84

The frigate Normandy-SR2.

- Mmm..." Tali purred, finally waking up.

- Good morning, darling," I said.

- Erm... Yeah, I slept well. I was the only one who could answer lazily when I woke up for school.

- I see. How did you sleep?

- Good...- Tali could hardly stand on the bed and look at me. But her gaze was primarily on the walls of the cabin.

- Yeah, I noticed that too," I joked, but Tali was starting to blush. Or whatever the Quarians call it.

- It's-- It's me.

- Yeah. By the way, that platform's dead. You skinned it. Oh, I'm going to have to redecorate the cabin, too.

- Yeah. I tried to justify herself somehow, but I didn't bother her.

- All right, all right, calm down. It's no big deal.

- And you... - Tali somehow thought about what to say;- Did you feel something...? Did you feel anything?

- Physically, no," I didn't lie to her, "but I don't need to.

- What do you mean? She didn't understand.

- Tali. All I care about is that you're happy. I'm only happy when you're happy. It can't be any other way.

- Hmm. Thank you. That was-- Eh, I don't know how to describe it.

- Did it feel good? I asked you directly.

- I... I don't know. It was something—more than just-- Intimacy.

- Well, then, I'm glad. But you'll have to go back to your quarters near the reactor. It needs some repairs. That's an understatement; it does. Mordin's already complained about the floor in his lab rising in some places.

- All right. It's not changed much. Tali suddenly noticed she had a message. I didn't interrupt, but after a minute, Tali turned to me.

- Yeah.

- You won't tell me why the geth started sending me messages.

- Oh, they're probably just thanking you. After all, you're the first race to befriend a geth. So don't be surprised.

- Not surprised?" she asked sarcastically, "Eleven trillion, three hundred and fifty-seven billion, one hundred and seventeen million, two hundred and twenty-five thousand, one hundred and sixty messages. How am I supposed to respond to all that?

- Eleven trillion? Strange, the geth programmes are exactly thirty trillion," I pointed out, "Wait for more messages.

- Oh, okay. You can make them not come to me. And delete these, too.

- Sure," I agreed immediately. We'll have to intercept messages from the new geth. The evacuation of the Quarian planets was going according to plan. We had no use for those planets. There were few natural resources there, and meteorites produced little. Plus, most of the Quarian planets were agrarian. Only three of the thirty were industrial, but I had no desire to fight with the Quarians over them. Frankly, I didn't even want to share borders with them. So we just took what was rightfully ours. Stations with factories, a fleet with a Superdreadnought already completed an army. But we left some weapons depots so the Quarians could arm themselves. We also left them warehouses with provisions, medicines, orbital defence and power stations. The geth had prepared all this before the Algorithm was implemented, just in case the Quarians decided to return. Well, they did, and they're back.

- Hey, Legatus. Come in. Xadus contacted me.

- What else happened?

- See us. We need to talk. It's very important. He's oddly serious. Something really important.

- Okay, I'll be right there. What else did he have in mind?

****

In three hours. Conference room.

- So, thank you for coming," I greeted everyone. The conversation with Xade and Nargul was more than-- Surprising. It was what might have saved us.

My problem was that I had my doubts. We could pull it off. The horn gave three choices. At the red ending, I and all the geth would die, which I was prepared for Tali's sake. The blue ending gave control, but I realised that wasn't an option either. It meant immense, limitless power that no one was worthy of. Not even me. And worse, it would mean becoming a Reaper, becoming like my enemy to defeat him. Do you mean to become your enemy? No, I couldn't do that either. That left fusion. But that didn't work either. I had to die for that too, and it meant friendship with the Reapers and, in fact, forgiveness of all their sins. They didn't deserve that. I didn't care about their motives. I had to destroy them. I didn't care what they had to offer me. What knowledge they have and what we can gain will be a bone of contention for the entire galaxy. And then it would drown in its blood. That could not be allowed to happen. Instead of trying to get the apple for ourselves, it would be better to crush it at once so it would not fall into anyone's hands. And Xade and Nargul had such a plan to prevent the Harvest.

- Anything new?" Shepard asked as everyone settled around the table.

- Yes. I'll start a little bit from the beginning. Everyone remembers our walk through the Reaper.

- Ha! You bet we do! Grant exclaimed.

- "How could you forget that?" said Zaid.

- It was quite a walk," said Rex, "and it was good.

- Well. I'll be honest. I only lured you there to get Legion. I confess.

- You flatter me." replied Legion, moving his plates a little.

- Couldn't you have told me sooner?" Shepard asked in a slightly angry voice.

- I could have. But then you wouldn't have helped me," I argued. It was a valid argument, but that's all changed now. Thanks to that mission, we got the alien-versus-alien system.

- Isn't that why we went there?" Garrus asked.

- Not then. But now, as it turns out, it's our salvation for us and this galaxy. You all know our mission. To destroy the Collector base. Now it's more complicated than that. We don't have to destroy it; we have to capture it.

- Can you explain everything in order? Shepard asked.

- Sure. Here's the thing. Each transponder has its V.I. that calculates the jump coordinates. The Reaper's alien-alien system allows the cuttlefish to use the relays however they want, including how they jump. If other races need to jump from repeater to repeater, the Reapers use them as a single track. Jump into one, jump out wherever they want.

- Convenient. Contradicts the tactics of the Citadel races. There's no point in defending every repeater. The Reapers will go straight to the capital world. They're shutting down the relays. Leaders are cut off. Reinforcements don't come—an ingenious trap. Mordin said, as is customary.

- Yes, but now it could be our salvation. If we modify this system and embed it in the relays, we can control them. But first, we'll have to take over the Collectors' base. Not blow it up or clean it with an analogue of neutron purification, but exterminate all life there. My troops will help us, and we'll all have to reach their headquarters to the Chief Collector. - at my will, a hologram of this bug appeared on the table. It looked pretty creepy. Several legs, four eyes, triangular head. A strong biotic, but that's not what matters. He's the transmitter through which the Harbinger, head of the Reapers, controls all the Collectors. Simply put, we get to headquarters and kill this bug. All the Collectors die. Immediately.

- So we'll have to go through the corridors of their base while your army takes the brunt of the attack?" Garrus asked directly.

- Exactly. You're all the best of the best. We'll need speed and firepower at the same time. We need to get in there fast before the bugs can react to us.

- Okay, that's taken care of, but what do we need the Collector base for?" asked Kasumi.

- Don't kill me for saying that. We need the base to summon the Reapers and start the Harvest.

- So we have to stop the Harvest by capturing the Collectors' base, which we'll capture to trigger the Harvest we want to stop. You're a fucking genius!

- Do you know what the fuck you just said?" Jack asked.

- Who are you asking?" asked Zero Thane.

- Fucking both of them, pardon my French! - Yeah, that's the reaction I was expecting.

- Legatus, explain to everyone what you're proposing," said Shepard, who seemed to have had enough of this mess.

- Briefly. We fly in, kill the Collectors and take over the base. Then we take control of the relays and call in the Reapers. They enter the transponder system and go wherever we tell them to go. And they'll come to us. To be exact - here. - the hologram of the Chief Collector changed, and instead of it, everyone saw... A gaping void. A black hole in the galaxy's core, near the Collectors' base. From the galaxy's edge to the core, the Reapers will accelerate so that as soon as they jump out of the latter, they'll fall into the hole by inertia. They won't have time to slow down. And they'll never come back from the black hole. Never.

For five minutes, everyone thought about what I'd said. The plan was the only alternative. It was either that or destroy the base and fight the Reapers.

- It can't be that simple. There's a flip side to the coin," Miranda said. She was right about that. There were delays.

- Yes. There are. The repeaters will get the Reapers to the core in minutes. The strain on them will be so enormous that they'll shut down. Forever. Disperse the null core and fall to pieces.

- It would throw the galaxy into chaos," Samara said.

- But there is no other way," the Captain said firmly, "We all realise that this war will be different. And even if we win, billions will die. This plan will allow us to destroy the Reapers once and for all. We won't have to lay billions of lives on the altar of victory. So this is what we're going to do. Shove those space squids into a black hole so deep they can't get out.

- Well, it's good that you agree with me, but there is one problem. We need a device to transmit a signal to control the relays. It's an adaptable device they need more time to build. It can destroy the Reapers, but we'll use it for other purposes. Instead of destructive energy, it will transmit information, and our plan will work.

- Where is this device? The Captain sounded serious. She seemed determined to go through with this plan.

- Not the device. A blueprint. And we can build it, all right. The only problem is how to get it. We only know of two places to find it.

- Where? The Captain almost lost her temper. I'm pulling too hard.

- Two Protean beacons. One on Mars, the other on Thessia, in the temple of the goddess Atame.

- WHAT? That's impossible. There's nowhere to hide such a thing and no reason to. - Samara objected.

- Samara is right; there's no place for it. - Liara supported it.

- The lighthouse is hidden in the statue. It's in the most visible place. Everyone was making eyes at it. Everyone, even Shepard.

- Hide it where no one expects to find it. Smart. Kasumi said.

- Yeah. And now it's up to you how we get the data. Either we storm in, or we storm out. Either way, we'll have to kill innocents. They're not mercenaries; they're not pirates; they're not slave traders; they're not Cerberus. Those who defend the lighthouses will follow orders and do their duty to their country. They'll see us as anything but heroes. There's no way to negotiate.

- Now. I understand there are no guards at the temple." Shepard began, looking at the table, which still had the hologram of the black hole on it.

- Yes. That will allow us to get in without a fight, the surprise factor. But we'll have to fight our way out. We can't turn off all the alarm systems. Disabling them would set off the alarms. And then the temple will be locked down by anyone who gets there. Temple guards, police, then SWAT, paratroopers, maybe even Justicars. They'll turn on us all. On Mars, we'll have to break through with a fight, download the data from the beacon to a special carrier, and then break through the Alliance reinforcements.

- I see. Then we go to Tessia. It's easier, and we'll kill fewer people." Shepard said, much to the dismay of Liara and Samara, "Now I'm giving you all a choice. I'm not forcing anyone to go in there. If you don't want to participate, you can walk out. It won't mean you're off the team. I don't want to do it myself, but I don't have a choice. So if you don't want to go, I don't blame anyone and'll let you not go. - there was an oppressive silence for about a minute. Everyone lowered their gaze and pondered. It wasn't until a minute later that Liara's voice came through.

- I'm sorry, Shepard. Я... I can't.- Liara, unable to hold back her tears, walked quickly out of the conference room.

- I... I can't, either. Thank you, Shepherd, for understanding. It was Samara. You could understand the two of them. They didn't want to kill their kind. They'd go after Shepard if she told them to, but the Captain gave them a choice. They took it. No one judged them for it. And then Tali took a step back. Only a step at first, as if she was unsure, but then she turned around and walked out silently. And I was grateful to Shepard for that. I didn't want Tali to be a part of this. I'd do anything to keep it from happening, and I didn't care that we'd lost a biotic and an engineer. I would have put on a biotic suit myself and gone to help the team. But I wouldn't drag my Quarian into that kind of shit. I doubted letting her into the Collectors' base, but then I realised the team needed her. But this was a bug base, a temple, and it wasn't the protean husks that would have to be killed; it would be innocent police officers doing their duty.

- So I take it everyone else agrees. Good. Good. Then let's go to Tessia.

- Uh, Captain, we need to go to Eden Prime first. I interrupted the Captain.

- Why is that? Shepard didn't understand.

- You need a protean to operate the beacon. That's who we're going after.

****

Exodus Convergence. System: Utopia. Planet: Eden Prime.

- Eden Prime. This is where it all started, I take it," Garrus began while Shepard, him, and the two Krogan were in the shuttle.

- Yes," Shepard replied. Her voice was a little dry like she was having a flashback, "This is where Jenkins died, and this is where I met Ashley. Two bad accidents on the same planet, isn't that a bit much?" she said sarcastically. She was right.

- Yeah," Rex agreed, "Ashley's a bitch.

- I'm not even going to argue with that," Garrus agreed.

- Captain, we've got a problem," came the voice of the Wark pilot, "Dispatch isn't responding, and the emergency beacon is transmitting a Ruby One Omega alert.

- What's wrong with that? Well, that's the last thing I need. Now, that's a problem.

- What does that mean? The Captain asked me seriously.

- It means the excavation area has been invaded, and the site has been stolen. We just hired archaeologists to dig where we need them to dig. You can't put geth and vork in there. The Alliance probably found out about what we found, probably with the help of a rat.

- Which means we're going to have to break through Alliance forces.

- They've beefed up security since Saren's been here," Rex said.

- Let's land first, then we'll see. Maybe we can get away without blood," Shepard suggested, and we went down under stealth cover.

****

In five minutes.

And we were lucky, unequivocally. In a town of archaeologists and workers, all the inhabitants are locked in one courtyard, guarded by an entire platoon of 90 men. There's no one else in town. But there are three dreadnoughts, 10 cruisers and 1 aircraft carrier in orbit. But they didn't see the Normandy or the shuttle. There were still three platoons in the quarry and the protean bunker. The capsule had already been retrieved and was preparing to lift off.

After landing quietly, we walked through the empty streets without showing ourselves to the few patrols. The village itself was small, only 600 people, so given our zigzags, in five minutes, we were near the lift.

Looking into the quarry, I saw that the capsule was already on the lift and about to go up. There was no one up there. Well, we can get started.

I quickly hacked into the system, activated the lift, and it, along with the capsule, the three scientists and accompanied by the soldiers' swearing and anger, began to rise. I deactivated two more lifts so they wouldn't get out early. And lo and behold, the capsule went up.

We immediately pointed our weapons at the scientists. I began to open the capsule, signalling for them to be quiet and get off the lift. The first step was to input the signal Xad had given me.

- What... What are you doing?" one of the scientists asked and got an angry look from Rex. He may have been wearing a helmet like the rest, but all the eye sockets were burning red, so it worked well enough on the scientists.

- HEY! WHAT'S GOING ON!?" came a voice from the quarry. Come on, shout. The connection is blocked, so you can't call for help. While waiting, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that we were being followed. Another patrol, three men, and one of them was... James Vega. Where the hell are you going, huh? Eh, I hope he's smarter than that and doesn't want to attack two krogan with his squishies.

- Shepard..." Garrus began.

- I see them," Shepard replied, "Pretend you don't see them.

- Too bad..." said Grant.

- Legatus, how's it going?

- I'm on it," the transmission finally ended, and I entered the opening code.

The capsule vented and opened. And in it, we saw Javik. He didn't move at first, but after a few seconds, he opened his eyes. His strength gradually returned to him, and he could grab the edge of the capsule with his hand and look at me and then at Shepard. Without waiting for him to attack us, I touched his arm.

I had made sure beforehand that my hands could interact with the protean. So now I only gave him a short message.

After that, Javik began to climb out of the capsule. And then I noticed Vega freaking out in the back of my mind. Poor guy, he'd never seen a living protean. Who fell at the first step, but luckily I was there to pick him up.

- Let's go. Shepherd ordered me.

- Don't move!" came Vega's voice. Suicide, I'll give you that. Hands in the air. Slowly." Before Shepard could say anything, Grant and Rex had shot the two soldiers next to Vega with shotguns while he jumped behind the crates.

- Now run!" Shepard ordered. I immediately took the protean carcass on my back, and we ran through the alleys. The patrols had already noticed us and immediately ran at the sound of gunfire. The first patrol of misfits was nailed by a Shepard grenade, the second by Garrus and the Krogan. Those tried to fire, but our shields handled it with ease. Of course, shooting at them didn't feel good, but it was their fault.

Right. I'm getting cynical. Somehow I don't care about these soldiers being gutted by krogan shotguns. Well, we'll deal with that later.

We got to the shuttle even faster, killing only five patrols plus two people from the patrol where Vega survived. Let him live. Three patrols caught up with us as we sat down. They immediately opened fire on the shuttle but didn't have any heavy weapons, so the shuttle's shields did their job well. We quickly climbed in and flew off to Normandy—a quick mission.

****

The frigate Normandy-SR2.

- So, ready?" I asked Shepard and Liara before we were supposed to go into Javik's quarters. We locked him in there, leaving him with food and civilian clothes. And I'd rather not know how Nargul got the Salarian liver for our cook to cook. Mordin would not approve.

- Yeah. Come on," Shepard said, and we opened the door.

Javik was kneeling, staring at the floor like in the game. There weren't any guards in the room, so he wouldn't likely be happy about a talking vork.

He looked up at us with all four eyes as we approached him. Strangest of all, they had no rage, only bewilderment and curiosity.

- So," Shepard began, "on waking," the protean stood up, glanced at us all, and began.

- How long has it been?" he asked a single question.

- Fifty thousand years." I answered, "If that doesn't tell you anything, our Cycle has ended. The Harvest is about to begin." Javik began to consider my words again, then looked at me.

- "Victory said they'd dig me up in time," he said out loud.

- "Victory?" Liara didn't understand.

- It's the Guardian A.I. of the bunker where I was left in cryostasis. We were to wait out the Harvest and build a new Empire with the other primitive races.

- Hmm, we saw the same A.I. on Il," Shepapd remembered, "There were cryostasis pods there too.

- So there are more proteans?" Javik sounded hopeful. It makes sense. Shepard had inadvertently given him hope that his race was alive.

- No. They waited out the Harvest but were too few, just over 200. But they helped us. They made sure we weren't caught off guard," Shepard explained, "If it weren't for them, we'd be dead by now.

- I see." The protean replied dryly. Another disappointment in his life. He's used to it. You," he looked at me, "You gave me the knowledge of the languages of this Cycle. Who are you?

- Geth. Creation of the Quarians, who committed near genocide on their Creators and are now space nomads with a degenerating immune systems. Also, just the X.O. of the ship. Call me Legatus.

- The Machine Uprising. And this Cycle went the same way. And the Quarians were beautiful," said our four-eyed interlocutor, "Speaking of this Cycle..." Javik touched the Captain with those words and stood like that for a few seconds. And if the protean felt normal, Shepard's condition could be considered a stupor. All her muscles tensed to the max, and her heart began to beat at the limit.-I feel... Pain. A lifetime of suffering. The desire to defeat the Reapers for the one you love. You know what to do. This is the geth's plan. You'll trust him with everything, even your life. But you need me to win." Javik read all the information from the Captain and then released it. "You have defeated the Reaper. You have undone the Harvest because of a trivial accident with our beacon. And also... You understand us. Protean. You call it the Cipher. You're very easy to read. Captain Shepard.

- Fuck. motherfucking Yavik. Your name is Yavik. Shepard's starting to back off. Still, it doesn't feel good.

- Yeah. The link works both ways.

- If you do that again without my consent, I'll throw you out the airlock, four-eyes. But Javik himself even took a step back.

- You make it sound threatening," the Protean admitted, "You have experience in warfare with.... four-eyed men.

- Yes, I do," agreed the Captain, "I take it you've already understood our plan.

- Yes. I'm willing to go with you, Captain.

- So soon? I was surprised.

- There's no point in denying it. There is a plan, and it will prevent this Harvest and-- Revenge.

- Revenge..." Shepard said with a slight hesitation, lowering her gaze, "That's your goal...

- Exactly. I will achieve my goal only when the last Reaper is destroyed. I have no other reason to exist.

- Good. You're a good fighter, Yavik. I've seen it. We leave for Tessia in a few days.

- Don't worry, Captain. I will not fail.

- Well, then, welcome." Shepard extended her hand to Javik, and he took the hint. He must have realised it was customary, so he shook it back.

- Thank you, Captain—oh, and one more thing. In your memories, the word "Xad" appears several times. Do you know what it means? Now it's time to introduce him to our other protean.

- Yes," I replied, "Xad Hashid. Imperial Counsellor and scientist in A.I. and A.I. I know him.

- So there's still a protean?

- Not exactly, but you could say that." A greenish hologram of Xad suddenly appeared, "Good afternoon, Captain Yavik.

- Xad Hashid..." Yes, this is something Yavik didn't expect, "So you're... alive?

- Almost. Digitised personality. I have spent fifty thousand years in a lighthouse. Unfortunately, I was unable to influence the others in any way. Though I was found by the Quarians, which led-" Xade looked at me meaningfully "-to unfortunate results. I'm glad they found you, though. We need you, Yavik. The time has come for revenge.

- And I will gladly exact my revenge. And the last thing the Reapers will hear before they die will be the voice of a Protean sending them to the grave. Creepy. Very creepy. His new vow only expressed all the pain he'd carried through life. A soldier like that will go on to the end no matter what.

- Glad to hear it, Captain. If you need anything, we've got clothes for you. As well as food. Don't worry, the Salarians may be among the most important now, but their livers have retained their useful properties. Xadus is off, but Javik has questions.

- The Salarians rule the galaxy?

- Along with the Azari and the Turians. Recently, humans have also become part of the Council," Liara replied.

- Yes... The Citadel Council. The lizards evolved?

- As far as I know, they're amphibians," said the azari.

- They used to eat flies." replied Yavik.

- Listen, if you don't mind, I'd like to ask a few questions.

- Here we go..." Shepard was right. It's starting. I should ask Xadus for the recipe for Protean Valerian so Mordin can make it.

- I've written dozens of articles about your race. I've been published in several magazines.

- It's funny. The Azari has finally mastered writing.

- I'm sorry. Liara didn't realise. No, I'm going to need some valerian. Okay, a letter to Xadu:

"Xadus. "Send me the recipe for the protean sedative. We're going to need it."

Send it. All right, now we have to wait.

- Never mind. What did you want to know?

- Oh, Liara will never forgive me for this." The Captain began, "I'll leave you two alone. Answer all her questions, Yavik.

- Why? The protean needs help to understand. He does not yet know what awaits him.

- Because if I don't, my nerves won't be able to take the wails of "There's a living protean on this ship!" - the Captain grimaced a little - Believe me, I still need my nerves. So you'd better talk to her now. You realise the Captain has to have a cool head. It's a tactically sound order.

- Women-- has anyone seen a Protean facepalm? The three of us just saw it.

- I'm sorry. That's something the Captain didn't expect from a Protean.

- Boy, you're wasting your time, I added. Mordin already has the recipe with orders to make it immediately. I hope he'll have time.

- I'm talking about female logic. You use your position to get me to talk to your mistress, the archaeologist, and yet you justify it from a tactical point of view. And to make matters worse, this archaeologist is from a race of women.

- Actually, we are of the same sex.- Liara proudly declared, crossing her arms over her chest.

- Don't kid yourself. You, like the Captain, are a woman like all Azari.

- Do you have something against women?" Shepard asked with a serious look.

- Let's say the Protheans despised not so much women as female logic. She was a philosophy. And a riddle. And many people tried to solve that riddle.

- And how?" I asked, as the only male representative of the universe besides Javik himself.

- There have been hundreds of philosophers who have pondered it. And one of them lived before the Harvest. And long before the Harvest, we tried to use A.I. for this purpose.

- And how did that turn out? I asked again.

- No good. The philosopher shot himself. And the A.I. rebelled against us, thinking women threatened the Empire.

- And how did you stop the A.I.?

- We blew up the planet where its server was located.

- I see. All right, I'll be off. I've got to get the Valerian I've prepared from Mordin.

- Me too. Shepherd agreed with me. Have fun, Liara. Just don't overwork yourself.

- I'll try," Liara replied, and only when we were already out, the door closed behind us, and I was connected to the cameras, did the Azari turn to Javik, "But I can't promise anything...