Chapter 2- Revival

"The numbers are good, Lawson." Wilson said, handing a datapad to Miranda. "I checked everything."

After reading the information on the datapad, Miranda looked up. "It just doesn't seem right, Wilson."

"Miranda, it's not going to get any better. Besides, the boss wants this finished."

"Fine. But I know something's wrong."

"Relax. It's fine. I'm waking her up."

This is the most important thing in the galaxy. It can't go wrong.

Wilson moved to the terminal as Miranda Lawson moved to the med table where the commander laid bare, covered only by a white, thin sheet. The project was going exceptionally well. The cybernetic implants to restore Shepard's health were functioning properly, stats seemed to be normal, everything seemed perfect.

But Miranda knew something was wrong.

When Miranda Lawson has a feeling that something is wrong, it's wrong. There's no other way to look at it. Pinpointing the error, however, was proving to be a challenge for the Cerberus operative.

Not a challenge, Miranda thought, just a hindrance.

Looking up to see Wilson typing away at a terminal, Miranda spotted the 'hindrance' on another monitor.

"There." She spoke. "On the monitor. Something's wrong."

Wilson rushed to Miranda's side to see what she spoke of. "Brain activity is off the charts! She's reacting too quickly."

"Give her a sedative. Now!" Miranda ordered, pushing Wilson aside to get to the med bed. Shepard weakly raised an arm and slowly opened her eyes, squinting. "Don't try to move, Shepard. Just stay calm." Miranda said as she gently lowered the commander's arm.

"Her heart rate's dropping, it's not working!" Wilson yelled, typing frantically at a terminal, making Miranda look up.

"Give her another dose!" Looking back down at Shepard, she tried to further calm her. "Lie still, commander. Breathe."

Slowly, Katherine's breathing became slower, slowing to a smooth, leveled breathing. Miranda sighed in relief as the commander began to close her eyes.

"Stats are dropping to normal levels." Wilson said.

Idiot, I was right. "I told you something was wrong. Run the numbers again."


Dream after dream passed through her mind, looking into a dark abyss. At least, she thought they were dreams. A woman suddenly appeared. Dark-hair, imposing stance.

Who is she? She seems so familiar.

She didn't know what this place was. This dark, lonely place. She knew she had to get out. She had to…do something. What, she did not remember.

Shepard… Shepard, can you hear me?

Shepard. She had heard that name before. She seemed to remember something about that name. Name… she was Shepard. Strange name…

Commander, you need to wake up!

Wake. Yes, she had to leave this place. Who was calling her? Why is that voice calling her 'commander?'

Commander. Commander Shepard, Alliance Navy, Council Spectre. Everything came rushing towards her in a tumultuous wave of memories. The Alliance, the Council, the Reapers. Her crew, her…love. Ashley. The woman from earlier.

The dark abyss shook and began to slowly become bright. Too bright.

"Commander, wake up. Shepard, this facility is under attack, you have to get up!"

Shepard quickly opened her eyes, though quickly regretting it as the bright white light hit her eyes. Her skin seemed tight, her muscles tense, her limbs heavy. Sitting up, her side began to ache as the muscles and bones moved in concert to raise her stiff body.

"Shepard, grab the weapons and armor from that locker in front of you. Hurry!"

The voice sounded familiar but Shepard didn't have time to think as her instincts kicked in and she got off the bed. Quickly putting on the black and red armor, Shepard checked the pistol.

"This pistol doesn't have a thermal clip." She said, hoping the voice on the other side of the intercom could hear her over all the explosions that seemed to be going off.

"It's a med bay." The woman stated annoyingly. "We'll get you one from- Shit, those canisters near the door are going to blow. Take cover behind something." The woman urged.

Shepard ran toward some crates and took cover just before the canisters blew, sending bits and pieces towards Shepard's direction. Standing, the commander spotted a body by the door leading to the rest of the station. Probably a doctor… She made her way to him and saw a thermal clip next to him. She took it and inserted it into her pistol. Hopefully, there's more lying around here. Can't have too few of these…

"Someone hacked security and is trying to kill you. Head over to the evac area. I'll guide you."

"Can you tell me your name at least? I don't want to scream 'Hey, you!' at the ceiling every time I get lost."

"Miranda Lawson. Up ahead, there's a barricade. Just jump over it."

Another door opened, revealing the barricade Miranda mentioned. Jumping over it, Shepard spotted another thermal clip near a crate. Better get it before-

"Look out!" Miranda warned. –before something like that happened. Shepard quickly dispatched the mech by shooting its cybernetic head off. She quickly grabbed the clip she spotted earlier and began making her way up some stairs where the corpse of the mech lied.

"Keep moving. You have to get to those shuttles."

Passing bodies that littered the room, Shepard opened a door that led to an observation room. Broken monitors flickered and sparked, pipes above were engulfed by flames. Whoever caused this wanted the whole station gone.

With me as well…

"Mechs are trying to open the locked door. Take cover and prepare." Miranda spoke.

Taking a quick glance at the door in question, a small flicker could be seen running down. Shepard wasted no time and took cover behind some medical equipment. The door opened with the recognizable swish and mechs poured out.

One.

Two.

Three.

Three headshots, three mechs. Checking if the coast was clear, a side door opened, where two more mechs appeared. Shepard quickly made a scrap heap out of them and made her way to the door once the door was clear.

The next place Shepard came across after leaving the observatory was a small elevator, likely leading to the offices. On the platform, a grenade launcher laid next to the body of a security officer.

"More mechs." Miranda said. "Grab the grenade launcher and prepare yourself."

As soon as Shepard kneeled to grab the weapon, mechs began to approach from the door a level below the soldier. Shepard quickly took cover by the handrail that luckily had some cover below it. After checking that there were, in fact, grenades in the weapon, Shepard stood, aimed and fired. The explosion of the mech caused two more to explode, creating a chain of explosions and destroying all the mechs. In the process, however, a fuel tank erupted, creating a barrier of flames.

"Nice work, Shepard." Shepard's guide said. "Take the elevator down one floor then sprint to the exit."

Hoisting the grenade launcher to her back, the N7 soldier made her way to the elevator and went down a floor like her mysterious guide had instructed. Shepard didn't know what to think about this Miranda nor did she have the time to ask. The whole place was crawling with mechs, she has to focus on surviving.

Getting off the lift, Shepard made her way to the door, feeling a slight burn in her face as she sprinted by the barrier of flames.

"You're doi-…. Shep-….Meet me at-…"

"Miranda? Lawson, are you there?"

"Shepard, can you-…..mechs….posit-"

Shit. Maybe I'll come across her.

Now depending on her own self, Shepard made her way through a hallway. The mechs seemed to have dispersed elsewhere since the only ones she came across were malfunctioning and promptly self destructed. After coming across a few files about a "subject" and using biosynthetic means to heal them, Shepard entered a room and was greeted by gunfire.

I'm getting sick of all this shooting and not knowing where the hell I am...

"Shepard?" she heard from amongst the shooting. A dark man was fighting some five mechs on his own, but seemed to be pit down. Shepard rushed to his side, shooting at the mechs at the same time.

"Things must be a lot worse if Miranda has got you up and running." the man said. "I'm Jacob Taylor, been stationed here for -"

"Hostiles detected." a mech announced, cutting off Jacob.

"Damn it!" Jacob cursed as a bullet passed him, barely missing his unprotected head. He peeked over the cover before standing at full hight and shooting one of the mechs, landing the hit square in the mech's head. "Wanna lend a hand here?" he said as he crouched back down.

"I'm tired of taking orders without knowing what the hell is going on! I just woke up and ever since, I've been shooting things. Can you at least tell me how the hell I ended up here?"

Jacob nodded, somewhat nervous at Shepard's tone. "Alright. I'll give you the quick version. You and your ship were attacked. You didn't survive the attack. We've spent the last two years rebuilding you. Welcome back to the world of the living."

Shepard was stunned. Two years? "That's...I'm having trouble wrapping my head around this."

"Yeah, I can imagine." Jacob said over the gunfire. "Look, let's clear out these mechs. I'll then play 20 Questions with you all day."

"Right." Shepard nodded, going into soldier mode.

"We're low on thermal clips, but I'm a biotic. Just say the word when you want me to hit them with the good stuff." he stood and blasted one of the mechs with a lift, sending it flying upwards.

Shepard peeked out of cover to survey the area. Four mechs, with one more coming out of a door. She took cover again and went through a plan quickly in her mind. Taking a deep breath, she stood and began firing at the mechs. She picked them off quickly until only one remained.

"Jacob, now!" she ordered.

She could see blue from the corner of her eye as Jacob powered up for another lift, sending the last mech spinning upwards. Together, Jacob and Shepard took it down, metal falling onto the ground as the mech exploded mid-air. Doing a quick run over, the commander saw no more hostiles and holstered her pistol.

"Alright." Jacob began as he holstered his own weapon. "I said I would answer your questions. What do you want to know?"

I want to know everything. I just don't know if I'll like the answers...

"The last thing I remember is getting my pilot onto an escape shuttle. Did anyone else make it?"

"The majority of the crew made it out alive. A few men in engineering didn't, nor did Pressely. But the rest of your crew, the asari Liara and the quarian, they made it."

"What about Gunnery Chief Williams?"

"She did too. Not sure where they are now, though."

Damn...

"Hopefully I can find them when we get out of here. Onto another subject, you said they spent two years rebuilding me?"

"Yes. Best doctors and technology in the galaxy money could buy."

"What kind of technology? Cloning? Cybernetics?"

"I don't know the details, you'd have to ask the scientists. But I'm pretty sure you're not a clone. They wanted to bring you back just the way you were. Even that was a challenge."

"How bad was I when they brought me in?"

"When I first saw you, you were nothing but meat and tubes. Project Lazarus worked on reconstructing you."

"Project Lazarus? That's what they called it?"

"I wasn't in charge of naming it. But yes, that's what they called it."

There were still a few blank spaces that needed to be filled, but for now, it was enough.

"What's the quickest way to those shuttles?" Shepard asked.

"Through here." Jacob said, pointing to a door behind him. "We should-"

Check, check. Anyone on this frequency? Hello? Anyone still alive out there?

Jacob raised his omni-tool, clearing the incoming transmission. "Wilson? This is Jacob. I'm with Commander Shepard."

Shepard's alive? How the hell...? Never mind, you need to get to the shuttles. I'll try to make a path for you.

"Alright. Stay on this frequency, Wilson."

"I think I- Oh, shit I forgot about her." Shepard stated.

"Forgot about who?" Jacob asked.

"There was a woman helping me to get here. Miranda Lawson. We lost radio contact as she guided me. I heard gunfire and an explosion right before I lost her."

"Miranda was in charge of the Lazarus Project. She's tough, maybe we'll catch up to her. Come on."

Shepard and Jacob made their way through a small, dark hallway. At the end, Shepard opened a door, revealing a room with more mechs.

I'm getting really tired of these mechs...

"Damn it, Wilson! This room is crawling with mechs." Jacob said.

The whole station is crawling with mechs. I'm doing the best I can!

"Tell him to do better!" Shepard exclaimed over the gunfire as she shot an attacking mech. Between the the biotic and the soldier, the mechs ended up as a scrap heap in record time.

"Wilson," Jacob began once the mechs had been taken care of. "find us a path to the shuttles. Preferably one that doesn't leas to an enemy squad."

Just keep moving. And don't get pinned down. I'll see what I can do.

The duo made their way out of the small room. As soon as they exited, Wilson's voice came over the radio again.

Oh, god. They found me! Help!

"Where are you, Wilson?" Jacob asked.

Server Room B! Hurry, they're out of control!

Jacob pointed to a flight of stairs. "Up those stairs, Shepard."

Oh, god. I'm hit! They shot me!

Shepard doubled up her pace, practically flying up the stairs.


"Bastards got me in the leg!" Wilson cried. Shepard and Jacob found him on the floor, a leg of his shot.

"There's some medi-gel on the first aid station, over there." Jacob said, pointing at the first aid kit. The commander grabbed it and applied it to Wilson's injured leg.

"Never thought you'd be saving my life. Guess that makes us even now, huh?" Wilson slowly stood, flinching as the wound ached.

"What are you even doing here, Wilson?" Jacob asked.

"I was trying to fix this mess, but whoever did this fried the whole system. Completely irreversible."

"You were in the bio wing. How do you even have security clearance?"

"I-"

"Listen, you two." Shepard interrupted. "I don't know about you, but I'm sick and tired of this station. Why don't we just get the hell out of here?"

"Right." Wilson said. "We have to get to the shuttle bay."

"Miranda's still on the station. We have to find her." Jacob said.

"Miranda was in D wing, mechs were all over the place there."

"A bunch of mechs won't drop Miranda! She's alive."

"Then where is she? Why haven't we heard from her? There's only two conclusions: she's either dead, or she's a traitor."

Shepard groaned. "Can we sort out who killed who later? This Miranda must be around here somewhere. She was headed to the shuttle bay as well. We might find her in the way. Now, let's get the fu-"

"Hostiles detected." Mechs alerted, cutting off Shepard.

"Great..."

Shepard and the others began to shoot at the wave of mechs that had hacked the door open. Wilson took out his omni-tool while crouching behind a crate and overloaded some explosive canisters near the attacking mechs, sending all of them into an explosive end.

"Alright." Jacob began. "Things are getting tense. Shepard, if I tell you who we work for, will you trust me?"

"This really isn't the time, Jacob." Wilson intervened.

"I agree, for once." Shepard said. "Just tell me quickly. The Alliance? Some private organization from Earth?"

"The Lazarus Project," Jacob explained. "The program that helped rebuild you. It was funded and organized by Cerberus."

Cerberus?! Kohaku...

"Are you serious?! Are you telling me I was brought back to life by fucking terrorists?!"

"A lot of people think that. But we're not. We help humanity."

"Bullshit!" Shepard spat. "I saw what you're sick experiments did to people. You people were responsible for Akuze, for the death of an Alliance admiral. Those were humans! Killing humans doesn't help humanity."

"I wasn't part of those things, Shepard. None of us were. When we get out of here, the Illusive Man will explain things."

"That you're boss? When we meet him, he better answer my questions. All of them."


"The shuttle bay is just through-" A woman stood at the door when Wilson unlocked it. "Miranda? But you were supposed to be-"

Wilson's limp body dropped to the floor, a bullet crossing his throat. The woman lowered her gun. "Dead?"

"What the hell are you doing, Miranda?!" Jacob asked, stunned at the scene.

"My job. Wilson betrayed us." Miranda replied.

"Do you really think he was capable of that?" Shepard asked.

Miranda looked at the body at her feet then back to Shepard. "...Not anymore."

"Alright. We found you, you killed Wilson. I guess the Illusive Man is waiting for us, right?"

"Ah, Jacob." Miranda turned to him. "I should've known your conscience would get the better of you."

"Lying to the commander isn't the way to join our cause." he defended.

'Cause'... There better be a good fucking reason why they brought me back...

"Well, since we have everything out in the open, is there anything you want answered, commander?" Miranda asked.

"No. I've had enough of this station to last a lifetime."

"Or two, in your case. Come on."

The trio boarded a shuttle and left the burning station to meet the Illusive Man. Shepard was silently preparing to meet the head of these...people.


A/N: Longest. Chapter. Ever. Written. *Deep breath* Oookaaaayy... I finally got my butt sat down and got to write this. For those of you wondering about Mass Confusion, I'm on it. Just... Wait. There's been a lot of crap going on IRL, so just wait. Please. You guys are all awesome for still favorite-ing and following both MC and this story after a super long wait. Cookies and candy for y'all!