Chapter 4
HELEUS CLUSTER 634 Years later.
The Hyperion's medical VI had automatically started revival protocols as the ark had entered the system. The first to be woken were the med techs and doctors, Lexi among them, while the others woke the Captain, her bridge staff and various engineering teams it was her job to ready the Pathfinder team.
Alec had insisted on being woken first, she was still sipping her cup of tea as she passed him a mug of strong black coffee. His vitals were almost normal, much faster than anyone else, Lexi suspected that SAM had something to do with that.
"Thanks, how are my kids?"
"All readings are normal, their cryo pods are being moved to the med bay as we speak. The rest of the team as well."
Alec nodded gulping down more coffee, "Wake Cora and Alex first."
"Alex?" It made sense to get Cora on her feet next but the young asari?
"Sara will have a friendly face to wake up to." He hadn't missed his daughter's friendship with the asari. "I'm going to see Captain Dunn."
Lexi watched as he strode off then went to carry out his instructions.
Cora stretched, it literally felt like she'd had a nap Next to her T'Soni was sat with her head in her hands, Lexi had warned them that they could feel a little nauseous.
Lexi appeared carrying two cups, one coffee the other a stimulating asari brew.
"Doc, you're a lifesaver." said Cora accepting hers.
"Alex, drink this," the doctor knew it was more than just stasis sickness, nearly everyone Alex had known was hundreds of years dead. Gently she stroked the young asari's crest, "Drink, the Pathfinder wants you on your feet and I'm sure Sara will be pleased to see you." Hopefully reminding her of the mission would help her focus. Later she could find somewhere quiet to grieve.
Cora studied the two asari over the rim of her coffee cup, she was aware that they were friends but this was something else. Ryder still owed her that explanation.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Sara sat up, "We made it."
"Sara Ryder Recon Specialist Pathfinder team," said one of the med techs reading that info off his data pad.
"Can you find somewhere sunny with a tropical beach?" asked the other. They helped her up and led her to another bigger room. On the beds around her she could see some of the marines that were assigned to them, directly across from her was Liam Kosta one of the other mission specialists, they'd been introduced on the way to the cryo pods. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to not meet and train with them before leaving.
"Hey." The voice brought her out of her musings.
"Alex!"
"I know you like my coffee." Ignoring the offered beverage Sara stood up and hugged her friend.
A moment later Lexi came over to scan her newest patient, only Scott was still to be revived then the whole Pathfinder team would be ready.
"Let's check your implants," said Lexi, "SAM are you on line?"
SAM. "Yes Dr T'Perro."
"If everything works as advertised then SAM should see what see." Lexi was the only one who knew that the Ryder twins implants were different from the rest of the team and at the last minute Alec had also instructed her to give Alex the same type because what Cerberus had done to her made her compatible.
In fact Lexi was beginning to suspect that the control chip that Cerberus had planned to use was more likely to be some sort of VI program. She was more thankful than ever that she had been rescued from that lab, otherwise Cerberus would have had a deadly weapon and the Pathfinder team would have been down an N7. The young asari had adapted quickly to SAM.
Suddenly the lights flickered and the ship shuddered, Alex landed on the floor as the gravity failed. Instinctively she kept hold of Sara, looking around she noticed Kosta spinning in a circle.
"This is Cora, I'm headed towards the med bay. Brace for a hard reset." Lt Harper floated in through the door to the console. Everyone and everything hit the floor as gravity was restored.
"Oof!" coughed Sara.
"Everyone okay?" asked Cora, helping Lexi up first.
"Shouldn't you take me to dinner first?" teased Sara as Alex carefully pushed herself up off the 22 year old human. The asari cleared her throat then held out her hand.
"We have a problem over here." Dr Carlyle was stood by a cryo pod that had slid across the med bay.
Immediately Lexi hurried over.
"It's Scott Ryder."
"No!" gasped Sara, rushing to her brother. "Is he going to be okay?" Alex followed in case her friend needed her.
"His vitals are stable," replied Lexi, "We'll put him in a low level coma so his body can recover."
"Sara, he'll be fine," said Cora.
"Harper, Ryders and T'Soni, report to the bridge."
Sara looked away from her brother's pod as her father's voice came over the ship's comm.
"I'll tell him," offered Lexi.
"Thanks."
"Come let's go," said Cora.
"He'd better be fine," said Sara quietly, "I can't loose him Alex."
"You heard Lexi," said Alex resting her hand against the human's back, "They know how to treat him." She really hoped Scott would pull through, she wouldn't wish the pain of losing a sibling on anyone.
Arriving at the bridge they got their first look at what they had hit.
"What is that?"
Alex stared out of the window at the black and orange energy cloud. Chasing Saren she had seen a lot but nothing like this. She tuned in to the conversation between Ryder Sn and Dunn.
"….energy cloud and that's just a guess as to what we hit."
"The protocol is clear," returned Alec, "With no communication with the Nexus we head to our appointed golden world."
"She's the Skipper, I think she has the final word," muttered Sara, not noticing Alex's reaction to the word Skipper.
"It's not about the last word," said Alec turning to look at his daughter.
"No sir."
"I have 20000 souls asleep on this ship. I need to stop the bleeding."
Alec glanced from her to the display, "If we're lucky that is New Earth down there."
The Captain sighed, "Okay."
"Harper spin up two shuttles. Planet fall in thirty."
"Yes sir."
Sara led the way to the armory. The marines were already there suiting up.
Cora was the first ready and watched as Alex checked over Sara's armor. The younger Ryder wasn't used to wearing it. T'Soni had definitely commanded troops before. When Ryder Sn had told her about the asari she hadn't expected her to be so young, her best friend Janae from Talein's Daughters, the commando unit she had served with was 200 hundred and Alex was younger. She was sure of it. As soon as they were back on the Hyperion she was going to talk to the Pathfinder and this time she wasn't going to take no or it's classified for an answer. For the team to be an effective unit she needed to know who had her back.
Alec Ryder was waiting at the shuttles, he walked over to his daughter, "Scott's strong."
"I know, we made a bet on who's boots would hit dirt first, this isn't how I wanted to win."
"Your mother would be proud of you." Alec nodded to Sara before climbing into the doorway of Shuttle 1.
"I picked each and everyone of you because you're dreamers like me. You see the edge of the map and want to find out what's beyond. Let's go and make history!"
AAAAAAAAAAAAA
The shuttle ride gave them a better view of the dark energy cloud as they flew towards the planet.
Alex half listened to Liam talking to Sara and half to Fisher and Kirkland who were piloting Shuttle 2. It was getting bumpy as they hit the atmosphere.
"Keep it tight, Shuttle 2."
"The mountains are floating!" Liam had a strong English accent.
"Whoa!" exclaimed Sara spotting a structure on the rocky planets surface. "That wasn't there 600 years ago."
Lightning flashed around one of the floating rocks they were passing.
SAM "I am detecting a spike in…..." The rest was lost as lighting hit the shuttle slamming Alex into the bulkhead behind her, Sara had grabbed hold of the handle by the door.
"Mayday!"
Another jolt made sparks shoot out of the control panel followed by an explosion that ripped the door off.
"LIAM!"
Alex snapped her head around to see Sara trying to reach the man who was hanging on with one hand. If she got any closer to the door she'd be pulled out. Alex didn't like that thought one bit, she stretched out her hand, blue biotic energy swirling around it but before she could pull him in the worst jolt yet made him lose his grip. Sara was sucked out too.
"NOOOO!" Alex had lost too many people already. She wasn't losing any more. She glowed blue with a biotic barrier and launched herself out of the burning hole after her friend.
TBC…
A/N. Hi guys, thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy :) To all the new follows happy bouncing. Please review. Have fun. T-Rex :)
