2185 Omega Station Docking, Normandy SR-2

Shepard slipped on his crisp white shirt, enjoying the feel of the synthetic cotton fibers. While a t-shirt and jeans were far from military standard, part of working outside of those constraints were luxuries he was taking full advantage of. It'll be annoying to wear a uniform again someday, though if I'm captain I might have to keep these liberties. Maybe bullshit something about Spectre authority. He shook his head with a smirk as he clipped on the shield generator, and put on the pleather jacket for the first time with his Phalanx safely tucked inside the inner pocket. Garrus was right, though. I need to get used to being ready at any time. I don't think they'll try to screw me over until after the Collectors, but then again who knows? Plus, if I leave the ship without armor I'll need to be used to this setup.

He left his room refreshed from the warm shower, and grabbed his armor pieces to bring to the armory. With a quick nod to Jacob, he left as quickly as he entered, returning to grab the crate with the AT-12 Raiders. I do feel a little bad keeping them out of the armory for now, but then again, I don't think anyone else would use these. Maybe Jacob? He seems pretty sold on the Argus rifles we'll be picking up. I'll check with Tali if she wants to work on them in the armory instead. With the geth weapons though, definitely keeping those in the lab. The Spectre again arrived at the second floor, though this time he turned right.

The door opened, and Mordin quickly noticed the human entering the lab. The former STG agent was in front of a microscope, if Shepard had to guess, though it was designed to be used by a standing individual. Guess he already snagged the viral samples. Shepard walked towards the salarian, with the crate under one arm. "Mordin, hope you found what you were looking for. I didn't mean to interrupt your work."

Dr. Solus seemed unperturbed, and faced him fully. "Clinic functioning adequately, Daniels good replacement. Currently investigating swarm anatomic structure. Tying specific genes to phenotypic structures. Unlikely to yield answers, but helps to know full picture. Sequencing all proteins currently in progress, EDI very useful. Have not had such a well-funded lab since work in STG." The salarian then looked at the crate with curiosity. "Hardware to assist in Tali'Zorah's weapon modifications?"

Hmm… he must be doing something beyond that. I'm sure it's the shorthand version. I'm no Dr. Chakwas, and sure as hell not at his level, but I was working towards becoming an Alliance combat medic before Elysium fast tracked me into the special forces. Shepard gave him a quizzical expression and responded. "Why would you need EDI's help on sequencing the genome? Isn't that a pretty straightforward procedure?" He moved the crate slightly in his arms, and motioned with his free hand towards the nearby benches currently holding the geth shotguns. "I can show you if you'd like. I hope she isn't intruding, though with these I may also come by and help."

Mordin nodded once sharply, speaking as he followed Shepard the short way. "Attempting different exon sequences, unique spliced protein products and various ways at tertiary and quaternary folding. Acidic or basic environments add degrees of variability. Also, temperature gradients with similar effects. Narrowed down to ranges near observed values in living specimen. One sequence can have numerous combinations." Shepard placed the crate on the table, though he was more curious at what he was being told. "Genetic structure does not follow normal patterns. Theorize highly modified by artificial means. Most thorough analysis will require entirety of raw data. Do not want to risk live specimen, using tissue samples requires simulating plausible environments." The salarian took a deep breath, and grinned. "Fascinating to study."

Fair enough. Even in humans we've got nearly the same protein for exogenous and endogenous lipid transportation outside of the fat cells, though they differ in their lengths. If these things are artificially designed, then there's no patterns to follow from known natural sources. Damn… I'm glad we recruited him, plus he seems to be enjoying the challenge. Shepard nodded, and perused. "So, did the viral sample show any similarities with it? I doubt they're from the same template, but if they're both bioengineered by the Collectors, there might be some similarities."

Mordin tapped his chin once and continued. "Unknown. Genetic template of virus not replicated in seeker. Similar in containing no superfluous epigenetic factors. No redundant or wasted sequences. Can assume also bioengineered. Cannot yet confirm by same source. Circumstantial evidence only, but will be researching." He took another deep breath, and added. "Will require even more testing than seeker model. Virus to be programmed into virtual environment of known sapient species. Kept data on treatments, will compare. One virus, all species but human and vorcha. Vorcha likely coincidence, very resistant to viruses. Human immunity merits study once infection patterns discerned."

Holy shit, he wants to see what the virus does in all of those environments and compare? Ambitious is definitely the best word, but with EDI helping I think it's do-able. Shepard grinned at the salarian. "Well, you're definitely being extremely thorough. I can't even imagine how many variables are going to be present in that research, but it makes sense why you'd want EDI's help."

Mordin concurred, and reassured the Spectre. "Indeed. Focusing on seeker swarm paralytics first. Functional defense priority. Rest mainly academic, though may yield important results."

Good to know, but I'm glad he's not stopping there. Who knows what else these things have built in their genomes? Shepard glanced back down at the crate, and which seemed to shake the salarian from his internal musing. He opened it up, finding the two shotguns exactly as they had placed them earlier. "We found a few new weapons on Omega. I don't know how long it's going to take Tali to modify those geth shotguns, but these seem like a solid investment until then. Honestly, after firing them a few times, she might even stick with this if we can get the kick down a notch."

The scientist glanced at them, and lifted one in his hands to inspect it thoroughly. "Hegemony weapon, almost exclusive to Special Intervention Unit. Hard to find outside of their space." He put it away, and gave him an intrigued expression. "Seem to have new affinity for collecting rare weapons. Keeping unique ones away from armory also. Understandable."

He might be right though. It's a new type of excitement when you get to fire a unique gun for the first time. Plus, these four shotguns are the only weapons that have no Cerberus claim on them… might need to build that up just in case we have an amicable split. He shrugged uncommittedly. "You're probably right, though I'm only getting ones that we can use effectively. Haven't decided on where to keep these two yet."

The salarian nodded. "Logical approach. Could try to contact STG, but highly unlikely to provide assistance. Cerberus likely to take schematics, knowingly or not."

As much as I'd like to have some STG technology on board, he's right. I'm almost certain they'd try to get the schematics. So far, the crew seem to stay away from the lab, but we can only keep so many weapons in here before they start getting suspicious. Shepard frowned slightly at the thought, and answered truthfully. "I wouldn't worry about it Mordin. I'm sure they have some advanced weapons we could use, sure. However, we've already got these shotguns in here. I wouldn't be surprised if Cerberus already recovered a few weapons from the geth incursion back in 2183, or even followed up on Haestrom after we left. As for the AT-12's, if I can go out and buy a couple, I'm sure they could too."

Mordin thought for a moment, before suggesting. "Can inform STG after future geth involvement in mission. May be able to appropriate samples, would be more willing to share results at later time."

Hmm… at later time as in after Cerberus. Could be useful to have their support too. Shepard could follow the logic, and answered affirmatively. "Yeah, that's a good idea. If you're not on the ground team and we encounter some geth, I'll let you know." He glanced back down at the two shotguns. "Would you prefer if we used a different location for weapon modifications, or would you be fine with us using this area?"

Dr. Solus tapped his chin again before answering. "Would not mind no, do not expect heavy machinery usage. Used to working in crowded environment. May help if have time and not intruding. Good to approach new ideas. Too easy to narrow thought process in extensive research. Diversions help overall research. Only briefly checked geth weaponry. Currently plenty of data to review with Collectors."

So salarians go through the same problem humans do in that regard. If you're having trouble figuring out a concept, or simply at a roadblock, approach another topic that you can solve, or at least make progress towards. Once you come back to the thing that slowed you down, you might be able to see something you missed or hadn't even considered last time. Shepard nodded, and took the hint that his free time was approaching its end as he replied. "Okay, sounds like a plan Mordin. I'll leave these here for now though, and let you get back to your research."

The brilliant scientist seemed content with the answer, and headed back towards his microscope as he responded. "Will be here if you need me."

Shepard left the laboratory, and for a moment simply stood facing the CIC deep in thought. I should probably go check in on Zaeed soon. Let him know we're headed towards his target once we lift off the station. Not sure what's taking Miranda so long, though. He spoke to the ceiling, a concept that would have labeled him as mentally unstable in most circumstances. "EDI, have you heard back from Miranda?"

EDI responded almost instantly. "Operative Lawson is currently in the shuttle bay confirming the delivered supplies with Operative Taylor."

EDI technically didn't answer my question, but used logic to answer the presumed follow-up. Still odd to think about a fully-fledged AI on board, but it's been useful so far. He frowned at the thought, and replied. "Alright, make sure the crew is all on board ASAP. Once they're done checking the delivery, I want Joker to get us to the relay. We'll be headed to Zorya in the Ismar Frontier unless something time sensitive pops up." He paused, before adding. "Inform Miranda I'll be available to meet with her once she's done as well."

EDI responded as soon as he finished speaking. "Orders forwarded Commander. Logging you out."

I think EDI is the only one who still calls me Commander. I don't mind it too much, but it feels strange to think about. I haven't heard back from Anderson about how the Alliance is taking my report, though I guess for now, no news is good news. He pushed the thought out of his mind as he entered the elevator and pushed the button for deck four. Not sure why Zaeed picked the area by the trash chute as his space, though it probably doesn't get a lot of visitors. Might be enough of a reason, plus only one entrance, and close to the shuttles. Actually, it makes some sense… As the lift stopped on the fourth floor, he resisted the temptation to go visit Tali. As much as I'd like to, she's probably still working on the installation, or if not, something else that requires the ship to be docked to take care of. Shepard walked past the door to engineering with a small amount of struggle, continuing past towards Zaeed's improvised quarters.

The door opened, and he caught the mercenary throwing knives at a poorly drawn bullseye on a crate. Zaeed turned to the door immediately, though he relaxed just as quickly at seeing the Spectre. "Shepard, need something?"

Throwing knives? Really? I guess there are worse ways to pass the time. He shrugged, and sat down on a second empty crate before replying. "Once we get our delivery, we're headed off this station to Zorya. Figured you'd want to know beforehand." He reached out his hand, focusing on one of the knives as it became surrounded in a light blue hue. Carefully, Shepard pulled one towards him, eventually holding it by the hilt. Looks like old school stainless steel, doubt they're too useful on armored targets.

Zaaed had a wicked scowl at the news, and responded. "Good to hear. I'll send you what I've got on the base. Figure you're good at making plans, only thing I care about is putting the bullet in his skull."

Huh, that's not what I was expecting, though I might regret asking this. Shepard casually responded. "Makes sense you'd want that part of the job. If we've got to fire on him, I'll let the team know to go for non-lethal takedowns only. Leg, knee, arm, anything to slow him down." He paused as he set down the throwing knife, before voicing his earlier thought. "I have to admit, I was expecting you to want something more… time consuming."

The mercenary frowned with the fully innervated side of his face, though it wasn't directed at him. His hoarse voice had another quality towards it as he spoke, between serious and reserved. "I'm no saint Shepard, but bastards like Vido aren't worth bringing me down to his level. First year after, yeah, I wanted to gut him like a fish, make it hurt. Thought about it since then though, seen enough people who've tortured, and others who've been tortured." He stared off at the wall before meeting Shepard's eyes once again. "Might shoot him in the balls for a few seconds before a round between the eyes. But shit like what the slavers do? No. Not the kind of man I am."

Well, I'm glad to hear that. Wasn't sure what to make of him, but he's got a moral code. I didn't even think about prolonging it with Elanos back on Agebinium, though that was more of a spur of the moment situation over a long-term grudge. Satisfied with the answer, Shepard responded. "Send the data over and I'll work out a strategy." His eyes caught on an aged rifle sitting on a crate. "Older tech, but they're still good backups without the heat sink issues on the new higher velocity models."

Massani scoffed at the assessment before looking at the old gun with far more reverence. "Jessie's killed more men than the entire Skyllian Blitz." He bristled internally, but the mercenary continued. "Brought her to five different weapon shops. All five of those blokes said she'd need the entire heat sink system and pellet shaver replaced." He growled afterwards, almost inaudibly. "Wouldn't even be the same rifle anymore."

Maybe Tali can take a look at it? If she can't fix it, then it's probably a lost cause. No need to give the man false hope though. Shepard understood the man's feelings though. "Soon you'll have one less weight to carry around at least."

Massani's half grin returned, reminding Shepard of Bell's palsy, before he answered. "Damn right. Doing the galaxy a favor while we're at it." That's also true. Stopping a Blue Suns slaving operation would be enough for me, but I might have a new ace up my sleeve too. Zaeed's a damn good soldier, even though he works as a mercenary. Going to need all the allies I can get, can't be too picky about their history. Before he could comment, his omnitool blinked with a message. Rael'Zorah? Shit… that's Tali's dad… I need to see why he contacted me. Zaeed seemed to read his facial expressions as he continued. "I'll get you the data Shepard. Know you've got shit to do, won't keep ya."

The Spectre nodded. "Until next time Zaeed." He left the room, his thoughts immediately away from the upcoming mission and back towards his message. I'll give it a read, but I won't respond until I speak to Tali. I'll need the quarian fleet in the future, and I don't want to burn any bridges because of something careless in a message… and this is her father. If our relationship goes the way I think it will, eventually I'm going to need to speak with him in person. Shepard sighed as he thought about the scenario. Not sure how that's going to work out. Meeting the parents is already difficult as is. Add the fact we're different species, and she's the daughter of their top leadership… well, a lot could go poorly unless I'm careful. Not to mention Cerberus floating in the background, though that should be temporary.

Unfortunately, a second interruption stopped him from reading the message. EDI chimed in from above, stopping his musings. "Commander Shepard, Operative Lawson has completed her verification of the delivery, and stated she will be available in her office momentarily. Also, Mr. Moreau has begun the system checks prior to take-off, and has been informed of your requested destination."

Alright, might as well get that out of the way first. I can worry about this message after talking to Miranda, plus Tali might be done by then. Can get her opinion on the matter at the same time. Shepard walked towards the elevator as he spoke aloud. "Thanks EDI, I'm on my way to her office now." Really odd how easy it is to get used to the AI though, now that I think about it. He pushed the button for deck three, and continued his musing. On one hand, I get how dangerous a synthetic intelligence can be. Even before the geth, human pop culture had detailed all of the numerous ways they could destroy advanced civilizations from the ground up. But is that really the only way to interact? If they're truly alive, can synthetics and organics actually work together? Obviously not the Reapers, and after their genocide, I'm not sold on the geth either. Still, is it even possible?

Shepard shook the thoughts away as the elevator stopped, leaving towards the operative's quarters as he brought his mind back to the current situation. He decided to pause at the mess area beforehand, and quickly prepared a double serving of a meal replacement shake. The thickened batter-like fluid had a pitiful amount of vanilla flavor, and the texture left much to be desired. Guess my diet is actually pretty close to what Tali eats most of the time. I've had a few sit-down meals since I started, but these drinks are a majority of my diet. He knew he had to keep his daily caloric intake well in the four thousand range, and these meal replacements had substantial amounts of the nutrients needed to live. One reason you rarely see overweight biotics, though I guess since most human ones are military there's that too.

He frowned at the lingering aftertaste and slightly chalky residue before continuing on his original destination. Right, maybe a few questions on the supplies, but need to discuss the potential recruit, Jack. He focused on the concepts at hand as he walked into the room, noticing she was already at her desk with her hands clasped together. He spoke first as he sat at the chair in front of her. "Miranda, everything accounted for with the delivery?"

She nodded, and replied with her typical polished tone. "All the requested supplies were on board, though I was not expecting the three of the M-13 Raptor models. However, Jacob informed me of your conversation, and I have to admit I believe you will use this weapon effectively."

She seems a bit annoyed that we didn't tell her, but I'm not here to play her subordinate. Now I have to figure out if I'll have time to test it out before we hit Zorya. If I'm not entirely ready with it, I'll just stick with the Mattock. Have to admit, the thought of trying out another new gun sounds exciting. Shepard replied coolly. "I'm actually curious to see how your weapons engineers build a gun. The specs and design look solid enough, but nothing replaces an actual live fire. Hoping I'll get to test it downstairs soon, though I'm not going to risk taking it out on the field unless I'm absolutely certain."

Miranda seemed to agree with his comment as she retorted. "A pragmatic approach, and the upgraded Mattock model has served you well so far. I will join you in the armory after this meeting, as I'd like to try the Inferno armor we've received."

The ship jerked slightly, informing the crew that it'd taken off from Omega station. Shepard succinctly responded. "Good idea to get a feel for it beforehand." Basics out of the way, so now for the real reason I'm here. He continued with more focus. "We've got two more recruits to pick up. While Mordin is incredibly gifted, having a second mind on research with Okeer's experience can be useful. Not to mention he's a warlord, so if we need him on the ground team, he'll be a valuable asset. I'm not terribly worried about his allegiances because I assume he'll understand the threat the Collectors can pose to the krogan, not just humanity. Also, I believe EDI can monitor his actions thoroughly enough to prevent any active hostility towards the crew if I'm wrong."

He paused, frowning slightly before continuing. "Jack seems more like a liability than a potential asset. After reading the information on the dossier, I can't help but think we'd be bringing aboard an individual who's more of a risk to the ship's safety than an ally on the ground team. Although Okeer has a similar criminal history, his was directed towards accomplishing a goal. I'm only reading wanton violence without any logical premise in Jack's dossier. On recruiting Dr. Okeer, I'm hesitant, but I can see the reasons we could benefit with his cooperation. With Jack, I'm leaning towards forgoing the pick-up altogether."

Miranda tapped her fingers against the table in thought before answering. "I understand your concerns. Dr. Okeer will certainly be monitored, and his communications as well. However, with Dr. Okeer he can also remain an asset towards research even if he does not stay aboard the ship for the mission's duration. Jack has been involved in multiple acts of piracy, murder, and even the destruction of a hanar space station. While our files are unfortunately lacking in his specific biometric data, one detail is relatively consistent throughout his history. Jack is an incredibly powerful biotic, likely surpassing even your currently upgraded physiological limits at raw field generation. While his talents could be a boon towards future ground missions, this would require him aboard the ship as well as given access to weaponry to be beneficial." She frowned at her own statement, as if hearing it for herself sounded foul, before adding. "The Illusive Man believes they can be a valuable asset, and I've come to trust his perspective on these matters. However, I cannot help but relate to your hesitancy at the prospect of having him on board."

So even she agrees that this seems like a shitty idea. Well at least we're on the same page on this. Shepard nodded at her remark, making his decision. "Alright, so for now we're not looking to recruit Jack onto the team. We'll focus on Zaeed's mission on Zorya, then pick up Dr. Okeer. If he's not suited to being on the ship, possibly get him to a research facility instead. Once those are complete, Kasumi mentioned she had a mission for us as part of her contract, but I didn't get the specifics."

The Cerberus operative frowned only slightly before returning to neutral. "She provided me with the timeframe and location of her operation, though she refused to divulge any details. We should be able to arrive in the Boltzmann system with time to spare provided that the two missions beforehand do not take an exorbitant length of time."

Why the hell would she have a mission in that system? Bekenstein is the only planet there worth noting. I guess she is a master thief… but why the hell would she need my help? It can't be as simple as just needing the Normandy's stealth drive. Shepard shrugged, finding it slightly humorous that Kasumi didn't want to inform the operative of anything besides the bare minimum, though he kept his countenance neutral. "Your guess is as good as mine. I'll figure out what she's planning before we enter the system."

Operative Lawson levelly acknowledged his statement. "Understood. I'll let the Illusive Man know about our current itinerary before heading to the armory. He may have additional information on Jack to convince us otherwise."

I don't know what else he could provide, but I can see his logic… somewhat. I'd rather we look into an asari commando, or even a N7 Slayer instead. While they may not have the raw biotic power that Jack apparently has, I'll take level headedness and training over future potential. Shepard stood up from the chair, finishing the conversation. "We'll see. Until then, keep me posted."

The Spectre quickly left the room, feeling uncomfortable after the discussion. I have to admit Dr. Okeer sounds as dangerous to have on board as Jack. Even if he's more logical in his rationale, he's damned ruthless when he's got a plan. Yeah, I'm definitely going to contact Wrex beforehand, he's probably got an opinion on him. Wrex is well over a thousand years old, and Okeer might even be closer to the two-thousand-year-old mark. He must have some sort of background with the scientist. Shepard sighed as he walked towards the elevator, thinking of his next destination. Screw it let's see how the Raptor fires. I'll check the Admiral's message afterwards. He pushed the button for deck two, and made his way to the armory.