Cortana (level)

Looking for Cortana, the Human AI?

Cortana is the ninth campaign mission (eighth playable mission) of Halo 3.

It takes place in the Flood infested High Charity. Your mission is to find Cortana in order to activate the new Halo ring.

Upon completing it on the Normal, Heroic, or Legendary difficulties, the player will earn the "The Key" achievement and 40 Gamerpoints. Earning over 15,000 points in the campaign meta-game on this level will give the player the Orpheus achievement and 10 Gamerscore.

A curious note to add to this level is that if you listen carefully, Cortana will say some quotes by Dr. Halsey from Halo: The Fall of Reach. The Gravemind will also repeat his line "two corpses, in one grave" that he first said in the penultimate Halo 2 level - High Charity.

This level has been infamous among the community for being overly difficult, frustrating and generally not very fun, along with Combat Evolved's The Library. The entire level is covered with Flood 'sludge', which is thought to be flesh of dead bodies. This means that the layout is sometimes disorienting, when it's not possible to tell directions, or even walls from floors. Enemies easily blend into the scenery, thus making the level very difficult. A few players have commented that the levels layout is simply too confusing for those playing it the first time - this is because of the enormous amount of enemies and maze-like pathways. Some fans have even claimed it is one of the worst Halo single player missions ever made and a few have even labeled it as the 'worst video game level ever designed'. In contrast, other players enjoy the level for its challenge, and many praise Bungie for making this as realistic as possible.

Transcript
{Cutscene}

''The Master Chief flies a Banshee to High Charity. He finds an opening into the hive. (In co-op, Thel 'Vadam will follow the Chief and land his Banshee next to the Spartan's Banshee)''


 * Sergeant Major Johnson (COM): "Chief, I'll round up our survivors, fall back to the Dawn."

Master Chief drops down onto a wide platform from a hole above ('Vadam follows him in co-op)


 * Johnson (COM): "Arbiter will do the same with the Elites."

-(Co-op Change) Johnson (COM): "Shipmaster will do the same with the Elites." (Note there are no subtitles for this line, since the text varies)

The Chief shakes off the organic material that is stuck to his boot.


 * Johnson (COM): "Cortana's in there somewhere..."

Rampant
Graverobber.

{Gameplay}

Chief begins searching, further in the hive.


 * Gravemind (Gravemind Moment): "Child of my enemy, why have you come? I offer no forgiveness; a father's sins passed to his son."

A little later.


 * Cortana (Cortana Moment): (A strange mix of cries of agony and maniacal laughter)


 * Cortana (coming out of a speaker within a crashed Pelican): "I tried to stay hidden, but there was no escape! He cornered me, wrapped me tight and brought me close."

As the Chief goes deeper into the hive.


 * Gravemind (Gravemind Moment): "Of course, you came for her.... We exist together now. Two corpses, in one grave."


 * Cortana: (sounds distant, then when "stolen" is said, sounds suddenly close) "A collection of lies; that's all I am! Stolen thoughts and memories!"


 * Gravemind (Gravemind Moment): "And yet, perhaps a part of her... remains?"


 * Cortana: (deranged laughter)

''In the large room where the Tilt skull is located, a Terminal can be activated, but does not count towards the Marathon Man achievement. If activated, it displays another Cortana Moment)''


 * Cortana (Terminal): It was the coin's fault! I wanted to make you strong, keep you safe (drop in tone). I'm sorry, I can't...

(Reference to earlier sections of Halo: Fall of Reach in which Doctor Catherine Elizabeth Halsey examines John-117 as a potential Spartan II candidate)

Cortana begins to show clear signs of malfunctioning.


 * Cortana: (casually and kindly, as though nothing is wrong) "May I speak with you, please? ... What's your name? It's very nice to meet you! ... You like games? So do I."

(Also reference to earlier sections of Halo: Fall of Reach in which Doctor Catherine Elizabeth Halsey examines John-117 as a potential Spartan II candidate)

The Chief struggles through into more narrow, Flood contaminated tunnels.


 * Cortana: (upset) "I'm just my Mother's shadow... don't look at me, don't listen! I'm not who I used to be..."

As the Chief nears a large room {with the route to the reactor room at the top}.


 * Gravemind (Gravemind Moment): (angry) "Time has taught me PATIENCE! But basking in new freedom, I will know ALL THAT I POSSESS!"

En route to the reactor room.


 * Cortana (Cortana Moment): (Panicking, her voice slightly distorted) "I have walked the edge of the abyss. I have seen your future, and I have learned!"

The image of Cortana suddenly turns a tinge of green, and clutches its head and writhes in pain.


 * Gravemind (Gravemind Moment): (Shouting angrily.) "SUBMIT! END HER TORMENT AND MY OWN!!"

The Chief enters the reactor room, passing by bones and skulls back at the entrance.

The Chief finds a door out of the reactor room, and follows it.


 * Cortana (Cortana Moment): (Panicking, voice slightly distorted) "There will be no more sadness, no more anger, no more envy!" (a possible reference to the three main stages of rampancy.)


 * Gravemind (Gravemind Moment): "You WILL show me what she hides, or I shall feast upon your BONES!"

The Chief begins to reach the end of the hallway.


 * Cortana (Cortana Moment): (Speaking in a distorted monotone voice as though brainwashed. Her image is green.) "This is UNSC AI Serial Number CTN 0452-9. I am a monument to all your sins."

''The Chief rushes to the end of the hallway, to find Cortana lying prone in a Stasis Shield in a center podium. The room resembles the Sanctum of the Hierarchs. He beats and bashes the shield until it finally fails.''

{Cutscene}


 * Cortana: (weakly) "...you found me..."

''Master Chief leans closer towards the panel Cortana's on. The AI lies pitifully on the podium, with an expression of pain, suffering and shame on her face.''


 * Cortana: (weakly) "But so much of me is wrong... out of place. You might be too late..."


 * Master Chief: "You know me. When I make a promise..."

She looks up at the Chief.


 * Cortana: "...you... keep it. (she raises her head, and sounds amused) I do know how to pick 'em."


 * Master Chief: "Lucky me. Do you still have it?"

''Cortana slowly gets up, recovering her strength. She opens her palm and a hologram of the Index floats above her hand.''


 * Cortana: "The Activation Index from the first Halo ring. A little souvenir I held onto... just in case. (she looks around) Got an escape plan?"


 * Master Chief: "Thought I'd try shooting my way out - mix things up a little."

''The Chief takes Cortana's old data chip out of his helmet and holds it in front of her. Cortana touches its core and uploads herself into the chip, and the Chief inserts Cortana back, at long last, into his armor.''


 * Cortana: (jokingly exasperated) "Just keep your head down... There's two of us in here now, remember." (This is a reference to Halo: Combat Evolved, where Cortana would say "Keep your head down, there's two of us here now, remember?!" When the Master Chief first loses a health bar on the first level, Pillar of Autumn.)

Nor Hell A Fury...
Shoot your way out.

{Gameplay}

If the Chief continues to stay in the room Cortana was in.
 * Cortana:(weakly) "Chief, get me out of this place. I... I don't want to stay."

The Chief heads back up the hallway.


 * Gravemind (Gravemind Moment): (roars) "Now, at last, I see! Her secret is revealed!"

The Master Chief makes it back into the reactor room.


 * Cortana:(weakly) "Wait, we need to buy some time. This reactor... start a chain reaction. Destroy High Charity."

''The Flood begins to swarm the reactor room, realizing the Chief's plan. However he successfully destroys all three reactor pylons.''


 * Gravemind: (Roars in pain)


 * Cortana: "You hurt it, Chief. But not for long. We need to get to Halo - destroy the Flood once and for all."

If the Chief takes too long
 * Cortana: "An explosion just made us an exit! I'll mark it on your HUD, Chief, go!"

When the Chief reaches the halfway point escaping.


 * Cortana: "Analyzing the route ahead... I have it mostly figured out. Just keep moving, I'll update your HUD as you go."

Cortana: "Corridors ahead have all collapsed. I'll find another way, Chief; be careful."


 * Cortana: "There, Chief, into the maintenance tunnel."

The Chief finds his way back when...

(Single-Player Only)
 * Cortana: "I've got a friendly contact! But who would be crazy enough to come in here?"

''Chief and Cortana find The Arbiter battling Flood with a Flamethrower. The Chief assists.''


 * Cortana: (Amused) "Wait, you two made nice?! What else have you been up to while I was gone...?"

{Cutscene}

The Master Chief and The Arbiter find a Pelican, possibly from the In Amber Clad'' nearby and board it. The Chief uploads Cortana into the Pelican's holotank and starts up the engines. One of the Gravemind's tentacles advances to the Dropship, but the heat from the thrust forces it to retreat. The Pelican takes off, smoke pouring lightly from the left engine. The tentacle comes back and tries to wrap around the Dropship, but the Chief escapes its grip. The Pelican barely escapes from a massive explosion caused by the reactor going critical as High Charity is finally destroyed, and the Pelican makes its way to the new Halo ring.''

Trivia

 * This level is a reference to the Halo: Combat Evolved level The Library and the Halo 2 level Sacred Icon, where you have to retreve a Halo's activation Index and that it is a pure-flood level.
 * The Mausoleum of the Arbiter can be seen in the distance when standing near the crashed Pelican. This and the Prophets' Inner Sanctum are essentially the only recognizable features of High Charity in Halo 2 that can be seen in Halo 3. One can see in the Bungie feature "Flood Autopsy", that they had originally planned to have the Flood re-animate all Arbiter corpses in the room, creating an Arbiter army for the player to fight.
 * Nearly all of the Cortana Moments are quotes from The Fall of Reach, such as at Crow's Nest it is a direct quote from the speech Dr. Halsey, and many in Cortana (level) involve or are quotes from the genius, Dr. Halsey.
 * If you enter the crashed Pelican when first making your way through, you can hear Cortana's voice.
 * The section of the level after saving Cortana is called 'Nor Hell A Fury...', referencing the poem by William Congreve 'The Mourning Bride'. The entire line is 'Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned', possibly referencing Cortana, who, after months of torment, now has the ability to light the newly constructed Halo ring and destroy the Ark, as well as the Flood.
 * Thematically, this level also has much in common with the levels Keyes and The Maw. It depicts the Chief venturing alone into a vessel to rescue a comrade or friend, from the Flood, most specifically for a data construct in their possession; and detonate the fusion reactor core. In this case the objective is the Index to fire Halo; in Keyes it was the Captain's neural implants to destroy The Pillar of Autumn.
 * The room where Cortana is located is a remake of the room from the level High Charity from Halo 2. This room is located before the final gravity lift, where Cortana says, "Apparently these are the Prophet Hierarch's private quarters, their inner sanctum". In the "inner sanctum" there are three doors, two located opposite one another, with a third, opposite a large view screen. In the level High Charity, the Chief enters through the third door, and exits through the door on his right; in the level Cortana from Halo 3, he enters through the door that was locked in Halo 2 (opposite the door that leads to the final gravity lift). The graphic design of the room and the rest of High Charity's interior has been remodeled in Halo 3. It resembles the corridors of the CCS-Truth and Reconciliation from Halo: Combat Evolved.
 * The Tilt skull can be found on this level.
 * There is a area with a dead ODST (not the crashed Pelican). It is unknown how he made it so far from the Pelican or if he was from the Frigate In Amber Clad before the Flood attacked High Charity. There is also a Flamethrower in this area which hints to a final stand since he's in a pipe area with one opening.
 * After obtaining Cortana, there is a skull on a ledge-like structure (It's purple and is kind of bulbous at the end) overhead after you exit the hallway that lead to Cortana. To get it, you need to get the Deployable Cover, deploy it on the floor directly in front of the edge of the roof, jump on the deployed cover and crouch jump onto the roof. Once on top of the roof, locate the skull towards the apex of the angled roof and get the skull. Please note that this skull has no affiliation with the "13 required skulls" list and, if carried for the rest of the level, will start Master Chief with a Spartan laser on the next level. This may only work with certain skull combination's and/or other factors in game play.
 * One of Cortana's lines, "There will be no more sadness. No more anger. No more envy," appears to reference Marathon's stages of Rampancy; Melancholia, Anger and Jealousy respectively.
 * The line "It's the coin's fault," is a reference to where John was brought into the Spartan program. He identified the side of a 20th century quarter that was about to the hit the ground before it did in Halo: The Fall of Reach.
 * On single-player campaign at the end of the level, go out to where the Pelican is, and look to your right. You will see the Banshee the Arbiter rode in on. While you can get to it and destroy it, you cannot enter it, and oddly, grenades will not stick to it.
 * Much of High Charity is flooded with water; the reason for this is that it crash-landed in a large body of water near the Ark's Control Citadel. This can be seen by going out to the crashed Pelican and looking towards the Mausoleum and looking downwards.
 * Sometimes in the level, you will walk above a room where Infection Forms are running on top of each other.
 * In co-op, after saving Cortana and destabilizing the generators, if one player stays behind in the hallway with the hole, the generator room will disappear and the room will be replaced by the other player's point of view.
 * The Flood Portas have 7 parts, a direct reference to the number seven. There are also 7 Portas in the level.
 * During the level, you will find dead Elites wearing Assault Armour. One of them should be glitching by doing his death position in mid-air although; it looks like his foot seems to be stuck on one of the corrupted Flood rock-like. If you stick his body or deck it, the corpse will fall. That is the only way except for a Brute Shot grenade or other explosive.
 * This is the last level to not have any usable vehicles at all.
 * Many Elite bodies in this level wear Assault Armor, which is strange because Elites never wore Assault Armor while in the Covenant.
 * If you finish the previous level with an energy sword and rocket launcher, both with ammo remaining, you will start this level with no weapons at all.
 * This level and Keyes are named for the character you need to achieve to help you destroy Halo. Also, the primary enemy in both levels is the Flood.
 * This level was originally split into two separate Campaign missions, both considerably shorter than the current level.
 * It is considered by many to be impossible to complete this level on Mythic difficulty, that is, Legendary difficulty with the Mythic skull activated.
 * The achievement Orpheus is a reference to Greek mythology, a person named Orpheus went to the underworld looking for his wife, similar to Chief looking in Gravemind for Cortana.
 * According to a quote made by Bungie developer Jason Keith, found in and, it is implied that the Flood Hive of High Charity and the Gravemind were one and the same during Halo 3, thus making this level seem like a boss fight, in a sense.
 * It is odd that the weapons next to bodies in this level are usually found with a full magazine or charge, as their owners were probably fighting when they died.
 * Cortana, along with Sierra 117 (Level), Crow's Nest (Level), and Floodgate (Level), has no drivable vehicles.
 * In the opening cutscene, John's Banshee fly towards a slanted and upside down High Charity. However, when John lands inside, the interior appears to be right-side-up and straightened. This error has been overlooked by almost every Halo fan as well as Bungie.