18/04/2015

Thank you to Pax Humana for beta-ing

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Mass Effect: Synthesis
Jade Tatsu
Chapter 38 A Look Into the Future

Visakhapatnam, Earth, 2289

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to mourn the passing of Makarii."

Shepard winced at the name. She wasn't the only one and she didn't know how long the chaplain had practiced to be able to say it without the slightest pause. She stood in a line with other dignitaries, all gathered for the funeral. Usually, it wouldn't be such a good turnout for the funeral of a diver but Nikhil Kapoor had been the first to merge fully with his AI, Saini, and then the combined entity had picked out that absurd name which made no sense to anyone but them.

Their combined entity had lived on the net and while they had seemed to be separate from his body, they had both died when his body passed on.

Which is what lead to this gathering of dignitaries. As the first, even incomplete, synthesis between organic and synthetic this death warranted attention. There were others who had done the same, sometimes utilizing the shell of organic flesh, sometimes without. They were not synthesized but they were a stepping stone in the right direction.

There had been some outrage when they had joined but that had passed quickly. After all, synthesis had been a part of human life for more than a century and it was hypocritical to damn one while accepting the other, especially when the new type of synthesis was opening the door to eternity for most humans. It was greed which led to acceptance.

Modern medicine could keep an organic body alive for close to 200 years, barring accidents. Living on the net could potentially keep you alive forever. And that had been a goal of at least some humans since before history began. The artificial synthesis of organic and synthetic had been one of her goals since she had talked Harbinger's aspect into it. Maybe it was residual loyalty to her species but she felt that they had to try before initiating the cycle.

The cycle was their fallback but so far things were going well and, despite the death of Makarii and the probable deaths of the other artificially synthesized, she thought that things would continue to go well.

It was just a matter of time.

Sol System 3372 AC (After Contact), 5524 Old Calendar

Shepard was aware of Harbinger's aspect watching her, of course. He had already made his decision but had kept that knowledge from her. She hung in space, watching a unique shipyard where a half-formed ship lay in the docks.

There were already several thousand human SIL but around her Lucifer, Leviathan, Legion, Mammon and Asmodeus hung, their pure SIL forms guarding Berith's half formed one. The human SIL tended to form themselves into fleets of about 10 ships, though how they arrived at those particular fleets was something she had never bothered to consider. The fleets gathered to protect the construction of any new member. It was almost as if they formed family groups, but with the billions of minds that went into the construction of each SIL, far more than usually comprised a SIL, there was no dominant family line.

This group was taking demonic names, some had taken angelic names, some took names from myths and legends, and some from everyday life. There were names from every human territory and all of them had the longer designation of Human attached to define which nation of species they represented. Berith Human would be how the SOCL fleet knew the new SIL once it was completed. A name was just a tag, a label so that others may identify you. They had meaning and provided some definition of self but they could not encompass everything a SIL was.

This was the reality of the cycle now, a changed cycle where organics voluntarily accepted the reduction of their physical form into component parts for inclusion within the greater form of a SIL for the immortality of their mind. This reality had been offered to the surviving races of the cycle but only a few races had taken it. The turians had created thirty SIL, the Quarians twenty and the Raloi six. The Drell had a half formed ship and the Elcor abhorred the practice.

Any krogan who desired was taken into the form of another SIL. Krogan still lived their lives according to their warrior culture. Death was usually violent leaving no chance to become a part of a greater whole. For them, immortality was dying with honor, protecting the clan.

Still… it was a changed cycle that could not continue forever. Already, things were changing, and that's what Shepard was thinking about.

This voluntarily becoming SIL was not the changed future she had envisaged. What she had envisaged was leading organics into synthesis. It was happening. It had happened. The first true synthesized humans had been born. They were not the mere merging of an AI with a human consciousness, though that had been the start, they were truly synthesized, organic and synthetic with no line between them.

For humans, artificial synthesis was the result of tweaking genetic strands and a lot of extra nutrients fed to the pregnant mother so that the newborn was truly a synthesized being. The quarians had followed, but they had merged with the Geth, uniting their consciousnesses before embracing artificially created, organic synthetic bodies. The synthesized humans could reproduce without all the alterations and they would but…

Shepard looked up at the stars. They were… She sighed. They were small.

They were not all that she had envisaged in synthesis. They were truly synthesized and not a target for the cycle but most would never feel the cold of space, never fly through the sheet of stars that were her domain. They still built ships, did many of the tasks they had done as purely organic beings. That's why she felt they were small, that they were almost a failure. And now she had to decide what to do.

With the growing number of synthesized humans being born, there were fewer and fewer true humans willing to be included in Berith's form. Her species was now a dying breed. All species became extinct. She knew that. But what did you do when you did not like or when you were disappointed in that which you evolved into? That was not a question most ever had need to consider, but it was one she struggled with now.

Wudina had been unhelpful, indicating that with humans as synthesized, but lesser beings, they would always be in control. It was a view coming from both the man he had been and the species the Wugyth had been. Centokett had been slightly more understanding but at the same time, he had indicated that this just was what was. There was no changing the course of history. Shepard knew better.

Haphas had been the most supportive, unsurprisingly, telling her that she needed to decide the future that she truly wanted, a continuance of the cycle, with her vision as the guide rather than the Catalyst's or something truly new.

She could order the death of the synthesized humans. It would happen. Even if the SOCL would not obey the order, an unlikely occurrence, the human SIL would and those born fully human could be encouraged to breed again, to repopulate. It would take a while but it would happen but then what? The humans would continue to become SIL but to what purpose. That was the Catalyst's cycle in all but name. That was not what she wanted.

Or she could let humans die.

Berith's form would be finished, but Berith would be the last human SIL. Sensors flicked over Berith's form. It registered as a SIL but it was different. There was space to expand, to change and to develop with new technology. That was something that had only happened once they formed from willing organics, although several of the SOCL had speculated it could also be because the Intelligence was dead.

Without it around, and with willing components, the new SIL now did not desire synthesis, both because they already were, in a way, but also because they could evolve further on their own. Even if that wasn't the answer she sought, it was an interesting change to the cycle.

Shepard sighed and shifted her sensors to optical only, focusing on Berith. This was not what she wanted. In her mind's eye she saw a new human. That was not what she wanted.

What did she want?

She wanted them to understand the magnificence that was synthesis.

That was the desire but the actuality was illusive. Shepard felt Harbinger enter an avatar and move to stand behind her. She concentrated on her breathing. She had entered her avatar because despite being one being with Harbinger, her aspect thought better in a mostly organic body.

"They are synthesized?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

"They are truly organic synthetic hybrids," Harbinger replied. "They have no need to create synthetic intelligence and as such Human SIL do not react to them, nor do Turian or Raloi SIL so it is not an aberration caused by species." He made no move to touch her.

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "Then they are synthesized and the cycle is ending." Shepard turned slowly and opened her eyes to look up at Harbinger's avatar. That was the only conclusion she could reach but with that conclusion there came a new realization.

In the last three thousand years, she had changed. Synthesis had been the beginning but even now, while Harbinger and she had been one being for centuries, they continued to change over time. They were not a static being.

Perhaps the synthesized humans could change as well, grow and adapt, so that one day they could understand the freedom that synthesis represented. It would mean no further human SIL but it meant advancement and that was the true end of the cycle.

"Good," Harbinger said suddenly and Shepard focused on his features as she probed for information from his aspect. She growled at him but then laughed at the futility of growling at herself. His aspect had already considered the issues and was not constrained by any lingering sentimentality for species. He was made from those who had unintentionally created the harvest.

As much as he desired further SIL, truly breaking the cycle was more attractive. There would be other SIL as new races developed and were led to synthesis but for the moment it didn't matter if the synthesized organics were not as developed as he was. They were synthesized. They were an end to the cycle. They would evolve and develop.

Harbinger was realistic and a part of the cycle remained with him. He had no desire to see organic races die so even as new races developed and entered the galaxy, he would watch. Any synthetic species developed would be watched to ensure they did not destroy the organics who created them. The cycle would continue but it would continue as he dictated, just as he had promised, many years ago.

Basque System, Salta Relay, 44,927 AC (After Contact), 47,079 Old Calendar

Captain Hruros stared at the screen. It showed a ship. It was all sleek lines and predatory beauty. It obviously belonged to a race that had been in space for some time. Unlike his own. They'd been exploring space for the last 400 years, but only within their system. Then they had found it. It had been on the outskirts of their system and it was huge. Billions of tonnes, hanging in space. It had taken them another fifty years to learn how to use it and debate on the homeworld had been intense.

Should they go through it? Should they ignore it? What was beyond it? Oblivion? The rest of the galaxy? Who had built it? That last question had galvanized them with the realization that there had to be other species in space. Someone had built that structure, someone who could very well be waiting on the other side, or someone who could have booby trapped it.

In the end, they had sent a probe through. It had reported back safely but nothing else of interest. His was the first manned ship through. They had not expected to find anything. Their sensors had identified two gates when they had arrived. One behind them and one on the far side of the system. Then they'd seen the ship. It had appeared from behind a planetoid and glided its way towards them. He and his crew had been left staring as the ship had slowed to a standstill several thousand klicks from them.

"By the gods of night and day," he whispered. This had been a possibility but no one had thought it would happen on their first trip through the gate. Captain Hruros found himself praying that the species in that ship was friendly. There was no way his people could fight. "Is there any signal?"

"It's just sitting there, sir."

"All right, send our first contact package," he gave the order and a moment later on the screen came the images and information they had put into message for any aliens they encountered. He cringed when he saw the image of an armed guard appear. To the species capable of creating the ship in front of them, that was an insult. The message played and the entire crew held their breath, waiting for a response.

An hour passed and Captain Hruros looked at his crew. They were just as perplexed as he was. Their information package included basic language. The ship should have been able to reply by now. He was getting nervous when a reply came through.

"Captain Hruros and the crew of the Puinoci, welcome to the galaxy," the voice boomed over their speakers. It was slightly fake but then he expected that it had been run through a computer for translation. "If you would please wait, I have contacted our diplomatic division. A representative should be here shortly."

Diplomatic division? His eyes widened. That held so many implications. "Send a pulse back through the gate. Let them know what is happening," he whispered as if it would hide the signal.

"How long do you think it will take them?" The comm officer asked.

If it was their own race, it would take days. Somehow Hruros didn't think it would take the aliens that long. "I don't know," he replied, "but probably not long."

It was as if his words had summoned it. Another ship appeared and Hruros felt his heart clench. It was huge. It covered the stars and the ship they had first seen was dwarfed by the new vessel.

"How large is that vessel?" Hruros asked the techs who were frantically working at their stations.

"Approximately 1.2 klicks," one finally whispered, awed.

Hruros gulped. That ship could obliterate them and not even notice. The original ship could probably do so as well. He couldn't think further on that as another transmission came through and even through their shock, Hruros' crew indicated that it came from the second ship.

"Captain Hruros and the crew of the Puinoci, welcome to the galaxy." The words were the same as the first ship. A visual was then transmitted and they got their first look at an alien. The alien was blue and while he was no biologist, he thought female. "I am Arial of the Allied Systems Forces," she continued without pause, "and I am authorized to negotiate with your people."

Hruros blinked, looking at his crew. Negotiate? What was there to negotiate?

Before he could reply, she continued. "May I have permission to enter your system?"

Their mission was to go through the gate, scout out the territory beyond it and return to their homeworld. It said nothing about bringing an alien vessel back with them. But at least the aliens had answered.

"Allied Systems Forces?" he asked, attempting to clarify who she worked for since by the very definition it appeared as if there was more than one race in the galaxy.

"We are an alliance of species, who maintain order in the galaxy," the alien woman replied simply. "I would be happy to provide you with data files and to explain further."

"They seem friendly," one of his crew muttered.

A cynical thought crossed Hruros' mind as he looked at the ship. They could afford to be. They were obviously centuries, maybe thousands of years ahead of them technologically speaking. There was no point in threatening because if they wanted to fight, then they wouldn't even have bothered to say hello. He decided to tell the truth.

"I will need to send a signal to my government for permission."

"Of course." The reply was immediate and Hruros knew that while this might be a first for his species, it was just another day for the species he could see. He just hoped that the second day didn't involve destruction.

Citadel, 45,035 AC (After Contact), 47187 Old Calendar

Life Admiral Hruros sat with his delegation as the diplomats tried to make their case. He remembered the first time he'd seen the Citadel. As a new race, they had been invited to visit the center of the galactic government and despite being told what to expect, actually seeing the 43 klick long space station was another thing entirely.

The Citadel, for all its size was stationary. It was the ship beside the station that had chilled Hruros. For a moment, he had thought there was something wrong with the cameras. 12 klicks long, nearly one third of the station's length, it was just sitting there. At first, he thought it was a second station but then his crew had been told that, no, that was a ship. Four other ships, 8 klicks long had hovered in attendance, as had a myriad of other smaller vessels.

It was at that moment, Hruros had known exactly how outclassed his species was. Up until then, they had been maintaining the belief that the races they had met were maybe two to three thousand years ahead of them. Something which, if he'd have thought about it at the time, he would have seen as a monumental coincidence that races would emerge to space in such close proximity to each other temporally. It didn't matter.

At that moment, he knew, that they were far more than a mere two to three thousand years behind. It was possibly more like two to three hundred thousand years. Still, they had gone to that meeting, humbled but still filled with hope for the future.

This meeting was different. The giant ship was still in attendance at the Citadel and they were sitting at a table with Shepard Harbinger who was… Hruros looked up towards the woman. She was listening but, somehow, he didn't think she was interested. It was subtle and he wasn't sure that he was reading her expression correctly but there seemed to be the slightest trace of annoyance on her features.

By the Gods of night and day, he hoped her annoyance was not directed towards them! This was the woman who singularly controlled the largest cohesive fleet the galaxy had ever known. One million ships, spread through the galaxy which she could order to do almost anything instantly.

And if the rumors were correct, then the entire human nation was hers to command as well and who knew how many trillions of them there were! Humans had been in space for close to fifty thousand years! They were a hybrid species, much like the Quarians, Drell, Krogan and Turians and they were very hard to kill. Shepard Harbinger might not fully control some of those other species but she controlled enough and those that didn't agree, Hruros took a deep breath, they wouldn't get in her way. Please, don't let her be annoyed with us, he prayed.

As he prayed, Shepard Harbinger raised one hand, silencing the diplomats. She leaned forward, lacing her fingers together and resting her chin on the entwined digits. "So, what you are telling me is that you feel that your race has insufficient space to colonize?"

The question hung in the air and Hruros suppressed a cringe.

Without all the fancy language, that was the crux of the matter. There was simply no room. Most of the garden worlds in the systems surrounding theirs were already claimed by one or more races. They would usually take some settlers but not enough to relieve the pressure on the home system. The diplomats shared a long look and Hruros prayed that they would do their job when one turned back towards Shepard.

"With the greatest respect, Elder Shepard Harbinger, yes, that is the case."

There were gasps of outrage from several of the delegates at the table but Hruros noted that Shepard Harbinger remained silent. Her green eyes watched them closely and he had the impression that she was seeing everything down to the finest stitching in their clothing. Hruros watched as she eventually took a measured breath, closing her eyes briefly before nodding.

"You may have a point."

The gasps shifted from outrage to surprise and Hruros almost laughed at the shocked look on the diplomat's faces. They had come expecting a fight. If he was honest, he thought it was a fight they did not expect to win but the highest authority in the galaxy had just given their words credence.

Before anyone on their side could speak, however, Shepard Harbinger continued. "Though, I am forced to question if you would prefer the galaxy to be as it was?"

The question left confusion in its wake. "I do not understand," the chief diplomat said gently.

Shepard smiled and Hruros felt his stomach clench. They were about to learn something of galactic importance. "Do you not think it odd, that approximately forty-seven thousand years ago humans, quarians, turians and everyone else all discovered space flight at about the same time?" She paused, waiting for an answer.

"I have never thought about it," the diplomat replied carefully. He was wise enough to know there was a trap waiting at the end of this but while he could feel it, he could not see it. "It is a bit unusual," he admitted, "though I am no expert on anthropology."

"Granted," Shepard Harbinger allowed easily. "But do you not find it unusual that there were no elder races to greet the humans when they emerged from their planet? There was galactic evidence of other species. You encountered that yourselves with the Relay."

"They must have died out, or moved on."

"So you don't think it odd that in 13.8 billion years, no sapient species were waiting for us?"

The diplomat remained silent and Hruros frowned, trying to work out where Shepard Harbinger was headed.

"No? Not odd?" She questioned into the silence.

"It is very odd," the diplomat agreed finally with a shrug. "But it is what happened."

"Yes," Shepard Harbinger agreed. "It is what happened because for the last two billion years every sapient race to achieve spaceflight has been preserved at intervals of approximately fifty thousand years."

"What do you mean?" Hruros questioned, uncaring that he wasn't meant to speak. Those sitting with Shepard didn't appear surprised by what she had said while his diplomats were still frowning as they tried to work out the meaning.

"It means exactly what it sounds like," Shepard Harbinger replied. "From your point of view, it means that every fifty thousand years, all space-capable races were destroyed, leaving the galaxy free for colonization by those species who came after them. That's why my species found no one. We knew that the Protheans existed. And before that the Fathyre, and before them the Wedan."

Hruros just looked at her. He didn't want to ask the obvious question but one of the diplomats gave in. "What destroyed them?"

The smile that graced Shepard Harbinger's features this time was not pretty. "I did."

The room was silent. No one dared breathe and Hruros found himself just staring at the woman. "You did?" he finally breathed. "But you are human," he objected. "You said you only discovered space flight forty seven thousand years ago."

Her smile did not change. "That is true but Humans are a hybrid species, half organic, half synthetic. They discovered space flight as a purely organic species. The journey to a hybrid species began forty seven thousand years ago when we met a synthetic race and merged with them. That race cleansed the galaxy."

Something clicked in Hruros' mind. Shepard Harbinger's name. Her ship. It was not hubris that named it Harbinger Shepard… Harbinger was the synthetic being Shepard had merged with.

She tapped her fingers on the table idly. "I suppose if it's going to be an issue then I could reinstate that policy. That would give you about three thousand years to explore the galaxy and settle where you would before we came again."

"Wouldn't that give us time to develop our military capacity?" A particularly dim-witted diplomat asked her.

Hruros wanted to scream. Even in three thousand years it wouldn't matter what military they developed, the caliber of the ships Shepard had available to her would be able to easily destroy them. She could call on one million ships which was a number he didn't think they could match even if they were to go into full production right now.

Shepard sniffed. "The Protheans had been in space for approximately forty-eight thousand years and they could not stand against me."

She stood and Hruros was transfixed by her eyes. They glowed and he swallowed hard. Shepard placed both hands on the table as she leaned over. "I suggest you find your own solution because I guarantee that if I have to solve this issue, you will not like my solution." She held their eyes for a few moments before she walked away, disappearing out the door without another word.

Hruros shivered. With her last words, Shepard's voice had changed. The harmonics became truly alien and they reverberated through his bones. He gulped, pulling in a great lungful of air as he looked at the others who had accompanied Shepard. They came from several species but none of them looked surprised. The largest, who hadn't been sitting, stomped forward and grinned, showing an impressive array of teeth. "Well, you heard the boss," he growled, "work it out."

The diplomats were silent. Hruros rose, letting his eyes met those of the speaker. "We will come to a peaceful solution with our neighbors," he said diplomatically.

"See that you do." The big one grumbled.

"Wetrax!" One of the others said as she rose. Her voice was light and her tone was teasing. This was not even an issue to them.

"What?" The large one turned to her.

"I'm sure they will come to a solution."

Wetrax snorted, his voice echoing back to them as he left with her. "Tauben, it's not like they'd provide much of a fight if they don't," the large one replied as they followed in Shepard's footsteps.

Hruros motioned the diplomats to silence after Shepard's party left. They might not think that she had been utterly serious but Hruros knew that, for the moment, if they made so much as a single objection, no matter how small or how justified, then Shepard would destroy them. They had come into her galaxy and now they had to live with that.

Next chapter: (This) was perhaps their ultimate victory.

Zikarn Krais - while I have written other stories making up new enemies, you are correct, almost anything now would be contrived, so I didn't go with it. Shepard just has the care of how to make the humans the best they can be which was dealt with in this chapter, her disappointment notwithstanding

F86 - not mad, she just has a very pragmatic view that dead enemies can't stab you in the back the way enemies you mercifully leave alive can.

One good thing about the Reaper cycle was that it did clear the galaxy for the next species. If the Protheans had won, humans would have either been killed by them or uplifted by them but never would have been their equals. Of course that applies to the Protheans as well, if the races before them had won and so on and so forth. Shepard Harbinger now is just pointing that out to the new comers and she is maintaining her place in the galaxy. Of course, diplomacy isn't a strong point.

Anyway, review please? :D I'd like to get to lots!