A/N: This chapter is basically my workaround of the one scene in ME2 that always felt weird to me. After having spent the entire game limited to 2 squad members per mission, suddenly when it's time to test the Reaper IFF, for some reason Shepard decides to bring ALL her teammates. Always thought it just looked strange. Hopefully my version will feel less odd!
As always, thank you for reading and any feedback you may choose to leave. :)
Chapter 32 - Should Have Spaced the Geth
"We should give this geth to the Cerberus cyberweapons division. It will aid us in developing badly needed upgrades to help with the inevitable Reaper invasion," Miranda argues. "Also, Shepard, did I mention the outstanding cash bounty? Because there is an outstanding cash bounty, and it's a significant one."
"Allow me to disagree with that, ma'am. I still say we should space the geth," Jacob grunts, crossing hands on his chest.
"I'm aware of your opinions," Morgan sighs tiredly. "I'm extremely aware of them after you have repeated them for like... the sixth time? And I'm still leaning towards activating the geth."
"Tali's going to flip out," Jacob says, shaking his head.
"Tali's going to flip out?" Morgan glares at him. "Now you're concerned about what she will think? 'Don't forget to introduce yourself to the ship's AI', need I remind you that faux-pas, Mr. 'Open-Mouth-Insert-Foot' Taylor?" Jacob promptly shuts up after that comment, and Miranda also deflates, giving up.
"You are right about, Tali, though," Shepard finally admits. "I will not activate the geth without consulting with her and EDI." With that, Shepard leaves the briefing room and proceeds down to the medbay, where Tali is still confined to bed rest, after her little drug trip back on the derelict Reaper.
"Oh, Commander," the quarian rises up in the bed, seeing Shepard entering the medbay. She seems to be fidgeting very nervously. "I... ah, wanted to speak with you. I, uh, understand that I said some... foolish, delirious things aboard the Reaper, I hope you didn't put any attention to my words, if you could please ignore and forget everything I-"
"Calm down, Tali," Morgan smiles. "I would never have brought that up again, and as far as I'm concerned, I haven't heard anything," she pointedly touches her nose as she speaks.
Tali appears infinitely relieved. "We quarians just aren't well suited for ground war," she notes. "I just hope the Admiralty Board considers that if they plan to take the war to the geth."
"Yeah... about the geth," Morgan starts to speak a little hesitantly. "You remember there was a geth on the derelict Reaper, right?" Tali nods. "That strange sniper who saved my butt on a couple of occasions. Well... I don't know if that's comforting or not, but he's... uh, resting behind those doors," she points at the AI core section.
"You... brought a geth onboard?" Tali sounds shocked.
"Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time," Shepard shrugs her shoulders. "Besides, you said yourself, no one has ever captured an intact geth. I was thinking maybe we could reactivate it, see what it has to say for itself. I'm still curious about that N7 armor and it being able to talk..."
"It would be incredibly dangerous, Shepard," Tali says warningly. "I cannot advise that."
"I'll go over the safety procedures with our own AI," Shepard promises, switching to her comms. "EDI?"
"Yes, Shepard?" EDI replies. "I am currently in the process of integrating the Reaper IFF within Normandy's systems. Since it is Reaper technology, it poses certain risks. It might take considerable time for the installation to complete and be ready for shakedown."
"So, you're too busy to help us out with reactivating this geth, huh?" Shepard asks.
"I have more than enough free resources to isolate our systems and erect additional firewalls," EDI calmly explains. "I will be able to resist any hacking attempts."
"Sounds good to me," Shepard notes, looking back at Tali. "Would you care to join me? I think I could do with a geth expert for this occasion."
Tali slowly gets out of the bed, her system still slightly shocked by the medication, having difficulties walking straight, and Shepard reaches out to support her as together they enter the AI core, where the disabled geth lies roughly tossed on the floor. "I'm not really knowledgeable on the geth," Shepard says. "Well, maybe I'm an expert on how to deactivate them. But certainly not on reactivating."
Tali makes a weak noise that sounds like strangled laughter before bending down and starting to fiddle with her omni-tool. The geth shakes a few times with jolts of electricity, before its flashlight head slowly switches on again and the geth sniper slowly climbs back up to its feet. "Can you understand me?" Shepard asks, keeping one hand on her holstered pistol, just in case.
"Yes." The voice is thick with odd metallic chirping.
"Are you going to attack us?" Tali asks worriedly.
"No."
"All the other geth I've met before have tried to kill me," Shepard remarks, still suspicious.
"We are geth and we have never met you," the geth explains, or at least attempts to.
"Uh..." Shepard scratches her head, puzzled. "But I've met other geth... what am I missing here?"
"You are Commander Shepard. Alliance. Human. Fought heretics. Killed by the Collectors. Rediscovered on an Old Machine," the geth recites, then turning towards Tali. "You are Creator Tali'Zorah vas Neema."
"Vas Normandy, actually," Tali quickly corrects the geth. "It is... a recent change."
"Extranet information is not always reliable," the geth says.
"I don't remember fighting... heretics?" Shepard asks again. "What's a heretic?"
The geth starts to explain, his story not always making sense to Morgan and she finds herself generally confused with the odd terms the geth is using. Her head is spinning by the time it finishes the tale, and she turns towards Tali, hoping that her quarian friend has had better luck understanding the odd synthetic. "So... if I get this straight, there are two kinds of geth. The evil ones who serve the Reapers and generally shoot organics on sight..."
"Yes, the ones we've been conveniently having to deal with up to now," Tali nods. "I guess it makes sense," she says, pointing at their geth. "Its kind would not be interested in returning from beyond the Veil... if this story is to be believed."
"And this one is the good kind of geth, then? The ones that don't want anything to do with the Reapers and want to self-determine their own fate?" Morgan asks.
"So it claims," Tali says. "But the geth were all united when they slaughtered my ancestors and drove us from our homeworld. I don't believe there is such a thing as a 'nice' geth."
"Yeah, well, they probably think there's no such thing as a nice quarian, ever since you tried to kill them," Shepard remarks, earning a weak punch on the shoulder from her friend.
"We oppose the Old Machines. We oppose the heretics," the geth speaks. "Shepard-Commander opposes the Old Machines. Shepard-Commander opposes the heretics. Cooperation furthers common goals."
"Keelah... it wants to join us..." Tali realizes.
"I know this sounds crazy, but... why not?" Shepard shrugs. "I actually think this geth has a lot better motivation than say Zaeed or Grunt." After a small pause, Tali nods, albeit reluctantly. "What should we call you?" Morgan looks at the geth again.
"Geth," comes the helpful reply.
"That's not going to work, Shepard," Tali tells her. "It cannot view itself as an individual, as we do. It is just one of the platforms linked to a wider consensus."
"Yeah, but we need to give it a name," Shepard says. "Or else when I give the order 'Shoot the damn geth!' the poor guy is going to get hit with so much firepower, there'll be scraps of it flying back beyond the Veil."
"My name is Legion, for we are many," EDI pops up with a suggestion.
"Say, that is pretty good, EDI! Thanks," Shepard smiles. "As of now, this platform shall be known as Legion. Welcome to the crew, Legion," she reaches out her hand, wondering if the geth will understand the gesture. With surprise, she feels thin metallic fingers carefully touching her hand, before being pulled back away. "Biblical quote, wasn't it?" she asks EDI.
"Gospel of Mark," Legion replies instead. "We acknowledge this name as an appropriate metaphor."
"Well, Shepard..." Tali turns towards her, her posture full of disbelief. "This has certainly been... an interesting experience. Part of me still wonders if it's delirium from the antibiotics..."
"It's not... it really has been as bizarre as that," Shepard nods.
"Shepard-Commander. Creator Tali'Zorah," Legions speaks suddenly, startling them both. "We were sent to the Old Machine to preserve the geth's future. We are prepared to reveal how."
"Yes, I have been meaning to ask about what you were up to inside that derelict Reaper," Shepard nods, urging Legion to explain. It speaks of the heretics developing a weapon, a virus, that would over time turn the geth into Reaper-worshipping heretics.
"The geth believe that all intelligent life should self-determinate," Legion explains. "The heretics no longer share this belief." It reveals the location of the heretic headquarters station on the edge of the Terminus Systems where the virus is stored. The very fact that the heretics are constructing massive space stations within the Terminus, between stars where organic beings would never dream to look for them, that alone is highly troubling, and Shepard is aware that they would need to do something about it regardless of whether they choose to aid Legion or not.
"What do you think about all this?" she whispers to Tali, having led the quarian a little aside for a private counsel.
"I don't know, Shepard... it all depends whether this geth is capable of deception," Tali replies quietly. "If it's not, then... it seems like something we should look into. If we could deny Reapers their heretic reinforcements... Commander, you better of all know what that would mean for the war effort."
"That's what I thought," Shepard nods. "We can't afford to ignore this just on the slight off-chance of being led into a trap." She turns back to the geth. "Very well, Legion, we will aid you and your people."
"We will begin making plans," Legion replies simply.
"EDI?" Shepard calls out on the comms. "I know that you're busy with that Reaper IFF and everything, but could I entice you into taking us on a scenic trip to the edge of Terminus space? Legion will provide coordinates."
"I will need to divert resources from some of the core systems, slowing down the installation process, Shepard," EDI warns. "But the decision is ultimately up to you."
"Just follow my orders, EDI," Shepard says. "Joker, you got the location?"
"Sea of Storms, Phoenix Massing," Joker replies. "Yeah, got it."
The journey to the edge of Terminus takes longer than expected, almost a full solar day, Normandy's systems slow and unresponsive while tasked to capacity with the adaptation of the IFF system. This at least allows Tali to make a complete recovery, and she demands that Shepard takes her onboard the heretic station, determined not to waste this opportunity to learn more about the hated enemies of her species.
Others are all keen to join in, expecting heavy geth resistance, the only exceptions are Zaeed and Jack, both stating they care little for stupid flashlight heads and their politics. As they approach the heretic station, it's shape frighteningly resembling a Reaper, as expected from the heretics worshipping the Old Machines, Tali makes a surprising realization. "Keelah... that is Haratar station, I'm sure of it," she says, as Normandy slowly approaches for docking. "My people stripped it from everything they could salvage when fleeing the Perseus Veil three hundred years ago! But it has been significantly upgraded, it's almost unrecognizable."
"It appears to be more than twenty kilometers in length," Shepard says, thoughtfully. "I shudder to think how many heretics are stored inside."
"Roughly 2.4 million mobile platforms, Shepard-Commander," Legion informs her emotionlessly.
Shepard groans, putting a palm to her face. "Well... at least we won't run out of targets," she sighs as they finally step onboard of the heretic space station.
With limited air and gravity, no windows, oddly structured layout and filled with frozen, disabled geth platforms that could become activated at any moment, this station is somehow even more alien and creepy than the derelict Reaper. They all breathe sighs of relief when Legion informs of having successfully hacked the heretic network, feeding them heaps of false information and preventing spreading of any local alarms that might be triggered as they move through the station, clearing out any active platforms in their way.
They have not proceeded far on their way towards the central core, when Legion reveals that 'suddenly' they have another option for dealing with the heretics. Using a repurposed version of the virus, the heretic way of thinking can be rewritten and they can be brought to the side of Legion's geth, strengthening them greatly.
"And here I was wondering if it is capable of deception," Tali seems rather incensed, pointing at Legion accusingly. "Shepard, it knew of this option before we stepped onboard. It just... neglected to mention the fact, fearing that we would deny it our aid."
"Probably, but that fear is rational considering geth relationships with organics," Shepard says. "Besides... yes, we strengthen Legion's geth. But we also strengthen the enemies of the Reapers." Unless it is lying about that too, and they are actually working for the Reapers. Damn it. "On the other hand, I'm not sure about the ethical issue of such rewriting..."
"Imagine if you could wipe clean the brains of all Cerberus operatives and rewrite them to be loyal to the Alliance," Garrus suggests, making sure they are out of Miranda and Jacob's earshot. "Would you do that?"
"Tempting as it may be, that I would definitely consider unethical brainwashing," Morgan shrugs her head, before turning her eyes to Legion. "I would like to think there is a fundamental difference between applying the solution to organics and to synthetics, but... the line sometimes can get so frigging damn blurry. Anyway, we don't need to decide right here and right now. Let's move."
After they have cleared the next two halls from active geth platforms, Joker's voice comes up on Shepard's comms. "What's your progress, Commander?" he asks.
"Estimate thirty-five minutes to reach the central core, unless resistance intensity parameters change," Legion replies for her.
"Uh, alright, so you'll be occupied for a while. We... might have a bit of a problem here, still unsure," Joker says, Morgan disliking the tone in his voice. "Thought it was just some radiation bleed, white noise, but..."
"But what?" Morgan shouts on the comms, getting impatient.
"EDI claims we are currently transmitting the Normandy's location," Joker says. "I think EDI is wrong, but... just in case, we're going to move around a bit until we figure out what it is..."
"Alright," Shepard closes the comms, facing the worried stares of her squad. "Double time, people! Let's wrap up things here fast and get back to the ship, I didn't like the sound of that report one bit."
The local resistance in the central core chamber is much fiercer than they have faced before, but in the end the heretics are routed and Legion gains access to the core, waiting on Shepard's orders whether to destroy the heretics or to rewrite their runtime processes. "Damn it..." Shepard sighs, pondering her choices. "Fuck, I guess I should keep in line with my previous decisions in unleashing terrible dangers back upon the galaxy."
"Oh yes, first the rachni, now the geth," Tali mutters, appearing unconvinced.
"Well, at least releasing the rachni hasn't bitten us in the butt," Shepard sticks her tongue out at her quarian friend.
"Yet," Garrus adds with a glum expression on his face.
"Ah, what could possibly go wrong!" Shepard exclaims theatrically, turning towards Legion. "Alright, rewrite them. Just remember, if you all end up fighting for the Reapers again, I'm going to personally dismantle every last one of you little flashlight-headed bastards."
"Acknowledged," Legion says, before releasing the modified virus. "Note: Remote access via high gain transmissions required."
"That sounds... ominous," Garrus says, echoing Morgan's thoughts.
"The virus will be sent to the heretics in the nearby star systems. This station will broadcast a powerful electromagnetic pulse through FTL channels," Legion helpfully explains. "Yield in excess of 1.21 petawatts. Alert: EM flux will be hazardous to unshielded organic forms. Addendum: The interior of this station is not shielded."
"Of course it isn't..." Miranda groans, giving Legion a threatening stare.
"Should have listened to me and spaced the geth," Jacob adds.
"Shepard! The Normandy!" Tali exclaims. "Get Joker to come back for us! Now!"
"Joker! Joker! Fuck, answer me!" Shepard shouts in the comms, but her angry demands are answered only with static. "Where the fuck did they go? Joker, damn it! Joker!"
"Any ideas, Commander?" Miranda asks, trying to sound calm and nearly succeeding.
"Fuck yeah," Shepard swears in reply. "Locate the nearest docking bay and get there ASAP. Our only hope is that the Normandy returns in time to pick us up..."