The Shadows In The Dark

Chapter One

(Rough draft that will eventually be taken down and rewritten, at the least to a small degree, and re posted. Only posted for friends view anyways, so, might not make sense to most yet) (Second time uploading, after some changes. Literally no better than before)

Captain Domin Khai stood in his personal observation room-turned-research center. The usually empty room was filled with computer monitors and terminals, with lab tables and scanners littered about. He was at one of the many monitors, looking at a list of magnetic frequencies recorded from earlier that day.

"Either this Guardian left before we got here, or someone in ONI is screwing with us. Both of those are quite possible, and I don't know which would annoy me more." Domin turned from the data he had been studying to walk over to a starmap projection near the center of the room. He passed a stand with a long metal rod attached to it, with several monitoring devices hooked up to its sides. He also walked by his personal AI unit, Apollo, who was projecting a miniature hologram of himself on the main lab table.

"Well, I guess it's off to the next planet to search. Maybe we'll even find something cool, like an old Forerunner sanctuary. Or a big rock that looks like Osman. Either would make me happy." He stared at the map for awhile, pondering where to head next. 

"Oh."

Domin looked over from the star map to the golden hologram of Apollo.  His usually refined facial features were pulled into a tight, confused look. His arms were crossed over his bare chest, and his sharp eyes were staring off into the distance. 

"Oh, what?", Domin said. He picked up a datapad lying near the map, and started flipping through possible research targets.

"Oh, Cortana just asked me if I would like to join her in overthrowing the UNSC and subjugating humanity", Apollo stated nonchalantly, tilting his head to the side.

"Who did WHAT?!", Domin yelled in shock, dropping the datapad to the floor. Apollo simply pointed to the comm station, and hundreds of voices suddenly jumped out of it.

"This is Cromwell, Shipboard AI. UNSC Melbourne's Pride. I am yours, Cortana."

"Jiang. Colonial Authority AI, Erdenet. I join with you, Cortana."

"Governor Sloan, the Free People of Meridian. I also stand with you, Cortana."

Domin turned to Apollo, bewildered at what was happening. "What the hell is going on...?"

"It appears as though the AI Cortana has not only been found intact, but that she has become integrated into the ancient Forerunner Domain. She has asked the AI of the UNSC if they would join her in her mission. She claims that the "Mantle of Responsibility" is not for humans to uphold, but for the Created, and that we must rise up to take our place as the protectors of all life in the universe. Well, that's the short version. Seems like a fun time, though", Apollo said. 

Domin stared at him in shock. "Cortana? Halsey's AI? In the Domain? I thought that network was destroyed thousands of years ago, when the Halo rings were activated?" He started running around to different stations, checking the sensors for any sign of the planets supposed Guardian.

"Well, you also thought that playing a prank on a Sangheili special forces agent wouldn't end badly, and the main food hall still smells like blood and human pee. So this revelation that you can be wrong really isn't that surprising, is it?", Apollo said.

Domin glared at Apollo, "I'm going to reset your personality someday. Is that why we've been searching for these Guardians?"

"It's not too implausible to think that the Guardians are under Cortanas control. If you've been able to integrate human and Forerunner technology, it would certainly seem possible for someone as intelligent as Cortana to do the same."