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Mass Effect is the property of Bioware and Electronic Arts
Welcome to the Future: Chapter 1
Shepard didn't know what she had expected before seeing Kaidan again. She certainly hadn't been expecting a tearful reunion, but the bitter resentment that she received had still shocked her.
In hindsight, she should have expected it, should have been prepared for it, but she'd had more important things on her mind than preparing for an awkward reintroduction.
Somewhere in the back of her mind she had realised that Kaidan had spent two years believing her dead, and that some serious explanations would be in order if she got the chance to speak to him. But then he'd walked in out of nowhere, and she'd just been so damn happy to see him that practically the first words out her mouth were a trite: "How have you been?"
How have you been. Jesus. Two years without any contact, and that's the first thing I say to him? No wonder he's pissed.
And the more she thought about it, the more angry she got. Why hadn't she tried to contact him?
Because he thought I was dead, and an extranet message isn't a remotely appropriate way to let someone know you're alive. What was I supposed to say?
"Hey, it's me, Shepard. I was dead for a while, but I'm better now. How's it going?"
And he'd somehow heard about her being involved with Cerberus. How the hell had that happened?
Oh, I think I know how that happened. The Illusive Man let some rumors out, to make sure I couldn't go running to the Alliance for help. Bastard.
She stepped into the Normandy's Communications Room, pausing as the door closed behind her. Took a few deep breaths as the room went dark and the conference table sank into the floor. A holographic mesh floated before her, marking the activation area for the Normandy's communications array.
Need to keep a clear head. I'm doing this to protect the colonists. I'm stopping the Collectors, and then I'm stopping the Reapers, and I'm going to save this galaxy. Again.
She took another step forward into the holographic mesh, triggering the room's projectors. Another hologram appeared before her, showing the Illusive Man calmly flicking ash from his cigarette.
"Shepard. Good work on Horizon. Hopefully, the Collectors will think twice before attacking another colony."
"It's not a victory. We interrupted the Collectors, but they still abducted half the colony."
"That's better than an entire colony, and more than we've accomplished since the abductions began. The Collectors will be more careful now, but I think we can find another way to lure them in."
Shepard narrowed her eyes.
Lure them in? You bastard, you caused that attack, didn't you?
Aloud, she asked: "Kaidan said the Alliance got a tip about me and Cerberus. Was that you?"
The Illusive Man took a drag on his cigarette before replying.
"I may have let it slip that you were alive. And with Cerberus."
Shepard's expression didn't change, but the ragged scar that ran through her right eyebrow began to pulse with a blood-red glow.
"You risked the lives of my friend, my crew, and that entire colony? Just to lure the Collectors there?"
The Illusive Man's response was just what she expected. Calm, smug, and self-righteous.
"A calculated risk. I suspected the Collectors were looking for you, or people connected to you. Now I know for certain. I told you I wouldn't wait for the Reapers and Collectors to gather strength. Besides, they would have hit another colony eventually. And without a way to predict which one, we wouldn't have been able to intervene. They would've taken everyone."
It was a valid argument, and not one she could object to. At least, not on a practical basis. But on a moral basis...
There's nothing more dangerous than someone who believes they're doing the right thing.
"We have to make sure they don't abduct anyone else," Shepard said. "Make sure no more colonies get hit."
"I want the Collectors stopped for that very reason. That's why we're doing this, Shepard. Right now, I'm devoting all of my resources to finding a way through the Omega 4 Relay. We have to hit them where they live."
The Illusive Man paused, and shifted slightly in his chair before he continued.
"Your team will need to be strong, as will their resolve. The same goes for you. Can I assume you've put your past relationships behind you?"
"That's none of your god-damn business."
"Shepard, I want to be up front about your odds. When you go through the Omega 4 Relay, there's no guarantee that you'll return. To have any hope of surviving, you and your entire team need to be fully committed to this."
"Let me worry about my team. You just find us a way to the Collector homeworld."
"Very well. I've forwarded three more dossiers. Keep building your team while I find a way through the relay. And one last thing, Shepard. We recently lost contact with one of our cells, a research team. Before they went dark, they claimed to have made a significant discovery. Their base of operations is less than a day's travel from your current location, so you're in a perfect position to investigate. I've sent their coordinates to your private terminal."
Shepard nodded, and said "I'll see what I can do."
With that, she stepped backwards, terminating the call.