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the origin of the copied pathways of the alien AI, and found its replication routine. This copying code was extremely convo- luted; in fact, it took up more than two thirds of the Covenant AI's processor-memory space. It was dark with functions that ran deep to the core. It spread dendritic fingers through the sys- tem, like a cancer that had metastasized throughout the AI's en- tire body.

She did not understand any of it.

But she didn't have to understand the code to use it.

Was it worth the risk of using? Perhaps. If she could mitigate the risk, she'd copy a portion of herself onto an isolated system in Ascendant Justice. She could always erase this subsystem if anything went wrong.

The potential rewards of this operation were great. She might be able to restore herself to full operational capacity—even car- rying the Halo data.

Cortana double- and triple-checked the system she would overwrite: the Covenant software that managed the life support on the lower decks. Since the lower decks were now evacuated and cold, life support was moot. She carefully severed the con- nections from that subsystem to the rest of the ship.

She also rechecked her thinking. This copying software was likely responsible for the Covenant AI's fractured thinking. Her thinking, however, was being squeezed to nothing. There had to be a balance between these two deleterious states.

Cortana initialized the Covenant file-duplication software. It moved, and the entire thing pulsed and reached for her; she im- mediately shut down all contact with her translation suite.

The dark functions touched her code, wrapped around them, pushed against the barriers she had erected.

It happened too fast, but she didn't stop the process. It was far too interesting to stop.

She distantly felt that portion of her mind blur and replicate, assembled line by line into its new location within Ascendant Justice. It felt strange. Not that it was strange she could think in more than one place about more than one thing at the same time—she was used to multiprocessing.

This was different strange—as if she had a glimpse into some- thing wonderful... and infinite.

Games specifications

Halo Lighting System Games have revolutionized the way players experience immersive environments in video games. Known for their cutting-edge lighting technologies, the Halo Lighting System enhances gameplay by creating lifelike visuals that cater to both aesthetics and realism. As a staple in the gaming industry, this lighting system plays a critical role in visual storytelling and seamless gameplay.

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HALO: FIRST STRIKE

Games specifications