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Bryson's lab had a bit of an … odor, now, having been abandoned for so long. Remembering his brief glimpse of it when Bryson had been working in it made Garrus feel its emptiness now more thoroughly. He could only imagine how Ann Bryson must be reacting, here amidst her father's things. She must be feeling his presence, Garrus imagined.

She was making an effort to hold herself together, though, as she moved from station to station, deep in thought. Shepard was hoping to find the location of Leviathan from clues within the Brysons' research, and Ann was gamely trying to help despite the depth of her grief.

Garrus didn't miss the way James Vega's eyes followed every step Ann took, or the glances she gave him occasionally, as if seeking reassurance. The grieving scientist had brought out Vega's softer side on the course of their journey to the Citadel, and she seemed to find comfort in his presence. He had all but taken over the galley to cook for her, dishes that sounded made up to Garrus but which James assured him had been his abuela's specialties. 'Abuela' appeared to mean grandmother. Garrus remembered his own grandmothers only vaguely. Neither had been particularly interested in a small boy, and certainly neither one had ever bothered making him special dishes. Although it appeared that James had been partially raised by his grandmother, so perhaps that was why they had been closer.

Still, Garrus was glad to see Ann Bryson had found someone she could trust, in a world that must seem to her to have gone upside down.

She and Shepard were studying a display of information on the rachni. "How can the rachni help us understand Leviathan?" Shepard was asking. "Are they that old?"

"They date back farther than the Protheans," Ann told her. "The Protheans tried to breed them as weapons of war, but lost control of them. How far back they go beyond that is hard to say—we know so little of pre-Prothean history, thanks to the Reapers. Perhaps there's a connection to Leviathan, it's hard to say for sure. But more directly, the rachni speak telepathically—"

"Through song," Shepard interrupted.

"Yes, exactly. How do you know that?"

Shepard cleared her throat. "It's a … good guess."

Garrus had wondered if she would reveal her experience with the last rachni queen, but apparently she was keeping that a secret for now. James opened his mouth to add detail, but Garrus shook his head warningly, and James subsided reluctantly. There was a time and a place for war stories, but this wasn't it. They had no way of knowing how much connection Ann Bryson had to Leviathan, and it was well worth keeping the rachni queen as their ace in the hole in case they needed one.

"It's not quite as simple as that, though," Ann continued. "It's really more of an organic quantum entanglement communicator, which is similar to what Leviathan does with these artifacts, using them to establish a connection with anyone near the artifact and then using that connection to control their mind." She stopped in front of the shielded artifact. "And that's how we'll find him now."

"What do you mean?" James asked. He pushed off the table he'd been leaning against.

Ann glanced at him, then looked back at Shepard, her gaze steady and determined, her meaning clear. She intended to use the connection already established between herself and Leviathan to track his signal.

"EDI?"

The robot tapped some keys on the galactic map displayed in the center of the room. "Yes, I think this can work. If Dr. Bryson is willing to take the risk."

James stepped between Ann and the artifact. "No. Let me do it."

But Ann shook her head. "I'm the only one it has an established connection with. If this is going to work—and it has to, if we want to find Leviathan before the Reapers do—it has to be me." She smiled at James. "But thank you."

"I have locked in the energy signature we're looking for. Whenever you're ready, Dr. Bryson," EDI said.

Shepard looked at Ann with concern. "You don't have to do this. We can find another way."

"No. This is the only way."

James took up a position just behind Ann, one hand on her shoulder. "I'm gonna be right here."

She put her hand over his, briefly. "Thank you."

Garrus felt like a bit of a fifth wheel here, but whatever was about to go down, he wanted to see it for himself. This Leviathan was a creature few in the galaxy dreamed existed—and if found, could be a powerful weapon against the Reapers. And spirits knew they needed one.

"James, drop the containment shield."

At Shepard's command, he tapped his closed fist against a button, and the shield dropped. Garrus felt a sudden concern that the rest of them were now being exposed to an uncontained artifact—but they already had been, more than once, and Leviathan had thus far not found any of them to be of particular interest.

"Artifact online," EDI said.

They all watched Ann closely.

She shook her head. "Nothing yet. Wait … I feel a chill—" Then she started to shake violently. James held her in her seat, but only with both hands firmly on her shoulders.

"Holy hell. Commander!"

"Hold on, James. EDI?"

"Signal is tracking. Maintain connection."

"Hang in there, Ann." Shepard watched tensely as the scientist's body shook.

Then Ann's head snapped up, her eyes focusing on Shepard's face. "Turn back. The darkness cannot be breached."

Shepard leaned down, speaking intensely. "Listen to me. I found you. And the Reapers are right behind me."

"You have brought them. You are a threat."

"I'm trying to keep ahead of them. They would have found you anyway. I've seen what you can do—we need you. The entire galaxy needs you."

"There is no war. There is only the harvest."

"It doesn't have to be that way!"

Garrus had seen Shepard argue with people whose ideas focused on a single thought before, but he had rarely seen her this agitated. Either Leviathan or the war itself must be getting to her, he thought.

"EDI, do we have enough?" James asked hoarsely.

"Partial lock. Maintain connection to narrow the search."

"You heard her," James said desperately to Shepard. "We got enough. Let me hit the shield."

Shepard looked into Ann's blank eyes, trying to connect with Leviathan, one more time, then sighed, stepping back. "Do it, James."

He punched the button, and Ann fell forward into Shepard's arms.

"Dios!" James came to them, taking Ann gently from Shepard. He kept an arm around her waist to hold her up. "I'm taking her to Dr. Michel."

"Ann. Ann, are you all right?" Shepard asked.

The scientist nodded wearily, but Garrus noticed she made no attempt to get James to let her go. "I … think so. Did we—did we get anything?"

"Yes, but it will take time to search. Coordinates have been sent to the Normandy," EDI replied.

"You can rest now, Ann. We'll take it from here."

"My father … would have liked to be here."

"Maybe he was," Shepard said.

Ann gave a weak smile and allowed James to lead her away.

"You think this Leviathan will help?" Garrus asked.

"It has to." Shepard's face was distressed—something about her face-off with Leviathan through Ann Bryson had unsettled her. "It has to," she repeated, but even she didn't seem to believe it.