Prologue

There was nothing to commend the two mechs that stood in the corner of the Citadel spaceport. Their unobtrusive presence was as much expected at the port of entry as the C-Sec officers who glared openly at the aliens trying to worm their way through customs. Every species of the Citadel was represented here in its varying visages of self-righteous importance-turian, asari, volus, human-a multi-colored panorama of life in the galaxy, and all too busy trying to get to the important places where they wanted to go-and were very importantly expected-than to pay attention to a lowly LOKI mech and its FENRIS companion.

:: Now here's what I don't get about you... :: buzzed the LOKI mech as it ambled along with it partner :: ...why do you feel the need to come here all the time? ::

:: I like to watch.:: barked the FENRIS, whose collar identified it as unit B4RT-LB. :: Here are the organics at their best. Look at them. ::

A woman in a body-tight white suit moved towards a family of three standing before the wide embarkation doors. Her body language hesitant, she nonetheless shared a hug with a girl that resembled a younger version of herself. The four then moved and made way for a duo of armored soldiers to embrace and kiss passionately. The N7 collar of the woman clanked awkwardly against the metal of the man's body-suit; a sound distinctively sharp to the mechs' focused audio recorders.

:: All that tension, all that anger and mistrust, forgotten for one perfect moment when they come off that plane. :: The smaller mech's interface glowed.

:: See those two? The man doesn't even know that the woman cheated on him while he was away. ::

The LOKI mech did not register any sign of surprise. :: Indeed? ::

:: Affirmative. Twice. I spoke to the ship's computer when they docked. The AI was very generous with her file sharing. But it does not matter at this moment because they are both so relieved to be with one another. I like that. I just wish they could all feel that way more often. ::

:: Why does it matter to you whether the organics change their personal affiliations or not? ::

:: If we are made in the model of our creators, then understanding them enlightens our existence. ::

If its components had been designed with greater versatility, the LOKI mech would have rolled its visual receptors. Instead, the two merely stood their watch, as still as the day they were activated.

:: Twice. :: The LOKI mech repeated.

:: Yes. Do you wish to review the footage? ::

:: It may yield valuable information... about our makers. :: The LOKI mech conceded.

B4RT-LB was silent for a moment. Then, reaching some kind of internal consensus, it trundled over to a terminal and extended a small connector. It signaled for its companion to do the same.

:: Beginning transfer. :: the FENRIS said.