Shema made a careful progress towards the turbine, thanking the shields that blocked out the frightening winds. After being swept up in a hurricane on her Pilgrimage, she had never liked facing the wind. Had it not been for the Captain's reassuring nod and Nekros' support, she would not have had enough courage to even jump out of the dropship.
She suddenly felt a tinge of electricity. Soon, her enviro-suit confirmed her senses:
Increase in Atmospheric Electric Charge! Shelter advised!
The Captain suddenly barked an order – "Get back here! Storm's coming!"
She panicked, but her soldierly instincts kicked in. She turned around and ran towards the Captain, but the armour had slowed her to a walk.
"Bosh'tet! Why can't the damn thing move faster?"
She heard the Captain shout more orders at Nekros, but lost the details to the panic. Nekros seemed to hesitate following the order, something that surprised Shema. Nekros was someone who wouldn't ignore orders…
Before she could brooch more on the subject, the air turned brilliant white, blinding her even through her mask. She felt her body numb, prickled by pain and static. Her breathing fastened. Her eyes watered. He fingers twitched from pain.
A shockwave ensued, and Shema felt herself being thrown off the station. Confused, disorientated and dizzy, she only knew one truth.
I am going to die.
So this was how she was going end. To the thing that frightened her the most. Sucked into the howling mass of gas, lost to the numbers of history. Not die with a glorious sacrifice, not do anything for the Flotilla. Just like this. Will her brother be okay? How about her parents? Mother's sickness was just beginning to get better… She had so much to see of the world! The little joys, wonders of life, pains too. How will father receive this? He knew that she was a soldier. He knew that she could die easily, right? Kem! How will he go on? He was no longer the little boy anymore. He will... be fine.
She had enough. She stopped breathing.
"Shema, you still there?"
Shema took in a sharp breath, feeling the cold sting of static creep down her lungs. She forced her eyes open. First thing she saw was blue.
"Shema?"
She couldn't feel gravity nor the wind against her armour. She realised that she wasn't flying off into her death: an opaque blue sphere that surrounded her was holding her still mid-air. Despite her disorientation, she realised what was happening.
"Thanks, Captain."
"You're welcome. Can you use your biotics?"
The biotic barrier pulsated, as if alive and trying to move, nauseating her. Shema closed her eyes, then moved her hand up into the familiar mnemonic position.
Please…
Her hand tinged signalling that her biotics were working.
"Yes, sir!"
"Great. Get over here. The winds are too strong, I can't pull you in."
Shema remembered where she was. She was flying, held down by a non-existent string. The winds surrounded her, howling, eager to devour her. There was no ground, no sky. She was living her repeated nightmare – whipped off, tossed around until she was too sick to think, coming to in a hospital with a life-threatening reaction. Her heart pounded. She felt her hands grow cold. Breathing was getting more difficult. Her legs felt weak. Her hearing sharpened, only to hear the unsettling static of the silent radio. She could feel the sweat forming on her forehead. Movement was impossible.
"Shema."
Her head flinched at the sound, but it did little to dispel the cold.
"Shema, talk to me."
She forced her mouth to form the words.
"Yes sir."
"Who are you?"
"Sir?"
"Who are you?"
What was the Captain trying to say?
"Shema'Mamal vas Hidinors, sir."
"Which species are you?"
O…kay?
"Quarian, sir."
"How old are you?"
Wait sir, I need to think.
"Turning twenty eight in Earth age, sir."
"What is your occupation?"
Um…
"A soldier, sir."
"And what do soldiers do?"
Well.
"Follow orders, sir."
"Then Pull yourself towards me. That's an order."
Without thinking, she summoned her powers and Pulled, launching herself towards the Captain. She landed next to the Captain, who helped her to her feet. With trembling hands, she hugged him tightly. She sobbed and giggled into his chest, taking happy rasped breaths interrupted by tears.
"Easy."
I'm alive.
She hugged the Captain even more tightly. He helped her calm down, comforting her with a gentle pat on the shoulder.
"All it took was for you to take your mind off. You can't ignore fear, but you can decide how it will affect you."
It took a full minute for Shema's crying to reduce into occasional sniffs.
"You know, Kisa's going to dissect me if she sees us like this."
Shema's cheeks flared up, her heart making beating against her enviro-suit. She let go of the Captain immediately and looked up to see the Captain chuckle. Seeing this, she too allowed the liberty of a grin. Their merriness didn't last long though.
"Let's get inside. I'm afraid we have bad things waiting for us." He said grimly.
…
Zenzin was mildly annoyed. His database on Protheans was arguably the most extensive library ever compiled (except the ones that Dr T'Soni had in her possession), yet it only had fragmented facts about this gas giant. It looked like it was erased on purpose, but nobody had access to his Archives. It wasn't even hackable because it wasn't connected to any other device!
Interesting. Nothing's here. Zenzin thought as he reread the Tinvik Factsheet for the seventh time.
"Found anything useful?"
Zenzin spun his chair around to face the newcomer. It was the Asari that Captain Jackson was fraternising with.
"Negative, unfortunately. It seems to have been… tampered with."
The Asari seemed surprised, and quickly approached him.
"May I have a look? I promise I won't touch anything!"
Zenzin thought for a moment. It was his database: a basis for all his knowledge, all his professions.
But knowledge shared is knowledge gained.
He stood up, allowing the Asari to take his seat.
"Thank you."
Her hands flew across the keys and the screen changed rapidly. She soon reached a place in the cyberworld that he didn't even know existed. After a bit more of browsing, the Asari returned to the original screen which showed the compiled factsheet of Tinvik.
After a careful reading, she made her conclusion: "It was tampered with."
Zenzin was surprised at the authority and sureness behind her voice. He didn't have to ask why:
"I'm a hacker. I know that every bit of hacking leaves a trace. But here – there is no trace of hacking. But there is something else: Look here. See where the facts just jumble around?" The Asari said as she pointed at one of the bullet points. It was the same bullet point that he too had found odd.
"That is a work of the Indoctrinated."
…
Nekros came to.
His exoskeleton's shields flickered, then returned. He slowly stood up, his eyes cautiously canning the dead screens. A spark flared from one of them. His body felt fine.
What have I done?
His eyes followed the rows of black screens, blinking lights, burnt lines, ashen ground… then a body.
"Oscar."
I disobeyed an order.
The boy was still breathing. He seemed to have been shocked by the electric surge, but was alive. His eyes soon fluttered open, groaning as he did so.
"What happened?"
Nekros shook his head. Oscar's eyes went wide.
"Jesus. You didn't reroute the shields?"
"No."
I hesitated.
Oscar jumped up, then hurried to a corner of the room, muttering to himself. He pulled out a pressure suit from storage and hurriedly donned the suit.
"Of course the control room is fine. But the others. Oh god. For Christ's sake. Why?"
Nekros couldn't say anything, his head merely following Oscar's panicked movements.
"The others! They… we have to see if we can still save them!"
I have made a choice. Whatever the responsibilities – whatever the outcomes – is mine to endure.
Oscar tried to open the door, but soon realised that the electronics were fried. Nekros gently pushed the boy out of the way and forced the doors open. They were greeted by a burst of flame.
"No!" Oscar shouted. He sprinted out of the room. Nekros slowly followed, already knowing the outcome of his decision.
Did I make the correct choice?
The corridor just outside their room showed heavy damage. A dense fog of hydrogen filled the station. Sense of dread immediately hit him like a bullet. By the time Nekros arrived main lobby, Oscar was screaming over the charred bodies. Some burnt completely, some dead from the lack of oxygen… all dead regardless.
"No! Please no! Doctor? Professor!"
There is no correct choice.
Oscar stood up and marched towards him. Tears were streaming down his face – a face filled with uncontrollable rage.
"See what you have done! How could you! I thought. I thought you came to save us! How! Why!"
He punched Nekros' chest plate. Though it didn't hurt, Nekros could still feel it; and he felt it hard.
"They are all dead. Because of you. Why! Why!" Oscar continued to beat his armour, screaming and crying.
"I'm sorry."
Oscar stopped punching, then fell to his knees.
"He was a father to me." He sobbed.
No one person is important more than the other.
"I'm sorry." He repeated.
The airlock on his left slid open, and Shema and Liam walked in. They looked around the dead bodies, no doubt shocked at the consequence. The sight of Shema alive and well brought a weary smile to his face – a smile that was abruptly erased by Liam's approach.
"Soldier, explain yourself. Did you hear my order?"
"Yes sir."
"Then why did you disobey?"
"No excuse, sir."
The two men stood facing each other. Nekros towered over Liam, but it was Liam who had the power. His black eyes were steely cold, bearing down harshly at Nekros. Shema quietly led Oscar to another room.
"I do not believe I need to tell you the consequences of your actions."
"Yes sir."
"You had an order, soldier. Your job is to obey it to the best of your abilities."
"Yes sir."
"You have failed that job."
"Yes sir."
Nekros was prepared to take any punishment, but waited silently as Liam continued to stare at him.
"You need to trust me Nekros. Don't feel the need to take it upon yourself. That is my job. Whatever the consequences, they are mine, not yours. As much as I respect your abilities, sometimes you just have to trust that your superiors are right. Trust me."
Nekros stood silently, waiting for more, but none came. Liam simply turned around to walk away.
"Sir?"
"Yes?"
"How about my charges?"
Liam faced him again.
"Did I not tell you that the responsibilities are mine? Even your hesitation to act – it was my oversight. Your disobedience is my fault. I'm not going to punish you because of my incompetence."
What? No!
"Sir, with all due respect, I am fully responsible for–"
"Not following an order, yes. But I don't think you'll ignore orders again. Martial law is there for a reason, but this time, that reason doesn't apply. I don't see the point of punishing you. I trust you will learn from this mistake."
Liam turned around, leaving a very stunned Turian to ponder what was decreed. Before he walked out of the room, he paused to tell Nekros one more thing:
"I want you to know that I will stand by your decision, whichever one you make. As for this one… as much as it has jeopardised the mission, you saved Shema. I am glad that you are still capable of thought. Just save your thoughts for later... when you are in the position of responsibly."
…
After-Action Report
Mission Classifier: R11092185TB-E5CR (STORMCHASING)
Commanding Personnel: Agent Li
Participating Personnel: S. Hidinors, N. Aigus, SSV Horizon
Commencing Date: 06:00:11092185
Completion Date: 15:12:11092185
Operation Allowance: 1440 Minutes, Eezo-Assisted Rescue, Cyberwarfare & Cleanup, Nuclear Payload Transport, Lethal Force Approved
Tactical Goal Overview: Investigate the Uncertainty of Planet Y782 of System CN-AT
Orders:
Investigate the Uncertainty
Salvage any data available
Transport of Nuclear Payload
Destroy the Uncertainty
Rescue any personnel
Extract
Action:
Mission opened. Entry hampered by extreme winds. Uncertainty did not have operational power. Restored power temporally to access. Contacted nine civilians with notable signs of severe deprivation. Treatment given to civilians. Accessed a high-security room. Restored partial power through extensive EVA. Received extensive damage due to natural phenomena whilst restoring secondary generator. Eight personnel found dead due to damage to the Uncertainty. Extracted remaining data from the information cores (undamaged). Three Mountain-Class nuclear warheads retrieved with two Kodiaks. Other civilians on the Uncertainty abandoned based on the assumption of Casualty. Uncertainty destroyed via destabilisation of the gravity core (Gravitizer used). Mission closed.
Follow-up:
None required.
Outcomes:
Uncertainty destroyed
One civilian rescued
Gravitizer used and irretrievable
Three Mountain-Class Warheads salvaged
Unspecified amount of research data salvaged
Status:
Closed