Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Escape from Tarkov/Mass Effect crossover. My apologies for not updating when I usually do. Things last week were fairly hectic. Today, however, you are getting a new chapter. Thank you for your patience, and I hope to see you in future chapters.

As always, leave a review and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Escape from Tarkov or Mass Effect franchises. They are the respective properties of Electronic Arts, BioWare and Battlestate Games. Any material original to the franchises belongs to it's 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 - Stranger

Feros

Zhu's Hope

2183

Once the problems at the colony had been tended to, much to the colony's relief, Shepard and the others began heading out. "There's an elevator that we can take to get to the garage," Shepard told the others. "Fai Dan informed me of that when I talked to him. The ExoGeni Local HQ is located in a skyscraper on the other side.

"Got it," O'Connor nodded. "How do you want to play this, Shepard? I've got the feeling that, even if we do things right, someone is going to get hurt."

"We'll move as a four man team through the skyscraper and maintain contact via our radios. O'Connor, you'll take lead on this excursion, while Wrex and I will provide fire support. Tali will deal with any enemy tech specialists we run into. Understood?"

"Perfectly," Wrex nodded.

"Then let's move out. We'll use the Mako to navigate the skyways and aqueducts connecting the skyscrapers." With that, the team loaded up into the elevator and began to head down to the garage.

. . .

It didn't take long, as the elevator came to a stop around twenty seconds later. When it opened up, though, gunfire was the first thing that assailed their ears. Looking ahead, O'Connor spotted a pair of colonists that were taking cover behind a barricade, which was stopping bullets. Leaning to the right while looking left, he spotted the source of the fire: two Geth Assault Drones that were flying about in the area.

"Watch out!" one of the colonists shouted.

"Scouts!" another one called out. "They'll be here any minute now!"

"O'Connor, take them out!" Shepard ordered. Nodding, O'Connor moved forwards, custom M4A1 in hand as he exited the elevator. Turning right, he put the rifle on semi-auto and fired two shots into each Geth Drone. Both Drones fell to the ground, their barriers remaining inactive due to the low speed of O'Connor's bullets.

"Thanks for that," one of the colonists told them. "Those drones were scouts, though. They'll be here in greater numbers."

"We can handle it," Shepard reassured them. Turning to O'Connor, he said, "Good shooting."

"Thank you," O'Connor replied. "We've got a skyscraper to get to. Let's not keep it waiting." Nodding in agreement, Shepard and the team loaded up into the Mako before driving forwards, the shutter serving as the garage door opening automatically.

Once more, O'Connor was in the back, though this time, due to a request he made to Garrus and Tali, he was no longer unaware of what was going on. This was courtesy of a small screen that had been installed into one of the harnesses in the back. With the display, O'Connor had a real-time video feed of what was going on.

As soon as he looked at the video display, he could immediately see the landscape ahead. According to research that he'd done as they traveled to Feros, the ground level region of Feros was practically uninhabitable, courtesy of a layer of debris, and thick dust that had accumulated down below. Fortunately, the skyscrapers, and the skyways that connected them, were relatively intact, providing a living space and a means of transit to those skyscrapers.

It was this sight that he was seeing right now. The concrete-like material was old, with pitting and gouges in the material, while parts of a skyway up above had collapsed onto the one they were on. The skyways were held up by reinforcing cables and support struts. They're old, but in good condition, O'Connor observed. If they weren't, the colonists wouldn't have bothered setting up Zhu's Hope here.

His thoughts were interrupted when he spotted movement on the feed. Moments later, a Geth ship flew over head, slowing down long enough to drop off what appeared to be Armatures onto the walkway, before flying off into the distance. "We've got trouble," he told Shepard.

"We see it," Shepard replied. "Tali?"

"Two Armatures and Geth Rocket Troopers," Tali reported. "They might have Geth Juggernauts as well! Be careful! Their missiles'll down our barriers and tear through our armor quickly!"

"Got it," Shepard replied. "Wrex, you know how to use this thing?!"

"Yes!" Wrex replied. "I'd be a pretty bad Krogan if I didn't!"

"Take them out!"

"You got it, Shepard!" Moments later, the main gun on the Mako fired, rattling the interior somewhat. "Hit, but the pyjack won't go down. Firing again!" Another shot, then, "Got you, you little bastard!"

"Cut the chatter, Wrex!"

"Got that too."

Looking at the video feed, O'Connor watched as the 150mm slug smashed into a Geth Armature. As it's barriers had been downed by the coaxial machine gun, the slug tore into the Armature with little resistance. The Armature practically exploded, with armor plating, lubricating fluids and electronics flying everywhere.

A missile streaked past the Mako, with Shepard dodging the projectile through some clever use of the vehicle's jump jets. The machine gun fired off, with a Geth Rocket Trooper being turned into mulched scrap metal. Before long, all remaining enemy resistance had been neutralized.

"Good work," Shepard called out. "We're moving out."

As they moved out, Tali said, "Shepard, I've picked some some radio chatter. I'm zeroing in, but there's a lot of interference."

Moment's later, O'Connor heard a woman's voice. "The last batch went south. What are they looking for?"

"Probably survivors," Shepard decided. "We'll keep moving forward in the meantime. Let us know if you pick up any more COM chatter."

"Got it," Tali nodded. Looking at O'Connor, she asked, "O'Connor, what do you think of Shepard's driving?"

"I think it's pretty good given what he's using," O'Connor replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, Garrus described it as being 'like a drunk nathack.' I was wondering if he was exaggerating or if he was joking. Personally, I think he's right. What about you?"

"It's not bad driving. The problem is the vehicle that he's using. I saw Shepard using an air car at one point. The man was driving like he was a race car driver in a Formula 1 race: sharp cornering, excellent control and good speed management. This thing, though, it's worse than a drunk rhino."

"Oh… well, when you put it like that, then that explains Garrus' remark. Are there any ideas that we could use to improve this thing's… handling, I think you called it?"

"I'm no mechanic, Tali. I don't know anything about getting a vehicle's handling improved. I'll leave you and Garrus to figure that out."

Just then, the COM came to life once more. "Any sign of movement. Lizbeth could still be in there. It's only been a few days." As they drove along, the interior angled upwards, indicating they were driving up hill. More COM chatter came in. "She's my daughter. I'll wait as long as I have to."

With that, they drove into the skyscraper ahead. The interior roadway was a mess, with little to no lighting, piles of debris, and a few fires here and there. Turning on the lights for the Mako, Shepard began to expertly drive the vehicle through the place. That was when the COM said, "We've got movement… some kind of vehicle. Not Geth, though."

"Whoa! Stop!" O'Connor shouted. Almost immediately, the vehicle came to a dead stop. "Shepard, whoever said that probably spotted us. I think it's safe to say that there are survivors!"

"Good call," Shepard replied. "I nearly didn't catch that. We'll head out and make contact." Hitting the hatch icon, Shepard got up, just as the door to the exterior opened. Getting out, he looked around.

It wasn't long before he spotted a ramp leading down into a room that he'd driven past a few meters. Walking down the ramp, he nearly reached for his gun when he spotted a number of weapons pointed in his direction. They're getting paranoid, he realized, but not without reason. The Geth are relentless when they assault a target.

Looking around, he got a good idea of what was going on in here. From what he could tell, a number of armed guards, and ExoGeni personnel, had fled here when the fighting got bad. He could see crates of food and water, though they were nearly out of both. Guards in heavy armor patrolled the premises.

That left two people, both of whom were wearing science uniforms. One of them was a woman with graying black hair, age wrinkles on her face, as well as kind brown eyes. The other was a man of Asian descent, with suspicious dark brown eyes that swept the area cautiously. A handgun was in his hands.

As soon as he spotted Shepard and the others, he pointed his weapon and shouted, "That's close enough!"

"Relax, Jeong," the woman said to the man. "They're obviously not Geth!"

"Get back, Juliana!" the now identified Jeong snapped at the woman. "Who are you? What do you want?"

High strung, Shepard thought to himself. I'll need to be careful here. Clearing his throat, he said, "Commander Shepard. I'm here to remove your Geth problem."

"You see?" Juliana beamed. "You worry too much."

"And you trust too easily, Juliana," Jeong snapped back.

"I'm just glad to see a friendly face," Juliana continued. "I thought we were the only humans left on the planet."

"Fai Dan, and some of the members of Zhu's Hope are still alive," Shepard confirmed.

"I thought you said they were all dead," Juliana said to Jeong, an angry undertone in her voice.

"I said they were probably all dead," Jeong countered. "There's a difference."

"They're alive, but the Geth were really hammering at them," O'Connor added. "If we hadn't come along, they would be dead by now."

"We know what's that like," Juliana nodded. "Those damn synthetics are relentless!"

"I'll do whatever I can to keep them away from you," Shepard nodded, "but I'll need information and details to do that."

"What kind of information?" Jeong asked.

"Ignore him," Juliana interrupted. "The Geth are up at the ExoGeni Local Headquarters just a bit further along the skyway."

"Those headquarters are private property, soldier. Remove the Geth and nothing else."

"I'm not interested in your company secrets," Shepard replied. I'm certain that O'Connor would be, though, he said to himself. The man dislikes having secrets hidden from him.

"Commander, before you go," Juliana asked pleadingly. "My daughter Lizbeth… she's missing."

"They shouldn't waste time poking around," Jeong said coldly. "We can do a proper accounting of our casualties after the Geth are gone."

Juliana, upon hearing this, was angry and close to tears. "That's my daughter you're talking about!" she shouted, tears in her eyes. "She's still alive! I know it!"

"Do you have any ideas as to where she is?" Shepard asked.

"She was working in the ExoGeni buildings when the Geth attacked," Juliana replied.

"Oh, yeah," Jeong remarked. "There are several places where she could hide. For a short time."

"I'll make sure I get her out of there," Shepard nodded.

"Thank you," Juliana breathed, relief on her face.

While Shepard and the others were talking, O'Connor took a moment to look around the place. Walking over to the crates, he looked inside. Damn, they're in a worse state than I thought, he said to himself. They've only got ten more hours of supplies remaining! Fuck…

His train of thought was interrupted when he heard someone walking over. Standing up, he saw a man with blond hair walking over. "Excuse me, sir," the man asked. "Would you mind if you retrieved something for me?"

"What kind of something?" O'Connor asked.

"I need you to retrieve some data. It's not a big job, but it pays well."

"Sounds easy. What's the catch?"

"No catch, really. It's dangerous work, but not for someone like you."

"Hhmm, that's reassuring."

"It's not that bad, really. All you need to do is find my console at ExoGeni's Local HQ and drop the data into this OSD. It's that simple."

"I see… Alright. I'll get it for you, mr…?"

"Gavin, Gavin Hossle."

"Very well then, Gavin. I'll get the info you need."

"Thank you. That data could be worth a lot of money. Of course, that depends on if we get out of here alive and well."

"True. You do work like this all the time?"

"Yes. I'm a freelancer."

"Interesting. I'll see what I can do." Hearing Shepard calling him, O'Connor said, "I've got to go now. See you when I get back."

As Gavin returned to his business, O'Connor and the others left for the Mako. Once they were inside, they began to drive off. As they did so, O'Connor said, "I don't like Jeong. There's something slimy about him."

"I got the same feeling," Shepard nodded. "We'll deal with that bridge when we come to it. Right now, we've got to deal with the Geth."

"Agreed."

. . .

Getting to ExoGeni's Local HQ wasn't a picnic at all. The Geth were literally swarming over the skyway leading to the headquarters. As soon as they drove out of the skyscraper, the shutter door opened to reveal a Geth Armature, and a cluster of Geth forces, behind what appeared to be tank traps and barricades. "Watch it!" Tali shouted as the Geth fired rockets and plasma boli.

Spotting the danger, Shepard drove around the incoming fire, while Wrex fired off the main gun and machine gun. Geth Rocket Troopers were ripped apart by high velocity mass accelerator fire, while a slug smashed into the Armature's barriers, greatly weakening them. The vehicle was jolted as a bolus of plasma splashed against the armor, heating up a portion of it while weakening the barriers. "Careful!" O'Connor shouted. "I don't want this Mako to be my grave!"

"I'm trying!" Shepard shouted. "Get off my back!" Driving to the right, he drove up the elevated portion of the skyway, allowing him to get behind the Armature and the Geth. Another slug smashed into the Geth Armature, with this one having the desired effect.

This continued for the entire skyway, as the Geth had fortified it greatly. Eventually, though, they were able to get to ExoGeni's Local HQ. Once they moved through the shutter doors, they found that the Mako wouldn't be able to get through. The architecture of the entrance was only wide enough for two people moving side by side to get through.

"Well, shit," Shepard growled. "Just like on Therum. We'll have to go in on foot."

"Looks like it," O'Connor agreed.

"Alright, everyone out. Remember what I said last time at the tower. Move out."

With that, everyone got out of the APC, weapons primed and ready. Using a hand motion, Shepard ordered O'Connor to advance forwards, with the former PMC nodding as he moved up, rifle aimed and ready. Taking a moment to look inside, he advanced through the opening and into the skyscraper.

As soon as he did, he spotted a flash of movement, almost too fast for his eyes to catch. Reacting instinctively, he fired a couple shots where he thought the flash had landed. One of the bullets must've hit it's mark, as he heard a loud, electronic squeal moments later. Seconds later, a flash of movement appeared, before resolving into a Geth Sapper. A large hole was in it's chest chassis, indicating a successful hit.

There you are, you sneaky bastard, he thought as the Geth Sapper made to jump again. Before it could, he fired another shot into the platform, shattering it's head like a porcelain vase. The Geth Sapper fell to the ground, it's chassis completely offline.

That was the opening shot for a large firefight that happened. Hearing gunfire, O'Connor instinctively ducked into cover, a few rounds hitting his barriers before he was behind solid material. Spotting the danger, Shepard and Wrex laid down suppressing fire, while Tali began firing off tech attacks at any Geth she could see.

"Damnit!" Shepard shouted as his rifle overheated. "Tali! Get that fucking Sapper!"

"On it," Tali replied. Spotting the troublesome Geth, she fired off a sabotage attack, preventing the platform from firing it's main weapon. Wrex claimed that kill, shooting it's optics out with his own assault rifle.

With the Geth sufficiently distracted, O'Connor moved up, firing his rifle at any Geth that were dumb enough to cross his line of fire. Spotting a door, O'Connor moved towards it and hacked it, before moving inside, having dealt with the rest of the Geth earlier.

"FUCK!" he roared as a Geth Armature came online. Falling over, he scrambled back on all fours as a plasma bolus hit where he'd been at. Even through the armor, he felt the searing heat, causing him to wince. Tossing in a grenade, he took cover from the explosion before firing his Grenade Launcher. Another explosion rang out, this one putting the Armature out of commission.

"O'Connor, are you alright?!" Shepard called out as he and the others ran over.

"Other than a minor leg burn, I'm fine," O'Connor replied. "Just got scared by the Geth version of a 'jack-in-the-box.' It's no longer a threat."

"Let me see," Tali remarked, scanning his leg with her omni-tool. "First degree burns, nothing major," she reported. "It'll be painful, but you'll survive."

"You nearly scared my balls off," Shepard frowned. "Please be more careful next time."

"Oh, don't worry. I will," O'Connor nodded. Getting up, he winced from the pain, then forced it down like a man. Nodding at Shepard, he and the others proceeded forwards towards the entrance.

Unfortunately, the Geth had been busy here as well. "Well, shit," Shepard growled. "Looks like they've got some kind of barrier here."

"I think I found a way around." O'Connor called out to the others. "It's a one way drop, but we'll get to where we need to get to."

"Good enough for me." Dropping down, the team moved forwards. Entering a large, water filled chamber, they found a dead Varren lying on the ground.

Shepard was about to have the others remain vigilant when a shot ran out, a bullet zipping past the members of the group. "Damnit!" a woman shouted. Weapon aimed, Shepard watched as a woman with dark brown hair and brown eyes walked out, a pistol in her hand. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I thought you were Varren, or one of those Geth."

"It's safe now," Shepard reassured her, "but why are you out here in the first place?"

"It's my fault," the woman, obviously Lizbeth, replied. "Everyone else was running, and I stayed to back up some data. Next thing I knew, the Geth ship latched on and the power went out. I was trapped. I tried to get out, but the way was blocked."

"The Geth can latch onto buildings?" O'Connor asked Tali.

"Yes," Tali replied. "I've seen it happen in footage on the Geth Rebellions. They use large claws to anchor their ships to the sides of buildings. You'd need heavy ordinance to destroy them."

"Makes me wish I had an RPG."

"We'll get you out as soon as we find out what the Geth are after," Shepard reassured her.

"It's not the Geth," Lizbeth explained. "It's the energy barrier they put up. They don't want anyone getting access to -" A moment later, she stopped, as though someone had told her not to say anything.

Shepard, though, was insistent. "I'm here to stop the Geth. That also means I have to find out what they're after."

"I don't know for certain, but I think they're after the Thorian."

"What's the Thorian?" Wrex asked.

"It's an indigenous life form. ExoGeni was studying it."

"What else can you tell me? Do you know where to find this Thorian?" Shepard asked.

"I might be able to, but not with those Geth crawling around everywhere," Lizbeth replied. "Look, we need to get out of here, past that field."

"Fair enough," Shepard nodded. "Do you know how we can shut it down?"

"No, not exactly. But I think the Geth ship is powering it. I've noticed the Geth laying power cables everywhere. You could follow those cables, but the Geth are everywhere."

"I see," Shepard nodded. Looking at O'Connor, he said, "O'Connor, take Wrex with you. I'll talk to Lizbeth some more and catch up with you."

"On it," O'Connor nodded. Hearing a growling sound, he turned around and snap-fired his handgun. A moment later, a dead Varren fell out from behind a rock, a bullet hole in it's head leaking blood.

Several more Varren came out, hungry for blood. Firing his handgun, O'Connor was about to reload when one Varren leaped at him, tackling him to the ground. "O'Connor!" Wrex shouted as the former PMC struggled with the beast. Snarling, O'Connor fought hard to keep the Varren from getting it's teeth around his neck.

Thankfully, he needn't have worried. A blur of black and white came out of nowhere, with that blur knocking the Varren off of him. Getting up, O'Connor watched as the Varren that he'd rescued fought the one that tried to kill him. Claws and teeth flashed as both Varren went at it with each other.

Acting fast, he picked up his handgun and fired, nailing a direct hit on the hostile Varren. The one that he'd rescued looked at him, before roaring loudly at the others. The fight, combined with the roar, quickly had the other Varren backing off. Getting up, O'Connor patted the thing, before applying some medi-gel to it's gashes and cuts. "Good boy," he whispered to it, with the Varren happily chortling at him.

"Good thing you kept him around," Wrex smiled. "Told ya they're loyal to whoever they like."

"Good to know," O'Connor nodded. "Remind me to give him a name when this is all over."

"I will do that."

Moving out of the chamber, they began to ascend some stairs when an angry Krogan voice shouted. "Stupid machine! Access restricted files! No, I don't want to review protocol!"

Reaching the top of the stairs, O'Connor leaned out to see what the commotion was about. Up ahead, through a small corridor, was a small room that had a server bank, as well as a holographic projector that displayed an image of a male human being. Nearby was a Krogan wearing heavy armor, and was showing that he was clearly irritated.

"I am unable to comply," the VI, as that was what it clearly was, replied. "Please contact your supervisor."

"Damnit!" the Krogan snarled. "Tell me what I want, or I'll blast your virtual ass into actual dust!"

The VI, in reply, calmly said, "Please contact your supervisor for a Level 4 security exemption, or make an appointment with -"

"STUPID MACHINE!"

"If there is nothing else, please step aside. There is a queue forming behind you for the use of this console."

Oh shit, O'Connor thought as the Krogan turned around, barely catching sight of him as he ducked into cover. Time to bring out the shotgun and grenades!

"Oh, good," the Krogan snarled. "I really need to kill someo -" He was interrupted when a blast of buckshot from O'Connor's shotgun flew down the hallway, smashing into his armor. Ablative ceramic plates shattered under the powerful blow, leaving the undersuit exposed. At the same time, Wrex leaned out and fired when O'Connor did. The powerful one-two punch was enough to knock the hostile Krogan over. Before he could get up, O'Connor ran over and fired another shell, causing the Krogan's head to explode.

The VI nonchalantly remarked, "ExoGeni Corporation reminds all staff that the discharging of weapons while on company property is strictly forbidden."

"My apologies," O'Connor remarked sarcastically, even though it was lost on the machine. "We were -" Turning around, he spotted Shepard coming inside. "Good to see you're here now. We had a problem to deal with."

"So I noticed," Shepard remarked. "Looks like the VI is operational."

"Welcome back, Research Assistant Elizabeth Baynham," the VI announced in a pleasant voice. "What can I do for you?"

"What information was the Krogan attempting to access?" Shepard asked.

"The previous user was attempting to access details on the study of Species 37, also known as the Thorian."

"Tell me everything you told the Krogan."

"I was unable to provide the previous user with relevant data. Aside from lacking proper access, there has been no new data on Species 37. All sensors monitoring the observation post at Zhu's Hope have been inactive for several maintenance cycles."

"What?" O'Connor remarked, surprised. "What the hell does that mean? They were spying on Zhu's Hope?"

"Let's find out," Shepard remarked. Turning to the VI, he asked, "What does Zhu's Hope have to do with the Thorian?"

"Species 37 is located within the substructure of the Zhu's Hope outpost," the VI replied.

"That explains the Geth attack on the colony," O'Connor remarked. "But… wait… wait a minute. What if those spores that Tali's omni-tool detected, and the biohazard my armor detected, are from the Thorian? If that's the case…"

"We need to dig deeper," Shepard agreed. Turning to the VI again, he said, "Tell me everything you know about the Thorian."

"The Thorian is a simple plant lifeform that exhibits a sentient behavior uncommon to other flora," the VI explained. "Through dispersion, and eventual inhalation of of spores, it can infect and control other organisms, including Humans. The Zhu's Hope control group has yielded interesting results. Before sensors went offline, almost 85% of all test subjects were infected."

"Son of a bitch!" O'Connor shouted, kicking at a small canister that was on the ground and sending it flying. "No wonder the colonists were acting so strangely: they were infected by the Thorian! Those ExoGeni pieces of shit!"

"Keelah," Tali whispered. "And to think that we never realized it."

"Damn bastards," Wrex growled, surprising the others. "This is the kind of shit that the Salarians pulled with the Genophage. Looks like some humans are too dumb to learn from what happened to my kind."

"So it would seem," Shepard nodded. Looking at the VI, he asked, "Are you saying that ExoGeni knew it's people were getting infected?"

"It was deemed necessary to access the true potential of Species 37," the VI confirmed.

"We need to contact Joker," O'Connor remarked.

"Good idea," Shepard nodded. Keying his COM, he said, "Joker! Come in, Joker! Damnit! That field's blocking the signal!"

"We need to get rid of that field and back to Zhu's Hope," Tali deduced.

"VI," Shepard asked. "What can you tell me about the field that the Geth ship is generating?"

"I have limited data on the Geth," the VI replied. "They have effectively blocked all sensors within the facility. I have detected some unusual power fluctuations, but I am unable to detect the source."

"I'm done for now," Shepard replied. Turning to the others, he said, "It's time that we destroy that Geth ship. Anyone have ideas?"

"We'll need to sever it's anchor claws," Tali remarked. "But I'm not sure we can find anything that can do that."

"I saw that Geth ship on the way over to the HQ," O'Connor remarked. "I noticed that it was covering one of the windows. If one of those landing claws is over the window shutter, we might be able to overpressurize any hydraulic or electric system it uses, effectively turning it into a pair of tin snips."

"That's genius!" Tali beamed. "That will certainly do the job."

"The question is getting to it," Shepard nodded. "It's a good idea, and I think it's worth trying. Let's go destroy us a Geth ship."