Disclaimer: BioWare owns Mass Effect. 20th Century Fox owns the Alien franchise. EA owns Dark Space. FX Network owns the Sons of Anarchy television show, created by Kurt Sutter.
Hades Nexus Cluster, February 24, 2177
"Holy shit!"
Corporal-Technician Bill Hudson's voice was the first clue that something was off, a split second before a torrent of rounds were fired through the now opened portal of the Medical Bay. The sound was deafening as four independent Spitfires spun up and began to fire all at once at different targets, each tracking a different target that spat out ten rounds per second, sweeping from one target to the next. Corporal Jeanette Vasquez was firing as well, her heavily-modified M56 Marshal with Smart Tracking System roaring as she fired as well, the Marshal bouncing from one target to the next each second. Hudson's Stryker Assault Rifle, while it lacked the auto-targeting capabilities of the other two, had a weapon that generated explosively capable rounds that were created out of a reserve of Omnigel, exploding upon impact, giving off shockwaves of force and destruction that was capable of injury up to a meter away. The Stryker, too, was firing, blasting into the now opened portal alongside the Elcor Bull and Latino Marine.
"Fuck! Second team! Move up to firing line and suppress!"
Captain Royce Mason's voice was barely louder than the gunfire on the communicators they all wore as the Australian moved up alongside the first team with Master Chief Stacy Valentino and Specter Recruit Elias Korvan, adding their own barrage of rounds as two M-99 Sabers and a T-24 Phaeston opened up, adding to the punishment that was coming from the hallway leading to the Medical Wing, rounds being fired through the opened door. 1st Lieutenant Jane Shepard, standing with her back to a wall alongside the first door leading to the hallway, chanced a look at what six members of her team were firing at, assuming the worst.
Whatever the first room was, it was teeming with bugs.
"Biotics! Ready that black hole power thingie you Asari are supposedly so good at!" Shepard called out, looking to Tela Vasir, Asha T'vara, and Ulla D'veora, who all began to glow blue. What the hell was that thing called again? A Singularity? "Indy? Indy! You and Jedi, ready something that will detonate the Singularities! The room's filled with bugs! Bullets won't do the trick!" Dr. Liara T'soni and Bastila Shan moved forward, readying themselves behind the Asari Specter and Recruits, their hands glowing blue. "Can you ladies launch those things without hitting our people?"
"Without a doubt." The Asari Commando Asha T'vara replied with a smile. Shepard vaguely remembered that she once fought alongside Garrus Vakarian against some invisible creature that managed to hunt and kill an entire Turian Blackwatch Talon Strike team on the planet of Taetrus, the only two to survive. All she could remember being told was that the creature had been defeated in hand-to-hand combat by Garrus Vakarian, but had activated some 'Last Stand' device on its arm that erased something like a square-kilometer of jungle with it.
"Do it."
Shepard, like most humans, was squeamish with the thought of biotics; most thought it some sort of space magic. The result of an embryo being exposed to Eezo poisoning, Humanity was still learning how to develop such abilities to their advantage. Asari, of course, were all born natural biotics, considering that Thessia itself was an Eezo-laced planet. It was so ingrained in the species that daughters with fathers of a different species born on different planets were still biotically-capable with no real loss of power from their pureborn kin. Despite being in love with Tela Vasir, Shepard didn't really trust biotics; to her, it seemed like the old tales of magic, at best unreliable. Despite that, she knew biotics were very real and very effective; Phayre Myraria taught her that with every wall and the ceiling in that room on Hadley's Hope. In Specter School, Cavius Reminion had taught several classes on the use of biotics, and what their potential was in case a Specter had to go against a biotically-capable opponent. Shepard had taken those classes to heart, and had remembered that two biotic strikes together would 'detonate' the residual energy like a powerful grenade.
She was going to give the bugs a taste of that.
Three bolts of biotic energy flew out, curving around the six members of the assault team and striking deep into the room of the Medical Wing. Shepard watched as three separate floating orbs of blue-black energy spun and grew, pulling everything towards them. The room was teeming with bugs; hundreds at the least. When they had opened the door, they had discovered the same secreted resin that had clung to the walls of the Processing Plant on LV 426, the black gunk solidified to the walls of the Medbay. Xenomorphs had being waiting inside for whatever reason, but when the door opened, they began to pour out of every hole, nook, and crannie in the room, dozens dropping to the floor, ready to attack. Naor, Hudson, and Vasquez were able to stop the initial advance, but more bugs were coming from the rafters, walls, and floor than they could handle. When Royce, Val, and Elias added their weapons to the fray, it helped stem the advance of bugs, none of them reaching the door, but it was only a matter of time before someone's weapon overheated. The hallway wasn't large enough to put more bodies in, so Shepard thought of a tactic that would monopolize their strengths without adding to their risks. With five biotically-capable persons, Shepard remembered the class that Reminion had given about biotics. Perhaps she didn't understand them well, but she got the basics down.
"Indy! Jedi! Splash out!"
Dr. Liara T'soni and her lover, Bastila Shan, stepped up as the Asari Specters took to the sides to give them clearance. The Asari Protheanologist and the human researcher both glowed with biotic energy as they both threw their hands out, launching bolts of blue-black energy forward. The three singularities thrown in by Tela, Asha, and Ulla were pulling at the Xenomorphs, several of them floating in the air as many of them clung to walls and flooring to avoid being pulled in by the miniature black holes. The singularities halted their advance as the extra two blasts of energy created by Liara and Bastila struck two of the outer singularities. Shepard watched in fascination as the biotics collided one another… and annihilated themselves explosively. While the Human Specter couldn't remember why it happened, she remembered that it did as the two singularities detonated into concussive force blasts, exploding like depth charges in the oceans in the wars of old. The force caused the third remaining singularity to imploded inward and release its remaining energy violently as well, a weaker blast that was no less dangerous. Shepard didn't know how many bugs had been in that room, but due to its confines and the three large biotic detonations that had just occurred in it, she could see that a vast percentage of them were crushed by the violent wave of pressure and force, smashed and crushed into the ceiling, floor, and walls. Acid was splashed all over the resin-coated surfaces as the Xenomorph bodies leaked their caustic blood from their many wounds and demises, the hiss and acidic stench of the caustic fluid flooding the room. Shepard checked her HUD for her Kuwaskii visor's radar, tracking for movement, and saw that the fifteen remaining contacts were pulling back, reaching 25 meters and getting further.
The bugs were high-tailing it.
"Fuck yeah!" Shepard whooped, laughing as she saw the contacts disappearing off her radar, too far away for her to detect. "Got them on the run! Indy? Jedi? Damn good work on those biotic strikes. Bugs never stood a chance!"
"It was a good plan." Tela Vasir commented with a soft smile, nodding to Shepard, making the Human Specter feel a little bit bashful. "Is that what it was like on LV 426?"
"No. This was nicer." Royce Mason answered, the N7's voice a little resigned. "We have a killzone, and the bugs could come inna one direction. We got lucky, thanks to Janey's quick thinkin'. That shit worked out good. Should do it more often."
"Of course the humans would want more explosions." Elias Korvan chuckled, his flanged voice clearly not serious. "I'm just happy you're not punching holes in the hull, trying to beat things dead with a stick."
"We could always play Cowboys and Turians, chicken." Master Chief Valentino winked at the Specter Recruit, the N7's tone not serious either. Royce was trying to hold back a snicker as Hudson laughed out loud. Elias just shook his fringed head, obviously not willing to get into it.
"Sometimes, I swear I feel like every other species is a pre-pubescent daughter learning warpfire for the first time." Tela Vasir muttered to Asha T'vara, who merely smiled and nodded. Unfortunately, the Asari hadn't muttered low enough.
"Because my first thought of what I wanted to be when I grew up was to be rubbing against an Asari stripper in some scum-filled bar, shaking my ass." Kya Drang told Turian Specter Recruit Vona Shatari, the Drell giving her hips a little shake to emphasize her point, making the former C-Sec Data Crimes Investigator snort in response.
"Hey, that bar wasn't filled with scum." Asha T'vara replied, not at all ashamed, Shepard noted. "It paid my way into Commando School. It's not exactly free, you know?"
"Are we seriously having this conversation now?" Shepard forced herself not to facepalm herself in front of everyone. "Broken ship? Bugs? We remember these things, yes?"
"I did it on a dare on Palaven." Elias Korvan admitted, not ashamed either. "Turian ladies didn't seem to be disappointed."
"Ugh! A Turian shaking his plates!" Rahe mimed gagging in her helmet. "That was the worst thing I ever saw. Please tell me you didn't go under the name 'Laser'. Because that was Ancestors-awful!" That had more than a few of the team laughing, Elias included.
"Oh, I should tell you about this strip-off contest that we found about five years back on… what was the name of that outpost again, Royce? Shen-shen?" Val asked, looking sly as the N7 Captain groaned with the memory. Shepard found herself groaning, too; Gods, she knew this was going to come up. "Ten thousand Credit pot for the winner, and guess who we find on stage, shaking her ass in front of God knows who on some drudge-water shithole, wearing only a thong? Bunch of space miners drooling at the sight of this girl who lied about her age…"
"Who was giving me pointers and throwing twenty Credit tips on my line, Val?" Shepard defended herself, pointing a finger right at the N7. About half of the Specter Recruits chuckled at that. "If I remember correctly, you damn near got kicked out because you were drunk and were trying to steal a pole from some other girl." Royce was covering his face, his cheeks very red. "Uncle Royce! Don't act like you weren't right there at that table, drunk and cheering, too."
"David will kill me if he ever finds out." The Australian-born man shook his head glumly, making Shepard laugh. "What?"
"I did tell Pop, Royce, two days later." Shepard told the N7 Captain, who groaned loudly. "I also told him that it was you that started the bar fight that sent about a dozen guys to the infirmary because that one guy tried doing more than getting a show. He wasn't happy to hear that at all, but then I told him what I did with the earnings."
"You won? Nice." Hudson hooted. "I'd shake my ass for ten thousand Credits in front of some strangers."
"Yeah, but people would be throwing Credits at you to put your clothes back on, cabron." Vasquez replied with a grin, making Hudson laugh. "I certainly didn't get no ten grand strippin' in Old L.A. What did you do with the Credits?"
"She gave the money to an N5 named Rhys Lewellen." Stacy Valentino answered immediately, her voice sober as her face went kind, the affection she had for the Human Specter evident. "Damn girl slinks her way into some filthy shithole for a stripper contest with a pot on it, and we go and chase her down. I thought the girl was trying to earn herself some cash since she was slated to go to the Naval Academy like… two months later? Girl didn't have a dime to her name, so I thought she didn't want to be poor." The N7 shook her head, smiling. "No, little Janey Shepard bribes some Navy pilot to take her to Shen-shen so she can win this contest, or at least get a good healthy dose of tips, because Gunnery Sergeant Rhys Lewellen's son had a rare genetic lung condition that the Alliance Military had been dealing with for years. Corporate had some bill signed where little six year old Padrig Lewellen wouldn't end up getting the treatment he needed, and Gunny couldn't afford the necessary genemods that would let him live a normal life. Price of the genemods? Ten thousand Credits. She did it to save a kid from… what the hell was it called? Sis-something Fiber-osis?"
"Cystic Fibrosis." Shepard corrected her Aunt Val, a little embarrassed. She wasn't ashamed that she had done it, but for some reason, having her Aunt explain it embarrassed her a little bit. "The money was to buy the genemod necessary to keep his lungs from hardening, to let him live a full, healthy life." Everyone stared at her in silence, and it embarrassed her further. "What? So I shook my ass for some cash. There's an eleven year old boy who isn't going to have to wake up gasping for breath ever again, or strain to breath. You should have seen Gunny Lewellen's face when I handed him the money. I seriously thought he was literally going to shit a brick, right then and there. Padrig got the genemod like… three days later. Pop approved of the leave, and… well, he was proud of what I did. He wasn't happy how I did it, but he understood. I couldn't just stand there and let some kid suffer needlessly, so… strip-off contest." She didn't mention that the then 17 year old Jane Shepard had a horrible crush on Gunnery Sergeant Rhys Lewellen, the N5 who had taught her how to use a rocket pack, how to base jump, paraglide, and to fly the UT-47 Kodiak Personnel Shuttle. Unfortunately, things hadn't worked the way she had wanted to between them. Still, she didn't regret it.
"I certainly never made ten thousand Credits stripping." Asha lamented with a grumble, making Val laugh out loud.
"Oh, neither did Janey. She walked away with… what? Twenty-one thousand? The bar had to use a broom to rake in her cash." The N7 wiggled her eyebrows, embarrassing Shepard further.
"Twenty-two thousand, four hundred and nineteen Credits." The Marine Lieutenant replied, a little abashed. "If you saw the competition, you'd know why I was the crowd favorite. Most of those women were Krogan-ugly."
"What did you do with the rest of the money?" Vas asked, curious. "Twelve grand get you some stuff, chica. What does a kid at Annapolis buy while at Naval Academy?"
"A motorcycle." That had Shepard smile. "A down payment on the best fucking motorcycle ever made by man; a 200-anniversary edition '47 Knuckle." Most of the aliens were looking at one another, mystified as to what she was talking about.
"That is a bike." Hicks nodded appreciatively. "Diesel or Fusion?"
"Please! Diesel! Every weekend I was on that thing, driving somewhere new. Almost joined an MC." That had Hicks chuckling. "Okay, memory lane is officially closed. We got bugs to stomp and people to rescue. And Hudson? Stop thinking about me shaking my ass."
"How could you tell?" The Corporal-Technician asked, defensively.
"You're still drooling."
The Medical Wing of the Ishimura was a mess.
The secreted resin that the 343 Mobile Infantry had first encountered on LV 426 was coating almost every surface of Medical, black and beyond reason as the twenty-five members of 1st Lieutenant Jane Shepard's team entered into what was the central room of the Medbay. There appeared to be three separate doorways leading away from the central room, all stuck open from the resin that coated everything. Shepard's eyes scanned everything in the large room, looking at every hole that Xenomorphs could come from. There were a depressing amount, sadly.
"Brynhilder? Concussive force, single shot, with incendiary effect." The Human Specter told her Serrice Counsel armor's VI, linked to her Kuwashii Visor and her Specter Gear HMWAR Mark VII Assault Rifle. Her visor chimed the completed operation as Shepard raised her rifle, and aimed at one of the bug holes. "Fire in the hole!" She fired once, sending a shot right into the hole, where the round impacted against one of the sides. The concussive blast of the shot shattered the resin to pieces, while the incendiary effect superheated them causing them to melt together, efficiently plugging the hole. Shepard smiled as the incendiary cooled off, seeing that no more bugs would be coming through that hole. One down, a few dozen to go. "Hicks, Vrataski, Val, Mason? Trackers up. Vas, Naor, Elias, take the doors, and splatter anything that tries to come in. Everyone else, guns up and fire at anything that crawls while I plug these holes." Shepard ordered, seeing Naor the Bull lumber to face the Emergency Wing, Corporal Jeanette Vasquez taking the Imagining and Diagnostic Wing, and Elias Korvan the Reserach Wing, their heavy weapons pointed at the opened doors and ready to fire. Humanity's First Specter began to methodically plug up the holes with her Mark VII, each concussive shot breaking apart the holes, the high-temperature of the incendiary melting it together to make it unusable for the Xenomorphs. True, they could probably break through with some work, but the idea was to slow them down, to buy the Specters and Marines time. Most likely, the bugs would come through the three access of the opened doors through Emergency, Imagining and Diagnostic, and Research, being large and open. Most likely, they would come through all three at once, like the bugs in LV 426 did at Hadley's Hope. They could use the previous corridor as a fatal funnel for numbers, keeping the trackers on for potential movement. Shepard shot over forty holes in the walls and ceiling of the Medbay, keeping her eyes open for more. "Who's got the best eyesight out of all the species?"
"The Volus." Cavius Reminion replied immediately, the Turian Specter Instructor nodding. "Even with their suits, their vision exceeds Turians by a good margin. Drell have the second best."
"Cur? Kya? Look around for any hole that is big enough to squeeze a Quarian through." Shepard replied, looking at the Volus and Drell Specter Recruits as they began to methodically point out holes that she might have missed due to the resin's configuration and angles. Kur Dileed simply pointed them out with one of his M-4 Shuriken with its taclight on, illuminating it. There were several that he found, Shepard plugging them in with audacity. Kya Drang did the same with her Armax Arsenal Punisher sniper rifle, adding another dozen smaller holes. The two Specter Recruits took their time, going over everything twice before they were satisfied there wasn't a hole someone could stick their arm through. They may have gone overboard, but Shepard wasn't going to complain.
"SHODAN, can you hear me?" Shepard asked the air, wondering if the VI had any sensors working in the Medical Wing.
"Y-y-yes, Lieutenant (tenant)." The Ship's VI replied neutrally.
"Location of survivors."
"Emergen (gen) (gen) cy Wing, In-in-intensive CARE Unitttttt."
"Yeah, I'm rather glad it isn't the Research Wing." Shepard intoned, getting Ellen Ripley to nod her head as well; she just had that nasty feeling that if the Queen was truly on the Medical Deck, then the Bitch would be there. They hadn't found any type of clue how the Xenomorphs had gotten onto the Ishimura so Shepard arrived at her own conclusions; someone had brought the fuckers in and started experimenting. Hadley's Hope all over again. Looking at the door with the rolling marquee marked 'Research Wing' just read 'Bad Shit Here' in Shepard's mind. There were, after all, ten eggs from Hadley's Hope unaccounted for, not to mention the hundreds from the original Space Jockey crash site discovered by Dallas, Lambert, and Kane from the Nostromo. Add the information that Carter Burke had stolen back on the Citadel, and it wasn't hard for Shepard to put some of the pieces together. The Ishimura… a planet-fracker on an illegal operation in the middle of dead space… what a perfect scenario! She couldn't believe she didn't consider it before! There was something like over a thousand personnel on the ship, hosted over some shit planet that no one really wanted, in a barely surveyed system. Perfect smokescreen for illegal research and a ship-cum petrie dish! Bugs were stuck on the ship, and one could just crash the ship and call it an accident if things went wrong.
So what had gone wrong? Bugs hadn't damaged the ship, not to the extent that the VI was claiming. They certainly hadn't fucked with SHODAN. That didn't sound like a Corporation-sponsored death ride. The Ishimura had to have been a breeding ground, like Hadley's Hope, possibly constantly used. They would have wanted it mostly intact, like a spiders' web or a Venus fly trap, catching ignorant victims. Something else must have happened.
"SHODAN? Access Ships' Log." Shepard asked once more, having failed before. There was something they were missing; she could feel it.
"Sh-sh-ship's Log access unavailable (available)." The VI replied once more, stymying her.
"Should be working. Daeporm and Vona both worked on it, and they know computers." Royce replied, his tone worried. "We spent thirty minutes guardin' 'em while they did it. Thought you said it would work?" The Australian looked to the Salarian and Turian in question.
"Said should work." Daeporm Norban replied, his hyperactive voice clipped as he spoke quickly. "Code was corrupted extensively. Did what could to make patches. Does not mean will work perfectly."
"Great." Shepard sighed, shaking her head. She didn't blame Daeporm or Vona for the VI situation; someone had done a number to it, and it usually took four times as long to fix something than it did to break it. "Well, whoever messed with SHODAN did a good job. At the least, the power isn't fluctuation and the gravity drive still works, so we got something. Perhaps we can find a server, or perhaps the Captains' personal terminal. There's usually a back-up that protected from such things for incidences such as these. Perhaps it didn't get fried. SHODAN? Where is the Captains' personal terminal?"
"C-c-captain Benjamin (jamin) Matthias-s-s' personal work staTION issssszzzz…. *Garble* is located in-in the Bridge."
"Oh, goody." Garrus Vakarian spouted, his tone disgusted. No one wanted to head back to the Bridge after riling up the bugs as they had just done.
"C-c-captain Benjamin Ma-ma-matthias is currently LOCATED in Emergen-gen-gency Ward (ward)." The VI supplied, making Shepard stop in in her proverbial tracks.
"Is he alive?" She asked, hopeful. SHODAN said there were some survivors from the Ishimura…
"Ne-ne-negative." Well, so much for that… "Captain (ain) Matthias does con-con-contain a data pad with h-h-his latest logssssszzzzzz…. *Garble* You maaaaayyyyy be able to access (access) the past several en-en-entries."
"Well, it's better than nothing." Shepard shrugged, looking to Tela Vasir, who nodded in agreement. "Survivors are in the Emergency Wing, Captain's body and data pad are in the Emergency Wing. I'd say we got ourselves a destination and a goal. Whose up for going into the creepy, bug-infested tunnel on a rescue mission with me? Heavies and trackers excluded."
"And miss the chance at getting corrosive acid on my envirosuit? Count me in." Rahe'Tarram replied, her tone bubbly as she checked her Quarian Carbine Shotgun, readying it for action.
"I'll go." Garrus Vakarian volunteered, surprising Shepard a little. Not that Garrus wasn't brave, but the former Deathwatch member had originally had issues with Shepard back during Specter School; nothing overt or bad, just little things. In all honest, she couldn't blame him; she was the daughter of two human fighter pilots that were responsible for killing more Turians than had happened since… well… probably the Second Unification Wars or the Krogan Rebellion. It hadn't been that long since the FCW, and if humanity was having trouble adjusting to the fact that aliens exist, then it was only fair that the aliens might have a thing or two against humanity. It wasn't like humanity was innocent of more than a few occasions and loud-mouth bigots. Thankfully, Garrus was a consummate professional; he watched over his team regardless of race. For that, he had her complete respect as she nodded towards him, the large Turian shouldering his M92 Mantis Sniper Rifle. Right next to him were two more additions; Asha T'vara and Jondum Bau. The Salarian Specter Recruit was a welcomed addition, as Jondum was both fierce and intelligent, a credit to his kind. Asha… not so much. If there was anyone in her class that Shepard could say that she despised, it was the former Commando Asha T'vara, the 182 year old Maiden a complete and utter snob. There was always a snide comment or the smug, superior looks she would get when Shepard didn't know an answer, especially on something that everyone else knew since Counsel Species had an educational requirement quote for the children of each species to know a certain level of history. Shepard didn't know any of it, and had to play a lot of catch-up, and it seemed that Asha T'vara was the one to make sure that Shepard knew she had the short end of the stick. Why had she volunteered? Shepard thought better than to ask as the Asari Specter Recruit as the Asari Vanguard shouldered her Asari-made Disciple Shotgun. She felt the slightest touch of comfort through her damaged bond from Tela in response to her concern, and Shepard gave the Matriarch a smile smile in gratitude. She missed feeling her presence, and she was grateful for even the slightest of shared feelings.
"Okay, people, let's go free some frightened humans."
The Emergency Wing of the Medical Deck was much like the first room of the Medbay; a resin-coated nightmare of humidity and darkness.
"Fuck me for wanting to dive into this shit again." 1st Lieutenant Jane Shepard muttered to herself as she took the lead of the five-man team. The half-hallway, half-tunnel of the Emergency Wing was pushing 40 Celsius, and sweat dripped down her forehead and face, her red hair damp with perspiration as she fought not to wipe at her face with her armored gloves. If her suit wasn't out of air, she'd put her helmet on to fight off the worse of it. Unfortunately, they hadn't found an Oxygen Recharge Station, and she hadn't a chance to go back to the supply cache to get some more. A stupid oversight. If someone dumped atmo, she'd be choking to death again. She moved her head around a stalagmite as she stalked the alien corridor, her Specter Gear HMWAR Mark VII Assault Rifle leading the way as her taclight swept everything as the Kuwashii Visor going over her left eye displayed its radar on the HUD, tracking for movement. They hadn't gotten deep in the Emergency Wing yet, probably forty meters or so, but the humidity, darkness, and stress were having its toll on her. It was just like back on LV 426, walking in blind. At the least they were better armed. "Keep your eyes open, people. These fuckers love an ambush."
"I know something that would love to hunt these things." Garrus Vakarian said over the communicator, his flanged voice soft as he picked up the rear, his powerful sniper rifle sweeping just as Shepard's was. "Two perfect hunters going head-to-head. Don't know which one I'd root for."
"Sounds friendly." The Human Specter replied, knowing only a little of the incident that the former Blackwatch Talon Strike member was referring to, and incident in which he was the sole survivor of his team, and somehow pulled Asha T'vara out of as well. She didn't ask; bad form, after all. "All I can think of is… damn, I wish I had gone for a fistful of Krogan. These fuckers sound just like the damn Rachni the Salarians and Asari are always crying about."
"Could they be?" Rahe'Tarram nar Sofis asked, her Quarian Carbine Shotgun doing a z-patterned search along one wall. "Acid, survives harsh environments, mauls its opponents. Wasn't that what the Rachni did?"
"They aren't the Rachni." Tela Vasir replied softly, her own Mark VII scanning the ceiling as they slowly moved their way through the resin-coated tunnel. "I've seen pictures. I'm not sure which is worse, but these creatures don't seem to make their own vessels, which the Rachni did."
"They've certainly turned this Wing into home." Shepard again fought the urge to wipe at her sweaty forehead, stinging her eyes as it dripped down onto her face. "Gods it's fucking hot in here. Hotter than LV 426, and that was inside a Matter/Anti-Matter Processing Terraforming Plant." Her rifle scanned a hole that was more than large enough for a bug to pop out of. "Fire in the hole." Shepard fired a single concussive round with incendiary effect, shattering the hole and fusing the broken pieces together to deny an entry point. "Ski was right; they do like it hot, dark and steamy." The mutter was to herself, but with her communicator on, ever member of her five-man Team Valkyrie heard her words anyhow. Didn't matter, Shepard mused as she continued through the tunnel at a quarter pace, taking it slow and easy. She was intent to clear every foot of tunnel they walked through so they had somewhere to retreat in case things got bad. Gods forbid they got flanked. "How we looking back there, Vakarian?"
"So far, so good." The sniper replied simply, his Turian eyes checking everything. "Still trying to picture you shaking your ass-plates on stage, Shepard. Like a white Asari with a red floppy crest." That had Jondum Bau snicker, and even Shepard had a smile on her lips. Perhaps the Turian might not like her for being a human, but he wasn't a bad sort for a Turian.
"What? My waist not supportive enough, big guy?" The Human Specter shot back as she put another round into a hole in the resin wall, sealing it. "Why do Turian men look at a Turian girl's waist?"
"Why do human men oogle those things on your chest? It's chemistry." The sniper answered, simple but effective. Shepard had to admit, it was probably the best explanation there could possibly be; hormones and evolution, different species had different preferences. She might not understand the waist thing, having listened to Elias Korvan lament and fondly dream about waists during breaks at Specter School, naming some Turian female with a… whatever a pleasing waist was. Hourglass? Straight? Ticklish? Shepard had no idea. Probably as hard to explain to a Turian why human men oogled the things on her chest when their females didn't have breasts. Did Turians even breastfeed their babies? She remembered Cavius mentioning something about 'hatchlings' before… Shit! Turians were born from eggs! That made her wonder how the other species gave birth. Were anything of them like humans? She tried imagining it for a brief moment, and got a nasty picture of Salarian tadpoles in her brain. Did… did Asari have babies like humans did? Shepard was almost afraid to ask Tela about that; might seem too suggestive.
Oh shit… I could be a father!
That thought had her stop dead in her tracks.
"Jane? Is everything okay?" Tela Vasir asked, her tone a little worried. The Asari Specter had been right behind her in their single-column file, and Tela almost collided into the Human Specter. Everyone's weapons scanned more aggressively, thinking that she had seen something. For once, she was glad of the dark; she knew she was blushing, the heat in her cheeks hotter than the humid air of the Xenomorph-made tunnel. She wished she could talk to Tela through the bond; this wasn't the time for the birds and bees discussion with the Asari.
"Um… flashback. Sorry." Shepard quickly interjected, hating that she had to lie. Perhaps if they had the chance, she could pull Tela aside and have a real discussion with her. It seemed like, half the time, their conversations were about anything else but them, and the rest of the times about helping Shepard overcome her own biological skepticism. "I'm half-afraid that I'll turn a corner and see that first girl I shot in the chest." That wasn't a lie, Shepard remembering what had remained of the colonists of Hadley's Hope. Somewhere on the Ishimura, there would be a nest. Her first kill, some innocent teenaged girl not much younger than her, begging for death. "You see someone glued to the wall, with an opened egg and a dead facehugger nearby? Open order for mercy." The steel was in her voice, remembering the picture of Russ Jorden's expression as something pushed its way out of his chest, little Rebecca Jorden watching the whole ordeal in terror. Never again. Not a word was spoken as Shepard saw the others look at one another for a brief moment, the various looks of concern across different species. "What?"
"We could possibly remove embryo before birthing process." Jondum Bau finally said, his tone level, the Salarian Specter Recruit blinking his large black eyes. "Would save unfortunate victim."
"Except we don't have the facilities, the equipment, the tools, or the expertise to do so." Shepard pointed out, frowning. "While I agree with you in the perfect world sense, Jondum, that was the kind of shit Weyland-Yutani was doing to my species… and yours. And yours." She pointed out Asha T'vara, who was taken aback. "And yours." Garrus' mandibles quivered slightly, obviously not pleased. "And… yours." Rahe'Tarram put a three-fingered hand over her heart, as if wounded. "The only ones they didn't do their sick fucking experiments on were the Volus and Vorcha. Not sure if the bugs didn't like them, or they couldn't secure any."
"That was never mentioned in your report on the mission." Garrus Vakarian pointed out. The Turian had evidently taken it serious.
"Counsel orders." Shepard sighed, doing her best to shake some of the sweat off her brow. "They are aware of it, but they didn't include it among the information packets sent to the other Specters at the time for two reasons, the first being that they were pretty sure that just about every species would be howling for human blood if they discovered what a few sick bastards were doing. The second…" Shepard closed her eyes and sighed, wishing that she hadn't broached this subject, that she wouldn't have to tell the truth. "The second part is that someone in my government took an unknown amount of specimens from LV 426 at some point in time; at the very least ten facehuggers, but also an unknown amount of eggs from the derelict ship that Ripper discovered in 2121. We… could be dealing with some of that right now. Another Godsdamn fucking experiment on my people, for my people." She turned her back to them, unable to face them anymore; she couldn't hold back her tears, the shame that she felt that someone human had undoubtedly done this to a ship filled with humans. Over one thousand personnel… was this another experiment? How else would a Xenomorph make it onto the Ishimura? A Queen? The worst part was the fact that she was suppose to be the bug expert, but sadly Shepard was merely the Counsel's bug expert. Someone in Corporate knew a lot more, despite the captured information she and Alliance Science Officer Lance Bishop were able to gleam from the colony on LV 426. "We've been their petrie dishes for decades; what more can they do to us?"
"Jane." Tela spoke up softly, the Asari Specter's hand going gently to her shoulder. "That is why it is more important than ever that you keep a cool head, to figure this out and stop it. For the first time, your planet has someone that will stand up for it, to fight for what is right. They fear you, Jane Catherine Shepard; they fear what you represent."
"What do I represent?" She asked the Asari listlessly, her heart heavy.
"A future without them." The Thessian replied, her voice assured. "A hope that others can stand behind. That is why you are Humanity's First Specter, not the Alliance's, not Earth's, and not Corporate's. You represent every Son and Daughter of Earth, no matter how deep in space they go. You are their guiding light, the torchbearer of your species. You are without agenda, without sides, a champion of causes and righteousness. That is what makes a Specter, Jane." Tela looked to the others, who realized that she was including them in the knowledge. "Of every Specter in the Office of Special Tactics, only you, Rahe'Tarram, and Khel Burram are the sole representatives of your species. There hasn't been a Quarian Specter since the Morning War, all of them having died defending their race as the evacuated Rannoch. There hasn't been a Krogan Specter since the start of the Krogan Rebellion over fourteen hundred years ago. And you are simply the first of your kind to have made it this far. Every other species in Citadel Space is represented by at least ten Specters, and the Turians and Asari have hundreds. Yet you three are unique, you hold the mantle of your entire species. Khel Burram… he walked into the Office of Special Tactics one day, and simply asked for the job. When the Executor of the time asked him why he should, the Krogan simply responded that someone needed to keep the Krogan in check, and what better than a Krogan Warlord with centuries of battles under his belt? After several tests to ensure he wasn't to do anything stupid, he became the first Krogan of Special Tactics since the Krogan broke off from the Counsel. He's done his species proud in the past eighty years, and he's garnered a small following of Krogan who wish to follow in his footsteps. Think about that, Jane; a Krogan showing other Krogan what it means to walk a better path. We may have two Krogan Recruits in the next year or so, as Burram is training them to fight both like Krogan warriors, but also like disciplined warriors. Perhaps one day, more Krogan will see that there is hope for their kind, and will slowly start to change. That is what Khel Burram stands for; a future for the Krogan."
"Wow." Shepard thought it over, what Tela had told her, looking to Rahe, whose silver eyes were wide as well. She knew what she was doing was important, but the gravity of the situation, the fullness of it… she hadn't realized. "I thought being a Specter was, I dunno, like being the ultimate cop or something."
"It is… but law enforcement is also meant to bring hope to those who are good, while to instill obedience in those who are not." The Asari replied with a smile, reminding Shepard that Tela Vasir was once an Investigator on Illum. "Does law enforcement not do this on Earth?"
"Um… no. We've got private law enforcement security firms in most Alliance nations." Shepard replied dejectedly, thinking of some of the companies that run the police, like OCP, the Blackwater PMC, and the MNU. "There aren't many publicly-funded cops on Earth, usually in small areas in poor nations. South Africa has got the Tetravaal Scouts in Jo'berg, a mechanized police force run by VI." She wasn't about to mention why mechanized police were needed in Jo'berg, or the Scouts' much larger, much deadlier counterpart, the Tetravaal Rhino. "Maybe you're right, Tela, perhaps Earth needs something else, a symbol the people can stand behind. Something better. I… I just hope that I can be good enough for that. Especially now." Shepard had to look away again, fighting off the tears. How the hell was she suppose to do that? She was just a Marine, a single woman amongst humanity. What was so special about her? Was she like Khel Burram, hoping to be an inspiration for others? A defender? A torch? Is this what the other First Specters felt like when they became the first of their kind in the Office of Special Tactics? It seemed too much.
"Jane, I believe in you."
Shepard looked to Tela's face, the Asari smiling, and despite the glooming darkness of the resin-coated tunnel of the Emergency Ward, the smile cut through and gave her a little bit of hope and peace. Perhaps that was what she truly was; a beacon in the darkness.
"Thanks, dhan'rana." The Marine finally replied, knowing that she would have to think long and hard about all that Tela had told her. The Thessian was right, of course, and if she truly were going to represent all of humanity for the better, then she would need to figure out what she would represent. Others might end up following in her footsteps, and Shepard wanted it to be the kind of people she'd be proud to stand alongside, not some Corporate-sponsored goon or thug with an over-developed trigger finger.
"If y'all are done gushing over one another," a hard male voice came from a speaker, startling them all, "perhaps you can help us get out of this Goddamn room."
"Um, fuck. Where are you?" Shepard asked out loud, her weapon training for any possible movement, as well as the source of the voice. A personal intercom, perhaps?
"Johner, move aside! I'm the one that got the intercom working!" A woman's voice came up as there was a two-second scuffle heard over the speaker, a slight amount of feedback coming through. "Hello? This is Wynona Call! We're stuck in one of the Emergency Rooms! There's a bunch of aliens in the ship, and we blocked access from them! Can you please come rescue us?"
"Shouldn't we ask them who they are?" That was a Latino-sounding man, his voice soft as he presumably asked the woman, Wynona, probably near her so he wouldn't be overheard. "Might not be friendlies."
"Seriously, DiStephano? Right now, I'd take in Batarians if it got us out of here." Another man spoke up, an authoritative tone to his voice. "Besides, we got weapons. If they ain't friendly, we can blast them."
"What Hammond said." Another man agreed.
"We can still hear you…" Shepard replied in a sing-song voice, prompting an end to the debate in the room filled with survivors. She found the speaker in question; mostly covered in resin. There was probably a door right by it, covered in the shit. They were going to have to find a way in, or to break it apart to get to the people. "I'm 1st Lieutenant Jane Shepard…" she looked to the Specters behind her, frowning for a moment, hoping that her on-the-fly plan would work, "of the Office of Special Tactics. I've got Marines and Specters on-board looking for survivors, answering a distress call from Engineer Temple. The Counsel got your call, and I answered."
There was a good five seconds worth of silence afterwards.
"Clark? Call? Let's get that hatch open. I really don't give a shit anymore who or what they are." This was a new voice, a gravely male bass that sounded to be in charge. "Betty's out there, and we're in here. I'll take any help we can get."
"We're opening the door, might take a minute." The one who identified herself as Call spoke up again, her tone obviously relieved. "Issac? Get that burner of yours over here. That thing will melt through this crap in no time."
"What a waste of ammo." The first man spoke up, overheard by the intercom's microphone, making Shepard roll her eyes.
Of all the people they had to rescue, they ended up rescuing mercs and pirates.
1st Lieutenant Jane Shepard stood in front of a motley group of fourteen human survivors, ranging from maintenance personnel of the Ishimura to ragtag space shitheads. How they had all ended up together at once in the same location was probably in the statistical range of pure stupid luck, but somehow, three separate groups of shipmates had somehow converged into one of the examination rooms of the Emergency Wing of the Medical Deck, burning their way in by means of a physical Omnigel-burning torch. Shepard looked over the remaining survivors of the Ishimura and wasn't very impressed.
"Frank Elgyn, Captain of the ICV Betty." The tall, pale man came up first, holding out his hand to shake, his gravely voice distinctive, as well as his prominent nose. He was dressed in a black leather trenchcoat, with what appeared to bit bits and pieces of scrap armor underneath, mostly from an Onyx chassis. In his hands was a M-96 Mattock, a civilian model that one saw out on the Colonies for militia. But what had her attention was the patch that she saw over his heart on his trenchcoat, simply reading 'SOA'.
"Of all the fucking people I could save in the galaxy…" Shepard sighed as she looked to Tela Vasir and shook her head as she crossed her arms under her breasts, "I had to go and fucking save the Godsdamn Sons of Anarchy Mercenary Company and Riding Organization."
That had silence hit the room like a ton of bricks for a good few seconds.
"You know who we are?" A dark-skinned man asked, surprised. He was wearing what appeared to be an olive-drab military-styled coat with a nametape on it that read 'Christie' on it. Shepard didn't miss the two M-5 Phalanxs on his legs, or the chopped M-23 Katana he had in his hands.
"Surprisingly, I've actually met you assholes before, a few years back. In Sturgis, of all places." Shepard replied, completely non-plussed. "I'm actually surprised Johner doesn't remember me. I'm the one who wrote on his face with broken glass." She referred to the series of brutal-looking scars that ran down the face of Johner 'the Beast' Perlman, a Cro-Magnon-looking man who easily towered over the other humans, a hyperaggressive thug with a mean streak a parsec wide. He was armed with an M-6 Carnifax and a modified M-300 Claymore, a highly-illegal weapon in Citadel Space due to its power and amount of mass accelerated metal it could fire. Shepard hadn't forgotten Johner Perlman. Hadn't forgiven him, either. The reminder darkened the face of the thug, or perhaps he couldn't remember why his face was carved up, and wasn't too pleased with meeting up with the woman that had bottled him with a broken glass of beer.
"I like her already." That came from a slip of a girl that sounded like Wynona Call, a dark-haired woman who seemed out of place among the mercenaries. She certainly didn't look like a crow-eater, but neither did she look like a crewmember of the Ishimura or an employee of the CEC. Still, she was wearing what appeared to be the patch for the organization; a grim reaper armed with a M-96 Mattock with a scythe coming out of its barrel on her shoulder. She wasn't the only woman in the group, there was another who hung around Frank Elgyn like a crow-eater that had a patch, too.
"So how did a bunch of ice pirates get stuck on the Ishimura?" Shepard asked, looking to the several members she could see; the Captain of the Betty, the crow-eater by his side, Johner, the one marked 'Christie', the woman she identified as Wynona Call, and strangely enough, a dwarf in a motorized wheelchair armed with a double-barreled Scimitar. Ice piracy was a rather large criminal activity in Alliance Space, since few planets had water that didn't need to be purified, decontaminated, and chemically treated to make it potable. The easiest way to transport water was to drain it from a Garden World, send it to space to freeze, and ship it, as ice was more compact than water, which couldn't be volumized any smaller unless it went into its solid, icy phaze. There was also ice asteroids and comets that could be captured and sold to planets whose ecosystem took too long to make fresh, potable water. Thus ice piracy; the theft of renewable water in an ecosystem, a total loss that could cause environmental shifts. It was why all Alliance ships dumped their waste water in the same planet they got it from; water was too precious to cart away permanently, as Earth had suffered from such oversight during earlier space exploration, and caused a drought that almost crippled the planet fifty years before.
"Cargo transportation." Elgyn replied immediately, his gravely voice calm and assured. "The Captain, Matthias, had contacted us to do a little cargo run for him. We delivered."
"Uh-huh…" Shepard tapped her foot as she continued to cross her arms, staring at the man. The lack of detail was a typical pirate's answer. "Which would explain why you're still here during an emergency lockdown, instead of leaving after said 'cargo' was dropped off and the bill paid." Oh… "He didn't pay you yet, did he?"
"Fuckin' Jew." Johner Perlman muttered, obviously pissed about that. That was one way to keep a bunch of shifty transporters in one spot. But why do that? Shepard thought it out, looking to Tela Vasir, who was also contemplating what she had heard.
"What did you transport?" Shepard asked, her voice hard; she had a really, really nasty thought about that cargo. A Corporation like CEC hiring some shifty 'transportation' personnel to make a delivery? No one hired the Sons of Anarchy for their sterling reputation.
"Don't know. Didn't ask, didn't care." Elgyn replied with a shrug of his shoulders, at least he wasn't lying about that, the Human Specter thought to herself. "Money was good, and the cargo wasn't protected. It was just sitting out on some small observation station in the Zeta Reticulli System, just waiting to be picked up. Wasn't even guarded." Shepard felt herself pale at the name of the system. She didn't know of any small observation station, but those were easily moved and relocated, usually some VI-driven listening post that would carry a few supplies for emergencies. Zeta Reticulli, a nowhere system that had nothing of interest except a single wildcat colony on a moon of Calampos, recently made uninhabitable by none other than herself.
Oh… fuck…
"Small cannisters? Ten of them?" Shepard asked, feeling her heart drop away. The Captain of the Betty had an odd look on his face at the question as he looked to the crow-eater by his side, the woman armed with an old M41A1 Pulse Rifle copper-tosser slung on her shoulder looking right back at Frank Elgyn with the same look. Shepard had guessed right. "Shit. I know what you fucking transported, Elgyn. You transported bugs; specifically, eggs containing facehuggers that latch onto your face and knock you up with Xenomorphs. The same ones that are on this very ship." That had the SOA members each looking at one another, alarmed. "How long ago was the delivery made? Had to have been a least a week, probably just over ten days."
"Eleven days ago. Emergency lockdown went into effect seven days ago." Call replied, her tone worried. "You're saying we brought this here?"
"Yes."
"Fuck me." Perlman spouted, flinging his arms in the air as he slowly turned, aggetated. "Money was too good, Frank. Told you that."
"Bullshit, Johner." The wheelchair-bound dwarf replied, an odd accent to his voice. "You jumped on the gig like a ten Credit whore." That had Call and the crow-eater chuckle.
"Captain kept you here for hosts." Shepard shook her head, amazed by it all. At the least, she knew what happened to the eggs in Hadley's Hope that the SSV Sulaco took. "Just be happy you aren't expectant mothers. Who are the rest of you?"
"I'm Captain Zachary Hammond, of the Kellion, former Alliance Navy." A bald man marched forward with his hand extended, which Shepard did take. The dark-skinned man had the presence and authority that easily marked him a former military man. She noted that he was armed with the old SWS motorized Pulse Rifle, the triple-barreled weapon that was still a fairly common copper-tosser despite Mass-Effect weaponry. Physical rounds, unlike mass-accelerated shavings of metal, went at a much slower speed than the standard weaponry, which also meant that shields that most used to protect themselves from mass-accelerated fire wouldn't stop chemical propellent rounds, as they were designed to stop metal going at a fraction of the speed of light, not a multiple of the speed of sound. Load up a copper-tosser with hollow-points, armor-piercing, or anti-personnel rounds, and it was still a threat to most species in the galaxy, if not a great one. "We were dispatched by CEC for regular maintenance and to deliver replacement parts, pretty routine stuff. We walked into this shitstorm about eleven days ago. With me are my communications technician, Kendra Daniels," a blonde woman in a CEC spacer uniform nodded her head, "and my maintenance and engineer guru, Issac Clark." A middle-aged man with greying-brown hair and a space-engineer suit armed with a Bolter Pistol and a rigged blow torch with an Omnigel canister nodded as well. Both looked competent and in control of themselves. That was good. "I'm sorry to say that the Kellion is no longer in service. I'm afraid it is no longer available for space travel. We had two more with us, Corporals Chen and Johnston with the SAMC, but…" A slow shaking of his head indicated the fate of the two Marines.
"Okay." There was more to it than that, Shepard noted, but that could wait for the time being.
"I'm Doctor Terrence Kyne, Chief Science Officer of the Ishimura, and the highest-ranking individual left aboard the ship." A older, balding man came forward, wearing the traditional Doctor's lab coat and a CEC employee jumpsuit underneath. "With me are Security Officer Vincent DiStephano, the last surviving member of the Ishimura's Security Team," a hard-looking Latino man armed with an M-7 Lancer with a SAMC tattoo on his neck was easily identified, "Larry Purvis, one of our Hydroponics workers," a bespecacled man who was nervously sweating raised his hand timidly, "Nurse Practitioner Elizabeth Cross," a pretty dark-haired woman in scrubs gave a wane smile, "and Jacob Temple, our Acting Chief Engineer." A lean man in an engineers' suit who looked like a mechanic should was standing quite close to the nurse.
"Temple?" Shepard recognized the name. "You sent the distress beacon!" That had the Engineer look shocked for a moment, but a smile appeared on his face.
"Thank the Maker that got through. Wasn't sure anyone got it." Jacob Temple replied, looking over to Dr. Kyne with a grin. "Told you I could do it, even after I tore out all the relays and connections."
"Wait… what?" Shepard couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You… sabotaged the ship's computer system?"
"With my help." Issac Clark replied, folding his arms across his chest. "I'm still surprised we survived all that. She didn't make it easy…"
"Who didn't make it easy?" Tela Vasir asked, the first time she had done so. It had been an unspoken agreement that Shepard would talk to the humans, the other Specters there merely to support her if needed. It was, after all, better for a human to deal with humans in a stressful situation than some aliens. Especially with the Sons of Anarchy around.
"SHODAN, of course." Wynona Call answered, as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.
"SHODAN. The Ship's VI." Shepard repeated, her tone flat. Why the fuck would they do that? Without anyone maintaining or piloting the ship, it would crash into Aegis VII in a matter of days or weeks! "Why the fuck would you unplug the ship's computer operating system?"
"Oh no…" Rahe'Tarram nar Sofis lamented softly as she shook her helmeted head slowly, her silvery eyes going completely white in her visor as they widened. That surprised Shepard; she had never seen that before as the normally-fearless Quarian drywashed her hands. "No, no, no… please tell me it isn't true…" The Human Specter was confused; Rahe wasn't afraid of anything. What would scare a Quarian…
Oh… oh shit…
"I have existed from the morning of the world," a man's voice came up through the speakers of the Emergency Room, an obvious recording from long ago, "and I shall exist until the last star fall from the night. And though I have taken the form of Gaius Caligula, I am all men as I am no man, and therefore I am… a God." There was a silent pause as the dawning horror of realization came to Lieutenant Jane Shepard as she looked to Tela Vasir, whose blue-violet eyes went wide as well, the damaged bond between them radiating fear. "I shall wait for the unanimous decision of the Senate, Claudis."
"She's a God, now." Dr. Terrence Kyne answered sadly, his tone grave.
A/N: The 'invisible creature' that wiped out Garrus Vakarian's Blackwatch Talon Strike team on Taetrus is, in fact, a Yautja, or what is more commonly referred to as a 'Predator'. Garrus Vakarian is, in essence, Major Dutch Schaffer of the movie.
Cowboys and Turians - my version of 'cowboys and indians', Mass Effect-styled. First seen in Mass Effect: The Battle of Tuchanka, Chapter 10: Death In The Form Of A Button, where Chief Tech Specialist Elias Korvan begs Lieutenant Royce Mason not to have Gunnery Chief Stacy Valentino (all three OC's of that story and Mass Effect: The Battle of Menae) to play Cowboys and Turians with the Turian sniper. In fact, many of Team Valkyrie are OC's from the Battle Series; Royce Mason, Stacy Valentino, Elias Korvan, Asha T'vara, Ulla D'veora, Kya Drang, Vona Arturus (now Shatari), and Daeporm Norban. Such characters as the biotically-capable Eloa'Varis nar Tombay vas Thessia, the Batarian SIU Agent Garm Jor'raddah, Turian Engineer Vian Torvan, and human pilot Lieutenant Jeff Harbeck have not been slated for Valkyrieverse for the time being.
Cystic Fibrosis - A real genetic disorder that one gets from earning the jackpot of bad luck, inherited from both parents with just the right sequence of DNA to make a good handshake. It is indeed a lung condition that, over time, the sufferer's lungs harden over years until the person cannot breath anymore. I believe the oldest living person with Cystic Fibrosis was like… 31? Most die in their early 20's. There is no cure, and little in the way of treatment.
'47 Knuckle - an ode to the Harley Davidson 1947 Knucklehead. Maybe not the greatest bike ever made, but it is a head-turner. The Knucklehead was the bike that scouts used in Europe during World War II, making a good many veterans of that war go out and buy Harleys… which began the Motorcycle Clubs. The term itself, 'Knucklehead', is based off the head of the engine, which does look like a series of knuckles; later models include the panhead and the shovelhead. The '47 Knuckle will be seen later on.
Unlike the Battle Series, Asha T'vara in Valkyrieverse is a smug, racist bitch. There's always one. You know it's true.
Khel Burram - For all those who can remember wwwaaaayyyyy back to the Mass Effect DLC: Pinnacle Station, Khel Burram was the Krogan who was on the station and on the lists. Why was he there, on an Alliance/Citadel training station? Don't know, but now I got a reason for him to exist. He also appeared as a name on Mass Effect 3's DLC: Citadel, as a name on the Armax Arsenal Arena list, gunning for the top score.
OCP - Of Robocop fame, OCP was the Corporation that owned the Detroit Metropolitan Police, as well as turning Alex Murphy into a walking tin can. I am thinking of the original, though the new one was impressive.
MNU - Of District 9 fame, Multi-National United was an organization started when the prawns landed above Jo'berg, responsible for their housing and well-being. In Valkyrieverse, they monitor all alien activity on Earth. Sharlto Copley, who played Wikus van de Merwe in the movie, is a badass.
Tetravaal Scout and the Tetravaal Rhino- The Company and Model of the mechanized police forces seen in the movie Chappie. For those who haven't seen it yet, I won't spoil, but it's pretty similar to the problems in Detroit in the original Robocop
Aliens 4 - I know I said I wouldn't do it, but the crew of the Betty is despicable, deplorable, and completely the perfect excuse to explain the presence of the Xenomorphs, as that is how it happen in Alien: Resurrection. Red Shirt Army, anyone?
SAMCRO - The Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, Redwood Original is the 'company' that is the founding parent of the Sons of Anarchy from the FX TV show. For this story, they are both a mercenary company and a motorcycle club (hence, the 'Riding Organization')
Sturgis, South Dakota - For those not familiar, Sturgis is the largest annual motorcycle convention, going on for the past 75 years, beating out Daytona Bike Week. If you have never gone, it is like Mardi Gras for bikers and riders.
Ron Perlman - I make reference to several works for the actor Ron Perlman. The TV show Sons of Anarchy, in which he is the Club President until Season 4. Ice Pirates, a very B-movie Sci-Fi flick from the early 80's that I do not recommend you wasting your time on, in which he was a crew member, and also starred Anjelica Huston and Robert Ulrich of TV's SWAT. 'The Beast' is coined after the television show from the 80's, Beauty and the Beast, in which Ron Perlman played the Beast named Vincent, and Linda Hamilton played Catherine, an ADA in NYC.
Annalee Call - In the movie Alien: Resurrection, Wynona Rider's character is actually named Annalee Call. Of course, she's also a second-gen Android, which is a big no-no in the ME'verse. In this story, she is completely human, thus the mixed actress name with the character name.
Water - Obviously, fresh H20 in space is a rarity, and very sought out. I had planned to go more in depth on this, but may just blurb it out from time to time.
Copper-tosser - a nickname for a chemical-propellant weapon named as such since the rounds are copper-jacketed. The M41A1 is the designation of the old Marine Corps service rifle, and is made famous in the Aliens movie. Don't lie, you want one. I know I do. I also have the SMS motorized Pulse Rifle, which was in the Dead Space series.
I have existed from the morning of the world… - A direct quote from the movie Caligula, played by the amazing Malcolm McDowell. YouTube the speech, it really is quite good. Skip out on the rest though; not all cult classics are good. Just look at Eraserhead.