Tutorial(1b)

Tutorial – Reaper Arrival (Aligned with Cerberus)

 

Shepard wakes up to the sound of someone ringing for him. He is lying on a bed, apparently taking an afternoon nap.

 

If Shepard was a Spectre in ME2, he wakes up in an apartment complex overlooking the city of Vancouver.

If Shepard was not a Spectre in ME2, he wakes up in a white cell-like chamber, with only a few items in the room (a bed, a sink, etc).

When Shepard approaches the door, it opens to reveal James Vega, Shepard's “Alliance-designated leash”. Apparently James stands guard over Shepard, and has been outside the door since Shepard slept. James asks Shepard how he is feeling, and the commander can reply several different ways to James's question, and his answer engraves the kind of relationship he has with his guard.

Shepard can have a friendly and cooperative relationship with James.

Shepard can have a professional and respectful relationship with James.

Shepard can have a cold and uncooperative relationship with James.

If Shepard is not a Spectre, Vega will cuff Shepard's hands. This is specific to the Cerberus alliance only.

 

As they move throughout the building where Shepard is being housed, it becomes apparent that something is wrong. Alliance personnel are rushing about hurriedly, conversing with each other and talking in whispers. Few people pay Shepard and Vega any attention. The two soldiers meet up with Donnell Udina/David Anderson (depending on which one is not a Citadel council member), who is waiting to escort Shepard to the meeting. Udina/Anderson senses that something is amiss, but doesn't say anything. Instead, he comments on their destination and purpose: Shepard is being lead to meet with Alliance Parliament to discuss the implications of the Alliance supporting terrorist  (Cerberus) behavior when Shepard blew up the Bahak System (which is now a supernova).

 

Vega leads Udina/Anderson and Shepard to an important looking room, and waits outside. Shepard finds himself in a large chamber before the Alliance Parliament. They tell Shepard that their original meeting discussion has changed, that less than 4 hours ago Alliance communication buoys stopped reporting in, and that the Alliance has just lost contact with Lunar Base.

Shepard can be horrified at this news (paragon)

Shepard can be expecting this news (neutral)

Shepard can be angry at this news (renegade)

Regardless of which response Shepard chooses, he will instantly know what's about to happen: the Reapers are going to invade the planet.

Udina reprimands Shepard, and tells him not to jump to conclusions.

Anderson supports Shepard, and tells the Parliament that they should've listened.

The Parliament looks angry, but grudgingly accept Shepard's warning. An Alliance officer charges into the room, and prompts everyone to look at a television screen. ANN (Alliance News Network) on the wall monitor show a number of Earth's cities being destroyed by the unmistakable figure of Reapers. The Alliance asks Shepard for advice on what to do, and Shepard will prioritize a response:

He can tell the Alliance to evacuate the city (paragon)

He can tell the Alliance to contact the Citadel Council for aid (neutral)

He can tell the Alliance to ready their military (renegade)

The Alliance will begin to instantly follow  Shepard's orders (they accept that he knows what he's doing, since he was right all along), but they are cut short by explosions from outside the building, followed by screaming, and a strange, deep, mechanical horn. Then the room is blasted apart. Shepard is thrown to the  floor, but recovers and gets to his feet. Alliance Parliament flees the room while shouting orders, and Udina/Anderson members will rush through the smoke to Shepard.

Anderson hands Shepard a spare gun, and tells him that they need to get to higher ground, and contact the Normandy (the Reapers are blocking radio signals all over Vancouver). If Shepard is cuffed, Anderson uncuffs him.

Udina hands Shepard a gun (but is unarmed himself), and tells Shepard to escort him to the escape shuttles so he can make go to the Council. If Shepard is cuffed, Udian uncuffs him.

 

Shepard exits the room to find that the building has been blown open, and husk forces are pouring into the the building, shooting Alliance workers without remorse. Anderson/Udina calls out for James Vega, but he is nowhere to be found. Shepard fights his way through the base with:

Anderson as a squad mate.

Udina as a non-combative escort.

Whichever squad-mate Shepard has, they will find a security monitor room, and will scan it for a safe way to the roof of the building where they can hope to send a signal to the Normandy/shuttles for pick up. Anderson/Udina notice James Vega fighting husks not far from them on the monitor, and recommends meeting up with Vega to save him, and sync up communication with the Normandy – Vega has a communications device that links directly to a personal security shuttle, (Shepard's was confiscated to prevent any attempt to escape Earth prior to the Reaper invasion). After plotting a safe route to Shepard's omni tool, the squad-mate leaves the room, and Shepard is about to follow, when he notices something on the monitor: a Cerberus logo. Moments later, The Illusive Man appears on all the monitors, and tells Shepard to meet with a Cerberus operative located near by-- and that he [TIM] will distract Anderson/Udina so Shepard can get away. TIM also explains that he will lead Shepard throughout the building as he has gained access to security systems in the building. When Udina/Anderson comes to see what Shepard is doing, TIM disappears.

 

Shepard and his squad-mate move to meet up with Vega and fight off husks. At some point along the way to Vega, Anderson/Udina gets ahead of Shepard, and someone (presumably Cerberus) closes an automatic door between them. Anderson/Udina tells Shepard to take an alternative route to reach them. Cerberus leads Shepard away from any potential alternative route however, by using advertisements, billboards, TV monitors, etc as a guide for where he wants Shepard to go (using directional arrows, and alerting Shepard to enemy locations). Shepard makes his way into a cafeteria crawling with husk troops. Shepard is about to engage them, when the Cerberus informant saves him the trouble buy shooting the enemies in quick succession.

The informant will be Jacob Taylor. If Jacob was romanced in ME2, special dialogue will be available for Shepard and Jacob's reunion.

The informant will be a woman named Dr. Eva – a stranger to Shepard – if Jacob died in ME2. She will greet him coldly.

 

Jacob/Eva establish a link to Joker and EDI, who are powering up the Normandy almost single handed (Joker comments on how only a few crew members are aboard). Shepard and Jacob/Eva will make their way towards the roof of an abandoned apartment complex.

Once there, they finally see what's happened to the city of Vancouver. The Reapers are there in force, at least half a dozen of them, each creature dwarfing the skyscrapers they are walking next to. They are toppling buildings, military installations, and gunships that swarm about them. Jacob/Eva manages to pinpoint a rendezvous location down near the harbor.

 

The two fight their way inside of a destroyed apartment complex, and Jacob/Eva finds their path blocked by an automated door that is damaged.

 

Jacob will try to force the door open physically, while Shepard covers him.

Eva will try to hack the door open, while Shepard covers her.

 

While the squad mate works on the door, Shepard hears a noise coming from a ventilation shaft, and goes to investigate cautiously. It turns out to be a small boy hiding in the vent.

 

Shepard can tell the boy that he is there to help

Shepard can tell the boy to stay hidden

Shepard can tell the boy to flee

 

The boy will comment on how there is no hope, and how everyone is probably going to die. Shepard opens his mouth to reply, but at that moment Jacob/Eva succeeds in pushing the door open (Shepard will not actually see Eva wrench the door open with surprising strength-- she abandoned her hacking attempt), and distracted, Shepard looks away from the boy. Jacob/Eva asks Shepard who he is talking to, and Shepard will glance back into the vent, only to discover that the boy is gone. Paragon and renegade prompts flash on screen:

Paragon prompt has Shepard call into the vent for the boy. Jacob/Eva says “whoever you saw, he'll just have to hang on”.

Renegade prompt has Shepard pretending he didn't see anyone.

 

Shepard and squad mate make their way to the Normandy, which is hovering in the bay. The cargo door opens allowing them to jump on board.

 

If Jacob was Shepard's initial squad mate, Dr. Eva will come into the cargo bay, and provide firing support, killing several husks following Shepard and Jacob.

If Miranda survived ME2, she will come into the cargo bay and provide biotic support, killing several husks following Shepard and Jacob/Eva.

If Eva was Shepard's initial squad mate, some Cerberus crew mates will come out and provide covering fire, killing several husks following Shepard and Eva.

 

Suddenly an Alliance shuttle shows up just outside the cargo bay, containing Anderson/Udina and James Vega. They will have followed Shepard, and will be angry that Shepard is still allied with Cerberus. Shepard can reply to their anger several different ways:

He can justify his alliance by claiming that Cerberus just wants to help humanity

He can justify his alignment by claiming that the Alliance needs all the support it can get.

He can justify working with Cerberus by claiming that the Alliance was only slowing him down.

In any case, Anderson/Udina will be still angry at Shepard, but will also be in little position to stop him. Anderson/Udina and James will watch as the Normandy rises into the sky and flies off. The Normandy departs Earth, and thus begins Mass Effect 3.