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This topic has moved here: Subject: Three Questions About the Rings and Flood
  • Subject: Three Questions About the Rings and Flood
Subject: Three Questions About the Rings and Flood

When Halo fires, does it literally obliterate all sentient organisms, or merely kill them, dropping their bodies to the ground?

Second question, and this one plays off of the answer to the first, how did firing Installation '04 keep the Flood infection on the Ark from leaving?

And last, and still related question, how long does it take the Flood to starve to death?

[Edited on 09.20.2011 4:39 PM PDT]

  • 09.20.2011 4:39 PM PDT

Have you seen my mind anywhere? I seem to have lost it...

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I have seen you future

1) The Halo array disrupts the central nervous system of sentient organisms, theoretically leaving bodies intact. That said, if Halo could destroy the Ark, then I may be wrong.

2) It should have.

3) Not sure, infection forms can hibernate almost indefinitely.

  • 09.20.2011 4:44 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: CTN 0452 9
1) The Halo array disrupts the central nervous system of sentient organisms, theoretically leaving bodies intact. That said, if Halo could destroy the Ark, then I may be wrong.

In Legends it shows the Ring's pulse blasting or blowing Flood biomass off of Forerunner ships and buildings. The rings obviously target more than the nervous system or the blast of the Rings import a lot of force.

  • 09.20.2011 4:57 PM PDT

Have you seen my mind anywhere? I seem to have lost it...

0x0 x0x 0x0 000 000 x0x 000
x0x 0x0 0x0 0xx 000 0x0 000
x0x x0x x00 0xx 0x0 x0x 0x0

I have seen you future

Posted by: Xd00999

Posted by: CTN 0452 9
1) The Halo array disrupts the central nervous system of sentient organisms, theoretically leaving bodies intact. That said, if Halo could destroy the Ark, then I may be wrong.

In Legends it shows the Ring's pulse blasting or blowing Flood biomass off of Forerunner ships and buildings. The rings obviously target more than the nervous system or the blast of the Rings import a lot of force.

A lot of the animations in Legends were non-canon. Since there is no matter in outer space a shockwave wouldn't be able to travel.

  • 09.20.2011 4:59 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: CTN 0452 9
Posted by: Xd00999

Posted by: CTN 0452 9
1) The Halo array disrupts the central nervous system of sentient organisms, theoretically leaving bodies intact. That said, if Halo could destroy the Ark, then I may be wrong.

In Legends it shows the Ring's pulse blasting or blowing Flood biomass off of Forerunner ships and buildings. The rings obviously target more than the nervous system or the blast of the Rings import a lot of force.

A lot of the animations in Legends were non-canon. Since there is no matter in outer space a shockwave wouldn't be able to travel.

Depends on who you ask. Some say the animation in Legends is full canon, others disagree. Regardless of physics, we see the Flood being physically affected by the Ring's pulse.

  • 09.20.2011 5:04 PM PDT

Have you seen my mind anywhere? I seem to have lost it...

0x0 x0x 0x0 000 000 x0x 000
x0x 0x0 0x0 0xx 000 0x0 000
x0x x0x x00 0xx 0x0 x0x 0x0

I have seen you future

Posted by: Xd00999

Posted by: CTN 0452 9
Posted by: Xd00999

Posted by: CTN 0452 9
1) The Halo array disrupts the central nervous system of sentient organisms, theoretically leaving bodies intact. That said, if Halo could destroy the Ark, then I may be wrong.

In Legends it shows the Ring's pulse blasting or blowing Flood biomass off of Forerunner ships and buildings. The rings obviously target more than the nervous system or the blast of the Rings import a lot of force.

A lot of the animations in Legends were non-canon. Since there is no matter in outer space a shockwave wouldn't be able to travel.

Depends on who you ask. Some say the animation in Legends is full canon, others disagree. Regardless of physics, we see the Flood being physically affected by the Ring's pulse.

Frank O'Connor mentions here that there is some artistic license in the visuals.

  • 09.20.2011 5:14 PM PDT

For the first point I'm gunna guess and say that the energy produced from a ring firing is some sort of radiation that completely denatures cells.

The ring firing would have the above effect if it were fully constructed. Since it was only partially constructed, I think that the ring's firing had a different effect which destroyed the Ark and killed the Flood.

Probably the same for a normal organism, but this wouldn't be a true death. DNA can survive for thousands of years, and being the Flood we know... You won't get rid of a Flood specimen unless you completely destroy all trace. Which was what the Halo Array did!

  • 09.20.2011 5:18 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: CTN 0452 9
Frank O'Connor mentions here that there is some artistic license in the visuals.

That is true, but we have never seen a Halo array fire and observe the effects outside of Legends so that is the only source of information we have. I am going with fact due to lack of (canon) evidence to the contrary. Another thing to note is in the CEA terminal we saw. Though it was hard to get a look, during one scene it appeared to show some sort of pulse like that of Halo violently uprooting terrain and tossing around objects.

  • 09.20.2011 5:23 PM PDT

Don't worry, you're still your mom's favorite Bnet member.

I can answer question three. The answer is that nobody knows. The idea that the Flood would starve to death was really more of a wing and a prayer than a plan. They had no idea how long it would take, let alone any proof it would even happen.

  • 09.20.2011 5:24 PM PDT

Have you seen my mind anywhere? I seem to have lost it...

0x0 x0x 0x0 000 000 x0x 000
x0x 0x0 0x0 0xx 000 0x0 000
x0x x0x x00 0xx 0x0 x0x 0x0

I have seen you future

Posted by: Xd00999

Posted by: CTN 0452 9
Frank O'Connor mentions here that there is some artistic license in the visuals.

That is true, but we have never seen a Halo array fire and observe the effects outside of Legends so that is the only source of information we have. I am going with fact due to lack of (canon) evidence to the contrary. Another thing to note is in the CEA terminal we saw. Though it was hard to get a look, during one scene it appeared to show some sort of pulse like that of Halo violently uprooting terrain and tossing around objects.

We also have the cutscene from the end of Halo 3 (and partially the end of Halo 2), but I guess we will have to wait until the CEA terminals.

  • 09.20.2011 5:25 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: CTN 0452 9
Posted by: Xd00999

Posted by: CTN 0452 9
Frank O'Connor mentions here that there is some artistic license in the visuals.

That is true, but we have never seen a Halo array fire and observe the effects outside of Legends so that is the only source of information we have. I am going with fact due to lack of (canon) evidence to the contrary. Another thing to note is in the CEA terminal we saw. Though it was hard to get a look, during one scene it appeared to show some sort of pulse like that of Halo violently uprooting terrain and tossing around objects.

We also have the cutscene from the end of Halo 3 (and partially the end of Halo 2), but I guess we will have to wait until the CEA terminals.

Halo 3 never showed us the affects of the pulse, only the pulse itself and Halo 2 was only an incomplete pulse.

  • 09.20.2011 6:38 PM PDT

United Armed Forces

I think the destruction of the ark is more on the scale of 04's original destruction - blown to bits, but those bits are still huge.

I also think firing 04 destroyed the Ark because 04 was destroyed and the pieces and inability to contain all that energy properly hit the Ark.

Just my take.

  • 09.20.2011 7:09 PM PDT


Posted by: Xd00999

Posted by: CTN 0452 9
1) The Halo array disrupts the central nervous system of sentient organisms, theoretically leaving bodies intact. That said, if Halo could destroy the Ark, then I may be wrong.

In Legends it shows the Ring's pulse blasting or blowing Flood biomass off of Forerunner ships and buildings. The rings obviously target more than the nervous system or the blast of the Rings import a lot of force.


That and there were no Forerunner remains (or any remains) of the era. Contact Harvest made a point of saying that, implying the Rings vaporize organic matter rather then just kill it.

  • 09.20.2011 7:12 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: ROBERTO jh

Posted by: Xd00999

Posted by: CTN 0452 9
1) The Halo array disrupts the central nervous system of sentient organisms, theoretically leaving bodies intact. That said, if Halo could destroy the Ark, then I may be wrong.

In Legends it shows the Ring's pulse blasting or blowing Flood biomass off of Forerunner ships and buildings. The rings obviously target more than the nervous system or the blast of the Rings import a lot of force.


That and there were no Forerunner remains (or any remains) of the era. Contact Harvest made a point of saying that, implying the Rings vaporize organic matter rather then just kill it.

All the buildings could have been destroyed by time. Asteroids, volcanos, earthquakes, buried by dirt over time, etc. Though the amount of energy the Halos produce to be able to vaporize organic matter would have to be enormous.

  • 09.20.2011 7:19 PM PDT


Posted by: Xd00999

Posted by: ROBERTO jh

Posted by: Xd00999

Posted by: CTN 0452 9
1) The Halo array disrupts the central nervous system of sentient organisms, theoretically leaving bodies intact. That said, if Halo could destroy the Ark, then I may be wrong.

In Legends it shows the Ring's pulse blasting or blowing Flood biomass off of Forerunner ships and buildings. The rings obviously target more than the nervous system or the blast of the Rings import a lot of force.


That and there were no Forerunner remains (or any remains) of the era. Contact Harvest made a point of saying that, implying the Rings vaporize organic matter rather then just kill it.

All the buildings could have been destroyed by time. Asteroids, volcanos, earthquakes, buried by dirt over time, etc. Though the amount of energy the Halos produce to be able to vaporize organic matter would have to be enormous.


Well for one we don't know the specifics of their technology, and second, yeah, the energy Halo produces kinda is enormous.

  • 09.20.2011 7:22 PM PDT

it could have worked like a malfunctioning reactor and exploded instead of killing everything with the wave thing whatever it is, just like the pillar of autumn

[Edited on 09.24.2011 1:53 PM PDT]

  • 09.24.2011 1:51 PM PDT

Artistic licence, have you heard of it? Lord give me strength!

This just proves that the people crying about Legends being terribad are the people who just dont "get" anime in general, and were not even the target audience for the product and shouldnt complain that they didnt like it. 343 probably wont attempt another animation project like that again now after the wall of hate they got for minor things, which is a shame.

Also, it was HEAVILY implied that Cortana was entering rampancy in those episodes and was basically tripping balls towards the end of her little tale she was telling, incase the exploding galaxies and such didnt give that away.


Posted by: Xd00999

Posted by: CTN 0452 9
1) The Halo array disrupts the central nervous system of sentient organisms, theoretically leaving bodies intact. That said, if Halo could destroy the Ark, then I may be wrong.

In Legends it shows the Ring's pulse blasting or blowing Flood biomass off of Forerunner ships and buildings. The rings obviously target more than the nervous system or the blast of the Rings import a lot of force.

  • 09.24.2011 2:44 PM PDT

Oh yeah and i guess i should post this, the halo effect is basically a very large neutron bomb 'tuned' in some way to interact specifically with the nervous systems of sentient life in a lethal way whilst leaving inanimate structures and lower lifeforms intact. Probably by using the data collected on all sentient species in the galaxy (which is held in the index) to calibrate the weapon, which is why the index has to be brought the the control center before activation i should think.

I believe the principle is sound too apart from the superluminal effect, a real neutron bomb without much blast could kill everyone in a building whilst leaving the structure intact.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory director Harold Brown and Soviet General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev both described the neutron bomb as a "capitalist bomb", because it was designed to destroy people while preserving property.

  • 09.24.2011 2:55 PM PDT