Beginnings of the Artificial Intelligence Cortana

“I'm offering people a chance to be more than they are naturally.”
— Cortana

Cortana, UNSC Artificial intelligence (SN: CTN 0452-9), is a smart artificial intelligence construct. She was one of the most important figures in the Human-Covenant war, and was also John-117's partner in various combat missions as well as serving as the AI for the Halcyon-class light cruiser - UNSC Pillar of Autumn, Orbital Defense Platform - Cairo Station and Charon-class light frigate - UNSC Forward Unto Dawn.

In addition, she held vital data pertaining to the Halos, including the Activation Index from Installation 04.

Creation and Early Life

Cortana was created using a flash cloned copy of Dr. Catherine Halsey's brain. Twenty flash cloned brains were created, but only two survived; one of the two survivors was used to create Cortana. The neural pathways of the cloned brain were scanned and copied through a process called Cognitive Impression Modeling. On November 7, 2549, Cortana was first activated on Reach. Her first words were "Quando il gioco è finito, il re e il pedone vanno nella stessa scatola." This phrase translates to "When the game is over, the king and the pawn go in the same box." The phrase was spoken by Halsey's mother after their first game of chess.[1] She was one of at least two AIs that were created from Dr. Halsey's brain, the other being her predecessor, Kalmiya, who was a similarly-smart AI.



On February 11, 2550, Dr. Halsey was performing a series of tests when she discovered that Cortana had removed the viral termination code that she had implemented. Halsey could not figure out how she had done this.

Meeting John-117

“They let me pick. Did I ever tell you that? Choose whichever Spartan I wanted. You know me. I did my research. Watched as you became the soldier we needed you to be. Like the others, you were strong and swift and brave. A natural leader. But you had something they didn't. Something no one saw, but me. Can you guess...? Luck.”
— Cortana

Cortana first met John-117 prior to the Fall of Reach, when she was integrated into his new MJOLNIR Mark V armor. Together, Cortana and John passed a test that was devised (Dr. Halsey would have called it "sabotaged") by Colonel James Ackerson. The test included armed ODSTs, anti-tank mines, automatic turrets in the razor field, and even a AV-19 SkyHawk for an air strike. After the test, Cortana was installed into the Pillar of Autumn to run the ship's shakedown and oversee the refit of the ship. Afterward, it was planned that she would be replaced with the Pillar of Autumn's true AI, but she was forced to take up this duty herself, indefinitely. While aboard, she took her revenge on Colonel Ackerson by hacking into his system and blackmailing him, hoping that this would send him back to the front lines. She also developed a deep, personal loyalty to John-117 that would only grow stronger over their adventures together.

Cortana's primary mission was to aid the SPARTANs in the infiltration of a Covenant vessel and the capturing of a Covenant Prophet. The UNSC would then try to bargain with the Covenant for a peace treaty.