The Tracker of Goliath

Chapter 2

"The legendary savior of The Reaper War, Commander Jane Shepard was found brutally murdered in her home along with her husband and fellow crewmate during The Reaper War, Major Kaidan Alenko, and their eight year old son, David Shepard."

"Reports have flooded news organizations around the galaxy, mourning the tragic murder of one of the Galaxy's living heroes."

"The Citadel Council has released a statement about Commander Shepard's devastating murder, and have not made any further comments regarding rumours about Jane Shepard's request for Spectre status being accepted."

"The Executor of Citadel Security has made no comment other than they are mercilessly hunting down Commander Shepard's killer, but if this ever eluding Goliath was able to horrifically execute Commander Shepard, her husband and their eight year old child, will C-Sec truly be able to protect anymore families who are in danger?"

Beauty never lasts forever, organically or artificially, and the Citadel was proof of that in the eyes of Theron. Truly, he never saw the ancient structure at its most divine, two years before he arrived, a ship – thought at the time to be Geth – invaded the galactic capital.

Damages on Tayseri Ward were fully repaired on the day the Reapers attacked Earth, within months, all of Citadel station resembled ancient World War I photographs. Towers crumbling, debris crushing citizens, scraps of Reaper ships crashing into Wards and indoctrinating nearby refugee camps.

Simplifying war with a start and end date ignores the epilogue of disputes, conflict, and death, C-Sec's war continued while humans launched parades on the cleaned streets of London.

Struggling its way up the last twenty floors, Theron stepped out of the elevator and continued where he left off, swiftly moving between citizens of this crowded street; at the corner of his eye, he could see what was making people gather around.

Three C-Sec officers pinned down a lonely Quarian whose crime remained unknown, whatever he did now resulted in a Turian hand choking his neck, a Krogan crushing calves, and human running her hands over the skin tight suit, ostensibly patting him down.

Once a single Human had brought everyone together, the only way for people to go after that was down. Tragedy follows the same pattern in Theron's research through E-Books on every species; when it ends, prejudice returns.

Quarians and Geth settled their differences, but despite the Executor's orders to give more respect for both, most of his officers struggled to let bygones be bygones.

Theron kept moving, he only had two blocks left before arriving at his destination. Strolling through neighborhoods with food banks, manual windows and tarps used as makeshift doors.

Shalta Ward was dubbed "Shitward" after the war, and with this being Theron's first time setting foot in the region, he understood the reasons why, uninterested in finding more, he proceeded.

At night Theron researched other species and cultures, by day, he was a Tracker. Simplified as "Hitmen of Synthetics", Trackers were beyond even the most advanced of technical engineers, the only people that came close to them were the brightest of Quarians.

Ever since the War, synthetics had integrated into society. They were treated as individuals like everyone else, it was around this time that another race revealed themselves.

Known as the Virtual Aliens to those in the council who first met the species, they're now known in the galaxy as the Ions.

Facing extinction by supernova thousands of years ago, one billion Ions uploaded their conciseness onto multiple supercomputers networked aboard a single starship. Rumor has it that they made contact with the Citadel before the war started, but were only revealed to the public once it concluded.

Their unique ability was to transfer their consciousness into any being, organic or synthetic, and take control of them. Owners of the body vessel would have their consciousness uploaded into the Ions virtual world that they've lived in for the last eight thousand years. Simply put, when one goes in, another comes out.

While many were petrified by the rapid expansion of Synthetics capable of individual thought, slowly, the majority began to adjust. The Geth seemed adamant to remove their troubling past involving the Quarians and give help to all communities that needed it.

When it was discovered that the Keepers – a mysterious race who kept the Citadel intact – were destroyed in the Reaper War, the Geth offered to take over all the work they did and after much debate, the Council accepted.

Trouble is, when someone has freedom, a select few will become more trouble than they're worth.

Trackers are masters of technology and know every minuet detail of the Geth, Ions, and AI's. They study these species from the moment their capable of thought.

Today, nearly all trackers are in their teens.

That's just one reason most people don't take them seriously, the other being that they have no real jurisdiction or legal career, as a result, the few Trackers who exist live on contracts and bounties.

To his knowledge, Theron was the only adult Tracker in the galaxy, not that he felt like it. It didn't give him any favors when encountering others of his profession, other Trackers saw him as a fake, someone pretending to be something they're not.

In reality, Theron's just a fast learner.

He studied everything about the Ions construction, weaknesses and background while everyone else was learning how to walk. Since completing his personal exercises, he's since focused on studying organic cultures.

Those cultures were what still dominated Citadel station, as evident by Theron's arrival at his destination; Saria Station. Used for dropships and public transit vehicles, it was one of the few places on Shalta that went mercifully undamaged by Reaper attacks.

The organics of Shalta overran the station with support groups, foodbanks, and makeshift shelters for the homeless. Theron's breath quickened as he received many looks from people, not recognizing him as a local.

Sneering new arrivals at a public transport station didn't make logical sense to Theron, not that he would argue with the ignorant. The last thing the illogical want to be told, is they are exactly that.

Theron navigated through the crowded entrance and arrived at one of the many terminals, detecting his presence, a transparent hologram VI appeared, displayed as an Asari, still the most desired species of the Milky Way.

"Welcome to Saria Station," greeted the program. "How may I assist you?"

"I am looking for a ship that is scheduled to land here, registered as an ACU-FLT15," said Theron.

"Yes," the VI affirmed. "An ACU-FLT15 is scheduled to arrive at this station in five minutes and thirty seven seconds, it will be located at Gate 42. On foot, the journey to your destination will take approximately ten minutes."

Theron didn't thank the VI, instead picking up the pace and heading towards his designated gate. He may spend his time dealing with the lowest of synthetics, but he did always appreciate a machine's lack of formalities.