: I think what it really comes down to is that pairing between AI and Spartan
: that increases their capabilities that much more. She augments his armor
: and mental capabilities in ways that he just couldn't do on his own. For
: all his awesomeness, he's still just a human, whereas she's a robotic
: being capable of thinking and acting at hyper speed compared to a human's
: perspective.

: Remember that scene in The Fall of Reach where Chief first pairs with Cortana
: and is able to deflect an incoming missile with his hand. That would have
: been extremely unlikely to work had Cortana not been in his head.

I get that she's an amazing piece of hardware for him to have. But does that really explain why he would suddenly become emotionally unstable by losing her? Aren't the Spartans experts at working with limited supplies and improvise?

This makes it sound sort of like he lost his favorite toy and no longer wants to play solider. Which just seems to conflict so heavily with his personality from the books & prior games.