Disclaimer :I do not own Mass Effect or Halo. They belong to their respective developers. This is of my own creation and for the entertainment of the readers and myself, I do not intend to profit financially from this work.
Halo First Contact: Prologue
Human history. Containing all the recorded events that have taken place prior to the current date. Humanity had taken longer than expected to evolve from hunter-gatherers. But once the ball started to roll, it never stopped. Inside a Forerunner archive in an unknown place they had been on record as the race with the fastest rate of advancement.
True to their nature and biological programming, Humanity indeed lived up to its expectations. Making leap after leap, daring to do what no one else dared. Of course this wasn't the mind-set of each person otherwise they would have perished long ago. But their ability at succeeding against the odds had been listed as almost . . . supernatural.
In record time, breaking their previous record they had jumped from hunter-gatherers to small, tightly knit communities. Not before long they had rapidly grown into a fully fledged civilization. Doing what would take most if not all others longer to achieve. But beside these admirable traits lies a darker nature. They seek strife with one another even if they do not know it. Once they became capable of global warfare across their cradle world, they immediately engaged in it. The first and second world wars would be prime examples of Humanity testing itself, to see if they were indeed deserving of life.
During such times great advances are made, truly remarkable in some cases. Electronics and nuclear fission, giving them the tools to give themselves a greater future, or to join the ashes from whence they came.
It was during these times of cruelty that they realized they are destined for great things, looking at the stars and yearning for a greater purpose. At the conclusion of the world wars, they set the foundation for true unification among themselves, setting rules and codes they must abide by to keep their darker nature sealed away.
Pushing higher and higher each time these amazing examples of mammalian intelligence became a space-faring species. Yet again breaking their previous records that are unknown to themselves. They became the masters of their solar system. But with no other challenge, nowhere else to turn, they released long sealed hatreds and old resentments sparking civil war throughout their domain.
Madness and Genius are two sides of the same coin. Where other species are committed to one or the other, you will never find a greater example of this saying than Humanity itself, the people who created the saying.
Testing itself yet again to push into new areas of science and warfare they became capable of interplanetary warfare, wars that span multiple worlds and capable of deciding the fate of not just their own fate, but the fate of others.
Proving that they are not ready to join the dust they achieve true unity among their species under the banner of the UNSC and the UEG. The Human race strove to prevent its own destruction, whether they knew it or not. Once they achieved a means of traveling to other solar systems at a fast pace they expanded at an uncontrollable rate, laying claim to every world they discovered still yearning to discover everything there is to know.
The most shocking revelation for the resurgent Humanity was that after expanding into hundreds of other systems and not discovering intelligent alien life, that they found evidence of its existence extremely close to home. On the other planet once capable of bearing life they discovered the remains of a research outpost which propelled them further than they could have thought, revolutionizing their own technology.
This is something that had not been predicted, Humanity is very capable of advancing on its own and faster than they deserve but to be propelled even further by remnants of a race that had arisen 50,000 years before Humanity. This would be marked as the most important discovery in their history.
Enabling them to travel even further and faster than before, their rate of expansion doubled, pushing them to create and discover more and more than they ever thought possible. Humanity begun to prepare itself for the inevitable first contact with an alien intelligence.
Using slip-space and mass effect technology in unison, they reached the golden age of their civilization. The only way was up in the human mind.
How wrong they are, as each civilization now matter how advanced has the capability to die.
How wrong they are indeed.
UEG Data Files
- The discovery of Prothean ruins on Mars
In the year 2411, a signal was detected on Mars from an unknown source. UNSC science teams investigated and discovered the most important revelation in human history. That they are not alone in the universe.
After unearthing the structure they discovered that the signal was an emergency distress beacon in response to the failing reactor. After avoiding a catastrophic meltdown they discovered that it was in fact a research station. In such a close proximity to Earth only one explanation could be given which that the aliens, later discovered to be called Protheans, were observing early Humanity. This gave rise to many new questions, a few of which were the most important.
Why did they leave? Where did they go? Will they come back?
These questions could not be answered but the UNSC would not be unprepared for the eventual answers. Within several months the UNSC had committed teams to researching and developing technology using element zero. With help from the Prothean ruins it wasn't before long that results were coming in.
- Prothean
The Prothean species is presumed to still exist elsewhere in the galaxy. The research outpost on Mars and it's contents are the only evidence found of their existence other than the Mass Relays found throughout human space.
The outpost itself is 50,000 years old but what is surprising is that it shows signs of orbital bombardment around its facility. What is also strange is that evidence of orbital bombardment has been found on many other worlds Humanity has colonized but with no signs of earlier habitation.
Many theorize that the Prothean civilization erupted into civil war and exterminated itself. This is the most commonly held belief however not actual proof. It is widely considered that Protheans are the masters of mass effect technology, however many scientists argue that they had obviously not developed slip-space drives and therefore Humanity has an advantage in ingenuity in that instance.
- Mass Relay
After years of extensive decryption, the UNSC discovered that the Protheans used Mass Relays to travel extensively throughout the galaxy. Knowing what to look for the UNSC looked for evidence of these marvelous creations.
Within a year, Mass Relays were discovered throughout human space creating a network which allowed humanity to travel within its own territory easier. The UNSC took a careful approach to this new-found FTL. Instead of blindly opening relays and giving whatever may lay on the other side a chance to rush into human space. Ships must search for and locate the other relay that links to another before activating it.
Even then the UNSC commits a risk assessment and decides whether or not it would be safe to do so. But within the local cluster of stars in the galaxy, Humanity inhabits 876 solar systems that are linked via the mass relay network. None of which push into other areas of the galaxy, rather they allow travel within their territory at an easier pace.
This has revolutionised trade and commerce allowing the outer colonies more freedom and preventing the predicted civil war before its eruption to the relief of the UNSC and the Human race.
- Element Zero
Alongside many other discoveries in the Prothean ruins was Element Zero or Eezo as it is commonly known. This element recieving it's name from having zero atomic mass. When scientists begun to experiment with it they discovered that it was essential to the Prothean space craft.
When subjected to an electrical current, Eezo is capable of lowering the mass of an object if given a positive charge and giving more mass to an object if given a negative charge. This element is used in almost every aspect of human society.
Eezo's use in space craft is instrumental, allowing ships to travel faster in normal space but when in slip-space it is capable of shortening the travel time from Earth to Harvest (Centre of human space and edge respectively) from 12 months to just under 3 months without the use of a mass relay, of course many stops would have to be made to discharge the immense static energy created by the use of an element zero core.
The military applications of Eezo are just as extensive and revolutionary as shown by military space-craft not having to discharge the static energy created by an Eezo core.
- Biotics
After a few accidental shipping crashes carrying dust form element zero near population centers in human space, children exposed to element zero began to develop tumors, in most cases benign but in severe cases they were cancerous. Fortunately modern science is capable of eliminating cancerous tumors before the risk of death becomes apparent.
What came next was surprising. Many children who were unborn at the time were exposed to Element zero in trace amounts. These children developed the ability to manipulate the mass of objects around them, commonly known as biotics.
It took decades of extensive research and the development of implants to allow these individuals to harness their abilities. In the year 2468, scientists managed to create the second generation of biotic amps and allow for biotic individuals to use their abilities at a higher success rate, because of this individuals from the original exposures from 2444 were able to teach the younger generation how to use their abilities.
Surprisingly, the newer generation became more capable at a rapid pace giving birth to a new type of soldier in some cases as the UNSC did not waste their potential. Each new generation of biotic amps creates more capable biotics and new ways are being discovered of using biotics every day.
Authors Note - Hello again, Real Teagy SOT here.
I don't really know what to say except i'm back and i'm sorry for abandoning my earlier stories. Before i'm asked i will not be continuing them and this story will be my focus. It's good to be back and i hope you will give this story a chance.
Onto the story, well i know this is a short prologue but i didn't want another timeline event, i mean seriously i get bloody fingers each time i write one of them. I would like to know what you think so far. I would like to state i am going to try and write this story as realistic as possible with a merging of both universes and what i think should occur and play out.
I haven't seen any other story write what i have in mind so it will be good to be the first to do it. I'm not spilling the beans just yet but some won't like it and some will (Obviously, thats life) but it is an original idea. This story will be for the UNSC's first contact with an alien intelligence and not further. It will not include Shepard or the Master Chief, they will be for a sequel story.