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I made her. She's one of mine.

[Another deep breath.]

She's what's called a "smart" AI, of course.

[He nods, that makes sense. He's pretty sure Cortana told him similar but he can't remember.]

Of course, she can do anything, right? Not programmed for one specific task.

[Forgive her for what she's about to say.]

Do you know how they're created?

[He tilts his head, thinking.]

Not really, no. I've never asked.

Good.

[She'll leave it at that.]

Catherine.

[No, don't leave it like that. Spill.]

I broke several major laws to create Cortana, from what I'm told. I cloned myself.

[A pause.] Or I will, at least.

[Wait wait, how would that...

Well no, wait brains. They were like, the only thing to be used for that, right? If so then...]

You...[He's not sure how to take this. He's tired from earlier and just can't comprehend it.] Why?

Narcissism, perhaps? I'm not entirely certain. It won't happen for another several years.

[A shrug.]

Perhaps the situation made it necessary.

[He can imagine a situation needing it, in fact he's going to just assume that and hope it's the right thing. That a situation would require an AI based on her. Yes.]

I can believe that. [He's back to resting his cheek on her head.] You know how old she is then?

She is approaching rampancy.

[She thinks on this for a few moments.] If she isn't there already.

I know she is.

[He doesn't know much about AI's but he does know that.] Rampant AI's can still be helpful, especially if they care.

She seems stable enough, and she saved John's life, even in that state.

[She pulls back slightly to look up at him.] I'm glad we can trust her.

[He shifts so he can look down at her, nodding.]

I am as well, otherwise things would be far more difficult. [...Okay he can't help himself.] At least she's not flirting with your Spartan.

[Were Halsey from later on in her life, from after Cortana's creation, she would have said something about the AI's preference of him. But she won't.]

They care for each other a great deal. They have a partnership.

[He could say something about her preference of himself too, Catherine's. If he were older that is, considering what she does.]

They do. Which is now being done in human bodies. [This is his way of asking if them being attracted to one another is possible. She's the AI expert.]

[That takes her by surprise, making her chuckle slightly.]

Sometimes I wonder if AI aren't just as human as we are. [That's a yes.] She feels anger toward me, regret, I think, as well. She is willful and strong of heart. I can see why they would make a wonderful team.

[Look, it's like them. Looking at himself and Catherine, he wouldn't be surprised if this could be a thing. He and Cortana feel a lot of things, where she and John don't.

So he just grins.]

It wouldn't surprise me, before arriving here I met one, she took me by surprise sometimes. [Okay good, he wasn't just imagining things.] I can as well, and I can see why she would feel those things. In a way I'd like to see them in action, just to see what they can do.

I feel the same way. I can't believe I created something so incredible. Each AI is different, with a different personality and a different set of wants and needs. I can only imagine how they worked together, both of them willful and quick on their feet.

[She's... drifting off into her own world, suddenly. This is a nice, safe topic.]

[It is, and it is also a nice topic to casually slide in something he can't help but commenting on.]

I imagine a lot like us when we were younger.

We were quite the team.

[That lump in her throat is starting to recede, and she looks somewhat content, now. Settled, at least.]

We were. Even if the entire thing was odd at the time.

[His eyes are itchy, his nose is stuffy but he's smiling a little. This is easier, safer to discuss.]

[She reaches up to touch his face.]

I have no regrets.

[About getting him involved, getting him promoted, losing him for a handful of years... Coming back to him, letting herself fall for him. Even Miranda, while a mistake, isn't a regret, not truly.]

[He closes his eyes at the touch, leaning into it and finally moving his other hand down and wrapping that arm around her too.]

I don't either.

[And he opens his eyes and is being honest about it. Having her here is just reminding him why he fell for in the first place. Miranda's not a regret, them getting involved...anything involving her isn't. Just what he's done without her.]

[And she'll try to figure out a way to save them all. If she ever goes back, she has to save them all. Miranda, Jacob, her Spartans, all of them. They can't just die. She needs to accept it, but when she sees Jacob like this, she simply can't.

There's a long silence on her part, and if he doesn't say anything else, she'll take a deep breath and continue.]

We've already discussed the SPARTAN-II project. I don't know if you want to know more than what you already do.

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