Cortana: Difference between revisions
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("afterwards" is slang.) |
(No, it does not confirm rampancy, as the episode does not intend to do so. But the idea is that she is approaching rampancy, and may be so. It never downright said she was in the first place anyway.) |
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{{Era|H1|H2|H3|FOR|TF|FS|GOO|HE|LE}} | {{Era|H1|H2|H3|FOR|TF|FS|GOO|HE|LE}} | ||
{{Ratings}} | {{Ratings}} | ||
{{Seealso Level|Cortana (Level)|Halo 3}} | {{Seealso Level|Cortana (Level)|Halo 3}} | ||
{{AI Infobox | {{AI Infobox | ||
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The Slipspace portal collapsed as the Master Chief, [[Thel 'Vadam]], and Cortana attempted to escape through it, cutting the [[UNSC Forward Unto Dawn|UNSC ''Forward Unto Dawn'']] in half. While 'Vadam, who was on the bridge, managed to return to Earth safely, the Chief and Cortana, who were in the hangar, were left drifting in space. Cortana activated a distress beacon, but knew that it could be years before they were found. As the Master Chief prepared to go into [[Cryo-chamber|cryogenic sleep]] to await rescue, Cortana confessed to him that she would miss him. | The Slipspace portal collapsed as the Master Chief, [[Thel 'Vadam]], and Cortana attempted to escape through it, cutting the [[UNSC Forward Unto Dawn|UNSC ''Forward Unto Dawn'']] in half. While 'Vadam, who was on the bridge, managed to return to Earth safely, the Chief and Cortana, who were in the hangar, were left drifting in space. Cortana activated a distress beacon, but knew that it could be years before they were found. As the Master Chief prepared to go into [[Cryo-chamber|cryogenic sleep]] to await rescue, Cortana confessed to him that she would miss him. | ||
Five years later, in [[2557]], she and the Chief are still stranded. Cortana, who is showing signs of [[Rampancy]], tries to communicate with the Chief. As he is still in cryo sleep, she is unable to get a response from him. Cortana then begins to file a report on the history of the [[Forerunners]] and [[Humanity]]. After an unknown period of time, they are seen drifting towards an [[Legendary Planet|unidentified planet]]. | Five years later, in [[2557]], she and the Chief are still stranded. Cortana, who is showing signs of [[Rampancy]],<ref name="DVD">'''[[Halo Legends]]'''; ''[[Origins]]'' DVD Commentary, Frankie: "This story is told through Cortana's memories, as she's starting to approach what we suspect might be a stage of rampancy"</ref> tries to communicate with the Chief. As he is still in cryo sleep, she is unable to get a response from him. Cortana then begins to file a report on the history of the [[Forerunners]] and [[Humanity]]. After an unknown period of time, they are seen drifting towards an [[Legendary Planet|unidentified planet]]. | ||
==Personality== | ==Personality== | ||
[[File:Cortanainst.JPG|left|thumb|200px|Cortana in the ''Halo 3'' instruction manual.]] | [[File:Cortanainst.JPG|left|thumb|200px|Cortana in the ''Halo 3'' instruction manual.]] | ||
Cortana has a witty and playful personality and a small sense of cryptic humor laced with some sarcasm. She has neither arrogance nor false modesty about her immense capabilities, and her statements about her abilities have an objective perspective that human beings typically cannot achieve, but she does get bored often and easily. In fact it is said that [[seven]] seconds of inactivity for an A.I. is excruciating. She has genuine, not merely programmed, loyalty to humanity and the UNSC, but exhibits devotion to John-117 beyond that which her programming or mission requires. She seems to be most loyal to him and is willing to help him with any task he requests of her. After she found out exactly what happened to the Master Chief as a child, she decided to protect him from further harm to the best of her abilities without compromising her mission. While a prisoner of the [[Gravemind]], its her loyalty to him and trust that he will return for her that anchors her to sanity and allows her to hold on. Also, when she learns that the message she sent was allowed by the Gravemind as a trap she is | Cortana has a witty and playful personality and a small sense of cryptic humor laced with some sarcasm. She has neither arrogance nor false modesty about her immense capabilities, and her statements about her abilities have an objective perspective that human beings typically cannot achieve, but she does get bored often and easily. In fact it is said that [[seven]] seconds of inactivity for an A.I. is excruciating. She has genuine, not merely programmed, loyalty to humanity and the UNSC, but exhibits devotion to John-117 beyond that which her programming or mission requires. She seems to be most loyal to him and is willing to help him with any task he requests of her. After she found out exactly what happened to the Master Chief as a child, she decided to protect him from further harm to the best of her abilities without compromising her mission. While a prisoner of the [[Gravemind]], its her loyalty to him and trust that he will return for her that anchors her to sanity and allows her to hold on. Also, when she learns that the message she sent was allowed by the Gravemind as a trap she is horrified. Cortana also believes that she is the best qualified to watch out for John-117 and knows that he could get another AI to replace her, but believes that no one will ever look after him like she will. | ||
Her personal loyalty is regarded as unwavering, but as an A.I. construct she is subject to corruption. [[Lord Hood]] questioned her reliability when it became clear that she had been compromised in some way by the Gravemind's possession of ''High Charity'', on which she was trapped. John-117, however, never questioned her integrity. Cortana did consent to answer some of the Flood's questions, as a strategy for survival and the possibility of gaining information for the UNSC. Her sanity was pushed to the brink as she eluded the Gravemind's attempts to capture and dissect her for information. Her personal loyalty to and unwavering trust in John-117 helped anchor her and allow her to hold on despite being driven to the point of rampancy. Before she reunited with John-117 in ''[[Halo 3]]'', she sent him a message, telling him about the Ark and warning him of the Flood-infested ''High Charity'''s approach to Earth. She was instrumental in finally putting a stop to the Flood at the end of the game. | Her personal loyalty is regarded as unwavering, but as an A.I. construct she is subject to corruption. [[Lord Hood]] questioned her reliability when it became clear that she had been compromised in some way by the Gravemind's possession of ''High Charity'', on which she was trapped. John-117, however, never questioned her integrity. Cortana did consent to answer some of the Flood's questions, as a strategy for survival and the possibility of gaining information for the UNSC. Her sanity was pushed to the brink as she eluded the Gravemind's attempts to capture and dissect her for information. Her personal loyalty to and unwavering trust in John-117 helped anchor her and allow her to hold on despite being driven to the point of rampancy. Before she reunited with John-117 in ''[[Halo 3]]'', she sent him a message, telling him about the Ark and warning him of the Flood-infested ''High Charity'''s approach to Earth. She was instrumental in finally putting a stop to the Flood at the end of the game. | ||
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Cortana is also very aware of her short [[rampancy|lifespan]] ([[Smart AI|"Smart" A.I.]] lifespan is an average of [[7]] years before [[rampancy]]) and her derivative nature as a copy of part of another person, rather than a true human being. Desperate and tortured aboard ''High Charity'' she murmurs: "A collection of lies; that's all I am! Stolen thoughts and memories!" Later on she says: "I'm just my mother's shadow..." and "It was the coin's fault," referring to the game of chance that Dr. Halsey played with John-117 when he was young. Halo: Evolutions Human Weakness reveals some of this to be her defying the Gravemind and a few of the more rampant things she says to be copies she made of herself which have been consumed by the Gravemind. She, along with [[Mendicant Bias]], is one of only two (known) A.I.s that ''may'' have progressed completely through [[rampancy]] and became [[Rampancy#Metastability|metastable]]. | Cortana is also very aware of her short [[rampancy|lifespan]] ([[Smart AI|"Smart" A.I.]] lifespan is an average of [[7]] years before [[rampancy]]) and her derivative nature as a copy of part of another person, rather than a true human being. Desperate and tortured aboard ''High Charity'' she murmurs: "A collection of lies; that's all I am! Stolen thoughts and memories!" Later on she says: "I'm just my mother's shadow..." and "It was the coin's fault," referring to the game of chance that Dr. Halsey played with John-117 when he was young. Halo: Evolutions Human Weakness reveals some of this to be her defying the Gravemind and a few of the more rampant things she says to be copies she made of herself which have been consumed by the Gravemind. She, along with [[Mendicant Bias]], is one of only two (known) A.I.s that ''may'' have progressed completely through [[rampancy]] and became [[Rampancy#Metastability|metastable]]. | ||
However, this theory of metastability is disproved in [[Halo Legends]] short film ''[[Origins]]'', in which five years after the events of Halo 3, it is strongly suggested that Cortana is falling into rampancy. She displays several characteristics to support this, such as her hologram flickering, trying to communicate with John-117 despite him being in cryo-sleep, recounting the history of the galaxy, which gets continuously more inaccurate to the point where events being recalled simply did not happen. She even tried to make physical contact with John via her avatar. Cortana's fate is left ambiguous, but it is assumed she is now rampant. | However, this theory of metastability is disproved in [[Halo Legends]] short film ''[[Origins]]'', in which five years after the events of Halo 3, it is strongly suggested that Cortana is falling into rampancy. She displays several characteristics to support this, such as her hologram flickering, trying to communicate with John-117 despite him being in cryo-sleep, recounting the history of the galaxy, which gets continuously more inaccurate to the point where events being recalled simply did not happen. She even tried to make physical contact with John via her avatar. Cortana's fate is left ambiguous, but it is assumed she is now rampant.<ref name="DVD"/> | ||
===Appearance=== | ===Appearance=== | ||
