Shame

by Sun-Tsu Toriden

"Shame is an emotional or cognitive response to societal judgment." There was another small pause, filled with unspoken emotions new to the gestalt AI. "It should not apply here." On the way to destroy the Rannoch Reaper, Legion and others explore his shame. Short one-shot because every time I heard that line, I could almost hear the scream "But it does!"

"This matter is different." There was an almost unnoticeable pause as it finished "...personal. "

Shepard didn't look away from Legion, but she had caught it, the slight pause and inflection of its usual monotone. Both of them because of the Reaper upgrades he was storing on his platform. It made him more organic, more alive. And those traits go hand-in-hands with others, like emotions.

"You were ashamed," Shepard replied, not accusing or condescending, merely understanding. Sometimes, Liara thought that was what made Shepard such a fearful characters to whoever was on the other end of her stares. She never judged, she just quietly stood there and absorbed information, understanding. Many in the galaxy had often revealed more than they would like to admit to one of Shepard's enveloping silences.

Legion turned its head away as he replied, once again in a softer and more vulnerable tone of voice. "Shame is an emotional or cognitive response to societal judgment." There was another small pause, filled with unspoken emotions new to the gestalt AI. "It should not apply here." Everyone in the shuttle almost filled in the silence after with the unvoiced reply 'But it does!'

"I'm on your side here Legion. I want to help the geth."

"We did not intend to cause offence," came the hollow reply. Not hollow in terms of promise or meaning, but hollow because of shame, not matter if it should or shouldn't apply. Shepard finally let the facade slip away, pressing a hand to the face to hide it.

"How did we get here? The geth are better than this." No one was more shocked than Legion when he replied, its voice a barely audible whisper.

"No, based on empirical evidence, we are not" Its head was turned resolutely to the floor of the shuttle now, and everyone could feel the Shame radiating off the geth platform. Legion processed this new data, wondering if this price, this feeling, was worth being alive. Would the geth consensus share his interpretation that it was, or would this newfound data, this shame and capacity for emotion, be too much for them?