Just a bit of inane dabbles. I was bored. Cortana's POV, some time in Halo 3, not sure when or where. Cortana begins to think about random stuff. Hope you like! Please review! ^.^
~Ciao!
The rain pattered down silently on to the desolate landscape. Nothing but the sparse shrubbery that waved in the wind and us moved. When the rain would reach his armor, it made little tinkling noises. They sounded so innocent and pure, after the carnage that had happened earlier. This rain did not know good or evil, right or wrong, heck it didn't even know this way from that. All it knew was falling. Falling forever, up, down, left, right, it didn't matter. All it was was falling.
The thudding of John's MJONLIR armored feet was rhythmic. Beating a tempo into the earth itself. It almost drowned out the sound of the raindrops, which were now reduced to tiny a pitter-pattering that even John wouldn't pay any attention to. He moved steadily on. Going to meet his destination. The rain drops were still on my mind. I couldn't grasp my mind around the fact that something so small and inconsequential could be so important.
People never really paid any attention to it, unless there was too much, or not enough. It was silly rather. Humans were so self-centered in nature, yet they tried so hard to cover that up with good deeds and "changes of heart". Why didn't they just accept who they were and get on with their lives? Several answers tugged at the corners of my memory. One of them was that humanity actually wasn't selfish and that they were actually good people inside. Some could dispute that. Another was from an ancient text. It read this;
"For the wages of sin is death…" Romans 7:23
Ah, it was from the Bible. I had found this piece of literature and the ideas that it posed quite interesting. Other theories zipped through my head. But I dismissed them all after a while. I stopped and thought for a moment while in the process of doing a routine check on John's armor. Doing two things at once often helped me think clearer. I came to the conclusion that people were people, and that they had parts that were good, and parts that were bad. And that they just had to work to make sure they lived in the way they thought right.
Plip-plop, plip-plop. The rain again. It would not leave my mind. Even when I did not notice, it was there. Working its job. It would always be there. It always has been there. No one ever thanked it for the hard work it did. It never got any appreciation. Yet it never quit its job. It never decided to go on vacation, or strike. It was always there. It brought life and it brought death. Yet it was innocent.
It reminded me of my Spartan. He brought death and he brought life. Although I didn't think he was quite as innocent. He was always there, doing his job. Not complaining, or arguing. Only doing what he knew. He did know a lot, quite a number of things really. But actually, he didn't know a lot. He would never know the joy of seeing a smile on a child's face. I doubt he had even seen a child in his life, apart from the other Spartans he had trained with. He would never know a birthday party. Would never know how to make chocolate chip cookies, or sip hot cider on a cold day. He would never know the peace and security that comes from a loving parent. He would never know the joy of a first love, or the pain of a first break-up. He would never go through mortifying, high school experiences, or just hang out with his friends. He was a Spartan. Hard and strong. Bred for brutality. But neither would I. He never did, and he never will. So I guess it didn't matter.
Just then the rhythmic beating stopped and I looked around, scanning the many different sensors in his armor's system. Nothing. No heat sigs, no motion detection, not a sound for miles around.
"What are you doing up there, you're quiet." John asked. So this was why. He stopped so he could ask me a question. I smiled. Stupid boy.
"Contemplating." I answered. Monosyllabic answers always annoyed him. He sighed.
"Fine. Don't tell me." I laughed. He was either so bored that asking me about my goings-on was the only thing to do, or he was actually interested in my thoughts and opinions.
"It's nothing important, I can tell you that much." I knew that this would aggravate him to no end. He hated not knowing things. Along with monosyllabic answers of course.
"…" He said nothing, as if he was a little child, giving me the silent treatment.
"Fine. I'll tell you." I could tell he was satisfied when my sensor's picked up on more neuron activity.
"I was thinking about rain. There, you happy?"
"Not really, but okay. I mean, I just haven't been able to work with you for five months because of the stupid Gravemind, and all I get is 'rain'? Well if I suddenly 'forget' to bring you on a mission one day, you can thank yourself because you wouldn't tell me what you were thinking." He ranted. He was quite funny actually. He never really let the tough soilder façade slip, but this was one of those rare times.
"Okay, I was thinking of rain, and running an armor diagnostic, and keeping tabs on all of your sensors, keeping track of how much time left until we got to our destination, thinking of possible missions we'll get at the destination, and of all the possible attack plans when we get to our mission. "
"I didn't mean it that way."
"I know you didn't mean it that way." I said with a smile. Always so close, but yet so far away.
"Grrrr."
"Ha ha. But really I was thinking of how that rain doesn't get appreciated enough yet it never quits."
"Rain is an inanimate object Cortanna. Are you going rampant?"
"Hahahaha! So funny! No." I said sarcastically. "What I mean is that you're similar to the rain. Always working hard to do your job, but never getting any thanks."
"I get thanked-," He tried to appeal, but I cut him off.
"Not enough you don't." I sighed. "Oh well, it doesn't matter. Now our ETA is gonna be 4 hrs if you don't start walking again."
He continued walking without argument. I continued thinking. Things weren't looking so great in the war. The Covenant had gotten so close to earth so many times it was scary. The next time might just be their last attempt. There was no telling how this could all turn out. Unless we had some sort of miracle that enabled us to just wish away the Covies and think everything would be great. But there wasn't gonna be anything. We were gripping the ledge of freedom with our fingernails, holding on, hoping that maybe we could get by on perseverance and hope alone. Like a scorched and devastated Reach could become her once glorious self with just a little help, just a little rain, to being fertility back to her lands. Rain. It kept coming back. And I didn't know why. I searched for a few minutes, trying to find out why this topic would not be ignored. But came up with nothing. Finally I cracked.
"I don't get it." I said with a huff.
"Don't get what?" He asked back.
"Why the topic of rain won't leave my mind." I responded.
"Scientific rain, or psychological rain like earlier?"
"Psychological."
"Hmn. I see. Well some things you can never figure out. Like why I was chosen to be a Spartan. Only God knows."
"But it bothers me sooo much not knowing!" I whined.
"I know, that's just how you are, but that's part of being human. Not knowing everything,"
"But I'm not human." I countered.
"You're becoming more like it every day. I mean, I've noticed you thinking about some deep stuff lately. What's going on?" It was true. I had been thinking of some deep psychological stuff. Like lately I had been wondering what memory and emotions were about and now this. I guess it was because I was I was tired of processing numbers and statistics, logical and useful stuff that got my Spartan through everyday life. Sometimes, I didn't want to be a mindless multiplier. Sometimes, I just wanted to wonder. I was so much more than that, so why should I be?
"Well I guess it's because I don't want to be an empty piece of technology."
"Heh, it's like you're a human trapped in a computer program. Maybe I'll have to get Halsey to check you out when we get there."
"What? No! I'm NOT getting checked out, please, no, I'm ok I swear! Please don't take me in, I'm not going rampant!" I cried out.
"It's okay, it's okay! Calm down, I was just joking!" He sounded worried.
"Oh thank goodness." I sighed.
"Although maybe we should, just,… you know, a routine check up? It's been a while since you last had one. I don't want to find out you have a virus or something." He put out the idea tentatively, afraid I was going to lash out like it did last time. But I was calm. I thought about it for a moment from a rational point of view. I did need a check up, and I was running a little behind on my updates, so maybe I should do it. This could be good for me, I wanted to be warned early in case I was… you know, rampant. A shudder ran the length of my spine. Whatever happens, I sure as heck did not want to be going rampant.
"Okay… I guess. I mean it would be a good idea."
"Don't worry. It'll be fine. It'll just be a routine check up, some up-dates, and then poof, you're done. You'll be fine." John's voice was reassuring but my mind was still unsure about it.
We walked in silence for a few more minutes. For once, I wasn't actually doing something. I was completely zoned out. And it felt nice. More silence. And more rain. Forever rain.