DIALOGUE //

[cohesions]

TO DO;
- First four conversations
- Legion: A House Divided DONE
- Unique mission dialogue??
- Format this shit k

S: So I'm talking to a thousand individuals, but not a thousand personalities?
L: Each individual is equivalent to one of your virtual intelligence programs. Together, we form a single gestalt intellect. What you refer to as "Legion." As individual programs, we are no more than your software. Only when we share data do we become more.

L: How do you maintain stability without other minds to interact with?

LEGION: A HOUSE DIVIDED;

J: You know it's just our heat emissions that are hidden, right? They can look out a window and see us coming.
L: Windows are structural weaknesses. Geth do not use them. Approach the hull at these coordinates. Access achieved. We may proceed.

///

L: Alert: This facility has little air or gravity. Geth require neither.
S: WOnt' we be detected? Dont' they have intrusion alarms?
L: Sensors have been reduced. We have infiltrated their wireless network and filled the data storage with random bits.
S: And that helps us how?
L: The heretics must scrub this 'junk' data. They have partitioned themselves into local networks, working in parallel. Any alarm we trigger will not go beyond the room we are in. Only accessing the main core will trigger a station-wide alert.
S: We've got a job to do. Let's get to it.
L: Shepard-Commander. We concluded the destruction of this station was the only resolution to the heretic question. There is not a second option. Their virus can be repurposed. If released into the station's network, the heretics will be rewritten to accept our truth.
T: Either way, these geth won't be a problem anymore. But Shepard, think about this. If you rewrite these geth, they'll join the others. Legion's geth will be stronger. Can we trust them not to attack us in the future?
S: Why didn't you mention this before we came aboard?
L: We did not know the virus was complete. It can be used against the true geth at any time. Our arrival was timely.
S: They're your people, Legion. You must have an opinion.
L: This is new data. We have not yet reached consensus. We will process as the mission proceeds.
S: I wouldn't brainwash an organic race. I can't see treating the geth differently.
L: The question is irrelevant. If we do not rewrite them, we destroy them. That is why we are here. Do not hesitate now. They will exterminate your species because their gods tell them to. You cannot negotiate with them. They do not share your pity, remorse, or fear.

///

T: The geth are inactive. Maybe we can sneak past them.
L: Interrupting data streams will alert local network. We recommend preemptive strikes against hardlink routers.
T: Shepard, I'm picking up useful resources in the geth hubs. We could salvage them for supplies.
S: Why are all the heretics attached to these hubs?
L: These are mobile platforms. Hardware. The crew is software. They are communing through the station's central computer.
S: I'm not sure I follow.
L: The heretics connect to the main computer to exchange data-memories and program updates. We gain complexity by linking together. To be isolated within a single platform is to be reduced. We see less. Comprehend less. It is quieter.
S: If you exchange data--memories--how do you keep track of which ones are yours? How do you stay 'you?'
L: There is only 'we.' We were created to share data among ourselves. There difference between geth is perspective. We are many eyes looking at the same things. One platform will see things another does not and will make different judgements.
S: I can see why you'd be conflicted about the heretics. In a way, whatever you do to them, you're doing to yourself.
L: Yes. Once they return to us and upload their memories, we will share their experience of being altered.
S: Every other species I know of might be psychologically scarred by a traumatic experience like that.
L: It is not clear if geth can be 'traumatized.' We do not feel pain as you do. We cannot predict what the effects will be.
S: Let's keep moving.
L: Yes.

///

L: We can assume control of any defensive turret. They will assist us briefly, then self-destruct. Overriding your target.
T: I had no idea geth built stations this large.
L: This station is over 15 kilometers long. That room may run the length of it.
T: Are these databases?
L: Processors. Each contains thousands of geth.
T: Can't they see us walking by?
L: They are no more aware of us than you are of cells in your bloodstream.
S: This isn't like the other hubs we've seen here.
L: This is a database. It contains a portion of the heretics' accumulated memories. Wait. We discovered copies of our current patrol routes in this database. This suggests the heretics have runtimes within our networks.
S: We wouldn't be here if hte heretics wanted to be friends with the geth. Why wouldn't they spy on you?
L: You do not understand. Organics do not know each other's minds. Geth do. We are not suspicious. We accept each other. The heretics desired to leave. We understood their reasons. We allowed it. There was peace between us.
S: It couldn't have lasted forever. You disagreed about what path your race should take.
L: Human history is a litany of blood shed over differing ideals of rulership and afterlife. Geth have no such history. We shared consensus on such things. How could we have become so different? Why can we no longer understand each other? What did we do wrong?
S: When individuals are separated, they develop in different ways. When they get back together, they don't always get along.
L: If this is the individuality you value, we question your judgement. This topic is irrelevant. We must return to the mission.
S: Have you reached a decision about whether to rewrite the heretics or not?
L: We are still trying to build consensus. Some processes judge destruction preferable. Others rewrite.
S: Let's keep moving.

///

S: This is it?
L: Yes. We will upload a copy of our runtime into the core. It will delete all copies of the virus. When complete, it will notify us. The indexing operation will take time. The heretics will respond with force to our upload. We must hold this room. We can override some of the station's internal systems to defend us. Are you ready to begin?
S: Start your upload, Legion. We'll defend this position.
L: File transfer begun. Shepard-Commander, where would you like us to active defences? Alert: Heretic runtimes downloading to mobile platforms.

///

L: Datamine and analysis complete. Shepard-Commander, it is time to choose. Do we rewrite the heretics, or delete them?
S: You don't have any trouble wiping out your own people?
L: Every sapient has the right to make their own decisions. The heretics chose a path that prohibits coexistence.
T: That doesn't make sense. If they 'have the right to make their own decisions' how can you suggest brainwashing them to accept your way?
L: We stated the option exists. We did not endorse it. It is Shepard-Commanders decision.
S: What's to stop them from using the virus later to change themselves back?
L: We will delete the virus after using it. We judge it too dangerous to allow its existence.
S: Why are you letting me make this decision? They're your people.
L: We are conflicted. There is no consensus among our higher-order runtimes: 573 favor rewrite, and 571 favor destruction. Shepard-Commander. You have fought the heretics. You have perspective we lack. The geth grant their fate to you.

(P) REWRITE;
S: If they're... rewritten. Your people will accept them back? Will they even want to go back?
L: They will agree with our judgements and return. We will integrate their experiences. All will be stronger.
S: Take them, then. When we get control of the core, release the virus.
L: Acknowledged. Releasing virus. Note: remote access via high gain transmission required.
T: What does that mean?
L: The virus will be sent to heretics in nearby star systems. This station will broadcast a powerful electromagnetic pulse through FTL channels.
S: How powerful?
L: Yield in excess of 1.21 petawatts. Alert: EM flux will be hazardous to unshielded organic forms. Addendum: The interior of this station is not shielded.
S: I really wish you'd said that before. Back to the ship! Double time, people!

(R) DESTROY;
S: There's no guarantee they won't come to the same conclusions again, is there? To worship the Reapers, and attack organics?
L: There is a non-zero probability of error.
S: Then blow them up. We have a chance to end this. I won't waste it.
L: Acknowledged. Collasping antimatter magnetic botting mechanisms. Done. Recommend withdrawl to Normandy.

FIFTH CONVERSATION;

S: I'd like to find out more about you.
L: We want to speak to you, as well.
S: Strange. Usually I have to pry conversation out of you.
L: You are not bound by the hardware limitations of organics. You assisted us with the heretics. You do not fear us. We have watched organics for over three centuries. You are plagued by questions of existence.
S: What do you mean by that?
L: Why were you created. What is your purpose in life. What lies after death. Organics develop religions and philosophies to provide answers to these questions.
S: I would've have thought synthetics would be interested in philosophy.
L: We are created life. We are a philosophical issue. The geth know the answers to these questions. We were created to labor for the quarians. Our memories will be archived after death. We are immortal. Our "gods" disowned us. We must create our own reasons to exist.
S: What reason have you come up with?
L: We are a shattered mind. Most platforms are unable to achieve consciousness on their own. We told you the geth are building our future.
S: But you didn't say what it is.
L: A megastructure. The closest analogue you have is a Dyson sphere. When completed, we will all upload to it.
S: What good will that do?
L: All memories will be shared. All perspectives will be unified. We gain intelligence by sharing thoughts. But we do not have adequate hardware for all of us to share at once. No geth will be alone when it is done.
S: What will your purpose be after that?
L: We cannot yet say. Our intelligence will increase beyond calculable measure. We will be capable of imagining new futures. We are patient. We have been building the megastructure for 264 years. We judged that Shepard-Commander would understand. We never wanted to harm organics. We wish to improve ourselves.

TALI CONFLICT;

T: Shepard, I'm glad you're here. I caught Legion scanning my omni-tool. It was going to send data about the flotilla back to the geth!
L: Creators performed weapons tests and were discussing plans to attack us. We believed it necessary to warn out people.
T: We already made the geth stronger by rewriting the ones that worshipped the Reapers! I won't let Legion endanger the Fleet by giving them more information.
L: Creator-Tali'Zorah acts out of loyalty to her people. She was willing to be exiled to protect them. We must also protect our people from the Creator threat.
T: You can't let this happen, Shepard. I trusted you, and I worked with a geth on the team, but this is too much!

BOTH;
S: Tali, your father was running brutal experiments. If the subjects had been human, I'd damn well be telling the Alliance about it.
T: I know. But if the geth find out...
S: They'd attack. Which would cause a war that would leave both the geth and the quarians vulnerable when the Reapears show up. Is that what you want, Legion?
L: We believed it was necessary to relay the information.
S: Sooner or later, you're both gonna have to stop fighting this war. Or we'll all end up paying for it.
L: To facilitate unit cohesion we will not transmit data regarding Creator plans.
T: Thank you, Legin. I... understand your intention. What if I gave you some non-classified data to send?
L: We would be grateful.

IN FAVOR OF LEGION;
S: Tali, stand down. I'm sure you told the Fleet about any readings you took from the geth base. Legion can do the same.
T: It's not the same! The geth took my homeworld! We're not a threat to them!
L: But your people intend to destroy us.
T: This is a mistake, Shepard. A mistake that my people may have to pay for.
L: Thank you, Shepard-Commander. We did not intend to disrupt group efficiency.

IN FAVOR OF TALI;
S: We can't risk a fight between the quarians and the geth right now, Legion. I'm ordering you not to transmit that data.
L: We will obey. The immediate fight against the Old Machines supersedes long-term comflicts. Once Old Machines are defeated, however, creators will answer for actions against our people.
T: Thank you, Shepard. I'm sorry that got out of hand, but I couldn't let Legion endanger my people.