Hello, Time Bomb
Chapter 24
Don't Fear the Reaper
Three
The defence committee wasn't listening. At least they didn't want to listen.
Three fleet admirals sat behind a big desk while Kaidan gave them the rundown of the Normandy's status, the biotic presence in the fleet, the overall readiness of Earth's defences. There wasn't much he could say – they weren't looking for opinions.
Something huge was on the long-range scanners, something big enough to mobilise the entire fleet. There was only one thing it could be and they didn't want to hear it from him. He had watched Shepard work, she wouldn't storm the council, try to get them to listen. She'd strike them off the list of potential assets and move on. He didn't have any other role model now that he'd been offered Spectre status, he had to look to her.
So he gave them his report and left.
Anderson was waiting outside, approached him. He wasn't alone.
Behind him, stood Lazarus, its face masked. He'd heard that it was in custody. He'd met James Vega, its primary custodian. The shock wasn't as bad as when he'd seen it on Horizon.
"How'd it go in there, Major?"
"Okay, I think. Hard to know. I'm just waiting for orders now." He looked at Lazarus, its wrists were together but uncuffed. "No cuffs, sir?"
The admiral gave a wry scoff. "We had to implant them. It gave us a little trouble after touchdown. We've managed to hack a few of her systems, she's safe."
It looked so lifelike. Shepard's lips were set in a straight line. Shepard's hands rested against each other. It even had Shepard's air of bored indifference. Like it just happened to be heading the same way as Anderson and had decided to wear restraints.
He noticed James Vega watching Anderson, looking wary. He was a good choice. If Lazarus was anything like Shepard it would outsmart their best tech, but would be helpless when confronted with a wall of muscle.
"Is it safe with the defence council?" he asked.
"Wherever Shepard is, rest her soul, her troublemaking tendencies are alive and well and walking about my base. Unfortunately, I don't have much choice right now."
Kaidan could swear he saw the flicker of a grin pass over Vega's face.
"Do you think they'll listen to it?"
Anderson looked tired at the prospect. "As far as they're concerned, as far as we're all concerned as of now, this is Commander Shepard, in custody for her crimes at Bahak."
A voice called the admiral into the council while Kaidan's mind was still twisting around that concept.
"Stay safe, niñata," the lieutenant murmured.
It didn't reply. As it stepped forward Anderson did something on his omnitool and its wrists were released. Just like that, there was a Cerberus AI unshackled in their home with the Reapers bearing down on them.
He stepped back with Vega, watched them walk into the council room.
"Did you know the Commander?" Vega asked.
"Yeah, I did. It looks like I'm about to get to know Lazarus. I'm headed to the Normandy, brief me on the way."
The refitted ship was almost ready for commission, the specifics of the crew hadn't been worked out, or if they had no one had told him, but he knew that he'd be on it, and now he was certain Lazarus would be, as well.
He started toward the hangar and Vega followed him. "What do you need to know, Major?"
"Tell me what we're up against."
"If I'm honest, sir, nothing. Lazarus has made a little mischief, but she hasn't ever gone too far."
"It's not a 'she', Lieutenant. Humour me, here."
Vega nodded, growing more serious. "Well I haven't seen her... it in action, but she's smart, she's fast and she can break open a pair of maglink cuffs with a bobby pin. I wouldn't want to meet her down a dark alley."
That sounded about right. "Is it cooperating?"
"Yes, sir. Apart from her day trip and a little fun, she hasn't caused us any problems."
"Day trip?" he stopped walking, the lieutenant nearly stumbling at the sudden halt.
"Uh, yes, sir. She wanted to see English Bay, gave us the slip for a couple of hours. She came back willingly..."
Kaidan didn't listen to the rest of his explanation. A chill shot down his spine. His parents lived on English Bay. They had a terrorist responsible for three hundred thousand deaths loose and unmonitored in his parents' neighbourhood.
"What?" he asked. "How did it get out of your custody?"
"We think she took the vents. We triple sealed them and Anderson had her cuffs implanted after that. It was no big deal, she just wanted some real food and reports on her crew in custody."
"It's not a 'she'," he reiterated, making eye contact to see that Vega understood. Kaidan kept walking. "Do me a favour and try to remember that no matter what we're calling that thing, Commander Shepard is dead."
The words came out with more bile than he'd intended. He'd put up with this farce if he had to, Shepard wouldn't have wanted his emotions to get in the way of defeating the Reapers, but he was only going to pretend as far as he was ordered. He wasn't going to let his crew delude themselves into thinking that it was real. Lazarus was a resource, not a person. After the Reapers were gone he'd personally oversee getting it shut down and her body laid to rest.
"Yes, sir," Vega said, sounding properly chastened. "Commander Shepard is..."
His words petered out when a siren sounded. No, it wasn't a siren, it was something different, something lower, a single resounding note that he'd heard somewhere before...
"Get down!" he yelled just before the first shock hit. He managed to brace himself against the wall and avoid getting thrown off his feet. The force of the blow slammed him into the wall, bruising his ribs for sure. He grunted in pain as he pushed himself standing again. James looked to him and he grabbed the bigger man's shirt, pushing him forward. "Get to the Normandy, now!"
They weren't far from the landing pad, but the phrase 'all hell breaks loose' had never been so fitting. People flooded the halls, running in all directions, and the shocks kept coming. There were no windows in the hallway, but Kaidan didn't need them to know what was going on outside. The Reaper klaxon kept sounding, he could hear explosions and smell burning, he kept running, as fast as he could without trampling anyone.
The base sirens were joining the Reaper blasts, sounding the evacuation, men were arming themselves and the crowds were getting organised, falling into the drill.
When they broke out onto the landing pad, Kaidan looked, but didn't let himself feel it. He counted five Reapers, all with their particle beams tearing through civilian areas. In front of his eyes a skyscraper crumbled, dust billowing up above the skyline. It looked like the whole city was on fire.
Keep moving.
The Normandy was already fired up. James was still running beside him.
"Joker, in the air, now!" he yelled into his radio as he made the last dash to the ship and helped Vega up into the loading bay. "Activate the stealth drive, don't engage the Reapers, we're going to evacuate the principals."
Around them everything that could fly was lifting into the air. Traffic control must have gone down. If any pilot could get them out safely, it was Joker.
When the bay door ground shut and they broke away from the landing pad, Kaidan couldn't see it anymore. It was all seared into the backs of his eyelids, the city where he grew up burning to the ground. Even through the pressurised hull he could hear the Reapers.
It was finally happening. That day Shepard had warned them about on Eden Prime had come.
His mind wouldn't wrap around it. Shock. He knew shock. He was grateful for it, it left him calm. In another few hours it would all hit him, but for the moment he was the ranking officer aboard the Normandy, and he was calm.
"Joker, report."
Joker's voice was tinged with anxiety in his ear. "We have multiple hostiles, Major. There are five Sovereign-class Reapers in the city, eight smaller ships. They're dropping pods of husks into the city. And it's not just here, Alenko, the entire globe just lit up. Every city on Earth is under attack."
"Do we have word on the Defence Council?"
"They've taken a shuttle out of the city, what's left of them. The Shiloh is on intercept. Hang on... I'm getting a signal from Anderson, patching it through."
His earpiece crackled before resolving into a clear signal. "Normandy, this is Anderson. Do you read?"
"Admiral, what's your location?"
"By a downed gunship in the harbour. I'm activating its distress beacon. Send support, we've got wounded down here."
"Joker, find that distress beacon and get us there. EDI, alert emergency response, get anyone they can spare down to that gunship."
"The request is sent, Major Alenko," EDI replied immediately.
Joker's response was a little slower. "It's not exactly smooth sailing out here, Major. Half the fleet just sent out distress beacons."
"Just get us to the harbour."
There was nothing to do. As soon as his earpiece went silent he wanted more orders to give, more plans to make. Something, anything but the sound of that Reaper blare echoing in the hold. Vega was pacing, obviously caught up in the same thought.
But there was nothing to do but wait until Joker announced their arrival, the bay door opening outwards over the remains of a dreadnought that had been fully intact ten minutes ago. Anderson was running for them, Lazarus behind him, covering him. Kaidan wanted to yell at it to keep moving, that it wasn't safe out there, it couldn't just cover Anderson if it wanted to survive.
"Lazarus, up!" Anderson ordered. It immediately broke into a sprint, leaving Kaidan to provide the covering fire. A long, deft leap had it hit the floor of the cargo bay with a clatter.
Anderson made no move to join them. "Alenko!"
"Come on, sir!"
"I'm not coming. There are men here who need a leader. This is a fight we can't win without help. We need every species and all their ships to even have a chance at defeating the Reapers. I'm transferring control to you. Get Lazarus to the Citadel, do whatever it takes. Use her. Get the support we need."
"Understood, sir."
Lazarus stepped forward, waving its hands in objection. It faced him down, challenging him, mouthing soundless words.
"That's an order," he said, ignoring the silent protest. He looked down at something in his hand, then flung it at Lazarus. Shepard's dog tags. "Commander Shepard."
Kaidan felt the grimace on his face, but said nothing. Necessary. This was what Shepard would have wanted. "I'll get her there, sir. I hope this works."
"So do we all, Major."
The Normandy started pulling away and Anderson headed back toward land. So that was it. The door closed behind them and he was left with Lazarus, Vega, a crew full of shell shocked men, and was headed away from the battle.
"Joker, set course for the Citadel."
"Aye aye, sir."
He turned toward the elevator. Set his gun down on the workbench. He felt numb. This was no time to get overwhelmed. They were the best hope for Earth, it was time to take command and be the Spectre.
"We're just leaving? This is bullshit!" Vega yelled. Kaidan turned to see the lieutenant's pacing turn aggressive. He swung aimlessly at the air. For a moment Kaidan thought he was going to physically try to get back down there, but instead he turned to Lazarus.
The AI raised its chin slightly, watching him. The fight was sapped right out of the lieutenant, huge shoulders slumping. He sighed. "I'm with you, Lola. Can you unmute her, Major? This is creepy."
It took him a moment to realise Vega was talking to him. "Unmute?"
He opened his omnitool and found the control program that Anderson had transferred to him. It wasn't just the wrists and ankles that were bound. He had control over its larynx, eyes, ears... heart. He brought the larynx back online without thinking too hard. He didn't want to be tempted.
"Done," he said, then made for the elevator before he could regret the decision.
"Kaidan..."
The voice shot through him like he had touched a live wire, stopping him in his tracks.
Ivy.
For just a split second he thought that it was Shepard standing behind him, taking a step toward him. No, he reminded himself, Lazarus. Its voice carried something that hadn't been there on Horizon. It didn't sound like a robot, it sounded like Shepard.
"What did you just call me?"
He turned around to face it. It was looking at him, although its face was still covered.
"Kaidan, it's me."
The voice, the way she made a slight gesture with her hand when she spoke... it was so human. But it wasn't. It was still speaking Russian, just like on Horizon.
"Do you actually think you're her?" he asked, incredulous and increasingly angry.
"I am Shepard." It gestured as it spoke, a broad sweep with the butt of its pistol. He looked down at the old gun and his heart squeezed painfully in his chest. If that was a replica it was the best he'd ever seen. But it wasn't. It was Bear.
"Where did you get that gun?"
"It's my gun."
No. No, it wasn't. That gun had been buried in place of Shepard's body. Nobody touched Hello Bear. They'd been in her grave. Wasn't it enough to take her body, they needed Bear, as well?
He took a step toward her. "Who are you? Full name."
"Lieutenant Commander Ivana Shepard."
That was it. That was enough. He'd taken all he could and he still had work to do. He couldn't stand here and listen to this thing – this mockery – claim to be Shepard. He took another step forward, pressing his height advantage. "Let me tell you a couple of things, Lazarus. Shepard had a speech impediment, she could barely get a sentence out. She spoke fluent English, not Russian. Even in her sleep, she spoke English. She never challenged a commanding officer, she didn't even joke with them, she followed orders to a point where even the people giving her orders thought she should relax. And Ivana was a misprint on her Alliance enrollment. We might have to pretend that you're her, but don't pretend with me."
It looked shaken. God, it was lifelike. "I'm missing some things, but, Kaidan – "
"It's Major Alenko," he cut it off. "Remember it."
He held its gaze until it nodded. "Major."
He had other things to deal with. He turned and made for the elevator, not looking back.