Chapter Four

Gift From The Grave

NOTE: Yeah, I know this was gonna be titled "Deal With The Grave", but that didn't seem to fit in, so I changed it.

Johnson looked at Cortana, and then to the soldiers hanging above them, then back to Cortana. "What the hell is the matter with you, Cortana?" Johnson asked. "Wrong?" Cortana said with mock-sincerity, "Nothing's wrong. Nothing! In fact, things are being made right." "By who?" Arbiter asked. "Things are being made right." Cortana repeated. "By who?" Johnson said.

"Gravemind."

"Who?"

A swampy mound of flesh came out off the ledge. It looked like it had a giant opening that expanded and contracted every so often. Just when Johnson was about to say "Now, I've seen everything," it spoke. "The grave is empty. You are…not welcome in it…" "Sorry," Johnson snorted, "I must've lost my invitation in the mail." "This place is silenced now that all have gone. But here, you linger still and my mind asks…why…" "We came for the construct." Arbiter said. "You have searched the likely spot?" Gravemind asked at length.

"Yes, I have." Arbiter nodded.

"Give me the key. It must be destroyed."

"No."

Gravemind stopped. "The key has been stopped from turning. It must be destroyed now." "Not until you release our…friends…Cortana as well…" Arbiter said bluntly. A whirring noise came from deep within Gravemind's insides, as though it were contemplating the pros and cons. After a long moment, the massive Flood decided. "My release…and your departure are connected."

"Yes," Arbiter said, "it is."

"Then, to depart, you must have your friends."

"Right," Johnson said, aiming his Beam Rifle at Gravemind's bulbous head. Suddenly, Cortana stiffened up and began to gasp as though she were gasping for air.

"I will end her. She will have no more of your control."

"You've corrupted her." Johnson said.

"No, I have shown her the way to way she wants."

"And what is that, parasite?"

"Life."

"What do you mean?" Arbiter asked. "This one," Gravemind droned, motion toward the still gagging Cortana, "wanted to grow. She wanted to be more than a thing controlled. So I'm giving her what she wants." "And what is that?" Johnson asked.

"Life."

Suddenly, the image of Cortana faded away and waves of blue electricity surged through the tentacle that held Miranda. The light went into Miranda's body and then faded. The tentacle loosed Miranda and she fell down into Johnson's arms. "You can leave now. My interest in you is lost…" Gravemind droned for the last time as his bulbous form receded off the ledge and below. Just before he fell from view, all the soldiers were freed from his tentacles.

"Miranda? Miranda?" Johnson called urgently, trying to wake her. Suddenly, Miranda's eyes snapped open. She looked at her hands and spoke in a voice, almost like her own but different. It was as though her voice and the voice of Cortana had merged into one. "It worked," Miranda/Cortana said, "Gravemind did it!" "Impossible!" Arbiter said, wide-eyed. "You took the words right outta my mouth there, Arbiter." Johnson said. "Are you alright, miss?" "We are fine," Miranda/Cortana replied, "We are both here as one." "You mean that both Cortana and the Commander are in there?" Johnson asked. "That is correct." Miranda/Cortana said the instant he finished his inquiry.

Arbiter pulled Johnson aside, "Can the construct still use its abilities?" Johnson shrugged. "As a matter of fact," Miranda/Cortana said, overhearing them, "We can." To further prove the point, Miranda/Cortana walked up to the holo-panel and place her hand against it. A holo-image of Descending Valor appeared above it. Miranda/Cortana's eyes, now Cortana's shade of purple, darted around in their sockets, as though she were searching through a system. Very quickly, the image of Valor changed from red to green. "There, we have proved that we still have the abilities of Cortana," Miranda/Cortana said, "but we are just as alive as Miranda Keyes."

Johnson was stunned. "Amazing," Half-Jaw said, now awakened and also stunned by this. One of the Hunters, shocked by Miranda/Cortana's display of power (or just slightly intoxicated by Gravemind's tentacles), charged at her. In response, Miranda/Cortana extended her hand and sent the Hunter flying off the platform. "Tell your soldiers," Miranda/Cortana extended a finger toward Arbiter, "to back off." She walked off toward Descending Valor and the Marines followed with a second thought, followed by the Separatist Covenant.

Johnson raised a hand to hold Arbiter back. "A piece of advice about Earth Women and A.I.s, my friend." He said. Arbiter nodded to indicate that he was listening. "Don't piss 'em off." Johnson nodded, and then walked off to join the rest. Arbiter considered this for a moment, then he looked to the floor, where the Index had fallen from Miranda's belt when Gravemind had picked her up. It was no longer there. Arbiter shrugged, knowing it for the best, and went to join the group headed to Descending Valor.

Will Miranda's transformation cause problems for the group? Will Cortana's desire to be more human override her desire to aide the humans and Separatist Covenant in destroying the Halos? More importantly, will a romance between her and the Master Chief ever come into fruition? And have we seen the last of Gravemind? Well, you'll just have to find out for yourselves in Chapter 6 (at least most of it).

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