Mass Effect: Vituperations
(Chapter 1: Data)
12 June 2190CE: 6:00pm
Salarian Spectre Parrin Malraux sat peacefully – seemingly without concern – at a shady corner table in the back of Afterlife, on Omega – clasping a drink and starring off into the near-distance.
His target had just wandered in.
A turian wearing a long black cloak strode towards the bar and sat down discreetly; hinting at the bartender to approach him.
"How cliché" Malraux thought. "As if a long black cloak is in any way inconspicuous…but maybe, that is the point?"
The bartender handed other a datapad to the turian who speedily pocketed it, and then proceeded to leave without so much as an acknowledgement or a valediction.
Rapidly comprehending his situation, Malraux finished his drink and walked towards the door.
He took a note of the bartender (intending to catch up with her later) and followed the turian out of the club.
(6:10pm)
Outside, the station's humid air whirled around Malraux's head – off-putting but not entirely distracting. The turian had walked towards the markets, probably with the intention to circumvent and avoid anyone who could possibly be following him.
The turian mingled idly with the shopkeepers and a few customers, and then progressed further into the markets.
Malraux took the same approach, talking to shop keepers, but glancing in front of himself regularly to spot the turian.
Just as Malraux turned around to look for the turian again, a casually dressed human bumped into him, diverting his gaze.
"Sorry mate" she replied in a gruff American accent. She took a brief look at the Spectre and continued with her walk.
Malraux looked back but the turian was gone.
"Splendid", he muttered sarcastically. "I think that was on purpose – the eyes said something".
He walked further into the market and around a corner, into a corridor where an absent-minded elcor was standing. By chance, Malraux saw a flash of black as the turian's cloak swept around the next corner.
Picking up his pace, Malraux was now close behind – but unfortunately the turian caught his gaze.
He ran suddenly, knocking over a few disgruntled civilians and bashing through a small easy-to-miss door in the side of the corridor wall. Malraux followed promptly.
The door in the wall opened up into a large, long, well-lit room, lined with benches, crates, and a podium at the back.
(6:15pm)
The turian now stood at the podium with a cunning grin, holding the datapad in his hand.
"Parrin Malraux, You're not as subtle as you think you know".
"Evidently", Malraux replied. "You are not so subtle yourself Mr Harlon. I mean dark black cloaks? You stick out like...oh what's that charming human expression...Like a sore thumb, yes...".
Harlon looked puzzled. "I'm not sure how sore thumbs are so obvious?" answered Harlon, "But fuck that, I shall be leaving now...you won't".
"How bold. Is it really your concern to be selling that data, extremely dangerous data in the wrong hands, to backstabbing pirates and unscrupulous mercenaries?", questioned Malraux.
"Credits Malraux, credits." Harlon scratched his chin while thinking of his vain dreams. "I don't care for such defences and peace, I can run off to some little-known colony world after I sell my plans. I can start revolutions and subvert governments. I don't care for our current state of mediocrity!".
Malraux retorted quickly. "Selling schematics from the Normandy – state-of-the-art space-faring technology – to pirates, or whoever you intend to, is near-on suicidal – even with "Shepard's" control of the Reapers and their protective presence, such monitoring is difficult, and for means of practicality he cannot play as some sort of God. He has to use his power sporadically and occasionally, and you would exploit that for reasons of vainglory?"
Harlon answered. "I'm just releasing information. I thought you were all for 'transparency'? You exposed those implicating political secrets that Salarian politician was hoarding. A supposed hero has dominion over vast amounts of time-lost knowledge, and he gives it to us in drips! With this data, I can further our possibilities multifold!"
"Uncovering that data on those shadowy economic proceedings was for the benefit of thousands of colonists, allowing better trade relations and cultural diversity among the governments of multiple species. Selling top of the range technology to alienated and desperate criminals, allowing them to pursue their unsavoury activities at a faster rate, is not. Specific things such as that are top secret for a reason. Liara T'soni mentioned the state of the Reaper predicament in those news conferences in 2189. That vast amount of information has to be released in "drips" to stop an incessant information overload – and as my old friend Mordin Solus often mused, to stop cultural stagnation. The Normandy crew made contact with Shepard in his AI form and asked him questions. Why he chose what he did, implications, whatever... He said that he learnt a while ago how scientific and cultural advancement happens in the face of limitations. No limitations, no advancement – thus, stagnation. Your thinking is sloppy and naïve. Limitations are a double-edged sword that we need to be careful with. We cannot have utopias or your dreams of revolution as they are in contraction with verisimilitude, with reality. Shepard looks out for us with his Reaper forces, but still there are no Gods. He himself is limited and has to play a careful balancing act with his near-incomprehensible powers. Your exploits will unwittingly dethrone our limited progressions", Malraux replied.
Harlon sighed. "I've enjoyed your little lecture but you're wasting my time Malraux; I'll send your comrades my regards..."
Mr Harlon stepped down from the podium at the far end of the room as a squad of at least ten Eclipse mercenaries and an atlas mech stepped into the room. Malraux had already noticed an asari merc trying to sneak alongside the wall – now just at his side a few meters away. The others were lining up behind the benches.
Malraux saw the asari merc as a method of combative exploit. That was now his first target.
With a sudden pounce, Malraux leapt towards the wall next to the asari. Pushing against it with both feet, be jumped off the wall and caught the asari's chin with his hand, forcing her backwards onto the floor and breaking her neck.
The sudden attack had caught the mercs off guard, and Malraux could now use the asari merc's carcass as an "asari shield". The Salarian custom of attacking first, without warning, had paid off.
Dragging the body upright at his side, Malraux raised his free hand and started shooting with his Locust SMG. Taking out two distracted mercs in quick succession. With the help of the body, he managed to get to some suitable ground and bunker down temporarily.
Nevertheless, despite his combat expertise, he was outnumbered.
He fired a few shots from the crate he was behind, passing through the stomach of another Salarian, who fell to the floor with a loud thump, falling off a large crate he was standing on.
A grenade came his way, forcing Malraux to leap over the crate and dive behind the partitioning wall on the right side of the room as it detonated.
As if he was not already in a tough situation, the elcor from earlier on had just stepped into the room – with a rocket launcher on his back.
Malraux ran further along the wall in partial cover.
From his new found spot, he saw a ladder leading up into the rafters above. With some limited cover, he could get to the top and find a good sniping position.
He threw down a smoke grenade to provide extra cover and climbed the ladder as quickly as possible. Almost jumping up the ladder like a lemur.
He got to the top and took the javelin sniper rifle off his back. All of this had happened in the space of a few seconds, and the Eclipse mercs were still trying to get to grips with the Spectre's speed. Though now there was an elcor to deal with as well.
Parrin focused on that. Aiming at the launcher with his rifle. With a speedy succession of shots, he damaged and launcher and made the elcor useless from where he was currently standing.
"That went better than I thought it would", he mused.
Speed was his key. He wasn't strong (he was a Salarian of course), but he was quick. And he used that quickness to his deadly advantage. From the rafters at the top of the room, we was in an optimum position, with high visibility from his lofty position, and low visibility for the mercs on the ground.
He had just shot down another merc who was foolish enough to run out from behind a bench, when a merc who somehow had already got to the rafters came up behind him. A hand grabbed onto his shoulder and tried to pull him downwards. Parrin was quicker though and ducked down to take out the merc's legs with a swift kick.
The merc fell and Malraux slid backwards on his back, using his sniper to help push himself. As he slid back, he held up the sniper and shot through the face of the downed merc, blood spattering across the railings from the point-blank shot.
"You should have shot first", he thought.
A sniper on the ground fired upwards and nearly caught his foot.
Another merc was now up on the rafters and was pointing his gun at the Spectre.
"Don't move!" the merc shouted. He walked towards Malraux and was about to fire when he suddenly fell to his feet; shot from behind by another merc.
But of course, this was not another merc.
The "merc" took off his helmet to reveal a familiar human face, with light brown hair and a scar on his left cheek. Malraux's old friend Major Myles Nicholson.
"Myles?... What are you doing here?
"I heard you needed some help. I was happy to oblige".
"Well good." said Malraux. "You can take their left flank. I can keep them off you from here".
"High risk, but high reward. I like it".
Nicholson slid down the ladder he came up from, knocking it down as he arrived at the bottom to prevent further access to Malraux's position.
Another merc questioned him – still believing his disguise.
"Whatta ya doin' here! He's up there!"
"I know", Nicholson replied as he shot the merc in the face.
He ran to the cover just in front of him and readied his assault rifle. Malraux had just took out a stray mercenary chancing his ability to get to Nicholson's position. The mercs were now alerted to Nicholson's subversion, and were focusing their fire. A nice distraction for Malraux.
The atlas mech was now walking towards Nicholson, who had already managed to take care of the remaining mercs, leaving only the mech and the elcor hiding behind a tall crate.
Malraux took aim, thinking Nicholson was in dire need, but Myles jumped from his cover and planted a grenade on the arm of the mech, ducking to avoid the arm swinging into his chest. Now running desperately from the scene, the mech exploded, forcing Nicholson to the ground.
He looked up to see the elcor stampeding towards him. Reacting quickly, he rolled out the way and plunged his combat knife into the elcor's foot.
It cried briefly, but easily shook it off.
"Disconcerting threat", the elcor voiced, "you shall now suffer dearly".
The elcor ran towards him again and raised his heavy, lumbering arms. Myles fell down after being caught by one of the arms but stabbed at the elcor's chest multiple times. Now screaming in pain, Malraux jumped down from the rafters and landed on top of the elcor, sinking his sniper's bayonet into the elcor's back.
Nicholson finally put him out of his misery and shot him through the eye, leaving him to collapse in a heap.
He knelt down, exhausted by his effort, and looked at the surrounding carnage. Malraux walked towards him, offering his hand to lift him up.
"He suffered. You were not quick enough". Malraux said, chastising his friend.
"Don't give me that crap!" Myles replied. "That was hard enough as it is".
"Nevermind. I'm sorry. It is okay Myles. Let us go and get Harlon".
Harlon was cowering behind the podium now, whining due to a wound he acquired from a stray bullet.
Malraux walked over to Harlon and retrieved to datapad.
"I think I will hand this over to the correct people".
"Damn you! Malraux! Just fuck off!".
"Now now Harlon, no whining. You will be going to a nice little cell room and later charged with the theft of Alliance property and the attempt to undermine galactic peace – however illusive that may be".
Harlon coughed while trying to speak. "I'll get you!...I'll..."
Nicholson knocked him out with the butt of his gun and turned to face Malraux.
"I believe a thank you is in order" he chuckled.
"No need for that. I wanted to question him actually." Malraux replied, smiling.
"Ha! Whatever, come on" said Nicholson, picking up Harlon's unconscious body. "Where's that data going then?"
"Oh, I have a few connections on the Normandy", Malraux responded. "I think Mr Vakarian will want to see this".
"I still can't believe that a turian gained command of an Alliance frigate", returned Nicholson.
"Not just any frigate Major. The Normandy SR2. The original was co-built by the turian's anyway. And I think it was Shepard's wish for him to be in command in the event of his...departure. Something about not realising his full leadership potential under his command. Alliance brass didn't like it, but who are they to question Shepard?
"I guess you're right...You do know Harlon is being outsourced by Cerberus?
Parrin was bemused, "Cerberus? Wait, yes - look at the data".
Myles and Parrin took a few moments to skim other the data.
"I'm not sure why Cerberus would need this", said Malraux. "I will contact some of my associates - we need more information"
"Good", responded Myles. "We should get going, where is your ship?"
"At the dock of course, we can head over there in a minute, I just want to search the area for a bit."
"Fine", acknowledged Nicholson. "I'll meet you at the dock..."
(6:40pm)
Parrin arrived back from the hidden conference room where the conflict just took place to arrive at his ship. "The Solus". He had just messaged his associates and had found a vague motive as to why Cerberus was involved. Nicholson had put Harlon in the ship's cargo hold and was loitering outside, admiring the ship's contours as Parrin wandered up to him...
(End of chapter 1)