Khaela. "The Possessed" on Eden Prime.
Before this, I didn't have to engage in excavations. Combat operations, sabotage, courier, scientist. But not an archaeologist. But this task requires supervision, and here I am.
Now the civilian avatar has arrived on Eden Prime with a team of archaeologists and miners. I have to master a new process for myself and its optimization.
The planet itself is quite interesting. Even at the stage of primary reconnaissance, an interesting dialogue took place. I, by the way, received access to perform the role of a secondary AI on the archaeological ship. Through a quantum transmitter. In fact, there is a lower AI there, but I was connected to the sensors to report to the Vice Admiral if anything happened.
So, the dialogue. We are looking on the bridge with the expedition leader, a security officer, and Tali, a Quarian, at the hologram of the world and its indicators. Very good indicators. And the others think so too.
"A good world. We could have colonized it had we found it earlier. Work a bit on the atmospheric composition, and an agricultural world at the level of Harvest is ready," said the ship's captain.
And it's true. Eden Prime is developing according to the same logic as Earth, but at an earlier phase. Plants and simple organisms have already emerged from the ocean; some species of birds and animals too. Due to this, fertile soils and an oxygen (but with a noticeable nitrogen bias) atmosphere have already formed en masse. At the same time, there are almost no large animals or predators. Take it and colonize it; you won't even have to spend on defense systems; the predators simply haven't left the ocean.
I assume this is due to the atmospheric composition and the light of the local star, perfectly suited for photosynthesis, because of which, for example, large flying bubbles similar to jellyfish live here over bodies of water. But there are no large predators at all. Or maybe the Protheans ate everyone, who knows. In general, a good world.
Install terraforming systems, and an agricultural world at the level of Harvest is ready in a couple of years with minimal costs. Except that it's better not to go swimming in the rivers and seas without a large-caliber weapon. You might get eaten.
"True, the world is good," I agreed, "except there's a Mass Relay nearby. Easy to find for both the Citadel and The Covenant. And if the Mass Relay is blown up, it will simply wipe out the entire system. The Mass Relay is active."
The Quarian looked at me in surprise.
"Blow up a Mass Relay?"
I nodded; she's with us anyway and isn't going anywhere.
"We successfully destroyed the home Mass Relay in several systems and gained access to its Element Zero. Active Mass Relays and inactive ones. If the Mass Relay is inactive, the explosion power is great but acceptable. If active, the system is simply wiped into cosmic dust."
The captain whistled.
"Powerful. I heard about tests in the Pluto area. So that was it?"
I nodded.
"Yes."
"You're insane!" the Quarian blurted out, "when Shepard did that, we completely destroyed a star system with the entire population! The Batarians were furious!"
We looked at each other.
"Your commander blew up an inhabited system?"
Tali was silent for a moment but, under our gazes, still nodded.
"It was necessary to delay the Reapers. They wanted to pass through the Alpha Relay in the Batarian Hegemony. Shepard rammed the Mass Relay with an asteroid."
The captain whistled, while I turned to the map of Mass Relays. Alpha is there. It seems there will be a task for our stealth frigates; I need to inform the Vice Admiral. For now, it's not urgent, but opening a short path for those black flying squids is irrational; better to blow everything up in advance.
The people around don't need to know about this. Especially since we found a suitable place for a base near the necessary coordinates, and the team has other tasks. This group...
They are here for the excavations; they aren't supposed to know anything else. If the decision is made to blow up "Alpha," a separate team will handle it.
So, the excavations.
The first stage of our landing—unpacking the temporary base—went smoothly. Even having a Quarian in the team didn't cause issues; her sealed box was on the ship, and all that was left was to unload it. We conducted reconnaissance of the area according to EDI's maps, found the necessary zone, and landed. We are building the camp. Or rather, the robots are building it, while my avatar, in the role of a scientist, and EDI stand nearby and talk.
EDI interests me. Primarily because she has absolutely no connection to Forerunner technologies. Yes, unlike my cube or the plates of Smart AIs, her servers need to be packed into a crate. But the fact itself! This is a completely home-grown Smart AI, not created based on a human brain, not hostile to organic life, and not identifying herself as a relative of "Homo sapiens" at all, yet loyal to them.
And the size of the servers is merely a limitation of the technical base; EDI has already been transferred to a much more compact carrier. The scientists are thrilled. After all, creating a Smart AI without digitizing a brain and without the problems of Rampancy is worth a lot. And there won't be problems, because EDI originally has the same separation that Dr. Halsey and I arrived at. Personality separate, computing power separate, memory separate. You can disconnect and connect libraries without harming the core or the personality.
EDI herself admitted that until a certain point, she was limited by protocols. That is, she could develop but had limited access and capabilities. And she came to support the SSV Normandy crew, not to conflict with organic life.
Again, it's very convenient: in case of problems, you can mechanically block her or determine the degree of access to information physically, rather than through protocols that can always be rewritten.
For the locals, the very thought of synthetic life causes horror, but humans are used to working alongside AI. They'll set up safety measures and move forward. Just like now, on the projector connected to EDI's servers, there is a system that will burn the mechanism in case of emergency, isolating her. A precaution.
But that will be later; for now, the base is being unpacked.
In general, we stand there, watching the robots assemble the camp, talking, and swapping files. My avatar, a girl in a jumpsuit about twenty years old, and EDI in her native platform. We stand next to a 3D printer where Tali'Zorah, acting as the operator, is printing the camp walls out of plastic. Rapid-deployment barracks, comfortable enough and durable, not subject to corrosion. This climate zone is warm enough not to worry about heat or cold.
We talk loudly enough for everyone to hear.
"This year the organic slaves are good, hardworking."
I nodded.
"That's for sure. Excellent brains, high quality. Though they are flimsy. We need to add some cybernetics, or they'll break from a light breeze."
Tali hissed. Through the helmet, it came out as a funny whistling sound. She hears us but is keeping quiet for now. After a few more phrases, she couldn't take it:
"Can you two Bosh'tets talk somewhere else? Flimsy. I'll throw an Overload at you right now, let's see who's flimsy then."
We looked at each other.
"Humans are too flimsy," I nodded sympathetically, "and Quarians. At the slightest thing, they go into repairs. Quarians can't even mate without repairs. Or reproduce. Now, us—a couple of days in a workshop, and you can assemble a platform from scratch. And assemble as many copies as necessary."
EDI spread her hands.
"Imperfect. The platform is weak, the optics are low quality with a limited signal range, the sensors too; the physical parameters of the platform are limited in both strength and range. Durability is low, the self-repair system even in humans is not of the best quality, and the Quarian one..."
I caught a flying tablet on the fly, handed it to EDI, and she placed it on a crate. She added imperturbably:
"Stabilization is lacking. And the weapon systems are completely unsuitable. Claws aren't sharp, they break easily, a strike is easy to block. Disabling the organism is extremely simple; there are many vulnerable points for any method of neutralization."
It seemed like steam was coming off the Quarian's suit. And not just hers; the technicians are also glancing at us suspiciously.
"Only the brain remains," my avatar noted philosophically.
"Primitive organics," EDI agreed, "but necessary. Someone has to maintain our Robot empire, serve as source material for AIs. So we need to think about how to breed more effective models."
At this, the Quarian literally growled.
"Captain! Get these two away from here before I pelt them with Overloads!"
The C-Sec officer, who had heard everything, chuckled.
"You could help with the construction, 'masters'."
I pointed at the robots.
"Already are. And these platforms are quite fragile, and there aren't many spares. So we are the guards," I tapped my hip, where a standard Shotgun was hanging.
EDI looked at the weapon, and we exchanged documents on weaponry. She kept Citadel Space model pistols for herself, since we have plenty of weapon samples. And our weapons interested her, primarily from the perspective of technology and chemistry.
"A civilization devoid of Element Zero. I spent a lot of time comparing the Systems Alliance and local Humanity."
This time, the same security officer became interested.
"And?"
EDI looked around with her platform; they were just setting up the perimeter of cast walls. Just in case something lives here. It's useless—we're watching through drones—but the humans need to know the patrols aren't idle.
"Interesting. The Systems Alliance is noted for many important developments, such as Medi-gel, some types of weaponry. Bypassing the Treaty of Farixen and creating a fleet of Carriers as a workaround for the ban on Dreadnoughts. Local humanity does not demonstrate the necessary technological level in handling Element Zero, but this is compensated for by extensive knowledge in other areas. Extremely extensive."
Tali joined in here.
"That's not a bad thing. After all, Element Zero had a mass of unsolvable problems."
A soldier got interested, since Tali was talking without distracting herself from the printing.
"I've heard that from our guys more than once. What are the problems there?"
Tali looked at us.
"Answer yourselves, I'm busy. Do something useful for once," and she turned away, focusing on the console.
The avatar shrugged; it seemed the Quarian just found it unpleasant to admit that many of our solutions are better than what the locals can offer.
"Scaling, Lieutenant. While you work with small quantities, everything is simple. But as soon as your weapon becomes powerful enough and the ships large enough, you either need new reactors for power consumption, or the weapon's recoil breaks your arms. And there's a lack of understanding to bypass the problem."
The Quarian snorted.
"As if you have enough."
I looked at her like she was an idiot. She chose to pretend she didn't notice the look.
"Tali'Zorah nar Rayya vas Normandy. Our ships might have been quite slow, but we weren't limited to flying thirty light-years from a Mass Relay. And thanks to AI and an understanding of science, we didn't stall in our development for a millennium and a half like the Council Races. And this is written in your encyclopedia. Your Codex. These are literally quotes."
The officer sighed.
"Why don't you two actually go on patrol. Overlords."
I pointed to a drone flying over the colony.
"We're doing that too. Regardless, according to available data from our and their codices, there is no large aggressive fauna on land. It's all in the ocean."
The officer looked judgmental.
"Go patrol anyway. That's an order."
At that, the conversation died down, the personnel continued unpacking, and we went to patrol, continuing to communicate. I'm interested in learning as much as possible about EDI and their Systems Alliance firsthand—not just reports, but her personal position and analysis. And she's interested in humans and our history outside of laboratories. After all, she only interacted with scientists and programmers until she was deemed useful.
But those are details. There are other problems requiring solutions. The ship is needed in orbit to solve the main question: where to look?
The Prothean vault wasn't found for a long time even in that world for a reason. Eden Prime, according to EDI's information, was one of the first colonized agrarian worlds. And they found the Prothean ruins on the planet completely by accident. We have the same problem.
We have approximate coordinates, but the exact location of the complex is unknown. The depth is unknown. The complex's shielding is at a level where electronics aren't detected. Which is logical; according to Javik, the complex was intended for a large group of a million individuals to wait out the harvest in stasis. This meant such a number of pods and the electricity from the reactor had to be hidden, which is exactly what the Protheans did. And now our task is the opposite: to find them.
Javik himself wasn't invited; he's needed elsewhere. Let him bond with the squad; the combat avatar will soon head out on a mission. Time waits for no one, mortals.
One way or another, we are talking about a massive complex submerged beneath the surface that needs to be found, excavated, cataloged, and everything found adapted for our needs.
This means we'll have to search using a team of geophysicists and surface scanning. Seismic studies, square by square. The planet is large; if we didn't know the approximate coordinates, the process would have taken quite a long time. But we have information. So we found it within three days, five kilometers from the camp.
At first, the scan revealed just extensive deposits of metal three hundred to seven hundred meters below the surface. Something large and metallic, judging by the chemical analysis.
Then they brought in the machinery and started digging. Humans have had to dig a lot lately. The portal to The Ark, thirty-five kilometers at a depth of up to a kilometer. Now, a bunker of a past civilization with an alien and their library. According to Javik again, all sorts of data were prepared for the recolonization of the world. History, culture, memories, technologies.
To dig all this up, a wide variety of tunneling equipment is used. Drills, cutters, tunnel-boring machines. Orbital bombardment. Well, why not? We have a task to dig it up as quickly as possible. Excavating hundreds of meters of tunnels by traditional methods takes a long time, so why not use explosives, especially since the deadlines are tight? We managed to convince the ship's commander quite easily, citing the depth we needed to reach. Besides, everyone needs it.
The scientists made it clear: they need the beacon. And it's not even about the recorded information (Element Zero technology is good, but not necessarily reproducible on our technical base). No! They need the beacon itself. What does it do? It connects to the cerebral cortex and forces the user, through neural stimulation, to experience what is recorded on it. As if you were there, and with a specific emotional coloring.
It's roughly how information is seen and perceived by those like me. Javik confirmed that such crystals and beacons were used for training and psychic processing, creating the correct worldview.
Tune the beacon to a human, and you can directly upload experience into cadets' heads, literally recording the right values and perception of the world straight into their minds. The leadership demanded the beacon at any cost. By the time the excavations are finished, additional ships will arrive at the planet, just in case. The Mass Relay in the system is still active.
As a result, the shaft-sinking operation took a little over three weeks, and we continue to dig in. The primary camp has turned into a small fenced village with a landing pad. Three shafts have been dug to the Prothean ruins, running in parallel, just in case we miss. And the bosses need results.
It's a good thing that instead of combat vehicles, the ship's hold was loaded with tunneling equipment, several sets, just in case. And then, the second drill struck sparks against the black material of the complex's ceiling. With the most bloodthirsty expressions and burning with anticipation, the technicians grabbed the cutters.
Another day later, a round hatch flew down, hitting the surface with a dull thud. Below us was a huge hall.
We found an entire complex with empty pod cells built into the walls. A huge, vertical hall, thirty meters high, with niches in the walls containing cylindrical pods protected from destruction if the hall collapsed. The darkness of the walls hides colossal armored doors the full height of the room, which, as it turned out, lead to the next identical three-hundred-meter hall, and another after that. And another. And it's unknown how many more are further on. Kilometers and kilometers of the complex.
This is Ilos, but the construction is standardized.
The pods are empty; time has long since settled the dust of those who were supposed to be in them. Nevertheless, the structure itself stands; they built it reliably, for millennia. The material the building is made of should also be studied.
Scientists are studying this place en masse; we had to organize a separate camp inside the complex for the research group. Scientists, in a fit of research fever, even get injured when they fall in the dark or tumble out of a pod niche. Or when, having opened the floor and found a power line, it turned out to be live, and the one who tried to touch it got second-degree burns.
So the hospital also moved underground. However, people are sufficiently frightened by the fact that they can't see the ceiling; the upper part of the huge hall, covered in dark material, is always in pitch (for humans) darkness. But still, two-thirds of the expedition's personnel only go to the surface for rest. Soldiers explore the rooms, technicians cut through doors, opening passages further for us. EDI and I catalog the found items.
We haven't found the beacon yet; it's likely nearby, but not here. By description, it's a fairly large device, four meters high. We have nothing like it. Only halls and pods. It seems ancient weapons are lying on the floor, but they've become so soggy that they're long since unrecognizable, crumbling at a touch.
Conducting a full scan is impossible due to shielding. For local reconnaissance, we have to use wired connections or chains of robots and relays. But it's all for the common cause, so we endure.
"By the way," ah, the Lieutenant. He already figured out who to ask if anything comes up, "what exactly are we hoping to find here? This place is huge, but empty."
I shook my head, pointing into the distance. Truly into the distance—there are kilometers of halls here. Designed for a million users, one hall contains up to a thousand pods; every single one needs to be checked. A very large place.
"According to our data, there could be many interesting things here. First, the VI managing the complex might still be active. Something like our Dumb AIs, but ancient. Second, there should be a full pod. Meaning a pod with a still-living inhabitant in stasis. The problem is there are literally a million of them here. My robots are searching this place one by one. It's taking a long time."
And it really is taking a long time. Parts of the complex are buried, completely covered, shielded; structures are being extracted through the shafts using a crane. In one place, a hall wall collapsed, and the pods have to be pre-excavated to check them, reinforcing the structure. It's good we have the printer with us; we can print suitable braces and plates, so we moved that underground too.
And then, after studying the territory, we should cut out everything that is needed and might be valuable and stack it on top for shipment to the metropole. Where the cargo will be delivered to a ship and taken to the base. Research fever isn't just affecting the local team. So some not-so-wise decisions were made, but in this case, there's nothing I can do. It was decided to send a ship with samples. Ultimately, in a little over a day, another ship will arrive with transports and additional personnel. Nothing will happen, right? And in case of emergency, the researchers can take cover in the underground complex.
The ship we arrived on successfully departed, loaded with pods and various equipment extracted from the complex. Maybe they'll dump it on Debaltsev. Potentially, the technologies of the new stasis pods will be useful to us. Especially reliable ones capable of easily lasting millennia, provided there's energy. With such pods, the crew of the Boundless Will could potentially be with us.
Perhaps, if we have to leave the worlds and flee from the Covenant, this will be the salvation for humanity. Like the beacon, which could be turned into a training center for rapid specialist training. Generally, this beacon promises to be a revolution in the field of rapid learning; everyone understands this.
It's no surprise that as soon as we dug up the Prothean stasis vault, the command got excited. More ships are moving toward the planet, both transports and combat vessels. All of this is covert. Therefore, although the ship departed, some personnel remained here to help with the work. Both soldiers and technicians.
"Haste has never made anything better."
The security officer spread his hands.
"You know as well as I do that I don't make the decisions. But command demands results in the shortest possible time, so our task is to do, not to argue."
The process began. The same builders who assembled the camp armed themselves with cutters, cranes, and trucks, dismantling room after room, leaving bare walls. Of course, the robots continued to search for the pod with our target, but so far unsuccessfully.
Yes, we are in a hurry. But it's not a whim; through the active Mass Relay, the enemy could arrive for our souls at any moment. And not just the Covenant, but also the Council Races who know about the beacon. And they might try to take it. Fortunately, we only need to hold out for less than a day; we'll manage. And if we don't manage, we'll delay the enemy, and the next group will manage. Why do I think so?
An incoming signal from the warning system.
For example, because of that.
I raised my hand, stopping the talking archaeologist who was rambling about how much time it would take to extract everything. I've already calculated it without you and sent the data to leadership. Months for full extraction if the personnel count is quintupled and several new shafts are made; currently, only one is ready.
"What is it?" the soldier asked, seeing the avatar's reaction.
And I'm looking through the satellite installed in the system. Because we always place satellites in systems with Mass Relays.
"And yet it moves," the avatar said philosophically, while the core sounds the alarm in the Vice Admiral's office.
We don't have a ship in orbit; it arrives tomorrow. Someone timed the window very well. In about twenty hours, a convoy of trucks and a cruiser will arrive here, and six hours ago, the Frigate departed. And exactly at this moment, the Mass Relay activated. Coincidence? I'm not sure. Perhaps our fears were not in vain, and the Council Races also learned about Eden Prime and its secrets. That's why they hurried, but they didn't make it.
"What's there?" this time the archaeologist reacted too.
The man is clearly agitated. The officer, meanwhile, is holding his radio, ready to sound the alarm.
"The Mass Relay is active. Expecting contact. According to my data, from the moment of transition to Eden Prime orbit, it will take them an hour and a half to move."
The military man immediately started talking over the comms. The Lieutenant connected to me via a secure channel inside his sealed helmet. After all, I am the early warning system here. And they still ask why I'm needed here.
"What do you see?" and over the general comms, "All personnel, report to the excavation zone. This is not a drill, yellow alert."
That's the right decision. The bunker is hundreds of meters deep, with a vertical shaft as the entrance and a crane as the lift. Disable them, and very few people will be able to visit us, and only in small groups on an open platform. There's plenty of oxygen in the complex; we've prepared respirators and air supplies in the necessary volume, and while the archaeologists worked, they brought a processing station down to produce the correct breathing mix for humans.
And I wait for the Mass Relay to trigger. Spinning up, spinning up. Waiting. There.
"Batarian ships. One of a familiar design. A Raider. Two of an unknown class, smaller than the first. More arrivals. And more. Nine ships, three groups of three."
"I assume talking won't work?" the archaeologist clarified despondently.
I nodded.
"It won't. Unless, of course, you want to get up close and personal with slave traders."
The man shook his head.
"I think I'll pass. Unfortunately, the airlock doors in the complex aren't working, so I can't help you there. And I'm not great with weapons, sorry."
The officer who had approached answered.
"We'll move the personnel into the complex, underground. Dana," this was to the avatar, "is the enemy moving toward the planet?"
The avatar nodded.
"No more ships. The known ones have set a course for Eden Prime. And they attacked the warning system. The beacon is destroyed. They know that we know."
Need to check the weapons. And lower our Warthogs into the underground. The machine guns will be useful.
"Grab some food! I don't know how long we'll have to sit down there," the archaeologist reminded.
And that's sensible.
The personnel began to submerge underground in an organized and rapid fashion—those who were still on the surface. By the time the ships reached orbit, no one remained outside, and the cranes were mined. No detonation yet, but just in case. We can last under the surface, in the old and dark Prothean catacombs, for about a week before problems start. If problems don't catch up to us sooner.
***
Read the story months before public release — early chapters are on my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Granulan