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This topic has moved here: Subject: Quick Question About CEA and Terminals (Maybe Spoliers?)
  • Subject: Quick Question About CEA and Terminals (Maybe Spoliers?)
Subject: Quick Question About CEA and Terminals (Maybe Spoliers?)

Hey guys and gals, I haven't posted something in quite some time so I was slow to get CEA so I may have missed this questions already on these boards.

But in one of the Terminals Spark mentions that he is asked by someone before they are sent their ways "If you had the choice to activate the rings (or whatever, can't remember the exact quote), would you?"
Now, fast forward to the mission after the Libray (the name escapes me right now). Spark says to John, remember the question YOU last asked me, and goes on to mention the questions I mentioned prior in this post. And then says ya know, "having a considerable amount of time to think about it...."

Now I'm sure I'm not the only one that noticed this, could any of you maybe clear this up for me? I at the moment don't have any theories around this, and honestly don't want to try because I know someone else already must have though of something.

Sorry for the amount of 'ignorance' in this post as it's getting towards the end of my work day, I'm tired, and my memory escapes me this afternoon.

Thanks in advanced

  • 12.07.2011 1:32 PM PDT
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I was always a tad puzzled at this as well.

I'm afraid I have no answers for you.

  • 12.07.2011 1:33 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"

Thank you OP! Thats been bothering me for a decade. I think you've got it spot on.

Edit: Now that i think about it its a possibility...There are a multitude of people or things he could be talking to. However yours seems to be the most right!

[Edited on 12.07.2011 1:38 PM PST]

  • 12.07.2011 1:37 PM PDT

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There's definitely plenty of speculation about what Guilty Spark was talking about when he said that to the Chief.

The popular opinion is that he recognized Chief as a reclaimer, that he was mainly using "you" as a generic...referring to all reclaimers (and any inheritor/offspring/relative to the Forerunner).

Of course, there's the ever-persistent theory about the Chief and time-travel...but no evidence has come up supporting that. There's been speculation about the legendary ending of Halo 3 (and if Mendicant Bias purposefully sent Chief back in time to show the Forerunner he had atoned for his betrayal of them). Still...no real evidence to support that theory.

It is a puzzling issue. Especially since Bungie had the entire halo universe mapped out (story lines and all) before CE came out in 2001.

  • 12.07.2011 2:15 PM PDT

"I may not be perfect, but always been true."

His last chat was with the Didact, wasn't it? He confused John with him most likely.

  • 12.07.2011 2:20 PM PDT

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

Posted by: xxVIPERMANxx

If it's full on time-travel then that would be crap.

I mean the time-traveling stuff in First Strike is a bit of a strench already. [However it does support the notion of time-travel in the Halo universe]

I think I'm actually done with the story in this series. It's actually IMO [Post-Reach] gone to the dumps. Sure there are remnents of decent canon in [post-Reach] literature, but the amount of crap churned out is just not enough to justify it.

  • 12.07.2011 2:20 PM PDT
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Deva Path


Posted by: DecepticonCobra

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


Posted by: xxVIPERMANxx
There's definitely plenty of speculation about what Guilty Spark was talking about when he said that to the Chief.

The popular opinion is that he recognized Chief as a reclaimer, that he was mainly using "you" as a generic...referring to all reclaimers (and any inheritor/offspring/relative to the Forerunner).

Of course, there's the ever-persistent theory about the Chief and time-travel...but no evidence has come up supporting that. There's been speculation about the legendary ending of Halo 3 (and if Mendicant Bias purposefully sent Chief back in time to show the Forerunner he had atoned for his betrayal of them). Still...no real evidence to support that theory.

It is a puzzling issue. Especially since Bungie had the entire halo universe mapped out (story lines and all) before CE came out in 2001.


What is this i don't even.....


Bungie clearly said that they will not enforce the time traveling cliche in halo. From what it seems 343 might mistake John for "The Didact" for some unknown reason. Medicant Bias sent John to where the forerunners are in the galaxy not "Back in time"....

  • 12.07.2011 2:59 PM PDT
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Posted by: ninjakenzen
Posted by: xxVIPERMANxx

If it's full on time-travel then that would be crap.

I mean the time-traveling stuff in First Strike is a bit of a strench already. [However it does support the notion of time-travel in the Halo universe]

I think I'm actually done with the story in this series. It's actually IMO [Post-Reach] gone to the dumps. Sure there are remnents of decent canon in [post-Reach] literature, but the amount of crap churned out is just not enough to justify it.


Hang in there! I'd like to give it up too, but I still have some hope of better things to come.

  • 12.07.2011 4:18 PM PDT

Thanks for the info guys! I'm actually surprised in the amount of interest and feedback I recieved from just asking this simple question. Well I guess I will wait patiently as the story unfolds even more.

As far as the time travel I don't agree with that. But I do see the logic in him saying 'you' as a sort of 'you people'. Maybe putting John, now a warrior in Spark's eyes, in the same boat as the Forerunner warriors.

If you think about it 'logically'. John has all the access the Foruerunnes had, and maybe 'logically' it would only make sense that John is the same as the Didact. Both were strong warriors, in war suits.

He also mentions many times as to he is puzzled why the reclaimer would bring such "inneficient weapons" to battle the flood. I don't think Spark looks at the situation the same way as we would. Logically, John and the rest of the Reclaimers are one in the same as the Forerunners.

That also stems to the point were he says to John something along the lines of, "You've done it before" or "Do what you've done before" when he questions John's hesitation.

I don't know, just some random thoughts. These terminals are something I'm going to have to watch over and over again with great detail.

Thanks for all the feedback everyone!

  • 12.07.2011 8:10 PM PDT

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It's probably just safe to assume was using you in the general sense, as a reclaimer. Think about the line during the cutscene at the beginning of the Two-Betrayals when Spark says "Why would you hesitate to do what you have already done?" He's using "you" as a generalization of all Reclaimers.

  • 12.07.2011 8:41 PM PDT


Posted by: About 9 Grunts
It's probably just safe to assume was using you in the general sense, as a reclaimer. Think about the line during the cutscene at the beginning of the Two-Betrayals when Spark says "Why would you hesitate to do what you have already done?" He's using "you" as a generalization of all Reclaimers.


Thank you, that was the line I was trying to recall. But that makes me question even more, does Spark confuse the 'Reclaimers' as being one in the same as his former masters?

[Edited on 12.08.2011 9:02 AM PST]

  • 12.08.2011 9:02 AM PDT
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Posted by: chotato
smart, interesting, seems out of place.


Official fan of Assassin's Creed, Call of Duty, (Problem with that?) Halo, and Bungie, also a total gaming junkie.

I find AOTCR's Terminal to be even more puzzling.

  • 12.08.2011 10:10 AM PDT
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I'd most definitely go with the general reclaimer theory. Another chance could of course be that there was an unknown moment in the game when they were discussing about activation of the ring. But whatever it is, it's really open for speculation as it has never been confirmed and Bungie didn't fully know at the time what the game and the story would be about.

  • 12.08.2011 10:34 AM PDT