…
"Ninjas understand quantum mechanics a lot more than people realize. That was a controversial part of my dissertation."
(Freeman's Mind)
…
Serenity Valley, June 18th, 6:24 PM, 2184
…
I stood next to Dimitri, taking in the lovely smell going through the air as we worked on tonight's group dinner. Dimitri was cooking up burgers, while I cut up some French fries to throw in his fryer. We were using the potatoes we grew in the CASTLE Base hydroponics lab.
The burgers were grown in special fabricators from cow muscle tissue samples in what basically amounted to a culture dish. They lacked the same fat content as an actual slab of beef, but they were much healthier and tasted almost as good as the real thing. As for the potatoes, they were first-generation, Reach grown Russets. They had a tough skin that could be further stiffened by boiling them for a few minutes then drying them out in the oven. So far, we've made mashed potatoes, potato skins, and now French fries.
Only years later did I truly appreciate the green thumb by mother had passed down to me.
Dimitri's unit was decorated in a way that reminded me of an outdoorsman. His dinner table and the chairs around it were made from the nearby trees, there was an axe leaning next to his doorway, and he was currently wearing a stereotypical, red and black plaid "lumberjack shirt". Most of the walls were covered in pictures of us or designs he had lazily left lying around. He was almost as bad as Dan and Richard in how he handled his documents.
The most obvious thing in his living room however was the M2 Browning heavy machine gun he was currently building. It sat in the middle of his large coffee table next to several related blueprints in various states of assembly. Of course, it wasn't an original. He had been slowly fabricating parts for it, hoping to make it operational by the end of the year. It would work on mass accelerator mechanics due to the expenses he'd have to go through to make the 50. BMG it would normally fire.
I couldn't wait to see it.
I looked at the table to see Sira focusing on her datapad. She was still trying to work on improvements for the MES system, which had finally been installed on Cairo Station. The tests were showing great promise, though installation had been difficult in the initial stage. I imagined once the second ODP was finished, they'd begin adding the system to the Liveships.
Richard was sitting in the chair next to her, barely conscious. He and Powell had been working constantly for the last week upgrading the framework inside of the quarian envirosuits. It involved a series of optimizations to all the suit systems, especially the decon and medical portions. Powell had elected to stay back at CASTLE Base and continue the work while Richard came home for R&R.
Mara was sitting closest to us, listening to some classical music through a pair of earbuds I made for her. She had started wearing maternity clothes now the baby bump was beginning to form, though this hadn't detracted from how beautiful she was at all. She had been a great help to me in the past weeks, helping with my workload when she wasn't sifting through the archive data in CASTLE Base.
Last but not least, there was our new neighbor Greg, sitting at the very end of the table and going through his first e-mail dump from the Alliance. According to what the Admirals had told me, he'd be spending a lot of his time visiting various Captains in the Fleet, speaking to them and trying to build relationships. I could only imagine the flak he'd receive as an outsider, especially on ships like the Idenna.
He'd have to be a smooth talker to hit it off with Captain Mal.
"It is good that we have cheese this time around!" Dimitri said as I turned to face him with a smile. "You can't have burger without cheese."
"I couldn't agree more." I replied, throwing the last of the hand cut fries into the basket and inserting it into the deep fryer. It boiled up as the moisture in the potatoes immediately started evaporating, sending a cloud of hot vapor into the air before I threw the lid on it. "Did you remember the ketchup this time?"
"Yes! It is in fridge, though I had to get it in can form." He announced, walking over to the fridge and pulling out said can. He tossed it at me.
Catching it, I looked at the label to see it was good old-fashioned Heinz Ketchup.
"You're a lifesaver, man." I jubilated, giving him a quick handshake.
"I try to be." He nodded as he turned back to the burgers.
I stared at the can, recalling my oldest memory. It was back in 1996, a year after I was born. I was but a wee little baby, and my parents had stopped into a Friendly's on Richie Highway for lunch. I can distinctly remember sucking ketchup off of a French fry my parents were giving me, smiling as I did so.
This would be my first time eating ketchup in years.
"You're looking a little… nostalgic there, Sean." Mara commented, pulling one of her earbuds out.
"You wouldn't be wrong." I said, placing the can on Dimitri's countertop. "I've eaten ketchup since I was a kid. Not having it for the last few years has really been putting a hamper on my eating experience."
She simply shook her head, letting out an amused huff.
"What can I say? I'm a creature of simple tastes." I finished, pulling the now finished French fries out of the deep fryer and throwing them into a paper-filled wire basket. "Let's eat!"
"Sounds good." Richard remarked with the faintest amount of enthusiasm, smiling as he forced himself to wake up fully and sit up straight in his chair.
After placing the basket in the middle of the wood table, I walked back to the kitchen area and began opening up the can of ketchup as quickly as possible. Once it was open, I grabbed a bag of rolls and placed both on the table.
Once we were all sitting around the table, I quickly did the Sign of the Cross before folding my napkin and placing it on my lap. As I began putting fries on my plate, Greg looked over at me with a confusion all over his face.
"Ok… what's wrong?" I asked, taking my eyes off of him for a second to grab a roll before focusing back on him.
"What was that? The gesture you just made?" He inquired, scooting closer to the table in his chair.
"Oh, this?" I said, repeating the movement. "That's the Sign of the Cross. It's an old Catholic gesture."
"You're religious?" He questioned, looking slightly intrigued.
"Eh… not really. It's more of a habit than anything else." I shrugged, offering the basket of French fries to him. "Want any?"
"Sure." He agreed without hesitation, taking a small handful and putting them on his plate.
I we all ate in relative silence for a minute before Greg looked to Richard.
"So Richard, why couldn't your colleague Powell join us here tonight?" He asked, still munching on his fries.
"He's busy working on a framework upgrade for quarian envirosuits." Richard answered bluntly, wiping off his artificial eye with a napkin before taking another bite out of his burger. "Besides, Powell never comes to our dinners. It's kind of awkward eating around someone who can't do the same."
"What do you mean?" Greg prodded further, looking even more confused.
"You'll find out tomorrow." Richard reassured, speech muffled due to his mouth still being full of food.
"Why don't you tell us more about yourself, Greg?" I asked, putting down my burger and leaning back in my chair. "Got any interesting stories? That CSV Hackett sent us mentioned something happening on a planet called Tyr."
This made him stop and think almost immediately. He leaned back in his chair, looking down at the floor before speaking up.
"Well, on Tyr, we had been sent there to investigate an emergency signal being broadcast from a mining facility." He began, focusing on his plate as he spoke. "According to said message, the "miners" claim there had been an accident in the facility and needed help."
"Tyr was mining planet in Exodus Cluster, correct?" Dimitri asked, testing himself to see if he was indeed correct.
"Yes, it's right near Terra Nova." He confirmed focusing on Dimitri. "Right now it's just a mining planet, dominated mostly by teleoperated facilities and a few manned ones."
"That makes it an e-easier target for pirate attacks." Dan commented, only halfway through his sandwich.
"Actually, not as easy as you'd normally think." Greg corrected, pointing in Dan's direction while holding a fry. "The Sixth Fleet is normally stationed in the Exodus Cluster due to its proximity to other important star systems. It helps deter pirate attacks somewhat. The problem is it's also the only system connected to Kite's Nest."
"The Batarian home system, right?" I asked, trying to make sure I remembered everything correctly. "I think I see where this is going."
He nodded, leaning one of his elbows against the table. "We go down there, me and a squad of eight other men. Once reaching the facility my friend Phoenix and were ordered to stay at the shuttle and prep emergency gear."
He took a sip of water before going on, looking back at all of us this time.
"As it turns out, the miners had been captured by batarian slavers and the emergency message was being used to lure in unsuspecting people. Like us." He went on, running his hand through his hair. "Forty-five or so minutes later, we decided that something isn't right. We grabbed our weapons and entered the facility quietly, and soon made it to the primary dig site. There, we looked down to see our commander, another one of our squad members, and several of the miners dead on the ground. Not far from them, the survivors were tied together in rows, ready to be transported."
"Ok… how did a bunch of slavers ambush six fully-trained Alliance marines?" I asked, leaning against the table and looking harder at him.
"According to our surviving squad members, our commander threw caution to the wind and moved forward without examining the situation any further. Once they were in the right spot, the slavers who outnumbered the squad nine to six jumped out and took them by force." He continued, gesturing with his hands as if he were holding a rifle. "None of them were prepared for it. The commander and ensign Yamata tried fighting back, but were killed almost instantly in the ensuing gunfight."
"What did you and Phoenix do?" Dimitri asked, looking very interested.
"Well, I quickly looked over the mineshaft, marking down the positions of all the slavers before slowly moving up towards the main processing area." He went on, giving us the general layout of the area through hand gestures. "We managed to knock out the two of the scumbags before we split up and found a good spot to set up my sniper rifle. Phoenix moved down the shaft, getting as close as possible to the group before I opened fire. Three of the ones policing the prisoners went down as he popped out of cover, gunning down three more with his rifle. The remaining trio took cover inside of a tool shed as everyone down the ground got back up and began running."
"From that point, I ran down the shaft to help Phoenix out with the remaining three. He managed to take down one of them before taking a round to the gut." He explained, grabbing at his side as if he had been shot. "I pulled him back into cover before moving up towards the shed with a grenade at the ready. I tossed it inside, blowing both of them out into the open. One was killed instantly in the explosion, while the other landed on the ground, defenseless and in extreme pain."
"So'd you kill him?" Dan asked, holding up his head with his arm.
"No, I slapped some handcuffs on him before running back to Phoenix and administering medical aid." He finished, taking a sip of his water. "We later learned that his group had been pulling jobs like this for the last year, hitting remote mining installations and abducting the workers. The higher-ups apparently thought I handled the situation well enough to promote me to Lieutenant and invite me to the ICT."
"Wow…" Sira blurted out in what I could only imagine was a "dreamy" tone, before quickly snapping herself out of whatever trance she had allowed herself to fall into. "That's a great story! No wonder you were chosen to be their ambassador."
"I suppose." Greg shrugged, looking back at his plate. "I was Hackett's first choice. I find it hard to say no to the man, I respect him too much."
"Has Hackett discussed the possible ramifications of this partnership with you?" I inquired, calmly crossing my arms in front of me. "If this thing goes public, the Council isn't going to just sit down an accept it."
He stared into his plate for a few more seconds as he went over the facts in his head. He then looked back to me with a more determined face.
"We've been balancing the potential issues. Hackett isn't worried about their reactions as much as he is the problems that'll arise in the absence of our partnership." He replied with a much sterner tone as he leaned towards the table. "He mentioned you were all aware of the Reaper threat?"
That really got everyone's attention, especially Richard, who dropped his burger back on his plate the moment he heard the name dropped.
"More than aware. We know that they're the single biggest threat to civilization as we know it." Mara confirmed, leaning back in her chair. "The Admirals though… we believe they are still on the fence regarding the topic."
"What does the Alliance currently know about the Reapers?" I asked after taking a sip of water.
"Very little." He replied, popping a fry into his mouth before deliberating. "All we know is that they are unbelievably powerful, equipped with massive eezo drive cores and possessing highly advanced weapons and kinetic barriers. They can land on planets and attack certain points of interest with incredible precision as demonstrated during the attack on Eden Prime. As far as their motive goes, all we have is an anecdotal report from Commander Shepard regarding a brief conversation he had with the Reaper who attacked the Citadel. It's only goal appears to be the death of all sentient life in the galaxy."
Richard took a deep breath, staring down at his plate with a one-thousand mile stare clearly evident.
"I still don't understand… what purpose does killing all sentient life in the galaxy achieve?" Sira inquired, clearly and understandably confused.
"We simply don't know." He admitted, staring over at us for a few moments before his omni-tool began beeping. "Oh, don't mind that. It's letting me know it's time to take my medication."
He took a small container out of his pocket, taking two pills out of it and popping them into his mouth. With a swig of water, he gulped them down.
"Beta blockers?" Richard asked, gaining his immediate attention as he slipped the container back into his pocket.
"You would be correct." He nodded, grabbing another handful of fries from the bowl. "How'd you know?"
"While I do focus mainly on brain chemistry, I am fully certified as an all-around medical professional." He answered, blatantly flaunting his credentials. "That, and I read your CSV."
"I should have guessed." He shot back with a huff of amusement as we all focused back on our food.
It was hard to admit, but I was starting to like this guy.
…
CASTLE Base, August 9th, 11:57 AM, 2184
…
I walked back and forth, checking over the data on my personal datapad as I occasionally looked back up at the Viper and Python prototypes being built here in Hanger 4.
The Viper was slated to be the new Interceptor for the Migrant Fleet, armed with four 58mm mass accelerator cannons and a slew of other armament options. As an Interceptor, its job involves hunting down drones, fighters, and of course, other interceptors. I based the whole design off of the Swordfish II from the old 90's anime series Cowboy Bebop.
The Python would be part of the line of new Fighters, resembling traditional 21st century jet fighters. Its job focused on dealing fast and heavy damage to enemy ships. By default, it came with two 58mm mass accelerator cannons and two disruptor torpedo launchers. It even included a nasty little invention Dimitri cooked up called the Hunter Micro Missile System.
This system deploys a swarm of small, rocket-propelled explosives. When deployed in a zero-gravity environment, the shotgun shell-sized explosives will launch themselves towards hostile targets attacking marked locations or certain energy signatures. The projectiles are too small to be targeted by anti-missile defenses, and hold the potential to attack many different targets at once. I was impressed.
All of this was being built with the goal of restoring the quarian's fighter and interceptor capability, something they've been severely lacking for years. As far as larger ships, I had given the Phantom project over to Dan and Dimitri to handle while I squared away the issue of developing a ship to transport and deploy the Dragoon mechs.
The Phantom-class frigate was what the Admirals were really interested in at the moment. It would be a stealth frigate similar to the Alliance's Normandy-class, but it will utilize both the visual cloak and radar masking systems developed by each respective party. You won't be able to track it, and you won't be able to see it. It can be used as a deep-cover scout ship or as a first-strike deployment vessel. This was a big deal, not because it would be incredibly advantageous, but also because it would be the first quarian-built ship in years. As such, it would be employing a mix of quarian and human design elements.
The dropships were the harder bit, though. The easiest way to build them would be to mod the standard modular Kowloon-class freighters into sub-orbital dropships, through modifying a pre-built ship could present problems down the line. Any ship we custom-built for this would have to be capable of holding at least two of these mechs, and would ideally be able to defend itself it attacked. Luckily, we still had time to narrow down what we'd be doing for them. The Dragoon construction process was slow going.
All of this was stacked on top of the construction of the new ODP, which was moving at a steady pace. The design of the station is largely the same as the first, though there are a few differences. The biggest difference is that this one is being built with the newest model of the MES system, which will better "hug" the hull and be more energy efficient than the one we installed and tested on Cairo Station. The second was the installation of plasma thrusters in the place of the old RCS systems. These would allow the station to orientate much faster, didn't need refueling, and eliminated the need to vent excess plasma from the reactor.
Above all else, the biggest thing was Mara and I's child. The baby bump was very clearly visible, and growing bigger seemingly every week. I didn't know whether to be thrilled or terrified. We were technically only a month away from the end of the pregnancy, and I still had no idea what to do about it all. I could only hope that when the time came, there wouldn't be any complications. As part of our preparations, we managed to get a new half-sized housing unit attached to our dwelling to use as our child's room. We currently had a crib and a few toys, but other than that, it was still very barren.
With everything going on, I didn't know how I was still functioning at a "normal" capacity.
"So… which o-one do you think will fly first?" Dan asked, snapping me out of my thoughts as I swiveled around to face him and the two crafts being constructed.
I pondered his question for a few moments, looking between the two before making my decision.
"The Viper." I answered without hesitation, pointing at it with my free hand.
"Still having a-aspirations about being Spike Spiegel, huh?" He shot back with a shit-eating grin, knowing full well why I had chosen the design.
"Hardly. I don't plan on dyeing my hair green anytime soon, even if it is my favorite color." I replied, running my hand though said hair. "If I can swing it, I'm going to keep the prototype for myself and paint it red."
"Of course." Dan finished, shaking his head with a smile.
We continued to look over the progress so far for a few minutes before my omni-tool began ringing. To my utter surprise, it was Richard who was calling.
"What's up, man?" I asked, throwing my datapad underneath my armpit.
"I need you to come over to my lab and get rid of this Daro'Xen woman." He said in a hushed tone, sounding annoyed as he put emphasis on "rid". "She has been in my lab asking questions for the past hour, and I haven't gotten any work done since."
"Why haven't you asked her to leave?" I questioned, not understanding why I had to get involved.
"I did, she keeps repeating "only a few more questions" only to keep going." He stressed, letting out an audible exhale. "Can you please come and get rid of her?"
I let out my own sigh of annoyance before focusing back on my omni-tool.
"Yeah, I'll be down there in a few minutes." I agreed, cutting off the call and looking back to Dan. "I gotta go take care of a small problem. Make sure they align those engine buffers correctly, otherwise the ship will shake to pieces at full power."
"Got it." He confirmed as I collapsed my datapad and began my walk back to the underground portion of CASTLE Base.
Before long, I was in the elevator with a few engineers going down to Sublevel 3. The entire facility has been busy the last month since the Admirals started pulling volunteers in for rotations. It seemed the Admirals were working on a few projects of their own, most of which involved specialized upgrades for the various ships in the Fleet. The retrofitting projects for the non-quarian ships were difficult due to the various different designs and layouts chosen by other species. Some ships required rewiring, engine replacement, and even complete overhauls.
While ships were being worked on in space, many quarians are either taking military training courses on Reach or volunteering for work around the system. From what I had heard, many younger quarians were now being put to work on the shipyards or being pressed into military service instead of going out on the traditional Pilgrimages. This was apparently due to how increasingly dangerous the rite has become since the Fleet relocated to the Klenot system.
I honestly hadn't counted on the repercussions of the Fleet's isolation. Sure, the coming-of-age could still choose to go on the traditional Pilgrimage, but the suspicion regarding the location of the Migrant Fleet cast a lot of possible danger over anyone who goes out there.
Regardless, the quarians were doing extremely well. Soon, there would be enough ships available to send regular patrols outside of the system, and Greg had even mentioned that there was something in the works regarding a possible joint mission between the Alliance and the Migrant Fleet. He hadn't told me much, but I did know it involved Cerberus.
Luckily for me, I wasn't in charge of any of that. I already had enough hellishness to deal with without rebuilding the Fleet, organizing personnel, and negotiating military action.
It was hard to admit, but I was really starting to like Greg. He was incredibly focused, keeping his mind centered on the topic at hand and very knowledgeable in military history. I was extremely surprised to see he too was a World War Two nut ball like me. We spent at least two hours discussing the Battle of the Bulge a few nights ago, ending it off with a conversation about the M18 Hellcat tank destroyer.
Once the elevator had reached Sublevel 3, I walked over to Richard's lab, straightening my polo shirt as I mentally prepared myself for whatever was awaiting me on the other side of the door.
The door slid open, immediately drawing the attention of the three individuals in the room.
"Hello Dr. Michaels." Powell greeted as I walked in, setting down my rucksack in the corner.
"Hello Powell, Richard." I returned respectively before looking harder at Xen.
Daro'Xen was always one of those names that seemed to pop up on a regular occasion, whether it be at Conclaves, hearings, and even muttered about by the Admirals themselves. Despite all of this, I had never held a conversation with the woman and had little idea what to expect from her.
"Ah, Captain Michaels." She acknowledged, bowing her head slightly. "I don't believe we've been formally introduced before."
"Correct." I replied, taking a deep breath. "Is there something I can help you with?"
"Oh no, I was just asking a few questions regarding your… friend Powell here." She explained, crossing her arms as she flipped back around to look at him. "Such marvelous technology… the things I could learn from yo-."
"Xen." I began in a no-nonsense tone as I took a few steps forward. "Don't."
"Don't what?" She questioned, turning back to me. "This unit is not only undamaged, but the first fully-functional unit we've seen in years. That's not even counting the cybernetic prosthetics Dr. Karpyshyn over there possesses."
"I'm only going to give you this warning once, Xen. Leave these two alone." I said, pointing at her. "If you have any questions for them, you put them through me. Got it?"
She then let out a disappointed sigh, shaking her head with her still crossed arms.
"Very well, Captain." She agreed, letting her arms fall back to her sides as she walked towards the door. "If only you'd see the value in that unit."
"His name is Powell." Richard angrily corrected, poking his head over a stack of papers to look at her.
"Either way, I'll be taking my leave." She finished, walking out of the lab.
"God, finally." Richard exclaimed, throwing himself into an office chair and rolling back to his workbench. "Thanks Sean."
"Don't mention it." I returned, thinking about Xen. "I should go talk to her, try to smooth down the hostility that just occurred."
"See you back at the homestead." Richard replied as I ran out the door to meet back up with Xen again. She was about halfway to the elevators when I caught up with her.
"Xen, we need to talk." I started, seeing her stop and turn as soon as she heard her name.
"About what, Captain?" She asked, obviously still annoyed. "I already agreed to follow your wishes and stay away from them."
"Listen… I don't want to be on bad terms with you. Let's go talk about what we're both looking for out of each other in my office."
"Very well." She begrudgingly agreed to, following me into the elevator. Once in my office, she took a seat in one of the two wood chairs in front of my desk as I took as seat in mine.
Since getting comfortable down here, I recently installed an old analog clock, along with a bookshelf decorated with a series of books, data drives, and knick-knacks. I also 3D printed a model of the Dragoon mech, putting it on the corner of my desk. It was one of the first things Xen noticed.
"Hm, your office seems rather… opulent." She remarked, running her hand over the curved wood before looking back to me.
"Yeah, well the work we do affords us a few benefits." I nodded, putting my fingers together as I leaned back in my chair slightly. "I am sorry about what happened downstairs, but I can't have someone interfering with my team's work."
"I'd prefer not to talk about it. Semantics are boring, and will only get us so far." She dismissed, looking at the items on my bookshelf in disinterest.
"Very well then." I agreed, dropping the subject as I found myself slightly surprised by the authority she threw off. "So… I've heard conflicting things about you. What's the story?"
"What is there to tell? I want to return our people to the homeworld and reclaim the Geth as their rightful masters!" She announced with confidence, holding her arms out.
I stared blankly at her for several seconds before she went on.
"You seem confused." She deadpanned, readjusting herself in her chair.
"That's an understatement." I answered, not moving my body at all. "I'd say you're insane, but that wouldn't be professional."
"You're just like the others, unable to look at the big picture." She mocked, looking to the model on my desk. "If we can regain control of the Geth, we'll not only be reclaiming out lost heritage, but also the largest army in the galaxy. No one will be able to oppose us."
"Forget what I said a few seconds ago, you really are batshit." I shot back, unable to comprehend the scope of this woman's ego. "Listen, I appreciate your support with our previous projects and everything, but if you really think you're going to "reclaim" the Geth, you're in for a rude awakening later down the line."
"Why do you say that? Do you not think we should have what rightfully belongs to us?" She accused, standing up and looking down on me.
"I think subjugating a race of sentient beings to the will of someone else is slavery, and should be fought at all costs." I replied with a raised voice, getting out of my chair. "Your rhetoric disgust me, and it's frankly disgraceful. Get the hell out of my office."
"Fine then. When our species regains what we've lost and reaps the fruits, you and you're friends will be left behind to dig for what's left. Remember this." She finished, barging out of my office without another word.
I sat back down and stared into space for the longest time, trying to process in my head what exactly had just happened. She went from a rouge variable to top of my shit list in less than five minutes, and somehow there wasn't a physical fight. That in of itself was an achievement.
I took a deep breath, taking note of everything. I would have to keep an eye on her.
…
A/N: So, Greg has joined the group, everyone's gotten to know him, new tech is being built for the Fleet, and Xen has made her formal introduction in a rather incendiary fashion. Interesting things are afoot, and who knows what'll come next.
For anyone worried about Lydia (otherwise known as Athena), the quarian crew, or any other characters, don't worry, they'll have their time in the spotlight soon. Lydia's situation keeps her from doing much outside of the Explorer, and the others have been quiet as of late.
College is back in full swing, and with everything that entails. Math is still as much of a pain in the ass as it's always been, and the Biology is presenting a few challenges as well. Chapters will be slow to work on as I stated before, but they will come out. I promise you that.
I'd love to read any reviews, I'm always up for suggestions or constructive criticism! Stay tuned!