When the feeling of the Reaper's presence disappeared, Saren flinched slightly, growling softly. Yes, the Lord hits the brains VERY significantly! But a reasonable person unfamiliar with the basics of mentalism can think for a long time and sincerely that the heaviness in his head is just the result of a conversation with such a monster. Saren thought so... and quite unnecessarily. A heavy head and confused thoughts are the first and most basic signs of a direct invasion. Besides, the intrusion is rude. But right now, Saren's distracted state was good for me: my tired mind was unable to resist. The Turian never noticed how one control was replaced by another. He didn't even realize what had happened. It was just that at some point the world in front of his eyes suddenly went dark, and his consciousness turned off, leaving his body standing in the middle of the corridor, indifferent to everything.
When we entered the room, everyone froze. Tali gave a startled squeak, Garrus raised his weapon, and Nihlus stared at his mentor, who stood impassively. I was leading Saren by the hand, and he was just mechanically putting his feet together. A living doll without a trace of intelligence in unnaturally blue eyes, already affected by indoctrination.
"Rin?" Nihlus stood up and slowly walked over. "What's wrong with him?"
"His mind is disconnected." I left my victim standing. "It's just that the body is under control."
"But how?" Tali asked in a barely audible voice.
"The Reaper is not the only mentalist in this galaxy." Grimacing, I said. "He's incredibly strong! A real monster! One thing pleases: the subtle influence is beyond his perception. Okay. I'll tell you about Nazar later. Saren sent the Reaper for a walk, and he said that he would fly to Noveria to check on Benezia."
"Your job?"
"Yes. Nazara didn't even realize that someone else had gotten into Saren's brain."
"Nazara?" Garrus tilted his head in surprise, examining the motionless kinsman.
"That's his name. And now — be silent! No matter what I do, no matter what I say, keep quiet! Nihlus, this is especially true for you! Understood?"
A short nod. Then I'll deal with the storm that's raging in his head.
"You know what... Go to another room."
Interestingly, three reasonable people left without a single squeak. Only Nihlus paused for a moment and stared intently into the shining blue eyes, indifferent to everything. He shuddered, slightly lowered his head.
"Please don't try to interfere. It's necessary. Do you believe me?"
"I believe." Nihlus put his hand on my shoulder, squeezed a little, and left.
Leading a dumb doll through the whole complex is insanity. They'll notice. It's quite another matter if we are led by an enraged Saren Arterius in his own terrifying persona. But in order for it to be Saren, and not just a doll, I need to awaken his mind and rock him properly. So...
A sharp gleam of intelligence appeared in the blue eyes, the Turian jerked sharply, but immediately froze. Rage surged instantly! Smart boy, he immediately realized what had happened. Now let's see if you're able to think straight.
"Hello, Saren Arterius. I finally got to see you in person." My vocal cords were unblocked, so I quite reasonably heard the answer:
"Shepard!"
"It's nice to be recognized." I paced in front of his face, allowing him to examine me, evaluate me and understand how much I was NOT what he expected to see. "Surprised?"
"A little bit." the rage has subsided, simmering quietly in the depths.
Intelligent, luminous eyes intently examined my figure, noting the plasticity of my movements, unusual armor, facial expression, gaze, and demeanor. Yes, that's right. You don't know ANYTHING about the creature that walks in front of you. That's right, be surprised, let the established pattern crack.
"I must say, I'm already tired of waiting for you. Although, I... appreciated your hospitality."
Annoyance.
"Did you come for my head?"
A logical question, by the way.
"You could say that." I graciously agreed. "However, I need it complete with everything else. So, I won't cut it off. Although... looking at you... such a desire arises."
A sharp look, full of reasonable apprehension. Well, yes, well, yes... when you are unable to move even the tip of your finger, such fears appear.
"I must say, I'm glad you had the brains to send Nazara away. This ancient creature is completely superfluous at our celebration of life."
Understanding and surprise.
"Do you know?"
"I know." I stopped abruptly, staring intently into my eyes, which were wide with anger. "But you obviously don't understand what kind of monster you're messing with!"
"I know."
"You don't know anything! Do you think what this Reaper told you is true?"
"Yes!" a scream full of rage and despair.
Oh, yes! There it is! Consciousness kicked in, pulling all the strings! Saren started thinking with his own brain!
"Only partially! Tell me, Saren Arterius, do you know exactly HOW the Harvest ends? Why do the Reapers need organics?"
"I know. Synthesis. Merge. The highest form of evolution."
"He lied beautifully to you without telling a single lie."
Saren hesitated. The blue eyes narrowed, staring intently at my face.
"Lied?"
"Reapers are MADE of organics." I walked up to him almost right next to him, staring into his eyes. "They RECYCLE organics BY ABSORBING them. Yes, in a sense, a FUSION is taking place, because the Reaper created from this species consumes all memory. No emotions. ONLY dry knowledge. Do you understand what this merging of the two means? This SYNTHESIS?"
"That's a lie!" a cry full of anger.
Yes, that's right! Rage, anger! Despair! You have to understand! You have to take off the first and most terrible drill yourself, even if it plows your mind. Then I'll put it in a pile...
"Do you know what a husk's is?"
In response, a skeptical look.
"Don't look at me like that. You'd better look at yourself." I grabbed his arm and pulled him over to the mirror. "Look into your eyes. They glow so beautifully... And what interesting blue lights you have on your cheekbones." I ran my finger over the lights I was looking for, which made him flinch. "Does it remind you of anything?"
Saren jerked as if he'd been slapped in the face with all his might, and I slowly relaxed my control over his body. You can't convince him. Senselessly. It is necessary to ask questions to which he will find the answer HIMSELF. The right answer.
The Turian stood and stared intently at his face. VERY intently! He's a smart guy, and it didn't take him long to put two and two together and draw direct parallels.
A low, hateful growl escaped from his throat. And now, the cruelest part. He should drop the bindings here and now. He must get to the truth himself, otherwise he will never be able to convince him later. He's too suspicious.
Now... I will hit the most painful points. Because it still feels painful.
"Do you like it? The first stage of indocrination in all its glory!"
In response, a low growl.
"You've seen it happen more than once."
"What do you want?"
"So that you can start thinking with your genius head!" I shouted. "Saren, you're smart, but you fell for the old bastard's nonsense like a naive cub!"
"The machine can't lie!"
"Nazara is not a car! This ancient creature is organic! Forget the fairy tales about synthetics and organics! A Reaper is a sentient, completely self-sufficient being. A LIVING being! And it lies brilliantly! Without saying a word of lies, faking the truth, turning events around and serving you small cuts with the right sauce. And you fell for this trick, like a fly on a bait!"
Saren growled.
"Don't growl at me! And use your brains while you still have them!"
"What do you mean?" The Turian turned abruptly.
"Indoctrination, Saren, is not just brainwashing. This is the subjugation of the body. Its restructuring. You've seen the same eyes before. Remember! The eyes were the first to change!"
I pushed to consciousness a layer of memories that he so wanted and could not forget. And with my help, he remembered WHERE, WHEN, under what circumstances, and on WHOSE face he had seen the same eyes.
Saren turned around, looking in the mirror, and literally froze. He couldn't help but draw a parallel. I couldn't help but find out. I couldn't help but remember. But I couldn't believe it either...
"I'll make it easier for you."
I stood next to him, completely losing control of his body. He's not dangerous right now. He's too confused right now, too overwhelmed by the truth.
"Two words. The monoliths of the Arch."
Bright pain and deafening hatred flashed, reflected in the dark blue glow of biotics.
"Do you remember what happened?"
"Remember." a low growl.
"The monoliths were created by the Reapers. It's just one of many finds of such trash, generously left for future generations of organic life. Unlike you, I fully understood the information from the lighthouse. Not with disparate pictures, but with a clear, well-structured data system. You're not the first to be subjugated by the Reapers. And you're not the last one."
"Were the monoliths indoctrinated?" It's a dumb question.
"Yes"
The bright light blue eyes closed, and rage hit my senses.
"Haw?"
"Nanites."
Saren shuddered all over. He didn't have to explain the meaning and horror of the word.
"And now I am?"
"You know the answer."
The mental channel was breaking with an almost physically audible creak. Rage and pain did what I would have spent weeks doing: the cords tore, freeing his mind, revealing what was hidden. He REMEMBERED everything that was covered by oblivion and false memory. If he had been even a little weaker... and he would have broken. The understanding of creation hit him with all its might, with all its force, revealing and ruthlessly manifesting his actions and their consequences. He understood and realized everything.
"I can't resist the Lord." he said calmly, stating the fact.
The rage subsided, completely dissolving into indifference. Holy shit! That's what, but I definitely don't need indifference! That's what, but I definitely don't need indifference!
"No"
Bright eyes stared at me intently. Smart, understanding... Damn it, Saren, sometimes you're TOO smart! Where it is not necessary!
"But can you?"
"I can."
"How?"
"Reapers aren't the only ones with the gift of mentalism." The light blue eyes widened in understanding. "Yes, his power is terrifying, but you can't break him by sheer force. But there are other ways that are inaccessible to this creature. Thin ones. More elegant ones."
Saren shuddered and shook his head in understanding. Well yeah. It's difficult for even a complete idiot not to understand how you were caught with such confessions. Interestingly, there is not a shadow of indignation. Understands, recognizes effectiveness, and takes it for granted. Having the power, I used it with maximum efficiency. He easily understood this and... approved.
"Can you protect your mind?"
"Your own? Yes."
"Can you destroy it?"
"Him?" I chuckled. "Nazara is just an observer. He's not as dangerous as... the others. He's careless. Overconfident. Arrogant. He does not perceive us as an enemy."
Saren typed something on his instrument, and then turned off the device, took it off his hand and handed it to me.
"Everything I've been able to find out about the Reapers is here. The research is from Sidon, from my laboratory. Recordings of conversations with the Lord. Everything that could be found. Passwords have been removed from the data."
I silently took the bracelet and put it on my hand. Saren stared intently, thinking about something. There is a frightening emptiness in emotions, tinged with doom. For the first time, he did not lie to himself even in small things, looking at the situation in which he found himself without embellishment.
Saren moved to the far wall, pacing slowly and studying my face intently. The rage had almost completely disappeared, only occasionally surging on the edge of intuition. The general background of emotions is dispassionate indifference and calm determination. He had ALREADY made his decision. That's just it... which one?
"I've opened access to my ship." He calmly informed me, interrupting any possible objections with a short gesture. "Take this information to the Council and warn them about the threat of Harvest. They have to believe and take action."
"They already know. I warned them so that they believed me."
Saren slowly threw.
"The Geth's won't hurt you. There is a pass on the omny-tool. Take him to the Citadel and give him to Sparatus. He knows what can be done with such information."
"And you?"
Cold, luminous light blue eyes glared at him with a hard, penetrating gaze.
"Indocrination cannot be reversed. It can't even be slowed down." He wasn't trying to justify himself, he was just telling me well-known and verified facts. "I know. Conducted research." a short pause. "It's too late for me."
A wave of cold swept down my spine. Saren, for fuck's sake...
"Thank you, Shepherd." Saren released his pistol from the grips, bringing it into a fighting position.
"Saren!"
"Goodbye."
Saren Arterius lifted his chin slightly, raised his hand in one swift, precise movement, putting the muzzle under his jaw, and... pulled the trigger.
Chapter 30.1: Escape from the base
A booming shot rang out almost simultaneously with the hiss of the door opening. Nihlus flew into the room and stopped abruptly, as if he had crashed into the air: before his eyes, a massive black pistol fell out of his fingers. His gun, the one that disappeared without a trace on Eden Prime. Saren slowly toppled over onto his side and sank to the floor. Blue blood, unnaturally bright in the lamplight, generously poured over the white armor, splashing out of the wound.
"Saren!"
The green-eyed Turian darted to the mentor who had fallen to the floor, grabbed him by the shoulders, lifted his head, looking at the flowing blood in confusion and disbelief. I came over and sat down next to him.
"He's alive." I muttered, ripping open my palm with my claw. "I barely managed to pull his hand away. Fast when you don't have to."
"How..."
"Muscle cramp. Involuntary contraction, the arm jerked, and the bullet passed under the jaw. He's stunned right now. It wasn't enough for him to try to finish what he had started."
My blood, already noticeably giving off a golden sheen, flowed onto the open wound, spurring the body and accelerating regeneration. The bullet passed successfully, without damaging the larynx and voice box.
