Mass Effect Project Renegade
Chapter 24: EDI
The Elevator stopped at the CIC of the Normandy, both Tali and Jack exited it while being approached by Yeoman Kelly Chambers who offered a Salute.
"Welcome aboard, Shepard."
Jack signaled the young Yeoman.
"At ease, alright… Ms. Chambers set me up a link to the Illusive Man, I have to file a report."
Before Kelly Chambers had a chance to reply, a Red Orb appeared by the panel.
"It's already done Shepard."
Tali looked at the Orb with an inquisitive expression.
"Who are you?"
"I am EDI the Normandy's Artificial Intelligent."
Tali's eyes immediately widened from hearing that.
"What?!"
It looked like Tali was about to smash the panel, holding EDI'S holographic interface, Shepard stopped her by grabbing her waist pulling her in.
"Have I offended?" asked EDI.
Tali gave up on struggling knowing she can't break out of Jack's hold.
"Shepard, this thing can turn against you, why does Cerberus have an AI?"
"EDI is nothing like the Geth Tali…"
Tali turned her body to face Jack, while still being held by Jack.
"How do you know?"
There was a moment of silence between the two.
"EDI was originally designed to keep the tanks running for Project Renegade… I known her for quite some time, she's even in the interface when I use Project Renegade's vision."
Tali grabbed Shepard's face, bringing it closer to her mask.
"Shepard, you know how I, and especially my people feel against AI, how can 'EDI' be any different?"
Jack released Tali, then proceeded to put his hands on her shoulders.
"Tali the Geth aren't true AI."
"Of course they are, they gained sentience and nearly butchered my species!"
Jack's face said something else however.
"Tali I've seen the Geth Consensus, it's true that they merciless nearly butchered your species, but they didn't gain sentience… Tali, they were deliberately upgraded. "
A shocked expression appeared on Tali's face.
"You mean my people upgraded them?"
Jack shook his head, denying it.
"Tali… The Geth server, has a Reaper cod fragment in it, implanted over three hundred and twenty years ago. Tali the Quarian's…. your people were on to something big, on Rannoch, a research team on Rannoch found an active Prothean Beacon, the Beacon relayed a transmission, the research team was on the cusp of discovering the message…. This was the day was before the Geth rebelled… during the evacuation of your people the Geth systematically destroyed all knowledge of your people, from religion, to basic history of the Quarian's… It's like the Geth were driven to wipe any trace of your existence.
They didn't pursue you beyond the veil due to they would've faced the might of a Galactic Fleet from Citadel Space… Then I went in depth in to the war, when the Council exiled your people, they began to remove any history related to you as well… Tali if what I'm thinking is correct, your people were discovering the existence of the Reapers, and the Reapers saw your people as a threat. The Council must've been indoctrinated to carry out the orders Tali, I'm sorry I would've told you sooner if I knew the full extent of the message through the Geth Server."
Tali felt like falling to the floor, and she would've too if Jack wasn't still holding her by the waist.
"We've been in exile for three centuries because we found the existence of the Reapers… We've lost everything… Shepard I-…"
Jack just gazed in to Tali's eyes.
"It gives you another reason to end the Reapers."
Tali slightly nodded, agreeing with Shepard.
"I'm-I'm going to go lay down…"
Shepard released Tali so she could enter the elevator; Tali pressed for deck one, and leaned on the wall of the elevator as the doors closed.
"She seems nice." Stated EDI.
"She just needs time to adapt with the information, she just got hit with."
Jack headed for the comm room behind the elevator. The briefing table lowered so Jack could step on to the platform. The QEC was connecting to the Illusive Man directly. The Illusive Man was awaiting Jack's connection to load, while drinking his bourbon.
"Good work Shepard, on gathering the information from the Quarians."
"The Data file should shed some light on the Colony abductions, am I right?"
The Illusive Man put down the glass by his seat.
"We're still sorting through the information, our suspicions were correct about the Collectors being behind the abductions."
"What do you mean?"
Jack was wondering if Cerberus had other suspects behind these attacks.
"Well to simply put it, the Collectors were one of the suspects, our previous suspects were: Batarian Slavers, Geth, or Council Insurrectionists. Since we now have a clear picture of the threat, the Collectors are working for the Reapers, but we don't know why they're abducting the Colonists…. Shepard I'm sending you Dossiers to counter this threat, first six I'm sending should be your top concern."
"Understood."
The conversation ended between the two, Jack stepped in to the cockpit to speak to Joker. Joker seemed extraordinarily happy when he turned his chair around to face Jack.
"Can you believe this Commander, it's my baby better than new! Just like the Old Normandy and it fits me like a glove!… you know only bigger and better, and check this out! Leather Seats. Military may set the hardware standard, but on a first-gen frigate they could care less if the seats breath. Civilian sector comfort by design."
EDI's red holo interface lit up on the panel by Joker.
"The Reproduction is not intended to be perfect, Mr. Moreau. Seamless improvements were made."
Joker just rolled his eyes ignoring the new addition to the Normandy.
"And there's the downside. I liked the Normandy when she was beautiful and quiet. Now she's got this thing I don't want to talk about. It's like ship Cancer."
"This ship is better than the last, there is nothing from the original Normandy that's here."
Joker raised his eyebrow at Jack.
"Well there's us, I have to take what I can get. The last two years sucked. You'll see, even if an AI is spying on us, no way they'll invest this much -"
That remark got Joker a glare from Jack.
"EDI isn't spying on us Joker, she's here to help us."
Joker threw up his arms,
"Whoa, Whoa, No offense intended Commander…"
Jack turned towards EDI.
"Hey EDI, how you getting along with 'Joker.'"
"Mr. Moreau does not trust me. It offends him that I am installed aboard 'his ship's' computers."
Joker rolled his eyes trying his best to ignore EDI.
"He's a bit of an ass; don't let him get to you, if he wasn't such a great pilot I would've thrown him out the airlock for you, and think as it this way, you're not intruding here on 'his ship' he's intruding on yours."
There was a silence for moment before EDI could respond.
"I did not think of that, thank you Shepard."
Joker turned his head towards EDI.
"Yeah the last Normandy did just fine without an AI reminding me the airlock is ajar."
Jack left towards the elevator, before he entered in it, he summoned EDI.
"EDI what's Tali doing?"
EDI's holographic lit up by the elevator.
"She's is currently resting in the Captain's Cabin."
"Thanks EDI, tell Joker to set a course to the Citadel."
"Very Well Shepard." Replied EDI.