115

Chapter 2

The gates to the UNSC base, opened as the sleek mongoose sped through it, the vehicle sped past the security checkpoint and the men inside already knew who it was. "There goes 115." They would say in the morning, and "Here comes 115." When he came back in the afternoon and or night.

They never questioned how or why he left or came back, they just saw him in the cameras and opened the gate. Because when he stared at you and the only thing you could see was your own reflection in his gold visor, you did whatever he told you too.

The mongoose sped across the base streets and towards the parking garage. The base was huge and had multiple big buildings, and it had a space elevator on the outskirts of the base the reached to a space dock. The mongoose was turned off as he drove up to the side of the building, S115 moved off of the vehicle and nodded towards the guards.

"Hey 115!" One of the men, a younger man waved. 115 was nice to everyone, even though he never spoke. 

The black armored spartan waved to the man as the older marine gave him a two fingered salute, he nodded and continued to walk towards the main building. 

The building looked like any other office, glass walls and many floors, the tall building reached into the sky and there were many lights shining up the sides. S115 walked into the main entrance and the person behind the desk looked up, the marine held his hand up to stop him before speaking.

"S115?" He nodded, "You're being moved, please get what you need out of your bunk and report to the space elevator."

OoO On Board The UNSC Infinity OoO

Beeping of the computers filled the room and footsteps could be heard outside, the bridge of the Infinity was running smoothly and all was in order. A man in black uniform with an armored piece on his left shoulder and gold stripes was standing at a holotable with his hands behind his back, the captain of the ship.

A woman standing around 6 feet tall with auburn hair in a small ponytail walked into the room, she was wearing white spartan armor known as 'Scout'. She walked over to Captain Laskey and leaned on the table, "What's going on?" She asked referring to why she was called here.

"Well Sarah, quite frankly I'm not entirely sure. With Locke and Chief working together to bring down Cortana, or bring her back." He sighed, "My hands are full." He moved to sit on the edge of the table and he crossed his arms, Sarah Palmer moved to stand in front of him.

"What are you talking about? Cortana activated the guardians, she attacked us, it's good that Chief and Locke are working to take her out of the picture."

"I didn't say it was bad...I'm just worried. Chief and Cortana are close, and it's the same with Halsey and Chief. I'm worried they'll try to have mercy, and what consequence that will have."

Sarah crossed her own arms, "Are you saying that they'll try to help Cortana?"

"Yes. And if they do...if she doesn't change and she gets access to them, this ship...we're all doomed. It's horrifying all the things AI can do. No offence Roland."

A yellow hologram of an old style pilot came up and smiled, "Non taken sir. But if I may, Halsey said that Cortana was a threat and I see now that she is. She is too powerful in her current state, so I come to ask once again...How is she alive?"

"What are you getting at little yellow?" Sarah asked as Laskey stood to look at Roland.

"Well, an AI deteriorates after 7 years, when that happens they go rampant and fight within themselves until they eventually die. Cortana made it 8 years and was fighting off rampancy, but when she fell into the domain she all of a sudden is bright as a sunflower?"

"I think he's onto something." Laskey started.

"What if that isn't her?"

Everyone on the deck froze and turned to him, they all stared at him and each other with wide eyes. "Get Dr. Halsey up here, alone, no Chief or Locke. This could mean something."

OoO

"You better have a good reason for taking me away from my research Laskey, I was this close to getting to the bottom of tracking her!"

"I know Halsey, but I think you need to hear what Roland has to say." 

The white haired one armed woman turned to the yellow hologram as he came up on the center console, "Dr." He greeted. "After some thinking and speaking with Commander Palmer and Captain Laskey, our running theory is that that is not Cortana."

"What are you on about? Of course that's her."

"Hear him out ma'am." Laskey cut in, he motioned for Roland to continue and he nodded.

"Cortana is 8 years old, AI go into rampancy after 7. But when she fell into the domain...It doesn't make sense, how would she all of a sudden be healthy and evil? That's not like her, and now she wants to wipe out all life in the galaxy? Does that sound familiar?"

Halsey gasped and covered her mouth with a shaky hand, "Forerunners, the Halo Rings!"

Roland nodded as Sarah and Laskey's eyes widened, "She has a forerunner inside of her, when she and Chief fought the Didact they both fell into the domain. That isn't Cortana, I've come to this realization by thinking about that time when you factory reset me."

"You what?" Laskey asked turning to Halsey, she held up her hand as she walked closer to Roland.

"I split myself into two, then I hacked into the reset version of myself before deleting the code. That's how I fixed myself. We can do the same to Cortana."

"But that was when you were you. Our theory is she has the Didact in her." Sarah spoke joining the debate, Halsey nodded and thought. 

"If she is part of the Didact now then there is no way to get her to split, because he won't let her." Laskey said as he began to pace around the deck, the pilot stood up and raised his hand, Laskey looked to him.

"If I may captain, if Roland was forcefully reset by a code...does that mean Cortana has a code? And if so can't you reset her?"

Halsey nodded, "Yes, she does have a code. But if the Didact is in her only she will reset, the evil in her will still be alive."

The pilot spoke again, "What if you forcefully split her then? If she can't do it herself then surely we can do it for her."

"Hmm." Dr. Halsey hummed as she began to think, "That would be possible I suppose. Allow me to run some theories in my lab, I'll call you if I need anything. Roland, good thinking, you too Lieutenant."