News
Well, Halo: The Flood is out and we here at the HSP have been reading like mad in order to soak up as much of the newly-defined story points as possible. Here is a rundown of some of the more significant things gleaned from the book. I've decided to limit the detail of information, as you all will get so much more out of it if you get the book and read it for yourself. :-)
First off, there's the subject of Foehammer, aka Flight Officer Captain Carol Rawley. I'm not one to discourage speculation, but this pretty much puts an end to the Foehammer as an AI theories. However, all is not lost for Foehammer fans. As pointed out by Gagaw over on the HBO forum, "Carol Rawley" seems a likely nod to Christopher Rowley, author of the Starhammer books. (Hey! I've heard of those somewhere!)
We also learn a bit about Prophets. As you probably know, in Covenant social structure, they are superior to the Elites. This may be due, in part, to the knowledge that the Prophets evolved on an abandoned Forerunner planet. I challenge you, however, to read carefully the section where this is revealed. Are things as they seem? You be the judge...
Some of the most interesting information comes from that paragon of beauracratic insanity, 343 Guilty Spark. We learn, for instance, exactly how long ago he was left in charge of things. I'll leave it to you to find out on your own, but I can say that it was a while ago. A looong while. Time enough for some serious personality quirks to set in, that's for sure. Another interesting thing pertains to the nature of the Reclaimer. It's pretty significant, so I'll make an exception here and quote right from the book:
"As he proceeded deeper into the Library, he found a corpse-a human one. He stooped to examine the body. It wasn't pretty. The Marine's body was so mangled that even the Flood couldn't make use of him. He lay at the center of a large bloodstain wreathed by spent brass. "Ah," 343 Guilty Spark said, peering down over the Spartan's shoulder. "The other Reclaimer. His combat skin proved even less suitable than yours.""Intriguing! I wonder if the dead Marine's name is of any particular significance? ;-)
Speaking of the Flood, there are a more than a couple of passages that warrant some serious analysis. One particular plotline, however, may be significant. We've mentioned the Keyes blob before, but I expect it to be revisited with renewed vigor now that we get a glimpse of what it's like for Keyes himself to be consumed by the Flood, and a peek at what's going through their virulent little minds, other than shotgun pellets.
A few last quick points:
The MC seems to be the last SPARTAN. So lonely...
Ever wonder how you know what buttons to push on those enigmatic Forerunner control panels? Well, the MC in the book wonders that as well.
You've been battling Covenant for some time, even before the events in the game. You seem to have developed a bit of a reputation as well. You and your history are being scrutinized by more than a few er, characters.
The flash clone that replaced you when you were abducted as a child wouldn't have made a good SPARTAN candidate.
The Elite and Hunter names seem like they should be significant. Get out your decoder rings and your anagram amulets and get to work!
And this last bit:
You are being watched, even earlier in the game and more closely than you think...
