Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Escape from Tarkov/Mass Effect crossover. Thank you for the feedback that I am getting so far. It's good to see a new story getting support in it's earliest days. As long as you continue to provide feedback, this story will continue to evolve.
Also, if you have any ideas that you can share with me on future chapters, go ahead and do so. I'm more than willing to accommodate new ideas that will make this story better. Either way, thank you for your support, and I hope to see you in future chapters.
As always, leave a review and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Mass Effect or Escape from Tarkov franchises. They are the respective properties and trademarks of BioWare, Electronics Arts and Battlestate Games. Any material original to the franchises belongs to their respective developers and publishers. Any material not original to the franchises is of my own invention. I do not own any music listed in each chapter. Any music listed belongs to it's original composers and/or artists.
Geneburn - Gm2
Eden Prime
Constant Space Port
2183
Shepard had to admit, this was probably the most unusual day of his life, and certainly one of the ones that had a tragedy. It had hurt to see Jenkins die in front of him, unable to do a thing to save the young man's life. He'll get the burial he deserves, he knew. Still, what happened was unfair. It should've been me, not him. If I had been just a little faster, or those drones a little slower, he might still be alive today.
Still, he had to focus on the mission. It's what Jenkins would want us to do, he thought. At least we will get it done, to avenge him.
Still, in all of his years working for the Systems Alliance, he hadn't expected to run into a situation like this. As he and the others had approached the spaceport that Nihlus had told them about over the COM, he had heard a loud, percussive banging sound. Having lived on the streets of Earth for a long time, he recognized that sound: it was gunfire from older, chemical powered weapons. It was unusual enough that, after killing the monsters up ahead, he had Kaidan and Ashley look for survivors, while he went ahead and investigated.
The closer he'd gotten to the spaceport, the more intense and frequent that gunfire had gotten. Kaidan and Ashley had found more survivors, and had linked up with him after they found workers in a trailer near the colony. Once they had regrouped, they moved to the spaceport.
Now that they were there, he could see the source of the percussive gunfire. Nihlus had gotten to the spaceport and had engaged the Geth in a massive firefight. Numerous Geth were lying on the ground, their chassis' punctured and shredded by armor piercing shot from his shotgun. At least the Geth can be killed, Shepard thought.
What had his attention, however, was the man that was with Nihlus. This man was clearly a human being, but his gear was anything but Alliance issue. The man was wearing what appeared to be black trousers and black boots, with a black T-Shirt underneath what appeared to be obsolete, but apparently effective, armor plating. Said armor plating covered his arms, thorax and stomach, but it didn't cover his legs and forearms. He also wore a helmet, which had seen some action, as Shepard could see impact cracks and dents in the transparent visor.
It was also clear that he'd been injured, as Shepard saw a white bandage around the man's right forearm, through which he could see a tiny amount of redness. It was clear, though, that the man wasn't letting the injury slow him down, as he continued to move with the speed and economy of a well trained soldier. The rifle he carried in his hands looked like it was an ancient design, but it was clearly either well kept, or brand new. Maybe a combination of both, Shepard thought.
Any further thoughts were promptly interrupted, as Nihlus walked over. Shepard almost immediately realized he was wounded, as the Turian had a hole in his right mandible, large enough to be visible, but small enough that the appendage hadn't been severed. "You alright," Shepard asked.
"I'll be fine," Nihlus reassured him. "It can get treated once the mission's over." Looking at Shepard's team, he said, "Where's the one you called Jenkins?"
Shepard frowned. "He's dead. Geth drones killed him."
"Ripped right through his shields," Kaidan added. "Poor kid didn't stand a chance."
"I'm sorry," Nihlus replied after a moment of silence, genuine sorrow in his voice. "I know how important he was to the crew. May the Spirits welcome him into their embrace."
"Thanks," Shepard replied. He knew from his limited experience with Turians that those words were important in their society. Looking towards the newcomer, he asked, 'Who's that?"
"He's a stranger that ended up here. His gear's ancient, but it's saved his life already. Didn't know that old Human armor plating could stop mass accelerator rounds so effectively. It was a similar story with his gun. Tore through the Geth with little difficulty."
"I see. So, how'd you get that wound in your mandible?"
Nihlus frowned as he replied. "It was from someone that I thought was a friend. There was another Turian here. His name was Saren."
"You know him?"
"He was my mentor, and a good friend. Taught me how to put my talents to good use as a Spectre. I met him just before the newcomer showed up. I thought he was here to assist us, but he tried to shoot me in the back. This man here, though, warned me just in time; I turned around and got shot in the mandible for my trouble."
"What happened next, if I may ask?"
"Well, this newcomer came along. I've never seen Saren genuinely surprised before; it was like he never expect this man to come along and save my life. There was a firefight, and the newcomer wounded him a couple times before Saren got away. Still, why would Saren betray the Council? He's their top agent; he wouldn't just go rouge like this."
"Maybe he wasn't in control of his actions," Shepard suggested.
"No, he definitely was," Nihlus countered. "He fully intended to kill me and likely use that as a way of keeping you from being considered any further for the Spectres. I'm just thankful that this newcomer saved my life."
"Good to hear," Shepard nodded. "Mind if I talk to him?"
"Yes. Just be careful, Shepard. He's doing well, but he's disoriented and confused. Take it slowly with him."
"Got it," Shepard nodded. With that, he proceeded over to the newcomer. Spotting the injury again, he asked, "You need any help with that?"
The newcomer replied a moment later, his accent reminding Shepard of some he'd heard during a couple weeks he spent at the city of Vancouver, near the northwestern United States. "No. I'm fine. I've had worse injuries than this. Besides, I have a full medical kit in my backpack, so I'm covered there."
"If you say so." Looking around, Shepard asked, "Were you one of the colonists here?"
"No," came the reply. "I'm not from around here."
"I see." Realizing he hadn't asked the man his name, he asked, "What's your name? I'm Commander Shepard. Systems Alliance Special Forces."
"William O'Connor. United Security Operator."
"United Security?"
"PMC corporation I worked for after I left the military."
"So you're a mercenary."
"Yes, and no, before you ask, I haven't committed any war crimes. I don't intend to start now."
Shepard was about to ask some more questions when a loud THUNK came from behind him. "Something's over there!" Ashley shouted. "Behind the crates!" Almost immediately, Shepard and the others had their weapons raised, with the newcomer doing the same as well.
Fortunately, they didn't have to worry, as moments later, a man wearing a workers uniform and a cap stumbled out from behind the crates. "WAIT!" He shouted, panic in his eyes. "Don't shoot! I'm one of you! I'm human!"
"Sneaking up like that on us nearly got you killed," Shepard growled.
"I'm sorry," the worker stammered. "I-I thought there were more of those things." Seeing that the man wasn't armed, Shepard had the others relax, though he noted that the newcomer kept his weapon out and ready. "My name's Powell," the worker replied. "I was hiding behind the crates when this new guy here saved his life." He pointed at Nihlus when he said this.
"Just like I said," Nihlus informed Shepard.
"What happened?" Shepard asked.
"Your buddy got here just after the first guy got here, Saren if I recall correctly. They were talking when Saren tried to shoot him right in the back, only the newcomer here shouted a warning at him. There was a fight; some guns were fired, and I thought I saw a grenade being thrown. The newcomer here bull rushed Saren and wounded him, but he got his ass tossed into your friend. Then he left for the cargo tram."
"You wounded Saren," Nihlus remarked to William. "He's very good at his job. Not many can injure a Spectre, especially with older weapons."
"I aim to kill," William replied. "Next time that bastard runs into me, I will kill him."
"Not before we bring him to the Council for his crimes," Nihlus countered. Turning to Powell, he asked, "Can you tell us anything about the attacks?"
"Yeah. There was this ship that came down. Made this horrible sound. I knew it was trouble the moment I saw it. Then those Geth came out and killed everyone. If I hadn't been behind the crates already, I would've been killed too!"
"Wait a minute," Kaidan interrupted. "You were behind the crates before the attack?"
"Yes. Sometimes, in order to get through my shift, I hide behind the crates where my supervisor can't find me to grab forty winks."
"You survived because you were lazy?" Ashley asked, surprised.
"Lucky you," O'Connor remarked. Shepard could immediately hear the sarcasm in the man's voice.
"Yeah, I don't wanna think about it."
Powell was about to continue when O'Connor said, "You're a smuggler."
"What?!" Powell yelped, surprised. "What do you mean 'I'm a smuggler.' I'm just a dock worker!"
"Don't play dumb with me," O'Connor growled, his hand reaching for his sidearm. "I know a smuggler when I see one. I did some of that work during my time in Tarkov, so I know a smuggler when I see one. You have the bearing and shiftiness of one."
The moment he flicked the holster lock off, Powell knew he'd been made. "So what if I – oh, you're right. I'm a smuggler, but that's not as bad as what's going on!"
"Damn, I didn't know that," Shepard remarked, looking at O'Connor. "So, Powell, anything around here that we can use?"
"A shipment of grenades came in a few weeks ago. No body notices a few things that go missing from the military orders."
The moment Ashley heard that, she was furious. "You greedy son of a bitch!" she snarled. "We're out here, protecting your asses, and you thank us by fucking ripping us off!"
She was about to charge forwards when Shepard stepped in front of her, cutting her off. "Let him go," he ordered her. "He's not worth it."
Ashley looked as though she was about to protest, but then thought better of it. Growling, she said, "You're lucky that the Commander's here to save your ass. Hand over the grenades, now!"
Powell was more than willing to hand over the grenades after seeing how aggressive Ashley was. "T-take them," he stammered. "My smuggling days are over. I swear!"
I wonder if he's got more than that, O'Connor thought as Powell shakily handed the grenades over. Time to see if all that time building up my charisma during all that bartering will pay off. Clearing his throat, he said, "Powell, judging by Ashley's reaction to your theft, she lost a lot of people, people that could've survived if those grenades had remained in their possession. If I were you, I'd think of some way to make it up to them."
Those words apparently had the intended effect, as Powell stopped for a moment. Then he said, "Wait, there's one more thing. Something else came in with the shipment. Could be worth a fortune. Experimental technology. Top of the line." Pulling out a smaller item, he said, "Take it. I don't need it."
"We can prosecute him later," Nihlus said to the others. "We have to get to that Prothean Beacon, now!"
"Got it," William nodded. Looking at Nihlus, he said, "Just tell me where to go and I'll get it done."
"Take the cargo tram down the ramps," Powell informed them. "I-I need to get away from all of this." With that, Powell walked away, while the others continued in the direction he pointed them towards.
As they moved forwards, Shepard took a few seconds of his attention to watch O'Connor as they moved down the steps. It was clear that O'Connor's remark about being former military was true, as the man moved with a cautious speed that only a soldier could achieve. The man was apparently cognizant of the time he spent outside of cover, as he sprinted to the nearest piece of cover moments later.
That turned out to be a wise choice, as mass accelerator rounds filled the air where he'd been standing before. Taking cover as well, Shepard spotted more hostile contacts. His HUD promptly markked the majority as Geth Snipers and Geth Troopers, though he spotted a Geth Destroyer as well. Pulling his rifle out, he began firing at the Geth, with the others firing as well.
A moment later, O'Connor pulled something out of a pouch on his armor. It was a round object that had what looked like a cotter pin in the top. Just as Shepard recognized it for what it was, O'Connor pulled the pin and hurled the grenade at the Geth Destroyer. "Grenade," Ashley called out on instinct.
Moments later, the grenade detonated. There was a loud KA-BOOM as the grenade detonated, the shock wave radiating outwards from the point of detonation. Shepard was momentarily surprised when his armor's kinetic barrier flared, indicating this was a Frag Grenade. The Geth Destroyer had it the worst, as it's right leg was promptly torn off by the blast.
That was, apparently, O'Connor's cue to begin firing. The former PMC Operator smoothly leaned out of cover, firing his rifle at the Geth. Shepard's guess that this was a chemical powered rifle was proven correct, as he saw casings flying out of an ejection port on the right side of the rifle. Each time the rifle fired, there was a loud, concussive BANG.
What it did to the Geth, though, was clearly unexpected. Either the Geth's armor plating wasn't designed to stop slug rounds, or the rounds were designed to pierce through armor, as one Geth went down after receiving a four round burst in the chest. Almost immediately, the Geth's attention shifted to William, as they began firing in his direction. Ducking down, he avoided being shot, then leaned out again and fired.
A gunshot rang out moments later. Shepard watched as O'Connor was knocked backwards, a bullet clearly striking at his chest. At the same time, there was a loud CLINK as the bullet impacted what sounded like an armor plate inside of the camouflaged material he was wearing. To Shepard's surprise, he shouted «Бля!» as he toppled over.
"You OK?" he shouted to O'Connor.
"Focus on the enemy, not me!" O'Connor shouted. Slightly taken back by the vitriol of the response, Shepard refocused on the Geth, while O'Connor rolled into cover.
Fuck, he thought as he checked his chest for any injuries. That Geth asshole nearly killed me. Feeling under his plate carrier, he sighed with relief when he didn't feel any bullet holes in his chest. Fucking robots and their targeting systems, he growled. Time to give them a fucking headache.
Checking his mag capacity, he leaned out of cover and fired some more rounds down range. One of the bullets he fired struck the Geth Sniper that tried to kill him in the optic, causing the machine to stumble around blindly. That made it an easy target for Shepard and the others, as Kaidan nailed it with a shot from his pistol.
With the Geth sufficiently suppressed, O'Connor sprinted ahead, sliding into cover behind a metal half-wall as the Geth opened fire again. He heard a loud gunshot ring out, with a Geth falling over to the ground. Looking behind himself, he watched as Ashley fired what looked like a futuristic sniper rifle at the Geth. Nice, he thought, but I prefer my guns. Stick to what you know.
Leaning out, he fired off more gunshots, nailing a Geth in the head in the process. By the time he killed the last Geth, he heard the bolt of the rifle click open. Walking onto the cargo tram, he swapped out the mags, replacing the old one with a fresh one. He was about to move towards the console when Shepard said, "O'Connor, you were hit."
"I'm fine, Shepard," O'Connor replied.
"Bullshit!" Shepard countered. "That bullet hit you directly in the chest. Are you certain you're fine?"
"Yes, Shepard," O'Connor replied. "If I was really injured, you would've known almost immediately." For emphasis, he pulled out the SAPI (Small Arms Protective Insert) in his plate carrier and showed it to Shepard.
He was both surprised, and relieved, to see only a dent where the Geth Sniper's round had hit. "You made your case," he conceded. "Just be more careful next time. We lost a man when he was moving to cover."
"I understand," O'Connor replied. "Now, let's get to wherever that thing Nihlus mentioned was at." Right on cue, Nihlus entered in a command into the cargo tram controls. A second later, the tram began to move, with the vehicle quickly picking up speed.
. . .
Up ahead, Saren continued to limp as he moved towards the Geth, a spike of pain radiating up his left thigh and spine as he walked. Looking down, he could see blood seeping from the wound in question. On top of that, it was likely that it had shattered his hip bones, as he could feel bone grating against bone, sending more flares of pain into his brain.
That human made a good choice of weapon, he thought as he limped forwards. The round bypassed my kinetic barriers and penetrated my armor. I'll have to make some changes to my armor before long. Still, I wonder who that human was. He certainly wasn't one I've seen before.
Those thoughts were briefly pushed aside as he reached the Geth. One of them, designed to be a medical platform, moved to tend to his injuries, but he pushed it back a little. "Later," he said to the platform. "Once we're out of danger, you can do your duty." Turning to the others, he said, "Set the charges. Destroy the colony. Leave no evidence that we were here."
As the Geth moved to carry out their order, Saren limped over to the Prothean Beacon, grunting every time he put weight on the injured limb. Reaching the spot, he pulled himself upright, ignoring the pain that was sent into his brain as he stood up. As he did so, he was pulled upward into the air as the beacon activated.
. . .
As the Geth went to work, one of the platforms got up from the task it had just finished. Determining that it's job was satisfactory, it was about to move out when it spotted movement; moments later, audio receptors picked up the sound of a cargo tram moving in. Looking in that direction, it spotted the tram, which had five people onboard. A cursory scan revealed that one of the people was the unknown that had wounded their leader, Saren. With the scan complete, it alerted the others to an incoming fight.
O'Connor tensed up as soon as he spotted the Geth robot that was up ahead, his hands tightening on the rifle. As they came to a stop, he spotted a large, cylindrical object that was on the platform they were arriving at. Given the size of the object, as well as what appeared to be a timer, he knew that it was likely an IED.
His guess was confirmed when Kaidan shouted, "Demolition charges! The Geth must've planted them!"
"Hurry!" Ashley shouted. "Find them all and shut them down!"
"O'Connor, you handle this one," Nihlus ordered. "Shepard, you, me, and the others will find the others and shut them down as well!"
Wordlessly, the team complied, with O'Connor staying at the first bomb, while Nihlus and the others went to find the other bombs. Quickly moving to the first bomb, O'Connor took a moment to look at the panel before him. Taking a knife, he debated for a moment before using it to pry the panel off. Underneath, there was a mess of cables and wiring, all of which was powering the device. As he looked at the cables, he recalled a portion of his memories.
I need to find the cable that's powering the timing mechanism and detonator, he thought. If I do that, I can disable the bomb and prevent it from detonating. Given the complexity of the device, there's likely a backup circuit. The best thing I can do in this case, is to find the power supply and cut it off.
Given that option, he began to dig through the wires, looking for the power supply for the demolition device. Four minutes remaining, he thought as he looked at the timer. Damnit, this bomb's too new for me to disarm. I need help.
Remembering something Kadian told him during the tram trip, he changed the frequency on his helmet headset. "Kaidan, this is O'Connor, can you help me?"
"Busy, but I can help," Kaidan replied, the sound of gunfire audible over the link. "What do you need?"
"I have EOD training, but this bomb's too advanced for me to handle. Can you guide me through it?
"Sure. Do you have the panel removed?"
"Yes."
"Good. You can do one thing given the training you might have. Look for the wire heading to the power supply. It's a long, green cable. If you cut that, you should disable the demolition charge. Check for any auxiliary power cables while you're at it. If it doesn't turn off, then that means there is one."
"Got it," O'Connor replied. With that knowledge in mind, he dug through the mess of cables once more. Moments later, he spotted it: a pair of long, thick green cables that were connected to a rectangular component, likely the battery. Pulling out a wire cutter, he maneuvered the tool inside and cut both power cables.
Looking at the timer, he smiled when he saw that it was blank, indicating that the bomb had lost power. One down, an unknown amount to go. Keying his communicator again, he asked, "How many bombs are there?"
"I just disarmed one," Kaidan reported. "Nihlus is disarming another. That means we've got three more bombs to disarm. How about you?"
"Cut two power cables. Display's offline."
"Good. The bomb's safe. Head to the next one."
"Got it." Closing the COM link, he began moving up to the next bomb site. At that moment, two Geth platforms moved towards his position, weapons firing as he ducked into cover. Pulling a grenade out, he waited a couple seconds before tossing it at the Geth. The loud squeals and shrieks that he heard when the grenade detonated prompted him to move out, weapon at the ready.
More Geth moved into position ahead of him. Firing his rifle in short bursts, he destroyed two of the four platforms ahead before he had to move into cover. Letting go of his rifle, he pulled his sidearm out and fired once, twice, then thrice at a platform, disabling it.
Whoa! Ducking down, he avoided being blasted by what appeared to be a large, red-white bolus of energy. What the fuck?! They've got energy weapons now! Containing his shock, he leaned out of cover and fired three more times, nailing the Geth platform with a lucky shot to the face. With the platforms there dead, he moved forwards and spotted a third bomb. Once more, he repeated what he did with the first one.
Apparently, Shepard had disabled the fourth bomb, as there was only one left now. As he was closer, O'Connor got there first, with the others arriving as he pried the access panel off. Pulling out the wire clippers again, he maneuvered it inside and cut the power cables. "That should do it," he said as the display winked off. "Bomb should be safe."
"Confirmed," Kaidan replied as he scanned it with an omni-tool. "The bomb's inactive. Good work there."
"Thank you," O'Connor replied as he got up. "Not sure I could've disabled that bomb without your advice." Looking around, he asked, "Where to?"
"Down this ramp over here," Ashley replied. "I can see the Beacon down there!"
"Move out," Shepard ordered.
With that, the team advanced down the ramp, entering the area where the Beacon was at. Spotting some Husks, Shepard was about to fire when the Husks went down, synthetic blood and other liquids being sprayed onto the ground. Looking up, he spotted smoke coming from O'Connor's rifle, with the merc smoothly reloading his weapon.
He's pretty good with that rifle, Shepard thought. He'd certainly make for a good marksman. The Alliance could use a man like him. Dismissing the thoughts for now, he looked at where the Prothean artifact was.
To all parties involved, it was a truly unique sight. The Beacon consisted of a large, pillar-like column that stood a good four meters above the ground, with an elegantly curved base that held the lowermost portion, while providing a stable foundation. Curved lines on the artifact glowed an emerald green color, while a wispy green energy field enveloped a portion of the artifact.
"What is that," O'Connor asked. "I've never seen anything like it before."
"That's a Prothean Beacon," Nihlus explained. "The Protheans left them behind when they mysteriously vanished. They're extremely valuable, as they could contain new technologies."
"I take it the Protheans are important to your civilization."
"An astute observation. Their technology serves as the foundation for what we use. The Mass Relays, the Citadel, our ship drives. It's all based on Prothean technology."
"I see," O'Connor remarked. Deep down, however, he could see a problem with this almost immediately. If you copy another faction's tech base, you run the risk of becoming technologically stagnant. I'll have to ask him about that at some point.
Seeing that the Beacon was intact, Shepard keyed his COM. "Ground team to Normandy. The Beacon's secure Requesting retrieval and evac."
As he did this, Kaidan and Ashley moved closer, admiring the artifact. "That's amazing," Kaidan beamed. "Actual working Prothean technology."
"It wasn't doing anything like that when they dug it up," Ashley remarked. "Something must've activated it."
"Roger, Normandy," Shepard finished. "Standing by." Motioning to Kaidan, Shepard began to talk to him.
"I'm not sure getting close is a good idea," O'Connor said to Ashley as she began to move closer. "We don't know how it might react. I don't know what might happen."
"Good idea," Ashley replied, catching herself. "It's probably best to -"
Suddenly, O'Connor felt a pressure wave as something happened. Before he knew it, Ashley was being dragged towards the Prothean Beacon by some unseen force. Grabbing her, he began pulling her away, only to find himself being dragged towards the device as well.
Shepard, however, spotted what was happening. Running towards the two, he grabbed O'Connor and, with O'Connor holding onto Ashley, threw the two of them away from the artifact. Fighting against the pulling force, Shepard was about to break free when, suddenly, he was hoisted up into the air.
"Shepard!" Ashley screamed.
Rushing towards him, she was stopped by Kaidan and Nihlus. "No Ashley!" Nihlus shouted. "Don't do it! It's too risky!"
"Shepard!" Kaidan shouted.
All the while, Shepard wasn't having that pleasant of a time. He half-groaned, half-roared in pain as images flashed through his mind. The images were flashing so fast that he didn't have time to figure out what they meant. On top of that, he felt an intense, rubbing and burning sensation in his head, like someone was taking a belt sander to it.
Then, just as suddenly as it began, it ended. There was a brilliant flash of green-white light as the Beacon detonated. Pieces of it were hurled everywhere, while Shepard was thrown backwards into the air, landing in a heap next to O'Connor, who barely had enough time to scramble out of the way.
"Shepard!" Kaidan called out as O'Connor moved over the man. "Is he alright?!"
Somehow, O'Connor was able to quickly remove the helmet. Pressing a finger against Shepard's neck, he sighed with relief when he felt a steady, throbbing sensation. "Got a pulse here," he told Kaidan. "He's alive, but whatever happened KO'ed him. He might need medical attention, attention that I can't provide."
"Go it," Kaidan replied. Keying his COM, he began calling for medivac.
Well, O'Connor thought. Welcome to the future, O'Connor. Good luck.