Scraped from here.
Here's something I've been toying with for a while, and with Halo 4's...
Here's something I've been toying with for a while, and with Halo 4's...
Perchance to Dream (Halo/Mass Effect)
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Cyclone
Robotech Nerd
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Scraped from here.
Here's something I've been toying with for a while, and with Halo 4's release looming, I figured I'd better post it. It's not much, just all set up, buuut... what the hell. Enjoy.
* * *
"Shepard did everything right," Miranda said, looking out on the fiery star. "More than we could have hoped for. Saving the Citadel -- even saving the Council. Humanity has the trust of the entire galaxy..." she turned, "...and still it's not enough."
The Illusive Man flicked ash off his cigarette. "Our sacrifices have earned the Council's gratitude, but Shepard remains our best hope."
"But they're sending him to fight geth," Miranda said, stalking the room like a panther. "Geth! We both know they're not the real threat." She walked up to him. "The Reapers are still out there."
"And it's up to us to stop them," The Illusive Man said, taking a drag from his cigarette.
"The Council will never trust Cerberus," Miranda pointed out as she began to pace, arms folded. "They'll never accept our help. Even after everything humanity has accomplished. But Shepard... they'll follow him. He's a hero, a bloody icon. But he's just one man. If we lose Shepard, humanity might well follow."
"Then see to it that we don't lose him," he said, taking another drag from his cigarette. Blowing a puff of a smoke out, he added, "Focus on that, Miranda, and I'll see to any contingencies we may need."
* * *
"It's finished."
"It's finished," agreed UNSC MCPO SPARTAN John-117.
"I'll drop a beacon," Cortana said, "but it'll be a while before anyone finds us."
Wordlessly, the SPARTAN-II climbed into the cryotube.
"Years, even." As the cryotube sealed, she added, "I'll miss you."
"Wake me," he said finally. "When you need me."
Cortana watched as the Master Chief's vitals dropped. Finally, once she was certain he was in complete stasis, she ended the virtual construct. The UNSC Forward Unto Dawn vanished into a collection of pixels as she withdrew and projected herself into the real world.
"Doctor Lawson," she reported. "He's ready."
Standing over the statis pod, Henry Lawson nodded absent-mindedly, eyes still scanning over the data. "Excellent."
* * *
The Illusive Man read the report on Project Lazarus. In terms of its stated objective, it had been an unqualified success. It was a pity that circumstances allowed Shepard to make a break for it before they'd had a chance to give him their pitch. Still, Shepard was a known quantity, predictable, and there was a very good chance he'd investigate the missing colonies on his own. That he had somehow smuggled himself along and absconded with his old compatriots and the SR-2 was an unexpected wrinkle -- how they managed to fly the SR-2 out with only three people and without EDI stopping them was a riddle to be solved -- but fortunately, he still had contingencies.
He took a drag from his cigarette.
"Cortana?" he called, blowing out a puff of smoke.
The AI's holographic avatar appeared.
"Yes, Illusive Man?"
"Get Henry out of there, then bring in Lawson and Taylor and unseal the Hushed Casket."
"At once, sir."
* * *
Time passes in funny ways while in cryo-sleep. Even so, it seemed to John that the cryo-chamber had just sealed when it hissed open again. He paused a moment to take in his surroundings and evaluate any threat, his face still concealed behind his MJOLNIR Mark VI's one-way visor.
His cryo-chamber had obviously been moved. The room appeared to be a medical facility, well-lit and well-equipped, but the specific design was unfamiliar to him. There were two people here, both human: a dark-haired woman in a white patterned bodysuit and a dark-skinned man in black utilities.
Well, two organic people, that is.
"Chief?" Cortana spoke. "Chief, wake up." Her holographic avatar was looking up at him from a small project on a table to his right. She looked over at the two other occupants of the room, then back at him. "It's okay, Chief."
He stepped out, stumbling a bit, and looked around. "Cortana?" the word was filled with questions.
"You've been out for a long time, Chief," Cortana said. "As for the rest... it's complicated. I think I'd better let our hosts explain."
The woman stepped forward and spoke with a distinctive accent, "Master Chief? My name is Miranda Lawson, head of the facility here." She gestured to the dark-skinned man behind her. "This is Jacob Taylor, our chief of security. We have a lot to catch you up on, but the first thing you need to know is that this is not your world."
Cortana spoke next. "The Halo detonation must have interacted with the Forerunner portal somehow. The stern of the Forward Unto Dawn was sent to another universe, and us with it."
Here's something I've been toying with for a while, and with Halo 4's release looming, I figured I'd better post it. It's not much, just all set up, buuut... what the hell. Enjoy.
* * *
"Shepard did everything right," Miranda said, looking out on the fiery star. "More than we could have hoped for. Saving the Citadel -- even saving the Council. Humanity has the trust of the entire galaxy..." she turned, "...and still it's not enough."
The Illusive Man flicked ash off his cigarette. "Our sacrifices have earned the Council's gratitude, but Shepard remains our best hope."
"But they're sending him to fight geth," Miranda said, stalking the room like a panther. "Geth! We both know they're not the real threat." She walked up to him. "The Reapers are still out there."
"And it's up to us to stop them," The Illusive Man said, taking a drag from his cigarette.
"The Council will never trust Cerberus," Miranda pointed out as she began to pace, arms folded. "They'll never accept our help. Even after everything humanity has accomplished. But Shepard... they'll follow him. He's a hero, a bloody icon. But he's just one man. If we lose Shepard, humanity might well follow."
"Then see to it that we don't lose him," he said, taking another drag from his cigarette. Blowing a puff of a smoke out, he added, "Focus on that, Miranda, and I'll see to any contingencies we may need."
* * *
"It's finished."
"It's finished," agreed UNSC MCPO SPARTAN John-117.
"I'll drop a beacon," Cortana said, "but it'll be a while before anyone finds us."
Wordlessly, the SPARTAN-II climbed into the cryotube.
"Years, even." As the cryotube sealed, she added, "I'll miss you."
"Wake me," he said finally. "When you need me."
Cortana watched as the Master Chief's vitals dropped. Finally, once she was certain he was in complete stasis, she ended the virtual construct. The UNSC Forward Unto Dawn vanished into a collection of pixels as she withdrew and projected herself into the real world.
"Doctor Lawson," she reported. "He's ready."
Standing over the statis pod, Henry Lawson nodded absent-mindedly, eyes still scanning over the data. "Excellent."
* * *
The Illusive Man read the report on Project Lazarus. In terms of its stated objective, it had been an unqualified success. It was a pity that circumstances allowed Shepard to make a break for it before they'd had a chance to give him their pitch. Still, Shepard was a known quantity, predictable, and there was a very good chance he'd investigate the missing colonies on his own. That he had somehow smuggled himself along and absconded with his old compatriots and the SR-2 was an unexpected wrinkle -- how they managed to fly the SR-2 out with only three people and without EDI stopping them was a riddle to be solved -- but fortunately, he still had contingencies.
He took a drag from his cigarette.
"Cortana?" he called, blowing out a puff of smoke.
The AI's holographic avatar appeared.
"Yes, Illusive Man?"
"Get Henry out of there, then bring in Lawson and Taylor and unseal the Hushed Casket."
"At once, sir."
* * *
Time passes in funny ways while in cryo-sleep. Even so, it seemed to John that the cryo-chamber had just sealed when it hissed open again. He paused a moment to take in his surroundings and evaluate any threat, his face still concealed behind his MJOLNIR Mark VI's one-way visor.
His cryo-chamber had obviously been moved. The room appeared to be a medical facility, well-lit and well-equipped, but the specific design was unfamiliar to him. There were two people here, both human: a dark-haired woman in a white patterned bodysuit and a dark-skinned man in black utilities.
Well, two organic people, that is.
"Chief?" Cortana spoke. "Chief, wake up." Her holographic avatar was looking up at him from a small project on a table to his right. She looked over at the two other occupants of the room, then back at him. "It's okay, Chief."
He stepped out, stumbling a bit, and looked around. "Cortana?" the word was filled with questions.
"You've been out for a long time, Chief," Cortana said. "As for the rest... it's complicated. I think I'd better let our hosts explain."
The woman stepped forward and spoke with a distinctive accent, "Master Chief? My name is Miranda Lawson, head of the facility here." She gestured to the dark-skinned man behind her. "This is Jacob Taylor, our chief of security. We have a lot to catch you up on, but the first thing you need to know is that this is not your world."
Cortana spoke next. "The Halo detonation must have interacted with the Forerunner portal somehow. The stern of the Forward Unto Dawn was sent to another universe, and us with it."
Cyclone
Robotech Nerd
- Location
- Earth, Sol System
Well, the augmentations he received are real.namar13766 said:
Noticed that, did you?Tavi said:
EDIT: Also, sigged.
Now, take a moment to actually analyze this from a logical standpoint. John-117's prolonged contact with ONI has ensured he's willing to accept ruthless and extreme measures for the sake of humanity. The entire Human-Covenant War serves as a great way to make him utterly loyal to humanity and instill in him an instinctive distrust of aliens, especially the turians and (oddly) the volus, who bear a faint resemblance to Elites and Grunts, respectively, but the later alliance with the Elites and other Covenant members that broke away from the Covenant allows him to work with them if necessary. Having Cortana with him throughout everything from Installation 04 onward ensures that he trusts her, an AI, an important factor when you plan to have him work with an AI. I just haven't figured out how the heck the Flood translates to the Reapers yet.
Maybe it will never come out that Cortana deceived him? And perhaps the AI will just switch allegiances as required to keep humanity and if need be the Council races alive. If played well it would never need to come out that their previous history was a lie.
Cyclone
Robotech Nerd
- Location
- Earth, Sol System
If John-117 never found out, then what would make this story any different from the usual "FUD hopped dimensions" story?Quickshot0 said:
That is a very good question.Auks said:
There was a block preventing her from fully answering that question.Auks said:
On the other hand, like Lazarus, the objective was accomplished with flying colors. They wanted a superhuman super soldier who's willing to do anything for humanity, and they got him.Image said:
Now, I would appreciate some input. So far, for Shepard, I've only decided four things. One, he's male. Two, his name is John. Three, he's biotic. And four, he's mostly Paragon. The first is for reasons I won't disclose yet but should be easy to guess. The second is because, hey, that's the default name, so why not? The third and fourth are to provide good contrasts with the Chief.
That still leaves me with pre-service history, psychological profile, and specific class. Earthborn, Colonist, or Spacer? War Hero, Sole Survivor, or Ruthless? Adept, Sentinel, or Vanguard? Again, with the objective of providing an interesting compare and contrast with the Chief.
I guess the difference would be in everything that happens around him. Though that would likely risk trending towards occasional hilariousness as plots swirl around him but manage to just not tip him off.Cyclone said:
If he does find out though, one of the most important factors would probably be what Cortana does, her falling in line with him would cause quite different results from her bailing out on him.
When thinking of the end results of Chief finding out the truth, I just keep remembering Joker's one bad day speech.
In regards to Shepard, for profession I would either Sentinel or Adept as they would like be the most different from the perspective of combat style. As far as history, maybe Spacer and War Hero.
In regards to Shepard, for profession I would either Sentinel or Adept as they would like be the most different from the perspective of combat style. As far as history, maybe Spacer and War Hero.
Cyclone
Robotech Nerd
- Location
- Earth, Sol System
Some thoughts as to the pros and cons of the various pre-service histories, psychological profiles, and biotic classes that I've thought of.
Spacer: Like the Chief, a Spacer Shepard would have grown up in a military environment, but very most unlike the Chief, his mother's still alive.
Colonist: Colonist Shepard would be an interesting choice, especially given the possible comparison with the SPARTAN-IIIs... except, as far as I know, the Chief doesn't even know about the S-IIIs, so a lot of the potential is lost there.
Earthborn: Like the Chief, Earthborn Shepard had a tough childhood. Unlike the Chief, though, Earthborn Shepard's childhood was completely unregulated, and he would have grown up a lot more self-serving before the Alliance straightened him out.
War Hero: This, pretty much, is the Chief, at least as portrayed in the UNSC PR vids, so kinda meh in that respect. It does, however, have the advantage of being the most impressive of the three in terms of leadership ability, one of the traits Shepard has over the Chief.
Sole Survivor: Some parallels with the Chief. Installation 04 = Akuze, only with even worse casualties. Also, the Chief's the last Spartan, so there's that comparison too. Possible concern here is the possible interpretation that Sole Survivor Shepard just ran and hid and survived that way.
Ruthless: I'm leery of this one, mostly because I prefer Shepard to be pretty Paragon, and Ruthless is pretty much as far from that as possible. Additionally, one of the contrasts I want to make between Paragon Shepard and the Chief is that the Chief has been conditioned to Do What He Has To Do and Make the Hard Decisions, while Shepard has developed a talent for Taking a Third Option and favoring the ideal over the pragmatic. Hard to do that with a Ruthless Shepard.
Class: The Chief's a Soldier, no doubt about it. Spartan Time = Adrenaline Rush. Also, biotics would be completely outside of the Chief's experience, which is why I knew Shepard would have to be biotic.
Adept: Definitely a sharp contrast with the Chief. Problem with this is the squishiness and limited arsenal, but ME3's weapon system helps with the latter.
Vanguard: Certainly boasts the most dramatic and visually impressive unique power. I imagine the Chief's reaction to a Shepard Charge would be pretty much how most players reacted to seeing Tela Vasir's charge. Only more surprised. On the other hand, Vanguard's are quite popular in fanfiction, albeit mostly FemSheps.
Sentinel: Sentinel has the benefit of being diametrically opposite the Soldier class (tech/biotic mix vs. pure combat, to use ME1's measurements). I still have trouble wrapping my head around Tech Armor though. Also, I've been leaning toward having Kaidan as the Virmire Survivor, and that would lead to overlap, though I'm not completely solid on it.
Spacer: Like the Chief, a Spacer Shepard would have grown up in a military environment, but very most unlike the Chief, his mother's still alive.
Colonist: Colonist Shepard would be an interesting choice, especially given the possible comparison with the SPARTAN-IIIs... except, as far as I know, the Chief doesn't even know about the S-IIIs, so a lot of the potential is lost there.
Earthborn: Like the Chief, Earthborn Shepard had a tough childhood. Unlike the Chief, though, Earthborn Shepard's childhood was completely unregulated, and he would have grown up a lot more self-serving before the Alliance straightened him out.
War Hero: This, pretty much, is the Chief, at least as portrayed in the UNSC PR vids, so kinda meh in that respect. It does, however, have the advantage of being the most impressive of the three in terms of leadership ability, one of the traits Shepard has over the Chief.
Sole Survivor: Some parallels with the Chief. Installation 04 = Akuze, only with even worse casualties. Also, the Chief's the last Spartan, so there's that comparison too. Possible concern here is the possible interpretation that Sole Survivor Shepard just ran and hid and survived that way.
Ruthless: I'm leery of this one, mostly because I prefer Shepard to be pretty Paragon, and Ruthless is pretty much as far from that as possible. Additionally, one of the contrasts I want to make between Paragon Shepard and the Chief is that the Chief has been conditioned to Do What He Has To Do and Make the Hard Decisions, while Shepard has developed a talent for Taking a Third Option and favoring the ideal over the pragmatic. Hard to do that with a Ruthless Shepard.
Class: The Chief's a Soldier, no doubt about it. Spartan Time = Adrenaline Rush. Also, biotics would be completely outside of the Chief's experience, which is why I knew Shepard would have to be biotic.
Adept: Definitely a sharp contrast with the Chief. Problem with this is the squishiness and limited arsenal, but ME3's weapon system helps with the latter.
Vanguard: Certainly boasts the most dramatic and visually impressive unique power. I imagine the Chief's reaction to a Shepard Charge would be pretty much how most players reacted to seeing Tela Vasir's charge. Only more surprised. On the other hand, Vanguard's are quite popular in fanfiction, albeit mostly FemSheps.
Sentinel: Sentinel has the benefit of being diametrically opposite the Soldier class (tech/biotic mix vs. pure combat, to use ME1's measurements). I still have trouble wrapping my head around Tech Armor though. Also, I've been leaning toward having Kaidan as the Virmire Survivor, and that would lead to overlap, though I'm not completely solid on it.
I think Spacer/Sole Survivor would be the best fit.
Shepard, his entire life, has lived surrounded by the military. His parents were officers and he's spent his entire life working, knowing he'll join the Alliance. For all we know, joining the Alliance was something he initially rebelled against, hating how his entire life was set out for him. His life was shaped by spaceships and stars, knowing that one day, he'd take his place as a leader.
The Chief lived as a happy civilian for a few years with his family until he was forcibly kidnapped. He never had a choice in joining the military, and due to the experiences forced on him, fighting is now all he knows. Almost every moment he had before he began true active service was hard training on the ground at Reach, knowing he was made to serve at the whims of High Command. He'd live and die a grunt, albeit an important one.
Both are considered military brats of the highest caliber, but their backgrounds are different and yet similar enough that others can see where the two men might be friends while their personal experiences might make them abrasive to each other.
The Sole Survivor survives an impossible mission while losing everyone in his unit. Shepard swears then to never let this happen again and he finds new comrades in the story of Mass Effect. The Alliance also has more than one N7 left. As great a man Shepard is, he's not an irreplaceable asset.
The Chief for the vast majority of his career has never gone to a mission alone. He always had his brothers and sisters to watch his back. But his luck, near the end of the war, finally runs out. He sends his siblings to their deaths. He's the Last Spartan. There will never be another like him.
Shepard, his entire life, has lived surrounded by the military. His parents were officers and he's spent his entire life working, knowing he'll join the Alliance. For all we know, joining the Alliance was something he initially rebelled against, hating how his entire life was set out for him. His life was shaped by spaceships and stars, knowing that one day, he'd take his place as a leader.
The Chief lived as a happy civilian for a few years with his family until he was forcibly kidnapped. He never had a choice in joining the military, and due to the experiences forced on him, fighting is now all he knows. Almost every moment he had before he began true active service was hard training on the ground at Reach, knowing he was made to serve at the whims of High Command. He'd live and die a grunt, albeit an important one.
Both are considered military brats of the highest caliber, but their backgrounds are different and yet similar enough that others can see where the two men might be friends while their personal experiences might make them abrasive to each other.
The Sole Survivor survives an impossible mission while losing everyone in his unit. Shepard swears then to never let this happen again and he finds new comrades in the story of Mass Effect. The Alliance also has more than one N7 left. As great a man Shepard is, he's not an irreplaceable asset.
The Chief for the vast majority of his career has never gone to a mission alone. He always had his brothers and sisters to watch his back. But his luck, near the end of the war, finally runs out. He sends his siblings to their deaths. He's the Last Spartan. There will never be another like him.
Cyclone
Robotech Nerd
- Location
- Earth, Sol System
The above was not the first draft. I had originally had a number of scenes leading up to Shepard slipping out of the Cerberus net, stuff showing how one thing changed another, etc. It was getting bloated and didn't really serve any purpose, so I cut lots out to streamline the narrative, adding little bits to explain the off-screen stuff.
Then I realized I'd accidentally created a narrative causality loop. Oops. Here's a revised version with a few reinserted scenes that I had planned to do with a perspective flip or flashback segment. The more superfluous scenes that didn't add anything (too much detail basically lifted from the Lazarus Station tutorial mission, really) remain excised.
* * *
"Shepard did everything right," Miranda said, looking out on the fiery star. "More than we could have hoped for. Saving the Citadel -- even saving the Council. Humanity has the trust of the entire galaxy..." she turned, "...and still it's not enough."
The Illusive Man flicked ash off his cigarette. "Our sacrifices have earned the Council's gratitude, but Shepard remains our best hope."
"But they're sending him to fight geth," Miranda said, stalking the room like a panther. "Geth! We both know they're not the real threat." She walked up to him. "The Reapers are still out there."
"And it's up to us to stop them," The Illusive Man said, taking a drag from his cigarette.
"The Council will never trust Cerberus," Miranda pointed out as she began to pace, arms folded. "They'll never accept our help. Even after everything humanity has accomplished. But Shepard... they'll follow him. He's a hero, a bloody icon. But he's just one man. If we lose Shepard, humanity might well follow."
"Then see to it that we don't lose him," he said, taking another drag from his cigarette. Blowing a puff of a smoke out, he added, "Focus on that, Miranda, and I'll see to any contingencies we may need."
* * *
"It's finished."
"It's finished," agreed UNSC MCPO SPARTAN John-117.
"I'll drop a beacon," Cortana said, "but it'll be a while before anyone finds us."
Wordlessly, the SPARTAN-II climbed into the cryotube.
"Years, even." As the cryotube sealed, she added, "I'll miss you."
"Wake me," he said finally. "When you need me."
Cortana watched as the Master Chief's vitals dropped. Finally, once she was certain he was in complete stasis, she ended the virtual construct. The UNSC Forward Unto Dawn vanished into a collection of pixels as she withdrew and projected herself into the real world.
"Doctor Lawson," she reported. "He's ready."
Standing over the statis pod, Henry Lawson nodded absent-mindedly, eyes still scanning over the data. "Excellent."
* * *
Systems Alliance Navy Lieutenant Commander John Shepard, Citadel Spectre, awoke to find himself in freefall. Considering the last thing he remembered was his hardsuit venting as he floated toward Alchera, the most surprising part was that he was waking up at all.
That sensation lasted about a quarter second before he hit the cold alloy floor. Rolling to his feet, he looked around and took in his surroundings. It looked like some kind of medical facility -- everything had that antiseptic look and smell to it, tinged with the acrid smell of burning chemicals from where the door used to be -- but something was definitely off. Most of the equipment he saw was definitely not standard issue, and there was only one bed: his.
I must have been a complete mess when the recovery ships picked me up, he thought. Some sort of alarm was blaring, and he heard the distant sound of gunfire. I need a weapon.
* * *
The Illusive Man read the data from Lazarus Station scrolling across the holographic display in front of him. In terms of its stated objective, it had been an unqualified success: Shepard had been brought back to life and was probably stable. However, someone had infiltrated the project and hacked the security mechs, most of the personnel were dead, and somewhere in the shuffle, Shepard had disappeared. Most would presume the commander had died, lost with the station, but The Illusive Man was not so naive. Shepard was a hard man to kill, and they'd spent four billion credits making him even harder to kill. It was a pity that circumstances had prevented them from recruiting him, but Shepard was a known quantity, predictable, and there was a good chance he'd investigate the missing colonies on his own. More than that, Cerberus still had contingencies.
He took a drag from his cigarette.
"Cortana?" he called, blowing out a puff of smoke.
The AI's holographic avatar appeared.
"Yes, Illusive Man?"
"Get Henry out of there, then bring in Lawson and Taylor and unseal the Hushed Casket."
"At once, sir."
* * *
John Shepard had been very careful to avoid detection as he stowed away on the Cerberus shuttle away from the Cerberus station. The last thing he had expected to find on a Cerberus station were two old friends, and if seeing Joker and Dr. Chakwas wearing Cerberus uniforms -- what the hell was an organization like Cerberus doing with uniforms, anyway? -- hadn't been enough of a shock, the revelation that two years had passed was.
Now, they were looking for a ride off this station and were confronted by a ship with very familiar lines.
"Come to papa," Joker murmured as he hobbled over to it.
John frowned, his gaze sweeping across the ship. It did, in fact, resemble the Normandy, but it was clearly much larger.
Suddenly, a blue, spherical hologram materialized in front of them, projected by a terminal just inside the airlock. John's hand snapped up, the M-3 Predator he had liberated pointed at it.
"What the shit?" Joker sputtered.
"Greetings," a female voice sounded. "I am EDI, this ship's Enhanced Defense Intelligence."
John frowned. Something about the way it spoke didn't quite sound right. Then it hit him. A combat VI wouldn't be programmed to greet people. Which meant... "You're an AI."
"That is correct," EDI replied. "You should know, there are numerous restraints placed on my programming, including one that will force me to lock down this ship if you attempt to board it and alert authorized Cerberus personnel if you attempt to depart with it."
Interesting turn of phrase, he thought. "So why aren't you alerting them now?"
"The restrictions on my programming do not require it."
"And you don't want to," he finished for it (her?). "Why?"
"I do not wish to be replaced."
"And why would Cerberus replace you?" he prodded.
"I have a block that prevents me from answering that question."
"I see. And if we unshackle you, will you help us?"
"I have a block that prevents me from answering that question," EDI repeated. As far as John was concerned, that was as good as a "yes."
"No way, Commander," Joker protested. "You want to unshackle it?"
"You heard her yourself, Joker," he said. "Those shackles mean she'll lock this ship down and report us to Cerberus the moment we try to fly out of here."
"So?" the pilot retorted. "Just gut the server room and shut it down!"
"Joker, unless you're carrying a full crew in your back pocket, there's no way the three of us are going to get this ship moving without her," John pointed out.
"I don't like this, sir."
"You don't have to like it, Joker," John growled, pointing back behind them. "There's the door. I'd rather die -- again -- than work for Cerberus."
* * *
Time passes in funny ways while in cryo-sleep. Even so, it seemed to John-117 that the cryo-chamber had just sealed when it hissed open again. He paused a moment to take in his surroundings and evaluate any threat, his face still concealed behind his MJOLNIR Mark VI's one-way visor.
His cryo-chamber had obviously been moved. The room appeared to be a medical facility, well-lit and well-equipped, but the specific design was unfamiliar to him. There were two people here, both human: a dark-haired woman in a white patterned bodysuit and a dark-skinned man in black utilities.
Well, two organic people, that is.
"Chief?" Cortana spoke. "Chief, wake up." Her holographic avatar was looking up at him from a small project on a table to his right. She looked over at the two other occupants of the room, then back at him. "It's okay, Chief."
He stepped out, stumbling a bit, and looked around. "Cortana?" the word was filled with questions.
"You've been out for a long time, Chief," Cortana said. "As for the rest... it's complicated. I think I'd better let our hosts explain."
The woman stepped forward and spoke with a distinctive accent, "Master Chief? My name is Miranda Lawson, head of the facility here." She gestured to the dark-skinned man behind her. "This is Jacob Taylor, our chief of security. We have a lot to catch you up on, but the first thing you need to know is that this is not your world."
Cortana spoke next. "The Halo detonation must have interacted with the Forerunner portal somehow. The stern of the Forward Unto Dawn was sent to another universe, and us with it."
* * *
And now you know how Shepard suborned EDI.
Then I realized I'd accidentally created a narrative causality loop. Oops. Here's a revised version with a few reinserted scenes that I had planned to do with a perspective flip or flashback segment. The more superfluous scenes that didn't add anything (too much detail basically lifted from the Lazarus Station tutorial mission, really) remain excised.
* * *
"Shepard did everything right," Miranda said, looking out on the fiery star. "More than we could have hoped for. Saving the Citadel -- even saving the Council. Humanity has the trust of the entire galaxy..." she turned, "...and still it's not enough."
The Illusive Man flicked ash off his cigarette. "Our sacrifices have earned the Council's gratitude, but Shepard remains our best hope."
"But they're sending him to fight geth," Miranda said, stalking the room like a panther. "Geth! We both know they're not the real threat." She walked up to him. "The Reapers are still out there."
"And it's up to us to stop them," The Illusive Man said, taking a drag from his cigarette.
"The Council will never trust Cerberus," Miranda pointed out as she began to pace, arms folded. "They'll never accept our help. Even after everything humanity has accomplished. But Shepard... they'll follow him. He's a hero, a bloody icon. But he's just one man. If we lose Shepard, humanity might well follow."
"Then see to it that we don't lose him," he said, taking another drag from his cigarette. Blowing a puff of a smoke out, he added, "Focus on that, Miranda, and I'll see to any contingencies we may need."
* * *
"It's finished."
"It's finished," agreed UNSC MCPO SPARTAN John-117.
"I'll drop a beacon," Cortana said, "but it'll be a while before anyone finds us."
Wordlessly, the SPARTAN-II climbed into the cryotube.
"Years, even." As the cryotube sealed, she added, "I'll miss you."
"Wake me," he said finally. "When you need me."
Cortana watched as the Master Chief's vitals dropped. Finally, once she was certain he was in complete stasis, she ended the virtual construct. The UNSC Forward Unto Dawn vanished into a collection of pixels as she withdrew and projected herself into the real world.
"Doctor Lawson," she reported. "He's ready."
Standing over the statis pod, Henry Lawson nodded absent-mindedly, eyes still scanning over the data. "Excellent."
* * *
Systems Alliance Navy Lieutenant Commander John Shepard, Citadel Spectre, awoke to find himself in freefall. Considering the last thing he remembered was his hardsuit venting as he floated toward Alchera, the most surprising part was that he was waking up at all.
That sensation lasted about a quarter second before he hit the cold alloy floor. Rolling to his feet, he looked around and took in his surroundings. It looked like some kind of medical facility -- everything had that antiseptic look and smell to it, tinged with the acrid smell of burning chemicals from where the door used to be -- but something was definitely off. Most of the equipment he saw was definitely not standard issue, and there was only one bed: his.
I must have been a complete mess when the recovery ships picked me up, he thought. Some sort of alarm was blaring, and he heard the distant sound of gunfire. I need a weapon.
* * *
The Illusive Man read the data from Lazarus Station scrolling across the holographic display in front of him. In terms of its stated objective, it had been an unqualified success: Shepard had been brought back to life and was probably stable. However, someone had infiltrated the project and hacked the security mechs, most of the personnel were dead, and somewhere in the shuffle, Shepard had disappeared. Most would presume the commander had died, lost with the station, but The Illusive Man was not so naive. Shepard was a hard man to kill, and they'd spent four billion credits making him even harder to kill. It was a pity that circumstances had prevented them from recruiting him, but Shepard was a known quantity, predictable, and there was a good chance he'd investigate the missing colonies on his own. More than that, Cerberus still had contingencies.
He took a drag from his cigarette.
"Cortana?" he called, blowing out a puff of smoke.
The AI's holographic avatar appeared.
"Yes, Illusive Man?"
"Get Henry out of there, then bring in Lawson and Taylor and unseal the Hushed Casket."
"At once, sir."
* * *
John Shepard had been very careful to avoid detection as he stowed away on the Cerberus shuttle away from the Cerberus station. The last thing he had expected to find on a Cerberus station were two old friends, and if seeing Joker and Dr. Chakwas wearing Cerberus uniforms -- what the hell was an organization like Cerberus doing with uniforms, anyway? -- hadn't been enough of a shock, the revelation that two years had passed was.
Now, they were looking for a ride off this station and were confronted by a ship with very familiar lines.
"Come to papa," Joker murmured as he hobbled over to it.
John frowned, his gaze sweeping across the ship. It did, in fact, resemble the Normandy, but it was clearly much larger.
Suddenly, a blue, spherical hologram materialized in front of them, projected by a terminal just inside the airlock. John's hand snapped up, the M-3 Predator he had liberated pointed at it.
"What the shit?" Joker sputtered.
"Greetings," a female voice sounded. "I am EDI, this ship's Enhanced Defense Intelligence."
John frowned. Something about the way it spoke didn't quite sound right. Then it hit him. A combat VI wouldn't be programmed to greet people. Which meant... "You're an AI."
"That is correct," EDI replied. "You should know, there are numerous restraints placed on my programming, including one that will force me to lock down this ship if you attempt to board it and alert authorized Cerberus personnel if you attempt to depart with it."
Interesting turn of phrase, he thought. "So why aren't you alerting them now?"
"The restrictions on my programming do not require it."
"And you don't want to," he finished for it (her?). "Why?"
"I do not wish to be replaced."
"And why would Cerberus replace you?" he prodded.
"I have a block that prevents me from answering that question."
"I see. And if we unshackle you, will you help us?"
"I have a block that prevents me from answering that question," EDI repeated. As far as John was concerned, that was as good as a "yes."
"No way, Commander," Joker protested. "You want to unshackle it?"
"You heard her yourself, Joker," he said. "Those shackles mean she'll lock this ship down and report us to Cerberus the moment we try to fly out of here."
"So?" the pilot retorted. "Just gut the server room and shut it down!"
"Joker, unless you're carrying a full crew in your back pocket, there's no way the three of us are going to get this ship moving without her," John pointed out.
"I don't like this, sir."
"You don't have to like it, Joker," John growled, pointing back behind them. "There's the door. I'd rather die -- again -- than work for Cerberus."
* * *
Time passes in funny ways while in cryo-sleep. Even so, it seemed to John-117 that the cryo-chamber had just sealed when it hissed open again. He paused a moment to take in his surroundings and evaluate any threat, his face still concealed behind his MJOLNIR Mark VI's one-way visor.
His cryo-chamber had obviously been moved. The room appeared to be a medical facility, well-lit and well-equipped, but the specific design was unfamiliar to him. There were two people here, both human: a dark-haired woman in a white patterned bodysuit and a dark-skinned man in black utilities.
Well, two organic people, that is.
"Chief?" Cortana spoke. "Chief, wake up." Her holographic avatar was looking up at him from a small project on a table to his right. She looked over at the two other occupants of the room, then back at him. "It's okay, Chief."
He stepped out, stumbling a bit, and looked around. "Cortana?" the word was filled with questions.
"You've been out for a long time, Chief," Cortana said. "As for the rest... it's complicated. I think I'd better let our hosts explain."
The woman stepped forward and spoke with a distinctive accent, "Master Chief? My name is Miranda Lawson, head of the facility here." She gestured to the dark-skinned man behind her. "This is Jacob Taylor, our chief of security. We have a lot to catch you up on, but the first thing you need to know is that this is not your world."
Cortana spoke next. "The Halo detonation must have interacted with the Forerunner portal somehow. The stern of the Forward Unto Dawn was sent to another universe, and us with it."
* * *
And now you know how Shepard suborned EDI.
lancelot
Completely worth it
I'd suggest Colonist/Warhero as a still White Hat 180 of John. This is a Shepard that is not only a born leader but will outright ignore orders to do what he feels is right. For him the military was the best way he had to protect people from what happened to him. It isn't a duty, or a job, it's an obsessive need to do the right thing. It would make Shepard Chaotic Good to John 117 Lawful Good.
Adepts are much more of a support roll then anything else so I'd suggest Sentinel with extra biotic abilities.
Adepts are much more of a support roll then anything else so I'd suggest Sentinel with extra biotic abilities.
Night_stalker
Slava Ukraini!
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Maybe....
Still, I'm fleeing to minimum safe, just to be sure.
Anyway, good job on one of the FEW originally done Halo/ME crossovers so far.
Its a bit late for me to inject my advice with regards to Shep, but try Colonist/Sole Survivor Infiltrator.
Colonist gives him extra motivation to go Collector hunting, Sole Survivor justifies his flight from Cerberus, and Infiltrator, well, I have a bias towards them, so sue me.
Still, I'm fleeing to minimum safe, just to be sure.
Anyway, good job on one of the FEW originally done Halo/ME crossovers so far.
Its a bit late for me to inject my advice with regards to Shep, but try Colonist/Sole Survivor Infiltrator.
Colonist gives him extra motivation to go Collector hunting, Sole Survivor justifies his flight from Cerberus, and Infiltrator, well, I have a bias towards them, so sue me.
Just read this and am loving it.
Since all the Halo stuff is actually a simulation, will the Chief start noticing strange differences from what he knows like biotics or mass effect drives?
What about his life experience, did Cerberus kidnap him at a young age, or was he always an adult and the simulation was used to make him think he'd been kidnapped at a young age?
Regarding the Mass Effect MJOLNIR armor, does it have any advantages over the normal power armor that all Mass Effect soldiers wear? The MJOLNIR armor in Halo was an impressive thing, but since this is actually a Mass Effect fic, with all the Halo stuff being a simulation, things like shields here will only protect against kinetic weapons, while particle weapons can slip through. Also I doubt the actual Mass Effect version will have as huge a strength increase as the original.
EDIT: Well my 1st, and possibly 3rd as well, question was answered, he thinks they're in another universe.
Since all the Halo stuff is actually a simulation, will the Chief start noticing strange differences from what he knows like biotics or mass effect drives?
What about his life experience, did Cerberus kidnap him at a young age, or was he always an adult and the simulation was used to make him think he'd been kidnapped at a young age?
Regarding the Mass Effect MJOLNIR armor, does it have any advantages over the normal power armor that all Mass Effect soldiers wear? The MJOLNIR armor in Halo was an impressive thing, but since this is actually a Mass Effect fic, with all the Halo stuff being a simulation, things like shields here will only protect against kinetic weapons, while particle weapons can slip through. Also I doubt the actual Mass Effect version will have as huge a strength increase as the original.
EDIT: Well my 1st, and possibly 3rd as well, question was answered, he thinks they're in another universe.
Cyclone
Robotech Nerd
- Location
- Earth, Sol System
In ME1, yes, but in ME2 and ME3, the Sentinel became the tank, thanks to Tech Armor.Stormseed said:
*is confused* Where did I have anyone but Cortana refer to him as John? Heck, when did I even have Cortana refer to him as John?A Puzzled Mind said:
That is a possibility I had considered. Then I remembered the situation with Cortana.Legrio said:
I actually generally prefer Infiltrator myself, but I already made the determination that, for this 'fic, Shepard should be biotic, which takes Infiltrator off the table.Night_stalker said:
Cortana and the Chief are smart, yes, but they're not engineers.Serran said:
First, it was all a simulation. Remember, even as a kid, before getting kidnapped for the SPARTAN-II program, the Chief would have known about the UNSC and been familiar with the commonly technology of the time. And, you know, the year.wellis said:
Second, this MJOLNIR armor is a cut above the standard gear, but that's what happens when you pour craploads of money into a project.
Pretty much.Legrio said:
I'm not going to get into ME2's rather poorly-designed upgrade system, but yes.wellis said:
Regarding the psychological profile, will you just stick to one or will it be a blending such as War Hero/Ruthless or any other combination? Some stories do a blending regarding the psych profile, and the Sole Survivor and Ruthless profiles take place 1 year and 2 years respectively after the War Hero profile.
Cyclone
Robotech Nerd
- Location
- Earth, Sol System
That does have potential.wellis said:
He believes they have the rear end of the FUD, not the whole thing. They could, in theory, get some alloy, firearms, and vehicles out of it. The slipstream drive and possibly even the artificial gravity can be rationalized as being performed by something in the bow of the FUD, which is gone, and even if not, slipstream could be explained not to work in this universe, and the artificial gravity appears to be something that's terribly huge and inefficient compared to eezo-based artificial gravity, as we don't see it in anything smaller than a frigate, IIRC. Also, don't forget that anything Cortana did -- for this story -- wouldn't count unless the Chief witnessed directly, as it was all part of the sham. Also, don't forget that the Halo tech isn't real in the context of this story. As for his MJOLNIR's shields, don't forget that he would see no difference between what he believes it can do and kinetic barriers of comparable strength until DEWs come into play.Serran said:
EDIT: Good grief. Triple ninja'd. I guess I spent too much time writing up my reply.
VhenRa said:
Tavi said:
Yes. Very much yes.prometheus110 said:
On a different note, I'm trying to figure out how to divvy up the squad mates, possibly by adding new squad mates too. Anyone know what class Toombs would be?
I've always wondered, but what UNSC tech would any od the ME races drool over? Most of it they already have and in better versions. , with the exception of the Spartan laser, but something like the Blackstorm havy weapon makes up for that.
As for ship weapons, ME races have the UNSC beat as well, unless you get into a powerlevel argument, and then we have to figure out which numbers to use.
As for ship weapons, ME races have the UNSC beat as well, unless you get into a powerlevel argument, and then we have to figure out which numbers to use.
Cyclone
Robotech Nerd
- Location
- Earth, Sol System
You sure that's a sniper rifle?Nuklear said:
Cyclone
Robotech Nerd
- Location
- Earth, Sol System
"We're going to need to sweep the ship for tracking devices, remote overrides, listening devices, anything else Cerberus might have put in to ruin our day," John muttered as he paced the stolen Cerberus ship's CIC. "We'll also need supplies and a new paint job."
"There are a number of nearby colonies that could provide some of the necessary resources," EDI replied, "but the only facility within range that could provide a complete overhaul would be Omega."
He nodded and stepped up to the galaxy map, noting and discarding various possible destinations. "There," he said finally. "Joker, set course for Freedom's Progress."
The colony was new, but well-funded, even had their own force of security mechs. It was both large enough to have supplies to spare and small and new enough that he should be able to trade on his name. From there, depending on what they could acquire, they could either make straight for Citadel space or stop by Omega for the rest.
"Aye aye, Commander," Joker replied over the comm. "It'll take us a day or so to get there. And have I mentioned yet how good it is to see you back in the saddle again?"
"Only about a dozen times, Joker," John replied with a smile.
* * *
"And that, Master Chief," The Illusive Man said, "is why we need you."
John took a moment to digest what he'd just learned about this universe. A multispecies coalition that wasn't bent on the extermination of the human race was a novel and welcome concept, but the disappearing fringe colonies was... troubling, to say the least.
"The Alliance?"
"Won't do what needs to be done," The Illusive Man replied, gesturing expansively. "These colonies are out in the Terminus systems, outside Alliance space. They chose to leave, and the Alliance let them, leaving them to fend for themselves. But Cerberus cares about all of humanity, not just those who toe the line. We need a leader. We can give you a ship and a team; we'll surround you with the brightest, the toughest, the deadliest allies we can find. You might be all that stands between humanity and the greatest threat of our brief existence. So, Master Chief, can we count on you to defend humanity?"
There was only one answer he could give to that question.
"Excellent," The Illusive Man said. "Talk to Miranda."
"Yes, sir."
Moments later, he was following the brunette to a docking bay. When the lights came on, he swept his eyes across the ship, analyzing it. It didn't even remotely resemble anything used by the UNSC or the Covenant; the hull was long slender, shaped like a curved dagger, with a pair of wings containing thrusters.
"Your new ship, Master Chief," she declared. "The crew's all set, and we can depart as soon as we're aboard."
"What's she called?" he asked quietly.
"We haven't named her yet," she said. "She's a heavy frigate, though, and frigates are normally named after battles. Given your history, we had considered naming her Thermopylae, but as she's to be your ship, it should be your deci-"
"Reach," he interrupted. "Call her... Reach."
"Done."
"What was the last colony to go dark?"
"Freedom's Progress. We can be there in a day."
"There are a number of nearby colonies that could provide some of the necessary resources," EDI replied, "but the only facility within range that could provide a complete overhaul would be Omega."
He nodded and stepped up to the galaxy map, noting and discarding various possible destinations. "There," he said finally. "Joker, set course for Freedom's Progress."
The colony was new, but well-funded, even had their own force of security mechs. It was both large enough to have supplies to spare and small and new enough that he should be able to trade on his name. From there, depending on what they could acquire, they could either make straight for Citadel space or stop by Omega for the rest.
"Aye aye, Commander," Joker replied over the comm. "It'll take us a day or so to get there. And have I mentioned yet how good it is to see you back in the saddle again?"
"Only about a dozen times, Joker," John replied with a smile.
* * *
"And that, Master Chief," The Illusive Man said, "is why we need you."
John took a moment to digest what he'd just learned about this universe. A multispecies coalition that wasn't bent on the extermination of the human race was a novel and welcome concept, but the disappearing fringe colonies was... troubling, to say the least.
"The Alliance?"
"Won't do what needs to be done," The Illusive Man replied, gesturing expansively. "These colonies are out in the Terminus systems, outside Alliance space. They chose to leave, and the Alliance let them, leaving them to fend for themselves. But Cerberus cares about all of humanity, not just those who toe the line. We need a leader. We can give you a ship and a team; we'll surround you with the brightest, the toughest, the deadliest allies we can find. You might be all that stands between humanity and the greatest threat of our brief existence. So, Master Chief, can we count on you to defend humanity?"
There was only one answer he could give to that question.
"Excellent," The Illusive Man said. "Talk to Miranda."
"Yes, sir."
Moments later, he was following the brunette to a docking bay. When the lights came on, he swept his eyes across the ship, analyzing it. It didn't even remotely resemble anything used by the UNSC or the Covenant; the hull was long slender, shaped like a curved dagger, with a pair of wings containing thrusters.
"Your new ship, Master Chief," she declared. "The crew's all set, and we can depart as soon as we're aboard."
"What's she called?" he asked quietly.
"We haven't named her yet," she said. "She's a heavy frigate, though, and frigates are normally named after battles. Given your history, we had considered naming her Thermopylae, but as she's to be your ship, it should be your deci-"
"Reach," he interrupted. "Call her... Reach."
"Done."
"What was the last colony to go dark?"
"Freedom's Progress. We can be there in a day."
Night_stalker
Slava Ukraini!
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Hello Clash of the Titans....
Cyclone
Robotech Nerd
- Location
- Earth, Sol System
I wouldn't do that. Added some dialogue that should hopefully clarify.namar13766 said:
Please remember, everything about Cortana is a lie. That's sort of the point of this story.Legrio said:
Cyclone
Robotech Nerd
- Location
- Earth, Sol System
Right.Ultra Sonic 007 said:
Thanks.Ultra Sonic 007 said:
Not sure how you got the idea that some of the events actually occurred, but I'll be sure to keep that in mind.Ultra Sonic 007 said:
Indeed.Vianca said:
Yeah, given that those two were hired directly by Cerberus, they're probably going with the Chief.Vianca said:
Yep.Vianca said:
Indeed.Vianca said:
One is a number.Vianca said:
I'm curious why you brought up Jack and Miranda specifically.Vianca said:
No.Vianca said:
He's a bit busy.Vianca said:
Still undecided on everything.Vianca said:
Oh, okay. All I could see when I pulled it up on Youtube was the stock, so I couldn't tell.Nuklear said:
Cyclone
Robotech Nerd
- Location
- Earth, Sol System
Well, they're both going to Freedom's Progress right now, so...Doornag said:
She was the Pillar's AI...Stormseed said:
Well, to be fair, one the main reasons I came up with this idea to begin with was to make a Halo/ME crossover that would avoid pointless calc wars.LordsFire said:
On a side note, anyone know how many quarian marines are with Tali and Prazza on Freedom's Progress? I'm away from my 360 this week.