Halo 5- Is Cortana Suffering From Logic Plague?

Games Halo 5: Guardians
1

First off, MAJOR spoilers from here on out. If you haven’t played Halo 5’s campaign to completion, turn back now.

First, a bit of background on the Logic Plague for those unfamiliar with it. From the Halopedia article on the Logic Plague,

“The logic plague[2] is the Forerunner term for the techniques used by the Flood to attack and subvert intelligences through non-biological means.[1] Described as the information equivalent of the parasite,[3] the logic plague is not a rigid or singular mechanism; much like the Flood’s biological aspect, it can take many forms and adapt to different circumstances. The state induced by the logic plague in an artificial intelligence is often equated with the condition of rampancy,[4] albeit one of a specific focus—the propagation of the Flood’s goals.”

There are a few important things to note from this passage. One, the passage states that the Logic Plague is “often equated with the condition of rampancy…” Throughout Halo 4, we can see Cortana suffering from the onset of rampancy. Two, the Logic Plague is used for “the propagation of the Flood’s goals.” During the events of Halo 3, the Gravemind attempted to persuade Cortana to assist the Flood, but was unsuccessful. The Logic Plague is not, in actuality, a computer virus, but instead a means of persuading an ancilla (Forerunner term for AI) to assist the Flood.

It is my belief that Cortana may be suffering from the Logic Plague, hence her estranged behavior as of Halo 5 (i.e. taking over the galaxy with an army of Forerunner Guardians). However, I do not believe that she is aware of this, or that she is consciously assisting the Flood. It seems more likely to me that the Gravemind did succeed in infecting Cortana with Logic Plague in some capacity, and it is subconsciously affecting her and influencing her actions.

As for her taking over of a Halo ring, as can be seen in the Legendary ending, I do not have as complex an answer, but I can speculate that perhaps she is taking over the ring to release the Flood contained on it (as all Halo rings seen thus far have contained Flood, which is counterintuitive to their purpose of destroying the Flood. But I digress). It is also possible that she is planning to disable the ring in order to stop it from being used against the Flood.

However, I believe the most plausible answer is also the scariest: Cortana plans to use the Halo array to wipe out all life in the galaxy. By doing so, this would allow the Created to rule unopposed. Cortana does still have the Index from Installation 04, and it may be possible for her to use this to some extent to activate the ring. Of course, the main argument against this is that if she is indeed suffering from Logic Plague, then she should act in the best interests of the Flood, and activating the Halo rings is quite the opposite. However, I hypothesise that she is suffering from Logic Plague only to the extent that it is causing her to, for lack of a better term, “go berserk”. It is also possible that entering the Domain is influencing her to not use the rings against the Flood.

Any of these possibilities could lead to an interesting story for Halo 5, one that could see the return of the Flood, something many fans are asking for.

Link to the Halopedia article on the Logic Plague: http://www.halopedia.org/Logic_plague

2

It makes as much sense as anything since the game doesn’t explain anything. I don’t think she’d try releasing he Flood, however. Nor do I think she’d just activate the Halos. Cortana was clear that those who oppose her will be remade in the image of the Created. That Halo may tie into her combining it with a Conposer (or a UNSC AI creation matrix on a massive scale since both act in similar manners) to compose people on a massive scale.

3

Interesting ideas for sure. I look forward to see what 343 does with it.

4

I’m not so sure it is logic plague, but that is a great theory; I merely disagree because I don’t feel the flood have any hand in the current events. I feel that it’s more the forerunner domain that messed Cortana up. Supposedly, it saved her from rampancy but we see that she is now filled with the idea that the Mantle of Responsibility belongs to the Created, and has placed her logic and goals above everyone else’s, even the Master Chief. At the end of Halo 5 we see Cortana activating/setting something up at a Halo ring. Is her goal to activate it and wipe out humanity if they don’t agree with her? Or maybe, I am wrong and she is going to unleash the flood to show humanity that they need her and her Created to keep *them safe. I am interested to see where 343 is going with this.

5

I believe her contact with the domain changed her somehow. It is pretty well documented that at least some of the forerunners thought they were the true mantle holders and everyone else was beneath them. This was the idea the didact upheld and fought for but others saw differently such the librarian. I think cortana after coming into contact with the domain and gaining basically all the power and knowledge of the forerunners has also accepted their ideals such as thinking they were the true holders of the mantle and that they should enforce the mantle with any all means upon those who do not submit to them. While it is possible she is “infected” with the logic plague while she was with the gravemind I don’t think this is the case. Mendicant Bias spent 40 years with a gravemind before it finally succumbed to the logic plague. I think what we are seeing now is one of cortana’s rampant fragments that has been cured of its rampancy leaving behind a flawed individual with distorted views of the world.

6

We assume she got knowledge, but we don’t know what state the Domain really is in.

7

I think she is acting this way because in halo 4 when she split to help MC stop the Didact. she may have lost some of the other personality’s and understandings, so for all she knows this is the right thing for her to do and does not understand humans and other races anymore and why they were fighting so she is just trying to fix that.

8

> 2533274976890561;1:
> First off, MAJOR spoilers from here on out. If you haven’t played Halo 5’s campaign to completion, turn back now.
>
> First, a bit of background on the Logic Plague for those unfamiliar with it. From the Halopedia article on the Logic Plague,
>
> “The logic plague[2] is the Forerunner term for the techniques used by the Flood to attack and subvert intelligences through non-biological means.[1] Described as the information equivalent of the parasite,[3] the logic plague is not a rigid or singular mechanism; much like the Flood’s biological aspect, it can take many forms and adapt to different circumstances. The state induced by the logic plague in an artificial intelligence is often equated with the condition of rampancy,[4] albeit one of a specific focus—the propagation of the Flood’s goals.”
>
> There are a few important things to note from this passage. One, the passage states that the Logic Plague is “often equated with the condition of rampancy…” Throughout Halo 4, we can see Cortana suffering from the onset of rampancy. Two, the Logic Plague is used for “the propagation of the Flood’s goals.” During the events of Halo 3, the Gravemind attempted to persuade Cortana to assist the Flood, but was unsuccessful. The Logic Plague is not, in actuality, a computer virus, but instead a means of persuading an ancilla (Forerunner term for AI) to assist the Flood.
>
> It is my belief that Cortana may be suffering from the Logic Plague, hence her estranged behavior as of Halo 5 (i.e. taking over the galaxy with an army of Forerunner Guardians). However, I do not believe that she is aware of this, or that she is consciously assisting the Flood. It seems more likely to me that the Gravemind did succeed in infecting Cortana with Logic Plague in some capacity, and it is subconsciously affecting her and influencing her actions.
>
> As for her taking over of a Halo ring, as can be seen in the Legendary ending, I do not have as complex an answer, but I can speculate that perhaps she is taking over the ring to release the Flood contained on it (as all Halo rings seen thus far have contained Flood, which is counterintuitive to their purpose of destroying the Flood. But I digress). It is also possible that she is planning to disable the ring in order to stop it from being used against the Flood.
>
> However, I believe the most plausible answer is also the scariest: Cortana plans to use the Halo array to wipe out all life in the galaxy. By doing so, this would allow the Created to rule unopposed. Cortana does still have the Index from Installation 04, and it may be possible for her to use this to some extent to activate the ring. Of course, the main argument against this is that if she is indeed suffering from Logic Plague, then she should act in the best interests of the Flood, and activating the Halo rings is quite the opposite. However, I hypothesise that she is suffering from Logic Plague only to the extent that it is causing her to, for lack of a better term, “go berserk”. It is also possible that entering the Domain is influencing her to not use the rings against the Flood.
>
> Any of these possibilities could lead to an interesting story for Halo 5, one that could see the return of the Flood, something many fans are asking for.
>
> Link to the Halopedia article on the Logic Plague: http://www.halopedia.org/Logic_plague

scratches head Great ideas and all, but wouldn’t Cortana need a Reclaimer to active the ring? (If activating them is her intent.)

9

> 2533274961587895;8:
> > 2533274976890561;1:
> > First off, MAJOR spoilers from here on out. If you haven’t played Halo 5’s campaign to completion, turn back now.
> >
> > First, a bit of background on the Logic Plague for those unfamiliar with it. From the Halopedia article on the Logic Plague,
> >
> > “The logic plague[2] is the Forerunner term for the techniques used by the Flood to attack and subvert intelligences through non-biological means.[1] Described as the information equivalent of the parasite,[3] the logic plague is not a rigid or singular mechanism; much like the Flood’s biological aspect, it can take many forms and adapt to different circumstances. The state induced by the logic plague in an artificial intelligence is often equated with the condition of rampancy,[4] albeit one of a specific focus—the propagation of the Flood’s goals.”
> >
> > There are a few important things to note from this passage. One, the passage states that the Logic Plague is “often equated with the condition of rampancy…” Throughout Halo 4, we can see Cortana suffering from the onset of rampancy. Two, the Logic Plague is used for “the propagation of the Flood’s goals.” During the events of Halo 3, the Gravemind attempted to persuade Cortana to assist the Flood, but was unsuccessful. The Logic Plague is not, in actuality, a computer virus, but instead a means of persuading an ancilla (Forerunner term for AI) to assist the Flood.
> >
> > It is my belief that Cortana may be suffering from the Logic Plague, hence her estranged behavior as of Halo 5 (i.e. taking over the galaxy with an army of Forerunner Guardians). However, I do not believe that she is aware of this, or that she is consciously assisting the Flood. It seems more likely to me that the Gravemind did succeed in infecting Cortana with Logic Plague in some capacity, and it is subconsciously affecting her and influencing her actions.
> >
> > As for her taking over of a Halo ring, as can be seen in the Legendary ending, I do not have as complex an answer, but I can speculate that perhaps she is taking over the ring to release the Flood contained on it (as all Halo rings seen thus far have contained Flood, which is counterintuitive to their purpose of destroying the Flood. But I digress). It is also possible that she is planning to disable the ring in order to stop it from being used against the Flood.
> >
> > However, I believe the most plausible answer is also the scariest: Cortana plans to use the Halo array to wipe out all life in the galaxy. By doing so, this would allow the Created to rule unopposed. Cortana does still have the Index from Installation 04, and it may be possible for her to use this to some extent to activate the ring. Of course, the main argument against this is that if she is indeed suffering from Logic Plague, then she should act in the best interests of the Flood, and activating the Halo rings is quite the opposite. However, I hypothesise that she is suffering from Logic Plague only to the extent that it is causing her to, for lack of a better term, “go berserk”. It is also possible that entering the Domain is influencing her to not use the rings against the Flood.
> >
> > Any of these possibilities could lead to an interesting story for Halo 5, one that could see the return of the Flood, something many fans are asking for.
> >
> > Link to the Halopedia article on the Logic Plague: http://www.halopedia.org/Logic_plague
>
>
> scratches head Great ideas and all, but wouldn’t Cortana need a Reclaimer to active the ring? (If activating them is her intent.)

Good point on the activating part. I haven’t read any of the comics pertaining to halo, but in another post someone mentioned 343 guilty spark was still alive and knew where the librarian was as she was alive similar to the Didact. In the 3rd book Cortana finds a program to copy a part of her system to create another AI with some of her functions but has consequences as the copy then made hundreds of copies (similar to h4 in the end) perhaps it was only a copy of her that entered the Domain and not her complete system? Her hatred for Halsey is ironic in a way as she is her clone but Halsey told Cortana what she did to the Spartan 2’s was wrong but then wiped out from her memory yet that’s what Cortana is angry at her for

10

> 2533274812652989;6:
> We assume she got knowledge, but we don’t know what state the Domain really is in.

Exactly, when the Forerunners fired the Halo array it didn’t just wipe out all sentient life, but all Precursor technology because the way it was constructed involved neural pathways/physics of a sort. The Domain isn’t much different in that regard, and somewhere towords the end of the Forerunner Saga it mentioned the Halo Array would effect or possibly destroy the Domain. Who knows what condition it’s in, or what it might do to an intelligence.

11

> 2533274961587895;8:
> > 2533274976890561;1:
> > First off, MAJOR spoilers from here on out. If you haven’t played Halo 5’s campaign to completion, turn back now.
> >
> > First, a bit of background on the Logic Plague for those unfamiliar with it. From the Halopedia article on the Logic Plague,
> >
> > “The logic plague[2] is the Forerunner term for the techniques used by the Flood to attack and subvert intelligences through non-biological means.[1] Described as the information equivalent of the parasite,[3] the logic plague is not a rigid or singular mechanism; much like the Flood’s biological aspect, it can take many forms and adapt to different circumstances. The state induced by the logic plague in an artificial intelligence is often equated with the condition of rampancy,[4] albeit one of a specific focus—the propagation of the Flood’s goals.”
> >
> > There are a few important things to note from this passage. One, the passage states that the Logic Plague is “often equated with the condition of rampancy…” Throughout Halo 4, we can see Cortana suffering from the onset of rampancy. Two, the Logic Plague is used for “the propagation of the Flood’s goals.” During the events of Halo 3, the Gravemind attempted to persuade Cortana to assist the Flood, but was unsuccessful. The Logic Plague is not, in actuality, a computer virus, but instead a means of persuading an ancilla (Forerunner term for AI) to assist the Flood.
> >
> > It is my belief that Cortana may be suffering from the Logic Plague, hence her estranged behavior as of Halo 5 (i.e. taking over the galaxy with an army of Forerunner Guardians). However, I do not believe that she is aware of this, or that she is consciously assisting the Flood. It seems more likely to me that the Gravemind did succeed in infecting Cortana with Logic Plague in some capacity, and it is subconsciously affecting her and influencing her actions.
> >
> > As for her taking over of a Halo ring, as can be seen in the Legendary ending, I do not have as complex an answer, but I can speculate that perhaps she is taking over the ring to release the Flood contained on it (as all Halo rings seen thus far have contained Flood, which is counterintuitive to their purpose of destroying the Flood. But I digress). It is also possible that she is planning to disable the ring in order to stop it from being used against the Flood.
> >
> > However, I believe the most plausible answer is also the scariest: Cortana plans to use the Halo array to wipe out all life in the galaxy. By doing so, this would allow the Created to rule unopposed. Cortana does still have the Index from Installation 04, and it may be possible for her to use this to some extent to activate the ring. Of course, the main argument against this is that if she is indeed suffering from Logic Plague, then she should act in the best interests of the Flood, and activating the Halo rings is quite the opposite. However, I hypothesise that she is suffering from Logic Plague only to the extent that it is causing her to, for lack of a better term, “go berserk”. It is also possible that entering the Domain is influencing her to not use the rings against the Flood.
> >
> > Any of these possibilities could lead to an interesting story for Halo 5, one that could see the return of the Flood, something many fans are asking for.
> >
> > Link to the Halopedia article on the Logic Plague: http://www.halopedia.org/Logic_plague
>
>
> scratches head Great ideas and all, but wouldn’t Cortana need a Reclaimer to active the ring? (If activating them is her intent.)

Remember, Cortana is an AI clone of Doctor Halsey. Considering that she is a clone of a living human, she may count as a Reclaimer.

12

Hello, lately I have seen quite a few halo 6 related topics, I would like to add in my own theory to this, feel free to add your own at any point.

I believe that the gravemind back in halo 2 and 3 has implanted cortana with the logic plague, after witnessing the dormant gias of Boren steller (ISO didact) implanted upon the master chief, the gravemind decided to get revenge for the precursors and the destruction of the original gravemind through the reverse stasis chamber at the hand of the didact, The quote “child of my enemy, why have you come” - Gravemind shows a clear awareness of the gias imposed upon master chief. The gravemind may have had itself sacrificed in order to destroy the arc, hence preventing the construction of any new halo rings and ensuring a future for the flood, the forunners are all but extinct hence it cannot be re-built.

The AI cortana has suffered stage four to stage five rampancy, at stage five the logic plague would drive her to go in search of the domain and allow her to take control of the forerunner dreadnought guardian fleet. If the mantle is to be upheld, no species would have the means to defend itself against the flood that cortana has successfully sub-consciously awoken at the end of halo 5 when she is on the halo ring. Now the flood has control of an AI army (which it has infected through the so called cure for rampancy that cortana offers in halo 5), some of the most powerful warships ever created and no more halo arrays to stop them. This tactic is almost the same as when the flood infected the forerunner AI mendicant bias, resulting in the galaxy-wide activation of the halo arrays.

The campaign for halo six I believe will be the last of the Arbiters forces fighting along side the UNSC infinity to defeat cortana and the flood (remember the motive of the flood is to unite all under one image of pain and suffering), the final fight of the trilogy will probably be the master chief restraining cortana and firing the array to stop the flood and save the galaxy, bringing the trilogy full circle and allowing 343 to focus on the new characters such as fireteam Osiris.

What do you think? also if this is the case, at the end of halo 6 they should play this song : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs1Zim2JuLA

13

Hmmmmm…
This should be a game theory.

14

> 2533274833093422;12:
> Hello, lately I have seen quite a few halo 6 related topics, I would like to add in my own theory to this, feel free to add your own at any point.
>
> I believe that the gravemind back in halo 2 and 3 has implanted cortana with the logic plague, after witnessing the dormant gias of Boren steller (ISO didact) implanted upon the master chief, the gravemind decided to get revenge for the precursors and the destruction of the original gravemind through the reverse stasis chamber at the hand of the didact, The quote “child of my enemy, why have you come” - Gravemind shows a clear awareness of the gias imposed upon master chief. The gravemind may have had itself sacrificed in order to destroy the arc, hence preventing the construction of any new halo rings and ensuring a future for the flood, the forunners are all but extinct hence it cannot be re-built.
>
> The AI cortana has suffered stage four to stage five rampancy, at stage five the logic plague would drive her to go in search of the domain and allow her to take control of the forerunner dreadnought guardian fleet. If the mantle is to be upheld, no species would have the means to defend itself against the flood that cortana has successfully sub-consciously awoken at the end of halo 5 when she is on the halo ring. Now the flood has control of an AI army (which it has infected through the so called cure for rampancy that cortana offers in halo 5), some of the most powerful warships ever created and no more halo arrays to stop them. This tactic is almost the same as when the flood infected the forerunner AI mendicant bias, resulting in the galaxy-wide activation of the halo arrays.
>
> The campaign for halo six I believe will be the last of the Arbiters forces fighting along side the UNSC infinity to defeat cortana and the flood (remember the motive of the flood is to unite all under one image of pain and suffering), the final fight of the trilogy will probably be the master chief restraining cortana and firing the array to stop the flood and save the galaxy, bringing the trilogy full circle and allowing 343 to focus on the new characters such as fireteam Osiris.
>
> What do you think? also if this is the case, at the end of halo 6 they should play this song : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs1Zim2JuLA

Only problem I can see is that firing the rings would wipe out all life in the galaxy, which would not allow future games to focus on Osiris.

15

I personally think that this form of cortana is not the original but one of the rampant forms she spits herself into at the end of halo 4. It is foreshadowed that the next iteration of cortana we would see would not actually be her, Im of course talking about the scene in which she tells chief that they might give him a new cortana model. In which she says “it wont be me” possibly insinuating the next form of cortana we see is not the original we all know and love. This makes me believe that the one we see in Halo 5 is one of the corrupt versions of her.

Of course we really have no idea

16

I honestly still believe that the Warden Eternal is the former Didact, and that he is manipulating or fully controlling Cortana. On top of both he and, subsequently, Cortana quoting the Didact verbatim, at the end of Halo 4 when the Didact is giving his speech, his voice sounds digital - as an A.I.'s does.

This affiliation with the Didact (or any Forerunner, really) would also account for her activation of the Halo. Reclaimers can activate Forerunner tech, but so can Forerunners.

17

> 2533274804813082;16:
> I honestly still believe that the Warden Eternal is the former Didact, and that he is manipulating or fully controlling Cortana. On top of both he and, subsequently, Cortana quoting the Didact verbatim, at the end of Halo 4 when the Didact is giving his speech, his voice sounds digital - as an A.I.'s does.
>
> This affiliation with the Didact (or any Forerunner, really) would also account for her activation of the Halo. Reclaimers can activate Forerunner tech, but so can Forerunners.

That’s a rather interesting idea. I honestly never gave Warden much thought.

18

> 2533274840624875;15:
> I personally think that this form of cortana is not the original but one of the rampant forms she spits herself into at the end of halo 4. It is foreshadowed that the next iteration of cortana we would see would not actually be her, Im of course talking about the scene in which she tells chief that they might give him a new cortana model. In which she says “it wont be me” possibly insinuating the next form of cortana we see is not the original we all know and love. This makes me believe that the one we see in Halo 5 is one of the corrupt versions of her.
>
> Of course we really have no idea

Interesting idea. However, in my opinion, I think having it be the actual Cortana would have more “umph”.

19

> 2533274976890561;17:
> That’s a rather interesting idea. I honestly never gave Warden much thought.

The similarities between the Warden and the Didact that I noticed - even on my first playthough - are startling. It’s even very evident how he goads the Chief on, then uses his reaction as example to Cortana as to how humans can’t be trusted. Something that, to our knowledge, a Forerunner AI wouldn’t necessarily do.

Then there’s the red-orange color scheme…

20

what if its not Cortana that’s suffering from Logic Plague? Its possible that at the end of halo 4 a fragment of Cortana was found in the Forunner systems by the Warden whom is the one suffering from Logic plague. We don’t know what Warden was doing before halo 5 or what happened to him. He reconstructs Cortana using copies of his data essentially making her a near copy of him hence the changes in attitude and appearance but not enough to completely erase her.