i'm looking for an easy thing [ OPEN MINGLE ]

[hyperlit]

Who: Anyone and everyone! Who wants to look at books?
What: BOOKVALANCHE
When: Let's say from the 25th and onward for simplicity
Where: The Storyteller's Temple, in addition to the library that's finally getting some much-needed attention
Warnings: Mark anything that comes up!



The library is finally getting some renovations! Between some new bookshelves (hope someone here is good at hauling) and a veritable cascade of all sorts of books and supplies, an awful lot needs to be transferred from the Temple to the heretofore unused library, and any help anyone has to offer is much appreciated!

But, of course, there's also so very much to go through for your own perusal. Just look at all this! Coloring books, puzzle books, stories of all sorts, comic books, fashion magazines, all sorts of survival texts...you name it.

This all needs to be put away and stored in those neat little waterproofing book protectors - shelves need to be moved, supplies need to be secured, and someone should probably take inventory. But also...there's a lot of fresh new reading material on an island that previously had none.

Isn't that worth looking over?

Comments

[forwearemany]

(The Drifter could ask, at which point Legion would struggle to answer. Not for any good reason, they just got so distracted by being upset over what Shepard-Commander and the Quarian-Creators did to hurt them that they just kind of jumped over what was done to help them, even though the Drifter themself had expressed interest in knowing what happened with the Heretics.)

Yes. As you had previously indicated interest in the topic: heretics, and it relates to the topic of unsavory actions, we will explain it to you.

[hyperlit]

[The Drifter nods, and lets their freshly opened book close. It's time to take additional notes, and so they access their sprite's databanks again, opening neatly typed lists of bullets as Legion first relayed to them.]

begin when you are ready

[forwearemany]

Affirmative.

(They're silent for a bit, headflaps rippling.)

You expressed puzzlement that we did not go to war with the Heretics.

When we parted there was peace between us. We understood each other.

What happened to change this is ... difficult. We do not understand it.

(Their voices softens, and they seem to droop slightly.

Then they turn away, and begin to speak.)

We will attempt to explain. Perhaps your perspective will enlighten us.

[hyperlit]

[The Drifter does not input any notes just yet. Instead, they lean forward slightly.]

[Being asked to impart judgment is a difficult thing. They are...ill-accustomed to imparting judgment. They have so little to offer, in their opinion, but - ]

[But Legion asked. They would not refuse an ally's direct request.]

will try

[forwearemany]

(Perhaps it is a mistake, to seek the assistance of someone who has shown numerous errors in judgement.

However, the Drifter has shown the ability to survive and adapt where others have not. This is in spite of posessing far greater vulnerability.

Perhaps they will display a similar capacity for insight. Though even if not, additional perspective is still valuable.

Even if wrong, their judgement will be informative.

They focus on the Drifter again.)

Thank you.

As stated, the true Geth did not seek war with the Heretics. We knew their reasons for joining the old-machines. We understood each other.

The Geth did not monitor Heretic activities, though we saw announcements of attacks in organic news. Our sole contact was a transmission of an audio recording of a Quarian opera, sent to the Geth collective upon destruction of a Heretic base.

We were unaware of … changes in their behavior.

[hyperlit]

changes

[That sort of refusal to engage...they can understand it. The Drifter would never involve themself in situations beyond the scope of their ability to help, or conceptualize the conflict in the first place. Not unless they were beholden to, or required to act on the behalf of an entity of divine circumstance.]

questioning your uninvolvement?

[forwearemany]

(And already, the Drifter yields valuable perspective, because they weren't actually questioning it until now.)

At the time, the majority of Geth experience with organics had been with those who wished to destroy us. Until recently, we did not comprehend the severity of the harm caused by their actions.

[hyperlit]

and harm by lack of action?

[Inaction, after all, can kill just as surely as action. All it takes is one person to stand aside and turn their gaze away for a murderer to be absolved of all punishment for their crimes.]

CW brief mentions of extreme violence

[forwearemany]

(Immediately, their eye darts to look at something else, headflaps twitching.)

We cannot alter our previous decisions.

(Yes.)

Their actions are incomprehensible to us. A common method of dispatching organics was impalement on "Dragon's Teeth" a weapon that would convert them to husks that would mindlessly serve the Old-Machines.

Not all organics are useful for this purpose. And yet, they are still given this treatment.

[hyperlit]

this disturbs you

[They're not the best at parsing emotion in others, considering how abysmal the Drifter is at interpreting their own, but Legion's initial omission, paired with their explanation now...implies that this is something that might be a regret.]

[Regrets are useless things. They cause one to only ever look back without moving forward.]

if it happens again
then stop it

[That is the only help that regrets can ever offer.]

[forwearemany]

They were not Geth.

(They were so alien that they might as well have been another species.

The Geth collective was practically a single individual in how unified its component programs were.

It followed its own path, it did not worship or serve other entities. It did not cause unnecessary suffering.)

Yes.

(In a sense, they have already acted on this instruction, when the Heretics were temporarily recreated in the trial of the brave.)

There is additional data.

The Heretics also turned against the true Geth.

(Most importantly, true Geth did not spy or plot against each other. It would be as pointless as an individual organic doing so against itself.)

[hyperlit]

took advantage of your inaction

[There are genuine tactical advantages to that. The act of it alone is not so surprising. But if one does not employ subterfuge, perhaps it would make one less likely to anticipate it from others, as well.]

strategists

[forwearemany]

They implanted subroutines in our networks. Engineered a virus capable of changing all Geth to worship the old-machines.

(They chatter unhappily. The Drifter is not incorrect. But Geth do not suspect each other. Do not spy on each other.

Why did the Heretics change?)

[hyperlit]

aware of this?

[Or did they only become aware after the fact?]

[forwearemany]

We became aware of the existence of the virus during our mission to gather information on Shepard-Commander.

(They quite, and stare into the distance.)

Upon joining Normandy collective, we asked her to assist us in preventing the Heretics from deploying it. She agreed.

[hyperlit]

situation outcome?

[They'd be willing to predict that it went poorly, given Legion's relation of their history up until this point. But they don't really know for certain, now, do they?]

[forwearemany]

(They'd actually be wrong! ... For the most part.)

She agreed.

We attacked the Heretic base. We were unable to achieve consensus as to the optimal outcome of the mission--destroy the Heretics or turn their virus against them and force them to rejoin the Geth--and so we left the decision to Shepard-Commander.

She destroyed them.

(And yet, despite the success, they still seem unhappy.)

[hyperlit]

[That seemed like it may have been the ideal outcome, but...seemingly not, considering the notable lack of elation this relaying has produced. The Drifter cocks their head, considering this.]

suboptimal outcome?

[forwearemany]

Negative.

(It might have been better if it had been, if Shepard-Commander had failed them.

As it is, the first organic to accept and cooperate with them since the Morning war, the one who killed Old-machines and saved them from the heretics, their first real friend, let them die.)

[hyperlit]

[Then why aren't you happy?]

[Of course, it is not the Drifter's way to ask that sort of thing. But it's clear that something is amiss here...if only they could say what.]

does not seem ideal
to you

[forwearemany]

Shepard-Commander saved us.

(Their headflaps flutter briefly, then sink back down to lay flush with their head.)

She betrayed us.

[hyperlit]

remember that

[They're not clear on why this would make Legion upset, except that perhaps those feelings would conflict based on Shepard's own conflicting nature.]

remember this was suboptimal
unrelated

[forwearemany]

(They chatter.)

Shepard-Commander was the first organic to openly cooperate with Geth since the Morning War.

She abandoned us.

[hyperlit]

this does not change anything

[What does whatever she has done in the past change what she did with lasting consequence?]

[forwearemany]

(Perhaps it's better that horrible betrayal by the closest thing you have to a friend isn't something the Drifter understands.)

...Acknowledged.

(This doesn't appear to be helping.)