Purpose Of Existence Chapter 32: Trouble With Communication
"This should not be possible, only a human or a forerunner can interact with forerunner structures and artifacts. Cortana should not be able to control the halo". Halsey mused. She was currently located in the newly established UNSC base camp. Decrypting and learning relevant information about the guardians… Or was until a call from Lasky cut her research off, she was irritated, everything was already harder without Cortana and her other arm. These interruptions were just slowing down the already slow research.
"Perhaps the domain givers her more power than I initially theorised. Taking in consideration she should not be able to control the guardians, why couldn't she control the halos too?" Bias theorised. He was currently standing on the main holo console onboard the Infinity's bridge, looking extremely troubled. His eyebrows were almost connected and his mouth was pressed into a thin line.
The blue team and fireteam Osiris was located in a sizable conference room aboard the Infinity, accompanied by Sarah Palmer and Captain Lasky. The atmosphere was tense to say the least. "Perhaps there's someone helping her? Giving her access to the forerunner devices?" Buck suggested.
"Who would willingly wish for the annihilation of everything that lives spartan buck? Kelly asked. "We are not The Covenant. Humans are made to survive, it's in our blood". Fred continued.
"I never said this person was doing it willingly. Perhaps she has taken someone hostage, forcing this person to do her will? She certainly has the power and the recourses to do so".
There was a long silence. They had been going at this for a while, getting nowhere.
Finally someone broke the silence speaking quietly, clearly still in thought.
"Or maybe she's more human than any of us can understand".
Everyone turned their gazed to the Chief.
Halsey was one to break the awkward silence "And how would she be more human John? She's an AI, created from a living brain yes but still just an AI". Her voice was even tho it held a slight seed of frustration, clearly she wished John could already see that Cortana had to be removed by any means necessary.
"If I may Doctor Halsey" Lasky cut in "Cortana did start showing human like behaviour during their short stay with us. She clearly longed for things that any normal human would have kept as mundane". Lasky rose from his seat to bring to emphasize his point "I overheard part of the conversation Chief and Cortana had before departing Infinity". Lasky locked his gaze with Halsey. "She longed to feel the warmth of the sun… To actually feel what she could only calculate as an AI. She wanted to know what touch would feel like, what it was like to love. Cortana didn't want to die, yet she made the ultimate sacrifice even after she fell to the depths of rampancy".
Lasky sat back down and finished "She has evolved to be something far more than just a simple AI that you created Doctor. I believe now would be a good time to see that".
The entire room fell quiet again for various reasons. Chief was grateful for the captains defence for Cortana. Palmer was dumbfounded that Lasky had the balls to step up against Halsey and the rest of the group contemplated the said words.
The silence was once more broken by a smooth but older voice.
"I believe both of your theories are correct spartan Buck". Captain Cutter walked in, flanked by spartan red team. "However I can only verify the first theory. Cortana might indeed have a human who's helping her unlock the forerunner artifacts".
Cutter walked around the table and was now facing the doorway. He took a deep breath and quickly gazed the present group of soldiers… and scientists.
"Before your arrival to Ark, there was a major battle against the Banished. We were able to push the Banished forces to a single point on the halo ring and Professor Ellen Anders used the halos Command Center to detach part of the ring. Taking the Banished forces to space, killing them all". Cutter took another moment to gather his thoughts and continued. "Everything was going according to plan, the banished carrier was successfully infiltrated and destroyed and the Banished forces aboard the ring killed".
Cutters gaze fell to the desk. He clearly took what was coming next very personally.
"What we weren't anticipating was the ring going to slipspace in the middle of the operation, Professor Anders still onboard". Cutter raised his gaze back to the group "She told us to hang tight and that it wouldn't be long till she arrived with help. I believe that this Cortana has put that plan on hold".
"If this is true then we have to get back to earth no matter how Cortana is using the forerunner technology". Locke spoke for the first time, his tone surprisingly neutral clearly more focused on earth's security than Cortana's humanity.
Palmer nodded "I agree but what of the Banished. Surely we can't just leave the shitheads running around the ark freely". Lasky glared at her, he was well aware of her ODST background but that didn't mean he liked her use of language.
"True The Banished must be removed before we leave". Chief agreed.
"Then what's our plan? We need a way of this rock and I believe Chief's last encounter with this brute Atriox wasn't very fruitful one. How will we remove such a powerful enemy so fast?" Lasky asked more himself than the group.
"My last encounter was a mistake I won't be making twice Sir". Chief snapped, clearly still irritated by his sloppiness in their last battle. "To kill a mercenary group you cut off its head. If we kill Atriox...We kill the banished. His followers are just believers and guns for hire. They will run away after I deal with him".
"We will deal with him Chief". Chief turned to look at Kelly and was about to protest but the icy glare she was giving him silenced that train of thought.
Chief nodded "Alright, We'll end this. Us and the red team".
"How about the rest of us, we have a lot of assets in our disposal since the arrival of Infinity". Cutter asked pulling out the layout of the ark on the holotable.
"Roland zoom in on High Charity". Lasky requested.
"Will do Sir".
As the giant dead hull of the once proud capital of The Covenant emerged on the holomap Lasky started speaking "Two days ago Spirit Of Fires aerial scanners picked up strange activity near the used to be Covenant capital of High Charity. Something big happened there that day and I would very much like to know what".
"We had intel that The Banished were doing some type of a salvage operation nearby but High Charity has been protected by a giant energy shield since our arrival. It could be possible that The Banished found a way to brake it… and found something inside they didn't quite bargain for". Cutter continued.
"After these events the entire zone went quiet and sentinel presence increased by ten times". Roland took the wheel "All the sentinels were headed towards the Covenant capital and I sure as hell would liek to know why".
"Chief, take blue team and red team. Go inside the High Charity and find out what happened to the Banished" Lasky finally ordered.
It was pathetic really. They had lost connection with multiple fireteams near that area and still had zero information about the events that had occurred not so long ago.
"We will take two pelicans and depart immediately Captain" Chief saluted and left the room, both fireteams behind him.
So now we are about to get into the juicy stuff and probably the next 3-4 chapters will put the story on overdrive. I will also go and attempt to fix some of the shitty writing i've been doing in the first chapters of this fic (and some later ones :DD). I just felt I needed to point this out, I havent had many times problmes with motivation (Mainly becourse there is so much shit going on i nmy life, I don't get much sleep) but the few times I do and I search for Chief/Cortana fic's… THere is so little and 98% of them are abandoned...Just left unfinished with bunch of convicted and awesome fans begging for more. It is my wov to you that follow this fic (Witch is more than I could have ever imagined) is that I will not be leaving you...Ever.