Thank you so much for all your reviews and support.
I never intended to publish this fic, I was just bored with writers block form my others and now it's my most popular story.
Here's chapter three for you to enjoy. Please continue to review.
Interval 3 – Omega
Shepard stumbled down a ruined street, bodies of men, women and children laid everyway. He was exhausted; he'd just single-handedly repelled a batarian attack. Everyone said he was a hero, that he saved Elysium. He didn't feel like one.
Alliance soldiers were helping the wounded, rescuing people from the rubble and covering the bodies. He was on shore leave when the attack came. He watched people die all around him. Thousands taken by slavers, yet somehow he survived. He didn't know why. "Shepard!" An officer called. "Shepard, over here."
"Yes sir." Shepard said with a salute. He Alliance officer chuckled.
"I should be the one saluting you. You saved us all after all, damn impressive work. But if you don't mind I'd like to ask for your assistance searching for survivors."
"Of course I'll help, Sir. What do you want me to do?"
"I want you to search the top five floors of this building here." The officer said gesturing to a damaged apartment building.
The first three floors were empty apart from the bodies of civilians and the odd batarian. There were signs of struggle, fighting and fleeing everywhere. Shepard was discussed, horrified; he wanted to kill every barbarian for what they had done.
It was on the fourth floor that when Shepard heard something. The sound of a child sobbing echoed down the halls and sent shivers up his back. Cautiously he approached the room and the door slid open. Inside was dark. A small beam of light came through a broken window illuminating a young girl huddled in a corner crying.
"Hay, it's ok." Shepard said as he slowly approached.
The girl's head snapped up and looked at him through tear drenched eyes. Her long black hair covered her blood stained face, she wore a red dress and was bare foot. "It's ok, I won't hurt you." Shepard said to reassure her. The girl nodded and threw herself into Shepard's arms and continued to weep into his shoulder. "It's ok your safe now." Shepard said as he patted her back.
"Th-th… they took them. Then one came back… to save me and… and… they killed him." The girl sobbed.
"It's ok; no one will hurt you anymore." Shepard said reassuringly.
"I know. Please get them for me. Kill them all." She said.
Shepard didn't know how to respond, this girl just asked him to kill every batarian. "I'll stop them." He said, wishing that it was the right response.
"Kill them. Kill all those who deserve to die, and rescue me. You always were my favourite, and now my only hope, John." She said with her tears gone and she now had a smile that was both sinister and loving on her face. Shepard was about to ask what she meant and how she knew his name when a sudden wave of exhaustion came over him and he collapsed to the floor asleep.
Shepard's eyes shot open, he was relieved to find he was in his bed on the Normandy. 'It was just a dream.' He thought. 'Wait, no it wasn't just a dream, was it? No… I remember it, it happened. Why did I forget it?'
"Because they wanted you to forget." A voice said Shepard instantly recognized it. His arm shot out for his pistol and switched the lights on. In his cabin stood a man in a black and red leather jacket, the same man that he saw behind Tali on Freedom's Progress.
"Who are you? How did you get here?" Shepard demanded.
The man let out a chuckle. "You honestly don't remember do you? Well, I wouldn't be surprised considering the amount of drugs and mind-wiping they gave you after… my little incident."
"You have five seconds to explain yourself before I put another hole in your head." Shepard threatened.
The man let out another sinister chuckle. Shepard could feel the evil rolling off this man. "That would be… entertaining. Very well Shepard, I'm sure my name won't hurt. I'm Paxton, Paxton Fettel."
Shepard thought, he recognised that name, he didn't know where from. "Why are you here?" He asked.
"A war is coming. I've seen it in my dreams. Fire sweeping over the galaxy, bodies in the streets, cities turned to dust… Retaliation. And you John Shepard are the only one who can stop it." Fettel said.
"You're talking about the Reapers." Shepard said.
"Maybe Shepard. But there is far much more to it than that." He chuckled. "She want's your help, and she will get what she wants." Fettel said before disappearing into ash.
Shepard didn't know what to do. Was he asleep, was he awake? Was he sane or insane? Who was this Paxton Fettel? What did he mean? Who was that girl in the red dress? 'What is going on?' His mind screamed.
Miranda slowly awoke. For some reason here face was wet, she felt another drip of something land on her forehead. She reached over and switched the lights on and brought a hand to her face to wipe away the wetness. She looked to see what she had wiped off. Her breath caught in her through as her hand was smeared with blood.
Another drop landed on her head, she saw more drops land over her bead. Slowly she raised her head. The celling was covered in blood. Fresh blood that painted the words "Be good or else" in large smeared letters.
Miranda screamed. "EDI!" She cried as she stumbled to her desk, not taking her eyes off the warning.
"Yes, Operative Lawson." EDIs monotone voice asked.
"Who did that?" Miranda shouted as she pointed at the blood and trembled in fear.
"Operative Lawson, I do not understand your question."
"There, the blood!" She said gesturing for EDI. She turned back to face the blood to her surprise it was gone. "I-It was right there."
"Operative Lawson there was no blood on your celling." EDI stated. Miranda looked back at her hands and found them to be clean. "However Operative Lawson I did detect an electromagnetic frequency increase of three hundred per-cent in your cabin and an increase of seven hundred per-cent in the Commanders cabin."
"It was in Shepard's cabin!" Miranda screeched in panic as she grabbed a pistol and ran to the elevator.
Shepard was sitting at his private terminal. He hadn't had any sleep since Fettel appeared in his room. His mind was still racing with unanswered questions. He opened the extranet and searched for 'Paxton Fettel'. Of the few results that came up one result stood out more than the others. Illium Police Department's wanted list. The picture was of the same man Shepard saw only without the bullet hole, he's been wanted since November 12th 2175 for theft, multiple accounts of first degree murder, kidnaping and to Shepard's shock the torture and cannibalism of a human scientist Charles Habegger.
The door opened. Someone ran in. Shepard lunged for his pistol and turned to face the intruder. "Shepard!" To Shepard surprise, there stood Miranda pointing a pistol around the room and wearing only her underwear and a loose t-shirt.
"Miranda! What are you doing here?" Shepard said whilst lowering his pistol at the same time as her.
"I-I thought you… Nether mind, I'll just be going." She said in relief and embarrassment.
"Miranda wait, you know something, don't you?" Shepard asked.
"I… I don't know..."
"You saw him didn't you, that's why you're here."
"I have no idea…"
"Don't lie to me Miranda. What's going on here?"
"I don't know what's going on Shepard. All I know is that it's dangerous and the Illusive Man won't say anything else. Wait, did you say him? I thought it was supposed to be a young girl?"
"There is, but a man also appears. Him." Shepard said gesturing to his terminal.
"The Illusive Man never told me about him. Are you sure?"
"Yes, I saw him on Lazarus station, Freedom's Progress and just now, here. He said his names…"
"Paxton Fettel." Miranda and Shepard span in horror to see the young girl in red. Miranda screamed and began firing her pistol only for the rounds to stop before her.
"Miranda, wait!" Shepard said grabbing her gun and turned to face the girl. She stood with a frown and the bullets dropped to the floor. "Who are you?" Shepard asked.
The girl smiled to Shepard, "A friend." She whispered before turning to ash.
Miranda and Shepard turned to look at each over still in shock. "We need to have a chat with your boss." Shepard said after a moment of silence.
"No, we can't… He's ordered me to make sure that you don't ever remember seeing her. He knew that this might happen, I don't know how but he warned me about it. He gave me special drugs specifically for you to suppress memories of her, or something like that."
"Are you saying he ordered you to drug me?"
Miranda stood confused; she was loyal to Cerberus and would follow the Illusive Mans orders however if he can't solve the root of this problem then It may be worse for Shepard to forget. "Yes… in the mess hall yesterday, the food I gave you was drugged."
"It's a good thing it busts to flames then, luckily before I ate it."
"It wasn't designed to burst into flames. I don't know why that happened."
"It was me." The girl's voice giggled as a tray of smashed vials and blue liquid clattered to the floor. Miranda and Shepard looked around for the source of the voice only not to see anyone.
"Who are you? What do you want with me?" Shepard asked only to not receive an answer. He bent down to the tray and picked up a smashed vile and read the label. "P-1 Memory Suppressor. Caution: Use only on Commander Shepard."
"How did they get here? They were locked in my desk!" Miranda said.
"I don't know. But whatever is happening here, your boss really doesn't want me to know."
"Shepard… I'm sorry about attempting to wipe your memory, I was just following orders. But the Illusive Man's also ordered me to make sure you were focus on this mission, and if you were to freak out every time you see that girl then I think it's best if I don't wipe your memory." Miranda said.
"Thanks, I'll appreciate that." Shepard sarcastically responded. "But I will get to the bottom of this Miranda, as well as save those colonists." Shepard said as he handed back the tray.
"I'm also curious Shepard; I never would have believed that anything like this would happen. I just hope the Illusive Man isn't too pissed about it."
"Then don't tell him."
"If I don't, EDI will."
"EDI, are you keeping the Illusive Man informed about these disturbances?" Shepard asked.
"I do not understand your question, commander." EDI responded.
"That girl and this Paxton Fettel that keep appearing all over the place, do you know anything about them?" Shepard asked.
"I'm afraid I can't answer that Commander." EDI said.
"Why not?" Miranda asked.
"I do not know, I may or may not have blocks preventing me from answering all enquiries into whether a 'Paxton Fettel' or 'girl in red dress' do or do not exist."
"I didn't say anything about a red dress." Shepard said in suspicion.
EDI didn't answer for a few seconds until she said "Logging you out Commander." And her hologram blinked out of existence. To Shepard it sounded like she was somehow panicking.
"That was… odd." Shepard said.
"Yes, it was." Miranda said.
"I think that's enough bizarre hocus-pocus stuff for a day, and it's only six in the morning. Miranda, I suggest you get back to your room before any of the crew sees you like that, you're lucky Joker's always in his seat." Shepard said.
Miranda suddenly realised the clothes, or lack of them, she was wearing. She blushed with embarrassment. "Yeah your right, I'll… be going now." She said and speedily left.
"You betrayed me!" Miranda screamed. Shepard spun round to see the lower portion of his cabin replaced with a large expanse of darkness, illuminated in the centre was Miranda pointing a gun at a man he had never seen.
"You never told me you kidnaped a baby!" The man shouted back.
"I rescued here!" Miranda exclaimed.
"To get back at your father!"
"No! I rescued her. And now you're the only lose end, I'm so sorry It has to be this way, I'll miss you." Miranda said and pulled the trigger. The man's head blew out and he fell back in seemingly slow motion. His skin peeled away and his insides tuned to dust leaving only blackened bones to clatter to the floor. In the man's place now stood the girl in red looking up at Miranda with smile that was both forgiving and sinister. The seen then exploded in white light leaving Shepard standing alone in his cabin.
It's been two hours since the events in Shepard's cabin, and if anything he was left with more questions. The only thing he knows is he's not insane and that the Illusive Man has answers that he doesn't want Shepard to know, 'Another reason not to trust him.' Shepard thought.
The Normandy had docked on Omega. Shepard's first task was to recruit Professor Mordin Solus. A salarian scientist that the Illusive Man believes will be able to come up with a countermeasure to the collectors' seeker swarms. As Shepard stepped out of the elevator Kelly called him over. "Commander, I've been thinking over what you told me last night…"
"No, I'm ok now Kelly. I had a very interesting conversation with Miranda. It turns out I'm not insane and…" Shepard trailed off as Fettel append behind Kelly.
"Command?" Kelly asked. Fettle gave a menacing smile as he placed a hand on Kelly's shoulder. To Shepard horror Kelly began to burn and melt in front of him.
"No!" Shepard cried as he grabbed her and pulled her away from Fettel, he drew his pistol and pointed to where Fettel was only to see noting.
"Commander!" Kelly cried. Shepard turned back to her to see she was back to normal with a look of surprise and confusion. "What's wrong, why did you do that?"
"I… It… err… Sorry Kelly, I… I have to go." Shepard stumbled out as he put away his pistol, trying to ignore the odd looks coming from the crew.
"Well ok then. If you want anything, I'm always here Commander." She said and turned back to her console. Shepard continued up the CIC towards the cockpit. Miranda and Jacob were waiting for him; Miranda had a worried look whilst Jacob had a questioning look.
Shepard blinked. When his eyes opened he stumbled in shock. He wasn't on the Normandy anymore. He was in a cave overlooking a tropical beach on some distant planet. Shepard was speechless as he cautiously walked towards the beach with his gun at the ready. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. It must be a vision like on Freedoms Progress but it felt so real, he could feel the cool ocean breeze and the sun sinning on his face.
He noticed footprints in the wet sand, a Child's footprints. They headed across the beach and into another cave where in the dark he could see a child watching him. He knew it was the girl in red. Shepard started to follow the footprints when the bushes next to him rustled. He turned and aimed his gun into the thick undergrowth. He couldn't see anting so he continued to follow the tracks. The girl was still watching him from the darkness of the cave.
More rustling from the bushes, again Shepard turned to see nothing. His hart was pounding, something was wrong with this vision of paradise. He turned back and followed the tracks. Red dots were splatter in the sand and the footprints. Each footprint was filled with more red liquid then the last, fresh blood. Shepard was only twenty meters form the cave. He could make out more features of the watching child. Two yellow eyes peered out behind a veil of black hair. Her red dress was barely visible in the darkness. Her legs and feet were red with blood. She turned from Shepard and walked further into the darkness.
Shepard's pace quickened, he had questions and she was the answer. There was a loud hostile cry from behind him. He turned to see a man emerge from the brush. He was human, wearing torn and filthy clothes. His face was covered with blood and charcoal war paint. His hair and beard was wild and unkempt, he held a pistol in his right hand and an omni-blade glowed over his left. Slowly more people in a similar state, a few with guns and the others had axes, hammers or other tools as well as weapons crafted from rocks and sticks. "Sky Man bad, Kill Sky Man!" The first man who Shepard presumed was the leader ordered.
The people charged, screaming in anger. Those with guns fired carelessly without aiming. Shepard fired his pistol back but only those hit with headshots fell and turned to dust. Shepard turned and ran into the cave. The ground shook and he looked back to see rocks falling over the entrance. The leader stared at him and then charged as if he was in a krogan blood rage. He dashed through the falling rocks that kept the others a bay and leaped at Shepard with his omni-blade ready to slice him. Shepard's shots did nothing, he was sure that he would die but feared whether he'll go back to reality or drop dead on the Normandy. Shepard braced for the impact, hoping to doge his blade, his shields were depleting as the leaders pistol fired in mid-flight. Suddenly instead of getting skewered by the omni-blade Shepard was hit in the face by a cloud of blood red ash.
Shepard cleared his eyes and looked around. The entrance was blocked and he was left in total darkness. He activated his omni-tool's flashlight and looked around at the wet rocks. The leader had disappeared but bloody footprints of the child remained on the floor. He had no choice so he continued to follow them.
The cave seamed to go on forever, it twisted and turned left and right, up and down if it wasn't for the footprints an the linier path he was sure he would be lost. Shepard was tense as his mind was racing with questions. Where am I? Why am I here? Who were those people? Who is that girl?
Echoing down the cave the sound of a woman talking to herself. "Don't eat bad food. Food not bad, food good. Good food gone, bad food left. No, food good."
Shepard rounded a corner to see a woman in a similar state to the men outside gorging herself on a pile of fruit and vegetables. "Hello." Shepard said as he cautiously approached. The woman stopped eating and turned to face him. She snarled at him before scurried away into the darkness.
Shepard continued. He must have spent an hour exploring the cold dark depths of this cave. Soon he came upon a light shining through a gap in the celling. The shaft of light illuminated a metal create guarded by two LOKI mechs. The woman from earlier was standing between the crate and Shepard. "Good food." She whispered with joy as she started to approach the crate in hypnotic disbelief. The mechs activated and watched her approach. They raised their weapons.
"No, Stop!" Shepard screamed as he took aimed at the mechs, but he was too late. The mechs fired and gunned down the woman who fell to the ground and turned to ash. Shepard fired on the mechs only for the light to go out. Shepard turned his flashlight back on only to find the mechs and the crates had disappeared and in their place the path through the cave ended with an opening onto an expanse of darkness. This time in the centre stood Jacob and another man.
"My father died a long time ago. You are nothing like him, you are a monster." Jacob said and pulled out a pistol. "One shot, make it count." Jacob handed the pistol to the man who had a solemn and defeated look before walking off.
The man turned and looked towards Shepard. More of the savage people for before moved pass Shepard and slowly approached the man. "I'm so sorry, Jacob." He said before raising the gun to his head and pulled the trigger. A flash of light enveloped Shepard and he found himself back on the Normandy.
"Commander, my sensors indicated that you were dead for approximately one point three five seconds. Are you all right?" EDI asked.
"What… err… Yes I'm fin EDI." Shepard responded, he was still confused and in disbelief at what had happened.
"What kind of question was that? Of course the Commander's fine he's standing right there." Joker said form the cockpit.
"My scanners do not lie. Shepard did register as clinically dead."
"We'll as he's talking to us now he must be alive, isn't that right Commander."
"Yes Joker, I'm fine… Come on let's go and get that professor." Shepard said to Miranda and Jacob as they entered the air lock.
"Shepard." Miranda whispered to him. "It was her again wasn't it?"
"Yes. I had some kind of vision thing that to me lasted for an hour or so."
"What was it about?"
"I don't know. There was this tropical planet, these crazy humans and Jacob handing a gun to someone so he could shoot himself."
"That's odd. I wonder what it means."
"I don't know, but I also had a vision about you this morning and one of Tali on Freedom's Progress." The doors opened and the stench and heat of Omega hit them like a krogan. "I'll talk more about it later." Shepard wisped to Miranda as they stepped onto the station.
After picking up the mercenary Zaeed Massani and talking to Aria T'Loak 'Quean of Omega' Shepard, Jacob, Miranda and now Zaeed entered the quarantine zone where Mordin has been attempting to cure the plague that has swept through this zone.
"So why is this salarian scientist so important anyways?" Zaeed asked as they were waved through by the turian guards.
"We need him to come up with a countermeasure for the collectors weapons." Miranda answered as the door open reviling a staircase bathed in an orange glow. Thick smoke and the stench of burning flesh filled the air.
"Burning bodies, standard page control." Zaeed commented as they entered an open space with piles of burning corpses. Two Blue Sun's mercs noticed the group and opened fire. Miranda and Jacob hit them with their biotics as Zaeed and Shepard returned fire quickly taking down the mercs.
The group continued down the steps and came across a sick batarian. "Hay, are you ok?" Shepard asked. The batarian cough and spluttered before looking up at Shepard.
"Go away human, your kind has done enough damage." He said.
"What makes you think we did this?"
"You humans are immune to plague… It's too strong so it must be artificial."
"What about the vorcha?"
"Them! There too stupid to create it. Now leave me allow human." The batarian said before coughing some more.
"I'm looking for a salarian called Mordin Solus."
"Why should I… help… you…" He started to say but descended into a coughing fit.
Shepard bought up his omni-tool and got some medi-gel ready. "Hay stay with..." he didn't get to finish as he was shoved out the way and saw Paxton Fettel surrounded in a red glow and literally jump into the batarian. He twitched and convulsed before falling still. Shepard drew his pistol and stepped back pointing the gun at the batarian.
"What's the gun for, he's dead ain't he?" Zaeed asked.
"Yes he is." The batarian chuckled to everyone's surprise except Shepard. "This body feels different, very different. Mordin's clinic is down this path Shepard. Oh he's a very interesting character, he once took out a Blue Sun squad who asked him for protection money, and he then displayed the bodies as a warning. I like this salarian."
"What did you do to him Paxton?" Shepard asked.
"He was dying Shepard and your medi-gel wouldn't have cured him. I just gave his death a meaning." Paxton chuckled. "Now I advise you all take a step back, this will be messy." He said with a smile. The group looked between each over before walking backwards. The batarian exploded covering them with blood, bone, organs and other body parts. Paxton's evil chuckle could be heard echoing throughout Omega.
"What the bloody hell was that?" Zaeed said as he wiped the gore from his face.
"That was Paxton Fettel, and that's all I know." Shepard said cleaning the blood off his armour. Miranda was screaming in disgust as Jacob removed bits of batarian from her hair.
"Shepard, be honest with me. Why did that batarian explode?"
"I don't know Zaeed. I wish I did, ever since I've woke up some crazy things that the Illusive Man doesn't wasn't me to know about has been happening. When I find the answers I'll be happy to tell you. Now let's get going before those Blue Suns decide to pop." Shepard said as the group brushed as much blood off and continued down the streets and alleys of Omega.
They approached a blue sign of Kokomo Plaza Shepard peered around the corner and spotted barricade with two Blue Suns on top, to the sides were three more mercs. "Miranda, Jacob, you what down here for the signal to attack. Zaeed you're with me up on the balcony."
The squad nodded in agreement and took positions. Shepard looked down on the Blue Sun barricade and lifted his assault rifle. He took aim at the one on the merc on the left Zaeed the one on the right. He fired, his shot hitting the merc in the head, Zaeed hit the other. Miranda and Jacob fired on the mercs in the side path and hit them with biotics. The mercs under fire from two sides quickly fell. Shepard and Zaeed met up with Miranda and Jacob down on the ground. "Good job, this way." Shepard said and began to walk around the barricade only to stop when static filled his comms and bloody child's footprints were across the floor. His eyes followed them to a side door that closed behind the girl in red.
"A child, these prints are fresh, I didn't see anyone." Zaeed said but everyone else had an idea of who left them. Shepard felt compelled to follow the foot prints and through the door.
"Shepard, don't go." Miranda begged but he ignored her. The doors opened reviling a passage to a spacious apartment. The girl in red stood at the far end in front of a consol. She pressed a button before turning and smiled to Shepard, she then vanishing in to a cloud of ash.
Shepard approached the console. On the screen was an old news report form 2158. "Today the Armacham Technology Corporation officially declared bankruptcy. It came as no surprise as the once major Alliance defence contractor has been in hard times since the First Contact War last year. "The news reporter said. "The company has also taken hard hits from investigations into alleged crimes against humanity and inhumane experiments. Also with this news is that several of Armacham's top executives and researchers have disappeared including primary suspects former Chairman Genevieve Aristide and Doctor Harlan Wade."
Shepard clutched his head in pain, that name, Harlan Wade. It was familiar. It had a sense of dread and evil about it.
"Who are you?" A voice suddenly shouted, Shepard span round to see a mid-aged man standing behind a column.
"I'm Commander Shepard. I'm here to help." He said.
"Since when did helping involve braking into our home and watching ANN on my console?"
"That… Never mind that, why are you still here?"
"We want to leave, but those Blue Suns have been out to get us. They're killing as many people as the plague." He said and walked over to a counter where a woman came out of hiding.
"Why do they want you dead?" Shepard asked.
"Every none-human wants us dead. They think we started the plague." The woman said. Shepard went onto ask them about Mordin's location, and convinced them to follow him to safety at the clinic.
That turned back past the barricade and down a flight of stairs. The sound of gunfire up ahead greeted them. Shepard peered around a corner to see vorcha and other Blood Pack troops attacking the Blue Suns. They turned and opened fire on the Blue Suns backs quickly taking them out. The vorcha lead by a krogan attacked. Shepard and Zaeed fired there assault rifles whist Miranda and Jacob attacked with biotics.
The attack was relentless. Vorcha and krogan kept charging firing their weapons wildly. A krogan charged Shepard. His shields depleted quickly under its shotgun fire. The krogan was close, about to ram him. Time seamed to slow for Shepard. He quickly sidestepped the krogan leaving the beast to crash into a wall. He fired his assault rifle into its back, the krogan turned with blood rage setting in. it charged again. This time Shepard charged back at it firing his assault rifle. At the last second he dropped to the ground and slid into the krogan's legs knocking them out from under him. Shepard turned and closed in on the fallen krogan, his assault rifle blazing as orange blood splatted form its armour. It tried to stand up but Shepard kinked it back down and fired into its head. The krogan died and Shepard let go of the trigger.
He turned to see the rest of the Blood pack troops had been taken care off. "Damn Shepard, I've never seen a man tackle a krogan and win." Zaeed said.
"Come on, Mordin's clinic is down here." Shepard said and walked around the piles of vorcha and krogan bodies.
"Hmm… Don't recognize you from aria. Too well-armed to be refugees. No mercenary uniform. Quarantine still in effect. Here for something else." Mordin said as he examined the group. "Vorcha? Crew to clean them out? Unlikely. Vorcha a symptom, not a cause. The plague? Investigating possible use as bio-weapon? No. Too many guns, not enough data equipment. Soldiers, not scientists. Hired guns, maybe? Looking for someone? Yes! But who? Someone important. Valuable. Someone with secrets. Someone like me."
"Relax, Mordin." Shepard interrupted. "I'm Commander Shepard, and I came here to find you. We're on a critical mission and we need your help."
"Mission? What mission? No. Too busy. Clinic understaffed. Plague spreading too fast. Who sent you?" Mordin rapidly said. 'Does he ever stop to breath?' Shepard thought.
"Have you herded of Cerberus?" Shepard asked.
"Cerberus. Human extremist group. Crossed paths on occasion. Thought that only worked with humans. Why need me?"
"A race called the Collectors has been abducting entire human colonies. We're going to stop them and we need your help."
Collectors? Interesting. plague hitting theses slums is engineered. Collectors one of few groups with technology to design it. Our goals may be similar." Morden pondered. "But must stop plague first. Already have a cure. Need to distribute it at environmental control centre. Vorcha guarding it. Need to kill them."
"I'll do that for you." Shepard said. The gentle hum of omega air circulation system suddenly failed.
"What the hell was that?" Jacob asked.
"Vorcha have shut down environmental system. Trying to kill everyone. Need to get power back on before district suffocates" Mordin said. "Here, take plague cure. Just insert into environmental controls. Simple. One more thing, Denial. One of my assistants. Went into vorcha territory. Looking for victims. Hasn't come back."
"If I see him, I'll do what I can to help."
The Blood Pack vorcha stood in the centre of the room. Shepard took aim at the canisters of the pyro trooper. His incendiary animation penetrated the canister, igniting it and exploding scattering the vorcha across the room. Several more vorcha opened fire on Shepard and his team. Again time seamed to slow for Shepard as he hit five vorcha in the head with his sniper rifle. A krogan charged at Miranda. Shepard dived and threw her out the way as Jacob lifted it for Zaeed to fill it with mass accelerated rounds.
A short while later Shepard and his team continued through the slums. They claimed a flight of stairs with two doors above. It was then Shepard herd arguing from the other side of the left door. "I knew it!" A batarian voice exclaimed. "You humans are spreading the plague!"
"No, no it's the cure! I swear!" A shaky human said. Shepard approached the door only for the lock to turn read. He swore under his breath and brought up his omni-tool to hack the lock.
"Don't lie human!" The batarian snarled. Shepard franticly worked at hacking the door, static suddenly filled there comms. "Get this door open, now!" He ordered Miranda suddenly understood and began to help hacking. Jacob and Zaeed tried to find other ways to open the door. "Open the door! You're all in danger!" Shepard shouted as he banged on it.
"What was that?" The batarian said. "Garv, go che… Garv?" Screaming and banging suddenly echoed through the door. Shepard team stopped and listened. Before they knew it the sounds stopped and the lock turned green.
Shepard drew his assault rifle as did the others. They nodded and prepared to face whatever was on the other side. Shepard opened the door and stood in shock at the sight before him. Blood covert the darkened room, the skeletons of batarians littered the floor. In the centre under the only light left lay a human man. His scientist's uniform was drenched with blood as he lay curled in a ball, shivering and whimpering. Kneeling behind him was the girl in the red dress softly stroking his head with an apologetic look on her face. She looked at Shepard before turning to ash.
"Who the bloody hell was that!" Zaeed exclaimed as Shepard cautiously walked towards the man.
"Shepard, don't go in there!" Jacob said.
"Are you ok?" Shepard asked the man as the others reluctantly followed.
"No… please." He whispered. "I-I d-don't want… too… d-d-die."
"My name is Commander Shepard. I'm here to help you. Are you Daniel?" Shepard asked crouching by the man. He nodded. "Daniel, Mordin sent me to find you. Stay with us and we'll keep you safe."
"H-how... c-can I trust you?"
"Because we're the good guys, Jacob here can escort you back to the clinic. Can't you Jacob?"
"Yes Commander. I'll keep you safe, Daniel." Jacob said.
"Never mind that, who was that girl?" Zaeed asked.
"I wish I knew Zaeed. She's been following me ever since I woke up." Shepard muttered in response as he helped Daniel to his feet.
"T-that… g-g-girl. She just appeared and then… then..." Daniel started to say before Jacob finished for him.
"Whatever happened to Wilson happened to these batarians."
"It's ok Daniel. From the looks of it she saved you. If she wanted you dead then why would she have let you live?" Shepard said.
"You're right Commander. Thank you." Daniel said.
"It's what I do." Shepard replied.
"I told you he's soft."
"No, he just cares about others."
"What do you see in him? He's nowhere near as powerful as us."
"He saved the galaxy."
"But why save all these low life scum. We're supposed to be gods among men."
"And gods care for their subjects. You're starting to sound like my farther."
"I'm nothing like him!"
"Yes you are! Now get out of my sight."
"Of course, Mother."
"You no come here. We shut down machines, break fans! Everyone choke and die! Then Collectors make us strong!" A vorcha shouted from across the absurdly large environmental control room.
"So it was the Collectors! What do they want?" Shepard shouted back.
"Collectors want plague! You work for doctor, turn on machines, put cure in air. We kill you first!"
Zaeed pulled up his assault rifle and put a round through the vorcha's head before diving for cover with Shepard and Miranda as more vorcha opened fire from the other side. Shepard drew his sniper rifle and put an incendiary round through a pyro trooper's canister causing them to explode and take several vorcha with him.
Soon the last vorcha fell to the skill and firepower of Shepard's team. Shepard approached the main control panel of the environmental systems and inserted the cure. "Cure's in, now we just need to power up the fans." He said and looked around for the fan controls. "Where are the controls?"
"I have located the fan controls." EDI said over their radios. "There are two, one on either side of the room you are in now."
"What idiot designed this system?" Shepard muttered as vorcha poured in for across the room. Shepard, Miranda and Zaeed opened fire and took out the first wave only for more vorcha to rush in.
"There swarming us!" Miranda said.
"I know! To the right." Shepard ordered as he Ran down the steps to the side. More vorcha rushed out of the fan control room only for Shepard to hit them with multiple headshots in rapid succession.
"Damn Shepard. I've never seen a better marksman." Zaeed commented as they rushed into the control room.
"I've always found it easy. It's as if time slows for me." Shepard said as he activated the fans. "That's one done."
Shepard and his team fought their way back through the hordes of vorcha and the odd krogan. They soon fell as Shepard reached the second fan control room where he again activates it. "That's it let's get back to Mordin." Shepard said before turning back toward the clinic with Miranda and Zaeed following.