CH 36: Back where it began
Tetlin Facility (Pragia).
The team reacted instantly just as they'd practiced. James and Samara dropped flat to their bellies and opened fire, putting accurate bursts of fire from their vindicator rifles onto the vorcha to supress them as Garrus and Jack sprinted forward to cover. The moment they reached it they dropped and opened fire to cover James and Samara to make their run.
It worked, mostly, a few shots clipped their shields but they made it to cover without being hurt as Jack sent a biotic shock wave at the vorcha sending a couple flying. James and Samara took cover and James did a quick check, muttering under his breath, not only were there half a dozen vorcha shooting at them but one of them had a firestorm, a hideous weapon which would render their cover useless and had the potential to barbeque them all.
"Right we have a problem."
"Weaklings I will crush you" came a roar.
"Krogan" barked Garrus.
"Make that two problems, damn krogan" snapped James, they couldn't stay where they were they'd get pinned down by the vorcha and cooked alive by the flame thrower or run over by the krogan and James's was dammed if he was going to retreat and get shot in the back. They had to get aggressive, fast.
"Garrus I need a Thunderbird now" he snapped.
"Got it" replied Garrus as he rose and made a dash forward, zig zagging to avoid the vorcha's fire as the team let fly to cover him. He made it to cover diving behind a fallen pillar as gunfire from the vorcha and krogan slashed the air where he had been.
Garrus rolled, turned and facing them crouched down on one knee his hand cupped, shielded from fire by the pillar, then it was James's turn to make the run.
As Jack and Samara poured fire at the Blood Pack, James was up and darting forward snapping of shots as he ran, zipping left and right to avoid the gunfire from the vorcha. Several rounds glanced off his shields, stripping them away, one round clipped his shoulder and he cursed but then he was in cover behind the pillar and right in front of his friend.
James leapt forward and put his boot into Garrus's cupped hands. Garrus rose with a grunt and lifted his hands up, propelling Shepard up into the air above the barricade.
James hit his adrenalin boost as he was thrown up in the air, his senses and reflexes sharpened to the point where everything was moving in slow motion. With almost casual care he lined up a shot and put a burst of incendiary rounds from his Vindicator rifle into the head of the vorcha with the firestorm, killing him instantly. The recoil threw James backwards but he still managed to twist in mid-air and put another burst into a second vorcha sending him flying backwards.
James went slamming backwards to the ground, he dropped his arms to break his fall but it still jarred him.
"Oufff, nice catch jackass" he grunted.
"Shut up and help me, we've got krogan related issues" replied Garrus dropping to one knee and losing off a concussive round over James at the krogan berserker now advancing on them his shot gun blasting, "This was a stupid plan Shepard."
"Shut up and keep shooting" replied James rolling onto his belly and opening fire at the krogan who let out a brutal roar and charged them. James was beginning to think Garrus was right about this being a stupid plan.
But before the krogan could reach them he was hauled up in the air in the blue crackle of Jack's mass effect field and shaken around like a rag doll, roaring and screaming as he was tossed around.
For one horrible moment James thought the krogan was going to be sick on them, but then Samara lit him up with her assault rifle and James and Garrus opened up as well. The storm of rifle fire, of incendiary and armour piercing rounds were too much even for the krogan's enhanced physiology and his roar turned into a pained cough as he convulsed and coughed up blood. Then he convulsed and was dead.
Jack tossed the krogan's massive corpse at the vorcha who sent back a storm of fire at her. Fortunately Samara grabbed her and pushed her firmly down, dropping down into cover herself in one graceful movement.
James and Garrus were crouched behind the fallen pillar, shielded from enemy fire. On the other side were the vorcha completely focused on Jack and Samara.
"Grenades" said Garrus jerking his head.
"You read my mind brother" replied James with a nod, "On three."
They pulled grenades from their webbing, armed the primers and tossed them over the pillar they were crouched behind straight on top of the vorcha. The grenades were concussion, they weren't lethal except at very close range but oh boy did they sting.
The vorcha reeled under the stinging assult, and at James's order Jack charged forward, her shot gun blazing, Samara on her shoulder covering her flank. They charged through the vorcha's barricades. As they broke through the barricades Jack unleashed a biotic shockwave which sent the vorcha flying and then they were in amongst the disoriented enemy.
At the same moment James and Garrus leapt forward out of cover, their rifles on their shoulders, they advanced rapidly putting bursts of fire into the vorcha. As they vaulted the barricades they both unleashed point blank concussive shots into two vorcha sending them flying. One was dead before he hit the ground, the other lived just long enough to see the barrel of Jack's shot gun pointed at his face. The blast took the vorcha's head clean off.
"More vorcha right" snapped Garrus.
"Focus fire right" ordered James. They turned their fire on the new threat. Samara grabbed one of the vorcha in her biotic field and threw it backwards against the wall with a sickening crack, breaking it's back. Jack threw out another biotic shock wave with a wordless cry of rage sending the vorcha reeling. Garrus dropped one with a high powered shot and James's incendiary rounds finished a second one.
"Jack with me" snapped James unslinging his own shotgun as they charged forward. One of the vorcha stuck it's head up but James sent it flying with a concussive round as suppressive fire from Samara and Garrus flashed past. James vaulted a table, Jack hard on his heels and immediately they were on the vorcha's flank. The vorcha turned but they weren't fast enough. James and Jack opened fire in the same instant, in seconds the fight was over and the shooting stopped.
"Samara cover the door. The rest of you sweep the room" ordered James.
The team moved swiftly, checking the shadows for hidden enemies or traps, James had no intention of losing anyone to a land mine.
As they looked around James realised that the room they had fought their way through was full of small metal tables. Tables which were lined with a network of narrow channels leading to a sump at the base. Channels which would allow blood to flow freely down the table.
"Dear god" muttered James shocked and horrified.
"Spirits….." said Garrus echoing his tone "It's a morgue."
"Why would they need a morgue" replied Jack sharply, "This was a small facility."
"I'm saying" replied Garrus in a grim tone, "That some sick son of a bitch killed a lot of kids here and then checked his damn work."
"Bullshit" snapped Jack, "I had the worst of it and I survived."
James didn't say anything, Jack had been through a horrifying nightmare here which he was struggling to even comprehend. Her psychological coping mechanism for dealing with the pure evil of this hellhole was the certain knowledge in her own mind that she had been through the worst that could be thrown at her and survived which made her indestructible.
To admit that others here had suffered as badly, or worse than she had would challenge her whole psychological defence mechanism. It would mean that it was not just her against the universe and that she had weathered the worst the universe could throw at her. That would be a mental hurdle for her that she clearly just wasn't ready for.
"Let's move out" James ordered, "Eye's up and check your corners, anti-ambush drill the whole way. There's no question we're not alone now so be ready for more contacts. I'll lead, Garrus on my shoulder."
"Whatever. I just want to watch this place burn" replied Jack.
They exited through a door at the other end of the room, out onto a metal cat walk, their boots wringing loudly off the metal grates. The walls were covered in faded Cerberus symbols.
"It feels so strange to be back here" said Jack quietly, as they advanced along the gangway "I feel like….I'm pissed off. I'm a dangerous bitch. But then.…I'm a little girl again."
"Jack stay with me" said James softly but firmly, "The only ghosts here are the ones in your mind. Don't let this place mess with your head."
She shook her head angrily and looked away, "Shit it's complicated. Let's just go plant that bomb."
"We will. Mean time you stay frosty" replied James.
They crossed the catwalk into a dirty room with broken windows, the detritus of the decaying facility was scattered around them. The swept stealthily through the room, moving in short bounds in pairs, one pair always covering the other.
At the end of the room the found another door which lead to a set of stairs shrouded in total darkness. James and Garrus flicked on their rifle mounded torches and swept their weapons from side. This deep in the facility there was no ambient light for their NVGs to amplify and while IR was great for warm target's like an enemy soldier, it was useless for cold objects like a trip wire or an anti-personnel mine. That just left the old fashioned way.
They checked the stairs systematically but found no signs of any enemy or any traps.
"Okay nice and slow. Watch for an ambush" ordered James softly as they flicked off their lights, "Jack with me. Garrus, Sarama cover us."
Slowly they descended down the stairs, scanning left and right. Their weapons raised.
They got about half way down the stairs when two vorcha leapt out of cover on the gantry above and trained their weapons. They were both totting rocket launchers and swung them down towards James and Jack even as they both swung their weapons towards the two mercs.
Before any of them could fire Garrus had pulled the trigger and put a high powered round into one of the vorcha sending it flying backwards off of the gantry with a guttural scream. Before the other one could pull the trigger on his rocket launcher there was the crackle of biotics and the vorcha was yanked up into the air by Samara's mass effect field. He flailed helplessly before James and Jack finished him off with rapid bursts of fire.
"That would be the ambush then" muttered James, "Thanks Samara. Ten credits says you can't do that again Garrus."
"Oh you're on Shepard. Easiest ten credits I'll ever make" replied Garrus with a chuckle.
The laughter died in his throat as they descended to the corridor at the bottom of the stairs, stretching away from them was a dark and dingy corridor lined with a double row of cells.
"Room by room. Check your corners" ordered James.
They swept the corridor systematically, shining their torches into each of the cells one by one, checking them for threats or boobie traps.
About half way down the corridor Garrus spoke softly, breaking the unbearably tense silence, "They kept children in this place" he whispered hoarsely.
James was too numb to feel horror anymore, he just felt tired and sick to his stomach "Humanity, we really are the lowest form of life in the galaxy" he growled grimly.
Samara was silent for a long moment before speaking softly, "Should we survive your quest Shepard I shall be compelled to hunt down and bring to justice those who have perpetrated this awful crime."
"You need any help with that you let me know" spat Garrus savagely.
Jack kept her thoughts to herself and they stole along like thieves through the dark corridor, they reached another door at the end which opened up into another cavernous chamber with a catwalk leading over it. Huge trees rose up from the floor below, breaking through the roof above and letting shafts of dim sunlight to shine down into the room. This gave the room a dull gloom, making it feel claustrophobic in spite of the size.
James made a motion to Garrus with his hand and his friend moved to the side and raised his rifle, covering the others as they advanced along the exposed catwalk. At the end of it was a huge dirty mirror.
"It's… it's a two way mirror" whispered Jack sounding stunned as she looked at the mirror.
She turned stunned and looked at James, "My cell's on the other side" she snapped shocked gesturing at the mirror, "I could see all the other kids out here. I screamed at them and banged my fists on the glass for hours. Till I was hoarse….till my hands bled…..They always ignored me."
"Sound proof glass" replied James grimly, 'Just another part of your mental torture' he thought but didn't say.
At the other end of the room they closed up and dropped to one knee and covered Garrus while he closed up on them. Then they moved carefully through the next door and down an overgrown corridor.
At the end there was a small bay to the left, in it was a steal chair complete with side tables and restraints at the wrists, ankles and neck. James turned away disgusted, every time he thought this place couldn't get worse it surprised him.
"I must have gone through here when I broke out" said Jack as they checked the chamber, "But I don't remember it" she looked at Shepard and when she spoke just for a second she sounded like a scared little girl, "This is a bad place."
James decided to leave now before this room screwed with Jack's mind any further, they moved through the door cautiously, weapons raised. All they found was a couple of flickering computer consuls.
James activated his omni-tool and started fighting the first computer consul, after a few moments he managed to activate the holographic projector and the image of a bald scientist flickered to life from a log file.
"Entry ten-fifty four Teltin facility. The latest iteration of PergNim went poorly. Subjects One, Four and Six died. No biotic change among the survivors. We lowered core temperatures of surviving subjects but no bioticaly beneficial reactions occurred. As a side effect all subjects died. So we'll not try that on Zero. I hope our supply of biotic potential subjects holds up. We are going through them fast."
As James watched this recording he was mentally etching every detail of the man, his face, his body, his voice, his personality, his speech pattern into his memory. He was making damn sure that if he ever met this man he would recognise him, so he could kill him.
Jack turned her back and stalked away a few steps, "This is bull shit" she snapped, "They weren't experimenting on the other children for my safety."
"No they weren't they were experimenting on them for their own sick ends" replied James quickly. "This is not your fault Jack, none of it. The blood of others is on their hands not yours. You can't help it."
"You don't get it Shepard" replied Jack anger and misery flooding her voice as she rounded on him, "I survived this place because I was tougher than the rest. That's who I am."
"Then hold on to that" replied James, "Move on harder and tougher with every step. You survived hell Jack, don't be afraid of ghosts."
He turned away, giving up on getting anything more from this consul and moving on to the next one. A few minutes of fiddling with it and cursing under his breath he managed to get it working, starting up another holographic log.
It was the same scientists only this time instead of dispassionate he sounded panicked.
"It's all fallen apart" he shouted desperately, "The subjects are rampaging and Zero is loose. We're shutting Teltin down. What a disaster. We'll infiltrate and piggyback onto the Alliance's Ascension program. Hopefully that will…."
Suddenly his head snapped to the left and there was the crackle of a biotic field charging, "Who" he stammered then his jaw dropped in shock, "Zero wait…." he was cut of mid-sentence as he was yanked off his feet by a biotic field, then the recording cut out.
"Shepard they started up somewhere else" blurted out Jack whirling around.
"No" replied James firmly, "Ascension is an Alliance program. It's a school for biotic kids, they do not torture children there."
"How can you know that" asked Jack angrily.
"It's on Elysium Jack, I've been to the institute, some ridiculous hero's reception they held for me. The people running it wear the same uniform I did" replied James his voice hard, "Some of them I know, most of them I don't but they'd all of them die before they'd let something like this happen on their watch."
Jack looked away and shook her head angrily, "A lot of this…..it isn't the way I remember it."
"You were a kid and you were terrified and drugged in a hellish situation that was changing in a split second" replied James, "There was too much going on for you to remember everything."
"I was dumb" replied Jack angrily, "I keep my eyes open now, and I always shoot first."
She gestured down the corridor, "We're getting close to my cell. The place I came from. Let's keep going."
James nodded, "Okay Garrus take point let's keep it tight."
They walked in, weapons held low and eyes watchful. Immediately trouble was evident.
"Three Krogan" said Garrus quietly.
"Four" replied James equally quietly, their tone almost relaxed, "And three Vorcha."
"One with a firestorm" added Garrus with barely a whisper.
"Wait for my go" whispered James with a sharp look at Jack.
Even as they spoke one of the Krogan raised a hand to his com-link, "Hey Aresh, it's Kureck…..Yeah, the intruders are here. You want them, we have to talk creds."
Without a word they slowly started to spread out, weapons held low.
There was a long pause, broken by chatter over the com in Kureck's ear, he frowned…..James thought, it was hard to tell with Krogan sometimes. "Fine" Kureck snapped into his com, "We'll put 'em down. Then I'm coming in there and we're going to talk salvage."
"What the hell are you doing here" snarled Jack.
"First we're going to kill you" snarled Kureck, "Then….we'll see."
He raised his weapon but James and Garrus were faster, both of them were down on one knee, rifles up in a flash and a pair of concussive rounds struck Kureck in the chest throwing him backwards.
"Garrus deal with the vorcha, everyone else keep the Krogan at a distance" barked James.
"Done" replied Garrus switching his rifle to one of the vorcha and putting a burst of fire into it before ducking to avoid return fire.
One of the krogan opened fire while the other two advanced on them down the left flank, "Samara, Jack shake them up" snapped James ducking into to avoid fire from the krogan.
There was the crackle of biotics and Samara hauled one of the advancing krogan up into the air and threw him backwards. He impacted the wall with a thud and a groan.
The other krogan lowered his head and let out a roar and he charged towards the two women. Before he reached them Jack lashed out with a shock wave which sent the second krogan flying into the air.
James smiled, "Time to step up our game Garrus, we're getting shown up, make me a space."
"Done" replied Garrus, he swung his sniper rifle up and put a round into two of the vorcha in quick succession, knocking them back. Garrus ducked back into cover as the remainder of the shooters turned their weapons onto him.
James unslung his widow sniper rifle and hit his adrenalin boost, rising up and swinging his sniper rifle round to cover the krogan shooting at Garrus. He exhaled gently and put an armour piercing round into the head of the krogan, blood sprayed backwards and the krogan slammed backwards against the wall dead.
Kureck was back on his feet and let out a roar of his own, advancing towards James with his shotgun blazing, two rounds struck James's shields and they flared. James vaulted backwards as his shields failed under the third shot, he landed with a heavy grunt.
"You still alive brother?" shouted Garrus.
"No I died a couple of minutes ago but I expect I'll be back in a little while" replied James as he rolled over into cover behind a pillar, slinging his sniper rifle and drawing his shotgun.
"Still think you're a comedian" replied Garrus as he twisted away from a tongue of flame from the firestorm toting vorcha. Garrus's return fire struck the fuel tank of the heavy weapon and it detonated with a hollow boom, incinerating the weapon and the vorcha with it.
They were turning the tide but the remaining krogan were getting too damn close, James stepped round the corner and levelled his shot gun at Kureck as he approached and put a blast straight into the krogan's face. Kureck's barriers flared but he snarled and returned a blast into James's gut, but his shields held. As James moved he saw the other two krogan both on their feet and advancing on their left flank.
James activated his adrenalin boost, dodged and leapt to his right putting another blast into Kureck. "Jack, Samara open up some space, we're getting boxed it" he snapped over the com as he tried to outflank Kureck and keep him off balance.
Jack raised her fist and sent another biotic shock wave which sent both krogan flying backwards.
Then she did exactly the last thing she should have done, she charged them, screaming and firing her shotgun. "I will destroy you" she yelled as she ran at the massive krogan.
Rule one on page one in chapter one of the book of fighting krogan you don't close with them, you keep your distance and you hit them hard. But Jack's mind was full of fear and anger and confusion and clearly she wasn't in the mood to think about rules.
Which was too bad because biotic powerhouse or not she would get torn apart against them at close quarters.
"Hell" snapped James, "Garrus cover me" he yelled, zipping left and right to avoid enemy fire. He swung up his rifle and hit his adrenalin boost, his whole body was flooded with adrenalin and he felt his perception sharpen. He lined his rifle up and fired two bursts of armour piercing rounds, into the lead krogan. Jack finished the krogan dead with a shotgun blast to the face. But now the other one was almost on her.
"Samara" yelled James.
The Asari reached out, her hands wreathed in blue lightning and grabbed Jack in her biotic field, yanking her back away from the krogan and into cover.
That just left James with the pissed off Kureck who had finally rounded on him, he turned to face Kureck just as his adrenalin boost ended…..and his clip ran dry.
Kureck advanced on him with an evil looking leer, "You're mine pretty boy."
James raised an eyebrow, "Never on a first date" he replied.
Kureck frowned and looked at him looking confused and angry, but before he could react he was struck with a concussive round from behind from Garrus, sending him pitching him forward.
However now the remaining vorcha aimed at Garrus, James ejected his thermal clip and re-loaded and switched to incendiaries in the blink of an eye. He shot the vorcha in the back killing him in an instant.
That left just Kureck and one more krogan berserker up and about and neither of them were having a particularly good day. Kureck was getting groggily to his feet, the other krogan was exchanging shots with Samara but she was a better shot.
James knew what was coming, the krogan had three options. Surrender, retreat or charge them. It didn't take a genius to work out which one they would go for.
"Flank 'em" snapped James as Kureck turned towards him, shaking his head with a snarl and charged towards James even as James poured fire into him, shredding his kinetic barriers. James dodged out of the way at the last moment as Kureck went crashing past, but he wasn't quiet fast enough, the butt of Kureck's shot gun slammed into James's head sending him spinning.
James crashed to the floor, he saw stars and blinked hard, he knew he only had a second before Kureck smashed his skull to pulp. He blinked and opened his eyes, his head swimming in time to see Kureck turn back towards him his shot gun pointed at James's head. But before Kureck could do anything he was yanked up in a biotic field and pulled away over the centre of the room. "Come here" snarled Jack's voice from the other side of the room.
James rose in time to see the second krogan's shields shredded by a biotic blast from Samara, he let out a roar as he charged but Garrus was faster and he let off another concussive round into the krogan sending him flying. Garrus and Samara hammered him with high velocity rounds and finished him before he could rise.
That just left Kureck who Jack dumped in a heap on the floor as her biotic field failed. He rose, healing fast with a yell but James was ready. Swinging his missile launcher from his shoulder before Kureck could fire.
James fired two missiles in quick succession and blew Kureck apart. He lowered the missile launcher and exhaled deeply. "Job done" he said quietly as the come down from the adrenalin kicked in.
Jack approached lowering her weapon, "The only room left is my old cell" she growled, "Whoever Aresh is he must be in there. I wanted to plant the bomb in there anyway. Might as well do it on his corpse."
James gave her a hard look, "We talk first" he said firmly.
"Whatever" replied Jack with a shrug.
They moved through the door, their weapons up and scanning.
"Get out her now. Hands where we can see them" barked James.
Slowly a man emerged from behind a crate, he kept his hands low and walked calmly, he seemed completely unafraid of the four people pointing guns at him.
"Who are you" snapped Jack angrily.
"My name is Aresh" he replied calmly, "You're breaking into my home. I know you Subject Zero."
He stepped forward, in a flash Jacks pistol was in his face "My name is Jack" she snarled angrily, "How the hell do you know me?"
Aresh's voice never wavered from the calm tone, "We all knew you face Zero" he said, "They inflicted horrors on us so their experiments wouldn't kill you. You were the question, and now I'm still looking for the answer."
James raised an eyebrow, "Looks like you're not the only one pulled back here Jack."
"I tried hard…..so hard to forget this. But a place like this….it doesn't forget you" Aresh said gestured around him and pointing at the side of his head. "It follows you. I hired these mercs and came back almost a solar year ago. We're rebuilding it, piece by piece."
James's other eyebrow made a break for the ceiling, "What?" he asked incredulous.
"I'm going to find out what they knew" Aresh said with a wide dreamy smile, "How to unlock true biotic potential in humans. I'm restarting the Teltin facility. It will be beautiful."
That was definitely the wrong thing to say, James saw Jack tense instantly and her finger tighten on the trigger of her M-6. If she pulled the trigger now she'd blow a hole the size of a dinner plate in Aresh's chest.
"I wanted a hole in the ground" Jack snarled, "He's trying to justify what happened using it."
"How can you do the same thing to new kids?" asked James trying to break through Aresh's screwed up logic, "Wasn't this forced on you. How did you all end up here after all?"
"Some were bought from families on Earth, or kidnapped from colonies", Aresh said quietly. "Most ended up here the way I did, batarian pirates. They did such horrible things to us. They must have had good reasons."
'Ah. There it is' thought James, 'That's what it's about. Just like Jack, Aresh is trying to process all the terrible things that have happened to him here. Trying to make sense of it all. That's what had driven him to such a horrible, insane course of action.'
"There's no reason good enough" yelled Jack angrily, "Are you nuts? You lived it."
"How did you escape anyway" asked James, "This place is like a prison, what did you tunnel out?"
"We all attacked at once as they were taking us to the lab" replied Aresh, "They would have put us all down….but then you got loose Zero. When I came to it was over, the guards, the scientists and the other kids were all dead. And you were gone."
"I stopped it, all of it" yelled back Jack, "Maybe the others did have it bad, but what you're doing is just messed up."
'Which considering the source of that assessment says a lot' thought James.
"Everything we went through must have been worth something" replied Aresh angrily, losing his cool for the first time.
James sighed deeply, this was getting them nowhere. "Jack we can blow this place in five minutes, but that still leaves him. What do we do with another you Jack?"
Garrus gave him a look of complete incredulity, his expression said 'Shepard you idiot' and James winced as he realised he'd put his foot right in it.
"That's easy" snarled Jack.
"Just leave me here" replied Aresh miserably, "This is where I belong."
"Fuck that and fuck you" snarled Jack. She grabbed Aresh with her biotics and pushed him to the floor. She levelled her pistol at Aresh's head.
James moved like greased lightning, grabbing Jack's arm and pulling the pistol away even as she pulled the trigger sending the shot off at an angle.
"Jack wait. Look at him, he's trapped in his past, you have to move on from yours" he snapped.
"He want's to restart this place" Jack snarled grimly, "He needs to die."
"He's crazy, he's never going to restart this place and you know it" replied James, "You have to let it go."
"He has to die" replied Jack stubbornly pulling free of Shepard's grip and levelling her pistol with a glare.
"You pull that trigger" said James softly, "Then all you are is a weapon. A killing machine. And you know what if that's what you are then I'll be very sad about that, but I can get over it. But you do it and you will be everything Cerberus wanted to make you and that's all you ever will be. You want to take the easy way out that's fine be a killer, but the Jack I know doesn't let anyone push her into anything, least of all Cerberus."
James stepped in front of Jack and looked her right in the eye, he and spoke softly, "It's time to grow up Jack and be the person you want to be not the thing they made you. This guy is stuck in his past. You don't have to let yours define you."
Jack looked at him, then at Aresh and then back at James, "Fuck" she screamed throwing her hands up in the air. Then she lowered her pistol and glared at Aresh, "Get out of here, now. Go."
Aresh rose shakily and headed for the door, James watched him go carefully.
"He's not worth it. None of it is" snapped Jack bitterly.
"You did the right thing Jack, well done" replied James with a re-assuring smile.
"Whatever" replied Jack looking around, now Aresh was gone she sounded distracted, "This room was my whole childhood. Give me a minute to look around."
"Of course" replied James, "Take your time."
As Jack looked around James and Garrus started to set up the warhead they'd bought with them. Jack wandered around the room, almost in a trance, "Nothing's changed" she muttered, "But it's all different, somehow."
"Maybe because you're different" replied James.
Jack shrugged, she seemed lost in thought staring out of the window which took up one whole wall of the room, "I thought that room out there was the rest of the world" she muttered. "I'd pound and yell. Never did any good. I never thought it could be soundproofed."
She walked slowly over to the table, tracing her fingers over the top of it, "I used this table for everything" she said, "It was my best friend. I'd crawl under it to cry. I was pathetic."
"You were a kid" replied James.
Jack didn't respond, she looked over and walked over to the bed, "Sometimes I dream that I'm back in this bed being tortured. I used to tie the sheets around my wrists and try to rip them off. I want to stop coming back here."
She turned around to face them her eyes hard, "Okay, no more wallowing. Let's blow this place to hell."
James nodded and glanced at Garrus, "We ready to light this place up?"
"No problem" replied Garrus with a nod.
James nodded, "Then let's get the hell out of here."
The shuttle lifted up into the atmosphere, the rain hammering down around it, water streaming off the hull. James produced the remote detonator from his belt and handed it to Jack, "It's all yours Jack" he said with a nod.
She took it and started flipping the safety catch up and down repetitively, staring into space not looking at them or anything else.
James banged on the hull of the shuttle, the pilot got the message and accelerated rapidly. Jack flicked open the safety catch one more time and pressed the trigger.
A blinding flash of light lit the landscape behind them and glared through the shuttles viewing ports. It died in an instant but through the viewing port James could see a column of fire rising up where the facility had been. Then the shockwave hit them and the shuttle shook like it had been kicked by a giant. But the pilot held it together and pulled up away from the massive explosion towards the Normandy.
Normandy SR-2 (In orbit over Pragia).
Miranda sat in her office looking at the monitor, glaring annoyed at the screen. It appeared that Shepard's mission to Pragia had been a success, the facility had been destroyed utterly.
She was still furious with Shepard, with his stubborn, stupid refusal to understand that what had happened there, however horrific had nothing to do with Cerberus. This was a rogue organisation which had gone completely insane and had done terrible, misguided things.
Something broke her train of thought, one of her surveillance devices told her Jack was approaching her office, striding purposefully towards her door. Miranda sat back and glared at the monitor and her lip curled with anger, right now she was in the mood for a fight.
The door to her office hissed open and Jack strode into her office looking angry even as Miranda rose.
"I want to talk to you, you bitch" yelled Jack.
Miranda smiled coldly stepping in front of her desk with deceptively lazy strides, "Nobody steps in here without my permission. I'm going to give you a count to five to get out of my office" she replied calmly, "Then I will throw you out and I won't be gentle."