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This topic has moved here: Subject: Enkidu - Cortana Letters Revisted?
  • Subject: Enkidu - Cortana Letters Revisted?
Subject: Enkidu - Cortana Letters Revisted?
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Oh, I disagree. I think there will be lots and lots of flood. Several giant helpings, among other things... But the Flood are the driving force behind the plot. It's not the invasion of earth, it's not the salvation of the human race, it's the ancient history that really drives Halo's plot and makes it so cool. Paraphrase of Jason Jones: "Did you really think you could destroy the flood that easily? No. They'll be back. They have a long history with the Covenant and some cool stuff is going to happen here." Sounds like a very important part to me. I think we'll be seeing a lot more flood... And they're not simply going to find them on another Halo. That's too easy. But to come to earth. That's different. That's not the same. That -blam!-s the entire race over until you come to the rescue (or something new does). I'm sure there will be lot's of other cool new aditions, but the flood are definetly major players in the next game. Unfortunetly for some, they're just as important as the Covenant now. And I can say that since they're going to be somewhere, it's not going to be on another ring exclusively (no danger, already been done) which leaves Covenant and humans worlds (out of the two, out world is the most probable, since all the bad things happen to us).

Moving on. No one else mentioned "very long term disposal risks Hansard, and cautery" The Hansard (British parliament in this case) debates over what to with the long and short term of disposal of things like nuclear waste and Biological agents. I think it just means that Endiku is thinking of a short term solution and a long term one fro out mysterious biolgical agent, which is almost certainly the flood. Especially after the meta tag that read "Louis XV quote" which was a reference to "Apres moi, le deluge (After me, the FLOOD)" Now, cautery is to close up a wound by searing off you flesh with a hot object (I mentioned that before). I think in this case it means either JD or Endiku are going to make certain sacrifices (killing off the infected humans) to survive. Das ist alles.

  • 05.08.2004 11:00 PM PDT
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Right, except you have absolutely no reason that the Flood would be anywhere except a Halo installation. Not just because. There has to be a reason. I think it has more to do with the Forerunners than the Flood. It wouldn't make sense if there were Flood here.

  • 05.08.2004 11:11 PM PDT
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We don't need a reason. Right now, all the evidence in the Endiku terminal shouts flood. Even the meta tags are saying it. And so, right now, I'm putting all my money on flood. It could change, when more evidence becomes available, but it looks like the story is coming to a wrap, and I'm almost certain they're not going to go through all 25 greek letters. We don't need a reason. We didn't need a reason why Halo wipes the galaxy clear of sentient life to eliminate the flood (that doesn't make sense either, but it is like that), or why the Covenant worship the forerunners. This is no different. Just because we don't know how object A got to point B from Point A, doesn't mean that it didn't get there.

  • 05.08.2004 11:25 PM PDT
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I don't think that Cautery is a metaphor for making sacrifices... I interpret Cautery to be preventing something that is slowly killing you (bleeding to death) with force.

Now along with Louis XV quote and the Hansard thing, Cautery in this case could mean using the Flood as a Weapon against the Covenant.

The Covenant are obviously afraid of the Flood, so what better Weapon is there? I know that the nature of the Flood makes them hard to control, but if the Flood were sent to the Homeworld then prevented from returning somehow...

  • 05.08.2004 11:31 PM PDT
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No, when I said cautery, I meant that you sear off your own skin to save your life, essentially, you sacrifice your outer tissue for the greater good. With your "I interpret Cautery to be preventing something that is slowly killing you (bleeding to death) with force," it essentially means exactly what I'm saying (when you put it into my scenario), just with a slightly different tone. Yours is more, "kill the infected, only way to save oueselves." Let's see if I can explain it. Well, the thing killing you would be the flood infection. Stopping it with force is killing the infected.

But I haven't seen any refernces to using it on the Covenant or how the three tie into using it on the Covenant. Unless you've seen something I missed?

  • 05.08.2004 11:47 PM PDT
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Posted by: Zk315
We don't need a reason. Right now, all the evidence in the Endiku terminal shouts flood. Even the meta tags are saying it. And so, right now, I'm putting all my money on flood. It could change, when more evidence becomes available, but it looks like the story is coming to a wrap, and I'm almost certain they're not going to go through all 25 greek letters. We don't need a reason. We didn't need a reason why Halo wipes the galaxy clear of sentient life to eliminate the flood (that doesn't make sense either, but it is like that), or why the Covenant worship the forerunners. This is no different. Just because we don't know how object A got to point B from Point A, doesn't mean that it didn't get there.


Yes you do need a reason, mostly because there are too many reasons they wouldn't be there. We do have a reason for halo wiping the universe clean. The flood is a weapon, a weapon somebody wants to keep. It's also, as far as I can recall, never been stated that Covenant worship the Forerunners. They could have killed, or locked up the Forerunners for all we know. Anyway back on topic


1)Why would anybody have placed the Flood here? It doesn't add up. Halo was a specially designed weapon. Frigid is a planet therefore cannot be a weapon like halo. Nobody in their right mind would just put flood on a planet where they can easily escape. Remember the other Halos only fire after an intinal firing alerts them the flood are out. One major reason I believe it's not flood on this planet.

2)If not put on Frigid, then how could the flood have made it here on their own? It makes no sense for Flood to hijack a ship and just fly to this frozen planet with no food, and just hang out. Especially since it's close to Reach, with plenty of food for the flood.

There's more but I'm tired. There are quite a few holes in the flood theory.

  • 05.08.2004 11:54 PM PDT
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'Cause the wound that the Humans have is the Covenant, the Flood are recent additions. The Covenant will wipe us out unless the MC does something, and in the Flood we find something that can hurt us, but can also hurt the Covenant.

  • 05.09.2004 12:02 AM PDT
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Posted by: Bring the Noise
Posted by: Zk315
We don't need a reason. Right now, all the evidence in the Endiku terminal shouts flood. Even the meta tags are saying it. And so, right now, I'm putting all my money on flood. It could change, when more evidence becomes available, but it looks like the story is coming to a wrap, and I'm almost certain they're not going to go through all 25 greek letters. We don't need a reason. We didn't need a reason why Halo wipes the galaxy clear of sentient life to eliminate the flood (that doesn't make sense either, but it is like that), or why the Covenant worship the forerunners. This is no different. Just because we don't know how object A got to point B from Point A, doesn't mean that it didn't get there.


Yes you do need a reason, mostly because there are too many reasons they wouldn't be there. We do have a reason for halo wiping the universe clean. The flood is a weapon, a weapon somebody wants to keep. It's also, as far as I can recall, never been stated that Covenant worship the Forerunners. They could have killed, or locked up the Forerunners for all we know. Anyway back on topic


1)Why would anybody have placed the Flood here? It doesn't add up. Halo was a specially designed weapon. Frigid is a planet therefore cannot be a weapon like halo. Nobody in their right mind would just put flood on a planet where they can easily escape. Remember the other Halos only fire after an intinal firing alerts them the flood are out. One major reason I believe it's not flood on this planet.

2)If not put on Frigid, then how could the flood have made it here on their own? It makes no sense for Flood to hijack a ship and just fly to this frozen planet with no food, and just hang out. Especially since it's close to Reach, with plenty of food for the flood.

There's more but I'm tired. There are quite a few holes in the flood theory.


Let's not forget that the Flood, when they were found, were only carrier forms - the little blobbies that passed on the virus. As 343 GS said, specimens were kept for further study and analysis, a decision which may have been in error.

Why the hell, if the Forerunners designed Halo and the other (minimum) three installations, to cleanse the galaxy of all life, would they keep such viral agents in TWO places? So they can worry all the time, instead of half? More reason to excise the universe of all sentient life?

No, the Forerunner (note - one, as Cortana states when she is in the Control Room the first time) built Halo as a Fortress world, as much to keep other races off, but more importantly, to keep the Flood on it. Locked up, in the prison cells/petri dishes, with no way to get off by themselves. Obviously, since the Flood had most likely infected something else horribly, the Forerunner created Halo as an artificial homeworld for the Flood should they get out, because after their initial food supply was exhausted (i.e. the liberators of them, in this case the Covenant), there would be no indigenous life for them to consume, and then they would slowly startve to death. The only kink in this theory was that the Covenant and Humans had spaceships.

If they made Halo JUST to contain the Flood, then why the hell would the Forerunners store such a pain in the ass lifeform, one that requires the creation of an entire artificial world and weapon system to neutralize them, in two places? It just doesn't make sense.

But then again, maybe the Forerunners lacked that... who knows.

  • 05.09.2004 12:20 AM PDT
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These letters are to long, cant read them all :S

  • 05.09.2004 12:26 AM PDT
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Posted by: Ogun
Posted by: Bring the Noise
Posted by: Zk315
We don't need a reason. Right now, all the evidence in the Endiku terminal shouts flood. Even the meta tags are saying it. And so, right now, I'm putting all my money on flood. It could change, when more evidence becomes available, but it looks like the story is coming to a wrap, and I'm almost certain they're not going to go through all 25 greek letters. We don't need a reason. We didn't need a reason why Halo wipes the galaxy clear of sentient life to eliminate the flood (that doesn't make sense either, but it is like that), or why the Covenant worship the forerunners. This is no different. Just because we don't know how object A got to point B from Point A, doesn't mean that it didn't get there.


Yes you do need a reason, mostly because there are too many reasons they wouldn't be there. We do have a reason for halo wiping the universe clean. The flood is a weapon, a weapon somebody wants to keep. It's also, as far as I can recall, never been stated that Covenant worship the Forerunners. They could have killed, or locked up the Forerunners for all we know. Anyway back on topic


1)Why would anybody have placed the Flood here? It doesn't add up. Halo was a specially designed weapon. Frigid is a planet therefore cannot be a weapon like halo. Nobody in their right mind would just put flood on a planet where they can easily escape. Remember the other Halos only fire after an intinal firing alerts them the flood are out. One major reason I believe it's not flood on this planet.

2)If not put on Frigid, then how could the flood have made it here on their own? It makes no sense for Flood to hijack a ship and just fly to this frozen planet with no food, and just hang out. Especially since it's close to Reach, with plenty of food for the flood.

There's more but I'm tired. There are quite a few holes in the flood theory.


Let's not forget that the Flood, when they were found, were only carrier forms - the little blobbies that passed on the virus. As 343 GS said, specimens were kept for further study and analysis, a decision which may have been in error.

Why the hell, if the Forerunners designed Halo and the other (minimum) three installations, to cleanse the galaxy of all life, would they keep such viral agents in TWO places? So they can worry all the time, instead of half? More reason to excise the universe of all sentient life?

No, the Forerunner (note - one, as Cortana states when she is in the Control Room the first time) built Halo as a Fortress world, as much to keep other races off, but more importantly, to keep the Flood on it. Locked up, in the prison cells/petri dishes, with no way to get off by themselves. Obviously, since the Flood had most likely infected something else horribly, the Forerunner created Halo as an artificial homeworld for the Flood should they get out, because after their initial food supply was exhausted (i.e. the liberators of them, in this case the Covenant), there would be no indigenous life for them to consume, and then they would slowly startve to death. The only kink in this theory was that the Covenant and Humans had spaceships.

If they made Halo JUST to contain the Flood, then why the hell would the Forerunners store such a pain in the ass lifeform, one that requires the creation of an entire artificial world and weapon system to neutralize them, in two places? It just doesn't make sense.

But then again, maybe the Forerunners lacked that... who knows.



Exactly, and there is no logical explaination as to how, or why the flood would go to Frigid, had they escaped.

  • 05.09.2004 12:37 AM PDT
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Of course, we're thinking of Forerunners as humans, which we shouldn't do. They don't think the same way we do. Compare how a Japanese person thinks compared to an American. Vastly different, due to culture. Now, apply that difference factor to a race that existed how long ago? No, they won't think like us very much.

  • 05.09.2004 12:43 AM PDT
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No, they were far more intellegent, therefore, If we can see it's a stupid idea, they certainly did too.

  • 05.09.2004 12:51 AM PDT
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even different cultures use logic though.

Why would the Forerunners keep Flood on Halo if they also kept them on Frigid? Frigid is a planet with a huge amount of space available, all of Halo's study faculities could have been put on Frigid no probs...

Why would the Forerunners put Flood on Frigid when they had Halo plus at least 3 other such installations?... just doesn't make sense...

EDIT: Noise you got the 1111th post... do you feel proud?


[Edited on 5/9/2004 12:55:20 AM]

  • 05.09.2004 12:54 AM PDT
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Woohooo! I didn't even notice.

  • 05.09.2004 12:57 AM PDT
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ok here's another (crazy?) theory

when people talk about the halo's being fired 100000 years ago they always seem to mention GS's words about "wiping out all life of sufficient biomass".

never does anyone mention what he says before this- "all SENTIENT life"

so the real question- 100000 years ago had humanities ancestors achieved sentience and if not it explains how humanity evolved without being killed by the halo's.

  • 05.09.2004 2:12 AM PDT
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just had another thought possibly explaining how the flood got onto fridgid.

Now my theory about the forerunner installation on fridgid being part of a halo has kinda been disproved, so try this one.

The 'installation' is actually a massive forerunner space ship (some kind of cargo transproter?) that was transproting a load of alien specimens (including the flood) to a newly built halo for containment/study.

something went wrong and the ship had to land on fridgid to carry out repairs.

Unfortunatly at this point GS activated installation 04 wich wiped out all Sentient Life including the forerunners repairing this ship, leaving the ship unable to leave the planet.

Now the flood don't seem all that sntient so they would have been safe within the hold of the ship where they stayed until JD and Mathers unlocked their holding cell.

While over all the years the ship would have been covered by 100000 years worth of ice and snow, making it look like a permanant installation on the surface of frigid.

just an idea, what do ya think?



  • 05.09.2004 2:24 AM PDT
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Possible, but I doubt that could have happened. One, the forerunners would almost surely have know IF 343GS were going to activate Halo. And secondly, 343 itself would not have done it. He said it himself, he is not permitted to use the index and fire the ring, it's a privledge for the reclaimer. So it's almost impossible for the ringworld to have been activated without the Forerunners knowing about it.

  • 05.09.2004 2:32 AM PDT
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Sentient: capable of perceiving and feeling things.
(Taken from the Oxford English Dictionary)

Kinda rules out your theory.

As for a crashed ship, the terminals mention a huge underground network of tunnels... doesn't sound like a crashed ship to me.

  • 05.09.2004 2:35 AM PDT
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ok i just remembered that halo and frigid are both on LeGrange points which seems to be a big coincidence to me (and highly unlikely that a large planet (not a moon) would naturally orbit on a LeGrange point) which kinda throws my whole space ship idea out the window!

unless Frigid is a giant space station ("Thats no moon!!!") used to construct halo's!!!

ok i was just joking about that last bit, but the LeGrange points seem to be pretty important in explaining what this installation is on frigid.

anyway just my ideas


[Edited on 5/9/2004 2:38:51 AM]

  • 05.09.2004 2:38 AM PDT
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yeah but were neanderthals or whoever came before -blam!- sapiens considered sentient.

if they weren't they would have survived the halo firing allowing us to evolve

and going from my knowledge (which isn't much as i'm thinking about 2001) humanities ancestors were more like monkeys, which are not considered sentient

  • 05.09.2004 2:42 AM PDT
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Yes they were sentient... read the definition.

Often this is confused with intelligence (which neanderthals and -blam!- sapiens had as well).

[Edited on 5/9/2004 3:50:35 AM]

  • 05.09.2004 2:54 AM PDT
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Posted by: Warden_Dios
yeah but were neanderthals or whoever came before -blam!- sapiens considered sentient.

if they weren't they would have survived the halo firing allowing us to evolve

and going from my knowledge (which isn't much as i'm thinking about 2001) humanities ancestors were more like monkeys, which are not considered sentient




We did not evolve from monkeys.

  • 05.09.2004 3:11 AM PDT
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oh well there go my ideas once again!!

i know we didn't evolve from monkeys i was just saying that our early ancestors looked a bit like monkeys =) and that monkeys are not considered sentient (but they are intelligent).

i suppose i should of seen this was a stupid idea anyway as 100000 years would have been a very short time to gain sentience!! (i just always wondered why GS says that the halos would wipe out sentient life, NOT just life in general- how could it distinguish?)

  • 05.09.2004 3:30 AM PDT
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So now weve all agreed that the Enkidu Terminals depict how the flood are re-released, right, this is where First Strike comes into it. Doc Halsey has developed what she hopes will be a vaccine against the Flood, she developed this from Sarge. MC was given the choice of two data crystals. He could only hand over one to ONI, one had the data about sarge on it and the other just the vaccine. MC in the end chooses to hand over the one with only the vaccine on it, because he doesnt feel its right to condemn Sarge to be dissected by ONI. Hopefully this vaccine, and srage will come into Halo 2 somwhere, and even more hopefully, will be mixed in with blowing off those evil Covies heads with the Magnum Pistol.

  • 05.09.2004 4:35 AM PDT
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I don't know if anyone has said this already, but here's what I've noticed:

The person 'reading' these messages appears to me to be a Spartan.

The Capt. talks about a weapons cache, the Covies are trying to get...just like on Halo:CE

All the rest I've noticed I've seen people say...

  • 05.09.2004 5:16 AM PDT