John left unsatisfied after chatting with Legion. He didn't got much more about recent geth plans but Legion was cooperative on other subjects and shared a huge insight in Quarian-Geth relations, making John's head spin a little hearing the other side of the barricade. Turns out, quarians weren't a victims there. Not entirely innocent ones.
Quarians evolved their society to the point where they decided they're too good for labour and created a syntehtic VI's to do all the heavy lifting. Harmless at first, quarians got so lazy and accustomed to robotic slaves that they upgraded them more and more, so geth can cover even more work leaving quarians free and bouncing in the breeze. Problem was, when quarians networked geth with each other, started possesing a unique feature - thinking. Single geth platform was still a harmless VI, but combine a bunch of little gears and you got yourself a mechanism. A deadly one. Even then, geth did not rised. No spontanous attack or revolt. Legion stated that one geth platform asked some philosphical question about meaning of life. That made quarians flip so hard that they ordered destruction of geth. Instead of any understanding, they just wanted to erase millions of their slaves to be safe. Over one question. Unfortunately for quarians, geth were everywhere thanks to lazy lifestyle of their owners. Geth returned fire and pushed quarians out of their system.
Part of John wanted to say that served them right. Quarians were all mighty and rightous in their own eyes, first creating and massproducing VI's for slave work, then idiotically ignored threat believing they have the upperhand.
Then John thought about Tali, about every other quarian he met. Kenn on Omega, a nice innocent kid who got robbed and if not for Shepard, he would still be selling scrap trying to survive. Lia'Vael, talented mechanic for Citadel, a younger Tali essentialy who wanted to be sufficient and productive but nobody wanted to hire her. John's beloved Machinist, that when shot years ago and asking for help got threatened with jail just bacause of her race.
"The old Quarians were assholes...But the new generations shouldn't pay for their mistakes." John muttered feeling that his personalities make a compromising handshake in his mind.
/.../
Shepard opened another 'urgent' message from TIM. Bastard was unhappy that the geth won't be transferred to Cerberus.
"Fuck off..." John muttered and glanced around. Thankfully Chambers wasn't around.
Another message was more interesting. Some clown from Cerberus sended a request to Shepard. About one of their research facilities. It apparently went dark and it was very crucial for them.
"Huh... One more secret experiment?" John smirked. He wasn't keen on seeing another atrocity but this was an opportunity. He will show Miranda true colors of her beloved Cerberus...Oh yeah.
"Joker? Jump us into Typhon System. We have a little business on Aite." Shepard spoke to intercomm and went to look for Miranda.
/.../
John decided to bring Miranda, Garrus, Tali and Max. A skilled technical team should be enough for any mechs or loose experiments. Hopefully it's not anything big. And a proving ground for Garrus's sniper rifle. John ordered earlier Max to keep an eye out for both Miranda and Tali. Tali could still be jumpy because of Legion and Miranda was in for a rude awakening.
Once they landed and deployed from Hammerhead, a transimission broke.
"This is doctor Gavin Archer! Thank god you're here! We have a catastrophic VI outbreak here!" a scared voice spoke "I'll explain everything in a minute, but right now you have to retract a communication dish nearby! It's critical!" and closed the channel.
"Helpful...VI breakout? Bullshit here, anyone?" Max asked but without his usual smile.
Team ran into the base, right next to the doors a couple of bodies were laying.
"Scientists." Tali spoke.
"Multiple bursts, tight grouping. Synthethics. Geth maybe." Max added.
"Over here! The monitor." Again the voice of dr. Archer rang. John glanced at nearby monitor with a fuzzy image of a man. Shepard walked up to it.
"There you are. I'm locked in computer room on the far side of the base. Listen, there geth on the loose here. A rogue VI seized control over them. Most of the staff was slaughtered. Keep your guard." Archer closed channel again.
"VI seizing control over geth? And how they got geth here in the first place?" Tali asked unconvinced.
"Let's move and take that dish down, maybe that'll make this Archer more specific." John decided.
Squad moved further passing through more Cerberus corpses. Tali decoded nearby console, a private log it would seem.
"Archer's Log, Status Report: Inform Illusive Man that we made major strides in our research. His doubts about progress are unwarranted. Demonstration is forthcoming."
"Do we really want to know what's going on here?" Tali shivered recalling all nightmarish experiments she saw before.
Passing through few corridors using schematics pulled by Max, they've reached satellite dish controls. Tali worked her magic and device was retracted, powering off. Then all monitors glowed green and an unintelligible shriek rang out through speakers. After a second everything went back to normal. And dish raised again. Archer's face appeared on one of the screens.
"This VI has overridden te controls! It tries to get off-planet!" Archer wasn't exactly shouting, but panicly slamming words. "Only way is to destroy the antenna inside the dish! Lower level has a tram that'll get you there. Hurry!"
Shepard moved while Tali opened another log console. This one spoke about 'handling' live geth. Archer was assuring whole staff that despite the risk it was worth it.
"After this whole mess, This doctor better have some answers for me about geth being here." John spoke.
As team was moving through corridors, every now and then a console or any other holo monitor flashed green and let out a similar shriek as the one in the dish control room. Like something was chasing or watching Shepard's squad.
Reaching mess hall, Garrus warned the team. "Shepard, Geth!"
Indeed a dozen of geth opened fire from behind a counter. A firefight enused.
"Damn it! Concetrate fire!" Shepard yelled. "Max! Use your toys! Hard stuff!"
At this a blinking ball was lobbed from Max's cover and flew right behind the counter. A mechanical, ear piercing sound thundered. Geth behind the counter stopped firing. John picked off two stragglers on walkway above.
"What was that?"
"A very expensive invention. Synth-killswitch, energy grenade" Max shrugged. "My best throw ever by the way."
"Synthethic buster? Can I get a box of them for Tali's birthday?" John couldn't but chuckle.
"I'll think about it if you'll get something nice for 'Sumi."
"I'm right here John..." Tali tapped her foot. She was uncomfortable being in Cerberus facility, but the way that Shepard immediately jumped the idea of giving her something, eased tension a bit. Their banter was one of few things that kept them in right place.
Team was moving forward. They entered a locker room. John managed to realize that he hears an anoying lounge music like from some elevator when a shot destroyed the speaker.
Max lowered smoking rifle and shrugged. "Music like that should be considered as mental torture" he spoke deadly serious. Then he walked up to one of the consoles. "Ooo check this out! Credits!" he chirped in a manner resembling Kasumi's way of speaking.
"You're turning into another kleptomaniac Max?" John glanced at his brother fishing through the lockers with the speed of light.
"How do you think you're not broke and have all those fancy stuff huh? Me and 'Sumi are keeping this circus afloat!" he chuckled closing his hacking tool.
/.../
Riding in a tram, Shepard got pinged by Archer again.
"Damni it! VI hacked it's way into controls, we're on the clock! You must destroy this antenna in six minutes! Otherwise it'll download itself outside and we'll never stop it!"
"Heard that? Six minutes people! We rush through, I'll lead, Garrus and Max behind me. Tali and Miranda cover our six."
Team reached an outside catwalk running around the communication dish. John was thankful for Max's improvements to his armor's shields. Firing from the hip and running through the geth, kicking them of the ledges or simply blasting with any ordnance they've had was definietly unsafest thing to do. Luckily the barrage was enough to punch through. As they were reaching a control console, another shrieking howl through the base speakers chilled blood in their veins.
"Tali get to it!" John ordered while taking aim at one of the geth that marched out from doors on the other side of the room.
"Doors opened!" Tali shouted. Team finished taking out geth. Garrus using heavy sniper was remarkably efficient, punching through cover, shields and armor. Squad ran upstairs. They were at the base of the dish. A four consoles for auxillary maintenance were stationed in four corners, beams supported antenna. Shepard and the rest covered Tali who hacked systems exposing machinery in those beams. Each time, Max threw one of his thermite charges, melting down everything inside.
"You did it! Satellite link is severed!" Archer shouted through the radio. A thunderous roar made John look up. The beams cracked and whole antenna was starting to collapse. On them.
"Oh you gotta be-"
"Shot your gob and run!" Max interrupted John and bolted straigth to the edge of the dish.
"Ohmanohmanohanmohman" he was mumbling while running. "Leap of faith!" he yelled and jumped from the dish aiming at the catwalk below. Whole team followed suit.
They managed to land on the ledge.
"Damn that was hard landing..." Max groaned still laying on the ground. "Should've land on Miranda..." he chuckled and got up.
"Tali, you okay?" John helped quarian get up. He was afraid that hit could crackle her visor.
"Yes, I think..." Tali hissed touching her hip. "But I'll be sore when sitting after this."
Shepard managed to not laugh and also not occupy his mind with thoughts about Tali's enticing 'rear quarters' as Kasumi once called it.
"Uh...You think they'll bill us for this?" Max motioned at totally wrecked communication device.
"Over here!" a man ran up to them. Shepard recognized Archers voice. Now he saw scientist in person. Middle age, brownish receeding hair, battered lab coat. Mad scientist with a mission and no regard for humanity rights. About that Shepard was sure.
"What the hell is going on here?!" Shepard growled at doctor.
"A man's reach exceeding his grasp...Come on. I'll tell you everything." Archer lowered his head and motioned to follow him.
/.../
"I am doctor Gavin Archer. Chief scientist of this facility...And apparently last member of the staff alive" Archer begun once they walked into computer room he was holed up in. "This is Project Overlord. An experiment aiming at controlling geth by interfacing human mind with experimental VI"
"WHAT?!" Miranda shouted. John noticed that it was first time she spoke since they landed.
"We needed a way of controlling geth! The project was partially succesful..." Archer replied. "My brother David...volunteered as a test subject, but his mind couldn't handle connecting to a VI we created."
John shivered. A thought about him being in Archer's place and connecting Max to an experimental VI, even voluntarily...he couldn't envision it.
"Now this VI is like a virus. it infects and takes over everything it can connect to." Archer continued unfazed by whole team's shocked expressions. "Imagine what would happen if it escape into galaxy through this dish. Whole extranet, everything connected to it, would be turned berserk."
"How it managed to to take over any technology?" Miranda snapped from her shock.
"It's an intelligence never seen before. not an AI but a will of an organic, melded with capabilities of a VI. Lines between them disappeared." Archer replied. His total lack of concience angered Shepard.
"Then you should think about it before you started this bullshit!" John snapped.
"We couldn't predict outcome such as this...not an abomination David has become..."
"So what now?" Miranda asked.
"The Dav-The VI fortified itself in the Atlas station. But it's in lockdown. I can lift the protocols from here, but you'll need to go to Vulcan and Prometheus stations. Procedure is that all three mainframes must be authorized, to gain access to Atlas." Archer tapped at nearby computer and opened a schematics. "I know this is wrong but...If there won't be any other way...You must shut down...David. At any cost. This VI cannot break loose."
"One question though...A big one. What sick goal you were trying to achieve here?" Shepard crossed arms on his chest.
"We noted that Geth were following Saren seeing him as a messianic figure. If we could create such figure and redirect geth religious impulses into our needs..."
"Then Cerberus would have an army of synthethics to extort rest of the galaxy" Shepard finished. "Brilliant plan don't you think Miranda?" He added looking at distraught operative, "Another great idea that's pushing the lines too far and so far gives nothing but death and misery."
Miranda didn't responded.
Team embarked towards Vulcan station.
/.../
Turns out, The research stations were all over the place. Good thing Max insisted on taking the Hammerhead. They encountered hacked security mechs along their way. While Max was blasting them to bits in utter silence, so unfitting little jester, Miranda prompted a slight detour.
"There are a few downed carrier shuttles here. They should contain any data regarding this...place."
"Can you locate them?"
"I can" Tali piped in and switched with Shepard to co-pilot seat. Using scanning controls she pinpointed few places and marked them on vechicle's HUD.
"Get them Max. Few minutes won't change much and maybe we'll find something." Shepard ordered, Jester only nodded. After revelations from Archer he was visibly tense.
Using proximity scanner Hammerhead possesed, the downloaded few data packets, Miranda copied them to her omni-tool and focused on shifting through it while they were riding.
"We're here. Get military." Max ordered with voice that could slice people.
/.../
Vulcan station was a geothermal plant. Being under control of VI, squad had to battle not only hacked mechs but the plant itself. Every remote controlled valve ruptured like a trip mine, pipes were bursting blocking way with steam that woud boil them despite armors, lights shot down to make them fall from destroyed catwalks.
Finally they've reached a station mainframe. A hacked mech was aiming gun at the console intending to destroy it but Miranda showed quickest reflex and shot mech down. Tali managed to lift the lockdown protocols.
All screens flashed green and a holographic image of a face appeared for a second. It's expression was terrorizing. Grimaced in agony and fear.
"One more, Let's go back to Hammerhead." Shepard stated trying to ignore what he just saw.
/.../
Max was flooring it, evading missiles and destroying security mechs.
"Max! Few more data packets" Tali announced. Jester nodded and adjusted course.
"That's the last one. Full scope." Miranda stated after few stops.
"Sift through it, you can tell me later." John retorted being more worried about Max.
"Prometheus closing in..." Max started "What the fuck?!" he yelled. John recognized what was in a valley below him.
"A downed geth ship?" Tali's eyes widened. Now it was clear how geth got here.
"They must've crashed. Probably went into stasis mode, scientists thought they are dormant." Miranda commented with normal soft voice. Her iciness was absent whole day.
"Spirits...How many are there?" Garrus asked shaking his head.
"Too many" Tali deadpanned.
Max drove down, when closing to the ship a barrier went up.
"Damned VI!" Tali spat "It raised barriers but we're also...getting targeted by geth ship side cannon!"
Max strafed avoiding huge gun that was trying to evaporate nimble vechicle, and targeted generators that were sustaining barrier.
After a while barrier went down and using same technique, Hammerhead's gun destroyed geth cannon that was making swiss cheese out of ground nearby.
/.../
"These idiots created a facility inside geth ship?" Tali asked rethorically once they deployed near the airlock.
Team was walking through the geth ship. The atmosphere resembled dead Reaper. That feeling that you were watched. John was sure he saw a few green flashes on some consoles just in the corner of his view. Silence was overwhelming, so as piles of geth that appeared inactive but you could never be sure. After navigating through destroyed corridors, finally they've reached the mainframe. As Tali lifted the lockdown and road to Atlas station was opened, a green holographic face of VI appeared on the monitor. A loud and terrifiyng howl stunned the team for a second.
Garrus turned around feeling something in his gut. The geth were activating.
"We'll blast our way through!" John yelled and started shooting. Close quarters combat against synthetics, in damaged and unstable geth ship. This was deffinietly one of the hairest fight they've been through.
/.../
Whole squad jumped into the Hammerhead and Max set course to Atlas station.
"What the hell is happening here? That green face...This VI...Is hunting us?" Garrus snapped.
"We'll see at the Atlas. Whatever answers there are, they must be there." Miranda replied.
/.../
As team deployed onto landing platform and taken elevator down to Atlas station, tension was almost visible in the air. This place was an abomination that rattled nerves even people like Shepard's crew.
John entered lobby, Tali quickly decoded console on the desk, another bits from Archer's log pulled from server somwhere.
"For years my brothers condition was a handicap...But not anymore. His authistic nature is a breakthrough we so desperetely need. His mathematical mind is able to communicate with geth at fundamental, binary level!"
"This...Just because its's possible, means he can do such thing without repercussions?" Miranda pondered. John walked up to her, deciding it's time for some tough love.
"That's the main problem with Cerberus, they'll break every rule justifiyng the means by the end. Problem is, it's not justified. Ever. And also they never even get results."
"I...I can see it now Shepard" Miranda bit her lip.
Following through labs, they found another Archer's log.
"If he won't see results, Illusive Man will shut whole project down...I have no choice. I will connect David directly into the geth neural network and see if he can not just communicate but take over geth programming. I need results! And he may even enjoy it, he's almost catatonic anyway..."
"If Illusive Man would request it, would you torture Oriana? Would you experiment on her?" Shepard asked Miranda, continuing his musings.
"No! Never..." Miranda quickly responded then stopped. She realized she was so blind and brainwashed...that she could probably do it. With proper lie and set up, she would do it.
"Now you see why I trusted you, not the Cerberus." Shepard glanced at her. "There is good in you. You just had to find it."
Miranda looked down. She hated herself now more than ever.
"Let's go Logan!" Max scouting ahead motioned at the team.
/.../
Squad reached a VI server console.
"Hang tight people! I'm sure this won't be pretty!" John said touching the holographic controls.
A flash blinded him, whole body screamed in pain. Shepard felt being ripped to little pieces, everything around him started changing, his team disappeared. Whole vision looked like through a camera, he could see ciruitcry running inside walls, machinery...Everything that was not organic. An invisible force pushed him forward, made him walk through one of the doors.
When Shepard touched the console a loud shriek thundered again and overloaded shields of the whole team, they all got dazed. Then John screamed falling on his knees.
"John!" Tali crawled up to him. His eyes were glowing green... so as his scars. Shepard shoved her off forcibly then wobbly walked out the room, Tali tried to follow him but the doors closed right in front of her.
"Shepard!" Garrrus shakened cobwebs off and realized Commander is gone.
"What the hell happened!?"
Once through the doors, force stopped pushing Shepard. Before he could make any sense of it, he saw David's holographic face in front of him.
"PAIN...STOP!" He howled. John walked through the corridor, still trying to understand what happened and why he sees everything in...mechanical way. The doors to the lab opened, John spotted an image of David and Gavin, standing next to a geth strapped to the table.
"Square root of 906.01 is 30.1...square root of 912.14 is 30.2..." David was mumbling when Gavin looked irritated.
"We need to find a way to shift geth attention..." Gavin glanced at the geth who emitted strange sound. Then David let out a synthesized shriek that John heard before coming from the geth.
"Geth say hello." David stated and began mumbling again.
"You...David you're a miracle worker!" Gavin smiled. Then whole image disappeared, leaving empty lab.
Shepard was crossing halls and labs, being lead by images of David and Gavin. John could see and hear how Gavin was deliberately setting up his autistic brother to use David as organic computer, connect him to geth network and, using David's obedience, control geth on basic level.
Shepard managed to get elevator down, he reached an oval room full of wiring and consoles. Another image of Gavin appeared. He was initiating connection between geth and David, image shifted and showed geth pointing guns at the scientists. David's face flashed on the monitors and screamed for help again. Then an automatic announcer from the facility kicked in.
"Normandy SR-2 in range. Establishing link to download." female voice spoke.
John frozed. SR-2? David is trying to hack himself into Normandy! He will murder everybody there then infect anything he can...A computer apocalypse...
John raised his gun and started shooting at a computer, console and wires, all equipment he could see praying that this would be enough to stop David.
As he shot up every conection and conduit. Whole vision flashed again. John blinked, he was back into real world, seeing normal. A tortured moan made him look at the center of the room. The sight made him nauseus.
David was there. Suspended in a tank filled with fluid. He was naked and stuffed with tubes. Conduits shoved down his throat, needles and injectors all over his body, metal hooks forcing his bloodshot eyes open...
"Please...make it stop..." a battered begging voice rang through the speakers. What John felt at that moment was impossible to describe.
"Commander!" Gavin voice rang behind him. He turned around seeing Gavin running up to him. "I'm begging you! Don't do anything rash now!"
Shepard felt something breaking in him. That sight...it was similar feeling when Tali was accused of treason.
"RASH?! You bastard!" John grabbed Gavin by the collar "You forced your brother into this! Tortured him to that extent!" Shepard had difficulty even expressing anger and disgust he felt.
"It didn't seemed harmless at first! He was communicating with them! He made breakthrough! But the Illusive Man demanded results, he wouldn't give us time!" Gavin wanted to say something more but a punch knocked him down.
"And you would do anything just to appease him?!" Miranda spoke. John glanced over seeing his whole squad running in.
"I was tasked to find a way to avoid casualties in war with the geth!" Gavin cried trying to get up.
"And how many lives are gone already for this project?" Shepard snapped at him.
"More than I'll ever be forgiven...But I won apologise for what I've done...If this would spare lives of others-" Gavin was grabbed by Max who almost pressed scientists face onto glass of tank.
"Look what you have done! He was your brother! You were to take care of him you animal!" Max was shouting with breaking voice. "It's your family and that's what you did to him?! You broke his mind, used him like he was a tool!" Max punched Archer "I should pull you apart piece by piece for this!" another punch "You should be in that tank!" Max hit again "You do not turn on family!" he raised fist again but Garrus grabbed his hand and pulled him off beaten Gavin.
"All of this just for your own ambition? So Illusive Man can have another asset?" Shepard fought urge to continue what Max started. "Cerberus will only use him, squeeze everything then flush him down the drain...I getting this boy outta here. Far off Cerberus, and specially you."
"No! He's valuable!" Archer yelled. Shepard reached him with a smack.
"He's human! With a right to live! Not your toy!" Shepard pulled a pistol and aimed at Archer. "You ever think about going after him, I will make a special tank like that, just for you! Then we'll see how harmless and valuable suffering is..."
/.../
They managed to detach David and get him into facilities sick bay. At the same time, signal jammer finally was scrabled, explaining why EDI was silent all that time. Once communication was established and Shepard squared things about hacking attempt on the Normandy, He ordered EDI to comm closest Alliance warship. Luckily they've got to one who's captain wasn't a fool and recognized Shepard, and also listened to what John was saying.
Shepard prepped David into shuttle, gave him copy of every intel about the project he recovered and set auto pilot to course onto orbit where Alliance cruiser was to be waiting.
"We're done here. Let's leave this hell hole" John motioned at the squad to board Hammerhead. This time Garrus was driving as Max just sat in the back in silence.