[RVB] 2 – Epsilon

"F-F-Finally, what t-t-took you s-so long?" The figure asked, looking towards them.

"Y-You guys showed up j-j-just in time. I suggest w-w-e get out of here n-now."

Watching the hologram figure flicker as if glitching, the three looked at one another.

"A VI?" Lawson wondered.

"V---VI? Please don't insult me. I'll have you know I am a fully functional smart AI!" The figure retorted in annoyance.

"AI?" Lawson cursed under her breath, raising her weapon, only to be stopped by Shepherd, who raised his hand and pushed her gun down.

"What happened here?" Shepherd asked.

"What do you f-fucking think? The Covenant," The AI replied with a slight glitch as if it was apparent.

"Wait...you, you're not UNSC?" The AI asked with confusion upon noticing their confusion and lack of understanding.

Shepherd looked at Lawson before looking back, "We are not. What is the UNSC?"

The AI looked at them like they were stupid.

"How can you not know what the UNSC is? Have you lived under a rock your whole life?" The AI asked, baffled.

"UNSC stands for The United Nations Space Command. How could you possibly not know of them?"

Raising her hand, Lawson activated her Omni-tool and typed something, "Shepherd, whatever it is talking about, it doesn't exist on the Cerberus or Alliance Database."

"What the hell is that?" The AI asked before a green figure appeared next to him.

"What the fuck? Another AI?!" Jacob cursed upon seeing the new AI.

"Church, based on my scans, the device seems to be a multi-tool with communication, scanning, and data storage capabilities," The green figure informed 'Church.'

"Like a computer?" The blue AI asked.

"Correct, though I cannot tell if it's an isolated platform or if it's connected to a network," The green AI stated.

"Thanks, Delta, you can sign off now," Church, the blue AI, told the other AI, who, just before disappearing in a flash, warned the other AI.

"Do not trust them. Based on their knowledge and armor, they are not UNSC. We could be dealing with undiscovered Insurrectionists," The green figure warned before fading away.

The helmet turned back to them, and the AI suddenly burst into particles.

Having no idea what just happened, Lawson suddenly jumped when the AI's voice came from her omni-tool.

"What the hell?" The voice cursed.

Holding up her omni-tool, the blue AI appeared as a hologram.

"This...This doesn't make any sense..." The AI spoke as it examined the data held on the omni-tool.

Suddenly, he focused on the three and asked, "Tell me, have you ever heard of the Covenant?"

"How did you do that?! How are you in my omni-tool!" Lawson shouted at the AI, who sighed at having his question ignored.

"It's an ability I inherited, one of many. Don't bother trying to kick me out. You can't, bitch," the AI cursed under his breath at Lawson, likely taking offense to being called 'It' earlier.

"Did you say Covenant? I haven't heard of any such organization. From the name, I assume it's religious?" Shepherd asked after a moment of thinking.

"Yeah, the alien bastards are reverently religious. Nothing's worse than having to deal with a Fanatic Elite with an energy s-sword rushing at you with enough will and determination to take multiple magazines of ammunition before going down, not including the stupidly sturdy energy shields they have," The AI cursed while in thought, imagining the scene he described.

"What's an Elite? Are you referring to some alien?" Jacob asked, confused about the whole situation.

"Fuck..." The AI cursed, its body suddenly glitching everywhere as if it was having some breakdown, only for it to abruptly stop with the AI having its back facing them, sitting on the ground and looking off into the distance.

Suddenly, yet another figure appeared next to the blue AI, a mix of blue and orange, sitting next to the blue AI, and it innocently asked in a childish voice, "Does this mean we won't be able to go home?"

"I...I don't know, Theta..." The Blue AI responded.

"But what about our friends? Humanity? They need us..." Theta, the childish AI, stated, sounding sad.

"I know...I know..." The AI somberly replied while the three watched.

Sighing, the blue AI got up like he was standing on invisible ground and turned back to look at the three humans.

Behind him, Theta disappeared.

"I assume you are Shepherd?" The AI asked, looking directly at Shepherd, who answered with a nod.

"From this omni-tool, I can assume that you are working with these bastards to stop the Collectors?" The AI asked, only for Lawson to interrupt, "How did you--?"

"I am an AI, how do you fucking think?" The AI sarcastically replied, clearly annoyed by the two Cerberus Agents, before focusing back on Shepherd.

"I might be working with them, but that does not mean I am working for them. They are a means to an end, and frankly, I already know that the Council and Alliance will not be able to help, so they are my only options to stop the Collector threat and prevent more colonies from being wiped out," Shepherd told the AI. At the same time, the two cerberus agents stared at him.

The AI seemed to think momentarily before sighing, "I'll h-help you. However, in exchange, I n-need your help."

"Help with what?" Shepherd asked, concerned.

"Getting home," The AI replied.

"You're seriously not going to trust this thing, are you?" Lawson asked, concerned.

Shepherd ignored the woman and instead activated his omni-tool.

Not even a moment passed before the AI jumped into it, something that still confused and baffled the three.

The blue AI showed itself before introducing itself, "You can call me Church, and I hope you keep your end of the deal."

"So long as you keep yours," Shepherd commented.

"I will, and I suggest we get out of here. The ship's about to be hit by a rather large asteroid. As I said earlier, you guys came just in time," The AI warned.

"Shit, double time!" Shepherd told the other two as they turned around and began running for the ship."

Suddenly, the radio cut on, and Joker's voice came through, "Uh, sir, whatever you are doing in there, you better get out fast. EDI just detected a large asteroid on course to hit the ship in a few minutes,"

"Joker, prep the ship, we're on our way!" Shepherd shouted as he ran.

"Aye, Aye, Commander," Joker responded before the radio went silent.

To the three's surprise, the AI helpfully showed a holographic map and the fastest route back to the ship.

So, following the route, they quickly managed to get back to the ship, rushing past all of the long-dead corpses, debris, and collapsed corridors.

The AI, Church, watched all of it with sad eyes.

After all, it knew each and every one who was aboard the ship, from the highest in command to the lowest working maintenance.

As soon as they reached the Normandy, the airlock closed, and Shepherd gave Joker the all-clear to get out of there.

When they reached the bridge, they got a clear view of a massive asteroid, almost as big as the damaged ship, slamming directly into its side, splitting it down the middle.

"I suggest you make some distance. With that kind of impact, the reactors are likely to go critical now that I can no longer maintain them," The AI suddenly appeared in front of Joker, causing the man to jump out of his chair.

"What the hell, Shepherd? Did you bring another damn AI on this ship?" Joker cursed before the AI asked, "Another?"

Suddenly, EDI's round form appeared in the corner as a hologram, "Greetings, I am EDI, the Normandy's AI."

Suddenly, that same childish AI, Theta, appeared next to Church, "Yay! A new friend!"

Then the green AI, Delta, appeared, "Church, it appears to be a dumb AI, having not yet reached the level of a Smart AI."

"I know, Detla, now shoo, stop being so rude. Y-You guys are only confusing them," Church said, waving away the other two AIs.

"Damn it, Shepherd, you brought more than one?!" Joker cursed again, clearly disliking AI.

"Joker, questions later, get us out here," Shepherd ordered.

"Sigh...Aye, Aye, sir," As Joker turned around the ship, not long after, Captain's Folly was erased from existence, leaving only debris behind.

However, someone still existed to remember, and he'd never forget, for he was the Memory.