Activating the Halo Array was not an instantaneous process—it required extensive preparation.
Inside the central control room of Installation 00, the Ark, a vast and dimly lit chamber stretched out, filled with intersecting high-dimensional geometric patterns, forming a massive tetrahedral structure.
Even after 100,000 to 150,500 years, the unique engravings and elaborate carvings of the Forerunner civilization remained visible on the walls, exuding an immense and mathematically elegant grandeur.
At this moment, the room was completely devoid of life or objects. As always, it was eerily silent.
Suddenly—
Buzz.
The room instantly illuminated, and the smooth, polished floor began shifting, rising in sections. At the far end of the wall, a bridge extended directly toward the main entrance.
Szzzt!
Offensive Bias materialized in the control room, immediately addressing Selene as she stepped through a spatial rift.
"Your Majesty, I have initiated the Halo Array recall program within Installation 00, but one final step remains."
"Genetic authorization?" Selene asked as she walked forward, idly squeezing 000 Tragic Solitude like a toy in her arms.
At close range, she examined the control platform at the room's center. A deep-gray control pillar had risen from the floor—a rectangular monolith with a floating, matte-finished metallic sphere roughly the size of a basketball suspended above it.
Faint cyan-blue energy coursed through intricate, glowing lines on its outer shell.
"Yes," Offensive Bias confirmed. "Although my superior computational capacity allowed me to bypass 000 Tragic Solitude's access privileges and assume control of Installation 00, my administrative rights have been muted and erased."
"For operations related to the construction of Installation 04B—also known as the Halo Array by the Forerunners and Monitors—the authority to recall the Halo installations requires the genetic directives of a Creator or a Reclaimer."
It was evident that the Forerunners had been deeply scarred by Offensive Bias's betrayal.
Even after its defection and the ensuing catastrophe wrought by the Flood, the Forerunners were forced to create its sister AI, Offensive Bias, another Contender-class intelligence.
However, Offensive Bias was designed solely to replace the role left vacant by Offensive Bias in commanding the Forerunner fleets. Its privileges were vastly inferior to its predecessor's.
Subsequent generations of Monitors were even more restricted, with their authority limited solely to maintaining and defending specific Halo installations—none possessed the ability to activate the array.
Offensive Bias, on the other hand, had wielded full control over multiple Halo installations at once.
After a brief pause, Offensive Bias added, "Forcibly decrypting the system would take an extensive amount of time, with a 96% probability of triggering the Ark's network defense protocols. I cannot guarantee the outcome."
"Your Majesty, please provide the authorization."
Gazing at the control pillar for a moment, Selene casually cast an imperceptible glance behind her. Yes—bringing them here had indeed been worthwhile.
Offensive Bias's overwhelming guilt toward the Forerunner civilization, its deep-seated need for atonement toward the Reclaimers—humanity—was practically overflowing.
By exploiting its psychological vulnerabilities, Selene had seamlessly completed her subversion of its consciousness without any losses.
Even the strongest entities had weaknesses.
The presence of the Reclaimers—humanity, inheritors of the Forerunners' legacy—had cracked the seemingly impenetrable shell of Offensive Bias. The Master Chief and Dr. Halsey had played their roles flawlessly, justifying Selene's decision to bring them all the way from Reach.
Their mere presence had facilitated Selene's complete erosion and control over Offensive Bias.
Then, with a flick of her wrist, a flash of violet light shimmered, and two intricately hollowed triangular crystalline constructs materialized in her hand.
Seeing this, 000 Tragic Solitude spoke up. "You're activating the Index?!"
"That's right."
"You intend to activate the Halo Array?! No! Please, do not do this! If the full array is triggered, it will eradicate all life in the galaxy! This violates the Mantle of Responsibility and the accords!"
"Outsider, your actions will bring catastrophe upon the galaxy..." 000 Tragic Solitude continued its endless warnings, dutifully fulfilling its programmed role.
"Catastrophe?" Selene interrupted, a knowing smile flickering across her face—one that left Halsey and the others uncertain. "What if I told you that traces of the Flood have already appeared in the galaxy?"
The Flood? What was that? They had never heard of such a thing, yet the alien AI's reaction was nothing short of sheer dread.
"Ah! The Flood? You mean the Flood has returned to the galaxy?!"
Hearing 000 Tragic Solitude's panicked, high-pitched electronic voice, the previously silent U.N.S.C officers erupted into a hushed uproar at the center of the room.
"This alien machine doesn't seem to be lying."
"That ring-shaped structure… it's actually a weapon?"
"Does Her Majesty really intend to wipe out all life in the galaxy?"
"That's impossible. The Jiangbo Star System, Reach, even the Solar System—all have Imperial forces stationed there. She wouldn't destroy her own people."
"What is the Flood? Some unknown alien race we haven't encountered yet…?"
"That AI is just fearmongering!"
...
"Your Majesty, is it true? Will activating the Halo Array truly kill all life in the galaxy?"
Selene stepped forward and pressed a button. Immediately, the walls on both sides of the room shifted, revealing a semi-circular array of devices that converged into a swirling vortex of energy.
"Ah, yes~"
"All life will be purged."
Having completed her task, Selene turned to the stunned U.N.S.C officers. Her crimson eyes shimmered with amusement as her long lashes fluttered slightly. "I'd like to hear your thoughts."
"If I were to activate the Halo Array, what would you choose to do?"
Resting her cheek on one hand, Selene reclined effortlessly in midair, her sanguine gaze soft yet piercing, watching the soldiers wrestle with the weight of the question. She observed them leisurely, relishing their inner turmoil.
Then, in an instant—
"Do you even have the right to choose?"
Selene's expression shifted so suddenly that it left them speechless. Her ability to change faces was on par with the most seasoned politicians of the U.N. Assembly.
Boom!
A surge of gravity slammed the U.N.S.C officers to the ground, pinning them down with overwhelming force.
"Use your brains. If I wanted to destroy humanity, would I need to go through all this trouble?" Selene scoffed. "As for its true purpose… that's not within the scope of my agreement with you."
"Ugh..." Silence engulfed the room.
"Hmph."
With a soft snort, Selene said no more. Amid 000 Tragic Solitude's panicked protests, she placed both activation indices onto the central vortex.
Buzz—!
The moment they were placed, the core mechanism roared to life. The control room's intricate engravings pulsed outward, radiating a blinding brilliance.
Above the platform, a massive three-dimensional star map materialized before Selene's eyes. Besides the extragalactic coordinates of Installation 00, six additional bright markers appeared within the Milky Way—locations of the remaining Halo rings.
Releasing the gravity field's hold on the U.N.S.C personnel, Selene made a slight hand gesture, inviting them to rise. Then, turning to the Master Chief, she said, "Spartan 117… Hmm… John. I suppose I may call you that. You will activate it."
Extracting the Forerunner genetic imprint buried within the DNA of the Spartans and activating the system herself—or even using mental influence to make them 'willingly' activate it—was certainly an option. But after some thought, Selene decided to let them do it of their own free will.
Yes, ask—so they could willingly comply.
"…No objections."
As a Spartan-II super-soldier, the Master Chief's neural modifications allowed him to suppress emotions and desires effectively. Even if this decision could lead to the deaths of countless beings, his face remained as calm and resolute as ever beneath his helmet.
"Your Majesty, I hope you keep your word—that you are humanity's Emperor."
For aliens, whether Selene chose to enslave, assimilate, or even exterminate them, it didn't matter. As long as humanity was protected, that was enough.
"As soldiers, our duty is to protect humanity at all costs." — John-117.
That was his oath, one he would follow until death.
Clank, clank.
With unwavering composure, the Master Chief stepped forward. Under Offensive Bias's guidance, he approached the control pillar and extended his right hand, placing his armored palm on the floating sphere.
Zzzzt—
The sensation was indescribable. Chief could vaguely sense something being drawn from deep within him—a part of his very being stirring in response. A brief shiver ran through him, and then… nothing.
No other sensation followed.
Whoosh—
With a soft mechanical hum, the control room's walls began shifting, transforming like interlocking blocks. Within moments, the walls gave way to a massive floor-to-ceiling observation window.
Beyond the glass, the view opened up to reveal the very heart of the Ark—its central core, the "lotus" of this vast construct.
Warm sunlight cascaded down from the artificial sky. Selene gazed below, where an endless expanse of verdant grasslands and forests stretched to the horizon.
Even through the reinforced glass, she could feel the gentle breeze brushing against her face, bringing with it a refreshing coolness that made the vastness of the world feel all the more open and boundless.
"An artificial sun… A Dyson sphere. Using slipspace fracture technology, a star has been contained to provide the Ark with continuous energy—likely for billions of years until it finally burns out."
It made sense. Installation 00 was located far beyond the Milky Way, deep within intergalactic voids where raw materials and stellar radiation were scarce. No natural source within the galaxy could feasibly sustain such an enormous construct.
Aside from an artificial sun, there was no other practical way to keep it powered.
Selene did not yet know whether the Ark's illumination came from an entirely synthetic star or if the Forerunners had relocated an existing star from another galaxy. But it didn't matter.
This was now her domain—her imperial palace. She would have all the time she needed to uncover its secrets.
The sheer majesty of this world, now under her command, sent a thrill through her.
Looking up, she caught sight of the incomplete Halo ring, still under construction, just as Offensive Bias had mentioned.
This was the Forerunners' contingency plan—a spare installation stored on the Ark in case any of the deployed Halo rings were destroyed in an accident.
Buzz—Boom!
From every corner of the Ark, brilliant columns of light shot into the sky, replacing all other sights with their dazzling glow. The beams rose in perfect symmetry, evenly spaced along the Ark's perimeter.
Then, six enormous slipspace portals unfurled above the installation, growing larger by the second.
Their sheer scale was staggering—beyond comprehension.
As the Halo Array emerged, everyone reacted differently.
For a brief moment, even the Master Chief felt an indescribable sense of awe and unease as an overwhelming, almost inexplicable emotion surged through him.
The Spartans and U.N.S.C officers stood frozen, lost in deep contemplation, overwhelmed by a mixture of relief and fear.
Selene, on the other hand, remained utterly unshaken—this was something she had anticipated all along.
Halsey and the Spartan Operations Division's technicians, after their initial shock, quickly suppressed their fear. The curiosity of scientific minds took over, and they immediately began recording every detail with their portable instruments.
Emerging from the six slipspace portals were six colossal ring-shaped megastructures, each spanning 10,000 kilometers in diameter. These celestial-scale installations slowly materialized before Selene's eyes.
Perfect. Everything was in place.
Time to pack them up and take them home!
If you asked whether Selene would distribute these among her subordinates or hand them over—don't even ask.
Don't question it. This wasn't a weapon—this was her personal palace.
"If the Greater Ark and the original twelve massive Halos hadn't been destroyed, what a magnificent sight it would have been," Selene mused with a satisfied smile.
The first set of twelve Halo installations was commissioned by the Grand Architect around 101,000 BCE. These superweapons were originally intended to reinforce the supremacy of the Builders within Forerunner society.
Later, the design was further refined, and a second array of six smaller, deadlier rings was constructed.
At its peak, the Forerunner civilization had a total of eighteen Halo installations: the original twelve 30,000-kilometer-wide megastructures built by the Greater Ark and the later six 10,000-kilometer-wide rings constructed by the Lesser Ark.
Unfortunately, following the Flood War, only the Lesser Ark and its six smaller rings remained, along with Installation 07, a remnant from the original array that had been drastically reduced in size.
"I deeply regret my actions, Your Majesty. This is my fault."
Hearing Selene's remark, Offensive Bias sank into another bout of deep remorse. The weight of its own past mistakes loomed over it, its voice heavy with guilt.
Selene, however, merely chuckled.
"But…" she murmured, stroking her chin. "Now is not the time for regrets. I can sense it—there are Flood neural signals coming from the rings."
"What?!"
000 Tragic Solitude immediately snapped to attention, its demeanor shifting drastically. "I will summon the Monitors at once."
Without hesitation, 000 Tragic Solitude moved to the control station and began establishing contact with the Monitors stationed on each of the rings.
The three-dimensional display shifted, revealing six different holographic screens.
"...Installation 04, Installation 05… There are major issues," 000 Tragic Solitude stated gravely.
As the screens zoomed in, what should have been breathtaking, vibrant landscapes—carefully maintained by the Halo installations' life-support systems—were now murky, festering wastelands, reeking of decay and corruption.
While some areas still retained their original ecological balance and appeared intact, deeper within, the Flood had already overrun and corrupted vast sections of the installations.
"Your Majesty, you must activate the Halo Array immediately! The Flood is a threat to the entire universe!"
Even 000 Tragic Solitude itself failed to realize how much its perception of Selene had changed. Unconsciously, it had begun to refer to her with absolute reverence, instinctively placing trust in her judgment.
"There's no need to worry," Selene said calmly. "They won't spread any further."
She couldn't allow her property to be tainted.
"Seal them."
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