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{{Ratings}}{{Era|H1|TF}}{{realworld}}
{{Title|''Halo: The Flood''}}
{{Book Info}}
{{Status|RealWorld}}
|name= Halo: The Flood
{{disambig header|the novel|other uses|Flood (disambiguation)}}
|image=Thefloodbook.jpg}         
{{Novel infobox
|Author= [[William C. Dietz]]                  
|name=''Halo: The Flood''
|Publisher= [[Del Rey Books]]
|variant=Original
|Date Released= April 1, 2003
|image=[[File:The Flood - 1st Edition Cover.jpg|300px]]
|Length= 352 Pages 
|author=[[William C. Dietz]]
|ISBN= 0345459210  
|cover artist=
|ISBN-13= 978-0345459213  
* [[Eddie Smith]] and [[Lorraine McLees]] with [[Juan Ramirez]] {{C|Original 2003 edition}}{{Ref/Site|URL=http://halo.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=news&cid=426|Site=Bungie.net|Page=More Flood Goodness|D=07|M=02|Y=2021}}
|Availability= Paperback
*[[Kenneth Scott]] {{C|2010 edition onwards}}
|US Price=$7.99
|illustrator=
|Can Price=$10.99
|editor=
|UK Price=£5.99
|audio=Todd McLaren
|Amazon=http://www.amazon.com/Flood-Halo-William-C-Dietz/dp/0345459210/ref=pd_bbs_2/104-2355391-8653531?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1174145895&sr=1-2
|publisher=[[Del Rey Books]]<br>[[Tor Books]] {{C|2010 edition}}
|Product Dimensions= 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
|publication=*April 1, 2003 {{C|Original}}
|Product Dimensions Metric=20.8 x 14 x 2.8 cm
*October 13, 2010 {{C|2010 edition}}
|Shipping Weight= 12 ounces
*March 19, 2019 {{C|2019 edition}}
|Shipping Mass= 341}}
|media=Print {{C|Paperback}}
|length=*352 pages {{C|Original}}
*386 pages {{C|2010 edition}}
*416 pages {{C|2019 edition}}
|ISBN=[[Special:BookSources/0345459210|0345459210]], [[Special:BookSources/978-0345459213|978-0345459213]], [[Special:BookSources/978-1982111632|978-1982111632]]
|series=[[The Original Series]]
|preceded=''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''
|followed=''[[Halo: First Strike]]''
|multiseries=
|notable=This novel is a novelization of ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''.
}}
'''Halo: The Flood''' is the novelization of ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' written by [[William C. Dietz]] following the events of the book ''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''. This novel attained the ''Publisher's Weekly'' bestsellers list during May 2003.<ref name=gamingage>[http://www.gaming-age.com/news/2003/5/2-15 '''Gaming Age''': ''Halo novel cracks bestseller'']</ref>


'''''Halo: The Flood''''' is the novelization of ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' written by [[William C. Dietz]], following the book ''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''. This novel attained the ''Publisher's Weekly'' bestsellers list during May 2003.<ref name=gamingage>{{cite web | last=Klepek | first=Patrick | date=May 5, 2003 | url=http://www.gaming-age.com/news/2003/5/2-15 | title= ''Halo'' novel cracks bestseller | accessdate=September 2 | accessyear=2006 }}</ref>  
The novel, along with ''The Fall of Reach'' and ''[[Halo: First Strike|First Strike]]'', was reissued in [[2010]] by [[Tor Books]], with the new version including some content updates.<ref>[http://kotaku.com/5543023/halo-novel-trilogy-to-be-republished-with-updates-new-content '''Kotaku''': ''Halo Novel Trilogy to be Republished with Updates, New Content'']</ref>


   
==Official summaries==
==Plot==


===Definitive Edition by Tor===
{{Article quote|Reach has fallen.
The Covenant war machine rages on.
Humanity's last hope lies with the crew of the Pillar of Autumn — the indomitable Captain Jacob Keyes, Staff Sergeant Avery Johnson, the AI Cortana, hundreds of fearless marines . . . and Spartan 117, Master Chief.
Having barely escaped the battle for Reach, the crew of the Pillar of Autumn is forced to make a jump into slipspace in hopes of evading the vast alien alliance hell-bent on wiping out humanity. But their destination brings them to an ancient mystery and an even greater struggle.
In this far-flung corner of the universe floats a magnificently massive artificial ringworld… a construct from a long lost race. The humans’ only hope of survival is to crash-land on its surface and take the battle against the Covenant to the ground.
But they soon discover that this enigmatic ring world is much more than it seems. Built 100,000 years ago by a civilization known as the Forerunners, this “Halo” is worshipped by the Covenant—a sacred artifact that they hope will complete their religious quest for supposed transcendence. They will stop at nothing to control it.
Engaged in a fierce ground battle, Master Chief and Cortana go deep into the Halo Construct to uncover a dark secret; this enigmatic ring world is also the universe’s most dangerous weapon. Its purpose: the destruction of all sentient life. For the Forerunners built the Halo to battle the universe’s most vicious enemy—a virtually unstoppable and suddenly reawakened force known as The Flood.}}
===2019 Gallery Books reprint===
{{Article quote|2552. Having barely escaped the final battle for Reach against the vast alien alliance known as the Covenant, the crew of the Pillar of Autumn, including Spartan John-117—the Master Chief—and his AI companion Cortana, is forced to make a desperate escape into slipspace. But their destination brings them to an ancient mystery and an even greater struggle. In this far-flung corner of the universe floats a magnificently massive, artificial ringworld. The crew’s only hope of survival is to crash-land on its surface and take the battle opposing the Covenant to the ground.
But they soon discover that this enigmatic ringworld is much more than it seems. Built one hundred thousand years ago by a long-lost civilization known as the Forerunners, this “Halo” is worshipped by the Covenant—a sacred artifact they hope will complete their religious quest for supposed transcendence, and they will stop at nothing to control it. Engaging in fierce combat, Master Chief and Cortana will go deep into the Halo construct and uncover its dark secret and true purpose—even as a monstrous and far more vicious enemy than the Covenant emerges to threaten all sentient life on Halo and the galaxy beyond…}}
==Plot synopsis==
{{Spoiler/begin}}
===Sections I to III===
===Sections I to III===
   
''Halo: The Flood'' takes place between September 19 and September 22, [[2552]]. It is based on the game ''Halo: Combat Evolved''. It begins as the [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] cruiser ''[[UNSC Pillar of Autumn|Pillar of Autumn]]'' is exiting [[Slipstream space|slipspace]] (on a randomized vector due to the [[Cole Protocol]]) after retreating from the fallen military base at [[Reach]]. The [[Smart AI|AI]] [[Cortana]]'s exit vector leads the ship to a system discovered when she decrypted Forerunner glyphs found by the [[John-117|Master Chief]] on [[Sigma Octanus IV]]. When the ''Pillar of Autumn'' drops out of slipspace, her crew encounters a massive ring-world in orbit around [[Threshold]], a gas giant. This ring-world is called [[Installation 04]], also known as Alpha Halo.
''Halo: The Flood'' takes place between September 19, [[2552]] and September 23, [[2552]] in the [[Halo Universe]]. Like the video game it is based on, it begins as the UNSC cruiser ''[[Pillar of Autumn]]'' exits slipspace after retreating from the fallen military base at [[Reach]]. [[Cortana]]'s exit vector had lead the ship to a system found when she had decrypted Forerunner glyphs found by the [[Master Chief]] on [[Sigma Octanus IV]]. When the ''Pillar of Autumn'' drops out of slipspace, she encounters a massive ringworld in orbit around a gas giant.
 
In the system, there is a [[Fleet of Particular Justice|host]] of [[Covenant]] ships, who notice the lone UNSC ship. [[Prophet of Stewardship|A Prophet]] forbids the fleet from firing on the ''Pillar of Autumn'', for fear of damaging the ring. Instead, the Covenant are willing to sacrifice more lives to board and capture the ship rather than blasting it to pieces. As a result, the ''Pillar of Autumn'' and her crew are able to destroy four Covenant ships, but not without being further crippled by the Covenant onslaught. Meanwhile, technicians on the ''Autumn'' prepare for battle and thaw out a single soldier from [[Cryo chamber|cryogenic sleep]]: the presumed last [[SPARTAN-II program|SPARTAN-II]], known as the Master Chief.
 
The Covenant proceed to take out the ''Autumn''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s defenses and board the ship. Deprived of defensive options, the ''Autumn''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s captain, [[Jacob Keyes]], initiates the Cole Protocol and orders the crew to abandon the ship. The Master Chief is entrusted with the AI Cortana; given the wealth of tactical information the [[artificial intelligence]] contains—force deployment, weapons research, and the location of Earth—Keyes cannot allow Cortana to fall into Covenant hands. The Chief fights through the Covenant invaders, reaches the last remaining lifeboat, and heads to the surface of the ring-world known as [[Halo]]. At the same time, a special contingent of [[Orbital Drop Shock Trooper]]s, or ODSTs, leave the ''Autumn'' via [[Single Occupant Exoatmospheric Insertion Vehicle|Human Entry Vehicles]]. On the surface of the ring, the ODST Commander, [[Antonio Silva|Major Antonio Silva]], and his second-in-command, [[Melissa McKay|Lieutenant Melissa McKay]], prepare to establish a ground base from where the human forces will launch their guerrilla resistance against the Covenant. Silva is aided by a Class C Military AI, [[Wellsley]], named after the Duke of Wellington, who advises them to capture a high butte.
 
Meanwhile, a Covenant [[Unggoy|Grunt]] named [[Yayap]] leads his squad into the ''Pillar of Autumn''. Extremely cautious and cowardly by nature, Yayap and his team decide to rescue a Covenant Special Operations [[Sangheili|Elite]] wounded by the Master Chief, rather than fight the humans. The five small aliens drag the black-armored Elite back to their craft and escape the deteriorating ''Autumn'' as it plunges towards the ring-world's atmosphere.
 
An [[Ossoona]] named Isna 'Nosolee manages to survive, using [[active camouflage]] to board Keyes' lifeboat after tracking him down in an attempt to take him hostage. However, the Captain spots him and shoots him with a Corporal's [[M6D magnum|M6D]] pistol. Isna's corpse later allows the Covenant to realize that they should capture Keyes. Keyes and his crew are forced to evade Covenant forces after they crash onto Halo. Finally, they are betrayed by [[Ellen Dowski|Ensign Ellen Dowski]]. Consequently, everyone including the Ensign is executed, save for the Captain, who is captured for interrogation aboard the ''[[Truth and Reconciliation]]''.
 
The Master Chief lands on Halo and helps rescue Marines from their lifeboats, while the ODSTs secure [[Alpha Base (Installation 04)|Alpha Base]] after a clash with Covenant forces. Yayap is rewarded for his rescue of the Elite, named [[Zuka 'Zamamee]], with the terribly dangerous assignment as the Elite's assistant.
 
The Master Chief and a squad of Marines board the ''Truth and Reconciliation'', rescuing the Captain. Keyes has learned that the ring-world they are on has vast significance to the Covenant (who believe that "Halo", as they call the ring, is a weapon of unimaginable power). Escaping from the Covenant cruiser, Keyes gives the Master Chief the mission of finding Halo's control room before the Covenant does. In the meantime, Zuka ’Zamamee and Yayap are given permission to hunt for the Master Chief but fail in their attempts. Meanwhile, Lieutenant McKay and her company assault the now Covenant-controlled ''Pillar of Autumn'' for supplies and vehicles.
 
Keyes, a squad of Marines, and Sergeant [[Avery Johnson|Johnson]] are dropped into a swamp in an effort to discover a weapons cache. The Marines take prisoner a disillusioned Elite named 'Qualomee, who claims to be delivering a shipment of weapons to a force guarding a structure. Pushing deep into the mysterious structure, the squad finds something unlike anything they have ever seen before: dead Covenant freakishly ripped open and scattered about. In a locked room, the squad discovers the cause of the fatalities: the [[Flood]]. These bulbous aliens attempt to latch themselves onto the Marines, and despite their fragility, the sheer number of the creatures overwhelm the soldiers, tapping into their nervous systems and taking over their bodies. One soldier, Private [[Wallace A. Jenkins]], is left still semi-conscious and painfully aware of his predicament. His [[pod infector]], weakened from hibernation, leaves him with a limited ability to control his movement and actions.
 
===Sections IV and V===
The Master Chief and Cortana discover the location of the [[Control Room]]. The Chief inserts Cortana into Halo's computer network. However, Cortana realizes that the ring isn't a weapon as they understood at all. Before the Chief can press her with questions, Cortana tells him to find the Captain, unaware that they are too late. The Master Chief is later dropped alone into the swamp where Keyes disappeared. Heading into the same structure, the Master Chief follows the subterranean passages down to the same room where Keyes and his men were attacked. He learns their fate via a recording from Jenkins' helmet cam and fights his way to the surface. There, he meets up with Marines and heads to a tower for evac. Suddenly, the Chief is teleported away from the swamp by Halo's resident AI: [[343 Guilty Spark]]. The Master Chief is informed that the creatures he has encountered are called the Flood, a virulent parasite that infects its enemies to produce more of itself. Guilty Spark wishes to use Halo's defenses to wipe out the Flood, but needs the Master Chief's help in recovering the "[[Activation Index|Index]]" from the installation, which allows the activation of the ring. Fighting more and more Flood, the Chief recovers the Index and is teleported back to Halo's control room.
 
Meanwhile, the UNSC forces of Alpha Base are forced to defend themselves from a surprise attack by Covenant forces who are attempting to kill the Master Chief, unaware that he is absent. After the failed attack, UNSC forces attempt to ambush a Covenant recovery team, but are interrupted by a Flood attack. Jenkins attempts to commit suicide by throwing himself into the line of fire, but is captured instead.
 
Back in the control room, Guilty Spark gives the Master Chief the Index to activate Halo, but the furious Cortana stops him. Cortana explains that Halo is a weapon, but it doesn't kill the Flood, it kills their food: humans, Covenant, and all other sentient life in the galaxy. Realizing that they must stop Guilty Spark from activating Halo, Cortana and the Master Chief decide to destroy Halo by detonating the crash-landed ''Pillar of Autumn''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s fusion reactors. To do this, they need Captain Keyes' [[Command neural interface|neural implants]] to activate the countdown. To slow Guilty Spark's progress, the pair overload three [[Phase pulse generator|generators]] that amplify Halo's weapon. In order to fire Halo, they would first need to be repaired. Cortana discovers the Captain is still alive: held prisoner once again aboard the ''Truth and Reconciliation'', now in the hands of the Flood, who are trying to escape Halo with the ship. The Chief fights Covenant and Flood and makes it to the Captain, but finds out he is too late; the Captain, after successfully resisting interrogation by the Flood, is now being transformed into a [[proto-Gravemind]]. The Chief retrieves the implants and leaves the ''Truth and Reconciliation'' for the ''Pillar of Autumn''.
 
===Section VI===
While the Chief and Cortana head to the ''Autumn'', Alpha Base is evacuated. Silva decides to retake the ''Truth and Reconciliation'' and pilot the ship away in order to avoid being on Halo when the ''Autumn'' blows. The ship is taken successfully, but McKay realizes that Silva is blinded by thoughts of promotion and glory instead of the danger of the Flood; ignoring Wellsley's objections, he fails to realize that if even one Flood specimen escaped containment on [[Earth]], the entire planet could fall. An engineer notifies McKay of a vital power line (should it be severed, the unregulated energy would destroy the ship). Jenkins, who is infected but still coherent, attempts to destroy the line, but falls short. Realizing that the destruction of the Flood is far more important than Silva's promotion, McKay cuts the cable by activating a [[M9 fragmentation grenade|frag grenade]], sending the ''Truth and Reconciliation'' crashing into Halo, nose first, killing everything aboard.
 
At the wrecked ''Autumn'', the Master Chief is forced to destabilize the fusion reactors manually as 343 Guilty Spark and his robotic [[Sentinel]]s try to stop them. On his way to the Engine Room, the Master Chief is nearly infected by the Flood, but Cortana saves him. Once the countdown until detonation has begun, Cortana radios for dropship evacuation, but Covenant aircraft shoot down the transport. A disgruntled Zuka 'Zamamee attempts to ambush the Chief, but is killed by a hail of grenades. Cortana directs the Chief to a [[GA-TL1 Longsword|Longsword Interceptor]] still docked in the ''Pillar of Autumn''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s hangar. Gunning the engines, the Chief and Cortana escape the ring just as the ''Autumn'' explodes, ending the threat of the Flood. Cortana scans for survivors and realizes that they are seemingly the only two who have survived. Cortana tells the Master Chief that the fight is finished, to which the Chief replies, "''No, the Covenant is still out there, and Earth is at risk. We're just getting started.''"
{{Spoiler/end}}
 
==Appearances==
{{Featurelist|secondcolumn=title-5|title-1=Characters|
;Artificial intelligence
*[[343 Guilty Spark]]
*[[Cortana]]
*[[Wellsley]] {{1st}}
 
;Human
*[[John-117]]
*[[R. Abiad]] {{1st}}
*[[Al-Thani]] {{1st}}
*[[Bisenti]] {{1st}}
*[[Tink Carter]] {{1st}}
*[[Corly]] {{1st}}
*[[Cullen]] {{1st}}
*[[Dalu]] {{1st}}
*[[Ellen Dowski]]
*[[Chips Dubbo]]
*[[M. Fitzgerald]] {{1st}}
*[[Frye]] {{1st}}
*[[Rick Hale]] {{1st}}
*[[Hall]] {{1st}}
*[[Aki Hikowa]]
*[[Hosky]] {{1st}}
*[[Wallace Jenkins]]
*[[Avery Johnson]]
*[["Snaky" Jones]] {{1st}}
*[[Kappus]] {{1st}}
*[[Jacob Keyes]]
*[[Lister (Marine)|Lister]]
*[[William Lovell]]
*[[Lovik]] {{1st}}
*[[McKenzie]]
*[[Samuel Marcus]]
*[[Melissa McKay]] {{1st}}
*[[Manuel Mendoza]] {{1st}}
*[[Marvin Mobuto]] {{1st}}
*[[Mary Murphy]] {{1st}}
*[[Oros]] {{1st}}
*[[Parker]] {{1st}}
*[[Pauley]] {{1st}}
*[[Peterson]] {{1st}}
*[[Gail Purdy]] {{1st}}
*[[Marie Postly]] {{1st}}
*[[Carol Rawley]]
*[[Riley]] {{1st}}
*[[Satha]] {{1st}}
*[[Thom Shephard]]
*[[Antonio Silva]] {{1st}}
*[[Singh]] {{1st}}
*[[Suzuki]] {{1st}}
*[[Valdez]] {{1st}}
*[[Waller]] {{1st}}
*[[Wilkins]] {{1st}}
*[[Yutrzenika]] {{1st}}
*[[Wang]] {{1st}}
 
;Sangheili
*[[Bako 'Ikaporamee]] {{1st}}
*[['Qualomee]] {{1st}}
*[[Soha 'Rolamee]] {{1st}}
*[[Noga 'Putumee]] {{1st}}
*[[Orna 'Fulsam]]ee {{1st}}
*[[Zuka 'Zamamee]] {{1st}}
 
;San'Shyuum
*[[Prophet of Stewardship]]
 
;Lekgolo
*[[Igido Nosa Hurru]] {{1st}}
*[[Ogada Nosa Fasu]] {{1st}}
 
;Unggoy
*[[Linglin]] {{1st}}
*[[Gagaw]] {{1st}}
*[[Yayap]] {{1st}}
 
;Kig-Yar
*[[Bok]] {{1st}}
*[[Jak]] {{1st}}
*[[Yeg]] {{1st}}
 
|title-2=Species|
*[[Flood]]
*[[Forerunner]] {{Mo}}
*[[Human]]
*[[Kig-Yar]]
*[[Mgalekgolo]]
*[[San'Shyuum]] {{1st}}
*[[Sangheili]]
*[[Unggoy]]
 
|title-3=Organizations|
*[[Covenant]]
**[[Covenant fleet]]
***[[Fleet of Particular Justice]]
****[[Council of Masters]] {{1st}}
**[[Covenant military]]
***[[Security Team 3]] {{1st}}
**[[High Council]] {{Fm}}
**[[Special Warfare Group]]
***[[Covenant Special Operations]]
***[[Fleet Security]]
*[[Unified Earth Government]]
**[[United Nations Space Command]]
****[[UNSC Marine Corps]]
*****[[Fire Team Charlie]]
*****[[Fireteam Zulu]]
*****[[Orbital Drop Shock Troopers]]
******[[105th Shock Troops Division]]
****[[UNSC Navy]]
*****[[23rd Naval Air Squadron]]
*****[[Naval Special Warfare]]
******[[ORION Project]]
******[[SPARTAN-II program]]
*****[[Office of Naval Intelligence]]
 
|title-4=Locations|
*[[Milky Way]]
**[[Charybdis system]] {{Fm}}
***[[Charybdis IX]] {{Fm}}
**[[Orion Arm]]
***[[Epsilon Eridani system]] {{Mo}}
****[[Reach]] {{Mo}}
***[[San'Shyuum home system]]
****[[Janjur Qom]] {{Mo}}
***[[Soell system]]
****[[Threshold]]
*****[[Installation 04]]
******[[Alpha Base (Installation 04)|Alpha Base]] {{1st}}
******[[Cartographer]]
******[[Control Room (Installation 04)|Control Room]]
******[[Flood research facility]]
******[[Library]]
*******[[Index chamber]]
******[[The Core]]
***[[Sol system]] {{Mo}}
****[[Earth]] {{Mo}}
***[[High Charity]] {{Mo}}
 
|title-5=Events|
*[[Human-Covenant War]]
**[[Fall of Reach]] {{Mo}}
**[[Battle of Installation 04]]
***[[Battle over Installation 04|Space Battle Over Installation 04]]
***[[Landing on Installation 04]]
***[[Raid on the Truth and Reconciliation]]
***[[Battle of the Silent Cartographer]]
***[[Raid on the Pillar of Autumn]] {{1st}}
***[[Outbreak at the Containment Facility]]
***[[Assault on the Control Room (conflict)|Assault on the Control Room]]
***[[Skirmish on Infinite Succor]] {{Mo}}
***[[Battle of Alpha Base]] {{1st}}
***[[Battle for the Truth and Reconciliation]]


In the system are a host of [[Covenant]], who notice the lone ship. A [[Prophet]] forbids the fleet to fire on the ''Pillar of Autumn'', for fear of damaging the ring. Instead, the Covenant are willing to sacrifice more lives in order to board and capture the ship rather than blasting the ship to pieces. As a result of this, the ''Pillar of Autumn'' and her crew are able to destroy four covenant ships without taking damage. Meanwhile, technicians on the ''Autumn'' are preparing for battle and thawing out a single soldier from cryogenic sleep, presumably the last [[SPARTAN-II]] known as the [[Master Chief]].
|title-6=Vehicles|
;Human
*Ship classifications
**{{Class|Halcyon|light cruiser}}
***{{UNSCShip|Pillar of Autumn}}
*Atmospheric/Exoatmospheric Craft
**[[Bumblebee]]
***[[Class-3 Bumblebee]]
****[[Lima Foxtrot Alpha 43]]
****[[Lima Foxtrot Alpha 19]]
****[[Kilo Tango Victor 17]]
**[[GA-TL1 Longsword]]
***[[C709 Longsword]]
**[[Pelican]]
***[[D77-TC Pelican]]
****''[[Bravo 022]]''
****''[[Charlie 217]]'' {{1st}}
****''[[Echo 136]]'' {{1st}}
****''[[Echo 206]]'' {{1st}}
****''[[Echo 419]]''
****''[[Victor 933]]''
**[[Drop pod]]
***[[Human Entry Vehicle]] {{1st}}
*Ground vehicles
**[[Powered exoskeleton]]
***[[HRUNTING Mark III (B) Exoskeleton]]
**[[Warthog]]
***[[M12 Chaingun Warthog]]
**[[Scorpion]]
***[[M808 Scorpion]]
****[[M808B Scorpion]]


The Covenant proceed to take out the ''[[Pillar of Autumn|Autumn's]]'' defenses and board the ship. Deprived of defensive options, the ''[[Pillar of Autumn|Autumn's]]'' captain, [[Jacob Keyes]], initiates the [[Cole Protocol]] and tells the crew to abandon the ship. The [[Master Chief]] is entrusted with the A.I. [[Cortana]]; given the wealth of tactical information the [[A.I.]] contains,(force deployment, weapons research,and the location of Earth) Keyes cannot allow Cortana to fall into Covenant hands. [6] The Chief fights through the Covenant invaders, reaches the last remaining lifeboat, and heads to the surface of the ringworld known as Halo. At the same time, a special contingent of [[Orbital Drop Shock Trooper]]s, or ODSTs, leave the Autumn by "Human Entry Vehicles", which rocket the ODSTs to the surface. On the ground, the ODST Commander, [[Major Antonio Silva]] and his second-in-command, [[Melissa McKay]], prepare to establish a ground base from where the human forces will launch their guerrilla resistance against the Covenant. Silva is aided by a Class C Military A.I. named [[Wellsley]], an A.I. who thought he was The Duke of Wellington to prepare to take a tall butte from the [[Covenant]].
;Covenant
*Ship classifications
**{{Pattern|Ket|battlecruiser}}
***''[[Truth and Reconciliation]]''
*Atmospheric/Exoatmospheric Craft
**[[Seraph]]
**[[Spirit]]
***{{Pattern|Dextro Xur|Spirit}}
**[[Banshee]]
***[[Type-26 Banshee]]
**{{Pattern|Brhi Xur|Leech}}
*Ground vehicles
**[[Ghost]]
***{{Pattern|Karo'etba|Ghost}}
**[[Wraith]]
***{{Pattern|Zurdo|Wraith}}


Meanwhile, a Covenant [[Grunt]] named [[Yayap]] leads his squad into the ''Pillar of Autumn''. Extremely cautious and cowardly by nature, Yayap and his team decide to rescue a Covenant Special Operations [[Elite]] wounded by the Master Chief, rather than fight the humans. The five small aliens drag the black-armored Elite back to their craft and escape the deteriorating ''Autumn'' as it plunges towards the ringworld's atmosphere.
|title-7=Weapons|
;Human
*[[Archer missile]]
*[[Combat knife]]
*[[M19 surface-to-surface missile]]
*[[M41 rocket launcher]]
*[[M41 Vulcan]]
*[[M6D magnum]]
*[[M9 fragmentation grenade]]
*[[M90 shotgun]]
*[[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon]]
*[[Point-defense gun]]
**[[M910 point defense network]] {{1st}}
*[[Rifle]]
**[[Assault rifle]]
***[[MA5 series]]
****[[MA5B assault rifle]]
**[[SRS99 series]]
***[[SRS99C-S2 AM sniper rifle]]


An [[Ossoona]] by the name of Isna 'Nosolee manages to board a lifeboat after tracking Keyes down to take him hostage. However, the Captain sees him and shoots him with the corporal's M6D pistol. Isna's corpse later allows the Covenant to realize that they should capture Keyes. Keyes and his crew are forced to evade Covenant forces as they crash onto the [[Halo]]. Finally, they are betrayed by  [[Ensign Ellen Dowski]]. Consequently, everyone, including the Ensign, is executed, save the Captain, whom is held for capture and interrogation aboard the ''[[Truth and Reconciliation]]''.
;Covenant
*[[Antimatter charge]]
*[[Assault cannon]]
*{{Pattern|Riruku|antimatter charge}} {{1st}}
*[[Energy garrote]] {{1st}}
*[[Energy projector]]
*[[Heavy plasma cannon]]
*[[Plasma mortar]]
*[[Plasma turret]]
*[[Type-1 energy sword]]
*{{Pattern|Anskum|plasma grenade}}
*[[Type-25 plasma pistol]]
*{{Pattern|Okarda'phaa|plasma rifle}}
*{{Pattern|Mamua'uda|Shade}}
*[[Type-33 Needler]]


The [[Master Chief]] lands on Halo and helps rescue Marines from their lifeboats. The ODSTs secure [[Alpha Base]] after a clash with Covenant forces. Yayap is rewarded for his rescue of the Elite, [[Zuka 'Zamamee]], with a terribly dangerous assignment as the Elite's assistant.
;Forerunner
*[[Sentinel beam]]


The Master Chief and a squad of Marines board the ''[[Truth and Reconciliation]]'', rescuing the captain. Keyes has learned that the ringworld they are on has vast significance to the Covenant- they believe that "Halo", as they call the ring, is a weapon of unimaginable power. Escaping from the Covenant cruiser, Keyes gives the Master Chief the mission of finding the Control Room of Halo before the Covenant does. Meanwhile, Zuka ’Zamamee and Yayap are given permission to hunt for the Master Chief, but fails in several assassination attempts.
|title-8= Equipment and Technology|
;Covenant
*[[Active camouflage]]
*[[Boosted gravity propulsion drive]]
*[[Covenant work light]]
*[[DNA slot]] {{1st}}
*[[Energy shielding]]
**[[Kig-Yar point defense gauntlet]]
**[[Sangheili personal energy shield]]
*[[Gravity cart]] {{1st}}
*[[Identity disk]] {{1st}}
*[[Methane tank]]
*[[Sangheili harness]]
**[[Combat harness]]
*[[Unggoy combat harness]]


Meanwhile, Keyes, along with a squad of Marines, are dropped into a swamp in an effort to discover a weapons cache. Pushing deeper into a mysterious structure, the squad finds nothing like they have seen before. Dead Covenant freakishly ripped open and scattered about.  In a locked room, the squad discovers the cause of the fatalities - the [[Flood]]. These bulbous aliens attempt to latch themselves onto the Marines. Despite being fragile, the sheer number of the creatures overwhelm all the soldiers, tapping into their nervous systems and taking over their bodies. One soldier, Private [[Wallace A. Jenkins]], is left still semi-conscious and painfully aware of his predicament, unable to control his movement or actions.
;Forerunner
*[[Ancilla]]
*[[Activation index]]
*[[Beacon tower]]
*[[Combat skin]] {{Mo}}
*[[Halo Array]]
*[[Light bridge]]
*[[Monitor]]
*[[Sentinel]]
**[[Aggressor Sentinel]]
*[[Teleportation grid]]


===Sections IV to V===
;Human
*[[Armored matrix]] {{1st}}
*[[Artificial intelligence]]
**[[Avatar]]
**[[Smart AI]]
*[[Biofoam]]
*[[CH252 helmet]]
*[[Command neural interface]]
*[[Cryo chamber]]
*[[Data crystal chip]]
*[[Energy shielding]]
*[[Energy shield test station]]
*[[Fusion drive]]
*[[Fusion reactor]]
*[[Helmet recorder]]
*[[Holotank]]
*[[M4 field disk]]
*[[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor]]
*[[Navigation point]]
*[[ODST armor]]
*[[Riemann matrix]]
*[[Rucksack]]
*[[Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine]]
*[[Spartan neural interface]]
*[[Spoofer]]
*[[VZG7 armored boots]]
*[[Weapon attachments]]
**[[Flashlight]]
**[[Muzzle brake]]
**[[Telescopic sight]]


The [[Master Chief]] and [[Cortana]] discover the location of the [[Control Room]]. The Chief then inserts Cortana into Halo's computer network. However Cortana realizes that the ring isn't a weapon as they understood at all-however, before the Chief can press her with questions, Cortana tells the Master Chief to find the Captain, unaware that they are too late. The [[Master Chief]] is dropped alone into the swamp where Keyes disappeared. Heading into the same structure, the Master Chief follows the subterranean passages down to the same room where Keyes and his men were attacked. He finds out their fate through a recording and fights to the surface. There, he meets up with marines and heads to a tower. Suddenly, the Chief is teleported away from the swamp by Halo's resident A.I., [[343 Guilty Spark]]. The Master Chief is informed that the creatures he has encountered are called the [[Flood]], a virulent parasite that infects its enemies to produce more of itself. Guilty Spark wishes to activate Halo's defenses to wipe out the Flood, but needs the Master Chief's help in recovering The "Index" to the installation, which allows the activation of the ring. Fighting more and more [[Flood]], the Chief recovers the Index and is teleported back to Halo's control room.
;Miscellaneous
*[[Artificial gravity]]
*[[Electromagnetic pulse]]
*[[Emergency lighting]]
*[[Guidance lock]]
*[[VTOL]]
}}


Meanwhile, the [[UNSC]] forces of [[Alpha Base]] are forced to defend themselves not just from [[Covenant]], but from the new arrival of the [[Flood]]. One of the Flood that ambushes the Marines is the form of Jenkins, who wrests control of his body back from the Flood infection in an effort to throw himself into the line of fire. McKay instead captures Jenkins in order to study the new enemies.
==2010 bonus content==
The Tor Books edition of ''The Flood'' features a new "Adjunct" section at the end, which features several pieces of short fiction:
*A [[Priority Broadcast Log/Eleventh Cycle, Third Unit|priority broadcast log]] of the activities of the [[Fleet of Particular Justice]] during the [[Battle of Installation 04]], sent to [[Lak 'Vadamee]] by [[Thel 'Vadam]]ee.
*[[Entry 47-2396/10763|An audio transcript]] of an emergency broadcast recorded by a panicked Flood survivor on Alpha Halo, heavily redacted and under analysis by ONI.
*"Hunger", a poem depicting the thought process of a Flood victim, on Installation 04, in the process of transformation.
*Excerpts from the journal of Zuka 'Zamamee while aboard the ''Truth and Reconciliation''.
*A private status report by 343 Guilty Spark after the outbreak of the Flood on Alpha Halo.
*A status report filed by the [[Librarian]] on the progress of her categorization of life on [[Earth]], presented as a [[Terminal]] transcript.


Back in the Control Room, Guilty Spark gives the Master Chief the [[Index]] to activate Halo, but is stopped by a furious Cortana. Cortana explains that Halo is a weapon, but it doesn't kill the Flood - it kills their food, meaning humans, Covenant, and any other sentient life. Realizing that they have to stop Guilty Spark from activating Halo, Cortana and the Master Chief decide to destroy Halo by detonating the crash-landed ''Pillar of Autumn'''s fusion reactors. In order to do this, they need Captain Keyes' neural implants to activate the countdown. Cortana discovers the Captain is still alive, held prisoner once again aboard the ''Truth and Reconciliation'', now in the hands of the Flood who are trying to escape Halo with the ship. The Chief fights Covenant and Flood to the Captain, but finds out he is too late, the Captain, after successfully resisting an interrogation by the Flood, has been assimilated into the parasite. The Chief retrieves the implants and leaves the ''Truth and Reconcilitation'' for the ''Autumn''.
===Adjunct-exclusive appearances===
{{Featurelist|secondcolumn=title-5
|title-1=Characters|
;Forerunner
*[[Librarian]]


===Section VI===
;Human
*[[Unidentified private]] {{1st}}
 
;San'shyuum
*[[Minister of Etiology]] {{Mo}}
 
;Sangheili
*[[Thel 'Vadam]]ee {{Mo}}
*[[Rtas 'Vadum]]ee {{Mo}}
*[[Sesa 'Refumee]] {{Mo}}
*[[Loka 'Bandolee]] {{Mo}}
*[[Lak 'Vadamee]] {{Mo}}
 
|title-2=Species|
 
|title-3=Organizations|
 
|title-4=Locations|
*[[Milky Way]]
**[[Soell system]]
***[[Threshold]]
****[[Threshold gas mine]] {{Mo}}
 
|title-5=Events|
 
|title-6=Weapons|


While the Chief and Cortana head to the ''Autumn'', [[Alpha Base]] is evacuated. Silva decides to retake the ''Truth and Reconciliation'' and pilot the ship away in order to avoid being on Halo when the ''Autumn'' blows. The ship is taken successfully, but McKay realizes that Silva is blinded by the thought of promotion and glory to the danger of the [[Flood]]; if even one Flood specimen escaped containment on [[Earth]], the entire planet could fall. Jenkins draws McKay's attention to a vital energy line on the ship, and realizing that the destruction of the Flood is far more important then Silva's promotion, cuts the cable, sending the ''Truth and Reconciliation'' crashing into Halo, killing all aboard.
|title-7=Vehicles|
**{{Pattern|Ruma|light carrier}}
***''[[Ascendant Justice]]''
**{{Pattern|Mjern|agricultural support ship}}
***''[[Infinite Succor]]'' {{Mo}}
|title-8=Technology and equipment|


At the ''Autumn'', the [[Master Chief]] is forced to destabilize the fusion reactors manually as [[343 Guilty Spark]] and his robotic [[Sentinels]] try to stop them. Once the countdown until detonation has begun, Cortana radios for dropship evacuation, but the transport is shot down by Covenant aircraft. [[Zuka 'Zamamee]] attempts to ambush the Chief, but is killed by a hail of grenades. Seeking other options, Cortana directs the Chief to a [[Longsword Interceptor]] still docked in the ''Pillar of Autumn'' hangar. Gunning the engines, the Chief and Cortana escape the ring just as the ''Autumn'' explodes, ending the threat of the [[Flood]]. Cortana scans for survivors and realizes that they are seemingly the only two who have survived. Cortana tells the Master Chief that the fight is finished, to which the Chief replies, "''No, I think we're just getting started.''"
}}


==Criticism==
==Production==
There have been many criticisms of the book, many times ultimately due to the fact that William Dietz did not incorporate ideas into his story that were developed by [[Eric Nylund]] in ''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'' and continued in ''[[Halo: First Strike]]''.  
[[William C. Dietz]] was originally reluctant to accept this work because of two main reasons. First, he had no prior knowledge of ''Halo''. Second, [[Bungie]] and [[:Wikipedia:Random House|Random House]] (the parent company of [[Del Rey Books]]) gave him only ten weeks to write the novel, while Dietz would usually take six months to write a book. He nevertheless changed his mind after checking ''Halo'''s popularity at his local videogame store, and after his agent negotiated a good pay because of the counterproductive delay. He was also confident in this kind of work, as he had already written the [[starwars:Dark Forces (novellas)|Dark Forces trilogy]] for ''Star Wars''.<ref name="Hfr">'''[[Halo.fr]]''': [https://www.halo.fr/news/11104/interview-exclusive-william-c-dietz/ ''(Interview Exclusive) William C. Dietz''] (French)</ref>


Some fans generally have a powerful dislike for this particular novel stating that the Dietz's characterization of the [[Master Chief]] was too drastically changed from Eric Nylund's written portrayal of the character. The Chief, previously portrayed as a carefully guarded person, smiles freely and generally acts less like the [[Spartans]] did in the first book. In addition, many of the futuristic elements of [[Halo]] were conflicted, with the mentioning of [[MRE]]s, [[Dog Tag]]s, and the [[Marine Corps]] motto, ''Semper Fi''. Dietz's portrayal of the [[UNSC]] Marines is more akin to the current [[Wikipedia:United States Marine Corps|United States Marine Corps]], with little regard for any social evolution that would have taken place over approximately 500 years (it has been compared to describing modern soldiers using conventions of the musketeers). While some point out that in the earlier book [[Eric Nylund]] showed again and again that the [[Master Chief]]'s abduction and replacement with a flash clone had been top secret, while in the book it shows that not only do Major Silva and Lieutenant McKay know of that "secret", but that [[Captain Keyes]] divulges this information freely, the exact opposite of what he does in ''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''; Dietz explains that the UNSC made public the SPARTAN program (or most of it) in order to boost troop morale.
Before he started the writing, Dietz played ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' several times, and he took the time to write notes and copy down some dialogues. He came to love ''Halo'' to the point that he still plays the game from time to time, more than a decade later. He also read ''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', considering that the universe had already been firmly established (e.g.: the character of the [[John-117|Master Chief]]). The author worked closely with Bungie, who wanted to make sure the book would fit their universe. They had an e-mail correspondence, and Dietz would also come to the studio as he lived close to Bungie.{{Ref/Reuse|Hfr}}


Further criticism around the book is focused on inconsistencies with details presented in the game. For example, in the book, Master Chief faces [[Jackals]] on the ''[[Pillar of Autumn]]''. While in the game, he only faces [[Elites]] and [[Grunts]].  
It was Dietz who asked for the permission to include additional stories and characters that were not in the original game—especially the [[Covenant]] side—as it would make the book more appealing for readers who already knew the game's story. Bungie were reluctant as they did not want these new characters to be "imposed" on them, though they eventually accepted these additions as the characters would die at the end of the novel. Dietz was satisfied with the choices and compromises, as he felt it was a good deal for a contracted work. Ironically, ''[[Halo 2]]'' would later explore more deeply the Covenant side of the universe.{{Ref/Reuse|Hfr}}


However the book contains almost all of the dialog from the game, word for word, effectively making it a book version of the game. ''Halo: The Flood'' is also acknowledged for explaining what happened to the UNSC personnel and Marines on Halo. In the game, the fate of the humans is not mentioned. Up to the [[Library (Level)|Index level]], the player generally knows that the Marines regrouped somewhere, and have staged a resistance against the Covenant. In the book, it is descriptively explained how the Marines acquired a base, successfully got human vehicles from the ''Pillar of Autumn'', and how they managed to fight the Covenant without the Master Chief.  
==Reception==
Reception for ''Halo: The Flood'' was generally mixed, with most criticism about Dietz's characterization of [[John-117|Master Chief]]. Some commented on the fact that the storyline did not separate itself from the game too well, which made it less exciting, as it was made more predictable.<ref>[http://the-junkyard.net/reviews.php?action=viewreview&id=28 '''The Junkyard''': ''Reviews'']</ref> It was also said that the book was like the game in that it "ground down to meaningless repetition of gunning down bad guys," saying that the repetition of it would bore readers.<ref>[http://joshcarter.com/reading_list/halo_the_flood '''Josh Carter''': ''Halo: The Flood'']</ref> Another commented that Dietz's writing was not as good as Nylund's, saying it was detailed, but redundant.<ref>[http://www.talkingaboutgames.com/reviews/xbox360/1448-review-qthe-floodq-halo-audiobook '''Talking About Games''': ''Halo: The Flood Review'']</ref> However, others praised it, saying "it fulfills its duty and elaborates on the major plot points and subtleties in ways the game never could".<ref>[http://halo.ugo.com/?cur=the-flood '''Halo.ugo''': ''The Flood'']</ref>


Furthermore, the book also tells us how the entire battalion of surviving Marines dealt with [[the Flood]] and how they attempted to escape Halo. The book finally completes their ill fate when Lieutenant McKay intentionally destroys their escape ship, which is the ''[[Truth & Reconciliation]]'' in order to stop the Flood from spreading to [[Earth]]. It should also be noted that in-game the ship you board in the level Keyes has a different design to the ''Truth and Reconciliation''.
[[343 Industries]] Franchise Development Director [[Frank O'Connor]] has addressed some of the criticisms against the novel, referring to it as the "odd one out" of the novels and stating that the perceived flaws in the narrative are a result of adapting the story from a game to a novel. In addition, he mentioned that Dietz was forced to work with a far tighter schedule than that of Eric Nylund when writing ''The Fall of Reach''.<ref>[http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/intel/related/video/part-2/d29f7088-6280-47f1-a8cc-41e04883fb6d '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Greg Bear Talks Halo: Cryptum'']</ref>


==Trivia==
==Trivia==
[[Image:Floodcover2.jpg|thumb|The original cover of the novel]]
*On the original cover, the Banshees flying overhead have their covers up, meaning they have no pilots. The same is true of the cover of ''Halo: Combat Evolved''.
*If you look at the left side of the cover, you can see a part of a [[Flood]] [[Combat Form]]'s [[Human]] face. This is supposedly [[Jacob Keyes|Captain Keyes]] or [[Mendoza]].
*The original finalized cover is remarkably similar to that of iD Software's ''[[wikipedia:Doom (video game)|Doom]]''. Both depict the main character gunning down hordes of enemies against a reddish background.<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Doom-boxart.jpg '''Wikipedia''': ''Doom box artwork'']</ref>
*On the front cover of the book the light on the [[Chief]]'s chest armor is on the right side. In the game however, it is on the left.
*[[Kenneth Scott]] created the cover art used for the 2010 edition of the novel, and it has been reused for every edition since.
*On page 14, a tremendous hurricane is described to be forming over an ocean in [[Halo]]. This is highly improbable as tropical cyclones consolidate due to the presence of the Coriolis force (objects on Halo would not experience this as the Halo's surface is always perpendicular to it's plane of rotation). A possible argument would be that [[Forerunner]] technology had somehow managed to replicate the Coriolis effect.
*The 2010 reissue cover depicts what is meant to be the [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark V|MJOLNIR Mark V]] armor, although it does not follow any established iteration of the Mark V, instead being a mix of features from the various depictions of [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark IV|MJOLNIR Mark IV]], Mark V and [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark VI|Mark VI]]. He is also dual-wielding M7 submachine guns. Neither the M7 nor dual-wielding appear in the game or the novel.
*On page 165, Dietz writes, "''The 102mm shaped charge exploded against the very center of the [[Hunter]]'s chest armor...and severed his spine.''" This is odd, considering Hunters are made of [[Lekgolo]] worms and do not have spines. Page 106 also has a reference to a spine. It may refer to an artificial spine, part of the Hunter's own armor, used as a means of vertical support, viewable in ''[[Halo 3]]'' Hunters. Or he could have just been using the metaphore to explane how heavy the impact of the rocket was on the hunters body.
*As the novel was written before many of the Covenant's beliefs were further detailed in ''[[Halo 2]]'', it bears several discrepancies with later material. For example, the Covenant show no particular reverence toward [[343 Guilty Spark]] and the [[Aggressor Sentinel|Sentinels]], and regard them as enemies;<ref>'''Halo: The Flood''', ''page 319'' (2003 edition)</ref> ''Halo 2'' later established that the Sentinels are revered by the Covenant as "holy warriors of the sacred rings" while monitors are among the holiest of Forerunner creations as "Oracles".<ref>'''Halo 2''', campaign levels ''[[The Arbiter]]'' and ''[[The Oracle]]''</ref> In addition, John-117 or the other Spartans are never referred to by the epithet "Demon" and are discussed with more pragmatic terms by the Covenant, although their battlefield prowess and high kill counts are acknowledged. However, the later-established nomenclature is used in the ''Adjunct'' section of the 2010 edition, such as 'Zamamee's journal entries.
*In the book it is said many times that the [[Master Chief]] is the only [[SPARTAN]] left when there are actually still some alive, although this is unknown to the [[Master Chief]] and other [[UNSC]] personnel at the time.
*''Halo: The Flood'' also tells the [[Covenant]] side of the story, largely from [[Zuka 'Zamamee]] and [[Yayap]]'s views, though occasionally through the eyes of [[Orna 'Fulsamee|other]] [[Noga 'Putumee|characters]].
*This is the only time ever mentioned (besides in the beginning of ''[[Halo: First Strike]]'') that the Chief was almost infected when a [[Combat Form]] attacked him with a wrench and an [[Infection Form]] jumped on him and attempted to infect him. He was saved only by Cortana's quick thinking.
*The reactors have the same shielding as does ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'', but minor differences are noted in the way the design is.
*876-544-321 is the serial number that belongs to Pelican pilot [[Rick Hale]] whose pelican crashed in a swamp after it escaped the ''Pillar of Autumn'' and was later captured by Elites who use the pelican to infiltrate the marine base.
*On the cover page, the picture of the Chief fighting the [[Flood]] is slightly off, as the helmet is stretched too much vertically.
*[[Master Sergeant]] [[Lister]], a male ODST, is referred to as "she" twice during the raid of the ''[[Truth and Reconciliation]]''. For example, "She sighed and said..."
*On the cover of the book, Master Chief's armor is yellow insted of green, however this may not be a mistake, as there is some light to the top left,which is most likely a sun.
*Yayap is the first known grunt to become an honnorary jackal.


==References==
==Gallery==
<references/>
===Cover art artwork===
<gallery>
File:HTF Original Cover Art Illustration.jpg|Stylized version of the original cover art.
File:HTF Logoless CoverArt.jpg|The full original cover art for the novel.
File:HTF Logo CoverArt.jpg|The full original cover art for the novel, with logo.
File:TF_2010.png|2010 cover art of the novel.
</gallery>


{{Books}}
===Edition covers===
<gallery>
File:Floodcover2.jpg|Pre-release cover.
File:The Flood - 1st Edition Cover.jpg|2003 edition
File:The Flood CVR.jpg|2010 edition.
File:HTF 2011 Cover.jpg|2011 edition.
File:Halo The Flood 2019 cover.jpg|2019 edition.
</gallery>


[[Category:Books|Flood]]
===2010 edition artwork drafts===
<gallery>
File:TheFlood Invasion.jpg|2010 edition art for Part I - Invasion.
File:TheFlood Grasp.jpg|2010 edition art for Part II - Grasp.
File:TheFlood_Eradication.jpg|2010 edition art for Part III - Eradication.
File:TheFlood Engulfed.jpg|2010 edition art for Part IV - Engulfed.
File:TheFlood Posession.jpg|2010 edition art for Part V - Possession.
File:TheFlood Aftermath.jpg|2010 edition art for Part VI - Aftermath.
</gallery>
 
===Other===
<gallery>
File:The Flood - All Cover 2010.jpg|2010 edition jacket.
File:HTF Back 2019.jpg|Back cover of the 2019 edition.
</gallery>
 
==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}
 
==See also==
*[[List of rectified inconsistencies in the Halo series#Halo: The Flood|List of changes in Halo novel reprints]]
 
{{Navbox/Media/Novels}}
[[Category:Novels|Flood]]
[[Category:Canon|Flood]]
[[Category:Canon|Flood]]
[[ja:Halo: The Flood]]

Latest revision as of 09:46, August 8, 2024

This article is about the novel. For other uses, see Flood (disambiguation).
Halo: The Flood
The Flood - 1st Edition Cover.jpg
Attribution information

Author(s):

William C. Dietz

Cover artist(s):

Audio book narrator(s):

Todd McLaren

Publication information

Publisher:

Del Rey Books
Tor Books (2010 edition)

Publication date:

  • April 1, 2003 (Original)
  • October 13, 2010 (2010 edition)
  • March 19, 2019 (2019 edition)

Media type:

Print (Paperback)

Pages:

  • 352 pages (Original)
  • 386 pages (2010 edition)
  • 416 pages (2019 edition)

ISBN:

0345459210, 978-0345459213, 978-1982111632

Series information

Series:

The Original Series

Other information

Notable info:

This novel is a novelization of Halo: Combat Evolved.

 

Halo: The Flood is the novelization of Halo: Combat Evolved written by William C. Dietz following the events of the book Halo: The Fall of Reach. This novel attained the Publisher's Weekly bestsellers list during May 2003.[2]

The novel, along with The Fall of Reach and First Strike, was reissued in 2010 by Tor Books, with the new version including some content updates.[3]

Official summaries[edit]

Definitive Edition by Tor[edit]

“ Reach has fallen.

The Covenant war machine rages on.

Humanity's last hope lies with the crew of the Pillar of Autumn — the indomitable Captain Jacob Keyes, Staff Sergeant Avery Johnson, the AI Cortana, hundreds of fearless marines . . . and Spartan 117, Master Chief.

Having barely escaped the battle for Reach, the crew of the Pillar of Autumn is forced to make a jump into slipspace in hopes of evading the vast alien alliance hell-bent on wiping out humanity. But their destination brings them to an ancient mystery and an even greater struggle.

In this far-flung corner of the universe floats a magnificently massive artificial ringworld… a construct from a long lost race. The humans’ only hope of survival is to crash-land on its surface and take the battle against the Covenant to the ground.

But they soon discover that this enigmatic ring world is much more than it seems. Built 100,000 years ago by a civilization known as the Forerunners, this “Halo” is worshipped by the Covenant—a sacred artifact that they hope will complete their religious quest for supposed transcendence. They will stop at nothing to control it.

Engaged in a fierce ground battle, Master Chief and Cortana go deep into the Halo Construct to uncover a dark secret; this enigmatic ring world is also the universe’s most dangerous weapon. Its purpose: the destruction of all sentient life. For the Forerunners built the Halo to battle the universe’s most vicious enemy—a virtually unstoppable and suddenly reawakened force known as The Flood.

”

2019 Gallery Books reprint[edit]

“ 2552. Having barely escaped the final battle for Reach against the vast alien alliance known as the Covenant, the crew of the Pillar of Autumn, including Spartan John-117—the Master Chief—and his AI companion Cortana, is forced to make a desperate escape into slipspace. But their destination brings them to an ancient mystery and an even greater struggle. In this far-flung corner of the universe floats a magnificently massive, artificial ringworld. The crew’s only hope of survival is to crash-land on its surface and take the battle opposing the Covenant to the ground.

But they soon discover that this enigmatic ringworld is much more than it seems. Built one hundred thousand years ago by a long-lost civilization known as the Forerunners, this “Halo” is worshipped by the Covenant—a sacred artifact they hope will complete their religious quest for supposed transcendence, and they will stop at nothing to control it. Engaging in fierce combat, Master Chief and Cortana will go deep into the Halo construct and uncover its dark secret and true purpose—even as a monstrous and far more vicious enemy than the Covenant emerges to threaten all sentient life on Halo and the galaxy beyond…

”

Plot synopsis[edit]

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Sections I to III[edit]

Halo: The Flood takes place between September 19 and September 22, 2552. It is based on the game Halo: Combat Evolved. It begins as the UNSC cruiser Pillar of Autumn is exiting slipspace (on a randomized vector due to the Cole Protocol) after retreating from the fallen military base at Reach. The AI Cortana's exit vector leads the ship to a system discovered when she decrypted Forerunner glyphs found by the Master Chief on Sigma Octanus IV. When the Pillar of Autumn drops out of slipspace, her crew encounters a massive ring-world in orbit around Threshold, a gas giant. This ring-world is called Installation 04, also known as Alpha Halo.

In the system, there is a host of Covenant ships, who notice the lone UNSC ship. A Prophet forbids the fleet from firing on the Pillar of Autumn, for fear of damaging the ring. Instead, the Covenant are willing to sacrifice more lives to board and capture the ship rather than blasting it to pieces. As a result, the Pillar of Autumn and her crew are able to destroy four Covenant ships, but not without being further crippled by the Covenant onslaught. Meanwhile, technicians on the Autumn prepare for battle and thaw out a single soldier from cryogenic sleep: the presumed last SPARTAN-II, known as the Master Chief.

The Covenant proceed to take out the Autumn's defenses and board the ship. Deprived of defensive options, the Autumn's captain, Jacob Keyes, initiates the Cole Protocol and orders the crew to abandon the ship. The Master Chief is entrusted with the AI Cortana; given the wealth of tactical information the artificial intelligence contains—force deployment, weapons research, and the location of Earth—Keyes cannot allow Cortana to fall into Covenant hands. The Chief fights through the Covenant invaders, reaches the last remaining lifeboat, and heads to the surface of the ring-world known as Halo. At the same time, a special contingent of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, or ODSTs, leave the Autumn via Human Entry Vehicles. On the surface of the ring, the ODST Commander, Major Antonio Silva, and his second-in-command, Lieutenant Melissa McKay, prepare to establish a ground base from where the human forces will launch their guerrilla resistance against the Covenant. Silva is aided by a Class C Military AI, Wellsley, named after the Duke of Wellington, who advises them to capture a high butte.

Meanwhile, a Covenant Grunt named Yayap leads his squad into the Pillar of Autumn. Extremely cautious and cowardly by nature, Yayap and his team decide to rescue a Covenant Special Operations Elite wounded by the Master Chief, rather than fight the humans. The five small aliens drag the black-armored Elite back to their craft and escape the deteriorating Autumn as it plunges towards the ring-world's atmosphere.

An Ossoona named Isna 'Nosolee manages to survive, using active camouflage to board Keyes' lifeboat after tracking him down in an attempt to take him hostage. However, the Captain spots him and shoots him with a Corporal's M6D pistol. Isna's corpse later allows the Covenant to realize that they should capture Keyes. Keyes and his crew are forced to evade Covenant forces after they crash onto Halo. Finally, they are betrayed by Ensign Ellen Dowski. Consequently, everyone including the Ensign is executed, save for the Captain, who is captured for interrogation aboard the Truth and Reconciliation.

The Master Chief lands on Halo and helps rescue Marines from their lifeboats, while the ODSTs secure Alpha Base after a clash with Covenant forces. Yayap is rewarded for his rescue of the Elite, named Zuka 'Zamamee, with the terribly dangerous assignment as the Elite's assistant.

The Master Chief and a squad of Marines board the Truth and Reconciliation, rescuing the Captain. Keyes has learned that the ring-world they are on has vast significance to the Covenant (who believe that "Halo", as they call the ring, is a weapon of unimaginable power). Escaping from the Covenant cruiser, Keyes gives the Master Chief the mission of finding Halo's control room before the Covenant does. In the meantime, Zuka ’Zamamee and Yayap are given permission to hunt for the Master Chief but fail in their attempts. Meanwhile, Lieutenant McKay and her company assault the now Covenant-controlled Pillar of Autumn for supplies and vehicles.

Keyes, a squad of Marines, and Sergeant Johnson are dropped into a swamp in an effort to discover a weapons cache. The Marines take prisoner a disillusioned Elite named 'Qualomee, who claims to be delivering a shipment of weapons to a force guarding a structure. Pushing deep into the mysterious structure, the squad finds something unlike anything they have ever seen before: dead Covenant freakishly ripped open and scattered about. In a locked room, the squad discovers the cause of the fatalities: the Flood. These bulbous aliens attempt to latch themselves onto the Marines, and despite their fragility, the sheer number of the creatures overwhelm the soldiers, tapping into their nervous systems and taking over their bodies. One soldier, Private Wallace A. Jenkins, is left still semi-conscious and painfully aware of his predicament. His pod infector, weakened from hibernation, leaves him with a limited ability to control his movement and actions.

Sections IV and V[edit]

The Master Chief and Cortana discover the location of the Control Room. The Chief inserts Cortana into Halo's computer network. However, Cortana realizes that the ring isn't a weapon as they understood at all. Before the Chief can press her with questions, Cortana tells him to find the Captain, unaware that they are too late. The Master Chief is later dropped alone into the swamp where Keyes disappeared. Heading into the same structure, the Master Chief follows the subterranean passages down to the same room where Keyes and his men were attacked. He learns their fate via a recording from Jenkins' helmet cam and fights his way to the surface. There, he meets up with Marines and heads to a tower for evac. Suddenly, the Chief is teleported away from the swamp by Halo's resident AI: 343 Guilty Spark. The Master Chief is informed that the creatures he has encountered are called the Flood, a virulent parasite that infects its enemies to produce more of itself. Guilty Spark wishes to use Halo's defenses to wipe out the Flood, but needs the Master Chief's help in recovering the "Index" from the installation, which allows the activation of the ring. Fighting more and more Flood, the Chief recovers the Index and is teleported back to Halo's control room.

Meanwhile, the UNSC forces of Alpha Base are forced to defend themselves from a surprise attack by Covenant forces who are attempting to kill the Master Chief, unaware that he is absent. After the failed attack, UNSC forces attempt to ambush a Covenant recovery team, but are interrupted by a Flood attack. Jenkins attempts to commit suicide by throwing himself into the line of fire, but is captured instead.

Back in the control room, Guilty Spark gives the Master Chief the Index to activate Halo, but the furious Cortana stops him. Cortana explains that Halo is a weapon, but it doesn't kill the Flood, it kills their food: humans, Covenant, and all other sentient life in the galaxy. Realizing that they must stop Guilty Spark from activating Halo, Cortana and the Master Chief decide to destroy Halo by detonating the crash-landed Pillar of Autumn's fusion reactors. To do this, they need Captain Keyes' neural implants to activate the countdown. To slow Guilty Spark's progress, the pair overload three generators that amplify Halo's weapon. In order to fire Halo, they would first need to be repaired. Cortana discovers the Captain is still alive: held prisoner once again aboard the Truth and Reconciliation, now in the hands of the Flood, who are trying to escape Halo with the ship. The Chief fights Covenant and Flood and makes it to the Captain, but finds out he is too late; the Captain, after successfully resisting interrogation by the Flood, is now being transformed into a proto-Gravemind. The Chief retrieves the implants and leaves the Truth and Reconciliation for the Pillar of Autumn.

Section VI[edit]

While the Chief and Cortana head to the Autumn, Alpha Base is evacuated. Silva decides to retake the Truth and Reconciliation and pilot the ship away in order to avoid being on Halo when the Autumn blows. The ship is taken successfully, but McKay realizes that Silva is blinded by thoughts of promotion and glory instead of the danger of the Flood; ignoring Wellsley's objections, he fails to realize that if even one Flood specimen escaped containment on Earth, the entire planet could fall. An engineer notifies McKay of a vital power line (should it be severed, the unregulated energy would destroy the ship). Jenkins, who is infected but still coherent, attempts to destroy the line, but falls short. Realizing that the destruction of the Flood is far more important than Silva's promotion, McKay cuts the cable by activating a frag grenade, sending the Truth and Reconciliation crashing into Halo, nose first, killing everything aboard.

At the wrecked Autumn, the Master Chief is forced to destabilize the fusion reactors manually as 343 Guilty Spark and his robotic Sentinels try to stop them. On his way to the Engine Room, the Master Chief is nearly infected by the Flood, but Cortana saves him. Once the countdown until detonation has begun, Cortana radios for dropship evacuation, but Covenant aircraft shoot down the transport. A disgruntled Zuka 'Zamamee attempts to ambush the Chief, but is killed by a hail of grenades. Cortana directs the Chief to a Longsword Interceptor still docked in the Pillar of Autumn's hangar. Gunning the engines, the Chief and Cortana escape the ring just as the Autumn explodes, ending the threat of the Flood. Cortana scans for survivors and realizes that they are seemingly the only two who have survived. Cortana tells the Master Chief that the fight is finished, to which the Chief replies, "No, the Covenant is still out there, and Earth is at risk. We're just getting started."

Spoilers end here.

Appearances[edit]

Characters

Artificial intelligence
Human
Sangheili
San'Shyuum
Lekgolo
Unggoy
Kig-Yar
  • Bok (First appearance)
  • Jak (First appearance)
  • Yeg (First appearance)

Species

Organizations

Locations

Events

Vehicles

Human
Covenant

Weapons

Human
Covenant
Forerunner

Equipment and Technology

Covenant
Forerunner
Human
Miscellaneous



2010 bonus content[edit]

The Tor Books edition of The Flood features a new "Adjunct" section at the end, which features several pieces of short fiction:

  • A priority broadcast log of the activities of the Fleet of Particular Justice during the Battle of Installation 04, sent to Lak 'Vadamee by Thel 'Vadamee.
  • An audio transcript of an emergency broadcast recorded by a panicked Flood survivor on Alpha Halo, heavily redacted and under analysis by ONI.
  • "Hunger", a poem depicting the thought process of a Flood victim, on Installation 04, in the process of transformation.
  • Excerpts from the journal of Zuka 'Zamamee while aboard the Truth and Reconciliation.
  • A private status report by 343 Guilty Spark after the outbreak of the Flood on Alpha Halo.
  • A status report filed by the Librarian on the progress of her categorization of life on Earth, presented as a Terminal transcript.

Adjunct-exclusive appearances[edit]

Characters

Forerunner
Human
San'shyuum
Sangheili

Species


Organizations


Locations

Events


Weapons


Vehicles

Technology and equipment




Production[edit]

William C. Dietz was originally reluctant to accept this work because of two main reasons. First, he had no prior knowledge of Halo. Second, Bungie and Random House (the parent company of Del Rey Books) gave him only ten weeks to write the novel, while Dietz would usually take six months to write a book. He nevertheless changed his mind after checking Halo's popularity at his local videogame store, and after his agent negotiated a good pay because of the counterproductive delay. He was also confident in this kind of work, as he had already written the Dark Forces trilogy for Star Wars.[4]

Before he started the writing, Dietz played Halo: Combat Evolved several times, and he took the time to write notes and copy down some dialogues. He came to love Halo to the point that he still plays the game from time to time, more than a decade later. He also read Halo: The Fall of Reach, considering that the universe had already been firmly established (e.g.: the character of the Master Chief). The author worked closely with Bungie, who wanted to make sure the book would fit their universe. They had an e-mail correspondence, and Dietz would also come to the studio as he lived close to Bungie.[4]

It was Dietz who asked for the permission to include additional stories and characters that were not in the original game—especially the Covenant side—as it would make the book more appealing for readers who already knew the game's story. Bungie were reluctant as they did not want these new characters to be "imposed" on them, though they eventually accepted these additions as the characters would die at the end of the novel. Dietz was satisfied with the choices and compromises, as he felt it was a good deal for a contracted work. Ironically, Halo 2 would later explore more deeply the Covenant side of the universe.[4]

Reception[edit]

Reception for Halo: The Flood was generally mixed, with most criticism about Dietz's characterization of Master Chief. Some commented on the fact that the storyline did not separate itself from the game too well, which made it less exciting, as it was made more predictable.[5] It was also said that the book was like the game in that it "ground down to meaningless repetition of gunning down bad guys," saying that the repetition of it would bore readers.[6] Another commented that Dietz's writing was not as good as Nylund's, saying it was detailed, but redundant.[7] However, others praised it, saying "it fulfills its duty and elaborates on the major plot points and subtleties in ways the game never could".[8]

343 Industries Franchise Development Director Frank O'Connor has addressed some of the criticisms against the novel, referring to it as the "odd one out" of the novels and stating that the perceived flaws in the narrative are a result of adapting the story from a game to a novel. In addition, he mentioned that Dietz was forced to work with a far tighter schedule than that of Eric Nylund when writing The Fall of Reach.[9]

Trivia[edit]

  • On the original cover, the Banshees flying overhead have their covers up, meaning they have no pilots. The same is true of the cover of Halo: Combat Evolved.
  • The original finalized cover is remarkably similar to that of iD Software's Doom. Both depict the main character gunning down hordes of enemies against a reddish background.[10]
  • Kenneth Scott created the cover art used for the 2010 edition of the novel, and it has been reused for every edition since.
  • The 2010 reissue cover depicts what is meant to be the MJOLNIR Mark V armor, although it does not follow any established iteration of the Mark V, instead being a mix of features from the various depictions of MJOLNIR Mark IV, Mark V and Mark VI. He is also dual-wielding M7 submachine guns. Neither the M7 nor dual-wielding appear in the game or the novel.
  • As the novel was written before many of the Covenant's beliefs were further detailed in Halo 2, it bears several discrepancies with later material. For example, the Covenant show no particular reverence toward 343 Guilty Spark and the Sentinels, and regard them as enemies;[11] Halo 2 later established that the Sentinels are revered by the Covenant as "holy warriors of the sacred rings" while monitors are among the holiest of Forerunner creations as "Oracles".[12] In addition, John-117 or the other Spartans are never referred to by the epithet "Demon" and are discussed with more pragmatic terms by the Covenant, although their battlefield prowess and high kill counts are acknowledged. However, the later-established nomenclature is used in the Adjunct section of the 2010 edition, such as 'Zamamee's journal entries.

Gallery[edit]

Cover art artwork[edit]

  • Stylized version of the original cover art.

    Stylized version of the original cover art.

  • The full original cover art for the novel.

    The full original cover art for the novel.

  • The full original cover art for the novel, with logo.

    The full original cover art for the novel, with logo.

  • 2010 cover art of the novel.

    2010 cover art of the novel.

Edition covers[edit]

  • Pre-release cover.

    Pre-release cover.

  • 2003 edition

    2003 edition

  • 2010 edition.

    2010 edition.

  • 2011 edition.

    2011 edition.

  • 2019 edition.

    2019 edition.

2010 edition artwork drafts[edit]

  • 2010 edition art for Part I - Invasion.

    2010 edition art for Part I - Invasion.

  • 2010 edition art for Part II - Grasp.

    2010 edition art for Part II - Grasp.

  • 2010 edition art for Part III - Eradication.

    2010 edition art for Part III - Eradication.

  • 2010 edition art for Part IV - Engulfed.

    2010 edition art for Part IV - Engulfed.

  • 2010 edition art for Part V - Possession.

    2010 edition art for Part V - Possession.

  • 2010 edition art for Part VI - Aftermath.

    2010 edition art for Part VI - Aftermath.

Other[edit]

  • 2010 edition jacket.

    2010 edition jacket.

  • Back cover of the 2019 edition.

    Back cover of the 2019 edition.

Sources[edit]

  1. ^ Bungie.net, More Flood Goodness (Retrieved on Feb 7, 2021) [archive]
  2. ^ Gaming Age: Halo novel cracks bestseller
  3. ^ Kotaku: Halo Novel Trilogy to be Republished with Updates, New Content
  4. ^ a b c Halo.fr: (Interview Exclusive) William C. Dietz (French)
  5. ^ The Junkyard: Reviews
  6. ^ Josh Carter: Halo: The Flood
  7. ^ Talking About Games: Halo: The Flood Review
  8. ^ Halo.ugo: The Flood
  9. ^ Halo Waypoint: Greg Bear Talks Halo: Cryptum
  10. ^ Wikipedia: Doom box artwork
  11. ^ Halo: The Flood, page 319 (2003 edition)
  12. ^ Halo 2, campaign levels The Arbiter and The Oracle

See also[edit]

v • d • e
 
Halo novels
Individual novels
Compilations
Other
Italics indicate items yet to be released.
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