Mind Control
"ETA Feros 15 minutes, Commander." Joker called out as she leaned against the wall watching Tali and Garrus get ready. Kaidan was off in the medbay fighting off another migraine so he was benched till further notice much to his annoyance.
"Let's get the show on the road." She gestured as they docked into the landing bay.
"Oh thank god you're here. We've had geth attack the colony and we need help. Please go see Fai Dan-!" A splatter of blood decorates Emily's armor as a geth casually killed the man before launching an attack at them.
She moved quickly, on the offensive. Shotgun blasts, mixed with biotics she, Garrus and Tali cleared their way to Zhu's Hope. Entering the area, she noted two people hiding behind barriers arguing on who has to move through to look for geth. Only to stop their arguments as the heavily armed trio walked past them.
"Ah Commander, I'm glad they finally sent someone out here." The Fai Dan said softly his voice relieved.
"You're a bit late aren't you? And only the three of you?" The woman next to him exclaimed, a small flash of anger on her face.
Emily smirked, and turned her attention back to Fai Dan.
"Sorry Commander, everyone is on edge. The geth keep coming in droves and we're starting to-" He continued but was interrupted by the sound of geth coming through the tunnels.
"Keelah..." Tali's voice whispered as she followed Garrus and Emily through the tunnels clearing off more geth.
They raced through the stairs clearing the landings quickly till they reached an open area where geth were being dropped from a geth ship.
A bullet grazed her shoulder as both her shields and barriers dropped for a fraction of a second. Teeth bared, she ripped the med-gel pack and slapped it on her shoulder as her eyes roved the mini battle field. Noting that both Garrus and Tali held the geth off from her side while she quickly recovered.
"To close Commander." Tali drawled as she cocked her hip and stroked her shotgun.
"It look's clear now, lets head back to Fai Dan and find out the status of this place." Garrus nodded as he leaned down and wrapped his three fingers around Emily's arm and hauled her up.
"It was just a graze, I'm fine, I'm not invalid." She hissed quietly as she pushed his hand away.
"I don't know Commander, you seem a bit pale there." He teased.
"Shut it bird brain!" She mumbled as they made their way back to Fai Dan.
"The tower is secure, thanks to you Commander. We should be fine for the time being but we're low on supplies. Talk to the others and see what we need then clear the tunnels below." Fai Dan said gratefully.
Moving quickly, she was able to discover that the colony needed to get the water system up and running again. The activation ports were located below them in the tunnels. They also needed food and batteries to get everything up and running. Nodding to Tali and Garrus they headed into the tunnels, clearing the geth, managed to activate the water system, kill the alpha varren and find battery packs in a destroyed Mako.
"Hey Commander is it just me or are these people acting a little bit...off. I mean, the only human's I've interacted with since I left the Flotilla is people from the Normandy but these people don't seem normal." Tali observed as they made their way back towards the colony.
"Yeah, they don't seem to grateful for your help. It seems like they kinda resent it..." Garrus commented.
"Maybe its because of the geth, and trying to survive their attacks. But who knows. Let's head to Exo-Geni base." As she lead the way to the elevator.
"Oh look a Mako!" She said with malicious glee as Tali and Garrus shared a look of panic behind Emily's back.
"Kelaah...maybe Garrus could drive?" Tali asked weakly as she climbed in.
"Awe c'mon my driving isn't that bad." She teased as she batted her eyelashes at Tali.
The road thankfully was pretty straight forward with a few patches of geth and broken down Mako's littering the way.
"Well at least there aren't any mountains for you to take your shortcuts." Garrus groaned as he manned the turrets.
Comm chatter came from the Mako's speakers, begging for help. She shared a look with Tali who had already activated her omni-tool.
"It's coming from straight ahead and to the right." Tali nodded in front of them.
They drove a ways, clearing the geth in their path quickly. Seeing a landing, they exited the Mako and made their way slowly towards another base guarded by humans. A few trapped scientists needing help, a woman looking for her daughter who was last scene in the base. After making sure they would be alright they headed back to the Mako and continued to Exo-Geni.
Reaching a dead end they again climbed out of the Mako and made their way into the garage of Exo-Geni. She activated her barrier and gestured for Garrus and Tali to follow her as they cleared another batch of geth waiting inside the garage. Rounding a corner, a bullet hit her shield causing it to fizzle before flicking back on.
"I'm so sorry, I thought you were geth." A woman said with fear lacing her voice.
"It's okay, you're safe now. Can you tell me what's going on here? And why the geth are here?" Emily asked.
"The geth attacked out of nowhere. They put up a barrier and I can't get it down. The geth are probably here for the Thorian." She answered softly as tears streamed down her face.
"Thorian? What's that?" Tali asked as she began typing on her omni-tool.
"I'm not too sure. But look you need to get the barrier down, I want to see if my mother is okay." She said quietly, rubbing her hands together nervously.
"You're mother is fine, she's hunkered down with a few colonists. You can stay here while we try and figure out how to get the barrier down." Emily said while she looked around.
"Oh thank god, and here take this. You'll need it for some of the doors." She said, handing Emily her access card.
Emily nodded as she pocketed the card and moved deeper into the building as the woman crouched behind some rubble and hid.
"My kill count is higher then yours right now Emily. Getting a bit sloppy there." Garrus mocked, while Tali let out a giggle.
"Yeah well, watch this." Emily challenged as she sent a group of geth into the air and quickly shot them down with her shotgun.
"Cheater!" Garrus growled out as he sniped a geth.
"Kelaah..what..what is that? It looks like some sort of shrine." Tali pointed to the corner of one room where a bright glowing orb sat in the center of with decomposing bodies piled under it.
"It looks like they're worshiping it somehow." Emily said as she moved closer.
"We need to figure out how to deactivate those things." Garrus said looking around for a access panel.
"If we override the doors, we might be able to use it to break the claws the ship is using to latch onto the building." Tali said while scanning the doors.
"Over there, that machine back there might do the trick." She pointed to the machine being guarded by a giant geth.
"Oh lovely. You sure do know how to make a girl happy." Emily teased Tali as they descended on the geth with bullets flying.
Activating the door, they watched as the door sheared off the claw. Causing the geth dropship to fall into the rubble.
"For fucksake Commander answer me!" Joker's voice yelled into her comm.
"I read you Joker, what's up?" Emily said wincing as his voice broke the sudden quiet of her helmet.
"The colonists are going crazy they're trying to claw their way into the ship. You better get back here quickly." Joker's panicked voice continued.
"Alright, you heard the man, lets head back and grab Ms. Baynham. I'm pretty sure she has some things she better tell us." Emily said as they quickly made their way back.
They picked up Lizbeth and found out that Exo-Geni was actually studying the effects of Thorian on the colony. A strange plant that by its spores was able to take over the minds of the colonists, which was hiding under the hanger in Zhu's Hope. They dropped her off at her mother who was kind enough to give them some gas grenades to knock out the colonists so they wouldn't have to kill them.
"How hard can a plant be? Just rip it off the ground and we're all good." Garrus smirked as he checked his ammo.
"When are you going to realize that nothing we've done has been that simple." Emily commented dryly. "Try not to hit the colonists so just use concussive rounds if the gas doesn't work. If that isn't good enough feel free to punch em in the face."
"Understood, Commander." Tali said as she switched her ammo.
Making quick work of the thralls and the colonists, they made their way into the bunker. Only to run into Fai Dan who seemed to be fighting against the control the Thorian had on him.
"I'm sorry Commander." He cried out as he tucked the gun under his chin and pulled the trigger. Blood spraying in an arch behind him before he crumpled to the ground. She closes her eyes briefly and mutters a small prayer.
"He's a brave man." Garrus murmured quietly. As they made their way into the bunker.
"Uh Commander, that doesn't look like any plant I've ever seen." Garrus choked out as they took in the giant pulsating monstrosity in front of them.
The monstrosity noticing them, expels slime and a green skinned Asari.
"Invaders. Your every step is a transgression. A thousand feelers appraise you as meat only to dig and decompose. I speak for the old growth as I did with Saren. You stand before the Thorian and commands you be in awe." It said coldly.
"You gave something to Saren. Something I need." Emily said just as coldly.
"Saren sought knowledge of those that are gone. The old growth have listened to flesh for the first time and craved it creating it once more. The old growth sees the air you push as lies and demands you leave." The asari clone said while moving closer.
"I suggest you release your thralls. Or else." Emily said coldly.
"No more will we listen to your lies!" The clone shouted as it moved to attack.
Killing it quickly they moved through the tunnels, killing the thorian creepers and shooting the roots that anchored the Thorian to the walls.
"After this, I think we're all going to need a hot shower. I'm covered in green slime and god knows what else." Emily grumbled as she wiped her hand down her armored chest.
"Ohhh group shower? That would be hot!" Garrus growled out teasingly.
"In your dreams, dinosaur." Emily smirked back.
"I think that's the last one..." Tali said pointing to a small growth forming on the wall as a blue Asari fell out.
"Oh god, I'm free! Thank you for releasing me!" She gasped out.
"Are you okay?" Emily asked as she placed her hand on the asari's shoulder.
"Yes, I think I will be. My name is Shiala. I served Matriarch Benezia. She gave me to Saren so he could use me to communicate with the thorian. And I was sacrificed to get what he wanted. He knows you're after the conduit and he ordered the geth to destroy the thorian to slow you down." She rambled pacing back and forth rubbing her arms nervously.
"Why destroy the Thorian?" Emily asked.
"The Thorian has knowledge. Knowledge of the Protheans. He used me to gather that information for him, and I gave it to him. You see, the beacon at Eden Prime only works for Prothean mind and thats what the thorian gave me. The ability to understand the messages of the beacons." She continued.
"I need that knowledge." Emily said softly. "So I can stop Saren, and stop the reapers."
Shiala looked at her closely and nodded.
"I will give you the Cipher. Just close your eyes and try to relax." She said as she moved closer to Emily.
"Are...you sure this is a good idea?" Garrus asked as he placed his taloned hand on her shoulder.
"We have no choice. If we don't stop Saren...things will go bad," said Emily taking a step closer to Shiala, "I'm ready."
She wrapped her arms around Emily's waist, pulling her into an embrace and stared deep into her eyes.
"Embrace Eternity!" She called out as pain spiked deep into Emily's core. Her vision awashed with blood as she saw worlds, being destroyed and the image of a giant reaper coming towards them. She collapsed into the ground and blinked at the ceiling.
"Are you okay?" Garrus said as he knelt over her and checked her pulse.
"Yeah. I think so. Let's just get out of here I need to lay down I think. Shiala, what are you going to do now?" She asked as she turned her head towards the asari.
"I...I think I'll stay here and help the colony. It might be good for me." She said quietly.
"Yeah, that is a good idea. I hope everything works out for them. They really could use the help now." Emily said as they made their way back to the Normandy.
"Summon everyone into the debriefing room." She said to Garrus as she made her way in there and took a seat, groaning softly as her head still ached.
"Emily...you look pale. Are you suffering any after effects from the Cipher?" Liara asked softly while running her fingers though Emily's hair.
"My head hurts and the visions are still confusing." She mumbled quietly as she leaned closer to Liara.
"I..I could meld my mind with yours...I've studied the Protheans all my life. I might be able to shed some light on the matter." Liara whispered quietly.
"Are you sure thats a good idea?" Ashley asked worriedly.
"We have no choice and we're running out of time. Do it Liara." Emily said as she stood up and grimaced in pain.
"Embrace Eternity!" Liara said as she pulled Emily into her arms.
A soft spike of pain went through her head as she shared her mind with Liara. Unfortunately the information was still incomplete. The Council wanted an update on their progress and she was able to put off the call till after the pain in her head subsided.
"I think I'm going to lay down." Emily mumbled as her vision faded into blackness.
She woke in the dim lighting of the medbay, the clean sterile smell of the room teased her into wakefulness.
She heard a soft groan from the other bed and slowly turned to see Kaidan still laying down.
"Hey..." She said softly as Kaidan opened his eyes and looked at her.
"Hey yourself." He said smiling softly at her as his hand reached out and lightly brushed her chin.
"How are you feeling?" She asked him as she lightly brushed her fingers on the back of his hand.
"I should be asking you that, Emily." He smiled as his thumb grazed her bottom lip.
"Still hurts and a bit sleepy." She said smiling as her eyes drifted close.
"Go to sleep, sweetheart." He said softly as he traced her cheek.