Chapter 56
"Damn it!" Shepard yelled as she ducked into cover, bullets just grazing her biotic barriers. She moved to fire a shockwave over her cover but her biotics spluttered and died. She cursed, not wanting to move too much out of her cover as her barriers also failed to remain up. After a couple of seconds she heard a shot ring out and Miranda walked over to her as she tried to focus on regaining control of her fluctuating powers.
"Are you okay, Shepard?" The brunette asked as Shepard finally just let her biotics die out.
"Yeah. I just... I lost control of my biotics. I couldn't generate a stable field." She admitted, shaking her head a little. Miranda sighed.
"We split up for two seconds and you almost get yourself killed, Shepard. You do know Garrus will tear me to shreds if anything happens to you?" She said irritably as Shepard moved towards the main life support systems and keyed in the override code Aria had given her.
"I'm fine, Miranda. Really." Shepard said, smiling as she activated her comm.
"Archangel, do you copy?" She asked.
"Loud and clear, Shepard. Are you okay?" He asked and she sighed.
"I'm fine." She told him but she could feel his disbelief over their bond, even at their current distance.
"Really?" He asked and she sighed.
"I had a close call but I'm fine. No harm done. Have you reached the main power systems?" She returned to the task at hand as fast as she could.
"Yeah. I've keyed in the override code. Aria should have full access once she reaches the main computer." Shepard nodded, before adding Aria to the conversation.
"Aria, you at the main computer yet?" She asked and was greeted by silence for a few seconds before the asari replied.
"Yes. The Cerberus bastards holed up in Afterlife gave me a little trouble but nothing I couldn't handle." Shepard nodded at that, despite the fact that Aria couldn't see.
"So, are you locking down the Cerberus operatives?" She asked as she and Miranda got ready to move out.
"Yes. Although I may have to open the airlocks on a couple of the levels and space them. To teach them a lesson." Shepard rolled her eyes at that.
"Yeah, yeah. 'Don't fuck with Aria'. We know. Just not too many? We still need that data." She warned.
"Of course." Shepard smiled at Aria's reply as she shook her head.
"So, is it safe to move about the station?" She asked.
"I've unlocked a Cerberus free route for you to take back to Afterlife. Come and meet me here."
"On our way."
As Shepard made her way into Afterlife she saw Garrus approach her and she could feel through their bond that he had a few choice words for her. None of them pleasant.
You can say whatever you have to back on the ship. She told him through their bond before they approached Aria who was back in her usual spot. It was strange to see the nightclub so empty and devoid of life. If one thing could be said for Omega, it was that there was always a dark energy about it that accented everything. Shepard may not find that atmosphere pleasant, but she could understand the appeal.
"I suppose I should thank you for helping me with this, Shepard." Aria said as Shepard sat across from her.
"As long as you give us the intel we need, we're even." She said and Aria nodded.
"Of course. You can remain docked for as long as you like and you're more than welcome to any and all Cerberus intel we find. Omega is back in business." Shepard smiled at that and nodded before turning to Miranda.
"You're the Cerberus expert. Can you deal with rounding up the information with Feron? Liara and I will stay on the Normandy and start analysing it until you're done and can join us." Shepard said as she got up.
"Of course, Shepard." She said as Shepard got up and headed out into the empty streets of Omega with Garrus.
"If you're building up to an 'I told you so' then I suggest you just get it out of the way." She said, sighing and looking a little defeated. His heart melted at that and instead of yelling he smiled.
"Where's the fun in that?" He asked and she narrowed her eyes at him, a smile creeping across her face as she hit him playfully.
"Baka. Okay, so you were sort of right. Without my enhanced healing or biotics I'm not much use in the field." She sighed, her eyes avoiding his. He knew that she hated the feeling of being useless, of not being in control. Especially of her biotics. Her biotics weren't refined but she had put a lot of time into practising with them in order to increase the force of her attacks. It was the one thing she could say that she had worked hard at to get, everything else was either second nature to her or she had nothing to do with it, and it was the one thing she had pride in. To have lost control of them was damaging her self-esteem and he could see it.
"We don't need you to be in the field, ani. We have the information so now it's a case of piecing it together and figuring out what Cerberus is up to. That's going to take time." She nodded, sighing.
"I know. You're right, there isn't a reason for me to be in the field right now. It's just... It's been all I've known for so long. Even before we encountered Saren, I don't think I've had time away from field missions since basic. Before that it had been school work that had kept my attention. Passing my exams and getting my qualifications. That trip to the Citadel when I met you was partially a celebration of me finishing school. I could have finished it earlier if I had wanted but as my mum pointed out, it wasn't as if I could go to university or anything until I was eighteen anyway. Not that it mattered in the end, once I discovered my biotics." She admitted and he nodded.
"Come on, ani. Let's go home."
Once Shepard was changed and sorted she met Liara in her office. The asari was sitting on her bed, surrounded by data pads. Shepard sat next to her, picking up one of the pads.
"What do we have so far?" She asked and Liara looked a little worried. She passed a couple of data pads to Shepard.
"Here, see for yourself." Shepard frowned, scanning the pads. It was enough for her to get the gist of the experiments of that particular cell.
"Liara, have you verified this against your own data?" She asked and the asari nodded.
"They're called the Hybrid cell. They started up not long after Project Lazarus. It appears to be a precursor to the experiments that lead to Reaper tech being implanted in the Cerberus operatives. The basic idea was to enhance strength, biotic abilities, etc. through genetic engineering. Much like Miranda. But instead of simply using the best of the human genome they wanted to splice DNA from different species. None of their attempts were successful as were none before it." Shepard averted her gaze, her hand moving to her abdomen as she realised what Liara was saying.
"Until now..." Shepard muttered and Liara nodded.
"Your own changes were only made possible thanks to your extensive cybernetics which were, in turn, only possible because you were dead. No one could survive being implanted so heavily. But your child doesn't have implants. The mix of DNA is entirely natural. I hate to be the one to say this but Cerberus won't be the only ones... interested. Add to that the fact that you and Garrus have become the focal point of any remaining anti-human/turian sentiments and..." Shepard nodded, understanding.
"Liara, can you step up security on the ship? Make sure no harmful information leaves?" Liara nodded at that.
"Of course." Shepard nodded again. It had been on her mind a lot lately; what she should do. Should she turn to the council or the Alliance for help, knowing that she needed high level medical expertise? No, she had decided. She would barely trust them with her own life, never mind that of her child. The only place that screamed safety to her was the Normandy. So that's where she would stay.
"Good. Liara, we have to keep this quiet. The best thing we could do is not let any information about this leave the ship. You, Garrus, Miranda, EDI and Chakwas are the only ones that know for now and I'm going to keep it that way for as long as possible. In the meantime I need you to clamp down on anything and everything that might be considered a security risk. No information about this leaves the ship, okay?" Liara nodded but looked concerned.
"Shepard, what about after the baby is born. We can't be sure of what it's appearance will be. Are you going to keep the child locked up on the ship it's entire life?" Shepard shook her head at that.
"No. I mean, I was raised on ships and can tell you that it's not a bad way to grow up so for the most part we'll stay aboard the Normandy but... I have a few ideas. Favours I can call in. None of it is vital right now. I mean, this could all go wrong and be a null point tomorrow." Liara put her hand on her friend's shoulder as worry and fear of losing her child flashed across the commander's face. She took a deep breath before continuing. "So, for now the information leaks take precedence. Mordin's discovery is still valuable data to anyone interested and I don't want it falling into the hands of Cerberus and the like." Liara nodded at that.
"Of course, Shepard."
