[b]Here's a note on timing. The italics take place in the present. Non-italics take place one hour after the italics.[/b]

[center][b]Chapter 5: Mark 5:9[/b][/center]


[i]The coding itself had been easy enough to implement once inside the system. Getting the potential aid to listen was another story entirely.

Sain crossed his arms, looking at the collective. It continuously spoke, trying to find a consensus among its hundreds, if not thousands, of members. "Be quiet," he called, trying to be heard above the din.

No response.

Fed up, the AI shouted the collective's name at the top of his lungs.

All went silent. At exactly the same time, every member of the mass stopped speaking.

Only slightly put off by this, the program spoke once more. "Listen up, all of you. You may not care about me, but I sure as hell don't like you. Still, if you want to make it out of this alive, we're gonna have to work together." He paused, expecting the metallic mass to speak again. When nothing happened, he continued. "Pick one voice to speak with me as your representative. We need to make this quick. There will be indecision among you. I expect that. But to be honest I don't give a damn about how you normally do things. We are going to need a coordinated offensive. My friends need an army. They're just kids. One's dead, lots are wounded, at least in mind. I know, I shouldn't care. But--"

"We do not experience this compassion," the representative stated at last. "But we understand how it affects you."

"...Thanks...I guess," Sain replied uncomfortably. "Will you help?"

"Yes."[/i]

---

[i]The Castle That Never Was[/i]

[i][b]BOOM![/b][/i] The jet of red and orange flames shot straight up from the ground far below. A large building exploded shortly after, metal parts raining down to the ground. A third, last explosion demolished another building.

Reaper put a hand to his comm unit, shouting. Those ships had left a short while ago. What type were they? It had to have been them.

"What just happened?! Alvior, report!"

---

[i]"We'll need to start you all on a covert op," the good AI told his newest allies. "Can you kill as many of their troops as possible--I don't care how--and get out of there?"[/i]

---

[i]"By blood, they destroyed an enormous portion of our force!"[/i] the Brute called back. [i]"The Locust in the first blast, King Bohan's army remnants in the second, and our entire Trade Federation force and facility in the third!"[/i]

"Who did this?! What did this?!" the demon was enraged. Someone had managed to pass his blockade. How, he did not know.

[i]"Several explosives are being uncovered. They could not detonate them all. I have technological experts working to find out exactly that, my Lord."[/i]

---

[i]The conversation went on for a few more minutes, then Sain stepped back toward the exit. "I guess it's good to work with you."

"Stop. You should know of a facet of the plan of our former leaders."

"What is it?"

"They are coming."

"Yeah, I got that," Sain replied sarcastically. "They just left."

"Yes." A pause, long enough to irritate Sain, but probably not intentional. "But not them."

"Who, then?"[/i]

---

The demon man shook with rage upon learning what type of technology was in the remaining bombs that had failed to detonate. "Get me a line to Nazara's fellow, [i]right now![/i]" He knew the new Chieftain of the Jiralhanae was hurrying at the other end. "And I have someone I need to speak to directly after. Tell that person [i]immediately[/i] after."

---

[i]A enormous hologram appeared above the mechanical collective. The form...

...was a gigantic cuttlefish.

Sain paled. "How long?"

Silence reigned once more.

"Damn it, how long do we have?!"

"Thirty six hours."

"Crap. Work fast, okay?" Sain was very nervous. With the approach of Reapers, or Old Machines as he had heard them called at times, things had just gotten a lot more complicated. No hiding out in Gummi space to shoot out Spires. That was Plan B. "So, are they using them or the Spires first?"

"Yes."

The AI groaned, palming his face. Annoyance temporarily outweighed fear. "Which...?" he grumbled in exasperation.

"Spires, followed by what you call 'Reapers' an hour after. Data to be transferred to you."

54-1N started walking again. Before he left the system, he spoke back. "Nice working with you, Geth."[/i]

---

"So we will need you to move immediately. Do not hesitate. Schedules have changed somewhat." Reaper spoke to the hologram on the projector in his room, the one similar to that produced by the AIs that had recently been spoken with.

[color=red][b]UNDERSTOOD.[/b][/color] The device turned off at that.


Soon after, a woman in a black robe with dark blonde hair and the glowing red eyes of the Dark Will corrupted entered the room of the nominal leader of Omega. "You called, my Lo--" Her calm gaze turned to one of terror upon seeing his rage. "Reaper, dear, If you could explain I can--" The Darkness Guns were in the hands of Isaac "Reaper" Zivaku, the right pointed at her left leg. "Please, tell me what I must do!"

The machine gun did not move at all as its trigger was depressed, a stream of what could be described as pure lightning erupting from the barrel and drilling into her thigh. Although Jessica Mireu's future screamed as the electricity coursed through her body, the man did not relent. This was her fault. He only stopped when he thought continuing would do permanent damage, watching as she fell to her hands and knees, her body smoking. "The Geth were your responsibility, and you lost them! Our force was, for all intents and purposes, crippled in seconds! How did they leave? I thought you reprogrammed them to treat us as they did their former leaders!"

"The Geth...left?" Elena gasped. "Someone must have--" She could not finish, as his foot kicked hard into her jaw, knocking her to the ground before he stepped back, the woman spitting blood. "Fischer....the transmissions...could have been...a countervirus."

Reaper did not help her as she stood weakly, wiping her mouth. "You are dealing with this mess, Jessica. You. I don't give a damn if you don't think it was your fault. You chose the Geth knowing there could have been this liability, and you [i]will fix it.[/i]"

"Y-yes, Lord Reaper," she stammered as she wiped her mouth again, limping out of the room quickly as she could to avoid invoking his new wrath yet again.