Foundry (location)

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The moon of the Ark from space

The strip-mined moon (also known as the Foundry, the Source or the Core) was a planetoid located in the center of Installation 00. The scarred planetoid had been extensively mined by Forerunner machines, either to support the construction of the Ark or for potential replacement installations. It can be seen in several levels in Halo 3, most notably The Covenant and Halo.

Description

The moon is partially obscured by dense violet clouds. Although no evidence as to their nature exists, it is highly likely that these clouds are, in fact, armies of Retriever Sentinels, tasked with the construction of new installations. This type of bottom-up manufacturing would certainly be within the technological capability of the Forerunners, and it is difficult to imagine how a construct like Installation 04B could be fabricated in less than three months by any other method.

Defenses

Along with these Sentinel populations found around the Ark, the moon has an extra, albeit passive defense. It is equipped with a massive energy barrier, which can be raised through activating barrier towers to protect both the Core and the Foundry from a possible Flood attack. At least one superluminal communications array is included within the barrier's confines.

The Prophet of Truth raised this barrier in 2552, either intentionally or accidentally. A small section of it is subsequently lowered by a joint UNSC - Covenant Separatist assault force in order to stop Truth from activating the Halo Array.

History

The moon was originally located within the Milky Way galaxy, but was moved through slipspace by the Forerunners in order to be mined. It is implied that many planetoids have been exhausted before mining starts on the moon present in 2552.

In late 2552, the moon appears to be approximately one third of Earth's dimensions, with a diameter of roughly 4,255 kilometers. It could have originally been substantially larger, since the gap in which it is located appears able to accommodate an object at least twice its diameter; although the large gap may have been intentional as to minimize the planetoid's gravitational pull on the Ark's inner edge. Orange-red coloration can be observed in the fissures which dot the planetoid, indicating that it may have a molten internal structure.