Chapter 24
Medical Shelter - Zhu's Hope - Feros
It had been over an hour since Shepard had left to clear out ExoGeni and find out what the geth were after. And ever since, Liara had been using every scrap of her knowledge to try and figure out what the colonists were suffering from. She had spent nearly forty-five minutes on the comm with doctor Chakwas just trying to figure out what she could do to help them. But in all her years of study, she had never come across any information on something that could condition a living host into servitude through some kind of telepathy.
It was very concerning if some kind of creature had the ability to control multiple beings at once through telepathy. Even the most powerful matriarchs in Thessian history could only handle two dominations at a time. And even those had to stay within the asari's biotic field for them to keep control. But whatever this was, it had subdued an entire colony and was nowhere to be found. A hypothesis nagged at the back of her mind. Perhaps one of the colonists may not be who they appear to be, allowing them to stay nearby without the worry of discovery. Every time one of the colonists approached the medical quarters, that hypothesis resurfaced until the turians deflected them back to their duty stations.
She had examined them physically from top to bottom. And at first, they seemed perfectly healthy, if not a bit fatigued due to the geth attacks. But when she examined their eyes was when she noticed the small green veins in the corners. "Goddess…" she said in surprise as she saw the growths.
"What is it Doctor T'Soni?" asked Zannia as she turned from the door.
"I believe I've found out why we were warned to wear our environmental seals," she said as she looked up at the turian woman. "Doctor Chakwas, after examining one of the sedated patients, I've discovered plant-like growths in the corners of their eyes."
"It appears that telepathy is off the table then. Could this be a case of Ophiocordyceps Unilateralis?" asked the woman curiously from her medbay on the Normandy.
"My apologies Karin, but I don't know what that is," said the asari apologetically as Zannia shrugged.
"It's a type of fungus from Earth. Whenever a carpenter ant, an Earth-born insect, comes into contact with spores from the fungus, it becomes infected. The ant is then controlled to carry itself to a spot more suitable for fungal growth before spreading throughout the entire body and killing the host," said the doctor knowingly as she passed the files to the asari.
"That's horrifying…" said Zannia as she shook her head.
"That's not even the scariest of creatures we have here," chuckled the doctor over the comm.
"So, you believe that the colonists encountered something similar to the spores of this fungus and are now being slowly consumed by it?" asked Liara as she pulled up closer pictures of the infected eye.
"That appears to be the case here. We know they have fibers growing in their eyes, and if what Shepard said about their reaction to pain is correct, then it's safe to assume that they have some either directly in the brain or attached to the nervous system. The more concerning part of this is that the fungus from Earth isn't intelligent. It doesn't condition the ants, it simply infects, grows from the body, and continues the cycle. Whatever is doing this to the colonists clearly has sentience at the very minimum for them to punish and reward accordingly," said Chakwas as she brushed her hair aside.
"That is worrisome. A simple plant would not be able to determine if a colonist was talking about it like Shepard suggested. So, we're dealing with something that knows what they are saying when they are saying it," said Liara as she clenched her fists. "How would we even begin to undo this process?"
"Unfortunately, there is no process. With the Earth fungus, the infected host becomes a new creature entirely independent from the original carrier. But this creature has a brain, so there is a chance that killing whatever creature is infecting them might kill the infecting spores as well," finished doctor Chakwas as Zannia was alerted by another of the armored turians.
"Doctor T'Soni, I'm going to need you to step away from the patient," said the armored woman as she stepped up to the asari.
"Why? What has happened?" asked the doctor as she followed the orders.
"The other sedated patients in the barracks have gotten up and they aren't responding. They appear to be docile for the moment, but whatever is happening could be this... grotesque fungus creature's doing. If he decides that your prodding is intrusive enough, then having you standing next to one might result in an attack," said the turian as she placed herself between the asari and the sedated human.
"Oh dear... perhaps the sedation…" chimed in doctor Chakwas from the comm.
"What is it?" asked Liara, bewildered by the sudden reaction.
"If whatever this creature is was fighting the colonists for control of their mind, then the sedation may have given them full access," she said curiously.
"Goddess, what have I done?" she asked, horrified at the prospect of her actions.
Suddenly, the colonist that she had been examining sat straight up as if returning from the dead, then looked directly over at both of them. "Kassian! Thevaros!" shouted the turian as she turned and grabbed the human. The man began to struggle, but two more armored turians entered and dragged the man out of the office. "We're locking down the medical wing! All troops rally here and keep T'Soni safe!" she shouted through the comm.
Liara plopped down in her seat with a dumbstruck look on her face as gunfire sounded outside.
ExoGenetics Skyway - Feros
"Spectre, if you're there, please respond!" came the voice from Tali's omni-tool as they drove the mako down the ramps once more.
Garrus looked back at the quarian curiously. "Sounds like something happened," he said as he held onto the gunner's station.
"Get away from that radio Juliana!" came the familiar voice of Jeong.
"That was my mother!" shouted Lizbeth, who was crammed between Tali and Wrex in the back.
"This is Juliana Baynham! Spectre, if you can hear me, please come back!" shouted the woman defiantly, causing Lizbeth to reach out towards the omni-tool. But Tali pulled away suspiciously.
Suddenly, Shepard pulled the mako to a stop and locked it down. "She's just inside this depot. Let's go," she ordered as she reached up and opened the tank.
The young woman jumped out of the tank and sprinted for the entrance with Shepard close behind. When they both made it to the entrance, they went unnoticed as the two figures in the center fought with one another. The man now had the radio and was pacing frantically as the woman confronted him. "You can't do this Jeong!"
"Everyone shut up! Let me think for God's sake!" he shouted as he reached up and held his head.
"You won't get away with this you lunatic!" shouted Juliana angrily.
But Jeong snapped back with a scowl. "Security, subdue her immediately!"
As one of the guards grabbed Juliana, Lizbeth sprinted out from her place and yelled at the man. "Get away from her you son of a bitch!" As soon as she reached her mother, the young brunette shoved the guard away.
Juliana gasped and hugged her daughter. "Lizbeth! You're okay!"
The man moved to restrain her again but stopped immediately as Shepard's black-armored figure stepped up to them. "Hands off," she ordered as she raised her pistol.
"Dammit! Where the hell did you come from!?" yelled Jeong as he pointed a pistol at Shepard.
But the human locked up with a painful expression as Tali approached him with her omni-tool lit. "Don't ever point a gun at Shepard," she said angrily. Garrus moved forward and relieved the man of his weapon before turning to the security force. They immediately backed off with their hands raised.
"I wouldn't make a move towards your weapons if I were you. It will end with your entrails scattered all over the wall," threatened the krogan as he approached them with a menacing glare.
After everyone stopped moving, Shepard lowered her weapon and turned to Jeong. The man aimed his scowl at her now and spat on the ground. "Shepard... damn it! I knew it was too much to hope the geth would kill you!" he said as he flailed his arms around dramatically. "I found some interesting facts about you on the ExoGeni database! Why the hell would the Alliance send a damn war hero here!?"
Putting her pistol away, Shepard crossed her arms and glared at the man. "What the hell do you think you're doing Jeong?"
"Communications came back up and now ExoGeni wants this place purged!" shouted the man in frustration.
"This is a human colony, Jeong! You can't just erase us!" growled Lizbeth as she held onto her mother.
Jeong threw his hands up in exasperation. "It's not just you! There's something here far more valuable than a few colonists!"
Shepard took a step towards the man, who took a step back in anticipation of attack. "Should I tell them about the Thorian? Or are you going to grab your quad and do it yourself?" asked the spectre, getting a rough guffaw from the krogan in the room.
Juliana's gaze flew between Shepard and Jeong with a look of confusion on her face. "I'm sorry. Thorian?"
When Jeong stayed silent, Lizbeth stepped forward with a disgruntled look. "It's a... semi-telepathic life form that lives under Zhu's Hope. It's taken control of the colonists…" she said, aiming a glare at Jeong. "And ExoGeni knew it was happening, and they're the reason that so many colonists were infected!" she shouted, pointing an accusing finger at the man.
Now sharing her daughter's glare, Juliana spoke up. "You won't get away with this Jeong!"
"So you keep saying. But nobody is going to notice a few colonists missing," he said with a sneer on his face. But the sound of someone clearing their throat got his attention again and he turned back to Shepard. "Uh... oh…"
"Go ahead Jeong. Try to repurpose me too," said Shepard threateningly as she drew her pistol again and spun it. "You're a bean-counter, Jeong. I'm a Spectre. What are the odds that your security team has the ability to take me down, take my squad down, and then take the entire crew of the frigate outside down?" Jeong backed himself against a wall as Shepard cornered him, getting into his face so that he could see her clearly through her face shield.
"Spectre, hah. What a load of shit! There aren't any human Spectre's... right?" he asked as he looked over at a nearby security guard. The man shrugged, before the boss looked back at the woman cornering him.
Garrus chuckled in the background. "Took the time to look up her history but didn't spare a moment to confirm her inauguration as a Spectre. You reeeally need to get your priorities in order."
"Spectre or not, you can't throw your weight around anymore with her here!" growled Lizbeth as she stood with her arms crossed next to Shepard.
"You don't understand! It's not up to me! ExoGeni will send more assayers here and they'll know what happened!" he said desperately as he looked between the two.
Suddenly, Shepard reached forward and gripped him by the collar. "Here's what you're going to do Jeong. You're going to tell them that the geth destroyed the thorian."
"B-But the infected colonists can't be here when the company gets here!" he whined as she gripped her arm ineffectively.
"If you kill the thorian, there's a chance that the infection will go away," said Lizbeth as she looked at Shepard.
"That's all fine. But the question is, are the colonists going to let us kill the thorian?" asked Wrex as he looked at Shepard. As he did, one of the security guards reached out and tried to grab his weapon, but a heavy elbow from Wrex smashed his head against the wall, knocking him unconscious.
"Sit down," growled Garrus to the remaining officer.
"I wouldn't put it past it to use the colonists to shield itself," said Shepard as she released Jeong and slid her pistol away.
"Th-There may actually be a way to stop them…" said Jeong, causing Shepard to eye him again. He raised his arms defensively. "While studying the effects of the thorian in the labs, we found out that using paralyzing agents on those infected put them out of commission. Despite its control, the thorian can't control something if it's disabled. So... when we made a run from the ExoGeni building, we stocked up on some countermeasures in case it decided to send the colonists after us," he said, pointing over to a crate of gas grenades.
"So, the colonists exposed to nerve gas wouldn't be able to fight?" asked Lizbeth curiously.
"How powerful is this nerve agent you've concocted?" asked Shepard as she stared down Jeong.
"It's not weapons-grade like you'd use in the military. In fact, it wouldn't do much besides nauseate a regular human. But it's effective enough on the infected colonists because their antibodies can't fight it off while they're trying to counter the thorian infection," he responded, causing Shepard to turn away and walk over to the crate. He slid down onto his behind with a relieved sigh.
Pulling out the gas bombs, she tossed some to her squad. "Make sure you have environmental seals active before we hit the colony," she ordered as she strapped a few to her armored belt. Then, she turned back to Jeong. "Now then…" she said, causing the man to crawl backwards. "Here's what's going to happen Jeong. I'm going to go kill this thorian, and you're going to pray that this releases the colonists from infection. Afterwards, ExoGeni is going to stay here and open a charitable medical center for those harmed by the thorian under their watch," she said as she knelt down in front of the man.
"But…" he groaned, but she cut him off.
"And if your bosses at ExoGeni have any complaints, they can make them to me. Then I'll bring them to the Council, and we'll see what's more inconvenient. Helping some colonists who are likely going to have some serious issues after exposure to an alien life form under ExoGeni's orders, or the massive axe of sanctions and investigations once the Council finds out that ExoGeni actively put the colonists in harm's way for the sake of experimentation. How's that sound?" she asked rhetorically as she stood again and headed for the door.
Jeong said nothing more as the spectre headed for the door. Instead, Juliana spoke up for him. "Thank you, Spectre. It means a lot that you're helping us here. We'd probably all be victims of the geth had you not showed up."
Nodding, the commander exited the building. "Let's just hope killing the thorian goes as smoothly as clearing out ExoGeni. You might not be out of the fire yet," said the woman as she finally left the ExoGeni survivors and headed for the mako again.
Outside Zhu's Hope Hangar - Feros
Her expectations of this entire situation getting weirder were very low. First, they stumbled on almost cult-like behavior from colonists. Then, they discovered that there was a giant, sentient plant living under Zhu's Hope that was controlling the colonists. And to top things off, they discovered a group of geth performing a borderline religious-looking procedure deep inside the ExoGenetics headquarters. So, to believe that it could get even stranger was far-fetched.
But as she pulled the tank up to the door of the hangar again, her eyes widened as it opened and revealed a horrific sight. Even her own crew were blown away by what they were looking at.
"Are... Are those colonists?" asked Garrus as he stared at them through her scope. But she knew from Eden Prime that anything that used to be human inside them was no more. They had those same, glowing, haunting eyes. But instead of being covered from head to toe in geth-like machinery, these husks were tightly wrapped in vines and plant fiber, all hiding the usual horrific sights.
"No…" said Shepard as she backed the vehicle up. "I think we found out what happened to the ExoGeni employees that were spiked!" she shouted as she turned back to Garrus. "Those are not living creatures anymore. Aim to kill!" she ordered hastily.
"Are you sure, Shepard?" asked Tali as the commander spun around to look at them.
"There's nothing human left in them anymore. They're already dead, and from the looks of it, the thorian has taken over what was left. There's nothing to save," she said as she looked at Garrus and nodded.
The turian zoomed in on the husks as they sprinted for the vehicle and fired the autocannons. Despite seemingly being upgraded by the thorian, they didn't stand a chance against the automatic fire of the heavy turret. All of the creatures were turned into mulch and scrap as he finally released the trigger.
"Gruesome," said Wrex as the last of the horrors were shredded.
Shepard pulled the vehicle into the hanger and almost as soon as she put it in park, they heard rounds pinging off the shields. Sighing to herself, she turned to Wrex. "Get out and use your biotics to decommission them. Do... not... kill. Do you understand?"
"Yeah yeah, I get it," he groaned as he popped the hatch on the tank and used his massive strength to jump out. Shepard followed him, and as soon as her feet hit the ground, she saw the two colonists that were shooting floating in the air.
"Alright, let's move! Activate your environmental seals and don't waste grenades!" she ordered as she activated her own and sprinted up the entryway. When she reached the top, she armed a grenade and threw it into the biotic field, where it sprayed the two men. Opening her comm, she signaled to the colony team. "Liara, Fire Team, do you read?"
"Loud and clear, Spectre!" came Zannia's voice.
"Status report!" shouted Shepard as she ducked behind a barrier to keep two more of the colonists from firing at her.
"We're currently locked inside the medical barracks in the colony. It appears that sedating the colonists gave the thorian full control of them, and they began attacking shortly afterwards!" said the turian as she went quiet for a moment. "One of my team took a shot to the leg, but other than that, no casualties. Doctor T'Soni is safe in here with us."
"Good! Hold your position, we'll be coming in shortly to assist!" said Shepard as Garrus tossed a grenade over her shelter. The canister popped and the three colonists that were firing at her dropped to the ground in a choking fit. Tali and Wrex moved up as well. After taking the elevator down to the colony level, they were confronted by more of the horrific creatures. "Dammit!" shouted Shepard as she raised her pistol and blasted one straight through the head.
"No worries Shepard, I've got these," said Wrex as he stepped forward with his shotgun ready. "You up to help me, kid?"
"I'm not a kid," snapped Tali as she prepared her own heavy weapon. The two of them blasted through the thick, fibrous coating, sending the monsters sprawling before ending their miserable existence.
"Kid, I'm over fifteen-hundred years old. You're all kids to me," said the krogan as he raised his shotgun, allowing the heat sink to cool.
"Is that why you're taking orders from someone who isn't even thirty?" asked Garrus sarcastically as he chucked another grenade around the corner.
"Watch it turian. Shepard has my respect. You have yet to earn that," said Wrex menacingly as he approached the corner.
"All of you shut up and focus on the situation at hand," yelled Shepard as she moved into the colony proper. She took up position where Fai Dan and the captain stood earlier as more plant-like husks began to charge.
Garrus eliminated one with a shot through the skull, Tali popped up and wasted another with her shotgun, and Wrex sent the last flying through the air with his biotics. They all raced over the shipyard platform used for repairs and the commander groaned as more colonists began firing on her position.
But Wrex wasn't having any more nonsense. He burst forward with his biotics, and before either colonist could react to him, he grabbed three all at once into a giant bear hug. "Night night, don't let the varren bite," he said as he released the safety on the grenade in his hand, enveloping all four of them in a cloud of nerve toxin.
When he released them, they all fell into a pile. "Wrex, watch your back!" shouted Shepard as a husk's head exploded right behind him. He spun around and saw an army of them sprinting at him. Three of them dove and latched onto him as more and more joined the battle. "Dammit!"
Suddenly, one of the husks used its electrical burst attack as they continued to pile onto the krogan. The electricity reached the grenades and detonated them all, creating a massive cloud of the toxic gas around them. "Wrex! Are you alright!?" shouted Tali as she slowly approached it with her shotgun ready.
Shepard sprinted up as well but didn't stop outside. Feeling her way around, her hand contacted the krogan who was standing up straight. "Wrex?" Suddenly, her eyes widened as she heard his heavy panting, the sound of orange blood pumping to his eyes. He let out a massive battle cry before reaching down and grabbing Shepard by the arm, swinging her like a bludgeon into one of the charging creepers before sprinting out of the cloud.
"What is that maniac doing!?" shouted Garrus as he took aim and shot another of the army of husks through the head.
Wrex stampeded into the enemy wave and swung Shepard again, smashing three husks aside before whirling around and hurling her bodily into another. Shepard coughed heavily as she got to her knees but didn't shirk her duties and put two rounds through the skulls of the husks she had been thrown into.
As Garrus and Tali finished the last of them, Wrex looked around, still growling as he stepped on and trampled the husks around him to death. "Is he insane!?" asked Garrus as he approached the krogan with his weapon ready.
But Shepard held up her hand and got to her feet. "Weapons down. Now," she said as she limped towards the enraged krogan. "Wrex, I'm going to need you to calm down. Do you understand me?" she asked as she held up a hand defensively. She took another step closer, her pistol back on her belt as both hands now rose in the air. "It's alright, there's no more danger."
Wrex stared at her longingly, as if he were about to reach out and grab her again. But he didn't. Instead, he kicked the body of a husk, making it splatter against a wall. As close as she was, she could once again hear his breathing shallow. "Heh, sorry about that," he said, almost bashfully as he turned away from her.
Sighing to herself, she fell to her knees and held her side painfully. It was right then that Liara and the fire team burst from the shelter. Liara sprinted to Shepard's side and moved to help her but kept her hands off in case she made things worse. "Shepard! Are you alright!?" asked the frantic asari as she practically danced around the woman.
"I'll be fine. Maybe a fractured rib is all," said the commander as she stood again, groaning with each step towards the crane. "We found out what happened to the colonists. There's a creature down below that is controlling them through the inhalation of spores."
"So, Karin's hypothesis was correct! What do we do now?" asked the asari as she followed the spectre. But both of them stopped in their place as another colonist stepped out from behind the console and aimed a pistol at them. Liara's biotics immediately flared up, but Shepard held out a hand again.
Reaching down, Shepard tried to grab one of the grenades on her side, only to find that they had been thrown clear when Wrex used her bodily as a weapon. Growling, her hand inched towards her pistol as she recognized Fai Dan.
"It... it wants me to stop you…" he said, his face showing the pain he was experiencing. "B-But I won't! I won't be a slave!" he shouted as he shook his head.
Shepard stepped towards him with her hands raised. "Calm down Fai Dan, we know what's happening. We're going to take care of it," she said as she took another step, trying to move in to disarm and disable him.
"Good... free them!" said the man with a painful smile. "But... I will not be a tool! I will not stop her, you hear me!?" he shouted before turning the pistol on himself. Shepard lunged forward, but it was too late. He pulled the trigger and ended his life.
Sighing to herself, the spectre knelt down next to him and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you too."
Zhu's Hope - Feros
"After you left for ExoGeni, the colonists covered up an underground entrance with a cargo container. If they were hiding this... thorian, then that's likely where it's at," came Kaidan's voice through the comm as Shepard reached the crane controls. Luckily, they kept the crane attached to the container in question.
Activating the console, she lifted the cargo up and moved it out of the way. And as the lieutenant said, there was a dark stairwell that led down below. "Alright. Everyone, follow me. We're going to end this abomination once and for all," said the commander as she drew her pistol and made her way down the stairs. While the medigel helped, it certainly didn't take the pain away from her ribs, which ached with each step she took.
Liara, Wrex, Tali, Garrus, and the turian fire team all followed her down into the depths. It was almost four stories down when they finally stepped onto what looked like an auditorium. The room was circular with balconies and stairs leading downwards into the depths of the mine itself. "So, how exactly will we recognize this... thor... ian…" started Liara as she stepped into the room behind Shepard. But she stopped dead in her tracks as she saw the monstrosity before her. It was massive and filled almost the entire circular void in the center of the enormous room. Vine-like appendages reached out from all angles of its surface and broke through thick walls of concrete, leaving only the dead center with a gruesome tendrils dripping from an orifice on what looked like a face.
"I think we're going to need bigger guns…" said Wrex as even he recognized the authority this creature held.
"Definitely considering that for the future," said Shepard as she stepped up onto the balcony itself. "Lovecraft, you bastard."
As if it had noticed her, the massive creature moved. Its tendrils wriggled as the front of its face almost folded open. Everyone present gasped in shock as the top half of an asari woman emerged from the folds, her face neutral as vines wrapped around her body.
With a voice filled with pain, the asari spoke. "Invaders! Your every step is a transgression. A thousand feelers appraise you as meat, good only to dig or decompose. I am the Old Growth! You are within and before the Thorian. I command that you be in awe!" said the asari as she looked down at the party.
"Shepard!" snapped Liara. The spectre looked at her curiously. "That asari is one of my mother's trusted advisors! That means that she, or Saren was here!"
As the realization hit her, Shepard stepped up to the Cthulian like monster. "Old Growth, I'm here to make a deal with you," she said as she came to the full realization that the thorian was fully sentient. "You met with a turian, Saren. Is that correct?"
Suddenly, the massive plant hissed as its tendrils thrashed around. "S-Saren the traitor! He wished for information on those who are gone. I, the ancient one, opened myself to speak to flesh for the first time in the long cycle! Trades were made. I traded information on the lost ones for servants, and he gave them. But once the traitor had what he needed, his army of cold ones began killing the flesh that would tend the next cycle! Flesh fairly given!" said the woman as the head lowered until they were almost eye to eye. "The ancient one sees the air you push as lies. It will listen no more to the traitorous fleshborne!"
"Give me what you gave Saren, and I'll kill him for you!" shouted Shepard defiantly as she stared at the plant creature. "If you don't help me, he will get away with the injustices he has committed against you!"
"More lies from those that scurry. I, the ancient one, have heard your words above. Once you have what you need, you will kill me to free my thralls. No more will I trust you lesser creatures of meat and blood," said the asari as she looked to Shepard desperately. "I... I have it…" she said quietly. But her comment didn't go unnoticed. She screamed in agony as the tentacle-like plants squeezed her bare body.
"Then you have made your decision!" yelled Shepard as she looked around the room. Almost immediately, she noticed more of the husks all huddled on the floor, as well as the bodies of dead geth littering the area.
"Shepard!" shouted Tali as she tapped rapidly on her omni-tool. "I'm getting readings of geth explosives laying across the room. I'm guessing that's how Saren intended to kill the thorian!"
"Then that's our way. Everyone spread out, kill these creatures, and find those bombs!" she ordered as she kicked a husk hard enough to send it tumbling over the edge into the abyss below.
Immediately, the team split in half and went separate ways. Garrus, Tali, and Wrex went with two of the turian fire team in one direction around the circular balcony, while Shepard, Liara, and Zannia went another with the remainder of the fire team. As they entered a new room, swarms of the husks rose and the five of them laid down a wave of fire that obliterated the zombie-like creatures.
After victoriously putting down the husks, Shepard moved forward again but was halted as a vine-like arm shot out of the thorian's body and gripped her head. Forcefully, it slammed her into a wall, causing her nose to slam into the front of her helmet. Immediately, she tasted blood running from her nose.
Blue energy erupted like a volcano as Liara roared in anger, then threw her arm forward and warped the appendage holding the spectre. It twisted and shattered, causing the abomination to roar in anger and pain. Throwing another at the root that pierced the wall, she ripped it clean and the thorian howled again.
"Spectre!" shouted Zannia as she helped the commander back to her feet. "Are you well?"
"I'm fine," said Shepard as she shook her head inside the helmet. She may have just broken her nose as well. "Keep moving and keep killing!"
"It appears that breaking the arms holding onto the wall weakens the creature!" shouted Zannia as she dashed forward. As if to prove her point, she flipped forward and used her spur blade to slice clean through another of the thick arms. The thorian roared in anger before sending another wave of tentacles towards the group. But Liara grabbed them all and shredded them to mulch before they could touch anyone.
"Everyone present, if you can take out the arms anchoring the thorian to the wall, do so!" shouted the spectre through her comm.
"Affirmative," responded Garrus from the other side of the atrium.
Turning to the thorian, the spectre pulled out a sharp, curved blade that she'd kept for years. Gripping the weapon handle, the spectre spun it smartly before nodding. "Let's hope this works," she said as she turned and began her assault again.
Both teams made their way through the rooms, clearing them of husks and fighting off the invading tendrils that tried to drag them off into the abyss. Garrus nearly got dragged off before one of the fire team slashed through the vine with his spur blade. Getting to his feet, he thanked them silently with a nod before continuing his assault on the plant matter that rooted the thorian in place.
The thorian spun downwards as Shepard ran down the stairs to the next floor where a geth bomb was waiting, unarmed. The asari jutted from its face again, her beautiful features pain stricken as she spoke. "Insolence! You will die for your indiscretions against the ancient one!" shouted the woman.
"Liara!" shouted Shepard as she turned towards the abomination. The asari looked at her worriedly. "I'm going to need you to catch us!"
"Us?" asked the asari, then she gasped as Shepard sprinted towards the edge of the platform and jumped onto the monster itself. Using the turian blade like an ice pick, she anchored herself on the face of the creature before wrapping her arms around the trapped asari woman. Yanking the blade free, she began hacking at it viciously.
Shrieking in pain, the thorian summoned more tendrils to attack. But again, they were thwarted as Liara and Tali destroyed them with biotics and weapons fire. With enough force, the spectre ripped the woman clean of the thorian's body and hurled her through the air. Liara reached forward and caught the woman with her biotics. Slowly the woman drifted onto the lower floor.
The thorian began to thrash violently as Shepard continued to hack at its grotesque face. But before it could attempt to crush her against the wall, she hurled herself clear and caught onto a platform below. She gasped in pain as she scraped at the floor that she was hanging from, the pain from both her nose and her ribs making it near impossible for her to get a grip. But she was saved as the naked asari she had just rescued pulled her up onto the balcony.
"Fuck that hurt…" groaned Shepard as she panted heavily inside her armored suit.
Rolling onto her stomach, the spectre pushed herself to her feet unsteadily. But the asari helped her, and the pair watched as the thorian lie still, bleeding whatever it had inside of it profusely from its wounds.
"Shepard!" shouted Liara as she finally made it to the stairs below. Dashing through the room and tossing any husks in the way off of the platform, she made it to the commander's side. "Are you well, Shepard?"
"I've had better days. But we're not finished here," she said as she opened her comm. "Tali, prepare the bombs! Arm them immediately!" Not stopping to ask questions, the quarian dashed back upstairs and began her work as Shepard continued to hack away at the anchoring vines. Zannia made quick work of them with her high-flying kicks, and Liara crushed any opposing husks before sending them smashing into the thorian itself with her powerful biotic throws.
Soon, the walls around them began to crumble. The thorian sank lower as its anchors were severed and annihilated. Finally, Garrus severed one of the last vines and the thorian crashed against the side of the platforms, letting out a shriek of pain as its growths began trying to pull itself up again. Turning to Zannia and Liara, Shepard nodded. "You two keep it from climbing. I'll be right back." Sprinting towards the stairs, she made it back to the bomb and began arming it immediately. Once finished, she hefted it very painfully and carried it down the stairs. As the tendrils gripped onto the edge again, she dropped the bomb onto the edge, letting the small tentacles try and grip it desperately. Now, spinning the blade in her hand, she hacked away at the last of the anchors holding the thorian up. "You made your choice! Now you die!" she shouted as she severed the last bit of ground that the thorian had.
It roared in agony as it fell into the depths, its tendrils still holding onto the bomb. "Dropping bombs in now!" shouted Wrex through the comm as he chucked another of the armed devices into the abyss after the creature.
"All bombs on this side are gone!" responded Tali as she rolled another off the edge.
"Good," said Shepard as she stared down the hole. Turning away, she walked away from the edge. "Detonate," she ordered, and in seconds, the entire center of the atrium was a pillar of fire. The ground shook, nearly knocking everyone off their feet as the geth bombs finished what was left of the creature.
Medical Shelter - Zhu's Hope - Feros
"Thank you. Thank you very much for saving me from that... monstrosity," said the asari as she held a blanket around her nude form. "Most others would have taken the monster out without concern for my life."
Shepard and Liara sat in the medical shelter with her while most of the colonists were being attended by doctor Chakwas and a few of the ExoGeni staff. The only other person that was in the room with them was the strange asari who had been the figurehead of the thorian.
"Well, I have to say that you telling me "I have it" upped the odds of me rescuing you. But now, let's start at the beginning. How the hell did you end up inside that thing?" asked Shepard curiously as she reached up and removed her helmet.
Liara went wide-eyed as she saw the blood stains from her nose and quickly looked around for a medkit. Meanwhile, the asari continued her story. "I was an advisor for Matriarch Benezia. I've served with her for hundreds of years. So, when she joined with Saren, I was obligated to go with her."
As Liara walked up to Shepard with a sterile cloth, she turned towards the asari curiously. "You were there when Benezia joined with Saren?" The asari nodded, and Liara sat down next to Shepard. "Do you know why she joined him?"
"Benezia saw the path that Saren walked. She saw the darkness growing inside him as soon as she met him and saw the trail of carnage that would be left in his wake with his power and influence. She joined him to try and steer him away from that path, to walk a gentler one," she said, getting a slight smile from Liara. "However, Benezia lost her way, as I almost did. She is no longer the person you knew, the person I knew."
Liara's eyes widened at the statement. "W-What do you mean?"
The asari shook her head. "I wasn't there long enough for it to take hold of me. But Benezia underestimated Saren. She wasn't aware of the power he had over others."
Shepard took the cloth from Liara and began cleaning her bleeding nose with it. "Are you saying Saren can control minds?" she asked, slightly annoyed at having another potential telepathic player on the field.
"Not as you know it. We weren't forced to believe something we did not. However, just being around him and his ship slowly changes minds. It makes us believe in him, and his cause. It's an influence unlike anything I've ever experienced," she said as she locked eyes with Shepard. "Should you too get too close for too long, you would change. It's subtle, and you'd never see it coming. But it happened to everyone."
"And what about you?" asked Shepard as she finally rid herself of the bloodstains.
"I was only around Benezia. I wasn't near Saren long enough for his influence to take hold. But I saw what it did to her, and to the others who stayed around him for too long," she said as she took the small medigel dispenser from Liara.
"So, she tried to turn Saren away from his path of destruction, and her plan ended up backfiring. He influenced her to join him," said Shepard as she scratched her chin. "Asari matriarchs are some of the most powerful and intelligent beings in the galaxy. What could possibly have the power to overwhelm and influence them?"
"Saren is not the beacon of this influence," said the woman, getting their attention again. "The source of the influence is his vessel, the ship he calls Sovereign. Those who are within range of his warship too long begin to fall under his control. As I said, it is very subtle. It can take days, weeks, even months. But eventually, you will fall into his control. Its power is absolute."
Shepard glared at the woman curiously. "But if you weren't yet under his control, why would he bring you with him to talk to the thorian?"
"I suppose I was spared his indoctrination because he wanted the thorian to feel safer. He needed biotics to communicate with it, and if the thorian detected that my mind wasn't my own, then it may have rejected his offer of a trade. Nobody wants a slave who is loyal to someone else. Perhaps I was also used so Saren did not have to connect minds to the thorian itself," she said as she ran a hand gently over her ridged scalp. "After communicating with the thorian, I was given to it as a sacrifice in trade for a cipher. And once he had it, he was quick to try and destroy the thorian," said the asari as she looked up at Shepard. "I didn't know why before, but now I see it was to keep you from making the same deal with it. I must say, Shepard, you must be a very powerful foe for someone like Saren to be so paranoid."
Liara glared at her for the remark but said nothing as Shepard spoke. "I'm hunting him, and he knows I'm on his tail. He's burning everything in his path to make sure I don't have anything to use against him," said the woman as she leaned forward in her armor and stared at the asari firmly. "Now, you mentioned a cipher. What is it, and why did Saren need it?"
Nodding, the asari looked at the floor for a moment. "You received visions from the beacon on Eden Prime, correct?" She looked up as Shepard nodded. "They are confusing and unclear. That is because they were made for a prothean mind," said the woman as she scooted closer to the spectre. "The cipher is a key that the thorian gained from the protheans themselves. More than a few of them fell under its influence, and it was able to gain an understanding of prothean technology and language."
Shepard's eyes widened at the prospect, but Liara nearly tumbled out of her seat. "You mean to tell me that the thorian gave Saren the ability to interact with prothean technology and understand their language?" she asked incredulously.
"Actually, the thorian gave me the ability. And I gave it to Saren," she said, eyeing Shepard. "I can also give this cipher to you."
Shepard's eyes narrowed as she thought for a moment. Opening her omni-tool, she called Zannia and Garrus into the room. They entered and looked between the three. "Garrus, Zannia, Liara. You three are to aim your weapons directly at... what's your name?"
With her eyes wide in horror, the asari responded quickly. "Sh-Shiala B'Lora," she said as she looked at the turians.
"Alright Shiala, you and I are going to connect minds to pass this cipher, is that right?" asked Shepard, getting a nervous nod from the woman. "I've been trained to fight against intrusion, so if you start stepping into the wrong parts of my head, they will quickly remove yours. Do I make myself clear?"
"Blatantly, Shepard. I respect your caution, but I do not intend to betray you," said the woman as she bowed her head, more relieved now that she knew she wasn't about to be executed.
"Good. Now, how are we doing this?" asked the commander. But her face started to tinge red as the asari stood up and shed the blanket she wore over her shoulders, leaving her bare to the world. The two turians looked at one another but focused on keeping their weapons straight while Liara sat with a disgruntled look on her face.
Reaching her hand forward, she took Shepard's hand and pulled her closer. "It's simple, Shepard," she said as she reached up and pressed her forehead to the redhead's, her palms resting on either side of her freckled neck. "Embrace eternity…"
As soon as the words left the woman's mouth, Shepard's mind skyrocketed into oblivion. At first, she was a creature crawling on all fours and using its mind to subdue its prey before stabbing it viciously with a stone blade. Then she was standing, slouched over as she held a spear in her hand, raising it up and chanting before a large village of other creatures similar to her. They swarmed around her and touched her, sharing their love and adoration. Then she was standing upright, wearing robes as she probed the mind of a criminal guilty of murder. "Execute him!" she shouted as he was dragged off screaming.
Her mind soared to a festival, a celebration of the first day they traveled to another planet in their own system. Again, they touched one another freely, sharing joy, glee, and laughter all with a simple touch. Then she was getting married at the helm of her own starship, her wife expressing her joy by placing a hand on her face and flooding her with emotion. Then came fear, the day of first contact, and the day the war started. She was on a cruiser that was flashing with a warning of incoming projectiles. She turned to her crew and they all shared one last battle cry as their ship broke apart in the atmosphere of the enemy world.
So many visions flashed through her mind of the protheans, who they were, how they lived, their culture, their language, their emotions, their society. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open and she fell back into her seat. "Shepard!" cried Liara as she knelt at her side.
Shiala stared at Shepard tiredly and nodded. "Now, you understand. Now you know the lives and language of the protheans," she said as she sighed heavily. "Their memories are now a part of yours, a further weight on your already burdened mind."
"Burden? What?" asked Liara as she looked between the pair.
"Shepard, the visions trouble you. You lose sleep to them, do you not?" asked Shiala wisely as she donned the blanket once more.
Liara glared at Shepard silently as the redhead nodded. "They're not easy to sleep with," she said as she wiped sweat from her brow.
"I hope the cipher helps ease some of your burdens," said the asari as she bowed her head again. "In the meantime, are there any other questions that I can answer that may help you find and stop Saren?"
Nodding, Shepard let out a heavy sigh as her brain still processed everything she saw. "I know that Saren is looking for a key. But I don't know what it does, or what its purpose is," she said as she eyed the asari.
"Unfortunately, I have no knowledge of its purpose either. All I know is that it and its location is why he seeks prothean knowledge. He cannot move forward without it, and his plans will never succeed without finding it," she said as she sighed. "I do wish I could help you further Shepard, but I was deliberately kept away from such knowledge to make sure that I could not give it to you."
"I see, then I guess I have no more questions," said the spectre as she stood up.
The asari's eyes followed her questioningly. "The question remains Spectre. What do you intend to do with me?"
Shepard narrowed her eyes at the asari as she slowly stretched herself. "What do you intend to do now that you're free?"
"If you allow it, I would like to stay here with the colonists. I can no longer follow Benezia, nor could I hope to draw her back from the void that Saren has pulled her into. If I returned to asari society, I would be seen as little more than a traitor given my alliance with her and Saren. So instead, I'd like to help out the colonists here on Feros," she said hopefully.
"Well, you've been through as much hell, if not more than they have. So, I don't see an issue with you staying and helping them," said Shepard as she placed her hands on her armored hips. "I hope you all can get the help you need. Even with the thorian dead, I doubt you'll just return to normal immediately."
"That is true. And thank you for your concern. I will do my best to help them get back on their feet. And with your grip on ExoGeni's assets, I'm sure we'll get the funding required," she said with a beautiful smile.
"With that, I'm going to head out now. I have some injuries to attend to, and reports to file," said Shepard as she walked from the room with Liara and the turians following her.
The asari stood and watched them go. "Farewell, Shepard. I wish you well on your hunt."
Comm Room - SSV Normandy SR1
"Commander, are you alright? You look a bit pale," asked Liara as she fidgeted with her hands in her lap. "Are you suffering any ill effects from the cipher?"
"I'll be fine, I just need to let this all settle. Thank you for your concern though," said the redhead as she ran a hand through her hair. "For now, just get some rest. After everything that happened, we deserve a nap," said the woman with a smile.
"Of course, Shepard. However…" said the asari as she looked away nervously. "I was hoping…"
"You want the cipher as well," said Shepard with a light smirk on her face. Liara simply nodded, not saying anything more. "After I speak to the Council, meet me in my quarters. I'll let you see it firsthand," she said, slightly relieved that she may get another peaceful night's rest tonight.
With a brilliant smile, the asari bowed her head. "Thank you, Shepard," she said as she left with a bit of a bounce in her step.
Jane chuckled to herself as she turned towards the comm unit. "Well, she's easy to please," she said as she activated the comm. "Joker, have whoever is on communications today patch me through to the Council."
"On it, Commander. Before I do though, how do you think a zombie movie starring Commander Shepard would do in the box office?" he asked jokingly.
"Joker, if that movie ever comes out, I'm going to kill myself and then haunt you for the rest of your life," said the commander with a grin on her face.
"Well! I thought it sounded cool…" he said in a mock offended voice. "Anyway, they're patching you through now. Enjoy your chat!"
Immediately, the three figures popped up in front of her. The first to speak was the asari. "Spectre, ExoGenetics should have told us about the thorian. It would have made your job much easier going in with that knowledge."
"Tell me about it," said Shepard with a sigh.
With his normally cheery face glowering, Valern had his arms crossed in a standoffish manner. "You may have been able to capture it for study instead of destroying it," he said in a sharp tone.
But Shepard wouldn't have her methods questioned. "The last people who tried to study this thing became its thralls. Besides, it was implanted into the ground for kilometers. In order to extract and capture it, you would have to sever all of its arms and air lift it out of the colony half dead."
"I'm afraid I'm going to have to agree with the Spectre on this one," said Sparatus, much to the surprise of his two comrades. "This creature, if her report is true, had the ability to telepathically enslave any creature that breathed in its spores. There's little doubt that any attempt to study it would have resulted in more deaths, and more suffering. It's better off dead."
Both Tevos and Valern stared at him for a moment before the salarian finally sighed and nodded. "Alright then, it seems I'm outnumbered. At the very least, you have that prothean... thing that the geth left behind in ExoGeni. Being able to study it will make up for some of the loss of the thorian."
"I'm glad you've come around Councilor. But once it's in your possession, I'd advise against staying around it too long. It's projecting some kind of signal, and after what I've heard about Saren's capabilities, there's no telling what it's capable of," she said as she looked between the three.
"Speaking of protheans, you said that this asari gave you a prothean cipher in your report. Is this true?" asked Valern curiously. After Shepard nodded, he almost clapped gleefully. "This means that you are able to understand and interface with prothean technology then?"
"That's what I'm told. But I haven't had the chance to test it just yet, so I'll keep you updated on it," said the woman as the salarian settled himself.
"Ah, of course," said the councilor as he wiped the excitement from his face.
"In any case Shepard, you've done some amazing things thus far. Ridding the ExoGenetics building of geth, destroying a creature older than any known race in the galaxy, and you now have the key to unlocking prothean technology. While your progress on Saren is limited, I'd say you've done well in all your other duties," said Tevos as she bowed her head.
"On the upside, Saren is progressing just as much as we are. He can't do anything without this key he's seeking. We're closing on him faster than he's getting away," said the woman as she reached up and cradled her rib.
"On that note, we bid you farewell, Shepard. I hope your future reports are as interesting as this one was," said Valern as he placed one hand on the other and bowed his head in what was commonly called the Surakesh blessing.
"I'll try to keep you entertained," she said, and the three figures popped out of existence. Turning away from the comm, Shepard sighed and left the room for her quarters.
CODEX ENTRIES
Surakesh Blessing | Culture | Salarian
A remnant of old salarian religion. This greeting came from a common depiction of the salarian goddess Surakesh holding a circular object in her left hand and covering it with her right. This was a display of the common salarian mythology of the wheel of life. The depiction of what she holds depends on region, with some showing her holding a salarian egg, while others a crystal orb, and others still show her holding a simple wheel. Despite this, the greeting is the same regardless of what planet or colony the salarian comes from.