![]() ![]() The reasons for the Queen's resistance to indoctrination remain unclear. However, the Reapers were unable to control her, thus making it necessary to physically restrain her. When the Reapers captured her during their invasion of the galaxy, they forced her to breed an army of Rachni warriors for them. The last Rachni Queen was shown to be immune or at least highly resistant to indoctrination. When mortally injured on Noveria, a despairing Benezia refused Shepard's offer of help and chose to die, saying "I am not myself, I never will be again." Matriarch Benezia used her abilities to keep a 'haven' in her mind free of indoctrination, hoping for a chance to use it, but this meant she was effectively trapped in her own mind, watching in horror as she committed atrocities on Saren's orders. Only people with immense mental strength are able to resist indoctrination, and even then, only for a short time. As Shepard saw, the captured salarians on Virmire had been turned into shambling husks, who either attacked on sight or just stood awaiting orders. The mental damage from indoctrination is severe and permanent. He believed that Sovereign would allow him a reprieve from indoctrination, because the Reaper needed Saren's mind intact to find the Conduit. ![]() Saren realized that to keep his mind free of Sovereign's control, he had to make himself an invaluable resource. The more control Sovereign has over a person, the less capable they become. That was the fate of Rana's predecessor, who became her first test subject, and the captured salarians who had once been Captain Kirrahe's men.īut as Saren Arterius discovered during his research into indoctrination at the facility, there is a balance between control and usefulness. Over days, perhaps a week of exposure to Sovereign's signal, the subject stops thinking for themselves and just obeys, eventually becoming a mindless servant. She describes indoctrination as a subtle whisper you can't ignore, that compels you to do things without knowing why. Rana Thanoptis, an asari neuroscientist on Virmire, goes into more detail. Ultimately, the Reaper gains the ability to use the victim's body to amplify its signal, manifesting as voices within the victim's mind. The resulting effect varies depending on the intent of the Reaper: the victim may suffer headaches and hallucinations, have feelings of "being watched" or paranoia, or come to view the Reaper itself with superstitious awe. It is believed that the Reapers generate an electromagnetic field, waves of infrasound and ultrasound, or both in order to stimulate areas of a victim's brain and limbic system. The precise mechanics of the indoctrination effect are poorly understood. When they disappeared back through the Citadel relay, the Reapers abandoned their indoctrinated slaves, leaving them to starve or die of exposure. But the Reapers viewed them as disposable. They were taken in by other Protheans as refugees, then betrayed their own people to the machines. As Vigil explains, indoctrinated slaves from conquered planets were used during the last Reaper incursion as sleeper agents. Indoctrination is one of the most insidious weapons the Reapers have in their arsenal the salarian lieutenant Ganto Imness describes it as a greater threat than a krogan army. The effect seems to extend to Reaper artifacts, such as the one brought aboard the MSV Cornucopia that brainwashed her crew. Matriarch Benezia said that even Sovereign's interior serves indoctrination: the strange angles of the rooms are confusing and make you uncertain of yourself. It was first reported to Commander Shepard by farmers on Eden Prime, who claimed there was a "horrible noise" emanating from Sovereign as it descended. A signal or energy field surrounds the Reaper, which subtly influences the minds of any organic individual in range. Indoctrination is the term used for the "brainwashing" effect the Reapers and their technology have on organic beings. ![]()
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