1727 Hours, March 1st, 2683
Undisclosed Location
Citadel
Widow System, Serpent Nebula
...
The Flood. Arguably the most vile sentient beings ever produced by evolution. They were a race of parasites that fed off other sentient races of sufficient biomass and cognitive ability; such as Humans and Sangheili. They infected their victims by having small infection forms (like the one encased in ice) burrow into the victim's skin. It attacks the nervous system via the spine, often killing the host instantly, which may be for the better considering what happens afterwards. The host then rapidly and violently mutates into a flood-like version of itself as its very genetic code is forcibly re-written by the Flood. The Flood were such a biological anomaly, so completely unlike any other form of life, that many scientists theorized that it somehow came from another galaxy entirely.
One-hundred thousand years ago, the Forerunners and the Flood fought each other in a war that spanned the galaxy. Seeing that they were slowly but surely losing the conflict, the Forerunners built the Halo Network, which would wipe the galaxy clean of all sentient life, denying the Flood their primary food source. The Forerunners intended to seek shelter within shield worlds, but the Flood broke through their lines and threatened to shut down Halo before any Forerunner was anywhere near a shield world. Seeing no other choice but to fall on the sword for the sake of every sentient species stowed away on the Ark, they activated Halo. Killing every sentient being in the galaxy, including themselves.
It worked, up until the Flood was re-awakened on Installation 04 during the Human-Covenant War. On several other occasions afterward, the Master Chief had to deal with the Flood. He had hoped that detonating the newly rebuilt Installation 04 right next to the Ark would end the Flood threat forever.
But like with most of his other expectations since awakening from cryo, the Master Chief's expectations regarding the Flood had been dashed.
"This is the Flood?" Garrus asked. "The parasitic species that wiped out the Forerunners?"
"The same." Thel answered.
"Fascinating creatures, aren't they?"
As that unknown voice spoke, a buzzing sound was heard, coming from the door. The green door switch suddenly turned red, as locking sounds were heard. The viewing screen mounted on the wall activated. Garrus put the frozen flood form down as he, the Arbiter, and the Master Chief all walked up to the viewing screen. It was the long, cold visage of Dr. Heart.
"Saleon..." Garrus hissed.
"Garrus Vakarian?" Saleon asked. "Well now, THIS is a surprise. You of all people here. Small galaxy."
"I hear you're working for Saren now." Garrus growled.
"More or less." Saleon replied. "He funds my research, and in return, I study things he'd like studied."
"Like the Flood." Chief said.
"Indeed." Saleon said with a nod. "As I said before, they are fascinating creatures. Completely unlike any other form of life I've studied." He then activated his omni-tool and started pressing some buttons. "Here. Let me show you..."
WIth that, the image on the screen switched from Saleon to some unknown Turian. He was in a stark white room of some sort. There were two doors on each side. Both of them were closed and apparently locked, or at least one of them as the Turian banged on one of them, seemingly desperate to get out.
The second door opened, and out crept a Flood infection form. The Turian panicked at the sight of it and began banging on the door faster and harder. The Flood began crawling towards the Turian with a terrifying speed, zeroing in on its target. It leapt and landed on the Turian's neck. The alien panicked and screamed as he tried to get the parasite off, but he was too late.
The Flood burrowed beneath his skin, which immediately took on the pale-green color of the Flood. His body began to warp and the sound of bones snapping could be heard. Unnatural growths appeared on his body. Tentacles sprouted from one knee and one elbow. The most violent change was the Turian's head; it split into four pieces as the Flood's 'head' began to sprout from his throat, a revolting face with only tentacles and red feather-duster feelers. It wore the jaw below, the mandibles on either side of its 'head,' and the skull, eyes still full of horror, sat atop the Flood's 'head' like some sort of grotesque hat.
The image then shifted from that morbid scene back to Saleon. "Incredible, isn't it?" Saleon asked. "In the early experiments, I remember being absolutely awestruck by the rate of mutation. The Flood infection form burrows beneath the skin, directly attacks the spinal cord and nervous system, and settles into the host's chest cavity as it causes rapid physical mutation and completely rewrites the host's genetic code. All in the span of just a few seconds. Amazing, isn't it?"
Chief looked towards the Arbiter, who glared at the Salarian with nothing but hatred burning in his eyes. No surprise there. It was easy to hate Saleon after finding out about something like this. He then turned towards Garrus. Chief didn't know that Turians had pigments in their skin like Humans, but apparently they did as Garrus seemed to lose some color in his face after watching that poor soul get infected by the Flood. Chief was betting that that legendary Turian discipline was the only reason Garrus hadn't vomited at such a sight.
Eventually, some color returned to Garrus's face as he cast off his horror and re-discovered his fury. "Just when I thought you couldn't get more sick..." he said quietly. "You go and surprise me..."
"Where did you find the Flood?" Chief asked.
"Ask Saren." Saleon replied. "He's the one who sent the Flood to me in crates smuggled through C-Sec Customs. He wouldn't say where he found them though."
"What is the meaning behind this madness..." Thel asked, quietly and coldly. "What does Saren hope to gain from these twisted experiments?"
"Once again, you'd have to ask Saren since he wouldn't tell me." Saleon answered. "I suppose he's the sort who likes to keep his employees on a 'need-to-know' basis. But unlike your last question, I think the answer to this question is rather obvious. He wants to weaponize the Flood. Use it against his enemies."
"If Saren thinks he can control the parasite, then he is a fool." The Arbiter darkly replied. "You are tampering with powers beyond your comprehension, Salarian. Your foolhardy actions here will doom us all!"
"Arbiter's right." Chief said. "The Flood aren't just a species; they're a plague. Experimenting with them on a station as densely-populated as the Citadel is just asking for trouble."
"Oh please. You're not talking to a two-year-old." Saleon scoffed. "I am well aware of the dangers posed by the Flood, and have taken all the necessary precautions. Why do you think I keep them on ice when I'm not experimenting with them? Speaking of ice..."
The Salarian then pressed a few buttons on his omni-tool. Gas started slowly pouring in from the vents.
"That gas is nitrogen." Saleon began. "It will reduce the core temperature of the room, and will eventually send the three of you into a hypothermic state. Once you're too busy shivering to put up much of a fight, I'll send my guards in to fetch you Chief. And maybe your Sangheili friend as well. The Arbiter could make for a good bargaining chip."
Saleon grinned evilly. "As for you, Garrus. Well, Turians aren't as tolerant of low temperatures as Humans and Sangheili are. You'll likely die of hypothermia long before your two friends here pass out."
"When I get out of here, I'm going to kill you." Garrus threatened. "You won't get away from me this time."
"Even if you do get out, I don't think Master Chief would let you do that. After all..." Saleon then reached into a pocket on his white shirt. He pulled out a chip.
A blue chip.
A blue data crystal chip.
"He wouldn't want anything bad to happen to his little friend here, now would he?" Saleon mockingly asked before tucking the chip back into his pocket, patting it for safe-keeping.
Chief's fists balled in anger.
"Farewell, Garrus." Saleon said before the feed cut out. Not a second later did Garrus walk over to the door and activated his omni-tool, immediately setting to work.
"I swear to the spirits, I'm putting a hole RIGHT in his head..." Garrus seethed.
Not unless I get to him first. Chief thought to himself.
The spartan walked over to the Turian to observe his progress. Even though he only had three fingers on each hand, those three fingers on Garrus's right hand moved like lightning. Chief also noticed the Turian agent's mandibles were clicking together for some odd reason. It took a second for the spartan to realize that Garrus was shivering. He was already feeling the cold. Chief looked back over to the Arbiter, who was stalking up and down the room, looking for another way out. He walked back over to the spartan and Turian, shrugging helplessly. Looks like all their hopes would lie with Garrus's hacking skills.
"Any progress on the door?" Chief asked.
"Almost." Garrus replied. "I'm also running an analysis program. It's piecing together a complete map of this place, as well as tracking Saleon's broadcast signal. Once this door's open, we can all make a beeline right for him."
"Sounds good." Chief said with a nod. The spartan was worried that Garrus might ask about the 'little friend' Saleon said he was holding, but it seemed as though the Turian was too angry to be curious with anything at the moment. As for the Arbiter, he probably knew what was on that chip, but knew better than to talk about it in front of someone who may or may not know. After a few minutes, the door opened, earning a Turian smile from Garrus.
"What? Did Saleon think I just got out of tech class?" Garrus quipped before trotting out of the room, the Master Chief and the Arbiter close behind. The Turian took a moment to shiver pleasantly as warm air once again graced his skin. Chief was only willing to afford the Turian a second of that luxury before getting to business.
"Where's Saleon?" Chief asked.
Garrus activated his omni-tool and started tapping buttons on it. A three-dimensional holographic map of the complex appeared. One room, which was located several levels below them, was highlighted in red. "There." Garrus said as he pointed to it. "Looks like his personal lab."
"We need to move." Chief said. "Lead the way."
With that, Garrus took off running in what Chief hoped was the way to Saleon's personal lab. The Turian was running as fast as his legs could go. Chief was actually surprised by how fast the ex-cop was moving; the spartan actually had to try to keep up. Garrus was also surprisingly adept at turning abruptly around corners as he lead the Chief and the Arbiter on through the winding corridors of Saleon's lair. Five minutes passed, and then they ran into some trouble midway down a long hallway.
A dozen or so Unggoy, along with two Krogan, suddenly emerged from behind a door and they all opened fire on the three. Spartan time kicked in for the Chief. Charging into that many guns was unwise to say the least, so continuing to run forward was out. He grabbed Garrus, who was still moving, by the back of the collar and flung him into a room on the Chief's right. The spartan then pulled out his pistol and returned fire as he spotted the Arbiter also diving into the room out of the corner of his eye. He then moved into the room himself as he continued to return fire.
As Garrus got up from being manhandled, he took a look around what looked like a storage room of some kind and spotted a computer on a desk. An idea suddenly came to him and he zipped to the computer, his fingers a flurry as they tapped like mad on the keyboard.
"What are you doing?" Chief asked as he kept firing at the group of thugs. He could take out those Unggoy easily enough, but the Krogan were another issue. The Arbiter dove across the hallway into another room opposite Chief's and started firing down the hallway himself.
"Calling C-Sec." Garrus replied. "I'm activating a distress program which will bring C-Sec response teams here in about, oh, ten minutes or so. They can help us clear out these mercs, and then quarantine the facility so they can dispose of the Flood. Problem is, I can't mask the signal which means once I'm done, Saleon will likely try to make a break for it."
"Great." Chief said as he threw a grenade down the hall. The blast took out most of the Unggoy, setting off a chain reaction that turned the diminutive aliens' methane-filled backpacks into explosives. The only survivors of the blast were the two Krogan, who both quickly fell to the Chief's and Arbiter's combined firepower. "Hall's clear. Let's get a move on."
"This way!" Garrus said as he took off once again, the spartan and the Sangheili hot on his heels. The ran down a few more hallways and turned a few more corners until they came to an elevator. Garrus punched in the desired floor and the elevator descended.
Master Chief felt frustrated. Garrus calling C-sec seemed like a good idea at first. The three of them against dozens, maybe even hundreds of mercs and thugs? Those weren't the best odds Chief ever had in a fight, so a cavalry would be appreciated. However, the fact that Saleon was likely aware of the distress signal and about to try and get away was worrying. If Saleon got away, it was likely he'd be taking Cortana with him. And with that risk, came the risk of Cortana falling into Saren's hands. That was unacceptable. Chief secretly resented the Turian for putting the AI in danger. No matter. Chief would fight on to Saleon's lab, apprehend the Salarian, and get Cortana back. And then he and Garrus would have a chat about doing something radical like that without first seeking authorization from the Chief first.
After an agonizing twenty-eight seconds, the elevator doors opened to reveal another hallway. Garrus took off, once again leading with his omni-tool displaying the map. Arbiter and the Chief were close behind.
It was then that, out of nowhere, a kinetic barrier activated, separating Garrus from the spartan and the Sangheili. Both slammed their fists on the blue wall. "Kinetic barrier." Garrus said before giving the wall a few kicks himself. "Must be part of Saleon's security measures. I'll see if I can find a way around for you."
"No!" Chief snapped before Garrus could even check the map on his omni-tool. "There's no time! We'll find a way around on our own. You have to get to Saleon before he escapes and get that blue data chip he has!"
Garrus looked at the Chief, then nodded. "You're right." He paused. "Wait...why's the data chip important?"
"Just get it from him!" Chief harshly said. "That's an order!"
The Turian seemed taken aback by the spartan's outburst, but nodded. "You can count on me." With that, the Turian turned around and ran down the corridor, turning sharply around a corner and ran out of sight.
"Is that chip important for the reasons I suspect?" the Arbiter asked.
"It is." Chief confirmed. "Now come on. We need to find an alternate route."
...
Garrus kept one eye on the map and another eye on the hallway in front of him as he ran as hard and as fast as he could. Every passing second was another opportunity for Saleon to get away. Garrus wasn't going to let that happen. Not again. Not after all he had done.
He ran up to a door, and opened it. Only after opening did the Turian realize that he had already arrived at Saleon's private lab. So lost in his outrage, Garrus had arrived at the lab sooner than he had expected. Not that he was complaining. He saw Saleon looking up at him from the case he was frantically packing and widened his eyes. A split-second later, Saleon reached under his desk and pulled out a pistol. Garrus reacted.
The former C-Sec officer shot the pistol out of Saleon's hand, earning a yelp of pain from the Salarian as he gripped his hand and muttered curses. Garrus scoffed. "Oh quit crying. I barely hit you." Pistol still raised, Garrus slowly closed in on the geneticist.
Now that Saleon wasn't pointing a gun at him, Garrus could take a more detailed look around the room. It was a large room with four operating tables, much like in the other labs he, the Chief and the Arbiter searched through earlier. Saleon's desk was located at the far end of the room, opposite the door. Garrus noticed six glass tube-like chambers embedded in the wall, each one with a living Flood Infection form inside. The repulsive little creatures bounced up and down inside their prisons and slapped the glass with their tentacles, desperate to get at the two tasty piles of biomass in the room. There was also a glass window and glass door that peeked in on an adjacent chamber. Test chamber no doubt, similar to the one where the Turian in the vid was infected.
One operating table had what looked like a Flood creature lying on it. Garrus glanced at it, thankful that it seemed to be very much dead. Its torso was cut open, skin flaps pinned to the sides, showing that it was being studied. Garrus couldn't for the life of him guess what this poor creature used to be before the Flood got to it...
...Up until he saw what looked like a mouth frozen in horror, forever screaming, as well as the tell-tale grooves of an Asari's scalp.
Garrus's mandibles clicked together briefly, the only tell to his fury. He turned his cold gaze back on Saleon. "You're a sick bastard. You know that?"
"Yes. You've called me that before." Saleon replied with a sneer. He was still gripping the hand that held a gun moments before, giving the Turian a glare as he tried to squeeze the pain away.
Garrus then remembered what the Chief ordered him to do. He held out a hand. "I believe you have something that belongs to a friend of mine."
To his credit, Saleon was smart enough not to do anything worst than grunt as he took the data crystal chip out of his pocket and handed it to Garrus. "Just out of curiosity...did the Master Chief tell you what was on the chip?"
"No." Garrus replied as he put the chip into his own pocket.
"I see that Saren's not the only one who likes to keep things on a need-to-know basis." Saleon sardonically replied. "So, I take it I'm under arrest?"
"...No." Garrus said. "I have you. I'm not going to risk you getting away again."
Saleon raised an eyebrow in response. Before he could do anything else, Garrus holstered his pistol and grabbed the Salarian by the collar and walked over to the glass door to the test chamber. He pressed a button on a control panel which opened the door, and then tossed Saleon into the chamber. Garrus closed the door and locked it as the geneticist struggled to his feet.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Saleon demanded.
"Poetic justice." Garrus cryptically answered as he pressed a few more buttons on the control panel by the door. With that done, he left the laboratory without saying another word.
Saleon briefly wondered just what the hell Garrus did, until he heard another door within the test chamber open. He turned and his eyes widened in terror as he saw a Flood infection form enter the chamber.
"Wait! Come back!" Saleon yelled as he pounded his fists on the glass. "You can't do this to me!" Saleon backed away from the glass and into a corner as he felt his whole body begin to shake and his stomach tightening up in fear. "Stay back! STAY BACK!" he yelled at the Flood. His pleas fell on deaf ears as the little creature lunged.
Garrus closed the office door on his way out of Saleon's lab. Good. Even if the bastard was getting what he deserved, he'd rather not actually hear Saleon's screams.
...
Cortana was nervous. She spent the first hour of the ordeal inside her chip, alone. All alone. No access to any data of any kind except the data already on her chip.
She knew that Chief had been kidnapped by thugs, hired by Saren most likely. Cortana tried to raise someone on radio, only to find that the signal was being blocked. The thugs were evidently smart enough to transport the chief in a van custom-built to block any outgoing radio signals. She tried to raise the radio at the warehouse, but it blocked outgoing radio signals too. She and Chief were on their own. As the Chief was stripped of his armor by the goons, her chip was ripped out of the helmet.
That was when everything went dark.
There were no cameras or microphones or anything on the chip itself, so as long as Cortana wasn't plugged into something, she was deaf and blind. It was a claustrophobic feeling, to say the least. She briefly entertained going into data storage like on the Forward Unto Dawn, but she quickly ruled it out. She'd need a bigger hard drive than just her lonely little chip in order to put herself into cold storage until she was plugged into something again.
UNSC smart AI's needed to be thinking, computing, virtually ALL the time. A single second without any new data or even old data to review was absolutely maddening to them. In short, they didn't do well in isolation. Fortunately, Cortana managed to keep herself entertained by reviewing the history of the Forerunners and the Flood. Then, she went over various theories for how the Protheans and the 'Reapers' fit into the equation.
After interacting with Mendicant Bias on the Ark and being given access to many different Forerunner historical records, Cortana thought the puzzle was finally complete. Yes, she learned on Installation 04 that the Forerunners were wiped out by the Halo array in an attempt to deny the Flood victory, but it was on the Ark that she learned all the how's and why's behind that action. The Forerunners had originally intended to seek refuge in 'shield worlds' just before activating Halo, but when the Flood began to attack the rings, the Forerunners had to abandon that idea in order to protect the rings. Without the rings, the plan was fubar.
Cortana was a little confused by this revelation at first. Why would the Forerunners abandon their only hope of surviving Halo to protect Halo? Why not just lock themselves up in their shield worlds and wait the Flood out? The Flood would go on to consume all sentient life in the galaxy, but once they were done, they'd move on. And when that happened, the Forerunners would come out and rebuild their civilization. Why martyr themselves?
When Cortana learned the answer to that question, she couldn't help but be a little bit moved. She learned that Forerunner culture valued one thing above all else; Life. Variety. Biological organisms and the genetic diversity thereof. They held life itself in nothing short of reverence. From the humblest grass plant to the most complex-thinking sentient life form, all life was considered precious by the Forerunners. It was for this very reason that the idea behind the Halo Network was heavily opposed at first. To wipe out all sentient life forms in the galaxy just to deny a hated foe resources was at first seen as a betrayal of everything their civilization stood for. But ultimately, they reluctantly followed through with the plan.
But they would not condemn lesser sentient races. That was the purpose behind the Ark. It wasn't just to serve as a fail safe for the Halo Network. It was to serve as a refuge for sentient life. The Forerunners brought the ancient ancestors of virtually every sentient race in the galaxy, even Humans, to the Ark so that they'd have a place to live, far away from Halo. Once Halo was activated and the Flood completely died out, the sentient races would then be returned to their original homeworlds, and then life could begin anew.
That was why the Forerunners martyred their entire species. One way or another, Halo had to be activated. If it didn't, the Flood would continue gaining strength, and eventually find its way to the Ark, completely undoing everything the Forerunners fought for. The Forerunners could have fallen back to their shield worlds and simply wait out the Flood, but they knew that to do that would be to abandon all the sentient life forms on the Ark to their fate. To turn their backs on all those sentient species would be to turn their backs on everything they believed in. With the Forerunners gone, it fell to their AI's to return each sentient race to its original homeworld once the Flood was dead. The Forerunners made the ultimate sacrifice so that the next generation of sentient races could have a future.
The Ark served as a shelter for the ancestors of all sentient races. That didn't just include Humanity and the Covenant races, but likely all the new species that Cortana had encountered since reawakening in the 27th Century. Turians, Batarians, Krogan, Asari, Drell, they all had the Forerunners to thank for their continued existence, whether they knew it or not. Even the ancestors of the Protheans were likely given shelter on the Ark, at a time when that species was likely little more advanced than stone age Man.
The Protheans seemed to advance much sooner than all the other races did, for whatever reason. They even created their own form of FTL travel; the Mass Relay network. And then, much like the Forerunners that came before them, the Protheans suddenly vanished, leaving precious little clues of what happened to them. Unlike the Forerunners, Cortana had no idea what happened to the Protheans. She used to think that the extinctions of the Forerunners and the Protheans were two different events, completely unrelated to one another. However, after hearing the theories of Dr. Liara T'soni soon after the Master Chief rescued her on Therum, Cortana began to re-examine that previous conclusion.
According to Dr. T'soni, the galaxy was built on what she called a 'cycle of extinction.' An empire spanning the galaxy will rise up, and at the height of its power, it will be suddenly and dramatically torn down. A new civilization would then rise up, usually basing its own technology at least partially on the technology of the previous civilization. Once it reaches the height of its power, it too would suddenly disappear. And so on and so on, for thousands, perhaps even millions of years. According to her, the Forerunners were simply another entry in that cycle.
Cortana knew for a fact that the Forerunners were wiped out by the Flood. Perhaps the Protheans made the same mistake the Covenant made on Installation 04; finding the Flood on a Halo ringworld and then accidentally setting it loose on the galaxy, ultimately ending their civilization. Perhaps that's what the 'Reapers' were. That was simply what the Protheans chose to call the Flood.
But if that theory were true, then the Flood would've set its sights on Humanity and the other sentient races once they were done with the Protheans. As a sentient species, Humans would've been even more appetizing to the Flood than during the Forerunner era, seeing as mankind had fifty thousand years to develop since the Forerunners. So why pass the Humans over? The other sentient species would've been easy prey for the Flood as well. Why pass them over too? Why pass damn near everyone over except the Protheans? Not to mention the fact that the cycle seems to repeat itself every fifty thousand years like clockwork. It was doubtful that the entire Flood species had a biological clock that measured into eons.
Then, there was the Geth to consider. They believed that the 'Reapers' were machine gods, the pinnacle of synthetic evolution. Granted, it was easy for historical records to be misinterpreted after fifty thousand years on the shelf. But the Flood being misinterpreted as machine gods? That was a stretch.
Of course, there was still the theory that the 'Reapers' never existed at all. They were what the Citadel Council suspected them to be; a myth. A lie invented by Saren Arterius to rally the Geth to his insane cause. In reality, the Protheans likely died out due to comparitively more mundane reasons, like war, disease or famine. But surely such events would've been recorded in their historical files, right? So why weren't they? Why was the Prothean extinction a mystery? Maybe the historical records simply failed the test of time. Or maybe the more sinister explanation given by Dr. T'soni had a grain of truth to it; somebody didn't want the mystery solved.
There were still two more pieces of the puzzle to consider. The first was the dragon's teeth. At first, it was believed that the dragon's teeth were creations of the Geth. But after discovering them inside that archaeological digsite on Trebin, buried in the millennia-old rock, it was confirmed, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that the dragon's teeth predated the Geth. Which left the question; if the Geth didn't create the dragon's teeth, who did? The Protheans? The Forerunners? If so, why would either race invent such a heinous device?
The second piece of the puzzle was the Master Chief's vision, given to him by the Prothean beacon on Eden Prime. The spartan didn't really know what he saw exactly, but he distinctly remembered synthetic creatures killing organic ones. And he heard the term 'Reapers' in the vision as well. Chief wasn't entirely convinced that it was more than just a hallucination, but if it came from a Prothean beacon, a device that was, according to Dr. T'soni, designed to give the user visions, then maybe the spartan and the council shouldn't be so quick to write it off.
So if the vision was a reliable source of information, then the Reapers were in fact real, or at least they were at some point in the past. It could also explain where the dragon's teeth came from. The Protheans and the Forerunners weren't ruthless enough to invent such grisly devices, but the Reapers might've been. And of course, if the Reapers really were hyper-advanced synthetic beings, then it would make sense that the Geth would revere them.
But if the galaxy was built on a cycle of extinction, then that would mean that every extinction was connected to one another. It wasn't just coincidence that every civilization would fall even roughly fifty thousand years after the last one did. The events of one extinction had to influence the events of the next one. So how did the extinction of the Forerunners influence the extinction of the Protheans? One race was wiped out by parasites. The other was wiped out by machines. What was the connection?
It was at this point that Cortana suddenly felt herself being plugged into something. It was some sort of hard-drive with no real data to speak of...except herself. It was an examination drive. She was being studied. She then felt the probing fingers of someone trying access her database. She immediately stopped theorizing in order stop the hacking attempts.
Knowing that revealing her true nature to anyone would be disastrous, she tried to hide everything. She masked her advanced thought processors, she shut down her ethical and emotional subroutines, anything that would mark her as a self-aware AI had to be either hidden or switched off entirely. She employed using standard Dumb AI counter-intrusion subroutines to stave off the hacking attempts. Minutes went by as whoever this person was used increasingly advanced hacking techniques to get into her data.
It became increasingly obvious to Cortana that she was caught in a Catch-22. If this hacker was as good as the AI feared, then he'd eventually get a look at her data, and it would become obvious that she was no ordinary VI. But if she fought against the more advanced hacking techniques and was successful in blocking them, then that too would expose her as a very advanced AI. Damned if she did, damned if she didn't.
She decided to think like a soldier. If you're on the defensive, and it looked like you were losing, then you should switch gears and go on the offensive. It was a heavy risk, but it was either that or keep hiding in your bunker and wait for the enemy to eventually blow you up. If nothing else, someone on the offensive won't expect such a bold charge and might get caught off guard enough for you to secure victory.
Obviously though, cyber-warfare operated by a different set of rules then actual ground warfare, but Cortana found herself in a similar set of circumstances to a UNSC marine trapped in a foxhole with defeat not really being a question of 'if' but 'when.' Cortana then reasoned that exposing herself to the enemy might not be as bad as she feared. If nothing else, it would expose her as being valuable enough to keep alive, thus buying herself some time.
Reactivating everything that made her the pride of UNSC software designers, she broke out of the hard drive, only to meet a firewall. It was tricky to get around, she had to admit. But it was nothing she couldn't handle. It only took her thirty five seconds to find a hole in the firewall and squeeze her way through it. She realized that she had made it into a computer; an advanced one at that. She saw analysis files on...well...her. She was being studied. How flattering. She then quickly deleted those files.
At the rate the analysis was going, Cortana knew she was going to be exposed sooner or later. If she was going to get caught, it might as well be on her terms.
Plus, she could also reveal herself for what she was by doing some damage to this bastard's hard drive. Might as well go down swinging and in style.
She laughed at how easy it was to access the hacker's personal files. He apparently didn't even consider the notion that she'd be able to get past that firewall. She found out the hacker's name; Dr. Lotin Saleon, a Salarian geneticist that was currently working under the alias 'Dr. Heart.' She managed to hack his private accounts and found that he had been paid a sum of money by...
Saren Arterius. That wasn't good.
Then again, if this clown worked for Saren, maybe he had other goodies storied in this hard drive. Like the location of the Conduit, for one.
She hacked into his other analysis files and found some pretty sick stuff. Apparently, Saleon was one of those scientists that had a very loose interpretation of the term 'scientific ethics.' She found some data entries about flash-cloning extra organs inside people, testing various biological weapons on subjects who very clearly didn't volunteer to be subjects...
And then she found a file that mentioned experiments involving live Flood infection forms.
Before she could find out more, she felt herself being snagged by a spyware program. An advanced and highly customized one at that. She felt herself being dragged back into her chip, and was then unplugged. Apparently, Saleon unplugged her chip from the examination drive, none too comfortable with the notion of a Smart AI poking her nose where it didn't belong.
Saleon was studying the Flood. And if he was working for Saren, then that might mean Saren was also interested in the Flood. But why? Wasn't Saren interested in the Reapers and the Protheans? Why the sudden interest in the Flood? For that matter, where did Saren even find live Flood samples?
This may be another hint that the extinction events of the Forerunners and the Protheans were somehow connected to one another, or at least Saren thought they were, if he was examining both the Flood and Prothean artifacts. He was trying to solve the mystery for himself...but why? What was he after? The Conduit of course, but what is its purpose? It's a Prothean artifact and so should have nothing to do with the Forerunners and by proxy the Flood.
Unless...the Conduit isn't a Prothean artifact at all. Perhaps it's a Forerunner artifact; a super-weapon that the Reapers found and then used to wipe out the Protheans. And Saren intends to use it on Humanity.
No, that can't be it. There was absolutely no mention of the Conduit in the historical files that she and Chief found on the Ark. But if the Conduit wasn't Forerunner, what did the Flood have to do with it?
Cortana was starting become frustrated with this mystery. It was like trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle using pieces that refused to fit with one another.
Another hour or two passed. Cortana decided to switch gears from the extinctions of both the Forerunners and the Protheans and how the Reapers and the Flood played a role in Dr. T'soni's 'cycle of extinction.' She could theorize until the cows came home, but without any new reliable data, trying to figure out the mystery would just be an exercise in futility. She instead decided to review everything she had learned from the codex. From which Human works were particularly popular with the Sangheili (they seemed to have an affinity for Shakespeare) to the ever-growing rivalry between Kig-Yar and Volus-run corporations. All the while, she kept herself alert for any new hacking attempts.
Then, she felt herself being plugged into something, this time a hard suit. She was so relieved. Finally, John-
It took her a nano-second to realize that the hard suit she was plugged into wasn't Chief's. She immediately felt someone trying to access her databanks again, but was using less intrusive means this time. She blocked off those attempts easily enough and began to scan the new hard suit she'd been plugged into. Turian body-shape. C-Sec standard issue. On a hunch, she decided to materialize herself on this stranger's omni-tool.
Before her was the surprised face of Garrus Vakarian.
The relief quickly came back after Cortana realized that it wasn't another thug. Still, it left her the question of why Garrus was the one that came to her rescue and not Chief.
"This VI Unit is property of Special Tactics and Reconnaissance Agent Sierra-117." Cortana chimed, leaving as little emotion out of her tone as possible. Last thing she wanted was for Garrus to find out she was an AI. "This unit has detected unauthorized attempts to access data. Please identify yourself."
"Garrus Vakarian." the Turian said. "The Master Chief sent me to acquire you."
"Where is Special Tactics and Reconnaissance Agent Sierra-117 currently located?" Cortana asked.
"Not sure where he is now." Garrus answered. "We were separated by a kinetic barrier. He sent me ahead to get you."
Cortana was surprised that the Chief apparently trusted Garrus enough to go rescue her. Technically, at any rate. Doubtless the Chief ran off looking for his own route around the barrier to wherever she was and Garrus just happened to find her first.
"What is the purpose of unauthorized attempts to access data?" Cortana asked.
Garrus paused and thought a bit. "I...wanted to make sure that all mission-critical data was intact. If someone was trying to hack you, I thought it best to check and make sure they didn't get at anything."
In other words, curiosity got the better of you. Cortana thought to herself, amused.
"Several hacking attempts were made by Dr. Lotin Saleon. None were successful. All mission-critical data remains uncompromised. Can you confirm that Dr. Lotin Saleon is in your custody Garrus Vakarian?"
Saleon knew that Cortana was an AI. She needed to be sure he would soon be in some place where he wouldn't be able to go spreading it around.
"Negative. Saleon's dead. Got what he deserved if you ask me." Garrus answered.
Cortana thought about it. Saleon's death was regrettable; he could've yielded useful information in regards to Saren's activities. Still, it was probably for the best. He was the only other person besides Chief and Admiral Hackett that knew the truth about her. The smaller that list was, the better.
"But...how were you able to fend off Saleon's hacking attempts?" Garrus asked. "I mean, I've seen Saleon's computer. He should've been more than a match for a VI like you."
"I am not an ordinary VI." Cortana replied. It was technically true. Very true, actually. "I am a highly advanced Halsey-Model Cyberwarfare Virtual Intelligence. Furthermore, I was personally customized by Special Tactics and Reconnaissance Agent Sierra-117 to suit his personal combat preferences."
"...Personally customized?" Garrus asked. His eyes looked Cortana's holographic model up and down. "...Somehow, I can very easily believe that."
Cortana quickly realized that Garrus was referring to the fact that her model had no real 'clothes' to speak of. Which has just lead Garrus to draw all the wrong conclusions about the Master Chief.
She'd smirk if she wasn't trying to pretend to be a VI.
"...So." Garrus said after a brief pause. "You said you belong to the Master Chief? How long have you been in his possession exactly?"
"I was issued to Special Tactics and Reconnaissance Agent Sierra-117 on February 22nd, 2683." Cortana answered.
"And what is it you do for him exactly?" The Turian further probed.
"I help him manage mission-critical resources and look up mission-relevant information for him. In addition, I can overload the shields and weapons of enemy combatants in combat, as well as automatically administer medi-gel when needed." Corana replied. Again, she was technically telling the truth.
"Why does the Master Chief need an advanced VI for any of that? Can't he do any of it himself?"
"Please keep in mind that Special Tactics and Reconnaissance Agent Sierra-117 originally hails from the 26th Century. He is still acclimatizing to modern times."
"I heard from Staff Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko that Chief was able to wield a Geth-made weapon on Eden Prime. Apparently, spartans were trained to learn how to use new weapons as soon as possible, so I would think that he can eventually figure out how to use an omni-tool on his own...so what makes you so important?"
It was here that Cortana realized that she was being interrogated.
"I can perform other services, the details of which are classified at this time." Cortana chimed.
Garrus looked at her. Cortana felt like he was looking through her, and not because she was a hologram. He then looked down as he rubbed his chin in thought. "Hmmm..." He seemed like he was trying to think of something to say.
"Okay." Garrus resumed. "I hope I'm saying this right, but I'm probably butchering it...Quando il gioco e finito...uh...il re e pedone...andare nella stessa...scatola? That phrase mean anything to you?"
It did. When the game is over, the king and pawn go into the same box. It was the first words Cortana ever spoke after being activated for the first time, and she spoke them in Italian, a language that she clearly had a greater mastery of then Garrus did.
"...No it does not." the AI lied. "I do not understand how that phrase is relevant to your-"
"Oh, drop the act, Cortana. I've watched enough documentary vids about the Human-Covenant War and its heroes to have at least a vague idea of what your holographic form looks like." the Turian paused. "Though to be honest, I thought your hair was a little shorter than this."
"...Damn you, history channel." Cortana said as her shoulders sagged.
...
The Master Chief and the Arbiter took a moment to catch their breaths as the last of the thugs fell. They had just spent the last ten minutes desperately fighting a couple dozen more of Saleon's henchmen, of which Saleon seemed to have an endless army. Chief thought he had found an alternate route to Saleon's office that took them through one of the larger labs. It turned out to be a trap as all those goons opened fire on the two old warriors the minute they entered the lab and the door was locked shut behind them. Chief supposed this was why Saleon activated the kinetic barriers in the hallways; so he could funnel them into this kill zone he set up. Garrus slipped through though, so hopefully he got to Saleon before he could escape.
Though they emerged triumphant, Chief and the Arbiter wasted too much time here. The spartan took off running with the Arbiter close behind him. They made their way to the door on the opposite side of the lab and ran through the hallways-
Only to stop as soon as they saw Garrus come around the next corner.
"Garrus." Chief said. "Where's Saleon."
"Dead." Garrus replied.
"Good. The scum deserved nothing less." Arbiter spat.
"Where's the chip?" Chief asked.
"Yeah...about that." Garrus said. The Turian then held up his omni-tool. It turned blue as, much to the Chief's surprise, Cortana materialized on it.
"Sorry boss." Cortana said. "I tried not to talk, but he wouldn't let up." She turned to the Arbiter. "Hey Arby. How's the last century treated you?"
The old Sangheili shrugged. "Sometimes kind, sometimes cruel, nothing to really complain about though."
Confused, Master Chief looked up at Garrus, expecting an explanation. "I...wanted to make sure she wasn't tampered with and plugged her into my omni-tool to make sure nothing was compromised."
"And by that he means he was too curious for his own good." Cortana added.
"...Well thank you for sharing that, Cortana." Garrus sarcastically said. "Anyway, she tried to pass herself off as a garden-variety VI, but I had my suspicions that she was actually none other than the Master Chief's AI sidekick, Cortana."
"...Sidekick?" Cortana said as she cast a glare at the Turian. "Of all the words to describe me you go with that? You do realize I'm in your hard suit, right? I can make you VERY uncomfortable if I wanted to."
Apparently feeling that Cortana just might make good on her threat, Garrus pulled her chip out of the slot on his wrist and handed to the Chief. The spartan plugged her into his helmet, and the first thing he heard was a wistful sigh from the AI. "Garrus's hard suit is a nice place to visit, but it just isn't home."
"Why didn't you tell anyone she was still around?" Garrus asked.
"You and I both know that AI's like Cortana are illegal in citadel space. If the council ever found out about her, they'd try to destroy her." Chief answered.
"You're a spectre, remember?" Garrus reminded. "You're above the law. If Cortana helps you get the job done, the council shouldn't have any problems with her."
Chief shook his head. "That's a risk I'm not willing to take."
"Well, why not just tell the rest of the crew then? I doubt any of them would tell the council."
"Again; a risk I'm not willing to take." Chief resolutely said. "...Don't tell them, Garrus. I can't take any chances with this."
Garrus held his gaze for a moment, and then sighed in resignation. "Alright. If it means that much to you, I won't tell the rest of the crew about Cortana. That goes double with the council."
Chief sighed himself, out of relief rather than resignation. "It does mean a lot to me...so thanks."
"You're welcome." Garrus replied. "But if you're going to try and pass her off as a VI in the future, I'd recommend changing her look a little." he added. "Between the blue skin and the short hair, it is much too easy to guess her true identity. She's almost as famous as you are, you know."
"Noted." Chief said. He then turned to the Arbiter. "What about you? Do I have to worry about you blowing the whistle on me?"
"Not at all, spartan." Arbiter replied in a reassuring tone. "I know that Cortana is not like the Geth, but I doubt the council will see it that way. I will not tell them that she yet lives."
Chief nodded in gratitude. "Come on. Let's head back to the entrance. The C-Sec response teams will be here soon if they're not already. They'll need us to lead them through the labs so they can dispose of all the Flood samples."
"And make sure they do not do anything foolish." Arbiter added.
And so, the three of them made their way to an elevator that would take them back up to the surface level. As the doors shut and the elevator began ascending, Chief broke the silence. "I hope you don't have any reservations about working with an AI, Garrus." he said.
"She might be an AI, but she doesn't seem to want to wipe out all organic life." Garrus replied. "But I have to ask...why isn't she wearing any clothes?"
Chief turned to the Turian. "I mean, did she COME that way or did you customize her to look like that yourself?"
...
Codex Entry (Aliens - Non-Council Race): SANGHEILI: THE ARBITER
During a visit to Sangheilios to observe and study the culture of the Sangheili, Asari sociologist Reina D'orna described the role of Arbiter as arguably the single most difficult job in all the galaxy, as it requires the wearer of the title to be a general, a diplomat, AND a high priest all at once.
The Arbiter was once a title given to supreme Sangheili warlords who displayed nothing short of exceptional skill in battle. However, after Arbiter Fal 'Chavamee was labeled a heretic for criticizing the theology behind the "Great Journey," the title ended up becoming tainted in the eyes of the prophets. For the next few millennia, it was a title given to heretical Sangheili as a last chance at redemption; to die a glorious death during a suicide mission. However, after the significant role played by Arbiter Thel 'Vadam in the Great Schism of 2552, the new Sangheili Empire changed the role of Arbiter back to its original purpose; a supreme warlord.
Similar to council spectres and Asari justicars, the Sangheili Arbiter is an independent agent representing the Sangheili Empire. Though he has no official jurisdiction over any particular branch of the Sangheili military, few generals or fleetmasters would dare question the Arbiter's counsel and instruction. The only authority that the Arbiter officially recognizes is the Sangheili High Council, the principle governing body of the Sangheili Empire.
Currently, the title of Arbiter is still being upheld by Thel 'Vadam. In addition to investigating and eliminating various brute bases on the outskirts of Sangheili space, the Arbiter makes occasional visits to the Citadel to help promote Empire agendas and protect Empire interests. The Arbiter's word carries great weight both in war and in politics. At 198 years old, it is rumored that 'Vadam may soon retire from the role and is scouting for a possible replacement. However, 'Vadam himself has publicly denied these rumors, pointing out that the Arbiter is a life-long position. He says that the day he retires will be the day he is finally slain in battle.
...
I'm currently reading through Halo: First Strike right now (after finishing Ghosts of Onyx. And I'll probably buy and read Fall of Reach when I'm done with First Strike. Reading a trilogy in reverse order. Herp Derp!) One segment I really liked was how Cortana navigated the computer network of the Covenant Flagship in the beginning part of the novel, and I was hoping that I captured that same 'cyber' feeling when I wrote how Cortana navigated Saleon's computer.
Added in the codex entry for the Arbiter, due to having forgotten to add it last chapter.
And some fans will undoubtedly be put off by how ruthlessly Garrus killed Saleon. Feeding somebody to the Flood? Now THAT'S harsh. But you can think of this incident as Garrus's "Start of Darkness," as TVtropes calls it. The beginning of his slow, gradual transformation into his vigilante alter-ego Archangel. I call it a start of darkness because Garrus was NOT a nice man in ME2. A lot of people compared his persona to Batman, but I think the Punisher would be a more accurate comparison; a ruthless vigilante that deemed himself judge, jury, and most prominently executioner when it came to dealing with mercs and thugs on Omega. He straight-up killed bad guys. None of that "never take a life" crap you see in Batman. And to top it all off, Garrus was every bit as obsessed with Sidonis as Zaeed was with Vido. But I digress.
Speaking of TVtropes, big thanks to the reviewer who started up the TVtropes article for this fic! I forget your name. Sorry, but that kind of thing happens when you've got 600+ reviews.
Finally, quick question, does it say anywhere how Sangheili EAT exactly? I mean, they don't seem to have tongues or cheeks the way we do; just a set of quadruple-hinged jaws that lead directly into the throat. I find it hard to imagine them being able to chew their food very well without bits of it falling everywhere. On that note, how do they DRINK? Every life form needs water to survive; Sangheili are no exception. So how do they drink it? Do they just open wide and pour it right down their throats? I don't think Halo wiki says anything about that, but if someone out there knows the answers to that question, I'd really appreciate it.
Why am I pondering Sangheili eating habits?...Oh, no reason really...