Chapter Two

The idea of walking through another machine is an odd one. Part 71338912 reflects that it would be disturbed to have sentient bodies moving inside of its chassis. It feels like a cancerous cell inside of a much larger organism, wandering the body of its unwitting host.

It knows this is a ridiculous notion; The old machine is long deactivated, a lifeless husk without consciousness. It still feels unnatural.

Part 71338912 has seen husks on the ship, but they bear it little threat. They are not programed to take interest in non-organics, and the ones that did notice it it had little trouble destroying.

Part 71338912 stands atop a balcony. Shepard should be here soon. He searches for the Old Machine's IFF, and the Geth have decided that he will find it. Part 71338912 settles down to wait.

John Shepard looks around him uneasily. This ship gives him the willies, even if it is dead. Grunt and Jack follow him apprehensively, safety catches off for some time now. Shepard guesses that his squad mates' internal safety catches are probably off too, although he has yet to see Jack ever put hers on. The IFF shouldn't be far away now.

Shepard feels the hairs on the back of his neck prickle and begins to turn slowly.

Part 71338912 stares down the scope of its rifle. Commander Shepard stands below him, his solid form somehow exuding charisma and confidence even in silence. Maybe it's the set of his shoulders, strong, self assured. Or the way he tilts his chin up as he looks about, as if challenging the universe to do its worst. Part 71338912 decides that the commander's strongest characteristic is his eyes. They are a hot, fiery blue, and it seems that they are not a window into his soul; rather, his soul is pushing and shining out through them, penetrating the viewer deeper than any bullet.

Part 71338912 tells itself to forget this stupid idea. There is no soul, only fragile flesh and bone. That is all. It begins to lower the rifle when something catches its attention. A skinny blue figure pulls itself over the ledge behind the commander. Shepard turns, too slowly.

Part 71338912 doesn't think, doesn't process the event. The same unfamiliar, unknown part of its brain energizes, and Part 71338912 whips the gun's barrel up and fires. The husk's forehead disintegrates, and Part 71338912 feels satisfied. Not the cold confirmation he felt when he killed before, but something hot and strong and intensely gratifying. Two more creatures appear, and it drops them with quick, precise blasts.

Shepard looks up at Part 71338912, surprise registering in his face.

"Shepard Commander," says Part 71338912. It is about to say more, but then Shepard's eyes are drawn back down as more husks crawl up from below the deck. The squad is suddenly embroiled in battle, and Part 71338912 fades back into the shadows, confused but pleased.

Part 71338912 makes its way to the reaper's core. It knows it must deactivate the barriers ensnaring the Normandy, and to do that the core must be destroyed. It is able to sidestep most of the husks, becoming no more than a shadow on the wall. Shepard serves as an excellent distraction; the man is anything but subtle. Every now and then Part 71338912 hears Grunt's roar echo up through the dead ship, followed by a crescendo of gunfire.

The core is set into the wall of a small room behind a locked door. Part 71338912 closes the door behind itself and makes its way to the main console. It moves its hands over the interface, pushing the sections of secure code aside gently, shoring up the gaps with its own scripts. The implanted code begins to expand, revealing a clear path into the mainframe.

Part 71338912 utters a low tune from its voice box as it works. It doesn't know why, but the sound is comforting, almost meditative. Almost through…

Shepard signals to his squad. They take up positions to either side. He activates his omni tool, and bursts through the door.

Part 71338912 looks over its shoulder. Shepard charges into the room behind him, gun up and ready. It continues the hack, trying to think of something appropriate to say.

The husks come out of nowhere, rushing across the deck towards them. Part 71338912 pulls out its pistol with lightning speed, fires into the attackers. Flesh and synthetic fiber disintegrates off of the husks. Some fall, but the rest keep coming with mindless determination. Part 71338912 ejects the filled clip, reaches for another one, and misses the flailing arm. Energized claws rip into its chest and it feels the pulse of electricity tare through its body even as its processor overloads and its mind shuts down.