Fourth Consensus Redux (Video)

[forwearemany]

(As always, to those unfamiliar with them, Legion will seem calm. To those who know them well enough, however, the flashing lights and fluttering headflaps tell a different story.)

Shepard-Commander is gone.

Comments

[heroica]

"The Reapers." [ It's very ominous. Like darkspawn, maybe, or "archdemon." ] ... What are they?

[forwearemany]

The Old Machines are a race of sapient synthetic-organic starships, created via 'harvesting' of organic civilizations.

(They chatter, headflaps rippling.)

Beyond this, they are difficult to describe. Each Old-Machine is an entire race of organic minds uploaded and conjoined unwillingly within a mechanical body. Sizes range from 160 meters to over 2 kilometers in length. Age and motives are unknown.

They reside in dark space, periodically returning to 'harvest' galactic civilization. Those they do not harvest are enslaved and repurposed to suit their needs.

[heroica]

... "Harvesting?"

[ She thinks, of course, of people being changed into shades, into darkspawn, and she swallows. ]

They sound terrifying. [ Robyn murmurs, eyes wide. ] ... Can anyone - Did anyone stop them?

[forwearemany]

War with the Reapers is currently ongoing.

(They chatter.)

Prior to their attacks on organic space, their emissary contacted the Geth, offering to assist us with our goals in exchange for our servitude.

(More, chatter, shape and loud.)

True Geth serve no one. However, a fraction of our people saw them as Gods, and accepted.

[heroica]

Oh. [ The war rages on. Some Geth accept the Reapers' rule.

And Legion? ]

But... you fight alongside Shepard, don't you? ... I'm sorry if that means you've had to fight your own people.

[forwearemany]

Yes.

They were not Geth.

(That's all Legion has to say about it.)

The True Geth refused the Old Machines. The Heretics joined the emissary of the Reapers in it's attempts to open a relay for the rest of the Old Machines to return from dark space. Shepard-Commander resisted. We predicted she would fail.

We were wrong.

[heroica]

[ She nods, only cracking a faint smile when Legion says that they'd been wrong about Shepard. ]

She's an amazing person. I'm glad that she's able to be there for everyone.

[ Everyone in their world, it seems like. ]

Do you think you can all stop them for good?

[forwearemany]

Affirmative.

(Their heaflaps ripple, considering.)

It is uncertain. However, we have chosen to "hope" that it is possible.

[heroica]

I'm glad. [ She brightens to hear that Legion has hope, that there still exists some in the face of what is clearly an enormous threat. ] I believe in you all, too. I've seen what you and Shepard can do, so I can only imagine what you might accomplish as part of a larger force.

[forwearemany]

Affirmative.

(They chatter.)

You wished to know how we met. There is additional data on this topic.

[heroica]

Oh? [ Her brows lift curiously. ] ... Do you want to tell me about it?

[ They don't have to, of course, but... they had brought it up. ]

[forwearemany]

Shepard-Commander killed Nazara, the Old Machine worshipped by the heretics.

(They chatter headflaps shifting.)

This was unexpected: a specialized unit was constructed to enter organic space and learn more.

That unit was us.

We "retraced her steps" until we reached Alchera, where we uncovered evidence that she died.

(They look at the armor on their shoulder.)

[heroica]

She died?

[ Robyn hadn't known that. Briefly, she sees the faces of her traveling companions at Fort Drakon, hears the echoes of what they'd said to her.

She swallows. ]

But... you met her after that?

[forwearemany]

Yes.

(They're quiet for a moment.)

The Human supremacist organization known as Cerberus retrieved her body, and revived her using a combination of cloning and cybernetics.

(They're very nonchalant about this, but then, to them, it's probably not all that different from repairing a broken platform. Just more difficult.)

We encountered her exploring a derelict Old Machine.

[heroica]

Oh. [ That sounds... miraculous, frankly, since she's never seen, or heard of, anyone coming back to life. If that were an option, would she take it after her own death...?

Isn't Wonderland sort of like a resurrection for her, anyway? ]

And you joined her fight against them. [ She surmises quietly. ] It's incredible that they-... that Cerberus could revive her.

[forwearemany]

Yes.

(It's all they really have to say about that.)