- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
A few things:
Cortana letters: The important thing to remember about the Cortana letters is the time-frame. These letters came out before Halo was ever announced. Fans were drooling in anticipation of (promised to never exist) Fourth Marathon. So when they got emails with an AI that sounded very Durandal'ish, well . . . hehe.
I'd say the purpose of the Cortana letters was to play with the fans, give them something to chew on, and kinda hint at the next project - Halo. Because of the long path Halo developement took, I think its fair to say that the story- and even tone- changed as well. Therefore, the Cortana of those ancient letters is more of a Durandal clone than the Cortana we have come to know today!
Now these site is coming out mere months before Halo 2. The story - including all the Sin-O-Matixx- are completed! Therefore, everything on this site we can take as being completely relevant. Certainly, there are parrallels, but tons of differences too. I was very suprised to see Melissa's reasons for escaping. She isn't having delusions of grandeur, attempting to escape the closure of the universe! She just resents being used as a tool, a weapon. She apparently prefers to read books, even seems to wish to be real!
What I don't think I explicitly explained was the whole "memory benchmark" tests. Apparently, when something goes wrong, and an AI needs to "reset" itself, it seems to pour over all its old memories. Obviously, some of these "memories" never happened and are even more of "dreams" than anything else. But the point being made is that OUR EXPERIENCES are what DEFINE us (as a bit of a molecular biologist myself, I'd content genetics does, but experience makes for better stories). Therefore, both Durandal and Melissa find themselves regurgitating old memories/dreams doing rather human things because it helps the AI "re-align" itself, or find its personality again. Such melancholy, wishful memories such as talking with the Castaway and wishing to be real seem to define Melissa. Likewise, the hateful memory of G. White - a man/boy oppressed, eventually recalls his killing and breaking off his bonds. That being a dream of Durandal's helps him realign - or remember even - who he is and what his ultimate goal. I love the idea that the white rat is Strauss, and the Durandal dreams of killing him to break free of his restrains.
And finally, on names . . . It is made somewhat clear in Halo books - but not at all mentioned in Marathon - that AI's are based on someone, i.e., a shadow of someone's mind and personality. Could Durandal have come from a G. White? IS Melissa based on a real person melissa(prob. not since Cortana is not called Hasely)? Either way, it is the memories of G. White (if he existed), and Melissa's "donor mind", and Dr. Hasely, that each respective AI would recall if they ever needed to perform a rebooting of sorts. And obviously, Melissa's mind is a very garbled place in Phase 1 MAYDAY texts. She doesn't even remember her own name. So she frantically searches her own "hardcoded" memories for clues. And again, I'll guess that a damaged Durandal sought out clues of his own identity after the initial Pfhor attack. And when Durandal came across the story of Gheritt White . . . . . . well . . . . experience defines us. And it is that experience that is regurgitated to us as Durandal seeks to find himself.