Mass Effect : Project Echo

by Faithless wanderer

Project Lazarus wasnt the only project taking place on the Lazarus station, shepard aid was too valuable to pin all those hopes on just one endeavor so in Cerberus fashion, The end justifies the means.

1. Chapter 1

Faithless here! Whats up my dear readers I'm just here to say Hello to you all and welcome you to yet another journey, while I know that I am beginning to post many stories and while that's known to annoy some people

I will do so anyway and the reason being that writing 1 or 2 stories at a time isn't in my character, because when I do that it feels like Someones peeling at my brain

I'm more along the line of someone who goes hopping back and forth as ideas and inspirations hits me, and that's what gets me to write, well that and reviews because those just make my day

So anyway here's another story fresh for all of you

" people talking "

" Radio/comms "

'thoughts'

And if there's no signs or symbols then well it's obviously just for exposition

I have a bad habit of switching perspectives so try to not assume that it will remain consistent

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Welcome..

System access

Welcome back Dr….

Error user authenticating indicates the use of defunct access keys…

Override Command code requested…

Override Command codes received...

….Error overiden….

Accessing Current Cerberus Projects :

Accessing.. File Alpha

Project : Overlord

Project : E.D.I.

Project : Submission

Project : Transcendence

Project : ********

Caution-Accessing Cerberus files…

Penalty for attempted access without proper authorization is grounds for immediate termination…

Authorization codes received….error...error..Malware detected

Initiating Data Purge….Purge-unsuccessful….files access disconnected

Rerouting..Rerouting...restoring from backup facility archives

Folder alpha Summary - Life

the goal of all sentient beings is the continuation and progression of life.

Humanity reached out to the stars in the search of life outside of its small world, in time they were met by intelligent life, upon the discovery of the Citadel council and the subsequent integration of Alliance assets into the galactic community humanity was placed under the domain of Citadel laws

Societal change was brought about and the creation of all synthetic life forms was banned and is to be punished severely

Reasoning/Context - see Codex entry for Geth Rebellion

Cerberus interests lie with the continuation of human advancement in a hostile galaxy, in accordance to that central idea the creation of true synthetic life was [(FilesCorrupted)]...

….files updating….

As a result of the citadel invasion by Former Citadel Council Spectre Saren and the fleet invasion consistent with Geth ships, and the introduction of the AI Reaper threat by the Dreadnought ship known as Sovereign the continuation of research into synthetic life has been pioneered by cerberus interest groups

Multiple ideas were presented for the influx of funding in this endeavor

Ultimately only three projects were greenlite for immediate continuation of funding as the majority of funds were rerouted towards a more…..immediate endeavor

Project ******* - After the death of Human Hero Commander Shepard at the hands of mysterious forces Cerberus interest was centralized into the success of human continuation in the face of galactic extinction

For that to be achieved by order of the Illusive man Project ******* has been the focal point of these endeavors

However Cerberus being a firm believer in redundancy for the benefit of humanity alternate paths are also being tested

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….

….

…..

…..

…..Command keys Requested…..

Command Keys accepted

Welcome back…...

Ongoing project Reports

File B :

Completed mission Reports

Project Casualty reports

Projected revenue reports

network reports

File Z

…..Command Keys requested…..

Access to these files is to limited high command personnel to view these files without proper clearance is grounds for immediate termination

…...command keys accepted…..

…..Retinal scan complete…

…...DNA scan….complete…

….Voice Command Authorization Required…..

"Voice Command Authorization *** *** **** ** *** *** "

…..Voice Command Acknowledged…...

Encrypted messages stored-

High value Projects reports - *****

…...Accessing High Value Project reports…

Miranda Lawsons project Updates

1st Report (summarized)

{Subject ******* has been retrieved and assurances were once more given to the subjects … former paramour, with that taken care of the subject is now being transported to the projects station.. Will send secondary update when subjects condition is known}

2nd Report (summarized)

{Subject condition while …. Severe, cranial contents appear to still remain suitable for project ******* to begin}

3rd Report (summarized)

{Subject scans indicate adequate preservation of specimens more vital parts the damage is still quite severe, while it is within my ability to correct there are some delays as was to be expected}

4th Report (summarized)

{Subject continues to mend according to our estimations but the progress is still slow in our attempts to stimulate the more stable cells, while some progress has been made I continue to wonder on progress from our other ..… avenues}

5th Report (summarized)

{ Subject is surprisingly beginning to show signs of neural activity which frankly should be impossible the amount of damage indicated a far longer timeframe before this level of stimulation was even theoretically possible, I will continue to monitor the subjects condition and report any further progress}

6th Report (summarized)

{We've had further delays, while the neural activity continues to astound us the damage to the subjects spine was greater than we realised, it can be mended but it will require greater focus and force us to delay even further}

7th Report (summarized)

{ The amount of delays has been ...difficult but the project continues to advance , secondly i would also like to indicate that the secondary projects suggested to understand the high levels of neural activity are well underway and appear to suffer none of the difficulties we've expressed before}

8th Report (summarized)

{...Astounding from what we've been able to glimpse into the mental activity within the subjects mind we've come to realise that somehow the subjects awareness is growing something that simply shouldn't be possible, while it is our equipment that's maintaining the condition of the subject this level of mental stimuli shouldn't be taking place until we are further into the project… i am considering advancing with the next step in one of the secondary projects… while there is no signs shown of any form of degradation as a result of a deep neural path scan I continue to be hesitant about advancing with that possible endeavor}

9th Report (summarized)

{ As you ordered the scan was completed and a template of the subjects neural pathways is being collected and will begin the process by which we expect it to gain a limited sense of awareness, as per standard protocol it is being conducted on a closed network to insure no leaks of data}

10th Report (summarized)

{Astounding simply astounding the growth of the formerly biological construct is now progressing well beyond our expectations it appears that the subjects….mental copy… is adapting to the system that we've placed it in,

11th Report (summarized)

{ As per your orders i've begun focusing solely on the main project and have instead delegated the progress of the secondary template to my assistant Wilson as he will now continue to monitor the construct while i Assume my main projects lead once more}

12th Report (summarized)

{Subject Almost awoke yesterday, it gave us quite the fright, had he exerted himself any further the mending wounds both internal and external could have ruptured, I quickly administered the necessary elements into the subject to return it back into a restful state, this while unexpected is a very good sign for us as it indicates the subjects mind is beginning to reform the necessary connections to function the body}

13th Report (summarized)

{I'm beginning to question Wilson's motives, while in the beginning i suspected his personal involvement to this project I accepted that his knowledge and expertise was too valuable to lose over a difference of opinion but over time since I delegated the monitoring of the secondary project he's begun to isolate himself greatly, while it hasn't affected his work it has been drawing the attention of the other doctors, I will approach him later today to learn the reason behind his change in behaviour}

14th Report (Summarized)

{It was as i suspected, Wilson showed his true colors and somehow gained control of the mech security stationed across the facility they are starting to rampage, I am heading to retrieve the priority subject, if at all possible i will attempt to collect the secondary subject but i will not risk the primary subject, aside from some minor cosmetics the main subject should be completely stable, I will be taking a shuttle and evacuating the facility with the package in tow}

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(Wilson)

Alarms are ringing and weapons firing can be heard just outside in the distance

Wilson's vision was coming in and out, not to the mention the constant ringing in his ears

He was tired, Wilson just wanted to lay there and just get it over with

But life being ever growing pain in his ass decided to break his peace

"Wilson you have to keep moving"

Wilson groaned recognizing the voice but the pain was making everything confusing

Wilson tried to move but his leg burned, screaming at him to stay down

"Agh shit that hurts"

He quickly gave himself a pat down trying to find the source of the pain, he started with his arms and his chest but it was obvious once he looked at the big patch of blood soaked pants with the hole in the middle

"Ah Fuck-Fuck-fuck, I can't go any fucking further, some bitch shot me"

'How the hell did I get hurt, come on think. I was confronted by...Miranda- yes it was definitely Miranda she...threatened me..i think. Then something happened, screw it i'll think about it later'

"Wilson listen to me, there's some medigel in the cabinet across the room your in, just make it there and you can patch yourself up"

"Thats easy to fucking say, do you know how much it hurts to move my goddamn leg"

"...I'm not going to even bother with a response now get up, i don't know how much longer I can keep her out of the system, she's really persistent"

Wilson barked out a laugh, the chuckles shook his body but it numbed the pain just enough for him to start dragging himself across the room

"yeah, she always was a persistent bitch"

" A little less whining a little more walking"

"Shut the fuck up Shepard, I'm already dragging my ass across the floor trying to get the medigel"

"Come on Wilson a little more, your almost there"

Wilson crawled knowing that to stop would mean he would die, maybe not to Miranda but bleeding out seemed like a shit way to die

"I'm finishing up the last remains of resistance in this area of the station, in a few minutes i should be able to direct a few of the mechs over here to help you"

Across the station an explosion rang out and caused the ground the shake beneath wilson

"Agh damn it that hurts"

"Yeah scratch what i said, it's going to take a little longer than i said to get the mechs here"

"Well fucking hurry"

" Well wilson it was your fault for sticking around when i told you to run"

Hearing that wilson had a quick flash back to the moment he got shot

'Miranda was threatening me, she pulled out her gun ready to shoot me, then the loki mechs jumped onto her, my communicator went off and his voice told me to run, but i stood there like an idiot trying to figure out what happened, Miranda got a shot off, that's all it took to get me running'

"Hey don't fuck with me right now, If you want my help in getting off this death trap then you better watch what you say"

Wilson was almost there he just needed to cross the last few feet,

'Come on, come on, there!'

Wilson reached it, and luckily for him the cabinet happened to have the medigel in the lower compartment in the first aid kit

"I got it now hurry the fuck up with those loki mechs, and miranda better stay the hell away from me"

"Fine, fine i'll continue to delay Miranda's efforts to get into the system control"

"Don't forget to shut down her access codes"

"Don't say something that stupid Wilson, of course I did that otherwise she wouldn't be trying to slice into the system"

"Aw shut it"

"Im redirecting some heavies at her that should get her moving, but it will affect how well i can deal with the remaining security forces"

"Ah don't worry, Jacob and his shitty guards aren't going to be a problem"

"Are you sure"

"Of course im sure, there's less than a dozen of em left since the last ambush you sprung on them"

"They were sloppy, any soldier worth a lick of salt would have seen it coming"

"Well you gotta remember, some of these guys are total morons, well that and seeing mechs doing that has got to be a mind blower"

"I fought a Geth army i can tell you that what i used against these guys is only a fraction of what i had to go through"

"Wow shepard way to be modest"

"Modesty isn't something i care too much about right now"

"Yeah-yeah, don't go getting your panties in a bunch"

"Just get your ass moving already"

"Fine fine i'm going"

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(Miranda)

'Damn it, damn it, damn it'

I quickly turned left into the hallway, the Loki mech patrolling didn't stand a chance

I slammed him with a biotic push into the wall and gave him a head shot to keep him down

I quickly grabbed his thermal clip, i've been running and for hours trying to get to the main server room but these damn things are swarming it

Thunk….thunk….thunk

'Damn! it found me again i have to get out of here'

I get up and make my way further down the hall, this is the closest I've gotten since the security mechs went rogue

I duck beneath the windows knowing that if a single mech sees me i'll be swarmed

'Come on, come on im almost there'

I finally reached the the door leading into the server room, but its bloody locked

'Ok no problem, i can just override it with my access codes'

I open up my omni-tool trying to get access to the doorway

Thunk..thunk….thunk

'Shit, come on-come on-come on'

The door flies open

'Fuck'

I leap to the left a rocket flying past me slamming into the wall

The shrapnel slams into my barrier but i get it to hold

I'm on my hands and knees trying to get up, it bloody hurts but ive had worst

Thunk...thunk….thunk

'Fuck i've already got one on me, im not about to get pinned in by two'

I push myself off the ground and get moving

The hallway meets a cross section so I turn left

' i've wasted too much time trying to get inside, i need to randevu with Jacob'

"Miranda do you copy"

'Its jacob, guess I wasted more time than i thought'

"Miranda are you there"

I keep running before i answer, I'm not about to stop and chat

"Miranda can you hear me, i've lost most of my men, but we've secured the package, heading to randevu point A"

That's good news, just what i needed to hear, sadly I need to double back if I want to reach the randevu point without making a loop around the station

'Damn it, alright Ive got to get moving no use complaining about anything'

I stop to catch my breath

Thunk...thunk….thunk

'Damnit doesn't this damn machine have something better to do than dog me'

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(Jacob)

"Keep moving, don't slow down, we drilled for this dont stop"

Loki mechs were coming out of every doorway but it was what was behind us that we didn't want to catch up

Rounds firing across the station were the norm since the battles broke out

I feel another slug slam into my barrier but I'm still holding strong

Thunk...thunk...thunk

"Targets located, initializing combat initiatives"

"Shit! Get into cover! Move!"

I run and leap behind a turned over table, someone must've used it for cover because there's a few spent thermal clips lying there

I quickly push myself into a crouched position and look out at what's left of my security team

Daniels was pinned down by small arms fire from loki mechs but he had good cover behind the pillar

Erika didn't make it into cover in time she had been lagging behind the group and got caught by the heavy mechs rocket

"Target eliminated, acquiring new target"

Steven was firing from across the room, standing behind the edge of the wall

'How the hell did he get over there so quick'

Morgan popped out from behind a desk and blew a loki's head off, quickly ducking when the heavy turned to face him

Kyle was near the entrance we just came out of, he had been lagging behind Erika and that was just the reason he survived

'Where the fuck is jenkins'

"Leeroy Jenkins"!

'Fuck don't tell me he's doing what i think he's doing'

I watched as the moron I should have fired months ago run out of cover straight at the heavy mech firing his grenade launcher round after round

Splugh, BOOM

The first round hit the group of loki's firing at Daniels giving him the freedom to start firing back

Splugh, BOOM

The second hit the Heavy Mech

Splugh, BOOM

Another landed on the heavy

"Jenkins get the fuck back into cover"

But it was too late

The heavy mechs barriers had held the blasts back, it turned towards jenkins and spun up its machine gun

'Shit come on, Jacob you know what to do'

I quickly get up and spring out of cover and throw a stasis at jenkins

'Hopefully the stasis will hold back the heavy's gun'

A flurry of heavy rounds slammed into jenkins frozen form

A plan forming in my mind i call out my orders

"Kyle get ready, when the stasis drops you better be there to tackle jenkins back into cover

"Daniels slap a singularity on that heavy"

"Morgan, Steven, focus fire on the heavy, Jenkins may be a moron but he weakened the heavy's barrier"

I opened fire on the mech, round after round pinged off its form, the barrier holding but it was starting to crack

I can feel the stasis about to drop so i charge up my warp when i see the heavy getting ready to launch a rocket

"Noo"

I throw out my warp hoping to disrupt his firing mechanism or even throw off his aim

My warp slammed into the heavy detonating the singularity

The barrier snapped and the armor plates were torn off but the rocket shot out

It missed jenkins but instead it flew right at kyles feet, in getting closer to jenkins he left himself exposed

He died before his body slammed into the wall behind him

Jenkins was released from the stasis but the moron was now fueled by rage he switch out of the empty grenade launcher and pulled out his katana shotgun

Jenkins was marching towards the heavy firing round after round

The armor plates were not there to stop the shots anymore, each round slammed into the mech tearing it to pieces as oils and fluids were spilling onto the floor

The mech was down by the time jenkins got close enough to strike it if he wanted to

Jenkins lowered his katana now overheated and turned to me

"See Jacob i told you the old Jenkins family motto wasn't for nothing"

I was just about to shout at that moron for getting kyle killed trying to save his ass when the mech moved

"What the hell"

The heavy moved one of its arms and clamped onto jenkins leg

Jenkins screamed as his bones were crushed by the sheer force exerted by the mech

But I knew what was coming next, the security feature installed in every heavy would make sure to end it

"Everyone get into cover"!

Jenkins looked to me, the sheer look of betrayal he shot me almost stopped me cold but the blast of fire that shot out from behind him snapped me out of it

The heavy detonated and fried jenkins, when we all got out of cover the fire had begun dying down, jenkins was just a charred body, the ammunition he still had on him from the launcher blew holes in him

If we hadn't seen it happen ourselves we wouldn't be able to recognise him as one of ours

"Jacob why the hell didn't you hit him with another stasis"

I turned to Morgan screaming at me.

I turned to answer but my voice got caught in my throat, why didn't i save him...I didn't want to think about it now so i lied

"I was spent, throwing out so many biotic attacks drains me"

Morgan looked like he wanted to argue but Steven put his hand on morgans shoulder and pulled him close to calm him down

Daniels merely looked at me and nodded, he wa always the more practical of my men, a realist at heart

I needed time to pull myself back together but we still had a mission to do so i swallowed down my worries and gave the orders

"Collect all the thermal clips you can and check Erika and kyle for medigel they were the ones who carried extra"

Morgans face flashed indignation and anger but steven just clamped harder on his shoulder, reminding him that they were gone now it's us who needed to survive

I jogged over to the door we came out of, hearing the distant thunk...thunk...thunk

Was all the confirmation i needed so i used to door controls to shut the door then fired some rounds into the control to keep it shut

One heavy almost killed us, i didn't even want to think about all the ones behind us

Or how many men I left behind to slow them down while we headed to our objective

I headed back to the group seeing Morgan,Steven, and finally Daniels all banged up reminded me of just how long we've been fighting across the station

It had to be at least 8 hours now since the mechs went AWOL and started trying to kill us

The men i lost trying to secure the barracks to make the initial push for the station were too many

By the time we got inside there was only 3 dozen of us left, they didn't last long against the swarm of heavys that follows after us

Everywhere we went the moment we slowed down they were there and we would lose more men retreating across the station

There were maybe 20 of us when miranda finally got orders to us, the station was lost and in order to insure all the years and funds pumped into her project then we needed to secure the package

So across the station we went losing people to ambushes and booby trapped bodies, it was guerilla warfare primitive but effective against us

The first of us to die were those who believed the mechs to be following basic programming

They weren't programmed to fight like this no mech was, this form of combat was organic and savage

By the time we got to this room i had lost most of the men under my command

But the mission had to go on, we were close to the objective maybe two rooms down

"Alright men, I know these battles have been brutal and we've all lost more than we thought possible to these machines, But we have our mission, a mission that they all died for, We Are All that stands between humanity's future and it's end, you know what's at stake, Cerberus protects humanities future and without the package the human race could meet its end so get your heads straight and follow me"

I jogged over to the door control and began opening the doorway when it shot open and a pistol was leveled at my face

A man was holding the weapon, his face covered in flowing scars and and sweat, he looked calm and focused

He turned his eyes just slightly enough to see my men but never took his finger off the trigger to end me if i made any moves

Daniels aimed his gun at the man but I needed him to stop so i spoke

"Daniels stop! By the time you shoot i'll be dead and the mission will have failed"

"The hell do you mean failed, it keeps going even if you die"

"Yes your right, But the moment he dies we fail"

Daniels looked confused along with steven and Morgan

Somehow i was the only one to recognize the man holding me at gunpoint

"Well men i'd like to introduce you to the famous Commander Shepard"

The man, Shepard merely raised a brow at me announcing his identity

The silence from the three behind me told me they were shocked at my announcement, they expected Shepard to still be strapped down to a table

I only knew shepard was able to move from seeing him almost awaken a few days earlier when Miranda was working on fixing him

Shepards eyes told me he had lots of questions and the gun pointed at my head told me i had lots of answers to give

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Miranda slid just under the table across from her and quickly leapt back to her feet to keep running

The Fenris mech slammed face first into the table

Since the table was bolted down the floor it held strong and snapped the Fenris's visual sensors

Miranda almost laughed at how she dealt with the persistent pest that had followed her for the last twenty minutes

She got passed all those damn heavys that were dogging her only for a dog mech to chase her

The irony was as irritating as it was humorous

She was almost to the randevu point, the project overall was a success

The loss of the station and the secondary projects while a disappointment wasn't the priority nor the purpose of the station

With the project a success everything else was expendable

Lazarus succeeded and now Cerberus would lead the fight to safeguard humanities future

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What two shepards what's going on, it's craaazy

Nah it's pretty obvious,

This story is actually inspired by a bunch of other cool stories i've read but they never finished and while their ideas were cool i wasn't about to blatantly copy theirs either

So i took my ideas and spun this little web and i couldn't help but love it

Help! you can plainly see im still working towards bettering my writing skills, while i have the inspiration and the ideas i need help building the story, it's why i ask for reviews

Well that and Having someone help me write out my stories would really help me get chapters out for you all to enjoy

Anyway imma leave it there

Till next time everyone!