Chapter 24: Collector Zombies
"You want to do what?!" Miranda screeched.
"You can't be serious?!" Jane said.
"Fuck that, you're not putting that shit inside of me," Jack said.
"Mordin, are you sure this will work?" Jacob asked.
"Cannot be completely certain without field test. Have already been implanted. Mild pain and itching at injection site; relieved easily with topical cream. No other adverse effects," Mordin said.
"Shepard, you haven't said anything," Garrus said.
"You guys have to decide this for yourself. It's not something I'm going to make any of you do, but anyone who doesn't isn't going. I'm not going to take that risk. I'm doing it, though, and I'll pick my team from any other volunteers," Shepard said.
"You can't really be going to let him put more reaper tech in us!" Jane insisted.
"Wait, Mordin, I need to be sure this won't interfere with Shepard's implants," Miranda insisted.
"Gods, I didn't even think about that! What if it short circuits something? Or, I don't know, creates some sort of reaction between the two?" Jane asked.
"Miranda, please. Am scientist; doctor. Have already taken that into consideration," Mordin said holding up a glass vial with what looked an awful lot like a tiny silver bug inside of it about the size of a grain of rice. "Made especially for Shepard."
"See, Mordin has everything covered. Relax," Shepard thought.
"And you say that I'm crazy. This. This is insane," Jane said.
Mordin slid the vial back into the rack and held up another, "For quarian and turian. Even prepared designs for Legion to incorporate."
"Alright, Mordin. Let's do this," Shepard said.
"Wait, let's talk about this first. We need to think about this before we jump into this, Dawn. This is serious," Jane said.
"There's not time, Jane. We're almost to the collector ship," Shepard thought.
Mordin took out the small vial he indicated as being for Shepard and hummed to himself as he slid it into the implant gun. Shepard's eyes widened when she saw the size of the needle he planned to use. Mordin waved Shepard over and turned her around.
"Shepard, you can't be serious?!" Miranda asked.
"You have something better, Miranda? I'm all ears," Shepard said.
"I – no, I don't but –," Miranda said.
"Didn't think so," Shepard said.
"Oh gods," Jane said as her panic began to push against Shepard.
Mordin ran an alcohol swab over Shepard's skin at the base of her skull and neck. When she nodded that she was ready he pushed the needle in. Shepard grit her teeth and hissed, pressing her knuckles into the surface of the table in front of her. She heard a click and felt a rush of cold as Mordin pulled the trigger. He slid the needle back out of her and applied Medi-gel to the small wound before opening his scanner. Miranda came around to look at his omni-tool as he took his readings.
"This is insane," Miranda muttered.
"No more insane than bringing a corpse back to life," Shepard said.
Shepard could feel the device moving under her skin, the whole area throbbed but she wasn't sure if that was from the device moving itself to attach to her spine or from the needle. Mordin had dumbed down the explanation of the device the best he could but it was still beyond Shepard's understanding. What she did catch, however, was that he had actually just implanted her with a device made from modified reaper tech and DNA taken from the collector mixed in with some tech of his own. He said – if she understood him anyway, that it would make the seekers think that she was a collector and could potentially confuse the collectors themselves, although he assumed they would adapt quickly enough. She just let him put a damn miniature reaper IFF inside of her, and she could only hope that it wasn't any more risky than the reaper tech Miranda incorporated into her cybernetic implants.
"Oh gods, can you feel that? It's moving, oh gods," Jane said.
"It's supposed to do that, Jane. Calm down," Shepard thought.
"Spirits you'd better be right about this. I'm in," Garrus said.
"I will volunteer as well," Thane said.
"What's it doing?" Jane asked.
"It's doing what it's supposed to, it's attaching itself to my nervous system. Just relax," Shepard thought.
"If it is your wish, Shepard, I will allow the procedure," Samara said.
"I'm not going to make that call for you, Samara," Shepard said.
"Might as well, if this didn't kill me I doubt that thing will," Zaeed said pointing to his scarred up face.
"I'm not so sure about this, Shepard. Maybe I can wait and see how things work out for everyone else?" Lia asked.
"Sure, Lia. Like I said, I'm not forcing anyone to do this," Shepard said.
"I don't like this, get it out! Get it out!" Jane started to yell.
"Jane, calm down," Shepard thought.
"I think I'm with Lia on that, Shep. If you guys don't die or turn into collector zombies, then I'm in," Kasumi said.
"Collector zombies? What like husks? Can that happen, is that going to happen?!" Jane screeched.
"I'm in," Jacob said.
Grunt and Grundan Krul didn't bother to vocalize their stance on the matter; instead they began forming a line next to Shepard to receive their implant. Mordin began loading the next cartridge and had Garrus sit down on a stool so he could better see and reach the softer spots at the base of the turian's skull. Shepard watched as Mordin moved through the queue leaving only Jack, Miranda, Lia, and Kasumi without an implant. Legion agreed to review the designs Mordin created and finding them fitting, agreed to incorporate them into his platform before going to the collector ship even though Shepard didn't really see the point.
"Dawn please! Get it out. Don't leave this thing in me, oh gods, please get it out!" Jane said with a whimper.
"Alright. Garrus, Samara, Thane, and Grunt you're with me. We know this is a trap so Jacob, you'll take a second team of two to secure our retreat," Shepard said. "EDI, monitor our progress we might need you to help get us out and be prepared to grab whatever data you can."
"Yes ma'am," Jacob said.
"Of course, Shepard," EDI said.
Jane's panic was rising as the device continued to burrow deeper and Shepard was having trouble pushing it aside. She didn't stick around to see who Jacob would pick for his team; she wanted to get somewhere where she could be alone until Jane settled down. She left the tech labs and called the elevator, pushing the button for her cabin when it came. Shepard paced the elevator until it slid open again before rushing into her cabin.
"Do you feel that? I can feel it all over, what is it doing? Oh gods, what did he put in us? What's it doing? What's it doing? Get it out. Get it out. Get it out. Please, oh gods, is it growing? It's growing! I can feel it, oh gods," Jane continued her anxious ramble.
"Jane, no, no it's not growing. You need to settle down. Please," Shepard thought.
Shepard's heart was pounding in her chest and her hands were shaking. She could feel sweat beading up on her forehead and palms.
"You can't do this. Please don't do this. You don't know what it's going to do to us. Oh gods, what if it turns us into a husk?" Jane said.
"That's… that's not going to happen," Shepard thought.
"Shepard, biometric scans indicate you are experiencing high levels of distress. Are you having a negative reaction to Dr. Solus' implant?" EDI asked.
"No, no it's not that. Jane is just having trouble… acclimating to the sensation. I'll be fine, I just need a minute," Shepard said absently.
Her eyes scanned the room and locked onto her desk drawer. She cursed herself for not remembering to keep those damn vials on her like she said she would.
"No, this thing has to come out! Damn it, Dawn, get it out!" Jane insisted.
Shepard moved to her desk and opened the drawer. She dug around inside until she spotted one of the small plastic containers of smelling salts that Dr. Chakwas had given her. Shepard screamed out in agony as pain lanced through her head. She saw double and the shaking in her hands increased. She reached for the vial and pain shot through her again, dropping her to her knees.
"Shepard?" EDI said.
Shepard screamed again and tears began spilling over her eyes. She reached blindly into the drawer and felt around, closing her trembling fingers on one of the vials.
"Shepard, I'm sending help," EDI said.
The room began to tilt and Shepard felt herself falling, her head hit the floor with a thud.
"Shepard? Commander Shepard?" EDI said.
A moment later Jane pushed herself up on all fours.
"I'm fine, EDI. I'm OK now. You don't need to send anyone," Jane said.
"Are you sure, Shepard?" EDI asked.
Jane pulled herself up to her feet and put the vial back in the drawer.
"No, no, no, no. Jane, come on, don't do this. Please don't do this," Dawn said.
"Completely sure, EDI," Jane said.
"Very well, Shepard," EDI said.
Jane walked into the bathroom and opened her makeup bag before upending it on the counter. Lipstick, mascara, eyeliner, and concealer came spilling out and rolled to the floor. The concealer shattered, leaving splashes of makeup all over the floor and toilet. She shook the bag and compact fell out along with a nail care kit. Jane grabbed the nail care kit and unzipped it. She pulled out the pair of cuticle scissors.
"Jane, no. What are you doing? Oh gods, you can't cut it out!" Dawn yelled.
Cut it out, cut it out, Jane's going to cut it out!
"No, no, no," Dawn said.
Jane turned her head to the mirror as much as she could while pressing her fingers to the tender spot at the base of her skull.
Is she going to cut us out too?
"Gods no, Jane, please don't do this," Dawn begged.
Don't be stupid, she can't cut us out. We're not even really here. None of this is real. None of you are real, this is all just a bad dream. Bad dream. Bad dream. Bad dream.
"Shut the fuck up, all of you! Jane listen to me, this is insane. If it's that important, just let go and I'll go have Mordin take it out safely," Dawn said.
"Liar," Jane thought.
Bad dream. Bad dream. Bad dream. It sounded like half the voices surrounding her had taken up the chant while the other half chanted something else. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar.
"No, I'm not lying. I'll have Mordin take it out. But you have to let me back in, you have to let me do it or he'll think something is wrong. Come on Jane, please!" Dawn insisted.
Jane stabbed the scissors into her neck and growled through clenched teeth as she ripped them downwards, tearing more than cutting through her skin.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck. Ow, holy shit, ow!" Dawn yelled.
Fuck, fuck, fuck. Ow, holy shit, ow! One of the voices echoed monotonously.
"Jane, shit, please!" Dawn begged.
Give it up, Dawn. She's in control now. She isn't ever going to let you back in if she can help it.
Jane dropped the bloody scissors into the sink and prodded the wound with her fingers. She bit her lip to keep from yelling as she pushed and shoved, trying to get the device to come back out of the new hole she made. It wasn't working though.
"Damn it," Jane said.
She pushed a finger into the hole to try to see if she could hook her finger around it and pull it out. White hot searing pain shot through her neck and head as she dug around but she refused to give up or relinquish control. She thought she heard the cabin door open so she stopped to listen.
"Hello?" Jane said.
"Shepard, you alright in there? EDI said she thought something might be wrong," Garrus' voice came through the bathroom door.
"Garrus! Garrus help me! Oh gods, he can't hear me," Dawn said.
"Of course not, he can only hear me now," Jane thought.
"Oh, yeah, everything's fine. I was having a little trouble with Jane but she's fine now. I think the thing just freaked her out a little bit," Jane said.
She gripped the edge of the sink with one hand and prodded the wound with the other.
"Shepard, I smell blood," Garrus said.
"I broke my makeup bottle and cut my hand cleaning it up, I'm fine, really, Garrus. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to use the restroom in peace. You should get ready to hit the collector ship, I'll meet you guys in a few minutes," Jane said forcing the calm into her voice.
She's going to screw him with your body, you know? She's always regretted not screwing Garrus when she was alive. Best part is, he won't even know the difference.
"Fuck you. Just shut the fuck up. Jane, please for gods' sake please let me out of here. We can work this out," Dawn said as she tried to push her way out.
"Why don't you come out here and let me help you with your hand?" Garrus asked.
"I got it, Garrus. Now go, I have to use the toilet and I don't want you standing around out there while I go!" Jane said forcing out a chuckle.
"Open the door, Jane," Garrus said a threatening tone ripping through his sub-vocals.
"I can't do that, Garrus. I'm sorry, but I've got to get this thing out of my head," Jane said.
"Spirits, EDI, open the door!" Garrus growled.
Jane drew her pistol and turned to the bathroom door as it slid open. She raised her gun and pointed it squarely at Garrus' armored chest.
"Garrus, stand down. I don't want to shoot you," Jane said.
"No! Jane, what are you doing?! Jane, that's Garrus! It's Garrus, you can't shoot him!" Dawn yelled.
Garrus? Jane's going to shoot Garrus? Why would Jane shoot Garrus? The first panicked voice joined Dawn's. There's no Shepard without Vakarian. You go, I go. Another voice said. Jane's not going to shoot Garrus. The bitch isn't that crazy. Still another added. Garrus. Oh, Garrus. I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean to let you die. I didn't know it was going to happen. Still another said.
"What? No, no that can't happen. Shut up, I don't want to hear that. Jane! Jane put the gun down!" Dawn raged.
"I know you don't, Jane. We've been through a lot together, right? You and me, right from the start. We've always got each other's backs," Garrus said holding his hands up to show her he wasn't armed.
Jane smirked and shook her head while saying, "Don't patronize me, Garrus. You don't know me. You have never known me. You're not my Garrus anymore than I'm your Shepard."
"Aw, come on, Jane. Don't be like that. Just put down the gun. Come out here and talk to me. Tell me what's going on. I'm sure you've been dying to talk to me, right? Well, I can hear you now and I want to listen," Garrus said.
Jane's aim wavered and she adjusted her grip on the gun.
"She's getting it all wrong, Garrus. She's messing everything up; making it worse. I have to fix it. I can't keep doing this. I have the chance to make things right now," Jane said.
"What's Dawn messed up? Tell me about it, I'll help you fix it," Garrus said.
"What? Garrus, you can't trust her she's crazy!" Dawn said.
"Shut up, Dawn! I'm not crazy," Jane yelled and Garrus flinched.
"Jane, hey, come on look at me. Talk to me, Jane," Garrus said.
"No. No, no, you don't understand. I have to get this out," Jane said.
Jane reached behind her to prod at the wound again causing pain to shoot through her neck and head. She whimpered as she shoved a finger back into the wound, tearing open what her Cerberus upgrades and residual Medi-gel had already started working to repair. Garrus lunged forward and tried to knock the gun out of Jane's hand. She was too fast though and she pulled the trigger. Garrus growled in pain.
"No!" Dawn yelled.
"Shepard," Thane's voice came from behind Jane.
She spun around with the gun up, a palm slammed into her wrist while the other swiped the gun from her hand with lightning speed. She threw a punch with her other hand but he wasn't there for her fist to connect. She wasn't able to track the movements as he wrapped her up and spun her around. One hand held Jane's left wrist near her right shoulder. His other hand laced through her arm and rested against her neck. He flexed and Jane could feel darkness creeping in around the edges of her vision. She tried to slam her heel down on his instep but his foot wasn't there. Thane danced her around the bathroom avoiding her attempts to strike for the precious few seconds she had to fight back.
"I am sorry, Siha," Thane whispered next to her ear as Jane went down.
"Commander? Commander, can you hear me?" Dr. Chakwas said, her voice cutting through the fog.
"Hmmm?" Shepard groaned.
"She's coming around," Dr. Chakwas said.
She'd shot Garrus.
Shepard tried to bolt upright in the bed but found she couldn't. She was restrained to the bed with straps at her wrists, ankles, waist, and across her chest. Her eyes bulged as she searched the room, taking in her surroundings. She was on the Normandy, in the med bay. Dr. Chakwas was standing to her right and Mordin to her left.
"Garrus? Where's Garrus?" Shepard said with a panic filled voice.
"Calm down, Commander. Garrus is fine, I promise. We need to make sure that you're fine, too. Do you remember what happened?" Dr. Chakwas asked.
"Where is he? I need to see him!" Shepard insisted.
"Shepard, he's fine. Garrus is fine. Focus on yourself right now. Can you tell me your name?" Dr. Chakwas asked.
Shepard pulled at the restraints and looked at Dr. Chakwas like she was insane.
"For gods' sake, where is Garrus? I shot him! I shot Garrus! Where is he?" Shepard yelled.
"Commander," Dr. Chakwas said.
"Recommend sedation," Mordin said.
"Garrus!" Shepard yelled as loud as she could. "Garrus!"
"EDI, please send Garrus in," Dr. Chakwas said. "She doesn't need sedation; she just needs to see that Garrus is alive."
"At once, doctor," EDI said.
Shepard started to calm down and stopped pulling at her restraints.
"Commander?" Dr. Chakwas said.
"What?" Shepard snapped.
"Please identify yourself for me," Dr. Chakwas said.
"For fucksake, doc, you think Jane can't give you my name just as easily as I could? What would that prove?" Shepard asked.
Dr. Chakwas looked at Mordin and the two of them walked to the far side of the med bay to stand by the door and whisper quietly to one another. A couple of minutes later the door slid open and Garrus walked inside.
"Garrus," Shepard said, her voice filled with reverence.
He stopped to talk quietly with Dr. Chakwas before glancing back over at Shepard. His mandibles fluttered as he crossed the room. Tears began to well up in Shepard's eyes. She tried to reach out to him, forgetting about the restraints. When her arm met the resistance she growled and pulled at them again.
Garrus reached her bedside but Shepard couldn't see him clearly through the tears in her eyes. She tried to blink them away but it didn't help as new ones sprung up immediately. She couldn't even reach her hand up to wipe them away but he could. Garrus' thumb brushed across first one eye and then the other; bringing a shuddering sob from Shepard.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered.
He wiped her eyes again and when she opened them she saw the angry tear in the softer flesh of his neck, just under the back of his mandible where it connected to his face.
"Oh gods, I shot you. Garrus, I'm so sorry," Shepard said.
"Dawn?" Garrus asked.
"Yeah, it's me. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry," Shepard said.
"If you're you, then you have nothing to apologize for," Garrus said. "Besides, Jane's a crap shot and it barely grazed me. Your bathroom door might not shut right anymore, though."
Shepard smiled and pushed against the restraints until he put his hand in hers.
"Listen, Shepard, Dr. Chakwas thinks that it's best if you stay in here under observation for a while and Mordin agrees. Problem is, we're sitting not too far out from that collector ship and if we don't go in soon, they're going to know we're on to them," Garrus said.
"OK, I'm good. Tell the good doctors to let me out of this damn bed and we'll go kick some collector ass," Shepard said with a sniffle.
"Shepard, no," Garrus said as he reached out and pushed the hair out of her face. "I think you need to stay here. Let me take in a team, I'll get us whatever intel that's in there. Let me handle this one for you."
"No, I'm good, really. I can do this," Shepard insisted.
"Commander, he's right," Dr. Chakwas said as she moved back to Shepard's side.
Shepard looked between the doctor and Garrus before turning to Mordin. She found no give in his eyes either. Shepard let out a sigh.
"Alright. Fine. Can you at least take these damn restraints off?" Shepard asked.
"Commander, I –," Dr. Chakwas began.
"Take them off," Garrus said.
"I don't think that's wise. We aren't certain if Dawn is in fact in control, and if she is, we can't be sure that Jane won't seize control again," Dr. Chakwas said.
"Take the damn things off. Post a guard in here if you're worried, but take the restraints off," Garrus said.
Mordin and Dr. Chakwas shared a look before Dr. Chakwas sighed and began removing the restraints. Mordin and Garrus helped and as soon as Shepard was free she sat up. Her head throbbed with the motion and pain tore through her neck. She tentatively reached back to feel the now mostly closed wound and cringed at the memory of Jane stabbing the small scissors into herself. The others watched her carefully until she pulled her hand away.
"Did she get it out?" Shepard asked.
"No, the device Mordin put in is still in and functioning as it should," Dr. Chakwas said.
"Lucky. Scissors could have damaged it; would have to make new one. Takes time; lots of resources. Engaging work though; might make extras anyway," Mordin said.
Shepard lifted a corner of her mouth and said, "Let's make sure they work, first. Garrus, make sure you take a biotic with you. If worse comes to worse, they can make a barrier to deflect some of the seekers. Oh, and you'll need heavy weapons. Take something from my locker."
"Got it," Garrus said.
"OK but listen, when you get in there get as much info as you can. Things will be quiet until you reach the platform. EDI, you need to hear this, too," Shepard said and waited for EDI's hologram to pop up indicating she was actively listening.
"Garrus you're going to need to establish a bridge between the Normandy and that platform," Shepard said. "EDI, you're going to need to be prepared to fight off a system infiltration and download everything you can from that platform. Work with Legion if you need to and feel free to mess their systems up in the process, just so long as you get my crew out safe. Garrus, they're going to be throwing a lot of heat at you while she does this and then fighting you tooth and nail on the way out."
"I got it, Shepard. Just get some rest and listen to the doctor. Please," Garrus said.
"I will. I promise. Be safe out there," Shepard said.
Garrus pressed his forehead to hers before giving her a quick kiss. She tried to tell herself it was just her imagination that his eyes looked a little colder again, a little more like they did when she found him on Omega. Garrus left the med bay and two minutes later Thane entered.
"Garrus has asked that I stay here to handle… any situation that might arise. I told him that I will only if you consent to my presence," Thane said.
"Why not? You were able to take me down the first time. At least I don't have a gun now," Shepard said.
"I'm sorry, Shepard. I tried to be as gentle as I could," Thane said.
Shepard stared at Thane for a long moment before blinking her eyes slowly.
"Thane, if there is ever a time where you see that I have a gun pulled on one of my crew and am digging around in a hole that I cut in my own neck, you have my full permission to put me on my ass," Shepard said.
"Hmm, I might need you to hold her down for her next physical, too," Dr. Chakwas said. "She always was a pain in the rear when it comes to caring for herself."
Thane chuckled and dipped his head at the doctor before pulling a chair over next to Shepard's bed. Mordin ran another scan on the device before closing his omni-tool and smiling warmly at Shepard.
"Will find way to stop this. For now, suggest trying anti-psychotic medication," Mordin said holding up a hand. "Not saying Jane is psychosis, but worth a try. Must go now, need to monitor team for field test."
Mordin left, leaving Shepard alone with Dr. Chakwas and Thane for the time being. Shepard let out a sigh, blowing her bangs all over the place.
"So what's the plan, doc? How long's my sentence?" Shepard asked.
"A few hours, at least. Longer if you give me any gruff about it," Dr. Chakwas said with a twinkle in her eyes. "How are you feeling, Commander?"
"Like I stabbed myself in the head and then dug around in it for a while before shooting my boyfriend and being knocked out by an assassin. You know the usual," Shepard said with a shrug.
Dr. Chakwas snorted softly and shook her head.
"At least you're keeping your spirits up. I expect that will last at most twenty minutes. Then you'll be throwing a fit about being bored," Dr. Chakwas said.
"Hey now, I don't throw fits. That's not very nice, doc," Shepard said.
Dr. Chakwas snorted much louder and slapped Shepard playfully on the arm.
"So, the smelling salts didn't work this time?" Dr. Chakwas asked getting serious again.
"Uhhh… I didn't get the chance to try. I might have, uh, forgotten to keep them on me. It was too late by the time I was able to make it to my desk, she took me to my knees," Shepard said sheepishly.
"Commander, they can't work if you don't use them and you can't use them if you don't have them with you!" Dr. Chakwas scolded.
"I know! I'm sorry, trust me after this I'll carry twenty of the damn things on me," Shepard said.
Just then the med bay door slid open and the sharp clacking of Miranda's heels bounced off the walls. Shepard turned to the sound and cringed. She looked pissed.
"Miranda, I already told you –," Dr. Chakwas started to say.
"I know what you said but I am just as much responsible for Shepard's wellbeing as you are, and she is awake now and clearly she doesn't need you to give consent for visitors," Miranda said eyeing Thane sitting next to the bed.
"It's alright, doc. She can stay, it's time I told her the truth anyway," Shepard said.
"Commander, are you sure that's wise?" Dr. Chakwas asked.
"Tell me the truth about what?" Miranda asked crossing her arms over her chest.
Shepard pinched the bridge of her nose and said, "Have a seat, Miranda."
Miranda looked expectantly at Thane. Thane looked to Shepard.
"He stays, he's on official guard duty," Shepard said.
"Who is he guarding you from?" Miranda asked.
"From myself. Just, grab a chair. It's complicated and will take a while," Shepard said.
Miranda pulled up a chair and sat, crossing her long legs and leaning an elbow over the back of the chair. Shepard chewed on her lip as she considered her words. She knew that inevitably, Miranda would learn the truth; she had just hoped to be able to tell her when she was ready and not while sitting in a hospital bed.
"The things you heard… when you were working your magic to bring me back. The Prophecies of Shepard as you called them… I wasn't completely honest with you about what they meant," Shepard said.
"I'm listening," Miranda said.
"Gods why is this always so awkward and complicated to explain?" Shepard asked rhetorically.
"Because you're making it awkward and complicated, Commander," Dr. Chakwas said. "What Commander Shepard is trying to tell you is that the 'prophecies' that you witnessed were not necessarily the result of the prothean beacons. We have yet to fully understand precisely what is causing her experience, but from Shepard's perspective, at the very least, she is living through the galaxies most interesting case of past life regression. It would seem, and there has been incredibly eerie evidence to support her claims, that Shepard has lived the same few years over and over again."
"Excuse me?" Miranda said as she cocked an eyebrow in confusion.
"Shepard began experiencing unusual foreknowledge of people, conversations, events, and places on the old Normandy. She became plagued by these detailed memories of things that she couldn't possibly know about and then, while joining minds with Dr. Liara T'Soni in an attempt to better understand the information given to her by the beacon, a discovery was made," Dr. Chakwas said.
Shepard closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh. It was a sigh partly of relief that Dr. Chakwas was taking over the conversation, and partly heartache at the mention of Liara. Miranda was now turned in her chair, squarely facing Dr. Chakwas. Shepard got the distinct feeling that she had been demoted from Commander Shepard to Patient Shepard in the eyes of the two women for the time being. She glanced at Thane to see that he was watching her but listening to the two women as well.
"What was the nature of this discovery?" Miranda asked.
"Dr. T'Soni found what she described as a veil that she had to pass through to reach Shepard's consciousness. She said she had never experienced anything like it, and thought that it might be the key to Shepard's troubles. With Shepard's consent, Dr. T'Soni joined minds with Shepard again and instead of going straight into Shepard's mind attempted to explore this veil," Dr. Chakwas said.
The doctor glanced at Shepard for confirmation and Shepard nodded. Miranda glanced her way as well, her brow knit together in confusion.
"I was not present so I cannot verify exactly what happened, but based on the accounts of both parties, Shepard began to exhibit distress and attempted to retreat from the joining claiming that she heard a voice screaming in her mind and that it hurt," Dr. Chakwas continued. "Dr. T'Soni heard what she described as countless voices whispering just outside her range of hearing. She ended the joining when Shepard became even more distressed, but Shepard lost consciousness and was bleeding from the nose."
"Dear God," Miranda said.
"Dr. T'Soni acted swiftly, using the comm to call Joker for help. I got to her quickly enough to treat the severe inflammation and relieve the pressure in her skull before permanent damage could set in. Poor Dr. T'Soni was inconsolable until Shepard woke up again," Dr. Chakwas said.
"Can we – can we maybe not talk about Liara so much," Shepard spoke up.
Dr. Chakwas frowned and moved to stand next to Shepard. She patted Shepard on the shoulder and brushed her hair out of her face. Dr. Chakwas nodded her head.
"I'm sorry dear, I know you still miss her," Dr. Chakwas said.
Shepard did her best to smile and squeezed the doctor's hand before she stepped away.
"When Shepard woke up, she eventually complained about a buzzing in her head. I had made a call to a colleague of mine, another asari named Dr. Tulina who specialized in human psychology and had her placed on the Normandy," Dr. Chakwas said. "After reviewing Shepard's records and Dr. T'Soni's memories, she was in an agreement that whatever Shepard was experiencing it was not a mental illness. Shepard and Dr. Tulina spent some time together and with Dr. Tulina's aid, Shepard was able to break through the noise and converse with the voice she was hearing."
"And you were able to rule out the beacons as the explanation?" Miranda asked.
"Dr. Tulina seemed to believe that it wasn't the beacons. She told me that whatever the veil was, it was a part of me but she didn't think it came from me exactly," Shepard offered. "To be fair, she didn't have a better explanation and Mordin still seems to think it could have been caused by the beacons. His working theory is that they fried my brain and made me psychic."
"That doesn't sound like something Dr. Solus would say, Commander," Dr. Chakwas said.
Shepard shrugged and said, "I'm paraphrasing."
"Unfortunately, I did not learn the extent of the situation until after the Normandy crashed and I received Shepard's goodbye video. I'm not sure she told anyone the extent of things," Dr. Chakwas said.
"Garrus. He knew everything. I just couldn't tell everyone everything. I wasn't ready," Shepard said.
"Of course. Garrus. She told her boyfriend but not her doctors," Dr. Chakwas said.
Shepard sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"What the voice – Jane – has explained to Shepard is that Jane, and the thousand or so others that are locked away in Shepard's mind, are Commander Shepard. Jane appears to be the… spokesperson for the group," Dr. Chakwas said.
Miranda turned to look at Shepard with raised eyebrows. Shepard shrugged in response.
"Jane has been able to provide Shepard with every detail of the lives they lived from the moment they were called to serve on the Normandy, to the moment they died saving the galaxy from the reapers," Dr. Chakwas said. "It appears that each time, the consciousness is… returned to the collective, in the next Shepard's mind. Until our Commander, they were never heard. Now that they are able to be heard, they have convinced Shepard that she needs to change things to break this cycle."
"Or she'll join them," Miranda all but whispered.
"Exactly," Dr. Chakwas said.
"Why does no one ever believe me so easily?" Shepard asked.
"Because you're not a respected doctor," Dr. Chakwas said.
Shepard huffed.
"If it weren't for what I've already seen… I wouldn't believe it, no offense, doctor. So the prophecies… the agonized screaming… that was Jane?" Miranda asked.
"Yep," Shepard said. "Something happened while I was dying when the Normandy was attacked. Before that, I had to really try to hear her. But in those last few seconds before I lost consciousness, floating out into space and unable to breathe… the walls came crumbling down and there she was. I could hear her perfectly and she could feel everything that I was feeling. I lost consciousness – died – but she never did. Between that and suffering while you worked to put me back together again…"
"Jane has been unstable; psychologically damaged by the events," Dr. Chakwas said.
"That's putting it lightly," Shepard said with a scoff. "She did just hijack my body and attempt to dig out Mordin's device using a pair of cuticle scissors and my fingers. She fucking shot Garrus for gods' sake. The bitch is crazy."
Miranda stood and crossed the floor to pull Shepard forward. Shepard allowed the manhandling; Miranda was never good with the whole bedside manner thing. Miranda lifted Shepard's hair out of the way and Shepard heard her hiss. Miranda opened her omni-tool and scanned the back of Shepard's head looking for damage to the Cerberus implants. Satisfied that Jane hadn't managed to damage anything other than Shepard herself, she closed the omni-tool and paced the floor.
"Dr. Chakwas, do you still have Shepard's records from that time?" Miranda asked.
"I don't have them here, of course. They would have been saved on Alliance servers. I can try putting in a request for them with Anderson. I'm afraid he might be the only one left associated with the Alliance willing to do me any favors," Dr. Chakwas said. "I'll need Commander Shepard's permission, of course."
"That's fine. I can send Anderson a message, too, if you think it will help," Shepard said.
"It might, he always has been rather fond of you," Dr. Chakwas said.
"I – excuse me, I need to go back over my records. Please, send me what you do have on Shepard and let me know as soon as you get her old records. I might be able to help," Miranda said as she turned and walked out of the med bay.
Dr. Chakwas returned to her desk and sat down at her laptop. Shepard leaned back against the bed, tilting her head to the side to avoid the tender mutilated mass that was her neck. She glanced at Thane and found that he was watching her with curiosity.
"You have more questions?" Shepard asked.
Thane smiled and said, "No, Siha. I am just surprised by your resilience."
"Don't be. Commander Shepard is the single most resilient person I have ever met. She'll get through this, and put us all to shame in the process dare I say," Dr. Chakwas said.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, doc. I hope to hell you're right," Shepard said.
"Of course I'm right," Dr. Chakwas said turning back to her computer.
Shepard turned her attention back to Thane and asked, "How are you not freaked out by what happened?"
Thane seemed to consider this for a moment before he responded, "She was acting out of fear and self-preservation. I have seen others do far worse for far less."
"She would have shot you too, you know," Shepard said.
"Indeed," Thane said.
They watched each other in silence, the only sound the clacking of Dr. Chakwas keys over the keyboard.
"Thank you," Shepard said.
"I should have acted quicker. Perhaps Garrus would not have been injured. I did not anticipate that he would move when he did," Thane said.
Shepard spent the next few minutes talking with Thane about how they came to be in her cabin in the first place. Apparently, EDI had learned rather quickly once unshackled that there were appropriate times to lie. When Jane thought she had EDI convinced that everything was alright, EDI had secretly been informing Garrus that something was wrong. Thane was in the elevator with Garrus when they had the conversation and insisted on helping. Shepard made a mental note to thank EDI in private.
"I'm sorry, I tried to keep her away," a voice whispered.
It was one of the masculine voices. She didn't have a name to put to it; they'd never talked to her like this before. Not when she wasn't trapped inside with them. Even the images she got about Jack a few days before were fuzzy and vague. This was different, he spoke to her and although it was distant, it was clear.
"What?" Shepard thought.
"Get it out! Get it out now!" Jane yelled.
"Fuck!" Shepard yelped.
Pain ripped through her head and she pressed the heel of her hand against her eye socket. Shepard heard something big clatter to the floor. Dr. Chakwas rushed to her side and suddenly there was a terrible smell assaulting her nostrils. She reared back away from the scent, coughing and gagging. Thane stood next to the bed holding a vial of smelling salts next to her face.
"Get it out, get it the fuck out!" Jane yelled.
"Oh good, you kept one. At least someone remembered what they were for," Dr. Chakwas said.
"I'm good, I'm good," Shepard said.
She pushed at Thane's hand, trying to get him to put the offending vial away. He resisted until Dr. Chakwas told him it was alright. Dr. Chakwas opened her scanner while Thane took a step back. He remained standing, ready to pounce if Shepard started lashing out at the doctor.
"A comparison of Shepard's current brainwave activity to that of the activity that occurred in her cabin, I believe that Shepard is still in control," EDI said.
"You said you would have him take it out. You lied, I knew you were lying," Jane said.
"You shot Garrus!" Shepard thought.
"What do you mean?" Dr. Chakwas asked. "Was there a change in her brainwaves before?"
"Yes, Shepard experienced extreme vacillating brainwave activity moments before they stabilized back to a beta frequency, at which point Shepard resumed apparent normal activity with Jane in control," EDI said. "I have also compared this to scans of Shepard the day she requested aid in the med bay and observed a similar phenomenon. I would need several more observations of this anomaly to be certain that there is in fact a correlation between the two events, but I suspect that they are connected."
"I… I didn't mean to… he lunged, and I… it needs to come out. I can still feel it, please, just take it out," Jane said.
"I can't even feel it anymore! You're too worked up to see this straight. You could have killed us. You could have killed Garrus! Jane, you're not OK, not anymore," Shepard thought.
"EDI, you're a genius! Thank you," Dr. Chakwas said before turning to Thane. "Will you be alright with her? I need to go speak with Miranda."
Dr. Chakwas didn't wait for an answer before crossing the room to dig out a syringe and a bottle from a cabinet. She filled the syringe and put the cap back on before handing it to Thane on the way out.
"Tranquilizer. Thigh is best. Upper arm will work as well. EDI, keep monitoring her," Dr. Chakwas said before the door slid closed behind her.
Shepard watched dumbfounded as the doctor rushed out before turning her attention to the syringe in Thane's hand. Thane slid the syringe into his jacket before stepping away from Shepard's bed to throw the used smelling salts in the trash. He stopped to set Dr. Chakwas' desk chair upright again. Shepard's eyes followed him but she wasn't really seeing him. She felt dazed and confused by that one simple, barely heard statement. One of the others was learning how to get through to her… and he seemed to be trying to help her somehow.
Jane raged ineffectively in the back of Shepard's mind. Shepard couldn't be sure but she didn't think Jane had the strength to take over again so soon. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms tightly around her legs. She tucked her face down between her chest and her knees and began gently rocking herself, taking in deep soothing breaths as she tried to block out Jane's insane rambling.
After a moment she felt Thane's hand rest lightly on her back. She lifted her head to look at him and he opened his mouth as if to speak but said nothing. A moment later he closed it again and lowered his eyes to the space between them. He moved a little closer to the bed, his thighs brushing up against the sheet. Shepard hoped she wasn't wrong when she took that as an invitation and leaned into him. He slid his hand across her back to cup her shoulder, pulling her gently to guide her closer. Shepard let herself lean against the assassin's chest as he tucked her in against him, grateful for the show of compassion and support. His body remained rigid for a few seconds longer and Shepard wondered if he was reminding himself how to relax with physical contact.
"What did you tell the others?" Shepard asked softly.
"We startled you while you were getting ready for the mission, you slipped and accidently discharged your sidearm. You were injured in the fall," Thane said.
"Fantastic. Better they think I'm a jumpy klutz than the truth, I guess," Shepard said. "You know if you want out, I won't blame you. I can take you back to Illium… the Citadel, wherever you want to go."
"I wouldn't be here if I didn't wish to be, Siha," Thane said tightening his arm around her.
Shepard took in a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"Thank you," Shepard said. "You smell amazing, you know that? Now let go of me before I get spoiled for this."
Shepard felt the rumble of Thane's chuckle through his chest. She slowly made herself pull away from him as his arm slipped away from her. Thane retreated to the chair next to her bed and sat down to resume his unnerving scrutiny of her every movement; watching for any sign that she was not as she should be. The silence stretched on, the only sound Jane's desperate pleas in Shepard's mind until Shepard couldn't take it any longer.
"EDI?" Shepard called out.
"Yes, Shepard?" EDI said, her hologram springing to life.
"Do you have anything on those in the field? Are the devices working?" Shepard asked.
"It appears that they are, Shepard. Mr. Vakarian, and Mr. Grundan Krul have both sustained mild injuries and have activated their Medi-gel dispensers twice each. Mr. Grunt has sustained several mild injuries but has yet to activate his Medi-gel dispenser. Justicar Samara has sustained no injuries. The secondary team led by Mr. Taylor, consisting of Mr. Massani and Dr. Solus, have not engaged in combat so far," EDI said.
"Great, thanks EDI. Tell Grunt I said to use his damn Medi-gel," Shepard said.
"At once, Shepard," EDI said.
Dr. Chakwas returned and settled into her desk chair without any explanation as to what she and Miranda talked about. Shepard sat quietly for a while, but the restlessness was setting in. She opened her omni-tool and sorted through a few messages. She rattled off a quick request to Anderson that he send her medical records to Dr. Chakwas and then closed her omni-tool again. Shepard sighed and looked at Thane.
"How long ago did I wake up?" Shepard asked quietly.
Thane glanced at the clock and said, "You've been awake for about forty minutes."
"Thanks," Shepard said. "Hey doc?"
"Yes, Commander?" Dr. Chakwas said without turning around.
"Do I really need to stay in here? I'm fine now, and I'm sure EDI will notify you if something changes," Shepard said.
"Commander," Dr. Chakwas said with a warning tone.
"Come on, doc. You're killing me here," Shepard said. "It's not like I'm going to leave the ship."
"You're whining, Commander," Dr. Chakwas said.
"But I waited forty minutes," Shepard said.
Dr. Chakwas sighed and pushed away from the desk. She glanced at the clock on her way over to Shepard's bed. Dr. Chakwas opened her omni-tool and scanned Shepard again. Shepard watched her as she reviewed the results and then wordlessly walked to a cabinet. Dr. Chakwas returned with a small white box marked ammonium carbonate and shoved it at Shepard's chest. Shepard opened the box to see it contained the vials of smelling salts. Thane reached into the box and palmed two of them, slipping them away with the syringe.
"Take these with you and actually use them," Dr. Chakwas said. "And I expect you to report back in with me nightly, starting tonight, until I give you further notice. If you notice anything – any sign that Jane might be about to do this again I want you to use one of those and come see me right away."
"I will, I promise," Shepard said. "Assuming I'm in a position to come to you right away."
"Before you leave, I want to ask you a few questions about these experiences," Dr. Chakwas said.
Shepard groaned but spent the next twenty minutes giving Dr. Chakwas every detail she could remember. The doctor wanted to know more specifically what physical symptoms Shepard experienced just before losing control. She took notes on her omni-tool as Shepard described the pains that lanced through her head, the vertigo, feelings of disconnection, and feeling faint. When Shepard mentioned the intensity of the emotions she felt before the pain began, Dr. Chakwas prodded further asking Shepard about the nature and origins of the emotions.
"Mordin did suggest anti-psychotic medications, perhaps he's on to something there. I'm not sure if it would work well with your implants. They may cause you to metabolize the medication too swiftly, and most of these medications depend on reaching a particular level of saturation before the full effects can be seen," Dr. Chakwas said.
"I really don't think that's necessary, doc. The side effects with those things could wind up getting me killed in the field quicker than struggling with Jane. I know she's erratic, and this thing today definitely shows having her out isn't a good idea but at least we know she doesn't want me dead," Shepard said.
"If I may," Thane said.
Dr. Chakwas and Shepard both turned their attention to Thane. He'd been so quiet Shepard had almost forgotten he was there. He took a few steps closer to join them in the conversation.
"Intense emotional responses to people and events appear to play a part in Jane's ability to push herself on Shepard. Particularly fear and anger. I believe that regular, disciplined meditation exercises might help Shepard to curb some of those responses. I am willing to work with her so that she can master these exercises," Thane said gesturing at Shepard. "Or perhaps if she would be more comfortable, I believe the Justicar would be able to guide her as well."
"Samara doesn't know, and I'm not sure I'm ready to share this with anyone else right now," Shepard said. "I don't know. Meditation really isn't my thing. I really suck at it. I'll uh, I'll think about it though."
"I think that's a wonderful idea, Commander. Dr. Tulina would have approved, and I'm certain she would have recommended meditation over medication," Dr. Chakwas said.
Shepard narrowed her eyes and asked, "Are you trying to manipulate me by bringing up Dr. Tulina?"
"That depends, is it working?" Dr. Chakwas asked.
"Oh that's a new low for you, doc," Shepard said.
"You leave me with little choice, Commander. I have to use what works with you. You have a big heart, you always have," Dr. Chakwas said.
"Damn it. Yeah, OK. It's working," Shepard said.
An hour later, Shepard found herself flat on her back for the fifth time in thirty minutes. She was drenched in sweat and her muscles felt weak. Her hands trembled as she pushed sweat-plastered strands of hair off of her face. Her chest heaved as she sucked in air, trying to get more oxygen circulating through her body. She looked up at Thane standing above her and found herself annoyed that even with Kepral's Syndrome, his breathing remained steady while she was a mess. Jane, however, had fallen blissfully silent. She pushed herself up off of the mat on the hangar floor and resumed an offensive stance.
"Just tell me," Shepard said between breaths, "What kicking my ass has to do with teaching me better meditation skills."
"I have barely touched you, Shepard. I believe you are kicking your own ass," Thane said with a smirk.
"Shepard, the collector ship is coming back online. I am guiding Mr. Vakarian's team to the exit. They are experiencing heavy resistance," EDI's voice said over the hangar's intercom.
Shepard turned her attention to the intercom and Thane stepped in, grabbing her arm and turning his back into her as he rolled her over his body. Shepard's back hit the mat again and she groaned.
"You mustn't allow yourself to become distracted," Thane said.
"Help me up, I'm done. We can't be in here when the shuttles come back anyway," Shepard said holding her hand out to Thane.
Thane stepped forward, his hand reaching for hers when Shepard spun her hips and tried to sweep his legs out from under him. Just like every other time, he was already gone when her legs got there. He took a simple step to the side and closed his hand around her wrist stepping around her and forcing her onto her stomach. From there he maneuvered her to her knees, Shepard wasn't sure how. He knelt behind her bracing her spine with one knee as his arm wrapped around her neck and his hands cradled her head.
"I hate you," Shepard said.
Thane's laughter echoed off the hangar walls. Shepard carefully tilted her head back to look at him. His hands followed the movement ready to react even as he laughed. He looked down at her and she smiled.
"Are you finished?" Thane asked.
"Yeah. I'm done. For now. Just know that one of these days it's going to be your ass on the mat," Shepard said.
"I have no doubt, Siha," Thane said as he released her and stepped away.
Shepard pulled herself to her feet and accepted the towel he held out to her. She ran it over her face and neck before gently rubbing her hair. The mess she had made of the back of neck earlier in the morning was closed but still very tender. Dr. Chakwas had done an excellent job of smoothing out the knotted mass of skin so it would heal properly. She thought she could still feel the little silver bug Mordin put inside beneath her fingertips. She'd seen the blueprints and knew that once in place the device shot out microfilament threads to wrap around the spine and thread themselves through the spinal cord. If she were honest with herself, she was more than a little disturbed by it and didn't really want it there either. She just wasn't disturbed enough to try to cut it out herself. She wondered if it could actually be removed once this thing with the collectors was over with.
Shepard ran the towel over her face again before wrapping it around her neck. She looked up to see Thane watching her and she raised an eyebrow in question. He smiled and turned away, making his way to the elevator. Shepard grabbed the ends of the towel and followed after him. He pushed the call button on the elevator and stepped inside when it opened. Shepard pushed the button for her cabin and he pushed the button for the third deck.
"We will begin again in first thing in the morning," Thane said.
Shepard sighed and Thane cocked an eyebrow.
"Can I at least snag some coffee first?" she asked.
The elevator came to a stop and the door slid open.
"Indeed, I think you will need it," Thane said with a smirk as he stepped out.
"One of these days, Krios!" Shepard hollered after him.
Shepard could hear his laughter trailing back to her as the elevator slid closed again.
"Shepard, the teams have made it safely to the shuttles," EDI said.
Shepard stepped out of the elevator and crossed over to her cabin.
"Tell Joker that as soon as they're onboard we need to hightail it out of here. See if you can get us to the Nubian Expanse or Rosetta Nebula from here," Shepard said stripping off her sweaty clothes and turning on the shower.
"Setting coordinates for the Nubian Expanse now, Shepard," EDI said.
Shepard stepped into the shower and got soaped up and rinsed off as quickly as she could. She was dressed and back on the elevator five minutes later, taking it down to the CIC. Shepard jogged across the CIC floor and into the cockpit to watch as the shuttles returned to the Normandy.
"Come on, come on, come on," Shepard chanted under her breath.
"There in, closing the hangar door now," Joker said.
Shepard leaned over Joker and pressed the comm button as she announced, "Hold on tight people, we're getting the hell out of here."
"Shit they're charging weapons," Joker said as he began evasive maneuvers.
"Engaging mass effect core, hang on Jeff," EDI said.
"Shit," Joker said.
Shepard grabbed on to the back of his seat as the ship shot forward. Her stomach sank to the floor when they just as suddenly dropped out of FTL to the sight of a giant relay looming so close Shepard was surprised they hadn't crashed into it.
"Preparing to enter the relay," EDI said. "Selected destination: the Nubian Expanse."
The blue-white tendril of energy reached out and grabbed the Normandy, flinging it through space at dizzying speeds as Shepard white-knuckled the back of Joker's chair. Joker whooped with excitement before he threw in an 'ow' for good measure. The Normandy slowed to a cruise once the receiving relay released them.
"Nice. That was beautiful, EDI," Joker said.
"Thank you, Jeff," EDI said.
"Yeah, thank you, Jeff," Shepard said.
Joker shot Shepard a warning look and she winked at him.
"Good work, the both of you. EDI, tell the teams to meet me in the comm room for the debrief," Shepard said.
"They're on their way, Shepard," EDI said.
Shepard left the cockpit and went through the tech labs to reach the comm room, casting a smug glance at their collector guest as she went. A few minutes later, the rest of the crew piled in covered in blood and bits of collector. Garrus gave her a look of frustration right away and she knew that they were going to have to talk after the debriefing.
"He hates me now," Jane said.
Shepard was amazed at the twinge of sympathy she felt at hearing the sorrow in Jane's voice. She listened as the two teams made their report, verifying for her exactly what she already knew. Shepard dismissed everyone but asked Garrus to stay while she had EDI establish the connection to the Illusive Man. The table dropped down and the comm ring lit up.
"You want me to go in there with you?" Garrus asked.
"Yeah, that OK? I figured you're the one who led the mission… and maybe he'll play nice with you there," Shepard said.
"This ought to be interesting," Garrus said.
He followed Shepard into the center of the comm ring and looked around as the holographic grid rose up around them. The Illusive Man sat in his power chair a few feet away from the comm. Garrus scoffed at the air of mystique the Illusive Man tried so hard for and Shepard grinned. The Illusive Man took a long drag from his cigarette and let the smoke out slowly.
"Garrus Vakarian. I wasn't expecting you," the Illusive Man said.
"Can't say I was expecting you to be hiding in the shadows either, but here we are," Garrus said.
Shepard got the impression that Garrus' response brought a smile to Jane's face.
"Anonymity is necessary for a man in my position. I would think Archangel would understand that," the Illusive Man said.
"I never hid in the shadows unless it was to line up a shot," Garrus said.
"It's a shame he can't line up a shot on the Illusive Man right now," Jane said.
"Isn't that the damn truth," Shepard thought.
"Yes, you developed quite the reputation on Omega. I must say I was impressed," the Illusive Man said before taking another drag of his cigarette. "Why are you here, Mr. Vakarian?"
"I led the mission onto the collector vessel. I thought you might want a report," Garrus said with a shrug.
"Shepard, I'm surprised at you. Relinquishing command, even to your lover – and on such an important mission," the Illusive Man said.
"Shepard wasn't feeling well," Garrus said.
"Cramps," Shepard said with a shrug.
A short bark of laughter filled Shepard's mind. She couldn't help but to think that it sounded more than a little like the laughter of someone walking the brink of sanity.
The Illusive Man took another drag from his cigarette and swirled the ice around in his glass.
"And did these cramps cause you to shoot Mr. Vakarian or was that Jane?" the Illusive Man said.
A low growl started to rise up from Garrus and Jane stilled in Shepard's mind.
"They were bad cramps," Shepard said.
"I've been informed that you also spent over an hour in the med bay with a bleeding head wound," the Illusive Man said.
"I mean, really, really bad cramps," Shepard said.
Garrus chuffed and shifted his weight, leaning closer to Shepard.
"Is this a joke to you, Shepard?" the Illusive Man asked.
"Not at all, it just isn't any of your damned business, now do you want Garrus' report or not?" Shepard asked.
"I had hoped that we would be able to put aside our differences and work together better than this, Shepard," the Illusive Man said.
"Why is he trying to play nice now?" Jane asked.
"I don't know. It's nothing more than a change in tactics. One form of manipulation didn't work so he's trying another. Let him try, it isn't going to change anything about the way this ends," Shepard thought.
"I think we're doing pretty well, all things considered," Shepard said.
The Illusive Man took a drink from his glass and flicked the ashes off of his cigarette, twirling the glowing ember around in the ash tray for a moment.
"Give me your report, Mr. Vakarian," he said.
Shepard stood at parade rest as Garrus relayed the information that had been taken from the collector's ship, including the confirmation that the ship was the same that took down the original Normandy and further evidence supporting Mordin's claim that the collectors were modified protheans. The Illusive Man listened quietly as Garrus spoke. When Garrus was finished he turned his attention back to Shepard, dismissing Garrus' presence from his notice completely.
"You know what you need to do next, Shepard. I suggest you don't rush into this until you're ready – until your crew is ready. Just because you know what to expect doesn't mean that you're prepared to deal with it. In the meantime, I don't think it's too much to expect you to complete a few of the smaller requests I've sent you. The Normandy doesn't fund itself, you know," the Illusive Man said.
"Some of it is important… like saving David Archer," Jane said.
"Yeah. I'll see what I can do," Shepard said.
She turned, Garrus on her heels to walk out of the comm ring but stopped to look back at the Illusive Man over her shoulder.
"I'll ask EDI to send you a full report on the collector ship," she said.
"Thank you, Shepard," the Illusive Man said.
Shepard stepped out of the comm and away from the glowing ring. Garrus laid a hand on her shoulder to stop her from leaving the comm room as the table rose back into place.
"Why aren't you in the med bay, Shepard?" Garrus asked.
"The warden let me out early for good behavior," Shepard said turning to face him.
"Dawn, you said you would listen to the doctor," Garrus said crossing his arms.
Shepard frowned and said, "I did listen, Garrus. I stayed in there and let them run their scans while Thane watched me like a hawk. I even let Miranda in on the big secret so she could better help. Dr. Chakwas agreed to let me leave the med bay after EDI told her she can predict when Jane's trying to take over."
"That's not exactly what I said, Shepard," EDI said, her hologram popping up behind Garrus.
Shepard shrugged and said, "I'm paraphrasing."
"I don't think you understand the definition of paraphrasing, Shepard," EDI said.
"What is Shepard failing to paraphrase, EDI?" Garrus asked.
Shepard leaned against the wall while EDI conveyed the results of her scans and the observed fluctuations in Shepard's brainwave activity. Shepard scoffed when EDI went the extra mile to inform Garrus of the terms of Dr. Chakwas conditional release. She groaned but didn't stop her when EDI then took the liberty to tell Garrus that Shepard had already begun lessons with Thane and that from EDI's observation, Shepard was a slow learner. Garrus turned back to her with a raised brow ridge, his mandibles flaring in amusement.
"Oh, I've got to see this myself," Garrus said.
"Thanks a lot, EDI," Shepard said.
"You're very welcome, Shepard," said EDI.
"That was sarcasm, EDI," Shepard said.
"She knows," Jane said.
"I know," said EDI.