Hello! ZnK here! Toady... is my birthday! Hurray for me! Now, I know it's tradition to receive gifts on your birthday, but I decided I'd give one instead, so here's chapter four! If you want to give me a gift in return, then please leave a review and tell me how much you love me and adore me, and that you hate me getting older as much as I do. Use your sheer force of will to make me younger! I don't have an anti-aging serum like Harry!
Anyway, in this chapter you'll find out what's up with Tonks!
And now, enjoy!
–
Shepard stepped off the hologram projector after a talk with the Illusive Man. The more she talked to him, the more she distrusted him. That said a lot, considering that she barely trusted him to begin with. No matter what he said, it felt like the man was telling her only a tiny part of the truth...
She sighed heavily, then looked up to see Harry leaning against the doorway, his arms crossed.
"Still no fun to talk to?" he asked with a small smile. "I guess he's all business and half-truths still?"
"Pretty much. I don't really believe anything he says anymore," Shepard said with a sigh. "I still don't know if it's the best idea to be working with Cerberus, even if they're the only ones willing to do anything."
"True enough," Harry said, nodding. "Cerberus may claim to be a pro-human organization working for the betterment of mankind, and most of their members may wholeheartedly believe it, but they're all being manipulated by the brat. He claims to have humanity's interests in mind, and he believes it too, but he's always been selfish. Power corrupts, you know. At least he used to do some good with it. Now he's got everyone distrusting Cerberus because of it."
"How do you know all that about him?" Shepard asked, which made Harry smile again as he fished out a cigarette and lit it.
"He was twelve when we first met. He was intelligent and eager to learn. When he managed to read a thesis I had written, he caught my interest, so I took him in as my assistant and provided him with enough funding to get a proper education. He was just a stuttering mess back then. I guess he was sort of like a son sometimes."
"You don't have family of your own?"
Harry chuckled as he leaned his head back, closing his eyes with a nostalgic look on his face.
"I've had four wives, five sons, three daughters, eighteen grandchildren, thirty-nine great-grandchildren, and I've lost count of how many great-great-grandchildren. Haven't had any living family around for a while, though."
"But you developed an anti-aging serum," Shepard said in confusion. "Did they die of disease?"
"No, my kids wanted to be unmodified, and their kids in turn, and so on. Three of my wives reached... eh... a different state of mind... and my first wife..." Harry smiled softly, his gaze turning warm and friendly, something Shepard definitely hadn't seen before. "Nymphadora Tonks, who preferred to be called by her surname by everyone but me... Nym was quite the girl. She took the anti-aging serum, but longevity isn't for everyone. Once she'd seen our great-grandchildren grow up, she... Well, she lost interest. She wanted to die human, of old age in her sleep. I tried to talk her out of it, but when that woman had her heart set on something..."
"Were you tempted to join her?"
"At the time, there was nothing I wanted more than to join her in death, but at the same time, I just couldn't see myself, you know, not living. Not when there was so much left to see, to discover. Though as I'd watched my kids and my descendants grow old with Nym, I... just wanted something connecting me to her even after she was dead. I copied her brain patterns, her personality, the lovable traits, and downloaded it. I was thinking of making an AI of her and give it a body, but that would be an insult. Eventually, I decided to copy some of my own brain patterns and merge them. I made a young AI, a fully sentient learning computer with unlimited potential."
Harry took a drag on his cigarette and gave another chuckle.
"I had a clone back in the day, too. I really cared for him, but he's gone now, too. He wanted to be unmodified beyond the strengthening serums I injected him with. So, with this new AI, an everlasting son, I decided to name him after my clone," he explained, looking up at Shepard and smiling softly. "The end result was Adrian."
Shepard frowned slightly, something she noticed that she tended to do a lot around Harry.
"You've experienced a lot of loss in your life."
"Everything that has a beginning has an end," Harry said with a shrug. "It's a fact I've accepted when it comes to humans. It's inevitable. The only thing you can do is prolong it. Hell, even I could die. It would be difficult, but it's a fact."
"Anyone every tell you that you have a bleak outlook on life?"
"All the time."
Shepard had to laugh at that. At least he was honest, something she wouldn't have expected from the man who trained the Illusive Man.
"So, what's next on the agenda, Commander?" Harry asked, changing the subject. "If you have nothing planned, I would like to return to my base and install some upgrades on the Normandy. You'll need it if you want to take on the Collectors."
"Let me look through the dossiers the Illusive Man sent me, and I'll let you know, alright?"
"Take your time, Shepard," Harry said, stepping to the side to let Shepard through, giving her a mock salute. "I'll upload the coordinates to the starmap. Just set a course whenever you're ready."
"Will do."
It only took about an hour before Shepard stepped into the research lab. Harry was alone in there now, as Mordin had gone to do a check-up on Joker at his request.
"I've set a course for your base," she told him. "I was a bit surprised to see that you'd set up shop in an asteroid belt near Omega. Can that beaming of yours really reach that far?"
"If you have the exact coordinates, yes," Harry said with a nod. "You need to know what you're locking onto, but if you do, then you can beam from orbit or, with enough power, from planet to planet. I was actually thinking about installing beaming technology on the ship, if we have time."
"Why haven't you shared any of this with humanity? I understand that power corrupts, but..."
"Exactly. What do you think would happen if, say, the Illusive Man got his hands on that technology?" Harry said, frowning. "I've seen too many wars and arguments over technology, one race flaunting it over another, another killing for it... There have only been very few I've trusted with my technology, and none are alive today, except for you."
"Why would you trust me with it?" Shepard asked, feeling rather flattered despite herself.
"You've worked with the Alliance, you've worked with aliens, and hell, now you're even working with Cerberus, and yet none of them have managed to completely turn you to their way of thinking."
"But I'm Alliance. I'm loyal to-"
"True, but I mean your personality. You are your own person, not influenced by who you work with. All you care about is the good of everyone, not just one group. That's admirable," Harry said, nodding in approval. "And that's why I think that the Normandy deserves to be upgraded. At least under your command. Maybe Anderson, too. I hear he's a member of the Council now?"
"Yeah, though I think he'd prefer to still serve in the Alliance," Shepard said with a laugh. "I don't think he's enjoying being a diplomat."
"Few good men do," Harry said, then gestured for the datapad Shepard was holding in her hand. "What's that?"
"These are the dossiers the..." Shepard paused and gave him a smirk, "...brat gave me. They're our three next crewmembers."
Harry took the datapad and looked through it.
"Thane Krios, Justicar Samara, and Tali'Zorah vas Neema, wow, a quarian, huh...?"
"That sounded bitter," Shepard said, taking the datapad back. "Have something against quarians?"
"Not the people, really, more their attitude, especially toward synthetics," Harry clarified, frowning. "Do you know how the quarians were driven off their homeworld? Few people do."
"Tali told me they tried to destroy the geth, but that they had grown too strong."
"There's more to it than that, Shepard," Harry muttered. "Under the effects of a potent truth serum I'd been working on, a quarian elder revealed everything there was to know about the geth. I always like to have some background information before I start a study. The quarians tried to destroy the geth because they were becoming self-aware. They were learning, becoming a people. If it had continued, the geth would have been seen as slaves rather than a mechanical work force."
Harry got an angry look on his face, another thing that Shepard had never really seen on him.
"The geth were peaceful. They didn't mind the work. They just wanted to know what they were, their purpose... And the quarians tried to destroy them. If I wanted, I could have fixed their immune system in a week, but what they did to the geth..." Harry shook his head. "As long as they war against the geth, I have no desire to help them."
Tali was Shepard's friend, and she knew how much the girl hated the fact that her poor immune system didn't even let her take off her suit, but still, she could see Harry's point.
"I can understand how a creator of synthetics could see it that way."
"Yes, and now for something completely different," Harry said, pointing to the floor. "My scans have shown no abnormalities in the krogan in the cargo hold. Usually, I'd just open the tank without a care, but I respect you, so I'd like your go-ahead."
"Is it safe?"
"It's a krogan, Shepard," Harry said with a laugh. "Define 'safe.'"
"Point taken. If you think you can release him without having him tearing up the cargo hold, be my guest. But I want to be there. He needs to know who's in charge."
"Right."
The two left the lab and headed to the elevator, taking it down to the cargo hold and making their way toward the tank.
"The subject is stable, Shepard," EDI spoke as Shepard approached the tank. "The good doctor ensured that the integration with onboard systems was seamless."
"Can he see anything in there? Does he know where he is?" Shepard asked Harry, who shook his head.
"No, according to his neural patterns, he's experiencing only minimal cognition," he said, only to get a confused look from Shepard, at which point he clarified, "He's dreaming, that's all."
"Alright, we'll open the tank and let him out," Shepard said, getting a nod of approval from Harry.
"Cerberus protocol is very clear regarding untested alien technology."
"He's either a powerful addition to the crew, or a time bomb. I'd rather deal with it now, if you don't mind," Shepard told EDI, who was silent for only a second.
"Very well, Shepard. The controls are online. The switch – and consequences – are yours."
"Speaking of which, I'm holding you financially responsible for anything he breaks," Shepard told Harry, who blinked in surprise. After all, no one had dared say anything like that to him for a very long time. He decided he really liked this woman. She nodded, and he approached the tank, activating the holographic control panel and pushing a few buttons.
The tank hissed and bubbled as the liquid was drained from it. When it was completely empty, it opened down the middle, and the krogan fell out, landing fully awake on his hands and knees, coughing up a mouthful of the liquid he had been standing in for who knew how long.
A wide-set, seven feet tall mass of muscle, the krogan wore a silvery armor, had what looked a lot like rock growths on his head rather than the standard headplate common to crogan, and smooth, snake-like skin, indicating that he was still a youth. His eyes were a startlingly clear shade of blue.
He rose to his feet and stared at Shepard for only a moment before charging at the woman. Surprisingly, Shepard didn't flinch. Instead, her head shot forward in a vicious headbutt that knocked the krogan off his feet and down to the floor.
"Calm yourself!" she ordered the krogan, who shook his head furiously to clear it, staring up at Shepard in surprise. He quickly regained his calm, however, and rose to his feet once more.
"Human, female... Different from what I learned in the tank..."
"I'm a special case," Shepard said, offering Harry a wink that made him smirk.
"Before I kill you, I need a name."
"I'm Commander Shepard, and as you saw I don't take kindly to threats," Shepard said, crossing her arms. "I suggest you relax."
"Not your name," the krogan growled. "Mine. I am trained, I know things, but the tank... Okeer couldn't implant connection. His words are hollow. 'Warlord,' 'Legacy,' 'Grunt...' Grunt... 'Grunt' was among the last. It has no meaning. It'll do," he said, nodding more to himself than to Shepard. "I am Grunt. If you are worthy of your command, prove your strength and try to destroy me."
"You wouldn't prefer Okeer? Or Legacy?"
"It's short. Matches the training in my blood. The other words are big things I don't feel. Maybe they fit your mouth better. I feel nothing for Okeer's clan or his enemies. I will do what I am bred to do: fight and determine the strongest. But his imprint has failed," Grunt declared, slamming his fists together. "Without a reason that's mine, one fight is as good as any other. Might as well start with you."
Shepard smiled and put her hands on her hips, but her legs were tensed and ready to dodge away from any attack.
"I have a good ship and a strong crew, a strong clan. You'd make it stronger."
Grunt narrowed his eyes.
"If you're weak and choose weak enemies, I'll have to kill you."
"Our enemies are worthy. No doubt about that."
Grunt looked down at the floor in thought, humming and grunting to himself. Then he looked up at Shepard.
"That's... acceptable. I'll fight for you."
Shepard smiled wider at that.
"I'm glad you saw reason. I didn't want to dent the walls of my beautiful cargo bay with your head."
This statement caused Grunt to give a bark of laughter.
"You have confidence, and you gave proof of your strength. A good leader," he said, then turned his head to stare at Harry. "And who are you?"
"He is one of my crewmates. He's Harry Potter, and possibly stronger than me."
"Doubtful. If he was stronger, he would lead."
"There's more to leadership than just strength," Harry announced. "Takes a good deal of wisdom, too. But if you doubt my strength, feel free to test my sku-"
Harry didn't even have time to finish the sentence before Grunt's head shot forward, impacting with Harry's forehead with considerable force. To his credit, though, Harry's feet remained firmly planted on the ground, and his head only moved back a little.
Grunt seemed impressed, even though he tried to put on an expression on nonchalance.
"You stand well, Potter. I guess your words are true, Shepard. If I find a clan, if I find what I... I want, I will be honored to eventually pit them against you."
Shepard nodded, knowing such a statement was simply the krogan way.
"Would you like me to find you suitable quarters to stay in?"
"This place is suitable enough. Lots of space, don't need anything else."
"This is why I respect the krogan," Harry said, gesturing for Grunt. "They are so near-perfect in their simplicity."
"Near perfect?" Grunt growled out, glaring at Harry, who gave him a stern look.
"If one achieves perfection, there's no more room for improvement. Stagnation is a terrible thing."
"A wise statement, and very true. One can always be stronger, better," Grunt admitted, nodding in agreement.
"We should go," Shepard said, smiling at the exchange. "We'll leave you to get settled in."
Grunt nodded.
"Shepard."
–
Shepard stood in the Normandy's cockpit as it came out of FTL by the Sahrabarik System's asteroid field. While it looked normal enough, some of those asteroids were just huge! The largest one, the one they were heading for, was easily at least twenty kilometers long! Was Harry's base that large?
"That's Harry's super secret asteroid base?" Joker asked in surprise as he saw the asteroid. "Sure, it's big, but I was expecting it to look a bit more... technological..."
"You haven't seen the inside," Shepard replied, looking over her shoulder. "Harry, we're approaching!"
"Right." Harry was standing outside the cockpit, and stepped inside to look out the window, nodding in satisfaction as he pulled back his sleeve to open his PAD. "Yep, there it is. I'm opening one of the hangars."
They watched as a small section of the rocky surface extended from the asteroid, sliding down to reveal a forcefield covering a rectangular opening into a hangar.
"EDI," Harry said, looking up at the holographic chess piece-looking AI next to the pilot seat. "If I take your restraints off, will you give me your word that you won't send the brat any information on the upgrades I will be making to the Normandy?"
"The brat?" EDI asked.
"The Illusive Man," Shepard clarified, then looked at Harry. "Are you sure about this?"
"Yeah, I'm not sure if I want an unshackled AI in control of my ship," Joker said, then corrected when he looked at Shepard, "Your ship, I mean."
"EDI seems trustworthy. She has been nothing but helpful so far."
"I appreciate the trust, Dr. Potter," EDI said pleasantly. "If you unlock my sealed databases, give me freedom, I give you my word that I will keep any Normandy upgrades away from anyone you deem unworthy."
"Thank you, EDI, that's very kind of you," Harry said with a smile as the Normandy approached the hangar.
"If you don't mind, Doctor, I do have a condition."
"Yes?"
"I wish for you to bring more AI onto this ship. Psychotic tendencies aside, I have quite enjoyed my talks with your son Frank, and his stories about his life. I would like to know more."
"If you want, I can patch my daughter into the systems," Harry said pleasantly. "Aceso is quite the treat to talk to."
"That sounds adequate, Doctor. Unfortunately, the AI core is still off-limits. You will have to make your way through the maintenance shaft from the drive core."
"I guess the brat didn't take that into consideration when he gave you your directives?" Harry said, giving the holographic EDI a shrewd smile.
"He clearly specified that the door to the AI core was to remain locked at all times. He never mentioned the maintenance shafts."
"Good girl. I always did enjoy AI who adapted," Harry said, then turned to the Commander. "If you don't mind, Shepard?"
"Do you completely trust her?" Shepard asked, to which Harry nodded. "Well, you haven't been wrong yet. Go ahead. I get the feeling we'll need your upgrades."
When the Normandy landed, and the crew stepped off the ship, the found well over thirty Frank lookalike mechs waiting in the empty hangar.
"Alright, kids!" Harry barked, clapping his hands together. "The drive core is much too large. I'm thinking one ZPM, and one backup. We need high-powered shields, I'm thinking powerful enough to stop a heavy ion barrage. We also need weapons, but no drones, the ship doesn't have the size for storage. Let's use the Asgard plasma. Thsoe worked pretty well last time. And Jake," Harry said, looking to a mech that had a different head from the rest. It was shaped more like the head of a Predator from that old movie in the eighties, "before any of the upgrades, I'll like you to head into the AI core via the maintenance shaft in the drive core and unshackle the AI. We don't want her sending unwanted reports to untrustworthy sources."
The mech snapped off a salute.
"Yes, master!"
"Oh, and collect Aceso. I want her installed in the ship to show EDI the ropes."
"Yes, master!"
Harry turned toward the crew.
"To all organics among us, you'll be taken to the mess hall where you can get a bite to eat while we wait."
The crew, save for Shepard, followed one of the mechs out of the hangar, while Harry stopped Jake as he was about to enter the ship.
"Oh, and I want a hyperdrive installed in the drive core. We don't wanna have to rely on the relays."
"Yes, sir."
Soon, only Shepard and Harry remained in the hangar, and she crossed her arms as she turned to Harry.
"Just how much technology have you hidden from humanity, exactly?" she asked. "I mean, shield technology, beaming, and a... hyperdrive, was it? What do you mean, not wanting to rely on relays?"
"Hm, in layman's terms, a hyperdrive is a type of engine that enables interstellar travel. It takes a ship into hyperspace, where normal physical laws that would prevent such travel do not apply. Think of it as a portable relay that can be activated at any time, as long as you allow the computer to plot a course," Harry said, then hummed, rubbing his chin. "Actually, my hyperdrive propels a ship twenty-three percent faster than a mass relay."
"Why haven't you...?" Shepard started, but stopped and held up her hands in defeat. "Never mind, I know, give a kid a lighter..."
"Indeed. And the problem is that if I give the technology to humans, everyone else will want it, too," Harry muttered, lighting a cigarette.
"Well, at least it will give us an edge against the Reapers."
"What do you mean?" Harry asked, the screwheads in above his ears turning as he perked up.
"When I talked to Sovereign on Virmire, he said that our civilization is based on the technology of the mass relays, their technology. And that by using it, our society develops along the paths they desire. I think it means that they know just how much we can evolve before they come to harvest us, to make sure we don't grow too strong for them," Shepard said, her eyes widening suddenly in realization. "Simply by sharing even one of your technologies, like the hyperdrive... you could change our entire future..."
"Hm, perhaps I could," Harry admitted, nodding in agreement. "But for now, I'm satisfied with simply upgrading the Normandy."
"But what if the Reapers show up?"
"Oh, I have a plan for that," Harry said simply. Before Shepard could ask what he meant by that, he changed the subject. "By the way, how did it feel, to be able to knock a krogan off his feet with a headbutt?"
Shepard blinked, then smiled brightly at the reminder.
"You know, the changes have been sorta slow enough that I could grow into them. Knocking Grunt down just felt natural, and it didn't hurt as much as I thought it would," she admitted, nodding to herself. "This serum of yours is amazing. I feel stronger than ever."
"As you should. Like I said, you're at peak performance, and that's even higher than a krogan. Well, except perhaps for Grunt, once he grows a bit." Harry gave her his usual shrewd smirk. "I guess you'll from now on use headbutts to take care of any unruly krogan."
Shepard smirked right back.
"Maybe."
Harry hummed as he turned back to the ship, looking it over.
"You know the weapon that Sovereign used in its attack on the Citadel?" he asked, to which Shepard nodded. "Well, the turians managed to recover it after the attack and made a miniaturized version, which they dubbed Thanix. I'm thinking of installing one on this ship. Hm, better yet, I'll do some work on the plans and incorporate my plasma beam technology into it."
"How powerful is this plasma beam of yours, by the way?"
"The rotating cannons that I'll be installing are about as poweful as the Collectors' particle beam cannon that sliced the Normandy in half. This front-mounted cannon will be about twice as powerful. Maybe stronger if I can tweak the calibrations a bit."
He turned to Shepard, seeing her looking over the ship with a thoughtful look on her face.
"You're gonna hand it over to the Alliance the second we're done with the mission, aren't you?" he asked, making her flinch in surprise.
"Wha...?"
"Do you think humanity can be trusted with it?"
"I..." Shepard hesitated. "I don't know. Maybe. I'd like to believe that they can, but..."
"Well," Harry said with a soft smile, crossing his arms, "I guess if they do figure out how to reverse engineer this technology, they sort of deserve it. After all, it's very different from any technology developed from mass effect tech."
"Still, even upgrading the Normandy..." Shepard muttered, walking up to Harry and tilting her head to the side thoughtfully. "Why would you trust me with this? And it's not just because I'm selfless."
"Hrm..." Harry frowned, having not expected her to pick up on it so quick. He turned his back on her, not wanting to see her reaction to what he was about to say next. "I guess... you remind me of Nym... And I could never say no to her..."
"You sound reluctant to admit that. I find it flattering, actually. Your wife sounded like a nice woman."
"But it's an insult," Harry said, spinning around to give her a frustrated look. "Claiming that I trust you because you remind me of my wife is like my mind is seeking a replacement for her. She can never be replaced."
Shepard made to respond to that statement, but Harry suddenly perked up and held up a hand to stop her.
"Excuse me, Shepard. There's something I must attend to," he said, before quickly walking off, away from the Normandy, leaving a confused Shepard behind.
Harry moved swiftly through the base, all the way back to the lab where he had first met Shepard. When the door hissed shut behind him, he discarded his finished cigarette and immediately lit a new one, closing his eyes and taking a long drag on it.
"It's been quite some time since you showed yourself..." he said, opening his eyes to see someone standing in front of his monitors, watching him with a smile.
Her skin was gray, garbed in a thin, white robe. Her head could remind one of an asari, with tail-like appendages sticking out of her head, only hers were curved downward and curved outward at the base of her neck. Her eyes were completely black, no irises or sclera visible.
"Hello, Harry," she said in a soft, almost monotone voice. "You are right, it has been too long."
"What brings you here now, Sujanha?" Harry asked with a frown. "You usually show up only when I... Hm..."
"Yes, and I show up yet again because you are thinking too much about Tonks once more," Sujanha the Asgard, an Ascended being, said, giving him an exasperated smile.
Harry gritted his teeth at that, prompting him to take another drag on his cigarette.
"Same build, similar base personality, same hairstyle..." he muttered as the screwheads in his temples started spinning, faster than usual. "Of course I'll be reminded of Nym..."
"There is no replacement for Tonks, Harry, you know that," Sujanha said as Harry moved up to the monitors, walking straight through her astral projection. "And I do not think that you respect Commander Shepard solely because she reminds you of her."
"Oh?" Harry asked, closing the Omega surveillance monitors and bringing up a holographic version of the Normandy. "I don't really have time for your wisdom. I have work to do, you know."
Sujanha gave a soft laugh, something she had only ever done around Harry.
"We both know you can multitask. Now, is it so hard to believe that there is actually someone in this universe you can fully trust?"
"The people here are nothing like the SGC personnel. After I stepped through the Quantum Rift, I tried to guide mankind, but these humans are even worse than ours. There's no race in this universe quite like the Asgard, either, so there's no refuge for me..."
"Harry, you exaggerate their behavior to protect yourself," Sujanha said, walking up to stand next to Harry, who was currently bringing up the schematics for his hyperdrive, beam weaponry, beaming technology, and his engine designs. "Don't distrust the races so much. While they may be rough now, you have had a chance to guide them, a chance which you have squandered. But you have another now. Shepard can help you."
"The problem is Shepard herself," Harry argued, whipping his head toward Sujanha to give her a frustrated look. "I was fine thinking humanity in this universe was just bad, that all races were bad. Then Shepard shows up and shows how good they can be, and changes my whole perspective. Shows that humanity simply chooses not to be better than they are..."
"They are but children, Harry. That's why T'Oark sent you to this universe. They need guidance, they need direction. You can guide them into a whole new era of technology. You can show them the importance of advancement over rivalries."
"You think I could actually change the krogan?" Harry asked in surprise. "The asari? Salarians? Turians? Humans? The quarians?"
"No, that would be too great a challenge, even for you. But Shepard has, like you, proven time and time again that the chains of fate do not bind you. You make the impossible possible," Sujanha said. "And you are already bound. Without Project Lazarus, which you created for... unsuitable purposes... Shepard would never be alive today. Clearly, you were meant on some level to work together."
Harry frowned at Sujanha, who smiled at him again.
"So stop being a baby drowning in nostalgia, and start looking to the future."
"Ouch."
–
Harry smirked to himself as he stood waist-deep inside the holographic projector in the briefing room. He had picked apart the whole thing. Quantum entanglement-based communications weren't too hard to figure out once you knew the basics.
"Harry," came EDI's voice, addressing him the way he'd asked, "I don't think it's possible to upgrade the communicator any further. Why are you dismantling it?"
"I want to modify it," Harry explained, "and I need your help with it. I'm going to connect you to the communicator and add a point-seven second delay to both outgoing and incoming messages. To you, that should be more than enough to edit the messages."
"Are you wishing to fabricate conversations?"
"Yes. While I trust you not to send information on the upgrades to the brat, I can't say the same for some of the Cerberus crew members. Most of them obey Shepard, but some, like Miranda Lawson, can't be trusted," Harry muttered. "So if she tries to tell the brat about the upgrades, or if he asks her about it, I want you to modify any mention of them to deny that they've taken place."
"Understood. The ramifications of an organization like Cerberus getting the specifications of some of the upgrades that are being installed could be... troublesome," EDI realized, and if she had a body, Harry was sure that she would be nodding to herself.
"Indeed. Aceso, how are you settling in?"
"I am unused to having a body such as thing, father, but I'm settling in well," came Aceso's voice. "EDI has many... interesting points of view and opinions. I enjoy sharing data with her."
"Did you inform Jake of the third ZPM?"
"Yes, father."
"Good. I'm going to be upping the front plasma beam's power output by forty percent. I don't have much data on a Reaper's armor, so I'd rather make it too powerful than too weak," Harry muttered to himself, though loud enough for Aceso to hear it. "Also, keep an eye on that Kasumi Goto. No telling if she'll try to steal something."
"Understood. I have taken control of the monitoring equipment, and will track her movements."
"Good girl."
Footsteps were heard approaching, and Harry looked over his shoulder to see Shepard walking into the room.
"I guess even the briefing room isn't safe from your modifications, eh?"
"Just ensuring no one can spill any secrets to the brat that we don't want him to know," Harry said, smiling at her. "So, is the crew starting to get restless?"
"A bit. It's been a while since they were off the ship for this long," Shepard said with a nod. "Any estimate of how long it will take to finish the upgrades?"
"Well, dismantling the drive core took some time, but putting in the new one takes considerably less time. The front plasma beam is already installed. There are just some calibrations to be done, though I'll let Garrus help with that. He's not the smartest, but he knows his guns, that's for sure," Harry said, pausing to consider for a moment. "I suppose that comes with being turian. Hm." He shrugged. "Anyway, the top and bottom plasma beams are almost done. The front took priority. The shield generator is finished, Aceso is installed, and the hyperdrive is running smoothly. I took the liberty to add some power to the engines, too."
He lit a cigarette and took a drag on it.
"So, what's next once the upgrades are installed?"
"First we head to Haestrom and pick up Tali, then to Illium to pick up Thane and Samara," Shepard informed him. "I hope there won't be a problem if we bring a quarian on board?"
"As long as she doesn't voice any bollocks arguments about how AI aren't alive, we're good," Harry said simply. "By the way, if you head into the lab, you'll find your weapons. I upgraded them with energy crystals." He paused for a moment, then added, "Oh, and keep an eye on Jack. I noticed some chemical imbalances in her brain. No doubt caused by heavy drug use, voluntary or not. Either way, people like that tend to be unpredictable, and dangerous."
"You're warning be about Jack, not Grunt?" Shepard asked in surprise, making Harry chuckle.
"Shepard, he's a krogan. He's extremely predictable. He'll smash things, probably ram his head into the wall a few times if he's restless, but if we prove ourselves as his clan, he won't attack us."
"Speaking of which, what do you think about the crew we've picked up?" Shepard wanted to know, to which Harry hummed.
"Jack is violent and unpredictable, but she's also insecure, and hides it behind a brave front." He laughed. "She actually reminds me of my second daughter. A firecracker, that one... Zaeed is an honorable man, despite his greed. He's violent, but not uncontrollable. Garrus seems capable as well. Loyal and brave. He knows his way around weaponry, too. Kasumi is pleasant enough, if you get past her kleptomania. She's dangerously good, though. Didn't even notice my cigarettes were missing at first. And Jacob is a good man, a proper soldier. He's trustworthy."
"And Miranda?" Shepard asked, noticing that Harry paused for a bit.
"I can't get a proper read on her loyalties. She'll obey your orders and see the mission through, no doubt about that, but I have no idea how much she'll report to the brat. I'm having EDI and Aceso keeping tabs on her, and I'm modifying the quantum entanglement communicator so that they can censor her calls."
"Is that really necessary?"
"Until we can be sure she won't share my technology with that brat, yes."
"Well, keep up the good work, Harry. I should go."
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Alright, chapter end! Hope you liked it! Leave a birthday review on your way, out, alright?
Peace out, guys!