Three Little Lovebirds
Chapter 18 – Vile Machinations
Liara's eyes snapped open. For the past four hours she'd been meditating, reinforcing her mental walls and trying to restore some degree of rationality to her muddled thoughts. She was trapped within her own head, unable to make any meaningful contact with the outside world or regain control of her body. Her only solace was the utterly pervasive silence that granted her enough clarity of mind to try and keep the lid on a seething mess of fear and anguish that threatened to break free at any moment.
So why could she now hear footsteps?
Footsteps!? But there wasn't anyone else here...
"Miss T'Soni?"
Liara whirled around, or at least, attempted to do so. The cross-legged position she'd been sitting in left little room for manoeuvrability, and resulted in a rather ungraceful effort to simultaneously disentangle her limbs and get to her feet. No doubt if the voice belonged to an attacker, she'd have been dead already. Fortunately, whoever it was made no attempt to capitalise on her clumsiness; instead waiting patiently for her to face them.
Liara's first instinct was to believe it was simply her mind playing tricks. It was a well documented phenomenon...a brain without adequate sensory input invents its own to alleviate boredom, manifesting as hallucinations. They were usually fleeting however, lacking in either form or detail; easily identifiable for what they were.
The synthetic standing before her now failed to match that description. Liara couldn't put a name to the type of clothing he was wearing, but judging by his body structure and male appearance, it was probably of human origin. That was where the similarities ended however. There was nothing human, or even inherently alive about his skeletal features, crimson eyes or polished metal skin.
Only three words came to mind.
"Who are you?"
"A valid question without a valid answer. I am many things to many people." He responded, "But what is relevant right now is that I am here to help you. Consider me a friend."
Help her? Friend? Liara looked around her at the endless blackness that stretched to eternity in every direction. What the stranger said made no sense...how was he even contacting her? Despite the Asari's mistrust, the glimmer of hope his presence sparked into life could not be ignored. After all, if he could get into her mind, he must also have a way back out again.
"How did you get to me?" She asked eventually, trepidation keeping her desire for freedom in check, "I've been trying to contact the outside world for ages."
Remembering her failed attempt to confess her feelings to Lucy, Liara was compelled to ask.
"D-Did she hear me? Did she send you in to rescue me?"
The robotic man regarded her evenly, and as he did, Liara felt her surge of excitement wither and die. She was jumping to conclusions; something that was fast becoming a most unwelcome habit.
"It is not within my power to rescue you." He said at last, his voice matter-of-fact, "Nor can I guarantee your doctor will be able to either. You are already nearing the point of no return."
The words took a few numb seconds to sink in.
Dying?
She was dying?
How was that even possible?
"I..." Liara struggled; her ability to breath suddenly impaired, "I...Oh Goddess, I can't...not yet, there's still so much for me to say...she wouldn't...she has to know...this can't be happening!"
"I am sorry." The synthetic replied, the sentiment falling flat when spoken so emotionlessly, "But do not give in to despair just yet. There may still be a way to set things right."
Withdrawing a data pad from some interior pocket and consulting it, the mysterious man read aloud.
"Lucy Shepard; captain of the SSV Normandy."
He paused, staring intently at the display for several seconds.
"That is correct? Your soulmate...you have found her?"
"I did..." Liara whispered, her stilted words reverberating against the growing lump in her throat, "But by the time I realised how much I-I...it was too late."
Feeling tears prick at her eyes, she let her head hang limply.
"She fell in love with someone...and it wasn't me."
After long seconds of silence, Liara felt a stiff, metallic hand rest of her shoulder. The sensation was unsettling. It was the same feeling she got when on a dig; a sense of great inner peacefulness tainted by the thought that she was making a career out of another species tragedy. As with all emotions, it was impossible to rationalize how she felt, or attribute it to any particular evidence. Something about this mysterious figure made her nervous. Then again, the thought of talking to Lucy had always had a similar effect. It was impossible to be sure if her instincts were true.
Remembering those little conversations they'd shared brought a smile to Liara's lips. She may never see Lucy again, but those talks they'd had would be something she'd cherish until her dying moment.
"You are distressed." The synthetic stated, "You feel that you have failed...that you are to die without your life ever having true meaning. You fear that no one, not even the woman who means so much to you, will mourn your passing."
It took Liara nearly a minute to muster the will to reply.
"Yes," She said at last, her voice heavy with defeat, "I...I'm so s-scared. Please...I can't let it end like this...without her. There must be something you can do!"
"There are other options." The stranger agreed, taking a few steps back, "Come, let me show you the alternative."
He gestured once with his hand, and the blackness began to recede. Liara could feel its malignant presence in her head like a torrent of icy water trickling over her skin. The sensation was unpleasant, but didn't last for more than a few seconds. By the time it passed, the scene had changed completely.
The Asari maiden was back in the dingy little storage room she'd been calling home for the past few months; or at least, her mental recreation of it. Apparently her eye for detail was as keen as ever...everything was just as it had been when she left. From the computer monitor and its display of Prothean research notes, to the jumble of data pads she'd been meaning to sort through at the next convenient opportunity; it was all exactly as she remembered.
Even the small camp bed was...
The faintest of chuckles fell on Liara's deaf ears as she spotted the one 'addition' to what was otherwise a flawless replica of her quarters. The Asari felt her jaw fall slack, and it took her several seconds to muster the presence of mind to scoop it off the floor. Breathlessly, she took in the exquisite sight. It was one she'd seen countless times before; taunting her as she tried in vain to fall asleep.
"Oh Goddess," Liara whispered, unsure whether it was a plea or a blessing.
Lucy was lying in her bed.
It sounded like such a simple, ordinary observation, but to Liara the implications were...inconceivable.
She took a step forward. For those first few seconds, she forgot her self-consciousness and allowed her eyes to roam over the expanse of creamy skin on display. It was perfect, not that she'd have expected any less. Lucy's dashing entry into her life brought to mind many adjectives she'd never had cause to use before; 'perfect' was just one of them, although perhaps the most fitting.
Liara could gaze at the spectre forever, although she was grateful for the fact that a sheet covered most of her body. Once the initial shock had worn off, it did make her feel a tad voyeuristic to be...ogling the spectre so obviously. At least this way, her appreciation could be kept purely platonic.
Alright...somewhat platonic.
Acting quickly before she could talk herself down, Liara inched closer, her eyes gravitating towards the peaceful expression on the spectre's face. She'd seen Lucy sleeping before, right after the daring rescue mission on Therum, and just as she had been then, the Asari was moved by the drastic change that took place across all her facial features. Shepard always put on a brave facade and a friendly smile, but after studying each minutia oh how her expressions shifted, Liara had come to see the tenseness and the stress that lurked just beneath the surface. Now, free from the worries of the day, Lucy's face was transformed. Were it not for her knowledge of Shepard's life, Liara would not have been able to guess that those gently closed eyelids or slightly parted lips belonged to a career soldier.
Lucy was gorgeous. Before their fateful encounter, she would never have imagined that one being could encapsulate more beauty than an entire planet. There were vistas on Thessia so exquisite that even the most hardened of mercenaries wept at the sight; yet somehow the sapphire moonrise over the crystal lakes of Saria seemed shallow and empty when compared with her soulmate.
Sinking to her knees, Liara could feel herself shaking violently. Her face was now just inches away from Lucy's sleeping form; the thrill of their proximity sending shivers down her spine. She could live her life like this. No food, no water...just this incredible closeness to keep her sustained. Shepard's scent could be her oxygen and the taste of her lips, a banquet sweet enough to satisfy any hunger.
"I can give you what you want." She could sense the synthetic behind her, his gaze unblinking and expressionless, "A life with your loved one, a sense of belonging. To you, it would feel as real as the waking world. All you have to do is let go...sever your link with reality and embrace the coming darkness. Once you soul is adrift, I can guide it away from the shadow of death and towards the light."
Liara felt her breath catch. What he was asking was almost beyond belief...to give up all hope of recovery; to forsake those who needed her for purely selfish reasons.
Even to Liara, such arguments felt weak. Shepard needed her about as much as she needed a paperweight. She couldn't fight, not properly, she was just a liability. It would be better for everyone if she had never joined the crew in the first place.
"You won't even know things have changed." The stranger continued, oblivious to the internal conflict the maiden struggled to resolve, "Memory fabrication is a particular speciality of mine. Do you want to remain on the Normandy, fighting side by side with Shepard as she saves the galaxy? Perhaps you would prefer a more sedate lifestyle? I can place you on Thessia, give you a job as an eminent archaeologist. Shepard could be the escort who accompanied you on dangerous expeditions and eventually stole your heart. Maybe some children too? How many do you want? What colour should their eyes be? Possibly a light..."
"Stop!" Liara wailed, her vision of Shepards's sleeping form blurring from freshly formed tears. The mental images bombarded her from all directions; memory-like snippets of Lucy's smiling face cheek-to-cheek with a tiny blue infant. It was followed by another, and another; a whole collage of snapshots from the life she longed to have. They'd be so happy; no mission, no Reapers...just their love for each other.
Liara slumped forward, burying her face in the folds of cloth that covered Lucy's navel and weeping profusely. She was tired...so desperately tired of the constant loneliness. It was pointless trying to think rationally anymore; her heart had decided the second she'd seen Shepard sleeping in her bed.
"I-I'll do it." Liara choked, lifting her head just enough to gaze at her soulmate's gentle features, "Oh Goddess! I'll do it!"
"Very well." The Shadow Broker said, the ghost of a smile gracing his threadbare jaw, "Come with me, I will show you what to do."
Liara rose to her feet, gazing at her sleeping angel.
"We'll be together soon my love..."
Somewhere in the bowels of the citadel, in an office protected by absolute secrecy, the glowing tip of a cigar served as the only illumination. It's sole occupant laughed softly to himself. All this contact with organics must be having a bad influence...he could almost swear he was enjoying himself.