Loot Crate/Transcriptions/The Great Journey

Detective—

Your clearance checked out. You may proceed.

The files your seek are attached and accessible via the failsafe bypass key you were sent through alternate channels and the eight digit coordinates you will find yourself at precisely MST 1657 hours today.

Context: This is an interview I personally conducted with Master Chief Petty Officer S-117. Although I do not know the reason you requested this specific excerpt, it is at least partly clear that you are trying to determine what went wrong; perhaps as a means for finding a solution? There is no single cause to what happened to Cortana, but rather, many, all of which are irreversible and can no longer be mitigated. Nevertheless, I've provided what you requested.

I should warn you that violation of the security parameters of B5D are punishable by death.

I assure you there are no exceptions to this rule.

SEPTEMBER 26TH, 2557 0721:21:15 // BORNEO STATION

[SPHR3] …series of simple questions regarding your interactions in the stasis vestibule. We have visuals from a local sensor array and the Mjolnir's cam.

[S117] Stasis vestibule?

[SPHR3] December 17, 2553.[sic] Upon your return to High Charity, during the incident on Installation 00. Do you recall this?

[S117] Yes, ma'am.

[SPHR3] What was Cortana's state when you finally managed to reach her?

[S117] Functional.

[SPHR3] Functional? There were no defects of note?

[S117] There were potential defects, but she was functional. Enough to accomplish the mission's objective.

[SPHR3] You're referring to the activation of Installation 08?

[S117] The replacement Halo was our only way to stop the Flood.

[SPHR3] And Cortana had the Activation Index from the first ring? Had she previously told you that she intended to keep it?

[S117] No.

[SPHR3] It's actually a severe violation to not report the acquisition of a Class 9B asset, according to Article 2477-6 of the UNSC Charter for Xenoarcheological Artifact Recovery and Quarantine.

[S117] [No response, impassive]

[SPHR3] What were the AI's defects, as far as you could tell?

[S117] Response time, synchronization confidence, diagnostic alerts… things of that nature. Nothing tactically significant.

[SPHR3] A Software Trauma Analysis filed in 2553 indicates you received messages shortly after you arrived back Earth on November 17, 2552? During her time alone on High Charity?

[S117] Messages? Could you clarify?

[SPHR3] The report says 'residual interface anomalies.' You thought it was an armor malfunction at first?"[sic]

[S117] At first, yes, but the diagnostic checked out.

[SPHR3] What was the nature of the messages?

[S117] They were brief. Images, words. Impressions mainly, but they were generally incoherent.

[SPHR3] For our records, can you state if these were from Cortana?

[S117] As the report said, the trauma team analyzed the data and ruled that it was an echo of Cortana's personality matrix after we were separated on High Charity.

[SPHR3] Did you ever discuss this with Cortana after you two were reunited?

[S117] No.

[SPHR3] The STA says this may have been caused by her extensive data consumption on the first Halo ring, Installation 04?

[S117] That's what the report said.

[SPHR3] Do you agree with the report, Sierra One-One-Seven?

[S117] Not sure that it matters, ma'am. Cortana's been gone for months now. Unclear as to why this is important now?

[SPHR3] Risk assessment. The AI showed little regard for protocol, especially when it came to ONI's procurement policies on Forerunner material. Despite the STA report, the possibility – however remote – that she was able to communicate with you across thousands of light years supraluminally points to a massive risk, and far beyond our own capabilities. Given the fact that she was highly unstable and deep in the throes of rampancy last time you saw her, I'm sure that you can appreciate the fact that we're not taking any chances.

Collated report of stills for event #8503-490, immediately after system resucitation[sic] of CTN 0452-9's personality matrix. AI was discovered in stasis vestibule by S-117, buried in what remained of High Charity [Covenant city-ship] on the Forerunner Ark installation.

CTN 0452-9 was deposited in High Charity's distributed network on November 4, 2552. Severe damage was incurred in the days which followed, due to traumatic interaction with the Parasite compound entity known as the Gravemind.