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This topic has moved here: Subject: Why was there not a contingency plan?
  • Subject: Why was there not a contingency plan?
Subject: Why was there not a contingency plan?

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

And by that I mean in the event that Earth was destroyed by the Covenant and the rest of the colonies were obliterated, why did the UNSC not prepare a contingency that involved establishing a colony far from the Orion arm?

Sol is about 26'000 light year from the galactic core, which puts the furthest point in this galaxy (The opposite end) at 74'000 light years away. Going by this abysmal FTL speed of 2.8 light years per day that Humanity has then it would take about 72 years to get there. Probably slightly more for stops for resources or course corrections, but with cryo-storage that should be a breeze.

Ships would obviously need fuel and resources, but as we see in Halo wars the UNSC is quite proficient at establishing a ground operation quite quickly. They can airdrop pre-made structures onto the ground. The same would also, presumably, apply when establishing the actual backup colonies. It would not be so much of a stretch to assume that specific facilities could be carried and deployed as well. (Such as refineries, or any other manufacturing facility that would be vital for establishing a self-sufficient colony)

They would have to pick the star systems with the highest likelihood of having an Earth like world in it. Given that they have more advanced technology than us and the fact that they already have a standard of Earth holding solar systems to compare systems to, they should have a far higher degree of accuracy in predicting Earth worlds than we do just now.

Well, I've sort of started it off, and I am sure that there is more to think about that others could probably add, but how feasible would it really be for the UNSC to do this? Why do you think it wasn't considered?

  • 08.06.2011 1:20 PM PDT

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.” – Psalms 46:1-3


Posted by: anton1792
And by that I mean in the event that Earth was destroyed by the Covenant and the rest of the colonies were obliterated, why did the UNSC not prepare a contingency that involved establishing a colony far from the Orion arm?

Sol is about 26'000 light year from the galactic core, which puts the furthest point in this galaxy (The opposite end) at 74'000 light years away. Going by this abysmal FTL speed of 2.8 light years per day that Humanity has then it would take about 72 years to get there. Probably slightly more for stops for resources or course corrections, but with cryo-storage that should be a breeze.

Ships would obviously need fuel and resources, but as we see in Halo wars the UNSC is quite proficient at establishing a ground operation quite quickly. They can airdrop pre-made structures onto the ground. The same would also, presumably, apply when establishing the actual backup colonies. It would not be so much of a stretch to assume that specific facilities could be carried and deployed as well. (Such as refineries, or any other manufacturing facility that would be vital for establishing a self-sufficient colony)

They would have to pick the star systems with the highest likelihood of having an Earth like world in it. Given that they have more advanced technology than us and the fact that they already have a standard of Earth holding solar systems to compare systems to, they should have a far higher degree of accuracy in predicting Earth worlds than we do just now.

Well, I've sort of started it off, and I am sure that there is more to think about that others could probably add, but how feasible would it really be for the UNSC to do this? Why do you think it wasn't considered?


If I recall correctly I believe ONI has done this on a halo. (speculation)

  • 08.06.2011 1:23 PM PDT

"I will show you how a true Prussian officer fights!"

"And i will show you where the iron crosses grow..."

- "Cross of Iron"

I believe there were actually a few colonies that were never found even when the covenant were on Earth. For all we know they could of been the contingency plan.

  • 08.06.2011 1:27 PM PDT


Posted by: Raptorx7
I believe there were actually a few colonies that were never found even when the covenant were on Earth. For all we know they could of been the contingency plan.


Actually... not true. In the battles for Reach and Earth, the Covenant ignored a number of inner colonies. So... they wouldn't have been a backup plan, more like "This colony wasn't hit when they pushed to Earth."

  • 08.06.2011 1:32 PM PDT

@accordingto343

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

Is there evidence that they didn't have a plan?

  • 08.06.2011 1:34 PM PDT

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

Posted by: angry0lbgrampa
If I recall correctly I believe ONI has done this on a halo. (speculation)

I don't ever recall it being mentioned. I remember someone in this forum ages ago saying that they had but I could not find any references to it. Back then I had not read all the material so I gave them the benefit of the doubt. But like I said I never found anything when I did read everything. I also remember reading a fan-fic that had the same plot on fanfic.net. Have you read that and confused it with canon maybe?

Posted by: DecepticonCobra
Is there evidence that they didn't have a plan?

No. There is no evidence that they did or did not. Given how important such a plan could possibly have been however, I would have thought it rather important to point out at some point. The UNSC were obviously losing, and there really was no doubt about it.

[Edited on 08.06.2011 1:45 PM PDT]

  • 08.06.2011 1:44 PM PDT

@accordingto343

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

Maybe they planned to go all Battle Star Galactica on us.

  • 08.06.2011 1:46 PM PDT

I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me.
--Ralph Ellison

I've thought about it before and I think that ONI would have set something like this up. Put a few million people on some far away planet and cut off all contact with them. They don't know where Earth is, only a few people in ONI know where they are.

Something like witness protection programs. :P

  • 08.06.2011 4:17 PM PDT