Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«5.05: Attican Beta: Theseus System: Feros: ExoGeni (Main Level)»

«or Eyes»

"I am sorry, sir," the VI spoke emotionlessly. "But I cannot give information out freely to those who are dead. Please seek out medical assistance immediately."

"Damn," Jarrod groaned, tossing aside the dead human he was using as a puppet. "Almost thought that would work." He had been going at this machine for nearly ten minutes. None of the dead humans he came across seemed to have the correct clearance to access the information he needed. This is why Tuvok should have sent that Geth Prime here to hack the system. Or better yet, he should have come himself. But he said he was busy tailing Shepard to come here. And so, he had to find the information himself.

Jarrod crossed his arms and tried a different approach.

"Please?" he asked calmly.

"I am sorry, but you do not have the necessary clearance to access that information," the VI replied. "Now please step aside if there is nothing else. There is a queue forming behind you for the use of this terminal."

"What?" Jarrod quirked an eyebrow.

"Move and your brains meet the ground," Shepard growled behind him.

"Damn," Jarrod groaned. "I thought Scar was supposed to take care you two. He usually doesn't fail."

"First time for everything," Kaidan stated. Liara's biotics flared and surrounded the krogan.

"Ah well," Jarrod said, crossing his arms. He turned and looked straight into Shepard's eye. "Haven't seen you since Therum. Still human, I see. Not all…green and crazy."

"And your still alive," Shepard replied. "Thought Wrex would have killed you by now."

"Hah!" Jarrod scoffed. "That little whelp kill me? He couldn't even bite the nipple off of his mother's teat let alone kill me!"

"Didn't need the mental picture. Thanks though," Shepard said shaking his head. His migraine was getting worse, though he dare not show it. Not in front of this dangerous krogan.

"Where is that boy, anyways?" Jarrod asked. His tone was full of hidden fury. "Has he run off again? Run away while his friends get butchered?"

"No," Shepard replied simply. He didn't come here to chat with the krogan. "Now, what are you here for?"

"I came here to get information on the Thorian," Jarrod replied. "Saren is…particularly interested in it."

"Is that why the geth are here?" Kaidan asked.

"Part of the reason why," Jarrod replied. "Saren also doesn't want information about the Thorian getting out. To you in particular, Shepard. He doesn't like how you keep interfering in his plans. 'Stalling the inevitable' as he calls it. The geth are to destroy any data ExoGeni might have on the Thorian creature."

"Why? What's so important about the Thorian?" Liara asked, confusion ripe in her voice.

"I have no idea," Jarrod shrugged. "I'm not Tuvok or Benezia. I'm not privy to that kind of information. I just carry out the orders given to me. Ain't that right, Shepard?"

Shepard didn't reply at first. Something wasn't right.

"You seem…awfully calm about this," Shepard inquired. "You're a warlord of a prestigious krogan clan. Or at least, you were. You would never give up this information freely. Unless…unless you thought there wasn't any reason not to. Which probably means we won't be alive to matter."

Jarrod smiled. Shepard narrowed his eyes, wondering how long the bloody eyed turian was standing behind him. He tightened the grip on his pistol.

"Dammit," Shepard muttered, cursing the throbbing pain in his head. He spun around.

Tuvok faded into view, knocking back his hand as Shepard spun and aimed a biotic punch into Shepard's gut. Shepard's other hand guided the fist past his stomach, where it collided harmlessly into a nearby wall. Kaidan reacted by throwing his own biotic field into Tuvok's face. Tuvok barely glanced as he deflected the field away from himself by emitting a barrier around himself. His focus was solely on Shepard and Shepard's focus was on Tuvok.

Jarrod roared as he rushed forward, causing Liara to react by launching a flurry of biotic fields straight into Jarrod's body. The mighty krogan shrugged them off with but a breath, backhanding Liara in the face, throwing her into the wall and knocking the breath out of her lungs.. Jarrod caught Shepard unprepared as he reached underneath his armpits and hooked him against his body.

Without a sound, Tuvok grabbed Shepard's head. Blue eyes stared into blood red eyes. Tuvok blinked and Shepard's eyes rolled into the back of his head, his jaw slackened and he relaxed. Tuvok grabbed Kaidan's gun and tore it away, spinning him around in a circle. He grabbed the side of his head and blinked. Kaidan slumped to the ground.

"That was efficient," Jarrod commended the turian.

"I did not kill them," Tuvok replied emotionlessly. Jarrod cracked his knuckles.

"Don't have the stomach for it? Then I'll do it for you," Jarrod said with a grin. He put his foot on Shepard's head. And hand barred his way.

"No," Tuvok ordered. "Their minds will kill them."

"Huh?" Jarrod asked.

"I have spurred every bad memory they have into existence," Tuvok explained. "It wasn't hard. I linked my nervous system with theirs for a short while. Like asari melding, but more crude. I've been trying to study how they do that exactly. Saleon has been busy dissecting humans to bother with the asari we have for him. In short, when our nervous systems became one, I forced their minds to remember every bad memory they had. Soon, their minds will break and they will die. If not, they will try to kill themselves."

"I'd expect that sadism from Saleon, not you, turian," Jarrod noted. He smiled. "I like it."

Tuvok didn't reply. He merely stared with blood-red eyes at the two disabled soldiers. Hardened veterans brought to their knees by their guilt and sorrow. At least, that was what Tuvok was going for. He cocked his head to the side as he watched Shepard writhe in pain. Hearing a noise, he turned his head and saw Liara lift a pistol and aim it at his head.

"Let them go," Liara ordered angrily. Or tried to. A falter in her voice betrayed her emotion. Tuvok blinked at her with less emotion than the VI had.

"Do you really think you can shoot me?" Tuvok asked her. Liara gritted her teeth and clenched her finger around the trigger. It wouldn't move. She willed herself to move the finger but it still wouldn't move. Like a lead-weight tied to her finger, it wouldn't move. Fear transformed her face.

"Please," Liara pleaded silently. "Let them go."

Tuvok said nothing as he walked towards Liara. His footsteps resounded loudly within the hallway as if they were the steps of death itself, walking to take Liara's life. Liara could only stare in fear and terror as Tuvok took his time to stand in front of Liara, his threateningly and surprisingly large form growing larger with each step. He stood in front of Liara, staring down at her with blood-red eyes. Slowly he knelt down and stared into her innocent, blue eyes. He didn't see blue, but a shade of purple. But he saw the innocence; just as Shepard saw it the first time he met her.

"Do I frighten you?" Tuvok asked her simply. Liara couldn't answer as she still trained the pistol weakly against Tuvok's face. "Benezia said you frightened easily. Even as a child. Maybe because you never felt safe as a child, being a pureblood, a taboo among the asari. That's why you sought the isolation and solitude of an archaeologist. To be away from everyone else. You ran. But we must always face our problems, don't we?"

Liara stared with her fear-stained innocent eyes into Tuvok's emotionless blood-red eyes. There was no malice in his eyes. Just silent resolution.

"Time to face your fears, little wing," Tuvok cooed, almost affectionately. He placed his hand on her cheek and Liara's head shot back, eyes rolled up to her head and she fell to the ground. Tuvok cocked his head and examined the young asari, wondering what she was most afraid of. Sighing, he pushed himself back onto his feet, hearing his knees pop from the strain.

He turned around and watched Kaidan's face with interest. Kaidan muttered something, but kept silent, his fists clenched.

"Where have I seen you before?" Tuvok muttered to himself.

"He was with Shepard on Therum when they came to rescue this bitch," Jarrod said, nudging Liara's head thoughtfully.

"No," Tuvok said. "I recall him before that time. His face was younger but it had the same steel. I wonder if he was one of the children at BAaT when my brother worked there…"

"Maybe," Jarrod muttered, not really caring in the slightest. "Saren's got a file on him somewhere that Ellison sent him. You can look him up then. But I think we've got a job to do now."

"Indeed," Tuvok said. "We won't find any new information here. "Let's return to Zhu's Hope and see what we can do about our little growth infestation."

They turned and walked down the hallway casually, leaving behind the three on the ground, lost in their nightmares. They do not look back as Kaidan tightens his grip on his pistol. They do not look back as Liara slowly crawls to Shepard, reaching for his knife.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Kaidan feels the eyes of hatred tracing his body, frail and decimated. He feels his brain swelling, pulsing with blood, writhing in pain. All he wants is rest; all he wants is peace. But those horrid eyes urge him on still. Urge him on to feet and break his mind even further.

He is not alone, though. He is with friends. Friends whose minds are just as broken as his; just as wracked with pain and grief. But still those eyes of hatred urge those friends of his onwards, with each glance a thousand-thong whip tearing away the flesh of their minds. How their minds bleed and tear themselves apart. Piece by piece, only bloody pulps are left behind in their wake, unseen by all and unfelt by none.

Those eyes of hatred tear more and more away from them with each passing minute that last lifetimes. Always the same eyes, always the same routines. Repetition, repetition, repetition. Always the same. Going over the same routines, slowly dulling the pain of the open wounds in their minds before they were forced by the whip of hatred to push their soft minds further, reopening the cuts and flaying open their brains.

Blood is the color of life. If you can still see your blood, you were still alive. Once the blood slowly fades to black, you are dead. That is all death is. The light at the end is not heaven; it is the light of the world fading away from your eyes. Death is a transitional fade to black. These blood eyes of hatred tell Kaidan this many times over. These blood eyes of hatred that tear into his flesh tell him he will die one way or another.

No light from the hatred. None. None at all. Except for one. A girl. Always a girl. A girl with bright blonde hair but not white. A beautiful shade of blonde, like the sun god Helios had come down and caressed her head as a child. Kaidan feels nothing but love for her, amidst the pain and anguish that wracks his mind and body. Love can bloom in the corpse of defeat.

But she is not strong enough. Kaidan is stronger and wants nothing more than to protect this sun-kissed angel. Her mind has been raped by these blood eyes of hatred, exposing her weaknesses to the world. She cuddles up in a ball, hiding her nakedness, but the blood eyes see all; lidless, it pierces through all barriers, burning away their protection. Nothing is safe; nothing is sacred. Everything is laid bare. Her soul is laid bare. Tainted by blood, the color of life.

The glass of water. Her only respite. But she cannot pick it up. A glass of water to wash away all the sins laid upon her. Wash them all away with just a sip. But the eyes of hatred won't let her wash them away. She's been stained and she will remained stained forevermore. Bloodied physically, now, her body is. Tiny angel. Broken, her sun-kissed hair tainted by the color of life. Blood. Blood everywhere and it pours from the sky. Life pours from the sky.

Enough. Kaidan can't take anymore. He stands. A simple act with meaning that travels with the force of a Mass Relay. Like a bullet. The eyes of hatred hate even more. It attacks Kaidan with teeth and talons, gnawing, biting, hacking, and tearing. His flesh is sawed to pieces, torn apart by hate.

Enough. With a scream and a yell, it is enough. Spine crack and break. The burning fire within the mind screams for release and Kaidan is more than ready to grant its wish. It fills his body, ready to explode at a moments command. It does and he becomes god. The protector of everything he cherishes and loves, protector of the blond angel. He takes in the blood and makes it his color. The eyes of hatred die and he is free. She is free.

Kaidan feels a smile well up within him and he turns to the blonde tiny angel. But a new horror is facing him. Blood has tainted him yet again and even further. No longer do eyes of hatred, pure and cold, haunt him. No longer do they tear away at him, spilling the color of life across the ground. Those are dead, killed by the fire of his mind.

His angel, the one beacon of love he held in such high regard, now regards him with fear. His own angel is afraid. And he is the cause of it. This fear does not tear away at his mind or rip away his skin. It does none of these things, and yet it is full of pain none can describe. It injects itself into his mind through the open wounds that hate left behind. Shame is its color and it wells up into him like a drug, only destroying. He swore to protect her. He swore to protect her. Must he protect her from his own, bloodstained self?

Yes.

The gun is nearby.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Liara feels those cold eyes of disregard caress the land around her. Never touching her and keeping its distance. Feelings of indifference emanated from their bodies, raping her soul, but leaving no marks. No one thinks much of her; she's a pure blood, acknowledged but ignored. Filthy little pure blood, don't touch them.

It's not her fault. It's not her fault. But she's a dirty little pureblood. And their cruelty knows no bounds. They politely walk away, stabbing her heart with each step. They ignore her questions, tearing away the flesh of her spirit. She wants to join them, to play their games, to talk about their interests, to just not be alone. But she's a dirty pure blood. She can't join them; they don't want her. And she dies a little inside, the spine of her essence broken in two.

Her mother can't help her. She's never there. Matriarch of the asari, she has other work to attend to. Too busy for her daughter, whose soul is shattered to pieces. Retreat, retreat into the blackness and decay. Retreat into the recesses of history, where sanctuary lies.

Liara must run away. Everyone ignores her because she is the filthy pureblood, an offshoot that offers neither advancement nor knowledge of the universe. Nothing gained. She cannot stand the humiliation, the rape of her soul by their cruel thoughts, unspoken but true. Waste of life. No better than the dirt on the ground. Her mere existence ravages and taints the gene pool of the asari. It would be better if she dies.

But she can't. She won't. She is too afraid to. So she escapes to history. She escapes to the Protheans. They are truly magnificent and glorious. They do not judge her and accept her, despite her faults. The solitude, away from the eyes that judge her because of things beyond her control. Retreat within and into history, away from the cold eye so of disregard. Escape from the present and into the comforting arms of the past.

"You retreat within because the world outside is too cruel," Tuvok whispers into her ear, caressing her tear-stained cheek. "But what if your sanctuary is no longer safe?"

Blood-red eyes stare maliciously at her innocence. The turian forces his way into her, tearing her insides apart. Liara shuts her eyes and tries to retreat back inside, away from the cruel outside world.

But those blood-red eyes are there.

Away, fly away, away into the past, away into the Prothean's arms. Their knowledge will keep her safe from this menace. Their history is comforting to her. Away from cruelty unspoken.

But those blood-red eyes are there!

She cannot escape from them! He festers within her sanctuary and within her being! He is there, within her every thought! Cannot get him away! Where is Shepard? Where is the one who protects her! Nowhere to be found! Please! Please send those blood-red eyes away! Send them away! She doesn't want them around anymore! They are tearing her apart, destroying her innocence! He is inside of her mind, and inside her soul, raping her in everyway possible! Cannot get away! He is still there inside her! Liara wants him out! He needs to get out! She cannot take his eyes, those eyes of cruelty! He is inside her! Get her out, please!

Shepard's knife is close by!

Cut him out!

Cut him out!

\::/::\::/::\::/

Shepard stares into dead eyes and they stare back. The dead go on for miles before him, those who died because of him. Many faces he recognizes, many he does not. Some are phantoms that he has never seen before, but they died for him all the same. Those dead eyes are filled with a single emotion, an emotion that kills and slays his soul every time he feels it from someone.

(pain)

Love. Those eyes are filled with love for him. They were so willing to die for him. To throw their lives away for him. What a miserable beast he is that he can ask someone else to die for his mistakes. No, not ask. Order. He ordered death to claim all of these souls before him. And death, riding his pale horse, gladly did his job, taking the future away from them all. Taking their lives.

(pain)

He sees many faces before him, and memories surge forward. James Wong, always a smile on his face, humming that tune he could never remember the name of, lay still, covered in burns and melting, his bones visible to the world. Andrew Lamont, strong and silent with amazingly strong biotics, sat covered in blood, his organs lying on the ground before him, a smile on his face. Peter Lamont, small and nervous, could hit a target thousands of miles away without batting an eye, ripped limb from limb, his heart proudly put on display. On his face sits a smile.

"Why are you all smiling!" Shepard screams

(AGONIZING PAIN)

These dead faces surround him and their memories are unbearable. They haunt him, spirits that simply won't go away. Their blood drips onto his hands, covering his body with a dark blackness. His failure; their loss. And still they haunt him because of it. A fitting punishment. Even the nine circles of hell had a place for him so this was the best the universe could do.

(throbbing pain)

He steps over their broken bodies, cracking their skulls and fingers, forcing his way forwards. Always forwards. Time, the cruel slave driver, pushing its pawns forwards. Can't even say his farewells and apologies to the men and women he steps on. Too late for them, he must move forward. Kill the people who try to stop him. Why, though? Why must he kill them? It'd be easier to just let them kill h

(throbbing pain)

Where is that pain coming from?

But that red-haired terror. How she used to tear up the streets of New York. She and him, together with the 10 Street Reds. So young and innocent, they were. But now…now she was gone. Because of his own stupidity. Gone forever. Torn apart. Ripped to shreds. Her green ghost now haunts him. A fitting punishment. A reminder of his failu

(sharp pain)

Where the hell is that pain coming from?

Death surrounded him, encompassed him and followed him, sure that he would bring more poor men and women for his pale horse to feast on. He was a blight and a force of destruction to those around him. And yet people still followed him, still respected him, still (loved) him. Still. After all of it. Even though he will kill them all, they still followed him.

He can't do it. He can't. He can't go on. He can't harm more people. He can't unknowingly bring more deaths on his hands. He can't hurt the people he loves. Not again. Not like before. Better to slit his own wrists spilling his blood onto the ground. The earth would be stained but better the earth than his loved ones. Better to place a gun to his temple and

(PAIN)

"Why the hell does my head hurt so fucking much!" Shepard screamed, snapping his eyes wide. The concrete walls answered his throbbing head with silence only. Feros. This was Feros.

"I swear, someone spikes my drinks," Shepard moaned as he pushed himself up, rubbing his head. His migraine was even worse, but not by a whole lot. Noticeably harsher, but he could still manage. Without the pain from his migraine, however, he guessed he'd never have been able to snap out of that…whatever the hell that was.

There was a whimper to his left and he looked there. The first thing he noticed was that the sheath connected to his arm was empty. And then he noticed Liara, sitting on the ground, head raised to the sky, cheeks wet with tears. She held Shepard's knife to her throat, prepared to stab all the way through.

With a snarl, Shepard leapt forward and without thinking, grabbed the blade of the knife, cutting his fingers. He tore the knife out of Liara's hands, hearing her scream. He also heard a click and Shepard spun his head around over his shoulder. Kaidan had a gun pointed at his head.

"Shit!" Shepard exclaimed, rolling to the ground and drawing his sidearm. With one fluid and smooth motion, he raised it to eye level and fired, obliterating Kaidan's pistol before he fired.

Liara screamed as she dove for Shepard's knife. Shepard gritted his teeth and elbowed her in the chin, which sent a shockwave up through her skull. Liara blinked several times before she collapsed onto the ground. Shepard took several deep breaths before looking up to Kaidan, who sat on the ground with his head in his hands, covering his eyes.

"LT?" Shepard called.

"Yeah," Kaidan said wearily. "I…I just need a few minutes."

"Take all the time you need," Shepard told him. He looked over at Liara. All he could see was her huddled form, arms wrapped around her legs. She was trembling. Gingerly, Shepard reached out and touched Liara's arm. "Liara?"

She turned over and what Shepard saw…tore him apart. Her eyes were a deep shade of red, filled with tears rolling down her face. Her lip quivered as she stuttered.

"He was…inside me!" Liara whispered, her voice cracking. Shepard sighed sympathetically. Sheathing his knife, he wrapped his arms around her and picked her up gently. Sitting down with a stifled grunt, he placed Liara on his lap and held her close, rubbing her shoulder gently. Liara cuddled close to his body, shivering and quivering. Shepard shushed her comfortingly.

"It's okay now," Shepard whispered into her ear. "It'll be alright now." He could feel her cool breath against his neck and she could feel his breath against hers. For the moment, Liara let herself be comforted. She needed it now. She felt so dirty. Strangely enough, each breath of Shepard seemed to blow away all the dirt, all the taint. Being held in his arms now, she felt safe.

Shepard looked over to Kaidan, who was rubbing his eyes furiously, blinking away the troubles.

"I'm ready," Kaidan breathed to himself mostly.

"ExoGeni Corporation reminds all staff that the discharging of weapons while on company property is strictly forbidden," the damned VI chimed in. Shepard glared at it angrily. For all their ability to process and house information, they so stupid sometimes. "Welcome back, research assistant Elizabeth Baynham! What can I do for you?"

"It must be reading the card Lizbeth gave me," Shepard muttered. He looked at Liara's quivering form and then at Kaidan.

"I'll take care of it," Kaidan said, standing up straight. Shepard took the keycard and tossed it to Kaidan, who caught it deftly. Standing in front of the VI, Kaidan spoke. "What information was the last user attempting to access?"

"Fetching data," the VI paused. "The previous user was attempting to access details on the study of Subject: Species 37. The Thorian. However, I was unable to provide the previous user with any relevant data. Aside from lacking proper access, there have been no new data available on Species 37. All sensors monitoring the observation post at Zhu's Hope have been inactive for several cycles."

"Zhu's Hope?" Shepard asked. "What the hell does Zhu's Hope have to do with it?"

"What does Zhu's Hope have to do with the Thorian?" Kaidan asked the VI.

"Species 37 is located within the substructure of the Zhu's Hope outpost," the VI answered simply. This caught Shepard's attention. With little effort at all, Shepard leapt to his feet, still cradling Liara in his arms. Liara's eyes went wide when he stood up, shock and embarrassment crossing over her entire face. She didn't really know what to say about this. Shepard's attention was solely on the VI.

"That must be what Saren's after," Shepard exclaimed. "That's why he's sending his geth to attack the colony."

"Looks like it," Kaidan replied. "Tell me everything you know about the Thorian."

"The Thorian is a simple plant life form that exhibits a sentient behavior uncommon with other flora," the VI answered. "It was discovered several weeks ago when a small team was infected with spores while examining ruins near the Zhu's Hope outpost. The area was quarantined immediately and study of the infection began. Through dispersion and the eventual inhalation of spores, it can affect and control other organisms, including humans. The Zhu's Hope control group has yielded interesting results. Within 21 days, 58 percent of all colonists exhibited altered behavior. Before sensors went offline, over 85 percent of all test subjects had been infected."

Shepard, Kaidan and Liara (who was still in Shepard's arms), stared wide-eyed at the VI. Then Shepard's features contorted to one of disgust.

"Those bastards! If I ever meet one of those jack-offs, I'm going to tear them limb from bloody limb!" Shepard exclaimed. Liara tried to talk to him but he wasn't listening.

"ExoGeni knew its colonists were getting infected by these spores?" Kaidan asked.

"It was deemed necessary to assess the true potential of Species 37," the VI explained.

"How does the Thorian control its slaves?" Kaidan asked persistently.

"The will subversion manifests as an intense pain if directives are ignored," the VI explained. "The effect is severe enough that subjects are soon conditioned against even minor thoughts of rebellion. Observation suggests views its thralls in a utilitarian way. Care is apparently taken to avoid injuring them much as a craftsman avoids injuring his tools."

"Not the best analogy," Shepard muttered.

"As long as no action is taken against the creature's objectives, the subjects are free to pantomime a normal existence until specifically tasked with something," the VI continued.

"The others don't know about this," Kaidan told Shepard.

"Joker!" Shepard exclaimed into his earpiece. "Come in, Joker! Dammit! That geth barrier is blocking us, I can't get through."

""VI, what can you tell us about the geth ship and the field it's generating?" Kaidan asked.

"I have limited data on the geth," the VI explained. "They have effectively blocked all sensors within the facility. I have detected unusual power fluctuations but I am unable to determine the source."

"Well, looks like we do this the old fashioned way," Kaidan said.

"Guns and explosions. Fun," Shepard smiled. Kaidan looked at Shepard. Then at Liara, still wide-eyed.

"Uh, Commander," Kaidan coughed.

"What?" Shepard asked.

"Um…Commander, I think I can walk on my own now," Liara said meekly. Shepard looked down at Liara and his own eyes widened.

"Oh! Sorry, here," Shepard gently placed Liara down on her feet. Liara wiped the remainder of the tears from her cheeks and dusted herself off.

"Thank you," Liara said warmly. Shepard smiled in return. A thought occurred to him. He turned to Kaidan and, taking Lizbeth's ID card, he approached the VI.

"VI, um, access my personal files," Shepard said tentatively. After a pause, the VI responded.

"Elizabeth Baynham, research assistant, biomedical division. Security level Four exemption," the VI said. "You are currently under probation due to disagreements with management over established company policies. These sanctions may be lifted if your next evaluation is more agreeable."

"What did I disagree with management on?" Shepard asked, curious.

"You were marked as combative about the operations of the Zhu's Hope Project, specifically about the handling of the infected colonists," the VI replied. "As a result, you were tasked with monitoring the safety of the colonists for the duration of the observation."

"Well, I guess Lizbeth escapes dismemberment," Shepard said crossing his arms. "But she better have a damn good reason for all this." Liara smiled wearily and glanced at Shepard's hand. Her eyes widened.

"Shepard! Your hand is bleeding!" Liara exclaimed.

"Huh? Oh, would you look at that," Shepard said, glancing at his hand. They weren't massive cuts but they still bled. "I kind of had to tear the blade from you. You were…well, you weren't yourself."

"I'm sorry! Here, I have some Medi-Gel," Liara fussed as she grabbed her pouch of Medi-Gel from her belt. Tearing open the pouch, she grabbed Shepard's hand and poured the cold gel into the wounds. Shepard's mouth moved open as if to protest, but, slowly, he just let her work.

"You…you really don't need to do this," Shepard said meekly, rubbing the back of his neck. Kaidan stared in confusion at Shepard. Was he…blushing?

"No, its fine," Liara told him. "It's my fault you cut yourself and I should take care of you." After she was done, he let her go and smiled. Shepard smiled weakly back. Then he noticed Kaidan staring.

"Um, let's go," Shepard said. "We need to get rid that geth ship and get in contact with Joker and Ashley. And quickly."

Brushing the dust from their armor, they grabbed their weapons and ran down the hallway, prepared for anything.


A thought occurs to me: don't turians have blue blood? … A wizard did it. Yup. Wizard. But red-sand addicts have red eyes…so the red sand mixed with blue blood would be…purple…he should have purple eyes…Wizard. Definitely a wizard.

Yeah, this chapter was just trippy. I shouldn't have to explain how an experienced soldier like Shepard was taken surprise of. This is called writer's intent, or so I'm told. I'm no professional (despite what you may think).

Overlord DLC for Mass Effect 2 this June. I'm excited. Also Red Dead Redemption. Oh, and STEAM HAS COME TO THE MAC! FREAKING FINALLY! I have already downloaded it, made an account and installing Portal. Maybe I'll play around with Team Fortress 2, never played it before. Should be fun.

Finals are over. Nice. Summer classes start soon. Damn.