Hello everyone. Normally I won't be able to update this quickly, but I had some free time so here it is! I know the first few chapters are going to sound somewhat repetitive. My changes to the narrative will start to come once Eden Prime is over with. So stick with me. Ok enough of my jabbering. See you at the bottom!
Panic threatened to overwhelm her. Ashley Williams ran like hell for the boulder that promised some safe haven just ahead. Those…things were behind her with their strange and frightening gurgling noises. Nirali and Tim and Calvin and Regina: they were all gone. Only she was left. Her feet pounded harder and she felt a round strike her shield, causing her to stumble. She let the momentum throw her forward, twisting as she landed on the ground to aim and shoot. She struck one of the AIs in its headlight and used the distraction to lunge for the boulder, desperately trying to breathe.
After a moment she realized there were no sounds of pursuit. Cautiously, she peered around the edge. The enemy were holding a man, a colonist by his clothes. The man looked dazed, bewildered, likely from the gash across his forehead. One of the synthetics placed him on top of a strange three-pronged platform. Williams' eyes narrowed and in the moment it took her to blink, a spike shot out of the platform, spearing the man and lifting him high in the air. Williams gasped and hid again, fighting the urge to vomit. "Like hell will I let you do that to me," she muttered.
She could hear them moving across the scorched grass, that strange gurgling sound proceeding them. Williams tried to slow her breathing, gripping her gun tightly. Suddenly she lunged out from her cover, shotgun drawn. "Vaya al diablo!" she screamed, taking aim.
But before she could fire, one of the AIs dropped in an explosion of electronic parts. The other collapsed, its headlight sparking. Williams turned and watched two marines make their way down the hill, pistols drawn. She sagged back against the boulder and pulled off her helmet. "Oh thank God," she muttered before vomiting violently into the grass.
Shepard trotted down to the young soldier, instinctually scanning the area. "You all right?" she asked, pulling the helmet out of the heaving woman's hands.
The brunette nodded, wiping her mouth and bracing herself on her knees before standing up to salute. "Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams, ma'am," she said, managing to still sound professional despite the exhaustion and fear in her eyes. In another time, another place the young woman would be considered pretty, beautiful even with strong tan cheekbones and thick brown hair. Today on Eden Prime, she was drenched in sweat, her cheeks pale and her eyes holding ghosts. Shepard remembered that look only too well.
"Commander Marion Shepard, Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko," Shepard gestured to her comrade. "What's the sit rep Chief?"
Williams took back her helmet, suiting up as she spoke. "We were on a routine patrol when…chaos happened." She gestured around her. "We were ambushed by these metal things and that ship came out of the sky. I've never seen anything like this. Communications got cut off and we were on our own. There were so many of them. Eden Prime has always been quiet, a bit dull, at least until that damn beacon was dug up. That must be why the geth are here."
"Geth?" repeated Alenko, his brow furrowed. "The geth haven't left the Veil in 200 years."
"Well they're here now apparently," said Shepard, cutting off what would have been a sharp retort from Williams. "Where's the dig site Williams?"
"Just around the ridge Commander," she replied gesturing behind her. "I can take you there."
"If you're up for it, we'll move out. Our mission is to secure the beacon. But I need to be sure you have a clear head," said Shepard. She looked past Williams, not seeming to see what was around her. "Surviving when your squad has been lost takes a toll on a person."
Alenko glanced over at the commander but said nothing. Williams just straightened and saluted. "I'm five by Commander. I couldn't defend this colony, but I will get you to your objective."
Shepard smiled crookedly and slapped Williams on the shoulder. "You're all right Chief," she said. "Now where's that beacon?"
The last geth on the dig site dropped. Williams rushed forward cursing. "The beacon's gone," she said, spinning around in a futile search. "It was right here this morning. It must have been moved just before the attack."
"Nothing's ever easy," Shepard muttered, stretching her shoulders as Alenko scanned the perimeter. "Ok, where would the beacon have been moved Williams?"
"We could check the research camp. It's at the top of the ridge."
"All right. Alenko, you good?" Shepard asked.
"Aye ma'am," he answered. "Biotics aren't overheating. I should be all right for a while."
"Feel free to down a bar if you need to," Shepard said, already heading up the ridge.
"How about you Commander? Do you need one?" It was a simple question, the product of a kind and thoughtful mind.
But it was like something had shot the commander. Shepard visibly tensed, her free hand clenching and unclenching. When she turned to face the lieutenant, he found himself taking an involuntary step back. "I don't use that Jedi bullshit anymore," she said in a deadly low voice, her blue eyes turned to a cold grey. "Use it as you need, but don't ever ask me about my biotics again. Am I understood lieutenant?"
Alenko stared for a moment, his own eyes going hard beneath his helmet. He slowly straightened and saluted, as if mocking her. "Aye aye ma'am," he said, refusing to look away.
Shepard's jaw tightened beneath her helmet but she forced herself to let go. He's just watching out for the squad, she reminded herself as they began to climb the ridge. Not everyone knows the story of Akuze and it's not fair to go after your squad. You will apologize later when…
"Holy hell," she muttered as they reached the camp.
The small research camp was in flames. Trailers tipped over, equipment splashed everywhere mixed with a blood. A few synthetics littered the ground but they were outnumbered by the bodies of fallen marines and researchers. Alenko and Williams fanned out to check vital signs while Shepard approached three of the spikes. The bodies of a few poor souls hung above her. Shepard dropped her head and began examining the device, searching for a way to retract the spikes and free the men and women trapped up there. Though…
She glanced back up again, narrowing her eyes. The bodies looked…different. Were those wires running along their limbs? And there! A hand twitch.
Shepard backed away, a cold sweat beginning to break out on her neck. "Williams, Alenko, we need to move on. Something's not right here," she called out. She trotted back to her squad, one eye on the spikes.
That's when she saw it. The spikes began to retract all on their own. Shepard froze in horror as the bodies flopped down onto the platform and then began to stand, sparks coming off their bodies.
"Oh my God," Williams whispered behind her as the three soldiers watched in pure horror. And then the things that had once been people, the husks, rushed at them.
"Fire!" Shepard yelled. It was pure instinct that made them lift their weapons and begin to fire, even as thoughts of the people these things had once been made Shepard's gorge rise. Hitting them in their limbs did not seem to faze the husks as they rushed at the marines. Only a headshot or a direct hit to the center of the chest seemed to affect them. Shepard discovered that when she got one through the head. Williams hit the other in the chest while Alenko threw a warp at the third, partially disintegrating it before he finished it off in the head.
"They're not just killing the colonists," Williams said, her voice dazed. "They're turning them into synthetics."
Shepard could feel her blood boiling. This was supposed to be a simple mission. What the hell were these synthetics doing to this poor colony? She charged forward to one of the geth synthetics on the ground and unloaded a few rounds into it, letting out a scream of disgust. After a moment she halted, breathing heavily. "Where do we find this goddamned beacon now Williams?" she spat.
"It must have already made it to the spaceport," the young soldier said, swallowing tightly. "We can take the tram down the hill."
Shepard began stalking in the gestured direction, activating her comm link with the Spectre. "Nihlus, the geth are turning the colonists into these husks. If you haven't already encountered them be on the lookout. Nihlus, do you copy?" Silence. "As usual, can't count on a turian," she muttered.
As they trotted down the hill toward the spaceport, Shepard would never forget her first eyewitness siting of a Reaper. It was drawing back up into the atmosphere, its insect-like appendages waving with red lightening sparking around them. It was a ship designed to instill fear.
"Look at the size of that thing," Williams said, mouth agape.
"Enemies at our 12!" Alenko suddenly shouted. With a biotic shove he pushed Williams and Shepard behind a boulder as geth opened fire. Shepard gasped as she felt that familiar tingle around her body. Her biotics rose in her, responding to the sensations. She swallowed and forced them back, ignoring the way an anxious nausea gripped her gut at the sudden rush of power.
But a firefight was always a good distraction. Shepard fired at the geth below her, focusing down the scope of her Kessler pistol. One dropped on the steps of the space port; Alenko electrocuted another. She was so focused on the geth's returning fire that Shepard did not see the spikes releasing a new set of husks, who were now charging at her around the boulder.
"Commander!" Williams shouted, firing at the closest one. It exploded in a loud burst of electronics, sending Shepard reeling backward into the rock wall. She gasped, her shields evaporating. She felt heat on her right arm and yelped, leaping away from the still sparking corpse. Alenko biotically threw the last geth and then rushed to his commander. "Shepard, you all right?" he asked, reaching for her arm.
She shied away, making her wince even more. "A burn I think. Some medigel should patch me up." Alenko passed her a packet that she spread along the affected area, wincing and then relaxing as the cool gel took effect.
"Let's keep going," she said after a moment, shaking out the burned arm. "I just want to find this damn beacon and get off this planet."
Reaching the spaceport and seeing Nihlus' still body in a pool of blue blood made Shepard's stomach knot in a rare moment of guilt. "Shot in the back of the head," Alenko said, examining the body. "How did he not see that coming?"
"There was someone else here," Shepard replied, looking around. "Someone he trusted enough to turn his back for a moment."
"A turian?" Williams said, looking perplexed. "What the hell is a turian doing here?"
"He's a Spectre," explained Alenko, standing up. "He came with us on the SSV Normandy to secure the beacon."
Sudden movement behind a crate. To her credit, Williams' reaction was fastest, her assault rifle out and aimed. "Commander! Over there!" Shepard lifted her pistol, walking forward slowly, Alenko on her six.
"This is Commander Shepard of the Alliance Navy. Come out with your hands up. Now!" she shouted.
Very slowly a pair of hands peeked out behind the crate, followed by a skull cap and a pair of wide frightened eyes. "Don't shoot!" the colonist said.
Shepard sighed, lowering her weapon. "There's no way you took out Nihlus," she said, eyeing his flabby stomach and trembling hands.
"The turian? No way!" he exclaimed, looking down at the body with a shiver. "It was his friend. I couldn't believe it. When that one turned away, the other one shot him in the back, cool as you please."
"The other one?" Shepard repeated. "Another turian?"
"Yeah, big guy, lots of white face paint. Mean looking son of a bitch. I've never been so thankful for a nap in my life…"
"Wait. You were taking a nap?" Williams asked in disbelief.
The man bristled, puffing himself up. "Hey, sometimes I need a few to get through my shift!" he said defensively. "Luckily I had or I wouldn't have seen that Saren character kill your friend."
"Saren?" Shepard repeated. "That's the other turian?"
"Yeah, that's what your friend called him. He thought Saren was here to help him. Guess he was wrong."
"Have you seen the beacon?" Alenko asked.
"Yeah, I helped load it onto the tram this morning. That Saren ordered some of the geth to follow him over there. He probably already has it," said the man.
Shepard cursed under her breath. "This mission just gets worse and worse. Ok people let's move out. You," she pointed at the colonist, "as you were." The man meekly went back to his corner. "Hopefully we can end this mission before I lose my mind," she muttered as they headed to the tram.
"I hate juggernauts, I hate juggernauts," Shepard chanted to herself as they raced through the space port, Williams disabling the bombs Saren had left scattered for them.
She signaled for Alenko to open cover fire then charged out, overloading one geth as she rushed toward a rocket trooper. It fired and she swerved, taking aim as she skidded. One shot in the headlight and that was down too.
"This one's done Commander!" Williams shouted behind her. Shepard spared a glance at her omnitool.
"One more up ahead Williams!" she called back. "I'll cover you!"
With a deep breath Shepard charged back down the pathway, ramming one geth in the shoulder and sending it over the railing with a squeal. Williams came up behind her, dropping to one knee beside the last bomb. Shepard stood over her, firing at a few geth troopers. Alenko warped one as he came up behind it before shooting it in the chest.
The bomb beeped and then silenced. "We're all good Commander," Williams said, pulling off her helmet to wipe off her forehead. When she didn't respond, Williams looked up. "Commander?"
But Shepard was staring down at the port below them. There, standing peacefully as if it had been undisturbed for thousands of years, stood a Prothean beacon. It glowed a gentle green in small ripples running up and down the ancient metal.
Shepard smiled. The job was done. The beacon was theirs. She practically felt like skipping down to it. She always felt unexplainably gleeful at the end of a successful mission. But that would look undignified. So she strolled down, still sweeping the area out of habit though her combat sensor was no longer picking up any other presences. Which meant Saren was gone, but she would go after him later. Right now, she had to secure the beacon. With a smile she turned away from it as Alenko and Williams approached the technology, examining it with wonder.
"Normandy this is Commander Shepard. Beacon is secure and ready for pick up. We are ready to get off this planet…" She half-turned to glance at the beacon and froze.
Alenko was caught in the green cloud. It was as if the beacon had come to life and with its own eerie biotic powers was slowly reeling the lieutenant in. Shepard did not know what would happen if he reached it, but she knew it was not good. The commander registered Williams stepping forward and only one thought entered Shepard's head: Not again. Without thinking, Shepard charged, running full tilt at the lieutenant and throwing her body at him like a battering ram. Her biotics flared as she wrapped her arms around him and biotically flung him aside. She felt a brief moment of triumph until the creeping green ensnared her. She cried out, struggling, letting her biotics flare in a futile attempt to escape. The gun at her side was useless; she had lost control of her own body.
Alenko must have tried to run back for her because Shepard heard Williams scream, "No, keep away from it!"
And then she was in the air, like those poor husks without a spike. Her body felt like it was being pulled apart at the seams. Her muscles stretched nearly to their breaking point as the energy flooded her body. And then it wasn't her body anymore. Images and sensations overwhelmed her. Blood, metal, screeching, mechanics, tortured faces, impassive synthetics. Death. Fire. Destruction. It was a hundred times worse than Akuze.
Shepard did the only thing she could.
She screamed.
Please leave a review, a question, constructive criticism. Let me know if you have ideas for improvement. Your suggestions and support will make me a better writer and help create a more enjoyable story! Thanks for reading.
