Various extracts from Mass Effect Retribution regarding the Reapers controlling Grayson that I found notable:
“The Reapers sensed the changes in the brain waves of their host through the synthetic network monitoring his mental activity. They recognized the pattern flashing through his synapses: hopelessness; self-destruction. They had lost a vessel once before like this. This time they were prepared.”
…
“He would have to slash his throat, making a cut so deep he bled out before the Reapers even realized what was happening.
“The avatar cannot be allowed to harm himself.” (page 200, Grayson (and Reapers) POV)
The Reapers remember Saren! Aww.
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“He would have made even better time if he wasn’t constantly slowing down to study various structural and architectural features of the station. He had seen it all before, of course, but he almost felt like he was looking at it through fresh eyes: taking every detail and comparing it against some half-remembered blueprint he didn’t actually ever remember seeing.
“The cycle continues. Each civilization brings change, yet the works of our kind are eternal.
“Omega was known for the haphazard, piecemeal way it had been constructed. Most believed that it had been carved from the heart of ancient asteroid by the Protheans eons ago, but over the centuries any number of species had left their mark on it. Its discordant style gave it an almost random feel. And though it had never bothered him before, for some reason he now found the chaos offensive on a deep philosophical level.
“But while the overall effect filled him with revulsion, each individual element he examined during his trek caused him to react with amusement. It reminded him of the ant farm he had as a child. The insects had worked with slavish dedication to build their network of tunnels, shaping and altering the tiny glass case that encompassed the entirety of their existence. He had observed them through the glass as they worked, industrious and relentless, completely oblivious of their own insignificance in the grand design of the universe.” (pages 233-234, Grayson (and Reapers) POV)
At least the chaos vs order theme regarding organics and synthetics remains consistent.
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“The walk felt effortless, as if he were being carried along by some invisible force. It felt different than when the Reapers had taken control of his body, however. Then he had been distanced from himself, a passive observer. Now he felt fully engaged in the process of putting one foot in front of the other to propel himself along. It just didn’t seem to require any effort. It was almost as if someone was helping him.
“A symbiotic relationship.” (page 234, Grayson (and Reapers) POV)
One could almost say a synthesis.
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“He braced himself for the inevitable surge of pain as the aliens fought to bend him to their will. Instead, he felt nothing. The lack of opposition confused him. He knew they were still present; the wires and tubes protruding from his joints ad crisscrossing beneath his flesh confirmed that beyond any doubt. But they had become invisible. He no longer processed them as other; they were part of him now, inseparable and indistinguishable from his own identity.
“That’s a good thing. Influence can work both ways.
“A crazy idea began to form in his mind. If the Reaper technology was part of him now, maybe that meant he would be able to influence and control it the same way the Reapers had controlled his body earlier. Maybe he could draw on the cybernetic enhancements and his newfound biotic abilities whenever he wanted to. Maybe he could use them as tools to achieve his own goals.
“You are superior to the pathetic beings of flesh that surround you.
“The implications were staggering. Liberating. He had transcended the slow, laborious process of natural selection. He had broken free of the cycle of passing randomly mutated genes down from one generation to the next with the slim hope of gaining some minuscule natural advantage. He himself was changing, quickly and with purpose. He was evolving toward a perfect being.
“Do not hide what you have become. Reveal you glory.
“He had been afraid to see Kahlee because of what she might think of him. He looked strange. Different. But she was a scientist; she would understand and appreciate what was happening to him. She would see how he had been improved. Repurposed. She would admire him. Adore him.” (pages 235-236, Grayson (and Reapers) POV)
Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
Either the Reapers sincerely believe this or they’ve found a script that works on their agents and keep repurposing it. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
