A/N - Yes, yes. I know I've been horrible with updating this. But all my attention is focused on writing other things. However, for those of you who have waited incredibly patiently, I hope you enjoy this next offering.
"Doctor Chakwas?"
She looked up from the datapad that she was reading to see a female standing before her, looking slightly unsure though wearing a slight grin. She's probably wondering what I'm doing here considering I'm clearly wearing an Alliance uniform. Chakwas appraised her for a moment, taking into account her fiery red hair but she seemed to have an overall friendly demeanour. She wasn't going to judge everyone simply because they worked for Cerberus but it would take a long time for trust to be built between herself and any of the crew.
Well, all except the Commander. He was the only reason she was here, after all.
"Yes?"
"I'm Kelly Chambers. I'm to be the Commander's Yeoman. I've been asked to bring you on board the ship in preparation for our departure."
Chakwas stood up from her chair, placing the data-pad she was reading in her small carry bag and gestured towards the Yeoman. "Very well, Miss Chambers. Lead the way."
She fell in alongside the Yeoman as they walked and talked. "No need for formalities with me, Doctor. You can just call me Kelly."
She grinned slightly. She's obviously just trying to be friendly, Karin. Just go with it. "Very well, Kelly." She came to a stop at one of the viewing platforms, taking in the new ship. The colours it was painted were obvious, but she took note of the name written along the side. Only the Commander could have chosen that name. "Cerberus built this?" she asked with surprise.
"I'm not privy to all the ins and outs of the construction of this new vessel, Doctor. But I do know it's a technological leap forward over the design of the old Normandy."
She couldn't help the reply. "Really?" she asked, not without some sarcasm.
To her credit, Kelly took it in her stride. "The Illusive Man has apparently spared no expense in bringing back the Commander and giving him all the tools possible to succeed with his current mission. As I said, I'm not sure of all the details though I'm sure Operative Lawson can explain or answer any questions you may have. Though… I'm not exactly sure how much she could tell you."
"Probably not as much as I'd like to know, Kelly." She gestured down the hallway. "Lead the way. I'd like to get settled as soon as possible."
Kelly grinned and nodded. "Very well." Kelly continued to be almost overly friendly as they walked down the gangway and eventually onto the ship, asking general questions about her life and service though appearing sensible enough to avoid asking anything too personal.
She couldn't help but gasp slightly at the size of the ship once the airlock cycled through, staring down towards the CIC, and a number of crew members already at their stations, hard at work. She then heard a very recognisable voice behind her. "Doctor Chakwas?!" it questioned, almost incredulous that she be on board the ship.
She couldn't help but whirl around, noticing the bearded pilot sat behind her. "Jeff? What are you doing here?"
He laughed. "I could ask you the same thing!"
She approached him as he stood up out of his chair. "So is this why you quit the Alliance?" she asked, crossing her arms across her chest, almost feeling like a school-teacher scolding a naughty pupil.
Joker shrugged his shoulders, a slight grin across his face. "Yes, ma'am. The Alliance grounded me. They took away the one thing that brought me happiness. Cerberus have done two things for me. One, they have given me a ship and let me fly. And they've also helped me with my Vrolik Syndrome. Not a cure, but I can now get around without crutches at least. Will still snap a bone by doing something completely stupid though."
That bit of news came as a bit of a shock. Well, is it really, Karin? They've rebuilt the Commander. They could surely help Jeff with his problems. She had to smile as she noticed him stand almost straight up and unaided. "It's good to see you, Jeff."
"You too, Doc. Have you seen the Commander?"
She shook her head. "Not yet."
"He's still on board the station sorting out final details with Operatives Lawson and Taylor. I believe they will still be a few minutes," explained Kelly, "If you would like, I can show you to the medical bay and bring him down to see you once he's on board."
Jeff had already sat back down, clearly pleased with his current surrounding. "We'll catch up later, Doc. It's been a long time."
She smiled back at him. "That it has, Jeff. I'm sure you've caused no end of trouble. I look forward to the stories."
The pilot let a look of mock-hurt cross his face. "Oh ye of little faith, Doctor."
She just chuckled, shaking her head before she followed Kelly back down through the CIC and eventually on to the elevator. "There are five levels. The top is the Captain's cabin. This floor is level two. Level three is where the med-bay is. Levels four and five are probably areas you won't visit much, though five is the hangar bay, in the event you are required to catch a shuttle off the ship."
"Doesn't happen too often, but good to know."
Kelly started flicking through a data-pad. "You'll find the medical bay we have shouldn't differ too much from your old med-bay. Like everything else, it's slightly larger than your old med-bay. Some new technology will be available as well."
"I'll just take stock of what's available, Kelly. I have my own way of working, though I'm sure Cerberus has spared no expense."
"That they haven't."
The elevator finished its descent, the pair stepping out into the mess. She couldn't help but stop for a moment and just take in how vast it was. So much larger than the old Normandy. Even the gangway leading down towards the gun batteries seems so much larger than the old ship. And there are five levels to this ship? It must be at least twice the size! She entered the med-bay and had to admit that she immediately felt right back at home. She had missed serving on a ship.
"I'll let you get settled in, Doc." She just turned and nodded at Kelly, who made herself scarce. Placing her small bag under her new desk, she simply wandered around the room, running her hand along the desk, then just feeling the spring of the mattresses of the beds. She opened and peeked into the cupboards, noticing they were full of the latest medicines available. She noticed the door at the end of the med-bay, wondering what was in there. She pressed the button but the lock stayed bright red.
"I am sorry, Doctor Chakwas, but access to the AI core is restricted," stated a voice, feminine but clearly synthetic.
She almost let out a cry of surprise as the voice reverberated around the med-bay, before she looked up at the ceiling, where the voice appeared to come from. "I can only guess that you are the AI?"
A small blue orb appeared on a platform near the door. "That I am, Doctor. The crew have come to call me EDI. I am here to assist the crew regarding the functions of the ship during battle. However, I am also available to assist in other matters, though my programming is shackled."
"This should be interesting. I've never worked with an AI before."
"You are not concerned?"
Chakwas shrugged, unsure if the AI could see or not. "If you are shackled, then I cannot see how you could harm myself or any of the crew. And, you never know, you could prove to be of valuable assistance. I'm already here working with Cerberus. Adding an AI on top of that isn't that great a leap. I'll probably end up trusting you more than I trust the organisation."
"Thank you, Doctor," EDI stated, the blue orb them disappearing.
She took a seat at her new desk, firing up her terminal and started reviewing the available files of the crew. It was fairly basic for the time being. Like starting up on every new ship, she'd simply haul every single crew member, Cerberus or not, and even the Commander, into the med-bay for her own version of a check-up. Better to be safe than sorry, as far as the doctor was concerned. She was engrossed in reading one of the crew files that she barely heard the door open behind her.
"And this is the med-bay," she heard Kelly say, "And I believe you may already…"
"Karin?" interrupted a male voice. She could hear the tone of disbelief. She turned around in her chair and there he was. He looked exactly the same, to a point. Still the same blue eyes. The short, military style haircut. The chiselled jaw-line and faint dark stubble. It was hard to miss the faint glow of red scars scattered around his face. Then she allowed her eyes to drift lower. His arms still looked powerful, his chest broad, and his hips narrow. He was still tall, towering over the Yeoman beside him.
She stood up and took a step forward. "Commander…" she said, thought barely got any more out before he walked forward and wrapped his arms around her. He didn't say anything else, he simply held her in his arms. She just went with it for the moment, wrapping her arms around him, laying her head on his chest and closing her eyes. He's definitely human. That's a heart-beat.
"I'll, er, leave you two to catch up," stated Kelly, clearly unsure as to what was going on. She heard the door close and now they were alone. She could hear her own heart beating rapidly. Two years and you're now completely speechless. Get a grip of yourself, Karin! Eventually she felt him loosen his grip on her. She lifted her head from his chest to see him simply gaze at her, with what he would call a big, dumb grin on his face. He then cleared his throat, and let go of her completely, taking a step back and leaving her space.
"It's good to see you, Commander."
"I think we're well past formalities of using my rank, Doctor. But it's good to see you, too."
She resumed her seat, gesturing to Shepard to take the one opposite her. She watched him take a seat and continue to just look at her, still a sense of disbelief on his face. "Something on your mind, Shepard? I'm sure you have a lot of questions."
"Well, I do. Forgive me for being blunt, but what on earth are you doing on a Cerberus vessel? You're Alliance. You bleed blue."
She sighed. "After the Normandy was destroyed, we were all reassigned. I've been stationed as the Mars Naval Medical Centre. It was a respectable position, but it wasn't a starship."
"I remember. Too boring, right?"
She couldn't help the smile. It's him. I remember this conversation as well. "You remember." He grinned as well. "It was the first time I've been stuck planetside in years. I missed serving on a ship, never knowing what the next mission might bring. I'm used to the hum of the engines, the creaking of bulkheads, that subtle vertigo when the momentum dampeners kick in."
"I know just what you mean. I've spent nearly my entire… er, life, on ships. I feel lost when I'm planetside."
"Too boring?"
"And too safe."
She couldn't help the grin again. He rolled his chair forward and grabbed one of her hands. She looked into his face. Now he was serious, the grin having disappeared, his eyes full of concern. "Karin, this is a Cerberus vessel. I certainly don't trust them or their intentions. I wouldn't expect you would either. Why are you here?"
"I'm not here for Cerberus, Shepard. I'm here for you. On a mission that may be crucial to the survival of the human race. And I have faith that your dealings with Cerberus will be ethical. I trust you, Shepard. You're a good man. You proved that time and again during our time together on the old Normandy. I have little doubt you will continue to be the same man going forward."
"I'm glad you're here, Karin," he said softly.
She just grinned. "Me too."
He let go of her hand and rolled his chair back, though only slightly. "Have everything you need here?"
"It's no different to the old Normandy. Technology has come on leaps and bounds in the last couple of years. I shouldn't have a problem. I'll want to update my files, bring all the crew in for a check-up. You included."
"I'd expect nothing less, Doctor," he replied with a smirk.
She rolled forward and lifted her hand to his face, grazing a finger along one of his cars. She noticed him close his eyes for just a second, before he opened them and just… stared at her. "What are these scars, Shepard? Have you not healed completely?"
He nodded. "Miranda said I wasn't completely… finished when they had to wake me up. I was hoping you may be able to give me some advice eventually. Or at least be able to do something to get rid of them."
"I'll ask Ms. Lawson for information regarding your reconstruction and see if I can find anything that may help," she stated as she finally removed her hand from his face.
"Thanks. It'll be nice to look in the mirror and see me staring back again."
She watched him stand up, though clearly in two minds about wanting to simply stay and talk to her or move on and obviously do something else. Eventually he made up his mind, rubbing his chin before he spoke. "Guess I'd better go introduce myself to some more of the crew. Can't stay in here all day talking… Though I'd like to," he finished with another slight grin.
She couldn't help but up at him. "We can talk later, Shepard. I'm sure you have a lot of questions about what's happened the past two years. I'd also like to talk to you about… what I've seen."
She watched his eyes open in surprise. "What do you mean?"
"Ms. Lawson showed me…," she sighed, shaking her head at the memory, "I understand the science of how you are here. But it's still all… slightly unbelievable."
He nodded his head as if understanding, before he stepped forward, holding out his hand. She grabbed it, feeling herself lifted off her chair before she found his arms around her again. "It's me," he said quietly into her ear. She just nodded her head. "And we'll talk later. I promise." She just nodded her head again.
He let her go a final time as he took another step back, taking a deep breath and giving another slight smile. "I'll let you go, Shepard."
He just nodded and turned around to head out of the med-bay, not before stopping at the opened door and turning back. "It really is good to see you, Karin. You have no idea how much," he stated, before he turned and disappeared, the door closing behind him.
"You too, Shepard. I've missed you. I didn't realise how much until now," she said quietly to herself, before she took her seat again and got back to work.
