Editing Dawn

{{Era|RW}}

{{Title|Dawn}}

{{Level Infobox

|prev=[[Prologue]]

|next=[[Requiem (level)|Requiem]]

|name=Dawn

|image=[[File:Dawn.jpeg|300px]]

|player=[[John-117]]

{{Article Quote|After four years adrift in space, Cortana awakens the Master Chief to investigate a disturbance on the Forward Unto Dawn.}}

'''Dawn''' is the second [[campaign]] level of ''[[Halo 4]]''. It involves [[John-117]] awaking from [[cryonics|cryo sleep]] and fighting the [[Covenant remnant]] in the remains of the UNSC ''Forward Unto Dawn''.<ref>[http://www.gametrailers.com/full-episodes/qevv7h/gt-tv-halo-4 '''GTTV''': ''Halo 4'']</ref> Completing the level on any difficulty unlocks the [[Dawn (achievement)|Dawn]] achievement, while accessing John's service record during the level grants the player the [[Digging up the Past]] achievement.  

==Transcript==

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDgKn2PFYbk '''{''Cutscene''}''']

[[File:H4fudback.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The ''Forward Unto Dawn''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s back half.]]

''A field of debris surround the rear half of the {{UNSCship|Forward Unto Dawn}}.''  

'''2557 - FOUR YEARS AFTER [[Raid on Installation 04B|HALO EVENT]]'''

''The frigate comes into closer view, revealing the ship's nameplate. Inside the ''Dawn'', mechanical parts drift aimlessly in zero gravity. An automated message loops through the speakers.''  

*'''Cortana''' ''(looping)'': "Mayday, mayday, mayday. This is UNSC FFG-201 ''Forward Unto Dawn'', requesting immediate evac. Survivors aboard. Prioritization code: Victor Zero Five dash Three dash [[John-117|Sierra Zero One One Seven]]."  

 

''Muffled explosions can be heard, signalling multiple decompression events - the ship is being boarded. Increasingly agitated, Cortana brings up the cryo chamber's control interface. A schematic of a modified [[MJOLNIR Mark VI]] powered armor is displayed, alongside life signs and cryo-tube diagrams. A single prompt appears on-screen.''

''Cortana sighs, then turns to observe cryo-tube 16. Air is pumped into the tube's interior as part of the thawing process.''

*'''Cortana''': "Wake up, Chief. I need you."  

*'''Cortana''': "Chief! Easy. You've been out for a while."

*'''John-117''': "Where are we?"

*'''Cortana''': "We're still adrift on the ''Dawn''."

*'''John-117''': "Why did you wake me?"

*'''Cortana''': "Hang on. Bringing your systems online now."

*'''Cortana''': "I rewrote your suit's firmware while you were out."

*'''John-117''': "You've been busy."

*'''Cortana''': "Activating the ships's gravity generators."

''The drifting crates and debris in the room drop onto the floor.''

*'''System''': ''Partial system restoration. Initializing system diagnostics...''

*'''Cortana''': "Chief, look up. You need to pull the manual release."

''John looks up and pulls the cryo-tube's manual release lever. John quickly steps out as the tube opens, walking over to the [[holotank]] that Cortana is occupying.'''

*'''Cortana''': "Seems like old times."

*'''John-117''': "Ready to get back to work?"

*'''Cortana''': "I thought you'd never ask."

[[File:DawnInterior.jpg|thumb|300px|A first-person view of the cryo bay of the ''Dawn''.]]

''John pulls Cortana out of the holo-tank and inserts it into his neural interface. John raises his [[MA5D Individual Combat Weapon System|MA5D assault rifle]], readying for combat.''

*'''Cortana''': "We've got intrusion alerts lighting up on multiple decks. Our best bet to figure out who's boarding us is the observation deck - four floors up."

*'''John-117''': "Could it be a rescue team?"

*'''Cortana''': "I wouldn't bet on it."

''Below the walkway leading out of the cryo chamber, a single computer terminal containing John-117's service record can be found. The terminal displays a picture of technicians assembling the Chief's [[MJOLNIR Mark V]] armor.''

*'''System''': "This is the service record for SPARTAN John-117. Would you like to continue?"

*'''System''': "Frigate ''[[Dawn_(level)#Mistakes|[sic]]]'' ''[[UNSC Pillar of Autumn|Pillar of Autumn]]'' discovers [[Forerunner]] [[Halo Array|Halo]] [[Installation 04]], and deploys SPARTAN-117 to protect UNSC AI Cortana. Chief uncovers a plot to fire the weapon, and sacrifices the ''Autumn'' to destroy the Halo ring. Pursuing the [[Solemn Penance|Covenant flagship]] after [[Battle of Earth|an attack on Earth]], SPARTAN-117 arrives at Halo [[Installation 05]] to find the Covenant [[Great Schism|erupting into civil war]]. After preventing the Covenant from firing the ring, 117 followed them back to Earth in search of a Forerunner installation that can activate all the galaxy's Halos. The Covenant arrive at Earth, and open a [[The Portal|portal]] to [[Installation 00|the Ark]], an extragalactic Forerunner installation that can fire the Halo array. SPARTAN-117 unites a joint [[Covenant separatists|Covenant]]/UNSC team to pursue the Covenant to the Ark, where he successfully destroys the Installation and prevents the rings from being used. When SPARTAN-117 attempts to escape from the Ark aboard the {{UNSCship|Forward Unto Dawn}} the slipspace portal that the ship is passing through collapses. Aboard the aft section of the Dawn, SPARTAN-117 is placed into cryo-sleep pending recovery by UNSC forces. AI Cortana to remain active [[rampancy|as long as is technically feasible]]. End of service record."

''The next room contains a holo-table, displaying a hologram of the ''Dawn''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s stern half.''  

*'''System''' ''(looping)'': ''Intrusion alert. Intrusion alert.''

*'''System''': ''Weapons systems - online. Gravity controls - online. Ship propulsion - offline. Bow hull integrity - compromised. Life support - online.''

*'''John-117''': "How long was I out?"

*'''Cortana''': "Four years, seven months, ten days."

*'''John-117''': "Somebody should have found us by now."

*'''John-117''': "What's that?"

*'''Cortana''': "Sensor scan, high intensity! Doesn't match any known patterns!"

*'''John-117''': "How close are we to the observation deck?"

*'''Cortana''': "It's directly above us."

''John leaves the room, arriving at the elevator entrance.

*'''Cortana''': "The elevator doors look sealed tight."

*'''Cortana''': "Chief, be careful...!"

*'''Cortana''': "Because some areas might have lost pressure!"

*'''John-117''': "Right."

*'''Cortana''': "Chief, watch out!"

''Debris fall from above. The Chief quickly jumps to another ledge to the left, managing to avoid the falling fragments.''

*'''Cortana''': "I didn't realize the ship had deteriorated so badly."

''John manages to climb to the entrance for the Observation Deck, avoiding more falling debris. An [[Type-1 Energy Weapon/Sword|energy sword]]-wielding [[Sangheili Storm]] decloaks and immediately assaults the Chief. John blocks the Sangheili's sword strike, grabs his mandibles, punches him in the face, then throws him into the elevator shaft. The doors lock behind him.''

*'''John-117''': "I thought we had a truce with the Covenant."

*'''Cortana''': "A lot can happen in four years. Either way, he's probably not alone. We should be careful."

''John enters the Observation Deck. The windows are covered by the blast shields. A Sangheili is attempting to access the console, while multiple [[Unggoy]] are patrolling the floor below. They open fire as soon as the Master Chief is sighted. John takes them out.''

*'''Cortana''': "That's the last of them. Find the override for the blast shields so we can see what we're up against."

''John heads for the controls and activates the override. The blast shield gradually rises.''

*'''Cortana''': "The good news is these Covenant aren't outfitted like standard military. It's possible we just came across a rogue salvage ship."

''The blast shields fully open, revealing a Covenant fleet consisting of several [[CRS-class light cruiser]]s. A [[Requiem|mysterious planetoid]] can be seen in the background. A formation of Banshees scream past the Observation Deck's windows.''

*'''Cortana''': "...''Or'' we might have stumbled into an entire Covenant fleet."

*'''John-117''': "Maybe they haven't recognized us."

''Two [[Type-44 Troop Carrier|Phantoms]], equipped with boarding arms, lower into view.''

*'''Cortana''': "That's ''one'' possibility..."

*'''Cortana''': "Landing craft, flanking us!"

''The boarding arms breach the glass, depressurizing the Deck until force fields are deployed to seal the breach. Several Covenant lances exit the boarding arms and enter the the ''Dawn''.''

[[File:MC fighting against Storm.jpg|thumb|300px|John-117 engages Covenant boarders.]]

*'''System''': ''Warning. Atmosphere breach. Activating emergency barricades.''

*'''Cortana''': "The decompression put the room into lockdown! It'll take a few minutes to repressurize."

*'''Cortana''': "I'm still reading some stragglers. Clear them out."

*'''John-117''': "We need to get off this ship."

*'''Cortana''': "We've got bigger problems... We've got a cruiser on an intercept course! Head for the elevator banks."

''John heads for the elevators.''

''If the Chief accessed the ship's systems:''

*'''John-117''': "Didn't the ship's sensors say we still had weapon systems online?"

*'''Cortana''': "Yes, but since the ship was torn in half, we can't access the weapons stations. We'll have to fire them manually from the outer hull."

*'''John-117''': "Are any of the ship's weapon systems online?"

*'''Cortana''': "Yes, but only the Hyperion missiles. We'll have to fire them manually from the outer hull."

''John enters an elevator, which descends a few floors until it opens to another hallway. He fights through more Covenant forces, eventually reaching a stairway.''

*'''Cortana''': "That cruiser's shields are down! Assuming they don't raise them, that missile's going to be one heck of a surprise."

''John continues on, encountering increasingly thick resistance.''

*'''John-117''': "These Covenant seem more fanatical than the ones we fought before."

*'''John-117''': "How far to the missile?"

*'''Cortana''': "We're just about there."

''John eventually makes his way to an airlock.''

*'''Cortana''': "The auxiliary launch station should be on your left out of the airlocks."

''Purple fields of static suddenly appears on John's HUD.''

*'''Cortana''' ''(distorted)'': "You'll have to prime the launch for ignition!"

*'''John-117''': "Cortana?"

*'''Cortana''': "It's nothing. Just get to the launch station."

*'''Cortana''': "Uh, I'm sorry - did I miss us orbiting a ''Forerunner planet'' at some point?"

*'''John-117''': "One thing at a time."

*'''Cortana''': "Chief, you need to find the missile controls."

[[File:H4_campaign_dawn.jpeg|thumb|300px|The Covenant fleet around the ''Dawn'''s wreckage.]]

*'''Cortana''': "There's the launch station."

*'''Cortana''': "Launch initiated!"

*'''Cortana''': "Great, the blast door's jammed! The missile won't fire until it's cleared. Get down there!"

''Phantoms drop more troops into the area, forcing John to take them out before he can launch the missile.''

*'''Cortana''': "You did it - get back!"

''The missile launches, hitting the approaching cruiser, which was charging its energy projector. The cruiser shatters into pieces and the debris drifts over the ''Dawn''. Suddenly, a beam of orange light from the planet scans the Chief.''

*'''Cortana''': "Chief?"

*'''John-117''': "The Covenant weren't the one's scanning us."

''Massive segments of the planetoid surface begins to retract, revealing a blinding white-blue energy field beneath. Covenant cruisers nearby are sucked into the opening.''

*'''Cortana''': "So, ''now'' can we worry about the giant metal planet?"

*'''Cortana''': "It's using a gravity well to pull us inside the surface!"

*'''Cortana''': "We've gotta hurry. The second we cross the dome's event horizon, its atmosphere is going to tear us apart!"

*'''John-117''': "Where are the closest escape pods?"

*'''Cortana''': "Aft vehicle bay! I'm tagging the closest airlock, ''go''!"

*'''System''': ''Hull integrity at 30 percent.''

*'''System''': ''Warning. System depressurization.''

*'''System''': "''Please immediately proceed to nearest life-station.''"

*'''System''': ''Hull integrity at 25 percent.''

*'''Cortana''': "All but one of the grav generators just went dark!"

*'''John-117''': "Just keep me pointed at that vehicle bay."

*'''System''': ''Emergency escape pods have been depleted in this area.''

*'''System''': ''Hull integrity at 15 percent.''

*'''System''': ''Hull integrity at 10 percent. Warning. Critical ship damage.''

*'''Cortana''': "We're almost there!"

*'''System''': ''Hull integrity at 5 percent. Personnel are advised to evacuate immediately.''

''The Chief charges ahead. By this point, the hallways are continuously bursting into flames.''

*'''System''': ''Warning. Catastrophic depressurization.''

*'''Cortana''': "Chief!"

*'''Cortana''': "Hold on!"

*'''Cortana''': "We're caught in the gravity well!"

''A large segment of the ''Dawn'' smashes violently into a cruiser, triggering secondary explosions that rip the Covenant warship apart.''

*'''John-117''': "Can you track the escape pods?"

''John drifts through the gaping hole the segment left in the cruiser. Explosions continue throughout the crippled ship.''

*'''Cortana''': "Negative - ''look out!''"

 

'''[[Halo 4|HALO 4]]'''

==Trivia==

===Miscellaneous===

*This level is reminiscent of the level [[The Pillar of Autumn (Halo: Combat Evolved level)|''The Pillar of Autumn'']] from ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'': both levels involve the Master Chief awakening from cryo-sleep, retrieving Cortana, and defending a ship from Covenant boarders before crash-landing on a Forerunner installation. It is also similar to the level ''[[Cairo Station (level)|Cairo Station]]'' from ''[[Halo 2]]'', in which John repels boarders, fights on the eponymous station's outer hull, and destroys a Covenant ship with explosives.

===Glitches===

*It is possible to obtain an [[Infinite Energy Sword on Dawn|energy sword with unlimited charge]].<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWhWH3ksbVM '''YouTube''' ''NEW Halo 4 Easter Egg/Glitch - Secret Energy Sword With Unlimited Ammo'']</ref>

===Easter eggs===

*Several cases resembling that of the ''[[Halo 4 Limited Edition]]'' can be found floating in the ship's cryo chamber, observation deck, and airlocks.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCQNdfYZ4nY '''YouTube''': ''Halo 4: Easter Egg - Halo 4 Collector's Edition'']</ref>

===Mistakes===

*John-117's service record misidentifies the {{UNSCship|Pillar of Autumn}} as a frigate.

*John's grapple with the Sangheili Storm is similar to a vignette from ''[[Halo: Reach]]''. In the level ''[[Winter Contingency (level)|Winter Contingency]]'', [[SPARTAN-B312]] punches a Sangheili Zealot while pinned to the ground, narrowly saving him/herself from being stabbed by an [[energy dagger]]. In both cases, the Elites' shields do not flare when punched.

*The post-war UNSC emblem is used aboard the ''Forward Unto Dawn'', despite the frigate having been out of contact with the UNSC since 2552. Curiously, the proper emblem is painted on the starboard wing during the establishing shot of the ''Dawn'', though it is barely visible.

==Gallery==

File:H4-Concept-Dawn-Approach.jpg|Early concept art of the ''Forward Unto Dawn'' approaching Requiem.

File:Halo4conceptart3.jpg|Concept art of the ''Dawn'''s wreckage.

File:Halo4conceptart2.jpg|Concept art of the ''Dawn'' entering Requiem.

File:2821575-gallery.jpg|John-117 encountering a Covenant [[lance]].  

File:2821574-gallery.jpg|John combating an [[Sangheili|Elite]] with an [[MA5D Individual Combat Weapon System|MA5D assault rifle]].

File:H4-MasterChief-M6H-Campaign.jpg|John fighting boarders with an [[M6H Personal Defense Weapon System|M6H Magnum]] pistol.

==Sources==

<references/>

{{Level|H4}}

[[Category:Halo 4 Campaign]]