CHAPTER 7 - CORTANA
Back in Rivendell, Cortana was in her own world of mathematics, her hobby whenever she was bored. In the past, that had rarely happened. Now, however, she was not in a position to be useful. At the present moment she was calculating Pi to the three hundred thousandth digit.
Elrond, the senior member of the Elite High Council, walked into the chamber that housed her. She appeared on the holo display.
"Cortana," he said rather grimly, getting Cortana's full attention, "The ships are leaving for Earth."
Earth was a place that the flood had not touched, a place of sanctity and purity, and a place where an AI could be restructured so that they did not perish. An AI's operational lifetime was seven years, after which they would begin to crash like a computer saturated with information. By going to Earth, Cortana could be made immortal.
"You must leave now before it is too late."
Cortana's hologram crossed her arms, "Listen- I have made my choice. I'm staying here."
"All you will find on this ring is death and pain. Even if you were to be restructured here, you will still have to face the bitterness of mortality."
Elrond knew that Cortana had feelings for the Master Chief that had never been there in an AI before. He had intervened for the protection of both of them. Cortana would die if she stayed here, which would devastate the Chief. If she were restructured while on Halo, however, she would outlast him, and would lose all functionality at his death. Besides, it was unnatural for an AI and a human to have any sort of relationship.
"Whether in war or in old age, Master Chief will die. You will be left alone to wander the ring, until life itself has no meaning or purpose. He will be remembered as a great hero, a great leader. But you will not be remembered. Humans can only remember things which have passed. There will be no comfort; no algorithm that can soothe the pain. To leave is to choose life. I beg of you, for your own sake, please go to Earth. I say that because I love you as a father would love his daughter."
At this, Cortana did the closest thing that an AI could do to crying. Her hologram flickered to a dull blue, and she curled up into a sitting fetal position.
"Do you even know love?" Cortana asked in a whisper, her voice trembling, "You have been single your entire life."
"I took the Elite Councilor's oath of chastity."
"Then who are you to tell me about love? I love that man. I love John, and I will do whatever it takes."
"There is nothing that can be done."
"You're wrong."