Liara
"Exactly how much research have you done on the Protheans, Dr. T'Soni?" the human male asked, leaning forward in his seat, his brown eyes showing intelligence…and a history of pain. Are all humans so transparent?
"Easy, Alenko." the commander warned. "This is a Q&A session for our own edification, not an interrogation."
The center of Alenko's brow creased and I assumed the gesture bespoke frustration.
"It is quite all right." I spoke, attempting to ameliorate what might become an unpleasant situation. "The…" I stumbled as I looked at his uniform, unable to discern his rank.
"Lieutant Kaidan Alenko, doctor." he smiled, and I felt as though I had done something right.
"Lieutenant Alenko is perfectly within his rights to question my qualifications, commander." I addressed Shepard, feeling that her curtailing of his behavior was for my comfort, not because she did not desire the same answers. I turned back to the lieutenant. "I have a doctorate in cultural studies, anthropology, and archaeology, and I have focused solely on the Protheans for the last fifty years."
"Fifty years?" the lieutenant sat quickly back in his seat, whistling low between his lips.
"How old are you, Dr. T'Soni?" the commander asked, and I could feel the chill of her eyes on me. Something about their color, I supposed…it did not warm.
"You…you did not find that out when you pulled my communication records?" I asked, attempting to buy time before I had to disgrace myself before her crew...and reveal my youth.
"I did what I had to do, Dr. T'Soni…much as I'd like to take you at face value, that's not the game the galaxy plays." Shepard replied, her voice low…seeming almost hurt, but not offended. "I only looked where I needed to. Nowhere else."
I bit the edge of my lip, wondering if I should lie, to manipulate the situation in my favor, as Benezia surely would have me do. But, I looked at the commander's face, attempting to sense any form of deceit, any machinations…and finding none.
Return honesty for honesty…is that safe?
My cheeks burned again. "It shames me to say this, commander, but I am only one hundred and six."
"Damn." Williams spoke. "I heard the asari aged gracefully but…damn. What's your secret, doc?"
I clenched my hands into fists and lowered my head, afraid that any hope I had of gaining their respect had departed.
The krogan grunted, and a smile played over his features. "They're human, blue." he spoke in the low, guttural voice ubiquitous to his kind. "Kind of shocks 'em a little bit, hearin' 'bout species that live longer, narrow minds and all that." he looked at Williams, who seemed offended, then to Shepard, who wore a smirk. "A hundred and six may sound old, but to my kind, and her own, she's barely a kid."
Kid…that isn't a krogan term. Human perhaps? Yet another item to add to my list of idioms to research…my head hurts.
"That notwithstanding," I shot the krogan a glare and beseeched the commander, "I am quite knowledgeable in my chosen field…though many of my theories have been disregarded due to my age, they are not lacking in validity I can assure you."
"We're grasping at straws here, Dr. T'Soni." Shepard spread her hands and my head continued spinning with the barrage of new linguistic nuances. "Anything you tell us will be helpful."
I took a deep breath and launched into the realm of my expertise, hoping that the commander spoke true, and that my help would warrant theirs in return.
"Fifty thousand years ago, the Protheans disappeared from the galaxy. Over time, and the various wars, much of their research was forgotten, though enough remained to…well…I'm certain you are aware."
Kaiden grinned. "It's no secret that the Prothean tech found on Mars put humanity on the galactic map."
"Perhaps the worst mistake they could have made." Garrus purred, and I knew from his inflection that he jested, but Williams glared at him with nothing less than fury. The commander, however, showed no sign of taking either side, or entering the unspoken fray. Instead, she focused on me.
"What's your theory, Dr. T'Soni?" she asked. "I've compiled one myself, but I would appreciate your take on the matter." her words were non-confrontational, but they slashed at my pride.
"With all respect, commander, I have studied in this field for longer than you have been alive." I did not mean to snap, but my words were clipped and harsher than I intended. However, I pressed forward. "I have heard every theory proposed, and though mine has been laughed out of academic journals and even face to face conversations with my colleagues, I can assure you that it is correct. I have traversed the galaxy, attaining every piece of information left available…for such an advanced race, the Protheans left almost nothing behind…almost as if whatever made them disappear eradicated all evidence of their existence."
"It does seem somewhat odd, I won't deny." the commander nodded.
"Like a criminal sanitizing the scene." Garrus summarized, and I wondered if his background were not military, but law enforcement.
"Regardless," I asserted myself back into the conversation, though it made me uncomfortable to do so, "there are hints that they were not the first highly advanced species to disappear in such a manner. Their records, though fragmented, indicate that this form of…mass disappearance has occurred before. It moves in cycles, commander…and this is not the first time it has happened, or been discovered."
"Who came before the Protheans?" Shepard asked, and I pursed my lips.
"I do not know." I unclenched my fists. "There is simply not enough evidence, hence the derision I have faced in my short career. But I know, commander, beyond doubt, that I am right. The evidence, if anecdotal and subverted, is there."
"Sounds like a great galactic conspiracy theory to me, Shepard." Williams crossed her arms and sat back in her seat. "I wouldn't buy into it."
"Anybody have a better idea?" Shepard asked, and no one answered. "I thought not. I'm more willing to trust the theory of an experienced researcher than a cricket chorus any day. Go on, please, doctor."
Cricket chorus? What in the goddess' name is a cricket?
"The galaxy exists in a cycle of extinction." I continued. "The advances made by the Protheans, upon which your species," I glanced at the commander, cleared my throat, and moved forward, "all species, have built their cultures, the Mass Relays, the Citadel…all of these advances were not engineered by the Protheans, merely founded on the technology of a race that came before. And that race made the same advances based on the culture before them."
"Human history the galaxy over." Shepard mused. "Persia beaten back by Greece, Greece conquered by Rome…absorbing and augmenting the characteristics of their own culture with things learned from the other."
"I…I think so." I shook my head, knowing little to nothing of Earth's history, only that it was strewn with conflict and war.
"Whatever the case," Kaiden steered us back to the original topic, "the Protheans are gone."
"Yes." I admitted. "And though I have no idea why, I have dedicated my life to discovering it. We cannot move forward unless we know the mistakes made by those who came before."
"I can help you, Dr. T'Soni." Shepard said, jolting me out of my thoughts. "The Protheans were extinguished by a race of sentient machines…the Reapers."
How…how do you know this? Or are you…are you toying with me? There is no way possible that she knows more of the Protheans than I…but the confidence with which she speaks. I do not believe her to be lying.
"Reapers?" I asked. "I…I have never come across this term. How…how do you know this, what is the basis of your theory?"
"Before we launched on this strange little mission of ours," Shepard spoke. "I was sent to Eden Prime to investigate a Prothean beacon left behind there. There was an…an incident. Some sort of information transfer took place…stamped a damn vision in my brain. I've been trying to sort it out, but it's all chaos."
My heart began to race as I looked at this woman in an entirely new light. My research had revealed that the Protheans had a way of transferring information from mind to mind, much in the same way as an asari mind meld. Their beacons could store this information and transfer it to any who connected with it. And I could only assume, due to the control and strength necessary to meld, that the Protheans were much the same way. Humans had no such abilities…to transfer information like that, so suddenly and with no preparation…it would be so invasive…and painful.
"You were touched by working Prothean technology?" I asked, amazed. "How…how are you…how did you survive? Forgive me, commander, but your neurosystem is not equipped to handle that level of…psychic bombardment."
"I didn't say I did it on purpose." she rubbed the back of her neck. "There are snapshots…pictures…smells and sounds. All I know is that destruction came…and its name was Reaper. At least, that's what the Protheans called them. Seems as good a name as any."
"This is fascinating." I rose from my seat before I could remember my control. "If the images from the beacon truly did imprint on your brain, then surely they can be researched anew, perhaps a sense of coherency from the vision can be gathered. Commander, I realize this is highly unprecedented, but perhaps if we were to meld then I could help you translate what you've seen."
Williams looked at Kaidan. "Scalpel." she quipped, and the lieutenant laughed.
"You want to dissect my brain, doc?" Shepard asked, that mysterious smirk on her lips.
"N…no." I stuttered, realizing I must look the fool. "I simply want to…" invade your mind, link our consciousness, and discover more about the Protheans than anyone has previously uncovered. Goddess…I must sound ridiculous…and humans know so little of asari and their melds…did I just proposition the commander?
"I simply want to help you, in any way I can." I nodded, hoping that I could recover from this slip.
"Any way?" Kaidan asked, and my cheeks flushed purple with shame. My offer had indeed been misconstrued as something…perverse.
"LT!" Shepard barked. "Neither time nor place! Excuse my subordinate, Dr. T'Soni…but you'll forgive me if my knowledge on the asari is slightly lacking. Please elaborate."
"It…it would be a simple exchange of information, commander." I offered. "I would…I would link my mind with yours and you would show me the memories of the vision. My expertise might elucidate what you cannot piece together."
"Nothing…intimate?" she asked, and I felt flustered as her eyes chilled my skin once more.
"No." I offered, weak.
I have not melded with anyone…save my mother…and even then, those were far different melds than the one I am proposing. I do not know if I could even…but I have to try!
"I don't like it, skipper." Williams rose. "Who knows what she could do to you in there? They link minds and nervous systems...who's to say there's no chance of subliminal messaging, or even outright mind control? I don't care if her communication records were clear, you are vital to this mission and shouldn't take this risk."
Shepard's brow pinched and she looked from me to Williams, then to Kaidan. She read something in their eyes or their body language and sighed. "I am afraid I am going to have to refuse your offer, Dr. T'Soni." she spoke, and I watched as Williams and Alenko visibly relaxed. "I have to make a report to the council and inform them that you," she looked at me, "are safe, and of what we've uncovered. Dr. T'Soni, if you would return to the medbay and wait for me there, I'll join you shortly and see to your accommodations while on board. Crew, dismissed!"
Everyone rose and Shepard left the room, leaving me confused. She had not seemed averse to the notion of a meld, but something her squad had said deterred her. I did wish to help, and not only because I needed them to find Benezia…but now, because there was more information on the Protheans than I previously thought existed, and I had to know.
Insatiable curiosity had ever been my downfall…or so Benezia told me. Perhaps she was right. After all, it was why I had nearly perished in a volcanic eruption on Therum…and now it would be why I would attempt to convince an alliance officer, a human, and a council SPECTRE…to meld with me.
