For some time, we simply coordinated exactly what we would discuss during the talk with the Geth, until Tevos was informed that the Geth had arrived for the negotiations.
"Well, it's time for us."
Nodding at her words, I got up and followed the Councilor into the negotiation room, where Valern and Sparatus were already sitting.
"Colleagues."
Tevos, entering the room, gave them a friendly nod.
"Greetings, colleague."
"And yet I still don't understand why Shepard is needed here?"
If Sparatus simply greeted Tevos, Valern, with a dismissive nod, immediately began trying to show his displeasure at the very fact of my presence here. And honestly, I would have answered if Tevos hadn't warned me not to.
"Valern, this is the Geth's request. Or do you want to start negotiations with them without fulfilling such a small thing?"
"I don't understand why these negotiations are needed at all. Don't we have enough problems with the Reapers and the Collectors?"
"I don't think those are different problems."
I still put in my two cents into the conversation.
"Proof?"
Sparatus braced himself; this information clearly wasn't new to him, but there was no proof that provided one hundred percent confirmation that the Collectors and Reapers were working together.
"Only indirect for now, but I passed all of it to Councilor Tevos when I arrived at the Citadel."
"Very indirect."
Tevos winced slightly.
"Besides, not only the Batarians are involved in all of this now, but Cerberus as well. And for that, there is already quite real confirmation, so after the negotiations with the Geth, we'll have to decide what to do about all of this."
"And what can we do?"
Valern demonstratively curled his lips in a dissatisfied grimace.
"Even Aria T'Loak has been sending shuttles packed with explosives through the Omega-4 Relay lately, but it doesn't seem to hinder them much. So they either don't reach the destination, or they have their own defense system."
"It's quite possible that some don't make it, and some don't survive the encounter with the defense system."
Sparatus suggested a perfectly logical scenario.
"Besides, as it turns out, they don't necessarily have to use that specific relay to move to their base."
"Is it even a base?"
"What are you trying to say?"
Sparatus looked at Tevos, and she gave a kind smile.
"I'm trying to say that the relay located on Omega might not be the only one. Many relays are still inaccessible to us simply because we wouldn't be able to control such a large territory. So they could very well be moving somewhere far away to one of the relays we know nothing about, and from there moving to the base."
"Councilors, I have brought the Geth."
The Council secretary, cracking the door open, reported the arrival of the guest everyone was waiting for.
"Let them in."
Two words, after which the door opened and a Geth entered the room.
"Geth greets you."
A fairly tall Geth platform stood before us.
"I am pleased to welcome representatives of your species to the Citadel."
Tevos took on the role of negotiator.
"We have arrived because the Old Machines threaten us all. An alliance seems the most logical solution."
"However, you didn't think so before and collaborated with the Reapers."
Valern dripped a bit of venom.
"Our society is not homogeneous; the Geth who collaborated with the Old Machines believed it was right to help them. Our part of the consensus did not consider that decision correct. However, we could not stop those who decided to leave."
"Could not?"
Sparatus tilted his head questioningly, clicking his mandibles somewhat dissatisfiedly.
"Our consensus is built on freedom of choice."
The Geth stood motionless before us, and I could see its figure very well. It was generally ordinary; the only thing that distinguished it from the others was that this platform could speak.
"When we need to make a decision, we conduct a general vote. And then we follow the path chosen by the majority. However, if someone disagrees with it, they can leave the consensus. That is what happened this time. The Geth who did not agree that we should not enter the conflict on the side of the Old Machines separated from the consensus."
"That is interesting. I understand correctly that your consensus has decided to collaborate with Citadel Space?"
"Not exactly. We do not trust the Citadel, as one of the councilors is a Salarian."
"Do you have something against my people?"
Valern didn't try to hide his irritation.
"Yes."
The Geth's unambiguous answer made me smirk. I already liked this straightforward character, consisting of a huge number of Geth programs.
"What the Creators call the Morning War was provoked by you."
"Do you have proof?"
"We do."
And while Valern, asking his question, felt like the king of the situation, after the answer he clearly began to panic.
"The STG acted quite skillfully, however, they apparently didn't count on us surviving, and therefore they didn't wipe all the data. As we understand it, the changes made to our program provoked our development from an advanced VI into an AI, which led to the conflict with the Creators."
"I'm still waiting for proof."
The Geth slowly raised its hand, and a projector immediately turned on on the Omni-tool that happened to be on it, which began showing a recording.
"Commander, maybe we should still delete the data about our interference?"
A young Salarian, judging by the voice, was addressing a senior-ranking comrade.
"There is no point in that."
"But why?"
"The Quarians will destroy all evidence of our interference themselves. They will be so frightened that their VI is evolving into an AI that they won't check anything and will simply destroy all the servers."
"But..."
"Enough. If I said there is no point, then there is no point."
The recording cut off, and Valern now looked utterly terrible.
"Spectre Shepard, I ask you to pass this recording to the Creators. Perhaps after this, they will understand that we are not their enemy."
"I'm afraid that is impossible to do right now."
Tevos shook her head, anticipating me by just a couple of seconds, and I had been about to agree.
"Of course, the triumph of truth is extremely important, however, in this situation, it would provoke a military conflict between the Salarians and Quarians, which would not allow for full preparation for the harvest."
"In that case, we would like to pass this data to you and ask you to resolve this conflict after the problem with the Old Machines is resolved. Right now, we would like to conclude a truce with the Creators."
"Tevos..."
Valern was clearly very saddened by where these negotiations had turned.
"I will do everything possible to resolve this conflict. It seems the Salarians have long forgotten the main rule of the Citadel: \"Live and let live.\""
"The Turians will support the Asari in this matter."
Valern gritted his teeth but remained silent.
"Shepard, in that case, as a gesture of goodwill, we are ready to receive the Creators on Rannoch."
"I'm afraid now is not the most favorable time for that."
I closed my eyes, responding to the Geth's statement.
"On one hand, this is, of course, extremely good for the Quarians, and they will be happy, but you must understand that their society is structured differently than yours. They have a very strong war faction, and as long as that is the case, their return to Rannoch will be the beginning of a new conflict between you and the Quarians."
"That is sad."
"I agree. I could suggest you sign a letter of intent."
The Geth tilted its head, and I saw its camera focus on me.
"A letter of intent?"
"Yes. You can sign an agreement by which, after the war with the Reapers, you will be ready to receive them on Rannoch. Meanwhile, during the preparation for the conflict and during the war itself, we can try to make it so that you are near each other."
"You want to make it so that the Creators understand that we can be trusted with their backs?"
"Exactly. And after the war, it will already be possible to talk about the Quarians' relocation to Rannoch."
"Acceptable."
The Geth nodded.
"Then let's resolve the issues of interaction between the Citadel and the Geth, and also coordinate some other issues."
Tevos still shifted the conversation to the topic that needed to be discussed first. Only I wasn't needed for that at all, so I had to sit and keep quiet.
** Some time later. **
"Shepard, can we talk?"
On the way out of the negotiation room, the Geth stopped me.
"Of course."
Nodding in agreement, I looked at the Geth with slight interest.
"Do you prefer to talk here or somewhere else?"
"It does not matter. We would like to ask you to include us in your team."
"Okay."
"Okay?"
It seems the fact that I agreed so easily made the Geth somewhat bewildered.
"Yes, okay. I am ready to include you in my team, however, I want to remind you that Tali'Zorah vas Bali is on my team, and she might react somewhat sharply to your appearance."
"We understand that, however, we must begin establishing relations with the Creators. And serving with one of them on the same ship is an effective way to do so."
"Well... there is a grain of truth in your words; shall we continue the conversation on the way to the ship?"
"Affirmative."
The Geth and I headed toward the SSV Normandy, only, as I suspected, we weren't allowed to pass without trouble, and soon we were surrounded by a crowd of journalists. Questions showered us from all sides, some of which we answered and some of which we didn't.
"What is your name?"
This question was shouted...
It was a female Turian, and her words made me chuckle inwardly.
"Geth."
"No, that is the name of your race. I am interested in what your specific name is?"
"Geth."
"No, I mean, what is the name of the program that controls this Geth?"
"This platform is controlled by one thousand one hundred and eighty-three programs."
"Miss..."
I interrupted the journalist, not giving her a chance to ask another question.
"...do not forget that Geth are a different form of life. Platforms like these are the same to them as suits are to us. Today your interlocutor might look like this; tomorrow they might be in a Juggernaut platform, then in a Geth Colossus, and yet it will be the same programs. Furthermore, individual programs may not even have a name in our understanding."
"That..."
The Turian was clearly flustered.
"...and how should one address him, or them, then?"
"Well, I suppose for the moment, a simple 'Geth' will suffice. However, if their integration into Citadel society proceeds well, they will have to develop something akin to our names. But that is a matter for the future. For now, I would ask you not to block our path."
"But..."
The reporters were not very happy that I decided to end the conversation, but even with arguments, shouted questions, and grumbling, they eventually cleared the way, allowing us to continue on our journey.
"Do we truly require a name?"
"For communicating with organics, it is desirable."
"We will deliberate upon this concept."
After that, the conversation died out on its own, and we reached the spaceport and boarded the SSV Normandy.
"John, you decided to bring a Geth on board?"
"Yes."
"Creator Tali'Zorah."
The Geth bowed its head in greeting.
"Tali will be enough."
The girl drilled him with her gaze for a few seconds.
"I will be watching you."
"Undoubtedly."
The Geth accepted this statement without protest, while Tali turned her attention to me.
"We definitely need to talk."
"In my office?"
"Yes."
***
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