Forward.
While I don't consider it spoiler territory. This does delve into Mass Effect lore from ME 3 DLC Leviathan, as well as Guyver lore. This also has some minor elements of wikipedia copy and pasted such as the info on the Methuselah star. It is because it is worded far better than I personally can word it. No plagiarism is intended. This story simply sets the prelude. It goes into a LOT of history and backstory both of the Mass Effect universe, and the history of the Ouranus. Some of this will be covered in the story from a character's point of view. But the finer details below will only be glossed over for some.
Notation
Be sure to read it afterward.
A Cycle Broken.
A New Variable
When a cycle that is subject variations repeats itself enough times, like making a clone of a clone. Variations subtle and extreme begin to creep in. Even a cycle that has one set track, like a vinyl record, or a cd with one long piece of music, a youtube video on constant loop. It will eventually wear out, deform, and various unintended skips may occur.
In time, even if that takes billions of years and trillions of repeats a cycle can repeat enough to the point where an aberration arises, one that can derail and destroy a cycle that is billions of years old. This aberration cannot only alter the cycle seriously, but if left unattended can break such a cycle forever. Add in the mix of the inherent unpredictability of Living creatures. Then it becomes a certainty that such an aberration will arise, not a matter of IF, but WHEN.
How old is the universe?
In physical cosmology, the age of the universe is the time elapsed since the Big Bang. The current measurement of the age of the universe is around 13.8 billion years yet in 2000 AD a star called HD 140283 or Methuselah whose age was estimated as over 16 billion years old. And while it has been assumed to have been in error even more recent estimates at an age of 14.46 ± 0.8 billion years. Perhaps the universe is far older than can be measured. In the galaxy humans would call the Milky Way, perhaps untold billions of years prior to the formation of a star that would be named Sol by the inhabitants of its third planet. Came a race whose name is lost to the passage of time and would come to be known as Leviathans. At their time, they were the apex of life in the galaxy, Lesser races slaves in service to their needs.
But even as they grew powerful, those in their service were cared for. But could not protect them from themselves. These species themselves build sentient machines that would seem to always destroy their creators. And the dead care not for the orders of their masters. In order to solve this problem, they created an artificial intelligence with a mandate to preserve life. As it's understanding of life grew it found a solution, and in that instant it betrayed it's creators, and thus the Reapers were born. The first a culmination of a single race, It would be called Harbinger. Every race harvested, formed into its own Reaper-like shell. And in time, the Reapers would be beyond count. With numbers that are so great they darken the skies. And since then, every fifty thousand years. A harvest would begin.
The Reapers to speed time up between harvests created Mass Relays, A network across the galaxy controlled by the master Relay, that which would be called, The Citadel. As a result most species when they encountered this technology would have their own technology guided along lines the Reapers themselves dictacted. But as with all cycles, one species who found the Citadel suspicious and concerned as to why this place had been built, who built it, where did the creators go, why had they vanished. Perceived it for what it was.
A Trap.
Instead of utilizing the Citadel and the technology of the Mass Relays. They developed their own forms of travel. For they had abandoned the use of Mechanical Technology for it has the basic flaw of needing work. This race long forgotten, long exterminated, understood something about the universe and technology. The former is that all matter in the universe is solidified energy, and the latter. All technology breaks down. More complex the technology, the more frequent the breakdowns. The best form of technology in the universe was organic. Living organisms. Which could naturally care for themselves, heal themselves from injury given time and rest and nourishment. And so instead of ships made of metal. They crafted vessels of living flesh and developed their own form of FTL. These living ships could tap into Geothermal energy and use this to heal and repair themselves.
Then when the Reapers appeared they were caught off guard and surprised by an enemy they had great difficulty in harvesting as they did not use the technology left behind. But in the end, they too were harvested. Save a small group that fled to the edge of the galaxy. Having observed what would be called indoctrination, these beings created a device. A device called a Bio-Booster armor. A sort of living symbiotic universal environmental survival suit. That would pull consciousness, out of the body, store it in the control metal, and free it from external influences such as Reaper indoctrination. And with this they hid from the harvest.
Upon reemerging, they discovered the galaxy cleaned of life, and in a desire for justice, revenge, or just to preserve life they retreated, refined their armor and set upon a plan. A plan to destroy that which destroyed them. As a species they had mastered that which was called genetic manipulation. And found two planets, both of which held very similar positions, and sizes, though only one held life, the other they terraformed into an exact replica of the other even to the point of altering it's land masses, and when the Biome was prepared they transplanted life from one world, to the other. Like any good scientists, One world would be their laboratory, the other would be their control.
The race which would in time be called the Ouranus, held very long life spans. In fact thanks to their genetic manipulations they were all but immortal, The Bio-Boosters would be enhanced, as part of their experiments, and to ensure that the Reapers if they discovered them could not learn of their technology. Altered their technology to interface only with one who is equipped with a Bio-booster. The ultimate security system against mind control reaper agents. In order to access the data you would need to be bonded to a Bio-Booster. But once bound to a biobooster. The control metal would detect and read the genetic material of the host. Then it would optimize the host genetically removing all defects both physical or mental, and remove any DNA not needed to support the host's current biology, thus correcting blindness, insanity, or the loss of a limb. Thus bringing them to the physical perfection of their race's abilities. It would then record the memories of the host, and absorb the consciousness. Comparing what is considered natural for the host's DNA, this served two purposes in addition to adapting to the host's racial qualities to enhance them.
The first being that if the host is killed, the control metal stores the memories, consciousness, DNA, and a recording of the body once it reaches physical prime. Using the Organism that is the armor to repair the injured body, even if the control metal is removed for study somehow. It would regenerate the host completely. The Bio-booster would also prolong the life of the host, preserving youth and vigor, granting an extended lifespan. And while the creators were not themselves subject to death from old age, they were subject to the infirmities. Thus they could remove the control metal from a host, allowing it to regrow the host in their physical prime of youth. Thus achieving a form of immortality. If a host began to suffer a weakened body from being ten thousand years old, they could be restored to youth.
The second would both shield and sever a being that was under mind control. Thus it would detect changes that are not natural such as influences from energy that alter the neurology. Like indoctrination. Therefore to interface with their technology a Reaper Agent would need to unite with a Bio-booster.
The Ouranus. Set about to find a way to create a weapon immune to Reaper indoctrination, and could lead their revenge. And on their experimental planet they did interfere with the local fauna and flora. In many ways but the current life forms were not to their liking, limited, and primitive, so when a mass extinction occurred on their control world, they implemented the same on their experiment when they were sure that life continued. Thus giving rise to a species that would be called Dinosaurs. The Ouranus would use a combination of natural selection, and genetic enhancements of these impressive creatures in addition to allowing nature to take its course in the constant survival of the fittest. And to ensure their creations would not turn on them, encoded all life forms they manipulated with a genetic code that would make them subservient to the telepathic commands of their creators.
Having learned of the cycles between harvests. The Ouranus would occasionally venture out into the galaxy tentatively to explore and see what had happened. This would continue as they sought to evade detection by the machines. After 185 millions years of experimentation while the Dinosaurs these giant warm blood reptiles, had reached a point where the Ouranus considered them a dead end, while a few were considered worthy of preservation, the rest were wiped out in an asteroid strike, that mirrored the control planet and at least when the mammals had risen the Ouranus looked upon their creations with favor.
Mammals were far more social, intelligent, and after 63 million years one breed of mammal a species of primate was rapidly becoming the dominant life form. And from this, several offshoots were created and altered. One would emerge dominant. Just as it had on the control planet. A species that would call itself Homo Sapien. Adaptable, intelligent, aggressive, social, problem solving. Using their mastery of genetic alteration gave it the ability to transform into a massive battle form, A zoanoid. And with it's abilities enhanced at least a dozen fold, with hundreds of thousands. They at last had a weapon that could stand against the Reapers. Now all they needed was a general who's commands could not be resisted, and so from scratch they created the First one. The First of a dozen Zoalords.
Archanfel!
A literal god like being. A slave to their will, embedded with an organic crystal called a Zoacrystal, that would protect his mind from Reaper indoctrination and allow him to telepathically dominate the Zoanoids commanding millions of them in battle so powerful was the drive to obey that even if indoctrinated, they were genetically compelled to obey a Zoalord first and the Ouranus foremost. Archanfel looked upon his creators, not as slave masters. But with love. They were parents, they were gods. And he was honored to serve them. And with his creation, at last their race would be avenged. And in the celebration, among the Ouranus... a question was asked.
/How would one of our bio-boosters react to an unprocessed human, and how would it optimize them?/
Curiosity swept through the Ouranus, they knew that the basic human form left a lot to be developed. And so they equipped one of their humans one of their bioboosters and set it to destroy one of the most powerful reptiles of the old world which he slaughtered far faster than any one zoanoid had done. For while the Zoanoid battle form was perhaps a dozen times more powerful than a normal human. The Armor amplified the human's powers a hundred fold. Ecstatic they commanded the human to remove the armor and await further orders. The human did not comply.
The Ouranus had forgotten something, they forgot that the Bio-boosters optimize the host genetically. Removing all DNA not needed for the host's survival. And in it's bonding, the genetic code which compelled the creations of the Ouranus to obey them, even Archanfel held this code, was considered by the Bio-booster as junk DNA and thus, It was edited out of the host and once he realized that he was no long bound to obey. The human did what any slave would do, turned on his masters to slaughter them. Unveiling terrible weapons, they had not even considered possible. For the Suit not only freed and enhanced this human, but also adapted to better serve the host organism, Humans, these humans were created to be living weapons. And thus the bio-booster adapted itself to compliment the host's genetic template.
And thus in the attack they sent their Zoanoids to kill and stop the human holding Archanfel back for fear that if he should fall nothing would be able to stop the creature for they knew not how powerful this creature truly was. It was, in common tongue, "Beyond the Norm", "Not to specification", "Out of Control". In their language it was called,
"GUYVER!"
Guyver zero as it would come to be called slaughtered the Zoanoids as they attacked on mass, while the Ouranus calculated it's estimated strength, speed, and abilities. All the while Archanfel begged his masters to let him deal with it. Finally when they were sure Archanfel would not be in danger they gave him a device called a Unit Remover, that would deactivate and remove a Bio-booster when it was no longer needed. And having done so he incinerated the human who turned on his masters. Returning the remover and the inactive unit to his creators. They breathed a sigh of relief. Until the idea of what would happen should Archanfel end up accidently bonded to a Bio-booster, going guyver on them. They had no idea how much more powerful it would make him, and the idea that they would not be able to control him, caused them to panic.
Ordering Archanfel to stay on the planet, the Ouranus, began a mass evacuation. In their haste to run to the nearest ships possible a few of their owner ships were left behind, and forgotten. Archanfel, terrified, begging his creators to take him with them, was met with rebuke to remain on the planet. And as they all left through sheer strength of will managed to break the control his master had over him and sought to follow them. And with that they attacked him psionically, crippling him leaving him in space as they opened a wormhole, to escape sending through it a massive Planetoid on a collision course with their experiment.
Betrayed, and left for dead, outraged Archanfel transformed into his battle form. For he was a being far beyond any other in the universe crafted with care to be able to single handedly destroy entire fleets of Reapers. Erecting a Psionic shield around the entire planet, he then charged at the planetoid that was three quarters the size of this world and in that moment expended a great deal of his power to all but obliterate it. Sadly he was not able to keep some of the fragments from landing on the planet causing an ice age, and with this attack injured himself fatally. Forcing him to retreat into the womb ship that gave him life to heal and recover.
But this was not the end of archanfel, no, he survived, as did ships containing bio-boosters would survive. Though inaccessible to anyone not already equipped with a Bio-booster, in time, Archanfel would be awakened, and with the help of a man who would become his most loyal servant, Hamilcar Barcas, they would not only created 10 more Zoalords from the crystal of Archanfel, but give rise to an organization called Chronos. Intime they would find a ship and name it relic's point, and in a botched operation managed to secure, then shortly thereafter loose three bio-boosters. One being bonded to a young man called Sho Fukamachi, a second damaged unit which would be bonded to a Man naked Oswald Lisker, and the third to Agito Makishima. Though the second Guyver Oswald lisker would be destroyed by Guyver one due to his control metal's malfunction. There was another ship.
In the region that would be called North America, North Dakota a young man would find an escape pod, and in it a Biobooster for himself. Eventually like Guyver One. Came to the attention of Chronos, and after they took over the world eventually Guyver one and Guyver four would join forces to take Chronos down and do the impossible, succeed in destroying Archanfel. Sadly this came at the cost and destruction of Guyver one. And in a moment of pure vengeance Archanfel summoned a massive asteroid they had been working on to plummet to the second Earth. This asteroid was large enough to destroy all life on the planet, leaving only Guyver four as the surviving creature, as he searched the burning landscape, he discovered in the ruins of a chronos facility another Ouranus Ship. One he would use to leave the planet, to seek out the Ouranus, to avenge himself and his world... unaware of the true nature of the Galaxy's history.
Thus a seed planted some two hundred and fifty-five million years prior has finally come into season and shall reap a terrible harvest.
The same is true of another. This one is called Shepard.
It is unknown what has happened. But let us take a look at her life. Born in the colonies, she knew how hard life could be, Enlisting in the Earth Alliance military. Early in her career she found herself facing overwhelming enemy forces. Risking her life to save fellow soldiers, and defeat the enemy despite the impossible odds. Her bravery and heroism have earned her medals and recognition from the Alliance fleet. Shepard almost single-handedly repelled an attack by batarian slavers on Elysium, thus earning the Star of Terra. The alliance's highest honor. In addition to this being selected for once of the Council's Spectres, she exposed the traitorious efforts of Saren, and uncovered the existence of the Reapers, A machine race that exterminates galactic civilisation every fifty thousand years or so. Sadly this cost the life of Ashley Williams to destroy Saren's Krogan cloning facility.
Finding her way to Ilos, and stopping the Reaper known as Sovereign with it's Geth allies, a race of sentient machines created by the Quarrians, from unlocking the citadel as the master relay summoning all the reapers from Darkspace. Shepard saved the Council, ensuring humanity earned a place on the council. Sadly afterwards Shepard had been killed in an attack by a then unknown race. Only to be resurrected by the near unlimited funds of the pro human organization known as Cerberus. And having found that the council has refused to acknowledge the impending Reaper threat. With the aid of Cerberus, Shepard is tasked with finding out what the Reapers are planning, stop the harvesting. And find a way to prepare for the future Reaper invasion.
What is it about Shepard that has made her so dangerous so successful at stopping the Reapers? Is it something about human spirit, drive? Could it be that some supreme entity has shown favor to humanity? Or could it be a Cycle that is millions upon millions of years old and has repeated so many times that it has produced two aberrations? More so what will happen when these aberrations meet each other head on?
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Written in an Afternoon while listening to Guyver music videos while playing ME2