The Cryptographer

The Cryptographer or The Silent Cryptographer is an artificial planet and installation created by the Forerunners. It is located several light-years from Installation 00.

Purpose
The Cryptographer was created by the Forerunners as an archive to store codes for certain Forerunner constructs and computers. Inside The Cryptographer are hundreds of Terminals that store various codes and passwords. The Cryptographer was also the installation where the Forerunners created the Index' by implementing activation codes into them. At the core of The Cryptographer is a holographic planetary grid showing the locations of all 7 Installations, as well as The Ark. Before the activation of the Halo Array, the Forerunners used The Cryptographer as place to store Replicators. If for any reason an Index is lost or destroyed, The Cryptographer A.I. will begin creating a new Index with precise codes used for the specified Installation.

Terrain
Most of the planet is Forerunner structure with gravity lifts that lead to the main part of The Cryptographer. There are several small oceans on the planet with submarine structures that can only be reached through diving. The Cryptographer is approx. the size of Mars with subterranean rooms and structures with Terminals containing codes. There are also large tunnels built underground with Ant-Gravity Gondolas that run through them.

Climate
All climate at The Cryptographer is artificial. Like the Quarantine Zone on Installation 05, the climate is controlled, and for the most part is cloudy. However, in the subterranean area, there is also climate. It is usually cloudy or raining in the subterranean area of the planet, but it does get hot.

Sections
The Cryptographer is divided into sections. Since it is a spherical installation as large as a planet, it is divided into the inner core,outer core,inner shell,outer shell, and surface.

Inner Core
At the inner core, is a large room that strecthes for miles. The entire room contains a holographic planetary grid showing every system,planet,and star, in the Milky Way Galaxy. In addition to the astronomical features, it also shows the locations of all 7 Installations, as well as The Ark.

Outer Core
In the outer core, there are millions of Terminals on walls that can be reached via gravity lifts. Each Terminal contains a code for a certain Forerunner construct on a Halo, or The Ark.

Inner Shell
In the inner shell, Index' are made for installations if an Index is lost or destroyed. The Cryptographer A.I. is alerted when an Index is destroyed and will organize a series of codes and protocols to make an Index for a specified Installation. There are also several units in the inner shell to contain the Replicators

Outer Shell
The outer shell is where the climate control is. It is also where there are various subterranean environments, possibly for the Forerunners to feel more secure in a subterranean installation. There are a series of large tunnels in the outer shell for Ant-Gravity Gondolas to travel through.

Surface
The surface is where there are thousands of Forerunner structures that connect to the subterranean structures using a system of gravity lifts. There are also several oceans at the surface where there are submarine structures leading to the outer shell.

Defense
The entire installation is constantly patrolled by Sentinels,Sentinel Majors, and repaired by Constructors. At the surface, there are hundreds of Enforcers patrolling the air. There are also lockdown procedures if an intruder steals important codes from a Terminal.