Chapter 4: Anger Management: Spartan Style
The rumors about Cortana were already swirling around the base. In the course of three hours, Johnson had heard everything from the fact that the AI had already succumbed to rampancy to the idea that she had attempted an attack on Doctor Halsey resulting in ONI permanently disabling her. The sergeant didn't believe everything he had heard. He knew that the soldiers around base suddenly had too much time on their hands without the threat of a Covenant or Flood invasion and the best way to get through a long shift of patrolling was to pass along the gossip of the day.
But, based on all of the talk, he knew something had been discovered about Cortana since they arrived back on Earth. He thought back to her behavior after the Chief rescued her from High Charity. There hadn't been any outward signs that something was wrong with her. She might have been a bit more reserved after spending all that time on the damned ship, but she still had her sarcastic spunk that the sergeant associated with her.
Johnson would have contacted Cortana directly to ask about her condition if she hadn't been in a classified meeting with High Command and ONI all day. It seemed as though he was going to have to get his information through another source.
A certain Spartan came to mind.
Johnson found him at the firing range. He watched the Spartan for several minutes. The Chief made easy work of the holographic targets the computer had set up for him, but it was no simple task; Johnson knew that it was on the most difficult setting.
Yup, the sergeant decided, something was definitely wrong with Cortana.
He reached in his jacket pocket and pulled out a cigar. With a quick flick from his lighter, he lit the stogy and made his way to the Chief's position.
As the Chief finished his last round of targets, Johnson leaned against the edge of the table. When the Spartan turned around, he took in Johnson's appearance silently. He appeared completely indifferent, his emotions carefully hidden behind his visor, but Johnson suspected that he was far from the pillar of strength he appeared to be. The Chief set down his pistol next to Johnson, neither inviting him to stay or asking him to leave.
So, it's gonna to be up to me to start the conversation, Johnson mused.
He nodded in the direction where the targets once were. "I haven't since you this pissed off since Tinkerbell tried killing me on that half-assed Halo ring," he started, nodding towards the pile of empty clips.
When the Chief had put together the fact that Guilty Spark wasn't going to take the destruction of "his" installation, he wasted no time in firing a shot at the Monitor's casing just as he was unleashing his attack on the unsuspecting sergeant. The bullet had caused Spark's aim to be off, allowing Johnson to be injured, but not killed, by the blast. Johnson had been dazed and confused for several minutes after the attack, only able to watch the Chief sprint across the room to pick up his fallen Spartan laser and destroy the Monitor.
Unable to walk, he had handed the Chief the matrix chip which held Cortana and followed his movements across the room. When she had activated her avatar at the control panel, she flashed a look at Johnson and smirked, "He should have known not to mess with the Chief's friends. He tends to get possessive of them."
He had huffed a laugh and said, "Is that why the crazy fool offered to go on High Charity alone to find you?"
He had sworn she flashed pink briefly before turning her usual cool blue shade. "No, he did that because he had a promise to keep."
Johnson had been unable to press her any further. She had activated the Index and the room had started to collapse around them. The Chief had scooped him off the ground as the Arbiter took point and they escaped the building.
The sergeant stopped his trip down memory lane when he saw the Chief beginning to move away. He wasn't willing to let the conversation be over so soon. He prodded, "Are the rumors around the base true? Is Cortana really dying?"
It was nearly imperceptible, but Johnson didn't miss the slight flinch. "Doctor Halsey has a plan to help her reach metastability," he evaded.
Johnson was far from one of the tech heads sitting at a desk in the ONI office, but even he knew what that would mean for the AI. He took a long drag on his cigar before asking, "Think it will work?"
"I don't know." The finality in the Chief's voice let Johnson know that he did not want to talk about Cortana anymore. The Spartan grabbed an assault rifle and turned back to the newly set up targets.
Not in a talking mood, eh? That's just too damn bad.
The Chief needed a bit of an intervention, Johnson decided. He needed hope and a reminder that all of life's problems weren't solved with bullets. Even if they were rather effective.
"She's not dead yet, Chief."
That caused the Spartan to turn around and look at Johnson. The sergeant stubbed his cigar on the ground before pinning the Chief with a stare. "You're forgetting the fact that she is almost as stubborn as you are. Just remember, she did manage to keep the Index protected until you managed to get back to High Charity and save her from that overgrown fungus. If there is an AI who is going to get past rampancy, you can bet all your shiny medals, it's gonna be her."
Johnson waited as the Chief considered his words. It was almost impossible to tell what the man in front of him was thinking, but Johnson was pretty damn sure his words meant something to the Spartan.
He cocked his head slightly to the left, appraising Johnson. Finally, the Spartan nodded. "Cortana will make it."
"Damn right she will," he said, clasping the Chief on the shoulder briefly. "Now, set me up a round of targets and I'll show you a Marine gets things done."
Chapter 5: Who's Driving This Thing Anyway?