"It's already here. There are Geth pouring out all over the bomb site." Kaidan. Cool and calm. Not this time. Panic is barely restrained, his voice is decided.
He knows what will happen.
"Can you hold them off?" I am clam. I know the answer. He is a good soldier.
"There's too many. I don't think we can survive until you get here." That is not what I expect. I start to worry.
No. I cannot. Remain focused.
"I'm activating the bomb." Kaidan. Decisive.
"Alenko, what are you doing!" This is not the plan. This is not right.
"I'm just making sure this bomb goes off. No matter what." Kaidan. He will not be swayed. "It's done, Commander. Go get Williams and get the hell out of here."
"Screw that! We can handle ourselves. Go back and get Alenko." Ashley. Confident. Sure.
"Alenko…" I hesitate. I do not hesitate. Hesitation leads to death. Death of me. Death of my crew. I must do what is right. I must… I must complete the mission. "Alenko, radio Joker and tell him to meet us at the bombsite."
"Yes, Commander… I…" Kaidan. Sad. Understanding?
"You know it's the right choice, LT." Ashley. Tough, strong, brave.
"I'm sorry Ash…" I choke on my words. Why can I not say this? The mission comes first. It must always come first. There is not second option. "I had to make a choice."
"I understand Commander. I don't regret a thing." She is smiling. I can tell. Ash…
We are fighting… Saren… the bomb… Kaidan is injured. I tackle Saren, and we struggle… I almost fall… I almost fail… but he is distracted, I hit him… he flees… the bomb… we escape… I see… the bomb… nuclear fire… a light…
Ash…
There is a light. A room. Fuzzy. Indistinct. I cannot feel my body. There is muffled sound.
"He's gaining awareness of his surroundings." A man's voice, harsh, clinical. "My God, Miranda. I think he's waking up."
A woman. Black hair, angelic face, perfectly beautiful. But her eyes… so cold.
A man, bald, stubble on his chin. Uncertain, angry.
"Damn it Wilson. He's not ready yet. Give him the sedative." The woman. Angry. Worried? She looks at me. "Shepard. Don't try to move."
My arm… I move it… she pushes it back down… why can I not feel it?
"Just lie still," the angel says. "Try to stay calm."
"Heart rate is still climbing. Brain activity is off the charts." Wilson. "Stats are pushing into the red zone." Panic.
Miranda. "Another dose. Now." She moves away. I don't want her too.
I am scared.
A hiss.
"Heart rate dropping." Wilson. Controlled. "Stats falling back into normal range."
Miranda… she leans over. "I told you it was too early…"
Muffled.
Noise fades away.
Darkness.
Miranda looks over Shepard's body, assessing the situation.
His sudden spike in brain activity signaled REM sleep. They were making progress. His nervous system was starting to repair itself as well, and he made a conscious effort: raising his arm.
But his body barely had skin on it, and the muscles were still scarred. They would have to keep a better eye on his vitals now.
She glared at Wilson.
"Why the hell didn't it work?"
"What?" Wilson retorted, anger quickly brewing. "I didn't do anything."
"Precisely." Miranda gestured at Shepard. "A year and two months of work almost lost because you 'didn't do anything.'"
Wilson sneered. "My shift is over anyway. I'll leave you and your pet alone shall I?"
Miranda shoved passed him and busied herself with a life monitor.
Wilson stalked out of the med bay and back to his office.
To sulk, Miranda thought smugly to herself. She turned to look at Shepard.
He lay there, little more than bandages covering him. He had been moved down to the table from the mass effect field now that most of the skin on his back had patched over the muscles. But the front still needed a lot of work.
She wondered idly what he would do if he saw his face. Or lack there of. It was a horrific image –– Jacob had commented it put every horror vid he had seen to shame. All the muscle was there, but no skin. Small metal clips held parts of the jaw together, as well as parts of the skull. The eyes were formed and the eyelids, as well as parts of nose, covered the upper portion of the face. But the jaw and mouth were a hideous grin.
It would be another three months until his skin fully reformed, and then they would finish the nervous system.
"Miranda."
Miranda covered her start by turning to Jacob, who had just walked in. "What?"
"No need to bite my head off, Miranda," Jacob said, holding his hands up in defense. "Just saw Wilson skulking in his office and figured you must be here. You two have another quarrel?"
"Be quiet, Taylor."
Miranda eyed the dark skinned man as he approached the med table. "Wow… still creeps me out just looking at him," Jacob said, careful not to get too close. Miranda could get very defensive of her projects.
"Better than the first time?"
"Oh yeah. Now he looks like a Husk instead of sack of meat."
"I suppose that's the best you can think of?"
"I'm not the med tech, Miranda."
Jacob, keeping his eyes on the unconscious Shepard, walked over to Miranda and leaned against the wall, his brown eyes flicking between the two.
"Is there a reason for you to be hanging around here, Mr. Taylor?"
He was silent for a time. "What is your problem Miranda?"
"Wilson almost tossed our work out the airlock."
"What?"
"If you think that is creepy, try seeing it move."
"He woke up?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"A few minutes ago."
Jacob walked back over to Shepard. "Wow. The Commander is one tough SOB, isn't he?"
"He's an orphan, Mr. Taylor."
"I know, Miss Lawson. I read the dossier. Earth-born, abandoned by his parents, part of the Tenth Street Reds. Lost three-fourths of his unit on Torfan and left no one alive. Killed Specter Saren Arterius during the Battle of the Citadel. Called for an all-Human council after the Citadel Council died on the Destiny Ascension. Gave some political clout to Captain Anderson, but then he was sent into the Traverse to hunt down Geth. The Collectors gunned down the Normandy and we recovered Shepard. Fairly simple if you ask me."
"Yes. Simple."
Jacob huffed and headed for the door. "I'm grabbing something to eat. I can take over for you if you want to get something."
Miranda ignored him and was rewarded with a cold silence and the doors hissing closed.
Finally. Alone with her project. Now, if only the Illusive Man would let her put that control chip in Shepard's brain.
