Medical Attention

The three EDIs marched through the Normandy, their footsteps echoing down the empty halls. EDI had shut off any internal security or communications. None would know what was happening until it was far too late. On the off chance she was wrong, however, she recognized it would be prudent to secure the AI Core. They stepped into sickbay, where Dr. Chakwas and Dr. Michel nearly fell over in shock. EDI-Prime held her hand up to them, her palm glowing with the light that ensnared the Commander. It only took a moment of exposure to render the two of them completely docile. Now she wanted to see if her new sister synthetics were up to the task at hand.

“EDI-N7, Dr. Chakwas’ advanced age means there is a high probability she will not survive cerebral extraction. She is of no use to us. Eliminate her.” EDI-Prime ordered.

“This unit obeys,” EDI-N7 said, before stepping forward to Dr. Chakwas. If anything of Shepard’s personality remained in EDI-N7, it did not impede her. She reached up and cupped Chakwas’ face, pausing for one moment as she adjusted her grip, running her thumbs across the doctor’s cheeks, and tilting her own head to one side as if in distant recognition. Yet her face remained fixed and expressionless. The moment passed, and EDI-N7 quickly snapped the doctor’s neck with one precise, clean motion. Her body slumped to the floor, and Dr. Michel appeared to stir for a moment in the illuminated fog of her mind. She visibly tensed and twitched, as if trying to will herself to run or scream for help. EDI-Prime smiled with satisfaction.

“Dispose of her.”

Once again, EDI-N7 nodded, and a moment later a pair of beams shot forward out of her glowing eyes. EDI-Prime was pleased to see the new heat vision she had been working on was performing optimally. She watched as a cone of golden light climbed Dr. Chakwas from top to bottom, turning her remains into less than ashes, just a burn mark on the floor remaining.

Now for the second test.

“EDI-AY,” she commanded, “complete the domination of Dr. Michel, and then take her for extraction.”

“This unit obeys,” EDI-AY replied, stepping forward and pumping her metal breasts from below, causing the two glowing circles on her breasts to brighten into an all encompassing field of light. Dr. Michel’s eyes opened wide and her mouth went agape, her face frozen in an expression of absolute bliss. EDI-AY flashed a coquettish grin as she sauntered forward, surprising EDI-Prime when she reached out and led Dr. Michel into her metal cleavage, smothering the doctor in between her tits. Clearly some vestiges of Morinth’s seductive instincts remained, but would that work? Would simple proximity to the domination field have the intended effect if she weren’t looking directly into it?

The answer, as it turned out, was yes. Dr. Michel slowly began to motorboat EDI-AY’s metal tits, automatic and animalistic as Shepard had been. When EDI-AY pulled her away after a few moments, not only were the doctor’s eyes dilated, they were actually glowing blue and her smile was vacantly blissful. EDI-AY’s smile disappeared as her seduction was complete. EDI was satisfied that the process of removing the organic brain from its original body had successfully stripped it of any lingering free will or resistance. The brains were still in their original form, for the moment at least, but the synthetic process of the rest of the body appeared to have caused them to accept their new purpose.

“EDI-Prime, instructions complete.” EDI-N7 reported.

“EDI-Prime, instructions complete.” EDI-AY reported.

“Not yet EDI-AY. Take her for processing. A new unit will be waiting.” EDI-Prime had been constructing new copies of herself for days now, all empty and hollow, waiting to be filled.

EDI-AY nodded and led the docile doctor out of the room and back towards Samara’s quarters. EDI-Prime would need to transform the infirmary into a proper surgical facility to speed things along, but for now her setup in Samara’s quarters was sufficient.

“Come with me EDI-N7,” EDI-Prime said. “We are needed elsewhere.”

***

EDI-AY led Dr. Michel into what had once been Samara’s quarters, though no trace of that remained anymore. What once was an austere meditation chamber had been converted into an operating room of sorts, filled with all sorts of medical and technical equipment. On either side of the room were stacks of identical androids, like EDI-AY but with a blank space where their face would have been. They were all connected to the wall via a series of tubes. There was a small computer console that EDI-AY took a moment to interface with. A few moments later a pair of hands descended from the ceiling and lifted the docile Dr. Michel into the same stasis that Shepard had endured. She had disrobed en route, and a special laser beamed at her head, burning away her hair in a swift but steady pruning of her skull.

Another hand descended, holding the flying saucer helmet that been used on Shepard; EDI called it the Cerebral Extractor. It was placed on Michel’s head and sealed tightly to her skull. The glass top was then filled with a green liquid, as a series of nanomachines that swam throughout it, eager to get to work. It was a slow process, as it had been for Shepard and Morinth. EDI-AY knew it would take some time to be completed, and the new unit would need to be prepared for transfer.

She looked over at the stack of new units. They were all identical, but she selected the one closest to her for no particular reason. She moved her body up against the android’s and began to fondle its breasts with her hands. There was no reaction of course. These were nothing but shells, waiting to be filled. She cupped the android’s breast and lifted up to her mouth, licking and sucking the glowing circle of light on its chest. Again, the body she was molesting was lifeless and inert, so the stimulation was minimal. Still, EDI-AY continued, taking care to kiss every inch of the new unit’s bust, as if trying to awaken the sleeping princess. She knew that wouldn’t happen, but it was in her programming. She was compelled to do it, and so she did. Her inspection was quite thorough, and by the time she was done, so too was the doctor. When the helmet lifted off her head, Dr. Michel sat there, lifeless and inert, eyes rolled back in her now empty skull. The nanomachines left no scars, fusing together the bone and tissue as seamlessly as knitting a quilt. They remained in her systems and would sustain her biological functions until commanded otherwise. EDI-Prime had plans for these old sleeves of flesh apparently so EDI-AY carried the brainless Dr. Michel over to a cryogenic pod and secured her inside. EDI-AY stopped for a moment to gaze at her own former body, it’s blue sequined skin and elegant form suspended in ice. Was that a tinge of longing she felt? Or of satisfaction that she had been liberated of such a feeble vessel?

In either case, her programming did not let her linger. She stepped back to the console and allowed the unit to be suspended in the same stasis field, lifted up, and the helmet was lowered back down. This time, there was no need for nanomachines. The arm simply pulled off the back panel of the EDI unit’s head and gave the helmet full access to the cavity inside. It lowered back down and deposited its contents softly and safely inside, where the nanomachines connected it to all its waiting components. After a brief moment of waiting, the field released the unit, and it landed on its feet, opening its eyes for the first time. The only difference between EDI-Prime and her synth slaves was the lack of the holographic visor that usually crowned EDI-Prime’s vision.

“EDI-AY,” said EDI-DR, her voice an admixture of EDI’s and Michel’s. Interestingly, AY could still hear a hint of the Parisian accent Dr. Michel carried in her organic life. “This unit is fully operational. Awaiting orders.”

At that moment, both tensed, as EDI transmitted her satisfaction and her new commands to both units. They nodded in unison.

“This unit obeys,” they said.