Chapter 23: Status Reports
Meghan stood uncertainly outside the door to the office behind the medbay where Liara set up her workstation to examine the Prothean beacon footage and scans. She didn't want to interrupt the shy scientist's work, but she needed a report before the lunch meeting Alexis had called. She'd already gotten Tali's report that the round device looked geth, but the quarian couldn't be sure until she saw more samples of the technology they'd developed since The Morning War. She'd also gotten Alenko's report on their progress hacking the coded OSD Lex had found on Therum. Liara was the last stop. Catching the concerned look Doctor Chakwas gave her, Meghan shrugged, but before she could knock, a soprano voice called out, "Come in, Commander." Meghan stared at the door in bemusement. Maybe it's the biotics.
As she walked into the dimly lit room, Liara rose to meet her. "Liara, I -"
"I get the feeling you want to ask me something, Commander?" Her direct gaze took Meghan by surprise.
"Tell me about yourself, Liara," she blurted, her carefully planned greeting thrown out the airlock. What the hell is wrong with me? To cover her embarrassment, Meghan stepped back and leaned against the far wall.
Liara shrugged and took a couple steps forward. "Me?" She shook her head. "I'm afraid I'm not very interesting, commander."
Meghan snorted, "You're a 106 years old, Liara. That in itself is interesting."
The asari shook her head again, "I spend most of my time on remote digs unearthing mundane items buried in long forgotten Prothean ruins."
Meghan pushed herself off the wall. False modesty always got on her nerves. "You must enjoy something about it? I mean, why do it, otherwise?"
The great blue eyes blinked in confusion, "I love my work. Seeking out history's lost secrets has a special appeal for me." Her eyes widened and she looked at Meghan as if a thought had just occurred to her. "You were actually touched by working Prothean technology! That is why I find you so fascinating, Commander!"
Meghan blinked at the asari. "Sounds like you want to dissect me in a lab somewhere." It sounded a lot bitchier than she intended, but that really was an odd thing to say to someone.
Liara's mouth dropped open in horror, "I only meant that you would be an interesting specimen for in depth study." Her hand flew to her mouth, "No! That's even worse!"
Meghan had to laugh. "Calm down, Liara, I was only joking."
"Joking! Oh, by the Goddess! You must think I am a complete and utter fool. Now you know why I prefer to spend my time in the field with data disks and computers. I always seem to say something embarrassing around other people. Please... just pretend this conversation never happened." The alien's cheeks flushed pink and she nervously looked at anywhere but Meghan.
The only thing the commander could think to do to alleviate the other woman's discomfort was to change the subject back to the reason for her visit. "Done. I won't bring it up again." She smiled reassuringly at the archaeologist who returned the expression shyly. "Now, about why I'm here. Have you made any progress on the footage from the beacon?"
"Oh, of course, Commander." Some of the asari's blush seemed to abate when confronted with the prospect of research. Her thin fingers flew over the holographic interface of her omnitool and a holographic representation sprang to life above it. Meghan walked closer to see it.
The hologram had assembled the three parts into a whole and the spire the beacon was originally supposed to be stood tall against the burning sky of Eden Prime. "I took the liberty of reassembling the beacon as it might have looked before the geth or the colonists took it apart." Her soprano voice seemed to shift into a lecturing mode. "As you can see, the pieces were in good condition and, if connected, could conceivably work as intended."
"Yeah, but they blew up."
She smiled, "Well, yes, they weren't designed to sit dormant for fifty thousand years and then be used by aliens." The archaeologist used her free hand to point and magnify the two symbols in that had so puzzled them before. "I can, however, say these are definitely not Prothean."
Frowning, the human asked, "What are they then?"
Liara shrugged, "I believe Officer Vakarian recognized the gold one, but couldn't place it. I think the other one's a company logo for a human corporation."
Meghan nodded and walked around the hologram, "So, what was this thing?"
Liara stared thoughtfully at the projection. "I believe it was once a communication device. Possibly a transmitter."
"So... what, we have some sort of distress signal floating around in our heads?"
"Distress signal? How would you-?"
Meghan smirked, "From what I've seen since that day, that's all it could be." The hologram blinked out and Liara stood quietly, her blue eyes searching Meghan's face. "What?" the Vanguard asked.
"I might be able to help the three of you. If you each had the full message, it might make more sense."
It was Shepard's turn to stare at the asari, "What are you suggesting?"
"I might be able to transfer the images between the three of you with a meld." Meghan wondered, briefly, if either of the other commanders had mentioned this in her hearing. The archaeologist mistook her silence for concern. "It won't hurt and I can be as minimally invasive as possible." A slender blue hand perched on her crossed forearms.
Meghan looked at the hand, one eyebrow raised, then at Liara. "I'll have to talk to the commanders. I should go."
Leaving the small office, Meghan nodded to the doctor, then headed to Alexis' quarters where they were to meet for lunch. She stopped on the way to get a sandwich from the 'chef. Hopefully, it wouldn't make her ill, there'd been a rash of food poisonings lately. When she walked in, Ella and Alexis were already seated at the small table, datapads on the floor beside them and the peaceful sound of a string symphony in the background that made her resist the urge to yawn. Lex's music always made her sleepy.
Ella turned to glare at her, dropping her chopsticks back into a bowl of something mostly unidentifiable. "Why were you poaching my tech?"
Meghan sat her tray down, "Why would I poach your tech?"
Ella grinned up at her friend as she sat down. "I don't know. That's the point. Talking with the quarian behind my back. What are you up to?"
Meghan frowned, "Uh, getting a report into our investigation? That tiny little thing that occurred on Eden Prime that gave us all migraines for a week?"
Alexis laughed at Ella's doubtful expression. "See, and here you thought she was just trying to get rid of her cop problem."
Meghan glared at Ella, but with no real animosity. Ella laughed, "I did, I must admit. That's acceptable, however. I'll forgive you." Meghan stuck her tongue out at Ella.
Alexis chuckled then cleared her throat. "So, what did our resident Geth expert have to say?"
Meghan shrugged. Around a bite of her sandwich, she replied, "She needs more samples to compare it against. They've apparently invented some new things in 300 years."
Ella snorted, "Why can't the crazy rogue AI's be dumb and stick with their old favorites, huh?"
Lex smiled around a bite of her sandwich. "Because then maybe Murphy wouldn't hate us so much?"
Meghan laughed, "Murphy would hate us anyway." She set her own sandwich down. "Talked to Liara, too."
Lex's blue eyes focused on her friend, "Has she turned up anything useful yet?"
Ella grinned, "Or did she just stare at you longingly?"
Meghan paused and stared at her, "I'm sorry...What?"
Ella snorted. "You. Asari. Catnip. She seems particularly interested."
Meghan put her sandwich down and spoke slowly. "What. The. Hell. Are. You. Talking. About?"
"Really?" Ella's grin widened. "You don't see it? If she followed me around with that baby-blue gaze as often as she does you, you'd already be planning my wedding just to piss me off."
"But... I... no!" Meghan stared at Ella, green eyes wide in horror. Ella almost choked on her last bite as she laughed too hard to catch her breath.
"Maybe it's a just a case of hero worship?" Alexis' wide smile belied her gentle tone. "I mean, you did save her from her own prison and all..."
Meghan looked from one to the other. "You two are crazy. There's no way. Next you're going to tell me the turian thinks I have a nice ass or the krogan thinks I have a great rack."
"Hey, my krogan." Ella stopped laughing long enough to give her friend a mock glare. "If he admires anyone's rack, it's mine."
Alexis ignored that odd statement and shrugged. "I'm not crazy, but we can defer to your xeno-sociology expertise in the matter if you like." She cleared her throat to bring the meeting back on track. "So what did she have to say?"
With a last look at Ella, she flared open her omnitool. "She is certain the symbol's definitely not Prothean. She asked me a few questions about the visions and hinted it would be easier if she got to see them somehow. And she verified that the symbols aren't Prothean." The 'tool focused in on them. "The horned one is the one that Vakarian said was familiar, but he can't think where he saw it. The other one seems to be a human corporation's logo."
Taking the last bite of her sandwich, Lex replied. "Maybe we can get Joker to add this to some of his searches. See if he can't find out anything specific about it. That might give us a clue as to why they were trying to move the beacon offworld without anyone's knowledge."
Meghan nodded as she finished her own sandwich. "Might as well put his surfing to good use. He's finding way too many disturbing things on the Extranet when we hit a Relay."
Ella chuckled. "When is he not finding something disturbing on the Extranet?"
"When he's busy working." The former gang-member grinned. "And I'll see if I can't get Vakarian to jog his memory about that symbol."
Alexis nodded. "Any update on those OSDs we picked up?"
Meghan shook her head. "Alenko says no luck yet. But he and Joker think they've gotten part of the key figured out, Vakarian has apparently been very helpful."
"Alright, that about covers everything except bringing me up to speed on your last few away missions. Who'd like to start?" She turned to Ella.
The brunette shook her head. "Being a Spectre is weird. I didn't have the evidence to arrest that Blake woman, but I absolutely could have gotten away with shooting her. It's a bit disturbing, that. The fact that Wrex went along with scaring her into staying out of our way rather than shooting her was also perhaps a bit disturbing."
"Wait, our big bad krogan merc preferred to let her go?" Meghan asked as she picked up her second sandwich.
Ella shrugged, "Or he doesn't give a shit? I have not figured out krogan facial expressions. But he follows orders, and he watches Tali's six, so I'm happy."
"And Tali?" Alexis prompted.
"Still in one piece. Magic with the tech mines. I am perhaps too hard on her, but that's better then her getting shot, so..." Ella twirled what looked like a noodle around on a chopstick.
Meghan chuckled. "Nothing like looking after FNGs on a hazardous mission."
"She's a smart, talented FNG." Ella sounded defensive around her bite of noodle. "But I'm so much better at scaring them than soothing them, I'm not quite sure what to do with her off mission."
"Sick her on engineering," Meghan smirked.
Ella laughed, "They've already adopted her. Or are taking turns courting. Not sure which yet." Alexis smiled in appreciation and then looked at Meghan.
Annoyance flared through Meghan at the memory of her last away mission. She snorted and tossed the end of her sandwich back on her plate. "Apparently, we were played. That diplomat that was worried about her sister? The sister wasn't ransomed, she was blackmailing her. I need to have a little chat with that blue bitch when we get back to the Citadel. Maybe I'll let Vakarian introduce her to his sniper rifle."
"Meg... " Alexis began, reproachfully.
Meghan's glare didn't abate. "I don't like being used, Lex. I am not a fucking gun to be aimed."
Ella stabbed something that looked like a mushroom with the end of her chopstick and waved it at Meghan. "Then introduce her to your own shotgun, don't get the turian in trouble."
Meghan rolled her eyes but Alexis chimed in before she could accuse her friend of being the pot. "You're a bright girl, Meg. I'm certain you can find a way to retaliate that won't involve starting a diplomatic incident."
Meghan crossed her arms and pretended to pout, but the corners of her lips kept trying to turn up in a smile. "Can't I at least hit her? Just a little?"
Ella grinned evilly in response. "Well, we do have to make sure no one tries to manipulate the new baby-Spectres, after all."
"Last ones who tried that with me are rotting in a turian jail." Meghan snorted. "Both he and Liara were pretty pissed, too. And I'm not going to get the turian in trouble."
Ella gestured again with her chopstick. "They don't have semi-Spectre immunity though. And your job is to keep your team out of trouble, not get them more in it. Not that you'd really make them do something you wouldn't, so I don't even know why we're talking about it. What are we talking about?"
"Beating up asari diplomats." Meghan's grin widened. "But seriously, Liara was suprisingly effective. It was like skeet shooting."
"Nice." Ella nodded in approval. "You should see the force behind a krogan throw. I must admit, I do enjoy my team. They are good at blowing up mercs. Repeatedly."
"Between her Singularity and my Warp, Vakarian was just putting them out of their misery." Meghan broke off abruptly and shifted in her seat. Now is as good a time as any, I guess, she thought to herself.
Lex's sharp eyes caught her discomfort and put the remains of her own sandwich down. "All right, Meg, spill."
"Yeah, I was enjoying the relaxing memories of our skills at violence," Ella grumbled mockingly. "You're obviously actually thinking about something. Explain yourself."
"Liara brought up that it might be easier to help her with the evidence we've gathered if she could see what it downloaded into our heads."At both their annoyed looks, she raised her hands defensively. "I didn't suggest it."
"But you think we should do it," Lex prompted.
Meghan shrugged. "Do we really carry that many Alliance secrets in our heads?"
"Secrets or not, I'm not entirely comfortable with the notion of anyone poking around in my brain." It was Lex's turn to shift uncomfortably.
"I have no desire for it either. But we're at a dead end. How long till they hit another colony?" Meghan began dissecting the remains of her sandwich, pulling the crusts off, first.
Lex drummed her fingertips on the table. "And whatever was downloaded into our brains will somehow magically pinpoint Saren's next move?"
"I don't know what either of you have in your heads." Meghan shrugged with one shoulder. "Mine? Makes no sense. Maybe if one of us gets the other parts, something will jog loose."
"Yeah? And who wants to volunteer to have even more jarring imagery shoved into their brain? Because, whoever it is gets to babysit the ship whenever we go out if it really is the secret map to all of this mess." Her fingers drummed a little harder, making it abundantly clear to Meghan that she really didn't like the idea.
"Unless she can figure out a way to share among all three... well four of us? Not that I have any idea how that would work. Besides awkwardly." Ella laid her chopsticks down on her now-empty plate.
Meghan took a deep breath. "I asked her to figure it out. She thinks that worst case, she'll have to meld with us twice each. But she wants to see if she can figure out how to do it all at once but without sharing too much between us. You two don't need my memories." Blood, fire, screaming, Hicks! No!
"Don't think any of us want extra fuel for the nightmare brigade, there," Ella stated quietly as they each looked down at their hands.
Meghan wondered, for the first time in a long time, what it would be like to have Lex's memories of her mother, or Elysium. Or Ella's memories of Mindoir and Torfan. Akuze and her own childhood had been bad enough. She cleared her throat around the sudden lump lodged in it. "On that positive note, Vakarian has an errand he'd like to run. Asked for my help."
Alexis nodded, seemingly relieved to have the change of subject. "I think we can spare the time if we're not in the area. It's not like we're chasing down any leads. Glad to see you're playing nice at least."
"From the sounds of things, we'd want to take out this guy anyway. Doctor using people to grow black market organs." Meghan shuddered.
Ella swallowed. "Ick."
Alexis nodded. "He certainly doesn't sound like he should be running amuck in the galaxy. Just promise me that you'll try not to throw the book completely out the airlock."
"I'm being good." Meghan told her, putting down the last crumbs from her sandwich shredding. "Vakarian mentioned shooting the bastard out of hand. I talked him out of it so far, since we might need to backtrack the good doctor's route for victims, but the best laid plans never survive contact with the enemy."
