[quote]I remember differently.[/quote]Allow me to explain. [i]"By an AI of unknown origin. Whose clearance is well above my own." -The Package, Cutscene, Halo: Reach[/i] Origin in this case simply means location. Why? Because the second sentence refers to Cortana's clearance level, which means it's a UNSC AI as it was given clearance levels that adhere to the UNSC Chain of Command. [i]"Knowledge. A birthright from an ancient civilization. This AI is its custodian, and she has chosen you as her couriers." -The Package, Cutscene, Halo: Reach[/i] This is the line that seems to deceive everyone. It is the result of a poorly executed story. Let's look at the definition of custodian, shall we? [url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/custodian]cus·to·di·an noun \ˌkəs-ˈtō-dē-ən\ : someone who keeps and protects something valuable for another person[/url] As you can see, nothing about the word custodian, or the phrase "its custodian" would indicate her to be Forerunner in design, in fact, it implies the opposite. Not only that, but if she were a Forerunner AI, then Bungie would be breaking their own story. Cortana has no familiarity with Forerunner data at all, and throughout Halo CE, 2, and 3, she refers to herself as a UNSC AI. Halo 4 even continues with this narrative (as it is the only one present) of Cortana being UNSC in design by using fact she was created from a clone of Dr. Halsey. Something which Bungie has heavily implied in Halo 3, and taken directly out of the novels which Bungie themselves consider canon.

No, Cortana was analysing and getting data from the structure in Reach. It was never stated she was a Forerunner AI.