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Spliced...

Sensing her distress the twins weren't so settled without her holdinmg them, to sneak around they had to be quiet. When they made it outside she looked down the ground was rough and jagged but it didn't feel that way on her feet. Some of their clothes were dirty and shredded in certain places but she was the only one dressed so lightly. She couldn't believe it had been three years she was sure they thought they were dead that had to be the only way they'd be stuck. The closest building was a quick jog they walked inside and Ann spoke again there were speakers outside but obviously she wasn't going to use those and attract more outside, they were used to hearing her voice from time to time inside.

They picked up the simple guns that were available..better than nothing.

"I don't suppose you're the Commander of the Haestrom are you, I see some names on file but not much information aside from that." Ann asked.

"Yeah that's me...is it still in one piece?"

"Well it's banged up but if the field that yanked you down...and jammed our communications on all end was disabled it could take off."

"Why didn't you just disable them?"

"Well that's why I was locked in here, my father knew I would and he's just...well off at the moment."

"What do you mean by off?"Karin asked.

"He's not thinking so sanely...I mean he did protect me but he does get hostile with most others."

"Was he the one that did...whatever he did to me?" Felicity asked.

"Yes but not by himself, most of the crew that were experimented on didn't make it, in case you were feeling pain or stiffness some of those tests were extensive lots of cuts to force in the IV tubes. Since you were pregnant in the early stages anyhow you had some odd readings so they gave you a few injections here and there we had a few Turians around and their blood was still useful three years of trial and error with splicing."

"Splicing is illegal...no wonder they hid out here." Nyreen said.

"If I wasn't actually..barren.." she sighed as her head ached.

"Just take it easy this is a lot of physical excitement after the coma of a test subject, Turian sperm and in turn eggs are very strong and three years ago more started to come forward to admit the children that were born even with the birth control they normally use. They adapted to it, so with you what it took was more effort though you hadn't been pregnant long enough for it to effect your scent gone by Turian standards anyhow. Now of course you should have plenty of scent change, careful with your claws small or not I saw my father running various things under them...they're extremely sharp."

"So I've noticed..."

"Well you were trained like a Turian now you can be a half of one." Nyreen said.

"Oh yes your fertility should have gotten a boost as well." Ann added.

"This is not making me feel better trying again when we get off this damn planet."

"You'll get me too?" Ann asked.

"I'm not leaving any survivors unless they're insane and beyond help." reasonable enough, she paused seeing Tashya through a window she was laying on the bed unconscious next to Padok. Nyreen walked over to inspect them. Ann assured them they hadn't been killed just kept asleep with a few mostly harmless drugs. They found Kargesh and Charr, only Kelsa's remains, Kirrahe was still alive though trapped in a cell. Veetor was lucky to recover from his sickness and he'd make it fine with Kirrahe's assistance moving about anyways. Kenneth and Gabriel were two of the humans that survived they had a similar spliced effect. Kenneth's scales were blue and Gabriel's were orange.

Tarquin and Chellick had been used for that, though both had survived , and only because they weren't beheaded like those used for Felicity. Brooks was dead along with the rest of the crew though there were some humans that were not spliced that were still hanging on, breaking Ann out was easy enough Felicity was already well trained even stuck in a coma she hadn't lost her normal edge it was however increased with the strength of a Turian behind her.

They weren't just splicing humans Ann wasn't entirely sure what they were looking for taking skin and blood samples from their other unconscious victims. Though the drugs were wearing off and her squad was getting angrier by the minute. Ann knew they were hidden somewhere and showed them where more weapons were they weren't in much shape for a fight but a few scientists crazed and foaming at the mouth were good for a little head shot practice.

They found the Haestrom relatively safe near a ship graveyard of sorts as they got on, Felicity called for them to take over where they could she left the twins with Nyreen wanting the ship to be ready she took Ann to the building where the controls would be they had to get rid of the jamming signal the tower was under ground working through the core with the artificial magnetic field that took down ships freely. The room was a mess, papers everywhere, spilled substances that were dried and in various colors. Broken test tubes, some of the monitors were even cracked.

"Dammit he changed the passwords..."Ann said.

"What do we do?"

"It's okay it's just...he was always forgetful, wrote codes and passwords down but since he leaves a mess it was almost perfect when it came to hiding information. Help me look."

Fumbling through the mountain of papers a stray bullet pierced one of the monitors startling both of them he stumbled a bit his forehead bubbling his arm grew quickly he had a somewhat melting appearance beyond the bubbles. Ann screamed.

"Father..."

He shakily tried to shoot but missed his eyes were mostly shut thankfully, Felicity backed away slowly examining the papers in her hand.

"Ann...we don't have many options."

She nodded slowly wiping the tears he wouldn't last much longer there was only one sheet between them and a safe escape. She swallowed thickly seeing his undamaged arm gripped a piece of paper, Ann swallowed.

"Father please...we have to leave...I need your password..."

Felicity wondered if he could understand her he looked down at the sheet in his pocket he dropped the gun to take it out before he raised his arm. It was clear he most likely meant to shoot Felicity but she was still worried about Ann approaching what used to be her father...what used to be human. She edged forward and took the offered sheet she stared down at an old picture a blob of color that was supposed to be them in a house of their own. The password scribbled on the roof.

"Ann..."

She backed up to put it in.

"Are you sure you wish to shut down the field? There is not enough power to reactivate it." the VI said, she entered the password again.

"Confirmed." she entered an extra code and looked at her.

"Program a distress signal with this code, that will tell the Council to only send a recovery team that's ready to fight in case anything is hidden that we can't fight right now." she nodded as she did as she was told.

"This is Dr. Ann Bryson, I'm leaving the ExoGeni labs with Commander Felicity Shepard with her approval I ask that you send a recovery team suited to fight we can't stay any longer and it isn't clear what is left behind of the living experiments."

Felicity moved and he growled at her, though she couldn't care less she grabbed Ann and jumped to kick him in the chest knocking him down and out of their way. Ann didn't want to leave him but she knew she would only be here to watch him die.

"I love you father..." she mumbled the Haestrom was as ready as it was going to be just as their systems returned to normal indicating the field had dropped they were locked and ready to go, there had been a few problems to clear out but the scientists, for what little function they had left had no use for the ships, just the people they brought in it was time to put the experiments to rest.

Ann had spent a lot of time scanning the extranet hoping that what she accessed would get attention but her father had been brilliant in many ways before he lost it all. When he wanted something protected and hidden he got just that, that was how she found out a lot of information she was glad to be off even if she would miss her father it had been too late for him for too long.

"Commander with what...we have this won't be long flight we're going to have to land somewhere safe do a detailed check of the ship." Tashya said, like most of them she was still woozy from the tests but she had to focus.

"It's fine...see if you can get us to Tuchanka the ship will be safest there some of the systems are still down we need time to reach the Council."

"Yes ma'am...hey...what are you going to name them?" she asked nodding toward her children that were fascinated by her hair.

"I..I'm not sure."

"Anything better than what the team called them...before most lost their minds." Ann said.

"Which was?"

"Test subject 60 and 61 when you woke up they had gone a couple days without eating at least there had been some roaches."

She shuddered.

"...I'm just glad they aren't sick..."

"Well you're still a little levo maybe they aren't as fragile..though we don't really need to be eating roaches either."

"Ugh can we please talk about something else..." Tashya begged.

"So...what were you guys doing headed here?"

"We were sent to investigate missing ships."

"But..how did you know where to go? What with the signal blocks and all."

"I don't know maybe there was a weakness somewhere, but now the Council will know for sure what's out here."

" I see...there was a power shortage it was brief but that may have been when it was picked up, and Commander thank you...for going and getting everyone..." Ann said softly.

"I said I wouldn't just leave survivors I could help."

"I know but, you could have left with your squad..."

"That's not how the Commander does things, we like that about her." Tashya said.

She smiled at them but shook her head hoping to never be in the same position again, and that every lost crew member was at least at peace some of the remains they found showed the torture had been extreme.

All in the name of psychotic science.

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