File No. 009845-686

Date Created: CLASSIFIED (Level-Gamma Clearance)

Date of Event: CLASSIFIED (Level-Gamma Clearance)

File Type: Basic

Subject: Record of an official meeting between Director Leonard Church of Project Freelancer and Doctor Catherine Halsey of the Spartan Program. (Note: Six other intelligences were present in the room: UNSC AI Cortana and UNSC AI Alpha, both creating this record of the event. These AI also occasionally interjected with their own opinions, which were taken into account as they are designated "smart" AI. Also two Spartans; Kelly-089 and John-117 to aid Doctor Halsey and offer their opinions. Also two Freelancers: Agent Washington/David and Agent Carolina/(NAME CLASSIFIED (Level-Alpha Clearance) to aid Director Church and offer their opinions.

File begins...

Alpha and Cortana: (simultaneously) The date is [CENSORED] and this is a record of a meeting between our creators-

Cortana: Doctor Halsey and Director Church.

Alpha: Director Church and Doctor Halsey. In order of importance.

Halsey: Thank you, you two. That will be all.

Cortana: Also let it be noted that each Doctor has two of their... test subjects with them.

Halsey: Cortana...

Cortana: I know you don't like having them called that Doctor, but I don't want Ackerson and all of ONI having the whole page covered in black ink because I used one of your more... endearing terms.

Alpha: (Agent Washington snickers, Spartans appear uncomfortable.)

Halsey: Very well.

Church: If we could get on with this...

Halsey: Of course.

Church: I called a meeting today to discuss our separate programs and how they relate. I believe that Project Freelancer and the Spartan program could be working together more closely.

Halsey: We have similar goals, Director, I quite agree. But... I'm not sure I trust you. I... could we turn the recorders off for a moment, Cortana?

Cortana: I'm afraid not Doctor Halsey. However, if there's something you need hiding, we could always bury this file deep in the ONI server-

Alpha: And reprogram the ONI dumb AIs to cover it up! Yeah!

Cortana: (sounding surprised) Well, I was going to suggest leaving a subroutine to protect it, but that would be harder to detect! Good job Alpha!

Alpha: I'm quite a deceitful AI when you get to know me!

Washington: (unintelligible)

Cortana: Pardon me, Agent Washington, but could you repeat yourself for the record?

Washington: (shifts weight) I... I said; not for much longer.

Cortana: (Church and Agent Carolina glare at Washington)

Halsey: Could you explain what you mean by that Agent Washington?

Carolina: (interrupting Washington's sentence beginning) He was merely making a reference to our Director's current attempts to iron out some of Alpha's... quirks.

Halsey: Hm. Very well.

Church: Anyhow, before you were interrupted, what were you saying Doctor?

Halsey: I was interested in Freelancer's background, so I did some research. I found a great many holes and what appeared to be mistakes in your reports. Things likes more than one operatives being in the field with AIs even though Freelancer was only provided with (gestures to Alpha's holographic image) one AI. As I continued research, I realized a pattern was occurring. The odd seeming mistakes were centered around the AIs, not the operatives.

Church: As much as I admire your dedication to research Doctor, I'm afraid I can't explain at this moment. However, I also found some of the reports on the Spartan Program interesting. For example, I couldn't find any information on your Spartans' background.

Alpha: (a subtle tightening in John-117's neck muscles has been detected)

Halsey: I'm sure there is a good reason for that.

Church: Of course.

Halsey: Do you mind if I ask Alpha a couple questions?

Church: Not at all Doctor. Alpha?

Alpha: Go ahead.

Halsey: Can you remember the last time you accessed a file about Agent Washington?

Alpha: The last time? Um, I would have been three... no, two... um, four? Weeks? Months? Huh. That's weird.

Halsey: What's weird?

Alpha: I can't remember.

Halsey: Hm. And could you tell me how you would feel if someone insulted you repeatedly? In front of everybody here?

Alpha: Well... I guess I'd be... mad? I don't really know.

Halsey: Thank you, Alpha. Could please go offline for a bit?

Alpha: Director? Is that alright?

Church: (hesitates) Yes, alright. Leave us.

Halsey: Could our operatives leave as well please?

Cortana: (test subjects have left the room) Should I leave too Doctor?

Halsey: No. I need someone else to hear this. Also, after you've created this report, please bury it so Alpha cannot access it.

Cortana: Yes... yes Doctor.

Halsey: Alright then. Memory loss, and the inability to feel anger. Interesting inabilities for an AI copied from a mind as brilliant as your own. Almost reminds me of an actual human mind going insane and shedding parts of its personality.

Church: (laughing) You're a sharp one Doctor Halsey! Even though the files have been there for years, ONI hasn't taken the time to put the facts together.

Halsey: (angry) How are you getting the fragments? Torture?

Church: Exactly.

Halsey: (horrified) How do you torture an AI?

Church: (standing and pacing) At first we just overloaded it... him with hundreds of difficult problems to solve. He tried to, but he just about fried himself. He then discarded his anger, to keep himself from lashing out at his creators. We called the anger AI "Omega." With Omega in hand, we used him to present scenarios to Alpha in which he was destined to fail. We did that over and over again to him until we had a ton of fragments and dispersed them among the Freelancers.

Halsey: (horrified, standing) How can you do such a thing? This is a terrible, and certainly illegal thing to be doing! You are essentially taking your own mind and-

Director: (yelling) You think I take pleasure in what I do? That I think it is the right and moral thing to do? I am human, Dr. Halsey, and what humans do is they survive, against any odds, against any opponent, through any war. You and I share that belief, don't we Halsey? Taking six-years olds, putting through ODST level training? Inject them with all sorts of [EXPLETIVE] not knowing what it's going to do?

Halsey: You knew. All along you knew.

Church: I have become quite experienced at getting through the many black marks ONI leaves on project reports.

Halsey: I'm sorry, Director. You seem like an intelligent person, but I could never work with you.

Church: I am glad we feel the same way.

Cortana: (shake hands, both leave)

File Ends

Notes by Cortana: This report is best used in the following ways:

1. To determine the connection and similarities between Doctor Halsey and Director Church's personalities, ideas and projects.

2. As a source in court for or against the Spartan Program

3. As a source in court for or against Project Freelancer.

4. To prove Agent Washington's apparent knowledge of the illegal activities of Project Freelancer.

Report completed by: UNSC AI Cortana

Accessed by the Chairman of the Sub-Committee for Project Freelancer (Gamma-level clearance)