Chapter 10: Diverging Paths
"Cold, dark sea...
Wrapping its arms around me.
Pulling me down to the deep,
All eyes on me..."
Shepard watched as Isaac and Garrus approached the end of the hall… they hadn't seen where she and Tali were going. The necromorph was pounding down behind them, the whole floor shaking and reverberating with its screams of anguish and frustration. Stopping dead in their tracks, Clarke and Garrus turned simultaneously as Shepard screamed their names. But it was too late. The gunship destroyed the glass window, pulling the human and turian into space. She met their eyes for a split second, becoming numb and cold as the scene unfolded. It happened all too quickly, but in slow motion at the same time. Tali was grabbing at her shoulder… calling her name…
"SHEPARD! LET'S GO!" It broke her reverie. Turning and meeting the quarian's masked face, reality seemed to set back in. Shepard grabbed at Tali's suit and they made a run through the emergency exit door, slamming it shut, and making their way down the following corridor. The noises emanating from outside were frightening. Was that… an explosion?
Reaching the end, the two entered a maintenance room and shut the door, sealing it. Tali leaned against the wall, trying to catch her breath. The familiar cold sensation settled in Shepard's gut as she pressed her back up against an old locker. Isaac… Garrus… Garrus… This can't be happening… No… It can't…
Her body began to tremble as a tumult of emotions coursed through her. She clenched her hands, desperately fighting tears that were stinging her eyes. "Fuck… FUCK!" Slamming her fist into the locker, her shoulders sagged. Tali stepped closer. Her voice quivered as she spoke, "They may still be alive, Shepard. Garrus wouldn't go down so easily… and Isaac…"
The commander gritted her teeth and took a breath, squaring her shoulders. "Let me try to contact them." Her voice was steady, much to her surprise. She opened a channel and spoke, "Garrus? Garrus, come in. It's Shepard." A loud, pop resonated as static filled the air. "Shit..." Switching to another, Shepard tried Isaac, only to receive the same response. The room was quiet as Shepard studied the floor, feeling Tali's eyes on her. They can't be gone… They can't…
Finally looking up, she put a hand on the quarian's shoulder. "They're alive. I refuse to believe otherwise. If they stick together and cooperate… they'll make it. I will try contacting them soon, but in the meantime, we have to continue the mission. People are still being killed and changed into these monsters…" Shepard looked down. "They knew the risks… but I had a horrible feeling as soon as we stepped foot in this Hell hole. I should've stayed far away from this place…"
Tali shook her head vehemently. "We couldn't ignore such a distress call! People are dying, Shepard. This is a living nightmare for all involved. It's a plague… and if it were to spread to the rest of the galaxy? No, it has to be stopped at all costs. And if anyone can do it..." She looked at Shepard squarely in the face. "It's you."
The commander's chest swelled slightly with pride. The trust people saw in her was utterly rewarding, but terrifying at the same time. "I appreciate that, Tali. You're right; this needs to be finished, no matter what."
Shepard reloaded her guns and contacted Joker. She swallowed past the lump in her throat as she relayed the events that transpired. For once, the pilot was silent, listening to the tale as it was told. As she finished, the edge to Joker's voice spoke of the rage he was feeling. "Let me try to find their locations, commander. They're not dead… They're not! I will hunt those bastards down! Stay on the channel, I won't be long. Please be careful… Joker out."
Tali watched as Shepard looked at her. "I don't know where to go without Isaac… He seemed to be knowledgeable about the situation. And to be honest, I have no idea what to do." She felt her blood begin to boil. "For once, I don't have an answer. No damn solution… no leads. We're in over our heads, Tali."
The quarian sighed. "I know. We know very little about this necromorph disease, or the Red Marker."
The Red Marker.
Shepard stared; the relic that resembled the Prothean Beacon. The object they found on Aegis Vll those few years ago. Clarke suffering from its grip, the unexplainable transformations. All of these events followed its founding…
"Tali… Do –do you think it's possible that the Marker is responsible for all that is happening here?"
She cocked her head. "It would be a logical explanation, now that you mention it. In fact…" Shepard could see her eyes intensify behind the mask. "That has to be it! I knew something strange was revolving around the Marker ever since we saw the ads in the store. Plus the fact that there is a religion based solely on its existence?! Isaac has talked about it nonstop… Shepard, this is it! To decimate the necromorphs, we have to stop it at its source; the Marker."
A sadistic grin flashed across Shepard's face as Tali's words fell into place. She cracked her knuckles in anxious excitement. "Then we find this goddamn Marker and destroy it." Hailing Joker once more, Shepard could feel the adrenaline kicking in.
"Commander. What's up?"
"Joker, I need a map of the station immediately. I need to know the names of the sectors."
"Uh, sure thing. But I'm afraid to ask; what do you need them for?"
"Tali and I think we know how to stop this nightmare. We're looking for a relic known as the Red Marker that is hidden on this station. I need a clue as to where we can find it. Hurry."
"I gotcha, I gotcha. Give me a minute."
Shepard glanced at Tali and gave a reassuring nod. She returned in kind as Joker's voice flooded back through the comm. "The Sprawl is broken into two major sectors; Public and Government.
You guys are in the Public sector, right below the Cassini Tower apartment complex…"
"Did you say "Government"? That has to be it. What are the subsectors?!"
Tali couldn't suppress a grin as Shepard cut Joker off.
"Riiiight. I see a shuttle port, "Earthgov" offices, and research labs."
Tali met Shepard's intense gaze. "Commander, the research labs… That's our best bet. If it's not being hidden there, then I don't know. It's the only lead we have."
Nodding, Shepard responded to Joker, "Good work. Tali and I are going to the research labs to find answers."
"Sounds good, Commander." Silence, then Joker said softly, "If I pick up any signal on Garrus or Clarke, you'll be the first to know."
At the sound of the turian's name, Shepard's heart clenched. "Thank you… I'll be waiting. Shepard out."
After receiving the coordinates, Shepard and Tali began their journey to the Government sector. Delving deeper into the bowels of Hell, Shepard silently wished safety for Garrus and Isaac.
They can't be gone…