Shepard decided it was time to get the Reaper IFF, he went to the cockpit to check on EDI he wanted to make sure he was all right after encounter with David.
"You doing all right, EDI?" Shepard asked.
"I'm doing very well, Shepard," said EDI. "Though I am grateful that you sever the connection when you did. I doubt that even with my processing power that I could fend off the VI."
"It was very touch and go there, Commander," said Joker. "By the way, what did happen down there?"
Shepard shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure, it was like that David brought me into his virtual world all."
"Most likely he uploaded into your cybernetic," said EDI
"It was weird," Shepard agreed.
"I still can't believe that Archer guy would do that to his own brother?" said Joker shaking his head. "I take it the Illusive Man wasn't too happy?"
"No. But he understands my reasons," said Shepard folding his arms. "Not likely to do much anyway, he needs to destroy the Collectors."
"Well, I contacted Grissom Academy and their spending an Alliance vessels to pick him up," Joker assured. "Hopefully, they'll give him the help he needs."
They soon out of FTL headed towards the large gas giant. The moment they entered into the atmosphere the Normandy began to shake uncontrollably.
"What's with all the chop, Joker?" Shepard asked.
"During my best. The wind's gusting to 500 kph," said Joker as his best to hold the steady. Joker then look at his instrument. "There's a second ship alongside the Reaper. It's not transmitting any IFF, but the ladar paints its silhouette as geth."
That didn't sound good. "I guess we know why the science team stopped reporting in."
Suddenly the Normandy straight now and was moving as choppy.
"What just happened?"
"The Reaper's mass effect fields are still active. We just passed inside their envelope."
The Reaper soon came into view and it was badly damaged. There were large chunks missing from it, Shepard could only imagine what kind of force the planetary cannon struck it with.
Joker turned his head over towards Shepard. "Eye of the hurricane, huh?"
Once they decked at the Cerberus research vessel, Shepard and his party soon entered into the ship.
"Exploring an abandoned area, expecting something mechanical and nasty to jump out at any moment. Just like old time," said Garrus.
"Are we sure boarding a derelict Reaper is the smartest idea?" Tali asked.
"We have to get that IFF, it is the only way we can enter into the Omega 4 relay alive," said Miranda.
"Don't forget that there's a geth ship outside," said Shepard.
"How did the geth know about this anyway?" Jacob asked.
"Geth have a habit of knowing they shouldn't," said Tali.
"Just your eyes peeled," said Shepard as they turn round the corner.
Shepard soon found a log from Dr Chandana and it appeared that the crew were suffering from the first phase of indoctrination. A Cerberus scientist also mentioned how Dr Chandana was staring at the nanobots for several hours.
"Seems as if they convict him of indoctrination," Shepard noted.
"How is that even possible?" Jacob stared. "This thing is supposed to be dead."
"The mass effect core is still online," said Shepard. "It could be that the Reaper is no longer be with, but that doesn't mean it's not conscious."
"Are you saying that this thing is still alive?" Jack stared.
"I don't know, Commander, it doesn't seem possible," said Miranda.
"Only one way to find out," said Shepard.
They soon made their way towards the airlock when the entire ship began shake.
"Normally to shore party!" said Joker's voice.
Shepard reached to his radio. "What just happen?"
"The Reaper put up kinetic barrier," said Joker. "I don't think we can get through from our side."
"As curious as I am about Reapers, I'd rather not be trapped inside one," said Tali.
Shepard nodded. "We'll have to take down the barrier generated from in here. Any idea where they are?"
"At the moment of activation, I detected a heat spike in what want is likely the wreck's mass effect core. Sending the coordinate now," said EDI. "Be advised: this core is also maintaining the Reaper's altitude."
"So when we take down the barriers down to escape, the record all into the planet core," Shepard concluded.
"And that means everyone died. Yeah, I got it," said Joker.
"It any helmsman can pull us off this thing before it reaches crush depth, it's you. We'll make a sweep for survivors and recover what data we can. Stand by."
"Aye, aye. Good hunting."
They soon entered inside the Reaper and found more dead body.
"This is… disconcerting," said Miranda. "Did the geth do all this?"
"Doesn't look like their MO," said Shepard examining one of the charred remains. "Besides I don't see any geth bodies and I find it strange that we haven't found them yet."
They kept on looking around and found another log. In reporting how to research scientist were starting to remember the same thing.
"It sounds like the Reaper was affecting their mind," said Garrus.
"Does that mean we're in danger?" Jacob asked.
Shepard shook his head. "No. We have to have continuous contact with a Reaper to be effective. However, I do advise that we that we carry up."
They can get all very far when they were suddenly attacked by husks and abominations. Fortunately, there were a few fuel tanks and they used them to blow away the husks. The abomination actually exploded when they were taken down taking out any nearby husks close by.
"I had wondered whether the technology for making husks came from the geth or from Soverign," said Garrus looking at the husks.
"Geth origin never made sense to me," said Tali "This confirmed it's from the Reapers."
"As we expected," said Shepard. "I have a feeling that the science team is dead."
"We don't know," said Jacob.
"I believe the Commander is right judging from the evidence we saw from the logs," said Miranda.
"I still don't get how we haven't seen any geth," said Jack.
Shepard nodded. "I had expected to run into some by now."
They soon found another log and it mentions how the research and were now seeing things. That was the second stage of indoctrination.
They made their way up a ramp and suddenly a shot out from the corner and a husk collapse in front of them.
"Sniper!" Garrus yelled.
A second shot was fired and second husk collapsed in front of them. They quickly look round the corner find out who fired the shots, but saw nobody.
"I can see the shooter," said Garrus. He looked at Shepard. "A survivor from the science team?"
"Doubtful," said Shepard. "That shot was too precise, whoever fired had military training."
"Whatever happened it appears we are not alone," said Miranda.
They soon entered into a storage area and were instantly attack by husks, abominations and scions. Miranda and Jack used their biotic power together that the army of husks and Garrus took up a sniping position and shot an abomination when it crossed paths with a scion causing it to be hit by an explosion.
Tali used her drone to distract the husks and Shepard and Mordin fired some covering fire as Jacob uses biotics to push an abomination away. Then all of them work together to take out the remaining scion. Shepard used the fuelling to their advantage by blowing them up to take out the remaining husks.
Once all the enemy had been taking care of Shepard approached a log. The researcher was now talking about the Reaper as if it was a god. That confirmed that they were indeed indoctrinated.
That however was not the most disturbing thing, Shepard then noticed the researchers over the chasm of the storage area. All of them were in the air with spikes through their bodies.
"We've seen this before, Shepard," said Tali. "Dragon's teeth, your people call them. The geth use them on Eden Prime."
Shepard looked around and studied the area.
"The how the room is arrange?" he said. "They treated this thing like some kind of altar."
Tali shook her head. "That doesn't seem right. No one in their right mind would want."
"You heard the logs. They were seen thing. Hearing things. They were being indoctrinated." He then looked back. "We can't help these people now. But we won't let the machines use their corpses like this."
They continued on their way through the Reaper and according to the coordinate that EDI provided they were getting close to the Reaper's mass effect core. Suddenly several shots shoot over their heads and when they turned they found several dead husks on the ground.
They then turned towards the direction of the shot and, to their surprise, they found a geth taking up a sniper perch. It looked badly damaged and it was wearing a pieces of N7 armour over it's chest.
It looked at them. "Shepard-Commander."
They just stared at it as it walked away.
"The sniper was a geth," Garrus blinked. "Since when do geth talk to organic?"
"It shouldn't be able to talk," said Tali. "A single geth had no more intelligent than a varren."
"Clearly that's no longer the case," said Shepard.
"I don't understand why it saved us," said Jack looking at the husks that littered the floor. "I thought the geth saw the Reapers as gods?"
"And why only send one geth," said Jacob.
"That's find out," said Shepard.
Of course, making their way over the exterior was easier said than gone. About a hundred husks climbed over the ramps and ran towards them. Miranda created a singularity that made the husks float up in the air making it easy for them to shot them.
Jack created a shockwave that was so powerful several husks were thrown off the ramps and down towards the planet below. Garrus fired a shot at an admonition creating an explosion taking several husks with it.
They kept pressing forwards and soon encounter four scions. Shepard fired a fire blast at one of them as Mordin used his frozen ammo to slow it down. Tali used a drone to distract one of them so Garrus could fire a couple of shots.
"I don't understand why there are so many husks," said Miranda as she push a husk into five overs. "The team wasn't this big."
"Maybe that geth ship brought them," said Jacob as he fired from behind cover.
"So why have we encounter one geth and that one has been taking out husks for us," Jack pointed out as the last scion fell.
Shepard had to agree, something didn't add up. Why were their so many husks on the Reaper and what was up with that talking geth. Why did it save them and why did it come alone?
"Let's find out," said Shepard.
Shepard hacked the airlock and then they saw a device on a time close by.
"This must be it," said Garrus as Shepard picked it up.
"So the Cerberus team did recover it," said Tali. "But where are they now?"
"I don't think we want to know the answer," said Shepard.
They then opened the door to the mass effect core, but they were blocked by a barrier. However, they could see the geth from earlier hacking into a computer terminal. Four husks were approaching it, but it quickly turned around and shot them.
It then returned to the computer terminal and the barrier lowered allowing them to enter the chamber. However, just as it turned around, a husk punched it across the face and it collapsed.
Shepard and the others moved in and shot the husks before they got a chance to turn on them. However, the core slammed shut before they could shot it and to make matters worse more husks began to climb over the ramps.
Fortunately they had the high ground and had enough people to cover the stairs. They began shooting the husks before they had a chance to make it the first step. Then the core opened and Shepard fired everything he had at hit.
Unfortunately, the core closed itself again before he could finish it off and then more husks appeared to overwhelm them. The cycle repeated again and again, not doubt to make them run out of ammo. However, they were used to this tactic and quickly adapted.
Once the core opened this time, Shepard fired a rocket launcher at it destroying it. Suddenly the chamber shook telling them that the Reaper was falling towards the planet.
They then approached the geth that was still laying down on the floor.
"Shepard! Want something done with that geth? It's still intact," said Garrus.
"Leave it there!" said Tali and she looked at Shepard. "You know what they are! If it gets into Normandy's computers…"
They heard noises behind them and saw more husks crawling up from the ramps.
Shepard looked at Tali. "You said it yourself, no one's ever found one intact."
"That's true, but… I'm not sure it's worth the risk, Shepard."
"There's no time to debate it, Tali. Come on!"
Shepard and Garrus each took an arm and made their way towards the airlock as the others covered their flanks.
"Hang on, folks," said Joker's voice.
"Open portside airlock," Shepard ordered as the Normandy came into view.
"Aye, aye."
Shepard and Garrus then tossed the geth over the ramp towards Normandy's portside airlock and allowed gravity to do the rest. Then one by one they jumped off the ramp. Shepard was the last one aboard and he closed the airlock behind him.
"We're clear. Go!" Shepard ordered.
The Normandy then pulled away from the Reaper just before it exploded and fell down into the planet.
Shepard met up with Miranda and Jacob in the briefing room as they looked at a hologram of a geth.
"I think we need to discuss the unique piece of salvage we recovered," said Miranda. "For now, we've stored it in EDI's AI core. We need better equipment to fight the Reapers. An intact geth would be invaluable to Cerberus's Cyberweapons division."
"We'll have to disagree on that, ma'am," said Jacob. "I saw enough of these things on Eden Prime. Space it."
"Cerberus has a long-stand cash bounty for an intact geth. I assure you, the reward is significant."
Shepard was actually more curious about the get itself. "I want to know why it has a piece of N7 armour strapped to its chest."
"Battle trophy, maybe?" Jacob shrugged. "Would aa machine care about that?"
"No." Miranda shock her head. "Trophies imply emotions that AIs don't have. I doubt it's more than a convenient field repair."
Shepard wasn't as so sure. EDI currently had emotions from the talks she and Joker had to one another. "I've killed hundreds of these things, but I've never had a chance to talk to one. This one tried to communicate with us. Hell, it probably saved our lives. Why?"
"Reactivating the geth is a risk. If you do so, it should be for humanity best interest and not your curiosity."
Jacob folded his arms. "I still think our 'best interests' involvement an airlock."
"I'm not deciding one way or the other until I know what we've got here. I want to start it up. Interrogate it."
"If we activated it, there is no guarantee we be activated again," said Miranda.
"Bullets can," said Jacob.
"That's not what I—"
Shepard raised his hand. "Thank you—both of you—for your recommendation. I've made my decision."
Jacob shook his head. "Tali is going to freak when she hears about this." He accesses omni-tool and a hologram of the Reaper IFF appeared. "So what about the Reaper IFF?"
"I have determined how to integrate it with our systems," said EDI as her hologram appeared. "However, this device is Reaper technology. Linking it with the Normandy's systems poses certain risks."
"I trust you, EDI," said Shepard. "I know you won't let anything happen to the ship."
"Understood, Shepard. It may take several hours before the IFF is ready for shakedown. I will alert you as soon as it is ready."
"Sounds good. Until then it's business as usual. Crew dismissed."
Shepard made his way down the AI core where the geth body remains most. Shepard had posted a few guards to guard it.
"Ten-hut," said a guard saluted.
"I'm turning this thing back on," said Shepard. "Be ready."
"Aye, aye."
Shepard activated his omni-tool and a force shield appeared around the geth.
"I have isolated our systems and erected additional firewalls. I am prepared to resist any hacking attempt," said EDI.
Shepard approached the geth and pressed several buttons on his omni-tool. Seconds later the geth began to move and got its feet. Then approached the force field and looked directly at Shepard.
"Can you understand me?" Shepard asked.
"Yes," the geth replied.
"Are you going to attack me?"
"No."
"You said my name aboard the Reaper. Have we met?"
"We know of you."
"You mean I fought a lot of geth."
"We have never met."
"No, you and I haven't. But I've other geth."
"We are all geth, and we have not met you. You are Shepard. Commander. Alliance. Human. Fought heritage. Killed by Collectors. Rediscovered on the Old Machine."
"'Old machine?'" Shepard blinked. "You mean the Reaper?"
"Reaper. A superstition title originated with the Protheans. We call those entities the Old Machines."
"You seem to know an awful lot about me," Shepard noted.
"Extranet data sources. Insecure broadcast. All organic data sent out is received. We watch you."
Shepard raised an eyebrow. "You watch me, or you what organics?"
"Yes."
"Which?"
"Both."
The geth said something that caught his interest. "What you mean, 'heretics'?"
"Geth built our own future. The heretics asked the Old Machines to give them the future. They are no longer part of us. We were studying the Old Machine's hardware to protect our future."
"What future are the geth building?"
"Ours."
"Will anyone else be affected by whatever it is you're doing?"
"If they involve himself, they will."
Shepard however was more interested with the fact that it wasn't treating the Reapers as gods. "The Reapers a threat to you too?"
The geth nodded. "Yes."
"Why would they attack other machines?"
"We are different from them. Outside their plans."
"So you aren't allied with the Reapers?" Shepard noted.
"We oppose the heretics. We oppose the Old Machine. Shepard-Commander opposes the Old Machines. Shepard-Commander opposes the heretics. Cooperation furthers mutual goals."
"Are you asking to join us?" Shepard asked.
"Yes."
Shepard doubted that the geth could lie and it would explain why the geth never counter-attacked after the Battle the Citadel. Shepard pressed a few buttons on his omni-tool and the force field lowers.
"Then what can I call you?"
"Geth."
"I mean you. Specifically."
"We are all geth."
This was getting them nowhere. "What is the individual in front of me called?"
The geth looked at him at him in a confusing manner. "There is no individual. We are geth. There are currently 1,183 programs active within this platform."
EDI's hologram then appeared. "'My name is Legion, for we are many.'"
"That seems appropriate," Shepard nodded.
"Christian Bible, the Gospel of Mark, chapter five, verse nine. We acknowledge this as an appropriate metaphor. We are Legion, a terminal of the geth. We will integrate into Normandy."
Shepard smiled and extended hand and Legion shook it.
Shepard check on Samara, who was busy meditating.
"Shepard," she said sensing his presences.
"Anything you?" he asked.
"There is something I've wanted to tell you," she said getting to her feet. She then look out into the void and Shepard joined her. "I've done many things in my lifetime. I thought the galaxy had nothing new for me. Since joining you, I realise how much more there is."
"You must have seen many things in your years of travel," said Shepard looking at her.
"As a maiden, I served as a mercenary. I fought tyrants and pirates. I experienced everything the galaxy has to offer. As a justicar, I saw parts of asari space few know about. I destroyed villages and saved cites. I even fought a Spectre."
Shepard frowned. "Why did you find a Spectre?"
"A turian named Nihlus. He may have been on Council business, but eyewitness him kill an unarmed civilian. In the Code, I attacked."
That name brought back memories. "Nihlus seemed like an honourable turian. And a good Spectre."
"He may have been. However, killing unarmed civilians is wrong."
"How did the fight turn out?" Shepard enquired, obviously neither of them killed the other.
"I have the advantage, but he was good. He returned fire and try to run. We play cat and mouse the wilderness for two weeks. It was exhilarating. Finally, he created a situation in which my only option were to let an innocent, or purse him. The Code compelled me to save the innocent, and he escaped." She smiled. "I admire how he adapted and used my code against me."
"Why would you destroy an entire village?" Shepard frowned.
"I tracked Morinth to a remote colony world. She'd perverted an entire town, making them worship her and bringing young asari as sacrifices. When I arrived, she fled, throwing her minions at me in waves. They bought her time with their live. When it was done, only small children remained. I left them in the authorities' care and continued my pursuit."
Shepard asked about her journey as a justicar and it was pretty much as the expected, shooting down bad guys. Her mercenary life however was a lot more intriguing, because she stumbled upon a ship full of slaves which were going to the sold off to the Collectors. Samara killed her colleagues and escape before the Collectors got a chance to kill them.
"We're not done with this yet," said Shepard.
Samara nodded. "I am sure. It would be my honour to be by your side at the end."
"You think we're all going to die?" Shepard enquired.
"You've assembled a powerful group, but we are fighting an unknown. I am ready for whatever comes, but I do not fool myself about our chances."
"We'll finish this mission, and lived to see the end."
"I hope you are right."
Rick had just returned to the Citadel and given his report to Anderson. He was sitting with Ashley at the café.
"I can't believe what Cerberus did to that guy," said Ashley disgust.
"He would be dead if it wasn't for Shepard," said Rick. "He was the one who make the call."
"Maybe Cerberus hasn't completely brainwashed him," said Ashely. "But this just proves what've been saying. I mean who in their right mind would hook someone's brain into the geth network."
Rick shrugged. "Hopefully Grissom Academy can help him to get make onto his feet."
"Let's hope," said Ashley.
"Mind if I join?" said a voice.
The two of them looked up to see Rose looking down at them.
Ashely smiled. "You have my sit, I was just leaving."
"Really?" Rick blinked.
Ashley shrugged. "You know what they say, three's a crowd."
She then got the feet and walked away and Rose took Ashley's seat.
"I read your mission report," said Rose. "I have to say I found the entire thing disgusting."
"Trust me, it was much more disgusting in person," said Rick.
"I can believe," said Rose. "I don't understand why this Shepard is working with them."
"Well, he does own them be saving his life and they are funding his mission," said Rick. "Their probably the only one that believe him and right the Collectors is the easy way the supporter."
"I suppose," Rose shrugged. "I can only imagine what he goes through cleaning up Cerberus' messes."
"Trust me it's a loss of paperwork," said Rick. He then looked at her curiously. "Any reason you came to see me?"
Rose shrugged. "Maybe I just like you."
