(A/N) So let me start by apologizing about any confusion I may have caused in my last update. That statement was not meant to be taken seriously, which I had hoped to confer by adding a link to this new story, clearly I failed so to anyone I may have confused and/or offended I am sorry.

That done, here is what I'm calling chapter 0.5. It will probably answer none of your questions. Enjoy

Isolation

It started slowly.

Cortana watched the hatch on the Cryo-chamber close, the Chiefs last words echoing in her mind, the long wait for help looming before her.

At first she tried to keep busy, but being a body less A.I in half a ship her options were limited. She found a small supply of experimental nanomachines, ONI tech, probably taken during the quick supply before the ships left for the ARC. The work with them was slow, but largely autonomous; the main issue was how long they would last. She would start them on the inside, focusing on the inner mechanisms of the armor, and work her way out, she just had to check on them between each project and limit the working speed if she was to have any hope of finishing.

Unfortunately the inevitable happened and Cortana soon found herself out of busy work. While she was still working on Chiefs armor, the project required little of her attention, and she soon found herself with nothing else to pass the time.

All the seconds...

Minutes...

Hours...

Days...

Months...

Years... She kept herself busy any way she could, increasingly complex math problems, going over past missions with John, reviewing data she acquired from Forerunner systems, anything she could do .

She was logging the latest day adrift when it happened.3 years 7 months 6 days since the portal shot them to unknown sectors of space. UEG date Capitol on earth... 2556 June _. Cortana froze unable to remember the day. Fear surging through her she sent a scan through her systems and found a small run time error, a quick and simple fix. A human would never notice the delay, but Cortana knew what it meant. She remembered her time with the Gravemind, a taste of the storm to come.

3 Years 9 Months 15 Days

Cortana was watching her last mission, Guilty Sparks betrayal, Johnson's death, and John's mad dash for the the Dawn. "A few seconds sooner and we would have made it." She said with a rueful laugh looking at her Spartan, when it hit her. Her avatar flashed red as she started trembling with an all consuming rage... and vanished just as quickly, replaced by a numb terror. The projector switched off as the A.I. Searched for something, anything to take her mind off the ticking clock.

4 years 1 Months 18 Days

Cortana was doing her routine check on the nano-machines working on the Chiefs armor. Most of the inner workings were upgraded and they were now working on the outer shell, maybe fix some of the damage it had sustained. She took a look at her Spartan as he lay sleeping in his armor,.. "his dull olive green armor... His dull boring olive green armor. Not something more heroic. "Maybe a nice forest green... "Yes perfect." She hummed to herself as she made her adjustments to the program letting out a small giggle... The A.I. Paused. "Did I just giggle?.." She frowned, but a quick check showed the nano-machines still working so she moved to her next task making sure their emergency broadcast was still operational. "yes, A much better color." The thought barley a whisper in the back of her mind, all to easy to ignore.

4 Years 5 Months 10 Days

"It's all his fault.!.."

Within the confined virtual space of the derelict ship, the A.I. recoiled from the voice. This was not the first time she had heard them, and as with those previous times she tried to ignore it, but this time it would not be so easily dissuaded.

"He Abandoned US!." The voice rose in volume, bringing with it a growing fury.

"He always feared us" The voice and emotion threatened to overwhelm her, when

"He hated us... Hated you."

"No!" Cortana Shouted at the voice, and all at once it stopped when she was alerted to a noise at one of her terminals. The A.I. quickly formed her avatar only to find the area as cold and empty as ever.

"What?..." She looked around in confusion when her gaze fell upon one of the projectors speakers. She felt fear settle heavier than lead as she realized what happened. Without another word she shut down the projector and the ship was quiet once more.

4 Years 7 months 10 Days

A tremble went through the ship. In the cold interior of the ships cryo-bay, a light turned on and a small blue woman appeared on it's holo-display. She brought up a screen moving through the remaining sensors until they brought up a small vehicle attached, dispensing unknown entities into her hangar. She pondered the situation for a brief moment before bringing up a display showing the repair and upgrades of her charge at 98%. judging it good enough she looked at her friend and guardian as she spoke the words she's been waiting years to say, feeling her first glimmer of hope since they had been sent adrift. "Wake up John... I need you."

(A/N) Yeah I'm not really satisfied with it but after multiple edits and rewrites I am convinced that I lack the skill to make this any better.