Bungie Universe
This topic has moved here: Subject: Why couldn't the Halo rings be calibrated for the Flood?
  • Subject: Why couldn't the Halo rings be calibrated for the Flood?
Subject: Why couldn't the Halo rings be calibrated for the Flood?

If the Forerunners could design the Halo rings to kill all sentient life, why couldn't they just adjust them to kill the Flood?

  • 12.26.2010 4:26 PM PDT

United States Military Academy Class of 2015

In the Halo Encyclopedia, it is divulged that the Halo arrays do not fire conventional explosives. It actually fires a certain wavelength of some sort that targets living organisms. It was not elaborated on very well but... there ya go lol.

  • 12.26.2010 4:29 PM PDT
  • gamertag: [none]
  • user homepage:

“To say more would spoil be it’s overall its a game that needs to be played.” - Aristotle

An interesting subject, one that I discuss in great detail in this thread. My conclusions there should answer your question for you, as best as it can be answered.

  • 12.26.2010 4:30 PM PDT

If you cannot lead by example , intimidate.

Imagine the halo ring as a nuke so to speak. You can't calibrate a nuke not to kill things, it just does.

  • 12.26.2010 4:31 PM PDT

By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe.

Posted by: Warriersolid47
In the Halo Encyclopedia, it is divulged that the Halo arrays do not fire conventional explosives. It actually fires a certain wavelength of some sort that targets living organisms. It was not elaborated on very well but... there ya go lol.


It fires a harmonic frequency that cancels out the nervous systems of all races capable of hosting the Flood organism.

[Edited on 12.26.2010 4:31 PM PST]

  • 12.26.2010 4:31 PM PDT

United States Military Academy Class of 2015


Posted by: ajw34307
Posted by: Warriersolid47
In the Halo Encyclopedia, it is divulged that the Halo arrays do not fire conventional explosives. It actually fires a certain wavelength of some sort that targets living organisms. It was not elaborated on very well but... there ya go lol.


It fires a harmonic frequency that cancels out the nervous systems of all races capable of hosting the Flood organism.


Beautifully put :)

  • 12.26.2010 4:33 PM PDT

Because it would make for a boring plot.

I'm no Biologist and I'm sure that many on these forums have a better grasp of the sciences than I, but I imagine that, as with practically all viruses (I'm assuming the Flood infection pathogens are viral in nature,) they're simply small packets of DNA and protein. Viruses aren't even technically alive, they're just stands of DNA in liquid; they don't produce their own ATP but take it from the host.

As such, it would be difficult for Halo to kill the Flood as the microscopic spores containing the virus aren't even alive, really.

It's also possible that the base DNA sequence of the Flood virus changes with every manifestation, with some many different variations that it's impossible to calibrate Halo to target them, unlike with more complex organisms such as humans who always contain the same base pairs, for example "ATCGATTGAGCTCTAGCGTAGCTAACTCGAGATCGC."

Therefore, whilst it would be simple enough to calibrate humans, Sangheili, Forerunners etc into Halo's targeting mechanism, targeting a life-form such as the Flood would be nigh impossible.

That's just me throwing together some of what I know regarding Biology, and it might not be accurate because, as I said at the beginning, I'm by no means a biologist.

  • 12.26.2010 4:40 PM PDT


Posted by: Warriersolid47
In the Halo Encyclopedia, it is divulged that the Halo arrays do not fire conventional explosives. It actually fires a certain wavelength of some sort that targets living organisms. It was not elaborated on very well but... there ya go lol.
Well, ya, it's obviously not conventional explosives, but I'm wondering why the frequency couldn't be adjusted to attack the Flood's nervous system. That is, if they have one.


Edit: ^^That would make sense.

[Edited on 12.26.2010 4:44 PM PST]

  • 12.26.2010 4:42 PM PDT
  • gamertag: [none]
  • user homepage:

“To say more would spoil be it’s overall its a game that needs to be played.” - Aristotle

Posted by: Wolverfrog
Flood isn't a virus like that. It functions much like a virus, but aside from Spores (which we know next-to-nothing about) there's nothing about the Flood's cellular makeup that exists as we acknowledge viruses today; the Flood is built off of the FSC, which is essentially a nonspecialized neuromuscle that has much more advanced makeup than any viruses we've ever seen. Hell, that has more advanced makeup than any cells that we've ever seen today.

The Halo Array targets cells in a body's nervous system to take it out. Without any calcium-based animal life of a certain sentience level (perhaps merely neurons, perhaps neurons or glial cells (or perhaps even other cells) of a certain type geared to a certain "sentience level"), the Flood starve out; it's the only way to ensure that the infection is completely stamped out, because if the Halo array targeted the FSCs, well, there are a few possibilities that the Flood could survive. One, the Flood specialize their FSCs and change their structure so the pulse doesn't affect them (we can assume this is possible because of the Flood's ability to organize their FSCs to mimic organs and their ability to modify host DNA): survive. Two, the Forerunner cannot calibrate their array to be able to affect the neuron-like/muscle-like structure of the cell: survive. Three, the Flood comprised of FSCs die, but the FSC-based cellular tissue of advanced forms such as Combat Forms survive, as they are not exactly the same, and they can be used to produce new FSC forms or release spores to begin an infection anew: once again, survive.

Every FSC-based method of eradicating the Flood has drawbacks. There are types of Flood, or perhaps all the Flood, that can survive such a firing simply by altering their cells. But, with neurons in animal bodies, there's a unique way to damage the Flood at the same time that you kill all of their food and simultaneously be assured that it will work: those neural cells. Neurons and other neural cells, past a certain age, no longer divide. As much as a Flood form might want to modify those cells it cannot (again, past a certain age and with any pre-existing cells; once Neurons are there, they can't be altered), and therefore those cells are vulnerable.

So the Forerunner devised the tactic, in my opinion, of destroying any Flood higher intelligence or combat forms (as the pulse, in my theory, destroys any Combat and Carrier forms, as well as the Gravemind) while simultaneously killing any "food" for the Flood that could get them back up to that state. Alone, severely weakened and with limited intelligence once again and with no food to survive on, the Flood starve and the Galaxy is cleansed.

I don't think it's a matter of their cellular structure being too basic; if anything, it's because it's so advanced and they have such control over it that they have such strength. And that's why the Forerunner turned their superweapon on themselves, and their like, in order to defend the galaxy: anything with neural cells that the Flood can infect, even beings that have already been infected or assimilated, can be destroyed as soon as the Array fires, blanking out an infection with the insertion of a key.

  • 12.26.2010 5:08 PM PDT
  •  | 
  • Exalted Legendary Member

Administrator and leader of The Upper Echelon. Come check us out! We are a group for all grade four ranks. Do you have gold bars or five stars? We now also accept Gold in Reach! If you have three or more gold commendations, click the link below!

The Upper
Echelon


I am an Xbox Live Community Ambassador

Posted by: XGO MONSTROUS
Well, ya, it's obviously not conventional explosives, but I'm wondering why the frequency couldn't be adjusted to attack the Flood's nervous system.


More likely than not, it's because the actual infectious agent, the Flood supercell, is not sentient, and if even a single is left behind, it poses a massive danger. Since the rings fire a modulated pulse with a frequency tuned to the specific nervous systems of sentient species, the flood supercell would still theoretically be able to spread without a sentient host, meaning that any remaining sentient lifeforms in the area would still be in danger of being infected, even after the pulse swept through. This is why the rings do what they do. They must annihilate any and all possible vectors for flood infection, since the supercell is so immensely virulent, and seemingly unstoppable by any known means.


[Edited on 12.26.2010 5:17 PM PST]

  • 12.26.2010 5:17 PM PDT

I thought that the Forerunner would wipe out any possible host species so that the Flood couldn't infect anything, leaving the Forerunner free to study them in safety (without fear of a major outbreak like the Forerunner-Flood War)

  • 12.26.2010 6:55 PM PDT

sup if you don't like what I post you can go suck one this is the internet not Grammer class so GTFO Grammer N@ZI's


Posted by: Wolverfrog
Because it would make for a boring plot.

I'm no Biologist and I'm sure that many on these forums have a better grasp of the sciences than I, but I imagine that, as with practically all viruses (I'm assuming the Flood infection pathogens are viral in nature,) they're simply small packets of DNA and protein. Viruses aren't even technically alive, they're just stands of DNA in liquid; they don't produce their own ATP but take it from the host.

As such, it would be difficult for Halo to kill the Flood as the microscopic spores containing the virus aren't even alive, really.

It's also possible that the base DNA sequence of the Flood virus changes with every manifestation, with some many different variations that it's impossible to calibrate Halo to target them, unlike with more complex organisms such as humans who always contain the same base pairs, for example "ATCGATTGAGCTCTAGCGTAGCTAACTCGAGATCGC."

Therefore, whilst it would be simple enough to calibrate humans, Sangheili, Forerunners etc into Halo's targeting mechanism, targeting a life-form such as the Flood would be nigh impossible.

That's just me throwing together some of what I know regarding Biology, and it might not be accurate because, as I said at the beginning, I'm by no means a biologist.


i feel smarter now

  • 12.26.2010 7:22 PM PDT


Posted by: Lord Snakie
Posted by: Wolverfrog
-snip-
Okay, that makes sense. Also, something unrelated, but why would the forerunners leave behind a small batch of flood that would be awoken by us during the events of Halo C.E.?

  • 12.26.2010 7:39 PM PDT

I am a monument to all your sins


Posted by: XGO MONSTROUS

Posted by: Lord Snakie
Posted by: Wolverfrog
-snip-
Okay, that makes sense. Also, something unrelated, but why would the forerunners leave behind a small batch of flood that would be awoken by us during the events of Halo C.E.?
they were studying them, and for some reason neglected to kill them before firing Halo

  • 12.26.2010 8:06 PM PDT

To be honest, when I first saw all this in the weekly update I thought 2 things.
#1- there is an actual legendary ending but,
#2- No matter what anyone does,(kill all the bobs, hit all switches etc) that until the "time" mentioned in "There'll be another time..." is reached there won't be a legendary ending.

The weekly update by bungie has slowed my hardcore search for what unlocks the legendary ending.


Posted by: Wolverfrog
Because it would make for a boring plot.

I'm no Biologist and I'm sure that many on these forums have a better grasp of the sciences than I, but I imagine that, as with practically all viruses (I'm assuming the Flood infection pathogens are viral in nature,) they're simply small packets of DNA and protein. Viruses aren't even technically alive, they're just stands of DNA in liquid; they don't produce their own ATP but take it from the host.

As such, it would be difficult for Halo to kill the Flood as the microscopic spores containing the virus aren't even alive, really.

It's also possible that the base DNA sequence of the Flood virus changes with every manifestation, with some many different variations that it's impossible to calibrate Halo to target them, unlike with more complex organisms such as humans who always contain the same base pairs, for example "ATCGATTGAGCTCTAGCGTAGCTAACTCGAGATCGC."

Therefore, whilst it would be simple enough to calibrate humans, Sangheili, Forerunners etc into Halo's targeting mechanism, targeting a life-form such as the Flood would be nigh impossible.

That's just me throwing together some of what I know regarding Biology, and it might not be accurate because, as I said at the beginning, I'm by no means a biologist.
Btw, the flood were parasites that took the flesh(and knowledge) of other beings. Though there is something you may want to look at for the hell of it.
flood cell
Also they were not from this galaxy, so they could be something TOTALLY UNKNOWN, even to the Precursors(though in your forum, you say they are a child of them, or was that snakie? i forget.) I don't remember them saying they were a virus though, just parasitic. More research should be done here
To finish this off, in order to kill the flood(which have the flesh and knowledge of other beings,) you have to kill the food. Plain and simple.

  • 12.26.2010 8:24 PM PDT

Here is the completely canonical explanation

The flood arrived on a Forerunner Planet, close to the Galactic Rim approximately 10500 years ago. At first they were completely harmless, relting on the strength of the living that they infected to survive. They were not a threat, merely an annoyance.

But then, the time traveller came. In five years time, Chuck Norris will go back to that time to see if Halo canon is really true. Surprised and joyful that it was, he became foolish, and, against the Forerunners warnings, visited the Flood.

They infected him.

In an instant his body was taken over, and the flood and chuck norris had become one. However, while infecting him, the flood absorbed a hidden power, that would have advanced the evolution of the human race by tenfold, and made the flood near invincivle, not by force, but by fate. It took until approximatelt the year 2500 AD until another human possesed that trait. Can you guess what it was?

Luck.

And ever since then, the Flood have existed on loopholes, being surpressed and contained, but never beaten. This continued until they were supposedly exterminated by the only other known man to have that trait.

And that is why the Halos could not kill the Flood.

  • 12.26.2010 8:47 PM PDT


Posted by: CabooseRvb509
Here is the completely canonical explanation

The flood arrived on a Forerunner Planet, close to the Galactic Rim approximately 10500 years ago. At first they were completely harmless, relting on the strength of the living that they infected to survive. They were not a threat, merely an annoyance.

But then, the time traveller came. In five years time, Chuck Norris will go back to that time to see if Halo canon is really true. Surprised and joyful that it was, he became foolish, and, against the Forerunners warnings, visited the Flood.

They infected him.

In an instant his body was taken over, and the flood and chuck norris had become one. However, while infecting him, the flood absorbed a hidden power, that would have advanced the evolution of the human race by tenfold, and made the flood near invincivle, not by force, but by fate. It took until approximatelt the year 2500 AD until another human possesed that trait. Can you guess what it was?

Luck.

And ever since then, the Flood have existed on loopholes, being surpressed and contained, but never beaten. This continued until they were supposedly exterminated by the only other known man to have that trait.

And that is why the Halos could not kill the Flood.
I'm pretty sure that Chuck Norris would infect the Flood.

  • 12.26.2010 9:16 PM PDT

I was just guessing that they were a virus due to the fact that the way they infect seems to function in the same way as a virus, injecting a 'super-cell' into the potential host which then takes over cells until the genetic make-up of the host has been changed to suit the Flood's needs.

Of course, I'm pretty sure that Snakie knows more about Biology than I and so his theory is almost definitely closer to the truth.

  • 12.27.2010 6:30 AM PDT

Sour0deez is the leader of the t-P-t
And Administrator of The Clan Union Group
this file is not linked to sour0deez due to technical difficulties this file is linked to MUGBEER19 also IMPORTANT here my name is sourodeez on xbox it is sour0deez

they just use tentacles...

  • 12.27.2010 6:32 AM PDT