He's impressed that Shepard could look upon a damaged metal skeleton and assume that it caused him pain, and he raises his eyebrow curiously to communicate it. Most who knew him no doubt suspected he'd never had feeling in his cybernetic replacements, but that could not be further from the truth. "It did, terribly," Sigma admits, "until the cybernetic nerves shut down on me." In the event of catastrophic failure, he had programmed his cybernetics to stop relaying pain signals, a failsafe in place of his body's endorphins. "The framework still operates satisfactorily, but now I am completely numb." He shakes his head. He does not consider this a blessing. "I spent twenty years of my life lacking sensation in my arms. Being unable to touch my loved ones, my children... I hope I do not have to go back to that any time soon." Guess he'd better lose.

He gestures to the flame. "At least the fire is cathartic," Sigma laughs, a small but genuine smile sprouting on his lips. "You know, if you wanted your books burned, I wouldn't mind assisting you." It's his first attempt at a joke in a long time.