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{{Center|This article is about the machine. For the [[Halo 4]] level, see [[Composer (level)]]; for the achievement, see [[Composer (achievement)]].}}
{{Center|This article is about the machine. For the [[Halo 4]] level, see [[Composer (level)]]; for the achievement, see [[Composer (achievement)]].}}
{{Quote|The Composer! So many possibilities and capabilities tied up in that strange name... A Composer of minds and souls!|[[Forthencho|Forthencho, Lord of Admirals]]<ref name="p232">'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 232-233''</ref>}}
{{Quote|The Composer! So many possibilities and capabilities tied up in that strange name... A Composer of minds and souls!|[[Forthencho|Forthencho, Lord of Admirals]]<ref name="p232">'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 232-233''</ref>}}
[[File:H4-ComposerDevice-ScanRender.png|right|100px|thumb|The Composer sublimation device.]]
{{Forerunner Infobox
The '''Composer''', descriptively referred to as a '''Sublimation Device''',<ref>'''[[Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide]]''', ''page 132''</ref> was a machine created by the [[Forerunner]]s to translate the neural framework of a sentient being into machine data.<ref name="h4">'''Halo 4'''</ref> Although not the only piece of Forerunner technology capable of this,<ref name="others">'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''pages 47-48, 138''</ref> it was easily among the more crude and painful ones, originating as one of the first of the countless failed plans laid by the Forerunners to defeat the [[Flood]]. While its many faults quickly led to the machine being abandoned in this capacity, it was later used for a number of purposes beyond its original function.<ref name="string3">'''Halo: Silentium''', ''String 3''</ref>
|image= [[File:H4-ComposerDevice-ScanRender.png|right|100px]]
|role= [[Mind transfer|Sublimation device]]
|length={{Convert|126.7|ft|m|disp=flip|sigfig=3|sp=us}}<ref name="h4evg"/>
|height={{Convert|207.6|m|ft|sigfig=3|sp=us}}<ref name="h4evg"/>
|mass={{Convert|28.7|m|ft|sigfig=3|sp=us}}<ref name="h4evg"/>
|mass-title=Width
|armament=
|armor=[[Builder]]s
|armor-title=Manufacturer
}}


==Overview and function==
The '''Composer''',<ref group="note">In ''Halo: Primordium'' and ''Halo 4'', the Composer is consistently referenced as a singular entity; ''Halo: Silentium'' introduces the notion that there were actually many Composers. In light of this information, it can be assumed that "the Composer" refers to the device as a unique invention as opposed to a single object.</ref> descriptively referred to as a '''Sublimation Device''',<ref name="h4evg">'''[[Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide]]''', ''page 132''</ref> was a machine created by the [[Forerunner]]s to [[mind transfer|translate an organic being's mental content into machine data]].<ref name="h4">'''Halo 4'''</ref> Although not the only piece of Forerunner technology capable of this,<ref name="others">'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''pages 47-48, 138''</ref> it became notorious for its several defects, including the particularly crude manner in which the process was accomplished. The device originated as one of the first of the countless failed plans laid by the Forerunners to defeat the [[Flood]]. While its many faults quickly led to the machine being abandoned in this capacity, it was later used for a number of purposes beyond its original function.<ref name="string3">'''Halo: Silentium''', ''pages 40-41''</ref>
 
==Function==
===Overview===
[[File:Composer Face Melt.jpeg|left|thumb|150px|The effects of composition upon [[Sandra Tillson|Dr. Sandra Tillson]] on Ivanoff Station.]]
[[File:Composer Face Melt.jpeg|left|thumb|150px|The effects of composition upon [[Sandra Tillson|Dr. Sandra Tillson]] on Ivanoff Station.]]
After the [[Forerunner]]s first discovered the existence of the [[Flood]] parasite in the later stages of the [[human-Forerunner wars]], they quickly began to devise plans to combat the infection should it resurface. The Composers were one of the first solutions proposed by the [[Builder]]s. The original function of the machines was to save Flood victims by extracting their mental patterns—or essences—and translating them to data by broadcasting high-energy fields of entangled sympathies. The stored essence would then be imprinted on a new, artificially constructed biological body devoid of Flood infection. However, the process was highly flawed. In addition to being extremely painful to the individuals undergoing the process, all attempts to restore the essences to biological form failed as the artificial bodies would quickly decay and inevitably die.<ref name="string3"/> For this reason, the Forerunners quickly abandoned the Composers after the first experiments.<ref name="pri271">'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 271-272''</ref>


After the [[Forerunner]]s first discovered the existence of the [[Flood]] parasite in the later stages of the [[Human-Forerunner War]], they quickly began to devise plans to combat the infection should it resurface. The Composers were one of the first solutions proposed by the [[Builder]]s. The original function of the machines was to save Flood victims by extracting their mental patterns - or essences - and translating them to data by broadcasting high-energy fields of entangled sympathies. The stored essence would then be imprinted on a new, artificially constructed biological body devoid of Flood infection. However, the process was highly flawed. In addition to being extremely painful to the individuals undergoing the process, all attempts to restore the essences to biological form failed as the artificial bodies would quickly decay and inevitably die.<ref name="string3"/> For this reason, the Forerunners quickly abandoned the Composers after the first experiments.<ref name="pri271">'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 271-272''</ref>
The physical effects of the Composer on its targets were also violent: the device projected a beam of orange light which completely reduced the targeted individuals to ash in a rather gruesome and painful manner. This is seemingly a byproduct of the machine's original design as a means to combat the Flood, allowing the complete destruction of infected biomass in a manner similar to certain Forerunner weapons designed to completely atomize their targets. The beam possessed the capability to process hundreds of thousands of targets in mere moments across enormous distances,<ref name="omega">'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 263''</ref> such as composing targets on a planet's surface from an orbiting ship,<ref name="midnight">'''Halo 4''', campaign level ''[[Midnight]]''</ref> or those on the surface of an entire [[Halo Array|Halo]] installation in an instant.<ref name="omega"/> The [[Forthencho|Lord of Admirals]], the supreme commander of all human forces and one of the humans to have their minds harvested, described the effects of the Composer as "strange, ever-changing" and "multiformed", as it operated via intermediary [[Lifeworker]] machinery.<ref name="p235">'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 235''</ref>


Despite the failure of the original plan, the Forerunners found other uses for the Composers. Although the Forerunners possessed other technologies capable of extracting an individual's memories and personality impressions,<ref name="others"/><ref name="sil57">'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 57''</ref> only Composers were given to the [[Librarian]] and her [[Lifeworker]]s when they were tasked with extracting the essences of the human survivors on [[Charum Hakkor]]; powerful forces in the [[Ecumene Council|Old Council]] - mainly Builders - wanted to make sure the fate of their enemies would be as cruel as possible.<ref name="string3"/> The Librarian implanted these stored personalities into the genetic code of living humans, with said personalities achieving self-awareness and retaining their original identity within their new [[human]] hosts, such as [[Chakas]] and [[Riser]]. The Composer could also be used to remove these imprinted personalities, although this did grave physical and mental damage to the individual carrying the imprint.<ref name="p355">'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 355''</ref>
===Essence preservation===
Minds scanned by the Composer could be processed in a variety of ways. The ancient human personalities extracted and stored by the Librarian at [[Charum Hakkor]] retained their essences in virtually unchanged form, preserving the victims' identities and even the records of their physical bodies, although the latter in seemingly incomplete form.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 320''</ref> These stored personalities could also be implanted into the genetic code of living beings, with said personalities achieving self-awareness and retaining their original identity within their new hosts; an example of this are the ancestral memory imprints of [[Chakas]] and [[Riser]]. The Composer could also be used to remove these imprinted personalities, although this did grave physical and mental damage to the individual carrying the imprint.<ref name="p355">'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 355''</ref>


The physical effects of the Composer on its targets were also violent; the device projected a beam of orange light which completely reduced the targeted individuals to ash in a rather gruesome and painful manner while obtaining their essences. The [[Forthencho|Lord of Admirals]], the supreme commander of all human forces and one of the humans to have their minds harvested, described the effects of the Composer as "strange, ever-changing" and "multiformed", as it operated via intermediary [[Lifeworker]] machinery.<ref name="p235">'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 235''</ref>
In the case of the [[Ur-Didact]]'s [[Promethean Knight]]s, the extracted neural map was used as the basis for [[artificial intelligence]] constructs in a manner similar to [[Cognitive Impression Modeling|the creation]] of human [[smart AI]]s. These intelligences contain many of their original memories and sometimes even portions of their personality, but otherwise behave within the limits of the duties assigned to them.<ref name="memento">'''[[Spartan Ops]]''', ''[[S1/Memento Mori|S1E5 ''Memento Mori'']]</ref> These essences were stored in imprint matrices known as [[Durance]]s, similar to the devices traditionally used to contain the last mental impressions of a deceased Forerunner.<ref>'''Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide''', ''page 134''</ref>


Minds scanned by the Composer could be processed in a variety of ways. Although the ancient human personalities extracted and stored by the Librarian were retained in their original essences, in some cases the digitized neural map could be used as the basis for [[artificial intelligence]] constructs in a manner similar to the creation of human [[smart AI]]s. These intelligences would contain many of their original memories and sometimes even portions of their personality, but would otherwise behave within the limits of the duties assigned to them. For example, the [[Promethean Knight]]s behave in a largely uniform manner despite containing at least some of the memories of the individuals they were created from.<ref name="memento">'''[[Spartan Ops]]''', ''[[S1/Memento Mori|S1E5 ''Memento Mori'']]</ref> These essences were stored in imprint matrices known as [[Durance]]s, similar to the devices traditionally used to contain the last patterns of a deceased Forerunner.<ref>'''Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide''', ''page 134''</ref>
===Alternate function===
The Composer could, by working in tandem with other technologies, slow down Flood infection and the subsequent loss of individuality. However, this process was only temporary and still left the afflicted individuals in their deformed state. This was accomplished through wrapping the infected bodies in a form of supportive harness flowing with energy, which evidently prevented the Flood from subsuming the consciousness of the victim—at least for a time.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 322-323''</ref> Inevitably, victims preserved in this way would eventually expire or succumb to infection.


The Composer did not work on all organic beings; certain individuals could, through genetic manipulation, become immune to its effects. After undergoing and experimental [[Forerunner mutation|mutation]] in an attempt to gain immunity to the Flood, the Ur-Didact's physiology was no longer compatible with the Composer.<ref name="h4terminals">'''Halo 4''', ''[[Terminal/Halo 4|Terminals]]''</ref> Similarly, the ''[[geas]]'' the Librarian placed on humanity allowed the [[SPARTAN-II Program|Spartan]] [[John-117]] to develop a resistance to the Composer; this ability had to be activated, and thus it did not automatically protect all humans from the device.<ref name="reclaimer">'''Halo 4''', campaign level ''[[Reclaimer (level)|Reclaimer]]''</ref>
===Immunization===
The Composer did not work on all organic beings; certain individuals could, through genetic manipulation, become immune to its effects. After undergoing and experimental [[Forerunner mutation|mutation]] in an attempt to gain immunity to the Flood, the Ur-Didact's physiology was no longer compatible with the Composer.<ref name="h4terminals">'''Halo 4''', ''[[Terminal/Halo 4|Terminals]]''</ref> Similarly, the ''[[geas]]'' the Librarian placed on humanity allowed the [[SPARTAN-II program|Spartan]] [[John-117]] to develop a resistance to the Composer; this ability had to be activated, and thus it did not automatically protect all humans from the device.<ref name="reclaimer">'''Halo 4''', campaign level ''[[Reclaimer (level)|Reclaimer]]''</ref>


The Composer could, by working in tandem with other technologies, slow down Flood infection and the subsequent loss of individuality. However, this process was only temporary and still left the afflicted individuals in their deformed state. This was accomplished through wrapping the infected bodies in a form of supportive harness flowing with energy, which evidently prevented the Flood from subsuming the consciousness of the victim - at least for a time.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 322-323''</ref> Inevitably, victims preserved in this way would eventually expire or succumb to infection.
==History==
===Use at Charum Hakkor===
Developed by the [[Builder]]s during the [[human-Forerunner wars]] as a countermeasure for the nascent [[Flood]], the many faults of the Composers were quickly recognized. However, despite the failure of the original plan, the Forerunners found other uses for the devices.


==History==
After the [[Siege of Charum Hakkor|fifty-three-year siege]] of [[Charum Hakkor]], the strongly [[Builder]]-influenced [[Ecumene Council|Old Council]] intended to exact their vengeance on their [[prehistoric human civilization|human]] enemies and make sure the humans' fate would be as cruel as possible. Thus, even though the Forerunners already possessed other technologies capable of extracting an individual's memories and personality impressions,<ref name="others"/><ref name="sil57">'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 57''</ref> the Council only provided Composers for the [[Librarian]] and her [[Lifeworker]]s when they were ordered to process the last human survivors.<ref name="string3"/> The essences of the archived humans would be preserved in future generations of humans, with the intent that they share their knowledge with the devolved remnants of humanity and aid them in rebuilding their civilization. The Master Builder and other like-minded Forerunners intended to study the stored memories in hopes of discovering how humanity managed to [[Human-Flood war|defeat the Flood]], subjecting machine-stored copies of the essences to tortuous interrogation over thousands of years.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''pages 41-43''</ref>
Developed by the [[Builder]]s during the [[human-Forerunner wars]] as a countermeasure for the nascent [[Flood]], the many faults of the Composers were quickly recognized and the machines were abandoned. However, the Council found a new use for them as a means to exact vengeance against the [[prehistoric human civilization|humans]] after the [[Charum Hakkor campaign|siege of Charum Hakkor]]. The Council ordered the [[Librarian]] and her Lifeworkers to extract the essences of the human survivors on Charum Hakkor, refusing to provide anything other than Composers as a means to accomplish this.<ref name="string3"/> These personalities would be preserved in future generations of humans, with the intent that they share their knowledge with the devolved remnants of humanity and aid them in re-building their civilization. The Master Builder and other like-minded Forerunners intended to study the stored memories in hopes of discovering how humanity managed to [[Human-Flood war|defeat the Flood]].
 
===Abandonment and later use===
As a result of the risks and irregularities involved with their usage, the Forerunners eventually abandoned the Composers and their existence was made a closely guarded secret known to only a few.<ref name="pri271"/> Even the machines' actual nature remained obscure; whether the Composer was a machine or being remained uncertain to most. Some even believed the Composer to be a "product of its own services"; a Forerunner, perhaps a Lifeworker, suspended in the final stages of Flood infection.<ref name="p268">'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 268''</ref><ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 278''</ref>
 
Around [[100,000 BCE]], the Lifeworkers no longer employed the long-abandoned Composers when scanning sentient beings for indexing in the [[Conservation Measure]], instead using a far gentler form of [[mind transfer#Full pattern uploading|pattern extraction]] technology.<ref name="sil57"/>
 
A Composer was acquired and used by [[Master Builder]] [[Faber]] to stave off Flood infection in certain Forerunners on [[Installation 07]] to keep them in a docile state. While in control of Installation 07, [[05-032 Mendicant Bias|Mendicant Bias]] and the [[Primordial]] also used the Composer to extract the ancestral memory imprints from [[Chakas]] and the other humans from [[Earth|Erde-Tyrene]].<ref name="p355"/>


As a result of the risks and irregularities involved with their usage, the Forerunners eventually abandoned the Composers and their existence was made a closely guarded secret known to only a few.<ref name="pri271"/> Even the fact that there were once many Composers was unknown to most by the time of the [[Forerunner-Flood war]], with the general assumption being that only a single Composer ever existed. Even the machines' actual nature remained obscure; whether it was a machine or being remained uncertain to most. Some even believed the Composer to be a "product of its own services"; a Forerunner, perhaps a Lifeworker, suspended in the final stages of Flood infection.<ref name="p268">'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 268''</ref><ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 278''</ref>
Later during the war, the [[Ur-Didact|Didact]] used the Composer to convert the [[Promethean]] warriors loyal to him into [[Promethean Knight|robotic forms]] to allow them to combat the Flood more efficiently and without risk of infection. To bolster his numbers, the Didact used the Composer on a number of humans transplanted to [[Omega Halo]], turning them into additional forces in his mechanized army. This led to his imprisonment on [[Requiem]] by the [[Librarian]].<ref name="h4terminals"/>


===Rediscovery===
[[File:H4-ComposerFiringOnPhoenix.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The Composer firing on the city of [[New Phoenix]] on Earth.]]
[[File:H4-ComposerFiringOnPhoenix.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The Composer firing on the city of [[New Phoenix]] on Earth.]]
A Composer was later placed on Halo [[Installation 03]]. In late [[2554]],<ref>'''Halo 4''', campaign level ''[[Composer (level)|Composer]]'', [[Halo 4 audio logs|audio log]]''</ref> the [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] discovered the machine, designated as ''SBJ 8490-03'',<ref>'''[[Eleventh Hour reports]]''', ''Report 5/5''</ref> on the Halo ring and transported it to [[Ivanoff Station]], a research facility in the asteroid field in Installation 03's orbit. The machine was partially buried within the installation's surface and remained embedded in a large chunk of rock when the UNSC transported it to Ivanoff. Some of the scientists were digitized by the Composer while studying it and the sensor data from the incident contained coordinates that led the {{UNSCShip|Infinity}} to [[Requiem]].<ref>'''Halo 4''', campaign level ''[[Infinity (level)|Infinity]]''</ref>


Around [[100,000 BCE]], the Lifeworkers no longer employed the long-abandoned Composers when scanning sentient beings for indexing in the [[Conservation Measure]], instead using a far gentler form of pattern extraction technology.<ref name="sil57"/> However, the Composer was still used by [[Master Builder]] [[Faber]] to stave off Flood infection in certain Forerunners on [[Installation 07]] to keep them in a docile state. While in control of Installation 07, [[05-032 Mendicant Bias|Mendicant Bias]] and the [[Primordial]] also used the Composer to extract the ancestral memory imprints from [[Chakas]] and the other humans from [[Earth|Erda]].<ref name="p355"/> Later during the [[Forerunner-Flood war]], the [[Ur-Didact|Didact]] used the Composer to convert his [[Promethean]] warriors into [[Promethean Knight|robotic forms]] to allow them to combat the Flood more efficiently and without risk of infection. To bolster his numbers, the Didact used the Composer on a number of humans transplanted to [[Omega Halo]], turning them into additional forces in his mechanized army.<ref name="h4terminals"/>
Upon awakening on Requiem in [[2557#July|July 2557]], the Didact immediately headed for the Composer and acquired the device after [[Raid on Ivanoff Station|launching an attack]] on Ivanoff Station. Planning to use the Composer to neutralize all of mankind by forever imprisoning them into digital form, he first used it on the human personnel of Ivanoff; Spartan [[John-117]] was the only survivor as a result of genetic modifications imbued by the Librarian. The Didact then set course for Earth in order to realize the final stage of his plan. He successfully fired the Composer on a [[United Republic of North America|URNA]] metropolis, [[New Phoenix]], but the effect was halted when John-117 destroyed the Didact's ship, and the Composer along with it, with a [[HAVOK tactical nuclear weapon]].<ref name="midnight"/> Some of the resulting digital intelligences survived, having ended up on Requiem via a slipspace transit portal connected to the Composer.<ref name="memento"/>
{{Clear}}


The Composer was later placed on Halo [[Installation 03]]. In late [[2554]],<ref>'''Halo 4''', campaign level ''[[Composer (level)|Composer]]'', [[Halo 4 audio logs|audio log]]''</ref> the [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] discovered the machine on the Halo ring and transported it to [[Ivanoff Station]], a research facility in the asteroid field in Installation 03's orbit. The machine was partially buried within the installation's surface and remained embedded in a large chunk of rock when the UNSC transported it to Ivanoff. Some of the scientists were digitized by the Composer while studying it and the sensor data from the incident contained coordinates that led the {{UNSCShip|Infinity}} to [[Requiem]].<ref>'''Halo 4''', campaign level ''[[Infinity (level)|Infinity]]''</ref> Upon awakening on Requiem in [[2557#July|July 2557]], the Didact immediately headed for the Composer and acquired the device after [[Raid on Ivanoff Station|launching an attack]] on Ivanoff Station. Planning to use the Composer to neutralize all of mankind by forever imprisoning them into digital form, he first used it on the human personnel of Ivanoff; Spartan [[John-117]] was the only survivor as a result of genetic modifications imbued by the Librarian. The Didact then set course for Earth in order to realize the final stage of his plan. He successfully fired the Composer on a [[United Republic of North America|URNA]] metropolis, [[New Phoenix]], but the effect was halted when John-117 destroyed the Didact's ship, and the Composer along with it, with a [[HAVOK tactical nuclear weapon]].<ref name="h4"/> Some of the resulting digital intelligences survived, having ended up on Requiem via a slipspace transit portal connected to the Composer.<ref name="memento"/>
==Trivia==
{{Clear}}
''[[Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide]]'' describes the Composer's original function as granting the Forerunners immortality by transferring old essences into youthful bodies.<ref name="h4evg"/> According to ''[[The Forerunner Saga]]'', however, the Forerunners were already functionally immortal given regular access to [[Forerunner personal armor|personal armor]], only dying by accident or in battle;<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 47''</ref> the purported problem of Forerunner mortality is also not brought up when the Composer's origins are described in ''[[Halo: Silentium]]''.<ref name="string3"/>


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
Line 55: Line 82:
*''[[Halo 4]]''
*''[[Halo 4]]''
*''[[Halo: Silentium]]''
*''[[Halo: Silentium]]''
==Notes==
<references group="note"/>


==Sources==
==Sources==

Revision as of 09:08, March 14, 2014

This article is about the machine. For the Halo 4 level, see Composer (level); for the achievement, see Composer (achievement).

"The Composer! So many possibilities and capabilities tied up in that strange name... A Composer of minds and souls!"
— Forthencho, Lord of Admirals[1]

Template:Forerunner Infobox

The Composer,[note 1] descriptively referred to as a Sublimation Device,[2] was a machine created by the Forerunners to translate an organic being's mental content into machine data.[3] Although not the only piece of Forerunner technology capable of this,[4] it became notorious for its several defects, including the particularly crude manner in which the process was accomplished. The device originated as one of the first of the countless failed plans laid by the Forerunners to defeat the Flood. While its many faults quickly led to the machine being abandoned in this capacity, it was later used for a number of purposes beyond its original function.[5]

Function

Overview

The effects of composition upon Dr. Sandra Tillson on Ivanoff Station.

After the Forerunners first discovered the existence of the Flood parasite in the later stages of the human-Forerunner wars, they quickly began to devise plans to combat the infection should it resurface. The Composers were one of the first solutions proposed by the Builders. The original function of the machines was to save Flood victims by extracting their mental patterns—or essences—and translating them to data by broadcasting high-energy fields of entangled sympathies. The stored essence would then be imprinted on a new, artificially constructed biological body devoid of Flood infection. However, the process was highly flawed. In addition to being extremely painful to the individuals undergoing the process, all attempts to restore the essences to biological form failed as the artificial bodies would quickly decay and inevitably die.[5] For this reason, the Forerunners quickly abandoned the Composers after the first experiments.[6]

The physical effects of the Composer on its targets were also violent: the device projected a beam of orange light which completely reduced the targeted individuals to ash in a rather gruesome and painful manner. This is seemingly a byproduct of the machine's original design as a means to combat the Flood, allowing the complete destruction of infected biomass in a manner similar to certain Forerunner weapons designed to completely atomize their targets. The beam possessed the capability to process hundreds of thousands of targets in mere moments across enormous distances,[7] such as composing targets on a planet's surface from an orbiting ship,[8] or those on the surface of an entire Halo installation in an instant.[7] The Lord of Admirals, the supreme commander of all human forces and one of the humans to have their minds harvested, described the effects of the Composer as "strange, ever-changing" and "multiformed", as it operated via intermediary Lifeworker machinery.[9]

Essence preservation

Minds scanned by the Composer could be processed in a variety of ways. The ancient human personalities extracted and stored by the Librarian at Charum Hakkor retained their essences in virtually unchanged form, preserving the victims' identities and even the records of their physical bodies, although the latter in seemingly incomplete form.[10] These stored personalities could also be implanted into the genetic code of living beings, with said personalities achieving self-awareness and retaining their original identity within their new hosts; an example of this are the ancestral memory imprints of Chakas and Riser. The Composer could also be used to remove these imprinted personalities, although this did grave physical and mental damage to the individual carrying the imprint.[11]

In the case of the Ur-Didact's Promethean Knights, the extracted neural map was used as the basis for artificial intelligence constructs in a manner similar to the creation of human smart AIs. These intelligences contain many of their original memories and sometimes even portions of their personality, but otherwise behave within the limits of the duties assigned to them.[12] These essences were stored in imprint matrices known as Durances, similar to the devices traditionally used to contain the last mental impressions of a deceased Forerunner.[13]

Alternate function

The Composer could, by working in tandem with other technologies, slow down Flood infection and the subsequent loss of individuality. However, this process was only temporary and still left the afflicted individuals in their deformed state. This was accomplished through wrapping the infected bodies in a form of supportive harness flowing with energy, which evidently prevented the Flood from subsuming the consciousness of the victim—at least for a time.[14] Inevitably, victims preserved in this way would eventually expire or succumb to infection.

Immunization

The Composer did not work on all organic beings; certain individuals could, through genetic manipulation, become immune to its effects. After undergoing and experimental mutation in an attempt to gain immunity to the Flood, the Ur-Didact's physiology was no longer compatible with the Composer.[15] Similarly, the geas the Librarian placed on humanity allowed the Spartan John-117 to develop a resistance to the Composer; this ability had to be activated, and thus it did not automatically protect all humans from the device.[16]

History

Use at Charum Hakkor

Developed by the Builders during the human-Forerunner wars as a countermeasure for the nascent Flood, the many faults of the Composers were quickly recognized. However, despite the failure of the original plan, the Forerunners found other uses for the devices.

After the fifty-three-year siege of Charum Hakkor, the strongly Builder-influenced Old Council intended to exact their vengeance on their human enemies and make sure the humans' fate would be as cruel as possible. Thus, even though the Forerunners already possessed other technologies capable of extracting an individual's memories and personality impressions,[4][17] the Council only provided Composers for the Librarian and her Lifeworkers when they were ordered to process the last human survivors.[5] The essences of the archived humans would be preserved in future generations of humans, with the intent that they share their knowledge with the devolved remnants of humanity and aid them in rebuilding their civilization. The Master Builder and other like-minded Forerunners intended to study the stored memories in hopes of discovering how humanity managed to defeat the Flood, subjecting machine-stored copies of the essences to tortuous interrogation over thousands of years.[18]

Abandonment and later use

As a result of the risks and irregularities involved with their usage, the Forerunners eventually abandoned the Composers and their existence was made a closely guarded secret known to only a few.[6] Even the machines' actual nature remained obscure; whether the Composer was a machine or being remained uncertain to most. Some even believed the Composer to be a "product of its own services"; a Forerunner, perhaps a Lifeworker, suspended in the final stages of Flood infection.[19][20]

Around 100,000 BCE, the Lifeworkers no longer employed the long-abandoned Composers when scanning sentient beings for indexing in the Conservation Measure, instead using a far gentler form of pattern extraction technology.[17]

A Composer was acquired and used by Master Builder Faber to stave off Flood infection in certain Forerunners on Installation 07 to keep them in a docile state. While in control of Installation 07, Mendicant Bias and the Primordial also used the Composer to extract the ancestral memory imprints from Chakas and the other humans from Erde-Tyrene.[11]

Later during the war, the Didact used the Composer to convert the Promethean warriors loyal to him into robotic forms to allow them to combat the Flood more efficiently and without risk of infection. To bolster his numbers, the Didact used the Composer on a number of humans transplanted to Omega Halo, turning them into additional forces in his mechanized army. This led to his imprisonment on Requiem by the Librarian.[15]

Rediscovery

The Composer firing on the city of New Phoenix on Earth.

A Composer was later placed on Halo Installation 03. In late 2554,[21] the UNSC Office of Naval Intelligence discovered the machine, designated as SBJ 8490-03,[22] on the Halo ring and transported it to Ivanoff Station, a research facility in the asteroid field in Installation 03's orbit. The machine was partially buried within the installation's surface and remained embedded in a large chunk of rock when the UNSC transported it to Ivanoff. Some of the scientists were digitized by the Composer while studying it and the sensor data from the incident contained coordinates that led the UNSC Infinity to Requiem.[23]

Upon awakening on Requiem in July 2557, the Didact immediately headed for the Composer and acquired the device after launching an attack on Ivanoff Station. Planning to use the Composer to neutralize all of mankind by forever imprisoning them into digital form, he first used it on the human personnel of Ivanoff; Spartan John-117 was the only survivor as a result of genetic modifications imbued by the Librarian. The Didact then set course for Earth in order to realize the final stage of his plan. He successfully fired the Composer on a URNA metropolis, New Phoenix, but the effect was halted when John-117 destroyed the Didact's ship, and the Composer along with it, with a HAVOK tactical nuclear weapon.[8] Some of the resulting digital intelligences survived, having ended up on Requiem via a slipspace transit portal connected to the Composer.[12]

Trivia

Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide describes the Composer's original function as granting the Forerunners immortality by transferring old essences into youthful bodies.[2] According to The Forerunner Saga, however, the Forerunners were already functionally immortal given regular access to personal armor, only dying by accident or in battle;[24] the purported problem of Forerunner mortality is also not brought up when the Composer's origins are described in Halo: Silentium.[5]

Gallery

  • Concept art of the Composer.

    Concept art of the Composer.

  • Early concept art of the Composer. Note the resemblance to a cathedral.

    Early concept art of the Composer. Note the resemblance to a cathedral.

  • Concept art of the Composer embedded in rock.

    Concept art of the Composer embedded in rock.

  • Finalized concept art of the Composer in Halo 4.

    Finalized concept art of the Composer in Halo 4.

  • Concept art of one of the shield generators around the Composer on the level Midnight.

    Concept art of one of the shield generators around the Composer on the level Midnight.

  • The Composer on Ivanoff Station.

    The Composer on Ivanoff Station.

  • A close-in view of the Composer at Ivanoff Station.

    A close-in view of the Composer at Ivanoff Station.

  • The Composer seen from ground level of Ivanoff Station.

    The Composer seen from ground level of Ivanoff Station.

  • The Composer as seen through a hallway window on Ivanoff Station.

    The Composer as seen through a hallway window on Ivanoff Station.

  • The Composer inside of Mantle's Approach.

    The Composer inside of Mantle's Approach.

  • Panoramic view of the Composer firing on Earth.

    Panoramic view of the Composer firing on Earth.

  • The Composer priming to fire on Earth.

    The Composer priming to fire on Earth.

  • Scientists being digitized by the Composer.

    Scientists being digitized by the Composer.

  • Dr. Sandra Tillson undergoing the fatal effects of the Composer.

    Dr. Sandra Tillson undergoing the fatal effects of the Composer.

  • The Composer integrated to the Didact's ship, Mantle's Approach.

    The Composer integrated to the Didact's ship, Mantle's Approach.

List of appearances

Notes

  1. ^ In Halo: Primordium and Halo 4, the Composer is consistently referenced as a singular entity; Halo: Silentium introduces the notion that there were actually many Composers. In light of this information, it can be assumed that "the Composer" refers to the device as a unique invention as opposed to a single object.

Sources

  1. ^ Halo: Primordium, page 232-233
  2. ^ a b Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide, page 132
  3. ^ Halo 4
  4. ^ a b Halo: Cryptum, pages 47-48, 138
  5. ^ a b c d Halo: Silentium, pages 40-41
  6. ^ a b Halo: Primordium, page 271-272
  7. ^ a b Halo: Silentium, page 263
  8. ^ a b Halo 4, campaign level Midnight
  9. ^ Halo: Primordium, page 235
  10. ^ Halo: Silentium, page 320
  11. ^ a b Halo: Primordium, page 355
  12. ^ a b Spartan Ops, S1E5 Memento Mori
  13. ^ Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide, page 134
  14. ^ Halo: Primordium, page 322-323
  15. ^ a b Halo 4, Terminals
  16. ^ Halo 4, campaign level Reclaimer
  17. ^ a b Halo: Silentium, page 57
  18. ^ Halo: Silentium, pages 41-43
  19. ^ Halo: Primordium, page 268
  20. ^ Halo: Primordium, page 278
  21. ^ Halo 4, campaign level Composer, audio log
  22. ^ Eleventh Hour reports, Report 5/5
  23. ^ Halo 4, campaign level Infinity
  24. ^ Halo: Cryptum, page 47

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The Forerunners
For a complete list, check out our Forerunner category.
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