MASS EFFECT CHASM: CHAPTER 24

The Presidium was once a place that many sought out to unwind from the pressures of everyday life before the Reapers and after. Only a select few basked in its splendor. Now, it looked like a war zone after Cerberus' coup attempt. Bodies were haphazardly covered up with blankets and sheets donated by vendors till C-Sec could document and transport them. Holes riddled various walls and fried wires that interfered with some of the artificial lighting and color. The machinery guts revealed the falseness of the serenity. The sickening reality after believing that this place was celestial and heavenly; in fact, it was all a lie. Just like the story of the "Allegory of the Cave" that Kaidan came across in his studies when he was a young man. He pushed off the urge to go to Huerta Memorial to find Shepard. She needed time and him rushing her into another predicament was selfish. He decided he would just wait at the Alliance Docks for her return.

"Hey, Kaidan," Joker flagged Alenko down as he reached the skycab's pedestal. "Did EDI alert you?"

"About what?"

The usual jokester pilot frowned at the unexpected response. "Wait…, shit."

"What the hell is going on?" Alenko snapped. One of his pet peeves was dangling information in front of someone, but never really getting to it. Joker hit the mark.

"EDI intercepted a call over the C-Sec channels. It came in from Shepard. She was at Dr. Bryson's lab…I don't know. EDI said she was going to check it out since she was close by."

"You mean you're not with her? I thought she was like your assistant mech due to your disease," Kaidan pointed out. "It doesn't matter. I need to get over there." He moved to call the cab from the interactive screen at the pedestal. "Shepard loves to stay in trouble it seems."

"That she does…. I'll go hobble my way back to the Normandy. Tell EDI to be careful."

When Spectre Alenko arrived on the scene, two C-Sec cars with lights still flashing were parked right outside a skycab. There seemed to be no exterior damage to the building and no hostiles so he moved swiftly inside. A turian officer moved to stop him. "Spectre," Kaidan announced. The officer waved him along. At least the title did give him a perk.

Zalena was surprised to see him walk in and she moved to him. Her face was frazzled. "Kaidan?"

"Joker said that EDI picked up the call," Alenko silently noted the walking unshackled AI standing where Shepard previously was. "Everything okay?" He overheard a young man sobbing and looked over his way. "What's going on?"

"The unexplained attacks against me led me here. Kolyat found a lead and Dr. Bryson asked me to come," Zalena's eyes lowered as she glanced over to the corpse of the man's body now covered up respectfully. "Now I wish I didn't…"

"What do you mean?"

"Dr. Bryson is working on some project by Admiral Hackett called 'Aurora.' He investigates mythological legends and particularly the Reapers."

"We all know that the Reapers are not a myth, Commander," Alenko scoffed. "I don't know how many times people can deny this."

"As Dr. Bryson was filling me in about the project and the status of his work, his assistant," Zalena pointed over to the petrified, babbling man who was cowering on the floor with his knees clutched to his chest. "Pulled a gun out and shot him." Shepard was dumbfounded. The MO fit the prior assailants. "No sign of hostility when I arrived. Hell, he was working with Dr. Bryson when I got here."

"Let me guess…amnesia?" Alenko lifted an eye ridge towards Hadley.

"Yeah. He claims right before he pulled the trigger, he felt a chill hit his body, then he regained consciousness once the act was done."

"A chill?"

"His body temperature is currently 98.6 Fahrenheit, Commander. This is normal for humans," EDI stated.

"He was able to tell me that the project's current state was honed in on a creature called Leviathan."

"A creature?" Kaidan still couldn't fathom all the information that was being fed to him. It sounded pretty extreme. More than usual to them. "A giant plant?" He referred to their encounter with the Thorian on Ilos. The ancient plant somehow used spores to gain control of most of the colonists on Feros. Exo-Geni knew of the plant's existence and purposefully allowed it to happen for study.

"I have no idea."

"Turn back. You cannot breach the darkness." Hadley muttered in a trance. His eyes stared right through them as if he wasn't coherent at all.

The young man's sudden change alerted their attention. "What?" Kaidan blinked at this.

"You will bring death, Shepard. You will not find us," Hadley continued before his eyes rolled back in his head and then he collapsed into an unconscious state.

Rushing to his side, Shepard took his pulse from his wrist. "His body is cold!" She took a small breath of relief when she felt a pulsing underneath the skin. "I have a heartbeat!" She turned to look over at the officers who watched in awe. "Take him immediately to Huerta and get a neuro scan on him."

One officer saluted her before carrying out the order. "Yes, mam."

It was only when C-Sec left did Shepard continue her conversation with Alenko. "This makes no damn sense, Kaidan. I was hoping when I got here, I would get a solid idea as to what was going on. I'm more in the dark now."

"You and me both," Kaidan cracked a playful grin. "Never a dull moment with you." The sight of the glowing sphere behind a closed glass door in the lab grabbed his attention. "What do you make of this?"

Shepard also noted the strange object. "Nothing like I have seen before."

"Prothean?" Alenko shrugged.

"Doesn't look like their craft, but then again, I'm not Liara." Shepard looked over to EDI. "Can you cross-reference it with what's out there on Prothean artifacts?" She would have to resort to the next best thing.

"On it," EDI complied. A few seconds later she continued, "No references with the Prothean."

"Damnit." She peered around the lab. "Let's scout this place and see what we can find."

Alenko nodded his head and took her side as they walked to the opposite end of the lab. "You know you do have a Prothean member on your team. I, uh, had the pleasure of running into him at the embassies."

"A pleasant one?" Zalena asked.

"He called me a primitive."

"That sounds like him," She chuckled. "I'm beginning to wonder if these people are indoctrinated."

"Like controlled by the Reapers?"

"I have no idea. This doesn't make any damn sense. Darkness? Breach?" She mulled over the same elusive passage that the victims quoted. "Are some of the Reapers hiding? If so, why?"

"Like a rogue faction from Harbinger?" Kaidan sighed. "This is getting complicated."

After an hour of searching Dr. Bryon's lab and finding clues, Zalena narrowed their first step in their search to the Caleston Rift. Like old times, Kaidan took to her side as they walked through the pedways towards the Alliance Docks. Technically, his journey would end once they reached the docking tube for the Normandy. A lump formed in his throat. Zalena was quiet the whole trip. Her jaw was tightly clenched and a look of fierce determination displayed in her brown eyes. His heart increased its pace when he realized they had reached near the end of their walk together and he never got any words out. EDI lagged to allow them time together. Was it purposeful? Kaidan wasn't too familiar with the AI other than what Joker disclosed to him. Seeing her did scare him. All he could see was Dr. Eva on Mars and how she viciously attacked him. Reaching out, he took Zalena's hand and interlocked his fingers with hers. "What a crazy mess, huh?"

She slowed her pace feeling his touch. "You mean with Leviathan?"

"No…I meant Udina," Kaidan's voice softened as he reflected on the intense moment. "I never thought I would go toe to toe with my former Commander." He paused. "Against the woman I still love."

Zalena stopped and looked at him with conflicted emotions. "Kaidan…. you know I never stopped loving you…and Thane…" She choked up as his death flashed to her mind once again. "I loved him too…I always will." She chewed her lip. "I know it's hard to grasp the concept of this…. I can't change my heart."

Kaidan smiled wearily at her and squeezed her fingertips as he reached out and took her other hand. "I never want you to. I always have your back, Shepard. Hell, I would die for you."

Slipping her right hand away, she raised her arm and allowed her fingertips to caress his face. Lost in the moment and forgetting where they were, she stared into his eyes as he followed her hand with his own and covered it. "I hope it never comes to that…I need someone to keep me going to the very end."

"I will make sure of that, Zalena," Kaidan took her hand and kissed it gently. "I need to get something off my chest."

"Kaidan- "

"No, I want to do this," He stubbornly shook his head. "I was an ass on Mars. I'll admit that. I shouldn't have assumed you were still with Cerberus. You said you weren't and I stood there as if you were lying to me. It was out of line. I shouldn't even have this chance to speak with you."

"You are putting yourself down too much, Major."

"No, I'm right on this," He argued. "After the coup, strangely enough, Admiral Hackett offered me a position with Fifth Fleet and the Special Forces."

"Special Forces?" She nodded her head appreciatively. "They need someone like you."

"Yeah, well I would turn them down in a heartbeat if I had the inkling of a chance to be back on the Normandy under your command, Shepard." Alenko finally felt the courage to rejoin her eyes. "I can't stand the thought of you facing Harbinger alone. We survived Ilos together. I want to make sure you complete your mission."

Leaning in, Shepard gently kissed him on the cheek. "Welcome aboard, Spectre Alenko."

Kaidan chuckled. "That title still hasn't hit me yet."

"Give it time," She winked.

"And Shepard, I'm sorry about Thane's death…. heard he was quite the marksman. Garrus spoke highly of him."

Zalena sniffed as she felt tears form in her eyes once more. "Thanks…. that he was."

"I know it's hard and I'll give you all the time you need to mourn him. I'm here for you."

"I appreciate it, Kaidan. Now, let's go find Leviathan."

Kaidan took off in stride with her as they neared the docking tube. "Just to make it clear. Besides the Reapers and Cerberus, you now have a creature that is hunting you down."

"Seems like it." She grinned. "You backing out already?"