Cortana (Halo)

Cortana

Cortana

Race	Artificial Intelligence Construct
Faction	United Nations Space Command

Cortana is a fictional character featured in the video games Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2.

Cortana is a "smart" artificial intelligence, which grants her the ability to learn and adapt, but also leaving open the possibility of Rampancy. She was constructed from the cloned brain of Catherine Elizabeth Halsey, the creator of the SPARTAN project. Her primary mission was to assist the SPARTANs in the capture of the Covenant High Prophets, and then to negotiate either a truce or peace treaty.

Cortana has no physical form, unlike 343 Guilty Spark's avatar. However, she maintains the ability to communicate a strong female voice through available communications systems, and, if possible, project a holographic image of herself. She projects herself as a woman made of purple light, said to be a younger version of Dr. Halsey. Later her appearance changes to a similar figure with longer hair.

Originally, the core of Cortana was contained in a disk, which could be inserted into most systems; later upgrades, however, provided her with the ability to enter any system by merely touching it. Cortana was designed to infiltrate any security system, and once she is physically inside, there is little that can stop her from taking absolute control.

Aside from that, she is very proficient in the coordination and use of UNSC and later Covenant military hardware. Because the UNSC's primary use of artificial intelligence is to oversee the targeting of point-defense weaponry used in space battles, Cortana can operate ships and space stations by herself. But, for Cortana at least, this is only a secondary function.

The potential SPARTAN IIs that did not make it through the last operation on their skeletal system were supposedly turned into a smart A.I., as explained in the Haunted Apiary audio drama (also known as "I Love Bees".) Cortana was made to share the SPARTANS' MJOLNIR suits, and ends up having to share the MJOLNER suit with the Master Chief during the attack on the Pillar of Autumn, guiding him through his various mission tasks on Halo. Master Chief's reaction time is greatly increased by this, as Cortana resides in the space between his mind and his suit.

Cortana's loyalty

Cortana has a smart, witty personality, and a good sense of humor. She has hardwired loyalty to humanity and the UNSC, but seems to be genuinely loyal in any case. The loyalty to the human race could also result from the fact that "smart A.I." are "ghost" images of former human selves (as she is partially a ghost to her creator, Dr Halsey).

However even though she seems to have this loyalty built into her system, she has been behaving differently after her period of time in Halo's control room. The behavior has been discreet but it is shown directly after her contact with control room, as she calls the Master chief a barbarian for asking about Halo's function, and acting distraught in a very human way (she panics after she realizes that the flood will be released).

However, while many speculate that the cliffhanger ending in Halo 2 in which Cortana converses with the Gravemind will lead to her ultimate betrayal of mankind, it should be noted that her code prevents her from bringing about any harm to humankind. The small cutscene just following the conclusion of the game may in fact be demonstrating Cortana's cleverness in an obviously sticky situation. Logic has it that neither the Gravemind or Cortana would want the rings detonated.

Trivia

• Cortana is voiced by actress Jen Taylor in both Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2.
• Cortana is named after Curtana, Edward the Confessor's legendary Sword of Mercy, the tip of which was, according to the legend, broken off by an angel to prevent a wrongful killing. This follows Bungie's trend of naming A.I.s after legendary/mythological swords, particularly in the Marathon series.
• The sword Cortana (and another legendary sword, Durandal), are both mentioned in Poul Anderson's 1950s era fantasy novel Three Hearts and Three Lions.
• A small sect of fanfics deal with a romantic relationship between Cortana and Master Chief.

Quotations

• "If I still had fingers, they'd be crossed..." (during escape pod descent to Halo in the first game)
• "Unfortunately for us both... I like crazy." (during final cutscene of level 1 of Halo 2)
• "I have the Index, you can float and sputter!" (to 343 Guilty Spark)
• "This ring isn't a cudgel, you barbarian!"
• "Oh, I'm sorry. Were you trying to kill something?"
• "Thanks for the tank, he never gets me anything." (when Johnson arrives with a tank for Master Chief to use in Halo 2)
• "If I were a megalomaniac, and I'm not, that's where I'd be."
• (after Master Chief and other Marines hard-drop onto Delta Halo) "Could we possibly make any more noise?" (Master Chief picks up rocket launcher) "I guess so..."
• (After Master Chief crashes a banshee into the side of the Pillar of Autumn in Halo 1) "You did that on purpose."
• (After final Halo 2 level)"Don't make a girl a promise...that you know you can't keep."[To Master Chief, who said that he would return for Cortana after taking care of Truth.]