III. Takes place after "Pushing the Boundaries"
0430 Hours, September 2, 2552 (Military Calendar)/
Africa, Cairo UNSC Military Complex
Cortana still didn't think that her reassignment to Alpha Team would improve things between her and John. In fact, knowing his stubbornness, she was willing to bet things were going to remain strained for a long time.
She made her way down the hall, head held high, ignoring the distrustful appraisals of the soldiers she passed on the way to her new lab. When the doors slid apart, she was disheartened.
It was small and poorly furnished. There were two outdated monitors on a small desk where a tablet lay. A tiny holotank sat in the corner. One holoprojector bulletin board was pushed against the back wall. The lighting was the only positive aspect of the room; with its brightness, Cortana could easily forget about the hours that seemed to whiz by when she was working on a complicated project.
She did her best to push away her disappointment. Considering the devastating blow the UNSC had taken after the attack on Reach, she knew that the commodities Lord Hood had provided for her were rare. Cortana reaffirmed her vow to do whatever it took to defeat the Covenant, despite these technological handicaps. The UNSC still had her and she would not give up the fight.
Cortana pulled the chair out from under the desk and sat down. She then called up all the data from the Reach attack and channeled it to the lab computers. Nearly sixty-five percent of the UNSC fleet had been killed that day. The majority of the eastern seaboard had been lost to the Covenant.
As the minutes passed, she became immersed in all the details of the massacre.
Halsey was still missing, despite the UNSC's best efforts to find her.
John was one of the last remaining Spartans. Only he and a handful of Spartans had managed to survive the attack on Reach.
The majority of the UNSC had gone dark. Communication between bases was rare, allowing the fleet time to recover after everything that had happened since Halsey's betrayal.
Cortana was so entrenched in the data she was processing that she didn't hear the door open behind her.
But, it didn't take long for her to detect the familiar scent of sweetened coffee.
There were but a scant few who knew exactly how Cortana enjoyed her caffeinated beverage. Her heart started beating faster. Could it be that John was ready to see the truth about her? That she knew nothing about Halsey's deception?
A smile passed over her lips. Maybe things were going to be alright, despite the devastation that had occurred. "John..." She twisted her chair and saw a familiar face, but it wasn't the one she was expecting to see. "...son," she awkwardly finished.
"Sorry I ain't the Chief," he said sincerely. "But when I heard that you are back on Alpha Team and cleared of all charges, I thought ya could use this." He held out the cup for her to take. "Took the damn fools long enough to figure things out."
She reached out and took the mug, inhaling the roasted aroma.
Had it only been four days since she'd had a coffee?
"I take it they didn't accommodate your caffeine addiction," Johnson said, leaning on the edge of her desk.
"No." They had treated her like a war criminal. Locked away. Given MREs as food rations. But Ackerson had made sure he had a cup of freshly brewed coffee every time he'd came to interrogate her. The bastard.
She took a long sip from the cup, appreciating the hot liquid as it moved down her throat. Maybe it was because she was now free and clear or maybe it was because it'd simply been so long since she'd had one or maybe being imprisoned and denied such simple pleasures had given everything more value…She wasn't sure which if not all of these were the cause, but that didn't change the fact that the drink was delicious.
"You missed your calling, Johnson. You should have opened your own coffee shop."
"And you thought I was just another pretty face."
She smiled politely before shifting topics. "While you're here, I wanted to say thank you. Your testimony, along with Captain Keyes', was pivotal in my exoneration," she said.
He pulled out a cigar and looked at Cortana questioningly for permission to smoke in the lab. She nodded. Cigar smoke and hot coffee, the scents of Alpha Team. After he lit his stogie, he took a long drag. He turned away from Cortana, exhaling the smoke.
Then, he spoke. "I don't care if you are Halsey's clone. I've been working with you long enough to know that you do your thinking for yourself. You're the best AI we have in the fleet and a damn good soldier."
He bit down on the tip of his cigar. "I'm just glad the brass decided to use common sense for once. Usually they have their heads so far up their ass, it's a wonder they can hear anything," he replied. He looked her straight in the eye. "It's good to have you back, Cortana."
A blush crept over her cheeks. A year ago, if someone had asked her about the importance of friendships, she would have arrogantly replied that they were superfluous and unnecessary. If Halsey hadn't needed the companionship of others, then certainly she didn't either. But, now, after her ostracism from her team, she'd discovered another difference between her and her creator. She wantedto be around others and valued their friendship.
Still, now was not the time for an emotional moment. Not with Halsey still out there. Not with the Covenant closer to destroying the UNSC than ever before.
She looked up at him. "How did you find out about my reassignment?"
"The Captain called me and the Chief into a private meeting after Lord Hood contacted him. Seemed pretty damn glad to have you back on the team. I know he never bought that traitor bullshit from Halsey."
He might not have, but there was one person-the most important person to Cortana-who did. "John is a different story."
"Yeah, he is," Johnson sighed. "But I'm sure he'll be back to his normal self soon enough. It's just gonna take some time, that's all."
Cortana entered into the UNSC system and tracked John's location. He was in Lord Hood's office. She decided against hacking into the audio feed; she suspected she knew what he was saying to the admiral. That she shouldn't be reassigned to Alpha Team. That she wasn't to be trusted.
"I think you underestimate John's stubbornness, Johnson."
"Maybe. But I know how hard-headed Lord Hood can be too." He gently placed his hand on her shoulder. "Things will be fine before ya know it."