Superman Chapter 9
"How did you even hear about this, Lois?"
"Hey, always protect your sources. Besides it's not every day a top secret STG lab gets shot to hell from the inside" Lois said talking to Clark over her shoulder as they both walked through the long halls of the STG base.
Not even hours earlier, Superman had just returned to the Daily Planet and resumed his desk job as Clark Kent. He had stepped back into the hectic workroom of the major news network and felt somewhat relieved. Sometimes getting back to a crazy workday was more of a relief than fighting a psychotic biotic on a hanar holy moon. Clark had found his desk and logged into his holoscreen when Lois appeared in the corner of his eye. She had her eyes glued to a datapad as she somehow still managed to avoid running into anyone in the bull pen.
"Smallville, where have you been, been looking for you all morning?" Lois asked as she looked up and stood in front of Clark at his desk.
"Uh…well, I'm still living out of a hotel so I was looking for apartments" Clark partially lied; he was still looking for an apartment.
"Yea it's rough out there, in the mean time you should focus on work" Lois replied as she placed the datapad she was reading earlier on his desk. Clark glanced at it and read through the message saying that there was an attack within a STG research facility. She said that she had a contact within the STG that fed her information in exchange for debts he owed from poker games. Clark didn't ask any more questions as they loaded up into a shuttle and headed for the facility, which was not on Sur'Kesh, but instead a distant colony.
Now they strode through the halls of the facility, after being signed in as 'media affiliates'. The STG was extremely secretive, but did cooperate with other species media outlets as a gesture of goodwill. Lois knew that they would not divulge anything about what they were working on in the facility, but would go through explaining the security breach. Lois hoped that while she was there, she could snoop around a little and see what she could find. The pair reached the end of the hall and was met by a salarian with notable scars, wearing a white lab coat.
"Ah, Ms. Lane, heard you were in building, big fan of your work" quickly said the salarian as he offered a three fingered hand to the young reporter. "Dr. Mordin Solus," the salarian introduced, "wanted to meet and talk with you." The salarian doctor gestured for the pair to follow him into a lab that doubled as an office. The reporters sat down as Mordin remained standing, pacing the room.
"Dr. Solus, we appreciate you talking with us, what can you tell us about the attack that happened yesterday?" abruptly asked Lois as she readied her data pad to take notes. The salarian continued to pace as he seemed to be looking for the words to respond.
"That, was a misunderstanding, no casualties, few wounded though" Mordin said as he looked to Clark and Lois.
Clark listened to him and at the same time looked around the room, pretending to just be curious. Unbeknownst to Lois and Mordin though, Clark was scanning through the layers of the building, searching for any clues as to what happened the day before. Through his enhanced vision, Clark saw marks in a hallway below them that looked like stun rounds from a turret. Focusing further, Clark could see a med-bay not far from where they were with several other salarains being treated for gun fire wounds.
"Some of our auto-turrets malfunctioned, firing non-lethal rounds and unfortunately people got in the way. All taken care of now, no need to worry." Mordin's omni-tool began to flicker as he looked down at it and tapped several holokeys before looking back at the reporters. Lois had a list of questions prepared and promptly went through them all. Most concerned with STG regulations, secret project rumors and current agendas. Mordin dodged most of the questions and gave generic answers as he continued to work throughout the lab.
"Doctor, if you can't give us any information about current projects, why did you invite us in here?" asked Clark.
"Fan of Ms. Lane's work, wanted to meet, introduce myself. Happy to show you around our non-classified sector" smiled the salarian. Lois and Clark got up ready to follow Mordin when another salarian came into the room. "Take Ms. Lane to the non-classified area, I wish to talk with Mr. Kent" announced Mordin to Lois and Clark's surprise.
"Get some good info, I'll see what I can find elsewhere" Lois leaned in and reached up on her toes to whisper to Clark. Clark nodded and watched Lois leave the room as he turned around to face Dr. Solus.
"So what really happened here, Doctor?" asked Clark adjusting his old glasses. Mordin stopped doing his other work and now completely focused on Clark.
"Wanted to talk to you alone, think we may have a bad situation here. Think you may be only one who could stop it."
Clark shifted his weight slightly, "What makes you think I could help?"
Mordin tilted his head, studying Clark, "Yesterday a colleague attempted to activate a revolutionary virtual intelligence. Did not go well. Committee banned him from working within this facility and from STG. I think he will attempt to continue his work and if it goes wrong again, could be…problematic."
Clark listened, not sure where the doctor was going with conversation, "Again Dr. Solus, I could write a story about this, raise awareness, but not much else."
"Hmm," Mordin walked up to where Clark was standing and started to look him over, "incredible the resemblance to humans your race is."
Clark's heart skipped a beat and a knot formed in his stomach, "What?" he defended as he backed away from Mordin.
"No reason to hide, secret safe with me, just curious. More of your race out there?" calmly asked Mordin. Clark began to look around the room, looking for others. "No one else here and no cameras or bugs, promise." Clark could hear the salarians heartbeat, and although naturally faster than humans, it still did not indicate that he was lying. In any case he still did a thorough search of the room for any surveillance equipment and found nothing.
Still not sure if the salarian had completely figured him out, Clark kept up with the act, "What makes you think that I'm-?"
Before Clark could finish, Mordin had already began interjecting, "First had my suspicions by the mere look of you compared to the Superman. In your present persona, you slouch and wear heavier clothing, which does change your appearance, but your build is still noticeable." Mordin started to pace the room again, "Halfway through the interview, I increased heat in the room marginally, but enough that a human would subconsciously react to. Your colleague, Ms. Lane, showed signs of perspiration, but you showed none."
Hearing the speech, Clark fixed his posture, standing straight up. His demeanor changed from bumbling reporter to a more serious one as he continued to listen to the salarian.
"Also noticed your attention was sometimes elsewhere, as though you could hear and see things beyond this facility. Tiny details I pick up on, likely no one else will. Though suggest changing your speech patterns slightly when speaking as 'Superman'." Mordin sat down across from Clark and waited for a reply.
Clark took a deep breath in and looked back at the salarian, "Was it that easy to figure out?"
"No of course not, was unsure how it could be possible, but no one else could figure out. I was meticulous, no one else will look as closely" smiled Mordin.
"Right," started Clark rethinking some of his methods for hiding his identity, "well, what was this project your associate was working on?"
"A new type of virtual intelligence to combat…advanced adversaries. It did exactly as it was meant to do, all too well. Believe we stopped the system from infecting any outside sources before shutting to down, but committee still fired Doctor Hamiltin. Now, not sure if he will try again."
"I'll keep an eye out, how dangerous could this system be?" asked Clark.
Mordin looked somberly back to Clark, "It had only been online for a few minutes before it began to assimilate all data within the area and label organics as a threat."
Clark nodded, "Well let's hope you were able to contain it." Clark began to walk around the lab, admiring the equipment. "To answer your question though, no…there are no others like me, I am alone."
"I see," replied Mordin, "am sorry. Does Ms. Lane know of your origins?"
Clark looked back to the salarian, "No."
"Ms. Lane seems very understanding, perhaps she can be trusted."
"Maybe, one day," Clark turned around and saw through the walls of the building in search of Lois, "so what was the person name who invented this VI, Hamiltin you said?"
Clark turned to see Mordin after the salarian doctor did not reply. Mordin was busy looking at a screen to his side. Clark walked around the lab and saw that he was watching a muted vid screen with breaking news.
"Can you turn that up?" asked Clark in a concerned tone. Mordin waved his omni-tool towards the vid screen, unmuting it.
"—the asteroid has lain dormant for about a year and has been orbiting Terra Nova. Out of nowhere today, the engines on the asteroid's surface have reignited and once again the giant asteroid is hurling towards the populated planet. Many may remember Commander Shepard, the first human Spectre, and how his crew had thwarted terrorists from bombing Terra Nova the same way one year ago. Now with the Commander gone, it seems that nothing can stop the asteroid. This is Cat Grant reporting and we will keep you updated on this unfolding event."
"I need to go" firmly said Clark as he started towards the door.
Mordin watched him, "What will you tell Ms. Lane?"
Clark stopped in the doorway and raised his right arm, folding back his shirt to reveal his crystalline wrist tool. He opened up a comm channel, "Lois, Dr. Solus gave me a good lead, but has more information he wishes to disclose to you. I am on my way out and will see you back at the Planet."
"Roger that, Smallville" Lois replied.
Clark turned back to Mordin, "Thank you Doctor Solus." Mordin nodded and watched as Clark walked out of the lab. The doctor then turned back to his work with a frown, realizing now he had to come up with a new story for the tenacious Lois Lane.
A blur rushed past the guards at the facility's entrance. It moved so quickly, sensors and satellites could not track its movement as it rocketed into the atmosphere above. Superman twisted himself in the vacuum of space and steered himself towards the local relay. Flying towards the ancient relay, he checked his solar levels, noting they were at 100%. Ready for the challenge, Superman disappeared in the blue energy.
-Note-
To follow Superman's adventure, make sure to read Mass Effect: The Bat's Legacy chapters 9 and 10.
9: s/8514461/9/Mass-Effect-The-Bat-s-Legacy
10: s/8514461/10/Mass-Effect-The-Bat-s-Legacyy