"I just...can't quite seem to put my fingers on it."
Instead of any urge to throttle Shepard with my remaining hand and a half for that remark however, I found myself rather oddly calm. In what I could only describe as an unusual state of tranquility and serenity. As I stared down at my maimed hand, I almost found it weird, being at such peace, not having a single significant thought cross my mind. And even more bizarre, I realized I actually welcomed it. In all sense, I should probably be a little on edge after what just happened, to prevent another such mistake again, but it was nice to just pretend nothing was wrong.
And as I closed my eyes, I discovered that not only could I ignore Shepard, but the wild jockeying of the Grizzly as well, as it just barreled its way through snow mound after snow mound like the Coors Light train. And what a blessing that was. Being able to ignore them that is. Nothing around but me, myself, and I. And I thoroughly enjoyed the blissful time I had in this state of Nirvana, all one minute of it, as it was ruined not a moment later by Ashley, who had just noticed half the fingers on my left hand were gone.
"Shield, what the hell happened to your hand?!" she blurted upon seeing it.
"Thresher maw," I said, finding myself staring at it once again.
"Oh my goddess," Liara said covering her mouth. "Shield...are you...do you need any medi-gel?" I could hear the Asari start to unclasp a casing off her belt.
"I'm fine," I calmly replied.
"Are you sure?" Kaidan now asked, showing a little more sympathy for me than before. Although, I guess I didn't exactly blame him for his earlier frustration with me. We were in mortal peril at the time. And he was just trying to get us both out the vehicle. A vehicle in danger of getting crushed by said Maw. "You're not feeling any pain? At all? Light-headed? Nausea?"
"I'm fine," I reiterated, a little more brusquely. And technically, it was true. The burning sensation had stopped shortly after Kaidan had thrown me out into the snow. And apparently, there must be some unknown agent in Thresher acid that can cauterize wounds, as my stubs weren't currently gushing as much blood as you'd thought they'd might.
"You should still get some medi-gel on that regardless," he replied.
"If it's not life-threatening, it doesn't need gel," Shepard said from the front.
"Still-"
"I'm FINE."
Kaidan frowned as I repeated myself for the umpteenth time.
"All the same, I think you're sitting the next one out," Ashley assured me.
"What else is new," Wrex replied for me.
And despite his comment, I was glad that Wrex actually had. I wasn't really in the mood to talk at the moment. All I really wanted to do at the moment, was hold on to this small peace of mind I had before I was brought back to reality.
...haha...reality.
But as their talking went on, I already knew it had left me. The tranquility was instantly replaced by melancholy. Frustration. Exhaustion. But mostly exhaustion, I found, as everything that had just happened prior came rushing back to mind.
...There was a Thresher Maw attack literally not minutes ago. How am I not dead? And speaking of dead, all those mercs back at Port Hanshan. No...all those guards. And Shepard got mad at me for trying to stop that. For trying to calm everyone down...great job I did there.
And as those series of thoughts rolled around in my head, they soon began to consume every subsequent thought. I mean, while playing the game, you don't even question going into every prescripted battle guns blazing. Every battle is there precisely for that. That riveting gameplay. No other reason. Even though, if we're being honest here, your Shepard could avoid half of the battles in the game with a simple comment or remark. Talk those random guards out of trying to measure up to a trained space marine, or those mercs from challenging a Spectre.
The guys we killed weren't Geth attacking colonists. Or Batarian terrorists attempting to kill a planet. Hell, they weren't even Blue Suns performing piracy or mercenary work. Those men and women were just hired guards, that thought they were doing their job. And we killed them. Naw, we murdered them. Literally shot them all dead...just like they were back in the game.
...but crying about that won't fix it.
And everyone badgering me about my hand wasn't going to fix it either. I appreciated all the sympathy I was currently getting, but honestly, now that I thought about it, I wished I had just been left on the ship. None of this shit would be happening otherwise. To me anyways, as Geth suddenly firing upon our vehicle interrupted those still talking around me.
Now, I have to say...the Thresher was huge. The worm was the size of a skyscraper and shot acid out of its mouth. It was something you'd pit against Godzilla, but Shepard was still able to take it down in our rinky-dink land rover. Compared to what she just faced and pulverized, the robots never really stood a chance. She ran down the Geth troopers with the vehicle's chassis, shot up the slightly larger ones with our turret, and blasted the largest platforms away with the main gun.
I think I might have spaced during the ride at some point, because to me, the whole thing seemed to end as soon as it had started. One second, explosions and loud thunks could be heard happening everywhere around us, but the next thing I knew, we were coming to a stop. And as soon as Shepard put the vehicle in park, she wasted no time in barking for us to get out. With the garage doors to the Peak being sealed (surprise surprise), Shepard stated the obvious fact that we were going to have to continue into the facility on foot. And I couldn't help but wonder if it was too late to return to the ship as she did.
Didn't have much time to prepare before Wrex was already barreling into the garage head-first, wrenching open the door and immediately throwing it at the Krogan waiting on the other side. Kaidan followed him in next, opening a biotic salvo on the next nearest Geth. And in this fashion, Team Normandy, one by one, began to file into Peak 15's facility, each firing a tech attack or biotic field to allow the next behind them to enter. I followed Tali in last, who overloaded the shields of a Geth sniper across the garage. I barely had time to register where the attack had landed before my attention was immediately drawn to Ashley, who was diving out of the way of a charging Geth Prime. She had apparently done enough damage to take its shields down however, as it was subsequently downed by a head-shot from Garrus.
As I ran further into the garage though, and ducked behind the crate nearest to me, something seemed...strange. The yelling. The raucous gunshots. The occasional flashes of blue here and there. It was all the norm by now. The usual routine of every fire fight I had been in since I became a part of this whole hot mess. But as I sat there on the cold metal floor, back against the crate, squinting my eyes...I found that it also wasn't. The battle wasn't like usual that is. Something seemed off, hiding there in the garage while everything else raged around me. As Garrus shouted across the room for Shepard to watch her six though, I was finally able to put my finger on it.
...I found that I just didn't care. I kind of felt a little guilty about it, sure, sitting here while everyone else put their lives on the line, but honestly, the whole thing just seemed pretty unnecessary. Everything. The fighting. The confrontations. And every little thing in-between.
I've been putting all my efforts into helping Shepard hunt Saren, and what have I gotten for it? Yelled at. Scrutinized. Loss of a couple fingers.
And that was when I realized that my state of bliss wasn't due to me trying to avoid responsibility. It was me realizing that I actually just didn't give a fuck. None. And I didn't have to. This line of thinking was only further justified as the gunfire died down and Mira's voice came on over the garage. They didn't need my help for this fight. Or any fight for that matter now that I thought about it. I didn't need to be here for any of this.
This was Commander Shepard...a video game character. But a kick-ass one. One that got the job done no matter what choices she made or who was there with her in the end. I REALLY didn't need to be here at all. And thinking about even more, shouldn't. I slowly got up out of cover as the VI finished her announcement.
Instead of following the rest of the squad going up to the next garage level however, I simply stood where I was. A part of me really just wanted to walk back outside to the Grizzly, and wait till everything was said and done. You could kill Benezia with three squad mates in the game. Eight would be overkill. And I realized that Threshers weren't the only things that could also shoot acid here. I didn't exactly want to lose the rest of my fingers either.
But as Liara turned her head in my direction, walking up a ramp to the next floor with the others, I felt my feet start taking steps toward them. I forgot to account that there were only two squad mates that went down with Shepard on a mission. I had to realize that now there were six, not including me. If it wasn't in the game, it was an unknown. And that meant I couldn't possibly guess what would happen next. Although I'd probably still have a strong clue. I sighed as I continued to follow the others, unable to just bail on the mission altogether.
I came this far...might as well see how much further I can get.
As I realized the rest were a good ways ahead of me though, I decided to just take a short cut up. With my right hand and the five fingers I did have intact, I grabbed onto a piece of railing level with my head and hefted myself up onto the floor above.
Which happened to be a floor where Shepard and Ashley were now going at it. Ashley had a noticeable limp, which I figured was most likely due to her trying to bum rush that Prime. No idea what she was thinking there, as the girl wasn't Krogan. And Wall-E must have gotten her good too with how she was walking. But Ashley was adamant on continuing onward into the facility in spite of it. The girl was as stubborn as a mule. The gimp wouldn't take no for an answer. Even when Shepard tried to placate her and told her she'd have me for company-
Lucky her.
-she was still unwilling to cooperate. Although I damn sure wish she would, as that was exactly the out I was looking for. Stay in the car until the whole thing blew over. I wouldn't have to deal with any more of this bull, and hell, I'd be doing what Shepard actually wanted me to do for once. It was a win-win scenario. Not like I would even be of any help if I were to go. I shot my Predator with two hands, not one. I couldn't even give cover fire with my-
"What about you Shield?"
I froze where I was panicked, in good reason too, as I realized Shepard had just addressed me. For what, I had no clue. I hadn't been listening.
"What about me?" I stalled, still leaning over the railing, staring at the opposite side of the garage, frozen in position.
"You're awfully quiet over there."
Yeah...I guess I am.
"You tellin' me you don't have an opinion on your assignment?"
Assignment? ...oh. She's talking about staying with Ashley at the Mako. Grizzly. Whatever.
But since when did she ask for my opinion? On one of her decisions? Now that I knew what she wanted though, I decided to slowly turn around, where I found the rest of the squad looking in my direction. And Shepard too of course, who was staring at me with a particularly dubious look.
You don't have an opinion?
An opinion. The woman was being facetious I realized. She didn't actually want my input. That's what my sage advice and omniscient insights to her were. Just simple opinions. Annoying little sidebars or quips. So I decided to return her the favor.
"You're Commander Shepard," I said plainly. "You give the orders...we follow." A reply that made it seem like I didn't care but still maintained that I would be in favor of her plan. And I didn't fail to add some sarcasm to the last bit as well, although it didn't seem like anyone in the group had caught it. But still, check, check, and check. Message delivered.
Ashley seemed to disagree though, and tried to make her case one last time before Shepard cut her off. And then, totally out of the blue, snap decision, Shepard just decided to drop the entire thing. I was baffled as she told us to "cover their rear." Like-
...what the fuck? How the hell did THAT convince her to keep us with the group? I don't understand. What could I have possibly conveyed in that sentence to warrant that change in...teh fuck?
Before I knew it though, my legs were already moving of their own accord, following the rest of the squad deeper down into the bowels of Noveria. All I could do was let out a groan of defiance as my fate was decided. I was going to be dragged along for the events of Peak 15. Of course I wouldn't get off that easy. And as soon as we entered the first hallway of the Peak, I was able to start crossing off my checklist of events.
Backward facing turrets, check. Someone saying that 'keeping those in as well as out' phrase, check. Liara voicing her confusion over why they would even do such a thing..no check. I didn't remember that. And everyone brings Liara on this mission. In response, Garrus additionally gave an unfamiliar opine that the people below us probably weren't exactly saints.
And Garrus was technically correct. "A lot of these guys are criminals," I found myself clarifying for Liara. "The research here isn't exactly the type done to benefit mankind." Then realizing my mistake, I quickly added "Or any kind I guess." Although that still wasn't the entire truth. There were more insidious things down below than just-
"You have intel as to what goes on here?!"
I barely had time to cover my face before Shepard whipped toward me in a fury. Luckily, she didn't try to assault me this time around. I presumed that she was most likely mad that I didn't tell her about this alleged 'intel' beforehand. And I guess she was probably right to. Might have helped the Commander prepare a little more for the mission. But at this point, I didn't really care. And it wouldn't really make a difference either.
"I guess," I simply shrugged. "All I can say for sure is that...those guns probably aren't just there to keep the researchers in," I finished in a decidedly cryptic manner.
And because fuck you Shepard, that's why.
And of course, in classic Shepard fashion, she simply shot me a glare before turning back around. Back around to the elevator that had just arrived behind her. Luckily for us, said elevator was quite spacious, and had enough room for everyone to just pile in at once. Once we were all inside however, it soon became apparent that it was going to be a fairly unpleasant ride. I actually welcomed the first few minutes of silence, a welcome change to all that racket just made in the garage. But after the next few, it quickly became uncomfortably awkward. Needless shifting around, eyes darting away from each other as soon as they made contact, small isolated amounts of coughing. That sort of thing.
If there was one thing the Normandy team all had in common, I would guess that it would be their hatred of inaction. So I don't think it was really much of a surprise when everyone in the elevator suddenly glowed with glee as red dots started pinging in their visors. Talks of strategy and biotic barriers were immediately delved into. Krogan meat shields and wedge formations. Crippling tech attacks and designated regions for singularity placements. I didn't particularly give a shit however as none of it concerned me. Ashley was at least given the point and shoot at anything that would try to kill us job. As I thought, I was just told 'try not to die.' Of course, I followed the advice to the letter, I'm not an idiot, and the plan went as well as...planned. The Geth in the courtyard were cleared out in record timing, and all was well. Until the sounds of creaking metal came down from above. Those immediately sent a warranted chill down my spine.
I never saw the ones Cerberus had captured on Binthu, as I had missed that mission, but Liara and Ashley had made the creatures sound fairly horrifying. Five foot tall bugs that could spit acid and had whips extending from their backs that could lash you from several feet away. I clenched the gun in my right hand as tight as I could, and my butthole even tighter. Then I swung around panicked when I heard a creak come from my side.
Frankly, I had had my fill of acid-spitting bugs for the day. I wasn't planning on getting anymore disfiguring scars from them anytime soon. Finding nothing to my side, I immediately backpedaled to the nearest group behind me, assuring myself that I wouldn't separated from the rest when the bugs finally attacked. I mean...how'd these things slip my mind? Once I was back in the pack however, I began darting my eyes every which way. Up at the vents, down at the grates, into the office windows above. Every possible place the aliens could be hiding in the snowy courtyard around us. I didn't fail to realize my erratic movements might have made me look a little paranoid to the others, but honestly, that was a small price to pay to keep the rest of my physical extremities intact.
I wasn't going to let-
The door atop a stairwell across from us let out a hiss, and I'll be real here, I almost shrieked in fear and unloaded my clip into the pudgy man I found standing in it.
"Thank the maker they finally sent someone!" the dude in a form-fitting black medical suit practically bawled.
I didn't shoot. But it was mostly because I was frozen out of fear. The noises above and below and all around had seemed to cease altogether, as the scientist continued to talk. But that was because the creatures were no longer trapped in the ventilation. Which I knew from seeing with my own two eyes. And I knew I was the only one, as in my peripheries, I noticed everyone else seemed to be relaxing, lowering their guard. And despite this knowledge, I still could only stand there with a frog in my throat, helpless, as I watched the leg tips of an alien creep up behind the man.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank-"
His thanks were cut short as his chest cavity suddenly exploded. As blood spattered across my visor, I felt my gun slip out of my hand, and my legs begin to buckle beneath me. Like the scene from Alien, his chest had just been split open by a giant worm; a slender alien worm that now had its head poking right out it. The man's eyes became white, and his body seemed to go limp. I found the entire scene horrifyingly traumatic.
Unlike the xenomorph from Alien however, the larvae began to transform again right before my very eyes. The slender worm soon split into thirds, opening up, blooming like a flower. A pink, throbbing, grotesque, three-petalled flower. Said monstrosity then began to swell, and swell, and then closed back up, before quickly shooting a large green grouping of bile out it.
As I vomited inside my helmet, Wrex was the first to overcome his shock, if he had any at all, and yelled the word "RACHNI!"
I brought my hands to my head as gunfire broke out, gagging with the stench now inside my head-gear. I tried to hold it back at first, but it quickly became too much. I was overwhelmed with disgust, and upchucked again, this time with enough force to completely cover my HUD display. As I started to wretch and writhe with the barf sloshing around in my helmet, my ears still picked out the voices and sounds of those around me.
"By the Goddess!"
"KILL IT! KILL IT! KILL IT!"
I started tugging at my helmet now, desperately trying to throw it off.
"There's more coming down from the ceiling!"
KA-BOOM!
"Agh!" I heard Garrus shout.
"Look out, the green ones self-destruct!"
"What green ones?!"
"The little-WATCH OUT!"
KA-BOOM!
I knew that particular shout was directed at me, only because I was consequently knocked off my feet from the detonation. Thrown onto my back, my head hit the ground hard, and the puke sloshing at chin level now spilled over my face.
"Shepard!"
Several Sch-womps went off around me. I was rolling on the ground now, pulling with all my might to wrench the damn helmet off, free myself from the prison of refuse now swirling around me.
"It's charging!"
"RAAAAH-"
A solid thud resounded from nearby. In response, my legs shot me back up from the ground and began to take me in the opposite direction. However, an ear-shattering screech coming from ahead caused me to stop, pivot, and turn back the way I came. I only stopped running once I collided with something. Hard.
"Keep them away! KEEP THEM AWAY!"
"Move up into the offices! Funnel them into the hallways!"
Laying on the ground, dazed, senses overwhelmed by substances of my own design, literally sickened to the stomach, all by myself, I found it fitting this was how I was to go. An ignoble end for an ignoble adventure. As I prepared for a reset, I could only hope that I was put out of my misery quickly. I don't know if I would be able to bounce back, psychologically anyway, if I was impaled like that scientist was. I imagined that would be a particularly painful way to go. Not something you'd want to experience.
...Are you really still thinking you have a 1UP like Mario after you die?
"AND STAY DOWN!" Wrex shouted not too far away, a satisfying crunch following soon after.
...the sides. You have to unlatch the helmet's sides..
With bated breath, I slowly brought my right hand up to the base of my helmet, and with a quick flick, unfastened a clamp on the side. I then moved my hand to the other, and repeated the action. Eyes shut, I slowly pulled the helmet off my face.
Fresh air, oh thank god...oh-
I rolled over and barfed again, but this time, away from myself, onto the ground. After doing one more spit-take, I tossed away my helmet and finally wiped off my eyes. And the first thing I saw as I raised my head was a dead lobster crumpled up, merely feet away from my face. Rachni, surprisingly, not nearly as gross as one would imagine. They were just giant crustaceans with starfish for mouths. And long-ass antennas. And creepy vestigial limbs. And a weird concave tetrapod torso with needle-like legs. I mean they were kind of creepy. Just a tad disgusting.
I lied. They were hideous.
Upon pulling myself back up, I found the rest of the squad retreating up to the offices the scientist had just been standing before. Luckily for me, I was able to quell my stomach this time around, as the image of his gruesome death flooded my mind again. Sadly, I couldn't even appreciate that small victory, as the remaining Rachni soldiers now noticed that they had an easier target then the heavily entrenched group aforementioned. Before I did ANYTHING to address them however, I bent back down to the ground and picked up a handful of snow, which I then dragged over my face, and then through my hair. Reminded me a lot of the day I took that Ice Bucket Challenge. As similarly, it was the closest thing I got to a shower that day.
As soon as the motion was finished, I sprung forward like an elegant gazelle. And like an elegant gazelle, I was almost immediately attacked by a horrifying predator. With a mighty screech, the nearest Rachni lashed out with one of its whips, shanking me right in the side as I sprinted past it.
Prototype. Spectre. Armor. My. Ass.
The thing punched right through my suit's plating, though not deep enough to actually slow me down. Which is why I guessed the suit was technically called a prototype in the first place. And it was at that precise moment I realized I was technically a guinea pig for Hahne-Kedar. Which I then guessed I should still be thankful for. If I was wearing my original hard suit, the Rachni might have straight gutted me.
What I was really thankful for however, was that my shriek of terror helped draw attention to the fact I was still in the back of the courtyard. Upon noticing this little tidbit, the squad immediately opened fire on the remaining crustaceans, trying to cut a path for me. With my chance for survival increasing tenfold, my feet pounded hard against the ground, clearing the rest of the distance in seconds, and with a mighty leap, soared over the desk Team Normandy was using for a makeshift barricade.
Not a second after I stuck the landing did I find a medi-gel stim being stuck into my side. My first reaction was to object and bat it away, but I dismissed that line of thinking as soon as the medicine's effects started kicking in. Great stuff that medi-gel. Like liquid cocaine. I felt as high as a kite. Therefore, I didn't mind when Kaidan then dragged me back several yards into an elevator. I did still have enough wits about me though to wave back to the Rachni screeching at us as the elevator doors shut.
Once their lift began to descend with a groan-
"What the hell are Rachni doing here?!" Shepard angrily asked no-one in particular.
"Damned if I know," Wrex avowed. "But someone on this mountain does."
With that note, Shepard turned her attention on Shield, who was sitting alone in a corner of the elevator. "You knew about them didn't you!"
The man slowly raised his head in response, stopping once the two had locked eyes. Staring into them though, the only thing Shepard could see was red. How red she was with rage. Rage that Shield had withheld critical intel on the experiments occurring below them. Rage that she herself hadn't insisted on interrogating Shield more thoroughly about the facility. Rage that she had just stood by and watched as that man had been killed.
"What?" he replied.
She balled her hand into a fist, on the verge of finishing what that the Rachni had just started. "Don't be coy with me you bastard!" she snarled. "You knew about them and didn't tell us! You decided to keep that fact to yourself and that man was killed because of it!"
"Sorry?" he replied.
SORRY?
"Woah Shepard, wait!" Kaidan grabbed her wrist mid-swing, stopping her. As she stared at him in disbelief, he elaborated, "Easy there. Look at him."
Following Kaidan's nod, the Commander looked back down at the man splayed on the floor, who was currently staring at the ceiling now. As the artificial lights illuminated his face, Shepard noticed his eyes were unusually dilated. She scowled in disgust upon realizing his condition.
"You really think that was his first time?" Ashley said covering her mouth, trying to refrain from snickering.
"Are you sure it wasn't omni-gel you gave him?" Garrus asked puzzled.
"Definitely medi-gel," Kaidan replied adamantly.
"I don't believe it," Garrus said. "Shield's been on as many missions as the rest of us. There's no way that was his first time stimming."
"I thought Marauder had seen combat before his time on the Normandy as well?" Liara added.
"Could've fooled me," Wrex muttered under his breath.
"If he has, he might have gotten lucky enough to have never needed it," Ashley thought aloud. "I actually knew a handful of guys in my unit who went several tours without ever having to gel."
The elevator hissed as it continued down the shaft. "I'm sorry guys, but I'm still stuck on the fact that there are Rachni here. Aren't they extinct?" Kaidan asked, bringing attention back to the main issue at hand.
"Obviously not," Wrex retorted.
"Yeah, what is this, the second time we've come across them now?" Garrus asked.
"Yeah, it is." Ashley turned towards Liara next to her. "Are you even sure their Rachni T'Soni? You are an archaeologist, not an entomologist," Williams pointed out.
"I assure you all, these are Rachni! They were one of the subjects I extensively researched for my studies on pre-spaceflight cultures at the University of Serrice!" Liara sputtered defensively. "I've watched archived vids dating before the Krogan Rebellions. These creatures are Rachni, I'm sure of it!"
"I don't care what they are! If I see one more, I'm going back outside!" the Quarian shuddered.
"I think that ship has already sailed Tali," Kaidan replied.
"I actually did some research of my own after Binthu Ashley. The images I saw match what we've came across so far," Shepard said, backing the Asari. "These are definitely Rachni."
"Then where the hell are they all coming from?!"
And that was the million dollar question. Cerberus and Binary Helix. Both were evidently implicit in the return of a species that had once threatened the entire populace of the Milky Way Galaxy. Whether the two organizations were collaborating with one another though, was another matter entirely. It made sense, and Shepard hoped it so, as that made things a little simpler. Less loose ends to tie up. But the fact that the rogue Alliance black ops division might be in league with an interstellar corporation, owned by Saren no less, bode very poorly for them. How big this conspiracy went, how much Saren and the so-called Illusive Man might be plotting together, was something Shepard intended to find out.
As Ashley expressed her frustration with the re-appearance of a long thought extinct race, the elevator dinged, and slid open its doors, indicating that they had reached the interior of the mountain.
"Alright, everyone stay sharp. These things could come from any angle." She motioned for Wrex to stay. "I'll take point this time."
"I got Shield," Ashley said, heaving the pathetic sociopath off the ground.
"Do you really believe that Shield would withheld intel like this if he had it," Kaidan whispered beside her as they exited the elevator.
"Yes," Shepard said staring straight ahead. The man was a pathological liar. That became obvious with his most recent fabrication after Nepheron. Although the Broker was as equally as mistrust-worthy as Shield, at least they had given her accurate intel on Saren, pointed them to Tali and her evidence. When it came to Shield, she loathed to admit that she still didn't know where the truths ended and the lies began. Every good lie has some truth sprinkled in, as that's how you strengthen its credibility.
Even though every word that came out of Shield's mouth was automatically subject to scrutiny, Shepard found it harder and harder now to discern the truth in them. With what Shield actually knew: Joker's shakedown run, Kaidan's time at Jump Zero, Saren's presence on Eden Prime; the man obviously still had connections with an intelligence network, or at least contacts within the Alliance. He most definitely did not, like he had claimed, have some sort of wireless implant in his mind. This is what gave credence to the fact that the man was in league with Cerberus, if not outright working for them.
Ex-Alliance. Knew people that still might have access to top Alliance intel. Hell, he even knew about their experiments on Binthu.
That connection made sense, and why he kept trying to hold on to the pretense that he worked for the Broker. Distance himself from his true employer. Her theory didn't account for all of his lies however. And there was the fact that he had first told them about Cerberus and their supposed espionage back on the Citadel in the first place. Shepard thought she had him pegged the first time they had met. A self-serving liar who knew more than he was letting on. But after Nepheron...she was reluctant to admit his words had got to her. The Visions. Wanting to take down Saren. Collaborating together, as a team. He sounded entirely genuine in every one of these statements. But that was the part she was wary of. Which one of them were true. And which ones weren't. Truthfully, Shield's motives to her were still an enigma, and truthfully, Shepard couldn't figure out whether or not he just couldn't help lying, or had an unknown ulterior motive altogether.
Shepard snapped back to the task at hand as she spotted Rachni ahead.
...but what the hell did Cerberus or Binary Helix even want with the Rachni in the first place?
She plugged the little green bugs before they had begun to even crawl in her direction. Detonating the explosive canister near them incinerated whatever others were hiding across the hallway as well, which Shepard only knew from hearing their shrill cries upon death. Tali let out a sigh of relief shortly after. "Zorah, I want you to check that power junction," Shepard ordered, pointing to the piece of equipment on their left.
"Of course Commander!" Tali spurted after jerking her head in Shepard's direction.
Shepard didn't fail to notice that the Quarian was obviously terrified of the bugs as well. She had noticed that way back when they raided those Cerberus compounds on Binthu. To ease the alien's nerves, she motioned for Wrex and Garrus to check the next room.
"Ah!" Tali seemed to say perking up, not long after.
"What is it?" Shepard asked, turning back around.
"This is a back-up power system for the station's mainframe Shepard!"
"We can turn on the facility's VI here?"
"If I can successfully interface my omni-tool with the console's wiring...yes!"
"So whack it and turn this thing on already," Wrex said from a ways away.
"Hey..." Ashley spoke up while setting Shield down next to the power junction. "...do you guys smell something?"
Ding-Dong.
"Critical startup error. Virtual intelligence user interface offline. Manual boot required," an unemotional female voice announced unnecessarily loud over the area's speakers. Everyone collectively winced as it did.
"Think that gave away our position?" Kaidan asked beside her.
Skittering could suddenly be heard coming from the grates below them.
"Two-thousand credits says we're about to find out," she replied.
Codex Entry:
Sirta Foundation's Discovery of Medi-Gel
Medi-gel is an all-purpose medicinal salve which has become the go-to emergency utility used galaxy-wide by paramedics, EMTs, and military personnel. When any part of an organism's body is wounded, the damaged extracellular matrix helps trigger a cascade of chemical reactions in the blood that ends in fibrin - fibers that join together to start blood clots. The gel helps accelerates this natural blood clotting process and is made with biocompatible components that can be absorbed directly into the body. If medi-gel reaches the blood's platelet cells (or the analogous cellular structure in non-humans) , it helps signal them to change shape and stick together to further help seal the hole in the blood vessel. Additionally, when medi-gel comes into contact with the extracellular matrix in the wounded tissue, it binds to it, forming a 'second skin' over the area. That eliminates the need to even apply pressure to the wound, and results in a layer sealable against liquids - most notably blood - as well as other contaminants and gases.
Supplemented by a combination of amide-local anaesthetics and several clotting agents, medi-gel can heal various wounds and ailments, instantly sealing injuries against infection, and allows for rapid healing by having the gel grip tight to flesh until subjected to a frequency of ultrasound. Unlike the Spectre-only combat drug cocktail colloquially referred to as Unity, Sirta's standard product can be used by any citizen that can afford it, and can be used by every Citadel race (save for Turians, who use a dextro-variant that Quarians can also utilize). Militaries and special response units in Citadel space have access to unique variants of this product, that consist of stimulants and epinephrine (in lieu of the gel's local anesthetics) for increased reaction time in combat, or ones containing cocktails that consist of analgesics, opioids, and salicylates that lower the risks associated with improper use of anesthetics. While one is advised to apply separate doses of medi-gel in sixty second intervals, variants that ignore this warning can be bought for a higher fee. Medi-gel is literally one of the most significant ground-breaking scientific discoveries of this modern age, and one of Humanity's greatest contributions to Galactic society. While technically illegal under genetic modification laws (due to the process the company synthesizes medi-gel), the product's beneficial properties outweigh any ethical ramifications that it might raise.
In light of this ground-breaking cure-all however, one must ask how exactly the Sirta Foundation and its Chief Science Officer Doctor Beordin Ofwer came about its discovery in 2178. Upon extensive testing by several competitors, it was reported that the plant-based haemophilic polymer medi-gel was supposedly derived from could not possibly be responsible for its properties. Upon contact with skin, each derivation and attempt at recreation from the original plant host caused allergic reactions in a variety of individuals (including Humans themselves), falling short of medi-gel's patented ability to be applied to any recipient without accompanying medical complications resulting (solely from the product). It is largely speculated that the company and team that created the salve used another source to derive their product from. But many have since dropped their investigations, deeming that where medi-gel exactly came from is of little concern.
Guess what I might have just found.
- Operative Caracosa
Author's Notes:
Apparently, there have been those of you out there spreading the rumor that I had died in a tragic clowning accident, never to post again. I wish to debase these rumors. I am, in fact, still very much alive, and very much, still clowning around. But, yeah, I regret that I've been unable to get anything out in what I now realize has almost been a month. Man does time fly.
And y'all right, ain't no one got time to read about all yo issues!
So skipping why it's been so long, I'll go straight to how Shield's exciting debacle in the courtyard was constructed from several things. Obviously, I did it in an attempt to eschew Tartakovsky's grisly demise in the Hot Labs, as that was such a memorable cutscene in-game. The first time I did that mission, I was like, yo, why is this dude all alone in a place where they said everyone was killed? Why he just sitting there instead of activating the neutron purge himself? WHY is this dude so Russian?! I totally wasn't expecting the Rachni to just murk him like that. Man that was brutal. Apparently, he was evenly supposed to have a missing arm when you met him, which would have conveyed he had already fought the creatures off before. Without that tidbit, I fully expected the perfectly healthy man to betray us or something. Which I guess we still got in the end. The courtyard sequence was also influenced however by Zaeed, and his story about the rookie who threw up in his helmet during splashdown on Taitus. And of course, Shield is too much of a fail-whale to not do just exactly that when face to face with such a graphic scene.
Speaking of whales, I almost forget Fun Fact Friday is here! Fun fact, did you know that the Sperm whale can ejaculate around 400 gallons of seminal fluid upon climax? This observed phenomena was the etymon behind the organism's sobriquet, and in fact, the reason why the world's oceans taste so salty.
In the Next Chapter: Ah...this shit again.
Tune in next time on Mass Effective: A Hero Made!