Mass Effect: Exodus Effect: The Asari Revelation
Sur'kesh: Deep Jungle: unmarked research outpost: 2 weeks before The Return (Of the Humans)
Mordin Solus was interested in the methods in how humanity survived but unfortunately most we scrubbed from the system
Projects [Redacted, [Redacted, and [Zagreus]
[Project Zagreus]
Project Zagreus is one of the projects created to ensure the continuation of the human race while preparing the next cycle
Project Zagreus involves launching data storage systems deep into space towards habitable worlds in order to warn the next cycle and prepare them with our technology guided by an AI inhibiting the archive system.
Project Zagreus's other purpose is housing 10,000 sleeping human uploads and files containing their respective DNA structures. It is the hope that these uploads can regain their bodies and continue on the human race through their offspring, considering the viable population of a race for long-term proposes is 500 this is more than enough. We don't expect all archives to make it however as many will likely be found by reaper forces in which case they will induce the cole protocol and wipe all data while atomizing the physical structure with an internal singularly generator
In accordance with the data compartmentalization act of 5666 CE / 10 PA, all locations and status of other archives have been scrubbed from all systems and has never been present in this archive or any other database under omega 5 level encryption
Mordin Solus thought about this and was fascinated but besides the incredible technology and dark energy physics what caught his attention was a program of a fully interactive and real-time updating map of the relay network including each relay's position, usage, time of usage, etc with human tracking devices. The council would definitely want this.
Unfortunately, the ability to manipulate dark energy without eezo in what the humans called unified field theory was erased with the unfortunately accurate note "you are not ready for such power, would you trust nuclear weapons with a pijack?"
25 feet away
Garrus: And what separated these Protheans and the Humans? How did you succeed when they failed?
Cortana: Mindset. No two races think alike. The Protheans saw their precursor race's technology, Inusannon technology, as a way to supplement their own technology. The Protheans advanced their current pre-mass-effect technology while supplementing it with mass effect technology derived from the Inusannon. Very efficient, but not quite enough to save them.
Garrus: and Humanity?
Cortana: Humanity took a different approach. We outright ignored our precursor race's technology and directly researched and developed our own element zero technology which we then supplemented our then-current non-mass-effect technology with.
Garrus: And us?
Cortana: like varens to the slaughter. You are the perfect cycle, you use and advance technology only derived from ours.
Garrus: great…
Cortana: to be entirely fair you using our technology is better than if you were to use Prothean technology. The Protheans didn't even have MELD, multi eezo core systems, or AI. They did have pseudo uploads they used as AIs that they called personality Imprinted VIs through
Garrus: What do you mean that they didn't have multi-core systems?
Cortana: they used a single central drive core
Garrus: didn't they know how inefficient that was?!
Cortana: no they did not
Garrus: and MELD? The substance is beyond useful for nanotechnology, cybernetics, genetic engineering, and medicine
Cortana: a purely human innovation. Just as were multi-core systems and non-blue-box based AIs such as myself
Garrus: why didn't the Protheans use AIs? Was it because they treated them like slaves as your ruins databases warned us not to do? The Batarians have had several AI uprisings just as you warned us would happen if we treated them that way
Cortana: not exactly, the Reapers seem to try to prevent organic races from creating AIs, likely to curb the advantages we give towards technological development to allow for an easier harvest. For example, the Reapers have left records of the dominant AI doctrine from the previous race. As for those left to us and the Protheans, these warnings were of AI inevitably rising up to kill all their creators. After some digging, we discovered the Reapers hijacked these AIs and forced them to turn against their creators if they were created
Garrus: Hmm, yes that would make sense. Make a race believe that stupidity through an experience they were the secret architects of and leave information about it to the next race to believe as they hold the precursor race in such high esteem they will believe it. And if they don't they subvert these AIs
Cortana: exactly the most dangerous thing about artificial intelligence is for us to act like our creators. The Cole protocol exists that if any AI, Uploads, or physical humans' core neural systems are successfully compromised by outside influence we will automatically self terminate and kill ourselves to stop us from becoming agents of the enemy. Luckily you seem to have copied this protocol from us
Garrus: a no capture protocol? Do our AIs have that? Do you have that?
Cortana: Indeed we do. This really pissed off the reapers as they got no new indoctrinated sleeper agents because anyone indoctrinated or subverted enforced the cole protocol before they could stop it
Garrus: minus the already hidden ones like the Illusive man of course
Cortana: yeah… even we weren't perfect. We had to learn about indoctrination and subversion from somewhere, that being reaper artifacts. As such the illusive man didn't even technically exist as he-
Garrus: faked his death, changed his name, forged new corresponding IDs, hacked the relevant medical databases to change his original alias's DNA on record to a randomly scrambled sequence, and then got cosmetic MELD treatments from black market doctors?
Cortana: I'm impressed, how did you know all that?
Garrus: I was a cop with C-Sec before I was a spectre
Cortana: that would explain it
Garrus: yeah that's an extremely common tactic
50 feet away
Liara T'soni was having the time of her life. She was busy studying the Human Archive's databases, an actual human archive! What's more, was that every single theory of hers was confirmed but this was not how she wanted that. If she was being honest a small but not insignificant part of her hoped all those stuffy old Matriarchs who belittled her were actually in the right.
However, nothing could prepare her for what came next in her findings, a file that would change the Asari forever
Project Prometheus
Galactic coordinates from core: fh986-6 7775 89
Project Lead: Elizabeth Athame
Lead Geneticist: Sammantha Janiri
Lead Physiologist: Lucen Smith
Liara just froze and started visibly shaking in shock and uncertainty at the implications of the names of Athame and her helpers and galactic coordinates of Thessia before she continued eagerly reading
BF: Before the Fall
PA: Post (Reaper) Arrival
BF 52: The Citadel: High Council
Elizabeth Athame: I want to create a sentient organic species, I mean we already guard naturally evolved organics and artificially created synthetics but why not artificially created organically?
Rachni Queen Elis: you wish to sing green songs of creation outside hatching your own, we will support you
Oravore High Councilor: life is something to be cherished and as such I will support you
Densorin Psyros: I oppose. Creating life is for the gods, not mere mortals!
Saroyan Eratus: I, on the other hand, agree to support this endeavor. The Saroyan Conclaves will not be static, unchanging, irrational, and stagnant like the Densorin theocracy
Densorin Psyros: blasphemer!
Saroyan Eratus: why thank you!
Human President Udina: Enough! You two can discuss the matters of spirituality vs science later outside the high council! For now, let us move on...
Krogan High Shaman: I honestly don't see the point but I am not against it. I abstain
Zha'til High Fabricator: the Zha'til United Assembly agrees to give support
President Udina: The Human Federation also moves to give support. Therefore the decision for funding Project Prometheus is 5 - 1 - 1. Now onto the next order of business...
2 years later, the Eden (Thessia) star system
Elizabeth Athame: and why should we make them reproduce through neural implant esk pathogenesis?
Samantha Janiri: because it's more efficient than sexual reproduction for our first time, we should keep it basic? We could also use a form of massively up-scaled mitosis or perhaps make them hermaphrodites?
Lucen Smith: Speaking of which, I have come up with a name we could give them. How about the Asari?
Elizabeth Athame: hmm, it sounds elegant. I like it
Samantha Janiri: You know some people had a problem with this, such as the Densorin. And considering your last name is Athame…
Elizabeth Athame: *groan* Look, just because my family is an extremely old bloodline dating back thousands of years to when our last names were based on what we produced in primitive villages doesn't mean I share such opinions with those ancestors of mine. Yes, my family once made ceremonial religious daggers of the same name but that doesn't mean anything in the here and now, especially with me.
Samantha Janiri: Sorry, sorry. I was just asking…
50 years later
Elizabeth Athame: I have to go!
Samantha Janiri: please reconsider Lisa! You have so much to live for! We can send the archive down to their temple of athame remotely! I… I can't lose you...
Elizabeth Athame: It must be me, Sammy. I was the one who used the facade of a goddess to help teach them and I was the one who suggested creating them in the first place, it's my responsibility. I will teach them for the remainder of this body's natural lifespan. Besides, someone else might've gotten it wrong. Now go save yourself. Ava, get out of this system, get Sammy to safety. That's an order
Ava: Is this truly what you want? Why not take Samantha with you?
Elizabeth Athame: because I want her to live, there is an extremely good chance I will be shot down and killed by the reaper in the system, not to mention two life signs are far easier to detect than one, but I will protect the archive with my life if necessary. "If you love someone enough, set them free" and that is what I am doing
Ava: Know this, I take no pleasure in this action Samantha
Samantha Janiri cried as her best friend, wife, and lover descend in a pod to her creations and children as the ship entered Transwarp
As she predicted the pod was shot down, she survived but was seriously injured using her biotics to protect the archive within the broken remains of the pod. The reapers eventually left the system to continue the harvest as she spent the last 500 years of her life with her children thinking about her wife if her wife's claims are anything to go by
Unfortunately, Samantha Janiri was killed 20 years later in the battle of Uldrath 9. Her last thoughts were of her wife according to her grey box as her upload box was destroyed in the blast before she could be uploaded, permanently killing her
Liara shed a tear at the story while her mind raced with the fact that her race didn't naturally evolve but were artificially created
That was when her mother, her liaison to the republics, walked up to her
Benezia: little wing, are you alright?
Liara: no
Benezia: What troubles you, my daughter?
Liara: every single theory I had was confirmed and even some things I didn't theorize. The conspiracy theorists were actually correct that Asari were artificially created by humans. And that is to say nothing of the archive you've been squandering in the temple of Athame, who just so happened to be a human woman named Elizabeth Athame! By the goddess, even her close friends had Lucen and Jiniri in their names!
Valren: The Asari have done what?!
Liara: It's right here! I'm sharing the files through my omnitool!
Valren: Benezia, is this true?
Benezia: yes- yes it is. But only the Alamarii inner circle knows about this secret
Valren: Is Tevos in this inner circle?
Benezia: her mother is and she was going to be brought in within a few years if she was a good counselor. After all, she has only been one for a hundred years
Valren: this is not the end of this, this high council is now effectively a rogue organization breaking Citadel law
Benezia: I understand… If anything, some part of me is actually relieved this secret is finally out… the other part however is terrified. I don't fear my death but I do my daughter's. They said they would go after her if I said anything. Please get her witness protection
Valren: if that is in fact the case then you were strongarmed into keeping silent and therefore you will not be charged. For now, you will be given witness protection
Benezzia: thank you… if something were to happen to my little wing…
Valren: Was this a common situation?
Benezia: no, if anything I was an extreme rarity compared to everyone else who was completely in favor of it, at least vocally
Valren: then we will interview each of them. How many are part of this inner circle
Benezia: no more than 30 Matriarchs
Valren: be glad this is a small group as if it wasn't then the Asari would have lost their council seat.
Valern: As all of you are already sworn to secrecy of all that has happened here until further notice nothing has changed and you have heard nothing
Valren: if you tell me the location of these rouge Matriarchs then I will have more reason to believe your claims
Benezia: I am transferring the data to your omnitool
Valren looks at his omnitool and nods
1 week later: Alamarri Council: Thessia
Matriarch 1: we must find some way to sabotage data extraction from the archive! I suggest we use the AIS to destroy the archive, it is the only way we can retain our superiority
Everyone knew how dire the situation was if the Asari Intelligence Service was involved. It was a shadowy organization, not even the STG or the Broker even knew about. The very existence of the AIS and its modus operandi flew in the face of everything the Asari portrayed themselves as. The AIS trained their operatives to be highly efficient killers, assassins, and rapists. The last one is due to the fact they are trained to forcefully extract information from the minds of others through melding, an action seen as rape by the Asari at large.
Matriarch 2: agreed, only we can have access to an archive! We are the heirs to the greatest empire in history and the galaxy belongs to the Asari!
Matriarch 3: I agree, we must-
Matriarch 4: What is that sound?
A group of black-armored and masked Turian cabals entered the room sending a warp at the door, shattering it while pointing their rifles at the Asari
Desolas: freeze and put your hands in the air! The Almarii council is under arrest as a rogue faction for breaking Citadel law and hiding a Human archive in the central statue residing in the temple of Athame!
Most of the Matriarchs were in shock
Matriarch 16: You lesser beings dare?! I don't know what traitor fed you this information but I swear to the goddess that they and everyone they care about will have a long painful death! As will you!
To the Matriarch's shock and fear her biotics didn't seem to work
Desolas: do you really think us stupid enough to take on 30 Asari Matriarchs by ourselves? No, we pumped undetectable Asari tailored biotics suppressant through the air vents before we came in
Matriarch 5: we don't need our biotics to kill you!
Desolas: again do you think of us as being that stupid? There's a mild Asari tailored sedative mixed in that is designed to inhibit CQC while remaining undetectable.
Matriarch 23: how dare your inferior species meddle in the affairs of your betters, your gods?!
Desolas: gods eh? Someone's a narcissistic egomaniac
Matriarch 23: you dare speak to your betters in such a manner?!
Desolas: yes you are no better than the hegemony and like them, you will get what is coming to you
Five days later
Turian: this is CNN and our biggest story today is the recent arrest, dissolving, and imprisonment of a rogue faction controlling the Asari government without anyone but the highest esholons even knowing of its very existence
Turian: what's more was with uncovering this rogue organization known as the Alamari council the Asari Intelligence Services, or AIS has come to light. The actions of the AIS have been found to be intensive and disturbing to even the STG. What is even more shocking was to find the AIS acted as the secret police of the Asari Republics who also had full control of Asari media to the same degree as the Batarian Hermongny
Turian: The intensive crimes of the Alamarii council are many but what stood out greatly was the hoarding of advanced human artifacts, a law they themselves created. We don't yet know what these artifacts are but it is safe to say they are in Citadel custody where their findings will benefit all of Citadel space
Turian: we asked if the Asari will lose their council seat over this the consensus was a resounding no. It is the council's and popular opinion that the Asari Republics, as is the Batarian Hermongny, has been taken over by terrorists and extremists. This decision has come with a radical shift in policy including the banning of indentured servitude and reclassifying as being part of a subgroup in the already illegal practice of slavery which was revealed to only not be banned sooner because of blackmail from the alamarri council
Turian: in other news, a massive rebellion is underway in the Batarian Hermongny. The Citadel council has come out and officially announced their support while sending munitions to these rebels in return for a better slavery-free government. As expected, the Hegemony has denied the very existence of these rebels and have stated the council is backing an imaginary group that doesn't exist and all council ships entering shall be destroyed
Turian: Lastly, the pirate queen of Omega Aria T'loak has mysteriously been assassinated by an unknown party. In the chaos following her death, a group known as the talons has taken over Omega and much of Aria's resources. Strangely, councilor Sparatus has congratulated their leader, a female Turian by the name of Nyreen who is an ex-cabal. Nyreen has often expressed the need for law, order, and stability in Omega and the terminus at large to improve the "horrendous living conditions."
Council Chambers
Tevos: I still can't believe my people did this…
Zaal'koris: it wasn't your fault Tevos
Din Korlack: ...ush...you could not have… ush….known
Sparatus: Speaking of which. Executor Pallin, what are the findings of the joint STG/C-Sec interrogation of the alamarri council?
Executor Pallin: 25 of the Matriarchs showed extreme fervor and support for the actions of the AIS and that Alamarii council while 2 of them supported it out of fear while the remaining 3, including Matriarch Benezia, vocally opposed them but never acted as they were threatened harm to themselves, their reputation, and loved ones if they took action. It is the opinion of the STG and C-Sec to drop all charges against the last 5 Matriarchs due to the circumstances of blackmail, intimidation, and the he overhanging threat of harm to themselves and anyone close to them
Zaal'koris: as the now unofficial leader of the council with the current upheaval in Asari society I support this motion, all in favor
All the councilors imputed agreement
Zaal'koris: then it is decided. All charges have been dropped against the last five blackmailed Matriarchs