Mass Effect 30 Day Challenge: Day 27
Prompt 27: Opinions on the Genophage
SPOILERS: Mass Effect 3
Necessary
Normandy SR-2, Orbiting Tuchanka, 2186 CE
The comm. link went dead and Shepard stared blankly at the space where the Dalatrass had floated mere seconds before. Her mind spun and she gripped the metal bar in front of her, shaking her head.
We've come so far, she thought to herself. We're hours away from an actual cure for the Genophage, and the Salarians want me to lie to the Krogan? Pretend to disperse the cure? Convince Mordin to go against everything I've said to him for the last year?
What the actual fuck?
Her thoughts were interrupted by Wrex pinging her over the comm. "Shepard?"
She shook her head again, more violently this time, and coughed, opening the channel. "I'm here Wrex," she said. "What's the word?"
"Shuttle's almost ready," he said. "I'm heading down to the bay with EDI and the Pyjak. Get your team and let's get to it."
"Roger that," Shepard said, signing off. She crossed through the command center and the security checkpoint, tuning out the chatter of the two guards, and headed for the Elevator. "Traynor," she called over her shoulder. "Tell Liara to meet me down in the shuttle bay. It's time to cure the Genophage."
"Will do ma'am," Samantha Traynor said as the elevator doors opened. Shepard turned to see her glancing over her shoulder from her console. "Anyone else you need me to get?"
"I'm going to get Garrus," she said, holding out a hand. "Just Liara."
"Yes ma'am," Traynor turned back to her console and the doors slid closed. Shepard leaned back against the elevator's wall and stared at the doors just as blankly as before. Part of her was furious, the rest of her unable to feel anything at all. The Salarians weren't exactly private about their tendencies toward underhanded tactics, but this? Shepard shook her head again. This was just too much.
The elevator doors slid open and Shepard headed for the Main Battery, passing Liara, who waved and said 'I'll see you in the shuttle Commander'. Shepard waved back, but crossed the mess quickly, trying to keep herself calm until she made it to her destination.
"Commander," Garrus said, turning away from his console to look at her. "Something wrong?"
Shepard stepped into the Main Battery and waited for the doors to close behind her. She stepped forward and leaned against one of the railings that looked over the cannons. She sighed. "No," she shook her head. "We're gearing up to head to the Shroud. Wanted to come get you, make sure you were up for another round on Tuchanka."
Garrus shut down one of the consoles he was working on and nodded. "Always, Shepard," he said. He looked up and studied her, and she averted her gaze so that he couldn't look into her eyes. She heard him grumble with concern. "Is that all?"
She dragged her gaze back to him slowly, wanting to burst out in a rant, something that would probably start along the lines of 'you would NOT believe what the Dalatrass just tried to pull!', but instead she just swallowed and crossed her arms, leaning against the railing in silence for a long moment.
"Do you think we're doing the right thing?" she asked finally.
Garrus blinked. "Helping the Krogan?" he asked. "If it helps Palaven, you know I'm on board with it. Earth too."
"I don't mean that," she shook her head. "The Genophage. Do you think curing it is the right thing to do?"
Garrus crossed the room and came to stand in front of her, gently taking one of her hands. He looked down into her eyes, looking concerned but mostly curious. "Having a change of heart Shepard?" he asked. "You've been against the idea of the Genophage since the beginning. What's got you going all ethical quandary over this?"
Shepard squeezed his hand. "I don't know," she said. "I guess I'm just trying to understand it. How someone can think that the Genophage was the right call to make."
"It's not that hard," Garrus mused. "I'm not completely against it being implemented in the first place."
Shepard nodded, still looking up at him. "You've mentioned that before," she said. "But you think what we're doing is the right call now?"
Garrus shrugged. "Kara," he said, taking her other hand. "The original Genophage was released centuries ago. The Krogan were hellbent on taking as much of the galaxy as they could for themselves, and breeding faster than their planets could handle the population growth. That was a different time. Now," he broke his gaze with her and turned to look at one of his consoles. "Things aren't just different, they're worse. We can't do this without the Krogan, and the Krogan aren't exactly making plans to overthrow every other sentient race when the Reapers are gone."
"They know fighting the Reapers means we need to stand together," she murmured, looking down at his hands.
Garrus lifted one hand and used a single claw to lift her chin, looking her in the eyes again. "What was necessary for our ancestors isn't always necessary for us," he said. "The Reapers aren't just here for the Turians, the Humans, the Salarians. The Reapers are here for all of us, and we're all going to be wiped out if we don't unite. So I don't know about you, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen." He gave her one of his rogueish smiles and Kara Shepard felt her stomach do a little flip-flop. "I'm behind you until the end Kara, but I think whatever they did in the past, whatever was necessary? This is necessary now, and it's not just that, it's also right."
Kara smiled and leaned forward, gently touching her forehead to his. She stayed that way for a moment, the squeezed his hands one final time before letting go. "Thanks Garrus," she said, stepping back. "I know all of that. Guess I just needed to hear it from someone I trust."
Garrus smiled. "I'm glad I can be your wise counsel," he said. "Now come on," he turned towards the doors as the rest of his consoles and monitors went dark. "Never thought I'd say it, but let's go cure the Genophage."
Kara remained on her face as the two of them left the Main Battery. They crossed the mess hall and entered the elevator side-by-side, and she felt determination grip her mind.
Fuck the Dalatrass. Let's go give the Krogan what's necessary. And what's right.
Answer: The cure is worth the risks
I've always been in the 'fuck the genophage' camp, even when playing renegade characters, but Kara especially isn't a fan of such a messed up thing. Since Wrex told her all the details, a small part of her had hoped she could have some part in fixing the Genophage and helping the Krogan. But even when you're sure of something, sometimes you just need to hear it from someone else before you can really go forward with a plan. For Shepard, the person she always goes to is Garrus. In a situation like this, he'd be the first person she goes to.