[open] I'll edit this to something clever later

[steelandtemper]

Who| Cortana and whoever
What| Cortana is wandering around the computer systems doing Important AI Stuff (ie, being kind of a creeper)
Where| Various locations on Legion World
When| Not super-relevant
Warnings/Notes| Probably nothing, will edit if that changes

As much as she'd deny she's been behaving like a cat whose owner has just returned from a long trip...Cortana has been behaving like a cat whose owner has just returned from a long trip. Of course, the Master Chief hasn't exactly tried to peel her off, either, but even he has to sleep occasionally. (The rumors that Spartans sleep in their armor standing up with their eyes open are almost entirely unfounded.)

Humans are, it turns out, pretty boring when they're asleep. Legion World is a safe zone, so instead of keeping her usual unblinking watch, Cortana tasks a process to alert her if the Chief wakes up. She'll be back before his eyes finish opening. Meanwhile, she sets off through the vast station's equally vast computer systems, getting the lay of this strange new 31st century land. Occasionally her course takes her to a peripheral node, a boundary where the digital can interface with the slow, analog expanse of the flesh-and-blood world, and she takes a peek out.

Occasionally, she finds something interesting.

NOTE: Cortana's an AI and has no body, so any logs will have to be in a place where she can manifest a hologram or at least use a speaker. If you'd like me to write a starter for you, I'm happy to do so. Drop me a PM or a PP and we can come up with a scenario.

Comments

[mylawn]

Generally speaking, 76 is not a good person to surprise. He's vaguely aware of the fact that Legion World is probably monitored and acts accordingly, but he doesn't quit expect something like this when he's just trying to have an afternoon at the gun range. Cortana is lucky he's mid-round when she chooses to show herself, otherwise there might be some pulse fire burns in the wall. Or the ceiling. Or her hologram emitter.

He manages to stay composed, but he flinches when she appears, clearly a little taken aback and not sure whether or not she's a threat.

"How long have you been watching?"

Not that he was doing anything particularly interesting, but being a slightly paranoid individual, that's the first thing that comes to mind.

[steelandtemper]

Eh, her chip is currently nestled snugly in the Master Chief's helmet. The worst damage 76 could do with an accidental trigger pull wouldn't affect her.

Cortana considers whether to lie, but the context of her opening question would make that too easy to spot, so she settles for the vague sort of time scale that humans seem to unquestioningly accept.

"A few minutes."

[mylawn]

Even a few minutes is too much for someone like 76, but he does his very best not to let that show. The mask helps, but when he speaks it's coolly, a clear indication that he doesn't appreciate being watched, no matter who or what is doing the watching.

"Anyone ever tell you that's rude?"

He turns away, making an attempt to appear casual as he hefts his rifle onto a table, starting to disassemble it, presumably for cleaning. The motion is rote, rehearsed. It gives the impression he can do this with his eyes closed.

[steelandtemper]

"No."

Most people where she's from are resigned to the fact that there's a good chance an AI is going to be spying on them. Comes of being in the military. Not that she would have cared if anyone had pointed it out, mind you. You cannot shame the shameless, Mr. Morrison.

[mylawn]

“Well, it is.”

He tries to focus on the fact that she sounds like a slightly more animate Athena—tell himself this isn’t really anything he hasn’t dealt with before. Play it cool and don’t let them see you sweat. Perhaps she doesn’t mean any harm, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t a potential threat.

“You gonna introduce yourself?”

[steelandtemper]

"Was that a request?" she asks sweetly. Cortana's usual desire to troll the gruff ones is in perfect working order today. "I am UNSC AI CTN 0452-9. You can call me Cortana."

She refrains from mentioning she's already figured out who he is from a stroll through the Legion database. There's teasing, and then there's triggering someone's paranoia, and only one of those is any fun when you're on the same side.

[mylawn]

"I'm trying to be nice," he says dryly, snapping a component of his rifle back in place after a cursory inspection. He certainly could have demanded her designation, and his tone of voice indicates that she's getting lucky because he's gracing her with temporary agreeableness.

"UNSC, huh?"

He's pretty sure he's heard that somewhere before.

[steelandtemper]

Dry humor, Cortana likes. It reminds her of some of her favorite people, and she smiles unrepentantly in response.

"United Nations Space Command." Pause. "The armor guys."

Granted, she doesn't think the Freelancers really count, but their armor looks like Mjolnir, and that's close enough for an outsider. She's fine with providing detailed exposition, but some people just don't like it, weirdly. No accounting for taste.

[mylawn]

"Bunch of them here, aren't there."

It's difficult to discern how he feels about that, but it certainly isn't excited. Master Chief aside, 76 doesn't exactly have the greatest amount of faith in the rest of them.

"So what does that make you?"

He can make a few guesses, but hearing straight from Cortana how she fits into all this would be interesting to hear.

[steelandtemper]

"You know the Master Chief? He's my ride." She is extremely happy with this arrangement, and it shows. Her human is the best human. Sorry the rest of you are competing for second place.

If you ask the Navy, the way it works is that she's his support AI, but Cortana's not responsible for people's strange misunderstandings.

[mylawn]

He nods, offering her something of an affirmative noise from the back of his throat. The phrasing she uses makes him think that he can put all the pieces together from here, but as long as they’re having a conversation, he might as well ask.

“His armor?"

That’s his assumption, but he supposes there is the tiniest possibility that she’s a physical person hanging out somewhere and projecting this hologram to screw with him. He thinks he could stand to have this cleared up the rest of the way.