Effect Saga - The Shepards, hope for the future

By: Black--Soul

Inspired by: Bioware masterpiece Mass Effect

Chapter three: Plans for the future 1/2

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April 10rd, 2164 C.E.
Planet Mindoir, Attican Traverse
Medical Bay 2, UMSA ZEUS, Mindoir high Orbit

The mare had one of her wings thrown over eatch of her children shoulders, a warm comfort to the two of them. They somehow seeming to be give away a feeling of trust and assurance through this simpel yet powerful gesture, but still would the petting of the stallion have the most calming effect on the children. They always wanted a dog or a pony as pet, she herself had that wish when she was but a child.

Maybe she get to pet a alien pony herself? Did the woman wonder to herself.

"Excuse me everycreature." a high yet very pleasant voice spoke up, guiding their attention behind them.

They all looked towards the medical bay entrance to find a pretty woman standing in the door.
As she had their undivided attention, did the room stood silent only for a moment later.
Jane and John Shepard give a excited "MOMMY!" simultaneously from one another and take the woman down in a tackle hug when she knelt down to get them in her arms.

Angel Bunny was giggling happy at her siblings enthusiasm, she would teach them a tactic for love charged tackle hugs in the future.

Anderson took a few steps forward, turning to face both sides. "Her name is Hannah Shepard, and I was wondering if you would be willing to raise the children together with her inside the confines of the sphere empires safe walls."

After a few minutes of happy embracing and a giggling Krogan joining their human siblings in hugging the squishy big woman with two pretty big cushions on her chest to snuggeling into, did the time for further introductions came.

Cloud Shy was visibly straining to stay awake, since he was barely able to keep his eyes open, his mind numb from the pain and fighting of a minor fever from the bullet wound that had ripped his wing off at the main joint.

His emotions were dulled and his mind sluggish, yet he didn’t want to miss the coming conversation.
It would be a life changing one after all.
More so than he and the others were aware at the time.

Meanwhile the royal sister expected the three prophecy seen soldier, to be within the Sphere already, seeking them in the wrong place.
After all, Chrysalis proficiency in seeing the future was always limited to the Space Sphere Empire.

Discord had to sneeze. Something or someone was thinking about him... unless he had a cold for once in his eternal existence? Unlikely but not impossible, chaos magic could stuff like that on occasion.

But fortunately fate wasn't that unkind and they would come indirectly to the equine semi immortals and the true immortal.

"It's about all my little Shepards." Hannah Shepard holds up a hand to stop them from starting the conversation once introductions finished, she wanted to begin it, because her decision would shape its end alongside the ponies and once they are within the Sphere she would realistically lose most of her pull for any decision.
After all, the Sphere Space as it is build, resemble a closed system.
A micro galaxy all on its own.

It's 9 artificial sun's and the one real medium sized former Batarian home system sun, would allow them to stay independently for millions of years at the very least.
They literally build a hole planet composed out of refined building materials able to supply them with enough metals and other materials to build a second fleet of the size comparable to their current massiv fleet and a new ring world to boot if they choose to do so.

They might just be the organic descendants of the builders, but thanks to their A.I. caretakers they do not forget the knowledge and technology accumulated over the millenia according to them.

Even if the many races living in the Sphere Empire don't need something for literally millenia, like for example ballistic weapons or explosive liquid engines, if need be they can request it upon the A.I. Counsel and have it pulled right out the massiv knowledge storages.

The technology to produce something and the technology to produce the steps before the actual goal was meet.
The production of tools so the old blueprints can become reality are after all needed to get the process for the final product.

Unlike the Citadel Space Counsel composed of individual of biological nature, did the A.I. could spend years in their time perception debating, but thanks to their own thinking speed that is not limited to organic limitations, have it in a few minutes real time resolved, to the requesting party delight.

Bureaucracy the bane of organic citizens that are in complicated situations that need immediate resolution, do in fact get results as fast if not faster than anyone else can provide.

Since the A.I. raise themself, there is no corruption like that of resource hording and power hungry wanne be leaders of the past had carried from one generation to the next.
Funny enough politicians can be honest, as in not telling someone lies, as the A.I. only way of lying is withholding informations.
But they never outright lie to someone, like organics usually did outside the Sphere Empire.

A rather surprising things most races had in common. How they universally get away with it until they don't, was even beyond Discord.

Anyway despite the Sphere Empire being build on many principles that are hard to keep up outside the Sphere due to the lack of Harmony among themself, inside the Sphere Space Hannah Shepard life and that of her children, born by her or not would be subject to it.

Hannah had to make sure she ask about things that are common knowledge inside the Sphere Empire as mutch as the details of multi species upbringing would demand, because once they are inside the Sphere Empire, they are outside anyone's other influence.
A blessing for the prepared, a curse for the ill prepared.

So it was suspension and fear of the unknown that would hold most of their conversation time today, until trust to one another was established on a personal level over the span of the conversation.

Anderson recorded the conversation and would edit out unnecessary details later, but overall would this recording of the conversation teach more about their magical allies and friends to earths leadership.

Perhaps as unlikely as it was, would their examples help the currently chaotic collection of nations and gavourments that are standing behind the UMSA (United Multi System Alliance) to better themself or at least behave better than they usually did.

After all, even the most corrupt politicians play nice and by the rules, if they benefit enough.

For example when the recycling technology of their Sphere Empire friends borrowed and remote controlled via A.I. quantum entanglement connected to the Sphere, had helped reducing dumpyards all over their homeworld named Earth to few large mobile space ships parking on designated areas.
The Space on Earth that got freed up allowed for construction of many other things, mostly new City's.

Further did it really helped the effected regions as a hole to reduce pollution and other unwelcome side effects to have places where chemicals and other toxic things made areas uninhabitable without a drastically reduced life expectancy.

This alone had saved the earth population from the stupidity of their forerunners that had ruined most of their planets environment and forced them over time to abandon big regions, to use them as makeshift dumpyards for all kind of toxic materials.

Environmental problems like nuclear radiation damaged areas become a thing of the past, due to radiation eating bacteria spawned by artificial created flowers. This was just the tip of the mountain of artificial life helping to dispose of toxic elements.

Another was a short lived microbe that eat up certain chemicals and allowed to transmute very toxic liquid into lesser toxic substances.
Until with 3-4 steps later only clean water remained, ready for consumption.

For another example why the humans cherish their alien friends was medical knowledge and sciences.
The medical technology and magic was unthinkable to the human race outside fiction, before they meet any alien life for real.

One massive boon was also a alien race that like the humans, didn't originated from the Sphere Empire.
A warrior race that had been uplifted for war, just to be discarded afterwards.

The Krogan had access to something they called 'Citadel Counsel Space technology', it helped their new allies greatly to obtain prior unknown technology and sciences that had not been touched on yet, or not been developed that far.

So the Krogan delivered Citadel Counsel Space knowledge and the Humans had that of the Sphere Empire with combination of their own.

When the humans had send 10.000 of their best medical personal and brightest scientists to a ring world inside the Sphere for research and development, side by side.
The Sphere Empire allowed a coexistence project, it was to determine to see if humanity was compatible with all the other races, that the massiv space sphere was holding secure behinds its one of a kind construction.

Besides the social compatibility, did the massiv improvement of science in all field cemented their permanent alliance.

The combination of human science, magic rune sciences of the sphere races as well the Krogan delivered technology of the Citadel Counsel Space, had a accumulated resulted that was unthinkable to gain with them separately on their own.
Unheard of in any historical recordings did this Alliance of many races archived one breakthrough after another.

The massive increased in medical knowledge alone that would easily jump centuries of research and development would guarantee prosperity for countless years to come.

Anyone hoping to doing it on their own would easily have needed to invest thousands of dedicated years in research alone.
But the combination of over 30 races individual knowledges had a potencial beyond anyone bearing the weight of the work load alone.

So while ring world number 10, or short 'Halo 10' had made groundbreaking discovery after another, did Halo 1 to 9 made their theories and discoverys into physical reality.

When the human received its results on Earth and the colonies, basically every institution had to overhaul their entire equipment and foundation in education.
It was eventually starting debates about recycling entire City's to rebuild them.

One does not simply build titan reinforced buildings on centuries old steel reinforced beton foundations.

Fortunately did that created countless opportunities for employment, not just in the construction branch.

The education system alone had a overhaul necessity that changed anything that came before it.

V.I. teachers and a few volunteers of the Sphere Empire A.I. helped kickstart this revolutionary step into the future.

Once that archivment was reached, did humans and sphere ring world number 10 granted the Krogans certain healthcare for free.
After all, they had helped to obtain knowledge that had jump started this era of discovery and development.

Thanks to them they all reached centuries of breakthroughs in merely decades, that had many wonder if for example game consoles as big as a briefcase wasn't going to run extinct for equivalent to them, not bigger than a smartphone.

It was almost unanimously voted to grant the Krogans free medical services that they could not get, when they visited anywhere inside the Counsel Space. They had after all contributed greatly towards the advancement of them all.

But eventually did the Counsel races noticed the changes of the Krogans from hyper aggressive Mercenaries into very annoying, but knowledgeable over armored and armed neighbors.

Eventually a team of representative lead by something called a 'Specter' of the Citadel Counsel was task to follow multible group of Krogans traveling outside the Counsel Space.

Once one of their group made contact with the massive Sphere in space, did they got quite upset that their general knowledge of medical science had been shared without their explicitly given consent, when negotiations had led to this discovery.

The Krogan on Tuchanka and the few Colonies
they owned, when confronted about it by the Citadel Counsel acknowledged their protest to have merit and promptly ignored it.

Just like they got ignored once their race wasn't needed to save everyone from giant alien insect monsters.

Fortunately did the Sphere Empire that had send representatives of all races with exception of the humans, agreed on sharing of key technologies on the name of future friendship and harmonious cooperation and coexistence had them reducing their protesting about using the Krogan to gain their technology like that of the Omnitool, when they gained in turn a massive improvement in 'Medigel' efficiency and the development of 'Omnigel, a universal repair and programmable substance made of microscope small nano machines.

A experimental but highly efficient way to fix electronics and mechanical problems, up to upgrade their durability and many other uses.

The civilian and military application showed to be very vast for it, something way to valuable for doing anything to spoil this open trade of 'Sphere technology' for something they had already obtained from them through the Krogans.

The Citadel Counsel Space leadership was disappointed that every meeting was outside the sphere walls, but alone from a military intelligence side it was more than understandable.

What got them especially peeved was when the Sphere Empire allowed the Krogan and Vorcha to do so, without any big fuss.
Krogan and Vorcha hadn't the best reputation in the Counsel Space, yet they get to enter the Sphere when ever they wished obviously for all they had pirated through legal means and give away towards their new benefactors.

The Citadel Counsel was outraged about being denied entry when even something like a Vorcha get a permission to do so, but the Sphere Empire species unanimously agreed that the Citadel Counsel Spectors alone are a threat to safety and security with their unlimited authority, usually accepted in most of the Counsel controlled space.

Unlike any of the other races organizations that could hold anyone responsible, when put under investigation for unreasonable use of force or moral defying methods.

But when the Griffon Ambassador mentioned the Batarians as main reason and the Counsel Space mostly ignoring their action within and outside their territory, did the Citadel Counsel accepted it for the time being. It wasn't as if they get a real choice in the matter anyway.

Inoffical did the Citadel Counsel was informed that using bioweapons like 'the Genophage' was the main reason why noone was allowed to enter the Sphere that wasn't a alliance member.
Even than they are going through hours of medical checks and are limited to Halo 10, a artificial created world in the shape of a ring with working atmosphere and a living environment holding flora and fauna alike.

When the Krogan independently confirmed this, did the Citadel Counsel truly started for their position as universal accepted central civilization of the galaxy.

The Krogan species no longer a official member of the Citadel Counsel was rather amused how imputent the Citadel Counsel influence was, to make the Sphere complying to any demands.
Being rebuffed to become a alliance partner of the Sphere Empire.

When the Counsel refused to cure the Krogan as sign of friendship and harmony in return to getting accepted as a alliance partner, did the negotiation rather quickly hit a thick ice wall.

So only Krogan and Vorcha was given permission to enter the Sphere, further limited on the ring world number 10. The closest ring world to the main entry of the massive Sphere containing all it member races.

The ponies and other Sphere Empire species shared a lot with their alliance partners outside the Sphere, with surprising little in return.
But than one can give the argument that what came from outside in form of knowledge was a lot as well.

For example:
Once was the regrowth of limbs and organs only fiction, this days military personal and the more wealthy civilian population could afford it outside the Sphere Empire, mostly on Earth though, since the technology was highly in demand yet very pricey, since the technology was still under development while being officially already very mutch finished for safe consumer usage.

The human colonies development was geared towards mining operations to feed the growing need for space ships materials for military and civilian alike. Potentially more important to mention is the farming colonies demand for building materials, that helped ease the overpopulation problem on Earth by shifting its population to the development of new worlds, while feeding Humanity primarily, be it on Earth or elsewhere.

Production of food excess allowed Humans to trade with other races, after peace was made with the Citadel Counsel, following the Shanxi incident end.

After all, the galaxy was a place where food never was overproduced, as long suppliers managed to get it where it was in demand, what was given time - everywhere by everyone.
Food and medical preservation was one of the biggest boons the Sphere Empire shared with all races, in the name of harmony.

While Human food wasn't the highest quality it made up for it in quantity. That in turn made it again a good competition, when a full stomach was more important than a well tasting meal. Humanity economy had their strength in feeding everyone, even if the food wasn't always the best there was available.
Spices and other artificial taste enhancements made up for the deficiency, in most cases.

In strong contrasts did inside the Sphere Empire quality always was preferred over quantity.

Like it was with advanced health care that could be earned, be it by nobels or peasant.
For civilian and military sector alike.
With a modified version of the technology to make regrowth of limbs a possibility, did it also allowed for the creation for artificial created bodys that could grant a down scales A.I. to experience being a organic.

But all artificial created bodies with A.I. transfers options are Dextro acid based instead of levo acid.
Making many wonder if the Quarian, Turian and Volus are more than they seem after all.
Perhaps they are the descendants of highly evolved machines?
It isn't to uncommon without well organized A.I. and/or immortals a few generations are needed to change the common knowledge from 1A to 3C with B2 lost to time... it happened with humanity and other races way to often in the past.

That and more made humanitys leading gavourments any effort to keep them friends rather than business associate.
Because one stays loyal to one another, while the other can be persuaded by a simply higher paid opposition. There was no doubt that humanity get as lucky as that again, especially after the other space races had used the Krogans and Vorcha until no imminent benefit had them motivated to pretend being mutually beneficial by default.

That is why humans stick to the Sphere Empire first over all other options.
It was simply the logical thing to do.
The free cuddling was also a highly appreciated bonus. Nothing that would be forthcoming with the less cuddly aliens of the Citadel Counsel Space races.

After a hour of talking about there sphere empire education system, unusual economic system and how it's gavourments worked on the home world and ring worlds, did Hannah Shepard know:

This would either be the best thing happening to her family or end in a very open desaster.

After all, they would be the first family to ever integrate into the Sphere, unlike all others like the 10.000 human volunteers that had settled on Halo number 10 and the Krogans that had finally a chance to rebuild their society under peaceful limitations.
Just like the saying was going:

If you are able of inflicting great harm, but chose not to, than you are peaceful.
If you are unable to inflicting great harm if it is warranted, than you are simply harmless.

The conversation after 2 hours had bearly scratched the surface of knowledge that needed to be shared and Cloud Shy unfortunately had at some point nodded off do to his bodies weakened state, but trust had been established between the families and they would enter into a open herd agreement later on.

Basically a contract to raise the children together and share ressources, be it monetary, benefits of their respective gavourments they had earned or for another example simple trading connections for the benefit of the hole herd.

While David Edward Anderson would be the sire of his children, he would be the guardian of all other foals/children in case the other could not fullfill their function any longer and vise versa, due to injuries, death or simple unwillingness.
The ponies and humans shared equal veto power, but in case of a vote that could not be made because of even numbers, a 'assigned vote tie breaker' was to be added to the official papers.

Most likely a family friend the herd would eventually make, when they arrived in the Sphere Empire. Failing that, one of the countless A.I. residents on the home world or ring worlds.

But before this all could be continuing their planning needed approval of their royal highnesses if they wanted to settle on the homeworld where Cloud Shy and Rose Shy are registered citizens.
Without the Alicorns approval they would not be able to travel, let alone settle within the Space Sphere Empire!

One would guess the A.I. Counsel would have the first and last say in the matter, but the synthetic lifeforms trusted their organic counterparts.
They had raised their charges well over the countless millenia after all.

After the children had voiced their hunger, did the adult postpone their conversation and take them for a meal to the mess hall. That was at least their destination, but apperently did Anderson and Rose take a bad turn before, because they ended up somewhere else entirely.
Apperently did soldier could be stubborn no matter the race, because it needed a complaining Krogan child to point out that they are not where the nom noms are stored.

Fortunately did a ideal Minotaur crew member came their way and lead them to the nearest mess hall, when they requested his aid.

Shaking her head at the silly squishy or cuddly grown ups, did Angel Bunny Shepard let her perception fall blank, walking close behind the adults her mind not occupied with games and fun wondered off to what happen on Tuchanka and not to mutch later when they arrived at the green world of the squishys.

Her new squishy brother and sister was helping with her lonely parts of the day, but most time when they didn't play with one another and the times they go to bed, did the bad memories come back to punch her in the head.

Talking about it with others helped, the sweets given afterwards even tasted good for all her effort after talking about everything that plaged her, but sometimes even good food tasted less good when she think about all the mommy's she had lost.
And she wondered:

How long until the bad people come back and take her new family away...? Again!

Author's Note

Still working on the chapter, but I am now breaking it into two parts.

At least you don't have to wait for it any longer.

Stay snuggly everyone