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[seaboards]

TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE

There have been a lot of riftfarers arriving lately. It seems like there have been more arriving than usual. So many different kinds of people from different kinds of worlds with stories to tell and experiences to give.

A little game has appeared on the shellphone network in hopes of getting to know just a little more about these otherworlders. You might find it on your shellphone as you’re scrolling through one day.

Tell the world two truths and one lie about yourself. And let others try and decipher which of the three is your lie. If they can guess right, perhaps you’ve been able to make a new acquaintance. Or in the least learn more about someone from another walk of life.

Comments

[thearchangel]

Beach, yes. Ocean, no.

Couldn’t you just add more energy cells?

[talizoraaah]

You never have been a strong swimmer.

[She should definitely throw stones from this glass house.]

I'm not made of pockets, Garrus. Besides, I need to consider the additional weight factor into the wear of the envirosuit.

[A beat.]

Though I may not need to much longer here.

[thearchangel]

It's the metal in the plating. We just sink.

... What are you talking about?

[talizoraaah]

Interesting. You'd think the hollow boned would help with floating.

There's a doctor here who has an envirosuit of his own. He believes he may be able to augment mine to various extents so its not as ... required.

[thearchangel]

I'm not hollow-boned.

Hold on. You're saying he could make it so you don't need your suit?

[talizoraaah]

At least partially. Perhaps one that covers just my body. Or one where punctures aren't as dangerous.

Perhaps even partially adapting to this world's environment.

[thearchangel]

Are you serious? How?

And you trust him? He's not just making some wild promise/

[talizoraaah]

We're still working that out. He has a suit of his own, and is from a technologically advanced place as well. Having been here several years, he is also significantly better adjusted to the technology available in this place and the various ways to augment it.

Trust is a strong word. My impression is that he is intelligent and resourceful enough to have potential solutions I would be otherwise unaware of, and has no motivation I can see to want to cause me active harm.

[thearchangel]

Who is this? Maybe I've met him.

Look, if you want another hand or... body around for this. Call me. You're probably right, but you know me and paranoia.

[Also Tali is the last link to their world he's got here. She's crew, and practically family. He's a little worried.]

[talizoraaah]

His name is Professor Turo. Do you know him?

Another set of eyes wouldn't be amiss. Who knows? Perhaps you can calibrate the suit once he's done.

[thearchangel]

I
Sort of. Talked with him once or twice. He talked with Shepard more.

[This is fine.]

Then just call me. I'll be there.

[talizoraaah]

This explains why he seemed somewhat familiar with a few things I mentioned. I'm used to freaking people out here, honestly. Who thought omnigel would be exotic?

I... thank you. I admit it's a bit much for me to imagine, not needing my complete suit. And a bit frightening.

[thearchangel]

Yeah. They talked... not sure how often, but they did. She liked his animal collection...

[It's fine, talking about this is super fine.]

We're Normandy crew. We've been through hell and back. Of course I'll be there if you need it.

[talizoraaah]

Ah, I haven't seen that just yet. We spoke in his lab. Which does have an impressive array of tools given the limitations of this place. I'll be interested in your take on what is possible, here.

[She huffs out a short laugh on her end of the device.]

Do you think Legion would have come too, then?

[thearchangel]

It might involve some kind of... magic. I hate saying that word, but, just to get you up to speed about it.

... Yeah, Tali. I do.

[talizoraaah]

Ugh. Magic. I'm still not convinced. I have noted most places with "magic" are less technologically advanced. Likely just phenomenon their science hasn't caught up to yet.

[Oh okay, this is fine. This is absolutely fine.]

It's true that people here that are from the same place sometimes have different histories. Alternate realities, different time lines. Yes?

[thearchangel]

See, I agree. But there's also things here I can't completely discredit as their "magic", either. Like... dead bodies walking. Bodies that aren't husks.

... that's what I hear. Why?

[talizoraaah]

They could simply be a different variety of husk. I imagine they are powered by some sort of entropy, yes? An energy source of some sort must be used. It could simply have an entirely different source than one we have ever thought of. We are all from very different places. Can you imagine what these people would think of the Hanar?

[This next part takes her a second. She deletes and rewrites it several times before finally--]

What if I did it wrong in Legion's time? Or what if there was a way where he could have survived to see our world as he should have?

Keelah.

[thearchangel]

They were controlled by a crazy woman married to a severed head. I... wish I was exaggerating. Actually, I wish I was making it up.

They'd probably just think they were 'big stupid jellyfish'.

[Oh. That's a hell of a question. A hell of a question he's not sure he's capable of answering.]

If you had... I think it would have come up. Or Legion would have been annoyed - as annoyed as a geth could be.

I don't remember you doing anything wrong by them. For what it's worth.

[talizoraaah]

Well. I understand humans will marry anything.

Legion has always been significantly more gracious than I or my people have earned, knowing what I know now.

I have done plenty "wrong by them." I am not sure if it was the same for you, however, given the potential for divergence. Are you aware of what happened to my father? What he did? My part in it?

[thearchangel]

A severed head that flew around the room and tried to kill us.

By... them, specifically? Their programs? Or the geth in general?

Yeah, I was there for that "trial". You're wondering this because you were sending your father pieces of geth platforms?

[talizoraaah]

I never claimed to understand why humans will marry anything.

All of the above?

[She lets out a short breath. At least she won't have to explain it all to him from the beginning. Tali nods at her terminal, even if Garrus can't see it.]

Yes. It was reckless, and in the end all it truly accomplished was increased hostilities. What if I had taken the time to study our history more carefully instead? I'm a scientist, Garrus. I should know better than anyone that not gathering data from all available sources is a failing.

[thearchangel]

Tali... you had no idea. You said it yourself, you thought you were helping your people.

And before we ran into Legion, none of us knew there were even peaceful geth at all. The entirety of the Milky Way thought they were trigger happy, murderous machines. Saren sure as hell didn't help that image, either.

[talizoraaah]

But I should have. I had access to knowledge and materials none of my people did. Thar combined with my knowledge of Saren's manipulation of Geth tech, if I'd been thinking rationally

If I had known before the Reapers came back

I could have put it together sooner is all. And I remember that it was my own prejudice that kept me from doing so.

You are probably right about Legion. He would have come.

[thearchangel]

There are a lot of things we'd have done differently. If we'd been thinking differently... known before the Reapers showed up.

You weren't the only one doing experiments on the geth. Hell, one of those admirals sounded like she wanted to turn every one of them into an experiment.

Legion... I don't think they ever held anything against anyone. Not even the heretic geth.