AN: It appears that my muse has found me and is shaking me vigorously. Enjoy the results.
Favorite word in this chapter: practicable.
Shepard, Miranda, TIM, Wilson, Mass Effect, etc belong to Bioware.
"Lazarus Project Status Report, November fourth, 2183," Cerberus Operative Miranda Lawson dictated to her desktop VI. "Today would have been Commander Shepard's twenty-ninth birthday. Instead she's been dead for just over six months."
She paused, collecting her thoughts for the report that The Illusive Man had requested that morning. When she had inquired as to why she was to provide a detailed overview of their status, since he had been consulted on every major decision, his answer had been simple. "I need the report to bring new members of the team up to speed. I have selected a psychological analyst for the Lazarus Cell, and she will need to be briefed as soon as possible."
Miranda continued, "Chief Medical Officer Wilson continues to be confident that Commander Shepard is a viable candidate for the Lazarus Project, especially since we made the decision last month to proceed with bio-synthetic fusions to repair the most serious damage. When Dr. T'soni delivered the subject to us, I will admit that my faith in our ability to bring the subject back to life was severely tested."
"To fully understand our current status, it would be useful to review the facts to date. After the Battle of the Citadel, Commander Shepard was assigned to patrols along the borders to the Terminus systems, rooting out the last of the geth resistance," Miranda frowned to herself at the apparent idiocy of the council. "Three months into her patrols, an unknown cruiser exited FTL drive and plotted an intercept course with the Alliance frigate, SSV Normandy. At the time, Normandy was running silent with her stealth systems fully engaged. This indicates that the attackers are using significantly more advanced sensor technology, or Normandy was poorly placed relative to the system's star and a lucky visual sighting was made."
"At 1735 on April twentieth, 2183 the unknown vessel opened fire on Normandy. The first attack crippled the ships FTL drive limiting her escape options. Commander Shepard ordered the evacuation of the ship, and directed Dr. Liara T'soni to see to the safety of the crew. The Commander herself went to the cockpit to evacuate their helmsman, Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau who suffers from osteogenesis imperfecta - for which he prefers the older term, 'Vrolik syndrome'."
Taking a sip from the glass of water on her desk, Miranda reordered her thoughts to avoid going down the tangent that was "Joker" Moreau. "During another volley of fire from the attacking ship, Commander Shepard ejected the escape pod that she had placed Lieutenant Moreau in. The Commander herself was spaced. Subsequent examination of the body indicated that Commander Shepard was exposed to hard vacuum before she died, likely due to damage to her hard-suit or rebreather. It is impossible to say where the damage occurred with certainty, as the chain of custody for the Commander's body is suspect." Miranda stifled a laugh as she described the CoC as suspect. In truth she thought that most school children who hadn't done their homework would have more plausible stories.
"What is known," she continued, "is that Commander Shepard's body was recovered from the surface of Alchera by an unknown party, and was in the process of being delivered to the Shadow Broker. Cerberus employed multiple agents, including Dr. T'soni to recover the body so that we could begin the Lazarus Project. On it's arrival to Lazarus Station in June, evidence of atmospheric re-entry, exposure to hard vacuum and damaging exposure to fluctuating sub-zero temperatures was found."
"Detailed notes as to the body's condition on recovery can be found attached to this report," Miranda said, jotting a note to herself to attach those files. "In short, 100% of the epidermis from the remains had been burned off during the re-entry event. That same re-entry event destroyed some 40% of the soft tissues from the portions of the body that remained intact. The subject's right arm was missing, removed at the shoulder joint, probably traumatically on impact with the planet's surface. Most of the subjects bones were damaged, either through heat exposure, fractures on impact, or freezer-burn."
"Our first priority was the preservation of Commander Shepard's nervous system. Without her personality there would be no point to completing the Lazarus project. Rehydration and preservation efforts began immediately upon receipt of the subject. While we cannot be certain until the physical reconstruction is complete and we can awaken her, it appears that under CMO Wilson's direction we have done the impossible." Miranda smiled with pride, "Commander Shepard's mind appears to have been restored, and is currently in a drug-induced coma while we proceed with reconstruction of her body."
"The severe damage to her body has been of great concern. Originally the Lazarus Project was going to use purely biological processes to restore the Commander. This is not practicable on The Illusive Man's timeline."
"On Wilson's suggestion we are pursuing a process that involves as much technology as biology to repair the Commander. It is our intent to grow new skin and muscle in tissue culture and graft that onto the Commander's body where possible. Cybernetics will be used to repair her damaged bones and nervous system. A high density kevlar-like polymer has already been grafted to all the bones in the Commander's skull and spine. As her remaining bones are tested and found to be viable they will receive the same treatment. There is still some debate on how to reconstruct her right arm. I am of the opinion that the bones should be fully synthetic. CMO Wilson is arguing that we should use the polymer weave and grow bone on it. It's likely that the body will not be ready for us to make that decision for another two to three months."
"At the present rate of work, I expect that we will be able to awaken Commander Shepard sometime in the spring of 2186. End status report."
Miranda twisted in her chair, stretching her back. "Computer," she addressed her VI, "please print a hard copy of the report for editing and mark the file as 'need to know only'."
She picked up the single red pen she kept on her desk next to her keyboard and walked to her couch, picking up the printout of her report on her way.