Chapter 20

Dark and empty, the research facility folded out before them. The rooms cluttered with broken benches and shattered lights. Ripped insulation stuck through crumbling plaster and torn up flooring. A pale sunlight filtered through the opaque glass onto the dim gray outline of the excavation site. They continued along the hall walled with a window looking out over it.

"We looking for a door to out there?" James asked. "We passed one back there."

"No," Shepard said. "We're looking for the central research room. Jensen, I'll need you to work on the backup generators when we find it. We need their research data online."

"You got it, ma'am. Just show me what you need."

"That looks like a big room coming up." Briggs nodded ahead of them at two multistory doors looming at the end of the hallway.

"That it does," Shepard said and rushed forward.

It took a few minutes jimmying the doors far enough apart to slip through. Shepard slid through last and flipped on her Omni-Tool light. Three other light beams circled around the room. The room rose overhead into a peak and rows of consoles circled the room's center. Shepard drew in a foul stench and covered her nose looking around them.

"Got some bodies over here," James said moving down the wall.

"I'm sure we'll find more," Shepard said.

He hunched over something on the floor with a sigh. "Looks like they starved or something maybe."

"Better than those things getting them," Jensen said. "Probably drug off the other bodies."

Shepard reluctantly dropped her hand and focused on breathing through her nose. She ran a hand along a bank of consoles.

"We need to focus on this. Jensen, find the power generator. Vega, Briggs, check the doors. Big room. We don't need any open doors letting in any surprises. Go."

Feet scrambled to follow orders. James and Briggs's Omni-Tool lights bounced on opposites walls rounding the vault. Jensen bent skimming her light along the outer row of terminals. The light on Shepard's wrist moved ahead of her as she walked down the aisle of computer to the central platform rising overhead.

"Found it, ma'am," Jensen said.

"Good. Bring it up."

"Aye, aye."

Shepard's forehead furrowed as the light on her Omni-Tool trailed up a tall obelisk-like structure rising in the middle of the platform. She locked her feet stopping short. A shiver ran up between her shoulder blades as light play off the stone above her.

"All clear," James called across the room.

His footsteps neared and Shepard sparked awake from thought. She tore around the platform holding herself several steps back.

"Vega, stop. Get back!"

The lights flared on overhead. The room lit up in a bright flickering hum. James stood blinking and frozen. His eyes moved from her as she waved him back and rose to the statue towering over head. Briggs and Jensen edged in slowly stopping well short and stared up at the stone structure.

"Is that …" James looked over at her.

"It's a beacon," Shepard said.

X

The damned thing was broken for all the precaution she was giving it. The bottom end of the obelisk had a jagged edge as if broken off its base. Shepard rounded it, staring up at it, and running a palm across its surface. She stood back with a sigh.

"Not going to do anything?" James asked taking a step toward her.

"Stay back," Shepard said.

"But, it looks busted," James said. "It's not doing anything."

"We don't know enough about it," Shepard said. "I can feel …" She pressed her palm to it and squeezed her eyes shut again. She opened them and stood back. "It's … I don't know. Just stay back."

"You've had these Prothean beacon things attack you?" Briggs said.

"No attack me," Shepard said. "But, you don't want one grabbing you. I was told they can destroy some people's minds. Damn well screws you up if you don't expect it."

"Think we can get information from it?" Jensen asked. "Maybe it'll help us find that thing you're looking for."

"I don't know. Maybe."

"Lola," James lowered his voice. "You've been sick. Maybe you don't want that thing messing with you. Let me or someone—"

"We don't know how that would work out. I'm the only one with the cipher. I don't need my marines screwed up and seeing visions that we can't even make sense of. I'm doing it, if we can figure out how to activate it."

"Maybe we need to find its base," Jensen said. "It looks broken."

"Maybe." Shepard touched the stone again and closed her eyes.

A deep hum made her fingers tingled. A familiar draw made her reach out with her nerves as if to draw energy. She pulled back with a start.

"This takes dark energy," she said.

"What?" James said.

Shepard stepped backward staring up at it before turning to him.

"I triggered it before. It felt effortless, uncontrollable, but I think it took my dark energy fields. It needed that connection. Saren was a biotic. The only other person who triggered a beacon was Kaidan. He's a biotic too. I think, we need dark energy."

James edged in closer and Shepard didn't wave him off this time.

"Why don't you just you-know, then?" James asked.

Shepard folded her arms with a tight frown. "I'm having problems with my biotics. I need something else to trigger it."

"What then?" James said. "Only other biotic we got aboard is Anchor."

"No," Shepard said sharply, then glanced back at Jensen and Briggs. "Anchor wouldn't understand the visions. We need an external field to trigger it so that I can receive it."

"Like a biotic grenade? We got more on the ship," James said.

"That could destroy it," Shepard said. She stared at it, head throbbing, and folded her arms feeling the rigid stickiness on her right arm. She held her arm out dried with oily residue, and her eyes turned to James. "I have an idea."

X

They metal crate had probably been used to transport food. At least, finding it in the kitchen, had suggested it was used for something like that. Transporting a glowing, hissing pile of goo worked too. Shepard and the other soldiers struggled under the weight of the shaking container. Each held a corner as Shepard lead the way back into the vaulted central research room. The beacon rose in the center like a tall back staff as they neared.

"Let's drop it here," Shepard said with a grunt.

James's face glowed ear to ear like a rowdy puppy dog whose master had finally taken it out to play ball. Jensen and Briggs grinned openly with sweaty faces. It had taken some trial and error. Using the biotic grenades from the shuttle as a deterrent, they'd figured it out. Driving one into the crate had taken a little more time than she wanted, but even she had to admit, it had been damn fun sport. Fun long as you had your fence up for retreat and biotic grenades to turn back the tide.

"You don't need help sliding that up?" James said. "We could get closer."

"I can already feel the beacon humming," Shepard said. "Everyone get back. I got it."

Shepard waved them back and rounded the crate. She grunted, driving her shoulder against it, and inching the crate forward under the strain of boots. What she really needed was something slippery in front to reduce the friction. She was edging it forward though. The beacon's hum heightened in her skull.

"I'm not hearing that humming," James said standing back.

"I do," Shepard said clenching her teeth and sliding the crate forward.

Her muscles shivered in cool sweat as she finally wedged the crate up to the base of the platform. Jensen sat on a back console, feet dangling, and watching with a frown. James and Briggs stood side by side next to her.

"Is it not working?" James said. "Nothing's happening. You're right there."

"Damn you're impatient. You're worse than me," Shepard said walking around the crate and staring up at the beacon. "That hunt didn't work any of your energy out?"

James laughed. "Think it just wound me up, Commander."

"Wind back down, then. I've got to figure this out."

She squinted up at the beacon and cocked her head. The high-pitched whine still rung through her skull, but it wasn't glowing like she remembered the other beacons doing. She twisted back to her audience.

"No one hears that?"

"No one hears that," James said.

"Huh."

She strolled forward and put a palm against the beacon. An electrical shiver went up her arm, but there still wasn't any light to the stone surface. She backed up with a frown and bumped into the crate. It shuddered with a loud hiss, and light glowed for an instant off the stone. A smile spread across Shepard's lips. She darted a glance back at James before turning back to the beacon. She pounded her fist on the top of the crate. It roared with a shuddering flare. The beacon burst to life. Energy slammed into her. Her muscles stiffening as her feet lifting. Her mind whirled with images and information. She struggled to draw breath seeing nothing but light. She dropped sprawled forward on the floor panting. A crack thundered overhead.

"Shepard!"

Shepard tore to her feet and dodged as the beacon crumbled forward. It slammed down beside her in a crashing spray of glass and metal from the console boards. The crate glowed jumping and hissing as Shepard staggered on her feet. James skimmed along the row of computers and spilled out into the aisle. He raced down to her.

"I'm getting the hang of these beacons," she panted bent over holding her forehead. She looked up with a smile. "I know what we need to do."