Halo Transmissions

**Halo Transmissions** were a series of messages from Cortana that began appearing on Bungie's Halo website starting on July 21, 1999, after Halo's official unveiling at Macworld. The transmissions were related to the Cortana Letters and part of the same alternate reality game.

## Context

After *Halo* was announced, Matt Soell sent bungie.org a new website link: bungie.net/halo. Within a few hours, people started gathering "sayings" that appeared at random on the page. According to one person, the left frame of the page has an animated line of three strings that appeared to be decoration, but if the frame was opened in a new browser window, the page was called "HALO: Incoming Transmission." It was soon discovered that the press release on the page had a reference to the Cortana Letters.

The transmissions below are communications between Covenant ships (CPV) to the human ships, Pillar of Autumn and Hermes II, and the planet Reach.

## Transmissions

These transmission are displayed according to marathon.bungie.org's Halo Transmission webpage, based on the original halo.bungie.com page in July 1999.

### Transmission 1

>
> • CPV *Reverence* (DE H c-7)
>
>
> o SCS *Pillar of Autumn*
>
>
> RECEIVED (trans) 04.1.7.0317
>
>  via *x-process 02775.2.32.939444*
>
>  *(process owner BW - AI - Class III)*
>
>
> **You slave, toil, bleed and sweat for your food. And we shall eat it.**
>
>
>
>

### Transmission 2

>
> • CPV *Esteem* (DE H c-10)
>
>
> o SCS *Pillar of Autumn*
>
>
> RECEIVED (trans) 04.2.7.1139
>
>  via *x-process 02988.2.32.738288*
>
>  *(process owner BW - AI - Class III)*
>
>
> **You will not know where we have struck until you have fallen.**
>
>
>
>

### Transmission 3

>
> • CCS *Truth and Reconciliation* (DE H c-1)
>
>
> o SCS *Pillar of Autumn*
>
>
> RECEIVED (trans) 04.7.7.1640
>
>  via *x-process 04019.2.32.273390*
>
>  *(process owner BW - AI - Class III)*
>
>
> **What you have begun in anger you shall end in shame.**
>
>
>
>

### Transmission 4

>
> • CCS *Truth and Reconciliation* (DE H c-1)
>
>
> o SCS *Pillar of Autumn*
>
>
> RECEIVED (trans) 04.7.7.1907
>
>  via *x-process 04022.2.32.872499*
>
>  *(process owner BW - AI - Class III)*
>
>
> **None will exist to say whether you were defeated by valor or cruelty.**
>
>
>
>

### Transmission 5

>
> • CCS *Sacred Promise* (DE H c-3)
>
>
> o SCS *Pillar of Autumn*
>
>
> RECEIVED (trans) 04.8.7.0232
>
>  via *x-process modified (WARNING)*
>
>  *(REDIRECTED)*
>
>
> **Our conviction is like an arrow already in flight.**
>
>  **Your life will only last until it reaches you.**
>
>
>
>

### Transmission 6

>
> • SCS *Pillar of Autumn* (?)
>
>
> o CCS *Sacred Promise* (DE H c-3)
>
>
> SENT 04.9.7.0600
>
>  via *x-process 04087.2.32.742573*
>
>  *(process owner Cortana)*
>
>
> **"... He says I came not to send Peace but a Sword ..."**
>
>
>
>

### Transmission 7

>
> • CCS *Truth and Reconciliation* (DE H c-1)
>
>
> o SCS *Pillar of Autumn*
>
>
> RECEIVED (trans) 04.11.7.0000
>
>  via *x-process 04118.2.32.465603*
>
>  *(process owner BW - AI - Class III)*
>
>
> **You have brought nothing to this world, and we will ensure you bring**
>
>  **nothing out.**
>
>
>
>

### Transmission 8

>
> • CAR *Contrition* (DE H c-5)
>
>
> o SCS *Hermes II*
>
>
> RECEIVED (trans) 04.14.6.1835
>
>  via *x-process 375.2.686.0632091*
>
>  *(process owner GA - AI - Class II)*
>
>
> **Through war we will teach your heresy.**
>
>  **Through battle we will teach your frailty.**
>
>  **Through death we will teach your fate.**
>
>
>
>

### Transmission 9

>
> • SCS *Pillar of Autumn (?)*
>
>
> o undetermined
>
>
> SENT xx.15.2.1049
>
>  via *u-process 011366.x.xx.895999*
>
>  *(process owner Cortana)*
>
>
> **I have governed the unwilling.**
>
>  **I have walked the edge of the Abyss.**
>
>
>
>

### Transmission 10

>
> • CAR *Penance* (DE H c-4: OB)
>
>
> o ESP 8 *Reach*
>
>
> RECEIVED 04.15.6.1428
>
>  via *p-process 34022.1.8.230390*
>
>  *(process owner Pr Govern via Reach PSN*
>
>  *node 21)*
>
>
>  **You live without discipline and will die without honor.**
>
>
>
>

### Transmission 11

>
> • CCS *Purity of Spirit* (DE H c-2: OB)
>
>
> o ESP 8 *Reach*
>
>
> RECEIVED 04.15.6.1432
>
>  via *p-process 34022.1.8.240601*
>
>  *(process owner - &X2^%xxx\*)*
>
>
> **It is said remorse is the pain of sin. We feel no remorse.**
>
>
>
>

### Transmission 12

>
> • SCS *Pillar of Autumn (n13a)*
>
>
> o SCS *Pillar of Autumn (n1)*
>
>
> SENT 04.20.7.1412
>
>  *x-process 04494.2.32.143320*
>
>  *(process owner unspecified)*
>
>
> **"These are the tygers of wrath."**
>
>
>
>

### Transmission 13

>
> • CCS *Purity of Spirit* (DE H c-2)
>
>
> o SCS *Pillar of Autumn*
>
>
> RECEIVED (trans) 04.21.7.0800
>
>  via *x-process 04498.2.32.200932*
>
>  *(process owner BW - AI - Class III)*
>
>
> **This world will be ruled in blood.**
>
>
>
>

### Transmission 14

>
> • CCS *Truth and Reconciliation* (DE H c-1)
>
>
> o ALLCH (SC)
>
>
> RECEIVED (trans) 04.21.7.0801
>
>  via *x-process MODIFIED*
>
>  *(process owner EXALTED (?))*
>
>
> **When no single human brick lies atop another, then will we be satisfied**
>
>  **with your destruction.**
>
>
>
>

## Resources

1. ↑ Bungie.com (via archive.org) - Halo Brings Action Gamers a World Without End (July 21, 1999)
2. ↑ YouTube - First Halo Announcement and Trailer at Macworld 1999
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Bungie.org - Halo Announcement (July 21, 1999)
4. ↑ Bungie.org - Halo Transmissions