They arrived at the Nexus and were immediately directed to the conference room. The administration and the science team were already seated, eager to hear their success. Captain Dunn did not dawdle on formalities and as soon as they took their seats, asked for their report. Scott told them what happened at the vault. The administration and the science team listened attentively until he reached the point where he was frozen in place by the console. The science team sat up and exchanged looks but kept silent until he was done.
"Thank you, Pathfinder," Captain said when he finished and turned to the others. "Thoughts?" she asked, not missing the looks thrown around the table.
Professor Henrik leaned in and turned to Scott. "You said the vault scanned you?" he asked.
"Yes."
Professor Henrik sat back and exchanged another look with his team. "Well, that certainly explains …things," he muttered. Then he fixed his attention back to them. "Based on the report on Habitat 7, we expected the vault would just fix the atmosphere to be a more comfortable level. We didn't expect it to tailor Eos according to our needs. Specifically, human needs."
Captain Dunn looked piqued at him. "Go on," she urged.
"Previously, Eos has a mostly carbon dioxide atmosphere but since the Pathfinder has turned on the vault, the climate is changing into a mixture of nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere. At the rate it's going, we predict that it'd have roughly the same atmosphere as Earth in a month. However, its temperature range will be higher because of its proximity to its star, but it will be tolerable by human standards."
"So you're saying Eos can be colonized now without us spending too much effort to ensure basic living conditions," Captain Dunn said. "That's good news to me but by the looks on your faces, it doesn't sound good."
"I'm sorry. We didn't mean it that way. Of course, it is wonderful news for our colonization project," Chief Lucan said with a nod at Addison, "but our concern is more on its scientific implications. We find it interesting how the vault does its terraforming. We conducted tests on Eos soil before and the nitrogen content in it is negligible. It's also putting out other gases to cool off the planet. Gases that were not present before."
Captain Dunn just stared at him. "And this is important because…?"
The three scientists exchanged perplexed looks at each other. "It's just a scientific problem," Professor Aridana said eventually. "Nothing that adversely affects our current project. In fact, it's just going too well. But back to the vault," she said quickly and brightly, "the fact that it's tailoring its solutions to the needs of those who activated it has wonderful implications. This means that, if we assume that the holo planet at the end is a map to another vault, the vault there may be adjusted according to each of our species' need."
Chief Lucan nodded. "It's wonderful news, particularly so for us Turians. Of course, we can survive with the food grown from the labs but having a dextro planet of our own is still different."
"Or if we figure out how the vault works, we can terraform on our own," Professor Henrik suggested.
"Have you began to study it?" Captain Dunn asked them.
"Thanks to scans of the vault provided by K and SAM, we'll have some data to figure out how it works. We'll inform you later of our findings as soon as we finish. But we need to go down there personally so we can study it further."
"As soon as we secured the area," Captain Dunn said. "We'll need to establish a viable colony there and deal with the hostile aliens."
Professor Henrik nodded. "Of course. However, not all of it is good," he said gravely. "The wildlife left at Eos won't adapt to the sudden change of climate, particularly something foreign to them. We predict that soon, there will be another mass extinction of existing life in there. It is regrettable but necessary. We recommend that if we had established a colony there, the settlers should collect what they find and preserve samples, so if we find a world capable of supporting them, we can transfer them there."
Captain Dunn nodded. "I'll review your proposal later. Anything else?" she asked around the table.
"I also found this in the vault," Scott said and brought out the thermal clip. It rolled to the center of the table where it drew the attention of everyone. Sloane leaned forward to examine it. "So one of ours got in it," she observed. "If so, then where are they now? Why haven't they fixed the vault?"
"We don't know. We just found it there along with some scuff marks," Scott answered.
"Maybe it came from the missing Pathfinders?" Captain Dunn suggested.
"Maybe. But the exiles also carried this," Sloane pointed out.
"We found an exile down there at an alien base in one of the monoliths. His name's Nakmor Drack," Scott informed them, looking at Kesh.
Kesh grunted and shook her head. "Ugh. Yes, he's my grandfather, and he's not an exile. He's looking for his scouts lost a while back. If anyone's brave enough to tell a Krogan veteran what they can and cannot do, please stand up." When no one moved, she turned to Scott. "Though I don't know why this is even relevant to the discussion?"
"Just pointing out the fact that other people can survive in Eos before we activated the vault," he answered and turned away from her. "We have no information about the Pathfinders. We never saw a trace of them down there other than the thermal clip if we assume that it came from them."
They sat looking at the thermal clip for a moment then Captain Dunn cleared her throat. "Whatever this means, our Security Team will take care of it," she said with a look at Sloane who nodded. "But keep looking for any clue about the Pathfinders' whereabouts. So moving past that, are there any more questions?" No one said anything, so she turned to the Nexus Science Team. "Good work, Nexus team." Then she turned towards Scott. "And good work, Pathfinder team. We'll arrange a ceremony at Eos for the first time we settle. You and your team will be there for the ground-breaking rights and formal turn-over of the planet to the designated colony mayor, August Bradley. But as for now, Addison arranged an informal party here to celebrate. Despite what we've been through and the people we lost, we have proven now that the Initiative was a success. Good job, everybody." She beamed at them. "I'll see you at the atrium."
"So, how does it feel to have made history?" Marcus said to Scott as they kept beaming at the people either requesting their picture, chatting with them or simply just being seen with them. They were wearing formal dress, which was a plain white suit with the Initiative logo and blue stripes paired with white pants. Most people were dressed casually or whatever dress they have that is festive or new enough for the occasion. Others were wearing their work gear but who cares what they're wearing? This was their first win after so many disasters.
The atrium was temporarily transformed into a function hall. There was a surprising amount of booze, and they were eating real food now instead of nutrient paste. Kesh really outdid herself here. Addison tried to make the party formal, but Captain Dunn put her foot down and decided that they'd have enough formalities during the turnover ceremony at Eos. So at her speech, with the vista of the Tempest behind her, she just told them to eat and be merry for once, because they all earned it.
"Last time I remembered, you were there, Zola. You tell me," Scott answered. He looked up and saw Keri T'Vessa waving at them from the deck above. She looks happy to be back as a reporter instead of being a tech jockey as she had done ever since the Nexus arrived. She and her cameraman were maneuvering through the throng of people, perhaps to corner them again for an interview so they moved away, pretending that someone just out of their reach was calling them.
"Pretty damn great. I can't believe what we've achieved down there," Marcus answered as they squeezed through the people between the stairs and the trees in the middle of the floor. "Just the four of us…and SAM of course. Hey, has anyone find out how to make a computer drunk?"
"Please don't. I need my driver sober because I am going to get smashed tonight."
Marcus grinned. "Of course. You deserve it."
Through the course of their escape, they ran into Sloane. "Good work out there, Pathfinder," she said, grinning. Her smile is as sharp as the spiky, inflated rubber-like shawl she has around her neck. "I almost expected you'd get yourself killed just like all those people who get the job because Daddy said they can."
He glared at her. "Are you actually saying that I wanted my father to die just so I can have his job?"
Her smile wobbled and then disappeared. "Well…no."
Scott just looked at her with disgust. "Whatever, Sloane. I didn't come here to quarrel with you." So saying, he pushed past her until they're out of earshot.
"What a bitch," Scott muttered and threw back his drink. His mood was starting to sour and they're barely an hour in.
"I know. But don't let her ruin your night, ok? She's not worth it," Marcus said.
They decided to grab a few more drinks to forget what Sloane said so by pushing and shoving through the crowd, they found themselves beside Cora, who was leaning on the counter of the merchant shop converted temporarily into a bar. She was typing something on a datapad.
"You're got work even on this night?" Scott asked her incredulously.
Her fringe bobbed up and across her face as she looked up. "No, it doesn't work. I'm arranging with Addison the details of the funeral service for your father and the others." She realized what she just said and immediately put a hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry. I'm not supposed to tell you here."
His mood, already soured by Sloane, got dinged even further. "What service?"
She looked pleadingly at Marcus but he shook his head. So she sighed. There was no point in keeping it secret any longer. "We didn't have time to deal with them and Captain Dunn decided it's offensive to you if they did it without telling you about it. They're thinking of conducting it after the turn-over of Eos. As well as coordinating the details, I'm preparing a speech for them." She peered at him. "Unless..you have one for your father?"
Scott did not know how to deal with that yet. He pushed his feelings at the back of his mind because their mission comes first. Other people's needs come first. He didn't even visit Sara yet and tell her that they really made it.
If he started thinking about it...
"I don't think I can do it," he answered. "I'll be greatly honored if you speak for us all, Cora."
She nodded. "Of course."
"Thank you." He smiled as brightly as he could. "I'm sure you have plenty of things to do and I hate paperwork. I admit I'm a very selfish guy so I'll just leave you alone."
She opened her mouth to say something, then thought it over and decided just to nod. Scott and Marcus took their drinks and with a nod at Cora, they walked away.
"Hey, man," Marcus said, catching up to him. "Are you alright?"
Scott paused. "Honestly, I'm not. I really need to get smashed."
"Alright then. but you know, we're always here if you need to talk."
Scott smiled. "Dr. Lexi may have already beaten you to the punch, Zola."
Marcus grinned and shrugged. "Ah, well. There's no competing with an Asari."
Scott downed the drink in his hand and thought about asking for their strongest drink. Hang-over is a bitch but he'd rather be insensible right now.
A few days after the turn-over of Eos, a small crew of the Hyperion and the Pathfinder team gathered before one of the Nexus' docking bay to pay their last respects to some of the Pathfinding team who lost their lives to save them. Scott stood before the dark grey casket of his father. To his side were the families of Greer, Fisher and Markland, holding their pictures in their hands and sobbing. He was more fortunate than they were, for they had his father's body from Habitat 7, while the others had only their personal effects inside the caskets.
He had talked to Sara that morning. Though she still hasn't woken, Dr. Carlyle and SAM managed to talk to her through her implant and their connection. It was only for a few minutes, but Sara asked where their Father is if they had reached Habitat 7 and what Habitat 7 was like. He lied about all three.
"Why do I feel like you're crying, Scott?" her voice asked him, reverberating inside his mind.
Scott was holding her hand, but she can't feel it. "I'm just…happy that you're alive."
She was about to ask further but the connection ended. Dr. Carlyle assured him they'd try later.
Captain Dunn stepped forward to the podium. She looked over the crowd and started. "We are gathered here today to make final respects to our honored dead. And yet all should know that this death takes place in the shadow of the new world. A world to start new lives, new journeys and new adventures. A world they have paid for dearly, but dearly bought. A sacrifice we will remember as long as we live as well as our children's children." She looked behind her and nodded at Cora. She went forward as Captain Dunn stepped back. "My name is Cora Harper. I'm part of the Pathfinder team and their friend and colleague. I am here to say that I'm honored to have been with them."
Scott looked down as Cora told them about their family members so no one can see how wet his eyes are. He heard her tell little anecdotes, words and sayings she had learned from them. Flattering portraits, as if the dead men were gods who had just dropped for a visit, imparted their wisdom and then returned to their heavenly dwellings, never to return. But funerals are for the living, not the dead.
They all finished with the speeches and assembled to send the caskets into the atmosphere of the world below them, where it will burn to ashes. They formed a line on either side, as each casket passed between them with the music singing them goodbye. The former soldiers did a salute as they passed, while Fisher's mother reached out and touched her son's casket one last time, sobbing while holding on to his portrait.
Scott held on the salute, as his father's casket burned and turned to dust.