Chapter 40: Aggressively Neutral
"Get her on the bed, hurry!" Dr. Chakwas voice cut through the heavy fog surrounding Shepard's thoughts.
Opening her eyes felt like trying to move mountains with nothing but the sheer force of her will. Her head hung limply on her neck, chin tilted to the sky, lifting it even more impossible than opening her eyes. Arms wrapped around her back and under her knees, her body's only source of support. Her arm slid off her chest, dropping down to dangle out to the side, flopping uselessly with each bounce of movement.
She was falling—no … no, the arms still had her, settling her down on a hard, flat surface. A warm huff of breath brushed across her face before the familiar feel of Garrus' forehead pressed gently against hers. A soft keen filled her ears, and she wanted desperately to lift her hand, to run her fingers along his mandible and tell him she would be alright … but she couldn't figure out how to get her arms to move.
"Garrus," Jane whispered in the back of her mind.
"Her intracranial pressure is too high. Her implants are working to stabilize, but I think we're going to need …" Miranda's voice faded into nothingness.
She felt heavy and for a moment, she feared she might sink through the bed, right down to the med bay floor. Maybe she'd keep sinking, ripping through the decks until she hit that cold, familiar embrace of space, waiting to suck the life out of her once more.
"No. No, we're not going to die." Jane pushed, urging Dawn to listen. "Do you hear me? We're not going to die here."
"… losing consciousness …"
She knew the voice. She had to know the voice, she just couldn't place it. Someone pressed something to her face, covering her nose and mouth. Hissing in her ears, frigid air pushed its way into her nose, filling her lungs. Warm fingers pulled her eyelids up, one after the other, shining an agonizingly bright light in her eyes.
"We've … you under …"
The beautiful, rich scent of coffee hung in the air. Shepard breathed in deep, the aroma chasing away the last vestiges of drug induced sleep.
"Ow." Jane's voice brought a smile to Shepard's lips.
"Told you that would wake her up." Joker's voice came from somewhere on her left.
"I didn't doubt you, Joker. I only said it was best to let her rouse on her own." The chastising tone of Dr. Chakwas' voice was unmistakable.
Shepard opened her eyes, testing the soreness of her muscles by turning to seek out the source of the wonderful smell. The small motion hurt more than she wanted to admit. Everything ached, worse than the first week of N7 training. Joker lifted one side of his mouth in a half smile and held a mug out toward her. She grinned, pushing herself up a little more upright on the bed, ignoring the pain and reaching for the mug.
"No! Absolutely not. I need to run more tests before you go filling your system with caffeine." Dr. Chakwas pushed away from her desk, crossing the floor in long strides.
Shepard wrapped her hand around the mug and pulled it over, cradling it between both hands, inhaling deeply. "Better run those tests, then, Doc. My pilot brought me coffee. I'm pretty sure there's a law somewhere that says I have to drink it." She took a sip and moaned, more than a little obscenely, earning her a chuckle from Joker and a raised eyebrow from the doctor. "And it's Grundan Krul's brew."
Jane chuckled. "I don't think she cares. She's got that scary doctor slash mom look on her face."
"Well, your spirits seem high, at least." Dr. Chakwas pressed the tips of her fingers to the inside of Shepard's wrist, pulling her hand away from the mug. "You are aware you nearly died, Commander?"
"Suppose that explains the change in wardrobe." Shepard deadpanned, lifting the coffee back to her mouth to steal another sip despite the look of ire Dr. Chakwas threw her way. She turned her attention back to Joker. "Where are we?"
"She knows you're deflecting." Jane said.
Shepard snorted inwardly and thought, "Yeah, but she won't press me so long as I'm smiling and someone else is in the room."
"Citadel." Joker lifted his own mug.
Shepard cocked an eyebrow. "The Citadel? Why the Citadel?"
"I'm just the pilot. You were down; Miranda said go to the Citadel. I took us to the Citadel." He lifted a shoulder. "You've been out for a couple of days. Half the ship's empty, taking advantage of the impromptu shore leave."
Shepard frowned, her eyebrows drawing inward. "Anderson been by yet?"
"Yep." Joker took another sip.
"And?" Shepard asked, narrowing her eyes.
"And he's awaiting word from me on your condition." Dr. Chakwas dropped Shepard's wrist, opening her omni-tool to wave it over Shepard's head.
Shepard sighed. "I think I liked it better when you two didn't talk so much."
Dr. Chakwas snorted, closing her omni-tool. "You're fine, Commander. I strongly urge you to take it easy for another couple of days … oh, who am I kidding?" She turned, making her way back to her desk and took a seat, her attention back on the console in front of her. "I'll message Anderson. I'm sure he'll want you to go report as soon as you feel you're able."
Shepard nodded to herself, glancing at the clock on the med bay wall. "EDI, notify the crew I'm up. They've got until twenty-hundred hours to report back to the Normandy. That'll give them a few more hours while I take care of business."
"Right away, Shepard." EDI's hologram hovered near the door. "The crew has been notified. Is there anything else I can do for you?"
Shepard held her cup up, blowing the steam away, creating ripples in the dark surface. "Yeah. Do we have any intel on where the leviathans went? How many left? Any signs some stayed behind?"
"I can't believe they refused to help. Ruby's right, they're craven bastards." Jane snorted softly. "I can't believe they have me agreeing with Ruby."
EDI said, "Twenty-two leviathans were witnessed leaving twenty-one-eighty-one Despoina. It is unknown how many, if any, remained. They were seen accessing the local relay, heading into the Omega Nebula. From there they could have accessed—."
Joker cut her off with a harrumph. "A shitton of other relays."
"Yes, thank you, Jeff." A hint of humor colored EDI's words.
"It's already happening with them, isn't it?" Jane asked.
Shepard smiled and thought, "I think so."
Joker looked over his shoulder at the hologram. "Anytime, EDI."
The med bay doors slid open, clearing the way for Garrus as he made a beeline to her side. He hovered next to her before turning to Dr. Chakwas. "You're sure it's her?"
"Yep. Still hates me." Sadness colored Jane's tone, tugging at Shepard's heartstrings.
"Garrus." Shepard narrowed her eyes.
"There's been nothing to indicate a change, Mr. Vakarian," Dr. Chakwas said without bothering to turn around.
"I had to ask, Shepard." Garrus perched on the edge of her bed, resting his hand on her knee. "How are you feeling?"
"My muscles are sore, but otherwise I'm fine." Shepard shrugged, taking a swallow from her mug.
"That's from a mix of blood loss, asphyxiation, and your implants working to keep you stable. I suspect it'll pass soon. Though drinking coffee instead of water might increase the recovery time." Dr. Chakwas glanced over her shoulder, catching Shepard's gaze.
Shepard grunted, taking another swallow. "Mhmm."
Garrus wrapped his hand around her mug, pulling it away from her mouth and out of her hand.
"Hey!" Shepard lunged forward, making grabby hands at the mug, her achy muscles screaming at her in protest. "Ow!"
Garrus flicked his mandibles at her and carried the cup across the room, setting it down next to Dr. Chakwas. "Here, have some coffee."
Dr. Chakwas laughed, picking up the cup, and spinning her chair around to face Shepard while she took a long gulp. Shepard crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at first Dr. Chakwas and then Garrus. He only smirked, moving to the sink to pour her a glass of water before bringing it back, thrusting it out at her.
"I hate you." Shepard took the glass of water, tossing her head back and swallowing down the whole glass before handing it back to him.
Jane chuckled, the sound not really carrying much mirth.
He flicked his mandibles at her, taking the cup and carrying it back to the sink. Shepard glanced at Joker, eyeing his coffee mug enviously. He sighed, pushed himself out of the chair and handed her the mug, letting her swallow half of the still-too-hot liquid ambrosia before Garrus turned back from refilling her cup. Dr. Chakwas scoffed and shook her head. When Garrus turned around, she hastily handed the mug back to Joker and smiled at the turian she loved. He growled low and shook his head, staring at Joker as he crossed his arms and dropped his weight to one hip.
"Alright, alright." Joker held up a hand, turning to make his way slowly to the door. "Sorry, Commander. You're on your own on this one."
The door slid open, revealing Thane. He stepped aside, bowing lightly to Joker who nodded his head in return before making his way out of the med bay. Thane met Shepard's gaze, smiling as he crossed the floor to stand at her side.
"It's good to see you awake, siha." Thane pushed her hair back, tucking it behind her ear, letting his fingers trail down her neck.
Shepard leaned into his touch, turning her head to kiss the inside of his wrist before he could pull his hand away, earning her a soft smile. "Awake, and ready to get out of this bed." She held her hand out to him. "Little help?"
"Of course." Thane took her hand, letting her use him to brace herself as she pushed herself from the bed.
Shepard whimpered as sharp, pinpricks of pain danced up and down her legs under her weight. Thane shifted, sliding his other arm around her waist to support her. A moment later, Garrus was there, shoving the cup of water at her. She sighed, taking the glass and sipping from it before handing it back to him. She limped over to the counter where a clean set of clothes waited for her. Although moving was painful, she could already feel stubborn muscles stretching back out, loosening as she moved.
Scooping up her clothes, she turned to eye Garrus and Thane, a smirk tugging at her lips. "You boys staying for the show?"
Dr. Chakwas pushed away from her desk before either of them could respond. "Out, out, go on." She waved her hands at them, shooing them from the med bay.
Shepard laughed as the two men ducked their heads, scurrying from the room. She waited for the door to close behind them before hobbling back over to drop the stack of clothes on the bed and pulled off her gown. She glanced up at Dr. Chakwas. "I can hear Jane again."
Dr. Chakwas turned her chair to face Shepard, sitting back down. "How do you feel about this?" She glanced toward the door. "You didn't mention this in front of the others."
"I don't blame you. Joker and Garrus both would've soured over the news." The soft sound of a sigh came from Jane.
Shepard pulled on her bra, groaning as she reached behind to close it, and lifted her shoulder. "Relieved? Insanely happy she's not gone?" She turned, leaning against the bed to step into her panties. "Dreading the reactions of some of the crew … of Garrus."
That seemed to bring a spark of smugness from Jane. "Insanely happy, really?"
"Oh shush," Shepard thought with a smirk.
"And … how is Jane?" Dr. Chakwas stood, opening her omni-tool as she made her way back to Shepard.
"Surprisingly sane." Shepard shrugged. "Far more together than she's been since the Lazarus Project."
Jane snorted. "Thanks."
"You're welcome," Shepard whispered, ignoring the twitch of Dr. Chakwas eyebrow.
Dr. Chakwas passed the omni-tool over Shepard, turning her attention to the screen. "How so?"
"Well, she hasn't said a lot since I woke up, but she … feels more stable." Shepard tilted her head to the side. "And I saw her and the others while down there while the leviathans were in my head. She looked more together, better composed."
Dr. Chakwas glanced up, holding Shepard's gaze for a moment before turning her attention back to her omni-tool. "I see. And do you agree with this assessment, Jane?"
"Uh, yes, yes I do." Jane's shock at having the doctor address her directly, and so casually, echoed Shepard's.
Shepard nodded when Dr. Chakwas met her gaze again. "She says she does."
"Excellent. I had hoped that might be the case." She closed her omni-tool. "Jane showed significant signs of improvement while you were comatose. I believe her time spent existing in a more … physical way, helped to reorient her." She smiled warmly. "That being said, with the change of circumstances … it's possible you might regress, Jane. If you begin to feel as if that might be happening, you should let us know right away."
"I—of course. Is this weird? This feels weird." Jane stirred in Shepard's mind. "I mean, she can't hear me … so, yeah, this is weird."
Shepard surprised herself with a bark of laughter, pulling on her pants. "She says it's weird that you're talking directly to her since you can't hear her."
Dr. Chakwas nodded. "Well, I hope that you can get used to it, because I plan on encouraging everyone to do the same. I think that it might help keep you grounded, for lack of a better term."
Shepard paused, her shirt half over her head. Pulling it down the rest of the way, she met Dr. Chakwas gaze, her eyebrows raised.
"And I encourage you, Dawn, to be her voice when she has something to say. The two of you should be working together, not against one another." Dr. Chakwas raised her eyebrows, giving Shepard that all too familiar challenging look.
"You … think all of that will help?" Shepard shoved her arms through the sleeves, tugging her shirt down into place. "And it's not going to be a major disruption to the crew? And people will remember to keep it to themselves when around the Cerberus crew?"
"I think I she's right, Dawn. I think I need this." The desperation in Jane's voice spoke volumes.
Dr. Chakwas rested her hand on Shepard's shoulder. "I believe it will take some adjustment, but yes, Commander. I think it will help the both of you; possibly the others as well." She squeezed Shepard's shoulder before dropping her hand and moving back to her desk. "Perhaps the two of you can come up with a code word, or a nickname for the crew to use when addressing Jane where others might overhear."
"Doc?" Shepard sat on the bed, pulling on her socks.
"Yes, Commander?" Dr. Chakwas watched her closely.
Shepard took a deep breath, and let it out slow. "There's something else."
Dr. Chakwas didn't respond, only kept her assessing gaze on Shepard.
"When I was in the coma … something happened. I think I somehow hurt—killed some of the others." Shepard kept her head down, focused on the task of getting her boots on and laced up. "I think Jane knows what happened."
"Jane?" Dr. Chakwas moved to stand in front of Shepard again.
Jane was quiet for a long moment before finally letting go of a resigned sigh. "Yeah. I don't know how exactly, but you … pulled some of them in. Absorbed them somehow … and knocked the rest of us out with some sort of blast. It happened as you were waking up."
Shepard swallowed, her fingers trembling, making her struggle with her laces.
Dr. Chakwas covered Shepard's hand with one of her own, her voice soothing as she asked, "Commander, what happened? What's Jane telling you?"
"She said something happened when I was waking up. That I—," she said, her voice cracking, "I absorbed some of them somehow. And then there was some sort of blast that knocked everyone else out. I don't understand, Doc. Absorbed them how?" Shepard dropped her shoe laces, shaking off Dr. Chakwas hand to scrub her face, burying her fingers in her hair. "There's been … I've been having memories that aren't my own. Different from seeing them from Jane. They're there, inside of me like it really happened to me … but I know it didn't."
Dr. Chakwas sat down on the edge of the bed next to Shepard. "Commander … unfortunately, there are no records of something like this ever happening before. I have nothing to compare any of this to." She snorted softly. "This is the sort of thing that if a doctor can figure out, it'll make them famous." Smiling, she rubbed her hand along Shepard's back soothingly. "In the meantime, I do know that I've never met anyone stronger than you. And if anyone can pull though this, my money's on you."
A wry smile tugged at Shepard's mouth and she blew out a noisy breath. "Thanks, Doc."
Dr. Chakwas leaned over, bumping her shoulder against Shepard's. "Are these memories disturbing when they happen?"
"No … not really. I mean, some of the memories themselves have been disturbing but considering what we're facing, how could they not be?" Shepard shrugged, turning her attention back to tying her boots.
"Does it feel like you're losing control of your faculties? Can you stop the memories if you try?" Dr. Chakwas asked, opening her omni-tool to take notes.
"I haven't really tried too hard to stop them, but they are a little disorienting." Shepard dropped her foot to the floor, pulling up the other one to rest on her knee while she worked the laces. Her muscles were already feeling less sore than when she woke up. "It did feel like I was moving on autopilot a little. Going down to find the leviathans."
"Autopilot?" Dr. Chakwas quirked an eyebrow.
"Yeah." Shepard put her foot back on the floor, bracing her hands on her knees. "I didn't have to think about where I was going, I already knew. When I started struggling to think, to use the controls … I just started doing them without thinking about it."
"So like muscle memory?" Dr. Chakwas typed something into her omni-tool.
Shepard thought about it for a moment, tilting her head to the side. "Yeah. Yeah I guess so."
"Any indication of autonomous thought?" Dr. Chakwas paused, her hand hovering over her omni-tool. "Um, anything that seems to deviate from the memories?"
"I know what autonomous thought means, Doc, and no. It's all just memories so far." Shepard stood, stretching her arms over her head.
"Well … I'm not concerned. Not yet at least. I do want you to try and keep track of these memories and see if you are able to stop them, particularly if they become difficult for you to deal with. And I want to know if anything new starts happening."
"That's it?" Shepard let a sharp bark of laughter escape her mouth.
Dr. Chakwas raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. "Do you suggest something else, Commander?"
Shepard raised her hands up in the air. "Yes!" She let them fall, slapping them against her thighs. "No." She raked her fingers through her hair, studying the floor in front of her feet. "Hell, I don't know. This whole thing … I just don't know. It's crazy. It's all crazy and I'm pretty sure I am, too."
"You're not crazy." Jane snorted. "I know crazy. You're stressed out. You're scared. But you're not crazy."
Shepard's lips twitched and she whispered, "Thanks." When she looked up again, Dr. Chakwas smiled at her. "What?"
Dr. Chakwas stood, crossing the floor to stand in front of Shepard. She reached up; smoothing her hand over Shepard's disheveled hair. "You're not crazy." Letting her hand fall away, she smiled again. "I can't imagine how hard this is for you, Shepard. But you're not crazy, and you're not going through this alone."
Shepard snorted. "Yeah. Definitely not alone." She tapped the side of her head. "Never alone." She turned to the med bay door. "I better go see Anderson."
"Shepard?" Dr. Chakwas called after her.
Shepard turned, letting her Commander's mask slip back into place.
Dr. Chakwas frowned. "Do you think you are unfit for duty?"
"What?" Shepard's jaw dropped, her eyebrows creeping up her face; Commander's mask cast aside in her shock.
"I want to know if you are concerned about this to a point where you think you are unfit for duty." Dr. Chakwas crossed her arms. "You don't seem confident in my decisions, and I'm not complaining, but if you genuinely feel that it is not in the best interest of you or others aboard this ship …."
"Then I should resign." Shepard crossed her arms and pursed her lips.
"No! No, you can't do that!" Jane all but screeched in Shepard's head.
"So, do you believe you are unfit for duty?" Dr. Chakwas asked again.
Shepard sucked her teeth. "No … no, I think I'm—we're the only ones fit for this duty." She turned on her heel and left the med bay without another word.
Garrus and Thane waited just outside; Garrus leaning against the wall, arms crossed loosely while Thane stood in front of him, hands tucked behind his back. They both turned to smile at her when she walked out of the med bay. She found herself smiling right back, the stress and panic from a few moments before dissolving into nothingness.
She came to a stop next to them and glanced around the mess hall, finding it empty, she reached out and grabbed a hold of both of them, pulling them in closer so she could lace one arm through each of theirs. "Come see Anderson with me?" She looked back and forth between the two of them. "I'm still required to have guards."
"Of course, siha." Thane dipped his head.
Shepard leaned over and kissed his cheek, earning her a grin.
"Where's my kiss?" Garrus flicked his mandibles.
"You stole my coffee." Shepard smirked, moving them toward the elevator.
Garrus chuffed, hitting the elevator call button, his mandibles drooping. Shepard chuckled, pushing up to her tip toes to press her lips against his cheek. He flared his mandibles, grinning at her as he pushed his forehead against hers. The elevator opened, and they stepped inside, Thane hitting the button for the second deck.
Shepard waited for the elevator to start moving and cleared her throat. "So … uh, I thought the two of you should know before Dr. Chakwas decides to send out a memo or something … I can hear Jane again." She looked up at Garrus, weary of his reaction.
His mandibles fluttered but he didn't say anything or even turn to look at her.
"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised," Jane said, disappointment seeping into her words. "I hoped … I tried to make things right with him. I swear I did."
"I'm sorry, Jane," Shepard thought.
"This is good news." Thane patted her hand on his arm. "I know her absence concerned you."
"Glad someone thinks so," Jane said.
Shepard smiled at Thane, mouthing the words 'thank you'. He squeezed her hand, his gaze flitting to Garrus before moving back to hers and he dipped his head. The elevator stopped, opening up on the CIC.
Kelly looked up, flashing Shepard a smile. "The Illusive Man would like to speak with you, Commander."
"Fantastic." Shepard suppressed a groan. "I'm on my way to see the Council. Tell him I'll call him later."
Kelly's eyes bulged, her jaw working soundlessly for a moment before she nodded. "Yeah. Sure. Of course, Commander. I'll let him know."
Shepard allowed herself a grin, winking at the yeoman. "Thanks, Kelly. You're a peach."
Kelly blushed, twisting back and forth at the waist and waved her hand at Shepard. She chuckled, leading Thane and Garrus off the Normandy. The atmosphere on the Citadel felt tense as they made their way to the Presidium. It made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, making her feel naked without her armor. She wished she didn't feel like the extra weight of her armor would crush her. Garrus' mandibles stayed flat against his jaws, his gaze in constant motion. Thane didn't appear to be looking around as much, but Shepard knew that he'd be just as aware—if not more so—of every potential threat in the area.
They made their way to Anderson's office without incident, and Shepard let out a slow breath. The second Shepard stepped inside, Anderson's assistant, Rebecca, called him on the intercom before gesturing down the hall. Shepard smiled, nodding at Rebecca as she made her way to Anderson's door, Thane and Garrus right behind her.
Anderson stood at the back of his office, the rest of the Council in front of him via hologram. He looked up when she walked in, waving her over. "Shepard, good timing."
She glanced at Thane and Garrus; they nodded and took up station by the door. She noticed Garrus stood in front of Thane, keeping the Council from getting a good look at him, and it warmed her heart to see how close the two of them had become. Making her way over to Anderson, she turned to face the Council, her hands tucked behind her back.
"Shepard. Good of you to join us." Tevos smiled, clasping her hands in front of her.
Shepard suppressed a shudder, remembering the hell the leviathan faux-Council put her through. "Thank you, Councilor. I would've come sooner, but I was only just released from med bay."
"Are you injured, Shepard?" Quentius flared his mandibles.
Shepard smiled, giving him a slight shake of her head. "Nothing to worry about, sir."
"Well, Shepard, it's been a while since we've spoken. What progress have you made?" Tevos asked.
Shepard rubbed the back of her thumb across her forehead. "I've actually got something important to tell you unrelated to the collectors."
"Are you sure you want to tell them this?" Jane stirred restlessly. "The fact that we didn't win the leviathans over might not go over so well."
"I think it'll go over worse if the leviathan are spotted by someone else, or show up demanding tribute and we didn't warn them," Shepard thought.
Anderson shifted next to Shepard, turning his attention to her. She glanced at him and lifted her shoulder a little before focusing back on the rest of the Council.
"I just left Sigurd's Cradle where I encountered a planet housing what I believe to be an unknown, ancient species." Shepard returned her hand behind her back, clasping it in the other.
"Commander, are you telling us that you've made first contact with a new species?" Valern raised a brow ridge.
"Uh, actually, I'm telling you I've made first contact with an old species. A very, very old species. Older than the protheans." She suppressed a smirk at the astonished looks on the councilor's faces.
Tevos licked her lips. "The protheans? Are you sure?"
"I believe so, yes." Shepard nodded once.
"Who are they? Where are they? There are protocols in place for this sort of thing." Tevos waved a hand frantically. "How could we not know about them?"
"Excuse me, Councilor." Shepard held up a hand, interjecting before Tevos could give herself an aneurysm. "I'll gladly tell you everything I know, but I feel I must start with telling you that this species is responsible for the creation of the reapers."
"You're certain, Shepard?" Anderson asked, undoubtedly remembering the conversations she'd had with him about the leviathans and hoping to cut off arguments from the rest of the Council.
Shepard turned, meeting his gaze. "Sovereign was made in their image. They look just like the reaper that attacked the Citadel."
"By the Goddess." Tevos' face lightened, giving her a sickly pallor.
Quentius flared his mandibles. "So they are hostile?"
Shepard sucked her teeth and gave a light shake of her head. "They are … aggressively neutral."
"Aggressively neutral? What does that even mean?" Valern asked.
Shepard clenched one of her hidden hands into a fist. "Let me start at the beginning."
"Please do." Quentius' arched his brow ridges.
Shepard forced a tight smile. "Let's see if I can condense this. Hundreds of thousands of years ago—I don't know how long—this species ruled over all others."
"Ruled over?" Tevos chirped again.
Shepard held up a hand, silently pleading with the asari for a little patience. "I'll get there, I promise. The other species created synthetic life, and eventually the synthetics turned against their makers. This kept happening over and over again."
Valern shifted, tucking his hands into the sleeves of his robe. "Like the quarians and the geth?"
Shepard opened her mouth, ready to defend the geth but closed it again. Instead she pinched the bridge of her nose, rubbing thumb and forefinger over her closed eyelids. "Mmm. So, this species—they didn't name themselves—decided to create their own synthetic because they were just arrogant enough to think that the same thing couldn't possibly ever happen to them."
"The reapers?" Quentius asked.
"Christ, do they ever shut up? I don't think they were ever this vocal with me." Annoyances passed back and forth between Jane and Dawn.
"No exactly." Shepard cleared her throat. "They created an AI they call the Intelligence, giving it the job of figuring out how to preserve life at all costs. They sent this AI off to solve this problem, expecting them to come up with a solution to keep their subjects from creating other synthetics and then getting wiped out by their creations." Shepard made air quotes as she said, "Tribute does not flow from a dead race."
"They created an AI to keep people from creating AIs because AIs keep killing their creators?" Anderson raised an eyebrow.
Shepard's lips twitched and she nodded. "Yes sir."
"So where do the reapers come in?" Quentius asked.
"The Intelligence spent some time studying this pattern between organics and synthetics and came to the conclusion that their creators were part of the problem. The solution it devised—to save life at any cost—was to kill off their makers and the other races capable of creating synthetics, and preserve their DNA in synthetic form; beginning the first harvest."
"This is insane. How could they allow this?" Tevos' hand fluttered to her forehead.
"Well, by the time they realized their plan was backfiring, it was too late. They were being slaughtered. Some ran, hiding throughout the galaxy where they've stayed hidden all this time." Shepard rocked forward onto the balls of her feet, standing still was beginning to undo the progress she'd made loosening her achy muscles. "Watching and waiting, letting these cycles keep going. They've kept their numbers low, hidden in the depths of oceans, and used artifacts to watch for signs that they've been discovered."
"What artifacts?" Valern asked.
Shepard lifted a shoulder. "They called them 'fragments' they're iridescent orbs. They're able to watch and listen through these orbs, but also emit some sort of frequency they use to enthrall people—using these people to help keep their existence secret."
"Enthrall? Like indoctrination?" Valern asked, sounding unnervingly impressed with the idea.
Shepard nodded. "Indoctrination is a perverted form of the natural abilities this species possess, yes. It is also the method they used to rule over what they considered to be lesser species spread throughout the galaxy. It is possible, given the right circumstances, particularly if we win this war and they no longer feel the need to hide, that they might attempt to retake their place as a ruling apex species."
The councilors exchanged concerned looks.
Shepard continued, hoping to get through everything she had to say before they started bickering over this new perceived threat. "They communicated with me through some method similar to an asari's ability to meld … but less gentle."
Tevos' eyes widened. "How so?"
"I was forcefully and painfully pulled into this meld by several of these … whatever they are." Shepard licked her lips. "They dug through my memories until they found images of the four of you, and then presented themselves in my mind as the Council."
Anderson made sucked in a quick breath, making a startled sound. "Us? Why us?"
Shepard glanced at him, offering him a weak smile. "My guess is to impress upon me the idea that I'm subordinate to them in the hopes of keeping me compliant."
Anderson snorted softly. "You? Compliant? Clearly they didn't look too closely at your memories."
Shepard tried to smile but it fell flat as she considered her next words. "I tried to convince them to join us against the reapers, but they declined insisting that they won't get involved." Shepard hesitated a moment, taking a deep breath. "I tried to push the subject, reminding them that this was their doing and that if they didn't help us to end it, they'd have to continue to live in hiding until they were finally found."
Anderson inched a little closer to her, his voice laced with concern, "What did they say?"
"They didn't say anything so much as punish me for my insolence. They did something that caused intense pain, starting in my head and radiating throughout the rest of my body—making me cough up blood."
Garrus chuffed loudly enough to draw Anderson's attention. "Vakarian you have something to add?"
Shepard glanced over her shoulder, and Garrus met her eyes. Shepard jerked her head to the side, telling him to join her. He nodded, leaving Thane to fend for himself and crossed the floor to stand next to Shepard.
"You were with Shepard for this … meeting?" Quentius flared his mandibles.
Garrus gave a curt shake of his head. "No, unfortunately. They were too far beneath the ocean for anyone to accompany Shepard. There was only one diving mech available."
"What did you see, Vakarian?" Anderson asked.
"When Shepard returned, she was barely conscious and bleeding from her mouth, nose, eyes, and ears." Garrus held Anderson's gaze, his mandibles fluttering lightly. "Honestly, anyone but Shepard and I doubt they would've made it back to the surface at all." Garrus glanced at Shepard and she nodded. "Shortly after she resurfaced, those of us ashore witnessed members of this species Shepard described leaving the ocean and flying off into the sky."
Quentius' subvocals trilled. "You saw them?"
Garrus turned back to look at the turian councilor. "Yes sir."
"Others with you saw them as well?" Quentius' brow ridges raised; his gaze steady on Garrus.
Garrus nodded. "That's correct. Lieutenant James Vega, Tali'Zorah vas Neema, Miranda Lawson, and Professor Mordin Solus were present."
"Where are they now? We would like to hear their accounting of these events." Tevos clasped her hands in front of her, seeming to have regained some of her composure.
Shepard cleared her throat. "Shore leave. I was unconscious in the med bay when we arrived to the Citadel and my XO released the crew while I recovered. I can call them in if you'd like."
Tevos looked between Quentius and Valern before turning to Anderson and then looking back to Shepard. "I don't believe that will be necessary."
"I don't suppose you know where this new species went?" Valern asked.
Shepard lifted a shoulder and shook her head. "We know they used the relay to enter the Omega Nebula before us. From there …."
"Space flight? Without ships?" Valern's brow ridges shot up.
Shepard took a deep breath. "Seems so."
"I see. I believe the Council has much to discuss. If you remember anything else, please pass the information along to Anderson," Tevos said, clearly dismissing Shepard.
"Of course." Shepard nodded, turning her attention to Anderson. "We'll catch up later?"
Anderson smiled, patting her on her arm. "I'll call you when we're done here. Maybe you can swing back by before you leave the Citadel?"
"Sure. I gave the crew a few more hours shore leave." Shepard nodded to Garrus, making her way back over to the door.
"So, where to now?" Garrus asked falling in behind Shepard.
"Back to the ship, for me at least. I need the galaxy's hottest shower and then I'm going to eat the entire mess hall."
"God that sounds wonderful," said Jane.