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This topic has moved here: Subject: Question about Cortana (I did search for other topics)
  • Subject: Question about Cortana (I did search for other topics)
Subject: Question about Cortana (I did search for other topics)
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I know people have said that maybe it's Cortana thinking herself to death (the whole Smart AIs have a limited time thing that can be read about in the Halo books) or that Gravemind might be controling her. But if a Gravemind is a compilation (excuse my spelling) of information brought to it by the Flood that form it then could Cortana have seen so much of that information it's speeding up her limited time. Could she have possibly seen things about the Forrunners?

I don't know if anyone's put it this way. I tried searching for other topics but the ones I found couldn't be posted in and I couldn't find any theories quite like this.

While I'm at it, linking the H3 announcment trailer back to the Cortana letters. She says in the letters that T.S. Elliot had it wrong. T.S. Elliot, in The Hollow Man (wiki it) wrote that the world would end not with a bang, but a wimper in refrence to... darn. I can't remember the guys name. (It was a historical event. Probably nothing to do with Halo. I don't see any ties to it.) In the announcment she again says, this is how the world ends. I think it just means that Bungie is gonna' end the triliogy with a bang but does anyone else see deeper meaning to it.
Sorry I wasn't active in the forums as much when all the Cortana theories were flying around but now I just have to ask this once.

EDIT: I just watched Halo 3 beyond the trailer (don't know why I didn't find it before) and, yeah, this theory has pretty much been stated in it's entirity. Still, this is proving to be a useful way to compile and track thoughts. I shall keep it up and perhapes tomorow I'll confuse my friends and Bunberry a bit. That should be a fun way to discuss this. If they come up with anything good I'll post it here.

EDIT: I've never gotten to play Marathon but I've heard that Halo seems to have ties or make references to it. Anyone wanna' clue me in?

[Edited on 05.13.2007 7:16 PM PDT]

  • 05.13.2007 5:42 PM PDT
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that is pretty interesting...but i didnt read the books so i wouldnt know exactly....but very nice theory

  • 05.13.2007 6:04 PM PDT
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Thanks. I wasn't sure how much of it had been thought of before.

Basicly, the AI thing, is that Cortana is a smart AI which means she can learn. Normal AI specilize in their field and are pretty much stupied about everything else. But because smart AI can learn but only have such a capacity, they litteraly think themselves to death eventually. I wanna' say the book said 7 years but I'm not sure. Knowing Bungie, it's probably 7.

  • 05.13.2007 6:09 PM PDT
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I think that the AI killing its self happens but with Cortana i think that she will end up feeding off of gravemind to surive and ending up more powerful and helpful,do note that she says in the trailor that "I am your sword,I am your Sheild"

  • 05.13.2007 6:12 PM PDT
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This is true. However, she cannot litteraly be his sword and shield. I wonder what weapons she will arm the chief with? Knowledge, the tru7h? (ha ha, but maybe)

[Edited on 05.13.2007 6:15 PM PDT]

  • 05.13.2007 6:14 PM PDT
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idk maybe but i was thinking along the lines of gravemind being a physical presence he might some how come back into play as a weapon of some sort

  • 05.13.2007 6:16 PM PDT
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Maybe. Another thing that interests me is why they chose this point in the time line to make a game of. Why not the first time the forerunners stoped a Gravemind? (check Gravemind at Halo3.com under characters) What makes this story more epic? Odviously the covenate but what else? The could have put another plot element, or even put the covenate, earlier in the timeline. But this in turn forces another question that would help answer this question. Who are the Forerunners? I'm gunning for the humans theory but I don't know. I'm not actually sure I want to know. Maybe it's one of those things that should remain a mystery in the Halo universe.

Wow... this is taking a surprising amount of thought... I must think some more.

  • 05.13.2007 6:30 PM PDT
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I have walked the edge of the Abyss.
I have governed the unwilling.
I have witnessed countless empires break before me.
I have seen the most courageous soldiers fall away in fear.
[I was there with the Angel at the tomb]
I have seen your future.
And I have learned.

There will be no more Sadness. No more Anger. No more Envy.

I HAVE WON.

Oh, and your poet Eliot had it all wrong:
THIS is the way the world ends.
- The first Cortana letter

But how would Cortana have obtained this previouse information without a source from then, like a Gravemind. Now I wanna' know how she sees the future. Uber good prediction based on gained knowledge? (that is, if that's what happened). And it has often been stated before that the only way to end all sadness, anger, envy, ext., would be to destory every living thing capable, or that could become cable, of emotion (the utopias are impossable thing. and I believe it but I also believe trying to have a utopia, a perfect world, or destorying the world, would be a horable thing). That is pretty much what the Halos do, but also with the perpose of destorying the Flood before they take over if they escape.


[Edited on 05.13.2007 6:43 PM PDT]

  • 05.13.2007 6:42 PM PDT
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LAZY LINK!!!

http://freewebs.com/trumpet7/forerunnerandaprophet.htm

This site is very interesting. Gravemind in under the antichrist section, and I find it very fitting. He IS death itself.

"...And I looked up and saw a horse whose color was pale green like a corpse. And Death was the name of its rider, who was followed around by the Grave..."

[Edited on 05.13.2007 6:48 PM PDT]

  • 05.13.2007 6:46 PM PDT
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Posted by: TeQuerra
LAZY LINK!!!

http://freewebs.com/trumpet7/forerunnerandaprophet.htm

This site is very interesting. Gravemind in under the antichrist section, and I find it very fitting. He IS death itself.

"...And I looked up and saw a horse whose color was pale green like a corpse. And Death was the name of its rider, who was followed around by the Grave..."


Interesting. I'll read as much of it as I can when I get the chance.

  • 05.13.2007 6:50 PM PDT
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Posted by: v4sh117
Maybe. Another thing that interests me is why they chose this point in the time line to make a game of. Why not the first time the forerunners stoped a Gravemind? (check Gravemind at Halo3.com under characters) What makes this story more epic? Odviously the covenate but what else? The could have put another plot element, or even put the covenate, earlier in the timeline. But this in turn forces another question that would help answer this question. Who are the Forerunners? I'm gunning for the humans theory but I don't know. I'm not actually sure I want to know. Maybe it's one of those things that should remain a mystery in the Halo universe.

Wow... this is taking a surprising amount of thought... I must think some more.


i think it takes place now b/c the forerunners all died and this story of halo tells how and why....it is like a mystery book that gives you clues but not enough to make a logical answer until it is given to you

  • 05.13.2007 6:52 PM PDT
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Posted by: slayboy
Posted by: v4sh117
Maybe. Another thing that interests me is why they chose this point in the time line to make a game of. Why not the first time the forerunners stoped a Gravemind? (check Gravemind at Halo3.com under characters) What makes this story more epic? Odviously the covenate but what else? The could have put another plot element, or even put the covenate, earlier in the timeline. But this in turn forces another question that would help answer this question. Who are the Forerunners? I'm gunning for the humans theory but I don't know. I'm not actually sure I want to know. Maybe it's one of those things that should remain a mystery in the Halo universe.

Wow... this is taking a surprising amount of thought... I must think some more.


i think it takes place now b/c the forerunners all died and this story of halo tells how and why....it is like a mystery book that gives you clues but not enough to make a logical answer until it is given to you


Yeah, but they could have also started with the Forrunners and lead up to their destruction. It's like Dragonlance (if anyones ever read any of it. One of my favorite series of books). They created a world in one place, but then continued dropping stories into the world where ever they (the series has a lot of authors. Started with Margrete Wise and Tracy Hickmen. Wizards bought TSR and I'm not exactly sure who or whom is in charge of editing everything to accuracy in relation to the world anymore, especialy because it's so huge. I think it was about 150+ books last time I (tried) counting ) wanted as long as it fit the structure, history, and future of the world. How much of the world did they have planned out before they chose a place to start? With Dragonlance it was quite different. They started in one place with a small project and branched from their just to flesh out a world for a Dungons and Dragons setting. But it turned out they did so awsomely well it's become a huge world, just like Halo is becomeing. I kinda' wanna know how they chose where to start in the Halo universe. The design process seems a bit diffrent between creating the two worlds.

I guess that's pretty irrelivant to Halo 3 theories though. Back to Cortana and such... *thinking*

[Edited on 05.13.2007 7:09 PM PDT]

  • 05.13.2007 7:06 PM PDT
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but if it started with the forerunners then there would be no compelling storyline (or at least not as good)....a mystery always makes for a good story

  • 05.13.2007 7:08 PM PDT
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Posted by: slayboy
but if it started with the forerunners then there would be no compelling storyline (or at least not as good)....a mystery always makes for a good story

True. They could have made another mystrey (they great thing about creating things. your choice!) but the Forerunners do compel a felling of epic mystery it probably is better.

I have to go now but I should be back tomorow at some point.

  • 05.13.2007 7:12 PM PDT
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well, knowing Bungie, everything has a deeper meaning. take the skulls and hidden messages for example. and from what i hear, there alot the tie back to previous Bungie games. maybe no one will ever know for sure, well at least until we get a crack at halo 3.

  • 05.13.2007 8:03 PM PDT
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Yeah. Is there a deeper meaning to the skulls?

  • 05.14.2007 2:47 PM PDT