Ch. 23
One thing is clear to me. You can't know everything you'd like to know. You can't do everything you'd like to do. You can't read everything you'd like to read. You must hold onto some things and let go of others. Learning to make that choice is one of the big lessons of this life.
Real Live Preacher, Real Live weblog, September 9, 2003
"Comm check can you hear me Commander," Kirrahe asks over the comm.
"Loud and clear," Shepard says.
"Good we'll start our push, We'll try to make it to the AA guns, but it might be up to you to finish the job," Kirrahe says, "and commander, if you see anyway to undermine their defenses, we could definitely use the help." and with that we head off, no contacts until a while later, a short while into our fire fight. "Shadow is on the ground," Kirrahe says over the comm, "repeat: Shadow is on the ground." I pick a geth and go through the motions Tali showed me, I'm rewarded with the sight of a geth flash and explode, "Chief Williams, with Aegohr team, Monnovai, Jaeto teams, Move," Kirrahe ordered the teams over the comm, "time to get some attention." I sight another geth trooper and spray him with ammo from my SMGs, his shields go down and he ducks behind cover. Before I go back out to continue firing I notice a beam of light appear on my chest, I duck behind cover fast and an instant later a bullet impacts the ground behind where I had been a moment before.
"Shepard," I shout to her, "sniper."
"Got it," she says I see her switch from her assault rifle to her sniper rifle, I step out the my friend the beam of impending death appears on my chest again, then disapears as Shepard fires, meaning the sniper was probably dead.
"Mannovai is under coordinated crossfire," Ashley's voice says over the comm, "check for long-range turrets helping the geth target." I see a complex of in the distance not the main building but what looks like some kind of signal tower. We begin moving towards it, I switch to my pistol as the closer targets begin disappearing under our combined fire. We make it up the ramp to find a deserted area, I head over to a console and use overload to destroy it.
"That's one way to do it," Shepard says noticing my handy work. We head off continuing in the direction of the complex.
"Something scrambled their targeting," Kirrahe's voice says through the comm, "Chief Williams, take the heat off Monnovai."
I head around a turn and a group of drones opens fire, I duck back around the corner, "Drones," I say to Shepard.
"Wrex if you would be so kind," Shepard says.
"My pleasure," Wrex heads around the corner we hear a shotgun blast followed by an explosion, "clear."
"They're calling sat-strikes," Kirrahe warns the teams, "Jaeto, watch for comm stations, Williams, can you see anything." We continue our push, I switch in my sniper rifle and take out a geth, I replace a depleted thermal clip, I whistle happy birthday as I take down a geth that had the misfortune of being in the center of my scope. 'Happy birthday to me, Happy birthday to me...' I start singing under my breath. I spot a console on a raised platform, 'Make a wish.'
"Will what are you doing," Shepard asks.
"Sorry the singing was to help me concentrate a bit," I say with a grin.
"Aircraft heading to perimeter stations to recharge," Ashley says through the comm, "bunker up before they come back." We fight our way across the raised path, until we reach a portion with a fuel tank and a group of assault drones.
"Geth, this must be a refueling station," I say, "Wrex make the big container go boom." Wrex grunts and pulls his shot gun and activates its carnage ability, and fires a solid explosive shot at the container full of fuel. I feel the heat from the explosion and all the geth drones were gone.
"Air threat has not materialized," Kirrahe's voice says through our comm, "we may be getting some help from Shadow."
"He has an incredible grasp of the obvious," I say to Wrex. We head across a bridge to the Complex proper, but rather than go through the front door like I thought, Shepard found a downwards ramp, we continue along until we see a door.
"Can you get this Will," Shepard asks.
"I'll try," I say cracking my knuckles, I activate my omni tool and using the hacking software Tali gave me I disabled the doors lock, "and we are in." I immediately regretted my success, "is this a sewage system," I ask when hit with the smell.
"Looks like it," Shepard says heading in.
"You're not serious," I say to her.
"What's wrong afraid of a little smell," Wrex said heading in leaving me all alone.
"Wait up people," I say running to catch up. We exit the tunnels and I breath a bit easier. A group of salarians comes running at us screaming. Shepard and Wrex mow them down, I don't touch my guns. "Looks like some of the Captain's men," I say to them.
"They were indoctrinated," Wrex says. We head up a ramp and I get to a console.
"Looks like base security," I say, "I can cut the alarms or raise them on the other side of the base." "We wont have to worry about the guards, but Kirrahe's team might not be able to handle it," I finish with a tone that showed what my preference was.
"Just disable the alarms," Shepard says to my mixed relief and worry, "we can handle any guards inside."
I use the hacking software and turn off the alarms, "Got it let's go," I say to Shepard. We head through and there are no guards in our way. We reach an elevator unapposed, after we reach the room at the bottom I notice a console so while the Commander talked to the salarian trapped in a cell I downloaded all the data on indoctrination. 'Damn no cure here,' I whisper to myself. We head off down some stairs Shepard had chosen to leave the salarian in the cell. I felt sorry for the guy, but Shepard made the choice. We reach a door, Shepard opens it and blasts a salarian that was standing in the room.
"Give a little ground, Williams we don't want them to bunker up," Kirrahe's says through the comm, "draw them out." I see a terminal I hack into it.
"STG reports commander," I say to her, I download the files and transfer them to her omni tool. I search around as she head for a door, 'found it' I whisper I glance at Wrex and nod, I download all the data on the cure, all encrypted of course.
"Move it Will," Shepard says when she notices I'm not following.
"Sorry, was shutting down," I say with a grin, "save electricity."
We reach another door, "Will you need to understand these salarians are no better than husks now," Shepard says, "I have to be able to count on you."
"Roger," I say to her, "I've started changing my definition of people." I lead the way through a passage and of course after that comment there one is an indoctrinated salarian he notices me I draw my pistol and put a hole through his head. I guess there's no going back now, I breathe out slowly.
"You okay Will," Shepard asks, nope.
"I'll be alright come on we've got a facility to destroy," I say with a light smile, "this is one of the strangest birthdays I've ever had."
"You'll get used to it," Wrex says, "or not."
We fight our way through the labs and outside we follow the path until we reach a room that a blue asari is hiding behind. "Out in the open," I shout.
"Don't shoot, please, I just want to get out of here before it's too late," the asari says, the name hit me Rana Thanoptis.
"Let's hear it, who are you and what do you want," Shepard asks.
"Rana Thonoptis, neurospecialist, but this job isn't worth dying over, or worse," She answers, "you think the indoctrination only affects prisioners, sooner or later, Saren will want to dissect my brain too."
"I thought this was a breeding facility," Shepard says.
"Not this level, we're studying Svoereign's effect on organic minds," She says "at least that's what I assumed, Saren kept us in the dark as much as possible."
"You just helped him without question," I ask her.
"I didn't have the option of negotiating, this position is a little more... permanent than I'd expected," Rana says, "but I can help you, this elevator behind me goes to Saren's private lab, I can get you in." She walks over and opens the door, "See, full access, all of Saren's private files," She says almost pleadingly, "are we good, can I go."
"I'm going to blow this place to hell and gone," Shepard says, "if you want to make it out alive, you better start running."
"What," she asks, "you can't... but I'll never..." she takes off with a scream.
"Bet you 50 credits we meet again," I shout after her. We head through the doors into Saren's lab. We head down the stairs and find a beacon, "Shepard look it's a beacon," I say to her, "maybe it's the final piece of that puzzle in your mind."
She steps forward and lifts off the ground lights pulse on the beacon. As quickly as it began she get set back down I run forward. "You alright Commander," I ask her.
"Fine, as you said I think I got the last piece of the puzzle," She says.
"Then let's get out of here," I suggest helping her up.
"Up the stairs then," Shepard says. We head up the stairs Shepard get's halfway to the door when I notice Sovereign's holographic avatar.
"Commander," I say to get her attention, "I think there's someone you should meet." We stand in front of the hologram.
"You are not Saren," Sovereign's menacing, synthesized voice says.
"What was your first clue," I say acting like a smart ass.
"Rudimentary creatures of blood and flesh," Sovereign says ignoring my comment, "you touch my mind, fumbling in ignorance, incapable of understanding."
"I don't think this is a VI," Wrex says.
"There is a realm of existence so far beyond your own you cannot even imagine it," Sovereign continues, "I am beyond your comprehension, I Am Sovereign."
"Sovereign isn't just some Reaper ship Saren found," Shepard says, "it's an actual reaper."
"Reaper, a label created by the Protheans to give voice to their destruction," Sovereign says, "in the end, what they choose to call us is irrelevant, We simply are."
"50,000 years long time," I say a little awed.
"Life is nothing, but a genetic mutation, an accident," Sovereign answers, "your lives are measured in years and decades, you wither and die." "We are eternal, the pinnacle of evolution and existence," Sovereign continues, "before us, you are nothing, your extinction is inevitable, we are the end of everything."
"Except long winded speeches," I say.
"Whatever your plan is, it's going to fail," Shepard says defiantly, "I'll make sure of that."
"Confidence born of ignorance," Sovereign says, "the cycle cannot be broken."
"Anything that begins ends even you," I say to Sovereign.
"Your foolishness is the trait of all organics," Sovereign says, "the pattern has repeated itself more times than you can fathom." "Organic civilizations rise, evolve, advance and at the apex of their glory, they are extinguished," Sovereign continues, "the Protheans were not the first, they did not create the Citadel, they did not forge the mass relays," Sovereign reveals, "they merely found them, the legacy of my kind."
"Why would you construct the mass relays, then leave them for someone else to find," Shepard asks.
"Your civilization is based on the technology of the mass relays, our technology," Sovereign explains, "by using it, your society develops along the paths we desire." "We impose order on the chaos of organic evolution, you exist because we allow it, and you will end because we demand it," Sovereign says.
"You're not even alive," Shepard says, "Not really you're just a machine, and machines can be broken."
"Your words are as empty as your future," Sovereign says, "I'm am the vanguard of your destruction, this exchange is over." The windows in the room shatter suddenly.
"Commander, we got trouble," Joker says urgently.
"Lay it on me, Joker," Shepard says, "I love bad news."
"That ship, Sovereign, it's moving," Joker says, "I don't know what you did down there, but that thing just pulled a turn that would shear any of our ships in half." "It's coming your way, and it's coming hard," Joker shouts, you need to wrap things up in there - fast."
"What do we do now Shepard," I ask.
"Let's head to the breeding facility," Shepard says, "Joker can pick us up after we set the nuke." She glances at me for a second, she hasn't forgotten what I had said. We head out of Saren's lab. We follow the catwalks, until we hear a transmission from Ashley.
"The geth are turning, Shepard must be getting close, Jaeto, circle around, keep them here," She shouts, "keep them..." We exit a room and spot a bridge going down we cross it and fight our way past a group of krogan warriors.
"That could do some damage to the Normandy," Wrex says, spotting the AA tower. We get attacked by a group of geth hoppers jumping around the walls, I shoot my SMGs and bring one down, while Shepard and Wrex take down the others.
"Shepard over here," I say as we reach the elevator, "this is the controls for that AA tower," I say hacking it. "And now it's shut down," I say. We hear the elevator begin a descent and a group of geth attack us from the path we came from. "Cover," I shout to Wrex and Shepard. We all pull our guns and open fire on the advancing group of geth. I hear the elevator ding as it opens I turn in time to see a group of geth advance out of the elevator, I turn and go full auto with my SMGs utnil the thermal clips run dry. After the geth were cleared out we recieved a message from Ashley.
"Nice work on that gun, Commander," She says over the comm, "We've got the other one in our sights. After a short run down a hall, "There's the gun, clear those geth and get the charges set," Ashley orders her team. We continue fighting our way forward till we enter a relatively open coradoor with geth and krogan firing at us. We start returning fire and advancing. We reach the end of the hall quickly. "Charges are set," Ashley's voice says, "everyone get low, now." We hear an explosion off in the distance.
"Guess that means that tower has been taken care of," I say to no one in particular.
"All right, nice work, that's one less thing to worry about," Joker says, "commander, I'm bringing us in, I'll get as close to the site as I can." I see the Normandy come into our field of vision.
"Cool," I say as it sets down. A group of Kaidan and a group of marines come off the Normandy carrying the bomb that is going to blow this place away along with whoever stays here. If things go according to the storyline and my dreams that will be Kaidan. "Who's setting the bomb up Shepard," I ask her.
"I'm going to tell Kaidan," She says, I see a faint mist in her eyes.
I tear up a bit too, "I'm sorry Commander."
Kaidan walks over, "Commander we're all... what's wrong," He says when he sees us.
"I need to talk to you in private," Shepard says to him. They walk off and a few minutes later we receive a transmission.
"Commander, can you read me," Ashley's voice says over the comm. I let out a deep breath to calm myself, time to go. I walk over to Shepard and Kaidan, I turn away as they share an intimate kiss.
"Time to go Commander," I say after they finish.
"The nuke is almost ready," Shepard says with a calm voice, "get to the rendevous point Williams." I actually pray that she says already on her way.
My prayer goes unanswered, "Negative Commander, the geth have us pinned down on the AA tower," Ashley says, "we've taken heavy casualties, Captain Kirrahe's dead." "We'll never make the rendevous point in time," She shouts.
"We're on our way," Shepard says.
"Goodbye Shepard," Kaidan says, "Will, I have one last question." I take him to the side quickly, "Who are you really."
"I am from another dimension where this all is a video game," I say bluntly and truthfully.
"That doesn't seem possible," he says surprised, "but since you know I'm about to die why would you lie."
Despite the situation, "you're a good guy Kaidan," I say, "I'm sorry we couldn't save you." "After we go up that elevator a geth dropship is going to come over your position, at that point you'll activate the bomb to make sure it goes off, when you die they name a scholarship after you, helping out biotic children." "Time's of the essence," I say, "I'm glad you two got to say goodbye."
"Thanks for the truth," he says, "go save Williams."
"Yes sir," I say with a salute, "I hope I did that right." I head over to Shepard and we set off for the AA tower. Shepard fights with rage smashing her way through the krogan that were trying to slow us down. I was having trouble making the transfer, from regret to anger. We reach the point in the game where... there it is the geth drop ship flys by, seconds later.
"Heads up LT we just spotted a troop ship headed to your location," Ashley says over the comm.
"Too late it's already here, there's geth pouring out all over the bomb site," Kaidan says. Damn it, no matter what I do things continue as they do according to the story. All I've done is add some dialogue save a few minor people, but I can't change the major events.
"Goodbye Kaidan," Shepard says.
"Goodby Jane," Kaidan says, "it's been an honor knowing you." I don't say anything Shepard made her decision I'm not going to try and change it.
"We're coming Ash, tell Joker to meet us by the AA tower," Shepard says, "no arguments..."
"...Yes Commander," Ashley says.
"I'm sorry Kaidan," Shepard says.
"It's alright Commander I asked you to," Kaidan says. So when they shared a personal moment Kaidan asked her to save Williams, man I feel bad I never really got to know him.
"Saren's gonna pay for this," I say clenching my fists, I had finally made the change from regret to anger. "Let's go Commander," I say.
"Let's go," She says, we take off towards the tower. We reach the elevator. "You need to move fast Commander," Ashley shouts through her comm, "we can't hold them off here much longer." The elevator door opens, to the top floor, "Watch the corners, suppressing fire," Ashley shouts. We fight our way through the geth, wait if I'm right then... biotic blasts and gunfire begin raining down on us, Saren's here. We get separated from Shepard.
"This has been an impressive diversion, Shepard," I hear Saren say, "my geth were utterly convinced that the salarians were the real threat." "Of course it's all for nothing, I can't let you disrupt what I've accomplished here," he continues, "you can't possibly imagine what's really at stake."
"Why are you doing this," Shepard shouts.
"You've seen the vision from the beacon, Shepard," Saren shouts back, "you of all people, should understand what the Reapers are capable of, they cannot be stopped." "Do not mire yourself in pointless revolt," Saren continues, "do not sacrifice everything for the sake of petty freedoms, the Protheans tried to fight, and they were utterly destroyed." "Trillions dead, but what if they had bowed before the invaders," He continues still, what is it with villains and long speeches, "would the Protheans still exist, is submission not preferable to extinction." Man he is crazy, but I can see his point of view, that doesn't mean I plan on switching teams I know what happens.
"Do you really believe the Reapers will let us live," Shepard shouts growing aggrivated.
"Now you see why I never came forward with this to the Council, we organics are driven by emotion instead of logic," Saren replies, "we organics are driven by emotion instead of logic, we will fight even when we know we cannot win." "But if we work with the Reapers - if we make ourselves useful- think how many lives could be spared," Saren shouts, "once I understood this, I joined Sovereign, though I was aware of the... dangers." "I had hoped this facility could protect me," he finishes.
"You're afraid Sovereign is influencing you," Shepard shouts back, "you're afraid he's controlling your thoughts."
"I've studied the effects of indoctrination, the more control Sovereign exerts, the less capable the subject becomes," Saren says, "that is my saving grace."
I'm tired of staying quiet, "That's a load of crap," I shout out.
"That voice," Saren says noticing me, "the one from the trial." "I assure you my mind is still my own... for now," He says, "but the transformation from ally to servant can be subtle, I will not let it happen to me."
"Sovereign's already manipulating you and you don't even know it," Shepard shouts, "you're already under it's power."
"Commander we're on a bit of a tight schedule," I shout, "I'd perfer to be in orbit before everything goes down." I pop around the corner and fire on Saren. I see a blue field surround me and I get lifted off the ground, I see Saren hold his hand out and I go flying towards a wall. Then everything goes black.
The longest chapter so far...
