I have played all the Halo games, and love the story they all go into, especially the story told in Halo 2 and 3.
I have to say out of everything in Halo 3, I only have one real issue with the game. It mostly stems through what I perceive to be a plot hole in the game’s campaign. I completely understand this may just be a result of my not having found the answer already, and would like clarification.
At the end of Halo 3, Master Chief, the Arbiter, and Sgt. Johnson all eventually come to the conclusion (though it’s mostly Chief) that firing the replacement Halo ring will stop the Flood threat once and for all. After assaulting the Control Room and finally making it inside, 343 feels the need to tell them prematurely firing the ring will destroy the Ark. Johnson replies, “Deal with it.” But… how did they know activation would stop the Flood if they’re just learning about the fact the Ark will be destroyed? What were they originally under the impression would occur when they fired it?
I see two explanations…
If Cortana somehow while trapped by the Gravemind learned the Foundry was building a replacement ring, then that would’ve been the “solution” she had Chief go to the Ark for in the first place. But if that’s the case, how did Chief know her plan before he recovered her from High Charity? Her message was minimal with detail, and he settled on the replacement being the key to ending the Flood in the cutscene before he enters High Charity.
The other explanation is like a “headcanon” I made up for the situation. Knowing the Ark was far enough away from the rest of the galaxy, Chief could have figured that since the Gravemind was technically an intelligence, the activation of a Halo Ring would kill it. Then, since the Gravemind had presumably drawn all the flood at his disposal to the Ark for the purpose of stopping the ring’s firing, the firing of that single ring would leave the remainder of the Flood stranded on the Ark without a central intelligence necessary to travel back and threaten other worlds. This makes the fact the Ark would be destroyed inconsequential as it accomplishes their goal either way, either stranding the flood into starvation or just outright eradicating them.
If anyone could clarify this I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you.