What they (and we) thought was the Ark at the time. Later revealed to be the activation platform for the Portal.

look dude this isnt that hard to understand you have alot of guys telling you the same thing just accept it

I humbly say "Blame stosh"

posted by Il Gh0s7 II Have YOU ever played Halo 3? Mercy gets killed in Halo 2 by the flood. Truth gets killed near the end of Halo 3 by the Arbiter. That is the Prophet of Truth at the end of ODST. you forgot that the chief kills regret [Edited on 10.11.2009 2:07 PM PDT]

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] StealthSlasher2 You haven't pointed out any inconsistencies as of yet...[/quote] Then why is there a roof over Truths head? Why is he at the data core of the New Mombasa SuperIntendant which is not even close to being in the dig site? Why wasnt the structure under that data core center reported to ONI? It would have been ONIs top priority to protect such a structure. Instead Dare was only sent in to get the SuperIntendants data. I see several inconsistancies. [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] StealthSlasher2 Yep we see that they haven't glassed the area right above the Data Center, however you should remember that they still have yet to finish their dig operation. They were still expanding it. As Buck noted, he thought it strange that the Covenant was glassing the area around them when they were nowhere near the dig site. However, as the scene pulls out when they leave in the Phantom you can see that the artifact they are digging up has expanded considerably from its original point of discovery by the slipspace rupture, and they are still sending in more ships to dig. By the time Halo 3 rolls on a month later, they are still digging around the perimeter of the Portal circle.[/quote] Really now? I didnt know that all of New Mombasa was dug up when they went looking for the portal. Yes this is sarcasim. You can actually make out the skyline of New Mombasa in the Halo 3 cutscenes. Its faint but there. The city itself is still standing, so that kind of puts down your idea. [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] StealthSlasher2 There was only one Forerunner on Earth, the Librarian. She made it clear that she built the Portal as well as destroyed a number of key ships (the type of forerunner ship the prophets would find and later use for High Charity). Her record of what she had done was in that terminal. There was no mention of any other Forerunner present on Earth. [/quote] What proof do you have that says she was the only one on Earth. She was in command of an entire Fleet of vessels (fully crewed by Forerunners). Her letters become personal in nature, thus there is no mention of others who decided to stay. Not only that they were cut off anyways, the vessels were destroyed so they had no method of reaching the Ark period. And if we are supposed to be "reclaimers" and take up the mantle left to us by the Forerunners you would think that they would have left us some sort of record so that we actually knew that was what they did. I mean I certainly would. It is common sense.

the Ark

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] VautlingFrog [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] NeoKell1 It is the portal to the ark if you guys would pay attention to halo 3[/quote] What about the inconsistancies that I already pointed out with that idea?[/quote] You haven't pointed out any inconsistencies as of yet... [quote]Not only that but the SuperIntendant's core processing unit was significantly farther south than the dig site, on a small island with in the downtown area. Those areas werent even touched by the carriers (for the most part, the Costal Highway got hit but at a significant distance from the data core). [/quote] Yep we see that they haven't glassed the area right above the Data Center, however you should remember that they still have yet to finish their dig operation. They were still expanding it. As Buck noted, he thought it strange that the Covenant was glassing the area around them when they were nowhere near the dig site. However, as the scene pulls out when they leave in the Phantom you can see that the artifact they are digging up has expanded considerably from its original point of discovery by the slipspace rupture, and they are still sending in more ships to dig. By the time Halo 3 rolls on a month later, they are still digging around the perimeter of the Portal circle. [quote]There were many Forerunners who chose to spend their last days on Earth (the terminals of Halo 3). It would be reasonable to leave some sort of record, other than the strange structure that we have come to know as the portal.[/quote] There was only one Forerunner on Earth, the Librarian. She made it clear that she built the Portal as well as destroyed a number of key ships (the type of forerunner ship the prophets would find and later use for High Charity). Her record of what she had done was in that terminal. There was no mention of any other Forerunner present on Earth. Edit: I'll listen to the audio logs again. I'm sure that Dr. Endesha told Sadie that he and Dare were engaged in dialogue involving the structure beneath the Data Core and how Dare believed how it was connected to the Covenant's deployment pattern. Also you put of a good point of the area still existing by the time Truth arrives to inspect it. Perhaps it is possible that area was still kept intact for a short while for Truth to have a look at it before it was cleared out. It took the Covenant a few hours to expand the dig site from the original slipspace rupture to the part of the city where the skyscrapers were. So the order of things is something of a missing piece that isn't really revealed anywhere be it the games, comics, etc as of yet. In any case while we do see the outskirts of a city across the Portal in Halo 3, it still seems as though the area in ODST was leveled due to the absence of the Orbital Elevator's base structure and the tower that still remained of it. [Edited on 10.11.2009 1:46 PM PDT]

^ Epilogue: 1 month after drop.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] StealthSlasher2 What do you mean why would Truth be there? A more appropriate question would be why wouldn't Truth be there. He is the leader of the Covenant, and they have just found what they presume to be the Ark. Of course Truth would be there to inspect it.[/quote] Considering that they didnt stop digging until the events of Halo 3 (not ODST) it wouldnt make sense for him to be physicly in the dig site. Not only are the walls structurally unstable but there are constant digging beams being fired from multiple Covenant vessels. Does it really make sense to put your leader in the line of fire? More to the point does it make sense to put your leader in the line of your own fire? [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] StealthSlasher2 Also what risks are you talking about? By the time the missions Uplift Reserve and Kilzingo Blvd were going on, the marines were already pulling out of the city sector the game takes place in. The only forces left to oppose the Covenant would be the ODST squad. The city was being glassed, and after you left with the Virgil, the entire area was clear of hostiles. There was no risk for Truth.[/quote] Look again at the area of where the dig site takes place. It is outside the city, bairly even touching the outskirts of it. And if it was being glassed then they would loose the SuperIntendants data core center as it is located in the heart of New Mombasa. You said it yourself, Truth was looking at a hole under the SuperIntendants core. If they were glassing the city before Truth even arived (as it seems in ODST) they would have lost the data core center. Not only that but it still is not in the dig site, which further proves my point. [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] StealthSlasher2 One more thing, if you've listened to Sadie's Story, you would know that the humans had already excavated and discovered the artifact under the SI Data center prior to Regret's invasion. The area was "stabilized" long before the Covenent started expanding their dig operation or even reached Earth for that matter.[/quote] Wrong. The SuperIntendant (knowns a Vergil) discovered strange seismic anomalies north of New Mombasa. There is nothing that says they found a structure below the data core. I just listend through all of the audio logs again. I know that there isnt a statement like that. And even if the humans did descover such a structure below the SuperIntendant's data core (which they didnt) you would think that Dare's mission perameters would have included protecting that site at all costs. Not the SuperIntendant. It would have been something that ONI would have been aware of. Obviously they didnt. [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Recon Number 54 A more important question is how/when did Truth get there? We know that he was on High Charity when it slipspaced above Delta Halo and was there until he fled on the Forerunner dreadnaught.[/quote] That is a good question. However I am guessing that it is later in the timeline when we see Truth. According to Halo Uprising he wasnt in the Forerunner vessel, instead he came ahead of it. Which doesnt exactly make much sense to me. [Edited on 10.11.2009 1:32 PM PDT]

A more important question is how/when did Truth get there? We know that he was on High Charity when it slipspaced above Delta Halo and was there until he fled on the Forerunner dreadnaught.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] VautlingFrog Edit: Just as an afterthought, if it is indeed in the middle of the dig site, or with in its borders why would Truth be there? It puts him at great risk until the walls of the dig site are stablized. Even greater a concern is that there appears to be an intact roof over head. And yet there is a hole in the ground. This could not be caused by the Covenant vessels digging as they would have taken away the roof in that scene.[/quote] What do you mean why would Truth be there? A more appropriate question would be why wouldn't Truth be there. He is the leader of the Covenant, and they have just found what they presume to be the Ark. Of course Truth would be there to inspect it. Also what risks are you talking about? By the time the missions Uplift Reserve and Kilzingo Blvd were going on, the marines were already pulling out of the city sector the game takes place in. The only forces left to oppose the Covenant would be the ODST squad. The city was being glassed, and after you left with the Virgil, the entire area was clear of hostiles. There was no risk for Truth. One more thing, if you've listened to Sadie's Story, you would know that the humans had already excavated and discovered the artifact under the SI Data center prior to Regret's invasion. The area was "stabilized" long before the Covenent started expanding their dig operation or even reached Earth for that matter.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] NeoKell1 It is the portal to the ark if you guys would pay attention to halo 3[/quote] What about the inconsistancies that I already pointed out with that idea?

It is the portal to the ark if you guys would pay attention to halo 3

A penny for somebody elses thoughts?

ok dude really? this is set in halo 2 and continue to halo 3 a little...the portal that u get in in halo 3 on the earth....that is the thing that they were looking for in odst....wow u say u know alot...wow

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] ODST Mickey Non of you have hardly given me a direct answer..... After watching the Legendary Ending of ODST I saw Truth looking at a Forerunner Area that is NOT in Halo 3. Also if you type it out your saying the Covenant where searching for Halo 3. No they weren't. Now anyone mind telling me a REAL Answer without being a moody dick? Thanks.[/quote] It is in the area of the portal in Halo 3. Were you not paying attention to the end cutscene prior to the credits where the team got out of the city in the phantom? The Covenant began expanding the original dig site. You can already see the majority of what they were digging up as the same portal from Halo 3. You'll notice that the Covenant begin glassing the area of the city you were just fighting at. Virgil's data center is right under the ONI bulding and in turn so is the forerunner architecture. It's the Portal. End of story.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Recon Number 54 [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] VautlingFrog Actually I dispute the Portal claim. The scene shows distinct human architecture during the intro to that ending. You even see some of the "Y" symbols as well as a SuperIntendant insignia (spesificly this [url=http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/halo/images/thumb/5/5d/Superintendant-alone.svg/377px-Superintendant-alone.svg.png]image[/url] of him). Then it pans down to see a newly dug hole in the bottom of that human structure. It suggests to me that the SuperIntendant's mainframe was built over a Forerunner structure with out knowing it. Possably a data archive.[/quote] Listening to Sadie's story shows us that the Superintendant had information regarding recent seismic surveys in the area outside of the city and how that information was of interest to the Covenant (and why they were interested in a City maintenance AI). The closing frames of the game show the team's Phantom flying away from the city as Covenant cruisers are using their excavation beams on a huge circular construct that was buried near the city. Almost identical to what we see on that Halo 3 wait screen (with the 2 cruisers circling the construct) and what we see in the distance on the Tsavo Highway.[/quote] Yes this is true, however Do you really think any [b][u]human[/u][/b] would have survived that digging process? I just dont think so. Not only that but the SuperIntendant's core processing unit was significantly farther south than the dig site, on a small island with in the downtown area. Those areas werent even touched by the carriers (for the most part, the Costal Highway got hit but at a significant distance from the data core). It just doesnt seem realistic that the portal was found there, or a part of it. More likely it was a different Forerunner structure. My guess is a data center or core that was set up prior to the uses of the Halo rings. There were many Forerunners who chose to spend their last days on Earth (the terminals of Halo 3). It would be reasonable to leave some sort of record, other than the strange structure that we have come to know as the portal. Edit: Just as an afterthought, if it is indeed in the middle of the dig site, or with in its borders why would Truth be there? It puts him at great risk until the walls of the dig site are stablized. Even greater a concern is that there appears to be an intact roof over head. And yet there is a hole in the ground. This could not be caused by the Covenant vessels digging as they would have taken away the roof in that scene. [Edited on 10.11.2009 12:30 PM PDT]

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] ODST Mickey After watching the Legendary Ending of ODST I saw Truth looking at a Forerunner Area[/quote] Forerunner artifact that interests Truth = The Ark [quote]Also if you type it out your saying the Covenant where searching for Halo 3. No they weren't. Now anyone mind telling me a REAL Answer without being a moody dick?[/quote] They're telling you that if you're a so-called master of the Halo timeline, you'd know what the Ark is.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] VautlingFrog Actually I dispute the Portal claim. The scene shows distinct human architecture during the intro to that ending. You even see some of the "Y" symbols as well as a SuperIntendant insignia (spesificly this [url=http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/halo/images/thumb/5/5d/Superintendant-alone.svg/377px-Superintendant-alone.svg.png]image[/url] of him). Then it pans down to see a newly dug hole in the bottom of that human structure. It suggests to me that the SuperIntendant's mainframe was built over a Forerunner structure with out knowing it. Possably a data archive.[/quote] Listening to Sadie's story shows us that the Superintendant had information regarding recent seismic surveys in the area outside of the city and how that information was of interest to the Covenant (and why they were interested in a City maintenance AI). The closing frames of the game show the team's Phantom flying away from the city as Covenant cruisers are using their excavation beams on a huge circular construct that was buried near the city. Almost identical to what we see on that Halo 3 wait screen (with the 2 cruisers circling the construct) and what we see in the distance on the Tsavo Highway.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] VautlingFrog Actually I dispute the Portal claim. The scene shows distinct human architecture during the intro to that ending. You even see some of the "Y" symbols as well as a SuperIntendant insignia (spesificly this [url=http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/halo/images/thumb/5/5d/Superintendant-alone.svg/377px-Superintendant-alone.svg.png]image[/url] of him). Then it pans down to see a newly dug hole in the bottom of that human structure. It suggests to me that the SuperIntendant's mainframe was built over a Forerunner structure with out knowing it. Possably a data archive.[/quote] Of course the buildings in the beginning were Human. Did you completely miss the level "Data Hive?" They went to that same structure to get Virgil. As for the Forerunner structure underneath it, listen to the Audio Logs. It talks about how Virgil found something beneath his data center. The scientist just didn't report this to the UNSC because Regret showed up. Everything fits with it being the portal to the Ark.

Actually I dispute the Portal claim. The scene shows distinct human architecture during the intro to that ending. You even see some of the "Y" symbols as well as a SuperIntendant insignia (spesificly this [url=http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/halo/images/thumb/5/5d/Superintendant-alone.svg/377px-Superintendant-alone.svg.png]image[/url] of him). Then it pans down to see a newly dug hole in the bottom of that human structure. It suggests to me that the SuperIntendant's mainframe was built over a Forerunner structure with out knowing it. Possably a data archive.

seeing as how many will flame you & tell you I'll just say that it was REALLY obvious.

They were searching for the ancient forerunner search bar.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Il Gh0s7 II Have YOU ever played Halo 3? Mercy gets killed in Halo 2 by the flood. Truth gets killed near the end of Halo 3 by the Arbiter. That is the Prophet of Truth at the end of ODST.[/quote] Wow, I must've skipped that cutscene somehow. I watched it on Youtube and don't remember that happening.

Why the Ark, of course.

Im sure that was Truth, but not 100% sure. But I think it was the ark in the legendary ending, since it takes place in Halo 2/3's storyline