Halo_ Ghosts of Onyx - Eric S. Nylund [42]
NO TERRAFORMING EFFORT REQUIRED. COLONIZATION RECOMMENDED.
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/ATTACHED FILE 2 OF 9/
FEBRUARY 19, 24 92 (MILITARY CALENDAR)
FIELD REPORT A7 90 52-USNC. ENGCORP
SUBJECT: GEOLOGICAL EXPEDITION FOUR, PLANET XF-063
REPORTING OFFICER: LIEUTENANT W. K. DAVIDSON UNSC.ENGCORP/ UNSCMID: 0772 9654
THE NORTHERN PLATEAU REGION OF THE MIDLATITUDE LANDMASS HAS AN ABUNDANCE OF GRANITE AND QUARTZ VARIETIES FORMING HILLS AND MESAS. BREATHTAKING ONYX QUARRIES .
ADDITIONAL EXPLORATION OF THIS REGION HAS REVEALED LIMESTONE OF ORGANIC ORIGINS, SPECIFICALLY AN ANCIENT CORAL REEF WITH A RICH FOSSIL HISTORY.
CURSORY INVESTIGATION HAS YIELDED SEVERAL ANCIENT SPECIES OF UNKNOWN ORIGINS, AND ENTIRE PHYLUM FOUND OF POSSIBLY ALIEN TAXONOMY.
RECOMMENDATION: FOLLOW-UP SURVEY. SPECIALIST REQUESTED IN PALEO-AND XENOBIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY.
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/ATTACHED FILE 3 OF 9/
JANUARY 3, 2511 (MILITARY CALENDAR) ORDER 178.8.64.007 SUBJECT: SECURITY RECLASSIFICATION ISSUING OFFICER: REAR ADMIRAL M. 0. PARANGOSKY, OFFICE OF NAVAL INTELLIGENCE, SECTION THREE/ UNSCMID: 03659271
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY ALL MATERIALS MENTIONING, REFERENCING, OR CONTAINING REPORTS, SURVEYS, PERSONAL NOTES AND LOGS, IMAGES, OR ANY OTHER DATA PERTAINING TO OR ABOUT THE PLANET CATALOG NO. XF-0 63 (ALSO KNOWN COLLOQUIALLY AS "ONYX") IS HEREBY RECLASSIFIED TO TOP SECERT, EYES ONLY.
UNSC SYSTEMWIDE NETWORK PURGE AUTHORIZED BY OFFICE OF NAVAL INTELLIGENCE (REF NO. 0097833), UNDER THE DIRECTION OF MIL.AI. ID: 477-SSD.
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/ATTACHED FILE 4 OF 9 /
OCTOBER 22, 2 511 (MILITARY CALENDAR) ONI FIELD REPORT A84110 CLASSIFICATION: TOP SECRET, CODE-WORD SUBJECT: STATUS OF RUINS IN ZONE 67 REPORTING OFFICER: LIEUTENANT COMMANDER J. G. ORTEGA, OFFICE OF NAVAL INTELLIGENCE, SECTION THREE/ UNSCMID: 7631073
CONCERNING THE ALIEN RUINS DISCOVERED IN ZONE 67, WE CONTINUE TO FIND EVIDENCE OF AN ADVANCED CULTURE WITH A SUPERLATIVE GRASP OF MATHEMATICS AND ASTROGATION, WITH SOME POSSIBLE ARTISTIC REPRESENTATIONS THAT SUGGEST A SPACE-FARING RACE (SEE ATTACHED DIGITAL IMAGES OF ONYX CARVINGS).
THEIR NUMEROUS HIEROGLYPHICS, WHILE AT FIRST GLANCE COMPARABLE TO ANCIENT TERRESTRIAL AZTEC VARIANTS, ARE, IN FACT, NOTHING AT ALL LIKE THESE PRIMITIVE EARTH COUNTERPARTS . SEVERAL LAYERS OF SYMBOLOGY SUGGEST A HIGHER-DIMENSIONAL APPROACH TO THEIR
LANGUAGE, IF IT CAN EVEN BE TRULY THOUGHT OF AS WRITING OR LANGUAGE IN ANY HUMAN SENSE .
TRANSLATION CONTINUES TO ELUDE ALL EXPERTS, HUMAN AND AI.
RECOMMENDATION: INCREASED FUNDING AND EXCAVATION WILL UNDOUBTEDLY YIELD HITHERTO UNKNOWN TECHNOLOGIES.
ADDITIONAL NOTE: NO FURTHER INFORMATION HAS BEEN DISCOVERED REGARDING THE GLOWING SPHERE DISCOVERED BY BETA COMPANY TRAINEES. THE SUBSEQUENT DETONATION OF THE SPHERE OBLITERATED ALL CLUES OF ITS ORIGIN.
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/ATTACHED FILE 5 OF 9/
SEPTEMBER 2, 2517 (MILITARY CALENDAR) ONI FIELD REPORT C384409 CLASSIFICATION: TOP SECRET, CODE-WORD SUBJECT: STATUS OF RUINS IN ZONE 67 REPORTING OFFICER: COMMANDER J. G. ORTEGA, OFFICE OF NAVAL INTELLIGENCE, SECTION THREE/ UNSCMID: 7631073
NEW FACILITIES WENT OPERATIONAL AS OF 0500 HOURS TODAY. SMART AIS FUNCTIONING IN TANDEM AS PER SPECIFICATIONS WITH SOME PRELIMIANRY SUCCESS ON SOME OF THE SIMPLER, LOW-DIMENSIONAL HIEROGLYPHICS.
CONTINUED EXCAVATIONS OF MILLIONS OF CUBIC FEET OF EARTH IN ZONE 67 YIELD RUINED BUILDINGS, CARVINGS, AND TABLETS, BUT AS WITH THE OTHER REGIONS NO DISCOVERIES OF A TECHNOLOGICAL NATURE DISCOVERED (OR IF THERE ARE, WE LACK SUFFICIENT UNDERSTANDING TO DISCERN THEIR FUNCTION).
CARVINGS DEPICTING THE INHABITANTS OF ONYX STILL NOT FOUND . WHATEVER THESE CREATURES LOOKED LIKE, FOR THE MOMENT, REMAINS A MYSTERY .
THE SENIOR STAFF NOW BELIEVES THAT A SUDDEN CATACLYSM CLAIMED THE INHABITANTS OF THIS WORLD. UNKNOWN IF PATHOLOGICAL, SOCIOLOGICAL, OR RADIOLOGICAL IN NATURE. THIS MAY, HOWEVER, EXPLAIN THE HIGHER-THAN-NORMAL BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS.
RECOMMENDATION: INCREASED STAFF AND FUNDING. THE RUINS ARE SO EXTENSIVE THEY COULD TAKE SEVERAL LIFETIMES TO UNEARTH THEM ALL. THIS ENTIRE WORLD MAY BE COVERED IN SIMILAR RUINS. NEW TECHNOLOGIES CERTAINLY MUST