Cortana (lots of spoilers, be careful)

[volkov]

so, I've wondered for a long time about the final lines in halo 3 "wake me, when you need me". I'm wondering if this is either a) the almost stereotypical legendary hero who will reappear miraculously to fight in times of crisis blah blah blah (aside from the fact he's lost in space) or b. is he asking cortana to wake him before she dies? or "wake me, when YOU need me"

Basically my question is this, there have been a lot of AIs in the halo universe and it's generally understood that human AI's live.. what is it? 9 years? something like that, before they "think themselves to death". On the other hand, Cortana has been exposed to a huge amount of forerunner tech, and its pretty obvious that forerunner AI can live for 100,000 as seen from the terminals in Halo 3. I havn't read the novels (I hate reading books, even good ones) but I love wasting time reading the sumaries of them.. in fact I've done it enough that I probably should just read the books, but regardless, anyone informed enough about the halo universe to answer this?

 

[rvb18]

i think he ment when she gets lonely or something like that or when the unsc finds them

 

[RedTogusa]

Maybe your looking into it too much. Maybe he's just saying, "wake me if/when theres trouble or if/when something comes up. ie: contact with an alien planet or contact from the UNSC.
I doubt Cortana would get lonely so as to need the chief's company 1) because she isn't human and 2) because she is an AI she would have vast memory banks with tons of info to keep her amused and 3) she'd probably be spending most of her time trying to find a way home or a way to contact someone as she did in 'First Strike' when figuring out a way to get back to Earth from Halo.

As it is she's going to have plenty to occupy her as they are headed to a forerunner planet.........or so it would seem.

 

[AgentBootyPants]

It's hinted at quite a bit that the Master Chief and Cortana's relationship has evolved much farther than the standard Human/AI interactions. Notice the reluctance of Master Chief leaving Cortana behind at the end of Halo 2. This is for two reasons - 1, she's a vital source of intelligence, and the ONLY Human AI that has the knowledge of the Forerunners and Halos in her memory banks, and 2, Cortana is a Smart AI based off of Dr. Halsey. She's capable of logical thought, emotions, longings, etc. According to the books, she 'chose' MC as the Spartan she would accompany, and has since developed a bond with him(referenced when MC rescues her in the Cortana level, and she says, "It's good to be back" or something similar).

According to story-line and time-line, Cortana's been alive for a few years and is very well near the end of her Smart AI life-cycle. The lines: Cortana, "I'll miss you" and MC's reply, "Wake me. When you need me." are evidence enough that they both know Cortana may very well think herself to death before they're ever found/rescued. He's telling her to wake him up if that time comes, so he can be with her in her last moments. Note he says, "When you need me", not "When I'm needed."

You guys are assuming that MC doesn't give a damn about Cortana as a sentient being, but there's plenty of references in the game to a deeper friendship, even a form of love between the two.

*edited a spelling error

 

[Chief]

Wow this is an interesting question to talk about, volkov!

Depending on the book "The fall of Reach" Cortanas life time would be limited to 7 years till she thinks herself to death. But the question is: Does Master Chief knows that? Or maybe: Does Cortana knows that? The reference to that was just the thinking of Dr. Halsey, but there is no reference, that Cortana knows that she will "die" after 7 years of operation and also there is no reference that someone said to Chief "Hey this is your personal AI, she dies after 7 years so don't get close friends!"


So my point of view to some of the facts mentioned here:

Wake Chief if she felt lonely or so.
- I don't think Cortana would ever do that in such a situation and if there is no case of emergency. She likes the Chief as much as he likes her and I think both would like to spend a little bit time together without a battle situation. But Cortana knows that the Life Support Systems in the armor can't keep him alive long time. (The Mark VI delivers Air Supply for 90 Minutes as far as I know.) So if Chief would not be in Kryostasis he would not have much time. So Cortana would never risk his life for a bit Smalltalk.


The fact that Cortana could die.
- I don't really know how she would decide in this case and I don't know if she or Chief or maybe both know about this. Maybe she could find a way herself how she could slow herself down and develops something against it. If not I don't really know if she would wake the Chief if it would happen. Maybe just leave a message to him. If she would wake him up she risk maybe his life because of the limited Air Supply of his armor. And if he would go back to Stasis after Cortana died noone could wake him again (except there is something like auto-wakeup if ship sensors find dangerous things or enemies). So the chances that someone friendly could find him would be good if he stays in stasis. (Hope I could express that understandable with my broken english *g*) - But if Chief knows this he would never let her die alone so yeah... difficult point.


In case of emergency or if UNSC found them.
- I personally think this is what Chief meant with this sentence. If there is an attack or Cortana would need a physical body to solve big big problems (i.e. defects on energy supply or so, what would also affect the Stasis Chamber maybe) she could wake him up that he could deal with the problem. Or if they were found that he is prepared for a landing / transfer / whatever.




These are my thoughts for the different things. But well lets hope Cortana will not end with a Blue Screen of Death after the 7 years. Maybe she should learn herself a bit of meditation or so. *gg*

because she is an AI she would have vast memory banks with tons of info to keep her amused

How many MP3s could she save?

 

[volkov]

All good points! But I was wondering, how old exactly IS Cortana? and do any other AI's die of old age in the halo series? I wonder if the 7 year thing wasn't neccesarily cannon since the forerunner AI's you encounter are 100,000 at least... Bleh, of course Bungie wouldn't end the story without many questions to still be asked... Another one that bothers me is arn't there at least five more rings with flood on them (assuming all the flood left 05 in High Charity or were obliterated by the elite blockade). Not to mention other forerunner research facilities such as the one the heretic is in in Halo 2. Seems like the story is far from concluded since "One single flood spore can destroy a species". Unless we are meant to assume that the elites went around glassing everything forerunner immediately following the destruction of the replacement ring.

 

[Chief]

But I was wondering, how old exactly IS Cortana? and do any other AI's die of old age in the halo series?

Cortana was first mentioned in the Book in year 2552 (August 25th). There was told that only the AIs with dynamical memory matrix (in case of Cortana replicated from a cloned brain of Dr. Halsey) would die due to the "overthinking". "Standard" AIs would not but they aren't as intelligent as Cortana. Halo 3 ending is year 2553 in March when I'm not wrong now. So Cortana would be about 1 year if she hadn't exist before the first mention. If we say max. 2 years there would be some time left till she'd die after 7 years.

 

[GruntOfAction]

Cortana was first mentioned in the Book in year 2552 (August 25th). There was told that only the AIs with dynamical memory matrix (in case of Cortana replicated from a cloned brain of Dr. Halsey) would die due to the "overthinking". "Standard" AIs would not but they aren't as intelligent as Cortana. Halo 3 ending is year 2553 in March when I'm not wrong now. So Cortana would be about 1 year if she hadn't exist before the first mention. If we say max. 2 years there would be some time left till she'd die after 7 years.

Your wrong about the year stuff though..I checked the book..she's been around alot longer than one year...
Like 5 years or so..

 

[Chief]

Your wrong about the year stuff though..I checked the book..she's been around alot longer than one year...
Like 5 years or so..

Oh yes sorry, you're right, my fault.

Was looking just on the first mentioned date in "Fall of Reach" that was 2552 but I didn't see an exact creation date there (in the German Version?). 2552 was when she picked Master Chief as her "favorite Spartan" and Pillar of Autumn as good Battle Ship and so. Depend on this source it says "Began Service before 2550" so guess you're right with about 5 years.


Sorry for my twisted numbers.

 

[RedTogusa]

Wake Chief if she felt lonely or so.
- I don't think Cortana would ever do that in such a situation and if there is no case of emergency. She likes the Chief as much as he likes her and I think both would like to spend a little bit time together without a battle situation. But Cortana knows that the Life Support Systems in the armor can't keep him alive long time. (The Mark VI delivers Air Supply for 90 Minutes as far as I know.) So if Chief would not be in Kryostasis he would not have much time. So Cortana would never risk his life for a bit Smalltalk.

I agree. I doubt she would wake up Chief for a chin wag because she was lonely or about to die. They have a relationship/connection sure enough but both Cortan and the chief realise that duty comes before friendship. They wouldnt waste valueble resources just so Chief could say goodbye.

Example of duty before relationship:
The Chief leaves Cortana on High Charity with gravemind in Halo 2 right.
In Halo 3 he initially makes no effort to go get her back. When Johnson asks "Where is she Chief?" he only say's words to the effect of "She got left behind."
It is only by coinsidence that Gravemind pilots High Charity to Earth, with cortana in tow. It is only then that the Chief decides to go get her. Up until then his goal was to protect Earth as well as establish what the Ark was.

 

[abandonship]

I think that he meant it in the way that if they were gonna collide/land with/on something then she should wake him.

There is a deeper story here, but i doubt it will be revealed through an extension of the story arc. Maybe in an alternate storyline in some other game. But personally, I think bungie is tired of halo. Im not sure they will make another halo game. So in that case, we may never find out what he means.

 

[DarthMonkey]

In Halo: First Strike Cortana frequently thinks to her self how many years of her life she has used up by carrying the data from the first halo. She thinks that it is 2-3 years. Halopedia says she was created befor 2550. Master chief goes to sleep in 2553. 7(normal life)-3(already used up)-3(halo data)=1 Cortana should have 1 or 2 years left to live... why does she have to die???

 

[BloodyShadow13]

at no point in the books does it say that cortana has a lifespan of ~7 years...
it says that "smart" ai's have an operational lifespan of ~7 years. we also have to take into account the quantum time paradox caused bye the alien crystal found under the base on reach. ONI appears to have gone all out on the spartans so far, so why not on the ai?upgrades?

 

[Garland]

It is possible that Cortana learned from Forerunner tech how an AI could survive without thinking itself to death. Providing it doesn't go rampant, something the Forerunners couldn't stop, either. Wouldn't it be possible for Cortana to delete unnecessary enemies, or maybe she could go into standby? Like an AI equivalent of deep sleep or stasis, so she doesn't think at all? That could prolong her life.

I think the "Wake me when you need me" refers to when they are found or are about to land/collide on something.

 

[Janissary782]

No. She dies in seven years. There's no secret formula in the forerunner tech to save her. She is a HUMAN ai not a forerunner ai. She is governed by her humanspecifications not forerunner speciications. She died. Deal with it. As to the meaning of hte line, I would prefer to believe she would only wake him if they were close to rescue, etc.

 

[silvercookie]

fyi it is 7 years before the internaly combust

 

[RedTogusa]

No. She dies in seven years. There's no secret formula in the forerunner tech to save her. She is a HUMAN ai not a forerunner ai. She is governed by her humanspecifications not forerunner speciications. She died. Deal with it. As to the meaning of hte line, I would prefer to believe she would only wake him if they were close to rescue, etc.

Blunty put but I agree with the above.
I really don't think there is any hidden meanings to what the Chief say's, it should just be taken on face-value.

 

[Panton6]

when Chief said wake me when you need me i kinda smiled a bit and thought to myself that was pretty badass.

 

[rowan]

No. She dies in seven years. There's no secret formula in the forerunner tech to save her. She is a HUMAN ai not a forerunner ai. She is governed by her humanspecifications not forerunner speciications. She died. Deal with it. As to the meaning of hte line, I would prefer to believe she would only wake him if they were close to rescue, etc.

"Died" she isn't dead yet Janissary the Lord
and how do you know she didn't find a way to extend her life? Are you Joe Staten? did you write halo? none of us know what happens to her. Unless Bungie decides to make another halo game or write a book about what happens next, i don't think we will ever find out....
personally i like to think that the MC and Cortana have a special bond, If they find something or get rescued he would wake her up. Or if she is about to die, she would want to spend her last moments with the chief. I don't mind if she dies after her operational life span of 7 years, all good things must come to an end.... But if Bungie wants to continue the story I've got no problem with that

(and Janissary the Lord, please check your spelling)

 

[luketrocity]

at no point in the books does it say that cortana has a lifespan of ~7 years...
it says that "smart" ai's have an operational lifespan of ~7 years. we also have to take into account the quantum time paradox caused bye the alien crystal found under the base on reach. ONI appears to have gone all out on the spartans so far, so why not on the ai?upgrades?

No actually. It directly says that Cortana would meet the fate of other smart AI's.

However, her freedom comes at a price. As a "smart" AI, she has an unextendable life-span of approximately 7 years, at which time she will become too smart, suffering from an exponential attenuation of function; she will think so much she will forget to breathe.

THIS IS SIMILAR TO RAMPANCY. Another problem with smart AI's. Quite frankly unless you have read every book, you can't really see the big picture. And Eric Nylund> Joe staten

Anywho, trust me your looking way to much into this statement.