- Sardonic13
- |
- Exalted Mythic Member
There is nothing wrong with asking this question CruddiestBlock1. In fact, nearly every fan of Marathon and Halo confronts it at one point or another. Considering the numerous similarities between Marathon and Halo, the question is perfectly understandable. Unfortunately those who frequent the Underground are generally quick to dismiss such questions but rarely provide direct proof.
The answer to your question is no. The Marathon universe and Halo universe are not one in the same. This may seem shocking, considering all the similarities and the fact that the century during which Halo takes place is "intentionally left blank" in the Marathon Universe.
However, there are direct contradictions in technology which clearly illustrate that there cannot be any direct connection between the Marathon and Halo universes.
The strongest contradictions can be found by comparing the Marathon Timeline and the Halo Timeline.
Contradiction 1: Faster than light-speed (FTL) travel
According to the Halo timeline, the Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine was created in 2291. This technology made FTL travel possible. In 2310 the first FTL colony ships were launched. By 2390, colonization of the Inner Colonies was well underway and by 2490 the Outer Colonies were being settled.
However in the Marathon Universe, construction of the UESC colony ship Marathon began in 2408. The construction took 64 years and was completed in 2472. The Marathon was launched in 2472 and took 300 years to travel from Sol to Tau Ceti (a distance just under 12 light years). This means that the Marathon was not capable of FTL travel. This is further supported by Durandal's need to call the Pfhor to Tau Ceti in order to steal their FTL capable ship.
If the Marathon and Halo universes were the same, construction of the Marathon would have begun over 100 years after the invention of FTL travel and during the golden age of FTL space exploration, yet the Marathon was not capable of FTL speeds. This is an irreconcilable contradiction between the Marathon and Halo universes, meaning they cannot possibly be the same.
Contradiction 2: Teleportation Technology
According to the Marathon timeline, teleporters were used in Sol as early as 2319. The Marathon, which was constructed from 2408 to 2472 had teleporter technology.
However, in the Halo Universe humanity does not yet have teleportation technology in 2552 (the year Halo 1 takes place). This is also a contradiction and again indicates that the Marathon and Halo universes cannot possibly be one in the same.
Your question is an excellent and understandable one. Sadly, it is rarely answered adequately. I hope this clears things up a bit. But please continue with story discussion. Particularly Marathon story discussion which is far too infrequent for my taste these days.