Post by alleyd on May 5, 2012 20:10:37 GMT 1
This was inspired by the ME2 treatment of Cerberus. As such the Illusive Man isn't indoctrinated. The ending leads into a continuation of the story into a rebuild the galaxy scenario with starts on Earth
Cerberus Revealed: A Battle of Wills
Shepard struggles up the ramp to an antechamber which houses a control panel. Above her head is the giant form of the Crucible. A hum of strange energy fills the air. The Citadel arms and but the Citadels vast atmospheric shield separates the chamber from the vacuum of space. An intense, Chaotic battle between the Reapers and the allied fleets visible in the void above. In the background is the image of the Earth, pockmarked by huge fires from the battles on it's surface.
Nearer the console stands thee motionless figure of Admiral Anderson. He stands rigid with a look of intense frustration and anger on his face. Shepard moves towards him calling his name, but after a few steps she is unable to proceed. Some unknown force renders her immobile. She hears footsteps behind her, but is unable to turn towards them. The suave, but chilling form of her nemesis the Illusive Man appears as he announces his presence.
Illusive Man:-
I underestimated you Shepard.
Shepard:
You're controlling us? Let us go and we can stop this war once and for all.
Illusive Man
I'm sorry I can't let you do that. This is just a demonstration to emphasis my point. Also to assure me that I have your attention. Still it is fortunate for us old friends to meet at last face to face. You , Me & my respected colleague Admiral Anderson. We have much to discuss.
Shepard:
Respected Colleague, What's he talking about Anderson?
Anderson :
We don't have time for this. Millions are dying by the second. Earth is dying
Illusive Man
Yes, I know but I have a feeling that this device is somehow able to manipulate time as well as mass. We have certainly enough time to at least consider our options. let's face it commander, neither you or Anderson are going anywhere.
So to start us off I'll answer your question, if I may. You have made many assumptions about myself and my organization's role in matters. These assumptions were completely understandable. You were never in the loop. Your opposition was naive and charming. At first. It then became more of a concern the more I failed to stop you as you blundered across the galaxy. On more than one occasion you were willing to sacrifice humanity's interests for your alien friends. Or was there another reason? I was beginning to fear that the process of indoctrination had begun to take its hold on you.
Shepard
I am not the one who is indoctrinated. That's absurd, I am here to destroy the Reapers.
Illusive Man
That may be your intention, but I believe you're making assumptions based on insufficient Intel. You're the soldier and you are well aware of the consequences of that failure. Let's proceed with a debriefing and bring you up to speed on our position
Shepard
I had always warned you not to assume that you know me. Or that I am not in the fight against the Reapers. That was understandable of course. My story is an illusive one and we were never really introduced. Let's correct that. Here's a little of my personal history
I was the first being in this galaxy to understand the threat of the reapers and begin the fight against them.
My name was Jack Harper and I was a mercenary soldier on Shanxi fighting the Turians in the First Contact War Of course Shanxi was one of the defining battles of the First Contact War. What you may not know was the Turians were not only looking to wipe out the colony, they were looking for something as well. They were searching for what turned out to be a reaper artifact.
The Turian tactics were brutal but effective. I was on the ground in a merc group fighting a resistance battle against the Turian ground forces. My team and I captured the Turian general Desolas Arterius. We managed to infiltrate the cave that was the focus of their search. We discovered the device, Ben touched it and was killed. I had indirect contact but was still knocked into a coma.
I awoke with visions of future destruction and impending threat. From that moment I was able to comprehend the magnitude of the reaper threat. I Could feel the artifact across space, and also I had understanding of languages and writings of the other species, both ancient and modern.
After the Turians were defeated by our fleet reinforcements and a treaty negotiated. I was returned to the Alliance. Desolas faced returning to Palaven a defeated general and We all know how the Turian view military failure. He needed the artifact for political reasons at first. The true horror of his intentions came later. He arranged to recover the artifact from Shanxi. Along with Ben, who had somehow been resurrected and improved with augmentations. There were a number of Turians who had also been augmented. They would not be separated from the artifact
We chased him across the galaxy via Illium and were again captured. Desolas returned the artifact to Palaven. He set it in an ancient temple in an attempt to create an unstoppable Turian army of Meta Turians, as he called them. We know them better as Marauders
He couldn't sense or understand that the artifact served nothing but itself. He wasn't aware of what the process of indoctrination and reaping was truly about. He started the process, but fortunately I was able to convince Saren Arterius of the dangers and we managed to stop the process, and destroy the artifact. Otherwise Palaven would have been a planet of Marauders in a very short time.
I recognized how ill prepared humanity was for the Reapers and for the rest of the Galaxy races. My exposure to the Turian and Asari was particularly enlightening as I could sense their duplicity and suspicion of humans. With or without the Reapers humanity was in a precarious position. With no allies and few resources Humanity had stumbled into a galaxy of beings with far superior technology, biology, military and political power. The Alliance couldn't grow as a counter to any aggression and our technological and Scientific progress was carefully scrutinized. If humanity was to be anything other than a client race to one of the other races, there would have to be alternatives in place.
You consider me the head of Cerberus. You're partly correct. Are you aware of Greek mythology, Shepard?
Shepard
What does Greek Mythology have to do with anything?
Illusive Man
Maybe more than you know. Cerberus was the Beast that Guarded Humanity from The Gates of Hell. In description , both in mythology so as in reality, he is a beast of 3 heads. I'll ask Admiral Anderson to carry on the next part of your debriefing. You may be more convinced with his opinion. Anderson?
Anderson.
I'm sorry I couldn't tell you before. Cerberus was the blackest of black ops, but it was still Alliance. There are 2 other heads to the Cerberus beast other than the Illusive Man. The original 3 were Ashley's father, General Williams Udina and The Illusive man. General Williams was tasked with Military. He was replaced by Admiral Hackett after his retire, but continued operating in the traverse colonies. Udina was citadel politics. While the illusive man took it upon himself to engage in the darker side of the operation.
I was one of teeth. It was hoped that in my Spectre role I could further humanity's interests. As you know Saren ensured I was unsuccessful in that goal. I suspect that somehow Saren discovered a slim connection between myself and Cerberus and used this in his report to discredit me. You were chosen to be my protege. To avoid any connection at all, we chose not to inform even you. You were Alliance Military, that was enough. We were able to influence events and let you loose.
Shepard:
But the reports of Terrorism, Sanctuary, Unethical and inhumane experiments on Aliens and Humans. Human beings engineered and processed by you under the illusion of Sanctuary. I could identify my enemies pretty easily. They were husks wearing Cerberus badges in many occasions. How could the Alliance allow those type of operations to happen? He's insane and out of control. He should have been stopped years ago.
Illusive Man :
I had to start the preparation of our defenses. We had weaker military strength than any of the other races. No Biotics and vastly inferior scientific understanding and technology. Everything I have done was in preparation of the battles ahead. Also there was the need for every able person to be able to fight effectively against the Reapers. So we improved those suitable and equipped them. Desperate times dictate ruthless measures. It's the nature of the beast in this galaxy Shepard
Shepard
You're either indoctrinated or you're insane. I was right on the collector base in saying you would stop at nothing for in your desire to control and dominate.
You of all people should know how wrong that assumption is. I rebuilt you without a control chip after all. Although there have been many times I questioned my decision. I questioned myself when you decided to destroy the collector base. Your decision to destroy the only real understanding of how the reapers are able to turn our own people against us forced me to use the only alternative open to me.
Shepard:
It was monstrous, hundreds of thousands of people died in that base.
Illusive Man: And did your destruction of that base bring a single person back to life? No, it didn't. Instead, your decision made that sacrifice worthless and they died in vain. Your decision to destroy the only real understanding of how the reapers are able to turn our own people against us forced me to use the only alternative open to me. We had to disable that signal somehow. To do so would be of enormous benefit against the reapers. Possibly the only effective one we could have. That base was a priceless asset and valuable intel. Humans appear to have slightly more resistance to Indoctrination. We needed to understand and possibly counteract this.
Shepard
How can you be so sure that humans have more resistance?
Illusive Man
From personal experience. Both my own and what I have witnessed. My friend, Ben had direct exposure to a Reaper Indoctrination device. He then lived for a lengthy period of time, being augmented and in close proximity to the device. The Turians showed an almost instant conversion and were essentially fully indoctrinated. Despite having all the exposure to the Reaper Device, we were still able to engage with him enough for him to break the devices hold for some moments. Moments that allowed us to escape and destroy the device. Only the love of an Asari Matriarch for her child has ever had the ability to match this feat.
Do you consider yourself Indoctrinated Shepard? You've had the most contact with Reaper technology than any other being, after all. The mission on the derelict reaper and the Collector Base. Ask yourself how exposed you had been to the Reaper artifact you destroyed along with the mass relay. Ask yourself if I was right to fear the worst.
Shepard:
No I consider you to be. Your warped ambition to control the galaxy has been warped by the Reapers to their ends. We should be fighting together not each other
Illusive Man:
I agree. And can you're noble desire to save the galaxy cannot be manipulated in the same way? Shepard, don't insult either of our intelligence with that assumption
What if you are indoctrinated? I Have a little faith in myself. I took great care to keep a distance between myself and any reaper tech. after all I had other assets to call upon. You, on the other hand. Can you be so sure of yourself? Do you know what happened in those 48 hours you were unconscious after the Object struck you. My recovery from a similar experience was in a shuttle far removed from the effects of indoctrination. Yours,
in contrast, was in a science facility in the control of Indoctrinated scientists and a fully operational Reaper Device.
So Let us continue our debrief. So either one of us could be indoctrinated. Maybe it all comes down to what we intend to do about the reapers. You believe in destroying the Reapers Shepard. I ask you have you ever thought about the consequences. Is it your sense of honor or your choice in friends still prevent you from seeing the galaxy as it truly is? Perhaps we should go over those, shall we?
You see I chose your friends and crew members to be special representatives of their species. Maybe we should discuss the matter in more detail.
Let us discuss the Turians, since you assume they are at the root of my First Contact paranoia. I hope your experiences with them were more cordial than mine. Pleasant bunch aren't they. That bomb was an especially nice touch. Truly ruthless when the chips are down.
I was the first Human ever to land on Palaven and return. I saw first hand how a combination of military tradition and hysteria could be manipulated. I saw what effect that defeat caused on Palaven, Shepard. Thousands of Turians volunteering themselves and their children for them to be improved soldiers. That wasn't due to the Reaper Artifact. It was due to the Turian's own psychology. First Contact left major scars on both sides, Shepard. Humanity inflected the first major victory on a Turian fleet. They haven't forgotten that. Your friend Garrus is not like most Turians. Don't let your sense of comradeship and honor cloud your eyes to the attitudes the majority of Turians have. The sight of one Turian Dreadnought within 50 light years of Sol should give anyone pause. And now there's the whole fleet camped on the doorstep.
Now the Salarians. I hope your travels with the good Doctor provided you with an insight into the species. He was specifically chosen as an illustration of the almost insane curiosity of the species. Secondary he was STG, regardless of what he told you. Salarian's don't usually retire and live contented and productive lives. Dr Solus, was a slightly more extreme example.
Do you recall your discovery of the human test subject on Kuchamtka? Miranda was always very efficient in her reporting. You had an interesting conversation with the good doctor on the subject. Also their little retreat in Sur'Kesh. Such pleasant views, waterfalls and laboratories all full of biological weapons. Cerberus of course did much the same thing, but without the vistas. We had to hide our research, while the Salarians were able to operate almost at will.
They have already experimented on humans. The good doctor was quite vocal on his knowledge of human physiology and genetics. They tolerate no challenge to their scientific dominance of other species. They are fatalistic enough to recognize that is their major weapon. And of course let's not forget the genophage. Your friend Wrex was no doubt very vocal about Salarian gratitude. I hope you recognize how dangerous and ruthless they are. I wouldn't doubt for a second that there is a human genophage somewhere in development
That brings me to the Krogan. Personally would have taken the Dallatrass's offer, but you always put your crews loyalties first. I believe it is unfortunate that your only real exposure to the breed was via a female mystic, a mutant
and a clone. Never forget the lessons of history. Krogan may be long lived but nowhere near long enough to escape evolution. Any hopes of integration lie with your friends Wrex & Eve's continued good health. You only really helped the Krogan. That is a situation that made a dark and dangerous galaxy, a lot more dangerous.
Now the Rachni. There's only one queen at present. Twice you've saved her life, but never forget your Prothean friend's warning. They were specially bred for their cunning and for war. They are a fascinating species. Possibly the oldest in the galaxy. They survived the Prothean extinction and have evolved over 50,000 years. Like Saren, I wanted to study and use the Rachni. Cerberus were also major investors in Binary Helix and I was well aware of the research on Noveria. Twice you failed to remove that threat and once you have been burned. It remains to be seen how the second chance you extended them works out.
I would Like to discuss the Asari & the Protheans together if I may. Fascinating in their beauty as you will no doubt confess. Please I must inquire. How is the lovely Dr T'Soni?
Shepard:
She wouldn't care for me to acknowledge your request.
Illusive Man
Pity she should feel that way about her most recent sponsor. I had to take out her out of her little Shadow Broker empire and get her into the Mars archive. She was a good information broker, but not good enough. The matriarchs had her under watch the whole time. She was still a baby, but the best Prothean mind in the galaxy until your friend Javik appeared. And it is he and any possible relationship he may have in the Asari's future that really concerns me. You're a colony kid aren't you Shepard?
Shepard
You already know that, so why ask?
Illusive Man
You didn't experience the chaos on Earth during First Contact. There had already been an enormous debate when we first discovered the Mass Relays. What would we discover? And what would come through? Curiosity almost killed us. The Turians were bad, but their discovery created an enormous psychic shock all over Earth. Most major religious belief didn't survive and society was on the verge of collapse. It was touch and go, but the ferocity of the Turians galvanized humanity to respond. We can be fast to react to change. A benefit of our relatively short lifespans. Asari don't have that adaptability.
At present Thessia is almost destroyed. Asari civilization almost extinct. They will have to fight to survive, let alone recapture any of their former glory. Shepard, I must ask. Was the temple in Thessia as illuminating for you as
it was for me?
Shepard.
The Prothean VI or your pet assassin. The VI confirmed that he was indoctrinated.
Illusive Man
Yes I know. His return trip to sanctuary and to my base were confirmation of that. He led you and the Reapers right to me. You know the rest. It was some upgrades used in his reconstruction had hidden reaper tech. Unfortunately we were denied the data from EDI, and you kept your pet Geth so we were not fully aware about the true sophistication of Reaper Indoctrination. Neither you or I have any of that tech fitted I assure you.
But we digress. When major cataclysm hits a civilization, its common for the more primitive beliefs that survive the transition. Sophistication, Art and Philosophy all take second place in a post apocalyptic landscape. The Asari's Athene belief is their oldest and is essentially Prothean Worship. Now you have Javik. A virtual living god. The prospect of him somehow having influence on the Asari is terrifying. That is almost as terrifying a prospect as the reapers.
What is his purpose after you destroy the reapers? To retire to the graves of his comrades? Or to father a race of Asari hybrids to reclaim both races former status? A planet full of willing, blue concubines is enticing isn't it Shepard? Remember how concerned the Asari were about the Ardhat Yakshi. I recruited Samara to introduce you to them as no Asari would ever admit their existence. For all their culture the Asari are as duplicitous as any society. They have their secrets and their interests. One Ardhat Yakshi is bad enough. A whole army of them
would be a force of nature, possibly unstoppable
Now we have the Quarians and the Geth. Whatever possessed you to unite them is something I'll never understand. Either one on its own are bad enough. Quarians were regarded as locusts in their travels. Whole sectors would be stripped of resources very efficiently. Also as you have come to discover they can be very aggressive and volatile. Now you've given them control of the largest and most advanced fleet in the galaxy.
The Geth will always be an enigma and I believe, like all AI a threat to organics. Remember how relatively easy it was for you to reprogram the heretics. Just a minor check-sum changed the whole programing. It could so easily change again. EMP radiation, programming error or some synthetic evolutionary process we can't imagine might spell disaster for all organic life. Yes the Geth may be the most dire threat if it wasn't for your decision to save both races.
Had you forgotten Project Overlord or the Reapers themselves when you made your decision? A hybrid AI might have even more dire consequences thank an AI. That was almost Cerberus's most costly mistake and I closed that facility down when I discovered the full story of how close we had come to disaster.
Shepard:
Dr Archer informed me differently. He said he closed the facility down
Illusive Man.
Unless you witnessed that he took similar steps as your friend Jack on Pragia, then I would doubt his word if I were you. I wanted the work continued, but not on an AI or any hybrid. We wanted to understand Geth communication and how the Reapers were able to hack into them so easily. Dr Archer's ambition, combined with stress drove him to take unnecessary levels of risk and his need for scientific glory drove his experiments in a totally unintended direction.
So now we have millions of Quarian and Geth all united. Already the process of augmentation has begun with Geth adapting Quarian physiology. Where will that end is of course uncertain. You could destroy the reapers only to find them replaced with some other hybrid race who has similar opinions on organic life
Shepard.
You make a lot of assumptions. These races are our allies. They recognize the Reapers are the real threat. You don't appear to acknowledge that as you should.
illusive Man
They are allies, but only of convenience. I give them little credit for their decision to ally with us and assist our struggle. Their own survival makes that decision imperative. All the races seemed more concerned with their own
essentially petty conflicts to even acknowledge your warnings of the Reapers for too long. I admit I thought the prospect of any of the other races ever uniting was a slim one. It was only through your efforts that this was possible.
What you achieved was truly remarkable and only vindicates my decision to bring you back to us. Still you are only human, and one uniting figurehead doesn't make for strong alliances. Have you asked yourself, what happens if you are successful in your goal of destroying the Reapers?
Shepard
I have no time for Hypotheticals or conjecture.
illusive Man
Ah it's a pity we didn't involve you in the more strategic or political elements of the equation. You were our spearhead, and your skills were honed for that purpose. Never the less, Let us not forget the lessons of History. The council races have always acted ruthlessly to perceived threats. The Rachni were almost made extinct, the Genophage, even Humanity's not too distant past with the Turians.
Humanity is already regarded as being aggressive and ambitious by the council races. Regardless of our acknowledged presence on the council. That was nothing but an effort to contain and control us. Anderson will testify to the truth behind that statement. Your decision to appoint a warrior and not a politician to be humanity's first representative wasn't entirely welcomed with open arms and minds.
Anderson
He's telling the truth to a point Shepard. But this is pointless. The Reapers are the threat, not the council or some future hybrid AI. They have to be stopped
Illusive Man
I agree wholeheartedly in them being stopped Stopped but not destroyed. I've presented my argument as best I can Shepard. These are the fears that have haunted me ever since the discovery of the Charon Relay. Like you Shepard I have had full knowledge of the Reapers and have had to make the sacrifices accordingly. If you must make judgment on me, then judge my motivations. Not my actions. Or rather, take a look at your own actions. If you are successful in destroying the Reaper threat. YOU now becomes the de facto most powerful force in the galaxy. With Power comes responsibility and awe, but those without that power could soon lose that awe and learn fear
Yes the other races would be grateful. For a time. But history can quickly forget it's heroes after their purpose is served. They can become irrelevant at best. Also, They can just as easily be viewed as a threat. They may follow you Shepard, but after that? Humans live short lifespans. To an Asari or a Krogan, we are like Mayflies burning brightly in the night. To an Immortal Geth or AI, a single human lifetime might be too brief to acknowledge.
The question What happens when he's gone? must surely arise in the near future. I do believe the other races will each formulate their own answers pretty quickly and will act , as they have always done , with ruthless calculated ferocity. All species, should they survive, will hope to capitalize their position as quickly as possible. In a fight for survival, everything alien is a threat to your existence. The perception of possible threats and the fear they bring can be overwhelming and rash decisions made.
Shepard I'm sorry but I can't enslave a sentient race to my will.
Illusive Man
And destruction is a lesser evil? You aren't enslaving another race. They are essentially machines that have one discernible pattern. Wholesale and repeated extinction. If you can control this process Use their technology to advance humanity and the rest of the galaxy if you can. They are obviously constructs, but we have no clue of who constructed them. That is something that must be answered and you couldn't do that if you destroy the reapers. Are there even larger dangers, as yet unknown in this galaxy, or in the dark reaches beyond? Only the Reapers hold any answer
And Shepard in conclusion. If you are still worried that my desire to control the reapers is a desire for dominance. I hope it hasn't escaped your attention that at any time I could have left you and Anderson and used the console
myself.
Shepard:
Why didn't you?
Illusive Man
Why I didn't is both logical and personal. The logical answer is that if I, as Cerberus Incarnate were to control the Reapers, you can safely assume that a state of war would continue. I would never expect to be accepted by the other races. In light of my actions, You may find it hard to believe that I do believe humanity needs the other races to build this next cycle. All my preparations and machinations were to fight the Reapers and to Protect Humanity. Not dominate the galaxy. I wanted to kick-start the processes that would enable humanity to catch up with the other races.
My personal answer is I have fought this fight long enough and have no wish to continue. My soul was damaged by the Reaper Artifact. I've willingly traded my soul and made countless sacrifices multiple times since then. I had no other choice.. Only you can accept what that entails.
But you Shepard have done the impossible. You have united the galaxy and brought peace where before there was only conflict. You're an Icon, not only for humanity and the galactic races of today. But for all the countless races that have perished to the Reapers in the past. Only you could control the Reapers and keep the galaxy united. I knew that, and that was why I resurrected you. That was my miracle and contribution to the galaxy. The rest was all your doing. Let us retire to my ship, Admiral. Shepard I believe needs some space to clear his head.
Shepard
Wait you have a ship. The Normandy's the fastest and quietest ship in the galaxy.
Illusive man:
Sorry to disappoint you Shepard. I managed to save a few resources for my own use and had a small craft of my own built.
Shepard Have you named her? Let me guess Shadow or Wraith or something similar.
Illusive Man
No Shepard She's called Valkyrie. I always thought there might come a time when I needed to travel on swifter wings than a steed of War.Now Commander You have a job to do. The reapers must be stopped and you have a choice to make.
Now What is that phrase that Miranda always used? Ah Yes No Pressure
Anderson and the Illusive man walk toward an opening in the wall.
Shepard limps towards the console. which glows in a soft light.
Cerberus Revealed: A Battle of Wills
Shepard struggles up the ramp to an antechamber which houses a control panel. Above her head is the giant form of the Crucible. A hum of strange energy fills the air. The Citadel arms and but the Citadels vast atmospheric shield separates the chamber from the vacuum of space. An intense, Chaotic battle between the Reapers and the allied fleets visible in the void above. In the background is the image of the Earth, pockmarked by huge fires from the battles on it's surface.
Nearer the console stands thee motionless figure of Admiral Anderson. He stands rigid with a look of intense frustration and anger on his face. Shepard moves towards him calling his name, but after a few steps she is unable to proceed. Some unknown force renders her immobile. She hears footsteps behind her, but is unable to turn towards them. The suave, but chilling form of her nemesis the Illusive Man appears as he announces his presence.
Illusive Man:-
I underestimated you Shepard.
Shepard:
You're controlling us? Let us go and we can stop this war once and for all.
Illusive Man
I'm sorry I can't let you do that. This is just a demonstration to emphasis my point. Also to assure me that I have your attention. Still it is fortunate for us old friends to meet at last face to face. You , Me & my respected colleague Admiral Anderson. We have much to discuss.
Shepard:
Respected Colleague, What's he talking about Anderson?
Anderson :
We don't have time for this. Millions are dying by the second. Earth is dying
Illusive Man
Yes, I know but I have a feeling that this device is somehow able to manipulate time as well as mass. We have certainly enough time to at least consider our options. let's face it commander, neither you or Anderson are going anywhere.
So to start us off I'll answer your question, if I may. You have made many assumptions about myself and my organization's role in matters. These assumptions were completely understandable. You were never in the loop. Your opposition was naive and charming. At first. It then became more of a concern the more I failed to stop you as you blundered across the galaxy. On more than one occasion you were willing to sacrifice humanity's interests for your alien friends. Or was there another reason? I was beginning to fear that the process of indoctrination had begun to take its hold on you.
Shepard
I am not the one who is indoctrinated. That's absurd, I am here to destroy the Reapers.
Illusive Man
That may be your intention, but I believe you're making assumptions based on insufficient Intel. You're the soldier and you are well aware of the consequences of that failure. Let's proceed with a debriefing and bring you up to speed on our position
Shepard
I had always warned you not to assume that you know me. Or that I am not in the fight against the Reapers. That was understandable of course. My story is an illusive one and we were never really introduced. Let's correct that. Here's a little of my personal history
I was the first being in this galaxy to understand the threat of the reapers and begin the fight against them.
My name was Jack Harper and I was a mercenary soldier on Shanxi fighting the Turians in the First Contact War Of course Shanxi was one of the defining battles of the First Contact War. What you may not know was the Turians were not only looking to wipe out the colony, they were looking for something as well. They were searching for what turned out to be a reaper artifact.
The Turian tactics were brutal but effective. I was on the ground in a merc group fighting a resistance battle against the Turian ground forces. My team and I captured the Turian general Desolas Arterius. We managed to infiltrate the cave that was the focus of their search. We discovered the device, Ben touched it and was killed. I had indirect contact but was still knocked into a coma.
I awoke with visions of future destruction and impending threat. From that moment I was able to comprehend the magnitude of the reaper threat. I Could feel the artifact across space, and also I had understanding of languages and writings of the other species, both ancient and modern.
After the Turians were defeated by our fleet reinforcements and a treaty negotiated. I was returned to the Alliance. Desolas faced returning to Palaven a defeated general and We all know how the Turian view military failure. He needed the artifact for political reasons at first. The true horror of his intentions came later. He arranged to recover the artifact from Shanxi. Along with Ben, who had somehow been resurrected and improved with augmentations. There were a number of Turians who had also been augmented. They would not be separated from the artifact
We chased him across the galaxy via Illium and were again captured. Desolas returned the artifact to Palaven. He set it in an ancient temple in an attempt to create an unstoppable Turian army of Meta Turians, as he called them. We know them better as Marauders
He couldn't sense or understand that the artifact served nothing but itself. He wasn't aware of what the process of indoctrination and reaping was truly about. He started the process, but fortunately I was able to convince Saren Arterius of the dangers and we managed to stop the process, and destroy the artifact. Otherwise Palaven would have been a planet of Marauders in a very short time.
I recognized how ill prepared humanity was for the Reapers and for the rest of the Galaxy races. My exposure to the Turian and Asari was particularly enlightening as I could sense their duplicity and suspicion of humans. With or without the Reapers humanity was in a precarious position. With no allies and few resources Humanity had stumbled into a galaxy of beings with far superior technology, biology, military and political power. The Alliance couldn't grow as a counter to any aggression and our technological and Scientific progress was carefully scrutinized. If humanity was to be anything other than a client race to one of the other races, there would have to be alternatives in place.
You consider me the head of Cerberus. You're partly correct. Are you aware of Greek mythology, Shepard?
Shepard
What does Greek Mythology have to do with anything?
Illusive Man
Maybe more than you know. Cerberus was the Beast that Guarded Humanity from The Gates of Hell. In description , both in mythology so as in reality, he is a beast of 3 heads. I'll ask Admiral Anderson to carry on the next part of your debriefing. You may be more convinced with his opinion. Anderson?
Anderson.
I'm sorry I couldn't tell you before. Cerberus was the blackest of black ops, but it was still Alliance. There are 2 other heads to the Cerberus beast other than the Illusive Man. The original 3 were Ashley's father, General Williams Udina and The Illusive man. General Williams was tasked with Military. He was replaced by Admiral Hackett after his retire, but continued operating in the traverse colonies. Udina was citadel politics. While the illusive man took it upon himself to engage in the darker side of the operation.
I was one of teeth. It was hoped that in my Spectre role I could further humanity's interests. As you know Saren ensured I was unsuccessful in that goal. I suspect that somehow Saren discovered a slim connection between myself and Cerberus and used this in his report to discredit me. You were chosen to be my protege. To avoid any connection at all, we chose not to inform even you. You were Alliance Military, that was enough. We were able to influence events and let you loose.
Shepard:
But the reports of Terrorism, Sanctuary, Unethical and inhumane experiments on Aliens and Humans. Human beings engineered and processed by you under the illusion of Sanctuary. I could identify my enemies pretty easily. They were husks wearing Cerberus badges in many occasions. How could the Alliance allow those type of operations to happen? He's insane and out of control. He should have been stopped years ago.
Illusive Man :
I had to start the preparation of our defenses. We had weaker military strength than any of the other races. No Biotics and vastly inferior scientific understanding and technology. Everything I have done was in preparation of the battles ahead. Also there was the need for every able person to be able to fight effectively against the Reapers. So we improved those suitable and equipped them. Desperate times dictate ruthless measures. It's the nature of the beast in this galaxy Shepard
Shepard
You're either indoctrinated or you're insane. I was right on the collector base in saying you would stop at nothing for in your desire to control and dominate.
You of all people should know how wrong that assumption is. I rebuilt you without a control chip after all. Although there have been many times I questioned my decision. I questioned myself when you decided to destroy the collector base. Your decision to destroy the only real understanding of how the reapers are able to turn our own people against us forced me to use the only alternative open to me.
Shepard:
It was monstrous, hundreds of thousands of people died in that base.
Illusive Man: And did your destruction of that base bring a single person back to life? No, it didn't. Instead, your decision made that sacrifice worthless and they died in vain. Your decision to destroy the only real understanding of how the reapers are able to turn our own people against us forced me to use the only alternative open to me. We had to disable that signal somehow. To do so would be of enormous benefit against the reapers. Possibly the only effective one we could have. That base was a priceless asset and valuable intel. Humans appear to have slightly more resistance to Indoctrination. We needed to understand and possibly counteract this.
Shepard
How can you be so sure that humans have more resistance?
Illusive Man
From personal experience. Both my own and what I have witnessed. My friend, Ben had direct exposure to a Reaper Indoctrination device. He then lived for a lengthy period of time, being augmented and in close proximity to the device. The Turians showed an almost instant conversion and were essentially fully indoctrinated. Despite having all the exposure to the Reaper Device, we were still able to engage with him enough for him to break the devices hold for some moments. Moments that allowed us to escape and destroy the device. Only the love of an Asari Matriarch for her child has ever had the ability to match this feat.
Do you consider yourself Indoctrinated Shepard? You've had the most contact with Reaper technology than any other being, after all. The mission on the derelict reaper and the Collector Base. Ask yourself how exposed you had been to the Reaper artifact you destroyed along with the mass relay. Ask yourself if I was right to fear the worst.
Shepard:
No I consider you to be. Your warped ambition to control the galaxy has been warped by the Reapers to their ends. We should be fighting together not each other
Illusive Man:
I agree. And can you're noble desire to save the galaxy cannot be manipulated in the same way? Shepard, don't insult either of our intelligence with that assumption
What if you are indoctrinated? I Have a little faith in myself. I took great care to keep a distance between myself and any reaper tech. after all I had other assets to call upon. You, on the other hand. Can you be so sure of yourself? Do you know what happened in those 48 hours you were unconscious after the Object struck you. My recovery from a similar experience was in a shuttle far removed from the effects of indoctrination. Yours,
in contrast, was in a science facility in the control of Indoctrinated scientists and a fully operational Reaper Device.
So Let us continue our debrief. So either one of us could be indoctrinated. Maybe it all comes down to what we intend to do about the reapers. You believe in destroying the Reapers Shepard. I ask you have you ever thought about the consequences. Is it your sense of honor or your choice in friends still prevent you from seeing the galaxy as it truly is? Perhaps we should go over those, shall we?
You see I chose your friends and crew members to be special representatives of their species. Maybe we should discuss the matter in more detail.
Let us discuss the Turians, since you assume they are at the root of my First Contact paranoia. I hope your experiences with them were more cordial than mine. Pleasant bunch aren't they. That bomb was an especially nice touch. Truly ruthless when the chips are down.
I was the first Human ever to land on Palaven and return. I saw first hand how a combination of military tradition and hysteria could be manipulated. I saw what effect that defeat caused on Palaven, Shepard. Thousands of Turians volunteering themselves and their children for them to be improved soldiers. That wasn't due to the Reaper Artifact. It was due to the Turian's own psychology. First Contact left major scars on both sides, Shepard. Humanity inflected the first major victory on a Turian fleet. They haven't forgotten that. Your friend Garrus is not like most Turians. Don't let your sense of comradeship and honor cloud your eyes to the attitudes the majority of Turians have. The sight of one Turian Dreadnought within 50 light years of Sol should give anyone pause. And now there's the whole fleet camped on the doorstep.
Now the Salarians. I hope your travels with the good Doctor provided you with an insight into the species. He was specifically chosen as an illustration of the almost insane curiosity of the species. Secondary he was STG, regardless of what he told you. Salarian's don't usually retire and live contented and productive lives. Dr Solus, was a slightly more extreme example.
Do you recall your discovery of the human test subject on Kuchamtka? Miranda was always very efficient in her reporting. You had an interesting conversation with the good doctor on the subject. Also their little retreat in Sur'Kesh. Such pleasant views, waterfalls and laboratories all full of biological weapons. Cerberus of course did much the same thing, but without the vistas. We had to hide our research, while the Salarians were able to operate almost at will.
They have already experimented on humans. The good doctor was quite vocal on his knowledge of human physiology and genetics. They tolerate no challenge to their scientific dominance of other species. They are fatalistic enough to recognize that is their major weapon. And of course let's not forget the genophage. Your friend Wrex was no doubt very vocal about Salarian gratitude. I hope you recognize how dangerous and ruthless they are. I wouldn't doubt for a second that there is a human genophage somewhere in development
That brings me to the Krogan. Personally would have taken the Dallatrass's offer, but you always put your crews loyalties first. I believe it is unfortunate that your only real exposure to the breed was via a female mystic, a mutant
and a clone. Never forget the lessons of history. Krogan may be long lived but nowhere near long enough to escape evolution. Any hopes of integration lie with your friends Wrex & Eve's continued good health. You only really helped the Krogan. That is a situation that made a dark and dangerous galaxy, a lot more dangerous.
Now the Rachni. There's only one queen at present. Twice you've saved her life, but never forget your Prothean friend's warning. They were specially bred for their cunning and for war. They are a fascinating species. Possibly the oldest in the galaxy. They survived the Prothean extinction and have evolved over 50,000 years. Like Saren, I wanted to study and use the Rachni. Cerberus were also major investors in Binary Helix and I was well aware of the research on Noveria. Twice you failed to remove that threat and once you have been burned. It remains to be seen how the second chance you extended them works out.
I would Like to discuss the Asari & the Protheans together if I may. Fascinating in their beauty as you will no doubt confess. Please I must inquire. How is the lovely Dr T'Soni?
Shepard:
She wouldn't care for me to acknowledge your request.
Illusive Man
Pity she should feel that way about her most recent sponsor. I had to take out her out of her little Shadow Broker empire and get her into the Mars archive. She was a good information broker, but not good enough. The matriarchs had her under watch the whole time. She was still a baby, but the best Prothean mind in the galaxy until your friend Javik appeared. And it is he and any possible relationship he may have in the Asari's future that really concerns me. You're a colony kid aren't you Shepard?
Shepard
You already know that, so why ask?
Illusive Man
You didn't experience the chaos on Earth during First Contact. There had already been an enormous debate when we first discovered the Mass Relays. What would we discover? And what would come through? Curiosity almost killed us. The Turians were bad, but their discovery created an enormous psychic shock all over Earth. Most major religious belief didn't survive and society was on the verge of collapse. It was touch and go, but the ferocity of the Turians galvanized humanity to respond. We can be fast to react to change. A benefit of our relatively short lifespans. Asari don't have that adaptability.
At present Thessia is almost destroyed. Asari civilization almost extinct. They will have to fight to survive, let alone recapture any of their former glory. Shepard, I must ask. Was the temple in Thessia as illuminating for you as
it was for me?
Shepard.
The Prothean VI or your pet assassin. The VI confirmed that he was indoctrinated.
Illusive Man
Yes I know. His return trip to sanctuary and to my base were confirmation of that. He led you and the Reapers right to me. You know the rest. It was some upgrades used in his reconstruction had hidden reaper tech. Unfortunately we were denied the data from EDI, and you kept your pet Geth so we were not fully aware about the true sophistication of Reaper Indoctrination. Neither you or I have any of that tech fitted I assure you.
But we digress. When major cataclysm hits a civilization, its common for the more primitive beliefs that survive the transition. Sophistication, Art and Philosophy all take second place in a post apocalyptic landscape. The Asari's Athene belief is their oldest and is essentially Prothean Worship. Now you have Javik. A virtual living god. The prospect of him somehow having influence on the Asari is terrifying. That is almost as terrifying a prospect as the reapers.
What is his purpose after you destroy the reapers? To retire to the graves of his comrades? Or to father a race of Asari hybrids to reclaim both races former status? A planet full of willing, blue concubines is enticing isn't it Shepard? Remember how concerned the Asari were about the Ardhat Yakshi. I recruited Samara to introduce you to them as no Asari would ever admit their existence. For all their culture the Asari are as duplicitous as any society. They have their secrets and their interests. One Ardhat Yakshi is bad enough. A whole army of them
would be a force of nature, possibly unstoppable
Now we have the Quarians and the Geth. Whatever possessed you to unite them is something I'll never understand. Either one on its own are bad enough. Quarians were regarded as locusts in their travels. Whole sectors would be stripped of resources very efficiently. Also as you have come to discover they can be very aggressive and volatile. Now you've given them control of the largest and most advanced fleet in the galaxy.
The Geth will always be an enigma and I believe, like all AI a threat to organics. Remember how relatively easy it was for you to reprogram the heretics. Just a minor check-sum changed the whole programing. It could so easily change again. EMP radiation, programming error or some synthetic evolutionary process we can't imagine might spell disaster for all organic life. Yes the Geth may be the most dire threat if it wasn't for your decision to save both races.
Had you forgotten Project Overlord or the Reapers themselves when you made your decision? A hybrid AI might have even more dire consequences thank an AI. That was almost Cerberus's most costly mistake and I closed that facility down when I discovered the full story of how close we had come to disaster.
Shepard:
Dr Archer informed me differently. He said he closed the facility down
Illusive Man.
Unless you witnessed that he took similar steps as your friend Jack on Pragia, then I would doubt his word if I were you. I wanted the work continued, but not on an AI or any hybrid. We wanted to understand Geth communication and how the Reapers were able to hack into them so easily. Dr Archer's ambition, combined with stress drove him to take unnecessary levels of risk and his need for scientific glory drove his experiments in a totally unintended direction.
So now we have millions of Quarian and Geth all united. Already the process of augmentation has begun with Geth adapting Quarian physiology. Where will that end is of course uncertain. You could destroy the reapers only to find them replaced with some other hybrid race who has similar opinions on organic life
Shepard.
You make a lot of assumptions. These races are our allies. They recognize the Reapers are the real threat. You don't appear to acknowledge that as you should.
illusive Man
They are allies, but only of convenience. I give them little credit for their decision to ally with us and assist our struggle. Their own survival makes that decision imperative. All the races seemed more concerned with their own
essentially petty conflicts to even acknowledge your warnings of the Reapers for too long. I admit I thought the prospect of any of the other races ever uniting was a slim one. It was only through your efforts that this was possible.
What you achieved was truly remarkable and only vindicates my decision to bring you back to us. Still you are only human, and one uniting figurehead doesn't make for strong alliances. Have you asked yourself, what happens if you are successful in your goal of destroying the Reapers?
Shepard
I have no time for Hypotheticals or conjecture.
illusive Man
Ah it's a pity we didn't involve you in the more strategic or political elements of the equation. You were our spearhead, and your skills were honed for that purpose. Never the less, Let us not forget the lessons of History. The council races have always acted ruthlessly to perceived threats. The Rachni were almost made extinct, the Genophage, even Humanity's not too distant past with the Turians.
Humanity is already regarded as being aggressive and ambitious by the council races. Regardless of our acknowledged presence on the council. That was nothing but an effort to contain and control us. Anderson will testify to the truth behind that statement. Your decision to appoint a warrior and not a politician to be humanity's first representative wasn't entirely welcomed with open arms and minds.
Anderson
He's telling the truth to a point Shepard. But this is pointless. The Reapers are the threat, not the council or some future hybrid AI. They have to be stopped
Illusive Man
I agree wholeheartedly in them being stopped Stopped but not destroyed. I've presented my argument as best I can Shepard. These are the fears that have haunted me ever since the discovery of the Charon Relay. Like you Shepard I have had full knowledge of the Reapers and have had to make the sacrifices accordingly. If you must make judgment on me, then judge my motivations. Not my actions. Or rather, take a look at your own actions. If you are successful in destroying the Reaper threat. YOU now becomes the de facto most powerful force in the galaxy. With Power comes responsibility and awe, but those without that power could soon lose that awe and learn fear
Yes the other races would be grateful. For a time. But history can quickly forget it's heroes after their purpose is served. They can become irrelevant at best. Also, They can just as easily be viewed as a threat. They may follow you Shepard, but after that? Humans live short lifespans. To an Asari or a Krogan, we are like Mayflies burning brightly in the night. To an Immortal Geth or AI, a single human lifetime might be too brief to acknowledge.
The question What happens when he's gone? must surely arise in the near future. I do believe the other races will each formulate their own answers pretty quickly and will act , as they have always done , with ruthless calculated ferocity. All species, should they survive, will hope to capitalize their position as quickly as possible. In a fight for survival, everything alien is a threat to your existence. The perception of possible threats and the fear they bring can be overwhelming and rash decisions made.
Shepard I'm sorry but I can't enslave a sentient race to my will.
Illusive Man
And destruction is a lesser evil? You aren't enslaving another race. They are essentially machines that have one discernible pattern. Wholesale and repeated extinction. If you can control this process Use their technology to advance humanity and the rest of the galaxy if you can. They are obviously constructs, but we have no clue of who constructed them. That is something that must be answered and you couldn't do that if you destroy the reapers. Are there even larger dangers, as yet unknown in this galaxy, or in the dark reaches beyond? Only the Reapers hold any answer
And Shepard in conclusion. If you are still worried that my desire to control the reapers is a desire for dominance. I hope it hasn't escaped your attention that at any time I could have left you and Anderson and used the console
myself.
Shepard:
Why didn't you?
Illusive Man
Why I didn't is both logical and personal. The logical answer is that if I, as Cerberus Incarnate were to control the Reapers, you can safely assume that a state of war would continue. I would never expect to be accepted by the other races. In light of my actions, You may find it hard to believe that I do believe humanity needs the other races to build this next cycle. All my preparations and machinations were to fight the Reapers and to Protect Humanity. Not dominate the galaxy. I wanted to kick-start the processes that would enable humanity to catch up with the other races.
My personal answer is I have fought this fight long enough and have no wish to continue. My soul was damaged by the Reaper Artifact. I've willingly traded my soul and made countless sacrifices multiple times since then. I had no other choice.. Only you can accept what that entails.
But you Shepard have done the impossible. You have united the galaxy and brought peace where before there was only conflict. You're an Icon, not only for humanity and the galactic races of today. But for all the countless races that have perished to the Reapers in the past. Only you could control the Reapers and keep the galaxy united. I knew that, and that was why I resurrected you. That was my miracle and contribution to the galaxy. The rest was all your doing. Let us retire to my ship, Admiral. Shepard I believe needs some space to clear his head.
Shepard
Wait you have a ship. The Normandy's the fastest and quietest ship in the galaxy.
Illusive man:
Sorry to disappoint you Shepard. I managed to save a few resources for my own use and had a small craft of my own built.
Shepard Have you named her? Let me guess Shadow or Wraith or something similar.
Illusive Man
No Shepard She's called Valkyrie. I always thought there might come a time when I needed to travel on swifter wings than a steed of War.Now Commander You have a job to do. The reapers must be stopped and you have a choice to make.
Now What is that phrase that Miranda always used? Ah Yes No Pressure
Anderson and the Illusive man walk toward an opening in the wall.
Shepard limps towards the console. which glows in a soft light.