No problem. Took about 10 minutes, but you can't explain it any better than giving them the actual text. Enjoy.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] oo KP oo Halo: The Fall of Reach Page 236, 237 Cortana leaped to her "feet", turned her back to Dr. Halsey, and examined the photographs on the wall. She brushed her fingertips over the glass surfaces. "Which one will be mine?" "Which one do you want?" She immediately gravitated to the picture in the center of Dr. Halsey's collection. It showed a handsome man standing at attention as Admiral Stanforth pinned the UNSC Legion of Honor upon his chest - a chest that already overflowed with citations. Cortana framed her fingers anround the man's face. "He's so serious," she murmured. "Thoughtful eyes, though. Attractive in a primitive animal sort of way, don't you think, Doctor?" Dr. Halsey Bluched. Apparently, she [i]did[/i] think so. Cortana's thoughts mirrored many of her own, only unchecked by normal military and social protocol. "Perhaps it would be best if you picked another-" Cortana turned to face Dr. Halsey and cocked an eyebrow, mock stern. "You [i]asked[/i] me which one I wanted...." "It was a question Cortana. I did not give you carte blanche to select your 'carrier.' There are compatibility issues to consider." Cortana blinked. "His neural patterns are in sync with mine within two percent. With the new interface we'll be installing, that should fall well within tolerable limits. In fact-" Her gaze drifted and the symbols along her body brightened and flashed. "- I have just developed a custom interface buffer that will match us within zero point zero eight one percent. You won't find a better match among the other. "In fact," she added coyly, "I can guarantee it." "I see," Dr. Halsey sad. She pushed away from her desk, stood, and paced. Why was she hesitating? The match [i]was[/i] superb. But was Cortana's predilection for Spartan 117 a result of him being Dr. Halsey's favorite? And did it matter? Who better to protect him? Dr. Halsey walked over to the picture. "He was awarded this Legion of Honor medallion because he dove into a bunker of Covenant soldiers. He took out twenty by himself and saved a platoon of Marines who were pinned down by a stationary energy weapon emplacement. I've read the report, but I'm still not sure how he managed to do it." She turned to Cortana and stared into her odd translucent eyes. "You've read his CSV?" "I'm reading it again right now." "Then you know he neither the smartest nor the fastest nor the strongest of the Spartans. But he is the bravest - and quite possibly the luckiest. And in my opinion, he is the best." "Yes," Cortana whispered. "I concur with you analysis, Doctor." She drifted closer. "Could you sacrifice him if you had to? If it meant completing the mission?" Dr. Halsey asked quietly. "Could you watch him die?" Cortana halted and the processing symbols racing across her skin froze midcalculation. "My priority Alpha order is to complete this mission," she replied emotionlessly. "The Spartans' safety as well as mine is a Beta-level priority command." "Good," Dr. Halsey returned to her desk and sat down. "Then you can have him."[/quote] Thank you good sir.

Halo: The Fall of Reach Page 236, 237 Cortana leaped to her "feet", turned her back to Dr. Halsey, and examined the photographs on the wall. She brushed her fingertips over the glass surfaces. "Which one will be mine?" "Which one do you want?" She immediately gravitated to the picture in the center of Dr. Halsey's collection. It showed a handsome man standing at attention as Admiral Stanforth pinned the UNSC Legion of Honor upon his chest - a chest that already overflowed with citations. Cortana framed her fingers anround the man's face. "He's so serious," she murmured. "Thoughtful eyes, though. Attractive in a primitive animal sort of way, don't you think, Doctor?" Dr. Halsey Bluched. Apparently, she [i]did[/i] think so. Cortana's thoughts mirrored many of her own, only unchecked by normal military and social protocol. "Perhaps it would be best if you picked another-" Cortana turned to face Dr. Halsey and cocked an eyebrow, mock stern. "You [i]asked[/i] me which one I wanted...." "It was a question Cortana. I did not give you carte blanche to select your 'carrier.' There are compatibility issues to consider." Cortana blinked. "His neural patterns are in sync with mine within two percent. With the new interface we'll be installing, that should fall well within tolerable limits. In fact-" Her gaze drifted and the symbols along her body brightened and flashed. "- I have just developed a custom interface buffer that will match us within zero point zero eight one percent. You won't find a better match among the other. "In fact," she added coyly, "I can guarantee it." "I see," Dr. Halsey sad. She pushed away from her desk, stood, and paced. Why was she hesitating? The match [i]was[/i] superb. But was Cortana's predilection for Spartan 117 a result of him being Dr. Halsey's favorite? And did it matter? Who better to protect him? Dr. Halsey walked over to the picture. "He was awarded this Legion of Honor medallion because he dove into a bunker of Covenant soldiers. He took out twenty by himself and saved a platoon of Marines who were pinned down by a stationary energy weapon emplacement. I've read the report, but I'm still not sure how he managed to do it." She turned to Cortana and stared into her odd translucent eyes. "You've read his CSV?" "I'm reading it again right now." "Then you know he neither the smartest nor the fastest nor the strongest of the Spartans. But he is the bravest - and quite possibly the luckiest. And in my opinion, he is the best." "Yes," Cortana whispered. "I concur with you analysis, Doctor." She drifted closer. "Could you sacrifice him if you had to? If it meant completing the mission?" Dr. Halsey asked quietly. "Could you watch him die?" Cortana halted and the processing symbols racing across her skin froze midcalculation. "My priority Alpha order is to complete this mission," she replied emotionlessly. "The Spartans' safety as well as mine is a Beta-level priority command." "Good," Dr. Halsey returned to her desk and sat down. "Then you can have him."

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Kaiyuss I would assume they'd have the same voice too, but I'm pretty positive that it's actually Cortana speaking at the beginning.[/quote]

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Queso Man I was just wondering if you all had made a point of noting it is Dr Halsey, not Cortana, speaking at the beginning about Master Chief. They virtually have the same voice since they are the same person.. but still. I just think it adds a whole new layer of intrigue if you imagine Dr Halsey sitting away somewhere reciting those lines.[/quote]Not to mention Cortana is based on Halsey, so she would have her memories. Read Reach.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] AdmiredAcorn But in halo ce, cortana was a ship AI, paired with chief because they had to get her off the ship, and he was the only spartan. when did cortana choose chief?[/quote] Read the books dude...

That is cortana in the beginning but the flashbacks where cortana says things like "you have been chosen to serve", "You will become the best that we can make you" "You will be the defenders of earth and all her colonies" those are all things that doctor halsey told the spartan II candidates when they first arrived on reach to begin their spartan training.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Queso Man No, Halsey chose John out of the rest because of his luck. Luck is always emphasized by her in the book. I'm pretty confident the shipboard AI did not choose Master Chief to be on the Autumn because he was lucky. As we know, the rest of the Chief's team was with him, but he was lucky enough to get back on board before fleeing Reach. It's Halsey talking at the beginning. [quote] "They let me pick, did I ever tell you that? ...choose whichever Spartan I wanted." "You know me. I did my research. Watched as you became the soldier we needed you to be." "Like the others, you were strong and swift and brave. A natural leader." "But you had something they didn't. Something no one saw..." "...but me." "Can you guess?" "Luck." "Was I wrong?" [/quote] What research did Cortana do as Master Chief grew up as a Spartan? Nada. Cortana was created 7 years before the events of Halo. The SPARTAN-II program launched way before then.[/quote] Re-read Fall of Reach. Theres a chapter where Cortana is talking to Dr. Halsey and tells her that the Spartan she wants to be paired up with is Chief.

No, Halsey chose John out of the rest because of his luck. Luck is always emphasized by her in the book. I'm pretty confident the shipboard AI did not choose Master Chief to be on the Autumn because he was lucky. As we know, the rest of the Chief's team was with him, but he was lucky enough to get back on board before fleeing Reach. It's Halsey talking at the beginning. [quote] "They let me pick, did I ever tell you that? ...choose whichever Spartan I wanted." "You know me. I did my research. Watched as you became the soldier we needed you to be." "Like the others, you were strong and swift and brave. A natural leader." "But you had something they didn't. Something no one saw..." "...but me." "Can you guess?" "Luck." "Was I wrong?" [/quote] What research did Cortana do as Master Chief grew up as a Spartan? Nada. Cortana was created 7 years before the events of Halo. The SPARTAN-II program launched way before then.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] AdmiredAcorn But in halo ce, cortana was a ship AI, paired with chief because they had to get her off the ship, and he was the only spartan. when did cortana choose chief?[/quote] Cortana chose John just before the MkV MJOLNIR armour was available to the Spartan-II's. She chose John because of his "luck".

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] AdmiredAcorn But in halo ce, cortana was a ship AI, paired with chief because they had to get her off the ship, and he was the only spartan. when did cortana choose chief?[/quote] Maybe in Halo: The fall of Reach, I'm gonna have to read that book agian.

That's Cortana. You hear Dr. Halsey's voice at the level "Cortana" when you are at the part were the cortana terminal is.

what? that wouldn't make much sense. [b]Cortana[/b] was talking about how she picked the chief out of all the other spartans, not childeren.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] AdmiredAcorn But in halo ce, cortana was a ship AI, paired with chief because they had to get her off the ship, and he was the only spartan. when did cortana choose chief?[/quote] In the book: Fall of Reach.

It's Cortana. Halsey wouldn't say "...choose whichever Spartan I wanted", since John wasn't a Spartan when her and Keyes went to scout John and the other kids. [Edited on 01.31.2010 4:47 PM PST]

But in halo ce, cortana was a ship AI, paired with chief because they had to get her off the ship, and he was the only spartan. when did cortana choose chief?

I would assume they'd have the same voice too, but I'm pretty positive that it's actually Cortana speaking at the beginning.

That was cortana actually. Cortana chose her own spartan to be paired up with. Hence the "They let me choose you know..."