Chapter 19
"Oh, hey." Joker swiveled around as Shepard came up gangway. He actually smiled at her. "Been sick, huh?"
Shepard nodded slowly. Moving her head too much still made it pulse. She made a point to walk softly. A heavy footfall jolting through her skull was enough to drop her.
"Hey. Are you really feeling better, Commander?"
"Yeah. I'm fine, Joker."
Michael Richter sat in the co-pilot chair. His beaky profiled turned back at Shepard.
"Commander."
"Lieutenant." Shepard shifted her eyes back to the pilot's chair. "How far out, Joker?"
"Seven light years to Elliom."
"Drop out of light speed just outside the cluster and come in slow. Run silent. We'll check it out as we go in. Still haven't been able to hail the research station. I don't like it."
"Aye, aye, Commander."
"Update me on the comm before we drop out of FTL. I'll need to update the Council."
Shepard shuffled away. So much time idle waiting to get here. Now they were finally here, and she felt like hell. Each day was a little better. But the noises, lights, movement added up. She'd nearly thrown up in front of the engineering crew. She'd made it to the bathroom just in time.
X
When the med bay doors opened, Dr. Chakwas turned from her desk.
"Oh!" She rushed over. "Sit down here."
Shepard didn't protest. She slowly lowered herself into the chair at Dr. Chakwas' desk.
"You're looking bad, Commander. How long have you been up?" She walked over to the counter. "You're not going to tell me?" She looked over her shoulder as she pulled a scanner out of counter drawer.
"Ten hours?"
Shepard wasn't even sure. It was hard to concentrate.
"Here. Take these." Dr. Chakwas handed a paper cup to her. "Stay still."
Shepard stared into the cup as the doctor scanned her. Two green capsules. The scan stopped. Dr. Chakwas read the Omni-Tool's holoscreen as she wandering over to the faucet and flicked turning it on.
"Hmm." She scrolled down the screen then filled a glass of water. She turned around. "Shepard!"
The glass of water sloshed in her hand as she marched over. Shepard crinkled the paper cup, and Dr. Chakwas snatched it away. She shoved the glass of water into Shepard's hand instead.
"You already took it? Stop doing that. You need to swallow it with a full glass of water. Go on."
Shepard sighed and raised the glass to her lips. Dr. Chakwas reached out as if to tip it back for her. Shepard turned her head and took a swallow.
"Keep going." Dr. Chakwas gave a long sigh and threw the crumpled paper cup into the trash. "I swear you do that to get a rise out of me."
Shepard finished and clapped the glass down on the desk.
"Well, good news." Dr. Chakwas pulled the scan results up on her Omni-Tool again. "Things are starting to get better."
Shepard perked up in her seat.
"Activity is settling down across both lobes. Much better since yesterday. I think there's a good chance long as you rest." she looked up from the screen and met Shepard's eyes for a purposeful moment before looking back down. "Yes, good chance given time, it will calm down completely. Your symptoms should be getting better every day."
"What about my biotics?"
"What about them?" Dr. Chakwas shrugged. "Don't use them. Same restrictions as before. For now."
"I know that," Shepard snapped then moderated her tone. Maybe she did need some rest. "I mean, going forward. In the future. What does this mean?"
"Well," Dr. Chakwas said lowering her Omni-Tool. "I don't know for certain. Certainly serious. It's not something I've seen with a biotic before. This sort of derangement across the hemispheres, that energy signature, it could be specific to you and Cerberus' modifications. Or it's possible your brain architecture, chemistries, neural responses. They could be altered merely by having been …" Dr. Chakwas searched for a word.
"Dead?" Shepard offered.
"Yes, I suppose. Dead. Or it could be the other implants, how they're interacting. Or maybe just the L3 being damaged in relation to all of those factors. You were at the origin of a blast that disable mass energies. You'll need to wait until we're back on Earth for Miranda to diagnose it."
"I can make it that long?"
"Of course. You'll get better each day. You've just overtaxed yourself today. That's all."
"We're coming up to Elliom, the research station. The Council will want to touch bases."
"Then go rest. The station personnel have waited a year and a half, they can wait an extra eight hours. Rest before you talk to the Council and start the approach."
"Okay." Shepard stood up stiffly.
"A few days, I think, you'll be feeling better. Just rest."
Shepard ambled to the door.
"And stop taking your pills without water. You need to wash them all the way down."
Shepard waved her hand dismissively. "Fine, fine."
The walls shifted around her with head drumming. A few crewmen stepped out of her way gawking as she lumbered to the elevator. Sleep didn't sound like such a bad thing right now.
X
The Councilor's bright silhouettes disappeared. Shepard tapped the comm console. The buttons flashed until she jammed enough buttons it finally turned off. Acting up again. Sleep had helped, but she still had that splitting headache. She strode through the war room into the CIC. Anchor stood at attention by the door as she came out.
"Commander Shepard."
"Lieutenant Commander Anchor."
He fell in beside her as she moved to the elevator.
"No sign of the downed ship?" Shepard asked.
"Not yet. The probe did identify the dig site on the planet surface," Anchor said.
"Dig site?" Shepard frowned at him.
He glanced at Jane and some ensigns standing nearby. He leaned in closer.
"You know what I mean."
"Then say what you mean," Shepard snapped. She didn't bother to lower her voice. "No reason it has to be this big damn secret from everyone."
Anchor's face hardened.
The elevator doors opened and she stepped in looking back at him.
"Now," Shepard said "You have the bridge."
"Yes, ma'am," he said rigidly.
Shepard waited for the doors to close then gave a long sigh. She leaned her head against the wall for a moment feeling the elevator lowering. She took a green capsule out her pocket and popped it in her mouth as the doors opened to the cargo bay. She'd pinched it from Dr. Chakwas when the doctor made the mistake of handing her the whole bottle. She still had another pill in her pocket too.
James grinned talking loudly to the marines. The bulldog-shaped tower of Briggs smiled so wide his face looked cracked. Jensen's pixie cut bobbed with laughter. Shepard neared, and Jensen swung around as if just hearing her.
"Commander, you really throw a barrier around live grenades?"
Shepard stopped with a smirk. She glanced sideways at James. "Story Time with Vega?"
James shrugged with a wide grin and snapped his helmet on. "Could go the whole mission before airing re-runs."
"Live grenades though?" Briggs's baritone laughed out the words. "And they exploded? Didn't know a biotic do that with a barrier."
Shepard felt her smile fading and pulled it up again. She swallowed. "Well, don't expect a show this time. Hopefully, this is just a nice little trip to the countryside. Everyone, ready? Vega?"
"All ready, Commander."
"Jensen? Briggs?"
They bobbed their heads. Jensen's grin spread from corner to corner of her helmet. Briggs and James's smiles looked about the same almost bouncing on their toes.
"Cortez?"
He nodded at her from the open doorway of the shuttle.
"Good. I'll gear up, and then we're head down. Tower defenses for the facility still down, Vega?"
"Yeah. Jensen's good with it though."
Jensen patted her backpack. "Just take swapping out the energy coupler and charging the sync on the main tower generator. Over a year? Gotta have burned out that coupler long time ago."
"Let's hope that's all it is then. Grab some biotic and lift grenades," Shepard said moving to the armory. "We still can't reach any of the researcher staff. I don't like it. Ten minutes, then we head down."
X
The trees on Elliom towered overhead from the forest floor. Tree roots rose like gnarled bridges interconnecting trunks. Shepard gazed around at it from the research facility's courtyard. Cortez hopped out of the shuttle.
"Only clearing in kilometers. Hard to get to anyone in all these trees," he said.
A cluster of gray buildings lay ahead in the clearing surround by vacant-looking towers. They pushed through the brittle crabgrass staring up at the main building. The central building soared above them with opaque glass shielding what had to the Prothean excavation site.
"Jensen," Shepard said. "Where's the main generator? Let's get these towers up pronto."
"Yeah," Briggs muttered. His jowls jiggling as he whipped his head around squinting into the dark canopy beyond the clearing. "Something I don't like here."
"Me too, Lola," James said under his breath. "Where'd these researchers go?"
"I hoped the Medurrus's crew might have connected with them," Shepard said. "Looks empty though."
"Kinda eerie, right?" James said.
"Jensen." Shepard turned to her.
Jensen consulted a glowing map on her Omni-Tool. "West of here, Commander."
"Then let's go. Keep your guard up. Cortez," Shepard touched her comm looking up at the hill at him. "Stay in the shuttle. Don't wander around."
"Yes, Commander."
"Jensen, keep with me. Let's find the shield generators."
X
Jensen bent over the circuit box at the base of the central towers. She shifted to the side and threw off another panel. Shepard stood in the shadow of the glass building overhead. She glanced around at the other four towers. She could only glimpse the far two as small peaks over the research buildings. Torn and stained siding lined the empty, powerless buildings behind them. Shattered windows littered the yellow grass with bit of reflecting glass. The buildings' sliding doors stood open and broken. Some looked like they'd been pried open. Jensen grunted fiddling with her Omni-Tool.
"Problems?" Shepard asked. She pressed her pistol to her thigh as she sank next Jensen.
"Sorry, ma'am," Jensen said. "Gonna take more time than I was thinking. It's been all rooted around in, torn up."
"Torn up?" Shepard frowned. "From what?"
"I don't know, ma'am. Seems kind of indiscriminate. No real method to it."
"You can fix it?"
"I'll try."
Shepard stood up. James pulled his rifle off his back and over his head. He clutched it as he stared into the woods.
"What's the matter?" Shepard asked.
"Thought I … I dunno know."
"Thought you heard something?" Shepard stepped in beside him and jammed her pistol away. She lifted the shotgun off her back and aimed it at trees. "I did too."
"Hey, Commander."
Shepard turned to Briggs. He stood behind them squatting beside one of the cement buildings. He ran his hands along the scorched wall and looked up.
"Looks like something happened here. Got some gunshot burn and this." He outlined the scorch mark.
"Looks like a biotic blast," Shepard murmured crossing the field to him.
"Shepard," James said raising his gun.
Shepard spun around lifting her shotgun. A blue light glowed distantly under the tree tops. Shepard frowned edging closer as it grew brighter and larger. A scrapping sound tore across the ground like scrambling feet. It broke into the clearing.
"Draw your weapons," Shepard bellowed charging back to James.
"Commander!" Briggs yelled.
A glowing light rushed from the other side. Jensen lifted her assault rifle and aimed. James fired as the light in front of them blazed closer. Shepard swung around with her gun. Some oily creature tore the ground under four legs as it shot at them. A network of electricity rippled along a body with no real head.
"What the hell's that?" James yelled.
Jensen and Briggs fired in the other direction. James's bullet strikes didn't seem to phase it as it hurtled at them. Shepard stumbled back firing and grabbed James shoulder.
"Get into the lab!" Shepard yelled.
The thing coming from the other direction was nearly on Briggs and Jensen. Shepard tore a biotic grenade from her belt.
"Duck and run!" She lobbed it past them.
It arched over Briggs' head. He scrambled to the wall as Jensen tumbling over his heels following. The flash threw them forward slamming against the wall and to their knees in the grass. James raced up reaching a hand out. A half-open doorway gaped a few meters down the wall.
"Come on!" Shepard waved and turned to lop another biotic grenade.
It slammed into her smashing her into the ground. The grenade rolling from her shocked fingers as gunshots burst around her. It bore down on her, and she gasped as mass effect fields tore through her body. Her hands dug into the dirt, toes curling in her boots, and teeth clenching to almost shattering. A red circle glowed in its gelatinous skin by her face. The biotic grenade rolled against her thigh, and her hand shot out. She grabbed it with a scream and drove her fist forward into the red glow. Her hands sunk into the oily black jell. Every nerve burst as lightning zig zagging through her chest. Her joints burst apart as tendons stretching and buzzed. Electricity flared out from the red circle, and the creature limped off her. She tore her hands pulled free with a slurpy pop and scrambled back on slippery hands. She kicked madly stumbling to her feet as it surged at her again. It burst. She flew backward in a spray of black gel and biotic flickers. She sat up from the ground and lifted her hand. The grenade's ring hung loose on her index finger. She flung it away panting and wobbled to her feet. The firing stopped.
James grabbed her shoulder. "What happened? You all right, Commander?"
"Commanders?" Jensen rushed over to them with a hard set to her mouth.
Shepard nodded coughing. "Where's the other one?"
"Ran off. Grenades scared it, I think," James said.
"How long?" Shepard tried to catch her breath still shivering from the electricity. "How long to restore the towers?"
Jensen twisted to look at the control panel. "I can do it, ma'am."
"Go."
Jensen tore through the grass and tripped as she slid onto her knees by the control panel.
"Briggs. Watch her. See if she needs help."
He gave a firm nod, holding his rifle out, and rushed over. James edged forward past Shepard with the rifle in his hands.
"They're coming back!" Shepard said.
Her shotgun lay meters away covering in black ooze. She pulled her pistol out instead still blinking back bright lights. James's head whipped to look at her with pinched eyebrows. She waved off his frown and stumbled into spread leg stance holding her pistol out. It wavered as she tried steadying it with both hands. Blue light glowed in the forest under the trees. Loud hissing sounds echoed over the clearing. James lifted his rifle and looked down the barrel.
"Commander," Jensen called. "Almost got it."
"Keep going." Shepard looked at James. "Any more grenades?"
He dug through his utility belt and shoved two into her palm. Neither were biotic grenades, just a lift and incendiary grenade. Shepard frowned at them and shoved them in her pocket. What she needed was more biotic grenades.
"Commander." It was Cortez.
"Cortez?"
"Got things coming your direction from this side. Had to lift off."
"That's fine. Vega." Shepard pointed up the hill as the shuttle rose above the hill. "Cover my three. Aim at the glowing red circle. Briggs, you hear me too?"
"Aye, aye!"
Two oily creatures burst out of foliage across the clearing in front of her. Shepard aimed and fired.
"Jensen!"
"Yes. Almost … almost …" The tower flared to life. A shimmering wall flashing out in front of them connecting tower to tower. "There!"
The animals skittered into the blooming wall of energy. One burst apart. The other stumbled to a stop reeling backward and retreating into the canopy.
"Any already on this side of the fence?" Shepard hollered.
Briggs shook his head. James ran up the slope where Cortez had lifted off.
"Negative, Commander," He said and turned with the rifle slacking in his grip. "Just on the other side. I can see them."
"Cortez?' Shepard touched her ear. The wall encircled the facility, but it wasn't covered overhead. "You able to land?"
"Yeah," he said. "I'll find a spot. Those things I saw coming. Splattered apart or something when that fence came up. Were too close."
"Good." She turned to her team. "Everyone all right?"
"You don't look so well, Commander," Jensen said.
"I'm okay. I'm standing," Shepard said. "Let's move. How long we got with these fences?"
"It was just a patch job, Commander. Need some real engineers down here."
"Let's go then. In that way. Vega, get this facility door closed behind us. Let's not take any chances."
"Ma'am," Jensen came up beside her. "I have medic training."
"Fine," Shepard said swiftly. "But let's make it fast. We need to keep moving."
Jensen nodded and grabbed Shepard's hands, singed and shaky. Shepard could only imagine what her face looked like. Her head throbbed. Still, she felt better getting body slammed by that thing than she had using her biotics to float some damned model ship. She'd been under attack and not used her biotics reflexively. That alone was a win.