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Activation index: Difference between revisions

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{{Era|Forerunner|Covenant|Human|UNSC|HCW|Post}}
{{Era|Forerunner|Covenant|Human|UNSC|HCW|Post}}
{{disambig header|the Forerunner artifact|the campaign level|Sacred Icon}}
{{disambig header|the Forerunner artifact|the campaign level|Sacred Icon}}
[[File:H3-ActivationIndex.png|thumb|200px|The Activation Index in [[Holography|hologram form]] as it appears in ''Halo 3''.]]
[[File:H2-ActivationIndex.png|thumb|The Activation Index of [[Installation 05]].]]
{{Quote|We must collect the Index before we can activate the installation.|[[04-343 Guilty Spark]]}}
{{Quote|We must collect the Index before we can activate the installation.|[[04-343 Guilty Spark]]}}
The '''Activation Index''', referred as '''the Key''' or '''Sacred Icon''' by the [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]], is an object found in every [[Halo Array|Halo installation]]'s [[Library]]. The Activation Index is the key needed to activate the installation, triggering an energy pulse that will kill all sentient life within the ring's effective range. It is confirmed that an Index cannot be used to activate any Halo besides the one it is found on.<ref name="h3h">'''Halo 3''', campaign level ''[[Halo (Halo 3 level)|Halo]]''</ref>  
The '''Activation Index''', referred as '''the Key''' or '''Sacred Icon''' by the [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]], is an object found in every [[Halo Array|Halo installation]]'s [[Library]]. The Activation Index is the key needed to activate the installation, triggering an energy pulse that will kill all sentient life within the ring's effective range. Its secondary purpose is to simultaneously initiate the [[Conservation Measure]], the repopulation process of the worlds sterilized by the Halo's pulse.<ref name="library">'''Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary''' - ''[[Library (feature)|Libary]]'', ''"Activation Index"''</ref> It is confirmed that an Index cannot be used to activate any Halo besides the one it is found on.<ref name="h3h">'''Halo 3''', campaign level ''[[Halo (Halo 3 level)|Halo]]''</ref>  


==Overview==
==Overview==
The Index is vaguely '''T'''-shaped, with a faint green or blue glow emanating from a stripe on each side. The object seems to be merely a digital storage device containing the software or access codes needed to activate the rings, as shown when Cortana extracts the Index's data and stored it within her memory, and when she activates the second [[Installation 04]] with the stored Index.<ref name="twobetrayers">'''Halo: Combat Evolved''', campaign level ''[[Two Betrayals]]''</ref><ref name="h3h"/> Each Index is stored safely within an [[Index chamber]], a large room that is located at the core of every [[Library]] on each Halo installation and guarded by waves of [[Sentinel]]s.<ref name="h1l">'''Halo: Combat Evolved''', campaign level ''[[The Library]]''</ref><ref name="quarantine">'''Halo 2''', campaign level ''[[Quarantine Zone (level)|Quarantine Zone]]''</ref>
The Index is vaguely '''T'''-shaped, with a faint green or blue glow emanating from a stripe on each side. The object seems to be merely a digital storage device containing the software or access codes needed to activate the rings, as shown when Cortana extracted the Index's data and stored it within her memory, and when she activated the [[Installation 04B|second Installation 04]] with the stored Index.<ref name="twobetrayers">'''Halo: Combat Evolved''', campaign level ''[[Two Betrayals]]''</ref><ref name="h3h"/> Each Index is stored safely within an [[Index chamber]], a large room that is located at the core of every [[Library]] on each Halo installation and guarded by waves of [[Sentinel]]s.<ref name="h1l">'''Halo: Combat Evolved''', campaign level ''[[The Library]]''</ref><ref name="quarantine">'''Halo 2''', campaign level ''[[Quarantine Zone (level)|Quarantine Zone]]''</ref>


[[John-117]] noted in his debriefing of the [[Battle of Installation 04|Halo event]] that, if not for [[Cortana]]'s intervention, he would have accidentally activated the weapon and destroyed all life in the galaxy. Halo’s main weapon exists primarily in case [[the Flood]] manage to escape containment and spread their infection to other planets. Only one firing of the rings occurred, at the close of the [[Forerunner-Flood War]].
When inserted into [[the Core]] inside a Halo's [[Control Room]], the Index immediately initiates the charging sequence of the ring's main weapon. The activation process may be aborted by physically removing the Index before the firing; however, doing so sends out a signal which places the entire Array into standby mode, ready for activation from [[Installation 00|the Ark]].<ref>'''Halo 2''', campaign level ''[[The Great Journey]]''</ref> An AI construct based in the Core is able to prevent the initiation of the ring's firing sequence even if the Index is inserted, as demonstrated when Cortana prevented [[John-117]] from activating Installation 04.<ref name="twobetrayers"/>
 
John-117 noted in his debriefing of the [[Battle of Installation 04|Halo event]] that, if not for [[Cortana]]'s intervention, he would have accidentally activated the weapon and destroyed all life in the galaxy. Halo's main weapon exists primarily in case [[the Flood]] manage to escape containment and spread their infection to other planets. Only one firing of the rings occurred, at the close of the [[Forerunner-Flood war]]. Immediately following the activation, the secondary purpose of the Index also came into play, triggering the re-seeding of life on the worlds whose sentient species were indexed in the records of each Installation's Library in addition to the archives on the Ark.<ref name="library"/>


It is called "The Key" by the [[Gravemind]] in his lecture to the Chief and Thel 'Vadamee: "''There is still time to stop the Key from turning''", although with his manner of speech, it is not clear whether he was directly referring to the Index as "the Key", or just using a metaphor.<ref name="gra">'''Halo 2''', campaign level ''[[Gravemind (level)|Gravemind]]''</ref>
It is called "The Key" by the [[Gravemind]] in his lecture to the Chief and Thel 'Vadamee: "''There is still time to stop the Key from turning''", although with his manner of speech, it is not clear whether he was directly referring to the Index as "the Key", or just using a metaphor.<ref name="gra">'''Halo 2''', campaign level ''[[Gravemind (level)|Gravemind]]''</ref>
==Other purposes==
The [[Terminal]]s scattered within Installation 00 and Installation 04B entail that the Index may, apart from activating the Halos, be a record or copy of the life-forms that existed at the time of the Halo's first activation. The [[The Librarian|Librarian]] states that she is in the process of Indexing all life forms, and that she is close to "saving them all".
{{Conjecture}}
This could be taken as meaning the Index contains a copy of all sentient life forms' DNA, which would, in a sense, save the individual by preserving them beyond their death. This could also explain why an Index takes time to fabricate: the DNA of all sentient life-forms may need to be re-collected for a new Index to be made, which would take much time. However, it would likely take a fraction of the original indexing time as the location of all sentient life is already known, making collection of samples rapid and efficient.
It could also be speculated that the Index must therefore be used to correctly fire the Halos as it contains a record of all the species which Halo must target. The [[Monitor]]s state that the Flood can only be stopped by starving them of sentient hosts; the Index, with its compilation of all sentient life in the galaxy, could instruct Halo to target them in the event of activation.
{{Conjecture end}}


==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*The Index looks very similar to a symbol of Norse mythology called "[[Wikipedia:Mjölnir|Mjölnir]]", the hammer of the god [[Wikipedia:Thor|Thor]]. ''[[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor|MJOLNIR]]'' is the same name of the armor that [[SPARTAN-II Program|Spartan-IIs]] and [[SPARTAN-III Program|Spartan-III]] wear.
*The Index looks very similar to a symbol of Norse mythology called "[[Wikipedia:Mjölnir|Mjölnir]]", the hammer of the god [[Wikipedia:Thor|Thor]]. ''[[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor|MJOLNIR]]'' is the same name of the armor that [[SPARTAN-II Program|Spartan-IIs]] and some [[SPARTAN-III Program|Spartan-III]] wear.
*Cortana physically picks up the Index, although her hologram is not solid. This may have something to do with the fact that it is a computer related object, though this is never stated in-game. It is more likely that Cortana was using a computer-generated image of the Index to prove her point, or that the Forerunner's hologram projectors could actually be turned into [[hard light]] like the light [[Bridge (structure)|bridge]]s.
*In the beginning cutscene of the [[campaign]] level ''[[The Library]]'', the container holding the Activation Index unlocks, revealing it for two seconds before the animation by what is seen appears to have restarted since the Index seems to disappear as if the container was never even opened. This might have been caused by a scripting error.{{Verify_source}}
*In the beginning cutscene of the [[campaign]] level ''[[The Library]]'', the container holding the Activation Index unlocks, revealing it for two seconds before the animation by what is seen appears to have restarted since the Index seems to disappear as if the container was never even opened. This might have been caused by a scripting error.{{Verify_source}}


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
<gallery>
<gallery>
File:H2-ActivationIndex.png|The Activation Index in its metallic form as it appears in ''Halo 2''.
File:H3-ActivationIndex.png|The Activation Index of Installation 04 in [[Holography|holographic form]].
File:The Index Chmbr.jpg|John-117 approaching the Index of Installation 04.
File:The Index Chmbr.jpg|John-117 approaching the Index of Installation 04.
File:Chief Index.jpg|John-117 with an Index in his hand.
File:Chief Index.jpg|John-117 with an Index in his hand.

Revision as of 16:23, February 2, 2012

This article is about the Forerunner artifact. For the campaign level, see Sacred Icon.
The Activation Index of Installation 05.

"We must collect the Index before we can activate the installation."
— 04-343 Guilty Spark

The Activation Index, referred as the Key or Sacred Icon by the Covenant, is an object found in every Halo installation's Library. The Activation Index is the key needed to activate the installation, triggering an energy pulse that will kill all sentient life within the ring's effective range. Its secondary purpose is to simultaneously initiate the Conservation Measure, the repopulation process of the worlds sterilized by the Halo's pulse.[1] It is confirmed that an Index cannot be used to activate any Halo besides the one it is found on.[2]

Overview

The Index is vaguely T-shaped, with a faint green or blue glow emanating from a stripe on each side. The object seems to be merely a digital storage device containing the software or access codes needed to activate the rings, as shown when Cortana extracted the Index's data and stored it within her memory, and when she activated the second Installation 04 with the stored Index.[3][2] Each Index is stored safely within an Index chamber, a large room that is located at the core of every Library on each Halo installation and guarded by waves of Sentinels.[4][5]

When inserted into the Core inside a Halo's Control Room, the Index immediately initiates the charging sequence of the ring's main weapon. The activation process may be aborted by physically removing the Index before the firing; however, doing so sends out a signal which places the entire Array into standby mode, ready for activation from the Ark.[6] An AI construct based in the Core is able to prevent the initiation of the ring's firing sequence even if the Index is inserted, as demonstrated when Cortana prevented John-117 from activating Installation 04.[3]

John-117 noted in his debriefing of the Halo event that, if not for Cortana's intervention, he would have accidentally activated the weapon and destroyed all life in the galaxy. Halo's main weapon exists primarily in case the Flood manage to escape containment and spread their infection to other planets. Only one firing of the rings occurred, at the close of the Forerunner-Flood war. Immediately following the activation, the secondary purpose of the Index also came into play, triggering the re-seeding of life on the worlds whose sentient species were indexed in the records of each Installation's Library in addition to the archives on the Ark.[1]

It is called "The Key" by the Gravemind in his lecture to the Chief and Thel 'Vadamee: "There is still time to stop the Key from turning", although with his manner of speech, it is not clear whether he was directly referring to the Index as "the Key", or just using a metaphor.[7]

Trivia

  • The Index looks very similar to a symbol of Norse mythology called "Mjölnir", the hammer of the god Thor. MJOLNIR is the same name of the armor that Spartan-IIs and some Spartan-III wear.
  • In the beginning cutscene of the campaign level The Library, the container holding the Activation Index unlocks, revealing it for two seconds before the animation by what is seen appears to have restarted since the Index seems to disappear as if the container was never even opened. This might have been caused by a scripting error.[verification needed]

Gallery

  • The Activation Index of Installation 04 in holographic form.

    The Activation Index of Installation 04 in holographic form.

  • The Index Chmbr.jpg

    John-117 approaching the Index of Installation 04.

  • John-117 with an Index in his hand.

    John-117 with an Index in his hand.

  • Miranda Keyes inspecting a hologram of an Index.

    Miranda Keyes inspecting a hologram of an Index.

  • H2 Index.jpg

    Miranda Keyes reaches for the Index, in its floating container in the Installation 05's Library.

  • The Prophet of Mercy looking at a holographic projection of the Index.

    The Prophet of Mercy looking at a holographic projection of the Index.

  • The Prophet of Truth displays the Index to the Covenant.

    The Prophet of Truth displays the Index to the Covenant.

  • Cortana producing a hologram of the Index of Installation 04 from her memory banks.

    Cortana producing a hologram of the Index of Installation 04 from her memory banks.

List of appearances

Sources

  1. ^ a b Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary - Libary, "Activation Index"
  2. ^ a b Halo 3, campaign level Halo
  3. ^ a b Halo: Combat Evolved, campaign level Two Betrayals
  4. ^ Halo: Combat Evolved, campaign level The Library
  5. ^ Halo 2, campaign level Quarantine Zone
  6. ^ Halo 2, campaign level The Great Journey
  7. ^ Halo 2, campaign level Gravemind

Template:Forerunner2

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