IV: HOLOCAUST - RESOLUTION
The following chapter outline details how I would have ended IV: Holocaust, and is obviously based off the ME3 endings (with, as I see them, improvements), and their immediate aftermath.
Chapter 100: Define Our Own Future Part 1:
Section 1:
Chapter opens from Shepard's POV. Shepard and Tali share a final moment together in the Smoothhound as it approaches the Beam. Anderson tells Shepard they couldn't have done this without them, but that they should keep on their guard, as anything could happen. Just as he finishes saying this, a massive airhorn is heard, and the Smoothhound suddenly stops, with the driver shouting that everything has gone FUBAR. Confused, the entire group leaves the vehicle. They find that they are in Hyde Park, and barely half a kilometer from the Beam itself. However, they look up to watch as Harbinger completes its descent, a rain of debris from an Alliance dreadnought (the Orizaba) shuddering as it impacts the ground. Harbinger lands on the ground, bellows its airhorn once more, and begins to glow all over as it primes its thanix cannons. Shepard curses, but Anderson shoves him, saying, "We've got to move! Get to the Beam!" Shepard nods, and, along with Tali and Garrus, jumps off the ledge and begins sprinting for the Beam, Anderson at his side. The rest of Hammer tries to reach the Beam as well, troops, vehicles, gunships and everything. Almost immediately, Harbinger begins its onslaught, using its thanix cannons to rapidly decimate the charging Hammer forces, shooting down aircraft, gutting vehicles and incinerating entire platoons of troops in one swath. Vehicles flying everywhere, Shepard, Tali and Garrus are eventually separated from Anderson, but continue to run regardless, noting that they have almost reached the Beam. Suddenly, a Mako infront of them is sliced in half, with one half bouncing towards them. Shepard ducks under it, but a part bumps him and sends him flying into the body. All he can do is watch as a thanix beam just barely misses Tali and Garrus, the resulting explosion however being enough to consume the both of them, and sent them flying across the field. Shepard screams, and rushes towards them. He finds them huddling behind the smoking wreck of a Megalodon, Garrus with burns across his face, but Tali in a horrible shape. Tali has a broken leg, with the bone popping out through her calf. Her mask is shattered on the left side, her hood torn and ripped, and her suit showing tears all over. Her shotgun is gone, and she is covered in blood, with a broken rib cage and numerous other severe injuries.
Seeing her in this state, he knows neither of them can continue, and orders the Normandy in for extraction. Noticing that Harbinger is busy massacring the remnants of Hammer, and simultaneously dealing with a suborbital turian dreadnought and a flight of fighters and bombers, he is relieved to notice the Normandy landing under cloak, deactivating cloak temporarily to allow Shepard and his team to board. Shepard gets onto the shuttle bay door, but realizes someone must continue the charge; him. He hands Tali over to Garrus, tell him to get her to the sick bay. Tali pleads with him to come with her, but he refuses. (Evacuation Scene from Mass Effect 3 occurs). Shepard runs off towards the Beam, and Tali begins to kick and scream as Garrus drags her away into the shuttle bay, the Normandy taking off. Shepard winces as her screams are cut off by Harbinger's airhorn, and the Reaper finally notices the Normandy. It fires, but Joker skillfully dodges the shots, reactivates the cloak and disappears into the atmosphere. Shepard steels himself and sprints full pelt for the Beam, but realizes too late that the rest of Hammer is gone, and he is all that is left. He continues to run, barely noticing as one of Harbinger's beams strikes near him, and he is knocked out.
Section 2:
Section is from Garrus' POV. Garrus desperately pulls Tali into the med bay as she continues to scream at him, her voice running hoarse. Chakwas finally manages to sedate her, and she is placed on the med bed as Chakwas asks where Shepard was. Garrus merely replies that that is what Tali was screaming about, and that he chose to stay behind and "finish the fight." Chakwas nods grimly, and tells him to stay behind while he checks her wounds. Garrus nods, contacting Joker and ordering him to dispatch a shuttle to pick up the rest of the squad; Hammer has likely evacuated at that point anyway. Sitting in a chair, he sits there grimly, hoping Shepard made it.
Section 3:
Section is from Shepard's POV. Shepard wakes up in London, his body covered in third degree burns, and his armor pretty much melted away. His weapons are rendered useless, so he sheds them, walking up to the fried corpse of an Alliance soldier and retrieving his pistol. Looking up, he notices that Harbinger is gone, likely having believed he decimated Hammer's forces. Barely able to move, he hobbles towards the Beam, but collapses. He is about to pass out when Anderson suddenly appears, holding him up and helping him towards the Beam, looking relatively unharmed; he states that he took cover due to the slaughter, hoping to wait for Harbinger to leave before approaching the Beam. Anderson fends off two marauders, and then they both enter the Beam.
Chapter 100: Define Our Own Future Part 2:
Section 1:
Chapter opens from Joker's POV. Joker argues with Samantha over what he sees as "Shepard's stupidity", and demands they go back down there to search for survivors. Samantha argues that doing so would be pointless, especially given how methodical Harbinger was. "The battle isn't lost!" Joker screams, angry with Samantha's pessimistic attitude. Garrus walks in and agrees with Joker, arguing that if Shepard is alive, he won't give up, and neither should they. Suddenly, Hackett relays to the fleet that two people were spotted entering the Beam on Earth, and that hope is not lost. Garrus grins, looking down at Joker. Samantha then says, "I take back what I said. The man is a bloody lunatic."
Section 2:
Section is from Shepard's POV. Shepard and Anderson arrive on the Citadel, landing in a heap in one of the Keeper tunnels. Groaning, Shepard lifts himself up, and Anderson helps him hoddle along further. They pass by huge heaps of corpses, and Shepard stares in horror at two particular corpses he recognizes: Lia and Kolyat. All the corpses are tossed in piles like on the Collector ship, disfigured and near unrecognizable, and Shepard wonders if this is the fate everyone on the Citadel faced. Anderson tells him not to think like that, and the two of them manage to continue making their way to the Council Chambers. Entering, they are shocked to find the remains of a battlefield: dozens of bodies, Cerberus and Reaper husks, lie everywhere. Shepard mutters that these soldiers weren't under the Leviathan's control, and must have been what was left of the Cerberus military, trying to reach the Crucible before them: they concede that Cerberus ultimately failed, with a pair of dragoons and guardians lying around the start of the bridge, husks and a dead brute lying before them: a last stand. Here, Anderson places Shepard at the start of the bridge, before holstering his pistol and approaching the master control unit. Here, Anderson prepares to open the Citadel's arms, only to find that he can no longer move. Before Shepard can move to his aid, he finds himself unable to move as well, and the two of them watch as a figure they don't recognize walks up from behind them, laughing. The agent reveals that he was once the Illusive Man's administrative assistant, and reveals his name to be Geoff Dielheart. He illustrates that thanks to Shepard, Cerberus' efforts to save the galaxy have been brought to ruin, and that Geoff is now humanity's last hope for survival. He steps into view, revealing himself to be disfigured, parts of his face peeled away to reveal cybernetics underneath, and glowing eyes. Waving his hand, he is able to make Anderson turn around, grinning as he does. He reveals that he is the final stage of Project: Unio Carnis Et Steel, which in itself was perfected by the findings of Operation: Keyhold. The project saught to perfect the implantation of Reaper tech into the human body, as well as to eliminate the possibility of the indoctrination that comes with that. The first stage was Cerberus' soldiers, which worked relatively well.
The second and final stage is what they see in Geoff now; a supersoldier capable of wielding unbelievable amounts of individual power, as well as the ability to control other technology, as well as using technology to control others. He states that the cybernetics in Shepard's body make him very easy to control, and that Anderson's omni-tool allows him to transmit an artificial signal that allows him to subvert control of his brain waves and command his body. Anderson argues that the Reapers would never allow him to have that amount of power, and that he's indoctrinated, and that the powers he has are just the Reapers issuing commands through him. Geoff just laughs, and begins to rant about how Cerberus will continue through him, and that they will rise again, harder and stronger, and take back the galaxy; and the Reapers will be their vanguard. He announces his intention to use the Crucible to control the Reapers, but Shepard and Anderson argue that this will never work. Geoff dismisses them, demonstrating his power by having Shepard unholster Anderson's pistol and shoot Anderson in the gut. While Anderson leans back against the console, hand cradling the hole in his chest, Geoff has Shepard turn around so he can talk to him face to face. He orders Shepard to open the Citadel's arms, and to give Shield the all clear. Shepard does so, and the Citadel arms open. Hackett contacts Shepard, telling him that he is now ordering Shield Fleet into position, and the Crucible is inbound. Shepard simply watches the battle rage on from the Citadel Tower's window, watching as Reapers and Victory Fleet ships collide and battle. Geoff tells him that he will not fire the Crucible immediately, as Geoff must first figure out how to change its configuration to instead control the Reapers, not destroy them. Anderson begs with Shepard to break out of Geoff's control, and Shepard struggles. Eventually, Shepard asks Geoff if he feels good. Geoff admits that he does, as the final rise of Cerberus is at hand. Shepard states that is how you know you've fallen to the Reaper influence, and Geoff hesitates long enough for Anderson to pull his combat knife and toss it up to Shepard. Shepard grabs it and plunges it into Geoff's sternum, surprising him. Surprised, Geoff punches Shepard, knocking him to the ground. He rips the knife out, turning to Shepard to finish him off, only to see him holding the gun. Shepard fires several times into Geoff's chest, but he does not fall. He fires once into Geoff's face, but he still doesn't die. Finally, Anderson fires his omni-bow directly into Geoff's neck, causing his head to explode, as well as his upper torso; Geoff's body falls to the ground, dead. Shepard contacts Hackett, asking him on the status of the Crucible's docking; Hackett replies that it will dock within a few minutes, and that the Reapers have not noticed its presence yet. Shepard sits down next to Anderson, the latter of which tells Shepard he is proud of him, mumbling that he wished he had settled down with Kahlee while he could. Shepard asks what he means by that, but Anderson is silent. He asks one more time, but still silence. He shakes Anderson, only for his body to slump over. A single tear streaks down Shepard's cheek as he realizes what this means, and he turns to look at the Chambers in silence. With a sigh, he drags himself into a standing position, groaning at the pain of doing so. He stands and waits for the Crucible to dock, but suddenly finds himself feeling dizzy.
Section 3:
This section is from Balak's POV. On the BRS Inquisitor, a batarian cruiser, Balak watches silently as his fleet, alongside the elcor ships, move alongside the Crucible as it drifts through the battle, quickly approaching the Citadel. Balak jokes at the sight of Earth, mumbling that it "serves those humans right." He is contacted by Victus, and ordered to let the Crucible dock with the Citadel, and to form a defense perimeter around it; the rest of the Victory Fleet will join Shield in the defense, as the Crucible will need time to fire. Balak follows orders, and the Crucible finally docks with the Citadel, with Balak ordering all his ships to set up a perimeter. This gains the attention of a nearby Reaper destroyer, who quickly moves to attack the batarian fleet. Balak orders all ships to fire on the destroyer and kill it, before it closes the distance. The batarians succeed, but the Reaper manages to get off a single shot, which strikes the Inquisitor, destroying the ship and killing Balak and his crew.
Chapter 100: Define Our Own Future Part 3:
Section 1:
Chapter opens from Shepard's POV. Shepard groans as he opens his eyes, realizing he had passed out. He groans and begins to stand up, only to find out he is no longer in the Council Chambers. Looking around, he finds himself in a circular area with a clear view of space, allowing him to see the Victory Fleet forming around the Crucible to protect it, as well as the Reaper forces reforming for a final assault on the Victory Fleet. Shepard silently hopes Tali and his crew are alright, but expresses confusion at where he is. Suddenly, a loud, but high-pitched, voice speaks to him, and he turns to see the white light of a hologram approaching him, taking the form of a child. The being reveals itself as the Great Intelligence, the creator of the Reapers and their true leader.
As it explains where he is, its voice changes to suit that of a child, until eventually the hologram no longer looks holographic; it looks like a solid, actual human child. Shepard recognizes the child as the little boy he watched die back on Earth, and asks why it has chosen this form. It states that it had scanned his mind as he was transported there, and took the form of something he would find comforting. Shepard expresses discomfort at this, and it shifts into the form of his mother, smiling at him and also using her voice. Shepard still disagrees, and it changes into Garrus, using his voice. Shepard begins to get more annoyed as the Great Intelligence finally takes the form of Tali, complete with her voice. He snarls at the Intelligence to stop, and Shepard states he would rather it take no form. The Great Intelligence does exactly this, and begins to explain to him why the cycle exists: it explains that billions of years ago, the Milky Way Galaxy was on the verge of complete collapse. Technological advancement had run entirely rampant, with no check or balances to ensure it did not get entirely ridiculous. Eventually, weapons capable of destroying entire solar systems, creating armies of nanomachines, deconstructing planets, etc. were built, including a weapon made by the Leviathans called the Bastion; a weapon capable of destroying an entire galaxy, which they eventually did with the Beta-Xma Galaxy. The Tatha Navariao also developed the Arson; a superweapon capable of incinerating the atmosphere of a planet. The Jetto Caan created the Starkiller, which injected mass amounts of dark energy into a sun until it went supernova, destroying the solar system it targets. The Leviathans could not check this evolution, and therefore a solution was sought; the Great Intelligence was created to create a solution. It explains that the solution it came to was that organics themselves were the problem, and that no amount of diplomacy or oppression would stop this. Organics would always look to outdo themselves, which would always lead to stronger, deadlier and more powerful weapons. It deduced that to save the galaxy and all those inhabit it, organics must be removed from the equation altogether; in that moment, the cycles were created. The logic behind them was that an army of hyper-advanced machines would wipe out all organic civilization in the galaxy, and then choose one to harvest and use to create a new machine; by doing this, the Reapers would be able to reproduce, while also allowing the essence of that civilization to live on; when a race was chosen for this, it was to be considered an honor.
The Reapers would also possess the most advanced technology, so as to enable smooth eradication of the organic civilizations. A specific technological tier would be set for the organics, and it was calculated that 50,000 years of evolution would allow organics to supercede this tier level. To compensate, the Reapers would return every 50,000 years, allowing them to "cut off" organic evolution and destroy them before they develop any further to develop more powerful weapons. To make this easier, the Citadel was constructed, as well as the mass relays, so as to give the organic civilizations an initial template to base their technology off of, allowing the Reapers to accurately control their technological advancement. When another cycle was completed, artifacts from the species they eradicated were deliberately left behind in small amounts, so as to give those civilizations an even broader template. This would ensure the Reapers would always keep a technological edge. However, even the Reapers are not as advanced as they could be; the civilizations of the first cycle were easily five hundred years more advanced than the Reapers they faced now: it uses the geth as an example of a race that has managed to supercede the Reapers in terms of developing plasma weaponry and cloaking for ships, two things the Reapers do not have. All of this worked in the Reapers' favor, as it allowed for a hard reboot of the galaxy every 50,000 years, stopping organics from doing too much damage to the galaxy, as well as allowing other rising organic races a chance to evolve themselves. Knowing this solution, the Great Intelligence created what were known then as "Proto-Reapers", who were the first Reapers who possessed technology far more advanced than the Reapers' today, but were still young enough that they only possessed basic programming. With its army, the Great Intelligence attacked and wiped out the Leviathans, harvesting them and using them to create the first Reaper: Harbinger. It then harvested the Tatha Navariao Empire, the Jetto Caan Hegemony, the Jesh'qna Empire and the Keepers, creating individual Reapers for each of them. With that, the cycles began.
Knowing this, Shepard comes to understand the Intelligence's decision, but ultimately disagrees with it, as he believes that the organic right to self-determination prevails. For instance, he is making the choice to resist the Reaper occupation, as well as to destroy them, and nothing the Intelligence says will stop him. The Great Intelligence notes this, but stops him as he is moving forward by saying that a new solution has been calculated and produced. It explains that the Crucible is a weapon that dates back to the very first cycle; it was a weapon created by the Tatha Navariao Empire to be used as a kill-switch for their army of organic polymorphic parasites should they fall into enemy hands or they lose control of them. The Proto-Reapers managed to trap the organic parasites, known to the Tatha as the Anguish, on an isolated world and destroy them using the Crucible. The Tatha managed to retrieve the Crucible however, where it became lost upon the completion of the first cycle. It wasn't until the fifteenth cycle that the Crucible was found by one of the races, the Symmygae. The design was then copied and a new Crucible created; this one used the same concept as the original Crucible, but adapted it to destroy all Reaper technology. It was never used however, as the Great Intelligence discovered its creation and had it destroyed along with the original, but the designs managed to survive. For every cycle, the Great Intelligence has tried to eradicate its design from history, but time and time again, it has reappeared; each time, the design was improved upon. Whether it be changing the intended target or its intention, improvements were made. At some point, the design was adapted to use the mass relays and Citadel as a transmission for the blast; an improvement that has been kept. However, every time, the Reapers wiped out the cycle and destroyed it before it could be completed.
It finishes by stating that this cycle is the first to ever complete its version of the Crucible, and from the looks of it, the first to successfully activate it. The Great Intelligence has calculated through a thousand simulations, and every single one ends with the same result: the Crucible will work. The initial blast will spread through the entire system, killing everything that possesses Reaper tech: Reapers, husks, implants, everything. If it has Reaper technology, it will be destroyed. However, the tech will not combust; the blast acts a "intrusive and overpowering EMP" which will annihilate the electronics powering the tech, but leave it intact; the indoctrination signal, for instance, will be entirely eradicated, but Reaper ships themselves and their husks will be left intact but derelict, allowing for the races to tamper with them safely. After the initial blast, the Crucible will then use the Citadel to begin distributing the blast through the relay network, causing identical blasts and results in every single solar system in the galaxy; within a couple of hours, the galaxy will be cleansed of the Reapers. Shepard asks if the Great Intelligence is afraid, but it replies to the contrary; it is excited, because despite every simulation reaching the same conclusion, it has also corroborated evidence for the success of a new solution. It states that this Crucible has rendered the Reapers as an obsolete concept, and therefore no longer effective as guardians of the galaxy. It states that the nature of the Crucible's design allows it to be easily configured to send a different signal; it can send the intended destructive signal, but it can also send a reconfigured signal. Still confused, the Great Intelligence explains. It points to a pylon up above and to the right; it explains that the only way to activate the Crucible from here will be to destroy that pylon. Once done, the Crucible will fire as intended, and the Reapers, galaxy wide, will be wiped out. Shepard nods, and watches as an hallucination of Anderson appears, rising his pistol as he approaches the pylon. He fires repeatedly until the pylon explodes, the explosion consuming him; he then shakes his head, returning to reality. The Intelligence explains however that choosing this option will leave no solution for organic evolution, and therefore it will be left unchecked; organics will continue to evolve, and the galaxy will suffer the consequences as deadlier weapons are developed; it is an inevitability. It also states that because the geth possess Reaper code and EDI is mostly Reaper code, they will all be destroyed as well. However, it then points to a terminal on the left side, with a set of hand grips. It states that, at a moment's notice, it can reconfigure the Crucible to send an alternate signal; once fired with this new signal, it will distribute the same pulse, but this pulse will not destroy Reaper technology; instead, it will render the technology inert, and ensure that it will only respond to one signal; that of organics. Shepard asks what it means, and the Great Intelligence replies that in "layman's terms", this essentially means organics will be able to control the Reapers; the signal distributed will reprogram Reaper code so that it will respond to certain relayed signals; the Reapers will follow Shepard's command. They will continue helping the galaxy, but will bend to the will of organics; the Great Intelligence will then aid in repairing the galaxy. Shepard mumbles that perhaps the Illusive Man was right after all, and looks up as an hallucination of the Illusive Man grabs onto the two hand grips, causing him to be consumed in blue light; he shakes his head again, refocusing.
The Great Intelligence offers one final solution, one it believes to be the best option for the galaxy. Due to the nature of the Crucible's construction, and the capabilities of its design, it is possible for it to act as a final evolutionizer. Shepard asks what this means, and the Great Intelligence points out that Shepard's body is largely held together by Reaper-based cybernetics. Shepard nods, and the Intelligence states that by adding his organic-machine framework into the Crucible, his "essence" will be transmitted across the galaxy in place of the original shutdown signal. With this will have the effect of not only ordering the Reapers to stand down, but it will also acellerate all organics to their final stage of evolution; a union of flesh and steel. Hearing this, Shepard watches as an hallucination of Saren rushes towards the center of the Crucible, leaping into it, his body vaporizing. He shakes his head for the last time, refocusing. The entire galaxy will then reach full transcendence; organics will be immortal and transsentient, and machines will finally possess fully organic emotions and understand organics. Harmony will be inevitable, which will lead to an end of all war, the dissolution of militaries, and everlasting, eternal peace; in essence, this solution is by far the perfect one. However, the Intelligence points out that no matter what option, Shepard will die. Shocked at this, he turns to the Intelligence, asking why this is. It points to the Destroy option, stating once more that the Crucible destroys all Reaper technology; the cybernetics keeping Shepard alive are Reaper-based, and will be fried. Pointing to the Control option, he states that the signals required for controlling the Reapers are too complex for an organic being to process, and therefore Shepard's corporeal form will be evaporated. Shepard's essence will be preserved, and he will become the new Great Intelligence, acting as a caretaker for the galaxy. He then points to the Synthesis option, stating that for the Crucible to absorb his essence, his body must be broken down, and his individual DNA strands processed and distributed; this requires for Shepard's body to be melted and absorbed. The Great Intelligence tells him that he has a choice, but he must make it quickly; the final battle is taking place outside. Looking outside, Shepard sees that the final battle is indeed in full swing; the remaining Reaper forces, which still number in the hundreds of thousands, charge the battered remnants of the Victory Fleet surrounding the Citadel. Turning, he looks between both options, weighing them in his mind. After a long time comparing all three options and which are better, he finally chooses Synthesis, dropping his pistol as he reaches the bridge leading into the Crucible itself. He steels himself, walking towards the beam with increasing desperation. Just as he reaches the edge however, he stops himself. He hesitates, questioning why he has stopped, reasoning that his sacrifice is for the good of the galaxy, and that he will die either way. But then he realizes it isn't about dying; none of this seems right. Stepping back, he realizes that the Great Intelligence, as powerful as it may be, it can't simply change the entire framework of the Crucible in mere seconds. Ignoring the Great Intelligence's queries, he thinks through the events that have transpired; his confusion at how he got to where he was, how the room he was in seemed so weightless, the hallucinations at the consoles, and how the Intelligence's words had seemed so persuasive, and how he hadn't been his usual argumentative self when it came to thinking about them; he just accepted what the Intelligence had to say. He never once questioned just how perfect the Synthesis option seemed, or how the Control option, given that the Illusive Man was indoctrinated, just didn't make any sense: if the Reapers knew that the Illusive Man knew about being able to control the Reapers, why would the Intelligence offer it as an option?
The Intelligence had victory in its grip; why would it suddenly concede and give in? It all dawns on Shepard as he finally turns around, walking back and off the bridge, picking up the pistol as he does. The Intelligence demands to know why he has hesitated, continuing to argue at how perfect the Synthesis option is. Shepard argues that its too perfect; so much so that it can't be real. He points out all the inconsistencies, and comes to the conclusion that he is indoctrinated; that everything he sees is nothing but an hallucination in an attempt to finally snap Shepard's mental barriers and fully indoctrinate him; the Reaper's final attempt to stop him from activating the Crucible. The Intelligence is silent for a moment, before it morphs into Tali's form, using her voice; it declares that it grossly underestimated organic intuition, and that Shepard's will is stronger than it initially thought. It states that everything it said initially was true; the history behind the cycles, as well as the Crucible's options and the reasons for the cycle; it was all true. However, everything he sees is a lie. Shepard is actually still asleep in the Council Chambers, and the Great Intelligence merely inserted a dream sequence into his body, making it feel as real as possible. He states that he wished to make the Destroy option seem as undesirable as possible; it knows that Shepard cares deeply for the geth and EDI, and wouldn't want to see them dead, especially if better options were available. It then offered the Control option to make it look like the Illusive Man was right after all, even though him being able to do so would be a paradox; the Reapers were controlling the Illusive Man, and therefore the Illusive Man controlling the Reapers while they control him would be a paradox. It then added Synthesis as the final nail in the coffin, as it believed that the absolute perfection of such an option would be impossible to resist. If Control or Synthesis were chosen, his indoctrination would have been complete. It adds afterwards that it is confused that he didn't go for it, as the option is so perfect as to be irresistible. Shepard explains that it isn't a perfect option; organics exist to evolve at their own pace and rate, allowing them to choose their own destiny. To force evolution upon the entire galaxy is not only morally wrong, but also unjust. He quotes that "it isn't the destination that matters; its the journey." He states that it took the Reapers to unite the entire galaxy, and that kind of unity took time to build. The journey is what mattered; not the end result. A story must be told before the final evolution; so that final evolution at the end is not only earned, but it has pretext; it took millions of years of war and death and conflict to get there, and now that they are, it is bliss. Handing it to them on a silver platter? It isn't right, and they aren't ready to accept it yet. The Great Intelligence criticizes this, calling it a "thing organics are far too attached to. It is flawed. This is why the Reapers exist to begin with. To stop such naivete from destroying all life." Shepard just shrugs, turning back to the "Crucible".
He notices that the space around them is now full, and he widens his eyes as he sees that the Victory Fleet is gone; all that is left is a horde of Reapers surrounding him, looking directly at him; in the middle is Harbinger, its eyes glowing and intense. It beckons to him, but he ignores it. He sees that the hand grips at the beam for Control and Synthesis are now gone, with only the pylon remaining. As he moves towards it, Harbinger and the Great Intelligence desperately try to break his mental will, but he resists, finally raising his pistol and destroying the pylon. The explosion consumes him, and he finds himself waking up in the Council Chambers, Hackett barking in his ear. When he finally responds, Hackett tells him that the Crucible is docked, and its up to him to activate it. Moving over to the master control unit, he sees a new option, and knows it will activate the Crucible. The Great Intelligence speaks to him in his head, its voice now far more Reaper-like; it states that what it said about the Destroy option was true; it didn't lie. If he activates the Crucible, it will fry all Reaper tech, including Shepard's cybernetics; he will not survive. Shepard asks if what it said about the geth and EDI was true, but Harbinger buts in, its presence so powerful Shepard screams in agony. Despite this however, Harbinger's presence is almost pushed out, and Shepard opens his eyes to see a hallucination of Tali standing before him, holding out her hand. He takes it, feeling himself stand up. He asks if she is real, and she shakes her head, but tells him that she loves him, and would want him to do this; for the good of the galaxy. He says goodbye to her, and her response is only "do what you were reborn to do." He nods, and goes to activate the Crucible, but his hand hovers over the console. He begins to weep, and the hallucination of Tali touches him, and he realizes how real she feels. Her hand joins with his, and he holds his forehead to her visor, eyes closed as he allows her to press his hand into the console, activating the Crucible. The Council Chamber lights up, and Shepard embraces his hallucination of Tali as the Crucible's first pulse hits him, and Shepard briefly screams, before everything goes black. Just before he dies, he grins as he hears the unmistakable roar of Harbinger. The roar is of agony.
Section 2:
Section is from Joker's POV. The Normandy dodges another thanix shot, dives under a Reaper destroyer, and fires its thanix cannon directly into an approaching Atlas-class megacruiser. The ship is gutted, with the Normandy firing its plasma cannon into it to seal the deal; the Reaper combusts, destroyed. The Normandy is pursued by five Oculi, but a squadron of hanar fighters manage to shoot down each one, but loses three quarters of their own. Joker mentally urges Shepard to hurry up, but is stopped when Hackett suddenly begins to broadcast for the entire Victory Fleet to retreat from the system; he explains that Shepard has activated the Crucible, and that they have ten seconds to get out of the system before the blast initiates. Joker watches as the Victory Fleet seemingly abandons their posts and enters FTL. To his further shock, he watches as the Reapers do not pursue, and instead begin to run themselves, desperately turning around to escape; even Harbinger, who had been approaching before, seems to be turning around in preparation for an FTL jump. Joker refuses to leave however, demanding Hackett to tell them where Shepard is. After several moments, Hackett replies that he isn't picking up anything. Joker begins to argue, but Hackett elaborates and says that sensors literally aren't picking up any signs of life at Shepard's original position; he's simply gone. His IFF is no longer transmitting, and no lifesigns can be detected. Joker continues to argue desperately, but EDI sadly tells them that they only have four seconds left. Joker screams in grief before spinning the ship around, angrily speeding up as they prepare for FTL. Looking behind them, they watch as the Crucible fires, a gigantic sphere of red light expanding rapidly out from the Citadel like an angry red supernova. He watches the lights on the Citadel die out almost immediately, and watches with a restrained grin as hundreds of Reapers still around the Citadel immediately fall limp, obviously dead. Harbinger is hit by the beam, and the Reaper falls dead, followed by thousands of other Reapers as the blast continues to expand, impacting Earth and speeding outwards. The Normandy enters FTL just as the blast is about to reach them.
Section 3:
Section is from Coats' POV. Coats continues to lead the remaining Hammer forces in a retreat, currently crossing back across the Thames as they are pursued by a relentless tidal wave of husks. Three Reaper destroyers move towards them, their thanix cannons raking the landscape in an attempt to wipe out the Hammer forces. Suddenly, just as it seems Coats and his forces will be wiped out as they cross, the destroyers stop, turning away from them, as do the husks. Coats looks up as a massive beam of red, angry light crosses the London cityscape. The beam hits the Beam, and the pulsing light entering the atmosphere stutters before evaporating altogether, and the Beam deactivates. Coats simply watches in shock as the Beam slams into the three Reaper destroyers, and they seemingly just flop to the ground, crushing buildings underneath them. He watches with pride as the entire horde of husks, all the millions of them, also flop to the ground, all lifeless. A krogan moves up and prods one of the brutes, but it doesn't move. Coats raises his rifle, screaming. The entirety of Hammer takes up the roar, their cheers heard throughout London like a thunder clap. The war is finally over, and they have won.
Section 4:
Section is from Joker's POV. The Normandy rushes to escape the Crucible's blast, which is now travelling at FTL speeds thanks to the relay network. Joker, with the help of EDI and the engineering crew, desperately try to increase speed however they can, but it is a losing battle. The blast steadily creeps up on the Normandy, kilometer by kilometer, increasingly able to keep pace with the Normandy. Joker keeps fighting, coordinating with Adams, Ken and Gabby to increase speed, but the drive core finally cannot take anymore; the engines fail as the drive core is overloaded, forcing Adams, Ken and Gabby to evacuate engineering. Finally, the blast catches up, washing over the Normandy like a tsunami. The engines are surged with energy and explode, causing the Normandy to immediately drop out of FTL. Joker can only watch as the ship hurtles at thousands of kilometers per hour towards the surface of Aite, the ship's speed decreasing every second, but not nearly enough. Joker orders all hands to brace for impact, and lies back, closing his eyes as he holds the console for dear life.
Chapter 101: Resolutions of Late:
Section 1:
Chapter opens from Kaidan's POV. Kaidan pulls himself up, having been knocked unconscious from the crash. Groaning, he feels a massive bruise on the side of his head, but otherwise feels fine. He finds himself in the War Room, with the lighting of half the room non-functional, and most of the consoles inoperatable. He taps the War Room table to see if it is working, but it doesn't respond. Standing up and moving up, he is happy to find that the ship's standard EMP failsafes have worked; all the ships doors, save the airlocks, have been forced open, locked into position to allow free movement around the ship. Moving through the debriefing room, he notes other members of the crew, either dead, unconscious or waking up. He moves through the security room into the CIC, finding more of the same; most of the ship is non-functional, and crew members are recovering from the crash. He shouts out for Joker to give a status report, but he hears nothing. He asks EDI, but still receives no response, but labels it down as a PA system failure. Moving over to the main computer, he brings up a holographic projection of the ship, and initiates damage control scans to see the extent of the damage. The wings of the ship flash red, meaning they have been ripped off the ship entirely; Kaidan gapes in shock, as this means the Normandy is not only not space-worthy, but can no longer take off; the wings contained the engines, and with the wings gone, the ship has no engines. The plasma cannon and thanix cannons flash orange, signifying that they are present, but inoperatable due to heavy damage. The cloaking device is offline, and the ventral structure of the ship has snapped from the impact, leaving the ship bent, which explains the suddenly curved deck of the CIC. The drive core has completely overloaded, and engineering is currently flooded with radiation; he orders a status report from Adams, who reports that the entire engineering deck has been evacuated, locked down and quarantined; emergency failsafes are in place, but Deck 4 is unavailable. He orders Adams, Ken and Gabby to check the AI Core while continuing to look through the damage report. The armory in the shuttle bay is a mess, and both shuttles have been capsized, causing significant damage, with one of them outright unflyable. The airlocks are sealed tight and will require immense force to open. Crew Deck was the least affected, but the gunnery control bay is almost inaccessible due to the damage suffered to the thanix cannon. With a sigh, he walks up the flight deck for a final status report, but notices something horrifying in the cockpit. Rushing up, he stops, and notices Joker's arm hanging limply from the chair. Walking around, he almost winces away from the sight of Joker's face buried into the console infront of him. The entirety of the front of the cockpit is caved in from slamming into the side of a mountain, with Joker's face unrecognizable as it is buried into the twisted metal of the console, a massive piece jutting through his chest and piercing his back. Red blood soaks the floor and his entire body, leaving it unrecognizable. Looking over from Joker's mutilated corpse, he sees EDI's body also lying limp in her chair. He is confused, because the body shows no visible signs of damage, yet it is clearly non-functional, with her tell-tale orange holographic visor deactivated. He contacts Adams on the AI Core's status, but Ken replies that the entire Core is fried; all electronics and code has been fried and deleted. Kaidan asks what this means, and Gabby replies that, quite simply, it means EDI is dead, likely killed by the Crucible for unknown reasons. Kaidan asks if she can be brought back, but Adams replies that any and all data that made up her programming and existence has been completely purged; no trace of her exists. Ken asks if they should break the news to Joker, to which Kaidan replies, "No need. He's already joined her." Silence over the comm is his response.
Section 2:
Section is from Tali's POV. Tali wakes up two weeks later, and asks what happened, as her memory is blurred. Chakwas explains that she was placed under a chemically-induced coma for two weeks, giving her time to heal after Chakwas' surgery; she repositioned the bone in her leg, fixed her ribs, retrieved a spare mask, and repaired most of her suit. Chakwas explains that Tali's reaction was minimal, and any infection she suffered was easily beaten; its likely that her body adapting to Shepard is what saved her life. Tali nods, and asks where they are. Chakwas explains that the Normandy crashed after the Crucible fired, and that they are on Aite, but unable to take off as the ship was too badly damaged in the crash. Garrus has ordered a distress beacon set up, and is just waiting for the Victory Fleet to find them, while Kaidan and Miranda have left for the nearest colony to see if anyone can help them; the likelihood is low however, given that the colony fell to the Reapers earlier on in the war. Tali asks if the Crucible worked, and Chakwas replies that it did, and that the Reapers are finished; the war is over. Tali asks where Shepard is, but Chakwas falls silent, sending her a knowing look. "I see," Tali replies blankly, and moves to stand, despite her bandaged torso. Chakwas tells her that it is possible he survived, but Tali emotionlessly replies that "reality is hardly that kind. It was generous enough to give me a second chance the first time, but I don't think it believes in third chances." With that, she pushes past Chakwas towards the door. Chakwas asks what she'll do, and Tali simply replies, "I'll go help EDI with something." Chakwas reveals that Joker and EDI are dead, and the crew will be holding a funeral in a few hours. Tali is still for a few moments, then replies, "Then I'll go and mourn. Then I'll work. First, I need a damage report." Tali then leaves, burying her grief.
Section 3:
Section is from Tali's POV. Outside the ship, a funeral is held for Joker and EDI, who's bodies have been placed in identical coffins, with holes dug up for them. Also being buried is Kelly, Michel and the other crew members Leng and his men murdered, and Kasumi reads the eulogy, before James proceeds to play the Last Post. The coffins are buried, and the crew help in filling in the dirt. Once done, they all salute them, walking away. Tali stares at the one empty grave, revealing that it has been dug in absence of Shepard. The crew walk inside and approach the crew deck, where Samantha proceeds to place the nameplates of Joker and EDI onto the wall, and placing Anderson's in the middle. Tali hesitates in placing Shepard's on the wall, and eventually drops it, storming off angrily. Garrus picks it up, and slowly places it over Anderson's name, and the crew hangs their heads in silence.
Chapter 102: What was Lost, Can Be Rebuilt Part 1:
Section 1:
Chapter opens from Zaeed's POV. Zaeed watches as Hammer forces, working with the resistance, begin to secure London and transmit victory broadcasts worldwide. Civilians move about the street, and Zaeed leads his troops, which are the battered remnants of the Blood Pack, Eclipse and the Blue Suns, back towards Firebase X-Ray. Suddenly, thunder is heard, and an intense rain fall ensues, soaking up the ground and washing out fires, ash and the general grime of the city. He gurgles some of the water in his mouth, allowing it to wash the black, red and orange blood caking his skin. With reluctance afterwards, he continues to lead his men on foot through the downpour, relishing in the rain.
Section 2:
Section is from Tali's POV. Another week has passed on the Normandy, and Moses announces to the crew that it has detected a salarian destroyer, the SUV Quick Reaction, entering orbit over the planet and has begun broadcasting to the destroyer for help. The Quick Reaction replies that it has arrived in response to the ship's distress call, and asks what assistance is needed. Moses hands over the comms to Kaidan, who tells the ship that the Normandy is no longer capable of take off, and that a massive radiation leak has forced them to seal off engineering. The Quick Reaction replies that it is now relaying the Normandy's position to the rest of the Victory Fleet, and that assistance will be made available within a couple of days. Kaidan relays this to the rest of the crew, and they rejoice. Tali then orders the Quick Reaction to send down engineers in hazmat suits, as Tali plans to gain access to engineering to see the extent of the damage. Before Kaidan can object, Tali storms off back into the elevator, and departs for the CIC. Kaidan, getting over his annoyance, backs up Tali's orders. The Quick Reaction responds that the required team will be sent down immediately. After disconnecting, Liara contacts him over the comm, informing him that Garrus and Miranda have returned, and that they were unable to find help; all the colonies have either been abandoned or destroyed.
Section 3:
Section is from an unidentified Alliance soldier's POV. On the Citadel, a group of unidentified Alliance officers move through the ruins of an equally unidentified area (the Council Chambers), searching for someone. Pulling off some rubble, they eventually find three corpses; that of an unidentified, huskified man (Geoff Dielheart), a dead Alliance admiral slumped against a destroyed console (Anderson) and a man spread across the console itself (Marcus Shepard), all of them motionless. The main commander of the unit orders them to grab the body (Marcus Shepard), and to extract immediately. Grabbing the body, they then begin to leave.
Chapter 102: What was Lost, Can Be Rebuilt Part 2:
Section 1:
Chapter opens from Garrus' POV. Two days later, Garrus, now in command of the Normandy, receives word from Moses that twelve more ships have arrived in orbit; five turian heavy cruisers, a geth battleship, three hanar tugs and three of Aria's reconfigured mercenary freighters. Commanding the battlegroup is Commodore Megtus, who managed to survive Operation: Stormwind. He replies that they will get the Normandy crew and extract them back to Earth, while a contingent of ships will stay behind to secure and tow the Normandy back to Earth for a proper decommissioning. Garrus asks why they would even bother with the resources, and Megtus simply replies that, "the Normandy is a symbol, sir. It was present at every major event during this war, and it led the Victory Fleet during the opening charge of the final battle. If that wasn't enough, then it was the flagship of the galaxy's heroes and heroines. A ship like that shouldn't just be left to rot on some colony world. It deserves to be properly decommissioned." Garrus agrees, and relays the news to the crew. Kaidan replies that Tali and the salarian team are still in engineering trying to scrub it of radiation, and that will take time. Garrus orders him to have Tali leave, as the numerous crews securing the ship will be able to do the job themselves. Kaidan tells him it'll be difficult, and Garrus simply replies, "That's why you're doing it."
Section 2:
Section is from Liara's POV. Liara tells Javik that once this is all over, she plans to write a book on prothean culture and history, as she has devoted too much of her life to the field to simply not document it, given that she knows more about the protheans than anyone in the galaxy. She asks Javik for his input, but he shrugs her off, mentally stating his intention to not be in this world long enough to help anyone with anything.
Section 3:
Section is from Prangley's POV. Back on Earth, Prangley asks one of the cleanup crews how long it will take to find Jack's body, and they reply that they are doing the best they can, but that London is a huge city, and there is much to clean up. Afterwards, Prangley attends Jack's funeral with the other students, and promises to Jack that he will "look after them and do right by them; just like you would have wanted."
Chapter 102: What was Lost, Can Be Rebuilt Part 3:
Section 1:
Chapter opens from Javik's POV. Standing away from the Normandy's wreck, Javik watches from a hill as numerous rescue craft begin to land and aid with extracting the crew. Javik contemplates suicide, pulling out a ceremonial dagger in one hand and the memory shard in another. He remembers the pain of losing his crew and having to kill them, and then remembers his pledge to wipe out the Reapers. With that pledge fullfilled, he rationalizes that his mission is complete, and he can now join his crew. However, just as he goes to slit his own throat, he remembers that his mission is not quite over yet; his mission was to be the last prothean to rise up and destroy the Reapers. However, a better mission would be to outlive the Reapers; to show them that despite their best efforts, a prothean managed to survive into the next cycle, and die at his own leisure. With this in mind, and his mental admission that he has grown fond of the Normandy crew, he instead drops his dagger, and places the memory shard in his pocket. When Liara contacts him to find out where he is, as they are preparing to leave the planet, Javik replies that he will help her with her book, and that his memory shard should provide her with information she does not yet possess. Liara is glad to hear this, and Javik smiles, thanking Shepard for the chance he was given as he begins to sprint for the evac shuttles.
Section 2:
Section is from Kaidan's POV. Kaidan talks to Tali through the PA, as she is still down in engineering clearing radiation. He tells her that everyone else has already evacuated, and that he and Tali are the last crew members aboard. She tells him she doesn't care, and continues to work. She begins to rant about how Shepard left her, and that life isn't fair. Kaidan concedes, but states the crew is worried about losing her too, and can't suffer another loss. They need to see that if Tali can conquer her loss long enough to relish in their victory, then perhaps there is hope for the future. Tali finally gives in, but tells him that she has no intention of getting over her grief anytime soon. Joining him in the CIC, Tali and Kaidan head outside into an evac shuttle, and they take off for orbit.
Section 3:
Section is from Hackett's POV. Hackett looks over the ruins of the Citadel with Victus, and the Primarch asks how they intend to rebuild from this. Hackett replies by giving the same speech he gives during the Destroy ending of ME3, finishing that thanks to Shepard, the galaxy has been given a new future free from the cycles; the destruction of the Reapers has allowed them to live free of any threat, and that the next few years look far more promising with no looming threat. Victus agrees, and states that thanks to the Reapers, a lasting alliance has been formed, but asks just how long it will last before they return to their infighting and political backstabbing. Hackett laughs, and replies that organics are "far too human" to simply put aside their differences after this, and that a return to form is inevitable; however, their ability to do so shows just how hard they fought. He asks Victus for assistance in repairing the Citadel and the mass relays, and Victus agrees, the two shaking hands as they turn to look down on Earth below, revealing that they are standing on the Presidium.
Epilogue:
In an unknown facility, the same unidentified agents from before ponder over the unknown man's body, who has been stripped of the armor he wore and lies naked on the bench. Another unidentified man steps in, revealing his name to be Connor Faringar, an Alliance politician. He tells the man that they made a mistake before in resurrecting him, and that his resurrection is what brought their organization to its knees. This time, they will not make the same mistake. He tells them that the unknown man will be resurrected, but only once their organization has been returned to its former glory, and has taken the galaxy over. The unidentified agents ask what the point of that is if the man will only destroy it all, and Faringar replies that enough interrogation and conditioning will be enough to "convert" the man to their side of thinking. With that said, he orders them to store the man's body, now revealed to be that of Marcus Shepard, in cryogenic storage, and to wait out the passage of time until Cerberus is reborn. "If it takes months, years, decades, hell, even centuries, then so be it. But Marcus Shepard will not awaken until we allow it; and when he does, he will have no choice but to see our way of thinking." The unidentified men carry out their task, and the chapter ends, leaving the fate of the galaxy in the future uncertain...
...at least until V: Ultimatum.
A/N:
And that's how IV: Holocaust would have ended. Not exactly a sunshine-and-bunnies ending, but it makes the setup for V: Ultimatum very clear. Ultimatum was going to be a very different beast to the rest of the FABT series, with a bleak atmosphere, heavy political scheming and a ton of militarism and world-building. Ultimatum would have been the longest, dwarfing even Holocaust in size. It would have taken place between 2186, and 2253, covering the Border War, Post-Apocalyptic War and Terra-Rannochian War, and another conflict, which I will get into in the outline. Holocaust also would have been the last story to be told from Shepard's perspective primarily, with the vast majority of Ultimatum being told from Tali's perspective.
I'll start releasing the outlines for V: Ultimatum next week.
