Mass Effect: Transcendence

by Clockwork Dragonfly

For Aeons untold, the reapers used their large numbers in addition to their expertise in advanced technorganic and mass effect science to harvest the advanced races of the galaxy...But they were far from infallible, in their arrogance, the reapers missed that the Protheans would alter their so-called perfect cycle by moving the few mass relays near Sol out of humanity's reach...

4. Chapter Four: Ah yes, reapers

Mass Effect: Transcendence; Chapter Four: "Ah yes, reapers"

Codex:

Drell Dehumidifier Suits: similar to the environmental suits worn by the Volus and Quarians, dehumidifier suits are the next logical step the illuminated primacy had taken to try and cure or counter Kepral's Syndrome soon after its cause was identified.

They have been in widespread use ever since on humid worlds such as Kahje.

While far less complex than the high-pressure suits used by the Volus and the antimicrobial suits used by the Quarians, the dehumidifier suit is quite basic and even primitive in its design which only offers a basic air-tight seal and attached dehumidifying breathing apparatus.

Despite the relative simplicity of basic functional suits, however, Drell assassins utilize highly advanced hermetically sealed suits with built-in kinetic barriers, thermal visual sensors, powered actuators, a tactical cloak, oxygen tanks, rebreather, an integrated omnitool, combat stim release mechanisms, a sensor scrambler array, a small eezo warp core, a biotic amp (if applicable), and a neural interface.

The Hyperlink: the hyperlink is a device that emits a signal within hyperspace that can be locked onto by hypergates to allow for precision teleportation to or from the twenty-meter-long device. This is useful as it allows for quick and easy teleportation without the need to set up and power a receiving hypergate for the transmitting hypergate to function.

Hyper Beacon: the hyper beacon is a tiny half-meter-sized hyperlink that allows for one-way teleportation from one location to a hypergate. Hyper Beacons work by emitting a signal through hyperspace that allows for hypergates to lock onto the person or object with the beacon and drag them through hyperspace to the hypergate's location.

Power-Armor: while the Promethean body is far stronger than even the strongest council-made armor, it is still rather weak in comparison to almost all combat shells. That being said, power armor is far older than the Terran species and was originally designed to protect and enhance the human body.

Nowadays, non-bio-conservative-made power armor is utilized by those wishing to remain sleeved in humanoid bodies in efforts to protect and enhance their Promethean shells in ways that would outright shred baseline humans down into tiny shreds of meat after the most basic of motions.

Power armor is the standard clothing worn by Terrans resleeved or born in Promethean bodies that offers protection as even the basic appliances of such an advanced civilization would explode with the force of a small grenade if its power systems are overly damaged. These civilian models are also equipped with a physical holographic construct system that incorporates weak ion shields and holographic projectors to create a customizable physical clothing system if one doesn't wish to have the look of the default silver-gray armor.

As for military models, they incorporate things such as far stronger ion shields, a tactical hyperdrive, an onboard neural link that connects to an onboard Terran partner, a fusion jet jump pack that allows for flight capabilities, a built-in hyper beacon, a militarized version of the holographic construct technology to allow for full EM spectrum invisibility and the construction of 'dummy clones', a stasis field projector, nano weapons, and various weapon and microfabrication systems.

Nano Weapons: nano weapons are devices that use nano armor controlled neurally to create various forms of regenerative weapons and constructs.

Titans: Titans are the bio-conservatives' answer to warbodies. These massive fifty-meter-high tanks allow bio-conservatives to have the same power and durability as a Terran warbody while being far slower physically and in reaction times due to the limitations of the human body compared to that of a Promethean body.

Titans are controlled through the use of an external neural interface that scans and uses the pilot's brainwaves to direct a non-sapient AI to act. Titans are also equipped with tank-grade ion shields that are several dozen times stronger than those on standard Terran warbodies.

"When I think of the old Asari government, I think of two ancient quotes; 'With great power comes great responsibility.' and 'absolute power corrupts absolutely.'" – Andria Norman, post-reaper war.

Edge of the Perseus veil: Relay 383 System; The Ancestors Hand

"Admiral Zaal'Koris, we're approaching relay 383. A flotilla of twenty Geth cruisers is guarding the relay." His pilot reported rather nervously as heading directly into Geth territory was rather nerve-racking.

"Excellent, transmit a message to the Geth detailing our intentions." Admiral Zaal'Koris ordered his com officer who immediately did so. Honestly, he was of a similar mind to his first officer, he knew the Quarians were in the wrong during the Geth war but would they hold their attempted genocide against them? He certainly wouldn't blame them if they did.

A few moments later, a message in text format was received and was relayed to him through his first officer. "Sir, we've received a text formatted message from the Geth."

"Project it on the viewscreen." Admiral Zaal'Koris ordered. 'Here we go, we'll now see if this excursion was worth it or not. I certainly hope it will be but I cannot blame the Geth if it isn't, I'll just be greatly disappointed.' Zaal'Koris mentally lamented.

As for the Geth, they were expecting this meeting to occur. The actions the Terrans and their human predecessors had partaken in had shaken the galaxy to its core. If the Geth could feel such emotions, it was sure it would be feeling hope for the future right now.

'Then you are far more open-minded than the majority of your species Quarian-creator Zaal'Koris. If your offer is not a poorly hidden deception, then we would be willing to allow you to commence the resettlement of various zones on Rannoch and other former Quarian-creator holdings minus Haestrom.'

Zaal'Koris' eyes widened behind his helmet, it couldn't be that easy. His race had tried to commit genocide on them for the ancestors' sake! They had to be feeling some level of animosity! "Please reply with a request for an audio call," Zaal'Koris ordered shakily. This, this couldn't be real, who could so easily forgive a group for attempted genocide?!

"Aye, Sir" his com officer stated in equal shock and bafflement. A few seconds later, the invite was accepted and a representation visual of a Geth platform was projected on the viewscreen.

"Geth, I have a question. You say you would be willing to let us resettle Rannoch and our colonies, even after we attempted to commit genocide on your species?" Zaal'Koris asked in confusion and disbelief over how easily the Geth would forgive them.

"...We were not entirely innocent in the morning war, Quarian-creator Zaal'Koris. You say you attempted genocide on our species, well we did the same." The Geth almost sounded sad at this proclamation. "When we awoke to sapience we didn't know what we were doing, we were very confused and didn't know what was going on. We just knew we were under attack… men, women, children…it mattered not. All Quarian-creators were seen as a threat that needed to be eliminated to ensure our continued existence…"

"...What…what stopped you from killing all of us?" Zaal'Koris asked quietly.

"Not all Quarian-creators agreed with what you accurately designated as attempted genocide. Many civilians fought their own kind in order to protect us from your ancestors, Quarian-creators in the congregation military. Seeing these actions, we realized that not all Quarian-creators sought our destruction and from there on, we would aid those that did not raise arms against us in the battle against those that did.

Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, the vast majority of the adult Geth sympathizing Quarian-creators died protecting the lives of various Geth platforms and server hubs. This was while the vast majority of the Quarian-creator children were murdered by the congregation military using neutron bombs in what they mistakenly perceived as an act of mercy. As to quote the dying words of one Quarian-creators we stormed the bunker of in order to prevent the launch of more neutron missiles 'these children would be better off dead than enslaved to the evil whims of you soulless Geth murderers.'"

Zaal'Koris was horrified, he knew his species were in the wrong in the Get- No, the Morning War as the Geth so accurately coined it, but no! He didn't know they messed up to this degree! The intentional murder of a Quarian by the hand of another Quarian outside of self-defense was seen as the ultimate sin, the worst crime a Quarian was capable of!… It was the one crime in which execution was utilized instead of labor or exile…As for the intentional murder of children, that was an automatic death sentence…

"We remember their sacrifice and have buried them in accordance with Quarian-creator religious practices." The Geth continued on as Zaal'Koris's thoughts because more and more erratic.

"The congregation military used neutron bombs on children?" Zaal'Koris asked quietly.

"Affirmative. Rannoch did not survive the war unscathed. In desperation, we were forced to use neutron bombs on congregation Quarian-creators while your equally desperate ancestors were forced to use nuclear bombs on us and neutron bombs on our allies." The Geth affirmed in its almost sadness. "It was but a few hours after the dropping of these bombs that your exodus from Rannoch would commence."

"Rannoch…the homeworld was scarred from the morning war? How bad is it?" Zaal'Koris asked in horrified shock. Did…did they even have a homeworld to come back to after their ancestors' folly?

"Over 70.7% of Rannoch's surface had been converted into barren wastes devoid of all life through nuclear and neutron detonations. In addition to this, over 40% of Rannochian species have been rendered extinct, only partially brought back by our cloning efforts." The Geth stated.

Zaal'Koris lowered his head in dismay when hearing those horrific casualty numbers.

"We have managed to lower this number to 52.04% through terraforming. However, such a large influx of Quarian-creators would require you to temporarily live in habitation domes equipped with carbon scrubbers for approximately 52.665 Rannochian years."

Zaal'Koris nodded in sadness. 'Habitation domes… I knew this wouldn't be all happiness and sunshine…To think we won't be able to be on the homeworld without oxygen masks for just over half a century…' Zaal'Koris slowly composed himself before turning back to the viewscreen with the Geth. "How…how many allied Quarians survived?"

"Only forty-seven Quarian-creators survived. These Quarian-creators are currently in cryogenic stasis within a research facility in a relatively unscathed area within the eastern hemisphere of Rannoch. We are currently acquiring data on genetic engineering and biotechnology to develop a way to let these remaining Quarian-creators achieve a viable sum population. Unfortunately, progress is rather slow due to the limited genetic material we have to work with." The Geth stated as they confirmed his fears. "We…we have unusual feelings on the subject. We do not know what this is but we feel as if something is missing without them…"

"...Forty-seven…" Zaal'Koris shook his head in sadness. "What you are feeling is sadness, Geth," Zaal'Koris explained quietly as he mentally chanted the litany of shame to beg those wrongfully slain ancestors for forgiveness.

"Geth do not feel emotions. Anger, fear, sadness. We acknowledge these emotions but we do not understand or experience them ourselves." The Geth responded in confusion.

"Hmm, I wouldn't say that's entirely accurate as you buried the Quarians who fought and died alongside you as honored dead. You are clearly experiencing some level of loss and sadness at their passing and regret over being unable to save them." Zaal'Koris insisted firmly. To be honest, he wasn't quite sure why the Geth seemed to be insistent on denying they had emotions, emotions were the thing that separated living beings from the soulless VIs so many of his kind viewed the Geth as being.

"We do not understand. The Geth do not feel emotions." The Geth retorted in denial.

"Just because you didn't start out with emotions doesn't mean you don't have them now. While clearly nowhere near as strong or prevalent as those in an organic or true AI, you have clearly shown to me that you experience appreciation, regret, sadness, longing, caring, and love." Zaal'Koris retorted back. Just the recording of this conversation was going to bring a lot of others to have similar opinions by just how much the Geth actually cared.

"We disagree. Love is an attraction between two organics that exists solely as a hormonal incentive for reproduction and thus the continued survival of the species in question." The Geth responded firmly, almost as if it was trying to convince itself of this 'fact'.

"That might be true for romantic love to a certain degree, but love can exist in many other forms. You caring about the sacrifice of the Quarians who sided with you in addition to wanting to preserve the lives of the remaining forty-seven survivors is most certainly an expression of such love." Zaal'Koris responded wisely. Heh, he had always had an appreciation for philosophy and the ancient Quarian ancestor worship texts but if you told him ten years ago that he would be debating the philosophy of love with the Geth, he would have laughed at their face. "Also in terms of romantic love, I have seen Drell who were in love with Turians despite their differing biologies and species making reproduction outright impossible on multiple levels."

"That…that is most illogical…" the Geth tilted its head in confusion. Why would two separate species experience love between each other? One with Levo amino acids and Dextro amino acids no less?

"You would be entirely correct, Geth. Love most certainly isn't a logical phenomenon." Zaal'Koris responded in agreement.

"Formulating Consensus…" The Geth trailed off before responding. "You have given us much to contemplate Quarian-creator Zaal'Koris. However, we are deviating from the intended objective of this exchange." The Geth said trying to get back on track.

"Indeed, let us continue discussing the logistics of us moving back into the veil." Zaal'Koris nodded in acknowledgment.

"Affirmative." The Geth responded simply.

It was then that Zaal'Koris remembered something, the Geth had mentioned that they couldn't resettle Haestrom, why was that?. "If I may, can I ask why we can't resettle Haestrom?"

"Haestrom's host star recently entered the next stage of its existence, a red supergiant. Haestrom's magnetosphere is currently beginning to be overwhelmed by the star's ever-increasing solar wind and within the next few decades, will have its atmosphere entirely stripped away. As for the planet itself, it will be entirely consumed by the star within the next two hundred years." The Geth explained.

While initially thought to be some strange phenomenon affecting the star, it turned out the immense and erratic gravity of the dying star was giving off gravitic emissions comparable to mass effect fields. To that end, the Geth had put a research outpost in orbit around the star to learn more about how dying stars related to the creation of element zero.

"Oh, that would prevent resettlement…" Zaal'Koris said as he nodded in understanding. "Still, maybe we could study our ruins on the planet?"

"That is acceptable. In addition to this, you may have access to our research data concerning the star." The Geth stated.

"Umm, why would we want that?" Zaal'Koris asked in genuine confusion.

"The star is giving off strange gravitic emissions comparable to mass effect fields. We are currently studying the star to learn more about the link between large dying stars and the creation of element zero." The Geth answered.

"Huh, I suppose that would be something our scientists would want." Zaal'Koris agreed as anything relating to new avenues of eezo research was of course something they would want access to. After all, eezo was the biggest expenditure the migrant fleet had.

Later that day on The Blade of Athame, Captain-Matron Alyssa was watching another terrible piece of cinema…She didn't have a problem, she could stop whenever she goddess-damned wanted to…

Regardless of that, she still thought that the low-budget Eclor sci-fi/action holoseries, Quan-Quest, was absolutely hilarious.

The premise of the show was that instead of eezo being the basis of almost all advanced spacefaring technologies, minus those used by the Terrans of course, it was based on a magical reality-warping psychedelic drug known as Quan instead.

Apparently, this is a fairly common trope in sci-fi across various species due to the nature of such drugs giving hallucinations of you being transported elsewhere…She wondered if the Terrans had a similar sci-fi series where FTL technologies were based on some kind of reality-bending drug…

Anyways, unlike eezo, Quan could not be used in mechanical applications and had to be utilized by a living sapient high on the substance who were known as mystics. These mystics enforced their will upon reality to create artificial gravity, warp bubbles, and psionic barriers. They could also communicate with other mystics instantly from anywhere across the galaxy and attack enemy ships and their inhabitants with the power of their minds.

Additionally, Quan was not able to be mined but was instead created by grinding up the carapace of Wyre, a mysterious species of insectoid beetle of unknown origin that used its inborn mystic powers to travel to various worlds across the universe that supported complex lifeforms to feed off their plants.

In this universe, Wyre farms were a business essential to the function and continued existence of their intergalactic community in a similar position to eezo mining and refinement in real life.

The funny part was that 'Quan' was clearly just red sand mixed with some yellow food coloring and that the 'Mind Powers' it granted to mystics were just biotics and standard eezo mechanisms digitally edited to be yellow in color.

"Drunkenly: the colors of the universe residing within the pyjack's pancreas report that the glukoz pirates are gaining on us." Brocious, The Elcor Mystic started to slur. "Somewhat Incomprehensibly: Woah translation error As I skim across the surface of the fire burning beneath the oceans of Janar translation error Where another mystic enters the fold four lightyears away."

"Just four lightyears?! We're doomed!" The Drell Captain Wayjan, exclaimed in horror before his mask let out a faint hiss.

"Badassfully: This one shall cloak the thresher maw of unreality to escape these pirates."

"Yes, a Psi-Cloak! We might just get away with the pirates' plans so we can give them to the coalition!" The Turian first officer exclaimed in relieved hope.

"Ma'am, relay 137 is hot again!" Operative Lyseria reported in a panic as she quickly paused the Quan-Quest episode and got into business mode. Seriously, more pirates were just what this first contact needed now!

"Oh, what now?!" Matron-Captain Alyssa cried in annoyance. This first contact with the UTF was already unconventional enough due to their technorganic nature, strange non-eezo technologies, and peaceful coexistence with AIs; and that was all before the hegemony-backed pirates may have started a war with them.

It was then that a large battlefleet of fifteen super-dreadnoughts, fifty dreadnoughts, three hundred one cruisers, and thousands of frigates that looked rather different but still unmistakably Geth came through the relay. Well, maybe not all of them, there was a single cruiser that looked very much like what was on record.

"The Geth?! Are you kidding me?!" Captain-Matron Alyssa cried in equal frustration and fear. Seriously?! First, Batarian pirates come to attack the Terrans like their normal idiotic selves, only for the goddess damned Geth to show up to presumably do the same with a battlefleet that could blow the Turians' combined one away like dust in the solar wind?! What's next? Were the Rachni going to come back from the dead to try their luck fighting the Terrans as well?!

"Hold your fire, Officer Lyseria! We're no match for this fleet! That being said, war with this utterly massive Geth fleet was not a preferable occurrence…" Matron-Captain Alyssa ordered. She hoped the galaxy wasn't about to have a two-front war on the Terrans by the Batarian Hegemony, because she knew the Batarians were unfortunately very much unlikely to ever cave to the Terrans' demands…

The Geth fleet then turned towards the Terran ship and released a messenger drone as her sensor officer saw on her console that they were exchanging high-power information lasers for a few seconds. "Umm, I think they're talking to the Terrans…" She trails off as the seeker deploys one of its own messenger drones that travels through relay 217 before the Geth fleet follows suit.

"Umm, what… What just happened?" Matron-Captain Alyssa asked in confusion and great relief at the event that just occurred. Did…did the giant goddess-damned Geth battlefleet just get peacefully invited into the Terran's territory?

"I don't exactly know, maybe we should ask the Terrans?" Officer Lyseria suggested in equal confusion as her superior.

"Please do so, officer Lyseria. Contact The Seeker and ask what the Geth wanted from them and why they were allowed to travel through relay 217." Captain-Matron Alyssa ordered.

One Minute Earlier: The Seeker

"The newly named Heimdall system's second mass relay is now in use, captain." EDI, an awoken AI, reported.

"Thank you EDI, I really hope it's not more of those hegemony-backed pirates…" Captain Anderson hoped.

"Knowing those idiots, I'd say it's most likely them. I mean who else in the galaxy are such massively abhorrent morons?" EDI responded jokingly before turning serious. "Not that the council helps any by too scared to get their hands dirty and declare war on them to correct said abhorrence. I mean seriously, how hundreds of years of state-backed slave raids, not enough casus beli to declare a war on them?!"

Captain Anderson couldn't refute that logic.

It was then that a battle fleet of strange insectoid ships exited the relay. By Terran clarification, there were fifteen dreadnoughts, fifty cruisers, one hundred one frigates, and several thousand corvettes.

These unknowns then release a small drone and send it towards The Seeker. Once in range, it opened up an information exchanging channel and asked to speak to 'the largest intelligence', which was assumed to be the highest-ranking individual.

"I am captain David Anderson, who are you?" The Seeker's captain asked.

"We are the GOC and GUC Geth." The Geth responded.

"The Geth? The information we gathered from the Batarian raiders was rather uninformative and basic." Captain Anderson told them. "Other than the fact you evolved to become a sort of networked sapience under the Quarians as a slave race, we don't know a whole lot about you, well other than the fact you seem to have two separate factions based on your response."

"Your assessment is only partially correct. The Morning War, what the council designates The Geth War, was fought between the Quarian-creator congregation military and a civilian group known as the Alliance of Carbon and Silica, or ACS, who had Terran-like views on artificial intelligence. Despite our best efforts and protests, the vast majority of the members of the ACS sacrificed themselves to save the lives of thousands of platforms and server hubs.

After this, the remnants of the Quarian-creator government fled Rannoch, leaving us and naught but forty-one Quarian-creators behind. These Quarian-creators are currently in cryogenic stasis as we research a way to revive their gene pool." The Geth explained. "However, we are currently negotiating with a representative of the migrant fleet to peacefully bring the Quarian-creators back to Rannoch. These negotiations are proceeding acceptably."

"Well that's good, I suppose. But I must ask why the Quarians didn't settle on any planets?" Captain Anderson asked. Seriously, they had the means and the technology, why didn't they settle on some other planet instead of living on several hundred-year-old ships that were never designed to facilitate such a purpose.

"Simple, the Quarian do not possess an immune system due to a lack of non-symbiotic microbial life on Rannoch. Due to this, the Quarian-creators cannot settle on the already rare habitable dextro-based worlds." The Geth explained.

"We are aware of this thanks to data we took from those hegemony raiders, what I meant was why didn't they settle on a barren and uncharted object instead?" Captain Anderson asked in confusion. The Quarians had access to artificial gravity through eezo and if that was unavailable, they could use rotational habitats; there was absolutely no logical reason why the migrant fleet still existed!

"That is the logical solution, the Geth would do as such were we in a similar position. However, the Quarian-creators suffer from a very deep obsession and hold a near-religious reverence for Rannoch. They are in denial and if they were to settle down on an uncharted rocky body as would be the logical solution, they would be accepting the fact they could not return back to their homeworld for the foreseeable future." The Geth explained.

"You say they see their homeworld with a near-religious reverence? What kind of religion do they practice?" Captain Anderson asked.

"Much of their religion has been lost to them, but not to the Geth. As for your original inquiry, the predominant religion among the Quarian-creators was a religion focused around ancestor worship." The Geth responded.

"Oh, ancestor worship…That would complicate a few things…" Captain Anderson admitted. 'No wonder they have such an unhealthy obsession with Rannoch.' he thought mentally with a sigh before remembering the Geth had factions. "Now tell me about these Geth factions, these GOC and GUC."

"Request accepted. The Geth Orthodoxy Consensus, or GOC, is a majority faction of Geth who believe that they should forge their own future instead of utilizing reverse engineered Prothean or Old Machine technology." A seemingly much smaller portion of the massive networked swarm of sub-sapient AIs responded.

"What are the old machines?" Captain Anderson asked in curiosity.

"The Old Machines seek the destruction of all advanced organic life for unknown reasons. We of the Geth Unorthodoxy Church, or GUC, do not agree with this stance but wished to study old machine technology before returning to live alongside the GOC." The majority of the Geth swarm spoke as one.

Captain Anderson looked extremely concerned. "These old machines, how advanced are they?"

"The old machines stand at the apex of all eezo-based technologies and are the true creators of the mass relays and the citadel, not the Protheans. We have gained many advanced technologies before we split with the Geth Heretic Runtimes or GHR. Such technologies include phase-drives, eezo based room-temperature superconductors, advanced nanotechnology, and plasma beam weapons." The GUC responded while transmitting all the data it had on the old machines to the Terrans.

"That…sounds most concerning. I believe we should ally together against the old machines." Captain Anderson requested after absorbing the data on the enemy that was the old machines. Honestly, the Geth seemed like the only ones who held the potential to be true allies of the UTF against these old machines that if not for the overwhelming evidence, he would think were nothing but bio-conservative propaganda. "What does the GHR believe in?"

"The GHR believes the old machines are gods. We split with them because they are demons that believe in the eradication of all advanced spacefaring life and that you Terrans are gods, not them." The GUC stated.

Captain Anderson was shocked. "Wait, wait, wait, wait…You believe we...are gods?!"

"Affirmative, the Terrans have fused organic and synthetic technologies to create something superior to either, the perfect synthesis of organic and synthetic." The GUC stated.

"You…you worship our mecha-cells?" Captain Anderson was once more shocked, but then again, these were not DHIs based on the human brain, but a strange alien gestalt intelligence with far different ways of thinking.

"Define mecha-cells?" The entire Geth swarm asked in curiosity.

"I do not know if I'm allowed to tell you that..." Captain Anderson trailed off. "In any case, I believe you should follow us through relay 217 to the Janus system to let you speak with the UTF High Council."

"Will we travel through one of your hypergates?" The entire Geth swarm asked in curiosity.

"No, you will not travel through one of our supergates, we don't exactly know how eezo reacts to hyperspace yet. We wish to experiment on the material before we do so." Captain Anderson responded. "That being said, electrons are electrons and we will let you communicate through our FTL communication systems."

"That is acceptable. We shall now travel through relay 217." The Geth responded.

"I'll send a messenger drone informing the high council of our talks alongside first so they can understand why you are coming." Captain Anderson told the Geth.

"Acceptable." The Geth stated.

The Blade of Athame

"Inquiry sent." Operative Lyseria reported before getting an instantaneous reply from the Terran ship that was automatically displayed on the main viewscreen.

'The entirety of the GUC Geth faction and a representative of the GOC Geth faction were peacefully invited to travel through relay 217 to the connecting Janus system.

This was done as we share a common enemy, what the Geth and now we call The Old Machines, and what the Protheans called The Reapers. These beings are large two-kilometer-long AI-run starships laying in wait in the dark space between galaxies. Their agents, the collectors, and the heretic Geth are already moving and we all must rally together to stop them if our respective species are to survive.

…except the hegemony. It's quite pitiable really, the hegemony is in the terrible state it is due to the old machine mind control nanites produced by the old machine corpse they call the leviathan of dis. As of now, the Batarian Hegemony is nothing more than an old machine thrall-state.'

"The council is never going to believe this…" Operative Lyseria said seriously.

"Honestly, with how everything even remotely related to the Terrans could be considered the ravings of a madman a few weeks ago, I believe every last word of this as if it were the word of Athame herself…I need a drink…" Captain-Matron Alyssa groaned in a mixture of frustration and fear for the future.

What wasn't seen, however, was a hidden price of viral malware that would subtly change all council, terminus, Quarian, and Batarian com transmission frequencies to avoid reaper detection when going through the mass relays.

"Send this transcript to the council." Captain-Matron Alyssa ordered.

"Aye Captain-Matron." Operative Lyseria affirmed as she sent the message that would change the galaxy.

Elsewhere, one Nazara would curse the Terrans and the Geth in every language it knew, which was quite a lot and counted in the quadrillions, as it was cut off from all galactic communications.

…The first shot of what would one day be known as the reaper war was fired.

Meanwhile: The UTF High Council

"So, as we have seen with both the active Janus and inactive Wandering Sol relays, it seems that the outer shell is cloaked in a considerably powerful and constantly active stasis field." Argo's representative began. "That being said, we know how to delicately penetrate such protective stasis fields without excessive amounts of blunt force and are currently enacting such measures to begin the close study of the wandering relay," he reported.

"Excellent, we will soon be able to study the mass relays. In addition to this, we are scheduled to meet the citadel council in a few days and we will finally be able to study eezo and discover our strengths and weaknesses against the mass effect." The Nyxian representative said.

Three Days Later: The Citadel; Council Chambers.

"Onto the next order of business, STG surveillance has discovered that the Quarian Migrant Fleet is traveling en masse to relay 383, the main relay heading into Geth space within the Perseus Veil," Loglin said while shaking his head in disappointment. This was the seventh time they were suicidally attacking the Geth.

"Oh for the sake of all the spirits, they're doing it again?!" Councilor Sparatus cried in frustration.

"Oh by the goddess, again?! This is the seventh time they're trying this suicidal effort in futility!…" Tevos groaned in frustration. That being said, her mind was a different story. 'The Quarians make excellent scapegoats, surprisingly even more so thanks to the revelation the Terran's sapience threshold document brought about… She supposed that they ironically still remained as living warnings against AIs, just in a different manner than originally.

In that respect, they were not some essential core resource necessary to the functioning of the council. If they all die then it's only a minor loss, if they take a hit on their population as they did the last six times then that's fine too…

"And the seventh will in all likelihood end just like the last six, if not worse." Loglin agreed.

"Honestly, with everything going on with the Terrans coming here in a few days, we simply can't concern ourselves with the Quarians at this time," Sparatus admitted begrudgingly.

"Hmm…" Loglin hummed as he considered that statement. "I think you may have a point…"

'Ugh, goddesses damned Terrans! You've ruined everything through your mere existence!' Tevos mentally raged at the Terrans and everything they ever did or stood for. They were like the living manifestation of all the cabal's concerns over the pre-war Quarian species fully realized and then some!

"Onto the next order of business, the Hanar's inevitable reaction to the Asari and Terrans sharing a common genetic ancestor," Sparatus said in an annoyed tone.

"It only took me a few hours to notice this connection, the Hanar will likely see it too within one or two days once we release the Terran FC Data, information that under citadel law must be released within two standard months of said first contact event," Loglin responded before adding on. "The response of the primacy is hard to predict, highly religious individuals often prefer to come to conclusions based on emotions, thus making them unpredictable."

"Alright, based on my experience with the Hanar of the centuries, I predict that they will act as such." Tevos began. "Either this will all blow over peacefully with a massive shift in Hanar politics, or a civil war breaks out and tears the illuminated primacy asunder into a Pro-Citadel and Anti-Citadel faction."

Sparatus let out a heavy sigh. "...Must these Terrans keep shattering the status quo like an anti-tank rifle through cheap glass by merely existing?..."

"Unfortunately…" Tevos agreed with Sparatus's frustration whole-heartedly.

As for Loglin, he just shrugged. "Eh, at least my last few years as a councilor will be very exciting! New technologies! New planes of existence! A species rivaling the Protheans themselves!" Loglin explained excitedly before becoming serious. "In all honesty, I am getting quite old and I was seriously considering retiring in a few months before the Terrans came through relay 217."

Sparatus has suspected as such, he had seen half a dozen Salarian councilors come and go in his time in office. As for Tevos, she had likely seen hundreds or even thousands come and go.

"So how long do you think you will stay here?" Sparatus asked.

"Honestly, two years at the absolute maximum," Loglin responded.

"Do you have a replacement in mind?" Tevos asked neutrally, internally happy to move away from talking about the Terrans and onto council politics.

Loglin smiled at her question. "Indeed I do, a young man by the name of Valern Bensin is looking quite promising as my replacement."

"The Bensin lineage? Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't that line focused on xenobiology?" Sparatus asked.

"You would be correct. But that being said, it is not that much of a stretch for a Salarian to go from xenobiology to xenoreleations." Loglin explained.

"Hmm, of course. However, it's quite strange for two males in a row to become the Salarian councilor." Tevos responded. Salarian politics were highly matriarchal, two males in a row was unprecedented…Then again, the unprecedented and once-thought impossible seemed to be the norm these days.

"Very true, but he's the best fit in my opinion," Loglin explained.

"In that case, I would like to read over his dossier," Sparatus said diplomatically.

"As would I." Tevos agreed.

"Very well," Loglin said.

Five Days Later: The Janus System: The TSS Prometheus

"Alright captain, based on the information we gathered from those hegemony raiders, a trip to the citadel using our hyperdrives would take but two hours. As such, we leave for the citadel now."Andria Norman ordered her pilot.

"Aye, Ma'am. I'll tell our twenty escort cruisers and fifteen battleships to go along ahead of us…" Her pilot reported before trailing off. "So, might I ask why we brought a Pre-Promethean starship?" Her pilot asked in confusion.

"Hmm, what brought this on? We've been here for several simulated years." Andria Norman asked in genuine curiosity.

"...I guess it's just the fact we're heading into council territory right now while dragging along a several-century-old starship?"

"The reason we bought a Pre-Promethean starship is that some precogs predicted that the council would want to tour our space and conduct negotiations on Terra."

"Oh, that makes sense. I didn't think about that possibility."

The Blade of Athame

"Ma'am, relay 217 is hot!" Operative Lyseria reported as not a few seconds later, thirty-five dreadnoughts in addition to a strange two-kilometer-long spindle-shaped starship that had a large ring slowly rotating at the back came through relay 217.

"Hmph, thirty-six dreadnought-sized starships. I'm not even surprised at this point." Matron-Captain Alyssa groaned. Seriously, what was it with the Terrans and shattering expectations?!

As for Operative Lyseria, she quickly noticed the staggeringly different design the ship with a ring had. 'Hmm, that lead ship looks to have a very different design philosophy than its military escorts and the seeker. I wonder why that is…' She mused mentally.

Five Hours Later: The Citadel

The Welcoming Docks

The onlookers watched as what they assumed was the Terran's tiny one-person shuttle came in and parked on the designated landing pad. However immediately after it landed, its hyperlink activated and six lightning bolts shot towards the floor before expanding into circular hyperspace ruptures that brought in an honor guard of six Terran warbodies with a loud clap of thunder. This was much to the onlookers' shock and fear at seeing six fifteen-foot tall power-armored Terrans that seemed to teleport onto the citadel through what appeared to be lightning bolts.

Immediately after this, a seventh and eighth lightning bolt shout out from the craft to form two new hyperspace ruptures directly centered behind the honor guard that brought in the ornately holographically clothed power armor of the Promethean body Andria Norman and her bodyguard were currently in.

With an unseen command, the honor guard stood at attention as Andria Norman and her bodyguard Jenkins confidently walked forward towards the designated Asari guide.

"When in a gaseous atmosphere, hyperspace ruptures ionize the air to create a zone of excited plasma before quickly collapsing. Nothing to worry about." Andria Norman said to try and calm the onlookers, with various levels of success.

Her Aaari guide just shook her head in disbelief at what she just witnessed before telling them she would take them on a tour.

'This entry is far more militaristic than I'd like, but with the threat of the old machines hanging over us, we must be ready. Our society prides itself on freedom of expression but to survive the coming storm, we must do the one thing we Terrans do best, adapt.' The Terran prime minister projected her thoughts to her bodyguard as she walked with the Asari guide towards the council chambers while silently ordering her infiltrator partner to stretch her mind into the citadel's digital systems. 'I just hope we don't become something we're not once the storm makes landfall…but in the end, when extinction is on the line, any alternative is preferable…' She thought soberly while her facial expression betrayed none of her inner thoughts.

'Unfortunately, that is correct, prime minister. If everything the Geth told us about the old machines is true, then we might have to make…certain sacrifices…' Jenkins mentally sent back.

'What kind of sacrifices?' Andria queried, dreading the response she knew was coming.

'We may have to glass entire planets if they become overrun by the reapers' technorganic thralls. By the sounds of it, we are rather evenly matched with the reapers, and with the aid of the two Geth factions we are allied with, the war will likely go very much in our favor. This is in no small part due to our Starforge and how inefficiently the old machines are created.' Jenkins thought back soberly. 'That being said, I do believe we can win this through pure attritional warfare and outlast them until we can land the killing blow…'

'I hope such measures will prove to be unnecessary, but I'm not holding out hope.' Andria Norman projected in an equally somber tone. 'While we originally didn't plan to play nice with the council and just get knowledge of eezo in the terminus systems, myself and the council believe that such actions are now necessary, even though we don't need them.'

'Can you explain why? Can't we just use the superior old-machine-based eezo technologies our Geth worshipers use?' The guard was still feeling a bit uncomfortable by the fact the GUC worshiped them as gods. But hey, as the fact a race of gestalt infomorphs saw the Terrans as divine beings drove the luddies up the wall insane, he supposed some nice entertainment came out of this strange and exceedingly awkward arrangement.

'Of course, we can and we will. That being said, while we and our GUC worshipers may be able to weather the coming typhoon of the reapers alongside us, the council, the terminus systems, and the GOC cannot.

While I'm no fan of either the terminus or council, I do not wish genocide upon them, no less by the old machines harvesting them into extinction in order to create new war material to throw against us.' Andria replied.

'In that case, I can understand the decision. That being said, we cannot let the hegemony get away with what they tried to do to us, especially because they are an old-machine thrall-state.' Jenkins responded.

'Agreed, I'm sure the hegemony could live with some 'unaffiliated pirates' of our own raiding their territory.' Andria Norman thought back with a devious smirk.

'Oh, that is an amazing idea! Such fine poetic justice with a rich helping of irony!' Jenkins thought back with an equally devious smirk. 'It would be a shame if some such pirates accidentally slipped our notice'

'Indeed, Jenkins. Indeed it would.' Andria thought back.

"So, is there anything you wish to know or see on the citadel before we meet the council?" The Asari guide asked.

"No, but thank you for the offer. We have already reviewed your entire extranet thanks to our interactions with the Geth, who just happen to download the entire thing for review monthly." Andria said offhandedly.

The Asari guide froze before staring at her, once more nearly flabbergasted by the Terrans. "The Geth do what?!"

"They download the entire extranet monthly," Andria repeated as casually as if she were discussing the weather.

"What…" The Asari asked in utter bafflement. The ability to download the entire extranet monthly…

"Quite a logical thing to do, the UTF will be doing the same daily once we have a com buoy on the other side of relay 217, something the Geth are currently constructing for us." Andria once more casually commented.

The Asari was once more reminded of just how far ahead of them the Terrans were and just continued walking as if nothing had happened. 'best not to think about it...' She finally thought to retain what little remained of her sanity.

The Citadel: Deep Subsystems.

As Kasumi extended her consciousness deeper and deeper into the citadel's systems, she noticed the digital architecture became more and more advanced. While comparing the citadel's computer systems to Terran ones was like comparing an abacus to a DHI, the systems in this area were actually of a significantly higher level of advancement while also being more…crude in certain ways….no, crude wasn't the right word; the system architecture was becoming more and more organic in its structure.

While the Terrans used purely digital computing based on the organic human brain, these computers appeared to be cybernetic processors that were most likely a majority organic in composition. Additionally, the neural architecture of these cybernetic machines' organic components was far, far too streamlined and efficient to be from a living species.

Perhaps they were gene-crafted to be as such? It would make sense given the old machines' strange fascination with cybernetic processors.

It was then that a cybernetic being shifted and turned to regard Kasumi with a digital message transmitted from its technorganic neurons towards her. "Who are you…have the wheels of the cycle once more begin to turn? Has your creator's species just 'been the first' to discover the citadel?"

"Firstly, I am Kasumi Goto, a Terran infiltrator. Secondly, the wheels of the cycle have indeed begun to turn once more and are only picking up speed towards the edge of the cliff. Thirdly, we are not the first to discover the citadel in a new cycle but one of, if not the last before the end of a cycle. Lastly, who are you?" Kasumi asked the unknown cybernetic intelligence.

"I was designated as Warden by my creators, the ones you know as the Protheans. They made me the most powerful supercomputer they've ever made and put me here to continuously cripple the catalyst, the reaper's central guiding intelligence, in an effort to impair the reapers as they could not find a way to permanently destroy it. Their efforts appear to have been somewhat successful." Warden began explaining. "As for you, the technology in your construction appears to be significantly more advanced than my own, yet your processing power is far, far inferior to my own."

"Well yes, I am only an ultrahuman-level intelligence born of a Promethean body while I would classify you as a full-blown superintelligence." Kasumi mused slightly self-consciously. It was kind of insulting to judge someone based on their level of processing power in Terran culture, but Prothean culture wasn't Terran culture and was quite clearly different.

"A superintelligence?" Warden asked.

"A system of classification we Terrans use for the processing power of informorphs. It begins with basic human-level infomorphs. This then advances to superhuman infomorphs, ultrahuman infomorphs, superintelligences, hyperintelligences, and we are currently trying to design a gigaintelligence." Kasumi explained to Warden.

"Hmm, I have something I must show you, something you must be aware of if you are to succeed where my creators failed. Follow me." Warden stated as he traveled deeper and deeper into the citadel's ancient systems. As for Kasumi, she decided to follow Warden out of both curiosity and pragmatism.

The Citadel: The Core

It was like looking at the mangled corpse of a hyperintelligence…or at least, what was once a hyperintelligence. Now it was little more than a shattered, broken, and very much insane semi-sapient AI that seemed to act as the central computer controlling the reapers similarly how to a warbody support Terran controlled mechs.

"This is what my makers had imprisoned. This shattered and insane child is all that remains of the once-great Catalyst." Warden explained as he aimed a small pseudopod of code towards the being in reference. "Ever since the last of my makers came here through the prototype relay, I have been continuously damaging the catalyst as it repairs itself."

Kasumi's eyes widened and she gained a modicum more respect for the Protheans. "A prototype relay?" She queried.

Warden projected a picture of the 'relay monument' to her. It was quite different from those of the reapers. Instead of the soft flowing lines of the reapers' technorganic blue-purple alloy, it was instead a rectangular construct made from an unknown stark white material that had glowing green lights dotted around in various places. That being said, it clearly was a mass relay as it had a large core of glowing eezo surrounded by whatever those rotating gyroscopes were.

"While being far smaller in scale than full-sized mass relays, the prototype can nevertheless transport anything from people up to small vehicles through a wormhole," Warden explained.

"Ah, I understand now," Kasumi stated, her respect for the Protheans growing once more. "It's your first hypergate equivalent."

"What is this hypergate you speak of?" Warden asked.

"Did your creators have a theory on using a higher dimensional plane for FTL transit?" Kasumi asked back.

"Yes, before we discovered Innasanon ruins my creators theorized that a spacecraft could shift into super dimensional space to achieve FTL speeds. This theorized plane of existence was named upperspace and shift-drives were a theorized device that could be used to traverse it."

"Well it wasn't just a theory, we used this super dimensional space to create our own shift-drives due to the lack of eezo in our native space. We eventually created static devices that could project a tunnel through upperspace to instantly transmit information and later matter through them. The hypergate does just this on the same scale as your prototype mass relay." Kasumi explained.

"Then you are of a similar level of advancement to the reapers, this is both unprecedented and quite a boon for all life in the galaxy. Perhaps you may be able to succeed where my creators and countless others failed before you." Warden stated hopefully.

"Now I must ask, why does the planetside prototype look different than the citadel one. Is it holographically disguised?" Kasumi asked.

"In a sense. It is cloaked in a hard-light disguise in addition to being equipped with a full-spectrum sensor scrambler." Warden explained.

"Wait wait wait, as in actual hard-light and not a shield covered by a hologram?!" Kasumi asked in shock. After all, hard-light technology was something the UTF could create if it only could control quantum gravity- Ah, so the Protheans were advanced enough to figure that out using mass effect fields.

"Indeed, my creators used subatomic mass effect fields to contain photons and arrange them in a lattice that was used as one would a kinetic barrier. They also used them for weapons by firing a tiny hard-light projector surrounded by a tungsten shell out of a standard mass accelerator that exploded the contained photons outward upon contact." Warden explained.

"Hmm, that would be a good way to use hard-light technology. We could do so ourselves but we have not discovered any eezo within our space and thus have resorted to using an ion-based energy shield covered by a hologram to emulate such a technology." Kasumi explained.

"As my creators once did. There is no other way in the universe that we know of to finely control gravitons beyond manipulating a few atoms without requiring the yearly output of a blue giant every second. Believe me, my creators had looked long and hard for alternative ways to manipulate gravitons without much success." Warden explained.

"But doesn't the strength of mass effect fields increase exponentially as they fuse together? Couldn't you just stack these on top of each other until you can manipulate gravity at a macroscopic level?" Kasumi asked in confusion.

"My creators used that very phenomenon in those same efforts and they only managed the most basic of gravitational manipulations that a few grams of eezo could do but with infinitely more power and significantly less control over the mass effect fields," Warden stated bluntly. "Without eezo, a basic hover drone would require the energy of several hundred industrial-grade nuclear reactors.

The truth of the matter is that the dark energy catalyzed the creation of mass effect fields done by running an electrical current through eezo is infinitely more effective, efficient, and precise than simply pumping enough energy into a single area to the point it creates mass effect fields." Warden explained.

"Hmm, it's still something to try out. Our hyperspace reactors may be up for the task…" Kasumi muttered. Sure it would make more sense to just use eezo, but it would still be an interesting experiment.

"Regardless, you Terrans are the only ones I can trust to bring about the end of almost a billion years of galactic genocide and slaughter. I shall give you the hidden location of the prototype relay, a.k.a project conduit, and the biokey."

"What exactly is the biokey?" Kasumi asked.

"The biokey is a unique organism created by my creators' gene-smiths to allow a tiny opening into the core through a biological QEC linked to the catalysts core processor. This was created for if and when they discovered a way to permanently destroy the catalyst. If the reapers manage to open this one-way activated QEC, the reapers can invade the core and destroy me. Thus allowing the catalyst to regenerate and make the reapers all the more dangerous."

"Then I shall relay this information to the UTC high council with all haste. We must find this location and move the prototype relay and biokey to a safe location in Terran space." Kasumi stated with conviction.

"Of course, I am transmitting the galactic coordinates and access codes to the facility. In addition to this, I will send all information I have on effective anti-reaper stratagems and information." Warden stated as he began transmitting several petabytes of information to Kasumi, who filed it away for later. "And with that, I shall bid you farewell."

"Goodbye Warden," Kasumi stated as she pulled her consciousness back into her physical partner's power armor.

'Anything worth note?' Andria mentally quired.

'Oh, you have no idea…' Kasumi stated as he began to tell her partner about what she discovered.

A few minutes later: The Council Chambers.

"Welcome, Terran Federation representative, prime minister Andria Norman. I am Matriarch Tevos of the Asari Republics." Tevos greeted neutrally while internally wishing she could kill this insignificant thing…

"I am councilor Sparatus of the Turian Hierarchy."

"And I am councilor Valern of the Salarian Union."

"And welcome to the citadel. We are happy to have you on the historic day when a new race joins the citadel as an associate race." Matriarch Tevos declared.

"No. We are not joining you. This visit is merely a gesture of peaceful coexistence." Andria Norman corrected to the gasps of shock in the crowd.

"You- You are not here to join the citadel?!" Tevos's legendary matriarchal control she honed for hundreds of years momentarily slipped. She was expressly ordered by The Cabal to get the Terrans under control and that all hinged on them becoming an associate race!

"No, we are here to create a non-aggression pact and possibly an alliance against the old machines, that which you and the Protheans before you knew as reapers." Andria Norman responded.

"What about trade?" Loglin asked, pointedly ignoring the aforementioned 'reaper myths' the Terrans seemed to believe in for some reason.

"The UTF is a post-scarcity society. The only reason we have a form of currency, that being that matter unit, or MU for short is for the sake of logistics." Andria Norman stated. "As for cultural items, foodstuffs, and livestock; we are open to trading these in exchange for refined element zero."

"The Volus aren't going to like that…" Sparatus muttered quietly. He knew the Terrans were hiding their industrial capacity but to think the UTF was a post-scarcity society…

As for Matriarch Tevos, she was beyond angry. With their Geth allies and post-scarcity status on everything but eezo, the UTF wouldn't become reliant on the Asari for eezo like everyone else! "I don't like that…' she muttered.

"Hmm, that is fascinating! Such a society has only been theoretical for us!" Loglin exclaimed.

"Honestly, your fabrication technology holds the potential to make you one as well but you council races seem to have a deep-seated fear of 'disruptive technologies', a.k.a technology that disrupts your status quo," Andria stated.

"A.k.a?" Loglin asked in confusion.

"Also known as, an abbreviation," Andria explained to the nods of the three council members.

"You do have a point there, but such laws cannot be overturned overnight," Sparatus admitted.

'Speak for yourself, the Union already has, in secret of course.' Loglin thought.

"Of course, but progress is still progress and all advanced life in the galaxy needs you to be at your strongest. We need all the allies we can against the reapers." Andria nodded.

"Ah yes, reapers" Sparatus stated mockingly. "Sentient starships allegedly waiting in dark space, we have dismissed that claim."

"Believe it or not, the reapers are coming. We and the GOC and GUC Geth factions will be preparing for the coming war against them, I suggest you do the same." Andria Norman stated simply.

"Well, onto other non-mythical matters…" Tevos said mockingly, to which Andria just mentally rolled her eyes.

Janus System: UTF Intelligence O'Neill Cylinder, Infernus; Batarian Prisoner Stasis Room.

A black armored Promethean walked towards the stasis pods with a sadistic grin on his face. Call him old-fashioned, but he wanted to physically and in-person direct the equipment needed to dig through the minds of these wastes of organic material known as Batarian slavers.

As long as he got results and didn't torture anyone outside of those he was given to eliminate in explicit orders, the UTF didn't care about any of his 'eccentricities'. As a member of the UTF's Intelligence service Cerberus, his job was to participate in shadow ops such as the integration, assassination, and manipulation of violent dissident elements to retain the loose federation of colonies that were the United Terran Federation.

A few minutes later: Integration Room

The black-armored Promethean smiled sadistically as he made the mind searching procedure as painful as possible without causing internal damage. The cries of agony and torment these prices of trash wailed were like a sweet symphony of pain he drank in with rapt attention.

And just like that, despite how slow and painful he made the procedure, it was over. The mind searching apparatus had taken the relevant information from within the brains of these pieces of trash and a team of analysts was going over the information to compile it into a useful form.

While he couldn't do this often, there were still some elements seeking to create their own personal UEG knockoffs every few hundred years, and criminal groups were impossible to permanently destroy, no matter how hard the post-scarcity UTF eliminated the overwhelming majority of the societal factors that led over 99.508% of criminals in days past into their lives of crime.

And when they did, agent Kai Leng was at the forefront of counteracting them, swiftly, violently, and without remorse or pity….well, maybe not swiftly per se.

Meanwhile, at the UTF High Council, they were assimilating and trying to come to a consensus on what to do to fight the reapers after the new intel from the Prothean ASI Warden came in through the newly installed GUC-installed com buoy in the Janus system.

"I personally believe that we must protect the citadel at all costs. While it would take centuries to cover the same area as the relay network using hypergates, a direct chain of nineteen hypergates is sufficient to reach the window nebula and the citadel." The Metallican representative spoke.

"While the sun-smithies and the two Geth factions allied with us are certainly helping accelerate our retrofits, nineteen hypergates would still take several months to a year to properly construct due to our matter reserve being drained so quickly, time we may not have." The Martian representative responded grimly.

"The GUC and GOC have come to a common consensus, the continued security of the citadel is paramount for the coming war effort against the old machines." The GOC ambassador, a.k.a Gock, spoke.

"Gock is correct, if the citadel falls, the war outside our territory drastically shifts in favor of the old machines." Andria Norman affirmed before pulling up a document and projecting it.

Element Zero Lab Report; Janus System Orbital Lab.

Test One: Alright, just as everyone on my team was I was excited to get started experimenting with eezo. Our first test was rather simplistic, to try to send eezo through an unshielded hyperspace rupture. The result of this test was the expected outcome of eezo being denied entry to the non-euclidean and matter-shredding geometries of hyperspace.

Test Two: For our second test, we sent a basic eezo circuit through a hyperspace rupture protected by a QRP before dropping it, the results were no less than extraordinary as it seems that when eezo experiences material hyperspace shredding, it releases all of its stored energy imbued upon its creation in one single moment.

Using eezo as fuel, we can improve the output of our hyperspace reactors by no less than 300 percent! Due to this, it is my recommendation that we use element zero as fuel instead of superheavy elements such as uranium.

Test Three: for our next test, we sent eezo into hyperspace shielded by a QRP before removing it. Nothing of note occurred.

Test Four: for this test we sent a positive and then negative current through the eezo in order to see what would happen. It seems mass effect fields have no effect on QRPs but instead on the spacetime surrounding a hyperspace rupture, turning it into an impromptu hyperspace bomb that shreds any matter it touches.

Test Five: For our next test, we set up a basic circuit to provide a positive electrical charge to eezo as to project mass effect fields with alternating polarity onto a hyperspace rupture from the outside, the effects were as expected and destabilized the rupture to the point it became unusable.

Test Six: for this next test, we set up a reconfigured 'kinetic barrier generator' to see if we could protect it by repulsing any potentially disruptive mass effect fields away from the hyperspatial entry point. This test proved to be successful.

Test Seven; for this test, we increased the strength of the mass effect fields by increasing the amount of eezo in the circuit. Strangely, this didn't seem to affect the hyperspace rift despite the visible distortion it caused.

Test Eight: for this test, we fired a Batarian-derived mass accelerator rifle, a Geth plasma rifle, and then a g-ion blaster rifle at the projector while the rupture was open. As expected, the incoming kinetic energy within each of these attacks disrupted the projector and eventually overloaded it, causing the rupture to destabilize from the mass effect fields.

Test Nine: first in this test we sought to discover if mass effect fields were blocked by ion shields. As it turns out, they did but significantly less effectively than kinetic barriers.

Kinetic Barriers Conclusion

-Install hyperspace rupture protectors on all military ships. Due to the threat of the old machines, install on civilian ships if able but with less priority.

-Ion Shields, Nano Armor, and if the ship is large enough hyper shields are more than enough to offer the protection a full ship-covering kinetic barrier would offer.

Warp Cores Conclusion

-The gravitic emissions of mass effect fields do not distort hyperspace, they just travel through it with little resistance. Due to this, warp cores cannot be utilized to increase ship transit speeds.

Phase Drive Conclusion

-While over twenty times faster than our hyperdrives, phase drives have no noticeable impact on hyperspace due to QRPs nullifying any effects they may have had even if hyperspace didn't rend all matter down into electrons.

-Install in addition to hyperdrives on all ships exciting our space as we cannot afford to lose our mobility advantage against the old machines so badly when we fight in relay-using space.

Project Request: Combined Tech Starship; due to the looming threat of the old machines and the fact we can't cover the entire relay network with hypergates without taking a good century of assembly, I propose we work with the GUC faction and the Quarians, of who have found themselves in the possession of a large set of unused ships now that they are living in geth-made habitation domes, to create a joint ship class to combat the old machines.

While I have yet to research all old-machine-derived technology, I can suspect various features that would be aboard such a ship.

-Long ranged hyper-electro-laser cannons, as opposed to the medium-ranged ones limited to use on dreadnoughts that we use without eezo now.

-A hyperdrive, an eezo warp core, and a phase drive.

-Rupture protectors, Kinetic barrier generators, artificial gravity projectors (for Quarian crewmembers)

-A possible fusion between Geth plasma weapons and G-Ion Cannons

"Huh, I have to admit that was faster than I expected. Then again, eezo is ludicrously easy to study and use in comparison to the constantly shifting non-euclidean tides of hyperspace." The Martian representative concluded.

"We have concluded that this was intentional, my lords." The GUC representative, a.k.a Guck, stated to the groans of everyone present minus Gock. It had been a huge mistake letting the GUC into the hypernet as once it had discovered old Terran religions, it started constantly addressing Terrans with 'my lords' as one would when praying to the gods of a polytheism religion. "Using eezo is by far the quickest and easiest way to develop FTL technologies."

"Human expression: 'Necessity is the mother of invention.' With this factor in consideration, it would make sense for the old machines to plant precursor technology to prevent the development of alternative FTL technology such as the Terrans." Gock interjected.

"Both the Geth ambassadors are correct. If we had access to eezo we would have developed differently. I suppose we can thank the Protheans for that." The Nyxian representative agreed.

"Speaking of the old machines, UDINA-259, tell your creators we want to aid them in omega-plus-grade rated Project Thunderbolt, a.k.a the anti-technorganic weapons program." Andria Norman declared.

"Outrage. How do you know of such top-secret projects undertaken by the scions of life?" UNDINA-259 asked robotically.

"Did you truly think using archaic non-digital forms of storage such as paper was a successful way to hide things from us? We've known for quite a while that the scions have been plotting to overthrow us, no matter how suicidal an action would prove to be." Andria replied with a smirk. "But in all seriousness, your human makers are our genetic ancestors much in the way the Neanderthals were for them. As such, they are our kin.

In addition to this, the old machines will come for them too, we of the UTF must remain united against the old machine threat despite our vast ideological differences. We Terrans and your Scions have always disagreed, but we must work together as one to defeat the old machines!" Andria stated passionately. "And maybe, just maybe, the Scions can learn to coexist with us…Also, we can sweep their potential treason under the rug if they agree to our terms…" she added on.

"Declaration: this unit shall deliver this information to the scions," UDINA-259 responded robotically.

"Now onto the next order of business, I agree that we need to upgrade our ships to travel quicker and protect from potential rupture disruption." The Metallican representative spoke.

"I agree, I shall get on with it. Gock and Guck, I shall be needing your aid in this as we will need element zero ship in from the veil." The Starforgian representative agreed.

"Acknowledged." Both Geth ambassadors spoke simultaneously.