- Chapter 4: Battering Laser -
The sounds of gunshots filled the air once again. Dr. T'Soni winced at the alarming sounds of battle. There was nothing she could do about it from where she was, and she was certainly in no position to fight. All she could do was listen and hope that the human, quarian, and krogan all made it out ok and were finding some way inside.
An impossible task, sure. But something told the trapped asari that they were the type of team that could handle impossible situations.
Liara took a deep breath to calm down her nerves. She closed her eyes and focused on the sounds going on around her. The sounds of gunfire ceased gradually. Only one side of that conflict remained. Hopefully it was the human's crew that made it. It had to be.
She carried herself so well, she knew what she was doing. A few geth couldn't possibly stop her.
Liara opened her eyes again. She refused to think pessimistically about the situation. She couldn't afford to lose hope in escaping now. Not when she's so close to being free.
Without warning, Liara snapped her eyes shut instinctively in order to shield herself from the instantaneous appearance of a powerful light. The powerful beam of energy shot directly below her, consequently blinding the already blurry view of the barricaded ruins that laid on the other side of the prothean defense system she is trapped in. The beam of light is accompanied by the deep roaring sounds of rocks being evaporated and crumblings below her. It felt like she was hovering over top of a thunderstorm, as clouds of smoke and gravel traveled upwards from the blast below her.
She recognized the sounds, it came from the very equipment she was using to dig her way through these ruins, before everything went to shit. Someone, for reasons beyond her, activated and shot the mining laser.
"What good would that do?", Liara thought to herself as she shook her head in contemplation.
As the dust from the blast of the mining equipment started to settle down, Liara could see – through the gap between the fallen debris and access ramps – the faint outlines of the human, krogan, and quarian, running towards the laser's recent target directly below her. It made very little sense to her, but then again… They could be onto something.
To the asari's delight and utter surprise, she heard the sounds of an elevator behind her making its way upwards, followed by the sounds of footsteps growing closer behind her.
"Could it be –", Liara wondered in amazement all the while unable to help herself from craning her neck as far around as she could. She needed to see if it was really them.
It's them. Human, krogan, quarian. All easily visible now, on the same side of the barrier as her. She can't believe it.
"How...", the stunned asari stammered, "How did you get in here? I didn't think there was any way past the barrier!"
Wasting no time, the human responded:
"We have to get you out of here before more geth arrive."
"Yes you're right", Liara says as she turns her head to face forward again; her neck cramping up slightly from turning around against the stasis field which encased her. "I've seen enough of them to last a lifetime."
Liara gestures her head slightly to the left and continues:
"That button should shut down my containment field."
Out of her peripheral vision, Liara watches as the well-armed human approaches the control panel and activates its interface. She's looking right at her.
The stasis field instantly loses power and gravity takes over her body.
"ooff," she grunts at the otherwise welcomed impact of the ground. She is free.
Liara rises up to her feet, smiling slightly at the sensation of being able to move again. She brushes the dirt from her gloved hands, and turns around to face the trio that set her free. They faced her from the entrance to the main tower of the prothean ruin.
"Any idea how we get out of this place?", the quarian questioned aloud as she stared intently at Liara for answers.
Pointing slightly towards the tower's entrance behind the trio, she responds:
"There is an elevator back in the center of the tower. At least, I think it's an elevator."
Liara began walking towards the group and into the entrance of the tower and quickly continued:
"It should take us out of here. Come on!"
All four of them walked quickly and with purpose towards the very center of the tower. Another control pannel, similar to the one which hosted the controls for the barrier curtains stood out in the center of the large cylindrical tower. Liara thinks back to what the human said about her mother and Saren. It's difficult to believe. Then again, she hasn't spoken to her mother in ages.
People change over time, maybe her mother did to.
They arrive to the center of the elevator next to the control panel. Liara stops in her tracks. She can't keep these thoughts to herself. She needs to ask:
"I - I still cannot believe all of this," the asari stammers in disbelief, which causes the other three to turn towards her. "Why would the geth come after me? Do you think Benezia's involved?"
"Saren's looking for the conduit," the quarian states, making it sound like the answer to Liara's question is obvious. "You're a Prothean expert. Obviously he wants you to help him find it."
"The conduit?", Liara responded in surprise, "But I don't know-"
An earth shaking rumble and the distant sounds of caves collapsing on themselves nearby interrupted the asari.
"Well… There goes the security deposit on that equipment," Liara thought to herself as she regained her footing. That would have to be a problem she would deal with later.
"What the hell was that?" the krogan questioned aloud, bringing forward the same thing everyone else on that elevator platform was asking themselves in that moment.
"These ruins aren't stable," Liara replied as she opened up the elevator's interface, "That mining laser must have triggered a seismic event."
"We have to hurry," she continued, with urgency, "The whole place is caving in!"
The human brings up her hand to an earpiece and begins a call.
"Joker!", the human snapped, "Get the Normandy airborne and lock in on my signal. On the double, mister!"
The small device beeped twice, indicating that the message has been received.
A digitized voice on the device spoke just loud enough for the rest of the crew to hear:
"Aye, aye, Commander," the man on the other end of the call acknowledged, "Secure and aweight. ETA eight minutes."
"Commander hmm? That's good to know," Liara thought to herself, keeping that information for reference.
The room shook again from another tremor caused by the tunnels collapsing around them.
"If I die in here, I'll kill him," the krogan threatened aloud; not realizing the irony in his comment.
With a push of one more button, the ancient elevator began moving upwards.