Huragok (Earth-4001)

Huragok (Latin Facticius indoles meaning "artificial genius"), are a race of biomechanical sentient beings that were created by the Forerunners to maintain their technology and, in some cases, biological beings. These remarkably helpful and docile pseudo-organisms are exceedingly patient, rarely communicate with other species, and are almost single-mindedly devoted to their work. Huragok are known to exist in two varieties; those that used to serve the Builders, referred to by some individuals as Engineers, and the rarer Lifeworker Huragok, who were designed to repair and maintain biological lifeforms.

They were the only known non-combatant race of the Covenant aside from the San'Shyuum, though some were rigged to explode like suicide bombers during the Great Schism. Following the Human-Covenant War, most Huragok mysteriously disappeared, although some remained aligned with splinter factions of the original Covenant, including the Swords of Sanghelios and the Ussans, while a number ended up at the hands of the United Nations Space Command.

History
The history of the Huragok is the same as their mainstream counterparts up until the end of the Human-Covenant War in 2553.

Anatomy & Physiology
The Huragok are not a natural, biological species at all, but rather an artificial life form created by the Forerunners. While they possess no true tissues or organs, their nanomechanical surrogates so closely mimic their biological analogs that they seem almost indistinguishable to observers. Multiple translucent pink and purple gas-bladders on their backs that serve as their method of locomotion, allowing them to float through the air. The bladders contain lighter-than-air gases that must be maintained at a certain mixture. Normally, Huragok only float a few feet above the ground. However, they are capable of rising significantly higher for relatively short periods of time. Each of the bladders are used for specific functions; some for propulsion, some for elevation, and others for chemical supply. The bladders also serve as part of their respiratory system; if a Huragok's gas-bladders deflate, it will asphyxiate and die. Physically, the Huragok closely resemble the Gigastaurozoa, though with a significant difference in locomotion.

Huragok have small, elongated heads with six dark eye-like sensory nodes, and four tentacles that can split into very small, microscopically fine cilia. The Huragok use these cilia to construct, repair and manipulate machinery on a near-microscopic level. Certain Forerunner installations feature panels, apparently similar to human touch-pad technology, that Huragok can "type" on using their cilia. Some installations also feature hidden mechanisms that only the Huragok's refined cilia are capable of operating. They can take apart whole vehicles and rearrange their entire structure in a matter of seconds, with the resulting machines still operating at least as well as they did before. They learn at an unprecedented rate, and store that information for future reference if ever they need to repair the same thing twice. They are capable of surviving in at least oxygen and methane-rich environments, though they cannot survive in a vacuum.

As a result of their biomechanical nature, Huragok possess the ability to interface with electronic forms of data storage, "downloading" data directly into themselves. They appear to be able to "read" biological life-signs as well; during her time within Shield World 006, Lucy-B091 was analyzed by a Huragok, who scanned her brain activity in an attempt to determine the cause of her vocal disarticulation. Huragok can also be trained to sense signals broadcasted on a specific frequency by Forerunner technology in need of repair. Huragok are capable of self-repairing all but the most catastrophic physical damages inflicted upon them, as long as the individual as access to a sufficient amount of raw materials. Huragok can also repair each other if they have access to at least ten percent of the damaged individual's original mass.

Huragok are bioluminescent, and in dark conditions their heads and tentacles emit a bright bluish glow, which pulsates when the Huragok is calm and brightens or dims according to its emotional state. The cilia on their tentacles give off a pinkish-red light as well. Huragok blood is luminescent blue-purple in color.

Though the inner workings of an Huragok's internal macroscopic biology remain a mystery, it is known that they are capable of using the gas sacks that keep them afloat for anaerobic respiration. This method is painful, dangerous, and apparently only used as a last resort. Despite their buoyant nature and graceful, fragile appearance, Huragok are quite strong. When nearby individuals tamper with or endanger Forerunner technology, they are capable of using moderate to extreme force to deter them.

Lifeworker Huragok are a specialized type of Huragok specializing in medicine. They are outwardly distinct from the normal Builder Huragok by their smaller size, green color and lack of bioluminescence. They also have several more tentacles, one of which is used for illumination.

Reproduction & Life Cycle
Huragok reproduction is overtly more mechanical than it is biological, though there are still strong similarities to biological reproduction. Huragok reproduce by gathering organic materials from their surroundings to "build" another Huragok. The new Huragok is built with the deft application of their tentacles' cilia. This new offspring's air sacs are then filled with a mixture of lighter-than-air gases. This is the most difficult step in the reproduction process, as a precise mixture of gases is required in order for the "offspring" to be perfectly buoyant. Each Huragok that takes part in this process relays all the information that they have learned to their offspring. Given sufficient raw materials, a pair of Huragok can produce a unified replica of themselves in approximately forty-five minutes; the addition of a third Huragok cuts the time down to thirty minutes. A maximum of three Huragok can participate in the reproduction. Understandably, it is advantageous to have as many Huragok contribute to this process as possible, raising the "intelligence" of the offspring. Additionally, the Huragok offspring will grow to have a wider range of experience if a third parent was involved in the reproduction.

Upon birth, a Huragok will either initially float or sink—depending on the mixtures of gases used to inflate their air sacs. Huragok are extremely long-lived; the theoretical lifespan for an individual Huragok recorded by the Forerunners' own Bestiarum was stated to be 87,600,000 hours, or 10,000 years; however, based on evidence from other sources, the Bestiarum concluded that the limit would more accurately be described as effectively indefinite if the Huragok is able to avoid serious injury or disease.

Culture
Huragok hardly have a culture of their own. Instead, they prefer to focus on the maintenance and technological roles that they are so often assigned. They have little interest in taking sides in conflict; they appear to draw no real distinction between friend and foe, preferring to spend their time inspecting or repairing technology, although they will react with agitation if Forerunner technology is damaged or compromised in any way. They are apathetic to any sort of combat, and tend to just float along with a single goal: to fix things. In one encounter, during John-117's assault upon Ascendant Justice, one even aided the SPARTAN-II by repairing the shield generator on his MJOLNIR armor and fixing the Spartan's current weapon, a broken Needler. However, Elias Haverson killed the Huragok, stating that it had learned about the MJOLNIR shield technology, which was superior to the Sangheili personal energy shield, and could not be allowed to relay that information. Another Huragok protested, but then was distracted by a calling terminal and resumed work. If shot at in a firefight, Huragok make no attempt to defend themselves, but rather curl up in fright and float to a safe distance.

Huragok are noted to have no agenda but to accomplish repairs, maintenance, and orders. The species was known to be "eerily trustworthy". Despite their generally pacifistic nature, they can be pushed into violence when a friend is in danger, as demonstrated when Lighter Than Some saved his friend, the Unggoy Dadab, by killing the human, Henry Gibson, with a hunting rock. They also will react forcefully when Forerunner technology is threatened, demonstrating surprising strength as they attempt to keep others from causing harm to Forerunner devices or to themselves.

Their concentration has been described as "a trance-like reverie" by those who have witnessed it. Huragok are also capable of quickly learning the functionality of new technology. On one occasion, a Huragok was observed by John-117 dismantling a vehicle's engine, assembling it into various other working configurations, and then returning it to its original state, all in a matter of seconds. The abilities of the Huragok are not limited to their skills to fix things; they are also able to absorb data from a computer or an A.I., and combine it with their own biological "data". One such incident occurred when one Huragok combined its knowledge with the "dumb" A.I. of New Mombasa, the Superintendent. During a mission to recover a living Huragok, Captain Veronica Dare described the species as "biological supercomputers". However, the actual amount of information that Huragok can extract is limited, and would require a more advanced artificial intelligence to assist in truly understanding the work of a Forerunner construct.

Huragok have also been known to display great compassion and caring for one another. During the Battle of Mombasa, Doctor Daniel Endesha observed six Huragok selflessly give their own lives while attempting to disarm a bomb attached to another, which detonated after its removal and killed all but the seventh Huragok.

Role within the Covenant
During their enslavement to the Covenant, the Huragok were not normally a tactical threat and were rarely ever seen in combat situations. During their service with the empire, most Huragok desired little more than food and work. Most UNSC soldiers made a point of avoiding intentionally harming Huragok if possible. Unlike the majority of the Covenant races, they did not regard humans as enemies. During the events surrounding the first contact between the Covenant and humanity, a Huragok named Lighter Than Some attempted to aid the humans in an attempt to bring peace; he even made them a peace offering, which, against his wishes, was appropriated by the Jiralhanae and converted into the Type-25 Chopper. As Huragok were easily influenced and often difficult to communicate with, the species could not be admitted as a witness during a trial before the Hierarchs.

Huragok were often assigned to work with certain Sangheili or Unggoy. Huragok are an extremely valuable asset to a crew, as they enjoy fixing things immensely; they are often described as caring about nothing else. They take great pride in their work, and also in their buoyancy, enjoying being confined by gravity and floating a meter or so off the ground. However, they are also very peace-loving and have a great respect for life in general. The Huragok Lighter Than Some even refused to play a game that would kill non-sentient pests.

Huragok are often tasked with excavating, transporting, and documenting Forerunner artifacts, which are monitored by San'Shyuum. When deployed during large-scale archaeological expeditions, the Huragok of the Covenant made use of large recharge stations, where they rest, repair each other, and share data between forays.

Symbols
Huragok are known to mark some areas of significance with mysterious glyphs, which can be found on various surfaces, walls, ceilings, floors, even in transmissions, often in irregular patterns. There are three known types of symbols:
 * The "Y"-shaped ones often with glyphs similar to Forerunner symbols around them.
 * The "O"-shaped ones sometimes with a symbol in them.
 * Or simply in lines.

The symbols are likely related to the Huragok's Forerunner origin, though it is known that they are a deviation to the Forerunner variants of the Huragok symbols.

The symbols were also conveyed by the species through Huragok sign language. Each symbol is believed to tell "stories", and some represent the shape of Forerunner starships.

Languages & Communication
Huragok can communicate with other Covenant species, such as the Sangheili, Kig-Yar, or Unggoy—particularly the more intelligent ones such as the Deacon Dadab—and with other Huragok, by flexing their limbs in various directions, bending and overlapping to form the specific formation for each word, much like human sign language. Through the sign language, the Huragok conveyed their own symbols. The Huragok could impart these symbols at a high speed, with some being represented by the tip of the tentacle becoming a corkscrew shape, the crossing of tentacles, or the tentacles becoming fashioned into a series of "O" and "V" shapes. The Sangheili occasionally used translation software to holographically translate the symbols to the Sangheili language. Huragok sign language was known to be quite difficult to learn without the translation software. Their gas sacs can also swell and deflate at times of great emotion, suggesting another, more subtle method of communication.

Huragok can also communicate using melodic whistling sounds, as shown when Cortana used a Covenant SHIPCOM speakers to verbally communicate with a Huragok. Their verbal communication is almost musical, and very slightly resembles the calls of Earth's whales. The Huragok were known to make certain sounds to express emotions, such as chirping noises to indicate joy or a fluting whistle to convey sadness.

Huragok can gain an understanding of other species' spoken languages. In order to facilitate more efficient communication with other species, they are capable of typing messages on devices such as data pads and using voice synthesizers. However, some individuals can understand Huragok, without a translator, based on their verbal communications.

Naming Conventions
When Huragok are born, its parents must carefully balance the air sacs of their offspring with gases. The gases initial buoyancy in newly born Huragok determines the name its parents bestow upon them; for example, one that sinks might be named 'Far Too Heavy', one whose buoyancy is almost perfect would be named 'Easy to Adjust', and those whose gas mixture causes them to exhibit notable buoyancy are named 'Lighter Than Some'.

Trivia

 * Engineers are the only Covenant race to be cut from the Halo trilogy and appear in later games.