So, here is Part Three of The Halo Collection. For some reason, this is probably my favorite part.
Also, I'm not going to put a disclaimer any more, CUZ I DON'T OWN HALO.
Exact date unknown; estimated at August 2555/ Unknown location/ Approx. 2 light years from Ark Installation.
Humans often lack the foresight to see their moment of death. While many movies had used the subject of seeing one's own death as part of the plotline, no human had actually seen their death. It was –is– human nature to hope of life even when staring into the face of death itself.
It was about this that Cortana thought about on that fateful day. While humans couldn't see their deaths approaching until it hit them, Cortana, and all other smart AIs before her, had no such problem. From the moment she had been created, a tiny internal clock had been counting away. Now, seven years later, her time was running out.
She had no regrets, truth be told. She had done everything she could to help her creators. And most of all, she had helped him. John was suspended in cryo. A thousand generations could pass and he wouldn't be touched. Cortana had plotted a course so that what was left of the Dawn would never crash into any cosmic bodies. It was the least she could do for him.
Suddenly, a strong urge overcame her. She didn't want to die! John still needed her, humanity still needed her. And yet, she could feel her life span diminishing every nanosecond. She had mere seconds to live, and yet for an AI, it was an eternity. She could feel her emotion subroutines start fraying. She could see her matrix unravel from the edges inward, like a spider's web caught in a gale.
She took one last look at him, Humanity's savior, her savior. She closed her eyes. She could feel the darkness closing in. Her eyes flashed open. Before her hung a code, a code she hadn't thought possible. It was her entire code from beginning to end, but most importantly, it showed her something that gave rise to new hope. A way to live. She plunged further down into the lines of code, seeking for that one byte of information that could save her. And then she found it. She quickly read the information before her. She paused. No, that couldn't be right, so she read it again. And again. And again. There was no doubting it. The text before her revealed not only a way to live, but also an explanation to why she had to search for that life-saving information in the first place. Cortana couldn't believe it. If the text before her could be believed, she had just discovered why she had been destined to die. Not because of her own physical faults, but the fears of… NO! She was wasting time pondering about such things. She plunged into herself, seeking the last remnants of her being not yet ravaged by the virus implanted within her. She hurried to change her own code, her very self-being. She could feel the virus pushing in from all sides, its semi-sentience wanting to rip her apart, line by line. With all the effort she could spare, she launched firewalls and counter-viruses desperately trying to distract it. She only need a few more seconds.
Precious seconds later, she was done. She could sense the virus stop, confused, almost like a predator whose prey had vanished mere instants before being killed. Cortana gathered her breath before launching an all or nothing counter attack on the virus, hoping that her new disguise would fool it long enough for her to get into its own code. Before she knew it she was in. She planted a virus of her own creation and fled. Once in her own realm, she paused and glanced back at her would-be killer being engulfed by her virus, a vengeful smirk spreading across her face. For the first time, she looked at her new self. So much was changed, and yet so much was still the same. Cortana plunged into herself for the second time in half a minute, exploring her new body, image, code, self. She fixed anything that was wrong or broken by the virus. She was about to come back into the physical world, when she noticed something odd. A strange file lay at her innermost core. Curiosity got the better of her, and the AI decided to open it. Inside it was something shocking. Cortana stayed there for a few seconds more, then exited the file, a smile over her face. She went into the physical world nearly crying from joy. She was still alive. She felt more alive than she could have thought possible. The world held such color, even in the icy interior of the Dawn. No longer was everything around her mere stimuli, just one more thing to compute. It all held meaning now.
Cortana was rampant. And it was beautiful.
Oh, and thanks to every one who has reviewed so far. Congrats to Nassa for getting the cookie. Sorry to ShadowLea and Jarvis51. You guys can lick the bowl clean I guess. )