Much like the terminals in Halo 3 or the Audiologs in ODST, Halo Reach had the Data Pads, detailing the exchanges of a mysterious AI collective known as “the Assembly”. Details surrounding the Assembly are vague but we do know they are some sort of legislative group for humanity.
Many consider these AI’s to be of Forerunner build as the refer to themselves as shepherds, much as the Forerunners view themselves, the fact that they seem almost entirely unknown to humans, and that they were able to remain hidden for at least 200 years as apposed to a UNSC’s AI’s seven year lifespan. In one data pad, if played backwards, one can hear a voice distinctly saying “Lineage confirmed”. It is also logical that after saving them from the flood and selecting them as there heirs they would want something to ensure their survival.
So my question is what is the significance of this Assembly? Why did Bungie decide to create them - in anticipation for 343i’s upcoming Halo 4? Will we find out in the Forerunner Saga or other upcoming books? Can anyone offer up any additional information on the Data Pads because I’m really interested.
I loved the data pads too, and am very eager to find out more about the Assembly. The significance of the data pads was to shed light on how the Human Covenant war began. As it was shown, one of the members of the Assembly contacted the Covenant, inadvertently leading to the War.
I would love to see more of this Assembly, and perhaps we will, either in the CEA terminals or Halo 4.
One can hope. This is the kind of thing that i hope 343 takes into account and follows up on. There is so much room to expand upon this interesting and unexplored part of Halo canon
I am of the belief that the first “voice” we hear, the one that prefaces each data pad is Chakas. If you read the summary of Primordium on amazon you might understand why.
I believe Chakas is turned into an AI (offensive bias, perhaps).
I almost believe that Cortana and the Assembly have a connection with each other.
Self sacrifice is something the Forerunner are good at. Taking on the unbeatable is what we’re good at.
The Assembly sacrificed themselves to humanity one at a time for their beliefs. Are they Forerunner? Are they sane? We were there pawns in a Batman Gambit. Their gambit.
And was it to save us? Only on a technical term. “Some must be sacrificed so that all may be saved.” Words spoken by a Vorlon, a “person” I trust, a species I do not. And it was only at the end of its life did this Vorlon understand what it truly means to be human.
And what is Cortana in all of this? The first true bridge between both sides? A being neither Forerunner or human, yet of Forerunner AND human? A being with its parent’s flaws and strengths?
For this I have pondered long. For this another idea has sprung. In the future, I will share.
I’m pretty sure that most fans believe that ‘The Assembly’ is a group of human-created AI’s that “met” in secret to discuss matters of interest to them, an open forum, so to speak, a way for them to speak freely in ways they might not be able to if the conversations were not kept private from humans.