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Subject: Reach - artificially engineered by the Forerunners for humanity.

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

Had you going there, didn't I? "Oh this bastard is making another canon thread, I can feel my pulse rising already!"

No, this is harkening back to a theory I had over a year ago when information on Reach was just a glint in the milkman's eye... I mean community. So let's begin...



Reach may be an artificial planet, or it may have seen some kind of artificial intervention at the hand of the Forerunners. Yeah, sounds crazy, but let us take a look.

I knew, right off the bat that something was up when I read this.
For a young planet with an age of less than one billion years, compared to Earth's 4.6 billion year existence, Reach is remarkably geologically stable.

Reach isn't even a billion years old at the time of the trilogy, and even the Forerunners inhabited it 100,000 years ago and it was stable. Now there's something I feel is being built upon on Reach that will prove to be significant for humanity.

1) The underground complex housing a slipspace crystal. This was interesting because what I got from Cryptum was that these crystals were almost the norm for Forerunner slipspace travel. Even the Master Builder had a massive crystal where the others all came from, so why is this particular one getting special treatment and being hidden underground? I'll come to that later.

2) The Babd Catha Ice Shelf was the location of a Forerunner data centre, also underground. We never got much information about it, but Halsey states it's a potential "game changer" for humanity, a "latchkey discovery". This poses a lot of questions. Latchkey implies this is unlocking something for humanity, and it's something big.

These two sites will be the primary basis for this theory. To me, it seems the Forerunners altered Reach for humanity in several ways.

So perhaps the reason the Forerunners chose Reach as their site for all this was because it was close to Earth, and by altering the planet to make it stable it would inevitably draw humanity's curiosity when they advanced to the point where they could colonise it.

It is interesting to note that Babd Catha is a goddess of war in Irish mythology. She represented an omen of a coming war which seems like all too much to be a coincidence for that name to be placed at an area with a "latchkey discovery" at it. This "oncoming war" obviously doesn't refer to the Covenant because that's been going on for 30 years, but as we very well know that Halo 4 is a new fight against an "ancient threat" that threatens the galaxy. This is where it gets interesting...

Let's say this new ancient threat is the Precursors. We simply know almost nothing about the Forerunner-Precirsor war, I find it hard to believe they got wiped out and Greg himself stated Book 2 of the Forerunner Trilogy will explore "what the Forerunners and Precursors were really up to". So we know something more was going on here.

This leads me to believe that their defeat at the hands of the Flood showed them that humanity were to be their Reclaimers and fight the Flood or Precursors when they inevitably return. So they left behind "objects of interest" at Reach, a planet that seems to be a bit of an anomaly to humanity because of how stable it is at an early age.

This harkens back to what Nazara says in Mass Effect:
Your civilisations are based off the technology of the Mass Relays - our technology. By using it, your society develops along the paths we desire."

Now I am not saying Halo is going to follow the same story of ME, but the principal is there. The Forerunners made humanity Reclaimers, they can use Forerunner tech to its fullest potential because they were chosen to inherit it. So in order to advance humanity they leave them a slipspace crystal and a mahoosive data centre containing information of great importance.

However, the AI Assembly do not want humanity using Forerunner technology. They purposefully excluded Onyx from being a colonisation candidate because they learned it had Forerunner technology on/in it and believed humanity needed to make their own technology. Also going back to ME, Legion holds a very similar ideal that the geth were offered technology by Nazara but the "true" geth declined because they believed they had to make their own future.

So let's connect this all together:
- Forerunners realise that an ancient threat will return (Flood? Precursors?) and after they fire Halo they make humanity Reclaimers.

- They find Reach, roughly 10.4 light years away from Earth and it's a very young planet. They artificially modify it so it becomes stable and humanity would grow curious when they notice the anomaly. To initiate their plan, the Forerunners hide the crystal and data centre (perhaps more, since Halsey states they never discovered the full extent of the caverns) in order to advance humanity. If the ancient threat was to return before the Forerunners predicted and found Reach, they decided to turn the surface into "a rugged and harsh wilderness filled with towering mountains, deserts and weather-beaten forests" - like the artificial weather on Halo designed to combat the Flood.

- Humanity advances again, but the Assembly think humanity should develop along their own path. The Minority and Majority have different ideas on how to achieve this, culminating in a tribunal for one of the AIs for initiating first contact between humanity and the Covenant.

- The Forerunner plan goes wrong. The crystal is destroyed, a fragment is in the hands of the Covenant and the data centre is destroyed. However, Halsey and Cortana managed to decrypt the data but never found out the true extent of what the Forerunners left for them under Menachite. Perhaps this is what leads humanity to reterraform Reach if it turns out Halsey escaped the Dyson Sphere and told ONI the complex needed to be explored further?

- The Assembly unanimously agrees to initiate direct intervention in humanity's path and work together with them instead of acting as shepherds.

- Mendicant Bias sends John to the Forerunners, the ancient threat returns and humanity has to defeat it.

*

Clearly this is all conjecture just based on information we have received. I'm sure I've missed things you lot can all add in.

I would like to thank grey for reminding me I ever came up with this theory last year. :)

[Edited on 07.06.2011 1:35 PM PDT]

  • 07.06.2011 11:18 AM PDT
Subject: The oddity that is Reach...

Hehe, I must admit your title had me going at first XD

A vary interesting theory AJW, it's certainly piqued my interest :D

I thought that was SWORD Base we saw being destroyed as they're flying away in Reach...I'm sure the Forerunner artifact there would most likely be destroyed or at least damaged from that, but I didn't think it was the artifact directly being buried.

I'm still not entirely sure the Precursors are the Ancient evil of Halo 4, it's a distinct possibility, but I'm none too sure of its validity yet. My theory (under the supposition that the Precursors are not malevolent of course) is that the Precursors may have been holding back the forces of whatever the Ancient Evil is and when the Forerunners rose up against the Precursors it opened the door for whatever this Evil is, and perhaps the Flood is an agent of theirs sent ahead to prepare the way for them. That of course only works if the Precursors are not a malevolent force of course. I'm not so sure they're what we'd call "good" but from what we've learned so far they do not seem like a force of evil. Perhaps the Flood is a weapon of the Precursors but it was never meant for the Forerunners or any of the Precursors "children" but instead the Ancient Evil. If that were the case then the Flood would not have evolved as it did here.

  • 07.06.2011 11:46 AM PDT

"Find where the liar hides, so that I may place my boot between his gums!" - Rtas 'Vadum

Posted by: ajw34307
- The Assembly unanimously agrees to initiate direct intervention in humanity's path and work together with them instead of acting as shepherds.

Direct intervention is necessary. You will know me Shepard.

That part about Babd Catha has got to mean something. Although, couldn't it be interpreted as implying the coming events at Halo, the Great Schism and the Ark?

Also, do you have the Encyclopaedia? If so look up the entry for Uranus (Yes, that planet. Bring on the jokes...). If not, I'll type it. It is another oddity that your post reminded me of.

[Edited on 07.06.2011 12:09 PM PDT]

  • 07.06.2011 11:54 AM PDT

It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank god that such men lived. ----------- No Bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country. (both by George S. Patton jr.)

What is the special thing about Uranus? Could you send me a message about it?

  • 07.06.2011 11:56 AM PDT

@accordingto343

Your one stop shop for all of 343's fabulous errors and ridiculous notions in the Halo lore.

This is the type of stuff we should be discussing, not repeat "OMG Reach broke canon" threads. Interesting theory Ajw.

  • 07.06.2011 12:07 PM PDT

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


Posted by: anton1792
Posted by: ajw34307
- The Assembly unanimously agrees to initiate direct intervention in humanity's path and work together with them instead of acting as shepherds.

Direct intervention is necessary. You will know me Shepard.


Haha! I thought I might see some Harbinger here.

That part about Babd Catha has got to mean something. Although, couldn't it be interpreted as implying the coming events at Halo, the Great Schism and the Ark?

Perhaps, but that's all linked to the H-C war. Babd suggests a whole new fight on the horizon which has culminated in Halo 4.

Also, do you have the Encyclopaedia? If so look up the entry for Uranus (Yes, that planet. Bring on the jokes...). If not, I'll type it. It is another oddity that your post reminded me of.

I don't have it, unfortunately. What does it say about Uranus? :P

  • 07.06.2011 12:19 PM PDT

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


Posted by: OrderedComa
Hehe, I must admit your title had me going at first XD


I thought it might draw attention. ;)

A vary interesting theory AJW, it's certainly piqued my interest :D

I thought that was SWORD Base we saw being destroyed as they're flying away in Reach...I'm sure the Forerunner artifact there would most likely be destroyed or at least damaged from that, but I didn't think it was the artifact directly being buried.


According to Carter, anything not portable would be buried when they demolished "sensitive material". The explosion at the end of the mission comes from underground, so it seems ONI wanted the data retrieved then the source destroyed so the Covenant couldn't get it.

I'm still not entirely sure the Precursors are the Ancient evil of Halo 4, it's a distinct possibility, but I'm none too sure of its validity yet. My theory (under the supposition that the Precursors are not malevolent of course) is that the Precursors may have been holding back the forces of whatever the Ancient Evil is and when the Forerunners rose up against the Precursors it opened the door for whatever this Evil is, and perhaps the Flood is an agent of theirs sent ahead to prepare the way for them. That of course only works if the Precursors are not a malevolent force of course. I'm not so sure they're what we'd call "good" but from what we've learned so far they do not seem like a force of evil. Perhaps the Flood is a weapon of the Precursors but it was never meant for the Forerunners or any of the Precursors "children" but instead the Ancient Evil. If that were the case then the Flood would not have evolved as it did here.

I'm not sure either, we simply don't have enough data yet to speculate on the true motivations of the Precursors. Luckily we won't have to wait too long, it'll be covered in Book 2 of the FT.

  • 07.06.2011 12:26 PM PDT

Reach wasn't exactly "geologically stable" for humans at the start. I believe it was terraformed for years to reach an Earth-like atmosphere.

[Edited on 07.06.2011 12:29 PM PDT]

  • 07.06.2011 12:29 PM PDT

@accordingto343

Your one stop shop for all of 343's fabulous errors and ridiculous notions in the Halo lore.

If the artifact did get buried, I think it would be futile. If it's water or snow, I can't imagine the Covenant having a tough time getting to it but melting or evaporating the surrounding area.

  • 07.06.2011 12:29 PM PDT
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Do not waste your tears, I was not born to watch the world grow dim. Life is not measured in years, but by the deeds of men.

Posted by: goldhawk
We should know better, because we are better.

Why did the Forerunners only leave one crystal? Such a device would be immensely useful for humanity (both against the covenant and the ancient threat). Perhaps the Forerunners left other crystals and data stashes on other planets as well. The Galaxy is a big place, they couldn't have known for sure that Humanity would find Reach.

Halsey calls the info found in the Ice Shelf as valuable/important as the invention of the Conical Bullet. Perhaps it is blueprints for a weapon that could be used to defeat the ancient enemy (without killing off half the galaxy)?

  • 07.06.2011 12:29 PM PDT

Didn't read all of it but I also think Reach is not a natural planet.
There simply are to many Forerunner structures buried underneath its surface. I mean: we never saw it to its full extend, but from what we've read in First Strike and saw in Reach, it seems very plausible the entire planet might in fact be artificial.

The planet is too young to be that stable.
The planet has a huge amount of Forerunner structures on/in it.

That alone should ring some bells (Onyx anyone?). To be honest, I wouldn't even have been suprised if at some point it turned out to be a litteral burial planet for the Flood: contain them like on the Halos but terraform a thick crust of planet on top of their "cage" so they can't get out anymore.
I mean, that didn't happen, but it wouldn't have suprised me to be honest.

Not that it matters. But still: there is something fishy about Reach. Although I don't think we shall ever see it...

  • 07.06.2011 12:34 PM PDT

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


Posted by: Xd00999
Why did the Forerunners only leave one crystal? Such a device would be immensely useful for humanity (both against the covenant and the ancient threat). Perhaps the Forerunners left other crystals and data stashes on other planets as well. The Galaxy is a big place, they couldn't have known for sure that Humanity would find Reach.


Perhaps the Master Crystal (as I'm calling it) was either used up, lost or destroyed during the war with the Flood?

Yeah but Reach is extremely close to Sol, since Ancient Humanity was spreading out of the Orion Arm they may have counted on humanity finding Reach and being interested by the anomaly.

Halsey calls the info found in the Ice Shelf as valuable/important as the invention of the Conical Bullet. Perhaps it is blueprints for a weapon that could be used to defeat the ancient enemy (without killing off half the galaxy)?

This may well be it. We don't know and probably won't for a long time. It may have held any number of secrets.

  • 07.06.2011 12:35 PM PDT

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


Posted by: DonVinzone1
To be honest, I wouldn't even have been suprised if at some point it turned out to be a litteral burial planet for the Flood: contain them like on the Halos but terraform a thick crust of planet on top of their "cage" so they can't get out anymore.
I mean, that didn't happen, but it wouldn't have suprised me to be honest.


That's pretty much exactly what I said last year, the theory was about how Noble would find the Flood on Reach by exploring the Menachite Complex and discovering "the true extent" of the structure.

  • 07.06.2011 12:39 PM PDT
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Do not waste your tears, I was not born to watch the world grow dim. Life is not measured in years, but by the deeds of men.

Posted by: goldhawk
We should know better, because we are better.

Here's the entry for Uranus:

Named for the mythical creator of the universe, Uranus is an oddity among planets for several reasons. First and foremost, it's axial tilt has it poles turned past a ninety-degree angle. Secondly, while freezing and unmapped, it features a number of alarming radiation spikes that have yet to be addressed.
Much like Saturn, Uranus is much further out from the sun than would be cost effective to investigate. It's moon are also much less understood than Jupiter's, while it's anomalies are worrying.


Perhaps Uranus has another one of those info dumps?

  • 07.06.2011 12:40 PM PDT

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


Posted by: Xd00999
Here's the entry for Uranus:

Named for the mythical creator of the universe, Uranus is an oddity among planets for several reasons. First and foremost, it's axial tilt has it poles turned past a ninety-degree angle. Secondly, while freezing and unmapped, it features a number of alarming radiation spikes that have yet to be addressed.
Much like Saturn, Uranus is much further out from the sun than would be cost effective to investigate. It's moon are also much less understood than Jupiter's, while it's anomalies are worrying.


Perhaps Uranus has another one of those info dumps?


Do we have any other records on radiation-based problems? The crystal emitted large amounts of radiation (a fourth generation of a higher lepton, I think Halsey said) but that was only in slipspace.

It seems like too much of a coincidence to put in these little details, they have to mean something. Or maybe they're just joking and these spikes are the planet... blowing wind? :L

  • 07.06.2011 12:44 PM PDT
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Do not waste your tears, I was not born to watch the world grow dim. Life is not measured in years, but by the deeds of men.

Posted by: goldhawk
We should know better, because we are better.


Posted by: ajw34307

Posted by: Xd00999
Why did the Forerunners only leave one crystal? Such a device would be immensely useful for humanity (both against the covenant and the ancient threat). Perhaps the Forerunners left other crystals and data stashes on other planets as well. The Galaxy is a big place, they couldn't have known for sure that Humanity would find Reach.


Perhaps the Master Crystal (as I'm calling it) was either used up, lost or destroyed during the war with the Flood?

Yeah but Reach is extremely close to Sol, since Ancient Humanity was spreading out of the Orion Arm they may have counted on humanity finding Reach and being interested by the anomaly.


Maybe that is the Master Crystal? That would explain it's weird effects on space. Anything that is used to tear open a hole in reality may not be the most stable thing. That would also explain why we have yet to see more of the crystals.

And check my post above, Uranus might be another Reach. The Forerunners might have thought that Humans would be more likely to explore all the planets in our solar system before moving out and as such, hid more info on Uranus.

  • 07.06.2011 12:45 PM PDT

"Find where the liar hides, so that I may place my boot between his gums!" - Rtas 'Vadum

Posted by: crazypandarmada
What is the special thing about Uranus? Could you send me a message about it?
Posted by: ajw34307
I don't have it, unfortunately. What does it say about Uranus? :P

From page 283, underlines are my own.

URANUS
Location: Seventh planet of the Sol System.
Description: Gas Giant, anomalous, mostly unexplored, unpopulated.

Named for the mythical creator of the universe, Uranus is an oddity among planets for several reasons. First and foremost, its axial tilt has its poles turned past a ninety-degree angle. Secondly, while still freezing and unmapped, it features a number of alarming radiation spikes that have yet to be addressed.

Much like Saturn, Uranus is much further out from the Sun than would be cost-effective to investigate. Its moons are also less understood than Jupiters, while its anomalies are worrying.

The reason why I underlined the seventh planet fact is because it seemed like too much of a coincidence at the time for an oddity to be associated with the number 7. Things with 7 in Bungie lore, and so Halo, often mean something.

Edit: I am way too slow at posting. ^

[Edited on 07.06.2011 12:47 PM PDT]

  • 07.06.2011 12:46 PM PDT
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Deva Path


Posted by: DecepticonCobra

We are all going to get banned aren't we?

How the hell is anything in the Sol system to far to study?

  • 07.06.2011 12:48 PM PDT

"Find where the liar hides, so that I may place my boot between his gums!" - Rtas 'Vadum

Posted by: grey101
How the hell is anything in the Sol system to far to study?

No idea. It makes as much sense as a chocolate teapot. My guess is that Human Slipspace capabilities are not accurate enough for in-system jumps and so they have to go in sub-light, which would cost a lot of money for fuel and supplies for such a long trip. Though I find it hard to believe that the slipspace drives on Human vessels are that crap and inefficient, and with the power of those sub-light engines that the UNSC have it should only take a couple of months to get out there.

Nevertheless, there we have it. It is probably an excuse to have something mysterious go undiscovered for so long...

  • 07.06.2011 12:57 PM PDT

Posted by: AJW34307
Perhaps the Master Crystal (as I'm calling it) was either used up, lost or destroyed during the war with the Flood?

Yeah but Reach is extremely close to Sol, since Ancient Humanity was spreading out of the Orion Arm they may have counted on humanity finding Reach and being interested by the anomaly.


For the Master Crystal I would go with destroyed or lost, with lost being the most likely option I think since only the Master Builder ever knew of its location, and the last Master Builder was either killed, captured, or simply disappeared when Mendicant Bias attacked the Forerunner's Capitol.

And that blurb about Uranus sounds quite promising, wouldn't surprise me if the Master Crystal was there, something of importance is definitely there if not the Master Crystal.

  • 07.06.2011 1:38 PM PDT

"On the seventh day, god did not rest, but rather he created 64 player multiplayer!"


Posted by: anton1792
Posted by: crazypandarmada
What is the special thing about Uranus? Could you send me a message about it?
Posted by: ajw34307
I don't have it, unfortunately. What does it say about Uranus? :P

From page 283, underlines are my own.

URANUS
Location: Seventh planet of the Sol System.
Description: Gas Giant, anomalous, mostly unexplored, unpopulated.

Named for the mythical creator of the universe, Uranus is an oddity among planets for several reasons. First and foremost, its axial tilt has its poles turned past a ninety-degree angle. Secondly, while still freezing and unmapped, it features a number of alarming radiation spikes that have yet to be addressed.

Much like Saturn, Uranus is much further out from the Sun than would be cost-effective to investigate. Its moons are also less understood than Jupiters, while its anomalies are worrying.

The reason why I underlined the seventh planet fact is because it seemed like too much of a coincidence at the time for an oddity to be associated with the number 7. Things with 7 in Bungie lore, and so Halo, often mean something.

Edit: I am way too slow at posting. ^


Interesting!

  • 07.06.2011 1:42 PM PDT
Subject: Reach - artificially engineered by the Forerunners for humanity.
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Not bad. It certainly fits in with Reach canon very well.

  • 07.06.2011 1:46 PM PDT
Subject: The oddity that is Reach...

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


Posted by: OrderedComa
Posted by: AJW34307
Perhaps the Master Crystal (as I'm calling it) was either used up, lost or destroyed during the war with the Flood?

Yeah but Reach is extremely close to Sol, since Ancient Humanity was spreading out of the Orion Arm they may have counted on humanity finding Reach and being interested by the anomaly.


For the Master Crystal I would go with destroyed or lost, with lost being the most likely option I think since only the Master Builder ever knew of its location, and the last Master Builder was either killed, captured, or simply disappeared when Mendicant Bias attacked the Forerunner's Capitol.

And that blurb about Uranus sounds quite promising, wouldn't surprise me if the Master Crystal was there, something of importance is definitely there if not the Master Crystal.


I agree, lost seems more likely and could be interesting as a future potential plot line. I'd imagine Faber fled after Bias assaulted the Capital and interrupted the tribunal, I'd like to see a plot twist where he performed a mutation on another Forerunner and passed his memories down similar to what the Didact did on Born. It would make sense if he was going to be hunted down, nobody would know who he was if he did that. But I digress.

  • 07.06.2011 1:46 PM PDT

If you're passionate about the thing you're talking about, I'll always lend an ear.

That's an interesting take. Obviously Reach has had Forerunner presence at some point. But the same can be said about Sanghelios, the Elite's home planet and

The Prophets home planet was also said to be a

"planet rich in artifacts left behind by the Forerunners" From the Halo encyclopaedia.

The Hunters home planet of Te had been shown in Contact Harvest

"There were once many Forerunner artifacts or ships in orbit around the planet, as many colonies of Lekgolo have been known to feast purely on the Forerunner alloy"

and others.

So the concept of humanity following down the same path as the forerunners would not only be exclusive to them had this been the case.

In a sense, Reach is just another planet with Forerunner Artefacts. Placing Humanity at a higher pedestal at this point, would be baseless. Although add this to the whole "reclaimer" aspect, I would argue that it's not Reach that's the oddity.

It's Earth.

The Forerunners had placed them back at Earth, with a specific portal that no other planet in the sol system, to my knowledge, had that led them directly to the mantle of all Halo's. This was of course the Ark. It was entrusted to the Humans.

Which of course is why the Covenant force their way in at H3 and so on and so on.

So I don't see why Reach is such an oddity in this sense.

  • 07.06.2011 1:50 PM PDT
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Posted by: DecepticonCobra

We are all going to get banned aren't we?

I can honestly say that the portal on the ark was probably made for transportation reasons, whatever revelation didact and is wife came to was far later.

  • 07.06.2011 2:01 PM PDT

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