The station was... Suspicious, to say the least. At least in Alex's opinion, considering everyone seemed rather cheerful even though the countdown to Armageddon clock said the Reapers were only two and a half days away. When he questioned Kenson about this she simply stated that they were all happy to be going home now that the project was coming to a close.
Bullshit. Was Alex's immediate thought on the matter.
Something about this was wrong, Alex may have been a paranoid person but this was way beyond simple irrational suspicions. A sense of foreboding hung in the air as they entered the chamber which contained the Reaper Relic. A massive black metal device emanating pulses of blue energy every few minutes.
"So you just leave it sitting out here in the open?" Alex questioned, still in batarian form.
"Everything is okay don't worry Therok," Kenson smiled and patted him on the back, "We'll start up the project in a moment, you just need to see the vision..."
"The vis-" Alex was cut off as a massive pulse from the artifact rocked the chamber, only problem was he was the only person feeling the tremor. Images began flashing through his mind similar to how memories did after consumption. He saw the Milky Way Galaxy from afar, seemingly peaceful until it closed in on their current system.
Hundreds, thousands, no maybe even millions of ships were were moving in from the darkness that existed beyond their galaxy. Each massive in size, though some were indefinitely smaller than the rest, and all shaped just like the images of Sovereign he'd recovered from Liara's mind. And then the images turned to planets burning, people screaming! Horrible chaotic madness as the Reapers destroyed all that stood before them, showing humans being turned into those zombie-like husks.
And then it attacked.
Cringing in pain Alex stumbled back, a feeling of red hot spear burning into his skull. Something was attacking the Wed of Intrigue and trying to claim it, digging into his memories and other peoples memories as this thing tried to infest his mind with visions of rapture brought on by the Reapers. He now understood how the science team had been overtaken by this thing, their feeble minds would be no match for this kind of power.
But Alex Mercer would have none of that shit, gritting his teeth his fired back with the voices of a million dead men and women, striking back at the Reaper trying to indoctrinate him. His response was a grating metal shriek of what might have been pain as his mind slammed into a wall of steel surrounding a dense almost incomprehensible network of information and consensus.
And then it was gone.
Whatever had been attacking Alex Mercer's mind pulled back once it knew that he couldn't be claimed so easily. Seeing that the threat was gone Alex Mercer decided it was time to deal with these traitors, so he opened his eyes.
Only to realize he was laying flat on his back staring down a gun barrel.
"I don't know how you did it you bastard... But you've destroyed the artifact!" Kenson shouted furiously from the other end of the kessler pistol.
Looking to the right Alex saw what she was talking about, the Reaper Artifact was nothing but smoking rubble as the many guards and indoctrinated scientists tried to pick up the pieces.
"You will die for what you have done!" Kenson hissed, "You have taken their voices from me from all of us!"
"You're out of your mind," Alex narrowed his four eyes at her as he slowly stood up, "The Reapers need to be stopped, whether you like it or not I'm starting up the project."
"NO!" Everyone in the room shouted simultaneously as they drew their weapons on him.
"We cannot allow you to do that Therok," Kenson grinned wickedly, "The Reapers must arrive, they must help us all ascend to greatness!"
Alex sighed shaking his head, "Two things... First," he lashed out with incredibly speed, smacking the gun out of her hand and snapping her wrist like a twig, making the good doctor stumble back screaming in agony, "You're out of your god damn mind if you think I'm going to let that happen... And second-"
"OPEN FIRE!" Kenson ordered through the pain as she limped away holding her wrist while the guards in the room pulled their triggers.
Goddammit. Alex mentally sighed.
Hundreds of sand grain sized bullets ripped through his body rather easily but he hadn't done much to try stopping them. Once their clips were empty and Mercer's body stood full of holes and bleeding he smirked wickedly, "And second... I'm not Therok." His body morphed, regenerating in the process as he turned back into the hooded figure of Alex Mercer.
"I-Impossible he can't have survived that!" One man shouted as they fumbled to reload their guns.
"Oh really?" Alex chuckled darkly as armor formed over his body and his hands changed to jagged razor claws, "Well... Here I am, still alive... You gentlemen on the other hand..." He moved with lightning speed, his claws rending both armor and flesh asunder as he tore into them leaving nothing but blood and disembodied limbs behind.
Those that did survive his attack laid writhing in agony with their fallen comrades while Alex simply turned and headed for project control station. He wasn't exactly sure how this worked so he winged it.
"Project Control... Uh, start the project?"
"Please specify course of action." A robotic voice responded.
A VI, good. Alex looked up at the screen, "I would like to start the project," This should be simple enough... Just start the engines and get the hell out of here, "Start all thrusters."
"Please confirm, the batarian colony in this system has not fully evacuated," The VI replied, "Starting the project now will result in approximately 109,291 batarian deaths."
Alex looked at the screen as his armor and claws melted away, his mind racked with indecision. If he did this now he could get back to the Brokers Ship even sooner than expected, but it would mean that he was sacrificing thousands of lives... All because he was impatient?
"I... I guess I can wait," He sighed, "The Reapers won't be here for another two days anyways."
"Yes sir. Halting Project Activation."
Alex nodded, "Good, now send word to my shuttle to land at the station." He ordered, hoping it was still waiting for him somewhere in the system.
"Your shuttle is no longer available, as it has been taken by batarian forces." The VI replied.
"God dammit," Alex cursed, "Fine I'll take one of the shuttles from here..."
"This route is also unavailable, as all shuttles have been damaged by the asteroid fields debris."
"You've got to be kidding it," Alex pinched the bridge of his nose, "Fine, put me through to this number."
"Of course sir."
"You've got a call coming in on encrypted channels sir," The Communications monitor said from her post near the Admirals seat, "Should I patch it through?"
"Hmm... I'll take the call in my quarters," Hackett replied and got up, heading to the elevator and from their to his own room where he activated the terminal, "This is Admiral Hackett may I ask who is calling me on an encrypted channel?"
"Evening Admiral," The voice sounded impatient and annoyed, "You don't know me but you know my boss the Shadow Broker, I'm the one he sent on that little errand to retrieve your friend."
Hackett narrowed his eyes, "Has something gone wrong with the mission?"
"Oh no no everything's fine," His voice thick with sarcasm, "Just two things, your friend and her pals have been indoctrinated and the Reapers will be here in two days!"
The old Admiral nearly fell off his feet, "T-Two days? Indoctrinated?"
"That's right," He replied calmly, "I can stop it, once the batarian colony has been evacuated I'm going to send this asteroid in the Mass Relay and destroy it... That should stop them for a few months hopefully... But I don't plan on going down with the ship so I need you to get me a ride out of here."
"A ride?" Hackett repeated, "How do you expect me to-"
"I don't care how you do it just do it," The impatient man cut him off quickly, "I gotta go make sure that crazy Kenson doesn't sabotage the thrusters, I'm sending the coordinates. Do. Not. Screw. Me. Hacket!" he said the final part with such force before disconnecting.
Hackett stood there for a moment in thought, wondering how he might get a shuttle to the agents position. He couldn't send anyone from the military or it might be discovered what he was up to...
"Although... Perhaps she..." He muttered softly as he thought it over and made his decision, "Get me a line the Normandy." He ordered his communication specialist through the comms.
It had only been a few hours since making it back from their mission when the Commander received a call on her private line. Taking it in her quarters she headed up the elevator and into her room.
"Evening Shepard," Garrus greeted smugly, "Thought you might want to celebrate a mission accomplished," He chuckled holding up another bottle of wine, "This one might belong to Kasumi but I'm sure she won't mind."
Shepard rolled her eyes with a smirk, "Not now Garrus, I've got a private call coming in from Hackett."
"The admiral? Probably just to congratulate you on a job well done." Garrus shrugged.
"I highly doubt he's even heard about it yet," Shepard shook her head and opened the link, "Admiral Hackett you needed to speak with me?"
"That's right," The old man nodded as his face appeared on the large screen, "I have a special task for you that I need done immediately."
"What have you got for me sir?" Shepard asked curiously.
"Just over a day ago I sent an agent of the Shadow Broker into batarian space to find a friend of mine that got captured while doing important research on a Reaper Artifact."
"You hired the Shadow Brokers help sir?" Shepard questioned surprised.
"I needed it done fast and efficiently, I would have sent you but reports said you'd already gone through the Omega 4 Relay." Hackett explained, "Anyways, he found her, and learned that the Reapers will be arriving in two days."
"TWO DAYS!?" Both Shepard and Garrus exclaimed in shock.
"That's right," Hackett nodded grimly, "However we have a chance to slow their advance, the Project was planning to send a massive asteroid into the Mass Relay in that system to destroy it, however upon arrival at the station my agent was attacked."
"By who?" Garrus questioned crossing his arms.
"Kenson and her team were indoctrinated by the artifact," Hackett sighed, "My agent says he can start the project but he needs a ride out of there once it's done, the Normandy is fast enough and discrete enough to get this done quickly... This man has put a lot on the line here I'd hate to let him die on that rock Shepard... Can you get it done?"
"Yes sir of course." Shepard nodded respectfully.
"Good, once he's aboard your ship head to the Arcturus Station and I'll meet you to debrief him," Hackett added, "I'm sure you'll wanna hear everything about this as well, Hackett out." And just like that the line was cut.
Shepard looked at Garrus who simply nodded, "Let's go get him out of there."
"Computer set the Project activation to begin in three hours." Alex ordered, "That should be more than enough time for me to get out of here... Hopefully."
"Of course sir project activation clock set." And so the countdown began.
Stepping back from the terminal Alex decided it was time to go find Kenson, and make her pay for backstabbing him. He took off down the hall she'd fled through after her wrist was broken and began the search. The long bloody search...
Every guard he came across was killed swiftly, he avoided consuming them for fear that the corruption in their minds might effect him. He already had enough crazy voices in his mind he didn't need to add the Reapers to that list.
"We've located the hostile!" Someone called out making Alex's head snap around to a nearby window, "Sealing him off in Maintenance Hall 293!"
Heavy two foot steel doors closed down on all the entrances and windows. Trapping Alex entirely inside the small rhall.
"Hostile has been contained bring reinforcements to terminate him." Alex heard the voice say.
"I don't know what you are but you cannot stop the Reapers!" Kenson's voice rang over the intercom in Alex's new prison.
Alex narrowed his eyes sharply, "You think you can stop me? I'm going to kill you Kenson and then I'm going to stop the Reapers."
"So you say monster, but until I'm dead you will never succeed!"
Alex smirked, his hands morphing into the thick studded hammerfists.
"Then I guess I'll see you soon doc."
