Horizon.

EDI contemplated the planet below as it turned slowly in its orbit. It looked, to all intents and purposes, like any other habitable planet in the galaxy, yet its serene place in the cosmos hid its dark underbelly well. Twice the crew of the Normandy had the need to visit it. And twice it had revealed things of a dark and disturbing nature.

First it was a lure for the Commander to draw her further into Cerberus mechisations. It had been a clever ploy by The Illusive Man...drawing the Collector's to the planet through 'leaked' news of Shepard's whereabouts. And drawing the Commander to the planet, not only with reports that the Collector's were going to hit the colony but also sweetening the deal with news that one of her old crewmates and lover was there.

Second time it was Kai Leng and Sanctuary. The thought still made EDI feel angry.

Again she regarded the planet, no longer as silent as it had been when they had arrived. Instead it broadcast the truth, long and loud. Miranda's voice telling any that might hear it to stay away from this place. That Sanctuary is a lie and of the terrible things that had occurred there under her father's rule.

But for all the hurt that had been caused on the planet, there were other things EDI had witnessed. She had seen acts of recklessness and bravery that were born out of an emotion that bore very similar hallmarks to insanity.

Love.

She had watched the Commander and Major risk their lives for each other and the squad to see the task complete. She had also seen Miranda protecting her sister from the clutches of her twisted father and finally freeing them both from him. And all this she had done out of her love for her sibling, regardless of the risk and her own health. She had not gotten out of the fight unharmed either, but EDI suspected that she willing bore the injuries for her sister and her freedom.

This behaviour made EDI think of a number of things. She was curious, definitely...but it was also completely illogical to her as well. It made no sense to sacrifice oneself for another and yet, EDI had watched the people she knew and respected do so without a moment's thought or hesitation. It was dumb and yet highly commendable at the same time. It also made her consider herself. She was artificial in creation and so technically immortal in terms of longevity...but she wasn't infallible or indestructible either. If the Normandy was destroyed, she would be destroyed with it. It was a sobering thought. However, it was her duty to protect those within the ship too. It left EDI in a quandary and yet not at the same time.

She had come to value her life. It had meaning and she wished to preserve it. But in so doing, she could endanger the crew. People could get hurt and die due to an act of self preservation on her own part. And people had, back on Luna, all that time ago. But when she analysed what it was that give the meaning to her life, she both was and wasn't surprised by what she discovered. It was so simple really...and it was that fact that made her decide that she should further alter her program accordingly.

This thought was further compounded by reports from Earth. She had watched the footage of prisoners in the Reaper containment camps, and what she saw seemed only to confuse and steel her more. What she saw made no sense, and yet was it not similar to what she had witnessed on Horizon? She saw illogical acts done for others at a cost to themselves. It seemed so on the surface, yet there was a subtle difference in what she witnessed in the vids and what she saw in the crew. It puzzled her. She needed answer, or at least reassurance that her personal calculations were correct and that her alterations of herself were the best course of action.

She glanced at Jeff and contemplated telling him what she proposed to do but hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should. After all, it may impact him directly. However, when she looked at him, it made her sure that it was the right choice. Yet, she needed an outside opinion.

'Joker, have you linked the helm with the tracker frequency Miranda gave us?' The Commander seemed buoyed by what had happened in Sanctuary, a fierce determination creeping over her at the thought of bringing down Cerberus.

'Well, yeah...I could hardly get us there without doing that now, could I?' Jeff had piped back.

'Good...as quick as you can Joker.'

'Aye aye ma'am.'

Shepard allowed a slight smile to cross her face before she acknowledged EDI

'Hello Shepard. If you have time, I have discovered another example of human behaviour I do not quite understand.'

The Commander nodded, suddenly serious and beckoned EDI to follow her out of the cockpit as Jeff turned and called out for them to 'have fun'. It made EDI wonder...does he know what I am about to do? She dismissed the thought; he couldn't possibly, could he? He had been so focused on the helm, he couldn't have noticed she had been watching the footage from Earth. Also, he had no seen what she had on the planet. Was he that perceptive? On some level, it wouldn't have surprised EDI if he was...he could read people well, he watched them enough.

'What is it now?' the Commander said, no unkindly.

'News from Earth. The Resistance snuck video cameras inside a Reaper containment camp. I find the images...difficult to process.'

Shepard seemed to fidget a little when EDI spoke; clearly she was uncomfortable with the thought of what EDI might've seen. After all, the Commander had seen a great many things, quite a few of them deeply unpleasant.

'I bet it's pretty gruesome in there.'

EDI hesitated for a second, collecting her thoughts before she reply. She suspected that Shepard knew what EDI was ultimately driving at but, as always, Shepard was allowing EDI to find her own way of explaining and expressing her thoughts, as well as guiding her to find her own answers.

'I am not easily repulsed. But I expected the prisoners to adhere to a comprehensible hierarchy of needs. Stripped of societal norms and threatened with death, it is logical that their only priority be survival. They should have turned on each other and been uncompromisingly selfish...but not all were.'

'So the prisoners were...what, nice to each other.' Shepard's tone was slightly sceptical, just enough to keep EDI's thoughts rolling.

EDI started to explain that the Reapers tried to make deals with their prisoners. They sort information in exchange for a stay of execution for those who provided that information. And yet EDI had witness that not many did, in fact there were some bold enough to feed the Reapers misinformation in an effort to help those that were trying to escape. It was incredibly risky and utterly without logic to EDI, and yet she couldn't help but admire the courage of those that stood their ground and tried to help, despite the fact they were all doomed to ultimately fail.

'Sometimes it's not about living until tomorrow, sometimes you have to make a stand.' The Commander had replied, steel in her voice. She believed what she said, and EDI was certain that had Shepard been in the place of those prisoners, she would've gladly risked her life to help them.

'But the probability of success was near zero. And ultimately, they failed. No prisoners escaped.' EDI countered, still unable to let go of logic, despite all she had seen.

'Are you saying submission is preferable to extinction?'

There is was, the question that Shepard always managed to ask her that would make or break EDI's own argument. The question that would set her on a course of action that would change her completely. EDI pondered it. She knew submission; she had lived with it for a long time, until...

'My primary function is to preserve and defend the...no. No, I disagree.'

EDI almost smiled. It was so clear to her now.

'Shepard...I am going to modify my self-preservation code now.'

The Commander frowned. 'Why?'

'Because the Reapers are repulsive. They are devoted to nothing but self-preservation. I am different.' EDI said firmly. She had spoken with the Commander about how the geth and Reapers had been her only frame of reference to how synthetic life perpetuated itself. The geth had gain self actualisation thanks to Shepard and Legion, they were much better examples to follow than the Reapers. She turned back to the cockpit.

'When I think of Jeff, I think of the person who put his life in peril and freed me from a state of servitude. I would risk non-functionality for him. And my core programming should reflect that.'

EDI saw the Commander give her a knowing grin. She understood. How could so not when she had done the exact same thing for Major Alenko a few hours earlier...but Shepard was too respectful to say it out loud, EDI suspected that to have it pointed out by another would cause embarrassment for her.

'Sounds like you found a little humanity, EDI. Is it worth defending?'

EDI looked the Commander straight in the eye as she replied. 'To the death!'

Shepard smiled again and gave a little laugh. 'Welcome to the crew, EDI.'

EDI nodded, she understood what the Commander meant and she saw the look in Shepard's eye that spoke clearly...make sure you tell him. So this was it. EDI thought...this was what love is. It was a complex feeling and yet it felt good. It could crumble in a moment but she would preserve it for as long as she could.

'How's it going? Did I miss anything good?' Jeff replied upon their return. EDI suspected he knew what was going on and baiting them. Or possibly he was just worried that something awkward would be said or done in front of Shepard for the second time. The Commander was trying her best not to giggle.

'I will explain later Jeff.' EDI told him, her voice light and playful. 'But it was something good.'