Chapter 37: Bring Down The Sky
Normandy Docking Bay, 12:43 pm
Leaving the Arcturus Stream
Zach watched as Garrus and Jake began to chat about calibrations as they worked on installing Garrus's mods to his favorite weapons. Next to the procurement officer, Wrex and Tali were working together on their shotguns; Wrex teaching Tali good ways to upgrade her weapon. Ashley, Kaidan, and Liara worked together over at the work bench on their weapons, though Ashley's face showed she didn't like the crowding. Zach sat by himself on the floor, working hard to install the frictionless materials to the heat sink of his assault rifle. Combined with the stabilization module and the frostblind rounds, his rifle would continuously fire for hours on end. He already did it to his other weapons, although he stuck with sledgehammer rounds on his shotgun. Despite sledgehammer rounds causing faster overheating rates, the HMVSG X was already great enough to withstand enough shots to kill the enemy. The same mods he liked to use gave him an extra kick, as well as a few more shots before overheating.
"It's a brilliant upgrade to use, Garrus." Zach could hear Jake saying. "Even I use them on my Lancer X."
"Tungsten rounds?" Garrus asked. "On a Lancer X?"
"Why not?" Jake shrugged. "You just need the right upgrades and bam! Instant death to unshielded enemies. I overload their barriers, quickly sabotage their weapons, and then let the rounds rip through their armor and flesh."
"That sounds like what I'd do."
"Great minds think alike, right?"
"That's a human expression I've heard before. It definitely fits for this topic. Just a bit more calibrating, and this rifle will kill anyone who gets in my way."
Zach smiled, shaking his head at his friend. He turned back towards Tali and heard Wrex laugh.
"You're a natural at this, Tali!" Wrex barked.
"I'm not really that good at making weapons, Wrex." Tali shrugged. "I just had a good teacher."
Wrex laughed again. "Good to know my little pupil thinks highly of me."
"Well, you've lived for so long fighting you obviously know everything there is to killing things and upgrading weapons."
"You got that right! Don't let anyone tell you different. Especially Garrus. He thinks the calibrations make a gun. It's really the warrior who wields it. This weapon is your life, young cub."
Tali laughed, and Zach chuckled to himself as well. He liked it when Tali laughed and when Wrex acted like a total dork. He turned towards the other three to listen in on their conversation.
"Careful!" Ashley yelled.
"I am sorry." Liara spoke. "I wasn't trying to break the gun."
"You need careful timing and precision when you place mods on guns. It's like when you shoot an enemy in the head. Take it slowly, aim, and fire when the target is directly lined up."
"And if the enemy charges me?"
"That's what you have singularity for. Just pick them up and shoot them in the head."
"You've obviously never seen me cast singularity before. It literally picks up anything; enemies, chairs, crates, explosive canisters. It's still unstable even after nearly a hundred years of practice."
"I was about to mention that, Liara." Kaidan spoke. "I always found it curious that it happened like that."
"Well now you know."
Zach looked back down at his own handiwork, feeling accomplished he upgraded all of his weapons so smoothly. Picking them up and clinging them to the right spots on his clothing, he headed for the elevator, smiling as he saw Jake follow him. They got onto the elevator and started ascending to the next floor.
"How are you enjoying the Normandy so far, Jake?"
"It's a great ship." Jake shrugged. "I heard things about its turian-human construction, and I'm pleased at the results."
"Anyone giving you trouble?"
"Not at all. In fact, your friends really accept me like I'm part of the team. I'm only visiting, though."
"We could let you stay if you wanted."
"It is tempting, but I don't like trying to get very attached to people; not after Jartar. Besides, Hackett just might reassign me somewhere, anyways."
"You had a mission on Jartar? What happened?"
"Just a simple recon mission; me and six other guys. Batarians ambushed us, and only I made it out. I'll explain the details later, but for now, I want to stop talking about this."
"Fair enough." Zach agreed. "It's not easy for me to talk about Akuze, either."
"I can respect that. Your mission ended up worse than mine in comparison."
The elevator doors finally opened, and they headed towards Zach's locker to put away their weapons. Zach typed in his code 9-2-2-4 while Jake typed in 5-2-5-3 on his locker. They put their weapons in the lockers and closed them.
"If you don't mind me asking, though," Jake began, "how have you coped with the losses of Akuze for six years?"
"I haven't, actually." Zach admitted. "They still haunt me every time I go to sleep. Every night, though, it seems different from before."
"I'm sorry." Jake sympathized. "I didn't know."
"It's all right." Zach nodded. "We all suffer loss. I'll eventually be able to cope with it. So will you."
"Yeah..."
"Commander," Joker's voice came up on the intercom. "there's an emergency message coming from Admiral Hackett. I'll forward it to the comm room."
"Thanks, Joker. I'll go talk to him." Zach and Jake walked up the stairs to the comm room, patching Hackett through to speak to them.
"Shepard, this is Admiral Hackett. We received a distress call from one of our other colonies in the Exodus Cluster. Terra Nova is in danger of being struck by a giant asteroid in a matter of about six hours. They sent out a distress signal from the planet in the Asgard system when they saw it was coming straight towards them."
"What do you need us to do?"
"Shut down the fusion torches and avoid the asteroid from crashing into the planet, or we're looking at the most devastating colony loss in human history. Along that line, discover who's responsible and stop them."
"We'll get it done, sir."
"I also see you've brought Jake aboard the Normandy."
"What can I say?" Jake shrugged. "I felt like visiting my long lost cousin for a while. I hope that isn't too much trouble."
"On the contrary, I actually intended for this to happen. You both went through the same situation, and I felt that you two could help each other out."
"Thanks for looking out for us, pops." Jake joked.
"I won't keep you any longer, Hackett out." The image of the admiral disappeared, and Jake turned to face Zach.
"I can do some recon on this asteroid we're landing on while you and your team shut down those torches."
"Good idea. I'll let you pick my team for fun."
"That sounds like a good idea. Invite the crew up. I know just how to pick them." Jake smiled wickedly.
"Did you ever act like this before the incident?" Zach asked, scratching his head.
"You tell me." Jake laughed.
Zach grunted. "Ground team, meet us in the comm room for a mission debrief. We've got a big mission this time." He shook his head over this. "Let's hope this mission doesn't end in failure."
Intai'sei Calypso Base, 12:45 pm
Argos Rho Cluster
Ayala just stared at the wall in her bunk, thinking about what she wanted to do. She knew it would be wrong; she would betray The Stranger's trust in her, and the rest of the crew may not look at her the same way. But this hatred inside of her demanded it; blood must be spilt for the blood she has lost. Her anger towards the krogan who took her life burned inside her everyday, and only her depression had kept her in check. But recently her anger had increased; The Stranger's illusive attitude, Malevolence's talk of gods-
Malevolence. Such an ugly creature with a noble name and noble ideals. She didn't hate the fact he believed in these gods, but she hated how he spoke about gods as if he has seen them. She saw no gods, and if they were real they had abandoned her. They were as good as dead to her if that was true.
She picked up her pistol. At times of depression, she had considered putting the gun to her head and pulling the trigger, but her self-control saved her life many times. There were nights where she also thought of hunting the bastard down and killing him. This time, she knew she was going to do it.
Ayala clipped her weapons onto her belt and walked out of her room. She walked calmly to avoid suspicion from the other members. They wouldn't have minded if she carried her weapons; those members in the Hydra unit were known to go on missions where violence may be necessary. But if she showed any sign of mischief, they would know something was up.
When she finally reached the door to the archives, Ayala typed in the code required and opened the secure door. Entering quietly to avoid detection, Ayala ran to the console once the door closed. She typed furiously on the console, searching for the answers she desperately sought.
Come on, Stranger. Ayala thought. I know you have what I seek: the location of Ravanor Kred. She lost her concentration for a second as she heard the bastard's laugh echo in her head. The console beeping caught her attention, and she looked at the screen:
File number 0423735B [Ravanor Kred] has been pulled from the archives under orders of AI unit 1: Chronicler.
"No." Ayala stared in disbelief. The Stranger has yet again denied her the answers she sought. "Damn it!"
"Hello, Ayala."
Ayala turned quickly; her pistol trained on The Stranger's head. He was wearing that combat suit he wore at Malevolence's unveiling; a sword on his back and one of his modified Lancer models was latched onto the assault rifle clip. Next to him was Zedge and Malevolence, who held a worried look towards her. It hurt Ayala, as if she had no reason to do this because she was going to get the answers she sought.
"Why is the file missing?" She asked, never lowering her gun.
"We can talk civilized, Ayala. Please lower your weapon, and you'll receive the answers to your questions."
"How do I know you won't go back on your word?
"You know my favorite saying; I don't lie, I just don't tell the truth. I have kept the answers you sought from you for this very moment, Ayala. That is the truth."
Considering his words, Ayala lowered her gun, but she kept it in her hand. "I figured it would be Vancar by your side instead of Malevolence."
"Vancar has business on the Citadel soon." Zedge spoke. "He's currently waiting for his sister."
"Uh-huh." Ayala shrugged. "Now where's the data, Stranger?"
"I had actually intended on giving it to you now that Malevolence was here, but now that you have gone through all of this trouble to take it yourself, it shows your rage has not tempered itself."
"So you'll deny me the information, still?!" Ayala became angry.
"I never said I was. I need you to understand, first."
"Understand what?"
"That your hatred will only lead to your destruction. And I need you to understand why I hide my past as much as you do." The Stranger approached her, but Ayala backed away.
"Just stop!" She yelled. "You know nothing of my past! You don't know what he did to me! What he has likely done to others!"
Suddenly, The Stranger seemed to shift his form into the same krogan that attacked her. The only difference was the sad, dark blue eyes. Ayala was in shock over this.
"I know that this krogan I have taken the form of has hurt you more than you think." The voice she heard was The Stranger's, but that echo she heard was replaced by a more sorrowful, humane voice. "I know of everything he has done, but I could not let you run after him alone. And I couldn't let you run in blind with the rage in your heart."
His form changed to the turian that carried her broken body to safety, with the same eyes and a glowing blue aura around him. Again, as he spoke, his voice sounded sorrowful and humane.
"I saved your life to bring you here. This very moment is happening because I knew it had to happen."
"What are you?" Ayala asked, still in shock of what she saw.
The Stranger returned to the form he possessed. The blue aura still surrounded him, and the visor on his helmet possessed the same blue look of his eyes. "I am seen a god to some, an abomination, an angel, a demon, and a superhuman. But I am something truly unnatural, fighting to protect those my master has marked as vital. Some understand me completely, and others not at all."
After he finished, his visor returned to that golden tint it was before. He held out his hand, and an OSD layed within his palm. "This OSD contains Kred's current location. He is on Omega working with some Blood Pack mercenaries. Do be careful if you plan on facing him alone."
Ayala took the datapad from his hands, but she didn't leave yet. She knew that The Stranger had something else to say.
"Do not speak of what has happened today, Lieutenant. A shuttle is waiting for you at the docking bay hanger. Farewell, and fly safely." The Stranger stepped aside to let her pass, and once the door closed, he turned towards Malevolence.
"I must perform my duty, master?" Malevolence asked.
"You have the tools, the weapons, and the training, Vanguard. Strike hard, do not hesitate, and ensure that Ayala returns with clarity."
"It will be done, Synthai." Malevolence bowed.
"I told you-"
"I know. But I do not call you that because you are a god. I call you that because you are worthy of the title, regardless." Malevolence walked out the door, knowing of how The Stranger would react to such a compliment now. He smiled to himself, liking the feeling he got now by doing such an action. It wasn't long before he caught up to Ayala, who was trying to walk to the landing pad as quickly as possible.
Ayala looked to see Malevolence beside her. "If you think you're coming along, the answer is no."
"And you have no way of stopping me from coming along, var'koten." Malevolence challenged.
"Wanna bet?" Ayala threw a stasis attack at him, but he dodged too quickly to get caught in the field.
"It'll take more than a biotics show to stop me."
Ayala used her biotics to push herself along, attempting to get away. But Malevolence was right behind her. When they both entered the hanger, Malevolence jumped onto her back, making her lose her concentration and dropping her propelling biotic field. They crashed into a bunch of crates next to the ship.
Malevolence seemed to be enjoying this playful moment, as he was now right on top of Ayala. Her eyes were staring right at him, and she was attempting to throw him off of her. Of course, Malevolence was holding her down playfully, laughing until she gave up.
"You would have a much better chance getting me to stand up if you asked." Malevolence joked.
"Okay." Ayala sighed. "Please get off of me before I ram my shotgun up your ass."
Malevolence hummed. "Only if you let me come along."
"You are relentless!"
"That's just one thing we have in common, var'koten." He smiled.
Ayala couldn't shake the feeling that Malevolence was not going to back down. And she also was having a strange feeling crawl through her with the way he smiled. It sent a shiver down her spine, but also warmed her in a place better left cold.
"Fine." She finally scolded, thankful that he stood up and freed her before he caused her to go mad, or worse. "Just remember, I won't hesitate next time to hurt you if you put me in that position again."
"Vorcha are very resistant to pain. That's something you should learn about our species." Malevolence smiled as he walked aboard the ship. Ayala cursed as she stood up from the mess they made, and she couldn't help but feel awkward about their whole situation. It felt wierd, but somehow in a good way. It frightened her because she thought it was like last time. It was how his betrayal started: good. But then it became hell some time later.
But she'll send him to hell now. She will.
Normandy Comm Room, 12:58 pm
Zach waited as the crew he dragged onto missions gathered into the room at their seats. They all sat in their usual spots they liked to sit in. Jake was sitting a chair next to his own chair, keeping a smile on his face for the crew. Once everything was settled, he began.
"Hackett has warned me that an asteroid is approaching the colony of Terra Nova in a matter of about six hours. We have two hours to get to the system and land a small team on the asteroid to stop a collection of fusion torches from making the asteroid collide with the planet."
"Why is an asteroid rigged with fusion torches?" Ashley asked.
"No idea. All I know is that we have to stop those torches from turning that thing into a nuke."
"Who's responsible for this?" Kaidan asked. "Any leads?"
"None so far. Just something about the asteroid being part of some project and that it was coming towards the planet faster than necessary. We're going to land a small team onto the planet compiling of me, Jake, and two others. Jake will be providing recon for the rest of us while we shut down the torches."
"So who's coming on the ground team?" Wrex asked.
"Jake?" Zach asked, letting Jake take the floor. The young man smiled and stood up.
"As you all heard, I'm being recon, so I get to choose Shepard's team. But who do I want to come along?" He looked around at everyone. "Eenie, meenie, meinie, DEXTRO!" Jake shouted as he pointed at both Tali and Garrus.
"What?" The rest of them yelled. Then they began bickering about why they should be chosen, but Jake just put his hands up, making the rest of them shut up.
"I have made my decision. Team Dextro will join with Shepard while I scout the giant space rock. And if you guys think I was payed to choose the two of them, think again. I chose them out of my own free will. So you guys can calm down. You'll go on a mission with him sometime."
"Good to know that I'll be testing my rifle sooner rather than later." Garrus bragged.
"Garrus, Tali, and Jake, I want you to get your gear ready to go. The rest of you, dismissed."
The rest of the crew walked out, leaving those going on the mission in the room. Jake looked at the three of them quietly.
"So... any questions?" He finally spoke.
"I might have a question." Tali raised her hand. "This new suit I got can be worn over my old one, right?"
"It can work that way, Tali." Zach answered. "You'll just need help placing the armored components on."
"And there's that thing with the mask." Jake added. "We could let you slip that on in the decontamination chamber to ensure you don't get sick from the air."
"Good idea." Zach agreed. "I don't want to risk Tali getting sick from even the slightest germ of the cargo bay."
"I don't want you to get too worried with me, Shepard, but your caution is welcome." Tali nodded.
"Good. We can get that part out of the way first. It's much easier than the rest of the suit." Jake nodded.
"Where should I switch my armor?" Garrus asked.
"Just go into Liara's office." Zach noted. "It'll give her something to laugh about."
"I don't know whether to be confident or scared about that comment."
"You know what I meant. You and Liara have gotten close, and it'll be one day where you two will start seeing each other without clothes. This would give her a tease."
"I don't know..."
"C'mon, Garrus. She must've teased you when you help her out with her suit."
"Yeah, but her suit isn't armor. It's just a light suit with built-in barrier tech and some other things."
"With her new suit, it'll be even more."
"Fair point. I'll bring up mine and Tali's armor. What you guys do afterwards is your business."
Zach and Jake looked at each other with confused looks on their faces. Tali was grasping her mask and shaking her head. Garrus smiled as he exited the room, knowing that it was payback for their comments about him and Liara. After all, both Shepards just have to love the way Tali's body is shaped.
Presidium Apartments, 13:07 pm
Onboard the Citadel
Stark ate his lunch in silence as he watched the news. They made mentioning of Shepard rescuing the colony of Feros from a giant plant monster called a thorian; mentioning that Exogeni had been studying it and never mentioned it to the public. Stark wasn't surprised at Shepard being mentioned in the news; seeing as he was dropping his grudge on him slowly over how Talitha came back into his life, but the mentioning of the thorian made him both jealous and grossed out.
No matter how much he started to like Shepard again, he'll always be jealous of the things he's done recently.
His omni-tool began blinking, and he knew he had an incoming call from someone. He brought up the video interface to get a good look at the caller. Ambassador Udina's face popped up on the screen, still looking as uncheerful as ever.
"Stark, I have news. The data package we got a hold of; it contains video logs of some of their projects. We haven't watched them, but their titles reveal interesting guesses of what they're about."
"Send me the files and I'll check them out on my personal computer."
"No. We found out Calypso has discovered we have their files, and it's possible they're monitoring your comms specifically. One file is called Stark, and we're certain it has a link to you. They may be watching you specifically after that business on Chasca."
"So what do you want me to do about it?"
"Find a location that you know Calypso wouldn't expect. Drag some fool who'll let you borrow their computer into it. It'll at least keep you away from being targeted."
"Hey, I may have a ruthless reputation, but even I don't use people."
"It's something to consider. I know you wouldn't want your... girlfriend involved in this, so anybody who's willing to help you should suffice."
"Right. I'll just go hunting for my number one fan or something. I'm sure he'll be thrilled to help me."
"Just find another terminal with a valid extranet address. And be careful. Remember, Calypso may be watching."
Stark cut off communications and placed his plate next to the sink. He then proceeded to grab his knife. If Calypso really was watching, he needed something to protect himself besides his biotics. Slipping on his jacket, he exited his apartment, locking the door behind him.
Let's hope this isn't a waste of time. He thought to himself. Calypso will have to answer for Chasca.
Approaching Asteroid X57, 2:14 pm
Asgard System, Exodus Cluster
As the elevator lowered, Zach looked at the three partners that would be travelling with him. Garrus and Tali were in the Colossus armor sets, and Zach smiled at his and Jake's handiwork to help clip the other armor components onto Tali's suit. After they her place her mask on inside the airlock, they had scrambled to remove the purple garments on her suit and place on the armor pieces. Tali had tried arguing, but Jake had made a deal with her that she could help them into their armor after her.
Somehow, Zach thought Jake gave him the better deal of it.
Garrus slipped on his helmet as the door opened, and he attempted to keep his visor from catching onto the sides. He and Tali walked towards their lockers, typing in their combinations. Zach and Jake walked to the mako and entered their seats, waiting for their friends to join them.
"This gun is going to give the galaxy a reason to fear Garrus Vakarian." Garrus laughed, stroking his folded-up HMVSP X. Tali found herself laughing at her companion as her shotgun clipped to her belt. "Maybe I should come up with some kind of cool alias."
"As long as it isn't Deus Ex Machina!" Jake laughed from his spot on the mako. "Not only did Zach Moore use that for his cross-species romance story in that alternate reality, but I called that, too!"
"What are you talking about?" Zach asked.
"You know, Shepard." Tali spoke. "That story Joshua sent me. I read a few chapters, and I have to say it's marvelous! How he switched between Sha'ra's and Blake Pierce's viewpoints in the story was perfect. I wonder how their love will grow and how it will turn out in the end."
"Uh, I haven't read that."
"Well you should!" Jake snapped, smacking Zach's helmet. "It's got everything from action to friendship to God to machines to romance-"
"I get it! I get it!" Zach interrupted. "We'll talk about it later. But right now, we've got a mission to complete." Zach sighed as Garrus and Tali entered the vehicle. The doors sealed shut and the cargo bay opened. The ship's V.I. stated that the asteroid was bound to collide with Terra Nova in a matter of hours. The cargo bay opened, and Zach punched it to send the mako through the kinetic barrier keeping the oxygen in the cargo hold. Their vehicle plummeted onto the surface of the asteroid once the boosters slowed down enough.
"Hello? Can you hear me?" A voice on the radio whispered; likely a communication from on the asteroid. "We caught your signal-" There was some static. "please shut down the torches or we're going to die! God, I hope you're hearing this!"
When the mako came to a stop, Jake unbuckled his seatbelt and went for the door. He opened it, and the air inside hissed out of the small space. He nodded towards his companions.
"Be careful, Jake." Zach spoke from his mic in his helmet. "The terrain will be a little easy to get lost in."
"I will." Jake nodded as he hopped out. "And you be careful, too. Whoever took over this asteroid is likely hostile." He shut the door and banged on the mako. They began to move towards the first torch, and immediately, they began to dodge rockets coming at them from a few stationary turrets. Garrus kept the cannon targeted on each of the turrets, letting a pause come in as Zach dodged a few rockets. Countless seconds seemed to pass as Tali attempted to keep the shields from falling.
"Area cleared." Garrus breathed a sigh as the last turret exploded into shrapnel. "Let's hope that we'll get lucky and we won't have to fight through another wave."
"Knowing our luck, Garrus, it's not going to happen." Zach joked. "Come on. Let's get inside that outpost and shut down that torch." He unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the door. Since the mako's interior had lost pressurization when Jake had left, there was no hiss of air inside the compartment. All they could hear was their own breathing echoing in their helmets. He jumped out of the mako and helped his friends onto the ground. Once the door to the mako closed, they entered the building, waiting for the interior to be pressurized.
"I've got something on my radar." Tali spoke. "Movement within the other room. I don't think they're friendly."
The room reached pressurization, and Zach and Garrus removed their helmets. Once everyone was ready, Zach opened the door to see an unexpected sight.
Four sets of eyes were staring at them from on two heads.
"Batarians." Zach said harshly, knowing that Stark would've gladly wished to be here.
The batarians stood up with their guns ready, calling forth a few varren to charge them. Garrus and Tali used their own weapons to bring the varren down, and Zach went for the batarians. More batarians came out from the other side of the outpost, spewing words like "Release the varren!" "Alliance military!" and "Go! Go! Go!"
"Scoped and dropped!" Garrus yelled as one batarian fell. Zach turned the corner and shot the explosive canister closest to two hiding batarians, freezing them into place. He then ran around to where his frozen thralls were trapped and shot them all to death. It seemed all too quickly that the batarians were defeated.
"Was that too easy, guys?" Zach asked.
"Maybe it's because these guns make us ridiculously awesome." Garrus commented. "Either way, the bad guys are dead, and we're going to shut down this torch."
"I'm with you." Zach shook his head, putting his rifle on his back. They climbed up the stairs to the top floor, where he turned to the door to his left. It was closed, but it looked like an office. He opened the door and entered the room, looking at the console on the wall.
"I've got the activation controls to the torch." Zach motioned his team forward to the console. "Okay, the console appears to be locked. Who wants it?"
"I call it! Called it!" Garrus runs up and begins to hack the console open. After a few seconds, the torch could be heard shutting down. "And this is why I am awesome!"
"Hello? Can you hear me?" The voice of the woman who contacted them popped up again on the radio. "I heard one of the torches just went out. Was that you?"
"Who are you?" Zach asked. "What's going on?"
"My name is Kate Bowman. I've been hiding here for two days. Batarian extremists attacked the facility. If those other torches aren't destroyed, millions of people are going to die. I'll try to update you whenever-" A noise could be heard in the background of her transmission. "I've gotta go. Good luck."
Zach heard the communcation end and he turned towards the other two. "We're all set here, so let's get to the other two offline."
Tali pondered on the events quickly as quickly as the other two left the room. "Batarians are attacking this place. Why? What are they after?"
"Batarians have always held a grudge against humans," Zach stated. "but this seems way too sadistic to comprehend. Even for this." As he approached the door, however, he saw someone standing there. It appeared to be an old man in his fifties, waving around a pistol in his hand. He seemed to be looking around frantically for any sign of batarians.
"Hey." Zach called out to the man.
The old man turned and fired his gun at Zach's chest. The barriers of his armor deflected the shot, but Zach was displeased.
"Oh, God." The old man stuttered. "I-I didn't mean to- are you hurt?"
"You can't go firing your weapon at everything that moves!" Zach lectured harshly. "What the hell's wrong with you?!"
"Sorry! I thought you were one of them."
"Here's a tip: two eyes, human. Four eyes, batarian."
"Right," The old man sighed. "I'll remember that."
Deciding to try and start anew, he calmed himself down and decided to introduce himself. "I know you're scared, but I'm here to help. Commander Shepard."
"Simon. Simon Atwell. I lead the engineering teams here on X57. Listen, the asteroid needs to be stopped before it can reach the planet. They- my family's there; my kids and grandkids. Nice community, good schools-"
"I don't have time to crunch the numbers in my head. What exactly will happen?"
After much explaining from Simon about the damage that could be caused to the planet, Zach believed he was beginning to understand the batarians' plans. What he didn't understand was why.
"One other thing," Simon finished. "One of the torches is surrounded by live blasting caps. Your tank will set it off if it gets to close, but you can still make it through if you keep your distance from them."
"Should I requisition a cow to walk in front of me?" Zach joked seriously.
"Look, you can still disarm them, but only manually. We didn't obtain the controls for automatic activation when we started, so you'll have to get to the console and shut them off from there. Also, I had a team of engineers stationed away from the main facility. I would really like to know if they are safe."
"It's not a priority, but we'll keep an eye out."
"Thank you. After the possibility that everyone in the main facility is dead, I want to know if anyone else is alive."
"A woman named Kate Bowman contacted me just before I ran into you."
"Katie's alive? She's one of our best engineers; signed on with her brother, Aaron, I think it is."
"What do you know about her?"
"Smart as a whip and bold as they come. I hope she keeps herself out of trouble. Oh, Katie, please stay out of trouble."
"Time's running short. I'm going to go punch this mountain into space!"
"I'll stay here so you can clear out the batarians. Good luck." Simon walked into the large room and shut the door.
Tali looked at Zach as he slipped on his helmet. "Did you seriously say 'I'm going to go punch this mountain into space?'"
"What? I thought it would fit the mood."
The three of them laughed as the airlock hissed and they waited to continue their mission.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: So tired, but I'm going to get this out before I fall asleep. We're now two chapters away from Insanity, and I'm seriously trying to hold it in and not give out any spoilers. I'm also exited for my next side story, Metropolis. The darker elements are finally fitting into place. The next chapter will only follow Shepard's and Stark's viewpoints, and you'll also see a very funny Iron Man 3 reference that I have been thinking of since I watched the movie.
Shoutouts to Bud89, Admiral Anderson, shipwreck321, and I'll add in coduss, who has joined the review boards recently and reviewed at a few points. Also, I wanted to say I'm considering work on a Mass Effect/Catherine crossover that'll have Zach Shepard pulling out blocks and climbing high heights ("Fucking blocks. I'm going to climb the shit out of you!" Best line in the game by Kai Leng's voice actor, Troy Baker) just to keep his relationship with Tali intact. We'll see about that in the future after I've gotten some sleep.
P.S. My birthday is next week. :-)