When Shepard woke up, all he could feel in the total darkness was the cold slab of metal against his back. His head jerked to the side when he noticed he couldn't move his arms or legs. They were bound to a rusted slab of metal that stood upright. The thick chain link constraints were so tight he could scarcely feel a thing. His heart rate spiking, Shepard tried to wring himself free from the steel constraints that bound his limbs, but all he did was chafe his wrists as the metallic smell of blood blended with that of rust.
"What the fuck is this?" Shepard whispered. The words could wheeze through his raw, dry throat.
Stay calm, John. Just a dream. Probably sleep paralysis or something.
The total darkness disappeared in an instant when a ceiling light flared up, blinding him. Shepard tried to look away, but he couldn't close his eyes no matter how much he tried. The light burnt in his eyes until his pupils contracted and it became bearable.
After straining to blink a few more times without result, Shepard craned his neck as much as possible, trying to get his bearings.
The walls were made of crumbling orange bricks. Only a solid steel door barred with an electronic lock broke the dull pattern. Then he noticed a broken porcelain sink in the far corner and a shattered mirror above it, hanging from a single nail. The rest of the room was empty except for a monitor that showed no signs of life.
The light flickered and the silence in the room was broken by loud crackling static coming from the vid screen. It lasted for only a few seconds, until the image sprang to a dark silhouette of a man he didn't recognize. His voice, however, was unmistakable.
"Shepard…"
"Illusive Man…" Shepard's words were still weak and frail. At the other end of the screen, the silhouette laughed. He had not spoken to him since the destruction of the Collector Base, which was... only a few days ago, as far as Shepard remembered. They won and took no losses, he knew that much. But where was everyone now?
"Just over a week ago," the Illusive Man began, "you led a team of the galaxy's finest into the Omega 4 Relay. Thieves, assassins, doctors, vigilantes, criminals,… Most of them alien scum. They followed you. They were loyal to you. Willing to bust through the gates of hell and take on the devil himself if you had asked.
"But in their loyalty to you, they betrayed me. As you did. They did so because they followed your example. You were their leader, their hero, their friend. But today… Today we find out exactly how loyal you are to them."
"What… the fuck… does that mean?" Shepard coughed, but it only made his throat sting even more.
He couldn't see the Illusive Man, but he sensed his mocking grin. "You will find them in this complex. Who walks away from here alive will be entirely up to you. Their lives are in your hands. But saving them will require sacrifice. How far are you willing to go to repay their faith and loyalty, Shepard?"
"I… I'd do anything," he answered, even though the question was rhetorical. There was no way of knowing whether this was a live link or pre-recorded vid.
"I will be watching."
The moment he uttered his last word, the static returned to the screen and Shepard's binds loosened. Having no strength in his limbs, he collapsed to the floor, bruising his shoulder on the rough, dirty tiles that were chipped at the edges. After a few minutes he was able to crawl to his feet and made way towards the sink and mirror.
The porcelain nearly broke when he used it as a support so he kept his hands clear, not wanting to cut himself on the sharp edges where it had broken off.
He noticed he was wearing his usual blue Alliance outfit from the Normandy, only his trousers had gaping holes in them at the knees. When looking into the mirror he finally saw why he couldn't close his eyes. His large, round eye balls had infected edges around them and the crust was dotted with white and greenish spots of pus.
"Shit… My eye lids…" Seeing the injuries made it hurt even more, but he couldn't let pain get the better of him. Shepard inhaled as deep as possible. He couldn't figure out why he was here. He had to figure out where 'here' was, what the Illusive Man was up to and just what sick game of vengeance he had in mind.
He turned towards the door, which unlocked the second he did so. As his hand pushed it open he knew only one thing: he had to find his squad members and get them out of here alive.
But he had no idea what he was in for.