Chapter 2: Rebirth and Revival
I heard voices, it was as though I was coming out of a long deep hole…(ugh great, nice metaphor from me) I found myself lying on…a very hard table. I opened my eyes but my sight was all blurry in fright I tried to sit up, something was wrong. I could feel a burning painful sensation all over my body and I felt someone holding my hand down. After what seemed like an eternity of burning I could feel the pain fade away and I sunk once again into darkness, I could only make out something about tests and two names: Wilson and Miranda.
"Wake up Commander" I heard a voice crawl its way into my dreams about my travels on the Normandy. I responded by turning over, hopefully I'd go back to that dream.
"Shepard, get off of that bed now, this station is under attack" the voice sounded pissed off, like it'd been trying to wake me for an hour.
"Mmmm, Mom I don't wanna go to school today…ten more minutes" I shifted to a more comfortable position on my side
A sigh then "WAKE UP SHEPARD!" the voice shouted. This startled me enough to make me fall off of the medical table and hit the injured side of my body. Owww that hurt, I sat up and winced as a large amount of pain exploded in my ribs.
A soft sound, as though someone was clearing their throat could be heard over the room's intercom. I looked around, 'where's little dog, Toto and the munchkins from Lollypop Lane when I need them?' I thought with a grim smile as I stood slowly.
"I know your scars aren't fully healed yet, but I need you to grab the armour and pistol from the locker" The voice said calmly. I listened carefully, I could hear gunshots and explosions in the corridor past the door. I moved carefully to the locker, wincing a little as some of my muscles clenched and shook as I put the armour on.
I was a little surprised to find the old N7 logo on my right breast, but the armour had changed from my old one. It was a lot more…sleek? clingy? I then noticed I was a lot more curvier than I remember being.
"Shepard…" the voice came over again sounding frustrated "this isn't the time to be admiring yourself, you can do that later, once we've all gotten off the station…alive preferably"
"Whoops, sorry" I felt my cheeks flare "what do you need me to do, the gun doesn't have a thermal clip in it?"
"We'll get you one later, hurry and screen yourself from the blast" the voice ordered
I ducked behind a metal fence just in time as a gas canister blew itself and pieces of metal shrapnel flew over my head. I came out behind cover and looked at the fence that was my cover, my stomach lurched a little at the large burn marks and metal pieces sticking out of it.
'And that could've been me…again' I thought.
I moved swiftly through the door, finding a clip on the body lying on the floor, I picked it up and loaded it into the pistol. Then on some sheer whim I rolled the body over, the face was unidentifiable but the logo on his shirt…now that was familiar 'where have I seen you before?' I wondered before heading through the second set of doors, leaping over the barricade and running face to face with a LOKI Mech.
I ducked behind a large metal box, cocked the pistol and fired at the Mech's head and upper torso. A few shots and I realised that I could recalibrate the gun to change the ammunition type to Disruptor ammo. "Why". Shot "Doesn't". Shot "Anyone". Shot "Tell me these things sooner?" I grumbled to myself as the Mech finally went down.
I sighed in relief as I made my way up the stairs, hacking some accounts here and breaking into some safes there. I looked at some of the logs on my way and found that the voice that's been speaking to me was the same person in these logs, what was her name? ah Miranda.
I found others from a guy that sounded a bit suspicious, like a guy on a power trip. After I heard the first one I pretty much ignored the rest and made my way down the corridor. Along the way I noticed that among the hacked LOKI Mechs there was a Y-MIR Mech as well, I stared in horror as it mowed down people on the opposite side of the self repairing glass. Their blood spraying across the glass as the huge Mech fired machine gun rounds into them. I fired a few shots into the glass but it was no use and so with a heavy heart I moved on.
"What the…?" I said just as Miranda's transmission cut out and I moved through another set of doors, I ducked behind a barricade of self repairing glass and watched as a dark skinned man launched biotics and shots alike at the Mechs on the opposite side of a chasm.
'Should I? or shouldn't I?' I debated with myself, before popping the heat sink in the pistol and letting loose on the Mechs. I alternated between my limited biotics and pistol, watching with satisfaction when one Mech bounced off of the floor and fell straight into the chasm.
During the brief moment of peace I darted to where the dark skinned man was crouched behind the barricade.
"Shepard, what're you doing up?…no...no, I know better than to complain right now" He sounded a little breathless to me, and he did look tired. It made me wonder how long he'd been fighting these Mechs for.
"The name's Jacob, I'm head of security around here, though I usually don't fire my gun unless it's target practice"
"I know this isn't the best time but I'm sick of stumbling around when I don't know what's going on"
"Fair enough" He agreed "I'll give you the quick version, the Normandy was destroyed and took you with it, you were was dead as dead can be. They spent two years rebuilding you Commander. Welcome back to your life"
Two years…? My head spun with the questions, there was so many things I wanted to ask but I resigned myself to asking about the crew. Just as I was speaking my question the next wave of Mechs came in, one firing a lucky shot that nearly hit Jacob's head, but instead ricochet off of the railing instead.
"Dammit, look I'll cut you a deal, help me get rid of these Mechs and I'll play twenty questions with you all afternoon" I nodded my agreement and returned fire, damn! Jacob's biotic skills were useful in a pinch that was for sure. I could only pretty much slam enemies to the ground with next to lethal force, that would be something I had to work on.
After the Mechs were destroyed I turned back to Jacob, he informed me that most of the crew survived, especially the non human personnel. Unfortunately Pressley didn't make it, he really started to grow on me when we stole the Normandy and he couldn't stop bouncing around in excitement. When Jacob mentioned the Lazarus Project I paused, I wondered what the scientists had done to me. I questioned Jacob as to whether I was a clone but he confirmed that wasn't the case and that "they wanted to bring me back exactly as I was". I made a mental note to get myself checked out or to ask Miranda as to just what they did put in me.
"Check, check…anyone one this frequency?" a voice came over the com, a man's voice this time
"Wilson, Wilson is that you? Where are you?" I glanced at Jacob as the name clicked in my mind
"Server room B, hurry the Mechs are out of control!" Wilson's voice clicked out
"I think I remember a 'Wilson' checking on me one time when I woke up" I mused
"That was him, he answers directly to Miranda"
"We should get moving and find him then" I started towards the doors
"Right behind you Commander" Jacob responded