2199 CE
Nimbus Cluster
A classified Starbase in the Agaiou system

13 years after the Battle of Earth

"Two months ago, the Citadel Relay activated. To the public, it was passed off as a power surge from within the Keeper tunnels, but at the time we were thought we might have another Reaper invasion on our hands. Something did come through... but it was tiny. Nothing more than a probe. Nonetheless, based on its construction and abilities, it's definitely Reaper tech. Once we caught it, the probe locked itself down. Quantum Shielding. We can't scan it, we can't open it up; the only thing we do know is that while it's locked down, it can't scan us either. We've kept monitoring it, and–"

Ashley held up a hand. "I still don't see what this has to do with me," she said, interrupting the salarian lab-tech that was guiding her down the corridor.

"Let him explain," said Garrus at her side.

The tech handed her a datapad showing the dimensions and details of the probe. "Every 21 hours and 36 minutes, the probe drops the shielding. The gap is short, less than a minute, but enough time for it to scan its environment and broadcast a signal."

Ashley frowned. Two days earlier she had been at home on Elysium. Garrus had interrupted her weekend with a vid-call, telling her that he needed her help and that she had to see something. Since then she had been picked up by the Normandy and whisked into space to an unfamiliar science station. She'd barely had time to arrange a carer for Cassandra. It was good to see Joker, EDI and Garrus again, but she still didn't understand what was so important.

"The signal is the same each time. After analysis, we were able to translate it into a word. A human word."

"This is where I come in," said Garrus. "They were thinking of the word as dust or embers, as a noun, but when I found out about the project I realised it wasn't a noun. It was a name. Ash. Your name."

"There are millions of people with my name, Garrus. Why me?"

EDI's voice came over the speakers as the three of them turned a corner. "Of all humans with your name in my memory banks, Ashley, you are the one with the highest significant experience with Reapers."

"Even so..." said Ashley, glancing upwards.

"There's more," continued the salarian. He led them into a laboratory; their end of the room was surrounded by holo-screens and measuring devices, the rest was beyond a thick sheet of glass. The probe was on a table in the centre of the room, encircled by force-fields. It was slightly longer than a human was tall, and its black carapace contrasted against the white walls. "After Vakarian's insight, we realised that there was further information buried within the signal. What we'd thought to be static was instead a series of inflections, coding how the word could be spoken. And we could translate that into an audio output."

Ashley sighed. "I still don't see what you're getting at."

"Just listen to it," said Garrus.

"Sure. Fine."

The salarian turned away, typing into a screen as Ashley folded her arms and leant against the wall.

"Ash."

Her eyes widened. She felt as if a jolt of electricity had surged through her body. Her heart was thumping in her chest as she struggled for words.

"But that's..." she gasped.

"Yes," whispered Garrus. "Shepard."