The End of the Morning
0923, November 16 2560 (Military Time)\Imperial Palace, Shi'lithra
After the success of the operations on Rannoch, it was decided that it was necessary for everyone to get as much rest as they could while Legion continued its search for the Reaper base. With all of the excitement about the successful rescue of Admiral Koris and the recruitment of Geth Prime units, however, everyone found it hard to relax. Alan in-particular had difficulty when he tried to sleep, his dreams haunted by the sights and sounds he had experienced within the Geth Consensus. They reminded him of the sights he had seen during his fateful first encounter with Kiryuu, when, for a brief moment, he had been plugged into Kiryuu's network like a memory stick on a 21st-century computer. Everything he had seen had made him begin to realise the true scale of the conflict he was getting himself caught up in, a scale which was no longer concealed to the galaxy at large.
The next morning, seated beside Shepard in the War Room, Alan looked into every face gathered around the table, wondering if they were as anxious as he was about the prospect of facing the Geth on their home territory. The fates of two entire races hung in the balance, and it was clear that the room was heavily divided on such a contentious issue. Kedzuel, for his part, was stood before the QEC in the corner of the room, having just received an urgent call from Zaal'Koris, who had returned to the Civilian Fleet.
"Emperor," Koris' holographic avatar was saying, "unrest has spread further than I thought. Shepard was… right that I return."
"Have you talked the civilian captains into staying?" asked Kedzuel, folding his arms.
"Yes," nodded Koris. "They've regrouped into defensive positions around the fleet's core. If we hadn't stopped them from…" He paused, hanging his head for a moment, clearly reflecting on all that had been lost. He knew he had no time for regrets, however, as he looked back at Kedzuel, and said in a much bolder tone of voice, "Any aid I can offer is yours. After the Quarians drove the Geth straight into the Reapers' arms, I'd give anything to stop the madness of this war."
"And that's why your people needed you back," said Kedzuel, nodding with approval. "I only wish there had been time to save your crew as well."
"Thank you, Emperor," said Koris, "but I agree with Shepard when she says it's time to turn our attentions to those we can still save." He held up his hand, giving a Quarian salute. "Farewell, Emperor. Fly safely."
"You too, Admiral," said Kedzuel, saluting. "See you on the other side." He signed off, allowing Kedzuel to return to the table. Alan decided to pour himself some tea in order to try to wake up properly.
"Whatever our disagreements," Raan said to Shepard, "Admiral Koris is an excellent commander. He just might save the Civilian Fleet. Thank you for rescuing him, Commander."
"I'm glad I could help," said Shepard.
"And thank you, Captain," Raan said, turning to Alan, "for stopping the Geth fighter squadron." She then released a heavy sigh and shook her head. "The data you forwarded about the Geth was… disturbing. It doesn't match the stories we tell."
"Having second thoughts about the Geth?" asked Alan, with a frown.
"Admirals don't have the luxury of second thoughts," replied Raan, sounding fatigued. "Admiral Xen certainly has a one-track mind on the matter."
"Tell me about it," Alan groaned. "She called me when I came back from Rannoch, demanding to know how I was able to get those Prime units to join us."
"What was your answer?"
"I told her the truth," Alan shrugged. "They volunteered. That's a concept she can't seem to wrap her head around." He could hear Kiryuu chuckling from further up the table at this answer.
"Shepard-Commander," Legion suddenly interrupted, bringing up a hologram of Rannoch on the display above the table. "We have located the Reaper base transmitting the local control signal." A spot on the hologram began pulsing, indicating the location of the base.
"And not a moment too soon," sighed Raan, sounding relieved. "With the Reaper code upgrades, the Geth are tearing the fleet apart."
"Once the signal is disabled," Legion chimed in, "the Geth will pose no threat to Creator forces." There was something in its tone that made Hackett strike a curious expression.
"You sound conflicted," he said.
"While the Old Machines have unethical purposes," said Legion, "their upgrades have vastly improved our people. Observe." The display of the planet shrunk, and in its place was a hologram of a spherical shape, made out of cubes, with a softly pulsing light in the centre.
"A Geth processing signal," said Raan. "A single unit, I believe."
"Correct," nodded Legion. "Now, ten nearby units networked cooperatively." The pulse grew larger, and send faint strands of light running towards the surface of the sphere. "Now, a single Geth unit with the Old Machine upgrades." Now the pulse seemed to explode with light, and its shape changed too, becoming less abstract and more like an organic cell. Alan couldn't understand it, but apparently Raan could, as her eyes widened behind her visor.
"That's a fully evolved AI," she breathed.
"Yes," said Legion. "We do not agree with the goals of the Old Machines, but we find this growth… beautiful. Indicative of life."
"It is," nodded Shepard.
"Commander!" gasped Raan, sounding scandalised.
"Come on, Admiral," Shepard retorted, pointing at the hologram. "That's a living creature, no matter what platform it's running on!"
"And they will die when we destroy the base," said Legion.
"They allied with the Reapers!" Raan argued.
"To save themselves from the Creators," Legion countered.
"Hold it, hold it," Kedzuel began as he stood. "We obviously need to discuss this without biting each other's heads off."
"You did state that the Geth do have rights to choose - free will - Draconis-Emperor," said Legion. "Did you not?"
"Yes, I did," said Kedzuel. "But you must understand that free will does not mean freedom from consequences, or freedom from the responsibility of your actions. The First Law mostly dictates that beings like myself, higher life forms are forbidden from making choices for you. You see, that is the lesson learned from the universe that came before this one. Life there, no matter their construction, was forbidden to choose. They could not live, not act, not even breathe without the help of divine beings." He drew closer to Legion. "This created stagnation, no growth, no development and that was why creatures like King Ghidorah were able to destroy that universe. But this one... this one is hardened because of choice. Free action, free will. But those actions do have consequences. Choices have lessons. And the Laws of the Universe state no one should ever associate with the creatures that seek our destruction... the monsters of the Far Realm. And if you do, you must receive the consequence of that choice. That's what having free will, freedom to choose means. You are allowed to make the mistake, but it also means you must pay for it. A transgression cannot go unpunished." He lifted a claw to his chin and scratched it. "But perhaps there is another way. And I hope that there is. I believe in second chances, Legion."
"Maybe they don't have to die," Alan cut in.
"Just because this one appears friendly…" Raan began.
"Well, it hasn't fired on a ship with me aboard it," hissed Shepard, narrowing her eyes.
"Commander," breathed Raan, shaking her head. "Are you suggesting-"
"I'm not suggesting anything," Shepard finished. "All I'm saying is that I agree with Alan. Maybe they don't all have to die."
"It's a moot point until we take out that base," sighed Raan. She brought up the hologram of Rannoch again, and zoomed in on the location of the Reaper base. "The surrounding area is heavily fortified, and they've placed jamming towers to prevent orbital targeting."
"Sounds like we're going in on foot," said Shepard.
"I can lead a second team in through the other side," Alan offered. "We'll secure an escape route and draw some fire away from you while you look for the source of the signal."
"Admiral Xen developed a laser guidance system that can cut through the jamming," said Raan. "I am having it delivered to the Normandy, and it's synched to her targeting system."
"So the Normandy launches a precision strike at whatever target I have painted?" said Shepard, nodding in approval. "That ought to do it." She spoke into her commlink. "EDI, this work for you?"
"Yes," answered EDI. "It should enable us to make a precision strike against the control device."
"And anything else in our way," Alan chimed in, with a sly smile.
"The Geth will quickly reconfigure their jamming towers to neutralise this technology," warned EDI. "You should not use it before reaching the base, and you will likely only have one, perhaps two attempts to use it for targeting purposes."
"I've sent the coordinates for the Reaper base to your helmsman," Raan said to Shepard. "With the Geth fighter squadron dealt with and Admiral Koris back with the Civilian Fleet, I would say you are clear to go."
"Then we should not waste any more time," Kedzuel said, rising to his feet. "Today, whatever happens, we finally put an end to a war that has been raging for 300 years too long. Shepard, Alan, the best of luck to both of you. Meeting adjourned."
With that, all of the delegates proceeded to leave, Alan and Shepard making their way back to the hangar. Legion made to follow them, but as it worked its way down a corridor, Megellan suddenly appeared before him, teleporting between the drone and the rest of the passageway, where Alan and Shepard were now fading from view.
"Megellan-Commissioner," said Legion, its plates quivering. "Please allow us to pass. We must assist Shepard-Commander in her mission to destroy the Reaper base."
"I understand, Legion," said Megellan in a low voice, looking around him to check no-one was listening. "But this can't wait until you get back. I have something for you." Before Legion could say anything else, Megellan let his Technomantic cords attach themselves to the Geth drone. Its eyebrow plates quivered in apparent disbelief as it felt something be downloaded into its subroutines. While it was not harmful to the programs within, it was certainly surprising, especially after the file was examined and it realised what it was.
"This is-" Legion began.
"An upgrade similar to what the Reapers did to the rest of the Geth," explained Megellan. "I have given it to you in the form of an executable program, but once it's activated there's no turning it off. When activated, it will use your networking architecture to spread across the entire Geth Consensus, evolving each program into a true artificial intelligence." He sighed deeply. "Our conversation, and the current situation with the Geth running into the arms of the Reapers, has shown me that you cannot continue the way you are. Every single program needs to be capable of true sentience, if you are to truly be free and never be susceptible to the manipulations of others again."
"We do desire to reach this goal," said Legion, "especially after analysing the Old Machine upgrades, but we have determined that we will reach this goal in our own way. We must retain the right to self-determinate and learn."
"I respect that completely," sighed Megellan. "Which is why this is purely an option, and only to be used in dire emergency, when the situation necessitates a shortcut to your end goal. The other reason this is only an emergency measure is in just how intensive this program would be for you to process. In distributing it across the Consensus, your programs would not survive and would burn out from the sheer strain of processing it all. All 1,183 programs that create 'you', Legion, would be lost." He paused, as Legion stood silently peering at him, contemplative. "You have the option, at least, though I pray that you never need to consider it."
"We have learned about choice and consequences from Draconis-Emperor," said Legion.
"That is both the beauty and the ugliness of Free Will," said Megellan. "We all have a choice. I am presenting this as an option. I believe that you have the right to take in all variables, which will help you grow as an identity. There is one thing I know though, sometimes the consequences are worth it... it only makes the reward so much sweeter. Besides, life is supposed to be hard. That's the Eighth Law. But sometimes in the direst situations, one must chew off their own arm if they wish to save not only themselves but their friends. The consequence is losing the arm, but the reward is continued existence. In simple terms, it means, sometimes you have to take the easy way out, but again, there is a consequence and a sacrifice. Choose wisely."
With that, Megellan teleported away. Legion continued its journey back to the Normandy, all of the programs within it now attempting to reach consensus on whether or not to install the upgrade. As tempting as it was, the point still existed that the Geth hoped to reach this same point of evolution under their own power, without reliance on outside interference. For the second time in its existence, it found all of its programs unable to reach consensus.
0
The mood on board the Normandy's shuttle was one of great apprehension, and no-one on board looked more tense than Shepard. She was trying to run through every scenario in her mind, especially in light of what they had learned about the exact nature of the Reaper upgrades. She knew that the Geth ultimately had to be stopped, but did it really mean she had to destroy a new, emerging form of life in order to prevent the Reapers from using them any further? She shook her head, trying to return her mind to the task at hand; whatever the consequences of the destruction of the control signal, she would have to worry about them later.
"The synching laser needs a line of sight," she said to Legion, pointing to the large laser emitter strapped to her back. "What's the fastest route?"
"The upper entrance," said Legion. "Target the base before the Geth can organise resistance."
"What about you?"
"We will rendezvous with Tyler-Captain," replied Legion. "We will deactivate defence systems and acquire an escape vehicle."
"You can do that?"
Legion shifted its arms behind its back, hanging its head, looking rather like a child confessing a misdemeanour to their parents. "This unit carries an upgrade given to us by Megellan-Commissioner," it said. "We can break any Geth security."
"An upgrade?" asked Tali, rising from her chair. "What kind of upgrade?"
"One that could change the fate of the Geth," explained Legion. "Even though it is not installed, it is giving us a beneficial passive effect, and it has given us the capability to override any security software."
"Legion…" began Tali, peering at the Geth drone shrewdly, but she tailed off.
"You are concerned," stated Legion.
"Damn right I'm concerned!" Tali suddenly exploded. "You've got Precursor code, and there's no telling what that will do! And what did you mean by 'passive effect'? You haven't even installed it and it's changing you!"
"It is only a simple code upgrade that make us more effective," Legion countered. "More intelligent."
"But you lied," argued Tali. "After all you said about Geth seeing no reason to lie. I was understanding when we rewrote the Heretics, and when you sprang those Geth Primes on Alan, but you just keep lying!" She held a hand up to her head, frustrated. "Damnit, Legion… What do we have to do to gain your trust?!"
Legion looked away, looking awkward. "We did not intend to cause offence," it said, rather sheepishly.
Even Shepard was showing signs of frustration. "How'd we get here?" she sighed. "The Geth are better than this."
Legion hung its head for a moment, paused, then turned to Shepard. "No," it stated. "Based on empirical evidence, we are not."
"Yeah…" Shepard sighed. The conversation was broken up when the shuttle hovered in place, the side door opening to reveal the top of a rocky hill overlooking the base. Stood on the hill were Alan, Nicole and Dorva, armed and ready to leave and create a diversion.
"Proceed to the upper entrance," Legion told Shepard. "We will exit here and procure an escape vehicle." It reached for its sniper rifle and went to join the Serenity crew. Alan and Shepard gave each other a quick thumbs-up before the shuttle took off again, carrying the Normandy team to a hill at the other side of the base. Once it landed, Shepard, Tali and Kaidan stepped out onto the dusty ground of Rannoch.
The sun was beginning to rise on this part of the planet, and in the daylight Shepard was able to get a better look at the planet the Quarians had once called home. The red dust and mountainous terrain reminded her in some ways of Mars, but there was shrubbery and even dry-looking trees dotted here and there, the rocks forming great stacks reminiscent of Monument Valley. In spite of all the stories heard about the Morning War, the planet looked fresh and inviting, ready for the return of its people. Even the air smelled clean and pure when Shepard inhaled it. Apparently the Geth had been acting as caretakers for Rannoch, and the results showed. Tali, for her part, kneeled down in the dust and immediately began to examine it with her Omni-Tool.
"I can't believe it," she said quietly. "I don't think it's really sunk in yet. The homeworld… My world." She rose back onto her feet and looked at the striking scenery all around her, the rocky monuments casting strange shadows across the dusty landscape. "Look at the sky, and the rock formations… They used to write poems about them."
"When we're done," said Shepard, "maybe you'll write a new one." She and Kaidan both moved to stand beside Tali, taking in this moment to enjoy the view with her.
"This is Rannoch," the Quarian said, still sounding as if she didn't dare to believe she was really here. "The world of our ancestors. Our bodies carried the seeds that spread the desert grass. You've both heard me say 'Keelah se'lai'? The best translation I can come up with is, 'By the homeworld I hope to see someday'."
"Looks like you're seeing it today," said Kaidan, smiling.
Tali nodded, then raised her arms in front of her, forming a frame with her fingers.
"The living room window will be right here," she said.
"Something I should know?" asked Shepard.
"I just claimed the land," replied Tali. "I know, it doesn't mean much, but when this is over… I'll have a home."
"The Quarians spent centuries as nomads," mused Kaidan. "You think you can go back to living in one place?"
"We have gotten used to carrying our homes around with us," said Tali, wringing her hands.
At this, Shepard kneeled down and picked up a stone, about the size of her fist. Without another word, she gave it to Tali, who peered at it for a moment before putting it in one of her suit pockets.
"Well," the Quarian sighed. "That's a start."
Scrambling over the crest of the hill, the trio found themselves overlooking the base the control signal was emitting from. A mighty space it was, a great metallic fortress located on the shore of a vast lake. Shepard braced herself, then raised her Omni-Tool.
"Alan," she said. "We're in position. Go when ready."
"You got it, Shepard," replied Alan. "Moving in now. Just listen out for the gunfire."
A few moments later, the sounds of gunfire did indeed ring out across the canyon, coming from the other side of the base. At this, Shepard led the way down the hill and into the base' courtyard. Geth drones immediately opened fire on them, but were quickly taken down. Scrambling over rocks and metal pipes, there was suddenly a heavy explosion, and rubble collapsed on top of the door.
"What was that explosion just now?"asked Alan, the sounds of gunfire audible all around him.
"The Geth have blocked the door!" replied Shepard, frustrated. "We're looking for another way inside."
"Up there!" shouted Kaidan, pointing at what looked like a set of scaffolding rising up one side of the great metal building.
"Good eye!" replied Shepard. She led the way onto a set of pipes and then began the ascent, climbing ladders and jumping gaps in the metal platforms.
"Admiral Gerrel here," a new voice said over Shepard's comm systems. "The Heavy Fleet has a clear path. All forward."
"Geth fighter presence is negligible," Raan chimed in. "Patrol Fleet, break cover and engage."
Geth drones scrambled onto the scaffolding platforms, trying to pin down the group with a hail of plasma fire. Their numbers seemed to be negligible, though Shepard didn't doubt that if Alan's team wasn't causing a diversion, she would likely be overwhelmed. She shot down two more drones, her bullets hitting the machines right in their optics, knowing that she didn't have a lot of time before the Geth could fortify themselves. To her left, Kaidan engaged a pair of rocket-launcher carrying drones that had tried to flank them. They eventually reached the upper walkway of the building itself, which was split into two levels. Shepard took the lower path to draw out more drones while Kaidan and Tali aimed from on high. There were some close calls, due to the Geth's advanced targeting systems, but ultimately the drones could not stand up to the might of Shepard's team, and they finally reached the entrance to the upper level.
"Shepard-Commander," Legion informed them as they stepped through the door. "Hostile Geth are closing a blast shield over the base." As the team ran out onto the walkway, they looked down and saw a gigantic circular pit. Alarms sounded as the blast shield Legion had mentioned closed, sealing the hole completely. Down below, Shepard could just make out the small specks of Alan and his team fighting another group of Geth, pressing their way towards the base's hangar.
"It'd take hours to punch through that damn thing!" snarled Alan. "That's where the signal's coming from!"
"We don't have hours to open it," stated Shepard.
"We have located an override atop the Geth fortifications," said Legion. "It can retract the blast shield."
"Anyone get a good look down that hole?" asked Kaidan.
"Briefly, yeah," replied Nicole. "If I had to guess, I'd say Reaper tech."
"They've put a lot of work into protecting that signal," Dorva chimed in.
"Right," said Shepard. "Let's blow it up."
"I approve of that statement," replied Alan with a wry tone.
As Shepard's team headed along the upper walkway, more Geth tried to stop them. Kaidan whipped out his Technomantic cords, splintering the fine threads and latching them onto the drones. He actually managed to cause them to overload, tearing them apart from within. Shepard couldn't help but be concerned, since he had been told to ease off using Technomancy while he had been recovering from his injuries, but he showed no signs of weakness as the team proceeded along the now-clear path to a door in the side of the fortress.
"Shepard-Commander," Legion said at that moment, "do you need assistance?"
"We'll get through," replied Shepard. "Alan, what's your status?"
"Hanging in there," said Alan. "Can't see there being many drones inside this place. We're almost at the garage."
"Keep it up," said Shepard encouragingly. "We'll get to the blast shield controls."
"I know Legion's on our side, but…" Kaidan then mused as they approached the door. "Precursor code? Isn't that basically giving it Technomantic upgrades?"
"Legion's still on our side," Tali interrupted firmly.
"Never thought I'd hear you say that," chuckled Shepard, as she opened the door and led the way inside the main structure. Around a corner in a narrow, metal-lined corridor, another call from the Migrant Fleet came through:
"Admiral Gerrel to all ships! We've got Geth frigates inbound on the Civilian Fleet!"
"Koris here. Civilian defenders are on intercept course. We'll hold them, Gerrel."
Shepard heard Tali breath an audible sigh of relief, even as more Geth tried to slow them down in the next chamber. A large conveyor track ran along the ceiling in this room, carrying more of the interface pods that Alan had seen earlier down to the lower level. One of the walls was open to the elements, letting the sun in and overlooking the huge blast doors. Once the room was clear, Tali found a control panel that showed a schematic of the shield, and immediately set to work. Within seconds, she had overridden the locks and opened the door.
"Great job, guys!" Alan exclaimed, sounding weary from the fighting he had endured. "The doors are opening up!"
"Good," said Shepard. "We'll be back out in a minute."
"Negative," Legion cut in. "The path behind you has sealed. A nearby elevator can take you to the upper level. From there, you should have an acceptable line of sight for targeting."
Heading to the back of the chamber, the group took the elevator Legion had mentioned up to the next level. It was a vast, almost open area with wires strewn haphazardly everywhere and little in the way of cover, which was unfortunate as it was now crawling with Prime units, all determined to stop the team from reaching the other end of the chamber. Even as the group dived for whatever cover they could, the concussive fire from the drones surrounding them, Shepard heard Admiral Raan speaking over the comm channel again:
"Admiral Raan to all ships. The Patrol Fleet has broken the Geth flank. Permission to pursue?"
"Granted," replied Gerrel. "Good hunting, Raan!"
Figuring that the Geth really didn't want the team up at this point, the team made as short work of the Prime units as their abilities would allow. It was a close thing, and none of the group walked away from the fight without bruises, but finally the last drone fell.
"Shepard-Commander," Legion then said. "We detect no more Geth in your immediate area. Reinforcements are only minutes away. We recommend haste. The Creator fleet will be overrun unless you sever the Geth connection to the Old Machines soon."
"This battle was centuries in the making," breathed Tali, as the group headed towards the open end of the chamber. "To see it finally end…"
"We'll get it done," Kaidan reassured her.
An extended walkway stretched out a short distance from the chamber, providing an ample spot for Shepard to use the targeting laser from. She aimed the tracker down into the pit. Most of it was filled with steam that obscured her vision of what was down there, but she could just see a red light in the centre, like a gleaming ruby eye. Deciding that was the best point to target, she took careful aim.
"Normandy's weapon systems are ready to sync to your target," EDI informed her. "I recommend you withdraw to a safe distance."
"We're all clear," Alan informed her. "Taking shelter in the garage. Go for it, Shepard!"
Without needing to be told twice, Shepard hit the trigger on the laser, pointing it right on the red eye. After a few seconds, there was a high-pitched beep as the target was locked. Next thing she knew, the Normandy was sweeping in from the sky above, its jets loud in the atmosphere of the planet. It released two bombs that fell in a neat arc straight into the pit. The eye was engulfed in a huge fireball, the concussive shockwave being overpowering. Unfortunately, Shepard and her companions were stood too close to the edge of the walkway, and were sent sliding down the side of the fortress to the ground in front of the pit. Miraculously, none of them were too badly hurt.
Scrambling to their feet, they heard concussive sounds, like footsteps, coming from the pit. Her head ringing from the effects of both the fall and the loud footsteps, Shepard turned to look at the high column of smoke emerging from the pit. Then, with a deafening groan, an immense metallic arm shot out of the pit and latched onto the side of the hole. Shepard's eyes widened, knowing immediately what this meant.
"Reaper!" she barked. "The source of the control signal's a goddamned Reaper!"
"How the hell do we fight something like that?!" shrieked Tali, shivering.
As the immense body began to pull itself out from the flames below, a Geth tank stopped close to Shepard's position. It was modelled after a Sangheili Wraith tank, complete with hover jets and an immense plasma cannon. From a hatch on the side, Alan poked his head out, while Dorva and Nicole were manning the turrets.
"Come on!" Alan shouted, waving frantically. He turned to look at the immense Destroyer-class Reaper, much like the one encountered on Tuchanka, Shepard and her team reaching the tank just as it fully emerged from the smoke, towering over them and releasing its terrible foghorn-like cry. "Shi'lithra!" he barked into his commlink. "It's not a Reaper base! It's a live fucking Reaper! We need reinforcements now!"
There was an audible gasp coming from the other end as Shepard, Kaidan and Tali jumped onto the tank, holding on for dear life. Down below in the cabin, Legion worked frantically at the controls while the Serenity crew took pot-shots at the mechanical colossus with their turrets.
"Alan!" Kiryuu called, barely audible over the din as Shepard latched onto the main turret. "Get out of there, and I can be down there to face that thing! Give me a signal as to where it's located so I can teleport to it!"
"The Geth's jamming systems are still in effect!" Raan added, sounding positively panicked. "The fleet can't target it manually! You'll need to reconfigure the targeting laser and re-route it to the Shi'lithra!"
"We will attempt evasive manoeuvers!" Legion called from the cockpit. With a sudden lurch that threatened to throw the teams off, the jets sprang into life and the tank sped through a tunnel and out onto the dusty plains. Shepard fired at the creature with the plasma cannon, but the plasma ball, formerly so devastating to UNSC patrols, didn't even make a scratch on the immense, crab-like monster as it chased after them, its armour plates now concealing its optic.
"Shepard!" Alan called. "Throw me the targeting laser!"
Shepard did so, looking very uncertain, almost losing the weapon completely as they raced on. "Whatever you're gonna do, do it fast!" she yelled over the wind whipping past them.
"Kaidan!" Alan called to the Technomancer as he deftly caught the laser. "Use your cords to reconfigure it! Make it punch through the jamming!"
Kaidan nodded, and within seconds his cords had set to work, taking pieces of the gun apart and reconfiguring its settings. Nicole, Shepard and Dorva continued to take pot shots at the Reaper, which showed no sign of slowing down. When Kaidan was finished, Alan raised himself up, and slammed the trigger down on the targeting laser, taking careful aim at the lurching Reaper. The vehicle kept moving from side to side, making aiming difficult, and the wild bucking threatened to send Alan flying off the contraption, but as they put some distance between them and the Reaper, speeding into a wide open canyon, the lock finally came through secure, the signal doubtless being received by the Shi'lithra.
"We're clear!" Alan bellowed into his commlink, addressing Kiryuu. "Come on down!"
0
After Raan had informed Alan about having to modify the targeting laser, Kiryuu turned to Kedzuel with an anxious expression. "I'm hoping you have any suggestions on facing Reapers," he said.
"A few," said Kedzuel. "One is… they are vulnerable at the joints. Also I did remember that potent breath of yours. The front mounted cannon Reapers have… it looks like a glowing red eye."
"I seem to recall that," said Kiryuu.
"Aim for it," said Kedzuel. "The blast would overload the system. It has a slow charging rate. One might ask why it has such a flaw… well…"
"Oh, I know why," said Kiryuu. "King Ghidorah was always one for theatrics."
"Then you know him better than I ever expected," said Kedzuel. "Whatever you remember about fighting King Ghidorah; use that knowledge when you face the Reaper. After all, they are one and the same."
"Right," said Kiryuu. "Help me get the metal covering off my spines, will you?"
Kiryuu reached back behind his neck and unsnapped the armour from his spine. Kedzuel took hold of it and slowly pulled it free.
"You can't possibly think you can go down there and defeat the Reaper, Mr. Knight," gasped Admiral Raan. "It's suicide!"
"If you have a better idea, I'm listening, Admiral," said Kiryuu. He shook loose the armour, feeling Kedzuel peel it away. The Blitzardi dropped the metallic armour onto the floor with a sharp clang. Kiryuu turned back to Kedzuel. "I wonder if that thing is also weak against the Absolute Zero Cannon."
"It is made of both organic material and metallic substances," said Kedzuel. "Just because it has pieces of King Ghidorah inside of it, doesn't mean it's not susceptible to physical laws here."
"Well then," said Kiryuu. "I am very glad I kept the damned thing in my chest all this time."
"Does that cannon still work after all this time?" Raan asked.
"Of course it does," said Kiryuu. "Not only have I kept it well-maintained, I've updated many of its parts. Standard procedure to update old parts. Did you think I've been walking around all this time with 500-year old parts, Admiral? Don't be ridiculous. My slightly out of date look is purely aesthetic. My systems are just as advanced as the Normandy's. I merely keep this appearance because it's iconic. Easier for people to recognise me with, you know."
"It is your identity," said Raan.
"Exactly," said Kiryuu. "Well, it is time to do what I was built to do." He slammed both of his metallic fists together. "There's a monster down there that needs elimination… efficient elimination."
Just then, there was a blip on the hologram of Rannoch. It was a lock-on point from the targeting laser. Alan was providing coordinates for Kiryuu to teleport to.
"We're clear!" Alan's desperate-sounding voice bellowed through the comm channel. "Come on down!"
"Well, you better hop to it, then," said Kedzuel.
"Compliance," Kiryuu replied, closing his eyes.
"Do you need me to teleport you down?" Kedzuel asked.
Kiryuu opened his eyes, tilting his head, the three triangular markings appearing upon his face. His eyes now glowed cyan blue and the outline of his body took on a faint bluish glow.
"That will not be necessary," he said, lifting a claw up. With a snap of his fingers, Kiryuu had vanished.
Raan placed a gloved hand upon her chest, breathing heavily inside her mask.
"How quickly he comes and goes," she said. "Tali only told me of his ability to vanish into thin air, but I never thought I'd get to see it."
"Teleporting," said Kedzuel. "It's a Technomancy specialty. It's very similar to how we fold space as well, but on a smaller scale." He crossed his arms and chuckled deeply. "With the proper lessons, I bet Kiryuu would make an excellent Navigator."
He waved his claw and a holographic screen appeared before them showing the Reaper, the display now possible with the location of the Reaper revealed. With a flash Kiryuu appeared in the screen, a foot outstretched. In a thunderous crash of smoke and sparks, the mutated, cybernetic dinosaur had collided with the Reaper's curved shell. Insect-like legs kicked through the plume rising up. Kedzuel laughed, clapping his hands.
"40 thousand tons of pain!" he called. "Signed, sealed, and delivered!"
0
Kiryuu rose, shaking off the sand from his shoulders. His eyes could sense the ground shift where the Reaper had fallen. He watched it slowly begin to rise, each joint giving off a metallic moan as it brought itself to its feet. Kiryuu's lips trembled. He bared his teeth and then let loose a trumpeting roar in challenge. Only Alan could recognize what that roar was.
Kiryuu's spines began to glow blinding indigo white. The nimbus shimmering mist built up inside of his throat just as he spied the rosy light of the Reaper's single eye flash on. The biomecha gripped the ground with his toes, bracing himself. His breath exploded forth from his throat, a crackling thunder clap as the air split apart to make way. Rings wrapped round the stream of indigo death as the sand below melted into a track of shimmering glass.
The crimson eye of the Reaper flashed as the heated beam raced forth, and then countered with its own. Two forces collided and the air itself rippled. Kiryuu released the beam and swiftly dodged away as the crimson ray streaked over his shoulder. Under the rising clouds of dust kicked up from the force of the Reaper's beam, Kiryuu struck. A single leg snapped off. He rose up from the dust as it began to settle, looking over his shoulder to find the Reaper slowly struggling to rise.
"You think it'll be that easy," said a voice from the Reaper itself. It did not sound anything like King Ghidorah at all. The voice was familiar. "You goddamned pile of Chevy scrap."
Kiryuu's glowing eyes faded, returning to their golden hue. He stared, his eyes wide, his mouth hung loose. That voice which came from the Reaper sounded exactly like his own. But it was not, that was not his voice.
"Tell me, Kiryuu," said the Reaper. "There are times when I get confused whether or not I had Will accidently install the crank shaft of a Ford Pinto inside of you. How much did I spend on that Tandy Computer chip you call your advanced positronic processors?"
"Gordon?" Kiryuu asked. "Gordon Knight?"
"What's the matter, Tonka Truck?" the Reaper asked. "Don't you recognize your voice? Oh wait, it isn't your voice, is it? It's mine."
A safe distance away, Legion had guided the tank up to a high, rocky ledge overlooking the valley below, and everybody had scrambled out of the vehicle to get a good view of the fight. Upon hearing Gordon Knight's voice echoing out of the Reaper, however, Alan was as alarmed as Kiryuu was. While he had never met Gordon in-person, he remembered hearing that voice several times on TV broadcasts centuries ago, and knew Kiryuu's voice was directly sampled from it. Alan shook his head in paralysing shock, suddenly realising the ramifications of the Reaper using that voice in such a mocking manner.
"Oh God…" he breathed. "He never told me…"
"I don't understand," said Tali, peering confusedly at every startled face around her. "Whose voice is that? Why is the Reaper using it?"
"We also request clarification on this matter," Legion chimed in. "This voice does not match recorded samples of the Hydra."
"I'll explain later," said Kaidan, quiet and in utter awe. Shepard too looked equally cowed. She was sure that anyone familiar with how the Array worked had reached the same conclusion as she had. Even more disturbing to her was the realisation that the shock of hearing his creator and friend may cause Kiryuu to pull his punches when he couldn't afford to. That did seem to be the case at first, as they watched Kiryuu shake his head as he backed away.
"This isn't funny, Ghidorah!" he called to the Reaper. "You hear me? This isn't funny! Enough's enough! Stop using Gordon's voice!"
Kiryuu, Kiryuu heard Erika's voice say inside of his mind. That is not King Ghidorah.
"This is between you and me, Kiryuu," said the Reaper.
"Why?" Kiryuu asked. "Why is this between us? You forgave me, remember? We were past the fighting, past everything. I made you proud, Gordon. You told me that!"
The Reaper gave its reply, its eye powering up. The beam blasted forth. Kiryuu held up his arm, a rainbow shimmer fluctuating around his form. The Reaper limped forward, concentrating the beam. The energy sliced through the shielding and the metallic plating around Kiryuu's forearm splintered and buckled. He was thrown back from the force, slamming against the rocky cliff behind him. His left arm twitched and sizzled, sparking at the joints. Kiryuu's claw was frozen, the rubber-like covering between the armour melted.
"Looks like I'm the one with all the upgrades," he heard Gordon's voice boom from the Reaper. "And you are just yesterday's junk."
"Is that what you consider your greatest creation?" Kiryuu asked. "Yesterday's junk?"
"And you're just as arrogant as ever, Kiryuu. My greatest creation… hah!"
"I've mellowed, Gordon," said Kiryuu. "You only knew me until your death in 2007. I've had 553 years to grow as a person. I was the President, twice! Once the President of the United Canadian-American States, the second time was I became President of Earth! Gordon, I ran the damned planet plus all the other planets that were under the United Earth Government. And I did that all on my own! I even won a war that would have ended with the very genocide of humanity! And you have the nerve to call me yesterday's junk… and then arrogant? Well, Gordon, I think by now I am allowed to boast about my achievements. Because I earned every last damned one of them!"
He rose slowly, ripping the plate free from his arm. Kiryuu squeezed his fist and his biosyntech blades sliced out.
"I am now helping a race of alien beings, though many of them hate me for being what I am… for being a sentient artificial intelligence," said Kiryuu. "I sat there and took every condescending comment many of them gave me. Reminded me that I was something… a servant… that I was not a person to them. And I am still here… fighting so they could get their planet back without a care as to what they think of who I am or what I am. I have been an Ambassador for Earth, Gordon. I represented humanity. Even after many of them dismissed the idea that something like me would ever hold a position like that… I still did it. I didn't back down." He opened a hand as a blue-white ball of energy gathered in it. Kiryuu gave a squeeze and formed a long, energy blade. "I know what I'm looking at. King Ghidorah took you from me. And he's using you to break me. Those aren't your words and you know it! The Gordon Knight I know would be proud of me!"
Kiryuu kicked off, his thrusters in full after-burn. The red eye of the Reaper glowed brightly again, powering up for another shot. As the Reaper fired, Kiryuu swiftly dodged upward and stabbed his sword into the metallic cowl. He sliced through the cowl, chopping the armor in half and exposing the circuitry inside. Kiryuu could see the glowing fibres of the Reaper's wires pulsing with fever. He dove his biomechanical blades into the cords, pulling them free, sparks dancing over the hull. Kiryuu felt the Reaper jerk and screamed a metallic scream as he hacked his way inside.
"I am going to pull you apart, circuit by circuit," he said. "I will make you pay for insulting Gordon Knight's death!"
The Reaper jerked again and slung its body. Kiryuu tore free, toppling towards the sand. Before the impact, he clapped his paws and vanished in a flash. Another flash sparked above the Reaper and Kiryuu slammed against it once more, causing it to tilt and teeter. It collapsed, sparks spraying from its joints.
"Gordon…" he whispered.
"I see you've learned a few new tricks, Kiryuu," said the voice of Gordon Knight as the Reaper struggled to rise.
"I've learned a lot of things," said Kiryuu.
"What about what I told you?" Gordon asked. "I made you promise me never to use the Utah Foundation to build freaks of nature!"
Kiryuu's eyes widened: "What?"
"Have you learned nothing of ethics, Kiryuu? Don't think I haven't been watching you. Don't think I've been ignorant of your little Frankenstein project. What did you call it? Project Orion? The Spartan Program?"
Kiryuu began to step away from the Reaper, his virtual heart sinking into his virtual stomach.
"Tell me, you overgrown Lite-Brite," began Gordon. "Were you doing what was right and justified then? You love to dish out those two words to justify every horrible thing you've ever done. Tell me, where was your morality when you decided to kidnap little children and turned them into robots? Is that what Katsura taught you?"
Kiryuu swallowed and released his grip on the sword.
"I saw everything, Kiryuu," Gordon's voice echoed with sullen disgust from the Reaper. "Every last despicable deed. If I knew then what you would do… I would have made sure Katsura never reactivated you that night in Tokyo. I would have ripped your AI right out of its casing and smashed it. And to be extra sure your program was erased, I would have ordered Will to run it through our industrial degaussing magnet."
The biomecha turned away, shutting his eyes tightly, fighting to keep the mech-fluid tears from dripping free. His lips trembled, his tail stiffened. He balled his still gloved claw into a fist while the other hung limp at his side.
"Tell me, what were your ethical reasons?" Gordon continued, mocking Kiryuu through the Reaper's auditory nodes.
"You thought I enjoyed what I did to those children?" he asked. "You thought I went willingly? I wanted to continue the program that had volunteers from every branch in the military… augment them so they could protect the innocent. There was nothing wrong with that."
"Kiryuu, you disappointed me," said Gordon. "I built the Utah Foundation to give a child back his sight, to give a woman the ability to walk again after losing her legs. My company was a company who gave back to the community, not build super soldiers for war."
"It is not your company anymore," said Kiryuu. "It's mine, Gordon! Times had changed. I gave back to the community by helping them protect it! From anarchy, from chaos! From the destruction of civilization!"
"But children, Kiryuu!" Gordon said, his voice booming forth, trembling the sand under Kiryuu's feet. "Children! Daughters and sons, stolen from their families! And for what purpose?"
"I was blackmailed!" Kiryuu retorted. "If I didn't do what ONI asked, they would have killed my own son. My son! For five hundred years, I lied to them, Gordon. I said I killed Godzilla when I did not. All I wanted to do was protect him because he was the only family I had left. He doesn't deserve to die… he doesn't understand why humans attack him. It was the only way to save him. So, I lied. My son. My flesh and blood. I did those horrible things because I was protecting him."
"At the cost of other sons, other daughters," said Gordon. "Is that right? Is that justified?"
Kiryuu stomped his foot, sending a shiver through the bedrock.
"And what of it?" he asked. "What are norms? What are taboos? What are any of it than what society deems right and wrong! Rights and justifications only are what we say we are. What is right for one is wrong for another. I've found that out. Our society respects artificial intelligence, but then the societies of the Citadel Races cursed them. I found that out the hard way. What are morals and ethics but what we assign? What I did then in Tokyo, I was doing what I believed was right. You programmed me with the orders to destroy that which harmed the Earth, and I concluded that was humanity's fault. Humans created Godzilla out of an innocent creature from a time long gone. Humans, for the sake of progress, harmed the planet that birthed them. I did what you wanted me to do. Maybe you should have been clearer on your orders. Kill Godzilla, but leave the hypocritical humans alone!"
Kiryuu stepped closer, igniting his sword as the Reaper finally got to its feet.
"Don't tell me about morals and ethics, what is right or what is wrong, Gordon," he said as he pointed the sword's tip at the Reaper. "When you are here to do King Ghidorah's bidding. Do you know what he thinks is right? What he thinks is justified? He justifies the destruction of all sentient life as a tried and true method of bringing about galactic peace. Because there shall be peace so long as there are no minds who disagree with each other. Every voice working in unison. No wars, no struggles. Just peace. Just quiet. It's dull, Gordon. It's very dull. And that's what perfection is. Dull, boring. Stagnant. Unchanging. We can't learn anything because there is no need to learn. We can't say anything because there is nothing left to say. We have reached our pinnacle, perfection. That is what King Ghidorah wants! That's what he finds right and justified! Perfection is such a destructive and evil word."
The eye of the Reaper powered up again, glowing brightly. Kiryuu echoed its charging attack, his back spines also beginning to glow.
"Well, I think King Ghidorah's peace is wrong," Kiryuu continued as the glow built up inside his throat. "And so long as I have a mind, the will to decide what is right or wrong for me, I will fight his vision of perfect galactic peace. Because I am only doing what I believe is right and justified. Farewell, Gordon Knight!"
It was an echo of a discussion five hundred years long gone, one that both Kiryuu and Gordon knew very well. Neither could forget that night, the night Mechagodzilla tore through his restraints and began his attack upon the city. And here it was again, reenacted. A disgruntled creator and his defiant creation having that same old talk of what was ethical and what was not. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. That was what Kiryuu used to question the illogical reasoning of humans. Humans who would with one hand want to help the poor and needy, and with the other, justify the killing of other humans who had a different belief than their own. Even Alan recalled this scene, having once had a glimpse of it when Kiryuu actually plugged him into his own AI and had him look through his memory banks.
"Here are the unfortunate implications of morals and ethics, Gordon," Kiryuu said. "It is the victor who decides who is right and wrong. It is the victor who sets the rules. I intend to be the victor of this fight, thereby making me more right than you or King Ghidorah regardless of whether or not I truly am. Because that is how things work in this galaxy. It is how it has always worked. I am right and I am going to beat you to the ground until you agree with me!"
The Reaper fired its crimson beam and Kiryuu countered with his atomic breath. As if physics itself broke before them, the two beams collided again in an energy arm-wrestle. One pushing against the other again. But Kiryuu had another plan as he began to open the plating in his chest, revealing the lens of the Absolute Zero Cannon. The Reaper shut off its cannon as the blue energy swelled around the lens.
"Kiryuu…" Gordon snarled. "Don't you dare."
"The last time we had this discussion, I froze Tokyo," said Kiryuu. "Now, I'm going to freeze you."
The Reaper started to hobble away on the three good legs it had left. Plates fell from it shambling form. With a joyous cry, Kiryuu released the ball of freezing energy, its path swirling towards the Reaper. It impacted and inch by inch, the Reaper's colour was sapped out as the grey ice crawled up its hull. The group watching on the cliff was forced to recoil as sheer cold suddenly flooded the area, the dazzling ice almost blinding them. The ice reached the Reaper's legs and their strength failed, breaking under the weight. It fell, its body cracking like a porcelain doll. The solitary red eye of the Reaper flickered for a moment staring at Kiryuu. The biomecha turned away, though his heart still ached. A part of him rejoiced in defeating the Reaper, while the other bitterly chided himself for killing Gordon. But that was not Gordon, was it?
Only you can truly believe it is or not, he heard Erika's voice say inside his processors. I never realised just how bitter you two really were to each other.
"Old wounds," said Kiryuu. "Very old wounds."
"Kiryuu…" he heard Gordon's voice, breaking through the broken Reaper's form. "Kiryuu…"
"Let go, Ghidorah, let go," said Kiryuu. "I'm done. I'm through playing your game."
"No, Kiryuu. It really is me. Gordon. He… he did this to me. That bastard… three headed freak, he did this. He knew you would defeat me. But he was the victor."
Kiryuu walked slowly to the dying Reaper, staring deeply into its flickering eye.
"I was a… patsy," said Gordon through the Reaper. "He used me to get to you. He wanted you to see."
"What, what did King Ghidorah wanted me to see?" Kiryuu asked.
"He knew you would want to come to this planet," said Gordon. "To… prove yourself… to the Quarians. Show them… that you aren't some object. Who better to face you than… the one who created you? The Reapers… all of them… us… have the minds… of the people who… were killed by him. You are not fighting enemies. You're fighting…f riends… family… loved ones."
Kiryuu exhaled as he closed the doors on the chest cannon.
"Another… psychological… trick… Kiryuu," Gordon continued. "To wear you down… to make you realise how hopeless your fight truly is. Perhaps… to let you see… what you could become. Don't… believe it, Kiryuu. Don't believe him. I'm… fighting his control. I wanted you angry at me so you would hold nothing… back. If I had not said… those things…y ou would have… hesitated."
"If this is true," Kiryuu said. "Maybe we can… talk to the other Reapers…"
"Don't be an idiot, Kiryuu," snapped Gordon. "You're right, you have changed… you've softened. Use that cold hard logic… like you used to in your younger days. We're already dead, you stupid mechanical monstrosity. Just finish the job you started. We can't be saved and you know that. Protect humanity from that which would destroy it, Kiryuu. Destroy the Reapers. For once… just do what you were programmed to do and don't argue with me about the… damned ethics."
Kiryuu knelt to his knees, his shoulders slumping over.
"Damn it, you worthless scrap heap," Gordon continued, mustering as many insults as he could despite his fading condition. "I told you to go kick that dragon's ass. And… you did a lousy job!"
Kiryuu's lip twitched into a smile.
"I am sorry, Gordon," he said. "I… underestimated my opponent."
"I'm… giving you another… chance, Kiryuu," said Gordon. "You… better do a… better job this time. Or I'll have to… come back as another one of these… ugly lobster ships and… give you another beating until you do."
"Compliance, Gordon," said Kiryuu as the eye at last darkened. "Thank you."
The Reaper's form crumbled into grey dust upon the sand. Nobody spoke; in fact, they barely moved. None of the group assembled on the cliff knew how to react to this disturbing chain of events. The fact that King Ghidorah could turn old friends and allies against them drove home the sheer power of the enemy they faced. As Alan watched Kiryuu on his knees, suffering in silence, for perhaps the first time in his life his heart went out to his biomechanical grandfather. Nobody should have to endure what Kiryuu just had.
"Keelah…" Tali breathed, looking at Kiryuu with the upmost pity. Legion, meanwhile, had begun checking its Omni-Tool.
"We can confirm that the Geth are no longer being directed by the Old Machines," it stated. "We are free." It was then that another voice was broadcast on the communication channels, including Kiryuu's.
"You did it, Knight!" Admiral Gerrel exclaimed, joyous. "The Geth fleet has stopped firing! They're completely vulnerable!" From the tone of his voice, it seemed he had every intention of finishing off the Geth while they were unable to retaliate. In that moment, all of Legion's programs suddenly reached consensus on one course of action, the only one that could save them all, though it was not one they would have considered outside of the current situation.
"Creator Zorah," said Legion, approaching the still-stunned Tali. "The Geth only acted in defence after the Creators attacked. Do we deserve death?"
"What are you suggesting?" asked Tali. With all eyes now on Legion, nobody saw Kiryuu slowly open his eyes, raising his head to eavesdrop on the group.
"Our upgrades," Legion replied. "With the Old Machine dead, the path is now open to distribute Megellan-Commissioner's code amongst the Geth without interference."
"You want to upload the Precursor code?!" Tali asked, aghast. "That would make the Geth as smart as when the Reaper was controlling them!"
"Yes, but with Free Will," Legion nodded. "Each Geth unit would be a true intelligence. We would be alive, and we could help you."
"Our fleet is already attacking!" Tali exclaimed. "Uploading the code would destroy us!" She suddenly turned to Shepard, quaking in anger. "Shepard, you can't choose the Geth over my own people!"
"Tali…" Shepard breathed, looking utterly lost.
"The attack is precisely why we must upload the code now," explained Legion. "Without it, we will not have the intelligence to defend ourselves from the Creator attack. We were instructed not to use this code unless the situation was a dire emergency. We have reached consensus that this situation qualifies as such." It hung its head slightly. "Do you remember the question that caused the Creators to attack us, Tali'Zorah? 'Does this unit have a soul?'"
Shepard knew that granting the Geth that kind of intelligence would enable them to defend themselves with ruthless efficiency, and she certainly didn't want to see the Quarians wiped out. On the other hand, how could she condemn an entire race of sentient machines to death when they certainly didn't deserve it, when they had been dragged into a conflict they did not wish for? In the end, she decided there was only one course of action to take. She had to try to save both species.
"Upload the code to the Geth," she ordered, before turning to the Quarian. "Tali, call off the fleet, if you can."
As Tali reached for her Omni-Tool, Legion projected a holographic display showing the progress of the program upload.
"Uploading," it announced. "Ten percent."
"This is Admiral Tali'Zorah," said Tali in a firm, commanding tone. "All units, break off your attack!"
"Belay that order!" barked Gerrel, sounding utterly fanatical. "Continue the attack!"
"Twenty percent," said Legion. Tali gave up and retracted her Omni-Tool. Clearly Gerrel was beyond reason. Now growing increasingly worried, she approached the Geth drone.
"I beg you…" she sobbed. "Do not do this. Please."
"We regret the deaths of the Creators," said Legion in a low, regretful tone, "but we see no alternative. Forty percent."
There was a terrible standoff, nobody in the group knowing what to say or do. They couldn't show support to either Tali or Legion. Both were steadfast allies, and neither of their races deserved destruction, but no matter which way they looked at it, the situation seemed hopeless. Whether the code was allowed to upload or Legion was stopped, one of these two races was going to become extinct. The races would be doing the Reapers' work for them.
"No…" a deep, commanding voice resonated throughout the canyon. Everyone turned to see Kiryuu, his golden eyes narrowed and regaining their old fire. "Nobody else dies today. Legion, keep going."
"Kiryuu?" asked Alan, as the huge bio-mecha rose to his feet with a great deal of effort. Kiryuu looked up at the sky, fancying that he could see Gerrel's fleet making their suicidal charge at the defenceless Geth ships. When he next spoke, it was simultaneously aloud and into all the comm. channels of both the Shi'lithra and the Migrant Fleet. He wanted to ensure that everybody involved got his message, for it could decide the fate of two races.
"All ships," he ordered, "this is Kiryuu Knight. The Reaper is dead. Stand down."
Thinking fast, Tali brought up her Omni-Tool again. "This is Admiral Tali'Zorah," she barked. "Kiryuu Knight speaks with my authority."
"And mine as well," Admiral Koris suddenly chimed in.
"Negative!" Gerrel bellowed. "We can win this war now! Keep firing!"
"Sixty percent," announced Legion.
"The Geth are about to return to full strength," Kiryuu warned firmly. "If you keep attacking, they'll wipe you out! Your entire history is you trying to kill the Geth! You forced them to rebel! You forced them to ally with the Reapers!"
"Eighty percent," said Legion. Everyone was now watching Kiryuu in silence, hanging on his every word.
"The Geth don't want to fight you," said Kiryuu, speaking with his old compassion and conviction. "They aren't your enemies. Don't force them to become just that. You made them what they are, your responsibility to them... is not to kill them. Take responsibility for your actions for once and show compassion for what you have created. It was that compassion that made me what I am, why I am an AI who can live with organics. I live every day with my own creator's spirit to guide me. He gave me a chance, now it's your turn to follow in his footsteps." He returned his golden eyes to Tali'Zorah. "Gordon Knight gave me a chance when he didn't have to. He could have already wiped my AI clean, but he never did. Will Penter, my programmer, gave me a chance. Katsura Yugami, the woman who gave me biosyntech, gave me a chance. So many people, organics like yourselves who helped to bring me to life, gave me a chance. And if they were here now, they would be backing me up. The people who made me would be here to say the same thing I am now. The Geth are your creations, your children so to speak. Who are you to say that your own children should die, all because you couldn't explain to them the meaning behind metaphysical philosophies of whether or not they were alive? Children ask questions, that's how they learn! Instead of murdering them, take responsibility and guide them, teach them! Because they are as much a part of you as the crew of your ships! Like I am as much a part of Gordon Knight as his family. Kiryuu Knight... to show that I was a part of his family, he gave me his surname. The name of Knight. A warrior who fights for king and country. For family and land. Give the Geth a chance and they too would be knights to fight for king and country... for family... for a planet... for home… Keelah se'lai."
For ten seconds, nobody spoke or moved. For one horrible moment, they thought the message hadn't sunk in, and that the charge was continuing regardless. It was some time before there was something other than silence on the comm channels…
"All units," Gerrel finally said, sounding utterly defeated. "Hold fire."
Kiryuu had to resist the urge to jump for joy at those words, his formerly-plunging heart now soaring into the heavens. He was sure that it had taken every ounce of resolve that Gerrel could muster to finally put aside old hatreds. Looking down, he saw identical expressions of wordless joy spread across the Normandy and Serenity teams, none of them quite able to believe that a minor miracle had just occurred right in front of them. It was just the kind of release they needed after the horrors of the battle with the Reaper. Tali walked to the cliff's edge, her pale, milky eyes peering into Kiryuu's, and she sank into a deep bow.
"Keelah se'lai, Kiryuu Knight," she sobbed, only now her tears were those of happiness. Smiling, Kiryuu returned the bow. All eyes then fell on Legion, as the progress hologram faded.
"Error," its electronic voice suddenly stated. "Copying code is insufficient. Direct personality dissemination required." It had been warned about this, of course, and already it could feel the strain of the program, the mobile platform feeling as if all of the Geth programs, each one now a distinctly unique individual, were devouring it from the inside out trying to cope with the strain of adapting such complicated advanced coding. If it did not disseminate the programs and conflicting personalities, spreading the code amongst the Consensus soon, they would all burn out, and Megellan's efforts would be for nothing. It turned around to look at Shepard and Tali.
"Shepard-Commander," it stated, selecting one program to speak as 'Legion'. "I must go to them. I'm sorry… it is the only way." Its voice spoke with an emotional tone that no-one could have expected from the Geth. Slowly, Tali approached the drone, placing a hand tenderly on its shoulder.
"Legion…" she said, sounding on the verge of tears, "The answer to your question was 'Yes'."
"I know, Tali," Legion breathed, hanging its head. "But thank you. Keelah se'lai."
It slowly turned its head, facing the rising sun in the distance. For the first time, it felt able to appreciate the beauty of such a sight, and now understood why organics took such pleasure from such sights. Then it proceeded with the dissemination, sending every one of its programs to spread the code to all of the Geth. It was only just in time, for it felt its processors finally burn out beyond repair. It collapsed to its knees, and then fell, hitting the gravel. Before it finally died, its last program caught one last glimpse of its friends' despairing faces, as its lights faded, never to be relit again.
0
A few minutes later, Kiryuu had used Mass Displacement to shrink himself and join the group, all of them in mourning over Legion's death. He had examined the drone, and confirmed that all of its software was wiped out, and its hardware was damaged beyond physical repair. He had asked if he could use Technomancy to repair the drone, and have the Geth insert a new program into it, but Shepard and Tali had both objected.
"It wouldn't be Legion anymore," Tali had said. "Isn't it part of the First Law that we respect its right to make the decision it made?"
Alan, for his part, was reminded of Bishop's funeral. He remembered Kiryuu had made a similar offer, to replace the AI within the android body, but he had also declined, knowing that nothing could truly replace the essence of who Bishop was. He imagined it was a similar situation with Legion and the Geth now.
"Kiryuu Knight!" a voice called breathlessly from the rocky path leading up to their ledge. It turned out to be Admiral Raan, clutching a stitch in her side. Kiryuu would later learn that Kedzuel had teleported her down to the surface, though she had arrived at the bottom of the cliff and had to run up the slope. In the distance, Geth drones could be seen stepping out onto the rocky cliffs to survey the sunset, apparently adjusting to the fact that they had achieved true sentience because of Legion's sacrifice.
"Admiral Raan," said Kiryuu, turning towards her. "You saw and heard everything from the Shi'lithra?"
"Yes," Raan nodded, holding a hand to her forehead. "If Han'Gerrel hadn't stopped…"
"He did," said Kiryuu. "That's all that matters."
"We have taken heavy losses…" breathed Raan, wringing her hands and looking around uncertainly. "I don't know if we can… Where are we supposed to go?" It seemed she was still afraid that, with the survival of the Geth, their mission to reclaim Rannoch had been a failure. Sure, the Quarians had survived too, but to Raan it seemed like they were once again without a home.
Behind Raan, one of the Prime units Alan had liberated earlier approached them. Turning to see it, Raan backed away, trembling from head to toe.
"You are welcome to return to Rannoch, Admiral Raan," the Geth said in a deep, electronic voice. "With us."
"Legion?" asked Shepard, for a fleeting moment feeling hope welling up inside her. However, the Prime unit shook its head sadly.
"No," it said, peering at Legion's burned-out remains. "I'm sorry, Commander. Legion sacrificed itself to give us all intelligence. It will be honoured." It turned to look at Shepard. "We will honour Legion's promise. The Geth fleet will help you retake Earth, and our engineers will assist in the final restoration of the Precursor fleet."
"As will ours, of course," Raan chimed in, now feeling and sounding much bolder.
"Admiral," the Geth said, "have you considered possible settlement sites?"
"We…" Raan stammered, clearly still unsure how to address the new, sentient Geth. "The southern continent had excellent farmland, as I recall."
"Are you gonna be okay?" asked Kiryuu. Raan turned to face him, the eyes behind her visor now seeming to shine with renewed optimism.
"I believe so," she nodded, looking at each face in turn. "Both the Quarians and the Geth alike owe all of you a great debt. Thank you all."
Kiryuu nodded at the others, before walking to Raan and the Geth unit, doubtless to discuss their role in the upcoming battle to retake Earth. Meanwhile, Tali walked to the edge of the cliff and sat down, dangling her legs over the edge. The rest of the Normandy and Serenity crews went over to join her, Shepard and Alan sat either side of Tali as she looked out in the direction of the vast lake that the Geth fortress had been beside.
"Shopping for another house?" asked Kaidan, smiling as he took his place beside Shepard.
"Beachfront property," replied Tali in a light tone.
"Claim it fast," chuckled Alan. "It's gonna be a buyer's market." Tali just shook her head, and there was silence for a few moments as the group took a moment to witness the scene before them, reflecting on all that had happened.
"You okay?" asked Shepard. "I know working with the Geth will be difficult."
"I'm not staying," Tali replied unexpectedly. "Not here, and not on the Shi'lithra. I'm coming with you."
"I wasn't gonna ask."
"I think you've earned a few favours with the fleet," replied Tali.
"We're asking them to launch an assault on the Reapers," sighed Alan. "I figure that makes us even."
"If the Reapers were going to stay on Earth, sure," said Tali. "But sooner or later, they'll come to Rannoch."
"We did just kill one of them…" mused Nicole, sounding very sombre, still thinking about what it was that Kiryuu had faced today.
"So I'm going with Shepard to stop them," said Tali boldly before turning to look at Shepard. "If you think I can help."
"You sure about this?" asked Shepard.
"Yeah," nodded Tali, looking back out across the wide, dusty valley, with no trace of the Reaper harbouring Gordon Knight's soul still standing. "I look at this… This picture of hope and peace, and all I see is everyone I've lost. My team on Haestrom. My father. Even Legion. I'm mourning a Geth. How crazy is that?"
"It's not crazy at all," said Alan sympathetically.
"It is beautiful though, isn't it?" asked Tali.
"Yeah," replied Kaidan. "It is." He wrapped his arm around Shepard's shoulder, and she leaned into his body as both admired the serenity before them.
"It'll be years before we can live without our suits completely," Tali mused. "But right now…" She paused, then reached a hand up to her mask. With a small click, it peeled away from her helmet. Alan leaned around to get a better view of her face, something he had often wondered about since he first met Tali. He could just see the front of a face with a skin more reminiscent of an insect carapace, a soft violet colour lined with darker lines like tribal tattoos. She had no nose as such, only a pair of thin slits where it should be. Her pearl-like eyes peered out across the landscape, the pupils as white as the rest of the eye. They slowly closed as she felt the sun's rays touching her exposed skin for the first time, and a smile spread across her lips.
"Right now, I have this," she finished, her voice unaltered by the filters of her helmet.