Editing Soma the Painter

{{Title|''Soma the Painter''}}
{{Era|RW}}
'''''Soma the Painter''''' is a short story exclusive to the separate Volume I edition of ''[[Halo: Evolutions]]''. It takes the point of view of [[Soma]], a [[Forerunner]] inhabitant of [[Seaward]], as she experiences the first sighting of the [[Flood]] in the [[Milky Way]] since the [[human-Forerunner wars]].<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions''', ''Soma the Painter''</ref> The short story was penned by [[Frank O'Connor]].{{Ref/Site|D=01|M=6|Y=2020|URL=https://www.gregbear.com/archives/board_2010_2.htm|Site=Greg Bear|Page=Discussion Board Archives}}

==Plot synopsis==
The short story begins with the [[Forerunner]] [[Soma]] waiting for the sunset on the planet of [[Seaward]]. It is explained that all the Forerunners on Seaward live with only the basics of technology and live a relatively primitive lifestyle. [[Forerunner personal armor|Personal armor]], starships and communications are either not used or use to only a very limited extent. Most of the planet's residents, including Soma, live in the small community settlement of [[Wharftown]]. Located on the edge of the [[Milky Way galaxy]], Seaward is designated uninhabitable and was only open to extremely wealthy individuals or high-ranking politicians.

As the sunset begins, Soma begins to paint it with her [[jetbrush]]. She captures the unique optical effect caused by its two suns, called ''Twofire''. As the jetbrush automatically paints on her glass easel, Soma notices that it has made an error: drawing a dark gray streak in the sky, with a sickly trail of yellow smoke following it. Upon looking up at the sky, she notices that [[Flood|the object]] on her easel is in fact in the sky. As the object moves towards the horizon, she packs up her equipment and returns to Wharftown, realizing that something is wrong.

Sometime later, the [[Auditor]] receives a report from the [[Prelate (Forerunner)|Prelate]] detailing the events, recorded by an automated monitoring system spanning the Forerunners' [[ecumene]] and employing a variety of devices: a trade beacon, a medical station, and Soma's jetbrush. Unaware of the true danger, only a [[transorbital balloon]] is initially sent to Seaward to give supplies to the damaged medical center. The two Forerunners decide to inform the [[Ur-Didact|Didact]] of the event, claiming that their "test has come".

==Appearances==
{{Featurelist|secondcolumn=title-5|title-1=Characters|
*[[Auditor]] {{1st}}
*[[Ur-Didact|Didact]] {{Fm}}
*[[Prelate (Forerunner)|Prelate]] {{1st}}
*[[Soma]] {{1st}}
|title-2=Species|
*[[Flood]]
*[[Forerunner]]
|title-3=Organizations|
*[[Ecumene]]
|title-4=Locations|
*[[G617]] {{1st}}
**[[Seaward]] {{1st}}
***[[Wharftown]] {{1st}}
|title-5=Events|
*[[Forerunner-Flood war]]
|title-6=Vehicles|
*[[Transorbital balloon]] {{1st}}
|title-7=Technology|
*[[Forerunner personal armor]] {{Fm}}
*[[Jetbrush]] {{1st}}
*[[N-barrier]] {{Fm}}
*[[Triangulation]]
}}

==Production note==
''[[Halo: Cryptum]]'' reveals that the Didact was not awakened from [[Cryptum|exile]] until the last decade of the [[Forerunner-Flood war]], meaning the Auditor and the Prelate could not have informed him of the Flood's return for roughly 300 years.

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

{{Evolutions}}

[[Category:Halo: Evolutions]]