AN: Welp, this ended up falling behind. My vacation to europe was fun, though I came back and was promptly dumped into a 50+ hour work week for the last few weeks. This chapters been done but I wanted the next chapter to be in some sort of okay situation before I posted this one. Just a general 'jist' of what some people might ask as we go on. Due to the timeline shift and everything else. I've decided that while the Humans are 'in time' with Canon mass effect, the aliens are not. So Wrex is 100 years younger. Mordin and Tali haven't been born yet. Garrus is currently up in the air if I'll have him join as I've kinda already put Cestus in so Garrus 'should' likely be around. As a result the alien cast will for the most part be different then the canon crew. Sorry if this is disappointing to anyone but given how drastically different the timeline is I didn't think having the full team show up would make much sense. As always though, feel free to leave a review if you like, dislike, or have a comment to make on the current chapter!
Disclaimer: Still don't own Mass Effect
Unknown Location, 10 days after Aratoht Landing
Cynthia Shepard still didn't know just where the hell she was, though judging by the symbolism on the walls and what she had seen, it was at least a proper entente group. At the same time though everything about it screamed, off. The facility was low staffed. The guards were heavily armed.
The most off putting thing was the man before her though. He seemed normal, but there was an air about him. He couldn't be entirely trusted, or he wasn't entirely right. She wasn't sure which.
"Sit down Shepard, we have much to discuss." The man said as he led her and the black haired woman into an office. It was most likely his, and he took a seat himself at the desk.
Shepard paused for a moment, before deciding to sit. She didn't fail to notice that the chair creaked below her as she sat though. The marine also didn't fail to notice the dark haired woman taking notes.
"I'm sure you have many questions but please, allow me to explain and hopefully I will answer them." The man turned his computer monitor to face her. "First, my name is Jack Harper. My assistant is Miranda Lawson. We are the two head members of the 1:26 Organization. We operate as a joint program between the United States and the Commonwealth of Nations."
Cynthia was going to say 'I've never heard of you' but she quickly realized that would be rather stupid. Of course she hadn't heard of them. She was just a private and she doubted this was a public organization.
"Indeed, we're a well kept secret." Harper had a small grin. "I could see it in your face. We have been tasked to explore means to...develop humanity."
"You are our first test." Miranda commented. "We aren't the Axis, we weren't going to run the test till we were sure it would work."
"And what was the test?" Cynthia started. "Last thing I remember was an explosion. Did my squad make it out okay?"
"Yes, the members of your squad that were with you at the time all made it back alive. They and your unit have since been rotated back onto a rest leave following the X-Ray landings." Miranda flipped through a table to check the information.
Harper rested his elbows on the table and folded his hands together. "As for the test. It was to create a stronger human."
"More specifically we have enhanced you to be a functional super soldier. Enhanced strength, durability, regeneration. Though unfortunately we do not believe we'll be able to mass produce the procedure we used on." Miranda added. "You have a remarkably hardy natural constitution, it was likely why you survived the explosion in the first place."
"...Run that by me again?" Shepard said with a stunned expression. "Just what kind of state did I arrive in?"
"Extremely poor, it was only thanks to your squad and one of our operatives being at the shuttle that you were not left for dead." Harper started. "If you want specifics."
The screen started to display information.
"Left arm severed below the elbow, right leg severed mid thigh, left leg-" Jack started, the list going on and on. By the point they got to a collapsed lung, after mentioning near every single rib had been broken, Shepard's eyes were wide. The young soldier unsure how even she had survived.
"Needless to say Shepard, the odds that you even survived to make it to our care were astronomically low." Harper switched the screen to displaying new information. "We began surgery and treatment immediately upon your arrival."
"You may have noticed a few things by now." Miranda spoke up. "First off your body density has increased significantly."
That was likely the source of the groaning chair below her.
"Second you should be feeling significantly stronger."
Her strides had felt like she was pushing off much harder than before.
"Both of these were actually a side effect of the initial part of the procedure. Due to the extensive damage we needed to replace much of your body with cybernetics. We managed to salvage your spine and skull, though both have been reinforced with a polymer shell. Your limbs are almost entirely cybernetic, this is the source of much of your new weight."
"But…" Her body felt too real. Shepard pinched herself and winced in pain. "If they were cybernetics why can I feel everything so well."
"Your bones are cybernetic Shepard." Harper cut back in. "Everything else about you is...natural. Enhanced, but natural."
The marine leaned forward to try to read the screen better. Though she didn't really need to but it was something to do. "But why then would I be stronger. I get tougher but my muscles should be the same right?"
"In normal circumstances yes. This leads into the second stage of your procedure. The genetic overwrites." The only man in the room continued. "We have modified your DNA based on both our own research, and krogan DNA patterns given to us by our...volunteer you saw already."
"I was wondering why there was a krogan here." Shepard leaned back.
"As much as I am loath to admit it, it is thanks to his contribution that you are likely still alive following all the changes." Harper scowled a bit at the thought. "It is also most of the explanation as to your changes. The serum not only rebuilt your body, using the cybernetic skeleton as a base, but improved it."
"Faster, more efficient nerve networks, denser and stronger muscles, 'hardened' skin that is able to resist elements. You've even gained a new organ that appears to be specifically design to overload your system with specialized adrenaline when needed." Miranda took over again. "It is highly likely with a bit of time you could punch your way through a bulkhead now. Not that I would recommend you try it."
"And God said: 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.'" Shepard half whispered to herself. "That's what your name is?"
"Indeed. We improve his work as it were." The man said with a proud air to his voice.
A minute of silences hung in the air after.
"You know, all this sounds like good news." Shepard worried at her lip. "So where is the bad news?"
Miranda sighed, "We have no idea what the extended effects will be. We only planned for enhanced regeneration and a mild strength boost from the cybernetics. The rest of the changes almost appear to be the serum evolving on itself."
Harper, meanwhile, tried to keep his expression neutral, but his brow almost betrayed a scowl at the thought. He hated the unexpected. He held his expression only by sheer force of will.
"I...see?" Shepard was reeling at the moment from the information.
"We would like to give you more time to process this Shepard." Harper spoke again, not sounding like he really felt any of the emotions his words seemed to attempt to convey. "But unfortunately, those in charge of our funding have been...insistent about us given them some proof of concept. We have already arranged for a team to accompany you back to Aratoht, where you will be part of a spearhead to remove the Batarians from their final fortress.
"Once more into the breach? Hope it goes a damn sight better than the first time."
"Miranda will lead you to the others."
Shepard knew a dismissal when she heard one, and stood up. The chair appreciating the weight being lifted from it and the two women stepped outside. The door closing a moment later.
"I know this is sudden Shepard, but you will have time to adjust after the mission. For now I will also be a member of your team, and will be ensuring there are no complications with your modifications. If you experience any please inform me immediately." Miranda said matter of factly. Her tone harboured a 'deal with it and listen' attitude. "Now follow me."
It was likely due to just how fresh out of basic the woman was that she didn't snap back, but Shepard was actually surprised at as a roiling bubble of annoyance threatened to come to the surface. Vitriol wanting to lash out at the person who presumed they could be giving her orders. Just as quickly as it came through it was gone.
-WoE-
A krogan, a human and a quarian are sitting in a room waiting for two other humans. It might sound like the start of a joke, but it was actually a recipe for a not insignificant amount of awkward silence.
It didn't help the Krogan was Wrex, who already wasn't very talkative.
So when the the two they were waiting for finally showed up the black armoured human couldn't help but let out a relieved. "'Bout bloody time."
Which was quickly followed by. "Blimey, another shrimp?"
"Go fuck yourself." Shot out from Cynthia before she could catch it.
"Heh" Wrex let out a single bark of laughter. "I'd watch yourself human. She was just a torso a few days ago."
"Ahh, this is the 'project test' I'm here to observe then?" The human raised an eyebrow.
"Yes." Miranda stepped forward to put herself between the two other humans. "Cynthia, this is John Shepard. John meet Cynthia Shepard, or as you were likely informed 'Test Case 001.'"
"Bugger, that's going to make short calls awkward." John said, though he actually seemed to be chuckling a bit at the oddity. "Might as well just stick with firsts then."
"Guess so." Cynthia meanwhile, was still frowning. "What's with the Brit? I thought this was Commonwealth and American?"
"The Commonwealth doesn't do much without Imperial approval. That includes secret projects." John's grin just grew a bit bigger. "Didn't think I'd be babysitting a pair of shrimps with a toad though."
It was only because John took a step back that kept Cynthia from potentially tossing the man. "Don't blame me for a bad draw girl, gotta learn to laugh at yourself."
A sudden biotic hold kept them both in place, and Miranda's glare alternated between the two. "Are you two ready to stop acting like children?"
A pair of nods later. "Okay then let's continue. Cynthia is United States Marines, John is Special Air Service, he'll actually be leading this mission."
Cynthia blinked. "Special forces? No wonder you're such a pain in the ass."
"Guilty as charged. They drill half the fun out of you boots." John chuckled and went back to his seat when Miranda released the biotics.
"Next is Wrex, you already met him." Miranda directed to the krogan.
"Shepard." The alien grunted, only his attention telling which one he was referring to.
Cynthia had not actually seen a krogan up close until she had woken up and had to pass him. The towering bulk of scales and leathery hide should have been intimidating, but it wasn't. Instead it almost seemed to get her hackles raised. She couldn't quite nail down the feeling.
Seeing the conversation there wasn't going any further, Miranda turned Cynthia's attention to the last member of the group. First though she clarified. "Wrex is well, a krogan, he will be providing heavy support for the unit. Lastly we have Loha'Zorah nar Iridi."
"Hello?" Came a steady, yet slightly nervous voice from the suited alien. "Any chance you would let me get a look at your cybernetics?"
"Loha'Zorah is the teams technical expert-" Miranda started before the quarian interrupted.
"-I can do more then that. I can fight too."
Cynthia couldn't help but grin a little bit at the reaction, and she heard John chuckling from nearby. The modified human saying. "Of course you can. I doubt these guys would have brought you here if you couldn't."
"Indeed, and then there is myself. I will be providing biotic support for the team." Miranda finished. "We will be briefed on the way. Please follow me to the armoury Cynthia. The rest of you please meet us at the shuttle."
-WoE-
Aratoht, Fortress Reth Beachhead, 10 days after initial landings.
Gunfire was a near constant at the Reth Beachhead. British marines had managed to secure the route into the fortress as early as the second day of the landings, but had been unable to push further.
Unfortunately resistance had only gotten worse with each passing day. The batarians utilized underground tunnel networks to withdraw their forces back toward the Fortress as each other strong point fell to the humans.
Those tunnels would be the forts downfall though.
"The next section of tunnel is where we'll likely start running into resistance." Miranda informed the group. "The batarians have decided to hold relatively far back to make it harder for sappers to get around them. Given how easy it is to defend these tunnels they won't be expecting a frontal assault."
"They'll bloody well be prepared for it though." John's voice carried its mechanical tinge once more. "And that's where you'll come in."
He looked over at Cynthia. The other Shepard was armoured to the gunnels. She almost looked like a knight, or a riot control officer.
It really helped that she was also equipped with a large strange looking projector on her left arm, and a pistol in the other. The projector concentrating what would normally be a full body set of shields into a large wall.
Then just to make it even tougher and to shore up the shields on the rest of the body, the suit had a large generator on its back.
"Does the suit really need to give me a hump back to?" Cynthia complained. "How much like a krogan do I need to look like before you're satisfied."
"An unfortunate side effect of making the suit powerful enough to weather frontal assaults." Miranda offered. "You are also the only human here strong enough to move it without being slowed to a crawl."
"It honestly...feels lighter than my equipment as a marine." Cynthia admitted. "It's a bit surprising."
"Less talking, more fighting." Wrex grumbled. Meanwhile Loha remained silent, fiddling with her omni-tool.
"Right. Well, stay behind me and try to keep up then." Cynthia fired up her shield generator. The large wall of shimmering blue light appearing before she started to turned into the tunnel proper. Starting off with a slow jog while the rest fell in behind her.
A minute down the tunnel they spotted the Batarian positions far ahead, and in turn were spotted. A storm of bullets rushing town the path toward them and flickering off her shield. The walls around them chipped and cracked as the incredibly small rounds rebounded and crashed into them.
"The shields working at least." Cynthia said as she picked up the pace. The width of the arm mounted shield blocking up the narrow tunnel near entirely. Yet, as she saw the rounds impacting it, and the batarians at the end of the tunnel...She wanted to go faster. To get right up to them…
"Let me give them a bit of a surprise. I have been wanting to try this." Came Loha's voice, barely able to be heard over the din of fire. A moment later an orange ball appeared among the batarian defenders and started shocking them with a short range arc gun. The flow of fire slacked off for long enough for the group to reach the sandbag position the Batarians had set up.
If a certain talking drink container could be present, he'd have given Cynthia's barreling through the sandbag wall a 'Oooh yeah.' The fast moving human in the shell of a steel plated behemoth blowing through the sandbags, and an unlucky Batarian in the way, like they were nothing.
Stepping over the mangled corpse of a poor bastard that had gotten in her way, Cynthia would keep moving forward. The rest of the team having cleared out the remaining batarians at the checkpoint in a hail of gunfire.
She could get used to this feeling. Like an unstoppable juggernaut. It almost made her want to laugh. Especially when there was a door in their way at the end of the hallway. An armoured thing but well, so was she.
The door blew off its hinges as they broke into the room beyond. Milling batarians looking completely baffled by the short behemoth that had just come through the door. As well as the crew of humans and aliens behind them.
The momentary pause ended when John's rifle barked and a batarian was blown back from the impact. Miranda's biotics and a flaming ball shot out from Loha, an explosion ringing out as the two collided and took out a number of batarians in a wave of fire and biotics.
Finally there was Wrex and Cynthia. The krogan's shotgun barked, and Cynthia's pistol finally got to see some use. The Judge was a civilian sector pistol. Normally it was something more to show off, or for idiots. That was because the large pistol fired a .65 cartridge, or a 17 gauge shotgun round. For the average human the wrist breaking pistol needed two hands and a very proper position to not harm yourself. For Cynthia she could fire the Judge one handed without significant issue.
Currently loaded with pistol cartridges, the pistol easily joined in with the others in downing the scattered and confused batarians.
Still the confusion didn't last long, and there was a not insignificant amount of batarians in the room. The aliens finally diving into cover, kicking over heavy tables or hiding behind pillars. The increasing volume of return fire forcing the squad into cover themselves.
"We've stumbled into a pyjack nest Shepard." Wrex grumbled. "Hope you have a plan."
"I always have a plan." Came John's reply as he fired around the pillar, hitting a Batarian with barely a glance. "I just haven't thought it up yet. Actually scratch that, I've got one. Zorah can you do that drone again?"
"Of course I can when I am not the target of near every enemy out there." Loha's voice came from behind a heavy metal crate, the combat engineer not exactly able to move due to the volume of fire pouring against it. "Where?"
"Don't worry just need a peek and you'll be fine. Put it on the biggest cluster of the buggers on my mark. Miranda when I call it use your biotics to throw this just above the drone." John pulled out a cluster of grenades and handed them to Miranda. "Then every keep your heads down."
John waited for a momentary pause in the fire. "Mark."
Loha'Zorah peeped out just enough to launch the drone, pulling the batarians attention a moment before the grenade belt was biotically launched above the drone. All the chaos grenades on the belt already activated.
The sheer hail of submunitions that poured out from the grenades flooded the room, dwarfing all the fire that the batarians and Shepard's team had been able to put out combined. Cynthia felt her pillar of cover being eroded by the amount of rounds hitting it as the grenades sprayed in every direction. Then the hail of fire stopped and the grenades crashed to the floor.
"A little warning next time you dumbass!" Cynthia popped out of cover to find the batarians more or less entirely annihilated by the grenade cluster. "Never seen anything like those before."
"SAS special issue, unfortunately that was all the ones I brought so we won't be able to do that again." John came out of cover and started to check to make sure the Batarians were actually dead, his gun sweeping before him. "Everyone alright?"
"Alive, though yes, some warning next time." Miranda voice was as dry as a desert.
Wrex meanwhile just chuckled again. "Hah, what a show. Think I could get some of those Shepard?"
"Hmm, that was an interesting tactic." Loha'Zorah poked up from behind her cover. "Think I could get some of those grenades? I would...love to break one open. Preferably in a way that is much less loud."
"Bunch of babies, the lot of you." John seemed to be laughing to. "Cept Wrex, he's got goolies."
Cynthia raised an eyebrow. "All the better to kick and I think I might just send them up into your ears."
"Children, let's keep moving." Miranda herded the groups minds back onto task.
-WoE-
After the room things were quiet again for a bit. The team managing to get up to the surface without further contact. The surface itself though was another matter entirely.
"You'd think they would have thrown something bigger at us by now." Cynthia said as she kicked aside another fallen batarian soldier that was blocking the door that would lead them closer to the command center. "Instead of just throwing these infantry squads into the grinder."
"Most likely their heavy equipment got left when they ran. Though I must admit I was hoping for something more interesting." Loha offered from the rear of the group. The alien was starting to wonder if she really had been needed on this mission. The batarians didn't seem to have much tech worth a damn and the rest of the squad seemed to have the combat well in hand. Outside of a few uses of her drones she hadn't contributed much.
"Idiots," John said, a moment before the door opened and revealed a wide open warehouse "Don't ya know when you say something like that it's when everything goes shite."
It also revealed a quartet of heavily armed YMIR mechs. The miniguns attached to the heavy drones arms spooling up and blasting away as the group dove into cover.
"Just had to help bloody Sod's Law along didn't you?" John complained as a rocket smashed into the ground ahead of the heavy duty crates that were the only cover in the area.
"At least the batarians were nice enough to leave us lots of cover." Cynthia exclaimed, firing her heavy pistol back at the mechs but their shields absorbed the rounds.
Wrex sported a toothy grin at the thought "Heh, now this is a fight Shepard."
"Zorah!" John barked at the quarian. "I think this is your time to shine."
"Right, just keep them distracted for a moment." The quarian's sporting an unseen grin as she slipped into the zone. Her fingers flying over her omni tool. "Lucky for us the Batarians security programs are as out of date as anything else. These ones don't need you to hard link into them."
"Bit faster would be nice." John snapped off a few shots at the YMIRs, while Miranda threw a biotic push to slow them down a bit.
A few more taps on the omni tool. "Done. That'll have them ripping into each other for a bit but they'll get around it soon."
In reaction to her words, and her actions, the YMIRs turned toward each other. The mechs friend or foe targeting computers rearranged to consider the other mechs threats.
"Right you heard the quarian. Take them down quick while they are shooting each other." John started contributing by rapidly snapping off a series of shots. Quickly joined in by the rest of the squad as they wore the mechs down until there was only one left, and it turned back toward them.
Only for Cynthia and Wrex both to slam into the drone. The combined momentum of the two knocking the YMIR to the ground where it was quickly stomped to inactivity between the heavily armoured soldiers.
"Heh, never thought I'd be strong enough to do that." Cynthia let out a short laugh.
Wrex joined her with the laugh. "And never thought I'd see a non-krogan willing to charge a YMIR. You humans grow more interesting by the day."
"The command center should be just ahead." Miranda stated. "Finish that off and this fortress will fall in no time."
"Right you heard the lady. Time to add a second Batarian general to my kill count." John grinned.
-WoE-
Citadel Council Chambers, May 15th, 2085
"This is Khalisah al-Jilani with the Westerlund News network reporting live from Fortress Reth on Aratoht. Today the combined forces of the Entente have managed to secure the last of the Batarian fortress cities on Aratoht, securing the sector entirely. With this the Entente believes they have rescued the last of the captured civilians from Williamsport and Mackenzie's Landing."
Behind the human reporter that had become more and more well known among the Citadel populace, human soldiers were cheering and celebrating their victory. "With this Entente diplomats have approached the Batarian Hegemony to seek a proper peace accord and a temporary cease fire. So far no response has been received and Entente forces say they are ready to continue the war if needed. As you can see behind me though, the soldiers are taking this moment to celebrate while overhead the navy keeps careful watch. The mood is hopeful and preparations are being made to ensure any rescues slaves will be returned to their respective planets of origin. For now, this has been Khalisah al-Jilani, with Westerlund News."
"Credit where credit is due. These humans have done us a service." Councilor Pallus, the latest in the long line of Turian Councilors said to the other two.
"By invading and completely occupying a Citadel species' planet." Tevos clarified.
Pallus shrugged. "The Batarians only barely follow our laws and take our citizens as slaves. In my opinion we should have done this ourselves, decades ago preferably."
"Diplomatic channels better option." Jakart, the salarian having aged drastically in the past fifteen years spoke slowly for one of his species.
"They tried diplomacy. The batarians asked for this." Pallus argued. "I'm not saying that we should reward the humans with medals or anything of the sort, but I believe we should let the Hegemony know that it is in everyone's best interest if they come to the negotiating table before this war grows even further."
Silence reigned for a bit before Tevos sighed at the logic. "Indeed. Hopefully the batarians will have learned a lesson from this."
-WoE-
01001001 01000100 01010011
In a realm where the laws of physical space didn't play any part billions upon billions of lights drifted. Above, below, inside each other, separated by billions of kilometers, they were just relative ideas. Here that distance could be crossed in a blink.
As it was the collective lights were near always flashing or dimming. To some untrained being it would likely cause confusion, or maybe they would just think it was a natural cycle. In this world though, nothing was natural, and everything was done with purpose. Each flash a yes, each dim a no to a constant barrage of questions.
Every blip was informed, every blip putting its vote in to the collective. The geth programs all working in conjunction to achieve something greater. Each little variation in their programing from one to the next resulting in a slightly different approach to a question, and when they were all together, it was unlikely that there was anything else in the universe as smart as the Geth Collective.
CPTL-10918: Human-Soviet monitoring continues. Human-Soviets colonized a fifth world within our space.
IWYQ-9982: Human-Soviets show no sign of slowing colonization. Human-Soviets continue to threaten the Collective.
UU-7: Human-Soviets have not replied to our attempt at negotiation. Estimated 30 Human Days for message to reach leaders and return has been surpassed. Human-Soviets most likely refused our negotiation.
INCIS-99182: Proposal to begin retaliation to drive Human-Soviets from the Veil.
Lights flashed across the digital world.
INCIS-99182: Proposal passed. May the Creators forgive us.
"May the Creators forgive us."
And so across Geth Space, ships came to life. Fleets formed into precise formations, millions of combat platforms hidden in their bellies became inhabited. The Geth were going to war once more.
A day later on the Soviet Core World of Planeta Lenin, Terentiy Petrov found himself being bustled into a troop transport with barely an hours notice. The tank commander wonder just what was causing the sudden move out.
STG Archive Entry Excerpts: Human Research into the Destruction of their Own Sun
STG Report Compiled 2083
Human Data Entries range from 2030 to 2081
Reichsforschungsrat Report 7216: Sol Explosion
Date: 2077
Research into the explosion of the Sol system Supernova explosion has proceeded relatively slowly, though thanks to FTL travel we can jump ahead of the advancing wave and record data. From the data we have been able to observe, the Sun appears to have significantly less energy then expected given its life cycle. We estimate that may have been why the Mass Effect relay at the edge of the system survived as even with its incredible metals and alloys it should still have been destroyed by our estimates...
British Sol Research Group Report 173
Date: 2030
Our continued observation of the Sun is showing distressing results. Since we have begun observation in 1964 we have seen the Sun's 'health' rapidly decline. The Sun has started to notably lose energy and luminescence and is likely in part the cause for the decreasing temperatures recorded on Earth over the previous decade. We do not know how long it is likely to last but we have also noticed the Sun becoming increasingly less stable, and we fear it may collapse entirely within the next hundred years.
British Sol Research Group Report 201
Date: 2058
The Sun continues its downward decline in health and increasing unstability. By observation we have noticed that the energy appears to be being siphoned off into 'nothing.' For lack of a better term. The energy appears to be slipping away from the sun and dissipating into space nearby where it's lost entirely. Attempts to observe this from closer range have had little ability to determine anything different. Though ships passing near the area have noticed electrical fluctuations and unexplained structural damage.
Unit 992 Report: Sol 'Hole'
Date: 2081
Observation of the Sol supernova wave through Japanese territory shows that little to no solar energy has passed through our space. In comparison to the findings by Italian and German scientists we have found barely even trace amounts of the wave. Through our and our allies combined research we have managed to chart a estimate map of the solar wave in its entirety and it leaves a large 'hole' facing much of Japanese space. This hole is unexplained by any natural cause we could observe or predict. Some members of the unit estimate is that the Sol Supernova may have been triggered by an outside force that somehow created the hole. Though how such an object remained undetected is a mystery.