"Welcome to the Purgatory, Shepard. Your package is being prepped, and you can claim it shortly." The guard nodded in greeting. "As this is a high-security vessel, you'll need to relinquish your weapons before we proceed."
Michael shrugged, then drew his sidearm. Behind him, Garrus and Grunt both copied the action. "I'll relinquish one bullet. Where do you want it?"
Another turian approached, one with that 'official' sort of walk. "Everyone stand down. Commander, I'm Warden Kuril, and this is my ship." He clicked his mandibles. "Your weapons will be returned on the way out. You must realize this is just a standard procedure."
There was nothing standard about him being the one to pick someone up from jail. "I'm not surrendering my gun. Period."
Warden Kuril glared at him. As glares went, it was not particularly impressive. He'd rate it about the same as Hackett's normal facial expression. "Let them proceed. Our facility is more than secure enough to handle three armed guests." See, that sounded almost like a challenge. "We're bringing Jack out of cryo. As soon as the funds clear, you can be on your way." Warden Kuril gestured. "If you'll follow me to Outprocessing for the pickup, Commander."
"Let's go." Michael started walking.
#
Warden Kuril gave them something vaguely resembling a guided tour before parting ways with them. Michael continued walking towards 'Outprocessing'. He paused at a cell where the guards were beating a prisoner. What had that guard's name been? The one that had broken his ribs? "There's no excuse for beating a prisoner who can't fight back."
The guard glanced at him. "This is a massage compared to what his victims went through."
"I wasn't asking."
The guard turned to face him. "You're in a high-security facility with guns and cameras everywhere - and you're threatening me?"
Michael nodded. "Those guns and cameras won't be fast enough to save you."
"Is that right?" The guard's voice was confident, but he shifted his weight nervously.
"I told you to stop." He took a half step closer to the guard.
"Call it off." The guard shrugged. "At least for now."
#
They reached outprocessing to find the room pretty much empty. A single technician told them to go to the room at the end of the hall before exiting. Well, that was nicely ominous. Whatever was going to go wrong was going to happen soon. Michael headed to the door. It opened to reveal one of the modular cells, and Kuril's voice came over the communicator. "My apologies, Shepard. You're more valuable as a prisoner than a customer. Drop your weapons and proceed into this open cell. You will not be harmed."
He exchanged a look first with Garrus, and then with Grunt. Both looked a heartbeat away from breaking out in laughter. Michael ran a hand down his face, and sighed. "Go to hell." He shrugged. "I'll send you there, myself."
"Activate systems!" Kuril's voice responded.
"And to no one's surprise..." Michael drew his rifle. "It's time to start shooting."
"I'm confused..." Garrus shook his head.
Michael glanced over his shoulder at him. "Confused?"
"Is this breaking into prison, or breaking out of prison?"
"It's..." Micheal frowned. "You know, that's actually a really good question."
Grunt picked up a desk and threw it at the first guards to come in the door.
#
"Shepard is on the loose! Repeat, Shepard is loose! Get people down here!"
Michael snapped off a shot that went through one guard and into the guard behind him, dropping both. "So, Grunt, enjoying your first day of work?"
"Heh heh heh." The krogan charged down the corridor, slamming a guard into the wall before firing his shotgun into another one.
"Kid's got potential." Garrus threw a grenade around the corner.
#
They reached the control room for cryo. Grunt gestured at the console. "That's going to open every door on the cellblock."
Garrus shrugged. "It's the only way to get Jack out of cryo."
"I'm doing it." Michael touched the control. "Be ready."
The mechanisms began moving as soon as he'd entered the sequence. The mech guards turned to watch, clearly preparing for a fight. There was a hiss of white gas, and the cryo unit was lifted up to reveal... a rather small woman.
"Jack is small." Grunt sounded confused.
Michael was checking to see if he'd gotten the right cell when the heavily tattooed woman's eyes opened. She promptly tore the restrains off. As the mechs approached, she glared before a blue aura began to glow around her. She charged, and more or less went through the mechs. And then through the wall. Explosions could be heard from the direction she went.
"Oh, I want to see this." Next to him Grunt actually bounced. "Let's go."
"I think I like her." Michael shrugged, and headed for the stairs.
#
Even the mechanical voice of the station's VI was starting to sound panicked as they fought their way through the station. And even more annoyingly, they'd lost track of the score. "Those big mechs really should be worth more than one point." Garrus fired off another round.
"You said the same thing about krogan." Michael shook his head. "And asari commandos."
"Asari commandos?" Grunt gave them a hopeful look. "Where?"
"You know, statistically speaking, we should have run into at least one here." Garrus looked around the wreckage of the room.
"Maybe they're better at not getting caught?" Michael gestured to a hole in the wall as they continued.
"Or at not getting taken alive." Garrus shrugged. "Though you shouldn't feel bad, Commander."
"About what?" Michael glanced back at him.
Garrus gestured at the corpses strewn about. "Apparently, humans just suck at not getting caught."
#
The warden had found himself a nice, heavily guarded, elevated vantage point from which he was sniping prisoners. It even had shield generators. "You're valuable, Shepard. I could've sold you and lived like a king." He fired a shot in their general direction. "But you're too much trouble. At least I can recapture Jack."
Michael wasn't really inclined to give him good odds on that. "Not happening. You're a two-bit slave trader and I don't have time for it."
"I do the hard things civil governments are unwilling to. This is for the good of the galaxy."
"Did he really break out the 'good of the galaxy' bit?" Michael glanced at his companions.
"He did." Garrus's mandibles clicked.
"That's what I heard." Grunt nodded.
"Alright." Michael nodded. "Let's go shoot him a lot."
#
Michael heard an explosion, and looked up to see Jack in one of the corridors. The guards, weapons, and for that matter, doors, really weren't slowing her down. "Let's go introduce ourselves to our new friend."
#
When they caught up with her, she was staring at the Normandy. Blue light gleamed around her as she growled and gestured angrily. Michael shot the guard coming at her, and she turned toward him. He holstered his sidearm. She glared. "What the hell do you want?"
"I just saved your ass." Michael shrugged.
"He was already dead." She gestured at the guard. "He just didn't know it. Now, what the hell do you want?"
"My name is Shepard, and I'm here to get you off this ship."
"I'm not going anywhere with you." She narrowed her eyes. "You're Cerberus."
Not so much, no. "I'm offering to be your friend. You don't want to be my enemy."
"They have a way of dying." Garrus helpfully added.
"You show up in a Cerberus frigate to take me away somewhere. You think I'm stupid?" She clenched her fists.
He looked around before looking back at her. "This ship is going down in flames; I've got the only way out. I'm offering to take you with me. And you're arguing."
"Just shoot her, and patch her up on the ship." Grunt shook his head.
"I'd like to see you try." Jack glared at Grunt.
"It might just come to that." Michael sighed.
"You'll have to kill me." Jack started walking toward him. "Look, if you want me to come with you, make it worth my while."
"The food sucks but at least the bed are hard." Michael nodded. "Tell me what you're thinking."
"I bet your ship's got lots of Cerberus databases. I want to look at those files. See what Cerberus has got on me." She folded her arms. "You want me on your team, let me go through those databases."
A badass new crew member and a chance to possibly screw over Tim? And it wasn't even his birthday. "I'll give you full access."
She pointed a finger at his chest. "You better be straight-up with me." When he nodded, she gestured at the Normandy. "So why the hell are we standing here?"
"Good question." Michael started walking. "Come along, ladies."
#
And as an added bonus, Miranda was unhappy about the situation. She was pacing in front of Jack. "Welcome to the Normandy, Jack. I'm Miranda, Shepard's second-in-command." Well, that was news to him. "On this ship, we follow orders."
Jack gave Miranda a withering look before turning her gaze to him. "Tell the Cerberus cheerleader to back off, Shepard. I'm here because of our deal."
"Miranda will let you into the system." Michael folded his arms. "Let me know what you find."
"Hear that, precious?" Jack smirked at Miranda. "We're going to be friends. You, me, and every embarrassing little secret." She glanced back at Michael. "I'll be reading down in the hold or somewhere near the bottom. I don't like a lot of through traffic." She turned and headed for the door. "Keep your people off me. Better that way."
Miranda looked at him and shook her head before leaving.
#
"Do you have a minute, Miranda?"
She sat back from her computer and looked up at Michael. "No doubt you've got a lot of questions."
"You still haven't answered the one about why a secret organization slaps its logo everywhere."
Miranda ignored the question again. "Cerberus isn't as evil as most people believe. If I can help allay any of your concerns, I'd be happy to do so." She folded her hands. "So, what would you like to know?"
"Tell me about you." Michael leaned on the door frame.
"I guess that's fair, I've spent the last two years learning everything there is to know about you." She rose, and started pacing. "Well, you should probably know that I've had extensive genetic modification. Not my decision, but I made the most of it." She turned to face him. "It's one of the reasons the Illusive Man handpicked me. I'm very good at just about anything I choose to do."
He wondered which of his backgrounds she thought she knew. The Insidious Meathead probably had his real file, but he'd lied a fair bit in that as well. "What level of genetic modification are we talking about?"
"It's very thorough. Physically, I'm superior in many ways. I heal quickly and I'll likely live half again as long as the average human." Assuming she started wearing armor and he didn't shoot her in the head. "My biotic abilities are also very advanced..." She shrugged. "For a human. Add to that some of the best training and education money can buy and, well, it's pretty impressive, really."
And yet, he failed to be impressed. "Sounds like you were designed to be perfect."
"Maybe, but I'm not. I'm still human, Shepard. I make mistakes like everyone else. And when I do, the consequences are severe. Everyone expects a lot from someone with my..." She shifted her weight. "Abilities."
A trace of vulnerability. Dammit, if he kept talking to her, he was going to start thinking of her as a person. Michael nodded. "Thanks for the information, Miranda. I'll talk to you later."
"Of course, Commander." She resumed her seat. "Whatever you need."
#
"Mordin." Michael nodded in greeting. "Got a minute to talk?"
"Yes." Mordin set his experiment down. "Would like that, actually. Talked about work earlier. Time with Special Tasks Group. Studying genophage. Wasn't entirely honest. Lie of omission. Also other kinds. Need to clear the air. Mission too important to keep secrets." He leaned on the bulkhead, looking out the viewport. "Work on genophage was more than just study."
Michael folded his arms. "I had a feeling you were holding something back." If the rest of the crew started talking like Mordin he was going to cycle them out the airlock.
"Apologies. Classified information. But you've earned the full story. Need to know me. What I can do. What I did." He turned back towards Michael. "Wasn't lying completely. Initially just did recon. But uncovered data. Troubling." He shrugged. "Krogan population was increasing at faster rate than expected. Krogan were adapting to genophage. Overcoming disease."
"Maybe they were just having a lucky year. Or fewer mercs left, meaning more krogan were left to repopulate."
"Please, Shepard." He hadn't realized salarians could roll their eyes. "Social, environmental concerns accounted for. Not an undergraduate." Mordin gestured as he spoke. "Population spike caused by adaption to genophage. No other possibility."
For the first time, he was actually glad Wrex wasn't on board. Still... "The krogan are dangerous enough already. With an unchecked birthrate, they could endanger the whole galaxy."
"Exactly." Mordin nodded. "Salarian government agreed. Authorized STG to take steps." Mordin took a few steps forward. "Personally led a science team. Geneticists, chemists, sociologists, mathematicians." He clasped his hands behind his back. "Created new version of the genophage. Released it on Tuchanka, other krogan centric areas. Restablized krogan population."
"You were protecting galactic stability." For every Wrex, there were a thousand of the other kind. "I'm glad to see you were willing to do what was necessary."
"Indeed." Mordin went back to his experiment. "Collectors doing horrific things. May face hard choices. Wanted you to know I'm willing to do what's necessary."
#
He stepped into the holo-communicator. Still felt overdone. What was wrong with a simple vid? Probably not dramatic enough. If this kept up, he was going to need to grow a mustache so he could twirl it. Michael folded his arms as Tim came into view. "Shepard. I think we have them. Horizon - one of our colonies in the Terminus Systems - just went silent." The image of the planet appeared on a nearby screen. "If it isn't under attack, it soon will be. Has Mordin delivered the countermeasure for the seeker swarms?"
"Not yet." Though it appeared progress was being made.
"Let's hope he works well under pressure. There's something else you should know." Tim took a drag from his cigarette. "One of your former crew, Kaidan Alenko, is stationed on Horizon."
That was... He forced his hands not to clench into fists. "Last I knew, Kaidan was Alliance. Why is he out in the Terminus Systems?"
"Officially, it's an outreach program to improve Alliance relations with the colonies. But they're up to something." Tim settled back in his chair. "And if they sent Commander Alenko, it must be big." Commander Alenko. Anderson had mentioned that. "I suggest you take it up with him."
"The Collectors just happened to pick a colony with one of my former crew?" Michael shook his head. "I don't buy it."
"It shouldn't be a surprise the Collectors are interested in you. Especially if they're working for the Reapers." Tim crushed out his cigarette. "They might be going after him to get to you."
Except if Kaidan's mission was secret, how could the Collectors have known? Unless... Ah. So that's why the holograms instead of any kind of meeting in person. Tim had no particular interest in getting shot. "We should send a message to the Citadel. The Alliance can give us reinforcements."
"Not until you investigate. I don't want the Alliance getting in our way." Tim set his arms on the rests of his chair. "Once you have the situation under control, I'll send the message personally."
"Send the coordinates. We'll head straight there."
"This is the most warning we've ever had, Shepard. Good luck." The image dissolved.
"Joker - set a course for Horizon. I've got to go see the professor."
#
Michael pushed worry out of his head as he walked toward the lab. He was not entirely successful. Mordin was looking at one of the bugs inside an enclosure. "Tell me you have something."
Mordin smiled. "Yes."
#
Kaidan sighed as the newly replaced module failed to work. It had to be sabotage. There was no possible way that many bad parts could happen to be shipped. He rose, and went looking for the colony's leader.
