Notes:

A Grá - My Love (Gaelic)

Anam Cara - Soul Friend/Mate (Gaelic)

FTL - Faster Than Light travel

Inanna - pinnacle of Asari blending, perfect unity of two spirits into one (from 'real world' Sumerian Goddess of Love, Fertility, and War)

Ionúin Álainn - beautiful beloved (Gaelic)

Kaffe - equatorial Thessian vine, seeds of which are used to produce a non-alcoholic beverage of same name, taste described as a mix of coffee and chocolate (Thessian; Source: CDN)

Siame - "one who is all", a loved one cherished above all others (Thessian/Source: CDN)

The Avatar

Pyramid Facility, Joab, Enoch – 13 Jul 2190

Similar to what had transpired in the Temple of Athame on Thessia, a blue orb materialized, hovered above the console for a moment, then rapidly circled Shepard before returning to its original position above the console. Not having been with the combat squad on Ilos or in the Temple of Athame during the Reaper assault on Thessia, the archaeological team let out a collective gasp of surprised wonder, causing Shepard to cast them one of her trademark smirks. "I know, right? It's pretty awesome technology."

Liara was planning to explain more but, as expected by those who had seen one before, the orb began to speak, so she immediately fell silent. She gave the group a glance that reassured them; her smile told them all was well, and the look in her eye promised a complete explanation when time allowed. As the commandos spread out in a defensive semi-circle, Rasha and Tyson both took a couple of steps forward, gaining a better view of the surprising phenomenon.

"Obtaining chronological marker. Hold… Timescale established. Post Prothean cycle confirmed." Liara would have sworn the voice sounded… surprised… as it finished with, "No Reaper presence detected."

In a startling flash, the orb suddenly vanished in an explosion of light, only to be replaced by the holographic image of a Prothean who seemed to simply materialize as it walked out of the Pyramid through the closed door. He, for the form was obviously that of a male, focused on Shepard and immediately began speaking. "I am an advanced virtual construct of Chadrak Murne, the previous Avatar of science and exploration. I was left here as a guide to any Prothean who could activate the console."

He paused to study Shepard, then continued, "You, however, are not Prothean; I do not understand why my program activated." He then glanced at Liara and Tyson before adding, "I remain only because there exists no taint of indoctrination among anyone here." His focus immediately returned to Shepard as he queried, "How was it possible for you to complete the necessary interface?"

"Long story." Shepard fell silent for only a moment before asking, "As a virtual construct, are you still able to interface and read me?"

"You know of this ability?"

"Yes." Shepard made the immediate decision to hide nothing from this construct, in the hope of convincing it… him… of their intentions. Following a brief summary of her interaction with the cypher, and then Javik, she explained their current mission to locate the surviving Protheans. "We need to know their intentions… and hope to establish a friendly rapport. We've seen enough of war, as did you and yours, ending with the almost complete annihilation of your people. We want to help those who remain to survive, so they do not have to live what remains of their lives hiding in fear of discovery."

"And you understand our exchange will tell all? That, if you are lying or being deceitful in any way, I will know?"

"Yes… That's kind of the point of my invitation."

The Avatar waved his virtual hand through the haptic display, which immediately shifted its form to display two indentations in the shape of hands… Prothean hands, but hands. "Place your hands on the designated locations as best you can. It utilizes our contact-teaching technology and will suffice for this purpose."

Liara began to step forward, but Shepard sensed her concern and raised a flat hand in her general direction, never taking her eyes off the Avatar. "It's okay, Li. I need to do this, and I very much doubt it could be any worse than a Beacon."

The construct again sounded surprised, asking, "You successfully interfaced with one of our warning beacons and lived to tell of it? It would interest me greatly to hear how you managed such a feat."

"It was more than one, actually. It's how we learned more about the Reapers and the gateway at Ilos. We managed to stop them from using the shortcut into the Citadel, buying us critically needed time… time we needed to prepare for the coming war…" She paused for only a fraction of a second before continuing, "… along with other desperate, but necessary acts, which you will see when we link."

"Understood. Proceed."

Liara stood and watched, feeling absolutely helpless as Shepard set her hands where indicated and once again went rigid, as if she was frozen in place – but not like her contacts with the Beacon. It was more like when Javik had grabbed her for the first time to 'read' her. It was a feeling Liara had never liked, nor had any intention of ever feeling again, yet she had no choice in the matter. That fact only added to her frustration and uneasiness over how this event was progressing. Goddess be damned, but Shepard may as well be halfway across the world… or the galaxy, for all I could possibly do for her should something go wrong!

{It's okay, Liara… come, lay your hand upon mine and speak with… Chadrak… and learn their story with me, through the link.}

"Seriously?" In her surprise, she uttered the word aloud, causing Riana to step to her side.

Whispering, she asked, "What is going on, Lady Liara?"

Turning to her First in amazement, Liara's voice cracked as she replied, "I've been invited to… join the conversation."

"An invitation you intend to decline, correct?" Riana's expression and tone brokered no debate, making Liara smile ever so slightly.

"Quite the contrary. I am going to join Samantha in this…" Seeing the rising protectiveness in Riana's posture, as if she was seriously considering a physical intervention to prevent such a thing, Liara quickly added, "Shepard is communicating with me through the link, and I can very much tell it is she who is speaking. You have nothing to fear, Ri. Honestly! You know I need to do this."

"I know no such thing, Lady Liara. But I am your First and will do as you command." Riana frowned. "That being said, should I sense things are not as they should be, I will break your contact with Shepard, through any means necessary." As Liara cocked a brow marking, she quickly added, "Non-lethal, of course."

That actually made Liara chuckle, commenting dryly, "I should hope so, else you would no longer be my First… and I would regret that necessity because you are definitely worthy of the position, Ri."

{Sometime today, T'Soni?} Shepard queried, immediately drawing her attention back to the matter at hand.

Liara spoke aloud, acknowledging her First's need to have some idea as to what was happening. "Yes, Sam… just needed to reassure Riana and the commandos that you are well, and that it really is you making the request for me to join."

With that, Liara took that one last step, drew a deep breath, and resolutely laid her hand firmly atop Shepard's. Her mind was immediately filled with visions of the Protheans. It was not of their Reaper War, however, as she had feared it would be, but of the times before. The information flowed like a raging waterfall, but through the filter of Shepard's cypher, she and her bondmate were able to absorb it all.

First of the relevant information was the Prothean's discovery of the Inusannon, which paralleled their own discovery of the Protheans… and all the technology that came along with it. Their relevant history began with the development of FTL travel, then discovering the mass relay network, which eventually led to their discovery of the hostile machine intelligences. That encounter eventually led to the Metacon War – the Prothean equivalent of the Geth-Quarian Morning War. Of greater import, however, was their eventual discovery of the Citadel.

It was that discovery, as with every cycle before – including their own cycle which had so recently ended – that eventually led to their drawing the very much unwanted attention of the Reapers. Through it all, what surprised Liara the most was the lack of the extreme militarism that Javik has espoused. In direct contrast, she found the Protheans to be quite generous with the various races they had encountered throughout time. After all that had happened with Javik, she discovered her initial views of the Protheans – what Javik had referred to as childish and naïve – was more correct than not. While she had obviously made errors regarding some of the concepts about them, she now believed her general overall impressions had been remarkably accurate. It appeared quite possible the Protheans would turn out to be a magnanimous race, after all.

{You have to admit, Javik was born during their centuries-long war; he grew up with nothing but fear and destruction surrounding him. War was all he ever experienced; all he ever knew. I imagine they were desperate to survive and, by necessity, had established a military state. It's not that different from what I did, Li… coercing the other races to join the fight… forcing them to lend technologists and warriors to the cause.}

{You cannot compare yourself to him, Shepard! He went to extremes… and tried to kill our very best chance of success… you!}

They were both surprised when Chadrak interrupted them. "While showing you our story, I have also been reading yours, from both of your perspectives, given your rather unique… link… as you think of it. From the sum total of your memories, as an unbiased observer, I would side with Doctor T'Soni in this debate. I conclude the military state you speak of belongs not to you, Captain Shepard, but to the Human you knew as Jack Harper, the self-styled Illusive Man."

Surprised, Liara was still smug. Looking at Shepard with an 'I told you so' look, she replied, "See. Even Chadrak agrees… and he's like Edi… a virtual intelligence capable of quantum computing and logical, emotion-free reasoning." She ended her statement with a satisfied smirk.

The connection with Chadrak terminated, the holographic construct stating, "I have seen enough to know your intentions are true. I will assist your cause in whatever way I can."

"Thank you, Chadrak." Liara smiled and, unable to hide the disappointment evident in her voice, stated, "I would assume you do not know the location of your surviving people, else you would have simply stated that, instead of a promise of aid."

"That is a correct assessment, Doctor." Chadrak turned to her as he continued, "That data was purposefully deleted from my memory, so I can only assume my people are few in number… and were concerned regarding the likelihood of their survival with this new cycle. I would like to think that has changed, with the end of the war."

"So, exactly how can you help us?" Shepard's voice carried disappointment, but Liara could also sense a bit of thankfulness, as if Shepard did not want their adventure so easily completed.

Samantha wants this trip… this adventure! Something to take the focus off her memories of the war!

Liara's thoughts did not remain within the confines of her own mind, and Shepard turned to her, a knowing look in her eyes. {This has nothing to do with the war, Liara… it has everything to do with you. Once we confirmed their location, we agreed to let the Council handle the Protheans… and we would then continue your archaeological digs and your research, Doctor T'Soni. That is what I have promised you since the very beginning of 'us'… and how we recently decided to proceed on this adventure, yes?}

Liara did not have a chance to reply, as Chadrak gave his answer to Shepard's question. "I can help both of you understand the connection between you."

"What do you mean?" In her surprise, Liara's focus immediately shifted to the construct. "What could you possibly know about our connection? About Inanna?"

"I did warn you I would know all once you agreed to our interface, did I not?" Chadrak's gaze alternated between the two. "I would guess this is not the first manifestation of this… Inanna… you speak of. Yet, based on the way you act and think, it must be rather rare."

"Extremely," answered Liara. "We know of only one other event in recorded history."

"This I find difficult to believe." Chadrak paused momentarily, processing. "Based on probability dynamics, I conclude there must have been additional cases but, perhaps, the subjects hid their abilities for fear of reprisal."

"What draws you to that conclusion?" Liara looked doubtful. "What possible evidence do you contain within your database?"

"The fact that you exist, now, means the genetic code passed through untold numbers of generations, spanning over 50,000 years. It is highly unlikely the trait would have remained hidden the entire time. The odds against that happening would be astronomical."

"Genetic code?" Liara, both astonished and a bit staggered, believed she had already formed a hypothesis regarding Chadrak's argument and blurted out, "You modified us! The Protheans were trying to add their ability for data transfer through touch into our genetics!"

"Both insightful and accurate, Doctor T'Soni." Chadrak gave Liara his full attention as he continued, "The Asari were our most promising race, already possessing natural biotics… and a few possessed what they referred to as 'future sight.' They would have premonitions – momentary glimpses through the space-time continuum – which were sometimes frightening, so they often hid their ability. This resulted in the number of research subjects remaining proportionally low, as did the gene-sequencing samples we were able to collect. Our research was incomplete when the Reapers set upon us but, it would seem, the process completed itself, or at least nearly completed itself, within you."

The commandos chattered amongst themselves in surprise, speaking about those they knew who possessed even the slightest hint of the sight, Liara in particular never giving them any indication she possessed such a skill. They spoke only briefly of the revelation, however, as they were quickly silenced by a scathing glance from Liara, simply because their muted discussions were a terrible distraction, keeping her from readily puzzling her way through Chadrak's explanation.

"What do you mean, nearly completed itself?" Liara was frowning in thought and becoming increasingly frustrated at her inability to make the connections necessary to completely understand Chadrak's statement.

"I saw within your mind that you are able to complete this… link, as you refer to it… only with Captain Shepard. If you had the full manifestation of this ability, you would be able to read anyone, in the same manner; as Javik did when he first encountered Captain Shepard."

"Oh, Goddess." Liara paled at the thought that suddenly flashed through her mind. "Such an act is forbidden in our time! We realized that Javik did not understand this the first time it happened, but what he tried to do afterward, while aboard the Normandy, was totally unacceptable! To enter uninvited into someone's mind is an offensive breach of trust and a completely unforgiveable trespass!"

"So, without our guidance to lead you forward, a social taboo prevented the development of this skill?" The construct of Chadrak Murne sounded exasperated at the very idea. "Learning is so much more efficient when the touch is utilized properly!"

Liara wasn't the least bit surprised at the venom in Shepard's voice when she responded to Chadrak's statement. "What Javik did to me wasn't teaching! It was an attempt to force his opinions regarding synthetic life forms… all synthetic life forms, not just the Reapers… into my mind! When I forcefully refused to accept his 50,000-year-old beliefs, he attempted to kill me!"

"Understood, Captain Shepard." The construct nodded once, with a sharp motion of his head, before continuing. "And, I am loath to admit, he would not be the first, nor likely the last, extreme military commander the Prothean Empire has had. Beyond that, he believed he was the last of our kind… and the sole purpose remaining in his life was that of Vengeance. As an avatar, you must epitomize that ideal. To him, that meant that all synthetic life had to die; if you took part of that away, what was left to him?"

"Gee," Shepard scoffed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I don't know. I guess maybe the Reapers alone weren't enough of a challenge for him?" She made an unintelligible guttural sound in her throat before adding, "Give me a Gods-be-damned break. He was a freaking fanatic who refused to admit time had moved on without him. Period. It's as simple as that."

Chadrak paused and, in a very lifelike manner, took a deep breath before responding, "Yes. I completely understand why you would say that, given your disconnect from our time. And, unlike Javik, I agree you are entitled to your opinion. More than that. You won the war where we did not, so I would draw the conclusion that your assessment of the current circumstances was more accurate than his." He paused again, then added, "And I amend my previous statement. It was not you who was disconnected from our time, it was he who was disconnected from yours. Your time is the present and Javik posed a threat to your goal of victory. You did only what was necessary."

Liara, quite literally, felt Shepard suddenly relax and simply… let go… of her residual anger. The relief that swept through the link was almost intoxicating in its… 'tranquility' was the only word Liara could think of. Samantha's mind was the most serene it had been since the attack in the Archives, and it felt positively wonderful; a soothing balm on Liara's soul. A tear of joy slipped down her right cheek, which she quickly wiped away, unnoticed by her bondmate.

"Thank you, Chadrak." Liara's face held a look of bemused appreciation, unsure the construct would even understand the concept of thanks. "You have no idea what that means to us both. Neither of us wanted Javik dead; it was actually quite the opposite. We looked forward to learning about your culture… and, at the time, I was positive I had killed the last living Prothean, be it in defense of our Captain, my bondmate, or not. It was still the end of a species at my hand, or so I believed. Discovering they still exist… somewhere in the cosmos… certainly helps relieve some of that guilt, but hearing you – a Prothean – agreeing with the necessity of our wartime actions?" She stopped speaking and simply shook her head, feeling Samantha's hand slip reassuringly into her own.

"Your thanks are appreciated, though unnecessary, Doctor." Chadrak smiled softly. "My only wish would be that I was still physically present in this time to truly meet the people with whom I am speaking; the victorious warriors who managed to end the Reaper menace after untold repetitions of the cycle. It is a feat most worthy of being recorded into history."

It was Shepard who responded. "Our victory was the culmination of every cycle's efforts, each one building upon the hints, tidbits and improvements left behind by those gone before. It was courtesy of the Protheans… the Inusannon… and every other unknown race who added to the catalogue of information through the ages. Every cycle contributed; we just happened to be the lucky one at the end of the chain."

"It was a good chain to break." The construct focused his gaze on Liara. "And with that break, my usefulness has come to an end. All I have left to give you is access to the room beyond. It would be a great boon to me, to know I have assisted in the survival of my people by helping you find the information you need to succeed in your search. Find them, Doctor Liara T'Soni, and tell them Chadrak Murne sends his regards."

"I will, Chadrak. But also know your usefulness is far from over." Liara smiled and held her hands out in the Asari fashion, assuming the construct had seen that in her mind and would know how to respond. As his holographic hands reached out to hover over her own, she finished, "You hold more knowledge of the past in your memory than we could have possibly covered in our short exchange. We cannot even begin to hope to remember it all with only this single interaction, as we do not have digitally encoded memory circuits. If you remain active, we will be back to visit… or, at least, someone will. You are a treasure not so easily forsaken."

"Then I will await your return. I will, however, offer no guarantee I will speak to others, unless they be Prothean." He paused, a smirk overtaking his expression as he finished. "As you, very unexpectedly and by the definitions held by the old Empire, turned out to be."

With that, he fell silent and turned away. He walked to the doorway and seemingly pushed it open before him as he passed through and faded away. The entire group, who had remained utterly silent through the whole exchange, seemed to breathe a collective gasp of wonder as a new Prothean world opened before them – the remains of an undisturbed, underground, Prothean city lay in full view beyond the door. Liara took Shepard's hand and, together, they stepped through the portal into the past.

Normandy SR2, Armstrong Nebula, At Large – 13 Jul 2190

Garok Ferank, near the end of his off-duty hours, carried a tray laden with food to the nearby table. As he took a seat with his back next to the bulkhead ahead of the elevator tower and began eating, he thought about all he had experienced during the previous year or so aboard this Galactic Council flagged frigate… this… Normandy.

He began eating after taking several sips of coffee, a beverage of which he had become particularly fond in just a few weeks after becoming Normandy's chief propulsion engineer. Unfortunately, it had taken more than a few weeks for him to develop more than guarded relationships with the majority of the crew, especially the females. In particular, Chief Petty Officer Yakovna, the Systems Engineer that had been transferred onto the ship just prior to his being hired by Captain – and Council Spectre – Ashley Williams, had seemed particularly difficult to work with, and get to know.

He felt he had gone out of his way to be – if not friendly, then civil, at least – to everyone on board. Spectre Williams had made a point of telling him at their last, pre-launch meeting: 'Should you accept my offer to work on the Normandy, it will be up to you to change everyone's perceptions of Batarians', an outcome he sometimes wondered if he would ever be able to achieve. A major source of the problem was his admittedly biased perception of Humans, particularly the females of the race.

The Hegemony had railed against Humans from their very first appearance beyond the Sol system, in part because of that system's relatively close proximity to Kite's Nest, but also because of what even the Asari felt was an overly aggressive response to Turian attempts to dissuade them from activating a dormant relay. Now, having been on this ship for just over a year, he realized his perceptions of Humans had changed – except for their physical appearance and having only two eyes, they were not that much different from himself.

A movement caught his attention – looking up without moving his head, he saw Normandy's Weapons Control Specialist, Senior Chief Petty Officer Gina Hansen, walk out of the main battery through the just opened hatch. Ferank kept his head down in order to covertly observe her with his uppers. He had grown to admire the Senior Chief, particularly her golden-blonde hair – which he found fascinating – worn long and tied at the crown of her head in what she referred to as a ponytail. The term puzzled him, until his extranet research revealed a photo of a hoofed animal native to Earth – a pony. He also discovered a horse, a mule, and a donkey – all having similarly long tails, and wondered why one of those animals hadn't been chosen as the namesake for the hairstyle.

He finished drinking his coffee. As he was polishing off the last bits of his meal, he looked up in surprise at the sound of his name. Gina, walking up to the table with a meal on a tray, repeated her question with a smile. "Would you like another cup of coffee before I sit down, Garok?"

Dumbfounded, he mutely handed his mug to the woman after she placed her tray on the table, wondering what had possessed her to even speak to him, much less offer to bring him coffee. When she returned, she set the filled mug in front of him and took the seat facing him. He sipped a bit of the hot beverage, then worked his courage up to the sticking point. "Thank you," he said, to which she looked straight at his lowers and replied, "You're welcome."

Due to differing shifts, he had not interacted with this female often during the year he'd been aboard. He dared to ask, "Pardon my lack of knowledge concerning Human customs, but…" he paused, hoping his words would not be found offensive. "You brought me coffee. Do I need to do a favor for you in return?"

Her eyes went wide for a moment before she replied with a small chuckle. "It was a random act of kindness, Mr Ferank… something done with no thought of currying favor or creating a debt." She dropped her eyes to her salad and took several bites. Returning her blue-eyed gaze to the Batarian's lower eyes, she added, "You were still seated. I was already standing. It was easier for me fill a mug and hand it to you than it would have been for you slide out of your seat there in order to refill your mug."

Garok took several more sips from his mug, then checked his chrono. Damn. Time to report for duty. Heaving a sigh slightly tinged with regret, he said, "My shift is about to begin. Would you be open to having a meal with me in the near future? My knowledge concerning Humans, even after living and working on this vessel for a year now, is still lacking. I feel the need to learn more, particularly concerning your customs." He paused a moment before concluding, "When I was free-lancing, I was generally on Salarian freighters; even though I am somewhat used to being the only Batarian onboard, I must admit, it does get a bit lonely at times."

Gina grinned at him, surprising him with something completely unexpected. She seemed to make a point of slowly tilting her head slightly to her left while saying, "Check my schedule, Garok. I'm sure we must have a few instances where our lunch or dinner breaks overlap."

The Batarian nodded wordlessly as he got to his feet. Taking his tray to the cleanup station, he rinsed everything, said goodbye to the Senior Chief and made his way to the elevator. He leaned on the side wall as the car descended to deck four. When the doors parted, he pushed away and exited the car. After taking a quick look through the viewports at the hanger bay below, he strolled around to the port side hatch, then into main engineering.

Stepping up beside Yakovna – already standing at her console inputting data – he greeted the Chief Petty Officer in a friendly voice by asking, "Chief Yakovna? How are you doing today?" He unlocked his terminal and logged into the system in preparation of retrieving the status of the FTL and sub-light drive systems.

Momentarily glancing over at her shipmate, she replied in a neutral tone, "As I've said before, it's Oksana. And I'm feeling fine." She returned her attention to the task she was performing.

Garok needed to use the terminal in the core containment area, so unlocked the two hatches installed by the SILC as a safeguard against accidental radiation exposure, before turning to face the tall Human. "We've been working together for just over a year, but I feel it is somewhat disrespectful to refer to you by other than your rank and family name."

This surprised her. Turning to face the Batarian, she studied him for a few moments before replying. "Back at my home on Earth, proper formality is always observed, particularly among members in military service." She leaned her left hip against the console and crossed her arms under her chest, continuing, "However, it seems to me that two specialists – both systems engineers – working side-by-side as we do every day, should be able to refer to each other by their given names, especially when we are in here by ourselves. So, I say again, Garok… my name is Oksana. Referring to me by my rank and surname just feels… I dunno – kinda cold."

Garok felt a twinge of embarrassment. "I apologize for my continued awkwardness… Oksana, but on this ship, we are not equals." He raised a hand as she began to protest. "Please, hear me out. In the Hegemony, one's station in life is all important. I am the nephew of the Matriarch of my family, who was practically born an aristocrat. Batarian society places what many feel is an inordinate amount of importance on caste, but on this vessel, your rank in the Navy sets you above me. Addressing you by rank and family name is how I demonstrate that my standing on this vessel is lower than yours."

Yakovna grinned. "The history of my home country is replete with aristocrats… at least it was several centuries ago. I don't believe I am related to any of them, so your ancestry actually puts you ahead of me. Now, even though you are not a member of the Alliance Navy, you are a mechanical engineer, same as me. Your specialty is propulsion, and mine is ship's mechanical systems. So, we're both specialists in our chosen field, are we not?" Still smiling, she tilted her head to the left while offering her right hand. "Pleased to meet you, Specialist. I'm Oksana."

A smile slowly lifted the corners of Garok's mouth. Grasping the Human's hand, he replied, "It is good to finally meet you, Oksana. I am Specialist Ferank. Please, call me Garok."

Pyramid Facility, Joab, Enoch – 13 Jul 2190

Liara stood, momentarily frozen in place, staring at what lay before them. It was an old city, but she felt like she was staring into the future. Chadrak's disembodied voice followed them, as he played the role of city guide. "The lowest levels, three to be exact, are the residential areas. You will find most completely emptied of any portable possessions, taken by those fleeing the Reaper advance. Unfortunately, you will also find bodies; those who remained too long and had no chance at escape. Some died of natural causes, while others… some chose to end their own suffering, preferring death over what they had seen others become after capture."

"Goddess." Liara's heart clenched. "Were there families here? Children?" She suddenly shook her head, blurting out, "Never mind! I don't want to think about that!"

"It is a harsh reality." The avatar appeared before them once again. "I understand your reaction but felt it best to warn you before you witnessed it first-hand." Chadrak paused before adding, "Once you enter this place, you must be the clinical scientist to endure what you will observe. Save emotion for when you meet the survivors and can enjoy that some lived to tell their tales."

A curious thought tickled the back of her mind and Liara blinked, her focus suddenly returning to the construct. "Chadrak, may I ask a question?"

"Certainly, Doctor. Is that not why I am accompanying you? To act as your guide?"

"You say you are a virtual construct…" Liara cocked her head slightly as she studied the holographic being before her. "What, exactly, is that?"

The image smiled. "I have been waiting for that question… yet you still asked it before I believed you would." The smile vanished. "Your society has four levels of existence; the inanimate, the VI, the AI, and true cognizance and awareness of self – or life, as you perceive the last. Some, like Javik, loathed the idea of machine intelligence, forcing them into war even when there was no active danger. Javik was born long after the Metacon War, yet he took those lessons to heart. But, where soldiers see threats, scientists see possibilities."

"Possibilities." Stated Liara, understanding suddenly dawning like a burning summer sunrise. "Like moving a consciousness into a machine to prevent the loss of their experience… and creating a virtual construct through which they can express themselves?" As the question gave voice to her suspicions, Liara felt Shepard's immediate shock response, so reached over to join hands with the woman standing at her side.

"Or the moving of a Human consciousness into a self-unaware cloned body?" Chadrak actually laughed, enjoying the look on the faces of the surprised pair. "Your Miranda Lawson exceeded even our capabilities with such an act. As the scientist I was, I would relish the opportunity to speak with her, should it ever present itself within her lifetime, however extended it may be."

"Jeez," sighed Shepard. "You really did see everything, didn't you?"

"As you were warned, Captain," Chadrak answered. "I also saw the VI you encountered on Ilos, and the one stolen from Athame's Temple by the Illusive Man. It appears I was the only successful full upload within the scientific community's attempts – at least, the only one of which we are aware – who survived the duration of the cycle." He paused and dipped his head in respect before adding, "You, however, are an entirely different level of achievement. It makes my virtual reality seem trivial by comparison. To be brought back from the dead into a physical existence once more? Of that, I can only dream."

Shepard drew a deep breath and asked, "If it were possible – if a sample of your DNA was located and was of sufficient quality and quantity to clone a body – would you honestly want that?"

Chadrak contemplated his response, thinking not only of the deed, but also the memories within the Human of the entire process. "I do not honestly know. I do know you suffered greatly through the procedure… and, without your nanites, I would live only a normal lifespan. I believe I would not want to bankrupt my people, just so I could walk among them once more for such a relatively short period of time. It would be selfish… as well as raise a great number of ethical questions to which, as a responsible scientist, I would need to give serious consideration."

Liara could feel Shepard's angst and squeezed her hand in support, her love and adoration flowing through the link, wanting to encourage her to voice her thoughts; with a quick, appreciative glance at her bondmate, she did so. "All I know is this; when I thought I had lost my extended lifespan… a millennium to spend with Liara… I was emotionally crushed. I knew I would do the best I could to enjoy my century with her, but to potentially lose all that additional time would have been devastating for us."

She glanced down at the floor for an instant before looking back up and finishing, "As a scientific construct, having the ability to reason with the speed and accuracy of quantum computing… would you be able to go back to the limitations of physical thought? How frustrating would that be to you, to have to give up that processing ability?"

Chadrak's eyes opened wide for only an instant before returning to normal as he answered, "I had not considered such consequences… what I would lose in such a transformation. I only looked at what I would gain. You are correct in asking such a question because, quite honestly, I believe I would quickly find myself greatly annoyed with the sluggishness of my mind, compared to the speed with which I can process in this state."

"Edi."

Shepard said only the one word, and Chadrak responded immediately. "Of course. A mechanical frame would be the most logical solution. A return to the physical world without compromising either computing power or ethical standards." Chadrak smiled softly, adding, "Thank you, Shepard. But we digress. I will contemplate this potential path on my own time. For now, we have a city to explore; it has been a long time since I have walked its halls."