//------------------------------//
// PROLOGUE 
// Story: Those Who Live On 
// by SpartanD014 
//------------------------------//

PROLOGUE

A thick cloud of cigarette smoke blew through the large, empty room. It dissipated upon reaching a massive screen, upon which was displayed the star Anadius. The molten surface of the star was constantly changing shape, moving like worms in the dirt, a light blue outer rim and dark orange core. The light emitted from the massive dying star reflected off of the black tiles of the room and drew the shadow of the figure sitting before it back to the door. The figure took another puff from his cigarette, shaking it in his hands to send ashes floating down into an ash tray conveniently placed on the arm of the chair. In this part of the galaxy, all was peaceful. Nobody had any reason to visit this cold star, and the man who had made it his home would make sure it stayed that way. His bright blue eyes flickered over a datapad on the arm of his chair, with reports from the war displayed on it. Most of the reports were the same: the species of the galaxy were being driven back slowly but surely by the Reapers. 

And they were trying to destroy them. Why that was, the man would never understand. Destroying the Reapers gained them nothing at all. Embodied in each Reaper form was more knowledge and understanding than any alive could ever hope to comprehend. And they were trying to destroy them…

His train of thought was interrupted by a flashing green light on the arm of his chair. Extinguishing his cigarette in the ash tray, the man spun in his chair and turned to face a gray circle set into the black tiled floor. Slowly, the holographic form of another human formed as the connection was established. 

“Report, doctor,” the man ordered. The holographic form of the scientist nodded, holding a datapad in his hands. 

“It is as we suspected, sir,” the scientist began. “When the Rannoch Reaper was using that ‘Legion’ geth as a signal booster, it downloaded full copies of its memory banks. And now that the Reaper is dead, we have access to all of them.”

“What did you find?”

“It’s… not what we expected…” the scientist began to slow in his speech, picking his words. “Shortly after Shepard went AWOL, the geth left Normandy. It went to spy on the quarians, but… a Mass Relay miscalculation sent it somewhere else. Somewhere new.”

“New?”

“An uncharted Relay, badly damaged. But sir, you know as well as I that Relays are only placed in systems with planets. Planets capable of supporting life.”

“I’m a very busy man, doctor,” the man said, sighing. “Please, just cut to the chase.”

“Sir, the geth found a world with life on it. Sapient life.” The man in the chair froze. For all of his planning, he had not been expecting that. But he kept his calm, cool demeanor, and grabbed the datapad sitting on the arm of his chair. 

“Doctor, you’re being reassigned. Go to Minuteman Station immediately, you’ll find a team there waiting for you,” he said, beginning to type on the pad. “You’re being promoted to Operator. I’m creating a new Cell, codenamed… Project Artifice. Orders will be ready shortly. Congratulations.” 

“Thank you, sir.” The hologram of the scientist receded back into the gray circle, leaving the man alone once more in the large room. He turned around in his chair and stood up, crossing the distance to the screen featuring Anadius. He had not been expecting a new species of any kind, let alone a sapient one. Regardless, he would find some way to use them. The methods of his organization had grown recently, and he was sure he could find a use for them. He would have to be careful, of course. His ideas likely wouldn’t go over too well with this species, but he had faith that he would get it done. After all, they did not call him the ‘Illusive Man’ for nothing…