- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
Hmmm...I think most of you are missing the point here.
In the whole mythology Bungie has set up, it seems quite obvious what we are watching unfold here. The first A.I. as well as the revelation of plot points.
In one of the games, I believe Marathon, it is stated that the first rampant A.I. was found on the net in the late 21st century. We have TOBI who is obviously going through melancholia. The MAYDAY, MAYDAY stuff is TOBI going through the internet trying to find results to keywords such as "Help," "damage," etc. Also, just to cover all bases, it could also be Cortana, as it seems that the A.I. refers to itself as "she," and has human memories...Remember, Cortana was a copy of Dr. Halseys mind.
Furthermore, the talk of the Queen embedded in the pictures I could not have found more obvious. The talk of everything dying and all that was left of the Queen was her crown... and her widow awoke with the need to return her queen to splendor. The Halo being fired killing most species and beings including the Forerunner (Queen). Also the Sleeping Princess was the only other left, and was in a "dungeon," where the widow could not hear her breathe. Seems this sleeping princess is humanity and is supposed to "awake," one day to take the crown the Queen (forerunner) has left. The widow then, would seem to be the Prophets, those who would want to see the Forerunner return and not see humanity ascend to power. Goes a ways to explain why the Prophets want us destroyed so badly and picked a fight with us.
Further, it says that the widow found pieces of jewels from the Queen's crown and scratched them with a blade, an allusion to the formation of the Covenant from what was left the first time the Halo was fired? Also the precious ruby seems to allude to the Elites, trusted guards of the Forerunner's crown?
Also, the talk of the Manticore seems to follow with the flood. Perhaps the prophets found a planet where the flood had somehow survived and were forced to glass it?
Further, the hall of mirrors the Queen was kept in could be some sort of alternate reality, very similar to our own or perhaps much simpler, computer systems that keep stored genetic information? Either one could explain the return of the Forerunner, the former explanation (Extra-dimensional) would explain the complete disappearance of the Forerunner.
This is just a theory, and could be very wrong, but it does seem to tie in all that is happening in this ARG and Halo 2, and why it would be tied in.
Remember, Bungie likes to be very cryptic, and if you need to view the story of the lost Queen and her widow it can be found here. http://bees.netninja.com/wiki/index.php?title=Story
Any comments, ideas, or rebuffs are quite welcome.