While thinking about Forrest's Marathon Eternal timeline, I may have come across an potential extended mara-verse justification for the use of the Flood (of Halo fame) in Eternal’s outline.
It's been hypothesized (almost to the point where I consider it canon) that the Jjaro were once organic beings, whom after a time eschewed their biological forms for the convience of digital/mechanical bodies.
Forrest's use of the Flood in M:Eternal's outline (linking the Forerunners to the Jjaro, thus Marathon Universe to the Halo Ring constructs) could still work - but separate from the alternate Halo universe we know.
The Jjaro could have indeed created ring constructs, with their purpose of exterminating an biological threat to all sentient life in the Marathon timeline - but as opposed to the Flood, Joshua and his organics [how/whenever they came into existence] could serve this function in Eternal.
I'm unsure if Ian covered the creation story of the Organics and Joshua's presence, but I think it would be an interesting extrapolation. From what I recal of Red’s terminals, Ian loved an apparent lack of dates that could orient his scenario to the original trilogy.
Why do I propose such odd things? Because that's what I do.
