A/N: Sorry about the large update gap. Tech rehearsal does not leave much free time. Either way, I can't say I'm wholly satisfied with this chapter. I'm not sure I like the way it turned out. Based on what I have planned out, though, the next one should definitely be better. Either way, please read and review!
Chapter 25
Earth
The Atlantic rapidly pulled up to the crowded port. The well-paved streets connecting the many docks were packed with all humanity had to offer, vendors shouting out their wares at small stands. Every so often, a pedestrian would stop, look over a merchant's wares, sometimes even purchase a small trinket as a souvenir to brighten a mantelpiece at a small house in an unknown suburb.
Into the hopelessly busy walkways, the Atlantic's airlock swung open. Shepard stepped out into the bright sunlight blinking. He watched humanity in all their glory, observed many, too many, people stumbling drunkenly through the busy spacedock. Thrust to the fringes of the walkways, unshaved, grizzled, ancient faces looked out pitifully at the crowd. They held small cups and jars, empty save for a few coins that clinked against their container's sides. Their gaunt faces were clear of expression, hardened into cold, blank stares by years of indifference. Somewhere far in the distance, a gunshot rang out. No one took any notice. So many people were murdered every day that one couldn't step outside without being greeted by the sound. As long as they weren't the one staring down the barrel, it didn't matter. The violence had gone on for years, the result of rapidly depleting resources and a population growing beyond the planet's ability to support it. Some were able to leave, escape to colonies on exotic planets far out in the Cosmos, but most were forced to watch helplessly as the Earth died and its inhabitants slaughtered each other for no other reason than to take home an extra few dollars. Governments had at first cracked down brutally, but had slowly grown complacent, hopeless. Some arrests were made, but the half-hearted captures were more for appearances than any real attempt to restore even an iota of peace or sanity to the world rapidly descending into madness.
"Welcome home," Shepard quietly whispered to himself.
"Are you alright, Shepard?" Tali asked softly, noticing his dejected expression as she exited the airlock behind him.
"There's a reason I left this place the first chance I got. When I first joined the Alliance, it wasn't to defend humanity on some glorious crusade. It was to get away from this place." He swept his hand out, across the throngs of people, not stopping on anything in particular.
"These crowds are like those on the Flotilla," Tali observed. "But we never had the disorder. Our entire species would have disappeared centuries ago if we did."
"And that is why I have so much more respect for the Quarians than I do humans."
"Even after you saw what happened at my trial?"
"Every species has corrupt politicians. It's one of those universal truths."
"Anderson didn't seem corrupt in the least," Tali replied.
"There's always the exception. Your aunt seemed pretty reasonable, at least from what I've seen."
Tali nodded in response, thoughts turning to her people. She wondered about the colony, about her friends and family. She didn't linger long, however, as Garrus stepped out to join them. He glanced quickly at the two of them, watching passively as the Earth tore itself apart.
"Somehow, I expected more, considering you came out of this place," Garrus said matter-of-factly.
"Don't get your hopes up," Shepard replied, the faintest hint of anger evident in his words. "Some things never change."
Silence followed the short exchange. They stood still, listening to the sounds of the port. More gunshots. Tali stretched her back, trying to loosen it, to take her mind off their surroundings.
Just under two weeks had passed since their ordeal on Illium. Two weeks cooped up in a hospital, staring up at the whitewashed ceiling, the smell of antiseptic permeating every corner, inescapable. Two weeks, the hours filled with pain and boredom, her ribs slowly reattaching themselves to where they had been severed from her sternum, the process encouraged by the medications intermittently pumped through her suit's system of wires and cables.
The pain was gone now, save for the occasional twinge brought on by too quick a movement, too sharp a turn to look over her shoulder. The constant ache had been replaced by an invariable stiffness, every movement of her arms an effort. The doctors had warned her of this upon her release yesterday. They had told her to stay out of action, spend the next several weeks resting and recuperating. She had thanked them politely, nodded at their advice, and exited through the doors.
Shepard had been released after a mere three days. He had visited her often, sitting beside her bedside for hours at a time. Sometimes they had spoken, Shepard continuously exposing new quirks. Sometimes they had sat in peaceful silence, comforted merely by the presence of the other.
Still, it felt good to once again be back on her feet, moving at will in the world.
Miranda had confided in Shepard the location of the Illusive Man's base, at least where it had been when she still worked with Cerberus. They had given another payment to the irate pilot when they had told him that, rather than traveling back to his home on Proteus, as he had thought, they would be taking a short detour to Earth.
She snapped out of her reverie as she saw Shepard begin to push his way steadily through the massing hoards. Following him, she traveled easily in his wake, staying close behind, progress unimpeded as the countless displaced figures had no time to fill the gap between the Commander and herself.
Liara followed behind at a larger distance. She had deigned to once again join Shepard, upon finding Nesera's dead body waiting for her further inside the house. She had nothing chaining her to Illium any longer. The loss had hurt, a dull, constant ache that caused no physical pain. It felt more like a heavy weight pressing down incessantly on her chest. She had only felt the pain of loss once before, a mere four years ago, watching as she helped to kill her own mother, see the pain in the great Matriarch's eyes as the gunfire ripped through her shields and tore her apart. That hurt had never truly left, the pain only dulling with time, becoming an invariable fact of life.
She looked up, and saw the small party had quickly left her far behind. It took several seconds of frantic scanning to spot Tali's helmeted figure moving swiftly through the streets as if she were in water, the pedestrians making way before her. She then glanced only slightly further ahead and saw Shepard cleaving his way through the massive mob. Garrus and Miranda walked next to him, the Turian towering over the surrounding population. He was followed by many glances, some distrustful, some fearful, others full of downright hatred. No one made a move to hinder his progress, however. No one wanted to be the first discover how accurate he really was with the sniper rifle he carried proudly across his back, the gun's barrel in clear view. Kolyat, taking after his father, had disappeared, hidden amongst the bobbing heads. Mordin remained on the Atlantic, the bullet wound in his arm failing to completely heal, anything more than the slightest movement caused him to grimace as an explosion of pain shot up his shoulder blades.
The different docks all looked the same, the same peeling paint, the same rampant violence and poverty, the same general decrepit structures. The only difference between one and another was the eventual destination.
After what seemed like hours of walking, making their way through the shoving, impatient masses, they reached the complex's exit. The crowds barely diminished outside, uncountable numbers of shuttles flying swiftly back and forth overhead. Tali watched them flit across the sky, some so close she could feel the wind as they swept low across the city's streets, other extending so far off in the air that could only be made out as small shadows against the late morning sun that still shone faintly through the thick, dusty haze that had blanketed the planet for countless years.
Shepard led them to a transit terminal. He tapped his foot anxiously as they stood at the end of the line of commuters, all punching in their desired destinations. After what seemed ages, the last person before them in the queue stepped to the transit station, a sleek, yellow taxi opening its door without a sound, save for a faint rush of cool air from the interior.
Miranda brushed past Shepard, glancing furtively over her shoulder instinctively, making sure no one was watching her type in the destination. Without even realizing the action, drilled into her from years of repetition, she covered the holographic screen with the palm of her hand, only allowing herself to see. Quickly keying in the location, she erased the transaction information and took the small receipt spit out by the old, battered machine.
Out of the crowds, Kolyat moved to join them in the waiting station, a small cough escaping through his lips. Shepard whipped his head to look, a look of concern flitting across his features. "Are you alright?"
The Drell nodded. "I had something get stuck in my throat," he said hesitantly. Shepard nodded uncertainly, turning his attention back to the others.
He unconsciously drifted to Tali's side, draping his arm across her shoulders. She leaned gently against his firm stature, her own arm clinging to his waist. Another shuttle pulled up to the station, door opening outwards, like the wing of a bird of prey. The group of six stepped readily into its gaping maw, sealing the way shut behind them. With a sudden acceleration, they were sent rocketing among the millions of similar vehicles, disappearing into the monochrome streaks whipping through the thick, polluted air.
Shepard watched Tali's face, registering with a pang that the clear temporary replacement was gone, a newly refitted polarized version once again in its place. He had noticed the new mask before, but had been too busy to register the significance. He silently lamented its disappearance, holding her tightly as he did so. She rested her head against his shoulder, her eyes pale orbs of luminescence glinting palely in the dim light of the taxi. The darkened windows filtered out the intense sunlight that streamed down to where they flew, above the darkened clouds of smoke and dust.
Garrus leaned against the window, calmly polishing the barrel of his Viper. He peered out the tinted glass, his vision traveling downwards for miles, broken only by the brown haze. He couldn't make out finer details, but he saw basic shapes, blocks of buildings spewing smoke forth from long, cylindrical towers. He reflected passively on the inevitable destruction of all the worlds known. Some may still be clean, beautiful, seeming oases in the vast emptiness of space, but even those would eventually fall apart. Anything in existence was simply part of a permanent, constant, irreversible degeneration. Everything passed away, whether it took a year, or a decade, or billions of years.
He found himself once again thinking of Sidonis. Ever since Shepard had once again joined the ranks of the living, he had largely been able to stay away from the line of thought, but he now once again felt the guilt weighing down on his mind, a pressure just outside the range of tangibility. He once again returned to his polishing, trying to abandon his thoughts in the dull, mindless repetition.
Tali raised her head from Shepard's shoulder when she felt the gravitational shifts. An unseen force gently seemed to lessen their weight, feeling almost as if she could float away on a cloud of air. The sensation was similar to that of an elevator when it first begins its descent. The ground approached, slowly at first, the surface seeming to gain speed as it rose to meet them. The shuttle hurtled down past decrepit factories, their smokestacks that had once so eagerly contributed to the permanent cloud that hung over the planet now barren and desolate, the towers long since abandoned, the foundations of the buildings they stood atop beginning a slow decay to rejoin the Earth.
The taxi finally touched down at the transit station, the door slowly opening. As the air rushed into the controlled cabin, Kolyat coughed again. He shrugged off Shepard's concerned questions yet again. Tali stood still, the faintest look of horror passing across her voice before she replaced it. She recognized the deep, hacking sounds from when she had known Thane, the gasping for air. She shook her head, telling herself it was something else; he was just irritated by the pollution. There certainly was no lack of it, especially here, in an old factory district.
Miranda looked around at the building, nodding to herself. "We're in the right place," she said, turning to look at the others. "I've seen this place more times than I can count in the last couple of decades."
"Well then, I guess that means no one here is more qualified than you to lead the way," Shepard responded. Miranda nodded, and began to cross the cracked, dry ground. She wove in between darkened alleys, past fenced in complexes with a familiarity born only from countless traverses of the landscape.
Miranda stopped, turning to face Shepard even as she lifted her hand and pointed to a small incline in the path, small tufts of grass sprouting through the barren surface. "It's right over there, past this hill. It's in another of these ancient factories, but he had the inside refurbished."
"How much security can we expect?" Garrus asked, his three fingers unconsciously dancing across the handle of his assault rifle.
"This location actually isn't heavily fortified, as some of the others are. Because we tried to keep this one a secret, the on hand crew rarely exceeds fifteen. This base relies more upon stealth than defensibility. If someone discovered our station here, they'd likely inform an authority rather than try to take us on. And it doesn't matter how many people we have on hand, we could never withstand a search and seizure by the government."
"How large is the base?" Shepard questioned.
"It's limited entirely to the building's underground rooms, but it is still fairly sizeable. Large enough that there's a chance we could theoretically get close to the Illusive Man without being intercepted by anyone, provided they aren't watching the security cameras too closely."
"I find it hard to believe that the leader of a largely hated international organization would feel content to sit almost completely unguarded in a rundown industrial plant on Earth," Liara stated.
"It isn't completely unguarded, the elevators are completely out of service, and when I was still with Cerberus, we took the liberty of cementing off any entrance underground that way. The only other way is through the stairwell, and that's blocked by a slab of reinforced steel over a foot and a half thick. It only opens to proper identification, and drilling through something that large would give us ample time to prepare for an attack."
"If you need proper identification, how are we going to get in?" Tali countered, the slightest hint of derision creeping into her tone. "I would think the Illusive Man would have caught on by now, especially considering his vast information network."
"Haven't I told you I prepared for every eventuality?" Miranda scorned. "I had access to almost every file of every member. I made profile copies for myself. At the time, it was in case one of them went rogue, I would be able to access everything about them. They wouldn't be able to oppose us for long. But things will work in the reverse just as easily. Most people don't leave Cerberus once they've joined. Just like the Illusive Man, the individuals assigned to each facility are on a regular schedule. I have at least two records for workers on every base. I can gain their security codes from out there. After that, it's a simple process of avoiding detection."
"I'm not entirely convinced it's going to be simple," Shepard added, "But we have to go there anyway. Standing here is just wasting time. We have a plan, let's go through with it."
Miranda didn't reply, instead simply turning and continuing over the crest of the hill as if no one had spoken. Another abandoned building greeted them, seeming alike to every other they had passed, nothing to call attention to it anyway, aside from the fact that its walls stood in slightly better repair than that of its neighbors, but that could easily be dismissed by a casual passersby as better construction, or simply better luck.
Miranda knew better. She strode forward, and walked around the back end of the building. The others followed her lead, absorbing the location, mapping escape routes. She looked quickly around at her surroundings, making sure there group was alone, before silently slipping through an open doorway, a crooked sign warning them of dangerous electrical equipment, permitting entrance only to authorized personnel. They ignored the ancient warning, footsteps echoing uncomfortably loudly on the concrete floor inside the building.
Not long did they stop to admire the interior, however, before they were once again led by the Ex-Cerberus officer to one of the many doors clustered at intervals about the room. Hard, dried dirt was crusted onto the handle, flaking off in miniscule pieces when touched. From the corner of his eye, Shepard saw a mouse dart across the open floor to a small bundle of leaves and dead grass piled in the corner. The door, covered in faded green paint swung open on broken hinges with a loud creak. Behind it, a small flight of stairs led downwards, ending in a pool of black at the bottom. They entered, the door shut behind them with an ear-piercing squeal, sealing them in the blackness. Tali glanced down at her omnitool, utilizing the flashlight application. A pale yellow beam grew from her wrist, forcing the others to squint in the sudden illumination. They stood in front of a large metal door. It glinted faintly in the shaft of light. Peering down through the elongated shadows that danced across every surface, Miranda turned on her own omnitool, navigating to a folder for her old Cerberus files. She opened a page, scanning a short list for their current location. Her eyes alit on a name corresponding to the time, and she opened the page. Daniel Folds. Twenty-seven years old, fair hair, blue eyes. Security code: HX3N9D40.
Miranda looked back at the door again, her eyes drifting along the wall until she found the key pad. She clicked a small button in the corner of the device to initiate an access sequence, and saw the box to input the codes appear. Glancing down at Daniel Folds's profile, she entered in the eight digit password, and held her breath. Blinking a series of flashing lights, the pad scanned the code, comparing it to past entries. She let the breath out as the apparatus glowed green, and the thick door swung open, stopping just before it crashed heavily against the inner wall. They stepped across the threshold, a motion sensor reading their progress as the door closed behind the group.
They stood in a corridor of metal, fluorescent lighting hanging from the ceiling. A security camera turned to watch them, encased in a shell of black glass. Shepard hoped no one was watching.
"Adam," Tali called from behind him. He turned to face her. "I'm picking up a strange signal interference here; it isn't like anything I've ever seen before."
"Is it possible being underground is just messing with your omnitool's sensor?" he asked.
"No, that would only result in a shortened effect radius. The field itself is fine. Something magnetic is obstructing the signal reception in the first place. And based on the level of the interference, it seems like it's something pretty powerful."
"I'm getting the same thing here, Shepard," Garrus said, complementing Tali's statement."
"Is that bad?" Shepard questioned uncertainly.
"Not necessarily, it just means something nearby is emitting powerful magnetic waves. Their output is so strong, I may actually be able to trace their origin," Tali said, fingers already manipulating the device's screen to set up a signal search.
They continued down hallway after hallway, the chrome surfaces seeming to blend into one another so that Shepard no longer knew which way they had entered. The lack of any sort of population was disconcerting.
They finally came to a stop in front of a room, a keypad once again stationed on the wall outside. Miranda input the code once more, only to have the system reject the series of letters and numbers, flashing a red light. Red words scrolled across the small digital screen. Please check password and repeat sign-in procedure.
"Damn it," she muttered under her breath, silently berating herself on thinking she could enter the private office of the Illusive Man with a lackey's password.
"Let me try," Tali said, stepping over to the holographic interface. Miranda reluctantly stepped aside and gave the Quarian access.
After several failed attempts, they were finally greeted by a green light. Tali stepped back proudly, watching the door swing open. A man in a dark suit sat within, his back towards them. His form was silhouetted against a large, rotating orange planet. The old image of a star was now gone. Shepard quickly passed the others, rushing inside.
"Hello, Shepard." The voice brought Shepard's progress to a halt.
"It's been awhile," he responded. "I'd say hello, but I don't actually know you're name."
"Nobody does. I'm not giving you any preferential treatment."
"Most people would. It's a side effect to saving the galaxy from annihilation by a master race of machines."
"Yes, but most people don't know that. They just know you're Commander Shepard. You haven't earned respect from your accomplishments; you've earned it as a result of your title."
"But you do know what I've done, and I wouldn't doubt if you knew why I'm here."
"I'd assume you're here because Miss Lawson showed you the way. I know people have been killing your squad. Don't ask me who, I don't have any more answers than you in that regard," the Illusive Man said, cutting off the question about to spring to Shepard's lips. "As to why you're visiting me now, I have several guesses, but none of which I'm absolutely sure are correct."
"Then allow me to enlighten you. We've killed an Asari named Nyxeris, and you were listed as a contact. I'll give you one opportunity to explain why you were speaking with someone who attempted to kill us."
"I'm sure you've already guessed that Nyxeris is an agent of the Shadow Broker. If the Shadow Broker has a contact who wants you taken care of, I fail to see how that's supposed to affect me."
"Her other contacts were no name politicians or people hoping to get a leg up somewhere in the world, no one who'd have any remote interest in seeing me, or anyone else on my squad killed."
"Please imagine how amateurish this argument sounds. Jacob, for instance, a loyal Cerberus operative, was among the ones who've already been killed. Why would I have any interest in killing off one of my own?"
"He could've been leaving Cerberus," Tali supplemented, stepping beside Shepard.
"Miss Zorah, such a pleasure. In response to your statement, however, I have never entertained vengeance. I'm a rational man; I don't kill people unless it is of absolute necessity. Doesn't killing someone because they decide they want to do something different with their life seem a tad melodramatic? Either way, I've never had any doubts regarding Jacob's resolve to begin with. And even if I was so inclined as to harbor these notions, killing him before he even had a chance to leave would seem premature, would it not?"
"You still haven't answered my question," Shepard cut in angrily.
"So I haven't," responded the Illusive Man. "Please excuse my momentary distraction. These small time politicians you've mentioned, do you by any chance have any knowledge regarding their origins?"
"No," Shepard admitted.
"Then, perhaps, what if one belongs to the Batarian Hegemony? With the way so many of them feel towards humanity, wouldn't you say killing off one of humanity's greatest symbols could theoretically help a campaign?"
"No one is foolish enough to try to take on Shepard," Tali said furiously.
"And I'm sure both of you I'm quite a logical person. Please, what good could I possibly gain from killing all of you?"
"I abandoned you two years ago," Shepard said. "Maybe you want to take your revenge now that the galaxy is no longer about to wiped out."
"I believe I've already stated that I'm not the vengeful type. What purpose would that serve?"
The Illusive Man was interrupted by the sound of a gun being drawn. He finally turned in his chair to face them. Six angry faces stared back at him. A Turian he recognized as Garrus Vakarian had drawn an assault rifle, and was centering it on his chest. Shepard moved to his side, and whispered something.
"No, Shepard. We can't take any chances. Even if he hasn't been the one who's been killing all of us, how can you not think he deserves to die?"
"Garrus, justice isn't vigilantism," Shepard said heatedly.
"Do you have any idea how many people he's been responsible for killing? And if he is behind this, this is the one chance we have to stop the killing. I'm placing my life over his." Garrus brought the gun up, finger tensed against the trigger.
"Garrus, remember what you told me about Sidonis? Do you want extra guilt on your shoulders?" Tali pleaded.
"That was killing in cold blood. He was defenseless and of no danger to me. This is self-preservation. You may rather die than have him killed, but I don't want to take any chances."
"Garrus!" Shepard shouted. "Put down the damn gun! This isn't like you!"
"I've always valued my life, Shepard."
Shepard saw Garrus's finger pull inward. Jumping forward, he slammed into the Turian, causing him to stumble and the gun to drop from his grasp, but not before he had fired off a lone bullet, which sped through the air, heading straight for where the Illusive Man calmly sat.