Ch. 6
You're supposed to trust friends. You have no reason to be his friend? That is part of the pleasure of friendship: trusting without absolute evidence and then being rewarded for that trust.
David Shore, House M.D., Not Cancer, 2008
Shepard raises an eyebrow. "So what really is your relationship," she asks a small gentle smile. She's buying it I scream in my mind.
I blush and grin a bit, I attempt to stammer out a reply, "Well... uh... I mean... its like."
Liana squeezes my hand, "We didn't lie about that," she says with a smile.
I wake slowly I feel my hand get squeezed, my eyes slowly open. I look up and see Liana eyes open looking at me smiling gently. "Morning," I mumble nearly crying with happiness I lose my self control and hug her tightly.
"Ouch," she says, "be more careful."
"Sorry," I smile. I grab her hand gingerly.
Chakwas walks over, "you should be fine dear," she says. Looking at our hands she smiles gently and leaves to give us privacy.
Liana's smile leaves with her, "Why did you bring me here," she whispers.
Is thank you an unknown phrase in this galaxy. "You were shot," I say, "local hospitals would've been crowded this was the only option."
"Now we have to follow the cover story you told Shepard," she says I blush remembering telling Shepard Liana was my girl friend, "and what are we going to do about our ship."
I'm too relieved for any real negative emotion so I don't bother fighting. "It'll be alright," I whisper back, "and why were you away from the ship."
She shifts and winces, "I lost contact with your neural comm and was coming to investigate when those two geth ambushed me."
"Were you worried about me," I say with a smile.
I finally manage to make her blush a little, well I can't really tell that well, but she has that look on her face. "The missions a top priority and I needed to confirm the situation," she says, but it sounds so hollow it doesn't fool me, but I play along for now.
"We are in the best situation to get information," I whisper squeezing her hand a bit.
"But the worst to relay information," she says still trying to argue. Our conversation dies as Shepard walks in.
"Just coming to check on you two," she pauses for a moment, "and to get the full story."
I wince visibly, "I told you the full story."
"You don't need to talk," Shepard says as she turns to Liana, "what's your relationship." Uh-oh she's double checking my story.
I decide to try and go on the offensive, "I already told you what our relationship was," I say turning to her.
Liana squeezes my hand a subtle signal to stop. "We're together," Liana says. I blush visibly, luckily I had turned away from Shepard to look to Liana.
Kaiden enters the room apparently having the same idea as Shepard. "Commander," he says and goes to stand by her. He looks at me "not that I'm not grateful, but what are the chances of someone, with your abilities landing on a planet moments before a geth assault."
I'm no good at espionage I think with an internal sigh. "We heard Eden Prime was beautiful a paradise, and wanted to see it for ourselves," Liana who thankfully is good at espionage says.
"That doesn't explain the illegal modifications in you," Shepard says pointing at me. What did they do scan me while I was sleeping.
"I can get you information," I blurt out. Liana throws me a look that would freeze fire, such an obvious sign to stop talking. "You'll need more than just a dockworkers testimony to convict one of the council's top agents."
"Explain how you got your mods," Shepard says without showing any interest in my prior offer.
I look imploringly to Liana, she sighs then goes all business mode, "We'll make you a deal we will discover incriminating evidence against Spectre Saren Arterius, in return you stop this interrogation."
She still ignores our offer. Damn it Shepard you need this I think. "Your mods," Shepard says with a finality saying she wont stop.
A cover story goes into my mind, crazy enough it may work. "I was an experimental test subject," I say looking to the ground, "an organization called Cerberus kidnaped me and modified my body hoping to create some super soldier."I start thinking of my family dead for 100 years and true enough my eyes start watering. "It was horrible, but they underestimated their creation," I force a look of resolve to my face, "I managed to escape, but their experiments had taken their toll." "I can't remember my family," I say everyone is quiet through my narrative, " I eventually turned to mercenary work, that was until I met Liana." They listen expectantly, "End of story."
The looks on their faces were full of pity, even Liana. Holy crap I thought up a story fast. "What happened after you two met," Kaiden asks.
"We planned on opening an information business acquiring it through my skills and Liana would take care of the sales," I say, "I'm sorry for the prior deception."
They push for more information. "Why were you really on Eden Prime," Shepard asks.
"We received a tip from one of our sources that something was happening," Liana says, "the fact that the 'Lion of Elysium' was on a brand new warship heading to a colony that has almost nothing special about it drew our suspicion."
"We wagered that whatever information may be gathered would be valuable to the right people," I say continuing on, "obviously we didn't expect what happened, geth, a rogue spectre and a massive dreadnaught." Sovereign, Saren, and a massive adventure.
Shepard raises an eyebrow. "So what really is your relationship," she asks a small gentle smile. She's buying it I scream in my mind.
I blush and grin a bit, I attempt to stammer out a reply, "Well... uh... I mean... its like."
Liana squeezes my hand, "We didn't lie about that," she says with a smile.
I blushing so hard it looks like I'm sunburned. I start to feel a bit light headed. "I can help find evidence to convict Saren," I say after I calm down a bit more. I flash a glance to Liana a subtle message, I'll explain later.
"Why would you," Kaiden asks.
"Transportation, Medical treatment," I say looking at Shepard, "and seeing as how our ship is back on Eden Prime."
The door opens with a whoosh Captain Anderson walks in. "Shepard we need to talk, in private," he says glancing at me. Shepard and Anderson move away to the back room where if I remember correctly Liara will be. Before they reach the door I hear a bit of the conversation, "Our guests..." The door shuts cutting off the sound of their conversation, a thought enters my head I may be changing events to the point where I may lose my ability to know what's going to happen next.
Kaiden walks out leaving us to our privacy, "Don't," I say cutting her off, "I actually have a plan here." I hope. "Shepard will be intertwined in major events soon," I say, I'm getting used to this "informant" thing already, "the owner will be well appraised of major events that will affect the galaxy." and I get my place on Shepard's crew.
"I actually was going to commend you on your quick thinking," Liana said, "this way we will keep appraised of what seem to be important, unfolding events."
"Why is the owner so interested in the events in the galaxy," I say.
"He enjoys it," she says, "these things are his soap operas, his weekly cliff hanger.""You are his entertainment," her signature worried look returns.
I'm a little worried and really creeped out, " I'm his entertainment."
"One of the mods he put in you is a digital recorder," she says, "after your mission is completed..." she doesn't continue and to tell the truth I'm a little scared of the answer, but my mind flashes he'll take out the "tape."
Wanting to change the subject, "How much of our story is a story," I ask with a slight blush.
Catching my meaning she blushes too, at that moment the door at the other side of the room opens and Shepard and Anderson walk out.
I hope your enjoying it so far!
