Editing Deep-space artifact

{{Status|Canon}}
The '''deep-space artifact''' is a [[Forerunner]] artifact that was discovered by the [[UNSC prowler|Prowler]] {{UNSCShip|Apocalypso}} in late [[2552]], while the vessel was on patrol deep in [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]] space.<ref>[[Media:ILB_Artifact.ogg|ILB_Artifact.ogg]]</ref>

==Physical description==
The artifact is a squat cylinder that is roughly the size of a tire or suitcase. It has Braille-like triangles, lines, and dots set in the metal in an ordered, non-repeating pattern running around the rim like a tire tread. On the top center is a raised square approximately the size of a [[human]] palm. Some of the artifact is made of [[Wikipedia:Osmium|osmium]] while the rest of the material was unidentifiable by the crew of ''Apocalypso'' but it is known to be 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/Reuse|phase}} After its activation, it let out one massive [[electromagnetic pulse]] that was strong enough to temporarily knock out all the communications equipment within the [[Sol system|Solar System]] for [[seven]] seconds before changing into a series of oscillating pulses that grew steadily weaker.

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

==History==
After a brief study of the artifact, [[Captain (Navy)|Captain]] [[Greene]] feared that the Covenant had done something to their [[artificial intelligence]] construct, [[Melissa (AI)|Melissa]], and the ship headed back to [[Earth]]. Melissa was indeed affected by a hostile Covenant AI called the [[Seeker (AI)|Seeker]] which desired any and all Forerunner-related data. The foreign AI used Melissa to influence a crew member named [[McKaskill|MacKaskill]] to fiddle with the artifact. When they exited [[Slipstream space|Slipspace]], the artifact let out an enormous electromagnetic pulse that neutralized all communications in the Solar system for [[seven]] seconds, caused the ship to crash in [[Luna]]r orbit, and fragmented Melissa. One piece of the AI landed in [[Jersey Morelli]]'s home computer, and the other was also thrown back in time to the year [[2004]].

The artifact was taken to [[Chawla Base]] in [[Boston]], [[Wikipedia:Massachusetts|Massachusetts]] for study. An ambitious [[Major]] [[Standish]] believed it to be Covenant technology and decided to take the glory and had 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.

==Trivia==
*The artifact seems to resemble the weapons used by the [[marathongame:Pfhor (Race)|Pfhor]] in the ''[[Marathon|Marathon trilogy]]'', which have a squat, cylindrical shape. In addition, Pfhor technology includes sets of triangles made with dots, which can be interpreted as Braille-like in shape and texture.
*The name of the ship that discovered the artifact, ''Apocalypso'', is most likely a foreshadowing or comedic name, considering what catastrophe was almost caused by this device.
*Melissa speculated that the artifact may have been a remote control used to activate the Halo Array. Whether this is true or not is unknown.

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

{{Forerunner|artifacts}}

[[Category:I Love Bees]]
[[Category:Forerunner artifacts]]