Rebirth The Mass Effect is old

Nihlus listened very attentively, his emotions were thoughtful, surprised, and somewhat confused.

"I'm starting to feel other people's emotions."

"I know."

"Is this the result of restoring protection?"

"Rather, it is a consequence." I shrugged my shoulders. "As soon as your natural shield is strengthened, then the normal development of the aura has already begun. Not surprisingly, empathy has emerged. You are unlikely to become a mentalist without forced development — time is lost, but intuition and empathy will develop."

"Could such a "degradation of protection" have occurred naturally?"

"I have no idea. This is an embodied reality, and they can be anything and everything! The only thing that is never violated and under no circumstances is the basic laws of our Order. And don't confuse them with the laws of physics!"

The Turian blinked in surprise.

"Sounds... Somehow... not very encouraging."

I spread my hands.

"As it is. Or would you rather hear a beautiful fairy tale?"

"No. I prefer the truth. Even... so much... An interesting one."

The conversation somehow faded by itself. Nihlus pondered my words, periodically flaring up with emotions, and looked at me strangely. I turned down the aura, dimming the sensitivity. Mentalists understand and value personal space and trust more than anyone else.

Nihlus turned off the jammer, put it in his pocket and silently extended his hand to me, inviting me to stand up. I did not refuse to help: I was visibly unsteady, and my strength was running out. Mental impact is not given just like that, devouring vital energy, just like any other job. Only an uneducated, intelligent person can think that using the mentalist's gift does not take its toll. Any impact requires the application of some kind of force spent on it. It wouldn't surprise anyone if a man who spent three hours uprooting stumps and pulling out weeds in an overgrown field got tired. But for some reason, they are so sincerely surprised when a mentalist or a mind magician, who has been uprooting an analog of weeds from the patient's mind for the same three hours, gets tired in the same way...

Nihlus took me to my cabin and left, simply advising me to get a good night's sleep and not get up at first light. The ship is traveling through a tunnel between relays, and nothing will happen to it, or even if it does... it will be too late to worry: in such accidents, no one has ever returned. Reassured, however... I only had the strength to quickly rinse myself off and collapse across the bed. My consciousness simply turned off as soon as I slowed down on a soft horizontal surface.

Interestingly, I woke up in a normal position: with my head on a pillow and neatly covered with a blanket. On the bedside table there is a bottle of water and pills with a mild stimulant.

Who's so caring? I peered at the residual trace of aura on the bottle and raised an eyebrow in surprise. Garrus. In principle, why am I surprised? The crew is eliminated by default. Our relationship with the XO is restrained and distant, and we communicate exclusively on issues related to the ship and crew. Jeff is barely able to walk to his cabin. Karin would rather send someone without leaving the infirmary. Liara and Tali? Extremely doubtful. Kayden? He wouldn't risk it, even if the thought occurred to him. That thought would never come to Ashley. Rex? Oh yeah... That's exactly the case... Rather, it will drip on the other's brains. And I even know a potential greben victim. That leaves the Turians. Nihlus most likely went straight to bed, but Garrus, having overslept under "Mako", could well be curious. Karin, for example, gets up early. Our good doctor could easily have hinted... well, or just directly tell the guy your "fe" in an extremely polite way ... moreover, in a way that you can't say obscenities. Especially for the ignored attempt to reach out to his sense of responsibility and prudence. Garrus is caring and responsible, and already considers me a friend, so he could have gone and checked on me. It's nice when someone cares just like that, of their own volition, and not out of mercantile interest or out of necessity...

Speaking of Garrus...

The Turian was in the dining room. Garrus was deep in thought and barely noticed his surroundings, absently pushing a piece of meat around his plate with a fork and hypnotizing the half-eaten food. Today, for the first time on board the Normandy, he changed into civilian clothes: tight trousers made of thick black fabric, boots with magnetic soles that I already know, and a dark blue tank top T-shirt. His right shoulder is bandaged, and there is a piece of plaster on his neck under his jaw, hiding a chemical burn from the rachni toxin. There is a strange dull melancholy and despondency in the emotions. Why is he in such a positive mood this morning?

I picked up the tray and went to the counter. The smiling chef generously poured me a delicious-looking portion, and was not at all surprised when I stole a Turian drink from the counter. Apparently, he has already learned about the peculiarities of his captain. Thanking the chef, who was blazing with gratitude, I sat down at the table with Garrus. He only noticed me when I waved my hand in front of his face. The absent look perked up, the guy cheered up, although a slight apprehension remained. M-mm... is he waiting to be scolded for arbitrariness regarding my carcass? No need, I appreciate the concern.

"Thank you." smiling, she added: "I appreciated it."

Garrus blinked in surprise, looked at me strangely, and relaxed.

"Have a nice day, Rin."

"Did Karin swear too much?"

Irony flashed in his bright blue eyes.

"How to say it. I learned a lot of interesting things about myself." The irony became clearer. "Especially for ignoring her, sleeping rough with a wound, and not coming to the infirmary right after returning to the ship."

"I guess it's been the most difficult lately."

The Turian shrugged, mandibles twitching slightly.

"The wound is through, clean. I don't see any point in staying in the infirmary."

"How did you escape?"

The Turian looked slightly embarrassed.

"I said I wanted to go and check on your condition. I was mercifully released with pills and an order to report for a dressing in the morning. Garrus shook his head. — Dr. Karin does not accept any explanations and excuses when it comes to health?"

"No. It is more profitable to surrender voluntarily. There will be less later... sanctions."

"A stern woman."

The conversation turned to light and non-stressful topics. I ate, and Garrus stopped playing with the food and took the plates to the sink. I didn't want to go anywhere. The dining room was quiet and peaceful.

A leisurely conversation about nothing gradually turned to our mission.

"Is there any information about Saren's whereabouts?"

"Yes. We'll take a look at the Citadel, report to the Council, replenish supplies, and set off. Nihlus promised to scare the Special Corps about new weapons. I'm a beginner, they won't let me into arsenals with really worthwhile weapons. And they are not located in the C-Sec, but in closed sectors. So think about what you'd like to get while you still have the opportunity."

Garrus nodded slowly.

"Will the whole group disembark?"

"No"

"The reason?"

I rested my chin on my clasped hands, staring intently at the face of the Turian sitting across from me. Reason. What an interesting question...

"Lack of protection on the mind. I can't take anyone with me who might fall victim to the Reaper. I need Tali as a technician, but I can cover for her. Or knock it out."

"Who's going with you?"

"Nihlus. And maybe... you."

"Is it possible?" Displeasure and interest flashed in his bright blue eyes.

"It all depends on your decision."

"Walking together is suicide. I don't consider Tali as a full-fledged fighter. She's too vulnerable." Garrus sighed. "As I understand it, the penetration should be stealthy?"

"Yeas."

"That means three or four fighters. What do I need to do?"

"Required? Nothing. I need your voluntary and informed permission."

"Do the same as for Nihlus?" Garrus cocked his head to the side. "Put protection on the mind?"

"Yeas."

"Rin, why do you think I'll be against it?" misunderstanding and... annoyance, tinged with resentment, were clearly heard in the vibrating voice.

That's it... I didn't want him to be offended.

"Garrus, you have no idea what I'm going to do."

"Why is that? I can imagine." understanding flashed in the blue eyes, and the resentment disappeared into a trace of light irony. "Nihlus told me."

"When?"

"The next morning." Garrus shook his head. "He said it without really giving any information. For all the answers, come to you." I leaned back in my chair, frowning into those piercing blue eyes. Nihlus, in principle, did the right thing. But now I have to answer some questions. We just need to decide which ones.

"Let's go to the cabin. There is no need to talk about such things here. Is Nihlus up yet?"

"Yeas."

Nihlus was really awake: the Turian was half-sitting on a cot, leaning back against the wall, and reading something from a datapad, with his long legs thrown over the back of a chair, carefully placed in a convenient place. He greeted our arrival without surprise, just greeted me with a nod and put down the datapad.

"Colleague. Be so kind and turn on your toy." I grumbled, taking the chair away.

Nihlus sat down, pulled the pyramid of the jammer out of his pocket, put it on the table and turned it on.

"Is it time to talk?" he asked.

"Yes. Although I'm not sure if Garrus really WANTS to know all this."

"I can tell he doesn't want to." Nihlus chuckled. "Information... What did you say? Enchanting."

Garrus sat on his bunk, waiting patiently while I gathered my thoughts and figured out what I could tell him without putting him in harm's way.

"I got into this reality about a month ago, two days before landing on Eden Prime." I began. Garrus jerked up, surprise flashing brightly. "Time after time, after death, I am reborn in the embodied reality of a key figure, sending her soul into the general Circle of Rebirth with decent compensation, which guarantees a happy birth in a stable reality. This time, I hit Commander Shepard. You've never met my recipient, and you wouldn't really like her. Nihlus had the good fortune to meet her before my arrival. Shepard is a more cruel and calculating version of Ashley, slightly more tolerant of outsiders."

Nihlus grimaced.

"We couldn't have worked together."

I chuckled ironically.

"Have you forgotten anything?"

Nihlus sighed, squinted at me, waved me away.

"I remember I was supposed to die on Eden Prime."

Garrus stared at his kinsman in disbelief.

"Should you have?"

Nihlus grimaced and nodded.

"Even though I was warned, I was mortally wounded."

"This is the peculiarity of embodied reality. Her story has ALREADY been written out and is quite static. The so-called "canon". There are major nodal points that CANNOT be changed no matter how hard you try. There are events that can be changed, even if it is difficult. Nihlus' death was one such event. By all the rules of this reality, he should have died at the spaceport on Eden Prime from being shot in the back of the head by his beloved mentor. I knew about it, and I managed to change the predetermined course of history. With difficulty: reality resists, and instead of a fatal shot to the head, Nihlus caught a fatal one in the chest. Something else is worse. The inhabitants of this reality cannot go against its laws. Only the one who comes from the outside."

"How are you?"

"Like me. It's a kind of symbiosis: reality gets a chance for survival and development, and I get a new one... An interesting life," Then Nihlus couldn't stand it and laughed softly, but I ignored him. "And the opportunity to develop. This is my job. To disrupt the chain of events and push reality out of the rut of the canon. If this is not done, by the end of the story, reality will lose its nourishment from the egregore that gave rise to it and collapse. A dry Branch. There are countless such dead Branches. Not everyone gets people like me: there are a lot of rebirths, but not enough to cover the ENTIRE Probability Tree. Not everyone copes with their task and perishes along with reality. I came at a good moment and was able to make the first change: saved Nihlus' life. The more such changes accumulate, the easier and more flexible the reality will be. I can't tell you what I know. If Nihlus is dead to this universe and free of his destiny, having fulfilled it in full, then you are not yet. There will be countless accidents and accidents, but in any case, you will find yourself in the right situation. I've already seen it happen.

"Is this the reason why Nihlus was officially dead at the time of the investigation into Saren's betrayal?" Garrus asked, staring intently at my face.

He's smart. I immediately realized where and how I had covered up Nihlus.

"Before I received Spectr status, yes. This is the final event of the chain that began on Eden Prime. All the necessary conditions have been fulfilled."

"What would have happened if the truth had come out sooner?"

"Nihlus wouldn't have lived an hour. Anything from short-circuited equipment, a xenophobic attack from one of the crew, a heart failure, a Normandy explosion, a meteorite fall, or a ram from a ship that suddenly lost control. I have seen completely impossible and idiotic accidents, such as a wooden box falling out of an airplane flying overhead, which deliberately crashed on the victim's head and pierced through ten floors. It seems funny, as long as it doesn't concern the one you're trying to save."

Garrus was dejectedly silent, digesting my words. Did he believe me? I believed it. Nihlus, who agreed with me, was a good confirmation of the crazy words.

"What needs to be done?" he finally asked.

"Save civilization without resorting to a very dubious canonical method. Or ruin her. Both options guarantee the survival of reality, but in the second case..." I spread my hands.

"The second option in case the first one fails?" Garrus chuckled.

"Right. And it's enough for me to just DO NOTHING."

The blue-eyed Turian rubbed his comb thoughtfully and asked an extremely interesting question:

"How can I help if my actions are harsh... Are they predestined?"

"First of all, not actions, but just two events."

"One of them is our meeting in front of the Council Chamber, and the second... the second one will be after the invariable key point, it will also give you the opportunity to get you out from under the chain of events. But not now. You're lucky you're not a key figure in history like Saren. Our flight to Vermier is the third Change that I plan to push through. The second was the rescue of Benezia. She should have died too."