Lazarus Station, 2185

Pain. All I could feel was pain. It seemed as if every nerve in my body was on fire. I tried to move, but my body wouldn't respond. I demanded my eyes to open as I heard people speaking. My senses slowly sharpened as I managed to open my eyes and saw a metal ceiling above me. "-ink she's waking up!"

I looked around and saw a bald man and a woman with long dark hair standing on either side of me. "Damn it, Wilson! She's not ready yet. Give her the sedative!" Hell no!

With a groan I threw myself off of the table and at the man. He screamed as I grabbed him by the throat, and at the same time the pistol at his side. Too distracted by the hand cutting off his air supply, he didn't notice the gun pressed against his stomach. I fired twice then pressed the muzzle under his chin before firing again. I stumbled away from the body and aimed at the woman. "Who are you?"

The woman stared down the barrel of my pistol with an icy cold look. "I'm Miranda Lawson. The man that you just shot was Dr. Wilson."

Lawson was clam for seeing a man killed right in front of her. Too calm. "Where am I?"

Before she could answer I heard a door open behind me. I turned and saw two mechs walking in with pistols. "Hostile detected!" I tensed as they aimed at me. Shit. I shot at one, putting two in its chest plate and one in its head. The second mech open fire just as I put up a biotic barrier. The bullets struck my barrier, sending splintering pain through my brain with each hit, as I clumsily dove for cover. At the first pause in the mechs' fire I was up and firing back. I took its head clean off with my third round. The headless mechanical body spasmed for a moment before exploding. I vaulted over my cover, nearly passing out at the pain ripping through my body, and ran for the still open door.

"No!"

I felt something catch my ankle and I felt to the floor, banging my head against the floor and loosing my grip on the pistol. I flipped myself over and saw Lawson glowing with biotics. She must've tripped me with her biotics. I twisted around, grabbed the pistol in my left hand, rolled onto my back, aimed and fired three rounds at Lawson. She ducked down behind the table that I'd woken up on and I scrambled to my feet. I was out the door before she could stop me again.

I found myself in a small room with large picture windows reviling the stars. Must be on a space station. Gotta find a shuttle then. "Hostile detected!"

I turned and saw a mech clomping down the stairs to my right. I fired at its knee. The mech lost its lower leg and fell down the rest of the stairs. It lifted its head and I put a round through its faceplate. I ran to the stairs as the door at the top opened. There were two human men and another mech coming out of the doorway.

I fired at the mech. The first shot fired perfectly, but on the second shot a small explosion of heat erupt from the vent-port on the side of the gun. At least my shot hit the mechs' head. I bioticaly charged the men, risking a crippling headache. I slammed into one and shoved the red-hot heat vent into the others' face. The one I struck flew back and slammed into a wall. He fell to the ground, his eyes darting around frantically but his body unmoving. The other screamed as the heat vent burned his face while I reached around his head and gripped his chin. With a violent jerk, I broke his neck. Before he could fall I grabbed him by the hair, jerked his head back, and slammed the grip of my pistol against his windpipe, crushing it. He collapsed to the ground.

I fell to my knees, hugging my screaming ribs and trying to fight through the pain my entire body was feeling. I dropped the useless pistol, trying to push past the feeling of having red-hot iron bars for bones and muscles stretched almost to tearing point. Finally managing to overcome the pain, I unsteadily got to my feet. Looking at the man that laid dead at my feet, I studied him for any indication of his allegiance. I looked at the insignia on his shoulder and recognized the distinct black and gold hexagon. Cerberus.

"Shepard, wait!" I turned and saw Lawson standing by the door to the room that I'd woken up in. I scowled at her and took off down the hall. "Shepard!"