I do not own Justice League or Mass Effect. They belong to their respective owners.
Also, I made that update to chapter one that I was talking about. Feel free to check it out.
Enjoy this chapter!
"Dammit. What am I missing here?"
Garrus knew there was something that could connect the puzzle of this case. He just didn't know what it was. The organ market wasn't something that he usually worried about too much. But there was something about this case...
"This something for me to work on?"
Garrus turned his desk to see Calvin Swanwick standing right behind him. His face was scrunched in a mixture of both intrigue and annoyance.
"Right. Rookie duty. Can I help you Swanwick?"
"Yes. You can tell me how to help you," Swanwick said as he pulled up a chair and sat down next to Garrus. "Look, I understand that you don't want to work with me. I'd be annoyed to work with someone less experienced too. But this choice isn't for either of us to make. So why don't you just get over the fact that you don't like me and let me help?"
"Swanwick, this isn't personal. Well, it is, but not against you," Garrus explained. "Executor Pallin and I have our... disagreements about how to do this job."
"Let me guess, he's by the book, and you haven't read the book."
"Hm, not a bad comparison, Garrus admitted. "But for your information, I have read the book. I just decide when and how to implement it."
Swanwick nodded. "Right. Focus on getting the job done first. Then deal with the boss later. That's your strategy?"
"Is that approval I am sensing?"
"Curiosity. The academy showed me one way to do this job. You're supposed to show me another."
Garrus was beginning to like this human. Sure, he wasn't exactly endorsing his work methods, but Garrus would be surprised and possibly concerned if he had. But he was open-minded and willing to learn. That was more than he could say about most of the humans he had met, and even some he had worked with.
If nothing else, he was much easier to tolerate than Harkin. At least Swanwick gave off the impression that he knew how to bathe.
"You really want to help me?"
"That's what I'm here for. I signed up for C-Sec. And if dealing with you helps me become a better officer, then I'll deal."
"I'm sorry, deal with me?"
"You made me spend an entire day wandering around and called it training. That's not inspiring stuff, Vakarian. Not at all exemplary."
"That's hurtful. But fair," Garrus admitted. "Alright then. If you want to help me, then take a look here."
Garrus handed Swamwick a tablet. One that had folders relating to one case.
"Take a look through it. Tell me what stands out."
Swanwick opened the first folder, revealing a summary of a case of sold Salarian livers. That didn't seem all that harmful. A hospital might have just sold them after not being able to use them. Might be a black market sell, but if the patient was dead, there wasn't much to be done.
Swanwick was going to ask if this was the case he was working on and the actual problem. But then he opened the second.
Krogan kidneys. Fresh Turian mandibles and livers. Asari brains. Quarian hearts. And... testicles? And those were just the first few folders. There were still a dozen more.
"Organ deals. But... how are the numbers this high? Is it a lab?"
"That's something I would like to know," Garrus said through a sigh. "To tell you the truth Swanwick, this case has me more stumped than I want to admit. I don't know whoever is doing this is doing it."
"Can't we track the organs? They still hold viable DNA, don't they?"
"Obviously, that was the first thing I tried. But that..." Garrus struggled for the best way to explain that situation. "Read folder thirteen. It'll explain the mystery better than I can."
Swanwick opened the thirteenth folder, which reported a sold turian liver. Disgusting, but it should have been traceable. Reading further, Swanwick realized that it had been traced. Back to a turian who still had his liver.
"That doesn't make sense. How could his liver have been sold if he still has it inside his body?"
"Now you see the problem I'm trying to solve," Garrus said as he slumped in his chair. "We've managed to track a few organs. All of them lead to the same outcome. All of them belonged to members of different species, each of which is sure they've never lost an organ. And based on their own medical records, they're telling the truth."
"There has to be a connection. Something that ties all of them together."
"And that right there, Swanwick, is the missing piece. What connects all of them?"
Swanwick didn't have an answer. At least, not an answer that he could easily explain. While reading the minds of every person on the list would be easy, and it would save time and get them to the perpetrator more quickly, there was the fact that his disguise would be in jeopardy. He needed to do this carefully.
"We have the information on the victims, don't we?"
"That we do."
"Then let's find it," Swanwick said as he fully sat in his chair and began scrolling through the tablet. Completely ignoring the bewildered Garrus.
"You want to do it now?"
"We haven't found the perp yet. So let's find him."
Garrus was surprised by this reaction. Many other C-Sec members would have called it hopeless and focused on other cases. But Swanwick went directly to work.
"It's Calvin, right?"
"That's my first name. Yours is Garrus, correct?"
"Yes. Let me know if you find anything. I'll take a look on my end."
Garrus went to search on his personal monitor, leaving Swanwick to sit behind him in his own search. Both officers trying to find the connective piece.
Swanwick was careful with how he searched for the answer. He did read up on all the files on the victims. It was that information that helped him to locate their individual minds within the citadel.
That was when the tricky part started.
He could easily reach out to and access their minds. But in doing so, he had to be careful not to pry too deeply into their psyche. The rest of the species in the galaxy were different from Martians. Aside from the Asari, most of them weren't used to having their minds interacted with. And unless he wanted to leave traces within them, Swanwick had to be very selective in what he chose to see. Nothing too personal or intimate, lest he breaks his people's traditions. Unless permitted, a mind shouldn't be tampered with.
And whatever information was obtained had to match the information on file. If they didn't match, then Swanwick would have to answer how he got his information. At best, his word would be dismissed as a rookie guess. At worst, suspicions would arise as to what he could really do.
He hid his face so his red eyes would not be visible, Swanwick reached out to the known victims and quickly scanned their minds. Only basic things were sought out. Occupations. Current mental states. Age. And employment.
"I think I might be seeing something."
Intrigued, Garrus turned around. "What is it?"
"The victims generally have the same general social class. From the looks of it, most of them can barely afford to buy housing."
Garrus had noticed that as well but didn't say it. It wasn't a bad observation, just not the most helpful. Poorer people tended to be victims in the citadel. But Swanwick didn't sound like he was done.
"Another thing. Take a look at the employment section. Who's the person hiring them?"
Swanwick handed the tablet to Garrus, who began to check the employment section under each of the victim files. That's when he made the discovery.
"They all work for the same person."
"A geneticist. Dr. Saleon."
This was big. Garrus could feel it. That didn't necessarily mean that the doctor was the one responsible, but it meant that a clue was found. Each of the people that lost organs was poor and employed by the same doctor. Which meant that whatever had happened, it happened at the lab.
But the case wasn't busted yet.
"We still need more proof. We could try and question the doctor himself, but we need a reason first. Something that the executor will accept."
Swanwick paused for a moment to consider the options. A direct assault on the lab was out of the question without a warrant. The doctor himself could not be questioned yet for mere coincidence. They didn't have many options. Except...
"What if we don't question the doctor, but one of the employees?"
"About what? We can't bring any random person in for questioning. It doesn't work that way, Swanwick."
"I know that. But like we just saw, most of the victims are employees. We can call in one of them to answer different questions."
That might actually work. The questions would have to be different for the interview to not feel like a re-hash. So instead of talking about the organs, they could talk about the doctor. And his lab.
"Anyone in mind Swamwick?"
"The turian who didn't lose his liver. We don't ask about that, and instead, ask him about his work."
Garrus nodded at his new favorite human.
"I'll put in the call. You come up with questions."
A few hours later...
It didn't take too long for C-Sec to find the Turian. His name was Turos Adjudicas. A former soldier turned security worker at Saleon's lab. He mainly worked at keeping the doors safe, making sure no one suspicious entered. He was also nice enough to come when called. Only took a few hours to get him in.
It took longer to convince Pallin to let Vakarian and Swamwick perform their interrogation.
"Give me one good reason why I should let you follow a cold case Vakarian?"
"It'll make you seem like a great boss?" Garrus offered. Pallin was not amused.
"What he means, Executor," Swanwick interrupted, "is that interrogating this Turian might let the case heat up again. We have a feeling that he might be the missing piece."
Pallin looked down at Swanwick. The height difference only made his annoyance all the more clear.
"I paired you up with Vakarian to try and reign him in. I was hoping the fresh face would keep a tighter leash on him."
"Sir, with all due respect, you said I was supposed to learn from him. This is me learning from him."
Garrus was becoming more and more interested in Swanwick by the minute. Not only had he helped him make more progress on this case than he had made in months, but he was actually sticking up for him. In front of the boss. Anyone, probably a brown-noser with thoughts of reputation, would have left him to deal with Pallin alone. But it seemed like the human had some integrity on him.
Garrus respected that.
Pallin, on the other hand, was not amused.
"Fine then, I'll allow it this once. But if it doesn't work out, you will both be dealing with the consequences. Is that clear to both of you?"
"Understood sir."
Even Pallin was impressed by Swanwick's integrity. he didn't buckle under the threat of reprimand. He might not like the situation, but perhaps the new human was a good fit for C-Sec after all.
"Just get it over with."
Pallin left to go and do his own paperwork, leaving Swanwick and Vakarian to conduct their 'interview'.
"Did you memorize the questions?" Swanwick asked.
"Yes. Let's get in there."
Garrus and Swanwick walked inside the sterile, clean, and white room. The Turian officer took the lead while the human followed. Both were surprised to see a sweating Turian sitting across the table.
"Are you alright?" Swanwick immediately asked. Adjudicas did not look very healthy, and that was concerning.
"I'm fine. Fine, really. It's just... well, you can't be too calm if you get called in to answer C-Sec questions, can you?"
Both Garrus and Swanwick shared a look. They knew something was wrong. The only question was what.
"Well, best to get it over quickly then. I understand you were called in before about a sold liver," Garrus began.
"Yes. I was asked about that, but I don't know what to say. My liver is still inside my body, last I looked. No one killed me to take it out."
"We are aware of that, Mr. Adjudicas. We wanted to talk about something different," Swanwick said.
"Oh. What did you need to ask me about?"
"Your work. Specifically, your employment under Dr. Saleon."
Turos tensed up. It was only for a moment, but both of them noticed it. He tried to play it off, but both Garrus and Swanwick saw his frame become rigid and his breath catch for the briefest second. That meant that they were poking on something.
"What do you need to know?" Adjudicas tried to play his tension off. And both officers were willing to play along for now.
"We were just wondering what sort of work you do. And just what sort of boss is the doctor?"
"I only do security word at the lab. I don't interact with Dr. Saleon all that much."
He was lying. Swanwick could tell not just from the way the quickened pace at which Adjudicas spoke, but also because of his enhanced empathy. Swanwick could practically smell the lie.
"But from what I have seen, Dr. Saleon seems to be a fair person. He hires and rewards based on personal ability. At least, that's what I've heard from everyone else there."
When Adjudicas coughed, it made it clear that something was wrong. If Dr. Saleon had nothing to hide, then there would be no reason for Adjudicas to be nervous. He would simply answer questions and go home.
But Swanwick wasn't entirely sure if the cough was the result of just nerves.
"Dr. Saleon is a geneticist. His expertise is in internal biology," Swanwick pressed lightly. "He certainly has the means and knowledge to acquire organs to sell on the black market."
"Just because he can, that doesn't mean he has!" Adjudicas quickly became defensive. A defensiveness that Garrus matched.
"We're not making any accusation, Mr. Adjudicas. We are simply following a lead that could lead a culprit who has been selling organs on the black market."
"And how does Dr. Saleon fit into this exactly?"
"As you know, an organ we discovered was matched to you. After some digging, we discovered that all the organs we have found match employees at Dr. Saleon's lab. All of them."
Adjudicas's eyes widened with that revelation.
"That... That can't be true. Dr. Saleon is good to his employees. He would never do such a thing. It must be someone else at the lab."
Swanwick nodded in agreement with Adjudicas. "That's certainly a possibility. Do you have any idea who it could be?"
"I- No. I can't think of anyone who would want to do anything like this. Most people at the lab are good people. They wouldn't do anything horrendous like this."
"Mr. Adjudicas, you work at a genetics lab. Whether it's the doctor or someone else, someone is making a profit from suffering." Garrus didn't think Swanwick's good cop approach was working, so it was time to try out the bad cop approach.
"You have a chance to help us stop a disgusting criminal who finds joy in mutilation. I suggest you help us find him."
"I don't know who it could be. I swear!"
"Don't give me any crap like that! You're a Turian! Seeing if something is wrong is in your blood!"
"I haven't seen anything! I stick to the door, that's my spot! Anything else- ACK!"
The potential shouting match between the two Turians was cut short when Adjudicas started coughing. His hand drifted upwards to cover his mouth. When he pulled it down, Swanwick noticed the blood staining his fingers.
"Are you alright? I'll call for a medic."
"No! I'm fine! It's just a bad cough. I just... I just..."
Adjudicas was losing his balance. His feet were buckling under his weight, and his head shaking meant that he was about to fall unconscious. Swanwick grabbed him before he fell, making sure he didn't get hurt. Or at least, more hurt than he already was.
And judging by the growing bleeding wound in his shirt, he was very hurt.
"Garrus. Get that medic."
Garrus and Swanwick were both waiting outside of C-Sec's infirmary. Adjudicas was still inside the examination room, and the only thing they could do now was wait outside the medical room. They couldn't ask anything until the doctor was done.
"You saw that, right? We both saw the same thing?"
"His chest started bleeding from stress. Must be a previous wound. That's what I'm guessing," Swanwick said. "But that doesn't explain the size of the wound. And if it was opening up now, it had to be recent."
"Stress huh? You think my yelling might have done that?"
"Possibly. But we can't confirm anything until-"
The room door opened, and a woman in a medical uniform came out. She stopped right in front of the two officers.
"I assume you're both waiting for the diagnostic?"
"We are, Dr. Michel." Garrus had introduced Swanwick to the doctor when they came here. She was known for the clinic she had opened so close to C-Sec headquarters, which made her a favored spot for injured officers. Or in today's case, a good spot for injured interview guests.
"What happened to him? Swanwick inquired. Sighing, Dr. Michel showed them both her tablet.
"Take a look here. What does it look like to you?"
They were concussions. Cut up all over his body. All of them over spots that housed organs.
"How did those get there?" Garrus questioned.
"I don't know. But that isn't the thing that worries me," Dr. Michel said as she changed something on her screen. "I did an internal scan to check for any injuries under the skin. I found... this."
Looking close, Swanwick realized why this Turian was so convinced he had never lost his liver. He still had it inside of him.
Along with a second liver attached to it.
Garrus was just as shocked. "Doctor, how is that even possible?"
Dr. Michels shook her head. "I still need to run more tests to be sure, but if I had to guess, cloning is involved. It would be the only way to explain why such a perfect replica is inside his body."
Cloning. Something possible in these times, but often discouraged. Not only because a clone might be defective compared to an original, but also because of all the moral and ethical situations that could arise from them.
This current case was an excellent and horrendous example.
"I need to go back and check on him," Dr. Michel said, excusing herself from the situation. "Garrus, I wish you luck on your case. I hope whoever did this is bought down. It's disgusting."
The doctor returned to the room, leaving the human and turian pair to set up their next move.
"This isn't enough to charge Saleon," Swanwick pointed out.
"But it is enough to allow an investigation into his lab. And based on what we find there, we might be able to convict the bastard."
They both shared a look, knowing that the next couple of hours were bound to be hectic.
"Get ready Swanwick. I want to hit that lab today."
"You want me there?" Swanwick asked. "I'm still new."
"You're also the one who pointed out the missing piece to me. Besides, you need to learn at some point. Now go get your gun. I'm going to convince Pallin to get me a warrant."
This is where I will stop for now. The next chapter is going to be a lot of fun for me. For anyone who did the Garrus loyalty mission, things are going to be a little different here. I'm looking forward to it.
One thing I want to clarify. I do have some ideas for introducing other alien characters from DC, but they wouldn't be important until much later in the story. Also, I won't be introducing too many of them, lest this story feels overstuffed. I'll probably have a limit of three or four characters and a few species. If there are any characters you guys are interested in seeing, I am willing to hear some ideas. No promises though.
Also, one last question for all of you before I go. A question that will affect the trajectory of this story in major and minor ways.
FemShep or MaleShep?
We won't be meeting the commander anytime soon, but I wanted to pose the question. And preference?
Anyway, please leave reviews, tell me what you think, and I will see you all next time.
Bye!