What did you do today in ME?

Owen Shepard:

Off to Mahavid to find Dr. Garneau and just maybe that Reaper killed called Leviathan. Cortez did say there were signs of Reapers but we already knew that they were shadowing the Leviathan. I called that a good sign. Kaidan wasn't so sure. First thing we encountered were some marauders and brutes. Kaidan figured the people inside were terrified so we went in to reassure them. That's when things got weird.

We walked inside and the miners acted as though nothing had ever happened. They also gave us the creepiest looks. Walked over to the reception area and mentioned the Reaper attack. When I said they'd been taken care of they said "That will be all." They were completely unconcerned and acted like zombies. Then they went on to tell us about their tungsten mining operation.


I asked about Dr. Garneau. One said he wasn't there while the other asked if I needed a doctor. I said I wanted to look around but was told the access elevator was broken - as a miner walked away from it. Then I was told I didn't belong there. In fact, multiple people told me that. If this wasn't indoctrination I'd sell my sister's helmet. The only thing to do at this point was use a drone to repair the elevator. Once that was done I too a look at the names of those who'd recently accessed the elevator. Garneau was one of them.


The more we looked around the creepier everything got. One thing for certain is that they weren't interested in mining. Then I found a datapad saying the comm systems were offline and that the message wasn't sent. It was from Garneau to Bryson. He said he'd found "another artifact", that he needed Bryson to come and that something was very wrong. He also attached a passcode that could hack any of the doors "just in case".

Looking around in the personnel area, I found datapads with messages dating back eight years. One of them mentioned that the father of a miner hadn't heard from her in some time even though her mother was very ill. How long were these people indoctrinated? I remember well Dr. Kenson being indoctrinated by a Reaper artifact she had found. Was that what was going on here?

According to one terminal, Garneau had been involved in an altercation and was being treated. We were able to find his patient number and use it to access the med bay. First we saw a dead body we hoped wasn't Garneau. Then someone locked in another room said he was Garneau. Tried to tell us things like looking for the Leviathan was a dead end but we mentioned his vid call to Bryson. Then he said "The darkness cannot be breached", which is exactly what Bryon's assistant had said. I mentioned wanting to take the artifact of the Leviathan and go. Garneau, or whatever was controlling him, said we would not take what was his. Then the glass partition between us exploded and he ran off.


We pursued by Reapers were in our way: husks, banshees, marauders and ravagers. When we got to the door Garneau passed through we saw that the power supply had been cut. A repair drone was needed but its power reserves were low and I had to accompany it. Meanwhile, Reaper forces continued to attack. Those banshees really do a number on Kaidan. I wonder if it's because he's biotic or his migraines.

Once we got through the door we tracked Garneau to the mine and saw an artifact there like the one in Bryson's lab. There were husks all around and Garneau sat near the artifact with a detonator in his hand. He triggered it and blew himself and the artifact up. Then Kaidan and Javik found a body that had been dead for a while. It was the real Garneau and his datapad showed eight missed calls from a Dr. Ann Bryson. We'd have to investigate her.


A few miners filtered into the area, acting very confused. The did not recognize Garneau in the slightest and couldn't believe any of the miners could have killed him. They described having a feeling of "cold and dark". They did recognize the artifact and said the head office was supposed to send someone. Cortez told me the Reaper forces had left and one miner asked what a Reaper was. Then the kicker: I asked them what year it was. The response was "2176". These people had lost ten years of their lives.


On the shuttle back we discussed if this Reaper killer was actually a Reaper. What else could take one of them down? We did know that the artifacts could indoctrinate and that Bryson had found a way to block them from doing so. Major problem here was that one of those artifacts was located right in the center of the Citadel.

Headed back to Bryson's Lab. EDI used his notes to put a barrier around the artifact that shielded us from its effects. Found a vid call from Dr. Ann Bryson. She'd found another artifact, noticed it was affecting the behavior of others and recommended shielding the one here. She also trued to warn Garneau but couldn't reach him. Worse, Reaper forces were showing up at her location. We just had to figure out where that was.

[Computer locked up but fortunately this was saved. I think that's my cue to sign off.]

Checked to see if the MEUITM Mod was working properly in ME1, but that is all.

I don't like most of the ARs in ME3. I usually use SMG or SR, whatever class I play. But, I'm a Vanguard this time, so shotgun it is. I guess I just need to Charge more enemies.

The Art of Mass Effect book says that it's inspired on the position the hornet takes when it's about to sting. Also, those things that appear like "insect hands" were actually inspired on flies and the hands they keep licking and scrubbing. The reason for the design could be the Geth Dropship is actually a mix of a hive (the inside, to store the eggs) and the Queen Hornet that actually put those eggs.

On a related Mass Effect note, I also found out that Quarians follow a vegan diet, because of practicality: "the amount of water needed to hydrate and animal is exponentially more than the amount needed to grow plants, and on a starship, all water would need to be conserved carefully." (Art of Mass Effect too)

And on a related biology note, I also found out that hornets (and wasps), unlike honey bees, can sting repeatedly without dying because their stingers are not barbed and aren't pulled out of their bodies.

Yeah I always find Omega "tiresome" for lack of a better word. I like Aria's character but 3hrs straight with her gets a bit grating. I am pretty sure I have enough war assets now to get all the endings and can't remember what mods you pick up but at this stage I am not in need of any help with combat.

I'll see how I am feeling later (yesterday I definitely came down with a bad head cold), but I'll probably end up playing it.

The only shotgun in ME3 is the Claymore. Everything else is just pretending to be a shotgun.

That being said, you are a Vanguard, so you have Incendiary Ammo. Spec it to explosive burst, and all shotguns (and assault rifles, and pistols, and SMGs...) will deal some massive damage. 

LOL well that would be an impressive feat!!!!!    Sorry about the cough, hope you are feeling better soon. 

The head cold thing is already hopefully passing, but what is killing me is I stupidly lifted something way too heavy helping a friend the other day. It has meant having a head cold and randomly getting searing headaches from my back and neck which isn't a great combo.  Anyway Shepard has to cope with worse!!!! 

Probably a synthetic that the Leviathan subjugated and threw against the organics to "prove" that they could never got along. Exactly like the Reapers do.

I use the sabre (?) but also like the N7 rifle. But I DO like shotguns and sniper rifles.

I'm very early in my only 2nd story gameplay of ME3...can't believe i haven't touched storymode since 2012... ......but i think that was due to the fact that i couldn't get Jack to survive in ME2 and i got a wee bit frustrated....well that and ME3 MP is just incredibly addicting *Phoenix Vanguard fo' Life!... *.....but i just left Palaven and acquired Garrus.


I must say tho....this game has aged amazingly well....that graphical jump from 2 to 3 was profound ....the visuals and texture work are still pretty impressive and i love the desperate and hopelessness theme being conveyed.....beautifully done. Much RESPEC' to themikefest and dmc1001 for advice on saving Jack...i haven't gotten to that area/scene yet, but i was able to save her finally following your advice.....should be a complete experience now that i have the whole squad alive....