dappered | (no subject)

(no subject)

[ Cortana doesn't sleep. Ever. Which is maybe why she had spent a good majority of her time watching John sleep instead, from her chip on the table next to him. She didn't need sleep, ever, got along just fine without it, and she had never been really sure if that was one of the quirks or the downsides of being inhuman.

At least she doesn't miss much.

Still, this isn't something that should have happened. Whatever it is, whatever it was, Cortana doesn't understand how she could be in one place one second, staring out the hangar of the Forward Unto Dawn, and then -- here, the next. There's no lapse of what she would call consciousness, no falter in her program, she's just there, and then she's not, and for once, Cortana doesn't understand at all.

The sun is stretched high above her, high above the chip from which she's currently standing on, fingers outstretched as if waiting for something. It takes her a moment to look down, to look around, and then finally, to figure out where it is she's at.

Her commands are a little shaky, her various programs slightly off-balance from whatever apparent instantenous journey she had just made, but it doesn't take her long to determine she's not far at all from Valhalla.

Which is. Great. Just what she needed. ]

Chief? . . . John?

[ And, of course, she's met with silence. ]

Scanning and analyzing area --

Retreating back into chip. [ And with that, the holograph disappears back into the data chip, hiding her under the grassy green field. ] Unidentifiable lifeforms. Total, 7, possibly more. Analyzing further. Human. Non-human. Non-human. Human. Human. Human. Human. Closest human lifeform, approximately three-fourths of a mile away.

Damnit.

[ But she had no choice, either way. ]

Releasing distress beacon. Chief, if you can hear me, standby.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Wash might, if he was sitting back at the computer console and actively scanning for signals, which he isn't, so. But he's also not a retard and knows that Cortana being here will equal the UNSC being here sooner rather than later, which means they need to get moving.

He picks up the disk, fighting down the reluctance to even touch it (christ, wash, it's not like she's omega she's not going to jump in and take over) and finally storing it in a secure compartment.

Somehow the ride back to the underground base (and a little detour to Red base) seems to take forever, but even then Wash still has no frakkin' idea how he's going to explain this little disaster to Church. ]

Yeah, I fucking know, genius. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this shit out.

God. Is there anything else, doc? Anything at all? You think I'll make it? Should I amputate my hand?

[ GRUMPY LITTLE BITCH, FRONT AND CENTER.

And looking particularly grumpy, considering he's hauling what looks like most of the cannon from the Reds' vehicle, trailing wires and components. On one shoulder. Easily.

He opens his mouth to bark something when he notices the bandage. ]

--what happened?

I was making you a sandwich. What the fuck's it look like? I cut my hand.

Where've you been?

Edited 2009-11-12 06:24 (UTC)

Playing welcome wagon. We had a visitor from the UNSC today.

[ And he knows Church will know that means they're going to need to abandon this place as soon as possible. Which. Was the plan anyway, so. He dumps the EMP cannon on the computer console and tugs out Cortana's disk, setting it gently on the table. ]

Dude, what. What kind of visitor?

The kind you have a lot in common with, actually. [ And Wash isn't even going to bother telling Church to keep his mouth shut about being the Alpha, because really, he shouldn't have to be told after everything that's happened. ]

She's apparently a little lost, since she doesn't have any memory of how she arrived here.

What? What does that even mean?

Wait, is that it?

Yep.

[ And if he's being kind of an amazing jackass to Church, it's just because doing that is easier than what he really wants to do right now, which is panic and grab Church and run like fuck because they aren't going back, he won't fucking allow it, the smiling bastards at the UNSC will have to take Epsilon and Church over his bullet riddled smoking body. ]

Delta wants -- I mean, I want to know her name. Her title. The shit that's scratched on her nameplate, who is she?

Edited 2009-11-12 06:58 (UTC)

[ Okay. Breath. ]

Cortana.

-- CTN 0452-9?

Master fucking Chief's AI?

Unless there's another one floating around somewhere.

[ way too calm ]

We're taking her hostage.

Wash. Do you have any idea who the fuck it is you just stole from?

I didn't steal her! She just-- showed up! Out of nowhere! Just like--

[ Stop. Breathe. ]

It doesn't matter. She's here and we need to deal with it and this is what we are going to do, understand? I will handle it.

He's not human -- ?

[ She won't have to turn very far, because the second that blue glow starts to take shape Wash is between her and Church, physically cutting off her line of sight.

As if that would help.

His voice is almost pleasant, though, totally at odds with the battle ready stance he's taken up. ]

You don't need to worry about him.

Just where do you plan on taking me, anyway? I'm all for a much-needed vacation, but now's not really the time.

-- Ah, I understand. You just want to leave. Your location's been compromised?

So distrustful.

With all due respect, miss Cortana, if our positions were reversed, you'd be doing the exact same thing.

[ He turns to look over his shoulder at Church. ]

You've got packing to do. Calm down and get to it.

Bad day?

[ neutrally ]

You could say that. Your arrival certainly didn't make it any easier.

[ And. Maybe it's a small blessing that she doesn't seem to recognize the name 'Church.' Maybe she wouldn't anyway. Wash hadn't fully understood himself just how much of the Project had been kept hidden from the UNSC until he'd been arrested. ]

You definitely know how to make a girl feel welcome.

Just how familiar are you with AIs, Washington?

[ Oh. ]

[ His fists clench involuntarily, and he turns abruptly from her to start fiddling with the cannon all over the computer console. One portable EMP, coming up. Apparently they might need it. ]

Is there a reason you'd like to know, Cortana?

Well, I'm thinking either you're not real happy to see me because you're wanted by UNSC, which is definitely reasonable enough, or . . . well -- then there's him. Who isn't human. I don't know what he is. Maybe an AI. Maybe not.

Is it really UNSC you're running from?

...

He's. Special.

We're running from everyone and everything that wants him. Including the UNSC, since they've proven themselves... untrustworthy.