The Chief and Cortana crash-land on the ring, eventually identified as (or "Halo"). While rallying human survivors, they discover the Covenant are searching for "The Control Room," believing the ring is a holy weapon that will lead them to salvation. The Truth About the Ring As the conflict escalates, the story takes a dark turn:
The story begins as the human ship Pillar of Autumn exits slipspace to find a massive, ring-shaped world orbiting a gas giant. Under attack by Covenant forces, the ship’s captain, , awakens the Master Chief from cryosleep and entrusts him with Cortana , the ship's advanced AI, to prevent her vital data from falling into enemy hands. Landing on the Ring Halo Combat Evolved [Xbox Classic]
: The Master Chief encounters 343 Guilty Spark , the ring’s AI monitor, who convinces him to retrieve "The Index" to activate Halo and destroy the Flood. The Chief and Cortana crash-land on the ring,