"Ya like that, Harbinger?" Joker cried. He pulled the Normandy up and came around the top of the dead Reaper's body as the shuttle came out from Harbinger's back side. Joker lined them up perfectly. Cortez had once told him that he could land a Kodiak on the Normandy blindfolded. This time he practically had to. There wasn't time to do it by the numbers.
Joker felt a thump through the deck as the shuttle landed. "Shuttle on board. Securing airlocks and cargo bay doors," EDI said. Joker's heart pounded. The indicators for the cargo bay went to green.
"Get us out of here, Joker. Medical team to the cargo bay!" Jacob said.
Joker took them to FTL before he finished his first sentence. Almost immediately he had a radiation warning behind the ship.
Joker pushed the Normandy to full speed. The radiation warning showed that the wave was gaining on them.
"EDI, you'd better shut down," Joker said.
"No, Jeff. You need me to help bring the Normandy out of FTL."
"I flew this baby solo before you came on board. I can handle it."
"Not at this speed. The SR-2's top speed is 15% faster than the SR-1."
"I know that, EDI." The radiation was getting closer.
EDI began making adjustments as well as Joker. The ship began shaking. "The radiation is making our FTL field unstable. You need me to help control the ship."
"EDI, we don't know what'll happen when that radiation gets here."
"I won't risk losing you."
"Shit...," Joker pushed the Normandy to 105% speed. "Adams, I'm going to need more."
"You've got it, Joker."
110%. The roar of the Normandy's engine filled the ship. Even if the engine could handle it, could the ship? He slowly edged it up to 115%, waiting for Adams or EDI to yell there was a problem. EDI adjusted their drive field with him to keep the ride steady. He trimmed the engines so that they gained power at the same time.
The radiation had closed half the distance and was still coming steadily towards them.
"More, Adams!"
Over the com line, he heard Adams say, "Daniels! Donnelly! Flood the coolant tubes at full and hold it there." He yelled at the engine, "Come on, you bosh'tet, I know you can do it!"
"Bosh'tet?" Joker said blankly.
"I believe Tali taught Engineer Adams some quarian epithets for good luck," EDI said.
The radiation felt seemed to be slowing down. They had almost matched speed. Joker nudged it to 116%. The engine roar turned higher in pitch. They were going faster than any ship had ever gone short of a mass relay jump.
It was right behind them.
117%. Joker took EDI's hand. His instincts told him that Normandy didn't have any more to give, not without destroying the ship. They'd either make it or they wouldn't. "Not today, EDI. Not today."
Engine readouts and structural limits went from green to yellow. He and EDI looked at each other.
Jacob asked, "Joker, have we got this?"
"Give me a second, sir. You'll know when I know."
The distance to the field held steady. He squeezed EDI's hand.
Steady.
By inches, the Normandy started to gain distance.
One of the engines went to red. A thrust valve was failing. Joker and EDI quickly adjusted to 110%, then to 100% on that engine and its parallel engine on the other side of the ship.
"Talk to me, Joker," Jacob said.
They were still gaining distance. The wave receded behind them, slower than Joker liked at first, then faster. "Yes... yes... yes! We did it! We did it! Crucible effect is behind us and all systems are nominal!"
People cheered all over the ship. Joker leaned over and kissed EDI. EDI's eyes widened. "Jeff, we need to fly the ship!" she protested.
He chuckled. "All right, all right..."
Jacob said, "Great job, both of you! Take us down to standard speed and bring us out of FTL when we reach the rendezvous point."
"Aye, aye, sir," Joker said. He turned back to his station and eased the Normandy back down to a speed closer to "sane." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that EDI had a broad smile on her face.
. . .
Shepard awoke to the sound of quietly beeping equipment. He felt thirsty and hungry. He felt a low, throbbing pain in his lower abdomen. Shepard opened and closed his fists. He tried moving his legs. He didn't have the strength to move them far. He felt exhausted, and aching all over.
Well, that was no surprise. He'd been hit by the edge of a Reaper beam, shot, thrown into orbit by a transport beam, had his nervous system held prisoner by the Illusive Man, nearly bled to death, and had his body drained of life like a water squeezed out of a sponge trying to send to a message to warn the geth. He'd had the longest day of his life. And been rescued from it.
He blinked open his eyes. He was in the medical bay. He heard footsteps, and the smiling face of Dr. Chakwas leaned over him. "Welcome back, Commander. How do you feel?"
Shepard coughed. "Good," he croaked. Yeah, right. His mouth tasted like glue. He coughed again. "Can I sit up?"
Dr. Chakwas adjusted his bed to lift his head up. A medic was getting him some water. Shepard felt lightheaded as the blood ran out of his head. He took deep, slow breaths. The feeling passed. Dr. Chakwas checked his vitals.
"What day is it? Where are we?"
"It's the day after the battle. We're in orbit around Earth."
The door opened. Miranda hurried in, followed by Garrus and Ashley. Dr. Chakwas must have called them when she saw him waking up. More were coming. Dr. Chakwas turned to the door. "I'm sorry, but everyone, back up! He needs to rest!"
Shepard looked over his shoulder at the windows to the mess hall. Zaeed and Inali were outside, along with mess sergeant Gardner and half a dozen of the crew. Everyone applauded, whistled and cheered. Shepard smiled. He started to wave, but his right arm was the one with the IV. He had to use his left instead. Shepard started coughing again, and gratefully accepted the water from the medic. Water had never tasted so good.
Dr. Chakwas looked at the crowd at the door. "No more than two at a time."
Garrus and Ashley looked at each other, because Miranda certainly wasn't turning away. They did paper rock scissors. Garrus chose paper and Ashley chose rock. Ashley said, "I had you pegged for scissors."
"Kind of guy I am. That's why I picked paper."
Ashley grumbled. She waved and said, "Looking good, skipper!" as she left the room.
Miranda gave him a light kiss, then pulled over a stool and sat down next to the bed, still holding his hand. Garrus stood behind her. Miranda wore a casual uniform, cargo pants and a collared shirt with short sleeves. She had bruises and bandages here and there, and one small band-aid on her arm. He could see she still ached.
"How do you feel?" Miranda asked.
"Pretty good. How about you?"
"I've got my share of bumps and cuts, but I'm all right."
He squeezed her hand. "Good. So, we're all still here. The Crucible worked?"
She smiled. "It did. The Reapers are dead. Everywhere."
"How did we get away from Harbinger?"
"The fleet ripped it a few new ones when it broke through the blockade," Garrus said. "The video is glorious."
Shepard smiled. "Couldn't happen to a better Reaper. I can't wait to see that." His smiled faded. "What about EDI? And the geth?"
"EDI's fine. We broke every speed record in the book getting out of the system," Miranda said.
"Most of the geth fleet was destroyed by the Crucible effect. Their fastest ships made it—they outran the effect like we did. No one knows about the rest of the consensus yet." Garrus added
Miranda continued, "The mass relays were damaged, so the comm buoy network is down. Long-distance communications have been by quantum entanglement. Short messages. Very limited. The whole fleet returned to Earth from the rendezvous."
Shepard nodded slowly. "I hope the geth are okay. I had... choices... when I armed the Crucible." He explained how Harbinger had spoken to him, and the alternatives that he'd seen.
Garrus' mouth hung open by the time he was finished. "Harbinger hid behind the face of a child? That coward. I don't care what it offered you. You did the right thing. The universe is better off without the Reapers," he said. He sounded like he was channeling Archangel, his vengeful alter-ego.
"It was certainly a gamble, for the geth and EDI," Miranda said. Thoughtfully, she continued, "Maybe we'll have synthesis someday. When we're ready for it—organics and synthetics alike."
"Controlling the Reapers would've been a fair turnabout, but who would I go drinking with then?" Garrus asked with a grin.
Shepard laughed, then he winced. "Ow. Oh, that hurts." He tried to breathe slowly and relax the muscles in his belly. He looked at Dr. Chakwas. "How am I doing, doc?"
"You're through the worst of it. The bullets went all the way through you, so I only needed to treat the wound. Your other injuries were extensive, though minor. You lost a lot of blood. I gave you a few pints of synth blood and the crew donated the rest." Shepard's eyes ticked to Miranda's band-aid. She winked at him. "I've conferred with several other physicians on exposure to Reaper technology from the transport beam, and that message you sent. So far you've exhibited no symptoms of side effects."
Thank God. "When can I leave?"
"We'll see how you feel tomorrow. While I'll discharge you from the medical bay, I want you under a strict rest protocol for two more days."
"Oh, jeez," Shepard moaned. He was more embarrassed than annoyed. Two days off sounded like heaven.
"I'm serious, Commander. Eight hours of sleep a day, no heavy lifting..."
"Yes. Doctor. Okay. Loud and clear," Shepard said. "Thank you."
Dr. Chakwas touched his hand. "Thank you, Commander. I think the whole galaxy needs to tell you that." She gestured to the medic and they both walked back to her desk on the far side of the medical bay.
Garrus said, "I'll leave you two. Do you want any more visitors?"
Shepard said, "After we're done. I'd like that. Thanks, Garrus."
The turian left the room. Shepard squeezed Miranda's hand. "Kiss me again?" he asked. He didn't think he could lift his head without passing out. She chuckled and did. "Thank you for coming to get me."
"You didn't think I'd leave you, did you?"
"Never. But I didn't even know if you were still alive. If anyone was still alive."
"We were, because of you."
"It wasn't because of me."
"Not all of it, but you brought us all together. Even the armada was because of you. If it wasn't for that, I don't think any of us would have made it."
"Thanks."
"You're quite welcome." Miranda squeezed his hand. "Get some rest. XO's orders. You have a big day tomorrow."
Shepard had been smiling, but as Miranda finished her words, he started to cry. Dizziness be damned, he reached his arms around her and wept.
Miranda was so shocked that at first she didn't even move. She wrapped her arms around him. "What is it?" she asked. He kept crying. "Talk to me, love. What is it?"
"I'm sorry. Maybe it's the meds. It's just... y'know, between the fight, and everyone who died, and you coming for me... I just remembered what it felt like when I was there on the Citadel. Dying there." He held her tighter. Shepard's voice cracked as he said, "I... I never thought about how much that word means."
"What word... what..." Miranda thought of what she'd said. Then she sighed, and he felt her tears on his cheek. Miranda kissed him there. She hugged him closer and whispered, "Tomorrow. We have tomorrow. And all the tomorrows after."
