[:/START TRANSMISSION:/]
its going to happen soon
yt`1AR45H6/UTv8\\:53bsjn]{LSFW7K[[L9EO";'LWEN;FJA
decrypting…
ARRANG3MENTS IN P/_ACE. SEND S1GNAL / WH3N RE4DY_
whats the plan
23/W9294`RTHR:"/5TG5TS;'542FERGYSETHHWGHRDT
decrypting…
V1RUS UPLO D TO LAZ4RU$ S3CUR1TY SYSTEM/B3 R3EDY T0 MOVE IMMEDIATE/Y. MA1NTA/N C.0VER.
and then what
392U0;'[[9IRJ02';;.93J902&\tgyi8932ndn/:_\n29\09KJSDJO4KFMK94K9990*(&^HOIKLOo*))((()8JJJJJP94ROJ
decrypting...
REND3V0UZ WITH AGENT$ AT ExTRACT1ON PO1NT
P4YMENT^ WIlL BE TR2NSFERRED_UPON RECI3\/AL OF THE P4CKAG3. SUBJECT MUST BE 1NTACT.
The security mechs hit the wall with a loud crunch. The blue halo of biotic energy flickered and died. Jacob Taylor was cornered. He didn't know how it had all started – whether it was the result of a malfunction or hack, but the usually quiet Lazarus research station had turned into a battlefield overnight. He'd been fending off waves of security mechs for almost an hour now and was running out of thermal clips. The familiar fatigue and pain behind his eyes signaled that he was in danger of over-exerting his biotics. He brought up his omni tool for the umpteenth time, trying to pin-point the error preventing him from communicating over the comm channel. Seconds ticked by and more mechs flooded in, he grunted in frustration- he'd never been good with tech.
The doors leading from the medical lab slid open with a hiss. Jacob readied his weapon and turned to face whoever had entered. He rocked back, shocked. Shepard jogged in- alive, conscious, in heavy armor and armed with a pistol. She lifted it in his direction and took out a handful of mech across the room. In a second all the warnings and discussions about the possibility of Shepard's mental state being fractured sped to the forefront of his mind. Immediately, however, his concerns were over-ruled by the desire for survival. Shepard had a weapon and was well enough to help him fight- his chances of getting out of this mess had just greatly improved.
She sprinted toward him and crouched behind cover. He'd only ever seen Shepard in vids and comatose on a slab with tubes poking out everywhere. Seeing the Commander conscious and alive brought the full weight of what Cerberus had done upon him. They had resurrected someone from the dead- brought them back to life. It was unsettling- frightening even.
"I thought things were already pretty bad, but if you're awake they must be worse than I thought", He said. Up close he could see the almost-healed scars on her face. There was no way Miranda would have woken her up without her being perfect – not unless it was an emergency.
Shepard stared at him mutely.
"Uh, I'm sorry Shepard. I'm Jacob Taylor" He added, realizing she'd just woken up and likely no idea who he was.
"Where am I" she asked. Her voice was deeper than he had expected and held a familiar authoritative edge. He was reminded immediately of his military training and time in the Alliance.
"You're aboard the Lazarus Space Station, Commander" he answered formally. Shepard opened her mouth to say more but an incoming wave of security mechs attacked. She realized she would have to stow her questions until later. The mechs weren't exactly tough but she was still groggy from whatever meds they had been pumping full of and all she had was a pistol.
She'd decided waking up in a medical lab with no recollection of how you got there is not a good experience. Maybe it was the medication, maybe it was her fragmented memory but everything seemed surreal- the station, the women over the intercom and now this Jacob Taylor. The voice she had awoken to was unfamiliar and panicked; she barely processed all that was said. All she caught was 'attack' and the location of armor and a pistol. It had taken a few moments to croak out "There's no thermal clip". She must have been under for a while, her lips were dry and cracked, her throat clogged, her voice rusty. The labs she made her way through were all bright lights, white walls and advanced tech- more advanced than she even remembered existing. There was nothing familiar to grasp a hold of. She felt lost and displaced.
The clues from the datapads she's managed to find between fighting her way through the station had told her that which was obvious; she'd been injured, and some advanced medical research lab had fixed her- The Lazarus Project, it was called. She'd even managed to hack a one or two consoles, Garrus would be impressed. He'd been unsuccessfully trying to impart some of his tech wisdom to her since the day they'd met.
She tried to remember the last time she'd spoken to him but her directing her thoughts was like swimming through slurry. She guessed whatever happened to her had it had been bad- she couldn't even remember how she'd been injured. All she could focus on was the here and now. With a jolt of worry she wondered if everyone know where she was, knew she was okay
Her mind whispered to try harder- there was something she needed remember, something important. But another part of her violently revolted- some dark and devastating truth lingered on the cusp of her memory. She wasn't ready yet.
Instead she put a well-placed bullet through the visor of a security mech and watched it shudder and then explode.
She and Jacob fought their way through more sections of the Station. There was no way that this is a government operation, she thought, everything was top of the range even the furnishings were classy and expensive. But what kind of medical facility needed such high security? And then it occurred to her and she shivered- If this was a medical facility, where were the rest of the patients? Besides her own rooms all she had seen where labs and offices. Had she been the only patient?
They had been too busy fighting to have a proper conversation or talk about looking for survivors on the station. But when they entered the tech labs Shepard and Jacob found a man called Wilson. He was a slight, balding man, and twitchy- even after Shepard gave him Medi-gel to heal his leg wound. She was immediately needled by his abrasive attitude.
"The station is lost" Wilson spat, "We're the only survivors- If we want to stay alive we have to get to the shuttle hangar now". Shepard sighed, exhausted.
"I agree with the first part. But no survivors?" she frowned, "We found you, didn't we? And I spoke to someone called Miranda over the intercom in the labs"
" Miranda!" exclaimed Jacob, " She's still alive? You should've mentioned this sooner, Shepard". She huffed in irritation but her thoughts at a possible retort were cut short by Wilson.
"Miranda? If she's not dead already she will be. Last I checked she's was in the crew quarters. There's an army of mechs between her and us- it'd be suicide. Besides, Shepard, who's Miranda to you, anyway?"
"You're right" she agreed, "I don't know her, I don't know any of you. But I need answers and from what I've gathered, Miranda was in charge here". Shepard waited for them to say they would split up and leave without her- she was prepared for it, no doubt there was more than one shuttle, or just as likely more than one way off a mammoth station like this. Wilson looked annoyed but said nothing. Jacob stared at her - the look of a soldier waiting to receive orders. She was instantly furious- did she have a tattoo on her forehead saying "please rely on my in a crisis".
"Okay" she said more resolutely than she felt, " For now let's just keep mo-" Shepard was cut off by the door on the far side of the room exploding and mechs pouring in. She fought them off with the help of Jacob and Wilson and moved into the next room, checking that all threats were neutralized.
Jacob grabbed her arm and stopped her after a few steps.
"Shepard, just wait. Things are getting pretty bad. Before we go any further there's something you need to know." Shepard waited for him to continue, Wilson fidgeted nervously,
"Shepard. The Lazarus Project, this station- It's funded and run by Cerberus. They're a-"
"I know who they" Shepard interrupted. Her stomach had turned to lead. How the hell had she gotten mixed up in this? She began to pace the room nervously.
"Do you think you could have this conversation another time? Maybe when we aren't about to get shot at? The more time we waste here the more likely the security mechs have over-run the shuttle bay". Jacob and Shepard stared at one another and she turned and nodded at Wilson. She would have to keep her questions to herself for now. But something about Wilson's nervous behavior and eagerness to abandon his colleagues piqued Shepard's suspicion. They crossed the room and she watched him hack the door control effortlessly.
Shepard, so distracted at worrying about Wilson was surprised when the doors opened to reveal a woman with her pistol raised. It happened quickly, she squeezed the trigger and Wilson got a bullet between the eyes. Shepard readied her weapon, only too late.
"Miranda!" cried Jacob, shocked "What the hell!?"
Miranda, she thought- the voice on the intercom. The woman just regarded her and Jacob indifferently.
"Wilson was a traitor" she said, "He's the one who hacked the security system and rigged the mechs". Shepard released a sigh and holstered her weapon.
"I knew something about him was off"
"Good instincts, Shepard, "Miranda observed, "Now let's get off this station. We have a lot to talk about"
