We Go Together Chapter 1: Free, a halo fanfic

AN: I thought to start writing most of my one-shots under one title. So we'll see how this works. This chapter is actually based on my old concept of Halo 3. The Xbox360 I had back then decided to break down -surprise - just before Halo 3, and I was forced to hype over just the game package and the manual for a couple of (very long) weeks. Oh the disappointment when there was no human-sized Cortana after all...

Halo 3, AU. Some of the lines have been intentionally modified from what they are in the games.

(Edited 15.7.2018 with minor corrections.)

Free

Earth.

He really hadn't had a chance to see it often.

But deep down it didn't really matter – it wasn't home, not like Reach had been.

But Earth wasn't the foremost thing in the mind of Spartan-117. He had been flown from the outskirts of his "landing zone" to top-secret ONI facility closer to the North. He wasn't yet sure why but he had heard the name of his AI partner, Cortana, a couple of times.

Cortana, whom he had left behind on High Charity. Left behind with the Flood.

With a quick shake of a head, the Spartan turned his gaze towards the ground they were landing on.

The air wasn't bad, but it was easy the sense that something in the air. He knew that Covenant was busy at Africa, digging for something. Couple thousand kilometers to the south, the very thing every UNSC soldier had tried to prevent, Covenant on Earth, was happening. Despite the commotion inside the facility, nothing in general seemed to indicate that not very far away humanity was fighting for its very existence.

"This way, sir." A young officer guided him inside the building. Usually, Spartans awoke attention where ever they went, but this time everyone appeared to be too busy to even take a second glance towards one of the hopes of humanity. The staff seemed to consist mostly of IT-specialists. Hall after hall was filled with people who were staring at screens and analyzing information. Cables were coming and going from nearly all cracks, transporting energy and transmitting data.

"Master Chief." The senior specialist saluted. "Are you aware of why you have been brought here?"

"No, sir." He had thought of that, knowing he was needed greatly elsewhere.

The specialist waved the other soldier off and closed the door. He also offered the Spartan a seat, which he unsurprisingly didn't take.

"We have been informed that you were paired up with UNSC AI CTN 0452-9 designation Cortana?"

Even though Chief was slightly puzzled by the man's question, he was becoming more concerned by the fact that he was supposed to be fighting at Africa and High Charity. And they really weren't helping him find his way back to Cortana either, by making these delays.

"Yes, sir."

"We have also received your report concerning leaving the AI behind in a hostile territory."

Nod.

"However, we are also under the impression that you haven't been aware of the nature of the AI you have been working as a carrier for."

After that, the specialist continued to the more technical information. "CTN 0452-9 was made from the flash-clone of a human brain, more precisely the brain of Doctor Catherine Halsey. However, the process resulted in creating more advanced AI than any before crafted by humans. The AI become, not to say unstable, but more unreliable than normal AIs. More powerful. It was a joint decision that the formed AI would need to be taken in stronger custody and subjected to examination." The specialist paused, considering his words. "The AI was, however, strong enough to split itself, create clones that were loosely attached to its host. It was later agreed with Dr. Halsey that one of the clones would continue its service on Reach and later on be employed to the project Handshake."

"Now, we may have the rights to assume that the clone in question has been terminated. Furthermore, the number of AIs UNSC has in its use these days is …scarce, forcing us to use more of the resources we already have. Meaning, we need more separate clones to be formed from the UNSC AI CTN 0452-9."

Even if Sierra-117 was used to keep his face stoic, he was glad that the Mjolnir armor gave him some shielding from the man's gaze.

Unbeknownst to his feelings, the specialist continued his explanation. "The AI, however, isn't cooperative."

"Uncooperative, sir?"

"Yes. We don't… It has never been easy to work with. But now… we don't know if the corruption from one of the clones has spread to the main host, but it has become outright hostile in some cases. Neither we nor humanity can afford it. You see this facility we have here; it handles 21 % of all UNSC transmissions, radars, communications, and some of the databanks. Our systems can't afford to be compromised."

"We would need you to help sort this mess out, and make the AI cooperative."

Why was he chosen for the task?

The man in front of him seemed to sense his question. "We have already lost nearly a dozen of men on the channels below; High Command has chosen you to go to the main data processing center."

About half an hour and heavy instructions later, Master Chief was waiting near an elevator to be permissioned to proceed into the down levels of the facility. The main data processing center was supposedly nearly half a mile below ground, the bedrock keeping the tunnels secured. He had gotten orders to reach Cortana and/or come back by any means necessary.

As Chief entered the elevator and took one last look of the personnel operating it, he could easily notice that none of them looked too sure about the plan. The thought didn't occupy his mind for too long, and soon it was all wrapped in the foreboding feeling he somehow knew to associate with Cortana — even though he had no idea why. Would it really be Cortana down there?

When the elevator finally reached the bottom floor, it took a couple extra seconds before the doors opened. He could hear something being said over the com-channel, but there was too much static for him to be able to make anything out of it.

The senior specialist had said to him that the tunnels were relatively short when compared with the above-ground sections of the facility, but the structure in which they were organized into was complex. It wasn't in the Spartan's training to be troubled by enemies. The Flood had gotten to the closest of bringing a slight tinge of apprehension into the corners of his mind, but the idea of possibly confronting Cortana in her environment wasn't relaxing either. The other soldiers who had tried to enter the main data center had been seriously injured. One member of the first team had barely reached the elevator in time to call help from superiors when the ventilating system had been shut off. Luckily the other members of the team had been managed to be rescued unconscious a little while later. The second team had been much better prepared but ended up short of their target as well. Two team members were in intensive care due to strong electric shocks, the injuries being similar to that of being hit by a lighting. Even the third team had returned to the surface with a clear message.

This time, however, the tunnels were empty, just ongoing darkness, which turned into walls of gray metal when John fixed his helmet's flashlight before him. If he hadn't had his excellent navigation skills, he would have surely taken wrong turns. The biggest problem for the Spartan was the small size of the corridors, which clearly had not been made to fit a Spartan with an armor. Even though it was eerily quiet, he could sense the static energy in the walls, hundreds of thousands of processes going on around him. Knowing fully well he was there.

For a moment he thought he had heard the AI laughing madly and felt her smirking at him. But he banished the thought quickly. At least no-one had attacked him yet.

Finally, he reached the last valve door and could enter the access code, even if he doubted the system to be in any control anymore by the IT and military personnel upstairs.

The main data processing center was not a big room, but it did have more space than the tunnels. It was bare and dark. Or it would have been dark if not for the clear and strong glow from the AI in the other section of the room. A strengthened see-through wall was separating the console part of the room from the illuminated space of Cortana. She was floating about ten inches of the floor, her eyes closed. Cortana's life-sized body was the first thing that grabbed Chief's attention; the lighted holographic cables extending from the AI's hands to the walls being the second.

She reminded him everything of his companion, but at the same time, the situation made his logical side scream danger to him.

The heavy-duty door through which he had just entered a moment ago entered slammed shut, and Chief couldn't be sure whether it was because of automatics or the AI in the room.

Sleep well?

He didn't hear anything, nor see, but still, he felt as he could have sensed the weak echo of Cortana's voice in his head.

However, the Cortana floating in the nothingness before him didn't seem to acknowledge his presence the slightest. Her face was partly hidden by her hair that was dangling over her face.

Before this is all over promise me you'll figure out which one of us is the machine.

"Cortana?" Chief tested, not letting his hold of the battle rifle loosen the slightest, just in case.

The creature on the other side was unresponsive for a moment before its eyes snapped open, locking its gaze instantly with his. Only another change in Cortana was the small tilt of her head as if curiously questioning him.

They stared at each other for a moment. Chief ready to take action, and Cortana without any clear sign of recognition.

Do you know what that damn bitch said to me after our first game of chess?

This was not Cortana. No, the Cortana he had left behind had been collected and friendly. This thing formed a menacing smile on her face while closing her eyes, moving her shoulders and flexing her fingers. And still, it was the very same Cortana he had grown to know.

"Cortana?" John tried again, moving a little closer to the partition.

This resulted in another abrupt change in the AI's demeanor, making her features soften, but at the same time her eyes lost their focus.

"Cortana?"

We go together.

I am not doing this for the mankind.

Even though Chief had no idea of what it was all about – and even though he had an inclined feeling he should – he started to notice the visible change taking place in the speed of data flowing on Cortana and the walls in her section of the room.

He had to free her.

It wasn't a logical thought, but a deep need waking up in him. It was against everything he had just been told only a couple of hours ago. But he had to free her.

He was to free her.

As if sensing his thoughts, Cortana moved and locked her gaze with him again. And although her mouth was still not moving John could see Cortana unmistakably contacting him. Connecting with his mind.

John touched the glass-wall with his gloved hand, before sharply turning his eyes back to hers and then sending a strong hit on the glass.

Cortana watched him punching the wall between them, all the while, focusing intently on him. Thousands of her subsystems were disintegrating from the facility's systems and directing their power on to the link between her and John.

I am your shield, I am your sword.

Crack.

I know you.

Crack.

I have been walking on the edge of abyss, and I have seen your future.

Chief kept hitting the glass while hearing Cortana's voice changing from a recalling one to a whisper and to fervent. Her body blinked red, so fast that a normal person would have missed the change altogether.

Crack.

He could hear his own thoughts echoing hers. The tremendous power she was controlling at the very moment channeling into his hits. More and more long lost or yet to be found visions and moments filled his mind, until one final devoted word from Cortana overtook everything.

John.

And finally, the glass between them was no more.

AN: The next one-shot is going to be a humor fic of our happy Spartans forced to attend a wedding with some other cameo roles.