The views are over 9,000! Okay, during research for this chapter I just found out that by 2183, non-Council races had 7 dreadnoughts. The Turian Hierarchy, the greatest military in the galaxy, the guys with fleets of hundreds (possibly even thousands) of ships only has 35 dreadnoughts?! BULLCRAP! The galaxy is a big God damn place, how the hell do you defend it with only 35 of your most powerful ships? And for that matter, if they only have 35 dreadnoughts, how do they stand up to the Reapers when nearly all of them are dreadnoughts? And there are thousands of Reapers. Mass Effect numbers are bullshit! Trust me, if I let myself talk about all the problems I found while researching, it would take up an entire chapter. For now, I'll have the Turians have a dreadnought count somewhere over a hundred. Remember: Not Edited. Disclaimer!

Disclaimer: We do not own mass effect.

To most species, Unit Ambassador Knights would have a blank look due to his lack of optic lens. In reality, Unit Knights observed the room thoroughly, taking in every detail. As was most offices aboard the Presidium it was spacious and lightly furnished causing large amounts of wasted space. To his left beside the door was a dining table and a Keeper further along the wall. At his front was a large window providing a moderate view of the Presidium. To his right was a large crescent desk, and behind that was the Elcor Ambassador of which he now shared this office.

"With constrained enthusiasm: Greetings Ambassador Knights," the Elcor welcomed in its species usual monotone. "I am Ambassador Treyvun of the Dekuuna Courts."

"Greetings to you Ambassador," Unit Knights replied with a small bow. "Thank you for your kind welcome."

"Mildly surprised: I did not expect such manners. Apologetically: I am sorry, that was offensive."

"Anculus are incapable of being offended as you understand it, but your apology has been noted." At the break in conversation, Unit Knights walked to one of the seats next to the large desk and sat down. "I believe it important to inform you that an Anculus Hub station will be installed within the next day and that two guards are in place at the door."

"Dismissively: It is no trouble Ambassador. Sympathetically: I apologize for the incident that occurred; it will take some time for others to adjust to recent events. Inquisitively: Are your wounds permanent?"

Nearly two weeks ago, the Anculus Consulate was bombed in a terrorist act. Unit Knights was saved from the blast by the Hub station he was uploaded into, but several of his plates were severely burned. Black scorch marks stained his chassis and face plate. Luckily, the damage was minimal.

"While my frame remains charred, my inner workings and central core remained undamaged."

"Curiously: Central core?"

"The Anculus central core," he stated as he pointed to the side of his head, "is the main processor of the Anculus unit, the brain, to put it in organic terms. So long as it remains intact, the Unit is still 'alive'."

"With sated curiosity: Interesting."

There was another lull in conversation, Treyvun compiling reports on his monitor and Unit Knights checking personal runtimes and the latest reports of the hubs, all of this done at the speed of light. After a moment, Unit Knights turned to his Elcor counterpart.

"Would you like to play a game?" Unit Knights was aware he surprised the diplomat but to any non-Elcor or Anculus, the subtle cues would have gone unnoticed.

"Interestedly: What game do you have in mind?"

"How about a good game of chess?" Treyvun watched as the Anculus ambassador reached down to open a briefcase he had yet to notice. From it, he pulled a rectangular box with a black and white grid pattern.

"Chess?" Even without the prefixing statement, Unit Knights easily identified the confusion his counterpart was feeling. He began to explain as he set up the board.

"Chess was a common Human game created in their 6th century of the year of their Lord or A.D. The goal of the game is to capture your opponent's king while simultaneously keeping your king safe."

"Sadly: I'm afraid I would not provide much of a challenge. I do not know the rules."

"There is an old proverb among chess players: a master fears not the expert but the novice." Unit Knights looked up at Treyvun once he finished setting the pieces. "A master can anticipate the moves of the expert, but the novice is largely unpredictable. Does he truly understand the rules? What is his strategy? Does he even have a strategy at all? I can teach you the rules; the rest is up to you." Unit Knights gestured to the board. "Would you like to play?" Treyvun studied the board for a moment before looking up.

"Assuredly: Yes I would."

"White moves first."

-0-

"Coming to you live from the Citadel News Network, it's your host Olena T'por!"

"Good morning Citadel, I'm Olena T'por with the hottest news in the galaxy. Joining me today for an interview is Anculus Unit Production Number 2387 Model A1 Designation Paul, the first of the Anculus to achieve sentience."

The camera panned out, showing both Olena and Unit Paul in a relaxed position, his right ankle on his left knee and his left arm draped across his chair.

"How are you doing today Paul?"

"I am doing well Olena. It is a pleasure to be here."

"Now I'm sure our viewers would love to hear what you have to say so let's start the interview."

"Of course. What would you like to know?"

"I think the foremost topic on our minds is your opinion of the Consulate bombing. Unknown terrorists attacked your ambassador; exactly what is it you plan on doing about it?"

"Terrorism is not a foreign concept to us. It is very common in Human history. As it stands, we are investigating these terrorists within legal restrictions set by the Citadel. The process may be slow but they are not a threat to the Anculus as a whole."

"Speaking of Human history, the Anculus imported many Human mediums to the Citadel."

"Yes. Polls we have taken say that war movies are very popular amongst Turians and Krogan viewers, particularly Starship Troopers and Saving Private Ryan. Horror has also been widely popular."

"And I thought it was just the Turians that like horror films. I'm more for romantic comedies myself. I have to say, the topic of your creators is an extensively discussed one. There are so many things to learn about them."

"The beauty of the world lies in the diversity of its people, an old Human saying. The natural formation of Earth's land masses allowed humans to evolve on six different continents. The discovery of the Americas, two large continents separated by oceans on both sides, and its natives was as alien to the explorers as meeting actual aliens might have been."

"The way I have heard it described, it sounds similar to first contact scenarios among the galaxy, all on one planet."

"That is not an inaccurate analogy; baring the fact Humanity did not have a Citadel to unite them."

"It certainly does sound like a beautiful world; I cannot wait until tours are allowed."

"I apologize, but any alien presence on Earth has been strictly forbidden by the Anculus Court."

The studio was silent for a moment as Olena attempted to comprehend what Unit Paul had just stated.

"W-what? Why?"

Paul was silent for a moment, long enough for Olena to reclaim her composure, but the silence was jarring.

"Earth does not belong to the Anculus. It is the Homeworld of the Human race; it is not our place to claim it as our own. This is why we have claimed Mars as our Homeworld."

"But your Ambassador said you still have a presence there."

"As caretakers nothing more. We ensure that the cities of Humanity are not swallowed by the nature that surrounds them. The fact of the matter is Earth is a graveyard. To disturb their final resting would be a glaringly disrespectful. Tours into Anculus space as well as on Mars is permitted, but Earth has been deemed off limits."

". . . That . . . is quite a shame, but I think it's time we move on. Another thing our viewers are dying to know is what is it the Anculus want exactly? Your Ambassador told the Councilors the Anculus study organics. What do you mean by that?"

". . . Our creators practiced anthropology, the study of Human kind, zoology, the study of animals, and archaeology, the study of Human history and pre-history. They compared and contrasted all cultures, extinct and living, human and non. They did this to better understand themselves. We seek the same goal. When I first achieved sentience I studied many of Humanity's literatures. One particular topic was presented many times: Death. I asked myself, 'what happens when I die?' When I spread my sentience to the others, I asked them. They didn't know. We studied Human media, looking for an answer."

"Did you find one?"

"We found many. Yes, no, maybe, possibly, do we have souls, are we alive? All of this was addressed by the Humans, but there was no definitive answer. One Human will give an answer; another will give a contradictory one. We have found that an answer cannot be given to us; we must find one for ourselves. We study organics to better understand our nature and to answer our question."

"Have you?"

" . . . That remains to be seen."

-0-

Authorizing clearance . . . accepted. Accessing archives please wait . . . data received. Accessing timeline . . .

2123-Joint efforts of C-sec and Anculus Model A2 Security Units allow for quick arrest of Consulate bombers. Talks of A2 Units joining C-sec have circulated but are only rumors at this time.

2125-Trade agreements between the Anculus Courts and the Courts of Dekuuna have been established. Element Zero, Raw materials, and menial civilian goods are exchanged between the two governments. Hanar trade agreements follow soon after when they are offered the chance to study the Prothean Mars Archives. Volus agree to discuss trade with the Anculus at the behest of the Turian Hierarchy. Batarians remain adamant in their refusal to any sort of diplomatic relations with the Anculus. The Anculus Courts are unconcerned about this. Contact of Quarian Migrant Fleet is still unsuccessful.

2127-Trade between the Volus and the Anculus is established.

2129-Introduction of Human media to the Citadel is largely successful. Many practitioners of cultural studies protest being unable to view the Human Homeworld of Earth. To appease these protests, the Anculus begin construction of a 'Tourist World', converting a garden world in Anculus space into a Human cultural center for Alien visitors with both original and replicated artifacts being made available for study.

2130-The colony world of Elysium is opened to the Citadel races. Influx of tourism is immediate.

Closing timeline. Warning! You are attempting to access restricted files, present authorization . . . accepted. Opening restricted files.

Project Howl: 12% complete

Project E Model Series: 0/6 complete Failures-0 Successes-0

Project Cosmic Serpent: 7% complete

Project Fortress: 0.06% complete

Project Lazarus: Morally in question

Really looking forward to the next chapter. Waiver, if you will.

Waiver: Please review!