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Subject: Theory in regard to Cortana and rampancy; New edit.

I <3 Combat Evolved

It is well known to even the lesser knowing Halo Lore followers that A.I.'s are forced in rampancy after roughly 7 years. Halo Legends did indeed reference Cortana slipping into this state, and we all visually witnessed her struggle when she was forced to deal with the gravemine.

We were all taken aback when we saw her again in the Halo 4 teaser trailer (some were just shocked by here looks!). I was wondering though- how, in regards to the much fluxing cannon, is she stable? Is it possible that Cortana is using the memory or computers onboard the ship to continue her existence? If that is the case, would she not be spell bound to the ship, in contrast to what we saw (Chief taking her away, without any signs [or time] to protest).

Finally, this makes me think that we may be dealing with one crazed and rampant Cortana, along with a new, albeit dangerous, threat. Thoughts?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~

New facts: Possible foreshadowing?

In Halo CE, Cortana once remarked to John that his layout was (no pun intended) remarkably like the Pillar of Autumn, to which John told her not to get any ideas. Now, if possible, couldn't she then take control or use John as extra space, or full out control? I know gameplay wise it wouldn't be any different, i.e. still hitting buttons and joysticks, but it would be interesting.
[Idea spurred on by ArBit3R 818]

[Edited on 07.13.2011 3:38 PM PDT]

  • 07.07.2011 3:29 PM PDT
Subject: Theory in regard to Cortana and rampancy.
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Posted by: DecepticonCobra

We are all going to get banned aren't we?

If an AI can keep itself busy or is truly committed to a cause it can postpone rampancy.

It was foreshadow a little in evolutions that cortana s drive to keep john alive would help her when see nears true rampancy.

  • 07.07.2011 3:32 PM PDT

I wasn't shocked at all to see Cortana. (Oh, and it's only the Smart AIs of that generation which go into that, least in post-halo 3 rps/settings I view AI's as getting longer lifespans.)

I'm one of the few who believe the theory that she is metastable, or in the process of doing so. She had contact to the systems of Alpha Halo 2 and the ark, both housing Bias. If not, I believe she could use the vast forerunner data she's found (which she was sorting through in origins, that'd be a likely explanation of the flickers) to stabilize or increase her 'lifespan'.

Even then, I point to the smart AI of the rubble, who was active beyond the 7 year point and was perfectly fine.

[Edited on 07.07.2011 3:36 PM PDT]

  • 07.07.2011 3:35 PM PDT

I <3 Combat Evolved

Did it not take Bias near 10,000 or so years to reach that state, and he far exceeded the intelligence level or capability of Cortana?

  • 07.07.2011 3:36 PM PDT
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Posted by: DecepticonCobra

We are all going to get banned aren't we?


Posted by: rr2157
Did it not take Bias near 10,000 or so years to reach that state, and he far exceeded the intelligence level or capability of Cortana?


To be completely fair Bias' never really went rampant he chose to side with the flood.

It took roughly 100,000 years for him to see he was wrong.

  • 07.07.2011 3:40 PM PDT


Posted by: grey101

Posted by: rr2157
Did it not take Bias near 10,000 or so years to reach that state, and he far exceeded the intelligence level or capability of Cortana?


To be completely fair Bias' never really went rampant he chose to side with the flood.

It took roughly 100,000 years for him to see he was wrong.


One of my questions is, does contact with the gravemind speed the process up?

Cause Cortana was forced into rampancy by gravemind and recovered.

  • 07.07.2011 3:43 PM PDT

I <3 Combat Evolved


Posted by: Cmdr DaeFaron

Posted by: grey101

Posted by: rr2157
Did it not take Bias near 10,000 or so years to reach that state, and he far exceeded the intelligence level or capability of Cortana?


To be completely fair Bias' never really went rampant he chose to side with the flood.

It took roughly 100,000 years for him to see he was wrong.


One of my questions is, does contact with the gravemind speed the process up?

Cause Cortana was forced into rampancy by gravemind and recovered.


I would think so: The knowledge he would posses is outstanding, and would be sure to scramble her up internally.

  • 07.07.2011 3:47 PM PDT
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Posted by: DecepticonCobra

We are all going to get banned aren't we?


Posted by: Cmdr DaeFaron

Posted by: grey101

Posted by: rr2157
Did it not take Bias near 10,000 or so years to reach that state, and he far exceeded the intelligence level or capability of Cortana?


To be completely fair Bias' never really went rampant he chose to side with the flood.

It took roughly 100,000 years for him to see he was wrong.


One of my questions is, does contact with the gravemind speed the process up?

Cause Cortana was forced into rampancy by gravemind and recovered.


Ofcourse i know you read evolutions he was mindfu****** Her the entire time

  • 07.07.2011 3:53 PM PDT

"Find where the liar hides, so that I may place my boot between his gums!" - Rtas 'Vadum

Why are people assuming that Halo 4 takes place long after Origins? The Smart-AI lifespan is an average, like any lifespan. Although given that, Cortana still does not have a lot of time left. Rampancy is a consequence of a fatal process.

Unless Cortana is the first AI to use Halseys slipspace matrix, which I think there is a very good chance that she is.

  • 07.07.2011 4:01 PM PDT


Posted by: grey101

Posted by: rr2157
Did it not take Bias near 10,000 or so years to reach that state, and he far exceeded the intelligence level or capability of Cortana?


To be completely fair Bias' never really went rampant he chose to side with the flood.

It took roughly 100,000 years for him to see he was wrong.


And even if he was Rampant we don't know exactly when he came out of it. We only know when he vocally announced his return to the side of his masters and his full repentance. He could have become Meta-stable at any point in those 10,000 years.

  • 07.07.2011 4:11 PM PDT

I <3 Combat Evolved


Posted by: anton1792
Why are people assuming that Halo 4 takes place long after Origins? The Smart-AI lifespan is an average, like any lifespan. Although given that, Cortana still does not have a lot of time left. Rampancy is a consequence of a fatal process.

Unless Cortana is the first AI to use Halseys slipspace matrix, which I think there is a very good chance that she is.


The smart-ai lifespan is an average of 7 years. I'm not saying a lot of time has passed within Halo 3 and Halo 4. However, I'm saying she is reaching the borderline for rampancy.

  • 07.07.2011 7:40 PM PDT

A hero need not speak. When he is gone, the world will speak for him.

[/quote]
The smart-ai lifespan is an average of 7 years. I'm not saying a lot of time has passed within Halo 3 and Halo 4. However, I'm saying she is reaching the borderline for rampancy. [/quote]

What if being in contact with Gravemind unlocked a new understanding of intelligence and life that she now has a concept of and uses it to continue "living" like an actual being? Or perhaps she absorbed the knowledge of how an AI could live for that long by connecting with Forerunner knowledge through Gravemind. Also to back this up, those scenes in Halo Legends could have just been symptoms of post traumatic stress that she would have newly learned how to feel due to being in contact with the knowledge of true emotions.

  • 07.07.2011 11:43 PM PDT

I agree with some people here, maybe the Forerunner data that she's collected extended her lifespan, or maybe there's a way for an AI to be "dormant," like Chief was in cryo.

  • 07.08.2011 5:30 AM PDT

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Don't rule out the possibility of ascending from rampancy.

Mendicant Bias and Cortana may have done so.

  • 07.08.2011 5:52 AM PDT

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Posted by: Cmdr DaeFaron
Even then, I point to the smart AI of the rubble, who was active beyond the 7 year point and was perfectly fine.

I wouldn't say perfectly fine. Remember she considered herself the "goddess" of Rubble. She was a bit insane, but still was able to hold on for the most part because of her dedication to Rubble. I think cortana might end up the same. Start to fray a bit on the edges, but not go completely crazy.

  • 07.08.2011 8:50 AM PDT

I <3 Combat Evolved

Does anyone think we'll have to deal with this situation in Halo 4?

  • 07.08.2011 9:13 AM PDT
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.

Cortana was on the edge of rampancy after Halo 1 after learning all the knowledge she learned in the control room of 04. They wiped her memory to a stable condition.

Rampancy is caused by time and memory over usage. Like a hard-drive running low or space. She may have deleted most of her data during the time she was stranded with John.

  • 07.08.2011 11:19 AM PDT

Adepto In Meus Campester
Posted by: ParagonRenegade
You were totally and absolutely correct in every way, I don't know why we were arguing, you're so amazing I should never have doubted you.

Lol, Halo Legends.

Anyways, didn't her ordeal with the Gravemind push her into a sort of meta-stability? She was so close to being completely destroyed by him that her recovery was practically the equivalent of being reborn. At least, it sounds plausible.

@caneut: Cortana didn't delete the Installation 4 data, but she had time to compress and sort through it during First Strike when they were onboard Ascendant Justice.

[Edited on 07.08.2011 1:08 PM PDT]

  • 07.08.2011 1:04 PM PDT

wort wort wort

According to Halo: the Flood. All the Installation 4 data may have halved her life span to 3.5 years. Even then shes only a couple months old by the end of Halo 3, so shes got awhile left(keep in mind, however, how much time took place between H3 and H4 is still a mistery so the answers may still vary.)

  • 07.08.2011 1:36 PM PDT

I could be wrong but i read somewhere, it may have been the halo wiki so could be wrong, but it says cortona and medicate were the only two ais' to survive ramapancy, so could it be that she already went through it with the gravemind and survived. just a thougt not sure if it was true or not.

  • 07.08.2011 1:41 PM PDT
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Well, first off, everyone needs to understand that when an AI goes rampant they don't just "die".

  • 07.08.2011 1:54 PM PDT

yes i understand that, bias just turned on the forerunners, i hope cortana doesnt become and enemy at some point. i highly doubt that though.

  • 07.08.2011 1:59 PM PDT


Posted by: Undead Legends
[/quote]
The smart-ai lifespan is an average of 7 years. I'm not saying a lot of time has passed within Halo 3 and Halo 4. However, I'm saying she is reaching the borderline for rampancy. [/quote]

What if being in contact with Gravemind unlocked a new understanding of intelligence and life that she now has a concept of and uses it to continue "living" like an actual being? Or perhaps she absorbed the knowledge of how an AI could live for that long by connecting with Forerunner knowledge through Gravemind. Also to back this up, those scenes in Halo Legends could have just been symptoms of post traumatic stress that she would have newly learned how to feel due to being in contact with the knowledge of true emotions.


Any sign of human emotion is a start of rampancy. Think of the AIs from Contact Harvest. This , however, does not mean that the AI will become inoperable, it just means that the AI will begin to think less logically. As was said before, rampancy is reached when the AI's memory reaches it's capacity. At that point the AI will start placing information in it's other systems causing it to not function at full capacity. Cortana is currently in a ship with access to many systems in which she could deposit information that she sees as less vital for the survival of herself and S117. Keep in mind also that Cortana was made by doctor Halsey and she is probably much more capable than other AI units. She is, after all, a specifically designed, multi-purpose AI meant to be used in the Spartan II program. As for the time lapse between the games, it appears as though very little time has passed. I doubt a highly advanced species would leave a large section of a ship in orbit around their planet for very long. whether we deal with rampancy in the game is still up in the air, I just hope that they do not do the cut away scenes like they did in Halo 3. The first time through they were informant but after that they just ruined gameplay.

Now, for my question: What do you think is inhabiting that planet? Forerunners, Precursors, or something else entirely? And do you hope or think that the flood will return?

Sincerely, Knight Lucky

[Edited on 07.08.2011 2:23 PM PDT]

  • 07.08.2011 2:22 PM PDT

I <3 Combat Evolved

I'm going to assume forerunners-to reface the flood? Not another 3 games of that, the combat system against them got worse and worse as time passed.

  • 07.08.2011 11:33 PM PDT

I <3 Combat Evolved

I'm just gonna bump this

  • 07.09.2011 12:23 PM PDT

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