Project: Daedalus
Beginnings
My last memory was choking on my blood, as my lungs collapsed on me from the steering wheel of my F-150 jammed into my chest. The 18 wheeler in front of me that had fishtailed on some ice had slammed the front of my truck, knocking me off the mountain highway. A boulder, like a dark symbol of defiance amongst the snow and ice, put paid to any forward momentum I had gained.
I could hear the emergency sirens coming from a distance, but knew it was too late for me.
The blackness overtook me.
-Δ-
I woke up to a blank whiteness. I looked down to see my body as a formless, white cloud.
"Ah I see you are here. And right on time too!" came a cheerful voice, just as I was going to panic. Far too cheerful for the situation.
I look up to see a man, dressed up in a black suit, pants and white shirt. And he was beautiful. Not an adjective I would use to describe a man, but appropriate in this case. Plus, the feathered wings on his back gave away the fact that whatever he was, he was most certainly not a man. He looked like an undertaker. Appropriate for the situation.
I try to ask him where I am and who he was but couldn't speak. Actually, I couldn't move, like an insect in amber.
"Ah, yes. You must have a lot of questions. And I unfortunately don't have time to answer all your questions, what with the number of souls being harvested by those thrice-be-damned Reapers. The surly buggers have just wiped out the last Prothean stronghold and now will go about wiping out all traces of their existence. But where are my manners? My name is Thanatos, and I've come to guide you to your next life. Now, the thing is that, I have a small favour to ask you and souls like yours. You see, I'm trying to build a force to take out those abominations and I really need your help" he said, giving me the puppy-dog eyes. My mind was reeling. Protheans? Reapers? Mass-bloody -Effect?! What was going on?
"Oh goody, I knew you would help! Now, the thing is that the rules prevent you from remembering all the details of your previous life. It makes the transfer easier. I'm going to bend the rules for you a little by allowing you to remember events only after a particularly traumatic event happens to you. The shock should help you remember everything! Good? Off you pop!" Thanatos said, without allowing me any sort of input.
-Δ-
I jerk awake, coughing blood. My memories of two lives rush into my head, causing me to nearly have an aneurysm. I hear guttural roars and look to see a bloody Krogan rushing up to me, a shotgun with a wicked bayonet attached being raised above its head. I drag myself upright against a wall, raise a shaking, bloody hand with a pistol in it and open fire, shooting it in the head. Its shields broke by the fifth shot, and by the fifteenth shot it fell over in front of me, dead, its shotgun clattering a few feet away from me. I heard further roars as I see Turians, Asari, Batarians, humans and Salarians rushing over to where I was.
Protect the colony! a voice shouts in my head, forcing me to I drag myself over the blasted ground, the tarmac hot from repeated explosions and broken, the jagged pieces cutting into my hands. Memories of a shore leave as a recently graduated N3, the peace of the last two days shattered by the orbital bombardment of the space port, my running to the nearest police station. All of this rushes into my head as I reach the shotgun, and flip it over. Shouldering it I open fire. The recoil flings me back to where I was, shattering my shoulder, while taking out the lead elements of the invaders.
M-300 Claymore the same mental voice helpfully supplied to me, as I regain my grip on the shotgun. Using my off-hand, I shoulder it with difficulty, my other arm being useless. I open fire, ignoring the pain I was experiencing. I put round after round downrange, shooting the slaver bastards.
As the shotgun overheated, I heard the throb of powerful aero-engines overhead. A-61 Mantis the voice again helpfully explained, when the chain-gun spooled up and opened fire on all the slavers. The sound of explosions were heard all around. A sudden light show signalled the demise of some airborne asset.
I let myself fall back and see the flights of Mantis gunships go overhead, Kodiaks coming in to land.
"This is the SSV Agnicourt. The Siege of Elysium is broken. All hostile elements are disengaging" I hear a voice say over the omnitool's comm.
"We got a live one here!" yelled a voice. A figure in a black N7 armour came into view, their omni flashing as it scanned me.
"Oh shit, we need a medic here NOW!" the figure yelled as he took his helmet off. I focused on his face, his complexion milk-chocolate brown with kind eyes set in a patrician face, his hair cut short.
"Easy son, easy. Just breathe. You're gonna be fine" he said as he used his omnitool to dispense medigel on my injuries. I heard the dull drum roll of armoured boots as they ran up to where I was lying.
"Shit boss. According to local garrison tac-net, this sonavabitch held off the entire force on his own" another figure, dressed in Alliance blue armour reported. Looking at the mark on his armour, I'd say petty officer.
"Corporal...Corporal Sharma. I need you to keep looking at me okay. Look at me..."said the medic as he packed me with medigel, gauze and painkillers. I felt my body float away from me, drifting away.
-Δ-
I felt myself...awaken.
CEREBRAL IMPLANT ONLINE...
OCULAR IMPLANT ONLINE...
My vision was filled with a white walled room, I was on some kind of raised bed, with all kinds of machines around me. A sense of haziness clothed my mind.
"Subject-71? Subject-71, can you hear me?" an accented voice said as a person stood in front of me. He was a middle aged man, fair-skinned, with a bald head and a brown beard, lightly flecked with grey. He was wearing a futuristic lab coat.
"I...YES. I CAN HEAR...WAIT, WHAT HAPPENED TO MY VOICE?" I asked, my voice panicking. At this the doctor reached out to me, in a calming gesture.
"Yes, the prosthesis can't mimic human voices..." is as far as he goes as I look down to see a thin, metallic body that was familiar. And I ROAR.
I pull against the ties, trying to free myself. Unfortunately my body is not strong enough to free itself. A cloud of haziness drifts over me as I slowly stop struggling.
A door slid open to my right. As I felt my grip on reality slip, four people were standing in front of me.
"Ah, Doctor Renner. And how goes Project Daedalus?" said Jack Harper, dressed in his signature 'business casual', the top two buttons undone, his blue cybernetic eyes piercing. Standing at his shoulders are Kai Leng and Maya Brooks.
"Unfortunately, only Subject 71 was in any way fit to be used. The others weren't viable or went into shock on learning their new status" Doctor Renner replied. Harper gestured to me and Renner immediately began fiddling on his omnitool. I felt the grogginess recede, as Harper crouched in front of me.
"My name is The Illusive Man. I am the leader of Cerberus, a pro-human interest group, Corporal Sharma. You're currently inside a LOKI mech as prosthetic, as your body was completely unsalvageable. Only your brain made it through intact. As far as the Alliance is considered, you died defending Elysium from a force of slavers. In the commendation for your posthumous Star of Terra, it was mentioned that you were awarded for having gone 'above and beyond the call of duty' and for 'having executed your duties in the finest traditions of the Alliance'. Pretty words, a cold comfort for those who were left behind, like your wife Susan. And little Jolene, who will grow up never knowing her father" he said, his voice the right mixture of sadness and anger, as if he were sharing something personal. But unbidden, the images of my wife, heavily pregnant when I had just come from N2 training sprang into my mind. We had been married only for two years, childhood sweethearts. I had proposed to her after I got my invite to the Villa, and got married just after completing my N1 commendation.
I mentally shake my head, not allowing to translate into commands for my new body. The Illusive Man is a master spy and spymaster. He was the best in the business of collecting, analysing and acting on intelligence, subverting assets in enemy territory. That's how he had been able to survive the scrutiny of four major galactic powers and the Shadow Broker. And as much it hurt a part of me, that woman wasn't my wife. She was the wife of the poor sod whose body I've taken over.
I decide to reply.
"AND WHAT DO YOU, AND BY EXTENSION CERBERUS WANT FROM ME?" I asked, knowing what he was going to say next.
"To prevent such things from happening again. With your assistance, we would be able to take out these threats from becoming reality" he replied. I mull over it.
"I HAVE A FEW CONDITIONS" I state firmly.
"Name it" Harper replied. Smug bastard knew he held all the cards.
"FIRSTLY, I KNOW YOUR REPUTATION AND YOUR ORGANISATION'S. I WILL NOT BE PART OF ANY ACTIVITY WHICH WILL BE AGAINST THE SYSTEM'S ALLIANCE OR HAMPER'S ITS STANDING IN THE GALAXY" No need to scare the chickadees by letting them know what I am planning for them. Let them continue to think that I am just a mindless Marine grunt.
"Done" Harper replied. Ohhohoho, sunny boy, you're going to regret that one soon.
"SECONDLY, NO CONTROL CHIPS" I say, continuing on the path. My mind needed to be my own, only way I could go ahead with my plans. Harper nodded in reply. Now, my final one, and the one I was geeking out the most about.
"LASTLY...WELL, I HAVE A FEW UPGRADE IDEAS FOR MY NEW BODY. I HOPE YOUR BUDGET WILL ALLOW FOR IT" I said, my voice a little wry, to which Harper responds with an amused snort.
"I'm sure we'll manage just fine Corporal" he said, his voice equally wry.
"WELL THEN, YOU HAVE A SOLDIER" I said, to which Harper replied.
"Welcome to Cerberus"
-Δ-
Miranda Lawson, an up-and-coming Operative in Cerberus, made her way through Cronos Station, Cerberus's HQ. She wondered what the summons was about as she ran through the various programs and projects she was in charge of, and the latest Alliance Intelligence chatter, on how the Alliance Navy, through a systematic campaign of anti-piracy operations, had managed to narrow down the list of candidates of where the Skyllian Blitz was staged from to Torfan.
She quickly cleared security to enter the inner sanctum.
"Ah, Miranda. I have a new mission for you. It is time-sensitive and would require you to handle with extreme care" The Illusive Man said to her as he held out a datapad for her to peruse. She opened it, her curiosity piqued. Her eyes widened as she read it.
"Your mission is simple, act as the handler of our latest agent, Agent Fenris. He will be deployed onto Torfan two hours before the actual raid by the Alliance on the moon. His mission is to locate and disable their anit-air defences and steal as much intelligence as he can before Alliance forces jump in system. You will operate out of the stealth freighter CSV Ontario. Any questions?" he asked her, to which she replied.
"Why the hell am I taking a mech?" TIM laughed in indulgent amusement as he shook his head.
"Ah Miranda, Miranda. The mech is a prosthesis for the Lion of Elysium. And he suggested...improvements"
"Improvements? Artificial muscles, Arm mounted Revenants, with underbarrel Claymores, shoulder mounted Cain launcher and minituarised GARDIAN lasers. Star-fighter grade armour, with anti-tank shielding. All powered by an eezo core? Why in all that is good and kind, that we created this walking WMD?!" she asked, her voice raising in octaves as she processed all that she read on Project Daedalus and on Agent Fenris.
Inhuman reaction time, proficiency in conventional and unconventional weapons and warfare, marksman and electronic warfare capabilities.
"Will there be any problems, Miranda" TIM asked, to which she shook her head and turned around on being dismissed, making her way to the shuttle bay.
-Δ-
NEXT CHAPTER - TORFAN