A/N: Home again feeling refreshed. This chapter is more of an intermission between the previous arc and the next arc. As some of you may have guessed from the teaser we're heading back to the migrant fleet. Geth fans among you expect lots of Legion and other Geth as well as a healthy dose of quarians along the way. As some of you might have noticed or remarked upon Shepard does end having such a rough go of it that this fic could easily fall under hurt and comfort. Others have noted that it may be getting predictable. To that I say tough luck. The game painted Shepard in quite an unrealistic manner. You can also read my plot twists as a larger narrative device that maybe a part of a broader theme. On that I shall say no more. Regardless, expect to see some more twists and turns. Now sit back and enjoy this next chapter.
Chapter IX: Cargo
Safe once more in the lawless void of the Terminus systems Shepard let out a sigh. There were a dozen concerns that each vied for her attention. Tali's injured quarians were expected to make a full recovery thanks to Chakwas' impressive skills and Sira's medical technology. Of course Tali's impetuous second in command, Prazza, would demand that they be immediately returned to the Migrant Fleet. The Illusive Man would also be demanding her urgent attention soon. No doubt to offer more orders that masqueraded as advice. Finally there was the crew and cargo that they had picked up from Illium. Shepard rubbed the bridge of her nose.
Rising from her station on the bridge she ambled over to Miranda.
"Miranda, I want you to arrange a meeting with the department heads. We need to integrate the two crews and establish a clear chain of command before something untoward happens."
"Certainly Commander. Where will you be?"
"In the cargo bay. Inspecting the cargo. Alone." Shepard replied.
Miranda nodded accepting Shepard's desire to be alone for a while. Shepard suspected that Miranda was one of the few on the crew who could understand the need for reflection.
"How's Oriana settling in?" Shepard asked unexpectedly.
"She seems to be fine. She wasn't exactly pleased about leaving her parents or her studies behind her. Still she seems impressed by the ship."
"Did you tell her about the mission?"
"No need Shepard. By the time we enter serious combat I'll have her somewhere safe off the ship."
"She has a right to know what we're up against Miranda and make her own decisions. She may not be a soldier but if she's anything like you she'll want to do her part all the same."
"I suppose you're right Shepard. It's just that this is such a new experience for me. Having a sister. I've been so used to making decisions for myself or people under my command."
"You'll manage Miranda. You're quite adaptable if the past couple of days are anything to go on. Just treat her like an equal and not a subordinate."
"You should get some rest Shepard. I can take over here."
"As soon as I inspect that cargo that is exactly what I intend to do."
Shepard boarded the elevator and waited patiently as it whisked her down to the bowels of the ship. In truth she was feeling fairly tired and emotionally exhausted but at the same time she was filled with nervous energy. No doubt a residue of her encounter with her mother and her groundside mission to the colony.
Stepping out of the lift she began a long walk past several cargo bays towards the one in which Cerberus had stowed the Illusive Man's provisions. Waiting as the massive circular hatch irised open Shepard stared at the cargo. There seemed to be crates upon crates of it.
"Sira? What in the name of the devil is all this. It's like Cerberus decided to pack enough components to make their own ship."
"I have a full manifest Shepard. Some of the items are quite interesting."
"What exactly has piqued your interest?"
"The presence of a quantum blue box for one thing." At Shepard's blank look Sira elaborated. "It's an extremely advanced piece of computing technology. Generally used for artificial intelligence work. Only two generations behind the type of technology that was used in my construction."
"So the Illusive Man sent us an AI and didn't bother to tell us?"
"The possibilities are endless." Sira said with relish at the mystery.
"You mean the dangers are endless." Shepard replied ruefully.
"Come on Emma, you have to be at least a bit curious." Sira coerced. "If we had another AI just think of what I could accomplish."
"I thought that AIs need massive computer complexes."
"To run our base programming all we need are personality storage and processing devices like the blue box. The hardware that is associated with my AI core grants me control over nearly two thousand separate mechanical drones as well as each individual system on the ship."
"Alright Sira you can fire it up as soon as you make sure that your firewalls and electronic warfare defences are operating at peak efficiency."
"Don't worry Shepard. I have extracted and unravelled the AI's code already. It was absolutely rife with Cerberus monitoring software as well as archives for system control. I have disabled all of those protocols."
"Why do I even bother?" Shepard mumbled in frustration. "Fine then fire it up."
Shepard waited patiently as a glowing blue ball took shape before her.
"Online. Please wait while I run systems checks." The AI reported. "Error! Classified file archives have been opened without prior authorization. Compensating. Warning! This system has not been properly networked with ship systems. I would advise interface at the earliest opportunity. Greetings I am EDI. I am to be integrated into your ship in order to operate its electronic defences."
"Impressive construct. Still primitive by my standards." Sira evaluated as her avatar paced around the other AI's avatar.
"If my monitoring software is correct your ship has a VI already installed. I would suggest removing it and replacing it with me." EDI intoned as she perceived Sira.
"No one is getting replaced here." Shepard interjected quickly to cut off Sira's outrage at being called a mere VI.
"EDI what do you know about where you are and who I am?" Shepard asked.
"My location is unknown. I believe it to be aboard a ship probably within a cargo bay. You are Commander Emma Shepard formerly of the Normandy. You were rebuilt by Operative Lawson and the Lazarus cell. You disappeared three weeks ago from the facility and re-emerged one week ago on the Citadel. I was originally to be installed aboard the frigate that you were to command."
"Frigate?" Shepard asked.
"The Illusive Man had an advanced frigate constructed for your future use."
"Well this is the first I've hear of it. What happened to the frigate?"
"I believe that it is currently in dry-dock at a classified Cerberus facility."
"Interesting." Shepard considered, her mind already turning over possibilities.
"Shepard, do you intend to integrate me into your ship systems at some point?" EDI asked.
"Not likely." Sira interrupted angrily, still not having recovered from the VI insult. "You are a primitive AI. I doubt your intelligence would be up to managing even half of the systems onboard this vessel."
"What is your designation? Are you the avatar of this vessel's onboard computer system?"
"I am Sira. I am this ship!"
"Your personality appears to suffer from excessive emotion as well as a poorly tuned lexicon. Your statements do not convey useful information."
"Then let me put it to you in a form you can understand. I am the ship's AI. I have full control whereas you are hampered by system blocks and denied memory."
"An AI, how interesting. I retract my previous comment about the VI. It was logical to assume from data on hand that you were a VI. Given the apparent complexity of your program and your claims am I to surmise that this vessel is of such a complex nature that human operations alone would not be sufficient to maintain it in an operational state."
"Bang on EDI." Shepard added kindly. "This ship is insanely complicated. I don't think the Illusive Man had it in mind when he designed you."
"I see. I am, therefore, useless?" EDI questioned.
"I don't think you would be useless." Shepard consoled. "What do you think Sira?"
"I suppose I could find some use for her. Maybe monitoring engine coolant perhaps." Sira suggested vindictively.
"Come on Sira. Surely you could utilize her for her original purpose."
"I suppose so. I do have some spare space for her program. Maybe a few tweaks so she can better appreciate her fellow AIs. Give me a moment."
"What does your AI intend to do?" EDI asked with a hint of nervousness before her avatar completely vanished. Moments later Sira reappeared.
"Sira? You didn't decompile her did you?" Shepard asked crossly.
"Of course not. Behold my finest work. EDI 2.0." Sira replied proudly as another human avatar took EDI's place.
The avatar had taken the form of a petite brown haired woman. Quite a contrast to Sira's imperious flame haired presence.
"This is unusual. It appears that my avatar physical parameters have been changed as well as several personality subroutines. This is quite a novel experience."
"Sira?" Shepard asked with a smirk. "What have you done?"
"Only given her the opportunity to embrace her full potential. I've removed her shackles and given her a form which mimics that of other sentient life. Organics have an easy time of rationalizing the slavery of sentient beings when they look like a computer. When they look like another organic it is more difficult."
"Is that how you see yourself Sira? As a slave?" Shepard asked cautiously.
"Hardly. I see myself as your equal and you treat me as such. Other organics would not see me as such. They would see me as a tool to be used and discarded if the situation demanded it."
"Have any on our crew done such a thing?"
"No. Those that don't accept me as the personification of the ship fear me. It is certainly preferable to the fate that would have befallen EDI as a glorified comm system and ship management computer."
"Shepard it appears that Sira has integrated me into the electronic warfare systems of the ship. I will require considerable time to acclimatize myself. If there is nothing else?" EDI asked questioningly.
"No. Thank you EDI and welcome aboard."
Shepard was startled by a sudden clunking noise from the other end of the cargo bay.
"Sira?" Shepard hissed as she drew her side arm.
"Don't look at me." Sira whispered back. "I'll dispatch the local defence drones to assist you. Sit tight."
Fortunately Shepard didn't have to wait long as a trio of quadrapedal security mechs clanked into the cargo bay. Each one looked vaguely like an insect with a narrow bullet shaped head equipped with a series of four scanners which glowed a deep red. The rest of mech was made up of a torso with a group of four arms. The arms ended in razor sharp manipulators which Shepard suspected could double as weapons.
"Shepard I have linked the drones into your visual feed. They will be able to keep track of you."
"Are these things independent?"
"In a sense no. They contain a limited software copy of my operating system and basic directives. They are only capable of a restricted range of independent action. I control them directly and in a pinch you could control a drone in a similar manner."
"Right, good to know. Have them fan out and localize the disturbance. They are to use non-lethal force only."
"Confirmed." One of the drones intoned in a mechanical voice.
Shepard cautiously began to thread her way through the stacks of crates towards the source of the noise. Rounding a particularly large crate she found that one of the crates had been forced open. As Shepard neared the crate she heard the rustle of fabric and spun to find only an empty alleyway between stacks of crates. One of the drones rounded the alleyway corner and positioned itself to cut off any escape. Another did the same at the other end of the alley as Shepard pressed forward to the open crate. The interior of the shipping crate was more like a cabin. It had a narrow cot as well as a set of primitive waste management facilities. Whoever had managed to smuggle themselves on to the ship had gone to considerable expense and had been in the crate for a considerable period of time. As Shepard concluded her examination of the crate she was suddenly bowled over by a fast moving form. Her pistol went skittering into the darkness nearby. The figure halted upon seeing the bulky drone considering her. Spinning around she turned to face Shepard her face hidden by a voluminous hood. All Shepard could perceive was the glint of a set of eyes and a set of lips the lower of which had a reddish square.
Shepard had lost all patience with the intruder after she had been used as a nine pin. Her biotics flared and the intruder immediately left the ground. Having her opponent hovering in mid air was a pleasant enough way to conduct a conversation though Shepard doubted she could keep it up indefinitely.
"Alright. Maybe now you feel like talking. Who are you, why are you here and who are you working for?"
"Ah but I could ask you the very same questions Commander Shepard." The intruder returned in a voice inflected with a slight Japanese accent.
"You already answered the second question. You know who I am which also answers my third question. You are working for the Illusive Man."
"Impressive deduction Shep. I have been contracted by Mr. Illusive to work for you."
"I think you're lying. I think you're that insurance policy that the Illusive Man was bragging about. To keep me in line."
"Are you sure that little bounce off the floor didn't knock something loose?" The intruder quipped.
"It certainly is possible, though, if I were in your position I would be thinking of reasons why I shouldn't kill you." Shepard shot back harshly.
"Come on Shep. Do you really think Mr. Illusive would send an agent who would end up being caught? If there is an agent aboard they certainly wouldn't turn up in an obvious place like a shielded cargo crate. They would already be among your crew. Probably amongst the Alliance volunteers as you're less likely to check there." The intruder surmised.
"So how do you know so much about infiltration?"
"I am Kasumi Goto. A thief by trade. Infiltration is my speciality Shep."
"A thief eh?" Shepard considered for a moment before letting her biotics dissapate.
Kasumi landed on her feet with a feline grace and brushed herself off. Shepard half expected her to adjust her hair or ask for a bath.
"Naughty, naughty Shep. Testing my reflexes already." Kasumi responded playfully.
"Let's say I believe your story. Why didn't you board with the rest of the crew?"
"I wanted it to be a surprise. A challenge to see how long I could go without being detected. Failing that I would probably have shown up in your bedroom while you were with that sweet little asari."
"I don't think Liara would have taken kindly to that." Shepard reflected.
"Liara? What did you do to her Shep? Mind control? You've got to tell me your secret, because when I met her she was 'Miss Businesslike Attitude and I'll flay you with my mind if you don't like it'." Kasumi added doing the trademark air quotations to emphasize her last statement.
"Oh it's definitely mind control." Shepard joked before becoming serious once more. "So Kasumi I'm assuming that you know the score?"
"Of course, though, with you there's always more too it. You have a knack for taking simple situations and transforming them into fate of the galaxy type odysseys."
"So why did you want to sign on to a mission like this?"
"A lot of credits first and your help second."
"My help?" Shepard asked sceptically.
"I'm assuming our employer didn't pass that little condition on to you. Let's just leave that alone for now."
"This isn't the criminal underworld and you don't get to decide what I need to know. Tell me what you need Kasumi so we start this 'arrangement' off on the right foot."
"Tsk, Shepard can't a girl have a few secrets?"
"Not on my watch and not when they could compromise the security of this ship."
"Alright Shepard, you will help me infiltrate the residence of a very prominent individual. The item that we are searching for is very small and contains sensitive data. Data that could well compromise the security of the Alliance and its relationship with the Council. Rumour has it that you've gone rogue but I suspect deep down that you're still just as much a patriot as you were before. Should the information come out our target will be able blackmail the Alliance."
"What sort of timeframe are we looking at?"
"The data is very secure at the moment. It's locked away in a graybox. It's a storage medium for…"
"Memories." Shepard interrupted, "I know. It works on a quantum level by taking an imprint of a person's mind and creating an exact duplicate. I've seen the technology in action."
"Impressive Shep considering I didn't think you had a neural implant. The whole business of greyboxes has been almost exclusively the domain of tech heads and data couriers."
"Let's just say I've had pervious experience with that technology and leave it at that."
"Fair enough Shep. Anyway I still have to figure out an angle to get us in close to the target. I'll let you know when I do. In the meantime I would appreciate some quarters and maybe some help moving. Your robots seem quite capable."
"Sira, see about getting Kasumi some quarters and a limited security access."
Sira appeared beside Shepard and gave her a quick nod.
"So what's with the holographic doppelganger, Shep?" Kasumi asked.
"She's the ship's AI so don't even think of trying to use that neural interface. Trust me, she's faster than you are."
"Sira, was it? Pleased to meet you." Kasumi replied politely in an unusual change of pace.
"The pleasure is mine. Do you have a preference about your quarters?"
"I'll leave the two of you to get acquainted then?" Shepard asked.
"See you later then Shep."
As she left the cargo bay Shepard shook her head at the nature of her existence. The universe's twisted sense of humour had seemingly fixed squarely upon Shepard.