[IN CASE OF FAILURE]
The recording begins. The screen is at first obscured with a static buzz that quickly passes. The image of a well-built man in his mid-thirties appears. The man is clearly recognizable as Commander John Shepard. The Commander sits in a chair across from the recording device; his eyes are in shadow and his body is tense, ready to move. Shepard hesitates for a moment, and then starts to speak.
"This is Commander John Shepard, Spectre and Alliance soldier recording a message for..," He swallows,"For whoever might be left to listen. As I'm sure you probably already know, our entire civilization has come under attack from a near-unstoppable enemy. Many have already lost their lives." John shifts in his seat. "Even before the first assault, good men and women gave their lives to try and stop this from happening. Kaidan, Jack, Thane. And others." The Commander leans forward, fully illuminating his face and revealing a dozen fresh-looking scars and burns. His eyes have dark rings under them.
"I know that there's nothing I can say to make it better, if we've failed. I can't tell you it'll be alright. It'll never be alright. I just… want you to know that I did everything I could. I tried so hard. And-"Shepard's expression becomes haunted, "If you need someone to blame, blame me."
John turns away from the screen and puts his face in his hands. When he speaks again it is with a slight tremor, but it is still perfectly audible. "I didn't know then, what the effects would be. It was three bloody years ago, how could I have known? Such a simple choice! I thought the consequences were clear and predictable. I was wrong."
Shepard looks up from his hands at the screen, his face the perfect picture of despair. "Everyone has to face the effects of their choices at some point, it's inevitable. But my choices… my choices may have cost us everything."