Araqiel
| Araqiel | |
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| Biographical information | |
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Ended service: |
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Description: |
An elongated skull with long, demon-like horns, fire filled eyes and jagged teeth. |
| Political and military information | |
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Affiliation: |
James Ackerson, ONI Section III, United Nations Space Command |
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Functionality: |
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Araqiel was a UNSC third-generation "smart" AI assigned to Colonel James Ackerson.[1]
BiographyEdit
As Ackerson's private AI, Araqiel was tasked to spy on Dr. Catherine Halsey and her research. His avatar was that of an elongated skull with long, demon-like horns, fire-filled eyes and jagged teeth. His voice was a low bestial growl or rumble containing a trace or crackle of far-off thunder.[2] He was noted as having a "borderline disregard for human life", which, according to Dr. Halsey, may have been the reason why he and Ackerson "got along so well".[1]
He was left at CASTLE Base in 2552 during the Fall of Reach.[2] He threatened Dr. Halsey and Kalmiya, Dr. Halsey's personal AI, accusing them of treason, after he attempted to stop her from breaking protocol and military law by accessing Ackerson's private data files.[3] He even went so far as to threaten to fill Halsey's office with fatal levels of narcozine gas or to pressurize her office and cause pulmonary edema (the flooding of the lungs via the inability of the heart to remove fluids, effectively causing the victim to drown).[4] Dr. Halsey responded by activating the fail-safe in his Riemann matrix, effectively destroying him by sending a concentrated UV burst to burn it out.[5]
TriviaEdit
- His name and avatar were based on Arakiel, a fallen angel described in the Book of Enoch in the Apocrypha.
- In Dr. Halsey's personal journal, there is an entry in which Halsey talks about being monitored by an ONI AI is accompanied by an image composed of vertical lines. These lines appear to create an image of a fanged skull with long curling horns. While similar to Araqiel’s appearance, the entry was made on July 12, 2531. If this is an illustration of Araquiel, he would be 21 years old at the time of his destruction. Smart AIs usually go rampant after 7 years of service.
List of appearancesEdit
- Halo: First Strike (First appearance)
- Halo: Glasslands (Mentioned only)
- Halo: Mortal Dictata (Mentioned only)
SourcesEdit
- ^ a b Halo: First Strike, page 128
- ^ a b Halo: First Strike, page 127 (Facets and hard shimmering planes fit together into curled horns, an elongated jaw, and over-sized eyes that flickered with holographic fire. It turned and smiled at Dr. Halsey, baring razor jags of teeth. "Civilian consultant 409871," it said in a deep bass rumble that contained a crackle of thunder. "Doctor Catherine Halsey." "Araqiel," she muttered. "Did your master leave you behind when he was reassigned? Don't you have anything better to do than steal data from my SPARTAN program?")
- ^ Halo: First Strike, page 127 ("You are in violation of UNSC military security code 447-R27," Araqiel stated with a growl. "This has been recorded and the proper authorities have been notified. You will cease and desist all activities.")
- ^ Halo: First Strike, page 127 ("While I allowed you to 'access' these medical files, I have taken control of the air reclamation system for your medical wing. I can pressurize your office and cause pulmonary edema. I can release narcozine gas to para--")
- ^ Halo: First Strike, page 128 ("this is the nexus of your being." She tapped the display. "Your code directory, the center through which all impulses in your mind flow. And this,"--she quickly typed another command--"is the code that activates your personal fail-safe. It generates a pulse beam of high-frequency UV light in your Riemann cycling-thought matrix, clearing your high-thought functions. It will effectively erase you.")