The Terminals II
As stated earlier, we are conducting a series on the finer points of the Terminals found within Halo 3.
This effort, our second trip into the archive, is intent on bringing the powerful story of Didact and Librarian to the forefront. These two Forerunner beings are not only at the heart of the conflict which was dealt to the Forerunners 100,000 years ago, but they are also very significant in the key events which players took part of during the Halo trilogy.
If you haven’t already, we would recommend that you read A Voice from the Tomb, the first article on the Terminals which gives our audience a wider understanding of the story’s scope. Unlike its predecessor, this second article, She Died in Eden, focuses specifically on an intimate story of two lovers and the far-reaching effect their relationship had on everything within the Halo universe.
Feel free to leave comments about the article on this page and don’t forget to check out all of our articles on the Terminals. Take an opportunity to read that page and the disclaimer we offer about the information we provide. We also would like to invite you to the Ascendant Justice Forums if you’re interested in taking the discussion to another level – a Halo community driven by commitment, dedication and civility.
One interesting thing I’d like to point out:
When Mendicant Bias (I assume it’s Bias) is conversing with Guilty Spark (again an assumption), Spark asks for the name of the entity to whom he is speaking. Bias replies “All our makers once held dear [Alexandria before the Fire].” This is interesting because Bias is most likely referring to the Great Library of Alexandria; which, by many accounts, was burned during the sacking of the city Alexandria.
Hmm… another library (the greatest of its time) destroyed by fire. Sounds familiar.
Comment by SwampFox — March 31, 2008 @ 3:15 pm
i was wondering couldn’t the forerunners have survived if they just stayed on the ark with the other sentient beings? or was it because they considered themselves the guardians of all sentient beings so they couldn’t afford to waste time protecting themselves?
please respond
Comment by Ahsim — April 3, 2008 @ 8:14 pm
This is just an observation, but the story of Didact and Librarian, and it’s potential purpose in the Halo mythology, reminds me of similar parallel stories in the ‘Lord of the Rings’ mythology.
In the Silmarillion there is a story called ‘Of Beren and Luthien.’ Like Didact and Librarian, it is a love story where the hero saves the day but at the cost of joining his love. Quite a fantastic story, worth the price of admission as far as the Silmarillion is concerned.
It directly parallels Aragorn (Strider) and Arwen in the ‘Rings’ trilogy. Except that time around the hero gets the girl.
The Master Chief and Cortana seem to be the same in Halo. Again, Chief saves the day AND the girl.
It’s almost as if the second story, in both examples, is the ‘redemptive version’ of the previous story.
Comment by Seth — April 22, 2008 @ 7:38 pm
Your writeups here of the terminals help bring closure to the large volume of questions I had regarding the forerunners. This is a one stop shop as far as I’m concerned, to getting a full grasp of what the forerunners went through to make that final decision. I look forward to more writeups!
Comment by Maj Williams — April 23, 2008 @ 6:07 pm
First of all, these are amazing compilations of all the info we have, and thank you for putting so much time and effort into them.
I wanted to comment on “She Died in Eden,” as there is one thing left unsaid. Librarian states that she has created a garden, which is translated as “Eden” by 343 Guilty Spark for the benefit of the Chief – it is the closest word in the English language. This is not because of Eden’s figurative meaning as a place of beauty and perfection, but is quite literal. Librarian has actually created the Garden of Eden.
Thousands of years later, in the aftermath of the lighting of the Array, humans were presumably “reseeded” back onto Earth using the portal. This would have placed the “first” humans directly in Librarian’s garden. The indexing project would of course have taken both males and females in order to repropogate the species. Therefore, the humans reseeded onto Earth are none other than Adam and Eve, or their equivalent. This means that the reseeding ocurred around 5,000 BC, or whenever the Earth was “created.” (Sorry, I’m not Christian and so do not know). It is the basis for Creation, Adam and Eve, and the entire religion of Christianity, not to mention every other religion that has a similar belief system, just using different terminology. Thought I would mention this, as is it a very interesting theory on Humanity’s origins. It also unifies both the Thoery of Evolution and that of Creation – both hold true, assuming there were Forerunners.
Once again, thank you for all this stuff, and I hope that little nugget adds just a tiny bit to everything else.
Comment by Nick — May 2, 2008 @ 9:30 pm
This is kinda like my reply to the comments on this page. (I’m not the one who wrote this, so don’t think that I am.)
The ‘library’ thing. Alexandria was a city, which contained the great library. The city was destroyed and it’s knowlege lost. Keep in mind that the terminals are translated from whatever the forerunner language is. ‘Alexandria’ could be a proper noun, refering to something in forerunner history, to which the burning of humankind’s alexandria is the greatest parallel.
2. the Forerunners probably chose to survive in one particular place, and watch how the galaxy grew after they were gone. This world would probably be an artifical one, placed into slipspace, like Onyx’s central area. It would also probably bend the physical mass of the area, like the Onyx chamber. They could be compared to the trancendentalists, believing that they in a sense caused what had happened and removed themselves from it, themajor difference being that the Forerunners ‘fixed’ their problem before doing so, and were safeguarding against further trouble.
3. (well technicly 5. since both comments 4. and 3. were self-answered, but…) The Human part. That date, about 5000 B.C., makes logical sense, at least scientificly. Humans had begun to evolve, and had probably only recently had the genetic code to be classified as ‘Homo Sapiens.’ Thus, when the Forerunners began their conservation effort or whatever it was called, at least 2 humans, a male and a female, were taken and brought to the Ark. As this was late in the forerunner’s war with the Flood, and it wasn’t all that long before the array was fired, perhaps only being a few years at the minimum between when humanity was gathered and brought to the Ark, and when they were returned to their planet, post-array firing. The Librarian says that she has catalouged every human, and that they are special in some way. Literally (if not close to) “I have safley indexed them, every last one.” In this respect, she is saying that she marked the human race as being the one race to inherit the Mantle. The Gate being buried again would have taken considerably longer, but perhaps it was done with the Librarian’s ship, if she had one. As to the ‘Garden of Eden’ part, most likley, you’re right. The librarian created the garden of Eden from which humanity’s first came. She may have played the roles of both God and the Serpent, casting out humanity when they ate the fruit, but for a diferent reason than the biblical one. Humanity could be considered as her ‘child’ and the child was ready to stand on its own. The fruit was likley, in all actuality, just a fruit. It’s the symbolic meaning that matters, that humanity had learned to fend for itself. The reason the garden wouldn’t exist today is simple. The librarian was very obviously alive. All living things die. If the garden was where science places it to be, in africa, then it existed in a climate unsuitable for it. After the Librarian died, the garden died along with her, not at the same time, but within a century of it, I would guess. The garden couldn’t exist without her care for it. The rest of the religious tales, for example Moses parting the Red Sea, could be of humans who had more so awakened to forerunner abilities within them than others.
//.\\
\\’//
The small book, ‘Caveat,’ included with the collectors edition of Halo 3 descibed the forerunners as being able to accelerate the evolution of life. Perhaps they did that with the human race, so that they//we would be able to fill the Forerunners roles in due time.
[ marks where italics are supossed to begin. If they didn’t, well, the page doesn’t show code. marks where the italics should end. If this post was made correctly, then part of this bracketed section should appear in italics as well, but as I’m not sure if they’ll show up I’m putting this. I’m truly and sorry for wasting space.]
Comment by Ares Vale — May 3, 2008 @ 1:54 pm
my take. librarian did not find humanity but a pre evolved vertion of it. hence the cromagnon easter eggs all over the game. they are special becouse they evolve into what the frrunners already are (identical genetic code) thus ensuring the survival of there species, and the bond. all of the eden and alexandrea are not referances to any known religion or beleif system but the basis for them. when our cromagnon self (seeds not quite grown into bloom)werereplaced in “the garden” the mythos was carried back with them and through passing down also evolved into what it would become today.
Comment by bomber127 — May 3, 2008 @ 11:31 pm
I believeprior to the release of Halo 3 an online comic was put out called ‘The Cradle of Life’ (I think). It shows an elder of an African tribe as he wakes every morning to watch the ‘Gods’ as they build. Presumably the ‘Gods’ are the Forerunners building the portal to the Ark. In the last scene he is painting a Forerunner glyph on the wall. So during the time of the Forerunners there does seem to be Homo Sapian.
Also during the book ‘Contact Harvest,’ a Luminary (Forerunner-derived technology that the Covenant uses to locate Forerunner objects) shows many Forerunner obejects on the planet. At the time the Prophet of Truth was known as the Minister of Fortitude. During the early stages of his coup along with the Legate (Prophet species) who would later become Regret and Mercy, he was aboard the Forerunner Dreadnaught interpreting the glyphs as “Reclamation.” The AI aboard the Dreadnaught, later revealed to be Mendicant Bias, awakens saying “For eons I have watched as you misinterpreted. This is not reclamation, this is reclaimer.I will reject my bias and make amends… My makers are my masters. I will bring them safely to the Ark.”
I believe that this reveals 2 possibilities.
A-The Forerunners had classified the human species as equal to themselves.
or
B-Forerunners resembled humans and interbred with them, causing some humans to have Forerunner blood. (Evidenced by the fact that not all the humans on the planet Harvest were marked with the glyph Reclaimer[Contact Harvest])
Also, I believe on the last level of Halo 3 as 343 goes rampant he tells MC “You are the child of my makers. Inheritor of all they left behind. You are Forerunner!”
Food for thought.
Comment by Murcielago00 — May 4, 2008 @ 9:36 pm
just so you guys know, Christains do not believe that the Earth was created as late as 5 000 BC. For one thing the Sphyinx was created up to 12 000 years ago, and the Jews (Judaism being the base of Christianity) were the slaves of the Egyptians.
Not to mention that since the Array incident was 100 000 years before 2500 AD, I think it’s safe to say that the Forerunner didn’t wait nearly 93 000 years to allow humans to rehabitate Earth.
Comment by rory — May 5, 2008 @ 3:24 pm
oh and to #6, How does the year 5000 BC make sense scientifically? Humans were around during the last ice age which was somewhere aroung 10 000 – 15 000 years ago.
Comment by rory — May 5, 2008 @ 3:28 pm
(copmmenting on part B of comment 8) maybe only decendants of forerunners could become spartans
Comment by chris — May 5, 2008 @ 8:52 pm
comment 8… sorry
Comment by chris — May 5, 2008 @ 8:53 pm
may be humans, or more specifically the apes that we evolved from were deemed most appropriate for the Forerunners DNA to survive the flood since the forerunners did do reaserch on the flood and even though no cure or immunity was found amongst them, humanity might of carried some sort of possible genetic mutation that would of fought the infection, hence Sgt Johnson not being infected in Halo 2
HA I WIN !!!!!
Comment by komokasi wofl — May 6, 2008 @ 3:35 pm
(comment 13)
he had a desies that made him immune
Comment by chris — May 6, 2008 @ 7:17 pm
Though I believe that the hypothesis proposed by vociferous is possible, I just feel that there is another reason for humanity’s significance in the eyes of the Forerunners. The way that I see it, the Forerunners saw potential in humanity’s ability to comprehend and learn.
Most of the other sentient species in Halo lore were able to achieve their technological advancements by copying the technology from Forerunner relics left on their planet. Though these species weren’t able to master the technology to the extent of the Forerunners they were able to achieve enough of an understanding to rich the point that they did.
Humanity and Earth, on the other hand were essentially free of Forerunner technology –albeit The Ark– yet they were still able to achieve interstellar travel and colonize other areas of space.
It is probable that the Forerunner would have been able to achieve a similar, if not the same, level of advancement. However, it is also possible that it may not have happened as quickly as the humans advanced because of the their long life-span. It is just natural –with humans at least– that innovation and progress only truly happens when a generations applies the ideas and technology of a generations past. With humanity’s short life-span, this allows for a greater diversity of thought and, thus, a shorter time for progress.
Forerunners, though, couldn’t have this luxury. With there extremely lengthy life-span, it would make it nearly impossible to have an even moderately reproductive species because it would be impossible for a planet to sustain hundreds if not a thousand years of beings.
This brings me to my next point, why the Forerunners were so impressed with Earth when they could just replicate its beauty fairly easily. It is my strong belief that the Forerunner’s home world, as well as many others, were particularly barren and natural beauty was scarce. Why else would The Librarian make such a point of how a seed would so easily sprout. Also, why would nature play such a huge role in their many installations when they were made for such important reasons. Perhaps, since natural beauty was so rare, it would be the pinnacle of The Mantle for them to sustain this beauty and be a perfect sign of their guardianship.
Comment by UnicornZombie — May 8, 2008 @ 10:47 pm
Wow. Wonderfully written. I actually came close to tears reading “She died in Eden”. Well done. That goes out to both the writer with his beautiful terminal insights and interpretations, as well as bungie for the actual concept and masterfully contrived placement of stories with stories within stories.
The Halo universe is largely successful for it’s ability to capture the minds of completely different persons. From “Trigger-Happy” to “Die-Hard Romantic”, the Halo universe has finally captured the essence of every aspect of humanity. Even if that humanity is hidden behind the unknown face of a fictitious alien species who desperately strived for the Utopia that deep-down all mankind secretly lusts for.
Bravo. Bravo.
Comment by Xel — May 9, 2008 @ 10:24 am
After reading your masterful pieces here, I am more and more convinced that the Onyx Project was indeed a Shield Array were some Forerunners and indexed species have been deported, with some of them put in some sort of stasis (like Didact), to survive the firing of the Halo rings.
I also suspect that the human race (probably centuries/millenniums) AFTER the events of Halo 3 are the Precursors to the Forerunners, the Forerunners being themselves humans. This would explain the “mysteries about our origins” talked about in the Terminal entries, as well as the “special relationship” between humans and Forerunners. Time would be a cycle. Whether this is through time travel or some more natural -yet unknown- process is yet to be discovered.
Comment by Malignant Resolve — May 23, 2008 @ 2:29 pm
I found this blog on a google search and boy am I glad I did. I thought I heard someone mention it in a free chat room.
Awesome read!
Comment by Free Chat — July 21, 2008 @ 2:53 am
Wonderful essays. The best on the topic I’ve seen.
I’d like to propose a different reading: that Didact and Librarian reunite on earth after the events narrated on the terminals. Their reunion is foreshadowed in several ways, though is never directly narrated.
As you say, it’s an old story: war-torn lovers separated by cataclysmic events. But archetypically — and unlike the story you’ve outlined — the lovers always reunite. It’s a common mythological motif: Odysseus and Penelope, Orpheus and Eurydice, Desmond and Penny (if you watch Lost).
We know from the beginning that reunion is on Didact’s mind: “If you will not come to me, I will find my way to you.”
That sets up the lovers’ reunion quest right there: I will find my way to you. Later he/she reports that MB has betrayed them. But then she says unexpectedly:
“But now I can guess where you are.”
Why is this line here? You respond: “His last words lay claim to where she is, a planet which is highly-regarded, but when they fall from his mouth, rather than immediately speed off to her in these final hours, he remains still and unmoved. His inaction here is never understood, but can really be examined here as an individualized analogy for the entire Forerunner raceโs inaction over 300 years.”
Excellent, but it’s overly complex as an explanation. The simpler possibility is that Didact still intends to rescue Librarian.
Remember that Didact and Librarian are separated not only by distance but by ideology as well. Didact hangs onto old ways, the Mantle, etc.. Librarian is more progressive. Burdened by the guilt of firing the Halo’s, Didact realizes the flaws in her beliefs, in her culture. She prepares to leave her Forerunner life behind forever.
This explains the strange letter to the “Father.” This letter is written by Didact, not by a random, unknown character. You say it’s a letter of a soldier leaving for war, but that’s not how it reads. This is a figure abnegating Forerunner ways. It dramatizes how he/she is breaking from her world, his culture, the Mantle, everything (represented by the “Father”). I believe Didact intends to start anew with Librarian on earth.
He/she says she intends to “to [travel the path of demons[?]] to spare the hands of [another Fatherโs son].” To travel the path of demons is the translator’s tortured way of saying she’s going to take an unorthodox path.
“To spare the hands of another father’s son” is a direct reference to rescuing Librarian!
Didact is worried about him/her, and can’t abandon him on earth. Her letter is filled with declarations of her new commitment to the future, and her abandonment of the past.
Like the hippies in the late 60’s, guilt-ridden Didact must get back to the garden, back to innocence. Her complete abandonment of Forerunner culture explains why humans have no memory of their Forerunner past. Didact and Librarian forsake their history in order to start over, new and innocent.
In other words Librarian and Didact are our Adam and Eve.
Things we don’t know:
We don’t know how the assimilation between indigenous Sapian and Forerunner plays out. But we can be certain that the Forerunner back-story has been leading up to the Genesis story all along.
Interestingly Adam and Eve’s offspring (Cain) also encounters unexplained humans in Genesis, and presumably mates with them. Also, early biblical figures also seem to have extended life spans.
Comment by Fast Castle — August 7, 2008 @ 1:16 am
I’ve been thinking that the letter to a father from a son found in the last terminal is actually from the Didact’s son with the Librarian. The son speaks about the disgrace in hiding behind a shield of privelage instead of doing his duty and for me, as Didact was thought to be a leader of great importance, it follows logically that any son of his would have a shield of privelage. What do you think?
Comment by Jack — June 30, 2009 @ 2:40 pm