Title: Biomass Effect
Author: Beastrider9
Rating: T
Genre: Sci-fi/Action
Status: WIP
Fandom: ME/Prototype xover
Pairings: None

Summary: All life on Earth had been consumed by Blacklight. With no Biomass to feed on, Blacklight had to evolve, adapt, and grow. Now a collective Council of Aliens discovers the existence of such a life form. How do the aliens see a form of life that is viral, how they deal with it, what are the consequences to the galaxy of such a race existing at all.

Link: FanFiction.Net

I've recently come across this fic while browsing through the ME/Prototype crossover. Totally Jon's fault for reccing that dead fic of ME/Prototype btw. Anyway, around 80k words right now and the update speed is fairly good.

Story-wise, the reason I rec. this is because it's unique in itself. I've never read a ME/Prototype crossover that deals with Blacklight absorbing all of... well everything really and evolving a hive-mind like consciousness. Think of Geth yet at the same time, different. The closest example that I could possibly think of is Gaia in Isaac Asimov's Foundation Series. Not only it is unique, I find it refreshing to have a competent Citadel Council and a very well written First Contact War.

Now this story may come across strongly as a HFY! however, they don't really seem human anymore. Blacklight gives the atmosphere of eldritch abomination that's out to get anybody and everything. To avoid spoilers, I'll just say that how the Citadel Council and Blacklight virus interacts and how the Council tries to play diplomacy is quite entertaining. The fic really shined (shone?) when the Reapers came into play. Give it a go.

4/5 for me.

 

I'll second this one, I've never played Prototype and still managed to really enjoy it. I'd give it a 4/5 for now, mainly for the way the initial contact with each of the different races was handled (especially the Reapers).

 

Reminds me too much of every other ME crossover fic where First Contact is involved. I've gotten to the point where the Hivemind has consumed their first alien and haven't seen much to distinguish it from other OP crossover ideas. There's also a lot more tell than show when it comes to the Blacklight infodumps, which doesn't appeal.

Definite 3/5 for now, but I'll hold off on rating for a few more chapters.

 

The writing has a definite need for improvement yes, but the concept behind is just too intriguing for me. I've not seen anything remotely close to this concept unless it's a SC Zerg/ME crossover (Like Terran Ingenuity, but more focus on the Zerg perspective). Keep reading. I can't wait for the fallout next update.

 

Lowering my rating to 3/5, as the story goes on I'm realizing that while I love the concept, I find myself skimming a lot. The writing isn't really all that great.

 

Too infodumpish and dry for my tastes. I found myself reading it only because of the concept, which is admittedly original.

3/5

 

Have tried reading this multiple times, and could not get into it at all, I will abstain from voting at it.