Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Gears of War/Mass Effect crossover.
Thank you all for your wonderful feedback and support. I deeply appreciate it.
Just so you know, I'll be putting up updates on the weekend so that I can get this crossover finished. In addition, once this crossover is done, I'll be writing a redux of my Halo/Star Wars crossover. Stay tuned for the last chapters of this story!
As always, leave a review, and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Gears of War or Mass Effect franchises. They are the respective properties and trademarks of BioWare, Electronic Arts, Microsoft Studios, Epic Games, The Coalition, etc. Any material original to the franchises belongs to their respective developers and publishers. Any material not original to the franchises is of my own invention. I do not own any music listed in each chapter. Any music listed belongs to it's original composers and/or artists.
SSV Normandy
Approaching Ilos
March 20th, 2183
The journey to the Mu Relay was filled with an underlying tension, one that was clearly reflected by the crew. Everyone onboard the ship was silent, and it was clear that they understood the stakes of their mission. Even the hum from the Tantalus Drive Core was muted, as though the ship itself knew the importance of the crew's mission.
Down in the cargo bay, Marcus was checking over the gear that they had restocked on. Given the importance of their mission, he had decided to pull out all the stops, including one that had been in the making for quite some time. With that in mind, he pulled out some more crates, as well as boxes of spare parts and ammunition. Garrus, spotting this, asked, "What's this all about?"
"I figured that we were going to go up against some really heavy firepower, so I brought this along," Marcus explained. "Besides, during our mission on Feros, I realized that the armored hardsuits you guys wear weren't quite up to the job. As such, I talked with Vorenus on some options."
"Oh?" Garrus asked. In response, Marcus pulled out a large crate, before opening it up for the Turian to see. Much to Garrus' shock, instead of the normal hardsuit inside, there was a combat hardsuit that looked like a lighter version of what Marcus had been wearing, only it was redesigned for Turian physiology. "Is this what I think it is?"
"Yep," Marcus confirmed. "Vorenus and I decided that, given the fact that we were going to go up against some really major shit, to give you guys better armor. Took them a long time, since they had to talk to the engineers that made our armor, but they got it done in the end. Go ahead and put it on. It's yours now."
"T-thanks," Garrus stammered, before quickly grabbing the armor and heading towards the cargo elevator and closing the door. Through the metal shutters that made up the door, Marcus could hear Garrus pulling off his older hardsuit and the body suit that went with it, before putting on the body suit for the new armor. "Marcus, can you lend a hand with the harder armor pieces?" he asked a moment later.
"Sure," Marcus replied. "Can I come in?"
"Oh, about that," Garrus remarked, before lowering the door. In the new bodysuit, Marcus could see the contours of Garrus' musculature, as well as the lines on the bodysuit that followed said musculature. Picking up one of the pieces of armor, he quickly went to work fitting the new hard plates onto Garrus' bodysuit. "Thanks," the Turian said a moment later. Moving around in his new armor, he said, "Huh, it kinda feels like I'm wearing the armor on the Mako."
"It's supposed to feel like that," Marcus explained as he finished tightening on the last piece of armor. Standing back, he found that the new armor plating made Garrus look tough and durable, just like a Gear. "Hhmmm… you look quite good in that armor. Should've made it a long time ago for you."
"Thanks," Garrus remarked. "Funny. I expected it to be heavier, but it seems to feel lighter. Is that just me, or is there something to do with the armor?"
"It's got a combat exoskeleton mod installed into it. Makes it to where you don't feel the weight of the armor. Baird told me that it also has energized plating, as well as an energized weave. Should give you better protection and a faster barrier recharge."
Garrus whistled, a trilling sound that echoed in the confines of the cargo elevator. "Nice. Now that is some quality protection there. What about a shield interface?"
"It's got that too."
Garrus beamed, his teeth flashing in the lighting. "Excellent. Now I really feel comfortable with this armor. Any other guns hit me, and the rounds will simply bounce right off. What about weapons?"
"We'll get to that too," Marcus reassured Garrus as the two walked out of the elevator. Just as they did, the door closed and the elevator traveled back up, before coming back down and opening. Both Wrex and Tali walked out of it, decked out in their new armor.
If Garrus' new armor made him look tough and durable, Wrex's armor made him look practically invincible. There was armor plating everywhere, from his legs to even his hump, and all of it was thicker than average. Tali's armor, while still sticking to the tried and true formula of mobility, also had armor plating, though it was concentrated around her torso, with thinner plates of armor on her arms and legs. Her helmet was also well protected, with the helmet's visor being a cerulean blue color.
Garrus, spotting Wrex, whistled. "Damn… Now that is what I call body armor. How does it feel Wrex?"
Wrex looked at Garrus, smiled pleasantly. "Like I'm a Thresher Maw waiting in the depths. I wonder why the galaxy didn't go towards the armor philosophy that the COG used for their soldiers? Probably too concerned about aesthetics and the like."
"Probably," Tali admitted while checking her new armor out. "I have to admit, most Quarian environmental suits don't have this level of protection, but then again they never adopted the armor philosophy that your government did, Marcus. Still, given that Saren has the same kind of armor and weaponry, I wouldn't want to go up against him with anything less."
"Yeah," Marcus agreed. "I'm glad you guys like your new body armor. That kind of armor saw me and the rest of Delta Squad through the Locust War and Lambent Pandemic. If it kept me and Delta Squad alive, it'll do the same for you. Now come on, we've got some new weapons to outfit you guys with."
It wasn't long before the team had outfitted themselves with their new gear. Wrex was smiling quite happily as he snagged a Battle Lancer out of a nearby crate, along with a Shredder shotgun, a Boltok and enough ammo to supply those weapons for an extended engagement. Garrus simply snagged an M-99 Longshot, as well as an Assault Lancer and a Fusilier as his sidearm, along with ammo to keep him supplied. Tali stuck with the Gnasher shotgun, along with a pistol as a sidearm.
"Now I can take on an army," Wrex snickered.
"Don't get ahead of yourself," Garrus cautioned him. "Still, I can understand the reason why you'd say that. With this kind of gear, any conventional enemy is going to have a really, really hard time."
Just as he said this, the intercom crackled. "Ground Team to CIC. Repeat: Ground Team to CIC." A loud crackle echoed as the 'com clicked off.
Looking at the others, Marcus said, "Well, it's time that we go. Ready to get to work?"
"Hell yeah," Garrus agreed with an emphatic nod.
. . .
Up at the bridge, Joker smoothly pulled the Normandy in towards the Mu Relay. Behind him, Shepard watched as they approached the Mass Relay. True to what they had been told, the relay was shrouded in a large nebula that glowed a faint blue, giving it an otherworldly feel. "There it is," Joker said to Shepard. "The Mu Relay."
"I can see it," Shepard added as Marcus and the others arrived. "Without the coordinates, you'd be unable to find it, not without spending decades, if not centuries, of time searching for it. Thanks to the coordinates that Benezia gave us, though, finding it is a snap."
"Yep," Joke agreed. "Here we go." With that, the Normandy moved into position. Within a few seconds, a mass free tunnel formed, and the Mu Relay slingshotted them thousands of light-years in just a few seconds. "Relay exit successful."
"How do we find Ilos?" Garrus asked.
"Well, shit," Joker growled.
"What is it?" Shepard asked.
"Looks like Saren got there first. I just detected Geth signals surrounding the second planet from the star system we've arrived in. From the looks of it, they might've only just gotten here as well."
"Then let's waste no more time," Shepard ordered as the other members of the ground team, including Navigator Pressley and Kaidan Alenko, entered the cockpit. "Take us in. Make sure they can't spot us."
"Aye, Commander," Joker acknowledged. "Stealth system engaged. Unless they get close enough for a visual, they won't have any idea we're here." There was a hum as the Tantalus Drive Core engaged, then they soon came into orbit around Ilos. The planet was unremarkable from their height, with the entire planet having a muddy brown-red color. "Talk about ugly."
"Yeah," Marcus agreed. "Any signals from down there?"
"Yeah. Looks like they've got a team down there already." Spotting Pressely, he asked, "Checking for a landing zone?"
"Affirmative," Pressely replied. "The Mako needs around 100 meters of open terrain. Unfortunately, the only spot that has enough space is two klicks away. The closest I can find on the only ground signal there is twenty."
"We'll never make it in time on foot," Kaidan groaned. "And twenty meters isn't good enough! Get us something closer!"
"There is nowhere closer!" Pressely countered. "I've looked!"
"Find another landing zone!"
"The descent angle is too steep," Tali commiserated with Pressely.
"Not exactly," Baird, who had just entered, countered. "I modified the suspension for the Mako extensively. We can land in a 40 meter long space. Twenty meters will cut it close, but the suspension will survive that. Besides, we won't find anywhere closer. This is our only option!"
"It's not an option!" Kaidan snapped. "It's suicide! We don't -"
He was interrupted when Joker said, "I can do it."
"Joker?" Shepard asked.
"I can do it," Joker repeated.
Shepard nodded. "Then it's settled. Marcus, Tali, Garrus, Wrex, Baird, Carmine, Kaidan, grab your gear and load up into the Mako. Joker – drop us right on top of that bastard!"
"Aye, Commander."
. . .
The Normandy shook as the selected members of the ground team loaded up into the Mako, weapons locked and ready. Garrus, Wrex, Tali and Marcus were already inside, while Kaidan, decked out in her new light body armor, along with Baird and Carmine, quickly got in. Moving around, Garrus quickly manned the gun, while the others bucked down. "Here we go," Marcus told the others. "Watch your backs, don't pull anything stupid, and we'll come out of this in one piece."
Hearing a growl, he looked down to see Tai, the Varren that had joined the team at Feros weeks ago. Vorenus and the people that had made Delta Squad's new armor hadn't neglected the smaller Varren, as Tai was outfitted with tough armor plating as well. A pair of mass accelerator weapons were installed on his shoulders, while an exoskeleton was installed to allow the Varren to move without being burdened by the armor. Petting the Varren, Marcus heard a happy chortle from Tai as the Mako shook again.
"Joker?" Shepard asked. "It's getting bumpy down here!"
"I know," Joker replied. "Hold on! We're getting close to the drop point!"
As he said this, a knock came at the Mako's door. Opening it, Marcus was surprised to see Cole coming in. "Cole?" he asked. "I thought Chakwas had you in the Medical Bay!"
"Chakwas said that we needed all hands on deck," Cole explained. "Plus, my injuries aren't as bad as she thought they were! I'm combat able, baby!" For a moment, Marcus looked as though he was about to refuse, then he nodded and let Cole inside.
"Here we go!" Joker informed them. "Initiating combat drop!" A moment later, the cargo bay doors opened. At that precise moment, Shepard gunned the throttle, with the vehicle shooting out into the air moments later.
Looking directly ahead, Shepard caught a glimpse of a convoy of Geth moving into a tunnel. Right at the tunnel's entrance, he spotted Saren, who's eyes had gone wide upon spotting the Normandy. Moments later, Saren turned and went inside, with the doors sliding shut. At that moment, the Mako landed. Thankfully, the modifications Baird had made held true, with the landing being no worse than the ones they had conducted many times before.
"Damnit!" Marcus snarled as they got out of the vehicle. "Saren's inside!"
"We need to get to him before he finds the Conduit!" Tali shouted.
"No go here," Baird countered. "The doors are too thick! We need to find a security override that will allow us to open the doors!" Looking at Shepard, Baird asked, "Shepard, how do you want to play this?"
Looking at the team, Shepard said, "All right. Marcus, you, Carmine, Baird and Cole will be Team Delta! Garrus, Tali, Wrex, Liara, you'll be with my team, Team Echelon. Marcus, I need you to neutralize all hostiles in the immediate area! I'll take Team Echelon and look for the security override! If we need assistance, we'll radio you!"
"You got it!" Marcus replied. With that, both teams began to move out.
Looking around, Marcus got a good idea of where they were at. The area they were in was, apparently, part of a massive complex that had been abandoned when the Protheans were driven to extinction by the Reapers. Large structures made out of concrete and metal were present, though the concrete and metal had been damaged and corroded by the passage of time. In addition, massive plant roots, vines and the like had wrapped around everything. In addition, everything was in tired browns, faded grays and muted blacks.
As they moved up, Barid, spotting something, opened fire with his Assault Lancer. A loud mechanical squeal was heard, with a Geth Trooper falling over. "INCOMING!" Baird shouted. "GETH UP AHEAD!"
"THEN TAKE THEM OUT!" Marcus shouted. In an instant, both teams took cover behind some massive roots, firing their weapons at the hostiles up ahead. Two Geth, a Trooper and a Saboteur, moved into view, only for Marcus to gun down the Trooper. Hearing a loud gunshot and spotting the Saboteur falling, he turned to see Garrus with his Longshot. "Nice shot!" he remarked.
"Thanks!" Garrus replied. "I'm really glad that we did weapons training with you guys during our assignments!" Spotting a closer target, he swapped his Longshot for his Assault Lancer and fired, spitting rounds at the enemy.
Moving up, the team moved through a narrow, open-ceiling walkway before proceeding out into a plaza of some kind. Spotting some Geth up ahead, Team Delta split off from Team Echelon and began firing. Marcus grunted as some rounds hit his barriers, but not before he gunned down two more Geth. One, a Destroyer, charged at him, intent on smashing his face in.
Cole, however, intercepted the Destroyer, with the veteran Gear roaring as he bayonet charged the Destroyer. At the last second, he dropped down and slid on his armored knees, before driving the bayonet into the Destroyer's leg, destroying the motors there. The Geth Destroyer stumbled to the ground, allowing Baird to finish it off with a double tap from his Gnasher. "Beautiful!" he shouted.
Carmine, moving up to assist Marcus, slid into cover before firing his Torque Bow, blasting apart a Geth with the explosive bolt. "LOOK OUT!" Marcus shouted as he pulled Carmine into cover. Moments later, a bolus of particles zipped through where Carmine had been, before splashing harmlessly against a concrete column behind them.
"Nice save!" Carmine shouted as he popped up and looked around. "Aw, shit!" he shouted. "WE'VE GOT AN ARMATURE!"
"I GOT IT!" Cole shouted. Pulling out his Boomshot, he fired all four grenades in the magazine, blasting away at the barriers and damaging it's armor. "SHOOT IT!" At that, Carmine fired two bolts from his Torque Bow, blasting apart the Armature's head and sending it careening to the ground.
"Armature's down!" Marcus shouted. Seeing that Shepard and his team had neutralized their hostiles, he asked, "Shepard, which direction?"
"You go left!" Shepard ordered. "We'll take the right!" With that, the two teams split up, with Marcus and his team going left, while Shepard and the others went right.
Moving to the right, Shepard and his team advanced past a series of rocky blocks and down a ramp. Moving down another one that snaked to the left, he found himself and his team entering the lower section of the plaza. Spotting a Geth Trooper, he was about to issue an order when Kaidan, spotting the opportunity, hurled a powerful biotic throw, sending the Geth Trooper flying into a column with a CRASH! "Nice throw," Shepard remarked.
"Thanks," Kaidan replied.
A sniper rifle shot rang out, followed by the sound of a bolt being cycled. "Just took out a Geth Sapper!" Garrus reported. "We've got hostiles on the ground, dead ahead!"
"Take them out!" Shepard ordered. With that, the team quickly scrambled into cover, before firing at the Geth down below.
Garrus, popping out of cover, fired at a Geth Trooper that was getting too close, peppering the hostile with small explosions and forcing it into cover. At that moment, a Geth Sapper leaped towards him, intent on bludgeoning him to death. Dodging a blow, Garrus, instinctively remembering Marcus' training, revved up the chainsaw bayonet and drove it deep into the Sapper. A loud, electronic squeal erupted from the Sapper as the teeth of the chainsaw belt tore into it, with Garrus chopping the thing in half.
Wrex, spotting another sapper, fired at it with his Shredder shotgun. He could feel the power inside of the weapon as the first chamber of both 8 gauge shells fired, sending a wall of tungsten buckshot at the Sapper. That wall of high speed buckshot tore through the barriers, while a second wall that Wrex fired blasted apart the Sapper. Looking at the double-barreled shotgun, he smiled and said, "I love this gun!"
As the team advanced, Shepard keyed his comm. "Marcus, how are you doing?"
"On sec," Marcus replied, before firing his rifle. For a few seconds over the comm, the sound of gunfire could be heard, along with the sounds of Geth being destroyed. Once that died down, he said, "Moving up so far. According to JACK, the area we're in loops back around to where the Mako is located at. Once we get there, we'll head to your position."
"Copy that," Shepard acknowledged. Closing the comm-link, he said. "Keep moving people, we've got more trouble up ahead."
"Copy that," Garrus replied. "I have to admit, I'm thankful that the Gears installed a chainsaw bayonet into their guns. If they hadn't, I'd have been in real trouble.
"We'll thank them when we're out of the woods," Kaidan countered. "Right now, let's focus on the mission." With that, they continued to move up.
True to form, like Marcus had said, they found themselves arriving at where they had started. Moving on through a hallway nearby, Shepard spotted Marcus and the others rejoining them. "How you holding up?" Shepard asked.
"We're doing good," Marcus reassured Shepard.
"Hehe! The Cole Train's kicking ass!" Cole laughed. "Liking your new toys?"
"Yeah," Garrus replied, a smile on his face. "Either way, let's keep moving. That override's bound to be around here somewhere."
"Yep," Marcus agreed. With that, the team continued to advance forwards. Moving through a hallway to their left, they advanced past statues, as well as massive roots that had formed arches over the path they were taking. "Looks like we're moving through a small park," he noted.
"Yeah," Shepard concurred. "It does look like a park. It's a shame we don't have any time to waste." Taking a right, they proceeded up a ramp that led to another large, open aired space. Crouching down, he said, "Shit! We've got Geth here!
"Then we'll take them out," Marcus decided. "I'll take Team Delta along the upper area here. We'll provide fire support for you as you advance into the open space."
"Roger that," Shepard acknowledged. With that, both teams split up, before engaging the Geth that were in the area. Spotting a Trooper, Shepard was about to fire when Tali, using her new omni-tool, sapped the shields on the Trooper, allowing Marcus to gun it down. Shifting his fire, Shepard gunned down another Trooper.
Working together, Garrus and Wrex were becoming nothing short of an unstoppable force. Using his biotic abilities, Wrex hurled a Geth Destroyer into the air, allowing Garrus to pump the thing full of bullets from his Assault Lancer. Nearby, Kaidan used a throw to knock some Geth over, allowing Tali to fire her Gnasher in rapid succession.
It wasn't a one-sided battle, though, as the fight soon showed. Garrus grunted as his barriers went down, with bullets smacking into the energized plating on his armor. Gonna feel that tomorrow, he groaned as he took down the offending Geth, before checking his armor. "Wrex, you OK?" he asked.
"Yeah," Wrex replied as he took cover, some dents in his armor. "Nothing that I can't shrug off. Tali, you OK?"
"Yes!" Tali replied as she fired her sidearm, downing a Geth Trooper. "My barriers went down from the concentrated fire, but the armor plating held! I really like this armor!"
"Same here," Kaidan added as he and Shepard fired on a Destroyer. "Can we get a hand?" Just as he said this, gunfire tore into the Destroyer, shredding it's internals.
Up above on the upper area, Marcus and Team Delta were quickly making matchwood of the Geth. Vaulting over cover, Marcus knocked a Trooper out of place, before pulling both triggers on his Shredder. The Geth Trooper was promptly blasted apart into dozens of pieces, one of which lightly bounced off Wrex's head, with the Krogan rubbing his helmeted head in response. "Hey, where'd he go?" Marcus asked sarcastically. "Oh… there."
"All contacts down!" Kaidan reported.
"Keep moving!" Shepard ordered.
With that, the team continued to move. Looking around, Tali said, "Shepard, I've got something here!" Walking over, Shepard spotted what Tali was pointing at. Nearby, underneath an overhang, was what appeared to be an open elevator. Apparently, the Geth had made some repairs, as the panel was brand new.
"Looks like it might lead to the override we're looking for," Garrus noted. "Baird?"
"My thoughts exactly," Baird agreed. "Be careful, though. I'm expecting a shitstorm of Geth to come at us as soon as we exit the door."
"Yeah," Carmine added. "Those Geth are no pushovers."
"Good thing we've got the Cole Train and me here," Wrex reassured the group. With that, they entered the elevator.
Despite the elevator being old, it was still operational, with the elevator quickly moving down to it's destination. Even then, it's age was apparent, with the elevator squeaking and screeching along the rails as it went down. "This place still has power," Kaidan noted. "It must be running off it's own generator."
"I bet this is the command center for the entire complex," Baird agreed. "Saren's troops probably shut the doors from here when he got inside those doors. It shouldn't be too hard to figure out how to override the lockdown and get inside, though I could be completely wrong about that." Just as he said this, the elevator came to a stop.
Exiting the elevator, they found themselves advancing down a narrow hallway and towards what appeared to be a large and wide room up ahead. As soon as he saw it, Marcus frowned. "Shepard?"
"I know," Shepard replied. "It feels like a trap. We'll keep moving, but if we find any hostiles down here, remain in cover." Turning to Baird and Tali, he said, "If you find any consoles, use your omni-tools to hack them from cover. It might give us an edge."
"Got it," Tali agreed. With that, the teams advanced forwards, weapons at the ready.
Just as they did, ,the entire place erupted into chaos. Geth poured in from all sides, while a series of Armatures located in the center activated. Running like mad, the team quickly got into cover, before firing back at the Geth. "Damnit!" Carmine shouted. "There's too many Armatures for me to get a clear shot at the Geth! Baird, Tali, whatever you do, do it fast!"
"We're trying, get off our backs!" Tali and Baird shouted at the same time. Ignoring that little fact, they quickly began using their omni-tools to hack into the Geth consoles from a distance. "Come on, you little bosh'tet!" Tali snarled.
An Armature turned to fire at Garrus, only to stop, before promptly turning around and shooting at a Geth Prime that was moving into the place. The Geth, spotting the Armatures turning on them, began firing at the Armatures, allowing the team to quickly pop out of cover and engage. Bullets tore through the air as the two sides fought like made for supremacy.
A Destroyer charged at Wrex, only for Wrex to deploy the bayonet of his Battle Lancer and charge, roaring loudly. The two collided with the force of two trucks smashing into each other, with the hardened tungsten carbide blade tearing into the Destroyer's torso. Roaring in effort, Wrex threw it behind himself, while Kaidan used his biotic powers to crush it's head, off-lining the Destroyer instantly.
Garrus, Shepard and Marcus were busy gunning down more Geth, their rifles barking loudly as they tore into a whole swarm of Geth Troopers, Saboteurs and even a few Rocket Troopers. Cole, spotting the incoming Geth, whooped loudly as he fired his Boomshot a few times. "HAHA!" he shouted. "I got enough for all of ya!"
Soon, the tide of Geth that were swarming them tapered off, allowing the team to advance and head towards the command center. Firing the last bullets in his mag, Marcus quickly slammed a new one home and looked around. "All clear!" he shouted as Carmine curb-stomped the last Geth Trooper.
"Good," Shepard whistled. "That was too close! We nearly bought the farm there."
"Got a stairwell over here!" Kaidan informed them. Following the veteran vanguard, the team found themselves entering a control room that was present. Most of the equipment was old, but it was clear that the Geth had refurbished much of it.
As Shepard began working at a console, Tali began pacing around. "Come on," she groaned. "Saren's already got a head start on us. We have to go find him before he reaches the Conduit."
"We're working on it," Marcus reassured her. "We just need to -"
He was interrupted when a voice began speaking from the console. While none of the others could understand it, Shepard, thanks to the Cipher, did. "-too late… unable to… invading fleets… no escape…"
"Is that some kind of message?" Baird asked. "I don't understand what its saying."
"It's probably in Prothean," Kaidan guessed. "The recording's probably fifty thousand years old. No wonder we can't understand it."
"I can," Shepard replied. "I was able to catch a few words here and there. It's a warning of the Reaper invasion."
"Incredible!" Tali gasped. "The Cipher must've transferred an understanding of the Prothean language into your mind!"
As she said this, the recording continued. "-ot safe… seek refuge… -side the archives… -alled Reapers… the Citadel… overwhelmed… only hope… act of desperation… the Conduit… all is lost…"
"It said something about the Conduit," Shepard noted, "but it's too degraded to help out. We should go."
"Yeah," Marcus agreed, even as they moved out. They were one step closer to their goal now.
(Author's Q&A)
Beowolf 43: Yep. Soon, the COG will learn what has happened, and things will start to change.
Just a Crazy-Man: Thank you.
GodzillaMaster: Yep. This time around, they decided to pull their heads out of the sand and open their eyes.
Mashot Tito: It has. It ain't over yet, though.
cheetaby7: In the sequel, you're going to get a surprise.
edboy4926: Thank you. Also, an interesting idea. I'll check that out in the sequel.
MarauderPrime12: Thank you. Soon, the countdown will reach zero, and we find out what happens next.
Guest: They'll come along eventually... in a way. Just wait and see.