Microsoft has been releasing a series of Halo Infinite teaser videos known as the ‘UNSC Archives’. These videos are live-action shorts that span a few minutes and offer a glimpse of the creation of Master Chief’s iconic arsenal. The teasers expand the lore of the Halo franchise, giving fans a rare view of the universe as shown through the eyes of human civilians. The third UNSC Archive was released today.
The first UNSC Archive, called the Unspoken, shows how two marines confiscated alien tech to create the energy shield. The second archive, Project Magnes, reveals that the grappling hook was created by a dedicated engineer, who spent an untold amount of time in isolation to create it by herself. Both of those videos had levels of bittersweetness to them, but both also end in a sense of triumph and optimism.
However, the third archive is a more sobering video. Called Lightbringers, the teaser shows the events that happened to volunteered miners who went down an excavation site to extract ore needed to fortify Master Chief’s exoskeleton. Sadly, there was a cave-in down in the mines, and, according to the opening text, only the ore made it back to the surface.
The trapped miners end up singing a chorus about “the darkness that brings on the light”, while carving on the walls “From the soil to the stars”, referencing the ore that will be used to make the Chief’s armor. It’s a tragic look at the world of Halo, showing the human lives lost to give Master Chief the best chance to finish the fight.
