Editing Deep-space artifact

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The '''Deep-Space Artifact''' is a [[Forerunner]] artifact that was discovered by the [[UNSC Apocalypso]] in late [[2552]], while it was on patrol deep in [[Covenant]] space.<ref>[[Media:artifact.ogg|artifact.ogg]]</ref>

==Physical Description==
The artifact is a squat cylinder, roughly the size of a tire or suitcase, with Braille-like triangles, lines and dots set in the metal in an ordered, yet non-repeating pattern, running around the rim, like a tire tread. On the top centre is a raised square approximately the size of a [[Human]] palm. Some of the artifact is made of [[osmium]], and the rest of the material was unidentifiable by the crew of ''Apocalypso'' but it is denser than osmium.<ref name="phase">[[Phase 3 Memories]]</ref>

Prior to its activation, it was letting off very faint, but complex, magnetic fields.<ref name="phase"/> After its activation, it let out one massive [[Electromagnetic Pulse|EMP]], strong enough to temporarily knock out all the communications equipment within the [[Solar System]] for [[seven]] seconds, which changed into a series of oscillating pulses that grew steadily weaker; it was speculated to be a countdown controlling the [[Halos]]. After deactivation, it let out one more massive pulse, before quieting.

==Use==
The object is activated by touching all the triangles, then all the lines, and then the dots, in that particular sequence.<ref>[[Media:the_truth.ogg|the_truth.ogg]]</ref> Its deactivation sequence is the exact opposite: dots, lines, triangles.<ref>[[Media:lockdown_lab.ogg|lockdown_lab.ogg]]</ref>

==History==
After a brief study of the artifact, [[Captain]] [[Greene]] feared that the Covenant had done something to their [[AI]], [[Melissa (AI)|Melissa]], and the ship headed back to [[Earth]]. Melissa was indeed affected by a hostile Covenant AI called the [[Seeker]] and while affected by the foreign AI's desires for Forerunner-related data, influenced a crew member named [[MacKaskill]] to fiddle with the artifact. When they exited [[Slipspace]], the artifact let out an enormous electromagnetic pulse that cancelled all communications in the Solar system for [[seven]] seconds, caused the ship to crash in [[Lunar]] orbit, sent [[Nassau Station]] along with [[SPARTAN-458]] into the 21st century, and shattered their AI into fragments and sent them through Slipspace channels. One piece of the AI, landed in [[Jersey Morelli]]'s home computer, and the other was also thrown back in time to the early 21st century. 

The artifact was taken to [[Chawla Base]] in [[Boston]], MA, for study. Ambitious [[Major]] [[Standish]] believed it to be the latest in Covenant technology and decided to take the glory, having the surviving crew hunted down and killed. This was noticed by one of Melissa's fragments, now named [[Durga]], who was looking in on the ''Apocalypso''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s destruction.

Durga led a [[Team Jersey|vigilante group]], that broke into Chawla Base and turned off the artifact, using information acquired by her [[Operator|other fragment]]. The artifact let out another massive pulse, which closed the temporal anomaly and reunited the fragments. Unfortunately, this attracted the Covenant's attention.

==Connections==

This artifact and device greatly resembles the "weapons" used by the Pfhor in the original Marathon. They have the squat cylindrical shape and Pfhor technology was known to include sets of triangles made with dots, which can be interpreted as Braille-like in shape and texture. It's use as a weapon was also a connection as an EMP fired inside of a ship such as Marathon would disable most, if not all of its resources, especially since the weapon was being taken to engineering, a hit to the core would shut down the ship completely. Though a connection has not been confirmed the resemblance between the devices is astonishing.

==Sources==
<references/>

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[[Category:I Love Bees]]
[[Category:The Forerunner]]
[[Category:Forerunner Artifacts]]