Chapter 37 – Saren's Base
Once Shepard was in position, Kirrahe ordered the three other teams to strike. There was minor geth resistance going into the facility.
"Hello? Hello, someone there?" someone called.
"Prison cells?" Kaidan wondered aloud as they made their way past several small cells. Many held salarians, a few of them were dead, a few hunched over mumbling to themselves. The last one the salarian was still alive and calling out to them.
"Please, let me out! I've been trapped…for days….like a rat…the voices…"
"Calm down," Shepard said. "Were you part of Kirrahe's team?"
"They tried to break me, but they couldn't! I shut it out!" the salarian said.
"Who. Are. You." Shepard said slowly.
"Commando Private Menos Avot of the Third Infiltration Regiment STG, ma'am! Captured while on reconnaissance three days ago. Glad to answer, ma'am!" his posture was rigid, then swayed, "Never any questions from these bastards. Just whispers and poking. I'd have said anything to get out and get some payback. That's not too much to ask, is it? A little payback?"
"He's in no shape to take with us," Garrus said, beginning to override the lock. "But he might be able to get out on his own."
"I just need to get out of here and away from that incessant whispering. They've piped it in for days."
"Wait," Shepard held her hand out to Garrus. "Something isn't right."
"Commander…I think he's being indoctrinated. Like Benezia," Liara said.
"We can't just let him stay here, he's isn't as bad off as the others," Shepard said. "Let him out."
"Yes, leaving me here would be bad. Very bad. It's too small and the noise just won't go away. Whispering is loud, you know?" Private Avot said. "I can help you. I am good at following orders," he said as his cell door slid open. "I should be. When they are repeated over and over…especially when they are so damn simple!"
The private lunged at Shepard. He was light, she grabbed him and threw him off of her. Her pistol fired, right into his abdomen.
"Too late for him," Shepard said quietly. "But we tried. Too late for all of them."
"I thought this place was a breeding facility for Krogan. Why is Saren studying indoctrination here?" Wrex asked.
"It's a huge facility, we might stumble across a lot here," Shepard said. "If we had more time we could search this place for days. But without an army of our own…just have to put it down."
The moved throughout the facility, listening to the reports of the other three teams. Williams was doing good, all of them were. She didn't let herself get too comfortable.
They passed through several labs, and then they were in the offices.
A door slid open, and Shepard targeted an asari huddled under a desk. The asari looked up, realizing she wasn't going to be shot on sight, and slowly stood up. "Please! Don't shoot. I just want to get out of here before it's too late."
"I'm not going to hurt you," Shepard said, lowering her weapon. "Who are you?"
"Rana Thanoptis, neurospecialist. But this job isn't worth dying over. Or worse," she said. "You think the indoctrination only affects prisoners? Sooner or later, Saren will want to dissect my brain, too!"
"So this is more than a breeding facility," Shepard said.
"This level is studying Sovereign's effect on organic minds. At least, that's what I assumed. Saren has kept us in the dark as much as possible."
"You helped him and you don't even know why?" Garrus asked.
"I didn't have the option of negotiating. This position is a little more…permanent than I'd expected. But I can help you. This elevator will give you access to Saren's private labs. I can get you in," she said, walking over to it and activating it. "See? Full access. All of Saren's private files. Are we good? Can I go?"
"I want to know more about what you were studying," Shepard said.
"That ship, Sovereign. It emits some kind of…signal. Undetectable, but its there. I've seen the effects. Saren uses it to influence his followers, to control them. It's called indoctrination. Direct exposure to the signal turns you into a mindless slave, like the salarian test subjects. But there's collateral damage, too."
"Why is Saren researching it? Isn't he the one controlling it?" Alenko asked.
"The signal comes from the ship, it makes us obey Saren, but I don't think he controls it. Not exactly. I think…he's scared it might be affecting him," Rana said. "But Sovereigns signal is too strong. Spend too much time near the ship and you feel it. Like a tingle at the back of the skull. It's like a whisper you can't quite hear. You're compelled to do things but you don't know why. You just obey. Eventually, you just stop thinking for yourself. It happens to everyone here. My first subject was the man I replaced. Now I just want to get out of here before it happens to me."
"I'm going to blow this place to hell and gone. If you want to make it out alive, you'd better start running," Shepard said.
Rana's eyes grew wide, "What! You can't…but I'll never…oh goddess," she cried, and started running.
Wrex rumbled a laugh, "You enjoyed that. Admit it."
"Maybe just a bit," Shepard said, her spirits rising as they got closer to their goal.