A/N: This story is rated M for sexual content, violence, and language. I write about (mostly) healthy adult relationships, and everything that entails as such. Please forgive any typos as I am the only one who checks it after writing.
Mass Effect: Chapter 31
As Darkness Begins to Fall
It was hot. Too hot. Shepard gasped, pulling at his heavy armor, aching for just a few drops of water. His mouth was dry, his tongue slightly swollen. The area around him was burning. Molten streams of cybernetic energy destroyed everything in his vicinity. A thunderous roar emitted through the air, so loud that Shepard hurled over, screaming as he covered his ears. A Reaper.
When it stopped, his gaze lifted, eyes wide in terror as he saw Jack standing several feet in the distance, the molten fiery substance already up to her ankles. Her flesh was burning away quickly, the sickening smell of flesh and black smoke filling his lungs. John screamed, his mouth twisting in fear as he tried to move towards her. Yet, it seemed as though his feet would not budge—as if they had been bolted to the ground.
Shepard continued to scream, reaching out towards the heavily tattooed woman who simply stared at him, face unmoved. His eyes trailed down her body, panicking when he noticed her cradling a large, perfectly round stomach.
"JACK," he tried, reaching out. "Take my hand! Jack get out of there!"
Another deafening screech; the Reaper was closing in behind her in the great distance, jets of burning energy destroying everything it passed.
"We're going to die," the woman, his Jack, said softly, a sadness forming on her expression.
"Jack, NO," Shepard screamed, fiery hot tears forming in his eyes. "Jack PLEASE! Move!"
"We're all going to die, Shepard."
Shepard moaned, nearly breaking his legs in an attempt to move to his love. "Jack!"
The commander wailed, watching as the Reaper approached, its molten jets aimed and fired at the biotic woman, its contents slowly and agonizingly pouring over her head and shoulders.
"They're coming. We're all going to die and it'll be your fault," Jack said, her face twisting in horror as she melted, her screams now filling the air. "Why didn't you save me, Shepard?" The last thing the commander saw was her rounded stomach being enveloped, her body turning to crumpled, cooked flesh then ash.
Shepard wailed. "Nononono…No…NO…Jack…Jack…JACK…"
"Hey. Shepard. Shit. Hey," Jack said calmly, facing the commander as she laid beside him. She nudged him tenderly. "Common' Shepard, it's just a dream. Wake up." The biotic leaned forward to place a firm kiss on his forehead. Jack knew what it was to suffer from nightmares all too well.
As her lips connected to the commander, her eyes widened as he flipped her on her back, his grasp tight around her throat, his expression wild with grief and anger. The biotic gasped for air, instinctively using her own hands to push upwards at Shepard's jaw and chest in an attempt to get him away. Shepard looked down at her with madness, until finally something took hold…
His gaze softened and rimmed with tears as he instantly relinquished his hold on the women he loved. "…J…J-Jack? I…I'm sorry…I didn't—I was…you were…" The commander choked on his words, trying his best to process.
Jack removed her own hands from him, watching him carefully as he hovered over her. Her own eyes widened when she noticed the wetness forming on his lashes. "S-Shepard," she coughed, "I'm h-here. It's okay. I'm okay. Breathe for me…"
"I'm so sorry," Shepard gasped, only moving into the biotic when she laced her hand through his hair and brought him down onto her chest.
Jack could feel the wild tremble in John's body, the way it vibrated every time he tried to take a breath. "Hey," she calmed, not daring to ask any questions at the moment. Jack had been in this situation many times before, only there was no one around to help her through it. Yet, she understood what her commander was handling, knowing full well that he needed time to process and rest. The hour was still very late.
"Jack," Shepard stuttered, reaching to feel for the woman he loved, his hands frantic to feel her as if trying to determine whether or not she was real. The action confused Jack, scared her even, especially when he lowered the grasp to feel her stomach, as if checking to see if something was there. Her body stiffened at the touch, only relaxing when his hand reached up and behind her neck.
"I..I…"
"No. Come here," she said, leaning into him. "Forget about all that. Kiss me."
The commander, in his desperation, simply nodded at the command. Jack groaned into his kiss, so full of urgency and need, allowing the commander to hold her tightly to him, appreciative of his dominate nature. His body was hot to the touch, and shaking upon each of her caresses. As they kissed, the biotic slowly peeled away from her night clothes, gently removing the commanders sleeping shorts after.
"Jack, we don't have to—"
"I'm here," Jack said softly, planting gentle kisses all over his neck and shoulders. "I'm here. I want to be here. So, kiss me…give me that attention you always wanna give…"
The commander kissed her again, his hands moving to feel her now naked body with more urgency than ever before.
Jack spread her legs to accommodate Shepard's larger, more muscular form, to which the commander exhaled sharply, laying himself on top of the smaller woman with the most content of sighs. Through his sadness and shock, Jack was still pleased to feel that her lover had stiffened at her touch. Jack kissed the commanders chin and jaw before firmly rolling them around and onto his back. Jack straddled her commander and leaned over to kiss him once more, allowing his hands to wander her thighs, stomach, and breasts.
"…you're so beautiful," John managed to say with softness, his lashes still wet, though he showed no signs of tears.
Jack cupped his face with her right hand, her thumb rolling over his bottom lip. She smiled sincerely at him, proud for his trying to keep calm and rational after what seemed to be such a horrifying dream. She knew how bad they could really be.
"You're damn right," she finally replied, leaning over to kiss his chest before moving her lips down his body. John's ab muscles twitched beneath her ministrations, his breathing becoming heavier.
Jack teased him and kissed around his hips, her breasts grazing his stiffened manhood, causing both of them groan in anticipation. Jack's gaze slowly trailed up her man, past his rock-hard abs and pectoral muscles, stopping only when their eyes met. The biotic grinned as she brought the tip of Shepard's member to her lips, and with the most delicacy she could muster, extend her tongue to glide over the head.
Shepard nearly lost it in that moment, watching as Jack worked his shaft and head without breaking eye contact. As her head came up with an audible pop, Jack grinned as she used her right hand to pump him a few times. John's hips bucked but Jack clicked her tongue, "Ah ah ah," she warned. "Not yet."
All he could do was nod his head and hang onto to every word she gave him. His eyes rolled back as her head began to bob, her mouth tightening around him. While she used one hand to aid in pleasuring him, using it to massage his shaft, the other roamed and appreciated his muscular body before grabbing Shepard by his fingers. The commander, in his pleasure, managed to lean up on an elbow to watch, but when Jack slowly placed his hand on top of her head and pushed her lips further down, Shepard's mouth fell open and released a deep, guttural groan.
"Jack…oh shit," he breathed. "I'm going to…"
"Mm-hmm," the biotic hummed happily, squeezing with her mouth.
"Jack," Shepard hissed, trying to remove himself before he spilled.
"Uh-uh," Jack mumbled, firmly staying put and increasing her pumping speed.
Shepard's mouth slacked as he felt the heat form in his now clenching stomach, groaning as he felt himself release, hissing as she pumped him a few more times, making sure take everything she could swallow.
John fell onto his back as Jack got to her knees on the bed. He watched as she neatly cleaned the edges of her mouth before smirking. "You ain't done yet," she smiled, wider. "I'll give you a minute, but after that you got work to do."
"Yes ma'am," he nodded, reaching up to take the slender woman in his arms before twisting them around so that she laid comfortably on her back. He wasted no time in kissing down her body to place his lips at her already wet and warm mound. Jack cursed into the air as Shepard licked her, finding the spot that drove her mad with lust until she could no longer stand it. When she finished, Jack was quick to turn and get on her already shaking knees, spreading herself wide and looking over her shoulder with an animalistic expectation. Shepard growled and hunched himself over his love, kissing and biting her neck, shoulders, and back. Jack's whole body shook and she groaned, leaning down so that her ass stayed in the air, pushing back against her partner with desire.
Shepard was all too happy to comply, slowly sliding himself into her tight and warm center so that both of them moaned in unison. He held onto Jack's hips tightly and thrust much to her fervor and need.
"Hard," Jack hissed, grateful for Shepard's tight hold and muscular arms. Her legs felt as though they'd give up at any moment. "I want you."
John exhaled sharply and bucked into Jack with a new-found hunger, taking her as though this would be the last time they'd ever be together. The biotic cried out into the cabin, twisting the sheets in her first and biting down onto the pillow beneath her chin as her body bounced roughly in his hands.
"Yes," Jack cried out, "Take it, it's yours! Harder!"
John could feel the sweat forming on his neck and chest and he increased his pumps in strength in speed, wanting very much to fulfill the woman he was in love with. "God, Jack…you feel…"
"Yes," she cried again, "yes, yes, yes…YES…" Jack whimpered as her body stiffened and grasped for Shepard's seed. Jack could feel her slickness dripping down her left thigh as John groaned before his hips bucked into her one, final time. Jack released a rasping moan, loving the sensation he filled her with, allowing him to pump until he was done with her body.
The couple fell into bed beside each other, their hands instantly finding one another and weaving. Shepard pulled the slender woman onto his chest and kissed the top of her head, feeling as their heavy breathing calmed.
"I love you. I'm sorry for what I did. I would never hurt you."
Shepard's words were so honest that Jack felt her cheeks grow warm. She held onto him a little more firmly. "I know. Now, get some shut eye."
John nodded his head. "I'll see you in the morning, right?"
There was something in the way he asked that broke Jack's heart.
"Yeah," she replied, leaning over to roughly kiss his chest. "Sleep."
"Yes, ma'am," he mused, holding on to her just a bit more tightly.
It was almost time to get up. The crew would wake soon.
Usually, at this time Miranda was already fully dressed and heading towards the conference room for briefing. Shepard was already there, she knew it. However, due to last night's excursions, the operative chose to sleep in and was very hesitant to even get up. She could still feel that her nether regions were still slightly swollen and sore. It didn't bother her; it was a feeling she had been welcoming for a long time. For the first time, the pair of women had chosen to make love; hours of pleasure and foreplay were had. They had taken their time with each other's body, making sure to learn of every scar and inch of skin.
Miranda knew that London's time on the ship was coming to an end. Due to London's lack of training, Miranda had made her reservations on London joining them in battle very well known, and thusly used both her and Shepard's connections to enlist London in a rigorous, lengthy and elite training program. Truth be told, Miranda didn't know how long it'd last; she only knew that once they arrived back at the Citadel, London would ship off to earth to begin. It was a bitter sweet ordeal. Now that the pair had cemented their status and relationship, it was hard to imagine London being anywhere else at night. It was hard to imagine waking up with knowing she wouldn't be in her room or on the ship. Yet, both understood this was the best course to take. An attack by the Reapers was imminent; even though the council had refused to take action, everyone on the Normandy knew they were coming. Now, the only thing left was to be prepared.
London dragged her fingernails lazily along Miranda's arm, turning her head to place gentle kisses along Miranda's shoulder and jaw. The XO smiled, "I know we don't have much time, but I've been wanting to show you something that I've been working on."
"What is it," London asked, sliding out from under Miranda's arm and propping herself up on an elbow. The sheet that kept the brunette's body modest fell lower, and Miranda could feel the warmth in her belly again as most of London's bared frame came into view.
"I," she tried, as distracted as she was, "...I've been doing research on old jewelry boxes from earth."
"Oh?" London sat up, watching the XO curiously as she brought the jewelry box out and onto the bed. "What have you found?"
Miranda, though genetically perfect, still had to find courage as she allowed her own sheet to fall so that she could spread out the books and papers she had written on the little apparatus. London smiled at the women, and for a moment she couldn't tell if it was because she was naked and not scared, or because she had been researching something so silly. "Well," the XO began, "that's the thing. It's a simple device. I've checked all the tiny bolts, screws, and gears. I've even pulled it apart and put it together. Everything is in its' place."
London sighed, running her finger along the small lion inside of the box. "Perhaps it simply gave out."
"Hey," Miranda chuckled, leaning over give a gentle and lengthy kiss. "Don't give up just yet. It's probably just so obvious we're not looking in the right place."
"Yeah, you're probably right."
"I need to get ready," Miranda said, getting up despite her extreme hatred of the idea. "I need to meet Shepard for the briefing before he tries to board the Atlantis."
"Who is going with him after all," London asked, sitting up interestedly. "Think we'll see some action today? After all of this shit with my sister…I would like to see this done."
"Sorry," Miranda said, biting her lip. "I know it's not what you want to hear, but no, neither you or I will be heading down. From the intelligence Shepard has gathered from the data-pad and June, he's expecting very little resistance. It's a small ship, used mostly for research, so he'll be taking Mordin to assist with Grunt as his backup heavy fire."
"I understand." London knew she wasn't scientifically minded, and if this is what it took to be successful in shutting this whole thing down, then so be it. "So, he's trying to be careful because of the research on board or…?"
"Yes. Anderson wants as much feedback and proof of this whole ordeal as he can."
"Then why not take Tali and you as well?"
Miranda smiled as she gathered her clothing. "As they find any new Intel, they'll be uploading to both Tali and I. We're going to try and make sense of it as he goes—putting the pieces together as best we can."
London sighed, bringing the bed sheets up to cover herself. She gazed out of window, Tortuga already in the distance. Her stomach churned and suddenly she felt the need to dress. "I should get ready too…just in case."
"You…you have some stuff in your little bag over there by my nightstand." Miranda could feel her cheeks grow warm and she damned herself for it. "My shower is open to you if you need it. As is my…my space."
London looked up then, her lips spreading into a beautiful smile meant only for the second-in-command. "Why, Ms. Lawson, is that your way of inviting me to stay a little longer? Or perhaps shower with you?"
Miranda cleared her throat and steadied herself, her posture straightening out so that she appeared confident and calm. "Both."
"Then I think I'll just leave this here for a moment," London giggled, careful not to drop the jewelry box or paperwork spread on Miranda's bed, "and take you up on both of those offers."
"Is that it?" Shepard leaned against the large frame of emptied metal crates, acting as if waiting for someone to show up.
"That's it, Shepard. All of the documentation I've gathered from June points to that ship. It matches every description."
"Thanks, Tali. It's a little bigger than I thought it'd be. Give us the signal when we're good." The commander turned to Mordin and Grunt. "Be ready for anything."
"Kasumi gave a green. You're a go, Commander."
"So that's it," Grunt asked, his lip curled in pleasure. "We just gonna walk in?"
John nodded his head in the direction of the Atlantis. "If the front door is open, why the hell not?"
"I'm havin' fun already, Shepard," Grunt chuckled lowly. "Let's do this."
"Low and slow, alright? We don't blow anything up until I give the order."
"I gotcha," Grunt replied, cocking his shotgun. "I'll be good…most of the time."
"What the…fuck?"
"What is it, Shepard?" Miranda was tense in her seat aboard the ship. "Shepard, what do you see? I don't see anything on your feed."
"It looks like no one has lived here in years," he replied. Shepard could feel the hair on the back of the neck stand as he entered what seemed to be a ghost ship.
"Well someone got it here," Grunt said. "Smells funny."
"Strange," Mordin observed, noting that several electrical panels had been ripped off and that the wires inside were sloppily tweaked and reconnected, some still dangling down hazardously. "There are many signs of poor repair, yet the ship remains in complete functionality. No loss of light. No loss of power. Doors are open."
Metal pipes clanked and creaked in the distance, resembling the way an old house adjusts to the rough winds that blow outside. Shepard couldn't tell how long this ship had been operating. Some parts of the walls had already given way to signs of rust, some bolts having already gone missing. "What the hell happened here?"
"Perhaps it entered orbit on a planet with high humidity, pressure, etcetera. Need more information."
The entryway of the ship had eventually split into two hallways, both menacing in appearances.
"To the right," Grunt said, nodding his head through the doorway, a small terminal near another door. He tapped it with the end of his shotgun. "Terminal."
"Tali, I'm uploading whatever this thing has on it. Report back with any significant findings."
"Aye, Commander."
"Shepard," Mordin said next, moving towards a dark window covered in dust. The other side was poorly lit, but there was enough light emitting through to show signs of large, metal boxes sitting neatly in several rolls. "Cages."
"I bet it's locked," Grunt assumed, walking over to try the door. "Yep."
John looked through the window and felt his stomach churn. Through squinted eyes he could tell there was something inside of each cage. "Mordin, redirect power from the terminal to the door."
"Redirecting power now."
The smell that emitted from the room was powerful enough to pass through the filters in Shepard's helmet, causing him to turn his face. He knew that smell, and it never got easier. As the trio entered the room, they raised their lights up on the rotting flesh of small bodies huddled together, about three to each cage. "We got bodies here. Four large cages. Sixteen bodies. They're small. I'm uploading a scan. Miranda, compare them to the data that Anderson sent us and see if any of these hit."
"Understood. Completing analysis now."
Mordin leaned over to examine a body more closely, frowning. "Signs of severe abuse. Many tests. Discoloration of veins after death indicate the use of chemicals or drugs. Traces of element zero in dust form. Shepard," Morin finally assessed, standing upright. "These people were biotic."
"He's right. Shepard, we have four hits from the missing children on those scans."
"Shit." Shepard gazed around the room. "Who are the other twelve…"
"And where are the other missing kids," Grunt asked, turning around to go down the left hallway next.
"I fear the outlook on this mission is not good, Shepard. These tests are…despicable. This is not proper science. No place in a laboratory."
"Commander, this is Tali. This is a Cerberus funded vessel—that much we knew. However, it seems that the funding to this particular ship officially ended about two years ago. Whoever this Buyer is…they own the Atlantis now or took it over."
"Shit. Shepard!" Grunt called out, waving towards himself agitatedly. "We got a problem."
Upon running towards the Krogran and turning the corner, Shepard found himself in a huge, split leveled arena. Cages lined the walls and some hung from the ceiling. Shepard counted twenty-three large cages total. The smell was overpowering in this room. It reeked of urine, feces, rot and disease. A large terminal sat inside an observation room, directly across from where Shepard stood. However, the most distressing aspect of this arena was that there were live children still inside a sparse number of cages. They were all thin, their clothing soiled and browned. Too weak to speak, some of them simply extended their hands beyond their cage, a last, desperate attempt at salvation.
"Mordin," Shepard said, trying to figure out how to assess this situation. "Get to that terminal and upload everything. Now. Go. I will get the cages. Grunt, stand watch. We got a camera facing us. Miranda, get Helen ready for evacuation. We're going to need medical help asap."
As the team separated, Shepard was quick to scan each cage. For most, today was too late. Some had seemingly died in horrific ways. Their heads swollen to larger sizes while their body remained hooked up to some unseen machine behind the wall. Many deceased hung like puppets inside their metal prisons, liquid-transferring tubes connected to the base of their skulls and arms, looks of horror and pain forever etched on their now still faces. Untreated wounds and infections seemed to take a few as well. Dried blood stained the floors and some walls, while urine and shit were literally scattered everywhere around each cage. There were old metal plates and cups, all rusted and greened strewn around the holding cells.
"Transferring what I've found," Mordin said quickly. "Shepard, we have a body here. Adult. Male. Late fifties. Badly decayed. Scientist. Am going to collect his data-pads."
"Commander, I'm uploading the information. There is an unbelievable amount of data here. This ship had mass amounts of research on biotic genetic material, pure blood asari, ardat-yakshi, the thorian spore, husks, Cerberus cybernetics and implants. It's overwhelming. We're pouring over it as fast as we can. Helen has been notified and will be waiting for receiving."
"I got four survivors total," Shepard said firmly, hacking into a digital pad lock. "Grunt, get the—"
"No, no, no," a disembodied voice said suddenly, frantically. Shepard heard the loading of a gun. "You can't take them yet. We're not done."
Shepard turned to meet the sound, his eyes growing wide. "…You?"
London was pacing anxiously. "How long has it been," she mumbled. No one besides the XO, Tali, and Kasumi were allowed in the communication room currently. "Come on," she said exasperated, harshly sitting down on Miranda's and causing the jewelry box to crack on the floor. "Shit!"
Quickly kneeling to the floor, London carefully reached down to pick up the box, turning it over to see what broke. Sadness filled her as she noticed the small lion that used to twist around in the center of the box remained on the floor. London picked it up, bringing it up to examine if the break was clean. Maybe she could fix it.
"Wait…what is that?" London twisted the figure around, her eyes widening when she noticed a small chip delicately hidden at the bottom of the figure. She flipped the jewelry box around to see that a tiny spaced had been carved out, allowing the lion to cover it perfectly.
London's vision suddenly flashed back to her time on Watson. "…look inward and there we'll be," she remembered, a vision of her father coming back to her as she said the words. "We've stored all the answers in our…little lion…" Her hands began to shake. "This is it. This is the chip. This is the chip! MIRANDA," the woman yelled, turning to run out of the XO's room. "MIRANDA!"
"We meet again, Commander Shepard. Although I fear this time it's for the worse."
"But…how? How could you after everything you've been through? After everything you've seen?"
"Because it's about survival, Commander. You should be able to understand. We all know what's coming."
"Who else is on this ship," Shepard spat, the grasp on his gun tightening.
"It's just me now," the biotic said. "The lead scientist and I had a…well, let's just call it a difference in ideals. There were so many of us at the start," he said, his eyes flashing madly. "They were all pussies. Too scared to delve deeper. Too scared to ask for more—to get more."
"These children…all of this was you? You're the Buyer?"
Grunt raised his shotgun in the distance. "Who the hell is he? You know em'?"
"Aresh Aghdashloo," Shepard said aloud. "He's from Pragia, where we got Jack. He's one of the ones that survived. Ain't that right, Aresh? They performed awful, fatal experiments on you so that the important biotics like Jack wouldn't be harmed."
Aresh felt his eye tick.
"He was sold to Cerberus by batarian pirates. During the mass breakout, they found him so fucked up that he was actually rambling about restarting the Teltin facility where he was kept. He tried to justify all the shit they did because he believed humanity was gaining a benefit from it—that everything he went through had to have been for a reason."
"And I was right!" Aresh laughed, hitting the wall with is pistol. "Thanks to the help of the Cerberus organization, we've had many breakthroughs in our research."
"I've seen," John said, keeping his weapon steady. "You've been researching the biotics' genetics. Asari. Ardat-Yakshi, Thorian Spores, Husks, and Cerberus cybernetics. Why?"
"Someone has been nosey," Aresh sighed tiredly. "The ol' defense system isn't what it used to be anymore. No one but me has been around to help with maintence or…anything…" The biotic gazed over all the dead bodies of children. "It was a pain to try and feed them all. Honestly," he continued, pinching the area between his eyes. "There were so many, sometimes I'd just forget to disconnect them after testing all together. It turns out that it's hard to run a ship and do research by yourself."
"Why?" Shepard pressed again. "Cerberus stopped funding you a long time ago. Why?"
"Those assholes didn't see enough progress on time," Aresh snarled inwardly. "But why did I do it? Oh come on, Commander! We've been researching the factor to humanities very survival! I believe in this cause! The key lays in the genetics! I'm trying to help! Not hurt! Cerberus uploaded everything they had on the reapers. They will come from everywhere, and we will be destroyed unless…unless…" Aresh hunched over then, screaming, breathing wildly before standing up again and hitting his head several times before clutching it. "STOP. STOP STOP STOP," he howled, his eye twitching madly until…silence. "You little shit. Cut that out now or you know what you'll get, 21!"
John noticed that a child in a nearby cage was hooked up to a machine by her head, her eyes were bloodshot and staring at Aresh with hatred. Her head had been shaved, and the number 21 was tattooed over her right ear. Blood streamed from her nose and ear.
"What the fuck is going on? What have you done to these kids?"
Aresh laughed, wiping the blood that was now pouring from his own nose. "I ran out of people to experiment on. There used to be fifty-six of them. Used myself this last time as the controlled group. I thought I was on to something. But, it turns out that it's not working out so well," he said, his laughter turning menacing. "You see, Commander, I'm thinking on a much larger scale. What is one person? What is one hundred people when it could save the lives of trillions? We've been working so hard to find the comparison between us and the reapers. There were so many comparisons. We asked ourselves: What do we share? What makes us different? Why are they different? What are those factors? Can I recreate those factors?" Aresh began to mumble to himself incoherently. "Research began with three. Three perfect babies. One had the most flawless match of biotic genetic material needed. A human baby with the would-be power of an ardat-yakshi—although different in its own right. The potential was there. Years of research was halted when our child and data was stolen."
"Commander," Miranda said into Shepard's earpiece. "I…I got it. All of this research… It all leads back to the Reapers. He studied how Harbinger controls organic life. He isn't lying. It began as the Illusive man working and testing his own form of indoctrination—one that could infect cybernetic implants and machinery. He wants total control—of everything: people, reapers, machines. According to research, it is most likely that Harbinger overrides the regulatory system to open control on the body and brain. According this data, Biotics like the Ardat-yakishi have the capabilities to control or dominate an individual—which we know to be true—think of Morinth. This is where the thorian spore comes in. What I'm seeing here leads back to cybernetics and a manipulation of the thorian spore. They're attaching cybernetic nanites variations of the spore and experimenting with puppet and puppeteering. An organic or machine gets infected with the variation, the biotic then takes control of the nervous system, and the one wearing the cybernetic implant controls the biotic. However, the nanite does come with draw-backs: Hive-mind still occurs as a repercussion of using the spore. They feel each other's pain."
Shepard glanced at the girl hooked to the machine around her head. Though frail, she had been forcing her pain on Aresh purposefully, willing him to suffer when she could manage.
"I'm sorry, Commander," Aresh said. "I can't let it stop here. All of our agony was for a reason. I believe that now, truly. It can't go into another pair of hands. I've done too much."
"I can't let it continue," Shepard said, "drop your weapon. We're taking you and these children back with us." He gave a slow sign to Grunt, who carefully moved towards a boy closest to him. "Drop it now."
"I can't allow that to happen. We are all staying one way or another," Aresh hissed crazily, his tone raising. Quickly, he raised his gun, pointing it to the boy and pulling the trigger. The boy, who had only just reached out for Grunt, fell over lifeless, his eyes rolling to the back of his head.
Before the Commander could even speak, Mordin, who had carefully exited the observation room behind Aresh, pointed his gun towards the mad-biotic's head and fired. "Abomination," the Salarian said quietly, with self-assurance. "What atrocities. Deserved far worse."
Blood had splashed across Shepard's helm, who wiped it off with a scowl. "Damn it," he spat, "I told you to wait on my command!"
Mordin holstered his gun. "I apologize, Commander, but this could not continue. Second chances had been given. This was the product. I will accept the consequences of my actions."
"It's done," Shepard said roughly, "We'll speak of this later. Let's get these kids out of here. There are only three now, Solus. I want to keep it at three. I don't' know how, but I need all of that tube-shit to be unplugged. They're going home. As is the boy we just lost. Make it happen."
Both the Krogan and Salarian nodded, beginning to work right away.
"Normandy, this your Commander. We'll be boarding soon. Need immediate medical staff on standby. We have three incoming that are in need of emergency medical care."
Jack had once mentioned that on Pragia, pain was used to break down mental barriers because it would clear the way for more biotic power. Shepard, watching as the girl dubbed 21 was unplugged, felt his gut twist. He should have killed Aresh when he had a chance the first time. That was a choice that would remain with him for the rest of his life.
"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit," Jack said, pacing. She watched from the medbay window as the one called 21 was placed on an examination board. Helen was being as gentle as she could, but every push and soft prod only caused the young woman to yell or shake. Her body had been tattooed just like Jack, though at far less of an extreme. 21, who was probably no older than sixteen, seemed to have given up all hope. Her eyes were dull, and she had resigned to simply laying there limp. Helen hooked her up to some fluids, as she had done to all the living children, and left the bay.
"What's up, doc?" Jack folded her arms and asked, impatiently. "How is she?"
"Where is the Commander?"
"He's in debriefing with all the tech. He's got a vid-conference with Anderson too."
Helen nodded. "I'll wait then."
"How's the girl, doc? Don't leave me hanging."
"Severe malnutrition and dehydration. Multiple body fractures. Two of the three kids we got indicate minor brain bleeds. We're operating on both boys soon. That one," she said, pointing to 21, "is actually the lucky one of the bunch. Her body is broken, as is her spirit, but her brain at least is fine. She has trauma to her vaginal canal, and severe lacerations along her spine, chest, biceps, wrists, and the base of her head. I've treated what I can. She's on sufficient pain killers, however she's been injected with so many variations of drugs, she'll probably need more, immediate medical attention at the Citadel. There isn't more I can fix at the moment. Now, all she has to do is hang in there. I've got to operate on the other two." Helen paused as she walked away, turning to face the ex-convict. "Jack, why don't you go in to speak with her. She's probably confused and very frightened."
Jack opened her arms in a 'look at me' way. "I'll probably make it worse. I'll scare the hell out of her looking like I do."
"Actually, you're probably the most familiar looking thing on this whole ship." Helen watched as Jack connected the dots, her face changing. She nodded at the younger woman in encouragement before turning in a hurry.
"Hey," Jack said, as softly as she's ever tried to manage before. 21, whose dark brown eyes that were previously void, now seemed to spark with something as she took all of Jack in. The ex-convict turned her head to show the tattoo behind her own ear: the number 0. She then extended the back of her forearm and placed it next to the thin arm of 21. Jack had a series of forty-six small marks etched onto her arm, the number of children she had won against in the arena when she was young. 21 had fifteen.
The younger woman's eyes filled with tears as Jack laid her arm to rest, her hands beginning to shake. Jack took the girls hand and held it, leaning over to get closer, so that they could see into each other's eyes clearly. "No matter what happened in there. No matter what sick shit they did. It doesn't define you. They don't get a say in how the rest of your life plays out, you hear me? Don't you ever let anyone tell you that normal isn't for you."
21 nodded her head weakly but fervently, tears freely falling down her face.
"You're going to fight like hell. You're going to make it through this shit. It's going to be the hardest thing you'll ever do in your life. But you're going to do it. Because they don't get to kill you. They don't get to take everything away from you at the end. You don't let them."
21 nodded more, her face falling into utter grief as tears fell, the weak sounds of sobbing filling the cabin. She squeezed Jack's hand harder, a living symbol of a life that could be lived after hell. Jack only held it firmly in return.
"I got you, kid," Jack said. "I'll be right here. The other two gotta get surgery, so the doc will be busy for a while. But I'm here and ain't gonna leave you alone."
21, for what seemed to feel like the first time in her life, smiled through cracked lips. A weak finger pointed to the cup near her bed.
"That's good," Jack said, trying her best to fight her own tears now as she reached for the cup. "Water. That's a first step to take. A step towards living. I'm proud of you, yeah? Go slow, ok?" She tilted the cup when it reached 21's lips, and the young biotic drank gradually.
"It's all here, Sir," Miranda began, on a video call with Anderson and Hackett. Shepard and his tech team stood by as she spoke. "Everything is as we concluded. The vessel was initially Cerberus funded until ties were cut due to the lack of evident progress. Aresh betrayed his team when they turned their back, taking the ship under his own control. The remaining 3 million credits he had was used to buy cargo-loads of biotic children ranging from four to fourteen, and towards supplies for experimentations. The data we received has been bewildering and overwhelming. London even managed to find the cybernetic chip they've been after. We have everything on file for you, ready to turn in."
"And the children," Hackett asked, "what of them?"
Shepard took a step forward. "We…we were able to recover three, Sir. The experimentations were on mass scales and the conditions were ill. The ship is locked down, awaiting transfer from your side, Sir."
"I see," Hackett sighed. "Mission complete, Commander. Bring all your hard-copy data to my desk tomorrow. We have many things to discuss in person. Please review the messages I've sent to your terminal before you get here."
"Yes, Sir."
"Very well. Hackett out."
Anderson sighed as Hackett disconnected. "Shepard, I wish I could say things'll get easier from here but…I hope you're ready for the next shit storm that hits. I need to speak with you alone."
Shepard dismissed the rest of his team, who complied hastily.
"Remember what I said about getting those dress blues ready?"
The Commander nodded his head. "They're ready to go through with it, aren't they? They gonna detain me for what happened with the Batarians?"
"Shepard, we both know how this political bullshit works. You'll have to take some off-time here in Vancouver. We have an apartment for you and Lawson at the base. They're ready to move-in. It'll be a while before they pull you in for their trail. Everyone is trying to get their ducks in a row."
"Lawson, sir?"
"For her involvement with Cerberus and all related affairs. She'll be poked and prodded and have to stand trial just as you'll be doing. She got a message at her terminal too."
"With all due respect, she left that organization, Sir. She's proven an ally time and time again."
"I know that, Shepard. We all do. But she'll have to face the chain of commands like the rest of us. They're preparing to ask questions of you both. They're detaining the Normandy in the process."
"What?" Shepard could feel his whole body grow hot. "They're grounding me?"
"They're going to determine if you were fit when you made the call that you did."
"If I was fit? I saved trillions of lives by doing what had to be done!"
"You don't have to explain yourself. I know why you did what you did."
"Fu—," Shepard clenched his jaw, taking a moment to gather himself. "What about my crew?"
"They'll be dismissed until all of this gets sorted out. After a few statements and contracts, they'll be free to wander until you see it fit to call them if needed. I managed to pull the strings you asked of me so that your new operative receives her training. She'll be on base while you're docked."
"And Jack?"
"Interestingly enough…we have an offer for her while you all remain grounded. Grissom Academy. Biotics division. Check your terminal and let me know asap. That'll be it for now, Shepard. Eat something and get some rest because you'll need it. We'll see you here on the Citadel soon. Anderson out."
A/N: The ending will be upon us soon. Thanks for reading! Leave your comments, reviews, questions, or concerns in the box below.