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| Halo [R]Evolved - The Library | |
| Posted By: SonGoharotto <SonGoharotto@gmail.com> | Date: 5/21/11 1:40 p.m. |
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This level caused more wallbanging than anything else I've written so far. The Library
{Cutscene} We fly through the central chamber of the installation, from which we can see the floors above. In the middle of the floor is a vast shaft, from which issues a beam of brilliant blue light, extending up through the Library's hollow interior. Our view enters a passage in a retaining wall that leads to an outer surrounding chamber. Rings of golden light manifest, from which emerge 343 Guilty Spark and the Master Chief. • 343 Guilty Spark: "We must collect the Index before we can activate the installation." {Gameplay} [The original level is a series of cut-and-paste corridors, repeated over four floors, populated by enemies who all exhibit the same charging behavior. In short, it gets old really fast -- which is a shame, given the original shock of encountering the Flood. Instead of changing everything outright, I'm making an effort here to maintain the basic progression of the level, as well as referencing the original geometry so readers don't get lost trying to follow what I lay out. The first area, for example, should be immediately familiar.] Master Chief encounters a wave of Infection Forms, as well as something new: Carrier Forms. These bulbous, stumbling figures appear harmless enough, but will burst like a grenade if punctured or even approached too close, both inflicting harm and spreading a new clutch of Infection Forms. • 343 Guilty Spark: "We must move quickly, Reclaimer! The Flood have already penetrated the defenses of this complex." More Carrier Forms, along with Combat Forms, pour into the room from ducts in the walls. The Chief clears the way to the passage in the retaining wall, pausing to allow rings that rotate like tumblers in a lock to align properly, thereby letting him pass through. There are more Flood scattered about the central chamber, but they pose little challenge. • 343 Guilty Spark: "The Index is held within this containment field. We must follow strict protocols to bypass the field. Follow me onto the command platform." Throughout the level, Guilty Spark will hum and talk to himself, occasionally offering insights on the Flood and the Halo installation itself. He will also comment on player behavior, such as idling or dying. For the sake of brevity, only Spark's plot-relevant dialogue will be scripted here. Guilty Spark approaches the open shaft in the floor. A ring of the floor unfolds into three concentric decks, connected by ramps. A holographic console warms to life on the middle deck. [For reference, think of the gondolas from Halo 2's level "Regret."] Master Chief activates the indicated console. The humming of machinery echoes around the Library. What appear to be docking clamps -- struts of metal and glowing blue lines of energy -- release and fold up onto the command platform one at a time, like spokes on a wheel. The third, however, balks and the energy lines shift from blue to red. • 343 Guilty Spark: "An obstruction? Reclaimer, please descend to the mechanical room and investigate the cause of this error. I will attend to the lapse in security." Guilty Spark floats off. A lighted path on the command platform guides Master Chief to the lower deck. From here, a ramp spirals around the containment field to a sublevel. At the bottom room are three doors, but only one is unlocked. Master Chief enters and finds a large deposit of cancerous-looking Flood material has grown around the third docking clamp. The Chief takes aim and shreds the fleshy growth with bullets, freeing the docking clamp to disengage. Spore Pods pop, dropping a few Infection Forms. However, something else also falls to the floor; a writhing lump of flesh that sprouts four stout legs and a toothy orifice. This is the Harvester Form, built from a infected Grunts. Although the Unggoy are too small to make effective Combat Forms, they do serve a purpose by consuming available biomass and metastasizing it into raw Flood material. The Harvester does not immediately attack Master Chief, instead recycling bits of the shredded Flood mass and then undergoing rapid cellular division, spinning off a second Harvester. They multiply like this quickly, turning on the SPARTAN in their midst when in sufficient numbers. A Harvester is clumsy and fragile, but capable of inflicting harm with a spray of acidic bile and -- like the Grunts they're based on -- are dangerous in large numbers. Master Chief eventually reduces the Harvester Forms to gooey smears across the floor. He tries to return to the command platform, but the other two mechanical rooms burst open, unleashing Combat Forms and Carrier Forms. Back on the command platform, Master Chief reactivates the console. The final clamp slides into place and the platform begins to rise. A howl echoes about the chamber and a fresh wave of Combat Forms leap from the retaining wall to attack the slow-moving platform. Guilty Spark returns with a detachment of the weaponized Forerunner constructs. • 343 Guilty Spark: "These Sentinels will supplement your combat system. But I suggest you upgrade to at least a Class Twelve combat skin. Your current model only scans as a Class Two, which is ill-suited for this kind of work." Sentinels engage the Flood, helping to keep them at bay until the command platform reaches the Library's second floor. Here, three struts running diagonally from the ceiling brace against the platform from climbing any higher. Lighted paths lead out from the command platform to three sets of blast doors in this chamber. • 343 Guilty Spark: "There are three terminals on this floor which must be engaged before we may proceed. Follow me, please." Guilty Spark flies away from the command platform and towards one of the doors. He addresses a holographic display floating out of the Chief's reach. • 343 Guilty Spark: "The security doors have sealed automatically. I will go access the override to open them." Guilty Spark circumvents the doors via a duct inaccessible by foot. Master Chief fends off a wave of Flood while waiting for the Monitor to return. The doors eventually give way, revealing the chatty construct on the other side. • 343 Guilty Spark: "My apologies for the delay, Reclaimer. Under normal circumstances, these protocols would be enacted by a full security team." Wait, It Gets Worse! The rooms beyond appear to be the archives of the Library, populated by glowing holograms and rows upon rows of shimmering memory banks. As the Master Chief fights his way through the winding corridors, Guilty Spark comes and goes via ducts, opening more security doors when necessary. The Chief encounters more Carriers and Harvesters along the way, but little actual resistance. This section of the level can be tackled in any order, as the archives form a complete ring around this floor and the terminals are evenly spaced, but you will be locked out of the central chamber until all three terminals are activated. Guilty Spark will generally follow the player's lead, zipping ahead of whichever direction Master Chief goes to appear to be leading. A thorough search of these corridors may reveal emergency supply alcoves containing Overshield and Active Camo supplements. There are also security terminals with which Sentinels can be summoned. Incidentally, if a Sentinel is felled in combat, it has a chance of dropping the Sentinel Beam for Master Chief to wield. This directed energy weapon is highly precise, even over long range, and delivers consistent damage that can tear through energy shields and dismember Flood like a scalpel, but it is prone to overheating. [This is why I don't include the Focus Rifle from Halo: Reach.] Assuming the player choose the door directly behind the command platform console, then heads around the floor in a clockwise direction: The first terminal is found in an alcove behind an imposingly tall, glowering hologram. [Inspired by the one seen on the Halo 3 multiplayer map "Epitaph."] Inside, Master Chief finds the bodies of uninfected Marines. There is fresh Shotgun and AR ammo here. • 343 Guilty Spark: "I have attempted to guide other Reclaimers through the security protocols, but none have proven capable of the task. Puzzling, how you brought such ineffective weapons to combat the Flood, despite containment protocols." Engaging the terminal triggers another wave of howling Combat Forms. The second terminal lies within a booth overlooking the archive corridors, accessible by ramps on either side. The room is also occupied by deceased Marines who were equipped with ARs and a Rocket Launcher. As Master Chief approaches the terminal, Infection Forms will swarm into the room and convert the corpses into Combat Forms. More will attack by smashing through the booth's large bay windows. • 343 Guilty Spark: "You can see how the body's been transformed by the genetic restructuring of the Flood infection. The small creatures carry spores that cause a host to mutate. The mutated host then produces spores that can pass the Flood to others. It is insidious and elegant. As long as any hosts remain, the Flood is virulent." The third terminal is in a recessed bunker surrounded by rows of blocks glowing with Forerunner glyphs; perhaps a server farm? Several are covered with growths of Flood material, which drop Harvesters when damaged. Projected from the ceiling is a holographic model of a star system that may look familiar to the keen of eye. The inside of the bunker is awash with blood, but there are no bodies. DMRs and Pistols can be found here. Activating the terminal triggers two waves of Flood; first Infection and Carrier Forms, then Combat Forms. The 'servers' will blow up after sustaining too much damage, an effect which can be used to manage the incoming waves of hostiles. Guilty Spark, naturally, will object to the destruction, but not seek retribution. When the room has been cleared, a flock of small Forerunner Constructor drones will descend and begin affecting repairs. • 343 Guilty Spark: "Even in this early stage of development, the Flood will attempt to scavenge the technology of my makers and others to accumulate knowledge and expand its territory. Its parasitic nature belies the Flood's intelligence." [I decided against revealing that the Flood have already begun repairs on the Pillar of Autumn at this point in the game. It's kind of a throwaway line and, as a plot point, I think it would be better kept in reserve for now.] Once all three terminals have been activated, Guilty Spark will unlock the blast doors and lead Master Chief back to the command platform. Addressing the console again disengages the three struts, which retracted into the ceiling, each leaving a new glowing spoke attached to the upper deck. The command platform is once again free to rise along the containment field. But I Don't Want to Ride the Elevator! Halfway between the second and third floors, the command platform shudders to a halt. • 343 Guilty Spark: "Pardon me. A plasma conduit breach in Sector 5-5-2-4 has disrupted power flow to the gravity maintenance assembly. Repairs require my attention. I will return soon." Guilty Spark flies off. After a pause of inactivity, Flood drop down on the command platform from above. Master Chief clears them from the decks. The lights on the platform flicker, but the Monitor still does not yet return. Instead a light bridge appears, connecting the middle deck to a service tunnel in the wall, so the Chief investigates. Some of these tunnels are wider than others, but it is still much more claustrophobic than exploring the archives. Flocks of Constructors using the tunnels will ignore the SPARTAN, pausing in their rounds to address a sparking power conduit, then moving on to perform other spot repairs. But there are other contacts being picked up on the Chief's Motion Tracker and he soon comes face-to-face with a new Flood form, the Scavenger. Mutated from Jackals, Scavenger Forms scuttle about seeking points to access the wealth of technology on this ring world. They can typically be found latched onto power conduits or computer terminals, preferring to flee when engaged and seek an escort of Combat Forms. If cornered, a Scavenger will assume a defensive posture and attack with whipping tentacles. Master Chief eventually comes out onto the third floor. Unlike the archives, this area is almost completely open to the central chamber and is crisscrossed with catwalks. Here, Sentinels are already engaged with Flood. Fallen Marines with available ammo for various weapons can be found in various spots on this floor. One of them is the corpse of Staff Sergeant Marvin Mabuto. At his side lies an M7057/Defoliant Projector, which is highly effective at neutralizing Flood forms. This version of the Flamethrower is a Support weapon, like the Heavy Machine Gun and Plasma Cannon, though it more closely resembles the original long-barrel incarnation. Rather than firing frustratingly short-range puffs that are just as hazardous to the player, this version issues a more realistic stream of flame. It will quickly consume Flood targets, neutralizing their ability to multiply. The flames will also stick briefly to surfaces; natural materials will burn longer than artificial ones. After the immediate area has been cleared and the Sentinels move on, Guilty Spark will return. • 343 Guilty Spark: "Ah! There you are, Reclaimer! Leaving the command platform in transit is a gross breach of protocol... but I suppose we do what we must in times of crisis. In any event, I require your assistance once again." The Monitor leads Master Chief to a substructure, somewhat resembling a Tesla Coil built out of the central chamber wall. There are three such substructures visible around this floor, all bearing growths of Flood biomass. • 343 Guilty Spark: "The Flood is more devious than I suspected. I have been locked out from accessing the field dampening system. You must eliminate the infection from within. I will engage a teleportation node." A doorless gateway unfolds, revealing another of the wavering blue portals. Master Chief enters, finding himself inside the substructure. Computer terminals dot catwalks that run along power conduits. There are masses of raw Flood material everywhere. The Chief goes to work clearing the growths, occasionally smoking out Harvesters, Scavengers, and Infection Forms. A wave of Combat Forms then attacks. When there are no remaining contacts, the teleporter opens again, letting the SPARTAN out. • 343 Guilty Spark: "I would conjecture that the other species currently on the installation is responsible for releasing the Flood. They seem most persistent in their attempts to access restricted areas." Master Chief proceeds to the next of the two remaining substructures. The interior is identical. After this one has been cleared: • 343 Guilty Spark: "Why naturally the Flood is simply too dangerous to release, and mass sterilization may again be enacted. Of course, samples were kept here after the last catastrophic outbreak... for study. It seems... that decision may have been an error." And after the third: • 343 Guilty Spark: "The installation was specifically built to study and contain the Flood. Their survival as a race was dependent upon it. I am grateful to see that some of them survived to reproduce." As Master Chief makes his way back to the center of the chamber, the command platform resumes its ascent to the third floor. It then undergoes a transformation, flattening into a single plane with six spokes, like a giant gear. The Chief reactivates the control console and the platform rises to the top level of the Library. Fourth Floor: Tools, Guns, Keys to Super Weapons • 343 Guilty Spark: "I must now ascend and supervise the final unlocking measures upon the Index. I recommend you join me with all due haste, Reclaimer." Guilty Spark floats up to the platform above where the Index resides. The command platform settles into place on the fourth floor and the sound of locks being disengaged can be heard. A lighted path guides Master Chief to a spiraling ramp around the perimeter of this chamber. As he ascends, the command platform explodes and Flood Combat and Infection Forms swarm through. These hordes are endless and Sentinels immediately deploy to counter. Making a final push, the Chief crosses the final catwalk, beating back any Flood that jump up to intercept him. Guilty Spark awaits beside the Index pedestal. {Cutscene} Rings of light pulse along the containment field and it finally dissipates, revealing a pedestal run through with glowing lines of energy. • 343 Guilty Spark: "You may now retrieve the Index." Master Chief hesitates, perhaps unsure of what exactly to take. The pedestal itself then rearranges like a puzzle and a glowing green spike ejects from the top; the Index. The Chief takes it from the sheath, but it is promptly removed from his grip by the Monitor. • 343 Guilty Spark: "Protocol dictates that I take possession of the Index for transport. Your organic form renders you vulnerable to infection. The Index must not fall into the hands of the Flood, before we reach the Control Room and activate the installation. We must hurry! The Flood is spreading!" Master Chief and Guilty Spark once more disappear amidst golden teleportation rings. Fade to black. Level ends.
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| Replies: |
| Halo [R]Evolved - The Library | SonGoharotto | 5/21/11 1:40 p.m. |
| Re: Halo [R]Evolved - The Library | robofin117 | 5/23/11 8:02 p.m. |
| Agreed. | ZackDark | 5/23/11 8:13 p.m. |
| Re: Agreed. | SonGoharotto | 5/23/11 9:35 p.m. |
| Re: Agreed. | robofin117 | 5/26/11 12:22 a.m. |
| Re: Agreed. | Hyokin | 5/26/11 12:40 a.m. |
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