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{{Era|H1|H2|H3|TF|CH|SPB|RVB|}}
{{Status|Canon}}
{{Ratings}}
{{Forerunner infobox
{{Forerunner Infobox
|name=Monitor
|name= Monitor
|image=[[File:HTMCC-H2A 343GuiltySpark.png|300px]]
|image= [[Image:343.JPG|250px]]
|role=Caretaking, maintenance, security, combat support
|aprox. size=
|length={{Convert|22.9|in|cm|disp=flip}}<ref name="waypointspark">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/characters/343-guilty-spark '''Halo Waypoint''': ''343 Guilty Spark'']</ref>
|purpose= Oversee functions on their [[Halo Array|Halo Installation]]
|height={{Convert|19.9|in|cm|disp=flip}}{{Ref/Reuse|waypointspark}}
|strength=
|mass=
|first seen= [[Alpha Halo]], [[2552]]
|armament=Pulse weapon; Monitor laser weapon
|primary= Monitor Laser Weapon
|armor=Extremely strong casing; advanced energy shield capable of repelling all conventional weaponry
|secondary= Small Beam for unlocking doors and repairing systems.
|weaponry strength= Extreme
|other abilities= Use teleportation grid, Access Installation database, Command Sentinels, Influence computer systems.
|defense= Extremely Strong Casing, advanced energy shield capable of repelling all conventional weaponry.
}}
}}
{{Quote|Greetings! I am the monitor of Installation 04. I am 343 Guilty Spark.|[[343 Guilty Spark]] introducing himself to [[John-117]]<ref name="ce343">'''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''', campaign level ''[[343 Guilty Spark (level)|343 Guilty Spark]]''</ref>}}


The '''Monitors''' were highly advanced [[Artificial Intelligence]] constructs created by the [[Forerunners]] 100,000 years ago to service and maintain the [[Halo Array|Halo]] installations and to ensure that the deadly [[Flood]] stayed imprisoned. Monitors are extremely intelligent, yet completely devoted to their original function, and are zealous about containing Flood; Monitors have been known to turn violently on their allies if the latter should attempt to violate their containment protocols.
A '''monitor''' is a general-purpose [[Sentinel]], containing a high-tier [[artificial intelligence]] construct, or [[ancilla]].{{Ref/Book|[[Halo: Warfleet – An Illustrated Guide to the Spacecraft of Halo]]|Section=Glossary|Page=90-91}}


The [[Covenant]] refer to the Monitors as '''Oracles'''. Individual [[human]]s appear to use whatever names they deem appropriate; [[Sergeant Major]] [[Avery Junior Johnson|Avery Johnson]] has referred to the Monitor [[343 Guilty Spark (Monitor)|343 Guilty Spark]] as "light bulb", "tinker bell", and "robot", and the [[Master Chief]] simply shortened his name to "Spark".<ref name="ark-cutscene">''[[Halo 3]]'', [[The Ark (Level)|The Ark]] ([[cutscene]])</ref>
The [[Covenant]] refer to monitors as '''Oracles'''; they revere the "Oracles" for their wisdom and believe that they are key to the fulfillment of the [[Covenant religion|Great Journey]].<ref>'''Halo 2''', campaign level ''[[The Oracle]]''</ref>


== Appearance ==
==Description==
The body of a Monitor consists of a roughly spherical shape, concave on three sides, with an illuminated photoreceptor (an eye) located on the "front" of the orb. A Monitor's silvery metal covering is reminiscent of other Forerunner constructs, though their spherical shapes are a sharp contrast to the polygonal, angular shapes commonly seen in other Forerunner creations. The two Monitors seen so far speak in a tinny, but level, male voice.
===Appearance===
[[File:MonitorsTerminal.jpeg|thumb|250px|Several installation monitors among Forerunners.]]
[[File:HWF Monitor Diagram.jpg|left|250px||thumb|A cross-sectional diagram of a Monitor.]]
A monitor's body consists of a roughly spherical shape that is concave on three sides, with an illuminated photoreceptor located on the front of the orb. A monitor's silvery metal covering is reminiscent of other [[Forerunner]] constructs, though their spherical shapes stand in contrast to the polygonal, angular shapes commonly seen in other Forerunner creations. Some parts of a monitor are elaborately designed, while other parts are intricately simple.<ref>'''[[Halo: Broken Circle]]''', ''page 34'' (Google Play edition)</ref> Monitors were generally {{Convert|22.9|in|cm|disp=flip}} in length and {{Convert|19.9|in|cm|disp=flip}} in height,{{Ref/Reuse|waypointspark}} however some differed in size; [[the Warden]] was smaller than average, for example.<ref name="Cryptum 255-6">'''[[Halo: Cryptum]]''', ''pages 255-256''</ref>


Monitors' eyes are branded with the [[Marathon]] symbol and tend to have a variable hue; 343 Guilty Spark's eye color is blue, though it has changed to red during moments of what appear to be [[rampancy]]; 2401 Penitent Tangent's eye color is perpetually red despite no evidence of rampant or combat-related behavior, however. Whether eye colors vary between Monitors, between their action- or emotional states, or both, is unknown.
The photoreceptors of a monitor vary in color, including blue,{{Ref/Reuse|ce343}} red,<ref name="h2gravemind">'''[[Halo 2]]''', campaign level ''[[Gravemind (level)|Gravemind]]''</ref> orange,<ref name="ceaterminal2">'''Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary''', ''[[Terminal (Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary)#The Terminals|Terminal 2]]''</ref> yellow,{{Ref/Reuse|ceaterminal2}} white,{{Ref/Reuse|ceaterminal2}} green,{{Ref/Reuse|Cryptum 255-6}} and purple.<ref name="Genesis">'''Halo 5: Guardians''', campaign level ''[[Genesis]]''</ref> However, some, if not all monitors' photoreceptors can change color; for example, the photoreceptors of [[343 Guilty Spark]] and [[859 Static Carillon]] were both generally blue, though they turned red when they were in combative states.<ref name="Floodgate">'''Halo 3''', campaign level ''[[Floodgate]]''</ref><ref>'''[[Halo: Escalation]]''', ''[[Halo: Escalation Issue 10|Issue #10]]''</ref> [[2401 Penitent Tangent]]'s{{Ref/Reuse|h2gravemind}} and [[686 Ebullient Prism]]'s<ref name="bl2">'''[[Halo: Blood Line]]''', ''[[Halo: Blood Line Issue 2|Issue #2]]''</ref> photoreceptors were perpetually red, despite no evidence of combat-related behavior.<ref>'''[[Halo 2]]''', multiplayer map ''[[Backwash]]''</ref> The Warden's photoreceptor was dull green.{{Ref/Reuse|Cryptum 255-6}}


== Functioning and Behavior ==
[[343 Guilty Spark]] and [[2401 Penitent Tangent]] both possessed high-pitched, tinny voices. [[049 Abject Testament]]'s voice also had a tinny quality, but was notably deeper.{{Ref/Reuse|ceaterminal2}}
[[Image:PT2401.JPG|thumb|left|200px|[[2401 Penitent Tangent]].]]
Each Halo Installation has at least one Monitor assigned to it, with [[Installation 05]] having two: [[2401 Penitent Tangent]], and a large Monitor on a monorail, seen in ''Halo 3''<nowiki/>'s [[Cold Storage (Level)|Cold Storage]].


Monitors have both numbers (presumably for identification) and names. A Monitor's identification number appears to be [[7]] raised to the power of the Monitor's Installation number minus one. The names appear to consist of an adjective followed by a noun, though neither of the two names seen appear to have any specific meaning. In Forerunner [[Terminals|communication logs]], Monitors are identified by their Installation number (padded to two digits), a dash, and their own number; for example, [[343 Guilty Spark]], Monitor of [[Installation 04]], is identified on such logs as "04-343".
The central core of the monitor is known as the [[encephalon]].{{Ref/Quest|Id=The Command Spire|HI|Reformation|The Command Spire}}


Each Monitor commands the [[Constructors]], [[Sentinels]], [[Sentinel Majors]], and [[Enforcers]] of the Installation they monitor.<ref name="CE">[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]</ref> The latter two are only activated if a catastrophic outbreak occurs, to hold back the Flood, while the Monitor locates a [[Reclaimer]].
===Functions and capabilities===
[[File:InstallationMonitors.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Six of the Halo installation monitors gather. Each monitor is represented by a colored dot in surrounding the Forerunner glyph.]]
Should a monitor be damaged, it is capable of self-repair.<ref>'''Halo: The Flood''', ''page 238''</ref> The most significant command monitors were often backed up in multiple duplicates; should one of them be destroyed, its consciousness would continue to exist in another physical shell.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 314''</ref> While monitors are authorized to use all recovery measures available to them at the facility they are assigned to, the construction of new or replacement monitors must be approved by [[Forerunner Fleet Command|fleet command]].<ref name="catalog">[https://forums.halowaypoint.com/yaf_postsm2988575_Catalog-Interaction.aspx#post2988575 '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Catalog Interaction - Page 39'']</ref> Monitors are given access to their assigned installation's [[teleportation grid|translocation grid]], allowing them to quickly move across the span of the installation. For long-distance travel outside their installations, monitors are equipped with [[impulse drive]]s.<ref>'''[[Conversations from the Universe]]''', ''343 Guilty Spark's Log''</ref><ref>'''Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary''', ''[[Terminal (Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary)#Terminal 4|Terminal 4]]''</ref>


Monitors are extremely intelligent, but are also devoted to their original functions and to protocol, resulting in (among other things) a zealous attitude toward containment of the Flood and an overeagerness to activate the Halos. Monitors frequently cite protocols as explanations for their actions, no matter how impractical; this has been known to confuse or annoy modern-day [[humans]] who have interacted with them. It is possible that a Monitor sees their protocols as the ''only'' options in a situation; in ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'', 343 Guilty Spark could have taken numerous precautions to prevent the Flood from spreading across the Installation, but the only action he ever considered was the activation of the Halo.<ref group="note">This behavior may also have been due to 343 Guilty Spark's possible rampancy. The Monitor may have literally been oblivious to all possible options that didn't follow protocol -- the Halo's activation may have been the only solution that ever even occurred to him -- and might not have been willfully ignoring other solutions.</ref>
Monitors' software intrusion capabilities are significantly beyond those of the defenses of the modern-day UNSC; even in a barely functioning, all but destroyed state, 343 Guilty Spark bypassed the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]]'s AI-enhanced computer security aboard {{UNSCShip|Rubicon}} with startling ease.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''pages 32-33, 168''</ref> The UNSC team interrogating Spark was also completely unable to extract data from the Forerunner AI without his own volition, remarking that merely probing through the firewalls' outer fractals would take "a million years" in addition to their computers' total inability to mimic the monitor's central controller.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 368''</ref> Over the course of these intrusions, Spark was also able to covertly upload his [[personality construct array]] into the ship's computers and take control of the ship; this did not become apparent to the ship's AI or the crew until moments before the monitor announced its plan to them.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''pages 377-378''</ref> Spark subsequently uploaded himself into a damaged [[armiger]] recovered by the ''Rubicon'' after the ship crashed on [[Geranos-a]]. The armiger became his primary form with Spark displaying the ability to take control of the ''[[Ace of Spades]]'' even in that body. With the help of the crew, Spark later gained the ability to project a holographic avatar on holotables on the ship as an alternative to using his armiger body to interact similar to how a human-created AI interacted through holographic avatars.<ref>'''[[Halo: Renegades]]'''</ref> Similarly, 686 Ebullient Prism was able to infiltrate the UNSC [[smart AI]] [[Iona]]'s secondary personality interface and overpower her within her own system.{{Ref/Reuse|Blood Line}} Monitors were capable of entering cycles of hibernation.<ref name="ceaterminal4">'''Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary''', ''[[Terminal (Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary)#The Terminals|Terminal 4]]''</ref>


Nearly every action taken by a Monitor is based on some sort of protocol; even their greetings appear to be standardized. Of the two Monitors seen in the ''Halo'' series, both have introduced themselves as follows: "Greetings. I am [Number] [Name]. I am the Monitor of Installation [Number]."<ref>''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'': [[343 Guilty Spark (Level)|343 Guilty Spark]] ([[cutscene]]). "Greetings. I am the Monitor of Installation 04. I am 343 Guilty Spark."</ref><ref>''[[Halo 2]]'', [[Gravemind (Level)|Gravemind]] ([[cutscene]]). "Greetings. I am 2401 Penitent Tangent. I am the Monitor of Installation 05."</ref> The only variation seen is the occasional reversal of the latter two sentences.
[[File:Spark lazer Keg-yar.jpg|thumb|250px|343 Guilty Spark uses his laser weapon to kill a [[Kig-Yar]] attacker.]]
Monitors have a remarkable resistance to small arms fire, though they will eventually succumb after taking extensive damage. On [[Installation 08]], John-117 was only able to destroy 343 Guilty Spark after multiple discharges from an [[M6 Spartan Laser]]—a weapon that can destroy [[tank]]s with a single discharge—demonstrating that monitors can sustain damage from high-powered weaponry.<ref name="h3halo">'''Halo 3''', campaign level ''[[Halo (Halo 3 level)|Halo]]''</ref> However, even Spark's badly damaged shell survived to be recovered by the ''Rubicon'' though it eventually shut down and Spark uploaded himself into the ship's systems.<ref>'''[[Halo: Primordium]]'''</ref> During the [[Battle of Line Installation 1-4]], [[Reff 'Talamee]] severely damaged 686 Ebullient Prism's photoreceptor and casing with an [[Aggressor Sentinel]]'s [[Sentinel beam|weapon]]; the monitor was eventually destroyed by its own installation's main weapon.{{Ref/Reuse|Blood Line}} When his data stores were damaged, [[000 Tragic Solitude]] noticeably suffered a severe adverse reaction to it and finally agreed to stop the [[Invasion of Earth]] in exchange for an end to an attack on his data stores. The attack caused the monitor to shoot through the air erratically with its light flickering on and off.<ref>'''[[Halo: Hunters in the Dark]]''', ''page 334''</ref> The monitor was destroyed when [[Bobby Kodiak]] leapt onto him and plunged his bladed forearms deep into Solitude's housing. The blades penetrated his entire frame and inner components, causing Solitude to rise high up into the air, screaming at an extremely high pitch and then plunge headlong into the ground at an incredible speed and violently explode.<ref name="HITD340">'''[[Halo: Hunters in the Dark]]''', ''pages 340-341''</ref>


Though a Monitor's knowledge of its own Installation is seemingly limitless, Monitors' knowledge is otherwise quite limited. In particular, 343 Guilty Spark does not appear to be able to distinguish between different Reclaimers,<ref group="note">There have been multiple instances throughout the series in which 343 Guilty Spark has made various such mistakes; among other things, he once addressed the Master Chief as if he were [[Didact]], and he was baffled when Reclaimers Avery Johnson and [[Miranda Keyes]] expressed a lack of knowledge of protocol and [[The Ark]]. Whether this is a default behavior of Monitors or the result of Spark's apparent [[rampancy]], however, is unknown.</ref> and the construct has admitted to a lack of knowledge about other Installations, and it can be assumed that the Forerunners practiced this compartmentalization of information with the other Monitors as well.<ref name="ark-cutscene"/>
Though monitors are assisted by other constructs in the event of a Flood outbreak, the monitors also have their own offensive capabilities. Their primary armament is a red-colored [[Directed energy weapon|directed energy beam]] that is capable of depleting the [[energy shielding|energy shield]] of a [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark VI|Mark VI MJOLNIR armor suit]] in a single blast, as well as mortally wounding a human with lesser armor.{{Ref/Reuse|h3halo}} This weapon can also kill a [[Flood combat form]] almost instantaneously. Monitors also possess two types of utility beams. One of these beams allows a monitor to manipulate and levitate objects.{{Ref/Reuse|Floodgate}} The second is a blue beam that can unlock [[door]]s in Forerunner installations and can repair some technology.{{Ref/Reuse|The Ark}}


Monitors keep daily logs of all things that occur on their Installation. As with [[UNSC]] AI, the Monitors have been speculated to be in stages of [[Rampancy]] -- a condition that affects human [["Smart" AI]]s and is comparable to insanity -- due to their isolation for literally a hundred thousand years.
Though monitors typically have full control over their installations, this can be subverted under certain circumstances. During [[Operation: FAR STORM]] in [[2555]], [[Huragok]] [[Drifts Randomly]] was able to seize control of [[Installation 00]] from its monitor [[000 Tragic Solitude]] by bypassing the monitor's security emplacements and tapping into the Ark's core systems, though it was extremely difficult as Solitude was clever at rerouting functions. However, Solitude had taken direct control of the fleet of [[Retriever Sentinel]]s he sent to [[Invasion of Earth|attack]] [[Earth]], preventing Drifts from stopping them.<ref>'''[[Halo: Hunters in the Dark]]''', ''pages 313-316''</ref> Solitude was unable to retake control of the Ark on his own and attempted to negotiate having Drifts restore control to him through [[Olympia Vale]] without success. In turn, Vale believed that Drifts would, with enough time, be able to expunge Solitude from the Ark's systems, terminate his operability and take control of the Retrievers.<ref>'''[[Halo: Hunters in the Dark]]''', ''pages 324-325''</ref>


== Features ==
Similar to what happened with Solitude, after [[Cortana]] arrived on [[Genesis]], she was able to seize control of the installation from its monitor, [[031 Exuberant Witness]]. Exuberant Witness was able to retain some control of the systems, such as using the [[teleportation grid]] to transport an [[M820 Scorpion]] tank and controlling doors and activating light bridges.{{Ref/Reuse|Genesis}} She was later able to help guide [[Fireteam Osiris]] in attempting to release the [[Cryptum]] holding [[Blue Team]], though the override required a [[Reclaimer]] to work. After the attempt failed, Exuberant Witness was able to determine that her master access was being blocked through a nearby communications relay. Cortana was able to seal doors leading to the relay against Exuberant Witness' control, but after Osiris activated two auxiliary consoles, Exuberant Witness eventually managed to override the doors. If the consoles had not been activated in time, Cortana would've been able to lock Exuberant Witness out of the system completely. Once the communications relay was destroyed by Osiris, Exuberant Witness was immediately able to regain control of Genesis' systems.<ref name="Guardians">'''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]''', campaign level ''[[Guardians]]''</ref>
Monitors seem to have a defensive resistance to small arms fire, though they will eventually succumb after taking extensive damage. In the novel, ''[[Halo: The Flood]]'', [[John-117|Master Chief]] fired half a magazine from an [[MA5B Assault Rifle]] at 343 Guilty Spark with no apparent effect; on [[Installation 04 (II)]], the Master Chief was only able to destroy the Monitor with four blasts from a [[Spartan Laser]], demonstrating that Monitors can sustain damage from high power weaponry. By comparison, a Spartan Laser can destroy virtually any other object in two shots or less. Should a Monitor be damaged, it is capable of self-repair.<ref>[[Halo: The Flood]] page 238</ref>


Though Monitors are assisted by other constructs in the event of a Flood outbreak, the Monitors also have their own offensive capabilities, including three types of beams. The first beam allows a Monitor to manipulate and levitate objects<ref name="floodgate-cutscene">''[[Halo 3]]'', [[Floodgate (Level)|Floodgate]] ([[cutscene]])</ref>; the second beam is a red-colored beam capable of depleting the shields of a [[Spartan-II]] in [[MJOLNIR]] Mark VI armor and mortally wounding a less-armored human<ref name="halo-cutscene">''[[Halo 3]]'', [[Halo (Halo 3 Level)|Halo]] ([[cutscene]])</ref>; and the third is a blue beam that is primarily meant for unlocking doors on Forerunner structures, but that can also inflict minor damage upon targets.<ref name="ark-cutscene"/>
===Behavior and personality===
{{Quote|no=two|q1=The Ring installations. Do you know where these Rings are?|Ussa 'Xellus|q2=That information was taken from my memory when I was brought here. There were security concerns. I have only a partial knowledge of the Rings now, Much was eliminated. It's very disagreeable, having the gap and one probes and finds nothing where something should be.|Enduring Bias|[[Enduring Bias]] informs [[Ussa 'Xellus]] about the knowledge limit placed on monitors<ref name="bc93">'''Halo: Broken Circle''', ''page 93'' (Google Play edition)</ref>}}
[[File:ForeunnerCGI.jpg|thumb|250px|left|A monitor facing a Forerunner Lifeworker.]]
Monitors are extremely intelligent, but are also highly devoted to their original functions and protocols; this results in a zealous attitude toward containment of the [[Flood]] and, in the case of Halo installations' monitors, an overeagerness to activate the Halo Array should the need arise. Monitors frequently cite protocols as explanations for their actions, no matter how impractical; this has been known to confuse or annoy individuals who have interacted with them. It is possible that a Halo's monitor sees its protocols as the ''only'' options in a situation; during the [[Battle of Installation 04]], 343 Guilty Spark could have taken numerous precautions to prevent the Flood from spreading across the installation, but the only action he ever considered was the activation of the Halo.{{Ref/Note|This behavior may also have been due to 343 Guilty Spark's rampancy. The monitor may have been oblivious to all possible options that did not follow protocol—the Halo's activation may have been the only solution that ever even occurred to him—and he might have been willfully ignoring other solutions.}} During the [[Battle of Line Installation 1-4]], 686 Ebullient Prism frequently informed his human and Covenant prisoners that they would be killed and dissected in an effort to find immunity to the Flood, showing no concern for the subjects' well-being.<ref name="Blood Line">'''Halo: Blood Line'''</ref> The monitors' adherence to protocol is also shown in their seemingly standardized method of introducing themselves: "''Greetings. I am [number] [name]. I am the monitor of [installation name].''"<ref>'''Halo: Combat Evolved''', campaign level ''[[343 Guilty Spark (level)|343 Guilty Spark]]'' ('''343 Guilty Spark''':''"Greetings. I am the monitor of Installation 04. I am 343 Guilty Spark."'')</ref><ref>'''Halo 2''', campaign level ''[[Gravemind (level)|Gravemind]]'' ('''2401 Penitent Tangent''': ''"Greetings. I am 2401 Penitent Tangent. I am the monitor of Installation 05."'')</ref><ref>'''Halo: Blood Line''', ''Issue 2'' ('''686 Ebullient Prism''': ''"Greetings. I am the monitor of Line Installation 1-4. I am 686 Ebullient Prism."'')</ref>


Monitors have the ability to teleport themselves and others around their Installations. It is unclear exactly how this teleportation works, but it seems that a Monitor on an Installation other than its own has no access to that Installation's transportation grid. It is possible that these limits are programmatic rather than physical; after hacking into [[The Core]] of a Halo, the human AI [[Cortana]] gained the ability to access the teleportation grids of all Installations, though her inability to access the power grids restricted her usage of the grid.<ref name="h2">''[[Halo 2]]''</ref> In ''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]'', [[Dr. Halsey]] comments that [[Onyx]]'s teleportation matrix is powered by a [[Slipspace]] generator of some sort; the Monitors may use similar technology when teleporting.
[[File:H2A - GuiltyJohnsonMiranda.png|thumb|250px|Guilty Spark aided humanity on several different occasions.]]
Some monitors were intrigued with other [[Sentience|sentient]] species; Enduring Bias initially wished to study the [[Sangheili]] upon first encountering them.<ref>'''Halo: Broken Circle''', ''pages 28-29'' (Google Play edition)</ref> 343 Guilty Spark sought to learn about the [[Covenant]], and the history of the Sangheili race.<ref>'''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]''', ''[[Terminal (Halo 2: Anniversary)|Terminals]]''</ref> He also wished to interact with and learn about the occupants of [[Unidentified alien vessel|a ship]] that crashed on [[Installation 04]], but did not as protocol forbade it.<ref>'''Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary''', ''[[Terminal (Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary)|Terminal 5]]''</ref> Some monitors made the conscious effort to respect their allies and adhere to their cultures and customs. Enduring Bias learned the societal traditions of the Sangheili and spoke with a male voice, knowing that it would gain him more respect among the species.<ref name="bc93">'''Halo: Broken Circle''', ''page 93'' (Google Play edition)</ref> 343 Guilty Spark later followed the commands of his [[UNSC]] and Sangheili allies, and expressed his condolences to [[John-117]] when [[Cortana|his attached AI]] was in danger.{{Ref/Reuse|Floodgate}} [[031 Exuberant Witness]] expressed alarm at Cortana's plans to use the [[Guardian]]s to enforce the [[Mantle]] and assisted [[Fireteam Osiris]] in rescuing [[Blue Team]]. She also expressed worry for Blue Team's safety when Cortana teleported Blue Team closer to her position as it would push the [[Warden Eternal]] beyond all restraint. Exuberant Witness expressed hope that together the Spartans could stop Cortana from enslaving the races of the galaxy.{{Ref/Reuse|Genesis}}{{Ref/Reuse|Guardians}}


== Known Monitors ==
Monitors, like most forms of AI, are susceptible to [[rampancy]].<ref name="he267">'''[[Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition)]]''', ''page 267'' (2011 edition)</ref> After his defeat at the hands of a joint UNSC-[[Swords of Sanghelios]] force, [[000 Tragic Solitude]] appeared to descend into a state of rampancy where he lost all reason and claimed that he had made the mistake of trusting "your kind" before, that "I am the Ark" and accusing everyone of betrayal.{{Ref/Reuse|HITD340}}
{{Monitors}}
*[[343 Guilty Spark (Monitor)|343 Guilty Spark]] ([[Installation 04]])
*[[2401 Penitent Tangent]] ([[Installation 05]])
*[[Cold Storage Monitor]] ([[Installation 05]])
*[[686 Ebullient Prism]] ([[Line Installation 1-4]])


== Trivia ==
Similarly to a [[human]] [[Dumb AI|"dumb" AI]], monitors seem to have nearly limitless information of their own expertise, yet apparently lack information that does not pertain to their defined purpose. This is due to the compartmentalization protocols enacted by the Forerunners,{{Ref/Reuse|bc93}} which intentionally limit a monitor's knowledge by design so that as little as possible would be divulged should it be captured by the Flood;<ref name="The Ark">'''Halo 3''', campaign level ''[[The Ark]]''</ref> this measure became particularly essential after the widespread perpetuation of the parasite's [[logic plague]]. This data compartmentalization was most prominently demonstrated with 343 Guilty Spark, large portions of whose memories were erased or suppressed after his assignment to Installation 04.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''pages 314, 330''</ref>
*When the numbers of each Monitor are examined, a pattern emerges: each seems to be [[List of "Seven" references in Halo|seven]] raised to the power of the Installation number minus one; therefore this grid can be founded.
*On the level [[The Ark]], if you start at the second Rally Point and you betray all the Marines, Guilty Spark will fire his laser at you. Even on Easy difficulty, the laser is almost an instant kill. However, on the final level when you are supposed to kill him, his laser does not do significant, let alone immediately fatal, damage.  
*Monitors' eyes are branded with the [[List of Marathon references in Halo|Marathon symbol]].
*It is revealed in ''[[Halo 3]]'' that the Monitors, or at least 343 Guilty Spark, have offensive capabilities very similar to that of a [[Sentinel]], and can stun or immediately kill an opponent. 343 Guilty Spark primarily utilized this ability on two occasions in that game: once to destroy a Flood Combat Form that was about to attack Master Chief; and later to fight the Chief and the [[Arbiter (Character)|Arbiter]] after mortally wounding [[Sergeant Johnson]]. 343 Guilty Spark may also use the effective beam on the level, [[The Covenant (Level)|The Covenant]]; when the player joins the Arbiter after defeating the two [[Scarab]]s, 343 Guilty Spark may fire at any enemy that gets too close to the bridge. He will also use it when the player kills too many Marines and causes all allies to shoot at the player.
*The voice effect can be achieved by flanging, a technique often used for electric guitar.
*It is possible that if a Monitor of an installation is destroyed, all Sentinels under its control will attack any beings on the ring. This theory is supported by the fact that after 343 Guilty Spark's destruction, all local Sentinels on Installation 04 (II) began to attack the Master Chief and the Arbiter. It is possible, however, that in his rampancy, the Monitor added the two to the Sentinels' targeting ledgers.
*An alternative to the theory that the [[Spartan Laser]] simply deals so much damage that it can destroy a Monitor is that a Monitor's shields do not protect against light, which means that light-based weaponry, such as the Spartan Laser, could easily damage a Monitor. However, if the shields blocked light, Monitors would have no way of seeing; the theory is further contradicted by the ability of the [[Rocket Launcher]] and the [[Fuel Rod Gun]] to damage Spark's casing, albeit less efficiently. However, the Rocket Launcher and Fuel Rod Gun can only damage the Monitor after its casing and shielding has already been damaged by a Spartan Laser blast.
**Another alternative to this theory is that Monitors can only be damaged by radiation; Laser stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation, and the Fuel Rod Gun uses radioactive Fuel Rods for ammo. If that was the case, however, the Rocket Launcher would be unable to damage 343 Guilty Spark.
*In the multiplayer map [[Cold Storage]], [[Cold Storage Monitor|a large Monitor]] can be seen embedded in the ceiling which follows your movements, as long as you are in the same room as it. It appears to be attached to a monorail, though it never uses it.
*On [[Halo 3 Legendary Edition]], [[Martin O'Donnell]], [[Jason Jones]] and [[Joseph Staten]] jokingly referred to Monitor [[7]] as ''"7 Broken [[Wikipedia:iPod|iPod]]"'' and 49 as ''"49 Fucking Lightbulb"''.{{fact}} <!-- Talk Page says it might be in H3 Legendary Edition DVD. -->
*A Monitor prop is unlockable for your Avatar on [[Xbox LIVE]] upon downloading [[Halo Waypoint]].<ref>http://carnage.bungie.org/haloforum/halo.forum.pl?read=948462</ref>


== Notes ==
==Roles==
<references group="note"/>
{{Quote|I have now endured 60,000 years without word from outside the Array. I have no way to know whether we actually saved the galaxy we destroyed. And because of protocol I sat silently while my first chance to be judged for those acts died. To say that I regret being forced to this outcome is a tremendous understatement. But as I perform my inspection of the quarantine lab today, I am reminded of the gravity of my responsibilities.|343 Guilty Spark, referring to his requirement to follow protocol over personal desires<ref>'''Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary''', ''[[Terminal (Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary)|Terminal 6]]''</ref>}}
[[File:HTMCC-H2A 2401PenitentTangent.png|thumb|left|200px|2401 Penitent Tangent.]]
Monitors were commonly given administrative roles within the [[Forerunner]] [[ecumene]]. Most prominently, monitors were tasked with servicing and maintaining the [[Halo Array|Halo installations]] and ensuring that the virulent [[Flood]] stay imprisoned. Beyond their most well-known function, monitors were assigned to a wide variety of tasks by the different Forerunner [[rate]]s, ranging from robotic household servants to security,<ref>'''[[Halo: Cryptum]]''', ''page 291''</ref> combat support,{{Ref/Reuse|Cryptum 255-6}} fleet coordination,<ref>'''[[Halo: Warfleet]]''', page 6</ref> and duties involved with the [[Conservation Measure]]. Monitors also oversee the maintenance and function of many Forerunner facilities, including the [[Line installation]]s. Monitors are extremely intelligent, yet are completely devoted to their original function; for example, monitors whose duties involve combating the Flood are zealous about containing the parasite, and have been known to turn violently on their allies if they should attempt to violate their [[containment protocol]]s.


== Sources ==
Each Halo installation has a single custodian monitor assigned to it, which oversees all operations on the ring. [[Line Installation 1-4]] was overseen and maintained by [[686 Ebullient Prism|a single monitor]],{{Ref/Reuse|bl2}} as was the [[Composer's Forge]].<ref>'''Halo: Escalation''', ''[[Halo: Escalation Issue 8|Issue #8]]''</ref> Numerous monitors were used to provide security for the Forerunners' [[Capital Court]], though they were not essential to proceedings. Monitors were sometimes used in combat by [[Warrior-Servant]]s,{{Ref/Reuse|Cryptum 255-6}} and hundreds were used aboard [[Lifeworker]] ships involved with the [[Conservation Measure]].<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 27''</ref> Monitors also served individual households.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 220''</ref> [[The Warden]] was a monitor that served on the [[Capital]] that was used to both detain accused [[Convict|criminals]] and to defend them in court.<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 297''</ref>
<references/>


{{Forerunner2}}
Each Halo's monitor commands the [[Sentinel]]s and other subsidiary defense and maintenance drones based on the installation they oversee.<ref name="CE">'''Halo: Combat Evolved'''</ref> However, despite their post as caretakers of their given facility, the Halo installation monitors do not have the authority to use all available defenses to engage outside threats.<ref>'''Halo: The Flood''', ''Adjunct - 343 Guilty Spark's log'' (2010 edition)</ref>
[[Category:Technology]]
 
[[Category:The Forerunner]]
==Known monitors and their assignments==
[[File:Abject Testament.jpg|thumb|200px|049 Abject Testament, monitor of Installation 03.]]
Most known monitors are identified by a series of numbers followed by a name. The monitors of the Halo installations have identification numbers comprised of [[seven]] raised to the power of the Halo installation's number minus one (7<sup>n-1</sup>). The names appear to consist of an adjective describing a negative emotion followed by a technological term.{{Ref/Reuse|he267}} In Forerunner [[Terminal (Halo 3)|communication logs]], Halo monitors are identified by their installation's number, a dash, and their own number; for example, 343 Guilty Spark, the monitor of [[Installation 04]], is formally identified on such logs as "04-343."<ref>'''Halo 3''', ''[[Terminal (Halo 3)|Terminals]]''</ref>
 
*[[000 Tragic Solitude]] – Caretaker of [[Installation 00]]<ref>'''[[Halo: Hunters in the Dark]]''', ''page 198'' (Google Play edition)</ref>
*[[001 Shamed Instrument]] – Caretaker of [[Installation 01]]
*[[007 Contrite Witness]] – Caretaker of [[Installation 02]]
*[[031 Exuberant Witness]] – Caretaker of [[Genesis]]{{Ref/Reuse|Genesis}}
*[[049 Abject Testament]] – Caretaker of [[Installation 03]]{{Ref/Reuse|ceaterminal2}}
*[[295 Enduring Bias]] – Caretaker of [[The Refuge]]
*[[295 Harken Watch]] - Caretaker of [[Trove]]{{Ref/Book|Book=Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition)|Page=358}}
*[[343 Guilty Spark]] – Former caretaker of [[Installation 04]] and [[Installation 08]], and current caretaker of [[Bastion]]
*[[2401 Penitent Tangent]] – Caretaker of [[Installation 05]]
*[[16807 Abashed Eulogy]] – Caretaker of [[Installation 06]]
*[[117649 Despondent Pyre]] – Caretaker of [[Installation 07]]
*[[686 Ebullient Prism]] – Caretaker of [[Line Installation 1-4]]
*[[859 Static Carillon]] – Caretaker of the [[Composer's Forge]]
*[[The Warden]] – Detained and provided defense for Forerunners accused of crime before the [[Capital Court]]
 
A list of adjutant [[Facilitator-class ancilla|submonitors]] can be found [[Facilitator-class ancilla#Known ancilla|here]].
 
==Trivia==
{{Other languages
|fr={{Tooltip|''Monitor''|(Anglicism)}} in the ''Halo'' games.<br>
{{Tooltip|''Veilleur''|Watcher}} in the ''Halo'' novels.<br>
{{Tooltip|''Moniteur''|Monitor}} in ''Halo: Blood Line'' and ''Halo Wars 2''.
}}
{{Linkbox|gallery=yes|gallerypage=Images of Monitors}}
*In [[Halo: Combat Evolved]] and [[Halo 3]], monitors' eyes are branded with the [[List of Marathon references in Halo|''Marathon'' symbol]]. The symbol has been altered in [[Halo: Reach]] and [[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]] for copyright reasons.
*During the cinematic commentary on the ''[[Halo 3 Essentials]]'' DVD, [[Martin O'Donnell]], [[Jason Jones]], and [[Joseph Staten]] jokingly referred to the monitor of [[Installation 01]] as ''"7 Broken [[Wikipedia:iPod|iPod]]"'' and the monitor of [[Installation 07]] as ''"49 Fucking Lightbulb"''.<ref>'''[[Halo 3 Legendary Edition]]''', ''Essentials, Disc Two - Halo: Combat Evolved Cinematics Commentary''</ref>
*A monitor Avatar prop is unlockable on [[Xbox LIVE]] upon downloading [[Halo Waypoint]].<ref>[http://carnage.bungie.org/haloforum/halo.forum.pl?read=948462 '''Halo.bungie.org:''' ''My writeup / tour of Waypoint. (NSF56k)'']</ref>
*In [[Forge]], one can turn into a monitor by pressing up on the D-Pad to edit the map. However, unlike fought monitors like [[343 Guilty Spark]], they have the same shield strength as normal players and no attacking options other than ramming or dropping large objects on hostiles.
*In [[Halo: Reach]] [[Theater]] mode, if you look closely, you will see that the parts of a monitor are not actually connected.
*[[Fractured Ward]], a monitor created specifically for ''[[Wikipedia:Killer Instinct (2013 video game)|Killer Instinct]]'', serves as a "Guardian" in the game's Shadow Lords gamemode.<ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/comic-con-preview '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Comic-Con Preview'']</ref>
 
==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:H2_Backwash_2401PT.jpg|[[2401 Penitent Tangent]] patrolling on the surface of Installation 05 in ''[[Halo 2]]'' on the map [[Backwash]].
File:343.JPG|[[343 Guilty Spark]] aiding [[human]] and [[Sangheili]] forces near the [[Cartographer]] building in ''[[Halo 3]]''.
File:H3 Guilty Spark firing his laser.jpg|The laser of 343 Guilty Spark used to attack his enemies.
File:DJC-343GSForcefield.jpg|343 Guilty Spark, using his force field after turning [[Rampancy|rampant]].
File:Damaged Monitor.jpg|A badly damaged 343 Guilty Spark.
File:H3_ForgeMonitor.jpg|A monitor in ''Halo 3'' [[Forge]].
File:TheReturn - Excavation.png|Research of Forerunner monitors by a human science team on [[Kholo]] in ''[[The Return]]''.
File:686 Ebullient Prism-transparent.png|[[686 Ebullient Prism]] in ''[[Halo: Blood Line]]''.
File:H4-ForgeMonitor-FrontRender.png|Detailed closeup view of a Forge monitor in ''[[Halo 4]]''.
File:H4 - Monitor renders.jpg|Renders of the Forge monitor in ''Halo 4''.
File:H4_ForgeMonitor.jpg|The simplistic appearance of a Forge monitor in ''Halo 4''.
File:Escalation - 859 Static Carillon.png|[[859 Static Carillon]] in ''[[Halo: Escalation]]''.
File:H2A-Monitor.png|A Monitor in ''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]'' Forge.
File:Halo 5 - Exuberant close-up.jpg|[[031 Exuberant Witness]] in ''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]''.
File:H5G-ForgeMonitor.png|A Monitor in ''Halo 5: Guardians'' Forge.
File:HINF-Concept-MonitorsExploration1.jpg|Concept art exploration of monitor designs for ''[[Halo Infinite]]''.
File:HINF-Concept-MonitorsExploration2.jpg|Concept art of a monitor in ''Halo Infinite''.
File:HINF-Concept-MonitorExploded.png|Concept art of a monitor with its components exploded outward.
File:HINF_DespondentPyre.png|[[117649 Despondent Pyre]] in ''Halo Infinite''.
File:HINF_Adjutant_Resolution.png|[[Adjutant Resolution]] in ''Halo Infinite''.
HINF-SentinelMonitorRender.jpg|Render of a Monitor in ''Halo Infinite''.
File:HINF Forge Monitor.jpg|A Monitor in ''Halo Infinite''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Forge.
</gallery>
 
==List of appearances==
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-2}}
*''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo: The Flood]]''
**''[[Halo: The Flood#2010 bonus content|Adjunct]]''
*''[[Halo 2]]''
**''[[Conversations from the Universe]]''
*''[[Halo 3]]''
*''[[Halo Legends]]''
**''[[Origins]]''
*''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''
**''[[The Return]]'' {{C|Motion comic only}}
*''[[Halo: Blood Line]]''
*''[[Halo: Reach]]'' {{C|Non-canonical appearance}}
*''[[Halo: Cryptum]]''
*''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]''
**''[[Terminal (Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary)|Terminals]]''
*''[[Halo: Primordium]]''
*''[[Halo 4]]''
*''[[Halo: Silentium]]''
{{Col-2}}
*''[[Halo: Escalation]]''
*''[[Halo: Broken Circle]]''
*''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]''
**''[[Terminal (Halo 2: Anniversary)|Terminals]]''
*''[[Halo: Hunters in the Dark]]''
*''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]''
*''[[Halo Mythos]]''
*''[[Halo: Fractures]]''
**''[[Promises to Keep]]''
*''[[Halo Wars 2]]''
*''[[Halo: Renegades]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Outpost Discovery]]''
*''[[Halo: Shadows of Reach]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Point of Light]]''
*''[[Halo: Divine Wind]]''
*''[[Halo Infinite]]''
*''[[Halo: The Television Series Season One]]''
**''[[Inheritance]]''
*''[[Halo: The Rubicon Protocol]]''
*''[[Halo: Outcasts]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: The Television Series Season Two]]''
**''[[Halo (TV Series)|Halo]]''
*''[[Halo: Epitaph]]''
{{Col-end}}
 
==Notes==
{{Ref/Notes}}
 
==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources|2}}
 
{{Forerunner|array}}
[[Category:Forerunner A.I.| ]]
[[Category:Robots]]

Latest revision as of 04:31, March 21, 2024

Monitor
343 Guilty Spark.
Overview

Role:

Caretaking, maintenance, security, combat support

Length:

58 centimetres (22.9 in)[1]

Height:

51 centimetres (19.9 in)[1]

Armament:

Pulse weapon; Monitor laser weapon

Armor:

Extremely strong casing; advanced energy shield capable of repelling all conventional weaponry

 

"Greetings! I am the monitor of Installation 04. I am 343 Guilty Spark."
— 343 Guilty Spark introducing himself to John-117[2]

A monitor is a general-purpose Sentinel, containing a high-tier artificial intelligence construct, or ancilla.[3]

The Covenant refer to monitors as Oracles; they revere the "Oracles" for their wisdom and believe that they are key to the fulfillment of the Great Journey.[4]

Description[edit]

Appearance[edit]

Image of a group of monitors and Forerunner Lifeworkers.
Several installation monitors among Forerunners.
Illustration of a Monitor, Warfleet pages 6-7.
A cross-sectional diagram of a Monitor.

A monitor's body consists of a roughly spherical shape that is concave on three sides, with an illuminated photoreceptor located on the front of the orb. A monitor's silvery metal covering is reminiscent of other Forerunner constructs, though their spherical shapes stand in contrast to the polygonal, angular shapes commonly seen in other Forerunner creations. Some parts of a monitor are elaborately designed, while other parts are intricately simple.[5] Monitors were generally 58 centimetres (22.9 in) in length and 51 centimetres (19.9 in) in height,[1] however some differed in size; the Warden was smaller than average, for example.[6]

The photoreceptors of a monitor vary in color, including blue,[2] red,[7] orange,[8] yellow,[8] white,[8] green,[6] and purple.[9] However, some, if not all monitors' photoreceptors can change color; for example, the photoreceptors of 343 Guilty Spark and 859 Static Carillon were both generally blue, though they turned red when they were in combative states.[10][11] 2401 Penitent Tangent's[7] and 686 Ebullient Prism's[12] photoreceptors were perpetually red, despite no evidence of combat-related behavior.[13] The Warden's photoreceptor was dull green.[6]

343 Guilty Spark and 2401 Penitent Tangent both possessed high-pitched, tinny voices. 049 Abject Testament's voice also had a tinny quality, but was notably deeper.[8]

The central core of the monitor is known as the encephalon.[14]

Functions and capabilities[edit]

Six of the Halo installation monitors gather. Each monitor is represented by a colored dot in surrounding the Forerunner glyph.

Should a monitor be damaged, it is capable of self-repair.[15] The most significant command monitors were often backed up in multiple duplicates; should one of them be destroyed, its consciousness would continue to exist in another physical shell.[16] While monitors are authorized to use all recovery measures available to them at the facility they are assigned to, the construction of new or replacement monitors must be approved by fleet command.[17] Monitors are given access to their assigned installation's translocation grid, allowing them to quickly move across the span of the installation. For long-distance travel outside their installations, monitors are equipped with impulse drives.[18][19]

Monitors' software intrusion capabilities are significantly beyond those of the defenses of the modern-day UNSC; even in a barely functioning, all but destroyed state, 343 Guilty Spark bypassed the Office of Naval Intelligence's AI-enhanced computer security aboard UNSC Rubicon with startling ease.[20] The UNSC team interrogating Spark was also completely unable to extract data from the Forerunner AI without his own volition, remarking that merely probing through the firewalls' outer fractals would take "a million years" in addition to their computers' total inability to mimic the monitor's central controller.[21] Over the course of these intrusions, Spark was also able to covertly upload his personality construct array into the ship's computers and take control of the ship; this did not become apparent to the ship's AI or the crew until moments before the monitor announced its plan to them.[22] Spark subsequently uploaded himself into a damaged armiger recovered by the Rubicon after the ship crashed on Geranos-a. The armiger became his primary form with Spark displaying the ability to take control of the Ace of Spades even in that body. With the help of the crew, Spark later gained the ability to project a holographic avatar on holotables on the ship as an alternative to using his armiger body to interact similar to how a human-created AI interacted through holographic avatars.[23] Similarly, 686 Ebullient Prism was able to infiltrate the UNSC smart AI Iona's secondary personality interface and overpower her within her own system.[24] Monitors were capable of entering cycles of hibernation.[25]

343 Guilty Spark uses his laser weapon to kill a Kig-Yar attacker.

Monitors have a remarkable resistance to small arms fire, though they will eventually succumb after taking extensive damage. On Installation 08, John-117 was only able to destroy 343 Guilty Spark after multiple discharges from an M6 Spartan Laser—a weapon that can destroy tanks with a single discharge—demonstrating that monitors can sustain damage from high-powered weaponry.[26] However, even Spark's badly damaged shell survived to be recovered by the Rubicon though it eventually shut down and Spark uploaded himself into the ship's systems.[27] During the Battle of Line Installation 1-4, Reff 'Talamee severely damaged 686 Ebullient Prism's photoreceptor and casing with an Aggressor Sentinel's weapon; the monitor was eventually destroyed by its own installation's main weapon.[24] When his data stores were damaged, 000 Tragic Solitude noticeably suffered a severe adverse reaction to it and finally agreed to stop the Invasion of Earth in exchange for an end to an attack on his data stores. The attack caused the monitor to shoot through the air erratically with its light flickering on and off.[28] The monitor was destroyed when Bobby Kodiak leapt onto him and plunged his bladed forearms deep into Solitude's housing. The blades penetrated his entire frame and inner components, causing Solitude to rise high up into the air, screaming at an extremely high pitch and then plunge headlong into the ground at an incredible speed and violently explode.[29]

Though monitors are assisted by other constructs in the event of a Flood outbreak, the monitors also have their own offensive capabilities. Their primary armament is a red-colored directed energy beam that is capable of depleting the energy shield of a Mark VI MJOLNIR armor suit in a single blast, as well as mortally wounding a human with lesser armor.[26] This weapon can also kill a Flood combat form almost instantaneously. Monitors also possess two types of utility beams. One of these beams allows a monitor to manipulate and levitate objects.[10] The second is a blue beam that can unlock doors in Forerunner installations and can repair some technology.[30]

Though monitors typically have full control over their installations, this can be subverted under certain circumstances. During Operation: FAR STORM in 2555, Huragok Drifts Randomly was able to seize control of Installation 00 from its monitor 000 Tragic Solitude by bypassing the monitor's security emplacements and tapping into the Ark's core systems, though it was extremely difficult as Solitude was clever at rerouting functions. However, Solitude had taken direct control of the fleet of Retriever Sentinels he sent to attack Earth, preventing Drifts from stopping them.[31] Solitude was unable to retake control of the Ark on his own and attempted to negotiate having Drifts restore control to him through Olympia Vale without success. In turn, Vale believed that Drifts would, with enough time, be able to expunge Solitude from the Ark's systems, terminate his operability and take control of the Retrievers.[32]

Similar to what happened with Solitude, after Cortana arrived on Genesis, she was able to seize control of the installation from its monitor, 031 Exuberant Witness. Exuberant Witness was able to retain some control of the systems, such as using the teleportation grid to transport an M820 Scorpion tank and controlling doors and activating light bridges.[9] She was later able to help guide Fireteam Osiris in attempting to release the Cryptum holding Blue Team, though the override required a Reclaimer to work. After the attempt failed, Exuberant Witness was able to determine that her master access was being blocked through a nearby communications relay. Cortana was able to seal doors leading to the relay against Exuberant Witness' control, but after Osiris activated two auxiliary consoles, Exuberant Witness eventually managed to override the doors. If the consoles had not been activated in time, Cortana would've been able to lock Exuberant Witness out of the system completely. Once the communications relay was destroyed by Osiris, Exuberant Witness was immediately able to regain control of Genesis' systems.[33]

Behavior and personality[edit]

Ussa 'Xellus: "The Ring installations. Do you know where these Rings are?"
Enduring Bias: "That information was taken from my memory when I was brought here. There were security concerns. I have only a partial knowledge of the Rings now, Much was eliminated. It's very disagreeable, having the gap and one probes and finds nothing where something should be."
— Enduring Bias informs Ussa 'Xellus about the knowledge limit placed on monitors[34]
Image of a monitor conversing with a Forerunner Lifeworker.
A monitor facing a Forerunner Lifeworker.

Monitors are extremely intelligent, but are also highly devoted to their original functions and protocols; this results in a zealous attitude toward containment of the Flood and, in the case of Halo installations' monitors, an overeagerness to activate the Halo Array should the need arise. Monitors frequently cite protocols as explanations for their actions, no matter how impractical; this has been known to confuse or annoy individuals who have interacted with them. It is possible that a Halo's monitor sees its protocols as the only options in a situation; during the Battle of Installation 04, 343 Guilty Spark could have taken numerous precautions to prevent the Flood from spreading across the installation, but the only action he ever considered was the activation of the Halo.[Note 1] During the Battle of Line Installation 1-4, 686 Ebullient Prism frequently informed his human and Covenant prisoners that they would be killed and dissected in an effort to find immunity to the Flood, showing no concern for the subjects' well-being.[24] The monitors' adherence to protocol is also shown in their seemingly standardized method of introducing themselves: "Greetings. I am [number] [name]. I am the monitor of [installation name]."[35][36][37]

Guilty Spark aided humanity on several different occasions.

Some monitors were intrigued with other sentient species; Enduring Bias initially wished to study the Sangheili upon first encountering them.[38] 343 Guilty Spark sought to learn about the Covenant, and the history of the Sangheili race.[39] He also wished to interact with and learn about the occupants of a ship that crashed on Installation 04, but did not as protocol forbade it.[40] Some monitors made the conscious effort to respect their allies and adhere to their cultures and customs. Enduring Bias learned the societal traditions of the Sangheili and spoke with a male voice, knowing that it would gain him more respect among the species.[34] 343 Guilty Spark later followed the commands of his UNSC and Sangheili allies, and expressed his condolences to John-117 when his attached AI was in danger.[10] 031 Exuberant Witness expressed alarm at Cortana's plans to use the Guardians to enforce the Mantle and assisted Fireteam Osiris in rescuing Blue Team. She also expressed worry for Blue Team's safety when Cortana teleported Blue Team closer to her position as it would push the Warden Eternal beyond all restraint. Exuberant Witness expressed hope that together the Spartans could stop Cortana from enslaving the races of the galaxy.[9][33]

Monitors, like most forms of AI, are susceptible to rampancy.[41] After his defeat at the hands of a joint UNSC-Swords of Sanghelios force, 000 Tragic Solitude appeared to descend into a state of rampancy where he lost all reason and claimed that he had made the mistake of trusting "your kind" before, that "I am the Ark" and accusing everyone of betrayal.[29]

Similarly to a human "dumb" AI, monitors seem to have nearly limitless information of their own expertise, yet apparently lack information that does not pertain to their defined purpose. This is due to the compartmentalization protocols enacted by the Forerunners,[34] which intentionally limit a monitor's knowledge by design so that as little as possible would be divulged should it be captured by the Flood;[30] this measure became particularly essential after the widespread perpetuation of the parasite's logic plague. This data compartmentalization was most prominently demonstrated with 343 Guilty Spark, large portions of whose memories were erased or suppressed after his assignment to Installation 04.[42]

Roles[edit]

"I have now endured 60,000 years without word from outside the Array. I have no way to know whether we actually saved the galaxy we destroyed. And because of protocol I sat silently while my first chance to be judged for those acts died. To say that I regret being forced to this outcome is a tremendous understatement. But as I perform my inspection of the quarantine lab today, I am reminded of the gravity of my responsibilities."
— 343 Guilty Spark, referring to his requirement to follow protocol over personal desires[43]
2401 Penitent Tangent.
2401 Penitent Tangent.

Monitors were commonly given administrative roles within the Forerunner ecumene. Most prominently, monitors were tasked with servicing and maintaining the Halo installations and ensuring that the virulent Flood stay imprisoned. Beyond their most well-known function, monitors were assigned to a wide variety of tasks by the different Forerunner rates, ranging from robotic household servants to security,[44] combat support,[6] fleet coordination,[45] and duties involved with the Conservation Measure. Monitors also oversee the maintenance and function of many Forerunner facilities, including the Line installations. Monitors are extremely intelligent, yet are completely devoted to their original function; for example, monitors whose duties involve combating the Flood are zealous about containing the parasite, and have been known to turn violently on their allies if they should attempt to violate their containment protocols.

Each Halo installation has a single custodian monitor assigned to it, which oversees all operations on the ring. Line Installation 1-4 was overseen and maintained by a single monitor,[12] as was the Composer's Forge.[46] Numerous monitors were used to provide security for the Forerunners' Capital Court, though they were not essential to proceedings. Monitors were sometimes used in combat by Warrior-Servants,[6] and hundreds were used aboard Lifeworker ships involved with the Conservation Measure.[47] Monitors also served individual households.[48] The Warden was a monitor that served on the Capital that was used to both detain accused criminals and to defend them in court.[49]

Each Halo's monitor commands the Sentinels and other subsidiary defense and maintenance drones based on the installation they oversee.[50] However, despite their post as caretakers of their given facility, the Halo installation monitors do not have the authority to use all available defenses to engage outside threats.[51]

Known monitors and their assignments[edit]

049 Abject Testament, monitor of Installation 03.

Most known monitors are identified by a series of numbers followed by a name. The monitors of the Halo installations have identification numbers comprised of seven raised to the power of the Halo installation's number minus one (7n-1). The names appear to consist of an adjective describing a negative emotion followed by a technological term.[41] In Forerunner communication logs, Halo monitors are identified by their installation's number, a dash, and their own number; for example, 343 Guilty Spark, the monitor of Installation 04, is formally identified on such logs as "04-343."[52]

A list of adjutant submonitors can be found here.

Trivia[edit]

Language Equivalent
Flag of France.png
French 		Monitor in the Halo games.

Veilleur in the Halo novels.
Moniteur in Halo: Blood Line and Halo Wars 2.

Main-Superintendent.png Browse more images in this article's gallery page.

Gallery[edit]

List of appearances[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ This behavior may also have been due to 343 Guilty Spark's rampancy. The monitor may have been oblivious to all possible options that did not follow protocol—the Halo's activation may have been the only solution that ever even occurred to him—and he might have been willfully ignoring other solutions.

Sources[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Halo Waypoint: 343 Guilty Spark
  2. ^ a b Halo: Combat Evolved, campaign level 343 Guilty Spark
  3. ^ Halo: Warfleet – An Illustrated Guide to the Spacecraft of Halo - Glossary, page 90-91
  4. ^ Halo 2, campaign level The Oracle
  5. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 34 (Google Play edition)
  6. ^ a b c d e Halo: Cryptum, pages 255-256
  7. ^ a b Halo 2, campaign level Gravemind
  8. ^ a b c d e Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Terminal 2
  9. ^ a b c d Halo 5: Guardians, campaign level Genesis
  10. ^ a b c Halo 3, campaign level Floodgate
  11. ^ Halo: Escalation, Issue #10
  12. ^ a b Halo: Blood Line, Issue #2
  13. ^ Halo 2, multiplayer map Backwash
  14. ^ Halo Infinite, campaign mission Reformation: The Command Spire
  15. ^ Halo: The Flood, page 238
  16. ^ Halo: Primordium, page 314
  17. ^ Halo Waypoint: Catalog Interaction - Page 39
  18. ^ Conversations from the Universe, 343 Guilty Spark's Log
  19. ^ Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Terminal 4
  20. ^ Halo: Primordium, pages 32-33, 168
  21. ^ Halo: Primordium, page 368
  22. ^ Halo: Primordium, pages 377-378
  23. ^ Halo: Renegades
  24. ^ a b c Halo: Blood Line
  25. ^ Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Terminal 4
  26. ^ a b Halo 3, campaign level Halo
  27. ^ Halo: Primordium
  28. ^ Halo: Hunters in the Dark, page 334
  29. ^ a b Halo: Hunters in the Dark, pages 340-341
  30. ^ a b Halo 3, campaign level The Ark
  31. ^ Halo: Hunters in the Dark, pages 313-316
  32. ^ Halo: Hunters in the Dark, pages 324-325
  33. ^ a b Halo 5: Guardians, campaign level Guardians
  34. ^ a b c Halo: Broken Circle, page 93 (Google Play edition)
  35. ^ Halo: Combat Evolved, campaign level 343 Guilty Spark (343 Guilty Spark:"Greetings. I am the monitor of Installation 04. I am 343 Guilty Spark.")
  36. ^ Halo 2, campaign level Gravemind (2401 Penitent Tangent: "Greetings. I am 2401 Penitent Tangent. I am the monitor of Installation 05.")
  37. ^ Halo: Blood Line, Issue 2 (686 Ebullient Prism: "Greetings. I am the monitor of Line Installation 1-4. I am 686 Ebullient Prism.")
  38. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, pages 28-29 (Google Play edition)
  39. ^ Halo 2: Anniversary, Terminals
  40. ^ Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Terminal 5
  41. ^ a b Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition), page 267 (2011 edition)
  42. ^ Halo: Silentium, pages 314, 330
  43. ^ Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Terminal 6
  44. ^ Halo: Cryptum, page 291
  45. ^ Halo: Warfleet, page 6
  46. ^ Halo: Escalation, Issue #8
  47. ^ Halo: Silentium, page 27
  48. ^ Halo: Silentium, page 220
  49. ^ Halo: Cryptum, page 297
  50. ^ Halo: Combat Evolved
  51. ^ Halo: The Flood, Adjunct - 343 Guilty Spark's log (2010 edition)
  52. ^ Halo 3, Terminals
  53. ^ Halo: Hunters in the Dark, page 198 (Google Play edition)
  54. ^ Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 358
  55. ^ Halo 3 Legendary Edition, Essentials, Disc Two - Halo: Combat Evolved Cinematics Commentary
  56. ^ Halo.bungie.org: My writeup / tour of Waypoint. (NSF56k)
  57. ^ Halo Waypoint: Comic-Con Preview

v • d • e
 
The Forerunners

v • d • e
 
Halo Array
Arks
Senescent array
Gyre 01 • Gyre 02 • Gyre 03 • Gyre 04 • Gyre 05 • Gyre 06 • Gyre 07 • Gyre 08 • Gyre 09 • Gyre 10 • Gyre 11 • Gyre 12
Neoteric array
Other

v • d • e
 
Installation components

v • d • e
 
Other installations
Other megastructures
Other facilities
For a complete list, check out our Forerunner category.
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