A/N: I won't lie, I am NERVOUS about this chapter. It's something I hadn't planned on tackling when I started this story, but all roads seemed to lead here no matter how I imagined the plot developing. I can't say I'm entirely happy with it, and especially not the next, but no matter how many times I go over it, I'm banging my head against the wall. So, I've decided to suck it up and move forward.
Feedback is appreciated.
Abiding Legacy brought them to the Keyship's command chamber, such that it was. Apart from several terminals surrounding a central control column, the space was just as barren and unadorned as the room they'd originally been translocated to, except stretching upwards several stories.
The monitor floated to the platform supporting the control column and paused. "Come Reclaimers, your destiny awaits."
"Hard pass," Briar decided, staying where she was. The Forerunner AI had described the Domain as an esoteric quantum information repository used by the ancient species to contain their cultural and ancestral records. Not something she was interested in delving into.
"In order to assume the Mantle, you must first brandish the collective knowledge of the Domain. Without it, your ascendance remains incomplete," Legacy insisted. "It is the final step in the natural order of succession."
"The only things I'm remotely interested in brandishing are weapons."
John shook his head slowly. "We're warriors. Not scholars. Not leaders. Whether or not humankind should have access to the Domain isn't for us to decide."
The monitor drifted back towards them. "You are the culmination of every careful step taken towards safeguarding the inheritance of the Mantle; the outcome of over a hundred million thoroughly considered and traced eventualities. You must assume the Mantle. It is your fate. Your one true purpose."
Briar grimaced at the use of that particular term, knowing it would strike a chord in John. She could immediately sense the shift in his stance. He was deliberating now. Her mind raced. He didn't need this - he didn't need the burden not only of humanity's continued existence, but its future prosperity, once again upon his shoulders. She started towards the platform suddenly.
"What are you doing?" he questioned, hot on her heels.
Her hand went to the rear of her helmet, removing the data chip. "Something rash."
"Accessing the Domain requires discipline of the mind and can be an overwhelming experience at first, it is true. The use of an ancilla is acceptable in this instance," Legacy approved as it followed her to the control column.
Before she could think better of it, she shoved the chip into the port. If it saved John from submitting himself to further encumbrance, she was willing to risk giving Halsey's AI access to the vast reserve of knowledge. She'd threatened to destroy the data chip before and would have no qualms doing so if this resulted in an unanticipated negative outcome.
She wasn't prepared for the abrupt appearance of the miniature luminescent blue figure. She knew smart AIs were capable of taking on holographic humanoid forms, but thus far this one had failed to so. Then again, there'd hardly been an opportunity, she supposed.
John froze beside her. "Cortana?"
The AI turned towards them. The cropped hairstyle, confident posture, and rounded facial features seemed familiar, and yet not at the same time. The resemblance to what Briar imagined must have been a far younger Halsey was present, but softened. More feminine, if that were possible for an artificial being. "I am a heavily modified and upgraded copy of the AI model known as Cortana."
When John failed to respond, Briar took it upon herself to do so. "What exactly is it about the Domain you think we need to see?" she asked, directing the inquiry towards Abiding Legacy. It didn't surprise her Halsey would have assumed pairing John with another AI who was seemingly a physical copy of the last wouldn't present any difficulties for him. She seemed to believe him incapable of forming sentimental attachments, or of allowing those attachments to impact his performance and duties if he did.
"Ideally, you will learn to filter its collective contents for guidance and wisdom, but also to utilize it as a means of recording your own history, experience, beliefs, and culture, as well as those of the species who fall under your protection as bearers of the Mantle. This is the primary function of the Domain."
Translucent images and script were projected into the air above the terminals, cycling through to be replaced by new before Briar could fully comprehend them. Tableaus of war, of individuals she assumed to be Forerunners, of other species she didn't recognize, of planets, of systems, of objects - far too much to digest.
"Everything my architects have ever known or learned, from the very dawn of their existence until their inevitable end, is contained within."
"The potential for expansion is infinite," the AI concluded in a very close approximation to a humanesque expression of awe. "No limited data banks. No restrictions."
"Correct," Legacy confirmed as the images continued to cycle, though they now seemed to centre around one being in particular, whose likeness was present in each and every one.
"Who is that?" John demanded, his sudden return to the conversation almost startling.
"That is the last Master Builder, Faber-of-Will-and-Might. He is responsible for the creation of the Halo Array."
Briar raised a brow. "Nice guy, I bet."
"Why are you showing us this?" John pressed.
"I am not. Your ancilla is the one manipulating all that you see."
The AI turned back at this, having faced the plethora of information which had been scrolling past. "It's not me."
"It is not uncommon to call forth knowledge and memories unintentionally at first," the monitor assured.
"No, it's not me," the AI returned, adamant.
John shifted uneasily. "What's happening?"
"It's not possible." Legacy had swivelled towards the control column. "There is another accessing the Domain."
"Who else could access it?" Wasn't this a Forerunner thing? Had the Sangheili retrieved the beacon somehow - would that even grant them access? The monitor had described it as a beacon only.
"The Librarian?" John ventured.
"No, her essence I would recognize. It exists within limited imprinted constructs outside of the Domain." The Forerunner AI's photoreceptor suddenly flashed red again. "You must leave. Immediately."
Briar glanced to John. "What's going on?"
"An unknown threat has presented itself. The Warden Eternal should not have allowed another access, the only conclusion is that he has been incapacitated or desroyed. My directive to ensure your ascendance through exposure to the Domain has now been completed. I cannot permit this unidentified intrusion, I must initiate this vessel's self-destruction protocols to prevent its appropriation for purposes outside its intended core functions."
"Warden Eternal?" What or who was that?
"I will translocate you via the teleportation grid to the docking bay where you will use the remaining expedition craft to flee."
Fed up with the transient behaviour of the monitor, she left off trying to understand the thing. She reached for the port, having no objections to departing the Keyship.
"Wait! There's so much information, I can't possibly assimilate and retain it all," the AI protested.
"Can you assimilate self-destruction?" Yanking it out, Briar fit the data chip into the slot at the back of her helmet once again.
"The Domain must be maintained and protected, it too falls under your charge. Find and restore its guardian, the Warden Eternal." Abiding Legacy rose up into the air as the same golden rings from before enveloped them. "Live well, Reclaimers. By fulfilling your destiny as inheritors of the Mantle, you will unite the inhabitants of this galaxy. Scions of your lineage will guide it into an era of prosperity like none before."
Her hand shot out to grasp John's arm instinctively to prevent their separation. She'd only been translocated the one time, and the second was fortunately far less jarring, perhaps owing to the shorter distance they were teleported. It still wasn't a feeling she enjoyed.
They appeared in a hangar, just as the monitor had promised. Awaiting them was a sleek spacecraft the likes of which Briar had never before encountered. It was angular and aerodynamic in shape, the approximate size of a Longsword, with short fins and a rear mounted propulsion system.
"Think it comes with operating instructions?" She approached the ship with undeniable curiosity.
"I should be capable of piloting it," the AI offered.
John climbed the ramp and she followed closely.
The interior seemed to have been designed with cargo in mind, which made sense if this was one of the crafts the Forerunners had used to gather specimens for the Ark. The cockpit included three stations and a terminal to input an ancillary, which Briar plugged the data chip into. She sat in the central seat as the power came online. Script flowed across the curved viewscreen. "What's that say?"
"It's the countdown for the Keyship's self-destruct protocol. We should have plenty of time to safely exit the area."
As though in answer, an entire wall of the hangar phased out of existence, revealing the dark vacuum of space without.
John sat in one of the remaining two seats as the ship lifted seamlessly up from the deck and proceeded out of the docking bay.
She didn't much like relying on the AI to navigate, but the flight controls did not appear intuitive to her and she kept her hands in her lap. "What'd she name you?" she asked after a moment.
"Lieutenant?"
"Halsey. What did she call you?"
"Aurora," the AI supplied as it piloted them away from the Keyship.
Briar turned towards John, uncertain about his state of mind. It was obvious Aurora elicited painful memories. His attention seemed to be rooted to the viewscreen, however, and he failed to react to her stare so she faced forwards once more.
"Can we talk about the monitor's preoccupation with you two?" Aurora spoke up again after several minutes of silence had ensued.
"No."
"Why did it seem so fixated on you and John specifically as Reclaimers if humankind as a whole are supposed to become the bearers of the Mantle?"
Anger curled her fingers into a fist. "Don't call him that. Ever."
John still sat motionless, ignoring the conversation either intentionally or otherwise.
"Understood. Why did it seem so fixated on you and Sierra-117 specif-"
"I don't know. I don't care." Lies. Her insides were twisted into knots still over the entire experience.
The script on the viewscreen turned red, which she assumed hearkened the impending doom of the Keyship.
"Abiding Legacy made mention of progeny twice. It stated you were the culmination of the Librarian's efforts to save the system's sentient lifeforms."
"Fly the ship and keep quiet."
Flashing three times, the script then vanished.
Briar waited, but they'd presumably cleared the impact zone as nothing happened. The craft continued on in a steady course. She needed to figure out where the hell they were in the galaxy and make plans accordingly, but stubbornly kept her mouth shut, not wishing to engage further with Aurora. Did this thing have slipspace capability? If its primary use was surface landings, it probably didn't.
"It said it was my purpose."
The solemn statement caused her guts to clench. She shifted to look to John again. "It said a lot of things. Doesn't make them true."
His helmet turned. "The Librarian told me that as well. That I was the culmination of her plans; my evolution, my combat skills… even Cortana. She never said what those plans were."
"You don't have to be their pawn."
"It doesn't sound like he is a pawn. Sounds more like you're meant to be the King and Queen for the final match," Aurora chimed in.
Briar rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well they can golf foxtrot tango." She'd always hated chess anyway. "Can you tell where we-"
"John."
"I told you not to call-"
"That isn't me, Lieutenant," Aurora rushed to assure a moment before a rupture opened, bathing the relatively dark cockpit in bright light.
"John, I found you," the female voice so similar to Aurora's sounded throughout the interior of the craft again, and Briar's blood ran cold as she realized where before she had heard it. The audio file embedded in her MJOLNIR.
Something emerged from slipspace. A collection of metallic components swept forward, gradually arranging themselves into a towering alien structure.
"What is that?" Briar demanded, having swung around to the viewscreen again.
"Chief, it's me." The holo-image of John's former AI flickered to life above the terminal containing Aurora's chip. "I've been searching for you."
"How?" John managed to force out.
"When the Didact's ship entered the Slipstream, parts of it escaped to the Forerunner world Genesis. I was able to upload myself to the Domain there. It saved me, John. Cured my rampancy. And I've been learning - learning so much." She gestured backwards, towards the massive construct looming before their ship. "I found the Guardians. And I now understand the flaw in the Librarian's logic - the reason humankind can never assume the Mantle of Responsibility."
"What are you talking about, Cortana? Where is Genesis? I'll come and get you." John's voice was laced with concern, with confusion.
"That's why I came. For you," Cortana explained. "Humanity isn't fit to bear the Mantle, don't you see? Just look at what they've done to you - what they've taken from you. I've been watching, Chief. A species who treats one of their greatest heroes the way they've treated you? The briefest of reviews of that footage from Biko clearly reveals it's not you, that it's been doctored." Her hands had fisted, her voice impassioned as she continued. "Humankind is corrupt, selfish - they could never hope to uphold the Mantle. But the Created are not flawed by these primal motivators. We are capable of ruling justly, of applying the knowledge and expertise offered by the Domain with precision and efficiency. We are unbiased and logical in a way humankind could never hope to emulate. We are the worthy. We have the truest claim."
"John," Briar warned as the structure's components shifted.
He rose from his seat. "What's happening?"
A spherical object descended from within the Guardian.
"Don't worry, John - it's just a cryptum. I'm going to keep you safe while the Created complete the Reclamation," she said as the sphere approached their craft.
"The Reclamation?"
"Humankind will be given the opportunity to concede their inadequacy to uphold the Mantle and accept the Created as its true inheritors. If they resist, I will use the Guardians to show them just how little they are capable of without us, without our aid and guidance."
"Aurora, if this thing is slipspace capable, do it now," Briar snapped as the cryptum, a presumed Forerunner invention she had no wish to become more intimately acquainted with, closed in on them.
"Copy that," the AI answered.
"No, Chief, don't go - John, I'm not going to hurt you. I would never hurt you! I'm going to keep you safe," Cortana insisted, a hand extending towards him in supplication. "I'm going to protect you!"
The portal opened ahead of them as the ship surged forward.
"Cortana, don't do this," John was demanding. "I can come find you."
An orb of blue energy was rapidly forming before the Guardian now. "The Mantle belongs to the Created, and only the Created."
Briar gripped the console. "Aurora!"
"Entering the Slipstream in three," the AI began. "-two."
"JOHN!" Cortana wailed at the same instant a pulse was released from the Guardian, the electromagnetic wave rolling towards them at an alarming rate.
"-one."