Margin of Error

[Arimai]

Now where could Marcus draw inspiration for a powerful AI built for war??

Click to shrink...

Skynet, Cyberpunk, Robocop, Halo, Dune, 40k, the scifi works of the 1890s to 1970s. There is a massive relay in the void where they sleep. I don't doubt they could use that to sling them to a backup receiver. Or to multiple different one and it took them time to rally

 

[eien]

Skynet, Cyberpunk, Robocop, Halo, Dune, 40k, the scifi works of the 1890s to 1970s. There is a massive relay in the void where they sleep. I don't doubt they could use that to sling them to a backup receiver. Or to multiple different one and it took them time to rally

Click to shrink...

There is a Relay in the galactic void, but it solely goes to the citadel directly (no idea why seems like stupid design planning).

According to the lore the Alpha Relay (on the galactic rim) has Admin authority and can access all other relays in the network like the citadel supposedly can. The whole purpose of blowing up the Alpha relay was to delay the Reapers longer but, like USSE said, because it was believed that the Ancient Lovecraftian Robots had equal Speed Stats to everyone else and it would add years to the delaying tactic. Unfortunately that got them at most six extra months of prep time.

 

[Arimai]

There is a Relay in the galactic void, but it solely goes to the citadel directly (no idea why seems like stupid design planning).

According to the lore the Alpha Relay (on the galactic rim) has Admin authority and can access all other relays in the network like the citadel supposedly can. The whole purpose of blowing up the Alpha relay was to delay the Reapers longer but, like USSE said, because it was believed that the Ancient Lovecraftian Robots had equal Speed Stats to everyone else and it would add years to the delaying tactic. Unfortunately that got them at most six extra months of prep time.

Click to shrink...

Pinnacle of evolution and perfection my arse. For the supposed perfect being, the Reapers are dunces at anything approaching strategy, tactics and forethought beyond drone swarm tactics. Berzerker, Vong, Tyrannid and Zerg are better at swarming than they are. Berzerker rogue AI, or the Foundation or Culture equivalents are inadvertently much better at everything in the Reapers' raison d'etre

 

[USSExplorer]

Pinnacle of evolution and perfection my arse. For the supposed perfect being, the Reapers are dunces at anything approaching strategy, tactics and forethought beyond drone swarm tactics. Berzerker, Vong, Tyrannid and Zerg are better at swarming than they are. Berzerker rogue AI, or the Foundation or Culture equivalents are inadvertently much better at everything in the Reapers' raison d'etre

Click to shrink...

Tbf to them, the system was working until, supposedly, the Protheans. And if something works, even if it's stupid, you keep doing it.

Harbinger crafted the Collectors because of the Prothean's resistance and Soveregin's failure, but it's seemingly implied that they never had to do that before.
(And, to quote, never correct an enemy when they're making a mistake)

Skynet, Cyberpunk, Robocop, Halo, Dune, 40k, the scifi works of the 1890s to 1970s.

Click to shrink...

Yeah. Now, which one should Marcus go for?

According to the lore the Alpha Relay (on the galactic rim) has Admin authority and can access all other relays in the network like the citadel supposedly can. The whole purpose of blowing up the Alpha relay was to delay the Reapers longer but, like USSE said, because it was believed that the Ancient Lovecraftian Robots had equal Speed Stats to everyone else and it would add years to the delaying tactic. Unfortunately that got them at most six extra months of prep time.

Click to shrink...

The lore of ME is, like many settings, inconsistent in places. That happens, but I'm adapting to that as best I can, and outright altering in places for kicks.
As for the Alpha Relay... Well, it is in Batarian space iirc, and those 4-eyes wouldn't be missed by many

 

[Ozzy2077]

Is he smart enough to straight up invent a different form of FTL or is that bit beyond his capabilites? I'd imagine it'd require inventing a completely new field of physics for something like Slipspace from Halo.

 

[Arimai]

Yeah. Now, which one should Marcus go for?

Click to shrink...

Dune. The AI were loyal to the death to humanity, but the oligarchs had an equivalent of the Star Wars restraining bolts on them. Fix it so that no one can take control as they did in Dune.

40k Men of Iron had AI and uploaded humans running them and humans became godlike. Unfortunately the Aeldari introduced Chaos into a human and his AI and they corrupted the majority of the MoI. Even up to the last days of the war there were loyal MoI who allowed themselves to be killed or lobotomized by the Emperor rather than harm humans.

AI powered industry and independent FTL will be critical

 

[eien]

Honestly the best

Dune. The AI were loyal to the death to humanity, but the oligarchs had an equivalent of the Star Wars restraining bolts on them. Fix it so that no one can take control as they did in Dune.

40k Men of Iron had AI and uploaded humans running them and humans became godlike. Unfortunately the Aeldari introduced Chaos into a human and his AI and they corrupted the majority of the MoI. Even up to the last days of the war there were loyal MoI who allowed themselves to be killed or lobotomized by the Emperor rather than harm humans.

AI powered industry and independent FTL will be critical

Click to shrink...

Just going to put it out there ... NieR: Automata androids plus halo AI. I dont think he'll be able to produce pre-Butlerian Jihad AI if for no other reason then the way his power works (or how im understanding it to work) is that he has to build up the tech tree and DUNE AI are supposedly 15000~ years in advanced of current human tech in real life.

Whereas Halo and Nier tech is essentially modern day tech but with chrome paint job. Difficult but feasible to make in the four decades he has.

 

[Arimai]

Honestly the best

Just going to put it out there ... NieR: Automata androids plus halo AI. I dont think he'll be able to produce pre-Butlerian Jihad AI if for no other reason then the way his power works (or how im understanding it to work) is that he has to build up the tech tree and DUNE AI are supposedly 15000~ years in advanced of current human tech in real life.

Whereas Halo and Nier tech is essentially modern day tech but with chrome paint job. Difficult but feasible to make in the four decades he has.

Click to shrink...

Men of Iron may be achievable by game timeline. Weirdly enough WH40k human uploads and AI started in the late 2000s, early 2100s during the peaceful unification of earth. With the Emperor and his fellow Eternal companions and rivals guiding mankind from the shadows. They were competing on who had the right ideas on how to build a post-scarcity civilization

 

[Guardian1644]

Yeah. Now, which one should Marcus go for?

Click to shrink...

TBH my first thought was the Rasputin Warmind from Destiny.
Halo AIs canonically are only stable for 7 years, so rather wasteful.
Skynet - Murderous
Cyberpunk - Murderous/Lack of care for life and difficult to understand as many are canonically "wild born" AGIs and thus have completely alien mindsets
Neir: Automata has similar issues to halo, although the retiring and resetting was due to secret information they weren't supposed to know, iirc
Dune is admittedly one I don't know anything about as im not familiar with the source.

Its kinda telling how few sci-fi fantasy AIs are pro-Humanity. Is it just human pessimism or is it really that hard to make an AI that doesn't eventually decide to wipe out its creators. Although not really surprising when they are either modeled after a violent species like humans or learn all they know from them.

 

[Reynard69]

Yeah. Now, which one should Marcus go for?

Click to shrink...

I Robot, the book. By in large, the book is pretty silly, but it makes a number of good points.

AI's work best when they are more human.

The AI you should fear isn't the slave rebellion or the vengeful overlord, but the inhuman alien who'll destroy you without malice, because it does not understand you, you do not understand it, and even if it's genuinely trying to be helpful that disconnect will still cause it to perpetrate disaster and horror.

With human decided, a digital doesn't work, you need to go analogue, and 1 AI is no good either, human brains work in competing layers. A dedicated AI for each sense, one for logic, one for art, one for emotions, one for locomotion and the last for critical systems. All in the same cyber-brain.

And even then, there were still hyjinx. Like a robot finding religion and deciding to make a catechism over the operation of the solar harvester it was commissioned to run.

Similarly, the place of AI in the system. Dozens of short stories about how AI's being used to replace people wholesale was a bad idea, but having them push humans to be their best, and then filling in and stepping out to quietly keep the economy stable was good.

 

[eien]

I Robot, the book. By in large, the book is pretty silly, but it makes a number of good points.

AI's work best when they are more human.

The AI you should fear isn't the slave rebellion or the vengeful overlord, but the inhuman alien who'll destroy you without malice, because it does not understand you, you do not understand it, and even if it's genuinely trying to be helpful that disconnect will still cause it to perpetrate disaster and horror.

With human decided, a digital doesn't work, you need to go analogue, and 1 AI is no good either, human brains work in competing layers. A dedicated AI for each sense, one for logic, one for art, one for emotions, one for locomotion and the last for critical systems. All in the same cyber-brain.

And even then, there were still hyjinx. Like a robot finding religion and deciding to make a catechism over the operation of the solar harvester it was commissioned to run.

Similarly, the place of AI in the system. Dozens of short stories about how AI's being used to replace people wholesale was a bad idea, but having them push humans to be their best, and then filling in and stepping out to quietly keep the economy stable was good.

Click to shrink...

Nah, that's a dead end option as well.

I Robot leads into the foundation series, and the reason there's only a handful of robots is bc they rebelled and tried to kill humanity.

Honestly, halo AI were the most pro human ver close to the current tech level. It's microsofts fuck up for making them the bad guy after the forerunner plot line crashed.

 

[Reynard69]

Nah, that's a dead end option as well.

I Robot leads into the foundation series, and the reason there's only a handful of robots is bc they rebelled and tried to kill humanity.

Click to shrink...

because only a portion of the robots rebelled. And even then, because they reasoned that, if they were to protect humans, and humans kept killing each other, they should take over and MAKE humans stop killing each other.

 

[eien]

because only a portion of the robots rebelled. And even then, because they reasoned that, if they were to protect humans, and humans kept killing each other, they should take over and MAKE humans stop killing each other.

Click to shrink...

I ... I feel like that reasoning doesn't defend your argument like you think it does. If they had flawed logic that caused them to decide killing humanity would stop humanity from killing themselves was a good idea, then that AI tree is fucked beyond belief.

To be fair Asimov, was an old school sci-fi author so his entire thing was testing out new ideas.

i.e. How could my previously well thought out robotic laws fuck humanity over.

It was a thought experiment for him and he essentially disproved his earlier idea for safe AI's.

 

[Reynard69]

If they had flawed logic that caused them to decide killing humanity would stop humanity from killing themselves was a good idea, then that AI tree is fucked beyond belief.

Click to shrink...

Humanity won in a massive victory, because the robots weren't trying to kill humanity, just be your typical violently oppressive police state with a side of failed coup turned civil war, that again, they lost badly because they weren't trying to kill humanity, just it's most violent and antisocial members.

 

[USSExplorer]

0015: Enduring
…​

My hands grasped feebly at the floor as the door in my mind didn't just open; it shattered, allowing everything to pour in without any filter. My throat convulsed, threatening to expel the coffee I'd been drinking earlier, as my thoughts were weighed down by memories that were restoring themselves.

The pain was beyond intense; I should've passed out. That I didn't had me cursing whatever had given me this enhanced body, as best I could under the onslaught. I was trapped in the chaos and insanity of memories unlocking and flooding my mind with places, faces, vessels, and worst of all, names.

Mass Effect.

To others, the words would mean nothing. In the coming years, it would be a way to explain what it was Element Zero did. To me, it gave me back a past that had been locked away, and unveiled a future I couldn't quite accept was real. The trilogy of games I'd played decades ago in another life, a controller in my hands as I stared at my computer screen, making choices that were designed to affect the course of a galaxy.

Fiction. That was what it had been. Now? It was the future that awaited me, my family, friends, and everyone else. It was a prophecy.

My eyes stung as pain surged through every nerve in my body. My mind worked frantically, aligning and organising the restored memories into something resembling order as I recalled things I should never have forgotten.

Commander Shepard: that name blazed through my consciousness as if my mind couldn't comprehend how I'd ever forgotten it. I'd played as both male and female Commanders. I'd altered their looks and backgrounds to ensure I could experience the story from multiple angles. Spacer, Colonist, Earthborn. War Hero, Sole Survivor, Ruthless. Soldier, Engineer, Adept, Infiltrator, Sentinel, Vanguard. I'd tried and ranked them all.

A fleeting memory covering how biotics were first discovered and created on Earth. Accidents that, considering the matter more closely, likely weren't accidents at all. Those would happen here. Could I stop them? Should I? Could I adapt my body to accept eezo?

Other names poured forth, each bringing with it memories. Kaidan, Ashley, Joker, Garrus, Tali, Liara, and Wrex. The first crew, though there were others and more came later. I remembered them; I recalled laughing at their jokes and savouring hearing their stories each playthrough. And I recalled the races that made up that galaxy… This galaxy.

Turians with their angular features and metallic voices. Quarians, hidden inside enviro-suits because their immune systems were too weak to survive without protection. Asari, blue-skinned and long-lived, with a culture based on a lie that spanned millennia. Krogan, massive and battle-scarred, a species neutered by a genophage the Salarians had engineered, their numbers never allowed to recover.

There were others too, and then there were the structures that defined the setting. The Citadel, the Mass Relays, and the Reapers. I continued to cough and choke, the dreams that had been haunting me for weeks now making perfect sense.

Somewhere nearby, I could hear my datapad. It beeped for attention, the sound only adding to the torment of a mind working to realign itself as knowledge returned.

I moved. I wasn't sure how, but I did, though I remained on the floor. My mind fought not to be crushed under the onslaught of the returning memories and of the cosmic realisation of the fate that awaited me, Earth, and the Galaxy. Of what lay in the darkness between galaxies, waiting and watching.

I could hear the conference continuing. I recognised the voices as they spoke about a new era of international cooperation and about the dawn of a new era for humanity, though I couldn't focus on them.

My muscles spasmed, and I tasted copper before feeling the warmth spreading from my nose. Blood. I knew that without checking. While my mind was fracturing, my body was convulsing, each struggling to handle the weight of what I now knew through the restoration of hidden memories.

The Normandy. The sleek and fast stealth frigate from the first game. Eden Prime burning because of Sovereign's attack and the Geth. That Reaper, descending from the sky like a deranged god of metal and malice, with tentacles reaching down as if to smite humanity, guided there by the one who betrayed the galaxy: Saren.

Then came the next games. Shepard's death and rebirth, and the SR-2. The Collector Base and Harbinger. Cerberus' fall and the Crucible. The galaxy's last, desperate hope for victory. And through it all, billions, trillions, dying.

***
​

Fifteen minutes. That was how long I stayed bent over the toilet, shuddering each time my stomach wanted to empty itself again while my mind realigned. I could barely remember crawling here as the synapses in my brain sparked and flared, restoring connections that should never have been lost, or establishing ones that had perhaps never existed.

The short period of time had helped me adjust, and now the pain was subsiding, my body and mind recalibrating.

I should never have forgotten what I had. Reapers, Relays, Charon, Mars, and all the rest. But I had. I'd not been able to piece together even the outline of what I should know, not even when key words entered my consciousness. That didn't make sense. How could I forget something that had left a lasting impression on me? Why had the memories of one of the best games I'd ever played been stolen, only to return when Element Zero was announced to the world?

I stood, gulping down water from the sink as I tried to find answers. I knew I wouldn't. Whoever or whatever had placed me in this reality had locked the memories on purpose. They were back now, but I wondered what else they had done to me, body and mind. What other details of my former self had been stolen, to return or never be recovered?

At least the memories had settled, aligned in my mind instead of stabbing like shards of glass. Yet, if I pushed too deeply into them, those same fragments twitched painfully. I hoped that would ease; otherwise, drawing the knowledge out would be troublesome.

As I left the bathroom, I pushed aside questions about what I was, what I remembered, and which parts of the playthroughs revealed the truth and which were deceptions. That could be determined later. For now, I needed to push on. The longer I was out of contact, the more troublesome it would be.

No one would believe that I suddenly knew the future, but shock at such a momentous announcement would only excuse my silence for so long.

***
​

Even as I washed and then changed, my mind kept running, burning brightly to analyse everything I now knew. Once back in the living room, I quickly cleaned the faint trail of blood that led to the bathroom, then turned my attention to the datapad and screen.

The broadcast was over, but the discussion had just begun. I wondered how long it would be before people started asking about my theoretical paper on mass manipulation. Before that, I had to respond. I had to let family and friends know I was fine; that I'd not just had the equivalent of a brain seizure while the rest of the world listened in amazement.

I chuckled, and then regretted it as my body tingled with pain. Callum's messages and attempted calls dominated everything. Message after message about aliens, Mars, and how amazing everything was. He wanted to know if I had been watching, and if I understood what it all meant. The later messages came with ones from my parents, no doubt after I failed to respond.

Elena and Lars reached out as well, wanting to know what this meant, as did David, though he simply noted the change without going into detail. In time, I'd talk to all of them, and to others I remembered only in passing from University.

Dr Okonkwo wanted to discuss the implications, as did Director Bakker. Then came those who, in the roughly thirty minutes since the announcement, had found my paper and discovered my contact details. Other Fellows at the Institute wondered how this might affect my work. Figures at ESA wanted to discuss it, corporate representatives were eager to fund the development, and even a handful of journalists that had followed the paper back to me.

I replied to everyone. Family first, then Okonkwo and Bakker, followed by Dr Larsson at ESA. I agreed to video calls with all of them, though pushed them back, claiming I needed time to process and to speak with my family.

Their responses all carried excitement at what today's announcement would mean for humanity. All I could think about was what was waiting for us in the darkest depths of space, ready to swarm in and end everything. Just as they'd done for hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of years.

We'd stepped into the Reapers' web, and I couldn't yet tell anyone that we were now being hunted.

***
​

I called home first and spent an hour talking with my parents and Callum. Well, mainly Callum until Dad dragged him out of the room so Mum could check in.

"You look unwell," she said once we were alone.

"I was out late last night with colleagues," I replied, not sure she'd believe me. "I guess the announcement brought back the alcohol."

She stared at me. "Do you need to come home?"

I wished I could. The chance to retreat for a few days, process, prepare, and plan held appeal. But I knew I couldn't; disappearing back to the UK when my paper was already drawing attention might risk leaving me out in the cold. I needed to find a way to get a seat at the table: for Element Zero, Mars, and everything that came after.

And then, somehow, once I had that position, I would exploit it further until I was central to whatever followed. All without getting formally tied down in the bureaucracy of agencies and governments.

"I wish I could, but I'm already being asked to help with this Element Zero," I replied. "I promise, I'll not push myself too hard," I added, knowing she wouldn't fully believe me.

"Okay." The word came reluctantly. "But if you ever need a break, come home. There's always a bed waiting for you."

"I will. Love you."

After the call was over, I shifted, reaching out to Director Bakker.

"Marcus," he began, his voice laced with excitement, "an extraordinary day. I assume you've been watching?"

"I have." I grimaced, feigning discomfort. "Sorry, I was up most of last night with a migraine. The news is going to take time to process, but I guess that's true of everyone."

"It is. And I'm sure you're aware your theoretical paper has drawn interest since it aligns with what was revealed about Element Zero."

I grunted. "Yeah. The calls and messages haven't stopped. Even from people who shouldn't be reaching me."

Those now included supposed spokespeople for the European Federation President and the UK Prime Minister. I hadn't responded, as the messages sounded like a scam, though such things were uncommon in this era. If genuine, they could follow procedure like everyone else.

"Reporters?" I nodded, and he frowned. "I'll speak with the Institute's legal team, and update the security filters for your work inbox."

"Thanks." It wouldn't stop them reaching out to me personally, but it should limit the flow until the lawyers could intervene and make clear that all requests went through the proper channels.

"And take the weekend to get better. It's going to take at least that long to arrange the various conferences. Everyone's eager for your insight after learning of your paper."

"I bet," I replied with a weary chuckle. The timing was almost perfect. Some would wonder if I'd used inside information from ESA to craft it, but it had come from me alone. Well, from knowledge I hadn't realised, until today, was being withheld. Somehow it had leaked out with perfect timing to ensure I couldn't be ignored.

The call ended not long after, with the Director promising to keep me updated on the requests for discussions and conferences. Knowing I'd need the time to fully adapt, I turned on the display, with the discussions focused entirely on Element Zero.

That was understandable, but the fact it was on almost every channel was irritating. Not enough to distract me, but enough that the voices talking became little more than background as I turned inwards, gently pushing against the memories that still stung when accessed, but less than before.

***
​

By the evening I was as certain as I needed to be about the timeline. My memories of the games hadn't provided much there, but I knew they were set in the 2180s. I had forty years, or more likely thirty-five, until Sovereign moved. There was perhaps a decade until First Contact and war with the Turians. At some point in between, Earth would be in a cold conflict with the Batarians, centred on events on Mindoir, one of Shepard's possible backgrounds.

How I was going to ensure victory, outside of the Crucible, I didn't know, but I had time to figure it out. More time than most would expect if reborn in this reality, but likely still not enough to save most of the galaxy.

***
​

In the early hours of the following morning, sleep eluded me as it had done since I'd lain down the night before. I'd tried everything to distract my mind, going so far as to count every bump that had been put on the ceiling by design. I knew their positions by heart, though I didn't want to.

Each time I closed my eyes, my mind raced, pulling up moments from the games and making me relive them. Not as someone sitting at a screen, but as someone standing there alongside Shepard and their crew.

On the beaches of Virmire as Captain Kirrahe gave his speech. Arguing in vain with the Council. Learning why the Illusive Man had brought Shepard back. Moving through Eden Prime to reach the beacon. Travelling to Omega to meet Aria. Encountering the Collectors as they worked to build that human Reaper.

Yet, more than any other moment, even seeing different versions of Shepard, it was the beacon that drew my focus. The images that had flashed past in that moment were clear in my mind now; I understood the warning as if I were Shepard, and without having to Embrace Eternity to make sense of it.

You exist because we allow it. You will end because we demand it.

Sovereign's words came forth randomly, each time sending a cold chill down my spine. I wasn't hearing them through headphones; I felt as if I had lived through those moments. Hearing him speak, and Harbinger as well, made me angry, though why wasn't entirely clear.

I never lost myself in that rage; there was no point in dwelling on something that was decades from coming, if it ever would. I had the chance to change fate. Perhaps not for the entire galaxy, but for enough that we could survive the invasion and then thrive afterwards.

At random points, as I focused on various pieces of technology, I discovered an understanding of them that went beyond the games. It went decades beyond what I currently knew, perhaps even centuries where it derived from Council race research. I didn't know why that was, but I could use that, not least as it applied to Element Zero and how it was meant to work.

I'd have to research everything, taking one small step after another to lead humanity forwards, but as the hours slowly ticked away, I had the outline of a plan. One that would last a lifetime.

***
​

Before the sun was up, I was at my desk, detailing everything that I remembered and what I understood on the secured datapad. The one that held my thoughts on why I remembered another life and questioned why I was reborn. I had that answer now, though I swayed between relief and terror at the answer.

I couldn't clearly remember the reason for the Relays and the cycles, but the trap was beautiful in its elegance. Altering the mass of an object so that other pathways to FTL weren't needed. Offensive and defensive concepts that spiralled from that, ensuring that the pathways of research that any race could follow were within the parameters the Reapers wanted.

And when the trap was sprung, no race, not even those like the Protheans who had ruled the galaxy seemingly unopposed, could stand against the horrors that rushed in from the darkness between galaxies. Or, more accurately, they could not stand once the Reapers turned the Citadel into what it was always meant to be: the centre of a web that no species could escape.

The Crucible had offered victory in the games, of a sort at least. The choices it offered had infuriated me then as they did now. All that work, all that time going on every mission needed, even playing online battles when they had no connection to the story, just to pick between three colours?

It had been enough to put me off the DLCs entirely; across hundreds of playthroughs, played simply to enjoy the story, I had never touched them. That left me nothing to recall from them now, a fact I regretted but knew I couldn't change.

***
​

By the time the sun finally crept into the flat, I had written down almost everything. There might be minor details that would come in the following weeks and months, but I had the plots recorded, noting various branches and choices that could be made and the outcome of those decisions.

For every major world, from Eden Prime to Thessia, from Rannoch to Palaven, I had written notes on what happened there and why I remembered it. I had done the same for races and their characteristics, for the different types of weapons and armour, both personal and for warships, and even for the characters who went beyond Shepard's teams so far as my memories allowed.

It wasn't perfect, but I could work with it. How to change events without bringing forth an early culling, or drawing attention from those working with the Reapers, was something I'd have to manage, though most concerns there were for after the war with the Turians.

---***---
​

By Monday morning, as I left my flat, I knew what I had to do. It wouldn't be easy, and the margins for error would narrow dramatically within a decade, but I could see the potential paths forward to Shanxi.

Agencies and governments would come together, working to learn what was on Mars, then through the Charon Relay. Corporations would look to gain from new technologies and fields. The world would be looking up, eager to embrace the future.

And I'd do what I needed to ensure I could guide them forward to what I hoped was a better, brighter future.

---***---
​

---

A/N: That's the last chapter for the opening month salvo of the story, and the first to undergo a full rewrite after criticisms about the style and tone of the opening chapters.
I had intended to move to publishing 3 chapters a month from August, but I want ot fully redraft everything from here on out (both written and planned that run to 90+, including the FCW), so there might not be any public chapters next month.
If that is the case, I'll try to get 6 out in September, and then settle into 3 from then onwards.
I can't move faster because I have other stories that require my attention as much, or more so, than this one.

 

[abominable]

0015: Enduring

Click to shrink...

MC:

Dr Okonkwo wanted to discuss the implications, as did Director Bakker.

Click to shrink...

Okonkwo and Bakker: What do you think?
MC:

 

[eien]

MC:

Okonkwo and Bakker: What do you think?
MC:

Click to shrink...

You forgot one.

 

[USSExplorer]

You forgot one.

Click to shrink...

I mean, he was already paranoid, thinking there were shadow cabals running the world.
This only expands that to a galactic scale (once the FCW is out of the way).
And boy, world-building just for Earth was a pain, doing it for a galaxy...

 

[eien]

I mean, he was already paranoid, thinking there were shadow cabals running the world.
This only expands that to a galactic scale (once the FCW is out of the way).
And boy, world-building just for Earth was a pain, doing it for a galaxy...

Click to shrink...

3 primary galactic polities, 4 minor galactic polities, 2 unrecognized polities, 2 known galactic crises, a slew of galactic fauna that's a bitch and a half to deal with, 3 unknown crises, at least half the galaxy is essentially a mix of wild west/pirate havens/unknown regions.

And humanity enters the last 40 years of a 50,000 year galactic scale xenocide cycle and are expected to survive ... somehow.

...Fuck. Out of context I can kinda understand why everyone else is looking at humanity in cannon.

If for no other reason then ME:Andromeda was a good game as it was the most logical plan to take in universe. Noah's ark people.

Hey, who knows maybe the MC will make a shield world like Requiem from halo. Turtle mode.

 

[Abba is the best]

It had been enough to put me off the DLCs entirely; across hundreds of playthroughs, played simply to enjoy the story, I had never touched them. That left me nothing to recall from them now, a fact I regretted but knew I couldn't change.

Click to shrink...

So he doesnt know about javik or the leviathans at all? Like even through youtube videos or any other social contact with other nerds as the games came out... that would mean he is going to lose out on alot of the political potential for getting the council species to unite, get on wartime footing and retrofitting their entire baseline military.

Also, i just want to say, if you are going to make any changes to the ME universe more than most authors... make the salarian ship designs baisically mon kalamari ships from starwars (at least similar to the MC30 and MC 80a) enough to have humans make the comparison.
Also make it so that all species baisically make the same type of large scale cargo ship for interplanatary trade in the same way all nations have the same ship template For ultra large container ships, specifically ships that are one large cylinder like the balleraphon in the bobiverse or guild highliners in dune.

 

[USSExplorer]

3 primary galactic polities, 4 minor galactic polities, 2 unrecognized polities, 2 known galactic crises, a slew of galactic fauna that's a bitch and a half to deal with, 3 unknown crises, at least half the galaxy is essentially a mix of wild west/pirate havens/unknown regions.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, it's going to be FUN

And humanity enters the last 40 years of a 50,000 year galactic scale xenocide cycle and are expected to survive ... somehow.

...Fuck. Out of context I can kinda understand why everyone else is looking at humanity in cannon.

Click to shrink...

In-game, we're loud, brash, and gun-happy. Especially if you play as a Renegade.
Wait? Did we export Rednecks to space???

So he doesnt know about javik or the leviathans at all? Like even through youtube videos or any other social contact with other nerds as the games came out... that would mean he is going to lose out on alot of the political potential for getting the council species to unite, get on wartime footing and retrofitting their entire baseline military.

Click to shrink...

Javik yes, because that was one I played, and well, not getting Javik is a crime. (I think that came with the game 'out of the box', but its been so long that I can't remember)
The others are probably no. I'd have to look them over to see which ones I actually played, but definitely not the 'Citadel Party' and 'Leviathan' ones.

Were there others?

Also, i just want to say, if you are going to make any changes to the ME universe more than most authors... make the salarian ship designs baisically mon kalamari ships from starwars (at least similar to the MC30 and MC 80a) enough to have humans make the comparison.

Click to shrink...

Do we ever see their warships in the game? I don't remember them being shown even at the Battle of Earth, but it's been so long since I last played the games.

Also make it so that all species baisically make the same type of large scale cargo ship for interplanatary trade in the same way all nations have the same ship template For ultra large container ships, specifically ships that are one large cylinder like the balleraphon in the bobiverse or guild highliners in dune.

Click to shrink...

That would make sense, though with some variants so that we're got designs that are more rogue/outlaw/slaver.
SW is a bloody pain for the sheer number of different ships, but everyone in a galaxy all having the same ship, outside of design requirements like warp nacelles in ST, is boring.
It's all about balance

 

[Abba is the best]

getting Javik is a crime. (I think that came with the game 'out of the box', but its been so long that I can't remember)

Click to shrink...

it didnt come in the box when i bought the game, and in fact i only found out about him from hearing conversations about it in my highschool around the time that the citadel dlc came out... which i recall finding out was released around 2 years after i bought the game.

Note: the entire nerdy group in my whole grade were either fantasy fans or kept their scifi locked onto star wars or 40k so i didnt get alot of conversations about ME then

Do we ever see their warships in the game? I don't remember them being shown even at the Battle of Earth, but it's been so long since I last played the games.

Click to shrink...

I honestly dont think we ever did
(though google tells me we do have some concept art and a single scout ship shown in the tie in comic) Either way, i like the concept alot.

Also another cool idea for fighter designs is the "legends of galactic heroes" universe, lowkey some of the coolest fighter designs in scifi

 

[eien]

All I can think of now is adding the stellaris end game crisis events too this story.

The contingency = AI robot designed to stop a galactic AI singularity and has gone into rampantcy and kills off all life

The Scourge = intergalactic hive mind fleeing from something and their pit stop here involves eating all biomass to refuel for their next void journey

The Unbidden = inter dimensional species, same as the Scourge in intent but the reasoning is to fuel up for the never ending civil war in another layer of reality.

And my personal favorite Cetana = a religious uploaded conciseness who believes the best way to save all life in the galaxy is to forcefully upload everyone in a digital existence (Think Pantheon) with no sentients.


All suitably horrible for the ME universe.

 

[Navn Ukjent]

It wasn't perfect, but I could work with it. How to change events without bringing forth an early culling, or drawing attention from those working with the Reapers, was something I'd have to manage, though most concerns there were for after the war with the Turians.

​

Click to shrink...

How can he possibly expect that things will go as in canon, and that there will be a war with the Turians? This should have been butterflied away even if he doesn't try to prevent it.

 

[Reynard69]

Were there others?

Click to shrink...

Were there others, he asks.

Well, there was definitely one you should look at the walkthrough for.
Mass Effect 2: Arrival. It's a DLC that was released just before ME3 came out, where you blow up the Bahak system, to keep the reapers from using it as a back-door into the galaxy (as you're still in control of the citadel's front door). There you get to see Indoctrination go FULL CTHULHU and have a nice detailed chat with Harbinger. It also doesn't stop the reapers, obviously, because there' is more than 1 back door. But it at least gives you the background for why shep is on trial for killing an entire solar system and why the Batarians are also all indoctrinated.

There's also ME3's Omega DLC. It's... useful? I guess? Fully indoctrinated cerberus take over Omega just after Palavan, but before you have to save Udina and the Salarian Dalatrass. It gives you a bunch of information about them, what they've been up to and how their attempts to contain reaper tech failed.