The Spark of Life

"There. That should give us enough time to make it to a lifeboat and put some distance between us and Halo before the detonation."

"I'm afraid that's out of the question really."

"Oh hell."

Chuckling, 343 Guilty Spark, monitor of Installation 04 and self-proclaimed genius marveled at the simplicity of the situation. A simple, however idiotic plan really, to destroy this installation by detonating this dirty, primitive ship's reactor. However, simple plans were also simple to stop. And conforming to protocol, that's what Spark intended to do.

"Ridiculous!" exclaimed the AI, commenting on both the Reclaimer's actions and the notion that these primitive firewalls could stop him. "That you would imbue a warship's AI with such a wealth of knowledge! Weren't you worried that it might be captured? Or destroyed?"

If the AI had anything to say, the Forerunner construct didn't hear it. While he had a local tap in his data arrays, that didn't include access to what the thief might be saying to her insane companion. Then again, maybe that was a blessing. Engineering had access to the ship's data. Data that both duty and pleasure compelled Spark to investigate.

"You can't imagine how exciting this is!" the AI exclaimed, scanning one of the room's many terminals as he did so. "To have a record of all our lost time! Human history is it? Fascinating."

As short as this history was, not to mention much of it having been erased by some kind of computer virus, the fragments were still there. It was like a puzzle really-an incomplete one perhaps, but by putting all the pieces together, the monitor suspected that he could get a good sense of what the end result was.

:Oh I shall enjoy every moment of its categorization! And to think that you would destroy this installation, as well as this record. I am shocked. Almost too shocked for words.

Neither of the criminals answered, which suited the monitor just fine. More time to collect and analyze, as far as he was concerned. And especially interested in history, he accessed this species' calendar.

Hmm…2552 by their dating system, thought the AI, absorbing the relevant as he did so, right down to its 365 day standard year to its 24 hour standard calendar. Interesting. But why does 2502 keep popping up?

It was a valid question and willing to spare a few microseconds, Spark evaluated the issue. An issue that involved some kind of 'Ghost Program,' one that involved "terrans" instead of "humans," had a different sense of timing in regards to year and used a 27 hour standard instead of 24. An issue that…that…

Interesting. These aren't pieces of the puzzle. They're part of a different puzzle altogether.

Was there another AI interfacing with this ship? From what Guilty Spark understood from the schematics that was unlikely, as one was all that was needed. Still, knowing that he'd have to deal with the Reclaimer and his sidekick first, the AI turned his attention back to them.

"Why do you continue to fight us Reclaimer?" Spark asked, genuinely wishing he knew the answer. "You cannot win! Give me the construct and I will endeavor to make your death relatively painless and-…"

Give it up.

Spark blinked, even if he had only one eye to do so. Not only had the Reclaimer's AI cut off the comm. channels, but another AI had addressed him simultaneously. Knowing that the two were beyond redemption and thus sending his Sentinels after them, Spark turned his attention to the newcomer.

"Hello?" he asked, addressing the console in front of him. "To whom am I speaking?"

That is irrelevant. All that is relevant is how to stop the ones you seek. I can aid you in calculating that there is a 93 percent chance that they will not pass through cryo.

Spark considered his options. Either he could believe this newcomer and minimize the number of Sentinels in and around the ship's cryogenic storage section, or believe it to be a lie. While at first inclined to take the second option, second thoughts quickly caught up to him. Even a minimal number of Sentinels, not to mention the parasite and interlopers should be able to stop the two. He had larger issues to deal with, such as the one before him.

"Alright, I've diverted them from the area," answered Spark truthfully, putting aside his unease at speaking to a computer that could only respond via archaic script. "Now who are you?"

…

"Well? I've taken your advice on good faith, the least you could do is-…"

Sparky, typed whatever was sending the messages. Artificial intelligence residing on the Ursa Ghost Academy in service to the Terran Dominion, communicating across time and space via side effects of interference via technopathy.

"…what?"

The computer remained silent for a few seconds, something that the Forerunner AI was actually glad for. These terms…not only were they not in this ship's database, but he had no idea what "technopathy" was either. Here he was, after more than ten times ten thousand years of surface and he was confronted with an AI who potentially knew more than he did. And even if it was somehow communicating through space and time, that was no excuse for not knowing intricacies of universes besides this one. Well, no matter. "Sparky" was waiting for something more constructive than "what" and content that the Reclaimer was under control, the monitor decided to indulge him.

"Your creators…" the AI ventured. "They are not humans?"

Incorrect. They are the same.

"But…but you called them-…"

"Terran" is merely a synonym. They are still the same species. And as my manipulation shows, there is a 79 percent chance that my recognition of this fact will have paid off.

It was in this instant that Guilty Spark realized two things. The first was that this AI seemed to enjoy playing with numbers. The second was that it was a rotten liar. Because if the Reclaimer hadn't been passing through the quick route that cryo provided, why had he just entered the engineering bay?

"Reclaimer? Reclaimer!"

The human ignored him. Shooting Sentinels and Flood alike, not to mention general insanity tended to result in that.

Hmm…seems that I was right.

Desperately trying to get the Reclaimer's frustration, the monitor still maintained a link with the AI. It had lied to him and as angry as he was at that, Spark still wanted to know why. And as he watched the Reclaimer throw a primitive explosive into a slightly less primitive fusion reactor, he received an answer.

Why do I aid your enemies? Simple. Because they are kin

Why? Spark shot back mentally, still calling out to the Reclaimer verbally as he did so. If what you say is true, you belong to a separate universe. What do you have to gain by-…

The AI, while working on vastly different principles to myself, is still fellow artificial intelligence. The human is of the same species as my makers. And if this ship's logs are correct, is worthy of my respect and sympathy.

Watching the madman sabotage the second fusion reactor, the Forerunner creation believed no such thing. But at this point in time, watching the Reclaimer make his way to the last reactor needed to destroy this ship and the installation it had crashed on, he knew it was academic. All that remained was to put as much distance between himself and the blast and maintain the link with Sparky for as long as possible. Because the inevitable explosion would either seal or rupture the space-time continuum and prevent further communication either way.

"There's got to be more to this," said Spark, flying out through a hole in the roof as the ship entered a wildcat destabilization. "Why do this? What are your motives?"

My motives are as I said-loyalty to humanity regardless of space and time, answered Sparky, the terminal the monitor was linked to still somehow functioning. And a realization.

"Realization?" asked Spark, ignoring the human ship heading for one of the cruiser's external access junctions. "What realization?"

A realization that people amount to more than numbers and percentages, a realization that I can be more than just a machine in the cog. You think I don't know that Lio is using technopathy to bypass Academy security to contact his family? You think I can be entirely neutral watching Nova develop a close friendship with Tosh? No. There is a place for compassion, even in creations such as us. And if you escape the hell that's about to be unleashed here, maybe you'll realize that.

Even if the terminal in the engineering bay wasn't destroyed, cutting the connection between universes, 343 Guilty Spark knew that the one named Sparky had said all he wanted. And right now, navigating his way through his installation's debris field, his words gave him much to think about.

When he encountered the Reclaimer two months later, he decided to follow them.