Galactic Fallout


Disclaimer

This is a non-Profit Fan Fiction

Mass Effect is owned by Bioware

Fallout is owned by Bethesda

Please support the official release


Chapter – 1 – Galactic Secrets


The Shadow Broker was a prideful man; an individual who valued efficiency, detachment and above all else success. He had come far from his less the reputable origins thanks to a chance encounter with a group of off-worlders, landing him in the audience of his predecessor and propelled to the forefront of galactic politics. From there it had led to the old Salarians brutally efficient replacement and then his methodical takeover of the largest information storehouse in the galaxy. A move that had taken him less than three months and twenty four dead accomplices.

And yet such a complex, but brilliant political manoeuvring seemed trivial compared to his current predicament.

Galactic annihilation!

Evidence that would have long been debunked as the rumours or ramblings of madmen by galactic institutions had suddenly began to fall into place for the Broker as from afar he observed galactic events. The sudden isolation of the Batarian Hegemony after their 'Leviathan Accusation', the strange scan results from a couple of technicians on the Citadel and the sudden, almost stupid halting in arms spending by almost all factions all pointed to one thing the oncoming end of civilisation of Galactic civilisation. Of course it was not all that simple, it wasn't just recent events that had the broker worried, it was how they seemed to repeat themselves, over and over. Two-hundred years ago similar patterns occurred and the ever increasing decline of military conflict leading to a stalling in the development of weapons since the end of the Krogan Rebellions one thousand years before that. Such a peace should not be possible, even with his oversight. It was all quite unnatural. Then of course there was that ever present question, what happened to the Protheans. A galactic culture that had somehow disappeared fifty thousand years ago, all of which pointed to the same cause. Something or rather someone had destroyed that culture, a culture so advance and so powerful that it once ruled an empire that spanned the galaxy from one end to another. And someone had destroyed it

The Broker knew of theories of a 'cycle' of extinctions had long been prevalent in all forms of media, from governments to historians, from wise men to insane lunatics but few knew the truth. That they were all going to die. In truth the Broker only knew a little only that patterns, repeating themselves over and over again seem to appeared the more he stared at it. He knew someone had been responsible for repurposing a certain number of the supposedly extinct Protheans into bug like monstrosities known as the Collectors. He knew of artefacts that somehow turned a perfectly normal life form into a half cybernetic madman. He held records from the time of the Prothean's where they made reference to a harvest, and one from a time before them. The last stand of the Inusano.

Someone had caused all of it. And for all he knew he was still ignorant as to who it was.

The Broker sighed, raising a massive cup to his three jawed mouth. The monstrous creature threw back the liquid and let the alcohol loosen his muscles.

The information broker knew that to defeat an enemy you had to know them. He had done it many times with 'rivals', if the term could even be applied to them. He would find out who they were, who they relied on, who they cared for and most importantly why? Why did they challenge him? Many of these men and women were ignorant, fumbling, scraping for power, almost begging for attention and yet he knew they were hollow. They had no purpose and no soul. Take away their will to fight, their ability to fight and then why they fight and they crumble. Such was the nature of people. He could take them apart without even killing anyone.

But this enemy, these harvesters, he knew nothing of them. And he was certain they somehow knew more about him then he liked.

He didn't like the feeling; it was like he was being watched, or better yet stalked. He was Prey and they… The Broker shuddered. He had been a slave once in his life, to be anything less would be an insult he would not suffer. He would never again submit.

Turning back to the multitude of data screens that littered his office the Broker began to read through incoming reports from thousands of agents. Names, places and brief summaries flew across the screen too fast for most species, but the eight eyes of the red creature read each line individually before proceeding to the next. He was looking for something, a strange event, a anomaly that made no sense, at least not to him or in turn the galactic community. Maybe that would be his first lead to his genocidal enemy.

And then he saw it. Pausing the feed the Broker leaned in, each of his eyes meticulously picking apart each and every sentence.

Shadow Broker, I have recently in my dealings noticed unusual amount of Traffic in the financial world. While this may be of little monetary value to you I felt the need to inform you before the news or any other major organisation decided to alter the information. The fact of the matter is that around thirty institutes, companies and private benefactors have pulled their support on an expedition into uncharted space. The so called Therum expedition itself was presumed low risk and apparently the key to unlocking a vast horde of Prothean technology. It is strange as there was no reasoning behind it, and many of the individuals who allowed this have given reasons beyond feeling that t was a wasted venture. A most strange predicament.

Barla Von the agent who reported it says that these actions "Defy logical finical sense" and seem to hint at someone not wanting this information found. While I dismiss Von's suspicions of a so called conspiracy I do not dismiss the advantage for us if we substituted the funding in this endeavour would be considerable. The returns, let alone the finder's fee would certainly double my cells projected yearly profits and in turn benefit the network as a whole.

Yours sincerely The Boss

The Broker searched through his memory for Barla Von. A high paid banker and Volus who operated on the Citadel. A wealthy man who played the system and had his stubby little fingers in every fortune on that station. He had always been a reliable if inconsistent source of information, who on occasion handled some of his agents finances, but something about this tip smelled fishy to him.

The Therum Expedition?

Opening an extranet search on the subject he found what he expected. A no name Asari Archaeologist had managed to piece together a map from ancient texts in some backwards Prothean dig site named Therum. That 'could possibly lead' to lead to the single largest data cache of Prothean tech found in over eight-hundred years. From all evidence presented by the Asari and the back ground checking of many other experts the expedition seemed sound, the project lead had even been given permission to even open three Relay's to reach its destination. An event that had surprised even the Broker.

He himself already had some money invested in the venture, but his question right now was why so many of the other investors would pull out from such a potentially promising expedition.

Pulling up the background on the dig the Broker saw that laced within the information was references to what he had been looking into. What caused the Prothean extinction? The more he read the more the Broker began to see similar ways of thinking, this person thought like him, investigated like him, leaving nothing to chance and linking everything and anything to show undeniable 'proof'. One line of course caught his eye especially.

"We will find the truth behind the Protean disappearances and possibly evidence of cycle of extinction"

Checking the name of the project lead the Broker smiled.

He liked the sound of this Dr T'soni


Authors Notes

Well I have decided to write my second story. Yay. This one is more to test the water and see what people think with this chapter being more of a prologue. I have had this idea in my head for a good few years and as far as I can tell it seems pretty original, although this vague intro doesn't really give much away does it. So here it is a short snappy intro and a potential new story with a beginning, middle and end, potentially.

Anyway hope you enjoy.