…
I'd like to dedicate this chapter to my grandfather, who passed away December 22nd at the age of 80. After fighting for over a year, cancer took his life and a big part of our lives with it. He was a kind, loving man who loved doing what he did, and was my main inspiration when it came to science and learning about the world around me. His will be missed by all of us, and the world is lesser with his passing. May he rest in peace.
…
"Isn't life the greatest fanfiction of all?"
(Undertale)
…
Serenity Valley, August 16th, 8:21 AM, 2184
…
"Governments throughout Citadel Space are still recoiling from the aftermath of Sunday's meeting between the Citadel Council and members of the quarian Migrant Fleet. The fleet of over 50,000 ships disappeared December of last year in the Pylos Nebula. During the intense meeting, Admiral Shala'Raan announced that they had been engaged in diplomatic relations with the Systems Alliance since January of this year and were planning on forming a joint coalition to combat the pro-human terrorist group Cerberus. When questioned by Councilor Sparatus as to where their fleet had gone, one of the captains in the group, a human known as Captain Sean Michaels, announced that the quarians were now in possession of a new type of jump drive system known as the "Reach System", which supposedly enables faster-than-light travel at speeds comparable to that of Mass Relays. While it has yet to be proven whether or not this jump drive is real, light of this news stocks have gone down in many colonial companies and investors are pulling funding from private explorations in both the Traverse and Terminus. No Council members were available for comment."
"Well, there you go. You got your fifteen minutes of fame." Mara joked, sitting next to me with a bowl of cereal on the couch as we watched the Alliance News Network.
"I don't know… you think they got my best angle? I joked, receiving a playful shove from Mara in retaliation.
"Yes, but really… do you really think this was the smartest thing to do?" She asked in a farm more serious tone, setting her bowl back onto the table. "Telling everyone about it?"
I stared at the holoscreen for a few seconds, thinking over it before answering her.
"In the end, I think it'll end up yielding more results than if we hadn't." I said with honesty, leaning backwards and allowing myself to relax. "Now that we've got the Council on the political defensive, we've got a solid footing back into the galactic scene. The Alliance will help ease them the quarians back over, and the coalition will help ensure that neither side is as frequently antagonized."
"But what about Cerberus?" She redirected, causing my expression to sour for a few moments until I thought about it a little harder.
"I don't think Cerberus will try anything for a while." I answered, throwing one of my arms over the edge of the couch as I turned to face her. "After that devastating defeat they suffered, they'll be too busy licking their wounds for a while to try anything. Besides, soon they'll be too busy defending themselves to worry about having another go at us."
"I just hope you're right." Mara finished with an unsure look on her face as she looked back at the holoscreen.
I stared at her for a few seconds before putting my arm around her and giving her a light hug.
"I promise everything will turn out just fine." I said, tilting my head and resting it on her shoulder.
Whether or not I actually believed those words coming from myself was of little consequence. It was my responsibility to make sure they were true.
If anything happened to her, my child, or my friends, I'd cease to have a reason to be this world. I wouldn't be able to handle losing everything a third time.
…
CASTLE Base, August 26th, 12:21 PM, 2184
…
I leaned back in my office chair, throwing my fingers around in the air to get the tension out of them. I opened my omni-tool, putting on Thelma Houston's "Don't Leave Me This Way" as a healthy distraction. I had just finished writing the last two damage reports, having spent about an hour making sure they were packed with as much info as humanly possible. If I wanted to get things back to speed on the projects, I needed to make sure all the damage around the base was reported properly and fixed in a timely manner.
We hadn't been given authorization to resume surface operations yet, so it had given me more time to sift through the archive data on Sublevel 12. We were still making little progress with it unfortunately. We did manage to unlock another section inside the structure, but all it did was give us more info on the planets in our system. None of it really stood out to me, but I did save a copy of it for Biss to take a look at later. I knew it would interest him.
"God, this shit never ends…" I said out loud to myself, tenting my fingers as I raised them above my head and stretched. Several pops rang out in response as I sighed in relief.
I then delved into my inbox, seeing what new messages I had.
The one that immediately stood out was from Richard, marked as "Priority". I opened it up, taking a sip from my coffee cup as I began reading.
"Dear Sean,
I know you're busy, so I decided to send you a message instead of running into your office and annoying you. I hope you understand. Lately, Powell and I finished building a successful new suit for the quarians. The upgrades that we created can be added to existing suits with an 89% success ratio in regards to compatibility, though this is only a rough estimate and depends on suit age, damage, and current modifications. I'd recommend that these new suits be issued on an "occupational hazard" level, with the Migrant Fleet marines ideally being the first to receive them.
That's only half of what I wanted to mention though. Throughout the process of developing this suit, the two of us determined that we've reached the limits of what the suit itself can to do protect the wearer. What I'm suggesting we do may sound radical at first, but just hear me out. We've begun developing a cybernetic implant that, theoretically, can be used to reinforce the quarian immune system through the process of brute-forcing protein syntheses that are involved in the creation of white blood cells. This will force their immune system into an adaptive state, where antigenic material can be introduced and increase immunity over time without endangering the user. This can be adapted to certain planetary atmospheres if need be, and can help prevent most common illnesses the quarians suffer from aboard the Migrant Fleet. It won't be able to outright "cure" their immunity problems in its current form, but it can help lower the severity of these infections, thus preventing deaths from exposure.
We've based this implant off the cybernetics given to me by the Geth. These implants have had a near 99% success rate as predicted by the Geth Collective when I first received them, and are highly configurable. We've managed to reproduce a simple example based on them. Now here's the difficult part. Sean, I want your authorization to begin asking for volunteers for this project. I know it's a lot to ask, but I firmly believe that if we can get this to work, it could very well be the most impactful thing we give them in the long run. The worst-case scenario would be total rejection by the recipient's body, but there's only a 2% chance of this happening based on multiple tests I've done. Please, think on it. I don't need an answer straight away.
-Richard"
I sat back after finishing his message, running my fingers through my hair.
This had come as a complete shock to me. I had no idea that the two of them had been developing anything like this, and a sudden request like this just made it impact with more force. I took a swig from my cup, sucking it down all at once before letting out a hot burst of coffee breath.
I hopped out of my chair, grabbing my coat as I left my office and began walking to the elevators. I needed to discuss this with them in person.
As soon as I reached the elevator, I ran straight into Daro'Xen. She was the last person I wanted to see around here. I ignored her, punching in Sublevel 3 on the board as crossing my arms as I refused to make eye contact.
"Quite the show you put on during the council meeting, I must admit." She offhandedly remarked as I continued to stare forward. "I didn't think you were capable of keeping your anger in check, especially after killing so many people during that attack."
I felt my left eye twitch as I grew agitated, but still stared forward and held myself straight. She was trying to use my virtues against me, and I didn't want to give her the satisfaction of a response.
"I can't even imagine what it's like, killing members of my own species." She mocked, baiting me based off of what I had told her before. "Must be difficult, especially as a man of science."
"Funny, I didn't see you out there, risking your life to defend the base." I finally broke, glaring daggers at her as I spoke. "Or maybe it's because you're a rat-faced coward who cares more about themselves than their own people."
"Insults mean very little to me, doctor, and your opinions even less." She deflected with a cool tone as the doors opened to Sublevel 3. "I do appreciate the fact that you care so much about my people, though, if that's any little comfort to you and your violent tendencies."
"Fuck yourself, Xen." I exclaimed, giving her the middle finger as the elevator doors closed behind me.
I shook the unpleasant interaction with her out of my mind, determined not to let what she said get to me. I knew she was trying to bait me into a physical confrontation, much like a bully in public school. Luckily, I was better than that.
She was a manipulative little wench, and I wouldn't give her the satisfaction.
I stopped at Richard's lab, taking another deep breath before going inside. In one of the corners, the new suit was clearly seen mounted inside of a hermetically-sealed glass case. Closer to the back of the lab, I could barely see Richard and Powell huddled near a fabricator.
"Hey there, guys." I greeted, garnering the attention of both of them as I walked over to them.
"Oh… hello Sean." Richard returned as Powell waved. "I assume you received my message?"
Without saying anything, I walked over to them with my hands in my pocket.
"So, is this it?" I asked, looking into the anaerobic chamber that Richard had his hands inside of as he put his face back into the goggles.
"This is the implant that Richard and I have produced." Powell confirmed, looking from me to the chamber. "It weighs exactly two-hundred milligrams and is fully functional."
The implant was about the size of a postage stamp, and looked to be made out of material similar to Richard's arm. He was focused on the implant, using a small magnified camera to finish his precise work.
"More or less functional." He corrected a few seconds later without looking at me, picking up the implant with a pair of tweezers and placing it inside of a self-sealing static-proof bag. "Just wanted to make sure everything was perfect before I finished up."
"Perfect isn't the word I would use just yet." I remarked in a sterner tone, shooting him and Powell the stink eye. "What has gotten into you two? You do realize that if the Admirals found out you were developing tech like this on the side without reporting on it, it's me who gets all the shit, right?"
Richard then took his hands out of the chamber, removing his goggles before focusing on me.
"Tell me, how much do you actually know about the Geth? I'm not talking about common knowledge, I'm talking about how they're built, how they function." He began, wiping his artificial eye with his clean rag. "See, while the Geth require a specialized conductive fluid to survive, my implants run solely off the electrolytes in my bodily fluids, converting them into energy. The skin itself is little more than synthetic muscle tissue designed and grown to mimic that of my old arm, and the eye is an advanced photoreceptor grafted directly to my optic nerve."
"What are you getting at?" I inquired, crossing my arms as became both confused and slightly more agitated by his dodge of the question.
"What I'm saying is that I'm at the point where I might be able to begin reproducing these kinds of implants." He answered, looking down and flexing his hand. "In all honesty, this immuno implant is more or less a proof of concept. If I can get it to reliably work, I can start work on a host of new possible implants. Replacement limbs, trauma systems, organs, everything you can think of."
"After doing extensive studies on my personal platform, we believe there even exist the slim possibly that we could even produce a body for Dr. Nemo's sister." Powell added, causing me to look to him in shock.
That last one was what really got to me. What Richard was describing sounded like something from Ghost In The Shell, and the possibility of such a thing seemed incredible. Whether or not it was fluff he was using to hype up his latest line of work, he had me hopelessly locked in.
"Alright… I'll approve this." I nodded, taking in a deep sigh as I began processing everything this would entail. "I'll smooth things out with the Admirals, and if anyone starts asking questions just make sure you don't mention its origins. If you're going to be calling up volunteers, I want them to sign a full consent form with nothing left out of it before any testing occurs. Both digital and paper."
"Understood." They both nodded as I looked at the implant one last time before walking off. Before leaving the lab, I stopped myself and looked back at them.
"Oh, and one last thing." I said as they both looked at me with minor surprise.
"What's that?" Richard asked as he took off his coat.
"Don't mention anything we discussed to Dan or his sister. It might be wise to get her involved due to her medical experience, but don't mention that particular point." I finished as I popped out of the lab.
I had about a million questions, and knew I had no answers for them. The thought of Richard producing limbs, organs, an even an artificial body was something that had seemingly come out of nowhere, but thinking back on it, I should have expected it for a while.
He had subtly mentioned things related to this for a while now, talking about protein synthesis, tissue generation and flash cloning of vital organs whenever mentioning potential projects. I suppose I had been so busy with other matters that it had simply slipped through the cracks.
I suppose it really didn't matter how he did it in the end. As long as he went through all the proper channels and made sure he received full consent for his tests, I didn't have a problem with it.
I hoped the two of them wouldn't screw this up.
…
CASTLE Base, September 29th, 11:45 AM, 2184
…
"Admiral, I understand your concerns, but this is a pure volunteer venture." I argued over my omni-tool, pacing back and forth in my office. "If Dr. Karpyshyn and Powell can work out any kinks in the implant, it'll help reduce the risk of infection to all those who use it."
"But are you sure it is really safe, Captain?" Zadie questioned, sounding very worried. "I understand wanting to advance new ways to compensate for our weak immune systems, Keelah, even I have looked into it, but is it really wise to push this while we're in the middle of a conflict?"
"None of the Migrant Fleet Marines are involved Admiral, we've been asking the civilian personnel. Besides, according to these newest test results they provided me with, there only exist a two to four percent chance that the implant will even be rejected, let alone cause complications." I countered, reading off of the papers in my other hand. "The only real risky part of the process is the inoculation, and that's no different than getting a flu shot."
"Maybe for your people." She redirected, getting a little heated before getting quiet again. "Listen, I will allow the testing to go on because I do believe Dr. Karpyshyn when he says it will work, but if volunteers start getting gravely sick or if anyone dies from this we will shut it down in a heartbeat. Understood?"
"Yes, ma'am." I confirmed, nodding my head reflexively as I stopped and put the papers back on my desk.
"Good. Carry on, Captain." She finished, cutting off the call as my omni-tool turned off. I took in a deep sigh, thankful that the conversation was now over as I threw on my coat and left the office to go outside. I was late.
Today was the day we would be doing the final tests for the Viper and Python prototypes. After all the delays and troubleshooting tests we've done over the last month and a half, we were finally ready for the real thing. All the safety parameters had been thoroughly tested and accounted for, and by all regards they were perfect. Dan would be piloting his Python, while I'd be doing the same for the Viper.
The test would be about the same as the one we did for the Cobra, though there would be obvious differences. For one, we were completely on our own if something went wrong, unlike with the Cobra test where we had volunteers with us to operate all the ship systems. For this reason, we would both be wearing sealed Extra Vehicular Activity suits equipped with Manned Maneuvering Units during the test, and would be monitored constantly by Dimitri here at Hanger 5.
I walked across the tarmac, taking in the warmer air as the long spring season began rolling into the valley. Winter was almost over, and the near-constant rainfall was plenty evidence of that fact. There had actually been some flooding farther down the valley according to several reports I had received, though we had been smart enough not to build anything down there that close to the lake.
The whole month of September had been both quiet and hectic. I was in near-constantly liaisons between the Admiralty and Hackett, giving them any technical data or advice they asked for. Two joint flotillas had already been formed and were currently scanning elements of the Titan Nebula to see if there was anything left of the Barn that could be used to pinpoint other facilities Cerberus was running. So far, nothing too interesting, but I expected initial progress to be slow. My hope was that soon they'd come across some data that would cause the whole thing to come crashing down, like the end of American Gangster.
The Council was a whole other problem in and of itself. The effect out little trip had on them was starting to slowly wear off as they picked their balls off of the ground and started acting like actual leaders. Like Greg had predicted, they upped their surveillance of Alliance space and the Pylos nebula. I was about 80% sure that they also had SPECTRE agents looking into the technology I had bragged about, looking to secure one of our greatest advantages. It was a massive shitshow seeing them stutter and attempt to explain themselves to the other races how this happened.
Out of all of it, though, there were two things I was really looking forward to this time around. First was Mara and I's soon-to-be-born child. She had passed the 38-week mark in her pregnancy, meaning it could happen any day now. I was gitty in excitement. The second was the building of the Phantom-class stealth frigate and the newly dubbed Desant-class heavy dropship. The Desant-class was simply a gutted and heavily modified Kowloon-class freighter that's primary job will be facilitating transport for the Dragoons. We were at the point where production on the Dragoons was now moving at a steady pace, and we now had a grand total of seven already completed, and two more in production.
I walked into Hanger 4, seeing Dan donned in his full EVA suit, helmet included. It was the same kind of suit we normally used when decontamination wasn't ready for us, but outfitted with a micro-thruster system that utilized compressed air to move us in vacuum. His had been customized with thicker padding and a better insulated layer.
Both the Viper and Python had been painted a fire engine red, a new "standard" I had put in for the prototype test crafts we developed in the future. It had nothing at all to do with the fact that I wanted the Viper to look even more like the Swordfish II from Cowboy Bebop. Dan obviously didn't believe me.
"Hey." He greeted in a filtered tone, adjusting his cuffs as he stood next to the Python. "The r-room is ready for you. Your suit is…. Is on the bench."
"Thanks man." I nodded, looking up at an absorbed Dimitri one the catwalk above before getting into the locker room.
I quickly stripped down to my essentials, making sure to empty my pockets as I pulled on the EVA suit. It was fairly easy to put it on, slipping on without trouble. I sealed it up, making sure my neckline was open as I threw the helmet over my head and attached my air supply.
The MMU was a simple chest rig that went on like a backpack or harness. Thrusters both on the front and back allowed for careful movement in zero gravity, and a separate tank held compressed air as propellant. The entire thing was a far cry from the bulky MMUs first fielded by Bruce McCandless and Robert L. Stewart in 1984.
Now that I looked like a TIE fighter pilot, I walked back out to the hanger with an increased bounce to my step as I barely held my anticipation in.
"You two almost ready down there?" Dimitri asked, looking down at us as the ground crews disconnected the fuel and power lines in preparation for our launch.
"We're getting there!" I reassured in my distorted voice, climbing up the ladder into the cockpit of the Viper.
The cockpit setup was similar to what you'd find on a standard Alliance fighter, though with obvious differences. Like with the Cobra, it was deliberately designed in a more mechanical fashion, featuring more switches for controlling individual systems for redundancy. Controls were standard fair, a yoke, side-stick and center stick all following the HOTAS system.
The cockpits themselves were an experiment in of themselves. They were round, sphere-shaped compartments with thick, tempered alumino-silicate canopies and dedicated survival systems. If the vehicle the "pods" are connected to were damaged beyond repair and the pilot's life was in imminent danger, they could eject the compartment from the vehicle as an improvised escape pod and utilize limited RCS for movement.
Dan and I had standardized these between both the Viper and Python. Anyone who knew how to pilot one of these crafts would be capable of doing the same with the other with only minor adjustments, helping cut down on the amount of training the pilots required and the need for specialized parts.
The canopy slid over me and sealed as I hooked myself into the seat and made sure my oxygen levels were good. I turned on the craft's computer, hooking up my HUD.
"Alright, you two already know test parameters, so I will not bother going over them." Dimitri started over the radio, clearly heard in my left ear. "Look over pre-flight checklists one more time. I don't want surprises during test."
"Understood." We both agreed, looking over each instrument in front of us to confirm one last time that everything was functioning as intended. I hit each box as they appeared on my datapad before folding it up and slipping it back into my rucksack.
"Good. Sean, I'm connecting you to Fleet Actual. Once you've transmitted your access codes, we can begin." He finished, filling the line with interference for a moment as the comm channel changed.
"Sounds good." I said to myself as I cleared my throat. "Fleet Actual, this is Captain Michaels, codes Victor Item Peter Easy Rodger... Peter Yoke Tare How Option Nan. Please confirm."
"Codes accepted, crafts are registered." The operator on the other end said as my IFF tag on the radar screen flashed green for a few seconds. "Have a good day, Captain."
"Thank you, Fleet Actual." I replied with a smile, switching back the channels. "We're good to go, guys."
"Right then. Begin startup sequences." Dimitri acknowledged, as I flicked the three ignition switches above me, priming and firing the up the main engine behind me. I could feel the dampened vibrations behind me as I took a deep breath to relax myself.
Our propulsion consisted of high-efficiency plasma engines specially designed to utilize the smallest possible form of the NM reactor possible, the Mk.4 variant, which we had originally developed for the Cobra series. These engines were very powerful considering the types of spacecraft we had mounted them on, and ran the risk of shaking themselves to pieces during the initial testing phase. Dan and I had to install four sets of harmonic balancers and a custom vibration control system to actively combat these issues and make it workable.
We didn't want our engines to end up like those on the ill-fated N1 moon rocket designed by the Soviets. That rocket, unlike the Saturn V developed in the good old U.S of A, used 30 NK-33 rockets in its first stage as opposed to the five Rocketdyne F-1s utilized in the Apollo program. While indeed powerful and highly advanced for their time due to the unique closed-cycle system they utilized, all the NK-33s firing at once shook the N1 so violently that it ruptured fuel lines and caused the crafts to either crash from engine cutoff or explode in the air. Neither one of those boded well for going to Luna.
"You good, Sean?" Dan asked over the radio, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Yeah, I'm fine." I quickly reassured, initiating my hover mode. "Ready to proceed."
"Unless otherwise asked, I shall remain silent during course of test and monitor all readings." Dimitri finished before cutting off his end of the comm. "Good luck, you two."
We were on our own.
"Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war." Dan mused in the private channel between us, getting a quick chuckle from me as we hovered out of the hanger and fired our main engines, immediately soaring into the blue sky.
"Yeah!" I yelled out in excitement, letting my adrenaline take over as I felt the g-forces even through the inertial dampeners. I threw myself into a spin, watching the clouds spin around in my vision before I forced myself to stabilize. "This is the dream, man! I should have been a pilot!"
"Hehehe, what do you t-think you're doing right now?" He corrected with what I could only guess was a smile on his face.
"Good point." I conceded, cracking my neck as I slowed up. "Anyways, let's bet back on track."
"Agreed." He replied, pulling up next to me. "First order, de…destroying the ground targets."
It didn't take very long to destroy the targets at the test range. With our combined firepower, all the targets both mobile and stationary were destroyed in less than a minute. Dan's Python had two 58mm cannons and dual disruptor torpedo launchers, while my Viper had a quad of 58mm cannons. It was a good tag team, and I couldn't wait to do the space test.
Before the dust could even settle, we shot up into space through the atmosphere. I made sure to keep a constant eye on the structural readings during the ascent, but everything appeared just fine.
"How are things on your end?" I asked, looking over at Dan's crimson-colored Python slightly in the distance.
"Everything is at one-h-hundred percent." He responded, making the tense feeling in my stomach calm down as I put my hands back on the controls. "I may have used a l-little too much ammo on those ground targs, though."
"Heh…good. Let's get to the debris field and find our last batch of targets." I said, allowing myself to take a deep breath as I punched the throttle up.
The Cerberon Debris Field, as I had decided to unofficially call it, had formed after the Cerberus attack a few weeks ago and now occupied a fair portion of the upper exosphere above Reach's northern territories. The quarians, while very good at salvaging the remains of ships, weren't as skilled in cleanup as say, the Systems Alliance or the Turian Hierarchy. Though debris collection was still underway and salvage opportunities were better than ever, the area was still highly hazardous to anything without kinetic barriers.
The dangers of unprotected EVA were highlighted a few days ago when two men attempting to salvage cargo containers from one of the carriers were peppered by a fast-moving swarm of micro debris that had torn through them like a hail of bullets. Despite the dangers currently present, it was safe enough for those inside a ship with an average kinetic barrier to move through.
"Man, it still looks like hell out here." I remarked, recalling the video footage that Mara and I had watched shortly after the attack.
"Look at the size of that carrier." Dan quipped, pinging it in my HUD. "It's h-hard to believe that there wa… was a whole invasion force on that monstrosity at one time."
"You can see where the ODP tore into it." I added, marking another point-of-interest. "God, even with low-power shots the impact is devastating."
There was no denying that fact. The round fired by the Cairo had struck the carrier from the bow, going all the way through the ship and exiting through the stern. The round had also ruptured their bootleg NM reactor, effectively blowing off the back of the ship, and the hole was so clean that you could see stars all the way on the other side.
My mind snapped back to attention as my computer picked up several test targets from the other side of the carrier.
"Showtime!" I announced, gunning my ship up as I put my frontal kinetic barriers at full power.
I soared over the ruined carrier with Dan following closely behind, dodging several pieces of debris before finally making visual contact with our new targets. Several decommissioned mining drones on automated paths through the wreckage, curtesy of our friend Dimitri.
"Let's mop these j-junkbots up and go home." Dan remarked with determination clear in his voice as we broke off from one another and began effortlessly taking out the moving targets. It was challenging, dodging the larger chunks of ship as we tracked each target, but much like on the ground, it was over before you knew it.
"Well Dan, I believe that is that!" I congratulated, clasping my hands together with a satisfying crack.
Suddenly, the comm lit up real fast as Dimitri brute-forced his way into our channel.
"Sean, you must to get back to CASTLE Base immediately!" He demanded in a rushed voice, sounding almost frantic in the way he spoke.
"Why, what's going on Dimitri?" I asked, suddenly confused and very much on alert.
"It's your wife, my friend. She is going into labor." He answered as my eyes widened more than they ever had in my life. "You must get here soon!"
I gunned the Viper as hard as it could go out of the debris field, Dan barely able to follow as I moved faster than I ever had before.
It was happening. It was actually happening.
I was about to be a father.
…
A/N: Boy, big surprises, developments, and twists! What will happen next time? You can only wait and see!
I'd love to read any reviews, I'm always up for suggestions or constructive criticism. Stay tuned!