Jeff Moreau. Joker.
I continued to work my hands to the limit of my capabilities, whispering to myself:
"Come on, baby, come on!"
It's very easy to be a clown, but right now, in the epicenter of the battle, the survival of the crew depends on these fingers. A battle of colossal proportions, the Reaper fleet against the races of Citadel space. Well, "battle"—abnormally durable black, colossal, squid-like machines against the Asari, Turians, the human fleet, the Migrant Fleet, the Geth, the Volus, and the rest.
Except the Reapers have the logic of "one shot — one destroyed ship." And a Reaper capital ship itself, a two-kilometer squid, withstands the concentrated fire of many ships. Yes, we dealt the Reapers damage, good damage. But then they closed into a clinch with our fleets. And now we are winning time for Shepard and the Crucible with our lives. And it's not easy, even if you are three times the best pilot in the Alliance, sitting in a chair next to your AI girlfriend, ready for heroics on all fronts.
The shots of allies, the shots of Reaper machines—all of it threatens to crack our hull. But I'm managing. Shepard there, on the Citadel, is too. First, the sealing system opened, and the Citadel returned to the same appearance it had before. Five horizontal petals attached to a ring. But it didn't end there; when the cylinder with the sphere on the end, the Crucible, docked, the Citadel's petals spread horizontally, and the Citadel itself began to turn.
"It's aiming at the Mass Relay, Jeff. It's time for us to go."
I exhaled.
"Yeah, working on it."
Not just us, but other ships, mostly dreadnoughts in the rear, began to turn and head for the Mass Relay. Everyone sees the energy surge and secondary explosions. Something is happening there, with the Citadel. The station is being pumped with green energy, showing readings far beyond the normal range. And Shepard stayed on it. No signal, nothing, impossible to pick him up.
"We need to leave, Jeff."
Looking at EDI's artificial body, I nodded.
"We need to get everyone out; if we meet John on the other side, he'll clearly be unhappy."
The AI nodded.
"My robot army needs healthy slaves."
Smirking, I returned to the controls. After a difficult fight, the baby SSV Normandy isn't feeling its best. The ship is only staying together because of all those upgrades John crammed into it during the operation with the Collectors. No, the Alliance, after getting the ship, fixed a few things. But John did the main part. I hope you'll be okay, man. Survive there. It's hard to smile at a moment like this.
"Approaching the Mass Relay. It's a bit crowded here, so get ready for a shake!"
The dreadnoughts of other races' fleets, having received the signal to withdraw, are in a hurry to retreat, which is not easy with such a number of ships. But even that doesn't matter now. What matters is that the explosions on the petals of the opened Citadel clearly hint: it's going to blow so hard that no one will find it funny. And we need to manage to lead the crew through the Mass Relay while there are still chances. While there is still time.
"The compensation system is failing. Evacuating engineering," EDI reported.
Dammit! A few more seconds. Come on! Lightning passed through the Normandy's hull, connected to the Mass Relay. Everything is off the charts, but there's no choice!
"I see it! We're almost at the Mass Relay! Three! Two! One! Everyone hold on!"
The SSV Normandy's jump coincided with the green beam hitting the Mass Relay from the Citadel. Whether it was good or not, the installation managed to work as intended, giving the ship the necessary acceleration. What was behind us, we no longer saw. Space folded into blue, then white, and then black, which is why complete, impenetrable darkness set in outside. Unusual; during a jump, there's usually a bluish glow. Also, the exit at the secondary Mass Relay didn't happen. Dammit.
"Any ideas what happened?"
It's impossible to say for sure; the equipment is toast. Say yes, EDI. I don't know what happened, and it's scary.
"I don't know, Jeff. Perhaps the beam fed too much energy into the equipment, which led to this effect. I have no records of such incidents. We can only watch."
And expect that another Mass Relay will intercept us and provide braking. That's the only thing that can help us. And we looked into the blackness, at the indicators of ship systems failing from overloads. I continued to try to hold onto at least something. We'll still need the baby SSV Normandy, wherever we get spat out. And it's not all that bad, actually. Repair is possible, as long as we don't crash. Need to warn the crew.
"Attention everyone, this is Joker. We've accelerated to abnormally high speeds. Everyone brace yourselves; I don't know how we'll handle the deceleration. I'll do what I can."
And it's true. Some crazy stuff is going on that the Mass Relay isn't designed for, let alone our ship. All that's left is to wait. We had to wait another twenty minutes, which is quite fast, actually. We were captured by a primary Mass Relay, and exactly on schedule, the energy discharge occurred. I don't know about the others, but this Mass Relay is still working. We were thrown out near the installation with a strong jolt; the compensator handled the task. That's good news. But there's no one around from those who went through the installation with us. I exhaled; I hope they survived. To survive the battle with the Reapers and die from a malfunctioning Mass Relay would be just unfair. In any case, we are alive. I allowed myself to burst out laughing.
"We're alive, damn it! EDI just sat calmly nearby, looking at me. Well, yeah, she's an AI and took the fact of our survival calmly."
"We made it, Jeff. But we'll be staying in this system. The core has almost failed; we won't fly far without repairs," EDI said, sitting in the co-pilot's chair.
That's bad news. The SSV Normandy is our only chance to get anywhere. All that's left is to hope for repairs. Or for luck.
"Any ideas where we are?"
EDI leaned forward; the sensors probably burned out too. She looked out the front viewport, rising slightly. And then she pointed the finger of her artificial body forward:
"Serpent Nebula, Jeff. There's the Citadel ahead. For some reason."
What? In total shock, I looked myself, then zoomed in and looked again. That's the mother-loving Citadel. And it's mother-loving intact and closed. What the hell is going on here??? Am I hallucinating? Exactly, these are hallucinations! Shepard and I won and were celebrating at his apartment. Ah, that was before the battle. Then what? Thoughts race, feverishly searching for a plausible explanation for what kind of heresy is happening here. If only someone would tell me. But the captain isn't here; we'll have to figure it out on our own. I looked once more at the approaching Citadel. So intact. So calm. A good hallucination, if that's what it is.
"What the? Why is it here? Why is it like this? What's happening? EDI, any thoughts? I don't understand. The Reapers moved it to Earth's orbit; we just came from there ourselves — or we're in the future, where the Council races learned to move the Citadel. Or… No, that's impossible! No-no-no-no! But I have to say it — Unless… We're not in the past, are we? EDI? We're not in the past?"
EDI thought for a moment.
"And not being sent to the past?" I asked hopefully, "well, just, what other options are there? Deathbed hallucinations, maybe. Or I drank a lot, but then tell me with whom and on what occasion, okay? The Citadel just shouldn't be here! And the traffic! And the patrol ships too! Pinch me, okay? Ow! That hurts!"
I want to laugh, cry, and I don't know what else to do. What's going on here, huh? EDI? Say no, please! I've had enough nerves for today. The battle with the Reapers in Earth's orbit, an explosion that probably killed everyone. And now the past too. I don't want to, please! EDI, with some even sympathy, as much as possible, shook her head.
"Sorry, Jeff. What I see confirms this theory. The Citadel is intact, located at its previous coordinates. A Turian Hierarchy patrol ship is approaching us. No signs of combat readiness, battle, or Reapers. We are in the past, Jeff. Or this is a very good illusion and the entire crew has been indoctrinated. Or I do not know the answer."
Great. Past, future, indoctrination, and hallucinations. Or magic, but I don't believe in magic. And Shepard stayed somewhere back there. I sighed. EDI spread her hands. Well, yeah, what can you do. And Shepard isn't here; we'll have to get out of this ourselves. Somehow.
"I was hoping that was the last such news for today," and switching to the intercom, I said, "people. I'm being dead serious right now. We seem to have ended up in the past. I don't know how and I'm not sure my eyes aren't deceiving me. No, really. I know it sounds like a shitty joke, but we're flying toward an intact Citadel. And I'd really like to know how."
A few seconds later, there was a clatter and stomping, and all the members of the landing party who survived this day burst onto the bridge. Liara T'Soni, Tali, Garrus Vakarian, Ashley Williams, Jacob Taylor, and Javik. And several more crew members, making the cabin suddenly crowded. And everyone started staring at the Citadel together, reacting in the most vivid way. Which made the bridge not only crowded but loud. Tali and Javik were closest to me; the others simply couldn't be heard over the hum of conversation. But I completely understand them; this is far beyond the realm of normal.
"Keelah," Tali exhaled, "you're joking."
I just spread my hands.
"Not joking."
"A second chance," Javik said, "we have been given another chance at victory, humans. And he stomped his foot loudly, his armor plate clanging against the second one."
Everyone fell silent, but Javik began staring at the white mass of the Citadel again. Just like everyone else behind him. Still, it's very beautiful when it's like this. In silence, peace, and quiet. Amazing. Our silence in an attempt to accept reality was interrupted by EDI's comment.
"We are being hailed."
Well, let's see what they say. Especially since no one left the bridge; everyone is listening silently. Not that I don't understand them.
"Unknown ship, this is Citadel patrol. Identify yourselves."
Okay, so far everything is standard.
"This is SSV Normandy, Systems Alliance Navy. Transmitting codes," there was silence on the other side, "Is everything all right?"
From the other side came a surprised question.
"Systems Alliance Navy? What is this organization? Clarify data. Who are you? Prepare for inspection."
Liara T'Soni took a step forward and asked:
"This is Doctor T'Soni. Please report what year it is now."
I looked at the Asari in surprise. She continued to wait. Almost a minute, apparently they were communicating.
"2145 standard year. Did that help you? I am still waiting for data clarification. Prepare to receive an inspection team. Do you copy?"
Okaaaaay. Really the past? That was my theory, really. But now it's been confirmed and I just don't know. I don't want to believe it. This is… Most of the crew wasn't even in school yet, if they were even born. These aren't years. These are literally decades.
"Copy that, waiting," I said in even greater shock.
The year 2145, when was that? Before the First Contact War, right? EDI, seeing my struggle, explained:
"If we are in the past, humanity will first discover Element Zero on Mars in two years. In ten years, you will be born, Jeff. In twelve, the First Contact War will occur. Liara T'Soni is currently 72 years old. A significant portion of the crew is either not yet born or in early childhood."
We all looked at her, then at each other. This is even tougher than the war with the Reapers. Just no words. Just, this is the end.
"I don't believe it," Garrus Vakarian said quietly, "do you think we can convince the Council that we aren't crazy?"
Liara T'Soni thought for a moment:
"Well, we have the human crew of the SSV Normandy. If there are no humans in Citadel space right now, that could be proof. I hope."
***
The Asari Councilor, Tevos, as soon as she entered her office, went to the quantum communicator. The news was fantastic, unreal. But it urgently needed to be reported to the Council of Matriarchs so that the Council, known for a certain slowness in decision-making, could begin discussion.
The news of an intelligent civilization preparing for first contact in twelve years would be discussed by the governments of all Council races in the very next few hours. Obviously, the other councilors were doing the same as she was—reporting. Having made sure she wasn't being overheard, the Councilor contacted Matriarch Lidanya, one of the council, an admiral of the fleet. An Asari with yellow-blue skin and red patterns around her eyes. Seeing Tevos, the matriarch nodded:
"Councilor. Your report was expected later. Has something urgent happened?"
Maintaining calm confidence, the councilor nodded.
"Yes, matriarch. The news sounds somewhat, hm, fantastic, but it has indeed happened. The events of first contact are here, right at the Citadel. I believe the other councilors are reporting this as well, and the extranet news is filled with pictures. An emergency meeting of the Citadel Council in two hours, matriarch."
Matriarch Lidanya pulled back, likely to give orders. Then she returned to the projector.
"Details."
"Two hours ago, an unidentified ship arrived in the Serpent system. Patrol forces detained it when they scanned it. Unknown ship design, most of the crew an unknown race, but there are representatives of the Council races. Asari and Turian. The Asari introduced herself as the daughter of Matriarch Benezia. There are also representatives of both known races, a Quarian, and an unknown one calling himself Javik. The newcomers look like us, with lighter skin and fur on their heads. They claim to have arrived from the 2186 standard year. Readings from the ship and Mass Effect technologies unknown to us confirm what was said. Even if it is… fantasy."
The matriarch nodded.
"You did everything right, Tevos. Act as follows. Send the Asari to Thessia, carefully but insistently. All information about the ship as well. We will study this and make a decision. This new race, is it known where they are? Where is their homeworld?"
Oh yes, and that's good news.
"Yes, matriarch. According to the ship's VI, first contact is supposed to take place in twelve years. In the history they have, a conflict with the Turian Hierarchy occurred during contact when the newcomers tried to activate a Mass Relay. There are coordinates; these Mass Relays are not yet open. This can be used to limit contact and win time for a decision."
The matriarch nodded.
"Acceptable. We will discuss this issue, but the preliminary position on our part: do not interfere. We can wait until the new race makes contact itself, without breaking the rules. And avoid conflict with the Turian Hierarchy by meeting the new race knowing exactly where they are. Having prepared for the meeting as it should be."
Councilor Tevos nodded.
"I understand, matriarch. I will forward everything we can get from this ship and its crew."
The matriarch disconnected, and the Councilor went to the office. There would be a lot of work.
***
The Turian Hierarchy Councilor finished the report to the Primarch and fell silent, waiting for a decision. The Primarch was in no hurry to answer; the situation was non-standard. More than non-standard.
"So, a new warlike race at Relay 314 and further inland. Interesting."
An inaccuracy needed to be corrected.
"At the time of the expected conflict, their advance fleet group was there. But we will get the route. According to the data provided by their Asari historian, they are only just preparing to leave their home system. They are no match for the Turian Hierarchy."
The Primarch clicked his mandibles, looking at his subordinate.
"And in a decade they were able to develop and give the Turian Hierarchy a fight, and then take a seat on the Council in less than a hundred standard years. Impressive."
Impressive, right? More like scary. Likely, many will remember the Krogan Rebellions looking at the development speed of these newcomers. Before the Genophage, the Krogan reproduced very quickly, and the Council used them as cannon fodder during the Rachni Wars. And when the Rachni were defeated, the Krogan did not want to settle for what the Council gave them as a reward. Which, six hundred years later, led to the Krogan Rebellions, which lasted about another century. These newcomers look much faster and more dangerous, especially considering the mentions of the war with the Batarians and the First Contact War. They develop quickly, increase in numbers quickly, and are aggressive. Should they be considered allies or a problem?
Likely, the Primarch was thinking about something similar. So the Councilor cautiously remarked:
"The Turian Hierarchy became a member of the Council as a result of the Krogan Rebellions, Primarch. This is worrying. The newcomers told us about these Reapers, but the whole situation causes doubt. Too rapid development, dangerously fast. Perhaps it makes sense to prepare and show them their place. In the future. I also filed a claim for the ship."
The Primarch was silent for a while, then remarked:
"Justify it; that was not in the report."
The Councilor, clearly pleased with himself, remarked:
"Initially, the Salarian councilor wanted to leave the ship on the Citadel for study. But the Asari immediately began re-recruiting the crew into their armed forces and requested the transfer of the Asari from their ranks to them. Our specialists studied the documentation and noticed that the design of this series of ships is a joint development of the Systems Alliance and the Turian Hierarchy. Since there are no humans in space, there are no grounds for the Council to claim rights to the ship. Only us. At least until official contact. I also asked Vakarian, a Turian from the crew, about potential recruitment. The councilors are unhappy, but the law is on our side as long as there are no humans in Citadel space."
The Primarch nodded, pleased.
"It's all reasonable. What did Vakarian answer?"
"He advised taking at least the pilot and the landing party. It includes, among others, an unknown xeno. And the pilot is interesting because despite the brittleness of his bones, he beat everyone our unit at the Citadel put up against him on the simulator. He's an ace."
The Primarch listened in silence, lost in thought. Ultimately, he clicked his mandibles and nodded.
"I approve all these decisions. Take the ship as quickly as possible. The crew too, if possible. I am almost certain the Asari and Salarians will object to premature contact. We agree with that. Moreover, I will give an order to strengthen patrol forces at the Mass Relays from the humans' side. To avoid provocations from your colleagues or the Batarian Hegemony."
The thought was understood, so the Councilor finished for the Primarch when he paused:
"But when contact comes, these humans will quite accidentally have representations of all the major Council corporations. If not Asari in the government. They are quite similar to Asari."
The Primarch allowed himself to laugh.
"Likely. They will find a way if they know exactly where to fly. These humans will need equipment and technology that corporations will be ready to sell them if they find a channel for smuggling. But that is my concern, not yours. Yours is to bring the Turian Hierarchy's position to the Council and claim our rights to this equipment and crew. Take as much as possible."
And the Primarch would deal with protecting the territory and preparing for the conflict with the newcomers. Everything was clear.
"It will be done."
***
The SSV Normandy crew, those who survived, gathered in a cafe in the Presidium. Expensive, but the news spread in the extranet instantly, and the establishment is experiencing an influx of customers, so they were given a discount. They could gather their thoughts, talk. Remember those who didn't survive and those who stayed behind. The Captain, Wrex, Legion, Thane, and many others. Everyone who was left gathered here now. Both the survivors from the landing party and part of the crew. Several journalists trying to be pushy were carefully but insistently removed by security. However, they couldn't do anything about the simply curious. The atmosphere is most funeral-like. Many have died, many will die.
The SSV Normandy crew by the time the Reaper Invasion begins will already be retired. The Council, however, is as usual. For everyone here, the slaughter in Earth's orbit ended a couple of hours ago. It's unknown if the Crucible worked. It's unknown who survived and who died. It's unknown… Continuous uncertainty, and the commander, who pulled these bureaucrats out with his charisma, isn't here. Also, the Council behaved as usual, immediately starting to divide the Normandy and its crew, ignoring the rest. The idea of contact with Earth was blocked by the Salarians and Asari in a harsh form. The law forbids it, yes, yes.
Only to start offering service in the armies of the Council races in the very next sentence. The Asari Councilor took Liara even earlier, and she only came for the general meeting announcement. On the whole, the crew that went through the battle in Earth's orbit perceived the situation very negatively. Но something has to be decided; there are no humans, contact was banned, and money is needed. So the moods are most funeral-like. If Cerberus were here, half the team would sign up instantly.
The landing party and Joker took a separate table. Jeff was literally carried in EDI's arms, although he didn't really want to go initially. Liara T'Soni smiled at this and remarked:
"There are many warriors among the Asari. No one will judge you for such a thing, Jeff."
Joker only joked back.
"At least everyone will see how valuable I am. I need to be carried in arms," and then he sighed, "so, are we saying goodbye, Liara?"
She nodded.
"I'm being summoned to Thessia; I think the Council of Matriarchs will want to hear the answers in person. They asked to pass this information through Benezia, my mother. I couldn't refuse; besides, it's a chance to talk to the council. I don't think they'll listen, but I'll try. If not, I know where to look for the Shadow Broker in the future. We'll figure something out."
EDI nodded.
"I have recorded the logs of our battles with the Reapers for you, Doctor T'Soni."
She smiled.
"Thank you, EDI. You won't be staying here either, right?"
"The Turians are inviting everyone to the Turian Hierarchy," Ashley Williams agreed, "as I understand it, the Normandy is a project of the Alliance and the Turian Hierarchy, and the Turians claimed rights to the ship and its restoration; the Council couldn't refuse without breaking its own laws. And they invited the crew into their armed forces."
Javik remarked:
"For them, it's a chance to prepare for the Reaper Invasion. Forty cycles is not that much, but more than the Empire had."
Everyone nodded. A chance to prepare. A chance to survive that battle much more successfully than we already did.
For the sake of such a thing, one would go even to hell.
"Damn, I can't believe we ended up in the past," Joker remarked, "the little SSV Normandy is even cooler than I thought."
He looked around, gazing from the balcony at the Presidium. Bright, calm, and safe. There had been no Geth breakthrough, no Reapers, and no Husks. A territory of peace.
"I can't either," Jacob agreed, "it's so quiet. What about you, Tali?"
The Quarian sighed.
"I saw the Migrant Fleet crumble in Earth's orbit under the Reapers' strikes. I must inform them. If it doesn't work..." the girl paused, wondering if she should say it, "I'll try to contact the Geth. EDI found parts of Legion's code for me, which helped the Geth become, well, smart. If I can find those who aren't heretics, perhaps we can reach an agreement. I think John would have appreciated the idea."
Unexpectedly, Javik, who had been silent all this time, spoke up.
"I am with you, Quarian."
This fact caused immense surprise among everyone, so the Prothean felt compelled to explain.
"I must prepare for the Harvest. Synthetics have proven themselves effective in battle. If they have a loyal Creator and time, an army will be ready by the time of the Harvest. You are prepared for harsh decisions, even to the detriment of your species' interests."
Tali protested:
"That's not true! We managed to reconcile them once. If the Geth evolve, perhaps it will happen sooner."
"Or they will destroy your species once and for all," Javik noted, "but I will still help."
Tali turned away. The logic was such that one couldn't argue, which made the rest of the crew feel dejected. The Council's behavior gave Joker nostalgia for the times when John would simply hang up in the middle of a conversation. Unfortunately, you couldn't do that in person.
"I'm with you," Jeff decided, "if we can move EDI, it would be great. I don't think the Council will allow an AI to exist, even a friendly one. And I'm against her being kept as a test subject or killed."
The artificial girl hugged her boyfriend.
"Thank you, Jeff. In the case of the Geth, my chances of functioning increase significantly. But it will be difficult to move me from the SSV Normandy's servers."
Jacob thought for a moment.
"We have a shuttle, our engineers, and Tali. I think they can help remove the necessary servers if we act carefully and quickly."
Liara noted:
"There is security on the ship. You will need a good diversion. And you're lucky that I have some developments from my time as the future Shadow Broker."
Joker smirked.
"Great idea, Liara. But we'll need a ship to the Migrant Fleet. And as fast as possible, before they take the SSV Normandy somewhere else."
Ashley raised her hand.
"Not to mention they won't just let us go. It's a good thing they don't have our translator. They don't, right, EDI?"
The AI nodded:
"I took advantage of the Captain's absence and minimized the transmitted information. There have been no hacking attempts so far."
There were no objections. EDI had to be extracted. In Citadel space, an AI would be destroyed at best. At worst, she would spend eternity in the laboratories of Palaven or on Sur-Kesh. There was not the slightest hope that the engineers, taking the SSV Normandy apart bolt by bolt, wouldn't realize she was an AI.
"We need a plan."
***
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