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Silent Auditorium (location)

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Silent Auditorium close up
The exterior of the Silent Auditorium.

"It's a courtroom. A prison. A place of execution. All these things. Together. Why?"
The Weapon speaking of the Silent Auditorium's purpose during the Battle for Zeta Halo.[1]

The Silent Auditorium, or simply the Auditorium,[2][3] is an enormous spire on Installation 07. When the Created's Archon, Cortana, took control of the ring, it became her base of operation.[1][4] Following the explosion at the Auditorium that led to Cortana's death and the decimation of the facility, during Battle for Zeta Halo, the Auditorium became a key location of the ring that Escharum, the Banished, and the Harbinger sought control over.[3] It led to the Harbinger's search for 117649 Despondent Pyre to initiate the ring's Reformation and rebuild the Auditorium.[5]

History[edit]

Silent Auditorium Central Chamber
The central chamber of the Silent Auditorium.

"The Ring is already under our control. Soon, the Auditorium as well..."
Escharum speaking of the Silent Auditorium.[3]

The Silent Auditorium served many purposes over the millennia.[2] It notably was the facility on Installation 07 where the Forerunners judged the Xalanyn as an unabideable threat,[2] who were unable to defend themselves, standing silently as the Forerunners decided to imprison them.[1] 117649 Despondent Pyre was instructed by the Grand Edict to experiment on the Xalanyn to learn the extent of what their kind could endure.[6] Any record of the Auditorium's purpose was wiped,[5] leaving its function shrouded in mystery.[2]

Thousands of years later, when Cortana took control of Zeta Halo, she took up residence in the Silent Auditorium.[1] She rerouted control of the ring's primary functions from the Conservatory to the Auditorium.[4] On December 12, 2559, the UNSC Infinity arrived at Zeta Halo and deployed the Weapon, a duplicate of Cortana created by Dr. Catherine Halsey for the express purpose of neutralizing the original Cortana. The Weapon infiltrated the ring and trapped Cortana inside the facility. Cortana expected John-117 to arrive to return her to the Infinity for deletion. However, Atriox appeared instead. Having learned of the Silent Auditorium's true purpose, he demanded the Cortana surrender control of the ring to him. Instead, Cortana sacrificed herself to destroy the Auditorium, severely damaging the ring in the process.[1][2]

Six months later, having initiated the Reformation, the Harbinger was able to access the partially-rebuilt Silent Auditorium and attempted to open a connection between the Auditorium and an unknown location on the ring by way of a carrier wave. The signal itself was noted as being sentient and was searching the ring. The Weapon was able to intercept this signal being transmitted from the three statues that decorated the central chamber; a presence on the ring assisted her when the Harbinger accessed the third and final transmitter.[1] Although the Master Chief successfully killed the Harbinger, the Harbinger vowed in her dying breath that the Endless would still return,[2] having successfully located the Endless for Atriox to find their cylixes.[1]

After the Harbinger's death, the Silent Auditorium began to collapse, but not before a translocation portal opened up, sending the Master Chief three days into the future and across the ring. Although the central chamber of the Auditorium was destroyed, the external structure remained largely intact.[1]

Production notes[edit]

The Silent Auditorium was first mentioned by Escharum in the Halo Infinite Campaign Gameplay Premiere.

Gallery[edit]

Concept art[edit]

Screenshots[edit]

List of appearances[edit]

Sources[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Halo Infinite, campaign mission Endless: Silent Auditorium
  2. ^ a b c d e f Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 353
  3. ^ a b c Halo Infinite, campaign mission Graveyards: Pelican Down
  4. ^ a b Halo: Epitaph, chapter 24
  5. ^ a b Halo Infinite, campaign mission Reformation: The Command Spire: "The Reformation is being focused on a specific area called... the Silent Auditorium. Interestingly... all the records of its purpose are missing." - The Weapon
  6. ^ Halo Infinite, Banished Audio log: Archaeological Findings #04 - A Curious Directive