The human-survivalist paramilitary group known as Cerberus is the source of many ofMass Effect’s greatest mysteries, with many of its goals left in the shadows for most of the trilogy. This allows oneMass Effectfan to theorize about the organization’s true intentions for the Omega 4 relay.
Cerberus is responsible for resurrecting Commander Shepard at the beginning ofMass Effect 2, and at the end of the game, Shepard must carry out a Suicide Mission for the group by going through the Omega 4 relay. This particular Mass Relay glows red instead of blue and no one but the Collectors has returned from it, giving it an ominous reputation. Cerberus claims that Shepard needs to go through, defeat the Collectors, and stop their raids on human colonies. Manyfacts about Cerberus were revealed inMass Effect: Legendary Edition, but as the organization is well-known for lying, the exact reasoning it wants the Omega 4 relay safe to travel can be debated.
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Redditor bsipp777 shared a screenshot and a sneaking suspicion that Cerberus didn’t care about the colonies–it just wanted the Omega 4 relay opened up so that it could plunder the area. After all, a one-way Mass Relay with a threat on the other end could be potentially full of lost ships and technology belonging to dead civilizations. Cerberus' leaderthe Illusive Man is legendary for his hidden agenda, so it’s very possible that the organization’s seemingly altruistic motives were just a disguise for the desire to pillage these unfortunate ships. The screenshot bsipp777 shared depicts Turian mercenary leader Nyreen Kandros, who works on Omega, talking about dangerous technology that comes from beyond the Omega 4 relay.
This theory has been largely accepted by other posters, with some even reporting thatMass Effectexpanded universe materials partially confirm it. TheMass Effect: Evolutioncomic covers the origin of the Illusive Manand how he was partially indoctrinated after encountering Reaper technology on Shanxi, and reportedly most of the Suicide Mission was a plot to access a trove of Reaper technology behind the Omega 4 relay. Cerberus is often considered cool, but this reading would strip it of its excuses and justifications for committing heinous acts.
Another poster observes that even within the game, the Illusive Man calls after Shepard secures the Collector Base and tells them not to destroy anything. A third reports that the Expanded Galaxy Mod forMass Effect 3would allow players to go back through the Omega 4 relay, where they would find a Cerberus base next to the Collector Base, studying and salvaging the remains. However, other users argue that the Illusive Man and Cerberus had good intentions before the indoctrination kicked in.The Illusive Man could have had a boss fight inMass Effect 3, but his last moments remain an iconic moment in the series.
Mass Effect Legendary Editionis available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
