Bum, bum, bum, bum…
The commander's heels struck the pavement outside Alliance HQ with steady precision. A rush of heavy, mid-summer humidity passed by him, tugging at the fitted athletic material made specifically for this kind of seasonal training. Bum, bum, bum…
It was his go-to for the past few months since coming out of ICU. Getting his strength back, though wear and tear plus age had been catching up to him. Bum, bum, bum… This also created an outlet, a space and time for him to dispel the concerns that'd been welling up in him. About the Normandy. About the end of the war, and his decision. About his many near-death experiences and the hauntings that still remained. The future of galactic society, and his own future – his own mortality.
This is the path he'd chosen.
...
Today the commander's mind was wandering over some reports out of Sur'Kesh. That planet was blessed with being out of the Reaper's immediate line of sight when their purge began. Still, some made it over – and a few reached the jungle-world's surface. Of those, the STF had surveyed and dismantled all but two. They'd particularly been investigating a problem about dismantling that the entire galaxy was facing: a specific chamber, its contents unknown, remained locked up to a point that no civilization had yet breached or successfully scanned inside them.
Theories abounded, the most popular of which was that it might be the Reaper's true core: their power supply and the hub of their hyper-advanced VI engine. Another theory stated that while the chamber could be a power supply, it was unlikely they needed an extra core. The inner workings of the abominations had mostly been figured out, in general terms, and from what the galaxy agreed upon; each Reaper would have more than enough power to sustain themselves indefinitely, so long as the Cycle Hibernation Theory were true. And if that were the case, the possibility of it being a VI hub wasn't far-stretched.
A final theory had surfaced just before this report came in.
It proposed that the chambers were used in Cycle Hibernations, but only to store the trace amounts of biological samples that were collected via Dragon's Teeth. This would explain why the Catalyst, per Shepard's report, stated that the Reapers 'preserved the harvested lifeforms'. There was likely some analysis of the samples while the Reapers waited for the next cycle to be ready for harvest. These samples were then, it was theorized, dumped as the information would be stored in digital form and the Reapers couldn't possibly have room to store all of the miscellaneous samples they'd have collected over so many millennia.
Sur'Kesh broke that idea.
...
The STF claimed to have responded to a report that one of the intact Reaper corpses had suddenly 'popped', causing it to lose balance in the makeshift rigging and come toppling over most of the observational team. When they arrived, the operatives found the chamber had indeed burst open, a mass of non-sustainable organic mess writhing just below it, waiting to meet them. The STF studied it and confirmed multiple individual traces of several species' DNA, even from previously unidentified species. Some of these were nigh-confirmed as belonging to Protheans or other pre-existing lifeforms from the last cycle and beyond.
The organism, if it could be called that, ended up failing to survive. Even with their technology and brilliant minds, the mess was just too unorganized and kept rejecting portions of itself over and over again until finally, the entire thing lost any hint of life whatsoever.
What had caused the anomaly was still being looked into.
But the report went out, and wherever an intact Reaper corpse stood, they were either repositioned, dismantled, or supported and guarded heavily. The Alliance was keeping a total of twenty-seven in isolation, intact and out of the public eye, for study. That number was higher than other worlds, as humanity's home had been their initial and most focused target.
...
"Hahh…" Shepard slowed his pace and paused, gathering his breath before taking it up again.
The closest corpse was at the city's limits, near a less than desirable neighborhood that now was on the brink of rioting – and had been for a while – due to constant demand for relief aid and not enough to go around. Things had improved drastically in the past six months, but there was still a lot of progress to be made. Life wouldn't be the same for a long time yet.
Politicians had been arguing, and of course Shepard had gotten dragged into some of it.
The Alliance had comm lines restored, for the most part, though their network wasn't what it used to be. Efforts to make up for the lack of AI assistance was grueling and intensive, a lot of systems were replaced – but those were all in the industry and power sectors, primarily. That and the military, plus high levels of government. Civilian access apart from limited comms was almost nonexistent.
But people on this planet don't do well if they're bored and without a reason to fight authority. The economy was getting back on its feet, the Alliance and the United Earth Revival Movement – UERM – had been working alongside many governments and companies to provide relief, and to provide social services. That ranged from temporary living placement, locating missing persons, reconnecting people, basic needs aid, and even job placement. The truth is, things were looking up. And it would probably take them less time than had passed to really get things steady for good.
...
As the commander finished his final round, making his way around the semi-circular building and turning back towards the doorway he'd used; a dark-haired woman in cerulean gear approached him. Her brows were set in a slight furrow, dusty hazel eyes set on her old teammate. "Ash," he greeted her, "We have a situation," was all she said, knowing he'd understand the phrase they'd both heard more than one too many times. Shepard stuffed his previous state of mind, focusing himself and closing the distance to her. "Alright, let's go," they'd discuss it inside on the way to a briefing or comm room.