Dr. Pelona stared with her mouth slightly parted in shock, slightly in dismay. The sight before her was rather discouraging. For a moment, the Asari pathologist could do nothing but stand numbly in disbelief. She heard Harrvok's cautious footsteps behind her.
"Any results?" the Turian asked just behind her back. Pelona said nothing and let the sight speak for itself. Harrvok made a disapproving sound in his throat. They heard more footsteps coming.
"Doctors Arvinian and Sivini." Harrvok and Pelona heard their chief doctor Hiprotos call. They both turned on their feet to find their boss escorting a smaller Quarian.
"Harrvok Arvinian and Pelona Sivini, this is Spectre Jima'Riznah vas Shiloh. She's been sent by the Council to aide in our investigation." Hiprotos explained. Harrvok furrowed his brows.
"Jima...Jima...why does it seem like I've heard your name before. Wait, you're not that Quarian who was-"
"Yes, Harrvok. I was with you guys attending over that Salarian during the first Apollyon outbreak." Jima interrupted Harrvok.
"Hmm, and now you're here to help us with something just as mysterious. We can at least be thankful it isn't as rampant as Apollyon was." the Turian stated, relaxing his features with a small smile.
"Pelona ran the first tests last night to find out if it was viral, bacterial or a parasite. I'm sure the tests are done." Hiprotos interjected, trying to keep to business. Pelona nodded.
"I did and I have the unfortunate results." the Asari sighed.
"What do you mean, Doctor?" Hiprotos inquired. Pelona only motioned with her hand. Jima and Hiprotos took in the sight before him. All the petri dishes were clear, none of the vials read anything different, all the graphs looked normal, even the lab rats were scampering around energetically. According to the lab results, everything was still happy and healthy.
"In other words, not only do we still not know how its transmitted, we still don't know what kind of pathogen it is." Jima interpreted.
"Yep." Pelona sighed.
--
Julland took a quick break from his usual full concentration in awaiting orders and looked around. Yes, Jima and he had decided that it would be best not to panic the doctors and keep the whole mercenary threat sub rosa. Only the crew of the Shiloh knew about it and any and all hostile operations would have to be kept secret. It would probably mean blatantly feeding any nosy medical personnel pure B.S but they were banking on that the doctors would either be too busy or too ignorant of military know how. Even Jima knew that she herself was still not very well versed in the military arts, that's what Julland was for, but she knew that she would not allow the doctors having their work compromised by fear.
The Turian glanced at to his side and noticed Dalora still loitering around. The human was idly rubbing a particular spot on one of her fingers and the Turian figured out it was where a new engagement ring was under her armor. Julland smiled and shook his head. He remembered when he was in a similar position not too many years ago. Of course, his engagement never carried through but he wasn't worried about that happening to Dalora and Lucas. They were both good Humans and good examples of any species were so hard to find these days. If there were more such stellar personalities, he probably wouldn't be here on a mission to protect some dangerous bacteria or whatever it was against some a group of just as dangerous mercenaries. The Turian commander could not help but chuckle at the macabre, if ironic, situation. Lean too far one direction and you get your brain shot out with an assault rifle. Lean too far the other way and you die from some alien disease. Of course, he could always hope that those mercenaries would never show up.
"Most noble Julland, this one is getting unknown contacts on the radar. Wiring information to you now." Dolphos the Hanar announced over his radio set. A map with appropriate flashing dots appeared on Julland's electronic monocle. Julland glanced at every position before making his decision.
"Lieutenant, make a flyby on those positions and monitor if you are getting any radar feedback. If you are, drop out of radar range and play it safe. Keep your weapons cooled, this is just a reconnaissance."
"Roger that, Commander. Flaming Eagle over and out." Lucas radioed. From the Shiloh, they could hear Lucas' fighter power up its mass effect generators. The fighter craft floated from the cargo doors until it was a safe distance from the frigate and the ground. That accomplished, Lucas fired the engines and the fighter shot off before disappearing into the sky. Julland turned back towards the Shiloh.
"Dalora come with me. We're going to wait in the Mako in case we need to beat it out of here quickly." Julland ordered.
--
"Is it possible that any particles of the pathogen failed to take effect yet?" Dr. Hiprotos asked to no one in particular as the group of doctors tried to figure out what was going on. Medical technology had progressed a long way since its earliest roots but sometimes even the most teched out physician was at the mercy of basic biology.
"That is one possibility. Another option is that its still in incubation time, especially with the live test subjects." Pelona offered, motioning towards the lab rats.
"In other words, we may be waiting here for awhile." Harrvok stated.
"I hope this isn't a problem for you, Dr. Jima." Pelona said.
"My mission is to get this taken care of. Time is not an issue. That reminds me, what about that missing team that I heard about?" Jima asked, looking back at Dr. Hiprotos.
"Two field agents were sent yesterday to check and see if there were any significant changes at the quarantine zone. I didn't ask them to take any samples; it was only meant to see that there wasn't any strange alien growth going on in case it was bacterial, plant based or the like. The two agents went out and never came back." Hiprotos explained.
"When did you notice something was wrong? When did they stop radioing in?" Jima inquired.
"We're not soldiers. Even the field agents have limited firearms training at best. We only tried to radio them in the late afternoon when we noticed something was wrong. They went out in the early morning. They should have been back before noon."
"Why didn't you send others to look of them?" Jima demanded, her voice showing a hint of disapproval.
"I'm already understaffed and we haven't a clue as to what got them, if anything. I cannot afford to lose any more doctors." Hiprotos retorted stubbornly.
"Very well, that's why I have the others on my ship. Do you suspect this agent to be airborne?" the Spectre asked.
"Highly unlikely, but I wouldn't frivolously rule out the possibility." Pelona stated.
"All right. I can have Lucas fly over the quarantine area. That should minimize the risk of infection." Jima deduced. The other doctors seemed to nod in agreement. Jima suddenly cocked her head.
"Excuse me for a moment, my XO is in need of a consult." she announced, leaving the room to find a private spot. The other doctors took the moment to make a brief exchange.
"Pelona, are you sure that you took all the samples properly?" Hiprotos hissed quietly.
"Yes, I am certain. Are you questioning my abilities, Doctor?" the Asari inquired carefully.
"Less of questioning and more of stressing the need to get some answers. The sooner we get a lead on this thing, the sooner we can get off of this hellhole." the Human doctor growled before briskly walking off.
"Don't mind him. I'm sure you did everything to the best of your abilities." Harrvok consoled, a talon on the Asari's shoulder. Pelona only snorted in response.
"Harrvok, after doing this for a hundred years, I'm certain I did it right. I appreciate the sentiments, though."
Meanwhile, Jima found a corner so she could speak with little chance of anyone overhearing her. The last thing any of them would want would be for some doctor getting suspicious this early. The Quarian also realized that she probably should find a way to start thinking like a tactician quickly, a slight transition from thinking like a doctor.
"Yes, I'm away from everyone else now. What's up, Julland?" Jima asked.
"Spectre, we've picked up multiple radar contacts. I've sent Lieutenant Von Seraph on an flight recon to check the targets. I am standing by in the Mako rover with Dalora and two of our marines." Jima secretly rolled her eyes. She understood that Julland was always the professional soldier, but honestly, Lieutenant Von Seraph? Calling her Spectre? Those were things she could not get used to, especially the latter one.
"Has Lucas identified these unknown contacts yet?" Jima asked.
"Not yet. I've patched him on the link so you'll hear his report as well." Julland replied.
"Good. Once you have that figured out, I want you to fly over the quarantine zone and see if you find any signs of what happened to that away team that disappeared yesterday." Jima added.
"Understood, continuing on recon...I'm getting some radar signatures, pulling up now..." Lucas announced. Jima was glad Julland was also on channel since she scarcely had a clue what was going on.
"Already out of radar range, so the source my be ground base...getting a visual now..."
"What is it, Lieutenant?" Julland demanded.
"A mako rover...three of them. They're fanned out." Lucas announced.
"Any sign of a drop ship?" the Turian inquired.
"Negative, sir."
"Do you think they've spotted you?"
"I should be too high for their radar to spot."
"Very good. Permission to engage, Spectre?" Julland asked.
"Are you sure we should go in gun blazing first?" Jima countered.
"I'll give them one warning."
"But you're already outnumbered."
"I believe we have the element of surprise. If this is all of them, we can get this over with. If there are more, I can make sure to destroy them while giving them the fewest clues as to what got them." Julland replied.
"And how would you suggest doing that?" the Quarian asked skeptically.
"The lieutenant will circle around them and give me a constant information feed. I'll play on their belief that they have the advantage in numbers. Our fighter escort will then take out the rest with the appropriate amount of missiles. You do have the proper weaponry, right Lieutenant?"
"Affirmative."
"Awaiting your approval, Spectre." Jima sighed a moment before she gave her decision.
"If you think it's best, go ahead." the Quarian shrugged passively.
"Very well, Spectre. Over and out."
--
Lucas kept a close vigil on the three Mako contacts he had on the ground. Mako radar was made to keep a watch on ground units and the receptors did not go high into the air. The result was a dead zone in their radar which air units could exploit so long as they were small and maintained a high altitude. Meanwhile, his computer fed him with constant information on the unknown contacts.
"Commander, the database says that these Mako units are not registered. That's an automatic shoot on sight." Lucas radioed to Julland.
"All right then, I won't bother giving them a warning. As soon as I fire the first shot on our Mako, deploy your missiles. If they have higher ups watching them, they won't have too many ideas on how one shot destroyed three Makos but at least it'll keep them guessing."
"Understood. Getting into position now." Lucas announced.
The fighter had a mixed arsenal of torpedoes and missiles. Usually, fighters stocked heavily on torpedoes with just a token load of missiles to keep interceptors at bay. Torpedoes were in fact meant to blast holes through capital ships using heavy mass effect fields that would overwhelm the shields. There would be no capital ships here today but two Mako units were already locked on target. The third one? The triple cannons under his fighter's nose would see to that.
--
Liana stood behind Dorian McDowell as he watched the computer layout of the Mako rovers. They only knew that the promising pathogen was somewhere in the general area, there should have been a village nearby. Unfortunately, the village was built in such a backwater area that it had yet to be marked on any maps.
Liana shifted uncomfortably. She had thought that signing up on a crack mercenary group would be interesting and then she was promptly assigned as the helmswoman of Dorian's heavily modified shuttle craft. It was okay, but it wasn't as all it was sold out to be. Besides, one of Dorian's personal escorts, the beefy one, was hitting on her way too much.
"Still proceeding according to plan." one of the Mako rovers announced.
"Good, proceed as planned." McDowell ordered.
"Wait, we're getting a radar contact."
"What is it?"
"Its...it's another Mako."
"Open fire on the Mako. Alliance, Council or whoever they are, they can't interfere." Dorian asserted.
"Roger that. Openin-"
Everyone stared in shock as each of the three Makos subsequently dropped out of contact and evaporated into static. One of the technicians decided to state the obvious.
"We've lost contact with them, McDowell."
"We've lost more than contact. They're destroyed." the mercenary leader stated, already furrowing his brow as he tried to think.
"Are you sure?"
"Those Makos were equipped with protect channels designed to withstand channel interference. Even if they are being dampened by a jamming device, it still means the same thing if they're destroyed." Dorian explained.
"What are you saying then?"
"We've just ran into a professional military force, most likely equipped with air support units. We also know one more thing, we're looking in the right direction." McDowell deduced.
"Well, good luck with that. I'm going to head back to the ship so I can pick you up when you need me." Liana stated in her nonchalant manner that everyone was quickly reading on. McDowell waited until she exited the room before he spoke with his escorts.
"Follow her and keep a close eye on her. There's something fishy about her."
"With pleasure, captain."
--
Lucas eased his fighter into a slow coast as he made his way to take care of that quarantine flyby. Spent element zero from the cannon was still wafting over the canopy when he heard Julland's voice over the radio.
"Good job, Lieutenant. They had no clue what hit them."
"Agreed, sir."
"Lucas, are you closing in on the village?" Jima's questioned immediately followed Julland's compliment.
"I'm getting there, I can see the buildings now." Lucas announced.
"All right, look for two signs of the away team. They were an Asari and Salarian."
"Gotcha. We'll see what I can get."
The pilot eased his fighter until it was the mass effect generator that was doing more of the movement rather than the thrusters. In essence, his craft was doing more hovering than actual flying. It was very taxing on the electronics and hardware so he couldn't do it for sustained periods.
Below him all he could see were dejected looking buildings and desolate fallow fields were the crops should have been growing. Otherwise, the place looked like a ghost town. There were no signs of the away team either. Lucas swung around for another pass over the village just in case he missed anything. In fact, he did spot something he did not notice before.
"Find anything, Lucas?" Jima's persistent voice asked over the comm.
"Did the medical team know that there's a rather large hole in the ground near the fields?" Lucas inquired.
"They didn't mention anything like that. I'll let them know. You see anything alive down there?" Lucas squinted through his canopy and focused the optical implants in his eyes.
"Um...I'm actually not too sure." Lucas hesitated.
"What do you mean?"
"I think there may actually be wild animals down there wandering in the streets."
"Uh oh..."