- Agustus
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- Exalted Legendary Member
Some can come away from reading "War and Peace" thinking it a simple adventure story, while others can read the ingredients on a gum wrapper and unlock the secrets of the universe.
Posted by: kippa
I was just rereading parts of this.
The Covenant had extrapolated a lot of what Mendicant Bias had told them before Truth (then Fortitude) learned from MB that The Great Journey was not what they had been led to believe, that being a devine ascension to Godhood.
But the term "Great Journey". I don't think that that is a term that the Covenant made up themselves. Mendicant Bias only ever says <LISTENED TO YOU MISINTERPRET>, he doesn't say they have made any of the terminology up. I'm leaning towards the thought that perhaps there is a Great Journey. A literal journey. No metaphysical ascension.
In this thought comes the belief that MB had told Truth more in the time after MB was seperated from the Forerunner Dreadnaught. Truth may have been/was crazy towards the end of Halo 3, with his motivations true and false blending into one. But that he says "That secret dies with the rest of them" makes me think he knew more.
The chances of him crazily stumbling upon a truth (ironic) like that is very unlikely. I think Mendicant Bias told him the true purpose of the Rings. He may still have manipulated Truth though, told him he could guarantee him the Great Journey. Perhaps he even could.
Back to the original point, The Great Journey, I believe, is something that the Forerunner themselves did do. After the firing of the Array, they left this Galaxy on The Great Journey.
The term was picked up by Covenant and was interpreted as synonymous with firing the Array.
EDIT: Mendicant's motives in this are obviously to save Reclaimer(s) as a sign of atonement to his Masters. In this little theory, I've said that he manipulated Truth, so he could get himself onto Installation 00 (the Ark) and fully realise himself once again.
This is obviously a huge gamble. Letting Truth near a "kill all" button is very risky, and Mendicant decided to take that risk, hoping that Humanity and the Elites would be able to stop it happening.
Mendicant is repentful, he doesn't want to Rings to fire again, but the Reclaimers situation was hopeless, they were doomed. Out gunned in every aspect apart from strategy.
By taking the risk of Truth being able to fire the Halo Array, and Humanity being able to save themselves in one big move and destroy the Covenant (before the firing), Mendicant was able to stop the destruction of the Reclaimers, and save all life in the Galaxy.
Just another thing (I can't be bothered making a thread), in the OP you linked to opoj's thread (which is amazing). In the thread he says that the Reac Crystal could very well be another part of Mendicant Bias. People have theorised that the crystal bends space and time, as far as making Master Chief get back to Reach at a certain time. I'm going to disagree and say it is simply a part of MB.
The reason that Slipspace travel becomes so fast, and the gravity beam they get stuck in on Reach is easily counteracted by the crystal, is because it is Mendicant. He is a Forerunner AI. When the crystal shifts and changes its shape, he is communicating (via radiation. I believe there were radiation spikes when it did this). He sped up Ascedent Justice to the Eridanus System so that the journey took minutes rather than days.
Anyway, just some thoughts and this seemed the best place to put them.
On your first point, I agree with you completely. But I believe that because MB was fragmented at that point, his judgment was also impaired. An excellent example is how he attempts to take off knowing full well the ship was anchored to high charity, and there where several things in place to make sure the ship couldn't take off. A fully intact MB would have been a bit smarter about all of this. Theres also the fact that he seems to be following old protocol by pointlessly wanting to transport (all...) of humanity to the Ark in the absence of any Flood.
There is also the fact that Cortana recognized him in Halo 2, and it seems MB was just barley able to keep the launch sequence going, providing only "a good struggle" for Cortana. An AI of his category should have been able to disintegrate Cortana with a wave of his digital hand.
I believe because of his lack of judgment and thought capabilities, as well as the Covenants lack of info about Humanity, he didn't fully realize how much danger they where in. By the time he was fully assembled at the Ark, it is my belief he surpassed rampancy and became meta-stable, which would make him the only AI to do so in the Halo series.
As for your second point, I actually disagree with Opogs theory. T me the Crystal is a simple device to enhance slipspace travel, possibly reused in the mechanics of the portal located on Earth (and other key planets).