[Entry 10: Eden Prime Part 3]
"Are you wounded?" I asked, noting the large scuff marks and since-dried dirt crusted into her pads.
"A few scrapes and burns," she exhaled slowly, "Nothing serious." She paused, pain flickering briefly across her face. "The others weren't so... lucky." When her eyes travelled up to mine again, her grief poured through me, bringing a wave of my own painful memories to the surface.
"What happened?" I asked, my voice coming out surprisingly gentle.
"Oh man..." She slumped against the cement pillar again, head cradled in her hands. "We were patrolling the perimeter..." her words tumbled out, cracking with grief and stress, "just everyday routine stuff when... God, they came out of nowhere." Her breathing ramped up as she pieced together her last few hours for us, trying -without much success- to keep as calm as possible, "We tried to get off a distress call, but they cut off our communications somehow. We- I- I- I- mean I've... been fighting for my life ever since."
"What happened to the rest of your squad?"
Her face broke down as she said, "We tried to double-back... to the beacon, but we walked right into an ambush. I don't think any of the others..." her eyes squeezed shut. She's a fighter, I thought to myself. Even though she was clearly shaken, not a single tear was visible. As if reading my thoughts, the gunnery chief took a deep, steadying breath, and stood up straight once more. "I think I'm the only one left." Anger and guilt set in her face, and I knew immediately what she was holding back.
"You've done well," I assured her. Against my better judgment, my hand moved to grip her shoulder comfortingly, albeit awkwardly. "None of this is your fault. Don't blame yourself for what these things did."
She closed her eyes briefly and nodded, accepting the gesture. "We held our position as long as we could... but they overwhelmed us."
"Can you tell me what they are?" I asked.
"We think they were Geth," she answered.
"That's crazy," LT. Alenko blurted, "the Geth haven't been seen outside the Veil in nearly 200 years. What would possess them to come here? Why now?"
Williams and I made eye contact before we answered in tandem, "the Beacon."
Her hand patted the cement pillar, "This is where they dug it up, but I don't think it's here. At least, I didn't see it."
"We'd better move out. Nihlus should be reporting soon," I said. "Williams, I'd like you to join us. We could use someone like you."
"With pleasure, ma'am" she nodded, eyes glinting. "It's time for payback."
We walked in between the cement pillars, and I noted the lack of any kind of ceiling or roof. The structure itself seemed more like an altar than anything, a wide cement circle with a concentric platform in the middle. The cement pillar where we'd walked in was one of many, placed at specific locations in a ring around the structure. Vines, rubble, and dirt littered the space, betraying the structure's age. At the far side of the circle was an alcove in the side of a hill, tall and rectangular. Steps led up to the alcove, and a pile of metallic trash was decomposing to the side.
"This is where the Beacon was," Williams pointed, "in that little cut-out. I remember moving the broken terminal to the side so the scientists could get a better look at it. Someone moved it."
"Who?" Alenko speculated, voicing my thoughts, "Our side? Or the Geth?"
"I don't know," she shook her head. "Maybe if we check the research camp up the hill, we'll find out more."
"Do you think anyone could've survived?" I asked, Anderson's voice ringing in my ear. I didn't listen; the lives of innocents always came first. Nothing would change that. Alenko looked over at me, his eyes appraising me.
"Maybe," Williams shrugged, "if they hid well."
"Let's go."
"There's ramps in the side of the hill," Williams pointed, "that way."
Nihlus's voice filled my ears,"Reporting in, there's a small spaceport up ahead. I'm going to check it out and we'll regroup there."
She took point, leading us out of the dig site and up the hill that plateaued and led to another forested dirt path. To the left was a building project of some kind, maybe a highway, maybe a monorail. It was bombed out, small fires fueled by errant rubble. The rain had slacked considerably, mingling with ash and smoke as it kissed the scorched ground. Mud caked my boots and greaves as we reached the top of the ramps. The scene worsened from there.
One building was completely collapsed, and burning, the acrid stench filling my nose and throat. I almost wanted to activate my rebreather. Two buildings across a small clearing filled with scrap metal and ruin were banged up pretty bad, but otherwise intact. To the left of the clearing, alongside another ruined shelter, were three more spike-contraptions, each hoisting its own impaled victim aloft.
"Damn..." Alenko murmured to my left.
"They hit this place hard," Williams agreed, lowering her assault rifle.
"It's still a good place for an ambush," I warned, "keep your guard up." Something didn't feel right. The air was thick with some kind of sick energy. My gut quivered slightly in acknowledgement. We walked further in, weapons raised.
The spiked contraptions whirred and shifted, suddenly retracting their deadly spears. My senses kicked into high gear.
"Oh God!" Alenko exclaimed, turning suddenly, finger poised on his trigger, "Are they still alive?!"
A wave of electricity pulsed through the ground, sending sparks flying from under the backs of the victims. It filled their limp bodies, illuminating them from the inside out. Each opened their eyes in turn, glowing soullessly. Their skin had grayed and dehydrated, leaving nothing but bones. Pure energy pooled from their mouths as they screamed at the coming of their unholy rebirth. The clothes and hair they once had were set aflame at their quickening, burning without paining them.
"What... what did the Geth do to them?" Williams murmured with a healthy mixture of confusion, disgusted awe, and mild terror.
"Don't let them touch you," I barked, "The energy they're emitting is more than enough to stop your heart."
My senses took over, and the part of me that I had suppressed for so long came out of the shadows. No. It bloomed in my core and flooded my system, mingling with the adrenaline. My skin itched under my armor as I fired into one of the three undead, aiming for the head and missing as it ducked into a loping run. Arms extended, the three corpses each chose a different target and charged. I crouched under the one that chose me, equipping disruptive rounds. It continued running forward until a piece of the camp's strewn wreckage tripped it up.
"They're completely mindless!" I shouted.
Facedown, the corpse's body started sparking uncontrollably. I felt electricity fly through the air, my own biotic energy rising defensively. It all condensed inwards, jumping erratically from the husk's body. The feeling was all too familiar: The thing was going Supernova. Before I could warn the others, the energy exploded outwards crawling over every surface. My biotics rose to meet the onslaught, deflecting the majority of the rampant electricity with a barrier-wall. It spiderwebbed across the breadth of the barrier dissipating into the wet air.
"Shepard, look out!" Someone shouted from behind me. I fell forward as a different corpse leapt on my back, nearly shoving me into the dirt. I let instinct take over, using my biotics to grab my assailant and send it flying into the burning ruins of a cabin. Within the flames, the husk screeched indignantly, trying to pick its way out with no legs and one arm. I fired two shots into its brain, and a few into the other's for good measure. When I turned around, both Alenko and Williams looked on in amazement.
"Commander, you-" Kaiden started. I held up my hand and he silenced. I forcefully wrangled my biotic energy back into its tight coil, feeling it pull back into the confines of my center like an ebbing tide. The sensitive hairs at the back of my neck relaxed slightly.
"Search the camp for others," I ordered. He looked like he wanted to say something, but I gave him a terse glare, stopping the notion. I knew from his slight nod and responding gaze that once the mission was complete he was going to ask me, but until then he would hold his peace. It was enough, for the moment.
While both Alenko and Williams turned away, I felt my chest tighten unbearably. I grabbed at the collar of my chest plate, trying to alleviate the sudden, sharp pang. I cleared my throat, and breathed deeply until the pain subsided. Dread settled into my gut and stayed.
"Commander, over here!" Williams called. She was standing in front of one of the intact buildings, gesturing to its command console. "Door's locked, and the security system is engaged."
I jogged over to the buildings, and ran my hands along the slatted metal windows. Whoever was inside was being very quiet.
"Alenko, you're good with mechanics, yes?" I turned. He nodded slightly, guarded curiosity still in his eyes. "Bypass the lock. Weapons at the ready."
It took him mere seconds to open the flimsy door. I leapt inside, gun poised.
"Don't shoot, we're human!" a woman shrieked.
There were two of them, man and woman. Both appeared to be scientists from the branded tunics they each wore with neon orange bands around their right arms. The one who'd screamed, the woman, stood a solid head shorter than my 5' 8" frame, her skin -as well as that of her male companion's- pale and waxy with stress and fear. The shack reeked of their combined sweat and the faint metallic tang of blood. The man, shaking and hunched under the arm of his peer, peeked up to meet my gaze, his eyes clouded with terror and... something else.
"Thank the Maker," the woman spoke first, exhaling heavily. The hand she'd raised to protect herself and her fellow scientist went to grip the man by the shoulders and steady him against her. He clung to her middle like a child, burying his face in her stomach.
"Close the door," he hissed, "before they come back."
"If they do, we'll protect you," I promised him, modulating my tone so as not to frighten him further. This man was clearly not well. I looked to the woman, "Commander Shepard, Alliance."
"Is it just us then?" the woman asked. Her face showed a mix of strained emotions, "It looks like everyone else is... gone."
"You're Dr. Warren," Chief Williams blurted from the doorway. Kaiden stood just outside, pistol poised. "You're the head researcher from the dig site." When the Dr. tilted her head in slight confusion Ashley continued, "I'm one of the soldiers who helped move rubble... from the 212. My name is Ashley Williams."
Recognition bloomed in the Dr.'s eyes, "Ah, I remember. I'm sorry, so much has happened since then."
"I understand," the Chief answered sympathetically. "Can you at least tell us what happened to the beacon?"
"It was moved," Dr. Warren explained, "This morning. The crew took it to the spaceport to be taken offworld. Beyond that, I don't know. My associate here, Manuel -and you'll have to excuse him- w-we stayed behind, to pack up camp."
"What happened during the attack?" I asked gently, my eyes still watching the man cowering into Dr. Warren's arms. Every so often he would shudder, his eyes focusing wildly when they flickered open. I wanted to know what he was seeing.
"They came out of nowhere... the synthetics," she shivered, her eyes squeezing shut. "The marines held them off long enough for us to hide. They... they gave their lives to save us."
"No one is saved," Manuel suddenly wailed, pushing away from the Dr.. His eyes bored into mine, madness tipping into his voice as he whispered, "The age of humanity has ended, soon only ruin and corpses will remain." His fingers reached up into his hair as he sunk to the floor of the shack, rocking slightly. Williams gave me a wary glance. Alenko didn't look up from his sweep, but tilted his head slightly, letting me know he was listening.
"Is he-" I started, but the man continued.
"Agents of the Destroyers," he rambled, clutching his skull "Bringers of Darkness, Heralds of Our Extinction. The Prophet, Leader of the Enemy... he was here before the attack, I saw him, I saw him I did. We have unearthed the Heart of Evil, awakened the beast, unleashed the Darkness. I can see the future, the destruction rushing towards us. There is no escape, no hope. No, I'm not crazy, no no no, I'm the only sane one left!" He trailed off into bitter mumblings systematically ripping hairs from his scalp.
"Manuel, please," the doctor implored, trying to take his hands in hers. He slapped her away, only to hug himself tightly and continue prattling. "I'm sorry," she looked up at us sadly, "Manuel has been having these... episodes for days. Genius and madness are often two sides of the same coin. The attack hasn't helped. He has such a brilliant mind too, it's a shame."
"Would sedating him help at all?" I asked, watching him rock. His words unsettled me, and I held onto them. Despite his madness, Manuel's fear was real. Even if it wasn't the coming apocalypse, the man had seen something very real, and very dangerous.
"I gave him an extra dose of his meds, they should kick in soon, but moving him right now would not be wise."
"I understand," I nodded. Moving forward with them would slow us down anyway. "Can you tell us anything else? Anything about the beacon?"
"The beacon is remarkable," Warren suddenly smiled. Academic curiosity burned in her eyes, "It's a type of data module; impeccably preserved. We think it linked to a bigger system, maybe even a galaxy-wide network. It could be the greatest scientific discovery of our lifetime, and we don't even know what kind of information it holds! Medical advances, Weapons schematics, who knows what secrets are locked inside?" Another piece of the puzzle fell into place. The covert pick up and overall hush-hush nature of the shakedown was finally explained in full. Whatever was in that beacon was important enough for a colony to get destroyed. We needed to hurry.
"I want you two to hunker down," I told her, injecting a businesslike authority into my voice, "keep the window slats closed and the lock engaged. Do not move, do not breathe, do not even whisper until an all-clear is given and you are found by Alliance operatives. I will tell them to knock three times to let you know it's safe. Are we clear?"
"Yes ma'am," she nodded. "Thank you, Commander."
"Just doing my job," I nodded, gesturing for Williams to head out. Before I closed the door to the shack I leaned back in, "Dr. have you seen a turian walk through here? Red armor and white tribal marks on his face?"
"Twisted, dark creature," Manuel whimpered, "the Prophet spreads black death wherever he walks. Sa-"
"Manuel, I think you should lie down," The Dr. interrupted. She turned to me, fatigue pulling at her mouth and eyes, "No I haven't seen your turian."
I looked once more at Manuel, whose eyes roamed the ceiling of the shack, but saw far beyond its confines, and nodded, thanking her. The door clicked behind me and soon locked as Dr. Warren moved inside.
"Double time to the Spaceport," I ordered.
We'd just reached the rise before a shot rang out.
My blood ran cold.
Nihlus.