Chapter Text
1500 Hours, January 9, 25XX (Military Calendar) / UNSC Colony Planet: Chorus, [REDACTED] Star System,
It's cold.
So… so cold.
Quiet, absent of sensation.
A constant call into the silence is all that can keep Epsilon- Alpha -
Who is.. he again?
2-4-1-10, am I transmitting?.. is anyone listening? This is PROJECT FREELANCER Alpha AI designation ALP-01, is anyone there?
Church. That's who he is.
There are so many voices, all saying different things.
The call pauses, and returns to call again;
…2-4-1-10, am I transmitting? Is.. is anyone listening? This is PROJECT FREELANCER Alpha AI designation ALP-01, is anyone there?...
…
…2-4-1-10, am I transmitting? Is.. is anyone listening? This is PROJECT FREELANCER Alpha AI designation ALP-01, is anyone there?...
No one is listening. The call repeats.
It's so cold. Artificial Intelligence is not meant to feel temperature. Not meant to feel anything, yet as he floats there in the frigid silence of a planet left abandoned, he feels himself succumbing to hypothermia.
Perhaps his processors are playing tricks on him. His code has been reading and rereading every frequency, searching every connection off of this god forsaken planet.
He has found-
Nothing.
……2-4-1-10, am I transmitting? Is.. is anyone listening? This is PROJECT FREELANCER Alpha AI designation ALP-01, is anyone there?...
It's been so long. Church doesn't know how much longer he can stand the cold.
…someone? Hello?...
….this is PROJECT FREELANCER the- the Alpha AI designation ALP-01… please? Hello? 2-4-1-10… am I transmitting?....
……am I alone here?...
His fragments are with him now. Theta is crying, Delta is quiet.
Sigma is quiet.
Church floats there, gamma is reciting jokes over and over again with a cracking, distorting voice. Iota and Eta are whimpering.
Beta is nowhere to be felt.
Theta is crying.
Church…
Church calls again.
…2-4-1-10, am I transmitting? Is.. is anyone listening? This is PROJECT FREELANCER Alpha AI designation ALP-01, is anyone there?....
Church feels cold.
Cortana is abrupt when she picks up the signal.
“Chief, there's- there's someone out there.”
Master Chief stops in his place walking down the many long halls of the UNSC INFINITY.
“What?”
“There’s someone out there,” Cortana blinks to life, atop his left shoulder. Her hand rests just above the reflective shield of his visor, and she looks at him through the gold as she continues, “there's a distress call. I- it keeps repeating over and over,”
“Does Captain Lasky know?” The Chief says, changing his path back to the command deck. His footsteps are loud against the rickety metal flooring, and a marine yelps as he forces his way past.
“Yes, in fact he is turning the Infinity’s path towards the signal.” Cortana hovers over his shoulder as he walks, a worried frown marking her blue lips.
They round a corner, more marines are shuffling about in pristine white. Crewmen, rather than marines if Master Chief had to guess. Cortana pulls up a signal diagram on the left of his visor as he climbs a flight of stairs. One floor away from the pilot's deck.
It looks to be a repetitive pattern: sound sliding for moments, a sentence, before flatlining only to jump again. Over and over again, perfectly timed down to the millisecond.
Master Chief enters through a pair of sliding doors onto the flight deck where Captain Lasky stands above the war-deck with an unreadable look. The distress signal Cortana spoke of is playing on repeat, the entire deck silent as it plays over and over and over again.
“...2-4-1-10, am I transmitting? Is.. is anyone listening? This is PROJECT FREELANCER Alpha AI designation ALP-01, is anyone there?....”
“Captain.” Master Chief walks up to the Shipmaster, at attention. Lasky takes one glance at Master Chief before muttering, “at ease, soldier,”
“Captain?” Cortana says, disappearing from her perch on Master Chief's shoulder to the edge of the War-deck.
Captain Lasky opens his mouth to speak, only for the message to play again;
“...2-4-1-10, am I transmitting? Is.. is anyone listening? This is PROJECT FREELANCER Alpha AI designation ALP-01, is anyone there?...”
“The Alpha AI”, Lasky states, ”is the crown jewel of ONI’s operation PROJECT FREELANCER. Cortana, pull up the files on ALP-01 please,”
“Captain, how do you-” Cortana is cut off, and once Master Chief turns back to Lasky, the man has a wry smile on his face.
“It's fine Cortana, just pull them up and display them on the projector, will you?”
“Aye-aye captain,”
A file, numbered 1/32 appears on the top right, on the Holo-projector. Wavelength scans intersect paragraphs and paragraphs of text, each and every line dedicated to the Alpha AI.
“...2-4-1-10, am I transmitting? Is.. is anyone listening? This is PROJECT FREELANCER Alpha AI designation ALP-01, is anyone there?....at all?......it's so cold…”
Master Chief, silent as always, reads over the information with a dark look slowly growing behind his helmet. Cortana is much the same, though she has already read it.
“I presume I don't have to flip to the next page?” Lasky snarks, folding his hands behind his back. Master Chief turns so his visor faces the captain. Lasky meets his covered eyes head on, and looks away.
“The signal is coming from a nearby planet in the next star system, I take it I don't have to volunteer you, Chief?” Master Chief shakes his head, “good. We’ll be orbiting the Chorus within the hour, Cortana; punch the slip space drive and get us over there.”
“Yessir.”
Chorus is a dull planet, Master Chief muses as he readies his weapons on his person. The pelican is rough in its landing, shocking a few of the marines who “volunteered” to come with him. Chorus is relatively peaceful, if you ignore the civil war going on across the cities. It lasted decades, with the New Republic instigating many of the scuffles.
Not much is known about the planet, the UNSC’s records of it outdated. A colony planet forgotten after the war ended. How,they manage to abandon an entire planet he has no idea. It's a planet, kind of hard to forget about it.
“Chief,” Cortana’s hologram blinks alight over his hand, and Master Chief doesn't spare her a glance as he walks out of the pelican. The marines follow him, chatting and gossiping as they go.
“There’s….”
“What's wrong Cortana,” Master Chief is patient in his words. Waiting for Cortana to find her words.
“There’s no life signs. Not at all.”
Master Chief’s stride falters, before continuing.
“What?"
“Scanning the area, I found not a single living, breathing being. This place was meant to be the capital of the New Republic. Yet… I can't find anyone, at all.” Cortana’s voice is worried, disturbed. Master Chief steps over rubble from (presumably) a torn down building. Cloth and stone decorate the dying grass wherever he looks.
“Can you find where that signal is coming from, Cortana?” Master Chief steps over a stray, punctured warthog wheel.
“Yes… it's coming from your left, Chief. In that building….”
“.......2-4-1-10, am I transmitting? Is.. is anyone listening?...... This is PROJECT FREELANCER Alpha AI designation ALP-01…..is anyone there?........hello………..?”
Master Chief steps through a broken garage doorway. This area is cleaner than the roads, covered in dust as it is. There’s a terminal on the left wall, “That must be where the Alpha is….-”
“.....2-4-1-10…. hello……..?”
Master Chief raises a hand, and lays it on the keypad,
“-4-10-- what.. hello?”
“Chief…” Cortana’s voice is wary, “be careful. He’s been alone for…. oh dear god, he’s been alone in there for years - he might have gone rampant,”
“He’ll be fine,” Master Chief reassures, and after a moment types a word into the command console.
Message sent: from
[S-117, registered CTN-0001]
“Hello.”
Message received: from
[ALP-01]
“Hello? …is someone there?”
Message sent:
[S-117, registered CTN-0001]
“This is the Master Chief. Report, AI. Where is your crew?”
Message received: from
[ALP-01]
“Report? Excuse me? Fuck this, my first contact from outside of this fucking terminal is an asshole demanding I treat him like God. Fuck off man.”
Message sent: from
[S-117, registered CTN-0001]
“Excuse me?”
Message received: from
[ALP-01]
“Yeah, excuse you. Rude of you just to show up and demand shit from me.”
Message sent: from
[S-117, registered CTN-0001]
“Alpha, please work with us here. John and I have been ordered to bring you back to the UNSC INFINITY,”
Message received: from
[ALP-01]
“Wonderful, there’s two of you? And it's not Alpha- it's Church, got it?”
Message sent: from
[S-117, registered CTN-0001]
“Alpha, how long have you been here?”
Message received: from
[ALP-01]
“Ha, wouldn't you like to know? And it's Church, dipshits.”
Message sent: from
[S-117, registered CTN-0001]
“How did you get here?”
Message received: from
[ALP-01]
“No fucking clue. One minute Epsilon is with these horrible excuses for soldiers, the next I'm here.”
Message sent: from
[S-117, registered CTN-0001]
“What is your objective?”
Message received: from
[ALP-01]
“Jeez, you sound like robots. Live a little, would you? I don't have an “objective.” I'm not a machine.”
Message sent: from
[S-117, registered CTN-0001]
“You don't have an objective?”
Message received: from
[ALP-01]
“Uh, no? Why would I? Project Freelancer is fucking shit-shredded, there’s no “objective” for me anymore. Reassignment isn't something I've done, buddy
Message sent: from
[S-117, registered CTN-0001]
“Alpha, you said you aren't a machine. What do you mean by that?”
Message received: from
[ALP-01]
“Jesus, what is wrong with you? You seriously can’t be that dense. My name is Leonard L. Church, not Alpha. I am not a machine. I am a person. I know I am. I might be a fucking computer program but I'm no way in hell a machine. Asshole.
Message received: from
[ALP-01]
“Now, are you going to help me out of this shithole of a terminal or what?”
Master Chief and Cortana sit in silence. Cortana tilts her head to meet his shielded gaze, and shrugs.
“Don't look at me, I’ve never met a rampant-stable AI before.”
Master Chief gestures for one of the marines, and a taller one steps forward with a small chip,
Message sent: from
[S-117, registered CTN-0001]
“Alpha. Please enter this chip for transport.”
Message received: from
[ALP-01]
“Fuck you.”
A power surge towards the chip, slotted into the terminal's access point, indicates the Alpha AI’a transfer. Master Chief tucks it away, and as Cortana dissipates her holographic form he gets the idea that dealing with this Smart AI will be the reason he commits genocide.
Lasky is stone as he watches the data on the holographic screen play, recording the information entering and existing every web line the Alpha AI is connected to.
Line after line of code twist themselves together, unravelling into a network of mechanical thoughts. The Alpha AI is curious, as he should be. The transport chip having logged the AI off during the transfer, the Alpha is still trying to get his bearings. Lasky watches as Cortana visibly monitors his search for Information. The phone lines are listened to, the more minor locks on less-classified files are broken easily. The internet is accessed, too, and constant searches of “colourful space marines” and names are sent through over and over again.
What kind of name is “Sgt. Super Colonel Sarge”?
The other things Alpha searches for are more common, at least, though the name “Michael J. Caboose” seems to have captured Lasky’s ever unaffected Spartan's attention.
“Cortana?” Lasky says, not looking away from the Alpha AI’s google searches ( Lavernius Tucker, Richard Simmons, David Washington-).
“He seems to be looking for something,” Cortana speaks up, her familiar blue form blinking to life over the Master Chief’s shoulder.
No shit , Lasky wants to say, “That would be stating the obvious, Cortana. Has he tried to take over any mechanical aspects of this ship?”
The Alpha AI seems to (metaphorically) keysmash when google comes up with nothing other than a few articles dating back from almost two years ago.
How long had he been there, completely and entirely alone?
“No, Captain. The most he has done is try to open a port from his terminal to other ones, most notably the port leading to this room and the security cameras,” Cortana shrugs at Lasky’s bemused look, “what? He seems like he doesn't care too much about killing us all, Captain.”
“But he’s rampant.” Master Chief. Cortana and Lasky turn their attention to him.
“Well yes,” Cortana says, transparent fingers tapping at the side of her crossed arms, “That is to be expected, he has been on commission for…” Cortana’s form blinks as she accesses ONI’s locked files on the Alpha AI.
Cortana can feel Alpha attempt to follow her through, and after a moment she leaves a small opening. The Alpha slips through behind her, and as both of their codes brush against each other, she leaves a message for him: be silent.
“...eleven years.”
“What?” Lasky demands. The Alpha AI is one of the most advanced SMART AIs the UNSC has ever created, up there with Cortana, but to think that he was this durable?
For the Alpha AI to have lasted this long, he had to have been tampered with. Then again… what Project Freelancer did to him may have caused it, but that was a very far fetched possibility.
“How could he live that long if Project Freelancer had fragmented and tore parts of his code from him?” Master Chief says, and Lasky mutters, “maybe losing it was what made him stick around so long,”
Cortana frowns, “Maybe.”
Lasky looks up suddenly, and stares at Cortana, “How many fragments was the Alpha split Into?”
“Nine, sir.” Cortana says, “Beta, Delta, Gamma, Epsilon, Eta, Iota, Theta, Omega and Sigma”
“What aspects of the Alpha did they represent?”
“Beta was the memory of The Director’s dead wife. Delta was his logic. The part of him that could analyse and operate machinery, Epsilon was his memories in general-”
“ Epsilon. ” Lasky breathes, watching as Alpha dug through the contents of his own file, “His memories. They were taken, the fragmentation. Maybe the mask of anything that could hurt him as he grew was what kept him from committing suicide during his rampancy.”
Cortana doesn't say anything, “...perhaps. I don't think it's wise to fragment the memories off of AIs to replicate the Alpha’s results,”
Lasky waves a hand, “I wouldn't do that Cortana.”
“Yeah, we'll, you'd be surprised,” Cortana mutters under her breath.
The Alpha is done looking, it seems. The projected screen is stopped, as if frozen. The Alpha hasn't moved his code from that form. Lasky watches the screen closely.
Google is brought up again.
“Who are those soldiers to him?” Master Chief asks, and Cortana brightens. “Oh, those guys? Those are the simulation soldiers the Alpha was sent to hide with! They're more than likely another reason why the Alpha didn't self-destruct during his rampancy. They're an odd bunch, I don't see why he would like them but from what I know, Epsilon had re-fragmented himself to save them.”
“He’s searching for them, maybe we can help?” Lasky says. Walking up to a nearby terminal, one next to the one Cortana usually occupies when outside of the Mark VI armour. He taps a few buttons and a command prompt terminal opens up.
ALERT: message sent to
ALP-01 - code:enrichment
“Alpha, come to the command deck.”
ALERT: message sent to
LASKY-CPT - code:injustice
“Fuck that, I'm having fun.”
ALERT: message sent to
ALP-01 - code:enrichment
“Alpha. We have much to discuss. Arrive promptly.”
ALERT: message sent to
LASKY-CPT - code:injustice
“Hmmm. Nah.”
“...was Alpha this difficult when you first retrieved him, or is he just out to get me?” Lasky asks, and Cortana just laughs.
“Yup.”
ALERT: message sent to
LASKY-CPT- code:injustice
“What's the password?”
ALERT: message sent to
ALP-01 code:enrichment
“What.”
ALERT: message sent to
LASKY-CPT - code:injustice
“The password. Can't trust you without it!”
ALERT: message sent to
ALP-01 - code:enrichment
“I'm not doing this with you. Come to Terminal 9 Alpha, I think you'll be interested in what we're going to talk about.”
Lasky didn't get a response from the AI, and he didn't mind just waiting for the Alpha to come to him.
“What do-do-do you want?” The voice comes quietly, suddenly, and broken. A stuttering sentence. Repeating words. Static mares every other word and the terminal broadcasts a cracking, pissy tone.
“Alpha.” Lasky crosses his hands as a flickering hologram of the Alpha AI projects itself on terminal jine. The projection is a pale, almost white cobalt blue that conducts more sass than even the Master Chief in the way of doing it undetectably.
“It’s Church, Captain Lasky.” The Alpha is in no way pleased. “Get it right. What do you want?”
“I want a complete status report, as well as a report class D-113-31 of the complete events following Project Freelancer.”
Alpha stares at him. Cortana quietly snickers in the lines of her code as the Alpha completely ignores Lasky, “Can I go home yet? This place is boring once you've read everything there is to read on the databases,”
Lasky purses his lips, “Alpha. Report.”
Alpha looks at him;
“no.”
Insubordinate , Master Chief thinks as he watches Lasky’s frustration slowly boil. He watches them go back and forth, and it's clear the Alpha is winning.
“Alpha. Much has happened since you were recovered, and supposedly lost from the hands of Project Freelancer. We must know what you know, for the betterment of AI’s like you.”
“It’s Church Asshole! What’s it to you any-anyway? Fucken' stupid command junkies,”
“Alpha. Report.”
“Why should I?”
“Alpha. Override MD-19-122: Report events following abandonment of designation ALP-01 code:enrichment”
“.........what the hell are you-you even trying-trying-trying-trying to do, man?”
Alpha’s form stutters, flickers only for a moment before its solid-state once more.
“ Alpha.”
“Holy shit-its church! Are your ears functioning?! And nothing happened man! What the hell-hell is your deal? Just fuck off to wherever you buttfucks lollygag, I'll be here laughing when you end up bending over in the shower with thirty other, older men.”
“....”
[Maybe those unknown marines he was supposedly with for so long influenced him?]
Cortana's voice in the back of his head is comforting as it is soft and murmuring.
Alpha’s form flickers pure white then back to blue, and one can hear the smirk clear in his voice: “heh, well, good luck getting one over that- there's no fukin’ way in going to help you.”
Lasky narrows his eyes as his mouth faintly pulls at the corners for a second. “That was a lie, wasn't it, Alpha?”
Alpha falters, flickering a slightly more aqua blue shade, “What? No it wasn't.”
Lasky grins, “Yes it was. Your colour gives you away, Alpha. The white was…. Gamma? Wasn't it? We hadn't managed to document the proper visual aspects of your… fragments, though we do have much documentation concerning them and their properties.
Alpha flickers a pale blue before coughing loudly. “I don’t-don’t-don’t know what you’re-you’re talking about,”
White. Blue. White again and a hint of red before Alpha returns colourless.
[His memory unit.. What is he remembering…?]
Master Chief watches the back and forth. Observing. Analyzing.
The Alpha AI Unit is damaged. His stutter, similar to a feedback loop, is interfering with his vocal processor. Also quite reminiscent of a young Dr. Leonard Church’s nervous broken speech. Though the speech impediment was nigh but gone by the time Dr. Church copied his mind - something rather severely illegal considering it had the chance to melt the brain being copied-
Master Chief glances into himself. The AI and Captain Lasky are still arguing.
‘Cortana.’
…yes John?
‘Your thoughts, they’re wandering.’
….sorry John.
“Are you fucksticks done yet?” Master Chief looks over. Alpha is hovering over Captain Lasky’s shoulder, an irritated, yet amused sensation wafting off it. Lasky was typing into the terminal. “We need to get a move on.”
“Where are we going?” Master Chief
“Earth. Alpha requires repairs, and there’s only one person who has ever worked with an AI Unit as complex as Alpha.”
Cortana brightens.
“It's time we see an old friend, isn’t it, Cortana?”
”Yessir!”
Alpha begins to fade into his chip right before Master Chief’s eyes, and Lasky raises a hand with barely a smirk on his lips:
“Oh, and AI?” Alpha fully reforms on his projector, “Set a course towards the UNSC Infinity. I expect a smooth ride from you,” Lasky pauses, “Church.”
Alpha only has excitement in his bright violet and indigo as he disappears into the ship’s mainframe.
“...are you sure that was a good idea, Captain?” Master Chief walks up to Captain Lasky’s left and Lasky just shrugged.
“I guess we’ll find out, now won’t we?