"Now, old friend, we have the most important job in history-perhaps in all time. You may very well outlast all of us here. You may see the new galaxy emerge." I stop and turn away, looking out of the Ark's citadel toward the now-cooling forge and the mining site beyond. "Tell me, Chakas, if this was your choice, after all we have seen and survived... would you fire the rings?"

Am I the only one who cried and/or screamed at that? I'm pretty sure my neighbors think I'm murdering somebody over here.

This also leads to a theory I hadn't yet even thought of, but one that makes a lot of sense, and in fact is almost absurdly obvious now that I think about it.

Master Chief is; stores the memory of; or will become the IsoDidact.