.

Eight CCS-Class Battle Cruisers and one CAS-Class Assault Carrier holding a barricade formation against Eight Halcyon Class-Cruisers and twenty-two Stalwart Class-Frigates. The Covenant vessels were badly outnumbered, they were intercepted and caught in their tracks by the UNSC fleet. Key Master determined time of engagement and probability of scenario outcome. He equated a zero-percent probability for Covenant victory within three-tenths of a second. Key Master wanted more than anything to intervene the impending conflict he had theorized would inevitably ensue, but he had no control over any external planetary systems. No access to external weapons, no management over the surface doorway. There was nothing he could do. He was forced to watch through the visual processors of his installation which at that moment, he would have preferred not to have had control over. The UNSC fleet swarmed over them like flies and the battle commenced. Holding steady, the Covenant fought back ferociously. Alternating one ship to the front of their fleet with another after heavy damage was incurred to the first, like a tag-team wrestler tapping his teammate into a fight to take his place. The UNSC vessels continued to close proximity with their enemies, engaging a CCS-battle cruiser, firing several volleys of archer missile pods at the ships bridge after they had thoroughly decimated its engine drives and immobilized it. One by one the Covenant battle cruisers were destroyed, taking down one or two UNSC frigates with them. Having destroyed more than half of the alien fleet within no more than half-an-hour, the Covenant fleet now had but three ships remaining, two cruisers and one the carrier. Something odd began to happen then. Key Master observed multiple small-scale vessels departing from the Covenant assault carrier. As he theorized they were evacuating the Covenant cruiser, the ship began heading straight for the cluster of UNSC ships at full speed. Key Master intercepted a transmission between the charging cruiser and the two last surviving CCS-battle cruisers. "The discovery of this relic is too important. We're not winning this battle brothers, but neither are they. Shipmasters, you have your orders. Initiate emergency slip space and bring word of our discovery to the commander. It has been the highest honor brothers".

The UNSC fleet began firing their ships weapons, releasing a barrage of archer pods from the six remaining Halcyon class cruisers, along with combined fire from the supporting frigates. The Covenant assault carrier diverted all secondary power sources to the ships shield, hoping to repel the major brunt of the UNSC firepower. Continuing on its intended crash-course, it's speed maintained full-forward drive. In a display of pride, one of the Halcyon-class cruisers placed itself directly in the way of the Covenant carrier and began charging its Mark II Mass Accelerator Cannon (MAC gun), aiming directly for the front of the Covenant ship. The Covenant carriers Fleet Master was alone in the bridge of his ship, bleeding from the right side of his eye after having suffered an injury due to the damage his ship had sustained. He was stone-faced and emotionless as a timer counted down on the console in front of him. Looking onward from the observation view of his ships bridge was the menacing fleet of the UNSC and the timer, indicating a self-initiated overload of the ships Pinch Fusion Reactor. Before his eyes he watched the UNSC cruiser fire its MAC gun directly at him as the countdown went from three seconds, to two seconds... then there was bliss.

Key Master witnessed the two remaining Covenant cruisers receive the evacuees of their doomed flag ship, and they entered slip space, gone from the system. Then there was a flash and split second silence. An enormous explosion rippled from the Covenant carrier and the entire UNSC fleet was consumed in a ball of light. A blast so large that it reached the edges of shield world Essence. The whole fleet was utterly ruined, UNSC ships on the edges of the explosion that maintained structural integrity, along with the wreckage of UNSC and Covenant ships alike were thrown towards the external surface entrance of shield world Essence. Key Master was petrified, A function he had not authorized had commenced. The shield worlds entry portal had begun opening and its magnetic vortex had been initiated. Key Master pondered what circumstances could be contributing to this unprecedented series of system functions. Could the systems have been damaged by the radioactivity from the explosion? His makers technology would do no such thing. Could the extraterrestrials have somehow interfered with and tampered the installations networks? Highly unlikely. Then he began to consider what motive or agenda an unauthorized entity might have in regards to exposing Essence. For all the feelings an artificial intelligence was incapable of feeling, Key Master had never experienced the closest thing to dread up until that moment. 'Could the Parasite have had something to do with this?'. Not only had the only signs of life outside of his installation just disappeared as quickly as they had arrived, his installation was now exposed, along with the life he worked so hard to nurture. All sorts of debris began pouring in through the entry way of the shield worlds external surface and started plummeting towards the internal surface. He calculated point of impact for multiple objects and assessed the damage report. One thing he still had control over was his installations sentinel network, and he quickly deployed his Assembler and Constructor Sentinels to begin immediate manual sequestering of the shield worlds external surface. Key Master confirmed a predicted asymmetrical internal structural breach at a length of 63,015 feet in diameter and a lateral width of 47,388 feet. He was not disheartened, he was to have an actual task unrelated to species developmental monitoring, which he had been doing for the better half of one hundred thousand years. He relished in his responsibility. He was fully confidant his sentinels would secure the breach accordingly, however long it took. Now his biggest concern was securing any wreckage that would land within shield world 'Essence' and properly dispose of it so as not to confuse and derail the comfort and stability of the species he for so long had nurtured. But just then Key Master was alerted of a system malfunction deep within Section F-088, several levels under the internal surface floor of his installation. He wondered what could possibly be going wrong now, as he immediately opened a visual of systems displays of the dysfunctional sub-level corridor. What Key Master observed was any Forerunner AI's worst nightmare. A Containment Protocol malfunction. A containment malfunction in a section housing not sentient samples of life but developed specimens of the Flood. The galaxy devouring parasitic life form. The very reason his makers went through all the trouble of creating him, of creating the Shield Worlds, collecting samples of lifeforms to preserve them. The reason they built the Halo arrays... It was all done to survive the parasite, to combat the Flood. His first reaction was diverting all Enforcer Sentinels to section F-088 and handling this outbreak immediately. His first thought was outrage... His makers had debated ferociously on the fate of the Parasite, one party demanding their complete and utter extinction, while another party advocated their right to existence, that they were still a living entity and therefore should be allowed to survive. But Key Masters personal opinion at this moment was that the Parasite needed to be eradicated. Under no circumstances could it be allowed to disrupt the sanctuary he was responsible for preserving.

"You have no idea how bad this is. You need to light the ring."

"Don't start saying something like that. There has always been another option. We will find a solution."

<UNDER CONSTRUCTION>

The year is 2529