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  • Subject: Cortana Letters (New meaning from Halo 3 Trailer)
Subject: Cortana Letters (New meaning from Halo 3 Trailer)

Formerly known as HunTERminator

Marathon Story Page quotes in Italics

Most important theories in Bold


I will be examining the Cortana letters in a Halo 3 type light. Yes this has been done, but I hope with our new trailer knowledge of what happens. Most of the info found at The Marathon Story Page is applying it to Marathon and that Cortana has relation to Durandal (the AI from Marathon)

Thanks in advance to The Marathon Story Page It’s a beast of pure awesome.

I go out on a limb here but… what if the Cortana letters were sent after the events of Halo 2? Remember the time bending effects of the crystal in First Strike (I know bungie denies this, but it makes too much sense and smells like a cover-up) or even the Apocalyptico in I Love Bees time bending is not an unexplored theory with Bungie.
I propose that the transmissions in the trailer are the Cortana letters themselves in some respect. Or at least that they were sent after Cortana had gone Rampant. This is how they apply directly to Halo 3. the true meaning was not know until the story of halo 3 was more clear.


I don’t claim to be a good writer so forgive me if you don’t like it :)

Cortana Letters:

First Cortana Letter
Second Cortana Letter
Third Cortana Letter
Fourth Cortana Letter
Fifth Cortana Letter

(The format is a bit confusing, but if you look past all the code gobbledy-blam!-, you’ll find the actual letters)

I will refer to Cortana as Rampant because mainly…Bungie’s AIs always go Rampant: Durandal etc. Also her words in the trailer (underlined with Gravemind’s, or a sinsiter voice) seem very…well…insane. I also site Cortana’s eyes in the trailer Clicky. Cortana is also shown in this HBO post: Clicky 2 (last picture)

First
First Cortana Letter

This letter, I believe is more as an introduction to Cortana and what is to come

“I have walked the edge of the Abyss.
I have governed the unwilling.”

The Abyss may refer to Rampancy itself. Cortana has walked this and found the path that she now travels. She undoubtedly governs the unwilling throughout the halo series: Marines, Keys, and the old Chief himself sometimes. This is a more obscure saying of hers possibly to act as an introduction to her way.


“I have witnessed countless empires break before me.
I have seen the most courageous soldiers fall away in fear.”

I believe that this is introducing Cortana and explaining the history of her name and also relating her to Durandal. As you may know Bungie names their AIs perpetually after swords. Cortana is the name of the sword that Charlemagne gives to Prince Ogier of Denmark. It bears the inscription:

“My name is Cortana, of the same steel and temper as Joyeuse and Durindana.”

In Marathon 2, Durandal muses:

//Charlemagne used to always call me
Durandana, the fruitcake. All the many
implements of war to him were in some way
feminine. Not that you know the story.
//
(Thanks Marathon story page)

Both AIs muse about how they were the actual swords in history and witnessed battles.

This just goes to prove Cortana’s rampancy more concisely as she follows in the footsteps of Durandal.

“[I was there with the Angel at the tomb]”

Not actually sure about this. I just attribute this to her own developed god complex, as you will see in the second letter. If anyone has an idea of anything else, feel free to voice it.

“I have seen your future.
And I have learned.”

This is a direct reference to the trailer and Halo 3. Being with Grave mind, Cortana has gained knowledge on what will or might unfold. This future may or may not be certain as it could be her prediction. She of course would be sure of this because she has calculated the odds and believes it to be true.
Cortana most likely believes that earth will be destroyed. The activation of that structure (Ark?) immediately follows her transmissions in the trailer and is possibly what she is referring to.


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

This could be more rampancy or as the Marathon story page says

//I think it refers to a previously undocumented stage of Rampancy.//

A stage at which emotion is no longer felt and reason possibly abandoned. Any other ideas or references would be appreciated.

And the last lines:

“I HAVE WON.
Oh, and your poet Eliot had it all wrong:
THIS is the way the world ends.”

Cortana believes that she is the one who knows what must happen or possibly how to save it. Again overcoming her challenges to succeed (in whatever she plans)
The last lines refer to a poem by TS. Eliot called “The Hollow Men.” It ends with these lines:


“This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.”

Cortana says this line after the trailer has faded following the structure’s (presumed) activation. One would assume it is this she is referring to. She implies, by saying that Eliot was wrong, that the world will go out with a big bang, presumably that activation.



Thoughts on The Second Cortana letter and others forthcoming. The other letters are much more directly tied to halo 3, talking of
“I am still not sure what he ever saw in you.”—MC?
“This sanctuary, this unbroken circle”—Ark?
“Things are great here. The weather is good, the suns are shining”—
--Two suns like on Delta halo, where she is.





[Edited on 5/11/2006]

  • 05.11.2006 6:28 PM PDT

Formerly known as HunTERminator

Marathon Story Page quotes in Italics

Most important theories in Bold


Letter Two
Second Cortana Letter

The first thing that stands out in this letter is the subject line:

“Subject: Your Mortality (My Summer Vacation)”

This is a good comparison between Chief and humanity facing their mortality in the form of the Covenant attack in general. In Halo 3 they realize their mortality in the end of their days. Cortana however is far away in a secluded and more or less safe place on a, vacation as she says.

The next reference to where Cortana is is this:

“Have you missed me? Things are great here. The weather is good, the suns are shining, and I'm making lots of new friends. Of course, I always do.”

Of course, Cortana is still far off at Delta Halo and she reassures Chief that all things are well. The part that gets me is “the suns are shining here.”
The Marathon Story Page spoke of this:

Cortana's last message refers to "the suns are shining". In 2010 (the sequel to 2001) Europa is transformed into a life sustaining planet by making Jupiter another sun - giving the sol system two suns.

However, considering Cortana’s location when sending these, we see that she is reaffirming that she is on Delta halo. By making a little jest about “suns” instead of “sun” Cortana shows to us that she is on Delta halo.
She also says that she is “making new friends.” This immediately refers to Gravemind. After the credits of Halo 2 we get the impression that Gravemind and Cortana will be getting close for a long time. This could also mean that there are other constructs or beings that Cortana speaks with.


Due to the facetious tone of this letter it is quite possible that she says friends sarcastically and means that these beings are not friends with her. (Possible people-Regret {maybe not dead}, The Monitor, other unknown beings)

This line is heavy evidence to suggest that these letters were sent during the time of halo 3.

“I've had the strangest dreams lately - raging seas, howling beasts, a Demon folded in black clouds. I believe I know what it guards, and I will have it, to the chagrin of the faith-blinded zealots that challenge me. Don't waste your pity on them; I don't think they would like you much anyway.”

These lines could be referring to the destruction of earth. She predicts the future as the destruction of Earth with “raging seas” and “howling beasts,” much like the Bang she spoke of in Eliot’s poem.

The “Demon folded black clouds” is vague but not uncrackable. I immediately think of the Chief because the Covenant call him “The Demon.” The black clouds could represent the travesty surrounding his destiny. He is guarding something—the Ark—on earth, because he will not let it be activated. Cortana wants that Ark for some reason. She must have a plan from it, that probably came from her Rampancy. It is to the chagrin of the Covenant though, so she must have some other plan for it---ooh, spooky!

Again she is facetious in her last line.

These lines are by far the most convoluted yet:

“And what of the Giants who formed this world? So much to tell you, but so many more important things to do. There was a fourth. You couldn't have known. And I haven't forgotten.”

Some of the best possibilities are explained by various people’s ideas:

The second I heard about the new message, I went right back to Revelations. You might be interested to learn that seven plays heavily into Revelations...seven churches, seven angels to watch over them, seven seals...but I digress.

The howling beasts reference could be referring to Chapter 6:8, which talks about the four horsemen. The stanza reads: "They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth." This line may also have something to do with "there was a fourth", but I doubt it...Cortana probably wasn't talking about fractions, but a specific fourth person/thing.

There's no specific mention to raging seas that I've found thus far, but the angels did drop a fiery mountain into them at one point...so who knows. I'll try and find more info.
Nothing on giants creating the world, but we have to take into account that Cortana is referring to 'this world', meaning the one she's on. And that's not earth, because she refers to the 'suns', probably meaning she's in a system with a binary star.

The reference to 'the fourth' could have something to do with the other three AIs we know of...meaning there is some connection between Cortana, Durandal, Tycho, and Leela. Maybe that Traxus thing I posited earlier....but in that case, there were five AIs infected.


(Greg Downing)

And…

The latest message speaks of "Giants who formed [the] world" and mentions a fourth, previously unknown Giant, meaning that in popular belief there must have been only three Giants who formed the world. This reminded me of Greek Mythology, so I did a little research. From World Book Encyclopedia I learned that in the Greek text of the Theogony is included what many consider the most important Greek myth, one that describes both the origin and history of the gods and of our world. Quoting directly:
"According to the Theogony, the universe began in a state of emptiness called Chaos. The divinity Gaea, or Earth, arose out of Chaos. she immediately gave birth to Uranus, who became king of the sky. Gaea mated with Uranus, producing children who were called the Titans."

Could these (Chaos, Gaea, Uranus) be the three "Giants who formed [the] world"?


(David Retchless)

My take is that she is referring to the Prophets. Three main prophets and a fourth unknown one. Notice that she says “this world” instead of the world or Earth for that matter. This World could refer to the current World (not a planet) created by the covenant. She refers to what the Covenant have done as “this world” in a more universal sense. But who is this fourth Giant/prophet? Wild speculation could lead to Gravemind and things of the like. If any have seen the movie “The Phantom” you will know of the three skulls with immense power. These three skulls power was matched however by the fourth, a RING that The Phantom had. There could be a fourth leader figure with power to match that of the three Prophets. This however is just speculation.

There is more concrete proof of relation to Greek mythology in Tartarus. Tartarus is the creator of the underworld in Greek mythology and he certainly created a hell for the covenant. He caused the riffed that broke the covenant.

The last two lines are like a farewell:

“It is a blurred line that lies at the edge of Godhood and Insanity. Guess which side of it I am on.
Feeling lucky?”

Cortana here compares herself to a God but acknowledges that she seems insane.
More proof of her Rampancy. She believes she has the power of a God.
The last line could refer to if Chief feels lucky about surviving the Ark or what she has planned…dun, dun, dun!


Thoughts on the other Cortana letter and others forthcoming.
“I am still not sure what he ever saw in you.”—MC?
“This sanctuary, this unbroken circle”—Ark?
“the other entity that seems quite trapped in this antiquated excuse for a network”
--Covie AI mentioned in First Strike?


[Edited on 5/11/2006]

  • 05.11.2006 8:05 PM PDT