IA IA disclaimer fhtagn!

Author's Note: In this chapter, A cyberwarfare video game console gets within range of the Athame beacon, the Streisand Effect is weaponized, Tevos gets a hangover, Batarians complain ineffectually, and Saren gets religion.

Sorry about it being so short, but my tendency to procrastinate along with my strict 1 chapter per day schedule came back to bite me.

Also, a little tidbit that not many know even in the ASB is that the reason (most) Terraformer minds don't just make loads of space habitats is because they actually convert 90% of their host planet's mass into computronium. This means that they literally (to quote Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) "Have a brain the size of a planet."

ASB DIA (Decentralized Intelligence Agency)(POV: Some analyst AI)

As I went over the data, I noticed that one particular console on Thessia had wound up finding a system to link up with that didn't fit any known extant species design methods or biology at all. Still, we managed to get the thing talking to us. And then we got the name of the species that made it.

Prothean

Immediately, we cross-referenced the name with everything we 'knew' about that name already, comparing it to what we found in the database AKA beacon.

Protheans lived ~50,000 years ago, before disappearing.

Cause of disappearance: wiped out by other species, designate: Reapers

Protheans built the Relays and Citadel

False: Relays and Citadel are components in a trap built by the Reapers, Protheans had only barely managed to crack the Relay's method of operation

I blanched to some degree, and continued, looking up these 'Reapers'.

Reapers: a massive fleet with absurd mastery of Mass Effect technology, More Reapers are produced by reducing organic races to Bio-Paste in a 50,000 year harvesting cycle. Reapers are extremely durable, requiring a kinetic penetrator equal to at least [0.8 teratons] to penetrate the armor of and heavily compartmentalized. Reaper weaponry and engines are mostly similar to conventional Mass Effect technology, but 5 orders of magnitude better. The most dangerous thing about Reapers however is the ability to subvert lesser minds to their will, organic or otherwise, without anyone noticing until too late. Each Reaper has a brain [100 meters] in diameter working at the [Bremermann limit].

My thought process immediately went through several stages, which could be summed up as 'hahaha what', 'OH F*** THEY'RE SERIOUS', and 'We're all going to die' before settling on 'Now how do we kill these things?'.

=Timeskip: 69 hours=

There was no question about it, we needed to tell the galaxy. There was however the little problem of getting them to believe us. It was then that I had an epiphany. I said to my colleagues "You know, there's a factor in most species' history where when someone raises a big stink over suppressing a piece of information, the more people are interested in it. If we orchestrated this to look like a leak, and prodded the various alien intelligence agencies into trying to suppress it, that might just work."

Council Tower (POV: Tevos)

I had a headache. This was due to a combination of factors. First there was the revelation that someone had apparently orchestrated intelligence leaks within most of the Council's intelligence agencies, meaning everyone's secrets besides those of the ASB were now in the public domain, which me and the other councilors thought was mighty suspicious, but we couldn't prove anything. Then there was the fact that to get over it last night I'd gotten incredibly drunk, leading to a hangover. And the final factor was the Batarian Ambassador being loud at me.

Why was the Batarian Ambassador being loud at me? That was apparently because someone had gone and taken all their slaves away, but did he have to be so loud about it? I took the opportunity to excuse myself, and drank a lot of water before going back to bed.

Seraph (POV: yes)

As the latest ship arrived, I looked over the latest batch of passengers. Most of them were uninteresting, but a few caught my attention, including one very specific Turian. As I looked over Saren's profile, I noted that his therapist had put him down as 'adrift', 'potentially suicidal', 'angry at the universe', and 'desperately searching for meaning'. I could help with this. I had to fix this, if I didn't I'd be betraying the name I'd chosen for myself's implications.

I directed one of my more human-like bodies (resembling a somewhat short green-eyed redhead with wavy hair) to intercept him while he was aboard the orbivator. I opened the conversation with "Hello, I'm Seraph. I'd kind of like to get to know you." followed by a simulated blush. An angel does not lie after all.

Predictably, he balked slightly before replying "By Seraph, are you just named that, or are you actually an avatar of the ludicrously powerful planet mind that oversees the world I'm visiting?"

I confirmed his suspicions by saying "The latter, I'm interested because of why you ultimately came here. Some come for the post-scarcity habitation. I provide for them, and subtly push for them to excel in their chosen field, but I'm ultimately not interested in them. Some come to spy, I misdirect them with trivial effort and send them home with what they think is critical intelligence but is ultimately useless lies. You came because you were desperately seeking something to give your life some meaning and thought that a change of perspective would help. That interests me."

Saren sighed, before replying "My brother, who I've known for my whole life just died. Without him, I just.. don't know what to do with myself."

I nodded, before saying "I have an idea that might help. You see, I practice a religion... or technically a philosophy known as NeoPhysicalism. It basically consists of following through on the idea that while the universe is ultimately a cruel, unforgiving place that just doesn't give a shit, the people in it don't have to be, and should really co-operate towards making sure no-one needs to suffer the injustices reality inflicts upon us mere mortals ever again. By any means necessary."

Saren perked up a bit and said "Yes, I think I can do that, are there any other steps?"

I slid slightly closer to him before saying "Yes, a big part of it is that you don't get to discriminate based on species, gender, organic/synthetic, what their predecessors did, or any other criteria like that. The only way you're allowed to judge people is by their actions."

Saren [Smile-equivalent gesture]ed. I took the opportunity to give him a nice, long hug. It seemed like he needed it. On a more practical note, it kept him from blowing his brains out, which his body language indicated he might be about to do.