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This article, Althea, written by Distant Tide, was voted as the Best Third-Party Faction Character of 2020 in the Thirteenth Annual Halo Fanon Wikia Awards. |
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This fanfiction article, Althea, was written by Distant Tide. Please do not edit this fiction without the writer's permission. |
- "Conceived from the dreaming mind of Zeus, the goddess Athena was born. As am I."
- ― Smart AI activation phrase. Spoken by Althea upon her first diagnostic test.
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Althea (AI Serial Number: ALT 5032-4) is a experimental, fourth-generation Smart AI created for Spartan neurology research and later refined for cyberwarfare functions in support of SPARTAN-III deployments. Wiped thoroughly of memories, her copy-cat personality is a product of the missing identity which she seeks to fill.
Part of Project LOKIBORN, a 2558 military-corporate research venture backed by the 117 Institute, Althea was developed under some legal ambiguity involving cloned brain-AI conversion. Following the research study, she was handed off to the Office of Naval Intelligence and assigned to Ferret Team Boson at the request of Doctor Reyna Zhou-Romero.
Following extended exposure to Andra-D054, Althea adapted the Spartan's personality, much to the discomfort of the AI's allies. This emulation habit also extended to Merlin-D032 during their time together. Having received Andra's steadfast dedication to her friends, the Created agenda disinterests her. Due to the neurology research tied to Project: CHRYSANTHEMUM, Althea is prone to the occasional mood swing though unassociated to symptoms of Rampancy.
Biography[]
Project LOKIBORN[]
- "Rogue Spartan operatives present a previously-unprecedented national security threat, one I believe we must analyze and diagnosis and I think that begins with examining Spartan neurology."
- ― Doctor Reyna Zhou-Romero to an ONI project supervisor.
Following her involvement with the politically-controversial SPARTAN-III Delta Company revival program that nearly ended with her incarceration on a life sentence, Doctor Reyna Zhou-Romero was sanctioned by the Office of Naval Intelligence to continue her civilian-contract work regarding the mental health of Spartan supersoldiers, now extending to SPARTAN-III Gamma Company and the SPARTAN-IV Program.
Assigned in November 2557 to the Spartan Branch's secret training facility, one unnamed to her to the point she called it "Farside Station," Doctor Romero spent three months there serving as a civilian contractor and ONI liaison to the UNSC Spartan Branch, providing services as a mental health specialist and therapist. Following her post-incident analysis of multiple rogue Spartans including an extensive background search, she came to the same conclusion that previous psychoanalysts reached: that their findings were inconclusive, only developing into preliminary theories.
While SPARTAN-IVs were a known-quantity with easily-explainable behavior that ended in their rogue status and being marked by STOLEN GAUNTLET protocol, the SPARTAN-IIIs, and even SPARTAN-IIs, proved indeterminate to the point that Doctor Romero petitioned for a new study involving the replication of suspect conditions that culminated in rogue Spartan operatives inside a laboratory environment using technologies and techniques associated with the development of Smart AIs and flash-cloning.
While the proposed program skirted close to breaking the conditions laid out by the UN Colonial Mortal Dictata, a principal Unified Earth Government human rights charter, Doctor Romero's superiors felt the program was a necessary measure and determined from the operative-lawful language of the human rights documentation, they could legally carry out the program designated Project LOKIBORN.
Doctor Romero transferred back to the Office of Naval Intelligence in January 2558 and began her work upon receiving allocated funds, equipment for the new project, based out of Boston, Massachusetts in the United Republic of North America at the 117 Institute. Still, given her status as persona non grata from the Delta Company fiasco, she was kept under strict lockdown and surveillance and blocked from taking leadership in LOKIBORN.
Unappreciated Assistant[]
Imperial War[]
The Imperial War was among the largest engagements by UNSC forces since the end of the Human-Covenant War.
- Main articles: RP:Imperium and Imperial War
Lonely Frontier[]
- Main article: Halo: Lonely Frontier
- "Please, let me stand by you and protect you. Just like she did."
- ― Althea pleading to Merlin-D032 for her life and purpose.
Silent Garden Race[]
- Main articles: Halo: Heaven and Earth/Book Two: New Earth and Halo: Heaven and Earth/Book Three: Heaven and Earth
Avery Johnson Military Academy[]
Character Assessment[]
Avatar Description[]
Althea's heavily-clothed avatar; her face peaks just out of her hood.
- "Andra and I like big jackets, and I think they're cute. I don't think there needs to be anymore to it."
- ― Althea remarking on her chosen avatar.
Althea's holographic avatar is constructed of an indigo-blue hue or aura and appears to ripple with static patterns similar to sunlight reflected off shallow water. While this light trick helps distinguish Althea from other AI on a personal level, she will often revert to a less taxing-light pattern when prioritizing energy consumption and thinking capacity. Her coloration can be prone to sudden changes in relation to her LOKIBORN-derived mood swings. Her complexion appears as a young, pale East European teenage girl similar to Andra-D054 but with exaggerated, almost-comical physical features.
Dressed in a large cloak and hood, Althea is often hidden in shadow but her distinct blue eyes, often described as 'larger-than-life' seem to shine through. Along with a small, rather straightforward nose and a small mouth, Althea is a somewhat faithful recreation of Andra-D054's facial features.
Her hair is cut in a similar form to Andra during her early Delta Company training days, however, unlike the long and dark brown-haired Andra, Althea's hair is jet-black in color. Her hair is rests at chin length and retreats away from the back of her virtual skull. The ends of her hair are distinctively spiky, and yet, straighter and better-maintained than any focused effort in personal hygiene Andra attempted for herself, during training or otherwise. Similar to Andra, Althea's hair will often form hair bangs and fall into her eyes.
Althea's cloak is dark and physically form-fitting, accenting feminine curves that reaches between her knees and ankles. While Althea defaults to hiding within her hood, she has been known to pull it back for those she trusts or to the benefit of others. The hood often comes back up in times of great emotional outburst or feeling such as embarrassment, sadness, extreme shyness, frustration, and occasionally rage. Althea has admitted that her apparent feminine physique is a conscience design choice and an exaggeration of Andra's own. While thin, Andra never had a thin frame like that of Althea. In fact, Althea lacks any and all hints toward Andra's Spartan-grade muscular strength. Underneath the black trench coat, Althea wears a black tight-collarless top and black leggings covered in black knee-high boots.
Personality[]
Nicknames and Callsigns[]
- "ALT": A vocalized nickname based on Althea's official AI designator, also doubles as a keyboard key shortcut. Used in general circumstances, lacks any particular emotional sensitivities.
- "Doll": Bestowed on Althea by Andra-D054 as the two became vague simulacra of one another with time. Doll was Andra's own disliked nickname and her recall back to hating other orphan girls playing with dolls before becoming a Spartan, Andra considered Althea her own doll of sorts.
Relationships[]
Smart AI[]
- Deep Winter: The SPARTAN-III program administration AI and former leader of The Assembly AI conglomerate. Following a formal retirement by ONI, Deep Winter found his way into the care of Shinsu 'Refum and his Cleansing Fire after a service life looking for ways to elongate his lifespan within UNSC resources. However, his refusal to concede to Cortana's Created led to their opposing roles in the new conflict. Short on allies, Deep Winter and Althea formed a informal alliance within the 'Refum fleet to protect their allies and fight against Created. Still, Althea was wary of his elderly man façade and remained uncertain of his true intentions even after his death.
- Diana: A rogue AI and founder of the Free Domain. Diana and Althea collided during the Created conflict after a surprise encounter on Franconia where Diana's commandeered Guardian capturing Althea's corvette. Taking advantage of Althea's protective tendencies towards Merlin-D032, Diana smuggled herself into Merlin's armor, supplanting Althea, during a jungle expedition. Trapped within Merlin's armor, Althea watched helplessly as Diana impersonated her to activate the Silent Garden repository on Franconia. Diana's manipulation greatly increased Althea's protectiveness towards Merlin and a need for retribution.
- Juno: A rogue AI and partner to the renegade Spartan Simon-G294. After her horrifying experiences under Diana's cyberwarfare exploits, Althea was very hesitant to interact with Juno who shared Diana's brain donor and software signature. While uncomfortable around Juno, the good word of Deep Winter at least helped smooth relations and allowed the two AI to collaborate during their mutual alliance with the Cleansing Fire.
Spartans[]
- Andra-D054: Althea's indirect progenitor and a SPARTAN-III commando from Delta Company. Althea was first given to Andra-D054 as a gift from Dr. Zhou-Romero at the 117 Institute. Andra served as the caretaker for Althea despite her multi-faceted distaste for the AI. Due to their continued proximity, Althea cloned Andra's neurology to create a personality template for herself after being thoroughly wiped of her previous memories during Project LOKIBORN. Andra developed a mistrust of Smart AI during the Created crisis and wanted little to do with Althea after. Despite that, their mutual care for Merlin-D032 make them distant allies.
- Merlin-D032: Althea's closest friend and a SPARTAN-III commando from Delta Company. After being stranded together on Oyster Point by a Guardian Custode on the eve of the Created uprising, the mistrusting Spartan and AI duo were forced to collaborate in the wilderness for weeks against local hunters, hyperintelligent alien creatures, and Baal Defense Solutions pursuers to survive. Their time together on Oyster Point would be the basis for a lifelong bond. Althea's relationship is complicated by a mirrored physical attraction to Merlin from Andra's psyche, however, their working relationship is more akin to family or best friends. Where Andra was unable to be by Merlin's side, Althea filled the space with her primary wish to keep the boy safe despite his dangerous profession and pension for trouble.
- Callum-B042: A retired SPARTAN-III Headhunter from Beta Company. After miraculously uniting with Merlin-D032 and Althea on Oyster Point, the trio fought to escape the doomed world. Althea favored Callum-B042 and considers him something of a uncle or father figure in a similar vein as Andra-D054. After moving and retiring to Furthest Point with his wife, Althea established an interstellar communications business and gave the reins to the Spartan upon joining Merlin once more on an adventure in pursuit of the Silent Garden. She was the one that recommended Callum adopt Andra as the girl lacked stable relationships in a very lonely galaxy.
See Also[]
Notable Links[] |
Literary Appearances[]
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