Greater Ark
From Halopedia, the Halo wiki
| Greater Ark | |
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| General overview | |
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Description: |
Disk with a hollow core and six curved arms |
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Location: |
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| Operation overview | |
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Function: |
Conservation facility, Lifeworker research station, Halo construction foundry |
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Date of construction: |
c. 101,000 BCE (Presumed)[note 1] |
The greater Ark, also referred to as the Ark or the Beginning Place,[1][note 2] was a Forerunner megastructure, and one of the two Arks used to manufacture Halo rings. It was known to have produced the original Halo Array, comprised of rings 30,000 kilometers in diameter as opposed to the 10,000 kilometers of the final Array, which was produced by the smaller Installation 00 instead.[2] Like Installation 00, the greater Ark was located outside the Milky Way galaxy.[3]
Description
Though it shared Installation 00's flower-like shape, consisting of a series of curved arms extending from a circular central section,[3] the greater Ark differed from the lesser Ark in a number of respects;[note 2] it only possessed six petals, as opposed to the eight arms of Installation 00.[4] Instead of an artificial sun, the greater Ark was illuminated by six shafts of plasma, each suspended over one of the petals, emanating from a tower structure in the center.[5] These plasma tubes would dim and brighten cyclically, approximating a day-night cycle.[6] Each of the greater Ark's arms possessed at least one petal station, from which Forerunner Lifeworkers operated.[7]
Gallery
A fan-made estimation of the size of the greater Ark, based on the proportions and appearance of Installation 00. Note that since a visual depiction of the greater Ark is yet to appear in any media, the appearance of the structure as depicted here is purely conjectural.
List of appearances
- The Forerunner Saga
- Halo: Cryptum (First appearance)
- Halo: Primordium
Notes
- ^ The original Halo Array was created after the extreme faction of Builders won their political battle with the Prometheans and the Didact was forced into exile, in approximately 101,000 BCE. It is thus likely that the Arks were also created around this time.
- ^ a b Though the Ark featured in Halo: Cryptum is never identified as the greater Ark and is only referred to as "the Ark" or the "Beginning Place", its description differs considerably from that of Installation 00. As such, it is assumed the Ark described in Cryptum is the greater Ark.
Sources
