Mass Effect: Evolution 3

Mass Effect: Evolution 3 is the third issue of the 4-issue Mass Effect: Evolution comic series published by Dark Horse Comics.

Release Information

 * Publication Date: March 23, 2011
 * Tagline: Springing the trap... by getting caught!
 * Writer: Mac Walters, John Jackson Miller
 * Artist: Omar Francia
 * Colorist: Michael Atiyeh
 * Cover Artist: Massimo Carnevale / Joe Quinones

Publisher's Summary
''The deepest journey yet into the Mass Effect universe continues, courtesy of Mass Effect 2 lead writer Mac Walters! With cowriter John Jackson Miller (Star Wars: Knight Errant), Walters tests the limits of human courage, ingenuity, and loyalty, as the Illusive Man finds himself far from home in an alien galaxy. As his eyes open to the secrets of the universe, the Illusive Man comes ever closer to his destiny as galactic power broker in this riveting science-fiction adventure''

Story
Jack Harper is recalling his first meeting with Ben Hislop. Jack describes Ben as brash, young, enthusiastic, and an expert with munitions. Someone who was perfect for his pro-humanity movement. Ben quickly became Jack's right hand, and was also important to Eva in ways that Jack never asked about. Yet, above all, he remembers the man, not the monster he became.

Back in the present day, Ben still has Harper by the throat and Eva Coré is still pleading with Ben to release him. Her pleas are then repeated by Saren Arterius, who has caught up to the group, and even with him being restrained, Jack yells at Eva to run, which she does. Eva manages to jump into a ladder and still tries to get through to Ben by asking if he remembers her. Ben responds in a cryptic language, and Eva draws her gun, promising to Ben that she will blast the people that did this to him. However, before she can finish her sentence, Ben rips the ladder down, bringing Eva with it. After Ben tears through the wreckage, he finds Eva, and in a moment of clarity recognizes her and says her name. Saren, however, intervenes by telling Ben to bring Eva to the transport, "NOW!" The clarity subsides and Ben drags Eva unconscious body to the transport.

Aboard Saren's transport, Jack is once again strapped into an interrogation chair. Jack assumes that he will be studied and if the turians were to let him go, he'll show them what a human is really made of. Desolas claims they know all they need to know about human biology from studying the human corpses on Shanxi, but that's not what they are interested in. Desolas continues by saying that it is Jack himself they are interested in now. Harper then says that if that's true, then he asks them to release Eva. Desolas refuses and explains that they need Eva as a baseline to understand what is different about Jack. Desolas then points at Ben and says he is different, and that Harper was affected by the artifact, like Ben, but Jack is very unlike Ben, so he is curious why. Eva, now awake, tells Desolas that it was because of something he did and that he's the one who turned Ben into a monster. Saren says that he has done nothing, and then asks Ben to speak for himself, while he still can.

Ben begins to speak and tells Jack that it wasn't the turians, but the artifact that changed him. After he touched it, the turians left him for dead, but when they subsequently attempted to move the artifact, he awoke. Eva asks whether it was a resurrection, and Saren says that she's not that far off. He says the same thing happened to their researches. They refused to abandon the artifact, and Ben, as he is now one of them, like the others, he now serves him. Desolas then tells Jack and Eva they, along with Ben, are about to be the first humans to set foot on Palaven, the turian homeworld.

Just a few weeks prior to that, the Alliance would have given anything to get agents onto the radiation-scarred world. Nevertheless, the turians managed to survive and thrive on the planet. As the ship lands, and while a general returning from a stalemate wouldn't normally expect a hero's welcome, Desolas knows that during peacetime, image is everything. As he exits the craft, he tells the people of Palaven that he has returned. Desolas is apparently the first general to address the people since the Council brokered the peace agreement, and that is no surprise as no turian wants to admit there is an enemy that cannot be defeated. Desolas then says that he will not admit to that, but assures that the turians who died in the war did not die in vain. He proceeds to present his servants, disguised as Valluvian Priests from turian legend. Desolas goes on to say that for centuries, no turian has been worthy enough to wear the cloak and cowl of the order, and no one has been allowed into Temple Palaven.

As the group walks down the stairs from where their ship landed, he says that the turians present have come back from the field of battle with honor and that their faith and their fighting spirit, has transformed them. On Shanxi, Desolas says that he was chosen by them to help them in their mission, or Holy Quest, to return to Palaven, to reopen the temple, and to share the wisdom of the ages with the turian people. Desolas then says that like his brothers, the "priests", while they lead them to war, now promote peace. He finishes by saying that he will join them in the temple where in the past, they will find a great future for the turian people. While the people cheer, Jack, hidden by the guards, "priests", and Desolas, comments about how Desolas knows how to put on a show and how he dresses his mutants for maximum effect. Eva, alongside Jack, says that Desolas is definitely bucking for something, as he didn't parade them in front of the crowd in chains. Jack counters by saying the Council wouldn't approve, and neither would the turian leaders. Jack continues by saying that he wouldn't be surprised if Desolas became a turian leader himself. Finally, Harper concludes by saying that he is a military man that found religion, at the time he finds a device that creates super soldiers, and that it might work, if everyone plays along with the ruse.

Later at the Temple, Saren and Desolas are discussing problems. Desolas is annoyed that Saren has come by and asks what he wants this time. Saren tells him that their "evolved" turian have refused to move the artifact into the temple, even after being ordered in the language that Desolas uses when talking to them. Saren continues by saying that they were willing to wear the cloaks, but they won't go the last kilometer needed. Desolas then says that he explained it to them, and that they have a good home for the artifact. Desolas then turns to one of the "evolved" turians, and tells them that while they don’t like the crowd, it wouldn't be a problem. He then says that the sun is about set, and they will move the artifact after dark, once the colonnade is clear. Saren then turns to Desolas, as the "evolved" turian walks away, and says he doesn’t like it. They don't serve them and they only care about the artifact. Desolas counters by saying that is the reason that he is going through all the trouble he is. He wants them to see him as protector, one who is giving the artifact a place of respect, while he figures out how to make it control them.

Later that evening as the artifact is being moved, Eva and Jack are being escorted behind it. Eva comments about how it's taking forever, just like when the loaded into the ship on Shanxi. Eva then tells Jack that he was lucky he was in a coma at the time. Jack then says that he doesn't mind as he's been waiting for a chance to see Palaven for a while now, and that he's impressed. He also comments that Desolas was impressive as well, considering he was able to clear a whole area, he must have some pull somewhere. Eva counters by saying that he's pulling something and that she doesn’t trust Desolas. She then turns her attention to the artifact and questions if it is even in there. Jack says that it's in there as he can feel it in his mind. Then a voice from behind says the same thing, giving them both a start. Ben is standing behind them and he can tell that Jack is in communication with it as well. Jack asks Ben whether he can tell them more about the artifact, as Ben actually touched the artifact, to which Ben responds by simply saying that it just is. He then continues by saying that it commands them to follow and protect it, and to prepare. Jack says that he hears it as well, but prepare for what. Before Ben can respond, Eva cuts in by telling Ben that he's in there and that if he fights it, they can find a way out, and get him back to normal. Ben admits that there is no more normal anymore, to which Harper agrees. Desolas, who has been listening in on the conversation, orders one of the turians, to bring Harper to him.

Temple Palaven stands a relic to the turians superstitious past when titans strolled across their world, reaching for the stars. The temple was sealed when the turians discovered other species among the stars and how with the true titans on the planet, the "evolved" turians, the Temple will now play host to the Arca Monolith, where it can be revered by its worshipers and other interested parties. While the Monolith is being raised, Jack is standing in the wings with Desolas looking over his shoulder. He starts to talk about Clarke's Third Law, when Desolas quotes it word for word from behind him. He continues by saying that it is just words from an earth scientist who was also a mythmaker, as they all are. Desolas then says that he now has an evolution accelerator. According to Desolas, for too long there has been parity between races on the Citadel. When a new race can enter as equals, he feels it's time to change the equation by bringing myths to life. Harper tells Desolas that he doesn’t know what he's dealing with, but Desolas counters by saying that Jack does and that is why he is here to begin with. Desolas finishes by saying that the temple was once a place where turians talked to their deities, and it soon will be again.

In a backroom lab, Desolas explains the setup to Harper. He has placed the Monolith in a place of honor, the Temple's rotunda. But at the same time, he's incorporated a number of scaning devices in the rotunda of the temple to help them better understand the device. Jack points out a flaw in that it is just a surface scan and ask why they don't bring it into the lab. Desolas answers by saying that he would like to, but the "evolved" turians won't allow invasive procedures and that past attempts to pry the artifact from them have only resulted in more transformations. He continues by saying that the cover is fine for the masses, but it does him little good as the "evolved" turians can tell him nothing about the artifact, but Harper can. He says that he realized on Arcturus Station that the relic has changed Harper, and that he took it to Illium to see if he would follow. Harper seems to have a psychic bond with the device that transcends distance and in what he overheard of his and Eva's conversation, confirms it.

Desolas is curious why Jack came into contact with the device and yet managed to keep his identity and his mind as Desolas needs his turians to do the same. Desolas says that he must speak to it and find out how because while he understands science, you need to answer magic in its own language. Jack points out again that he doesn’t know what he's dealing with and there is more to the Monolith than just an evolutionary jump-start, and that it's dangerous. Desolas is undeterred, however, as that is exactly what he expected from a racial partisan who is standing in his way and that maybe Eva will be more reasonable. Jack says that Eva knows nothing and that she's tough, committed, and won't crack, neither will he. Jack then pleads with Desolas that as a man of science, not magic, because of the lack of results he should end the experiment. Several days later, a turian guard checks in on Jack in a holding cell, with a view port, and writings all over the wall. He expresses frustration at Desolas to think that he would learn anything new from Harper as all he does is sit on the rocks and stare. He continues by saying the people who built the temple are more lively, despite being dead for centuries now. Harper then puts his hand to his chin, and says “[t]hat’s it”. As he stands up repeating it, Desolas enters with two armed guards and tells him that his scientists told him what Harper wouldn’t. He then orders the guards to escort Harper to the lab so he can share his results.

As they are walking, Desolas explains that while they can’t find the mechanism that binds the “priests” to the Monolith, they know enough to say they are bound to it. He remarks that the bond is strong, transcendental, and because of it, the “priests” will do anything and everything to protect it; and if he brings others to it, they will do anything and everything for him. Jack then cuts in, telling Desolas there is something that he needs to know. Jack has just figured out the truth about the Monolith himself. However, Desolas dismisses it by saying that the time for the truth is in the past, and tells Jack to behold the future. He tells Jack to imagine a legion of perfect turians. They are physically perfect, never need to rest, and they will never yield. He finishes by saying that the time for equality among races is now in the past and that destiny is at hand. And it begins tonight ...