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  • Subject: Enkidu - Cortana Letters Revisted?
Subject: Enkidu - Cortana Letters Revisted?
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man, when I first read these enkindu letter/messages i didnt know what to make out of em...you know what? I still havent figured anything out other than the fact that whoever wrote them is REALLY putting thought into it all.

  • 05.04.2004 6:57 PM PDT
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We have no confirmation that JD is even a Spartan, much less a S-III. Saying he's the MC's rival at this point in the game is WAY too early to call. He could be an ODST or some major Marine CO, not necessarily a Spartan at all.

Whatever JD is, it's obvious that Enkidu has him marked out for something. Maybe Mathers' communication wasn't an accident. In fact, taht sounds right. Maybe Enkidu wanted JD to know about the other survivors, to try and find them, and unless he had contact with someone else JD would never start searching for them. Maybe JD's search is Enkidu's objective, and maybe Enkidu is setting something up for his "friend".

We have established that the Covenant are landing on Frigid to make the humans pay for defiling a sacred Forerunner installation. Could it be that this distraction on Frigid, for a distraction it may be, could buy the Chief the time to slip through the ginormous Covenant fleet around Reach and make it to Earth for Halo 2? Sorry, I've not read FS yet, and at the end of Fall of Reach, Reach was surrounded by the largest Covenant fleet ever seen adn it would take something like a lost Forerunner installation to get enough of them away for an escape to even be possible.

  • 05.04.2004 7:13 PM PDT
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You know, Mathers said, that the three pelicans crashed after takeoff, not during landing. So we know that they landed at least once, then probably on the next time they tried to do a takeoff, they were sabatoged. And we don't know exactly when that was, so Endiku very well could have been rampant by then.

Amd on the rampancy note, "needed Enkidu's processing power to continue making headway in that network." So, it sounds like the structure had a huge network. Correct me if I'm wrong, but in Marathon's rules for a rampant AI, it was a huge network that makes normal AI's go rampant. Someone made a post about that earlier, but not sure where it is now.

I still hold by that something huge is now walking the earth of Frigid. With the Covenant reinforcents. And that may not be good for the Covenant. Ther other possibility is that since Endiku is fighting the Covenant, the giant on the earth is a forerunner war machine. Something of great power. Something that's causing the Covenant to send more and more reinforcements to be slaughtered, and the movements of the earth are the discharge of it's weapon. Just a thought...

And why is Endiku censoring the transmission on the battlenet (that he gave them even in his rampancy) most likely from Reach.

[Edited on 5/4/2004 7:22:34 PM]

  • 05.04.2004 7:18 PM PDT
Subject: Enkidu - Cortana Letters Revisted? A fresh spin on things
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You know, I think its the same guy that wrote the cortana letters (obviously), but its not 343GS i dont think, although it may sound like him. I think that Enkidu and 343GS and Cortana (but not as much) somehow got "influenced" by the forunner technology on their structures. If you notice as the game progressed, cortana got less and less AI like and more and more human like, maybe thats what is happening to the AI (thats what I think Enkidu is in these letters) at this forunner structure and what happened to 343GS. I also think that 343GS contacted Enkidu somehow (hence the part about going crazy, as well as other obvious references) and that the part about going crazy before Dot bounced off the padded walls (which implies Dot became crazy) means that before 343GS went crazy, perhaps there were /itwo/ caretakers of the halo structure and 343GS thought that the other (dot) posed a threat to the structure and destoyed the AI. thats about all ive got.

  • 05.04.2004 7:19 PM PDT

Ok theres a new update in the network called "Sit(down)uation Report" it basically reveals who enkidu is, saying its ( to me ) a male AI like cortana, that has the only access to anything on the planets surface that their on, and it talks about tremors, which i think are from the drop pods sent from the covenant ships in space.

  • 05.04.2004 7:22 PM PDT
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Headache killing me. Only on for a few. Hurts to even look at the monitor. Spent the day in bed. So, here goes, my thought on the latest screen. I'm sorry in advance, but I gotta. If you don't know, you need to research Bungie more.

Gimmie an E!
Gimmie a N!
Gimmie a K!
Gimmie an I!
Gimmie a D!
Gimmie an U!

What's that spell? Enkidu? No!

T-R-O-U-B-L-E!

  • 05.04.2004 7:33 PM PDT
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lol in FS we find out the ackersons secret project was approved and there is more than one spartan now

  • 05.04.2004 7:38 PM PDT
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Wow, it seems like whenever I sign in there is another Enkindu letter.
Bungie is really stepping it up before E3, I wonder whats in store for the down time.

[Edited on 5/4/2004 8:01:52 PM]

  • 05.04.2004 7:56 PM PDT
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Sorry, doesn't seem likely. The Covenant had to show up on the planet and drop troops off. Lot's of troops on the Sword of Justice. So they're not from around here. Besides, if it were a Covenant homeworld, there probably would be some defenses. And I think it's probably a oxygenated world since the forerunners used to be there.

[Edit] Hey, you changed your post. Great, now I look like I'm talking to myself. [/Edit]

[Edited on 5/4/2004 8:06:34 PM]

  • 05.04.2004 8:03 PM PDT
Subject: Enkidu - Cortana Letters Revisted?
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  • Exalted Mythic Member

January 30, 2004 (Warthog's Day)
The Master Chief emerged from his code. After seeing his dynamically lit realtime shadow, he went back for 9 more months of development.


Behold the power of the Originals, the Gods Axeone-Neurone.

Posted by: Zk315
And on the rampancy note, "needed Enkidu's processing power to continue making headway in that network." So, it sounds like the structure had a huge network. Correct me if I'm wrong, but in Marathon's rules for a rampant AI, it was a huge network that makes normal AI's go rampant. Someone made a post about that earlier, but not sure where it is now.

I am the one that said that. In Marathon rampacy requires a huge network, because as the AI goes rampant it begins to take over more and more of the systems so more systems are needed to continue rampancy.

I still hold by that something huge is now walking the earth of Frigid.
If Enkidu believes JD to be Gilgamesh and he wants to complete his story, what is the major event in that story? There fight with Humbaba.

Something that's causing the Covenant to send more and more reinforcements to be slaughtered, and the movements of the earth are the discharge of it's weapon. Just a thought...
In the book Starhammer the super weapon Starhammer when fired would use up 1 km cubes of the soil from the planet. The weapon would cause a gravity well in whatver it is aimed at, usually aimed at stars to make them go supernova.

  • 05.04.2004 8:51 PM PDT
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If Enkidu believes JD to be Gilgamesh and he wants to complete his story, what is the major event in that story? There fight with Humbaba.

Note that this also has a connection to Enkidu's reference to Shamhat. In the tale of Gilgamesh, Shamhat has sex with Enkidu to introduce him to worldy delights and civilisation. This is conjecture, but it's possible that another AI already present in the network morphed Enkidu into another state (rampancy?).

  • 05.04.2004 9:05 PM PDT
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Frankie said that Bungie was creating a new character. Maybe to introduce it(E3 anyone) they make up this backstory and to show its power they mention it taking down Pelicans and destroying Covenant (and maybe it will kill all the humans there and a Spartan), only to make you fear it in Halo 2? Maybe the Covenant unearthed it and set it free. Maybe he protects the Forerunner facility? A character strong enough to take down Spartans and Covenant? SICK.

  • 05.04.2004 9:07 PM PDT
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Posted by: Zk315
You know, Mathers said, that the three pelicans crashed after takeoff, not during landing. So we know that they landed at least once, then probably on the next time they tried to do a takeoff, they were sabatoged. And we don't know exactly when that was, so Endiku very well could have been rampant by then.


We do know that the pelicans crashed before Enkidu's garbled transmission to the UNSC Lebanon telling JD that Enkidu was soon to be put in the planetary network... Therefore no foul-play by Enkidu.

That leaves the Covenant who hadn't made themselves noticed at that time... or some sort of planetary defense mechanism. I can't think of anything else...

Posted by: Tartarus
I have quoted a lot from the Cortana leters and have drawn some connections. Here is Cortana from the second letter where she seems to be talking from Frigid:
From: "Cortana" <cortana@bungie.com>
To: <hamish.sinclair@tcd.ie>
Subject: Your Mortality (My Summer Vacation)
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1999 18:04:41 -0600
MIME-Version: 1.0
X-Priority: 3

I get the strangest transmissions sometimes. Especially when it comes from you people.

Have you missed me? Things are great here. The weather is good, the suns are shining, and I'm making lots of new friends. Of course, I always do.


The multiple suns that are shinning? Friend talk? Good weather? Let me just say that this sounds exactly like the place we see in the Enkidu terminal, FRIGID. Cortana is infact somehow on Frigid. Note that the title is also references "My Summer Vacation". Isn't one of the Enkidu terminals titled, "How I spent your Summer Vacation". The letter references these Enkidu events on Frigid. Furthur more, these Enkidu events take place before the events of Halo.


Personally I don't think this sounds like Frigid.
1) "Good Weather" - doesn't sound like a place in the middle of a glacier excavation on cold planet
2) "Friend Talk" - everybody talks about their friends some time - and there were plently of "friends" both Covenant and Human on Halo
3) "Multiple Suns" - there are suggestion that Frigid has multiple suns and Halo doesn't - but Cortana may not even be refering to suns within the solar system, she could be talking about stars as well...

I don't think this is solid evidence that Cortana is Enkidu... hardly a Fact yet.



[Edited on 5/4/2004 9:54:49 PM]

  • 05.04.2004 9:49 PM PDT
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Oh yeah, you're right. I completely forgot that in whether forcast they mentioned the downed Pelicans. But it's not like the Covenant to sabatoge stuff (They're more of the 'blow -blam!- up' kind). But who would it be then? Marines? Endiku? Something new? Anything is possible, I guess.

  • 05.04.2004 10:08 PM PDT
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Personally I think ZK315 and Thorne have it right between them. What are the chances a human AI would stand a chance against a Forerunner AI? NIL! What are the chances there wouldn't be an anti-virus in a Forerunner network? NIL! And what are the chances such a huge network could drive an ordinary AI insane? HUGE!!! So there we have it, the reason Enkidu went rampant. And personally I like the theory of Enkidu letting Capt. Mather's trnasmission through to start JD searching. Sounds just like what a bored Cortana or a rampant AI would do. So now we just need to know how Enkidu is fighting JD's friends, what sabatoged the Pellicans, and what's causing the tremors. Guess we'll have to wait for the next console. Oh, and it's not an oxygen world, the troops had to enter the tunnels because the surface doesn't have enough oxygen to survive on for long periods of time, said so in an earlier console.

Also, remember Frigid is only 1 of hundreds of known planets with dual or even triple suns, so don't assume Cortana was refering to Frigid when she said there were multiple suns.

[Edited on 5/4/2004 10:20:49 PM]

  • 05.04.2004 10:18 PM PDT
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maybe it's got something to to with the earth shaking? could be that Frigid has another Forerunner Superweapon that's causing the shaking? Maybe what ever it is interferes with the Pelican's systems? (similar to using mobiles phones on planes that are taking off or landing)

It's not the Covenant we've seen - Unless prophets have some sneakier tactics?

  • 05.04.2004 10:23 PM PDT
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Posted by: GS Destroy
Personally I think ZK315 and Thorne have it right between them. What are the chances a human AI would stand a chance against a Forerunner AI? NIL! What are the chances there wouldn't be an anti-virus in a Forerunner network? NIL! And what are the chances such a huge network could drive an ordinary AI insane? HUGE!!! So there we have it, the reason Enkidu went rampant. And personally I like the theory of Enkidu letting Capt. Mather's trnasmission through to start JD searching. Sounds just like what a bored Cortana or a rampant AI would do. So now we just need to know how Enkidu is fighting JD's friends, what sabatoged the Pellicans, and what's causing the tremors. Guess we'll have to wait for the next console. Oh, and it's not an oxygen world, the troops had to enter the tunnels because the surface doesn't have enough oxygen to survive on for long periods of time, said so in an earlier console.

Also, remember Frigid is only 1 of hundreds of known planets with dual or even triple suns, so don't assume Cortana was refering to Frigid when she said there were multiple suns.


GS Destroy - While I agree with pretty much everything you said... I want to point out one thing. AI is the Humans strong point - see the Halo Story page (third paragraph) - so it is the Forerunner AI that wouldn't stand a chance...

I think Enkidu has gone Rampant (especialy if he altered his programming to adapt to the new network) and is now acting in his own interests - kinda like a freelancer ("you mean like a mercenary" - "yeah, there you go"). JD is going to have to sweet talk him into helping the humans again.

[Edited on 5/4/2004 10:37:54 PM]

  • 05.04.2004 10:36 PM PDT
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Ok just to clear some stuff up. Enkidu IS NOT CORTANA. Enkidu IS NOT 343GS. Enkidu Is either gone insane because of the huge network or antivirius or whatever or he has been taken over by a forerunner AI. I personally lean towards the first. 343GS was a very advanced AI. He was put in charge of the safe keeping of a SUPER WEAPON. Yet cortana out smarted him. I agree with whoever said that the human AIs are the most advanced. They are the only advantage that the humans really have.

Ok so the Capt. said that he thought I don't think the upload took correctly. I'm guessing he patched the gaps with routines from the alien network. Something is running in those terminals, but it's no longer the Enkidu we knew. So it sounds like the upload did not finish or was not complete so E. patched himself up using some code that he found in the Forerunner's network. Now i have some questions about the ENKIDU LIVES! statement. It almost sounds like he almost died then after he fixed himself or something fixed him then he came back to life. Could this explain the poem referance to him being killed or dying. I dont really know i am just throwing some more ideas out their.

  • 05.04.2004 11:34 PM PDT
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Firstly - I find it interesting the the hidden "ENKIDU LIVES!" message was in a covenant message...

Also i wondering if anyone else has noticed that the main terminal has changed yet again...
- the time had changed to:
UT 07:23:03 09.07.2552
- now the time is:
UT 12:04:41 09.09.2552

I think this is due to Enkidu remapping the Battlenet... the old time (not the oldest) was a bit out of date with one of the messages - due to the Lebanon's destruction no doubt...

Also
The Network status used to say:
NETWORK FRAGMENTED
REMAPPING PACKET ROUTES

The Network status now says:
NETWORK EXPANDING
MAPPING NEW PACKET ROUTES

  • 05.04.2004 11:55 PM PDT
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i dont remember who said it but the terminals are coming in order of the greek alphabet. So far we have: a b g d e z h th i . So the next one is going to be k l m n ks o p r s t u f ch ps
o (this is the o with the little mark above it.) That means we still have a lot of letters to come. So far we have received 11 letters in 11 days. their are 15 more letters in the greek alphabet plus the i in the prologue. so we have 16 total. So if we continue on this rate the last terminal will come on the 21st of May. Is that day have any kind of history on it.

Edit: Oh and i found that their are 4 main Punctuation marks. Which would give us 3 subheadings with 7 letters in each. So it could be May 25th. These are only guesses.

[Edited on 5/5/2004 12:45:56 AM]

  • 05.05.2004 12:11 AM PDT

Spamming Bungie since 2004!
Those who want to live, let them fight, and those who do not want to fight in this world of eternal struggle do not deserve to live.
GT-I Final I (i's)
Plz uze prper inglish n ur poasts!11! it makez it eazeer 2 reed!

I haven't read all the posts (again) so don't flameme.What if Frigid is a Halo?The planet itself.Then they found the Flood.That's probably why LT. Demarais and her crew are missing.Which would tell why the Covies aren't glassing it...yet.

  • 05.05.2004 4:30 AM PDT
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About the whole 'JD = Gilgamesh, and the rumbling = Humbaba":

I think that's what's occurring, symbolicly (not literally, as that wouldn't make a whole lot of sense). There's some sort of huge.... well, thing, on Frigid, and Enkidu knows he can't handle it himself. So, he needs JD to do it for him. (Kind of like Enkidu and Gilgamesh fighting together against Humbaba). That means that if they keep going along as the myth goes, then Enkidu's going to end up killing whatever it is this thing is while JD attempts to show it mercy, and thus, something ultimately more large powerful and terrifying will be released onto the universe. (Dread Nergal)

  • 05.05.2004 4:40 AM PDT
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We now know what Enkidu is. What we have to solve is:

Who is JD? Is he a Spartan?

What does Enkidu want with JD?

What is causing the tremors on Frigid? If it's some new beast, have the Covenant encountered it?

Why does Enkidu want to keep JD from the rest of the humans?

And the grandaddy question:

What is Enkidu's plan?

As to human AI being superior, I would say over Covenant AIs, of course. But can you honestly tell me that beings who have created weaponry capable of annihilating all life in the universe, able to create handheld laser weaponry (the Sentries in Halo), create inferior AIs to a race who isn't even as technologically advanced as the Covenant? I think 343 Guilty Spark was much, much more powerful than we think he is. Remember, he got into the database of the Pillar of Autumn like it was nothing, and the PoA had all the anti-spy tech ONI could put on it.

My theory? 343 let Cortana into the Forerunner network. Maybe he had knowledge of what was transpiring on Frigid and figred she'd go crazy when exposed to that much data or he'sso arrogant he underestimated Cortana's ability to foil his plan. Either way, I think that if 343 Guilty Spark knew what Cortana was doing he would have stopped her easily. I think that on the Pillar of Autumn 343 Guilty Spark got his revenge on Cortana, maybe affecting her code in some way that the Chief notices in First Strike. Maybe, just maybe, 343 Guilty Spark has gotten his revenge on Cortana, just haven't seen it yet.

  • 05.05.2004 5:33 AM PDT
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Thorne:

It's a question of focus, humans focused on AI - and maybe we got lucky discoveries or maybe the way our mind works moved our technology in this direction... whatever it is the Covenant and Forerunners just didn't put the same focus on AI.

[Edited on 5/5/2004 6:43:37 AM]

  • 05.05.2004 6:13 AM PDT
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Some info has surfaced from a reader:

Posted by: I was reading Halo: First Strike for like the third time last night and stumbled upon a very important discovery. You know how Dr. Halsey basically steals Kelly and goes on some weird secret mission? No one knows where she went, even Cortana. Well I think I have figured it out. This info is on pages 129-130 in First Strike. If you flip to page 129 you will read that Dr. Hasley is looking through Colonel Ackerson's emails. She finds the one called King Under the Mountain: S III. She finds all sorts of stuff he was stealing form her. She then sees he had an email called CPOMZ. There were some coordinates she never heard of and wanted to check it out. So she downloaded them to her data pad which she took with her throughout the rest of the book. My theory is that she looked at those coordinates and somehow figured oput where and what they were for. So now shes taking Kelly-087 to this polace to soem secret thing to hopefully find some new thing help turn the tide in the war or there is something secret there and Dr. Halsey wants Kelly to go with her to protect her and stuff. Tell me what you guys think about it.
Calicohalo-founder of The Covie Killers .



I on one hand forgot that Ackerson was part of the Army/Marines and they were attempting to make their own Spartan-like warriors. I can't believe I let this slip through. Sorry guys. But here's the info.

  • 05.05.2004 7:00 AM PDT