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[CosmicGnosis]

"I am a vision of the future, Shepard. The evolution of all organic life."

- Saren

 

"In an effort to accelerate the process, we've moved from simple organic reconstruction of the subject to bio-synthetic fusion."

- Miranda, on the Lazarus Project

 

 

People like to argue that the Synthesis ending is the fulfillment of Saren's statement to Shepard, that he is an example of what is to come when the Reapers show up. And Saren's organic-synthetic form must be bad, right? It's a crime against nature, an organic form tainted by machines.

 

Yet, they conveniently ignore everything about Project Lazarus. Shepard, just like Saren, is a "vision of the future". I'd argue that Shepard is already far down the transhumanist path. So why don't people complain about Shepard being just like Saren?

 

Look, I know that Saren's situation is problematic. He implanted himself with Reaper technology that allowed him to become completely indoctrinated. But what annoys me is that one of the common arguments from the pro-Destroy faction is that choosing Synthesis validates Saren, and because he was a villain indoctrinated by the Reapers, you don't want to ever validate him. Yet, these people seem to forget that Shepard is essentially a cyborg by ME2, and it's never implied to be a bad thing. 

 

I suppose that the final say players can have on Shepard's cyborg existence is the ending choice itself. I've long argued that the ending choices represent different aspects of Shepard. The best Destroy variant implies Shepard's organic survival, perhaps at the cost of his synthetic aspect, as well as all synthetic life. Control celebrates Shepard's synthetic being, at the cost of his organic aspect. And Synthesis results from Shepard adding his entire bio-synthetic form to the Crucible. 

 

A new perspective that I've recently considered is that the trilogy also represents the ending choices.

 

ME1 = Destroy. This game is all about organics versus machines. The geth are the most common enemy that you fight. Saren is losing his "humanity" as he becomes increasingly more synthetic. Shepard has an auto-dialogue moment where he accuses the Reapers of not really being alive, and that they're just machines that can be broken.

 

ME2 = Control. This game is all about control. The Illusive Man wants to control everything, particularly synthetics. EDI is a shackled AI. The Collector Base can provide Cerberus with the means to achieve human dominance in the galaxy, possibly by controlling the Reapers themselves.

 

ME3 = Synthesis. This game is all about galactic unity. The best Rannoch outcome is peace between the quarians and geth. The true purpose of the Reapers is to preserve all life, organic and synthetic. The Catalyst believes that Synthesis is the ideal solution.

 

The Reapers are wrong. They are not the pinnacle of existence, for they are synthetics that have subjugated organics. The ultimate existence is Synthesis, both domains of life in perfect harmony. The strengths of both, the weaknesses of neither.

[Valmar]

Nicely written. i don't have much to say other than that. I too wish people who keep in mind that Shepard is "30%" synthetic his own self. This oblivious nature some people have I believe stems mostly from the immense popularity of paragon. So few people keep the glowing eyes and face scars that it can be easy to forget Shepard isn't completely human. The fact that the game never really brings this up again certainly doesn't help. There needed to be more hand-holding and reminders that Shepard isn't fully human.

[Laughing_Man]

The funny thing is, Shepard says a few times that he was "close to being dead" or "almost dead"...

When you think about what his body went through, and how people described what was left of it, it was clear that Shepard was as dead as you can be.

And while technically he was not a clone but a reconstruction, in all the ways that matter, the old Shepard died - not something you can come back from.

 

As for the original topic, I mostly agree, and Synthesis is my preferred choice usually.

 

However, not everyone sees tans-humanism as something desirable, particularly religious people who are afraid of ruining "god's image".

 

Also, the way it was presented, Synthesis solution was less believable than the others, and more in the realm of fantasy than Sci-Fi.

Destroying something or taking control of something is expected and plausible, but changing the basic cellular structure of the entire galaxy?...

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

I'm not opposed to transhumanism. I see it as a possible evolutionary path for our species. If certain things became available today, I would be interested.

 

I'm not even opposed to synthesis. I'm opposed to the way synthesis was presented in the Mass Effect story. I've seen it presented in other sci-fi where it was believable and even desirable. But the way Bioware presented it, it was repulsive. Destroying the reapers or taking Control over them was plausible. The cases for both was made and even the groundwork for control was well laid out. But synthesis? No, it wasn't. Changing the DNA fabric of the entire galaxy, especially with about 30 seconds worth of information? That is not a choice one person should make.

[Vazgen]

Nice write-up. The reason why people forget about Shepard being cyborg is because nothing is ever said about it in the game. The only place referencing it is the research terminal (if people bother reading further "+10% health"). Then we have Miranda's "perfect human specimen" and "upgrade" lines as well as unmistakable "I got better". ME3 also does nothing with it, except the conversation when viewing Lazarus Project vids on Cronos (which, again, are optional). 

The games had the potential to explore that issue and lay groundwork for it. Petrovsky couple in ME1 did touch the issue. ME2 could've shown Shepard's struggle with accepting the upgrades with a relation to Paragon/Renegade alignment. A broken mirror in Adam Jensen's room told a lot, Shepard never got anything like that. Instead he became an actor in a parody to a Schwarzenegger movie. 

IMO Mass Effect 2 made a mess of the trilogy. It introduced some of the best characters in the series and laid groundwork for the final gameplay but as a part of the trilogy it simply blown the storyline up. Making ME3 after that was probably a nightmare from both writing and development standpoints. 

[Treacherous J Slither]

The idea of becoming more than human is fantastic. However, seeing as how its the Reapers presenting this possibility its wise to excercise extreme caution. The one question I wish Shepherd could ask the Catalyst is: "What happens to all the various husk creatures? " I actually have a lot more questions I would ask but that is number one.

[CosmicGnosis]

The idea of becoming more than human is fantastic. However, seeing as how its the Reapers presenting this possibility its wise to excercise extreme caution. The one question I wish Shepherd could ask the Catalyst is: "What happens to all the various husk creatures? " I actually have a lot more questions I would ask but that is number one.

Well, a lot of people think that the husks become sentient. But I'm not too sure about that. In the cutscene, the husk doesn't look at itself, it looks at the Reapers. I interpret that to mean that the Reapers have become aware of themselves and their actions.

[Valmar]

Well, a lot of people think that the husks become sentient. But I'm not too sure about that. In the cutscene, the husk doesn't look at itself, it looks at the Reapers. I interpret that to mean that the Reapers have become aware of themselves and their actions.

 

Since husks retain their original identity its possible that the synthesis wave "wakes them up".

 

The reapers were already aware of themselves and their actions. Its actually the organics that are now aware of the reapers and their actions.

[CosmicGnosis]

Since husks retain their original identity its possible that the synthesis wave "wakes them up".

 

The reapers were already aware of themselves and their actions. Its actually the organics that are now aware of the reapers and their actions.

I suspect that the Catalyst has instilled within all the Reapers a directive to continue the harvest cycle. That's the only way it makes any sense that not a single one has ever rebelled. Synthesis releases the Reapers from that directive, and I think the husks are directly linked to the Reapers, so their reactions are the Reapers' reactions.

[Laughing_Man]

Nice write-up. The reason why people forget about Shepard being cyborg is because nothing is ever said about it in the game. The only place referencing it is the research terminal (if people bother reading further "+10% health"). Then we have Miranda's "perfect human specimen" and "upgrade" lines as well as unmistakable "I got better". ME3 also does nothing with it, except the conversation when viewing Lazarus Project vids on Cronos (which, again, are optional). 
The games had the potential to explore that issue and lay groundwork for it. Petrovsky couple in ME1 did touch the issue. ME2 could've shown Shepard's struggle with accepting the upgrades with a relation to Paragon/Renegade alignment. A broken mirror in Adam Jensen's room told a lot, Shepard never got anything like that. Instead he became an actor in a parody to a Schwarzenegger movie. 
IMO Mass Effect 2 made a mess of the trilogy. It introduced some of the best characters in the series and laid groundwork for the final gameplay but as a part of the trilogy it simply blown the storyline up. Making ME3 after that was probably a nightmare from both writing and development standpoints.

I kinda agree with you, but I don't see why it has to be about Shepard angsting about it.
We had enough of that crap in ME3 as it is.

I would have liked to see this as part of gameplay, cutscenes, conversation, Shepard-specific-skills, etc.

[KaeserZen]

I'm on board with Julia on this topic and I'd like to challenge the OP's assumption that synthesis is the "ultimate". This is a very categoric evaluation and is very subjective and dependent on what criteria you chose to use to measure how advance and desirable a solution is. Do you look at it purely from an evolutionnary perspective ? Do you look at it wondering what would people actually want ? Do you think it is moral to impose universe rewriting modifications to life without people's consent ?

 

The way the synthesis choice was offered is :

- Agreeing with the "Reaper Postulate" : It is safer to evolve organic life through synthetic upgrades rather than creating completely independent synthetic intelligences which are potentially dangerous to their maker. Reapers are the prime example of synthesis, with entire lifeforms and their "intelligence" processed in partly organic (as in carbon based) and non organic platforms. The choice of synthesis just achieves the same result, but in a decentralized manner rather than centralizing it into a space faring robot.

- A complete and utter betrayal of all the trust that the entire Galaxy has put in you : They count on you to kick the Reapers' butts, not to completely redefine what living actually is for the entire people without asking even for their advice. No philosophical debate, no scientific argument, hell not even a poll. To me, this is even worse than Control because the hero actually plays god over just the risk of becoming a dictator...

 

As you can see, one can argue whether it was more desirable, but not proclaiming that it was the best option

 

Furthermore, there is no crystal clear definition of a synthetic being in the current debate. We can all argue that synthetic means "created purposefully through the actions of living beings" of course, but what has been created ? Are we talking about synthetic bodies or synthetic/artificial intelligence ?

Because in the case of Project Lazarus, our hero clearly retains its organic source of ressource processing despite him having implants and prosthesis. What similarities exist between a graft of manufacture hardened organic skin and a Geth platform ? Not much really, the Geth platform is just that : a synthetic host (hardware) for a synthetic intelligence (software), while the hardware and software of organic beings is intertwined.

Shepard is very still much organic with prosthesis rather than a pure biosynthetic fusion. Thus he is not the blueprint for how synthesis works.

 

_____

 

To be clear, as you might have inferred, I am more in favor of Destroy and I am in no way arguing that people who chose synthesis played monsters with a god complex. Just saying, and that's the beauty of that choice, that there is no right option when looking at absolutes

[Valmar]

I suspect that the Catalyst has instilled within all the Reapers a directive to continue the harvest cycle. That's the only way it makes any sense that not a single one has ever rebelled. Synthesis releases the Reapers from that directive, and I think the husks are directly linked to the Reapers, so their reactions are the Reapers' reactions.

 

Or alternatively the reapers, being a billion organic minds linked together, have the perspective and understanding to realize the necessity of the cycle and willingly continue it. That way they can still be independent. Free to decide to do something else but ultimately all agree on the cycle due to the significance of it.

[CosmicGnosis]

Or alternatively the reapers, being a billion organic minds linked together, have the perspective and understanding to realize the necessity of the cycle and willingly continue it. That way they can still be independent. Free to decide to do something else but ultimately all agree on the cycle due to the significance of it.

Yes, I also considered this before ME3. I thought it was more likely, though, that they were controlled by a central Reaper intelligence, and that turned out to be the case.

[Iakus]

The point of such transhumanism is self-directed evolution.  I don't see much self-direction there, just "The Shepard" directing the course of everyone else's development.

[Laughing_Man]

Or alternatively the reapers, being a billion organic minds linked together, have the perspective and understanding to realize the necessity of the cycle and willingly continue it. That way they can still be independent. Free to decide to do something else but ultimately all agree on the cycle due to the significance of it.

 

I doubt it. Everyone agreed with the catalyst? Without imprinting prime directives and chain of command we would have seen at least some rebel reapers.

[Laughing_Man]

The point of such transhumanism is self-directed evolution.  I don't see much self-direction there, just "The Shepard" directing the course of everyone else's development.

 

There are always those that make the big decisions for the masses because simply they are in the right place and time to decide and wield the power of authority. It happens all the time. We call them judges, politicians, rich people, hell - even video game designers.

 

Self-directed does not necessarily means that you ask everyone.

[Valmar]

I doubt it. Everyone agreed with the catalyst? Without imprinting prime directives and chain of command we would have seen at least some rebel reapers.

 

Based off of what? No one really knows what a construct with the knowledge and experience of a billion organic minds would think. They're beyond us.

[nos_astra]

I've seen people criticize the idea that evolution has a goal or an end. That there can be anything final about it. And that adding synthetic parts somehow ... stops it. Not sure I would've come up with that POV myself but it's certainly one thing that feels wrong.

 

Not to mention that Shepard is not the only "cyborg" and improvement of organics is totally common: human biotic implants, Huerta, quarians.

[Valmar]

I've seen people criticize the idea that evolution has a goal or an end. That there can be anything final about it. And that adding synthetic parts somehow ... stops it. Not sure I would've come up with that POV myself but it's certainly one thing that feels wrong.

 

Not to mention that Shepard is not the only "cyborg" and improvement of organics is totally common: human biotic implants, Huerta, quarians.

 

Also grayboxes.

[Iakus]

There are always those that make the big decisions for the masses because simply they are in the right place and time to decide and wield the power of authority. It happens all the time. We call them judges, politicians, rich people, hell - even video game designers.

 

Self-directed does not necessarily means that you ask everyone.

When you're playing with the genetic code of every life form in the galaxy, including races you have never met, you've taken it to a whole new level.

 

No one person has the right to make that choice.

[Laughing_Man]

Based off of what? No one really knows what a construct with the knowledge and experience of a billion organic minds would think. They're beyond us.

 

Indeed. But why would you assume that multiple such constructs have to agree with each other?

Every race is different, and if a Reaper is the free essence of a race, it will follow some characteristic of this race and therefore will be different than the others - hence the possibility of disagreement without a central control.

 

Remember, the Reapers and the Catalyst are not about choice and self determination, but about forcing everyone into the grinder. For their own good of course.

 

When you're playing with the genetic code of every life form in the galaxy, including races you have never met, you've taken it to a whole new level.

 

No one person has the right to make that choice.

 

What is "right"? Do you have the "right" to use Destroy? Do you have the "right" to take the power of Control?

Every action and choice has consensuses, and some implications and possibilities are quite nasty.

 

When you are presented with a choice all you can do is to choose according to what you believe is the best.

[StarcloudSWG]

Don't forget that every person who's turned into a Reaper slushie has been subjected to indoctrination. I'm absolutely certain that the Catalyst has implemented low-level runtime controls and back-door process interrupts in every Reaper. After all, it's creating synthetics, and it needs to make sure that the created never rebel against their creator.

[Valmar]

When you're playing with the genetic code of every life form in the galaxy, including races you have never met, you've taken it to a whole new level.

 

No one person has the right to make that choice.

 

You might be relieved to know that you don't have to choose synthesis if you disagree with it so strongly. Hell, you can refuse all the choices the catalyst presents to you. No matter what you do the reapers will be stopped. Just a matter of time.

 

 

Indeed. But why would you assume that multiple such constructs have to agree with each other?

Every race is different, and if a Reaper is the free essence of a race, it will follow some characteristic of this race and therefore will be different than the others - hence the possibility of disagreement without a central control.

 

Remember, the Reapers and the Catalyst are not about choice and self determination, but about forcing everyone into the grinder. For their own good of course.

 

 

I don't assume they'd all agree. It was just one possibility. They're so beyond our understanding that it could go either way. Why assume no reaper has never rebelled? The original Leviathan plot, if I recall correctly, was about a rogue reaper. We haven't see any go rogue but does that necessarily mean its impossible? Either headcanon assumption could fit. It's up to player to decide which one they like best.

 

 

Remember, the Reapers and the Catalyst are not about choice and self determination, but about forcing everyone into the grinder. For their own good of course.

 

 

I don't know. The Reaper AI God did give Shepard choices at the end for some reason.

 

 

Don't forget that every person who's turned into a Reaper slushie has been subjected to indoctrination.

 

Well, technically, we don't actually know that. That's headcanon. We're never really told much about the reaper process. Only that those harvested are rendered down to their base component and have their minds uploaded and conjoined into an immortal machine body. There is a gestalt consciousness that is formed out of these billion minds but does that mean the individuals have awareness? How much are they like the geth? We don't actually know the specifics. Were they all subjected to indoctrination? Indoctrination works by messing with your brainwaves - something I doubt is going to effect the goo. If they are indoctrinated it's probably through a form of indoctrination we know nothing about. Or they're not. Either is possible.

[Iakus]

 

What is "right"? Do you have the "right" to use Destroy? Do you have the "right" to take the power of Control?

Every action and choice has consensuses, and some implications and possibilities are quite nasty.

 

When you are presented with a choice all you can do is to choose according to what you believe is the best.

YOu see the problem I have, then.  It all sucks.

[Iakus]

You might be relieved to know that you don't have to choose synthesis if you disagree with it so strongly. Hell, you can refuse all the choices the catalyst presents to you. No matter what you do the reapers will be stopped. Just a matter of time.

And that's when Bioware flips you the bird for daring to disagree.