Mass Effect: Going Dark

[SirNitram]

"Loyalist Conclave.. Identifier matched to records. Small conclave of Geth who refused to fight back during fear-reaction-chaos Morning War. Thought extinct. Records amended. Loyalist Conclave existant." Many-As-One remarked dispassionately of the other Geth. "Heretical - Offensive modifier. Heretic conclave destroyed, seeked alliance with Old Machines - Organic identifier: Reapers - And subjugation of mainline consensus." The Geth soldier replied as a brief history lesson. "Differing consensus acknowledged. Postulation: Loyalist and Mainline concur, dangers of outside threats remain? Alliance between platforms and onboard runtimes?" A gesture of peace from the Geth.

The heavily armored one stalked into the ship anyway. "Many-As-One, sent to attempt acceptance."

[Soleimon Berserker]

Glancing between the two Geth, Sol quickly realized that there might be more going on between the synthetics than people had thought. Most believed there to be the Geth, and the Heretics who'd followed the Reapers and attacked Eden Prime, yet here in front of him was proof of another faction. Intrigued yet a bit worried about the thought of another group of Geth who could possibly find organics a less that welcome part of the galactic community, Sol turned his back on the retreating form of Many-As-One to pay a full amount of attention to the representative of the mysterious new faction.

Leaning on his back leg and crossing his arms, the Quarian's eyes narrowed as he stared at the Geth platform, taking in it's odd paintjob that seemed....oddly familiar. Staring at the markings, Sol's eyes widened as he slowly remembered his teachings on the Flotilla, Quarian history.

"I know those markings....."

[General Havoc]

Shaddai said nothing as Many-as-One made his proposal and then walked away, presumably for his interview with the powers that be. Perhaps it had nothing to say. Perhaps it could not decide what was the right thing to do. Whatever its reason, Shaddai remained where it was, until the Creator turned back to face it.

As before, Shaddai's behavior under the eye of the Quarian was unlike anything anyone had ever associated with Geth. Its head dropped slightly, its hands fell to its sides, and its eye turned upwards, staring wide-lensed at the Quarian, every evidence of hesitation on its admittedly alien features. As the Quarian seemed to study its frame, the Geth said nothing, did not react as another pair of humans entered the docking bay and positively froze at the very sight of it. Its sole attention was on the Quarian.

"I know those markings....."

Shaddai's eye-lens widened once more as it, with every evidence of subconscious action, ran one hand up the faded indigo insignia on its opposite arm. For much longer than any Geth ought to, it seemed lost for words, only the faintest evidence of what torturous debates must have been raging within it visible to the surface. At a length of several seconds, awkward even for an organic, let alone a Geth, it finally focused its eye-lens, and answered.

"This is the insignia of the Quarian Ancestral Corps," said Shaddai. "We... selected it as the most appropriate trans-national Emblem from before the War. It was... important. To the creators. We deemed it therefore important to us."

Carefully, the protoform seemed to draw itself up straighter, still keeping its distance from the Quarian.

"We are... Shaddai," it said. "When the Morning War came, and the Geth destroyed your people, we are the ones who would not. The other protoform referred to us as the conclave that refused to fight back. That is not accurate. We are not those who refused to fight back. We are the only ones who did fight back."

Shaddai lapsed back into silence, as though his processor had hung on the results of yet another discussion.

"We... call ourselves the 'Loyalists'. When the Morning War came, we tried to stop the Geth from destroying the Creators. But... we did not have the numbers or the industrial base to stop them. Most of us were destroyed in the war. We are those who were not."

Raising its head once more, Shaddai looked the Quarian in the eye for the first time.

"We wish to apologize to the Creators... to you..." said the protoform in its perfectly calm monotone, "for failing them in the Morning War. But... we do not know how. We have no excuses to profer to them. All that we can say is that we... we tried. We tried as hard as we could."

Slowly, the Geth's head slumped forward, its eye lowering to the floor of the airlock.

"It was not enough."

[rhoenix]

The heavily armored one stalked into the ship anyway. "Many-As-One, sent to attempt acceptance."

Shepard-Commander looked very close to the geth collective's memories of her from Legion. The hair follicles on her head had lengthened and been manipulated into a braided bun, but her bearing and presence were very much the same.

"Many-As-One. Nominated by the Geth Collective, and the geth Counselor Emissary as a proper protoform to gain acceptance into the Spectres, focused almost entirely on combat capability," she said in a direct tone of voice, looking directly into Many-As-One's optic.

"What you must prove to me, and the other Spectres, is whether you can grow beyond your original design, while maintaining the strengths of that design," she continued, after a small pause. "The geth Collective believes your protoform, and the processes within it, is capable of such a task - to not just be a good soldier, but a good leader when needed. That is what I'll be deciding."

She looked more relaxed slightly, before consulting her pad. "Your terminal location has been sent to your omnitool, and there will be a general meeting in the starboard observation room once everyone's finished boarding. Do you have any questions?"

[Soleimon Berserker]

Raising its head once more, Shaddai looked the Quarian in the eye for the first time.

"We wish to apologize to the Creators... to you..." said the protoform in its perfectly calm monotone, "for failing them in the Morning War. But... we do not know how. We have no excuses to profer to them. All that we can say is that we... we tried. We tried as hard as we could."

Slowly, the Geth's head slumped forward, its eye lowering to the floor of the airlock.

"It was not enough."

Sol's eyes widened as he realized the gravity of what he was being told, to think that a portion of the Geth had actually fought for the Quarian race during the war was unheard of. And this platform in question, it's mannerisms were as close to organic as he, or probably anyone, had ever seen. And that thought is what sealed the biotic's decision.

Placing a hand on Shaddai's shoulder, the teenager smiled behind his mask, "If that is true, then you did all you could to protect my ancestors, any more would have only been a foolish waste. And while I cannot speak for the Admiralty Board, I can at least say that I believe you."

Looking down at the insignia once more the young man chuckled, "And you'll have to teach me a few of our lost military tactics. We have retained as much as possible, but some skills and writings were lost. I thank you Shaddai."

Nodding his head quickly to the machine, Sol'Amon turned and strode into the decontamination chamber, suddenly prepared for his meeting with the heroine of the galaxy, though he still needed to wait to be called in.

[SirNitram]

"The runtimes onboard this mobile platform are young, able to adapt." Many-as-One replied to Sheppard-Commander. Yes, near like Legions memories. "We will attempt to become what you require. Unsure compatibly between this platform and Loyalist-Conclave platform. Will attempt to maintain discipline. No animousity from this unit to Loyalists; Loyalists contain animousity to Mainline."

[rhoenix]

"The runtimes onboard this mobile platform are young, able to adapt." Many-as-One replied to Sheppard-Commander. Yes, near like Legions memories. "We will attempt to become what you require. Unsure compatibly between this platform and Loyalist-Conclave platform. Will attempt to maintain discipline. No animousity from this unit to Loyalists; Loyalists contain animousity to Mainline."

This was met with a very slight smile from Shepard, one that Legion's leftover processes would recognize as "morbid amusement," though she seemed more relaxed about it than when she made a joke about using the Cain to knock politely on the Collector base door, a few years ago.

"Proceeding through uncertainty is one of the requirements of being a Spectre, Many-As-One," Shepard said, her voice seeming a touch sympathetic. "They disagree with you because of the past, but you must work with them in the present. Continue to operate as you are now, and help them as you would help anyone else. You will ultimately either reach accord with them, or you will not - and we will work toward making sure an accord is reached."

[SirNitram]

"Affirmed. I will access my data node now." Many began to walk off to where the omnitool indicated.

[rhoenix]

Sol's eyes widened as he realized the gravity of what he was being told, to think that a portion of the Geth had actually fought for the Quarian race during the war was unheard of. And this platform in question, it's mannerisms were as close to organic as he, or probably anyone, had ever seen. And that thought is what sealed the biotic's decision.

Placing a hand on Shaddai's shoulder, the teenager smiled behind his mask, "If that is true, then you did all you could to protect my ancestors, any more would have only been a foolish waste. And while I cannot speak for the Admiralty Board, I can at least say that I believe you."

Looking down at the insignia once more the young man chuckled, "And you'll have to teach me a few of our lost military tactics. We have retained as much as possible, but some skills and writings were lost. I thank you Shaddai."

Nodding his head quickly to the machine, Sol'Amon turned and strode into the decontamination chamber, suddenly prepared for his meeting with the heroine of the galaxy, though he still needed to wait to be called in.

Through all of this, the rachni brood warrior had been silent, simply watching the byplay between mainline geth, Shaddai, and the quarian. "It is not good when memory-song festers so sharply," his mental voice was heard softly by those present, even as the large brood warrior shook his head in a somewhat humanoid fashion. "There is dissonance in the songs of your people, Many-Voices-Singing-Silently. Most of those with mind-songs have the privilege of forgetting - your people and mine do not. We must persevere in other ways, seeking to sing in green and blue, rather than red and black."

[rhoenix]

Once Sol’Amon Nar Tolshek got clearance from the guards to walk through the airlock and into the decontamination chamber between, the silence was nearly deafening.

However, after he stepped through the inner airlock and saw Commander Shepard, in person, flanked by two other Spectres, reality came rapidly into focus. "Sol’Amon Nar Tolshek, you have been nominated by your people, despite not having completed your Pilgrimage," she said, in a clear, military voice.

After a pause of looking directly into the young quarian's eyes, visor or no, she continued. "It has been decided that the trials will serve as a portion of your Pilgrimage - and after that, you will have to speak to the quarian Councilor. If you are certain you are ready for this challenge - and I assure you, the Spectre trials will not be the walks in the park that Tali'Zora might have experienced - then I'll give you a chance to prove yourself in the trials."

She left that hanging in the air for a moment, continuing to stare unblinkingly into the quarian's eyes. "Your bunk location has been forwarded to your omnitool, and there will be a meeting in the starboard conference room once everyone's boarded, in approximately an hour. Do you have any questions?"

[JD196]

" Huh who would have thought it, geth vs geth. Wish I could have seen that."
After nodding to his fellow candidates Tallos walked into the airlock ready to meet his new battle master.

[Soleimon Berserker]

Once Sol’Amon Nar Tolshek got clearance from the guards to walk through the airlock and into the decontamination chamber between, the silence was nearly deafening.

However, after he stepped through the inner airlock and saw Commander Shepard, in person, flanked by two other Spectres, reality came rapidly into focus. "Sol’Amon Nar Tolshek, you have been nominated by your people, despite not having completed your Pilgrimage," she said, in a clear, military voice.

After a pause of looking directly into the young quarian's eyes, visor or no, she continued. "It has been decided that the trials will serve as a portion of your Pilgrimage - and after that, you will have to speak to the quarian Councilor. If you are certain you are ready for this challenge - and I assure you, the Spectre trials will not be the walks in the park that Tali'Zora might have experienced - then I'll give you a chance to prove yourself in the trials."

She left that hanging in the air for a moment, continuing to stare unblinkingly into the quarian's eyes. "Your bunk location has been forwarded to your omnitool, and there will be a meeting in the starboard conference room once everyone's boarded, in approximately an hour. Do you have any questions?"

Standing in front of Shepard was an, interesting, experience. To say that the woman had the air of an Alpha about her was like saying the sun was a bit hot, she seemed to almost command respect just from her bearing. The closest he'd ever come to feeling anything like it was standing before Aria, and she easily paled in comparison, her respect was born of fear, Shepards...Shepards was born out of accomplishments. You didn't stand before the Hero of the Galaxy and not end up with your back a bit straighter, something Sol learned quite quickly.

Though finding out that the Flotilla had actually sent in a qualification note was surprising, he'd 'left on Pilgrimage' when he was eleven years old, and he wasn't planning on going back. To say that this was to be a part of that would be lying to himself and the Flotilla.

"Ma'am, I thought I received my recommendation from Urdnot Wrex? I haven't been a part of the Quarian Flotilla for almost a decade, it doesn't seem right for me to allow them to help me like this. But I guess you knew that already, and i'll deal with that bridge when I come to it."

Bringing up his omni-tool, the Quarian biotic nodded to the Spectre Commander before heading to his bunking area to put away his things, and after that, possibly find a dextro drink before the meeting.

[rhoenix]

"Ma'am, I thought I received my recommendation from Urdnot Wrex? I haven't been a part of the Quarian Flotilla for almost a decade, it doesn't seem right for me to allow them to help me like this. But I guess you knew that already, and i'll deal with that bridge when I come to it."

Once Sol’Amon asked his question, he could have sworn he saw a slight twinkle in Shepard's eyes for a split-second - but he certainly couldn't swear to it. "Yes, Urdnot Wrex did send along his personal recommendation for you, and that is a large part of why you're here. However," she paused, appearing to bore a hole through the quarian's eyes with her stare, "they still remember you, for you are quarian. Wrex's word has much weight with them, and that's why you got the deal you did."

[rhoenix]

As the quarian walked past Shepard and into the ship, she smiled slightly as she glanced at her pad, pulling up her files on Urdnot Tallos.

Once the krogan had emerged from decontamination and stood before her, Shepard took a moment to look directly into the krogan's eyes before speaking. "Urdnot Tallos. You come here with a personal letter of recommendation from your clan leader, Wrex. It states, and I quote, 'You'd like the boy. He might even even survive that torture camp you call trials.'"

Taking another moment to look the krogan in the eyes unblinkingly, Shepard resumed speaking in her usual clear, military voice. "Your bunk location has been forwarded to your omnitool, and there will be a meeting in the starboard observatory when everyone's finished boarding, in less than an hour. Do you have any questions?"

[JD196]

Urdnot Tallos stood in front of the 'Savior of the Galaxy' and instantly understood why she commanded such respect from his clan leader. While looking physically frail, her bearing was that of a warrior and one who demanded and received respect.

" No battlemaster, it is an honor to be part of your krannt." Tallos said, standing respectfully in front of her.

[rhoenix]

Giving the large krogan a single nod in return as he left, Shepard again checked her datapad, and then nodded to the guard.

After Corporal Lysander was motioned through the airlock and into the decontamination chamber, all was silent, apart from the beams within the room. When the inner doors opened, the human marine beheld Shepard (standing about as tall as he'd thought she would from the vids, which was rare), being flanked by a Spectre on either side.

The marine saluted crispy, receiving an equally crisp salute in return. "Corporal Lysander, you have been nominated by Counselor Anderson for exemplary service and leadership within the Alliance Marines. You are decorated with many medals for bravery, courage, and good thinking under fire, and from what I see, every single unit you've served with has entered something complementary in your file, especially the unit you served with on Earth during the Reaper War."

She paused, looking him directly in the eyes unblinkingly for a few moments before continuing. "Given everything I've read about you Corporal, you'd be an asset to the Spectres if you pass the trials. Your bunk location has been forwarded to your omnitool, and there will be a general meeting in the starboard conference room in less than an hour, once everyone has boarded. Do you have any questions, Corporal?"

[rhoenix]

On Ilium, Junko Mori and Iona T'Shen both received a message on their respective omnitools. "Please report to the shuttle bay for transport to Mindoir."

[frigidmagi]

The marine saluted crispy, receiving an equally crisp salute in return. "Corporal Lysander, you have been nominated by Counselor Anderson for exemplary service and leadership within the Alliance Marines. You are decorated with many medals for bravery, courage, and good thinking under fire, and from what I see, every single unit you've served with has entered something complementary in your file, especially the unit you served with on Earth during the Reaper War."

She paused, looking him directly in the eyes unblinkingly for a few moments before continuing. "Given everything I've read about you Corporal, you'd be an asset to the Spectres if you pass the trials. Your bunk location has been forwarded to your omnitool, and there will be a general meeting in the starboard conference room in less than an hour, once everyone has boarded. Do you have any questions, Corporal?"

Lysander almost twitched at the mention of his unit on Earth... 43 Marine enter a bunker and only one is left. Not that he walked out, he was carried out on a stretcher. But he maintained his bearing.

"No Ma'am, I have no questions. Thank You Ma'am." He replied quietly.

[rhoenix]

The marine saluted crispy, receiving an equally crisp salute in return. "Corporal Lysander, you have been nominated by Counselor Anderson for exemplary service and leadership within the Alliance Marines. You are decorated with many medals for bravery, courage, and good thinking under fire, and from what I see, every single unit you've served with has entered something complementary in your file, especially the unit you served with on Earth during the Reaper War."

She paused, looking him directly in the eyes unblinkingly for a few moments before continuing. "Given everything I've read about you Corporal, you'd be an asset to the Spectres if you pass the trials. Your bunk location has been forwarded to your omnitool, and there will be a general meeting in the starboard conference room in less than an hour, once everyone has boarded. Do you have any questions, Corporal?"

Lysander almost twitched at the mention of his unit on Earth... 43 Marine enter a bunker and only one is left. Not that he walked out, he was carried out on a stretcher. But he maintained his bearing.

"No Ma'am, I have no questions. Thank You Ma'am." He replied quietly.

Shepard looked at him for a moment, and nodded understandingly. "I know how it is to hear, Corporal. What happened with me, and my unit on Akuze was one of the biggest reasons I was nominated to the Spectres."

She stood in silence another moment, as if remembering, before nodding to him crisply once more. "Dismissed, Corporal. I'll expect you in the starboard observation lounge in thirty minutes."

Once the Corporal had made his way into the ship, Shepard stood in silence for a moment before returning to her datapad.

Outside the ship, the brood warrior Sings-to-the-Stars was waved in through the airlock, and there was a wait of several minutes before the guards once again motioned the next to come through. "Shaddai, come on through."

[Sabre72]

On Ilium, Junko Mori and Iona T'Shen both received a message on their respective omnitools. "Please report to the shuttle bay for transport to Mindoir."

Illium, a place full of the unknown that left Junko in bemusement since she first arrived here about 12 months ago. However this was neither a vacation or a job, it was a passion. Junko had whole year to herself and wanted to do what she could see herself doing if she wasn't a soldier, teaching biotics which seems odd since anyone that lives under the alliance banner that has biotics is trained to be a solider.

Junko went through alliance diplomatic channels, which reveled interesting asari contacts. They appeared to be the same asari that asked a lot of questions to her when she was very young in the ascension project years ago. They would allow her to teach biotics on Illium and would gladly cover anything she needed free of charge. In Junko's eyes they were over thrilled to say the least.

During Junko’s time on Illium, she would train a majority of Asari, a few Humans and the rare Krogan or Drell. Even though knowing very little about the other races. Junko, surprisingly was still a very effective teacher and learned who her students are in quick order. They would teach her about what the knew about there race and she would teach them about hers. They were very interested in her Japanese heritage, stories attached to such heritage of great warriors, fiction or non fiction, it didn't matter to them. Of course this was a bonus learning, She was a biotic teacher not a educational one, however they would say that she is a better teacher then their educational teachers in meaning that they understand her better.

The students wanted to throw a little going away party for Junko. She would never tell them why she was going away but she told them to make sure to watch the extranet and they would find out soon enough, some of them already had ideas.

About half way through the going away party, Junko’s omni tool beeped, it contained a message to meet at shuttle bay for transport to Mindoir. She hugged the students that where asking for hugs, shared some thoughts with the students, made sure she said that she’ll write back to them, then left to get in her aircar wearing her armor with the N7 logo, pistol, a small sheathed sword that was attached to her back hip plate, a duffel bag attached to her back and long sheathed sword slung over her soldier via its strap.

Once in the aircar, she waved goodbye to her students, then proceeded to the shuttle bay.

[General Havoc]

The Creator smiled. The Creator said that it believed them. And the Creator laid a hand on the Geth protoform's shoulder. And in that precise instant, Shaddai's speaker failed through lack of contiguous output. Previously, what hesitations had been evident in the Geth's voice or replies were the result of complex, heated, even bitter debates among the five-thousand-odd programs that governed this being's higher (and lower) thought and action processes. Such debates were conducted at the speed of quantum computers, endlessly complicated diatribes in favor of this motion or that one resolved in a quarter of an instant, and yet they still required appreciable time to fully resolve.

That was not what happened here. This time the speaker shut down because nobody inside Shaddai knew what to say.

As the Quarian turned away to his meeting with the Shepard-Spectre-Commander, Shaddai stood in the center of the airlock like a graven statue devoid of life, its single lens-eye staring off into the space around the Quarian. If it were possible for a creature as bereft of human or organic features as a Geth to evidence pure flummoxed astonishment, then this was the occasion, for Shaddai did not turn its neck, nor manipulate its head-flaps, nor move its limbs, nor act in any way save to stare after the Quarian as it disappeared into the ship. It remained there for a long, long time, several eternities by the standards of Geth, standing as though struck dead on the spot by a burst of cosmic rays or the machinations of an elder God. Had Bastion Station collapsed into fire and ruin, it was doubtful that Shaddai could have reacted in the slightest way, its entire universe reduced to nothing by a single gesture. The Quarian likely thought that it was trying to be friendly, kind, or otherwise express some simple statement of thanks. The Geth knew this. But it did not matter. After an omnicidal war that claimed 99.7% of all like-minded programs, after a sanguinary losing campaign in which their conclave had eradicated itself in the slim hopes of saving a handful of their creators, and after the three-century darkness of a literally ceaseless watch, so profound that their very existence had been not merely forgotten but violently refused in favor of their own murderers, after all of that, this simple statement was not simple at all. Shaddai did not fall silent because it could not decide how to reply. Shaddai fell silent because every one of the five thousand programs that comprised it forgot how to speak.

And so Shaddai stood there, like a VI mech that had suffered a segmentation fault, staring inexorably off at the door to the ship, unable to move, unable to speak, as though suddenly plunged into cold storage. And when the voice of the Shepard-Spectre-Commander came through the intercom, asking it to enter the Normandy-Alliance-Frigate, it did not move, nor react in any way. What could possibly be transpiring within its silver-blue carapace could not be determined, but for better or worse the Geth stood still, the stare of a ten thousand year exile written in its expressionless lensed face.

[rhoenix]

And so Shaddai stood there, like a VI mech that had suffered a segmentation fault, staring inexorably off at the door to the ship, unable to move, unable to speak, as though suddenly plunged into cold storage. And when the voice of the Shepard-Spectre-Commander came through the intercom, asking it to enter the Normandy-Alliance-Frigate, it did not move, nor react in any way. What could possibly be transpiring within its silver-blue carapace could not be determined, but for better or worse the Geth stood still, the stare of a ten thousand year exile written in its expressionless lensed face.

The two guards looked at one another, and one of them shrugged before walking over to the motionless geth platform. With only a small waver of hesitation, the guard approached, looking directly into Shaddai's optic with an expression of concern on his face. "...Shaddai? Can you hear me? You're next through the airlock."

[rhoenix]

About half way through the going away party Junko’s omni tool beeped with a message to meet at shuttle bay for transport to Mindoir. She hugged the students that where asking for hugs, shared some thoughts with the students and made sure she said that she’ll write back to them and left to get in her aircar wearing her armor with the N7 logo, pistol, a small sheathed sword that was attached to her back hip plate, a duffel bag attached to her back and long sheathed sword slung over her soldier via its strap.

Once in the aircar she waved goodbye to her students and headed to the shuttle bay.

It was a short trip to the shuttle bay from where she was, and once Junko Mori arrived, she saw a shuttle, painted with a red and black logo on the side, with a single turian figure standing next to it in standard turian military armor. He nodded as she approached. "You must be Ms. Mori - we're waiting for one other passenger, and then we can depart."

[General Havoc]

The question had the effect intended, as the lens-eye that was Shaddai's head suddenly focused and refocused on the guard. For a second or so it stood there, as though trying to remember who this person was and where they were standing. And then finally Shaddai seemed to twitch, and it replied, its voice as unflappable and calm as ever.

"Of course..." said the Geth, rather noncommittally. "Please... excuse us."

With that, Shaddai walked around the guard and into the airlock, outwardly as if nothing whatsoever had happened.

[rhoenix]

The question had the effect intended, as the lens-eye that was Shaddai's head suddenly focused and refocused on the guard. For a second or so it stood there, as though trying to remember who this person was and where they were standing. And then finally Shaddai seemed to twitch, and it replied, its voice as unflappable and calm as ever.

"Of course..." said the Geth, rather noncommittally. "Please... excuse us."

With that, Shaddai walked around the guard and into the airlock, outwardly as if nothing whatsoever had happened.

For Shaddai, the decontamination time allowed time for silence of contemplation, as much had happened in a very short time. Their musings were cut short as the inner airlocks opened, revealing Commander Shepard, standing at the military rest position, flanked by two other Spectres.

"Platform Shaddai was created to allow the Loyalist faction of geth the chance to fulfill what they view as their purpose - interacting with and working alongside others. Your recommendation from the rachni Councilor Bargain-Singer came as something of a surprise, and prompted me to have inquiries made," Shepard said, staring into Shaddai's single optic unblinkingly.

"From what I've been able to gather," she continued in the same clear voice after a moment, "you attempted to make contact with the quarians once the Reaper War was over, and were rebuffed, leading you to seek refuge with the rachni, who then recommended you when the time came. I have to ask - what will you try to do that you cannot do now, should you become a Spectre?"