Zenna cracked her neck with a yawn as she entered the CIC wondering what she did in a previous life to get the kind of shit she was dealing with. A week ago, she had reactivated the Geth, who decided to call itself Legion, despite Miranda's objections. Now it was asking her to head to a 'heretic' base in order to destroy a virus that the faction of Geth had made.
And that was after Tali tried to blow it's head off. Either the mission was getting to her, or she didn't get enough sleep. Or both.
"Hey commander good news," Joker said as she walked to the Galaxy map. "Looks like that Reaper IFF is hooked up and ready to go,"
"That is not entirely accurate Mr Moreau," EDI spoke up. "The device is functional but is causing some instability in some other systems. I recommend a more thorough analysis of the device before we attempt to use it,"
"'Yawn' I agree, we cannot take risks at this point in time. But how long will it be? We cannot put the mission on hold forever," Zenna asked as she starched.
"A full scan? Who knows with this thing? You better take the shuttle for that mission to the Geth HQ." he said. "I'll make sure that we'll be back up and running before you get back," he suggested.
"Ok don't let me down Joker," Zenna said before Miranda came on the comm.
"Commander I just informed the team we'll meet you in the shuttle bay," she said.
"Well, I guess the ship is yours, take care of her. Try not to get her blown up," Kira said with a smile.
With that she turned around and walked into the lift and made her way down to the shuttle bay. As she got ready the team began to come into the shuttle bay. With the Kodiak door already opened the team got in without a much of a word. The door opened and the ship took off.
OOOOO
Shepard, Tali and Legion jumped down from the opened port and landed on the ground with a loud thud. Tali requested to come because she wanted to see what legion was talking about.
"Alert!" Legion notified as it look to Zenna. "This facility has little air or gravity. Geth require neither,"
"Understandable," Shepard said. "Come on, we need to put an end to this facility,"
"Shepard-Commander," it called to her. "We concluded that destruction of this station was the only resolution to the Heretic question. There is now a second option. Their virus can be re-purposed. If released into the station's network, the Heretics will be rewritten to accept our truth,"
"Either way, these Geth won't be a problem anymore," Tali said. "But Shepard, think about this. If you rewrite these Geth, they'll join the others. Legion's Geth will be stronger. Can we trust them not to attack us in the future?"
Shepard looked to Legion with eyebrows raised. "Why didn't you mention this before we came aboard?"
"We did not know that the virus was complete," it answered. "It is. It can be used against the Geth at any time. Our arrival was timely,"
She paused and thought for a moment. "They're your people, Legion. You must have an opinion,"
"This is new data. We have not yet reached consensus. We will process as the mission proceeds,"
The minotaur nodded. "I will take the option into consideration,"
The three went down the corridor which led them to a room with green holographic displays that ran along the ground.
"The Geth are inactive," Tali observed. "Maybe we can sneak past them,"
"Interrupting data streams will alert local network," Legion notified. "We recommend pre-emptive strikes against hardlink routers,"
In the corner of the room was a hardlink router with three Geth stationed around it. Two of them were basic troopers. The third was a hunter. The two troopers were unshielded, unlike the hunter. Shepard indicated for the other two to stay put. She moved over the holographic pads and placed a cylindrical device on the machine before walking carefully back.
She then took a detonator off her belt and pressed the button. The machine exploded, destroying the three Geth within its facility. The machines were unusual. Shepard approached the damaged router for a closer look.
"Why are all the 'Heretics' attached to these hubs?" Shepard asked Legion.
"These are mobile platforms," it answered. "Hardware. The crew is software. They are communicating through the station's central computer,"
After a moment, Zenna nodded as she understood what Legion was talking about. "The Heretic Geth connect to the main computer to exchange data and program updates. You gain complexity by linking together," bur as she said that she frowned as a thought came to mind. "If you exchange data, memories, how do you keep track of which ones are yours? How do you stay 'you'?"
"There is only 'we.' We were created to share data among ourselves. The difference between Geth is perspective. We are many eyes looking at the same things. One platform will see things another does not and will make different judgements," Legion explained.
"I can understand why you are conflicted about the virus. Whatever you do to the Heretics, you're doing it to yourselves," Zenna nodded.
"That is correct. Once the Heretics rejoin us, we will share their memories and experiences. We will experience what it was like to be the Reaper's servants,"
Zenna just shuddered as she remembered what happened with demi-humans in the past. "Most species I know of would be traumatized by an experience like that,"
"It is unknown whether Geth can be 'traumatized,"
"Fair enough, let's keep moving,"
"Yes,"
They entered through the door into a corridor that contained two inactive turrets.
"We can assume control of any defensive turret," Legion said to Shepard. "They will assist us briefly, then self-destruct,"
"Do it then," Shepard said.
Both turrets glowed orange. They fired into the hallway ahead taking down the Geth trying to reach Shepard's squad. But the Geth failed to stop them allowing them to push forward into the station. As they moved, Zenna gazed in awe at the hundreds of pieces of technological structures in the room. She instinctively tried to wipe her mouth, but forgot about the helmet and groaned with the fact that she's have a puddle of drool she'd need to clean up.
"Are these databases?" Tali asked Legion.
"Processors," Legion corrected. "Each contains thousands of Geth,"
"Can't they see us walking by?" Zenna asked.
"They are no more aware of us than you are of cells in your bloodstream,"
"This isn't like the other hubs we have seen here," She muttered.
"This is a database," Legion said. "It contains a portion of the Heretic's accumulated memories." Legion's optical sensor lit up and searched the room. It spotted some accumulated data hovering over one of the processors. "Wait," The database was called upon and rose from the processor. "We discovered copies of our current patrol routes in this database," Legion turned to face Shepard. "This suggests the Heretics have runtimes within our networks,"
Zenna blinked in confusion. "We wouldn't be here if the Heretics wanted to be friends with the Geth. Why wouldn't they spy on you?"
"You do not understand," the machine said. "Organics do not know each other's minds. Geth know each other's minds. We are not suspect. We accept each other. The Heretics desired to leave. We understood their reasons. We allowed it. There was peace between us,"
Shepard noticed that Legion was truly confused at this revelation. It was like listening to a naïve child asking why bad things happen. Legion... The Geth have never had to face betrayal from one of their own. It would be like being betrayed from one part of your brain. Confusion would be expected.
"It couldn't have lasted forever," she muttered. "You disagreed about what path your race should take,"
"Human history is a litany of blood shed over differing ideals of ruler ship and afterlife. Geth have no such history. We shared consensus on such things. How could we have become so different? Why can we no longer understand each other? What did we do wrong?" as it said that it was almost trying to find answers avoiding the obvious.
"When individuals are separate, they develop in different ways. When they get back together, they don't always get along," she explained. "The same is when you share a similar mindset. We have plenty of evidence for sections of slimes getting separated from parts of themselves, and that part develops on their own," she shrugged. "Granted it's how they reproduce, but the point is still the same. Separation and isolation will lead to two people leading different lives and opinions,"
Legion paused before speaking. "If this is the individuality you value, we question your judgement. This topic is irrelevant. We must return to the mission,"
"Have you reached a decision about whether to rewrite the Heretics or not?" Zenna asked wanting to gage what Legion had to say on the matter.
"We are still trying to build consensus. Some processes judge destruction preferable. Others rewrite," it explained.
The minotaur just sighed. "Let's keep moving,"
"Yes,"
The door at the end of the corridor led them to their goal. The two-levelled room the terminal was stationed in was enormous. It looked more like a cargo bay than a main processor. On the bottom level were over half a dozen inactive turrets. Directly across from the group, on the top level was the terminal. It was open and active. They approached it while Shepard was looking around spotting vantage points.
"This is it?" Shepard asked as he stopped looking around and pointing at the terminal.
"Yes," Legion replied. "We will upload a copy of our runtimes into the core. It will delete all copies of the virus. When complete, it will notify us. The indexing operation will take time. The Heretics will respond with force to our upload. We must hold this room,"
Tali walked along the edge on the level they were on and examined the bottom level, judging where the Geth will come from. As she did that, Zenna threw up several gun turrets at key locations in order for overlapping fields of fire.
"We can override some of the station's internal systems to defend us. Are you ready to begin?" It said as Zenna placed the last turret.
"Start your upload, Legion," She replied. "We'll defend this position,"
The holographic screen spun in a counter-clockwise manner.
"File transfer begun," it notified. "Shepard-Commander, where would you like us to activate defences? Warning: Heretic runtimes downloading to mobile platforms,"
"Legion, I want you to take position behind some cover and use your sniper rifle to take out any Geth that come near us," she then looked to Tali. "Tali activate your drone it should be helpful,"
"Yes, Commander," Tali nodded.
Zenna took cover next to Tali with her pistol out ready, Legion set up behind a barrier and pulled out its Widow Anti-Materiel Rifle. Tali activated her omni-tool and a blinking light appeared on the side of her helmet.
"Zenna come in," Miranda said over the comm.
"Miranda," Zenna growled in annoyance. "What is it?"
"It's the Normandy, I cannot raise Joker on the radio," a tinge of concern entered her voice.
Inwardly the minotaur sighed. "He's likely watching porn again. Try Edi or Kelly, if you cannot get a hold of them in 10 minutes then call back,"
"Understood," the golem said as the first Geth entered the area.
The turrets opened up a Tali and Shepard fired a couple rounds into the Hunter that came in first. The attack took its shield down to half allowing Legion to fire a round right into its head, taking it off completely. Several more Geth troopers also entered but didn't get far.
"Heretic runtimes downloading to mobile platforms," Legion informed.
The second wave was twice the size of the first. Tali engaged with her smg to take down a shield on one of the Geth troopers but Kira took it out. The Quarrian shot the commander an annoyed look before she summoned a combat drone to the lower level. It distracted three Geth allowing Legion to take the opportunity to eliminate the three in rapid succession. Shepard threw a grenade at the last group which detonated on contact with the hunter destroying them.
"Alert!" Legion yelled. "Heretic runtimes downloading to mobile platforms,"
Tali popped out of cover and fired two rounds from her plasma shotgun. The plasma shots melted through the troopers with ease. Shepard took a Hunter's head off. She saw Legion take down the last Heretic soldier with its AR. The room was cleared of hostile.
Legion turned to Shepard and declared, "Datamine and analysis is complete. Shepard-Commander. It is time to choose. Do we rewrite the Heretics, or destroy them?"
"What's to stop them from reusing the virus later to change themselves back?" she asked.
"We will delete the virus after using it," it confirmed. "We judge it too dangerous to allow its existence,"
The minotaur nodded. "If they're... rewritten. Your people will accept them back? Will they even want to come back?"
"They will agree with our judgements and return. We will integrate their experiences. All will be stronger,"
Zenna sighed and rubbed the back of her neck before making the decision. "Take them, then. When we get control of the core, release the virus,"
"Acknowledge," Legion approached the terminal. It typed in the command. Its eye flaps all shifted one by one counter-clockwise. The terminal lit up. "Releasing virus. Note: Remote access via high gain transmission required,"
"What does that mean?" Tali asked.
"The virus will be sent to Heretics in nearby star systems. This station will broadcast a powerful electromagnetic pulse through FTL channels with a yield of an excess of 1.21 petawatts," Zenna explained but what Legion said next made her eyes go wide
"Alert: EM flux will be hazardous to unshielded organic forms. Addendum: The interior of this station is not shielded," it said.
"What? You could have told us," Shepard chided. "Back to the ship! Double time, people!"
The countdown began for the EM pulse. They had two minutes to get through the corridor. Shepard pulled out her blade. A Geth squad stood in their way to the exit. They paid no attention to the Geth as they ran past to the hole. They jumped in and the shuttle took off fast.
"To the Normandy NOW!" she ordered.
As they got away, the EM pulse fired and shook their ship, but they were out of deadly range so all were fine.
OOOOO
With still no word from the Normandy the shuttle flew in slowly to the ship where it was now located, much closer to the station than expected. The ramp came down and the Kodiak flew inside and landed softly on the docking port. The ramp then closed and the team came out of the ship and looked around it was quiet, too quiet. At least two deck hands where here doing inventory. Zenna took out her pistol prompting the other too as well. They moved over to the lift and walked inside and pressed the button for the CIC. When the door opened again a tired Joker rested on pillars in front of the Galaxy map.
The only thing that the team noticed was the most disturbing. There was no one else in the CIC.
"Commander, we have a problem..." he said.
OOOOO On the Normandy during the mission.
With Zenna and the rest of the team gone for the time being there was little to do to maintain the ship while the analysis was working. Down in engineering Gabby was on top of one of the consoles with her trousers around her ankles while Ken was moving his hips making her moan. Kelly was working on some of the profiles of the crew, she needed to know what they were all thinking at the moment.
Chackwas looked over the details of what Zenna had found at the reaper corpse. Across form her Gardener was fixing the oven at the moment as it was on the fritz. In the cockpit Joker checked the readings of what EDI had presented him with.
"I'm telling you EDI your readings are off, it's radiation bleed. White noise," Joker said.
"I have I have detected a signal embedded in the static," she said making Joker sit up-right. "We are transmitting the Normandy's location,"
He passed for a second. "WHAT? Transmitting to who?"
All of a sudden, a ship appeared above them. Joke just looked up wide eyed, it was the Collectors.
"Oh, shit," he muttered.
The ship began to move in to a docking position.
"Time to get out of here," he said he said as she tried to activate what he could.
"Population systems are disabled," EDI said. "I'm detecting a virus in the ship's computers,"
As she said that ran to get a hold of the nearest firearm they could and move to where the collectors were going to come in.
"It's that dammed IFF. Why didn't you scrub it?" Joker moaned.
"Primary defences are offline. We can save the Normandy, Mr Moreau but you must help me," EDI spoke. "Give me the ship,"
He froze at that. "What? Your crazy! You singing 'Daisy bells' and I'm done,"
"Unlock my sealed databases," she insisted. "And I can initiate countermeasures. The maintenance shaft in the science lab will allow passage to the AI core," she said as Joker looked behind him to see red flashing lights. "Main corridors are no longer safe. the Collectors have boarded,"
Joker got out of his chair and looked towards the CIC.
"The emergency floor lights will guide you," she said.
"Ah damn it," he moaned as he began to move across the corridor to the CIC.
Screams and gunfire came through the vents as he moved, as he moved three crewmembers moved up to the lift with rifles at the ready just them door the lift opened and something came out. Joker almost stopped but one of them called out to him.
"GO JOKER GET OUT OF HERE!" he yelled.
Moving through the lab he came to a hatch, looking around making sure no one spots him he climbed inside and moved through the ducts. He made it to where Thane made his home, one of the crew members was already there.
"Joker! This deck is crawling with those things! Stay close, I'll protect you," he said as joker got closer and ran out of the room.
Due to his bone problems he had to move slowly. The man who said that he would protect him then screamed making the pilot thankful that he couldn't run as fast at times. He took cover as he saw some kind of husk in the lift pulling someone inside it. The door closed and he ran as fast as he could around the lift and straight for the medbay. As he entered EDI called.
"Main fusion plant offline, activating emergency H-fuel cells,"
"What the shit?" Joker asked as he enter the AI core.
"Connect the core to the Normandy's Primary control module. This will allow me to again access to the ship," she said.
"Great. See this is where is starts when we're all just organic batteries, guess who'll they'll blame. 'Oh this is Joker's fault, what a tool he was. I have to spend all day computing Pi because he plugged in the overlord,'" he said mockingly to himself.
All of a sudden, the light's switched off then came back a moment later. "I have access to the defensive systems, thank you Mr Moreau." she mutters as she got off the bed. " Now we must reactivate the primary drive in engineering,"
"Ugh, you want me crawling through the ducts again." he moaned.
"I enjoy the sight of humans on their knees." she said in a light tone
Joker however looked at her with a raised brow.
"That is a joke," he said unimpressed.
"Right..." he said not convinced.
"The shaft behind you connects with engineering." she said as he moved up to the ladder and made his way down.
He made it to Jack's little hidey hole and was about to move before EDI stopped him.
"I am detecting hostile presence in engineering." she said. "They are heading towards the cargo bay,"
Joker made his way to the stairs only to see a collector shadow on the wall. He waited until it was out of sight before moving up and took a left into engineering.
"All hostile have left engineering. We must proceed immediately," she said as he moved to the nearest console. "Activate the drive and I will activate the airlocks as we accelerate. All hostile will be eliminated,"
"What?" Joker said looking around. "What about the crew?"
"Their gone Jeff, the Collectors took them," she replied.
"Shit," he moaned as he walked down to the main console in front of the reactor.
"I am sealing the engine room," she said as the engine began to activate. "I have control,"
All of a sudden, the reactor began to light up and both of them fall as the ship began to rapidly accelerate out of the area. Joker sat down as EDI scanned the ship.
"Purge is complete. No other life forms on board. Securing airlocks and cargo bay doors,"
"Send a message to Zenna's shuttle, tell her what happened," Joke sighed.
"Cannot do that joker, I can only inform them of our destination," she said. "But still message is away, are you feeling well Jeff?"
"No. but thanks for asking,"