A/N: It's been a while since my last update.
I've been pretty busy with stuff for college, finals and research papers and all that. HOWEVER, finals week is over and I have the next few weeks off. So, if the plan goes accordingly as planned, I'll be able to update this story ALOT more. So, here it is.
Also, I do not own Mass Effect or any of the characters and all of that legal stuff you've come to love and know.
Shepard slowly opened his eyes, the light pouring into his vision. He felt completely refreshed, a long night of rest is what he needed. It had been a long couple of days, the destruction of The Normandy and Abby's reappearance after a year of disappearance had raised his stress level to significant levels since The Reaper War. Shepard had been plagued by nightmares and other ailments since the war ended, each getting more and more intense with each passing day. However, this night was one of those unique nights where he was free from the torture of his mind. Maybe it was Ashley's presence with him that night, maybe it was the fact that the events of the day were over; either way, he felt relaxed.
Shepard sat up in bed, lifting his head off of the soft pillow and bed sheets. He looked to his left, a surprised look appeared on his face. Ashley was no longer in the bed with him, or in the room with him for that matter. He got out of bed, looking around for someone in the apartment. He walked over to his dresser, opening it to grab some clothes to wear. Shepard grabbed the clothes, heading down the stairs of the floor the bed was on. He looked back towards the bed as something caught his attention.
He looked on the night stand. near the bed, a small data pad sat next to a lamp on it as well. He walked over to it, setting his fresh clothes onto the bed as he picked up the data pad.
It read,
Hey Skipper,
Going to check up on my sister. I figured I'd let you sleep in, you looked like you really need it. I'll see you at the morning debriefing.
-Ash
Shepard smiled, knowing how much she cared for him. He picked his clothes back up and headed down the stairs from the floor his bed on. He headed across to the bathroom, the light poured in to the room, illuminating the entire room in the dim, yellow light of the morning. He strode into the bathroom, putting his clothes on the bathroom counter while heading towards the shower. He entered the shower, turning the water on and waiting for it to heat up.
Shepard entered the shower, a nice heat encased his entire shoulders and slowly moved down his body. He grabbed the soap, lathering up his body. His right shoulder still hurt, each stitch held its own sting as he brushed passed it. He lathered himself up, rinsing his body off as he finished up the shower. He stepped outside the shower, drying himself off with a nearby towel.
He stepped up to the counter, grabbing his deodorant and body spray. He applied both of them, their aroma filling his nostrils with various scents other than the steamy smell of the bathroom. He then put them down, grabbing his shaving cream as he applied it to his face. He stopped at his goatee, making sure that it was perfectly symmetrical and aligned in its form. Shepard was obsessive over his goatee, something he had kept since he first grew it at the age of nineteen. Shepard began to shave, a simple plastic razor that cut smoothly against the grain. After finished shaving, he carefully picked up a pair of scissors he had bought back when he was nineteen. He began to trim his goatee, making sure all the hairs were the same length and neat.
He put the scissors down after making sure that his goatee was perfect. He brushed his teeth, flossed, and rinsed with mouth wash. He grabbed his clothes, putting on his Alliance casuals as he prepared to leave. He buckled his belt, heading out as he headed towards his boots. Shepard put then on, heading out his door as he tied his left boot. Shepard walked down the hallway as he began to wake up a little bit more.
Shepard entered the elevator and pressed the button for floor the meeting room was on. Shepard waited in the elevator; tapping his foot and leaning against the rail on the side of the elevator as the news came over the speaker in the elevator.
"And in latest military news, The Alliance reports that they are in full pursuit of the terrorist group, who appears to be the survivors of Cerberus, that assassinated The President of The Alliance and managed to destroy The Normandy in one attack," the announcer said, "An official statement from The Alliance said, 'there is no need for worry about any sort of security leak or weakness in Alliance defenses.' 'We are taking the necessary actions against these assassins and will bring them to justice.' Get the full story at eleven on The Alliance News Network: Your Official Source For Humanities' News."
The door opened, the white wall of the government hallway appeared as he looked out. He stepped outside and headed down the long hallway to the meeting room. The white of the hallway pierced Shepard's senses. The floor was marble, a small squeak coming up from the ground as it met his foot. He passed several doors, each holding meeting rooms, control, rooms, or something else.
Finally, Shepard came upon the meeting room he was looking for. It was the same one they had met in before and had a similar layout to the war room back on The Normandy. Shepard pressed the open button on the door, swishing open instantly. Inside was the meeting room they had always met in. They were there with Tali, Garrus, Wrex, and Liara following the destruction of The Normandy. However, this time, they were back on their home worlds.
Inside was Ashley, looking at a monitor and sipping on some coffee that she had gotten. The Admirals were more than likely already on their way, preparing to discuss their latest victory. Shepard looked around, seeing some other soldiers that had taken part in the earlier raids. Shepard recognized a few, but he approached Ashley.
"Hey Ash," said Shepard.
"Hey Skipper," she said back, still looking at the monitor. Shepard looked over her shoulder, seeing that Ashley was looking at an article about their latest raid. "Justice Served: Cerberus Suffers Severe Strikes in Several Systems."
"Well that's a lot of alliteration," Shepard commented. He noticed that there was a background window just peeking out of the corner of the article. Shepard reached over her shoulder and tapped it, pulling it into full view. It was a picture of a wedding dress, a pure, simple white design.
"Shepard," Ashley said as she pulled the article back up, a smile on her face, "no peaking." "You're not suppose to see it until the wedding."
"I thought that applied only for you, on the wedding day?" Shepard asked.
"Well excuse me for wanting it to be a surprise," said Ashley, "Just a few more months."
"Yeah, seems like it'll be here tomorrow," said Shepard, "We have so much still to plan."
"Don't worry about it," said Ashley, "We'll get it done." Ashley looked over at some of the others who were busy with other things. "Do they know?"
"About us?" asked Shepard, "Yeah, I told Hackett about it the other day."
"About us or the wedding?" asked Ashley, "Because it's pretty clear he knows about us."
"The Wedding," said Shepard, "He took it well, not sure about the other Admirals though." "I think they'll be fine," Shepard said, "They are just worried about compromising The Alliance's image, despite me saving their asses three times..."
Ashley giggled, "I suppose so Mr. Hero man."
"What time did you leave?" asked Shepard.
"I got up a few hours ago; to check up on my sister," Ashley said.
"Is she gonna be okay?" Shepard worried.
"It's mostly psychological problems," Ashley said as she rubbed her hands together slowly, "It'll take some time, but she's strong and she has Mom, Lynn, and Sarah."
"Not to mention the best big sister in the world," said Shepard. Ashley blushed a little after he said that, making him smile.
"That face," Shepard quietly laughed.
The doors opened again, Admiral Hackett along with the other Admirals appeared in view. Shepard and the others stood at attention, saluting as they came down to the center of the room.
Hackett nodded, "At ease." They all gathered around the center of the room, a holographic projection of a series of cloning machines appeared in view. "This, is what has been found in all of the bases we raided."
"Sir," asked one of other troops in the room, "Commander Howard, N7 Command Specialist; may I ask what those are?"
"Wombs," said Admiral Stevens, one of the Admirals in the room. She walked around pressing a button on the console, "They grow genetic altered humans, clones in essence."
"For what purpose?" asked Howard.
"Troops, workers, there are an unlimited amount of reasons why they would do it," Ashley spoke up in disgust, "Luckily, they couldn't produce a single sustainable clone."
"True," said Hackett, "But the fact they came this far is bad."
"Do we have any idea what they are doing wrong?" asked Shepard.
"According to our scientists studies, cross-referenced with some Salarian research; they have a problem during the coding of DNA and RNA," said Stevens. "They mess up a lot of key points telling the coding proteins to stop or start or what to code." "This, in turn, screws up the entire amino-acid chains of the clone, resulting in genetic mutation and mental breakdown."
"Are they close to fixing it," asked Howard.
"From what we can tell, no," said Stevens, "However, it can be fixed with patience and some good scientists." "Cloning technology is still expensive and produces many, many, many other problems." "My guess, they'll abandon the project before it yields any good results for their costs."
Next, an image of a phantom's armor appeared. It was clearly Ashley's sister's armor, but it was just the armor alone. The armor was in perfect form, clearly pieced together digital from its remains. The armor itself was white, with a trace of yellow and black lines around it. The tubes were clearly present on the suit, along with the red cape in the back.
"This is our primary threat," said Stevens, "The Proto-phantom suit." Next to the suit, a series of molecule bonds appeared in the hologram. "These are the chemicals recovered from the subject who was using the suit."
Ashley cringed a little, the thought of her sister just being another medical subject sickened her. However, she was smart enough not to object during the debriefing.
"They are a mixture of several drugs, mainly red sand and what appears to be a artificially created hallucinogen," Stevens said. "It's easily countered and extremely fragile when exposed to the outside elements."
"What about the suit?" asked Shepard.
"It looks like it may soon be in production," said Stevens.
"Cerberus was using slaves," Shepard said, "If they manage to mass produce this along with this drug, we could be overrun."
"We managed to hit their primary drug production site," said Hackett, "That and the fact that we have their primary proto-type will slow them down."
"How do we know it's their primary proto-type sir?" asked Ashley.
"It's an assumption, but we recovered no other forms of the suit in the entire raid," said Hackett. "We'll keep an eye out for an more developments on the suit, but for now we appear to be fine." "Another thing before we go, the anniversary of The Reaper War celebration has been moved to next week."
"Shepard, I expect that you are still open to give the key mark speech," said Stevens.
"Sure," Shepard responded.
"Good," said Hackett, "That's all we have for you today." "We'll let you know if there's any more news, other than that, you can resume your duties." The Admirals all gave a swift salute and then proceeded to leave the room. The people gradually returned to work, including Ashley and Shepard.
The day went by in a blur to Shepard. It was endless reports and paperwork, occasionally talking to someone on The Council. Shepard went back to the doctor's checked up on Ash's sister and to get his wound checked up. He was doing fine, Chakwas told him. His wound would soon be healed in the next couple days.
Ash's sister was another story. She was plagued with withdrawal symptoms of the drug. She was unconscious and rolling around in bed the entire time he was there. She was in a cold sweat, along with a high fever. The doctor's told Ash and her family it would be a couple of days before she would be awake. Ash told them to contact her the minute she was awake. It was tough to see Ash like this, dealing with something she couldn't control. She was always the protector of her sisters, yet she felt like she let Abby down.
"It's not your fault Ash," Shepard said as the two stood by her bed.
"I know," Ash muttered, "But I wonder if I did all I could."
"You did," Shepard said as he began to hold her hand.
Ash turned to him, giving Shepard a short, but sensual kiss. Shepard held her in his arms, letting her rest as he looked at the monitor that Abby was hooked up to. She must have hated seeing Shepard like this, hooked up and asleep for months on end.
Shepard broke the hug, saying, "Ash, I gotta go, but you take as much time as needed here."
"Okay Skipper," said Ash, "I love you."
"I love you too," he said as he left her and her sister. Shepard walked out of the hospital, praying that her sister would make a speedy recovery. Shepard took a left to the elevator, getting in and going up to the floor with his workplace. He got off at the floor, going down the hall to his right and entering a small room that had no visible title or markings on the outside. Shepard pressed the button and entered the room.
The room was a small, square room. A large window behind him showed the Paris landscape. The Eiffel Tower was nearly rebuilt along with the rest of the buildings. The green of the Earth was slowly coming back on the hills outside of the city. He saw a small flock of birds fly in the distance as he turned to sit down at his desk. The desk was rectangular and black, similar to the one back on The Normandy. Shepard had several files on the desk, dealing with several operations and people in The Alliance's crosshairs. He picked up a coffee cup, putting it aside as he realized it had been there for over a day. Shepard turned on the small laptop located on the desk. He grabbed one of the files, opening it as the computer booted up.
File Name: "Mikhail"
Age: "19-22 years old"
Gender: Male
Eye Color: Blue
Location: Unknown, but suspected in Terminus Space or Unknown Space
Occupation: Cerberus Supreme Commander and Head Admiral
Education: High School; Possibly University of Kosovo, Moscow University, or Serbian Institute of Technology.
Biography: With an IQ of 175, Mikhail is a violent and steady foe for Alliance officials. Has organized several attacks on Alliance territory and its allied Including, but not limited to: The Sur'Kesh Base Attack, The Cerberus Coup of The Council, The Cerberus Attack on London, The Cerberus Assassination of The President and destruction of The Normandy SR2. Should be regarded with extreme caution and captured for questioning.
A beep sounded as Shepard looked up at the computer screen. The screen was a blank blue, a simple line of black text appeared in front of Shepard.
Hello Captain.
Shepard didn't know what to think. His computer was normally a log in screen, along with a similar background. He reached for the keyboard, typing in a simple "hello" as he waited to see what would happen.
Do You Remember your Choice?
Shepard was really confused now, he didn't have any idea of what was going on. He typed, "What choice" into the console and waited.
Destruction.
"Destruction," said Shepard aloud, "No... it can't be..." He typed into the Computer "Destruction?" and waited for another response.
Control. Synthesis. Destruction. You we're given these choices and you chose Destruction. Are you satisfied with your results?
Shepard was simple breathless. How did this person know what he did, or who was it. Shepard typed into the console, his hands shaking with each move, "Who are you?"
Who I am is irrelevant at this point, but what you did is complete relevant. As stated before, are you content with your choice?
Shepard stopped, he wanted to slam his computer shut, hoping that it would all go away. However, he knew what he needed to say. He reached over, typing "no" into the computer. Almost instantly, a reply came.
Good. Your choice was a bad one. Trillions of lives sacrificed when you simple needed to die. You are the problem. I hope you are ready to pay the price. Prepare yourself, your time shall come.
Goodbye.
The screen returned to a normal log in screen. Shepard was still processing what had happened. He had hoped it was just his imagination, but somehow he knew it wasn't. He was worried, who had discovered his secret? Shepard opened a drawer to his left, a small bottle of alcohol was inside. He opened it up, taking a swig of the hard liquor as he tried to settle down.
Shepard sat in his desk for the next few hours, reading and filling out mind numbing paperwork as he tried to forget what had happened. Eventually, the blue day turned to a orange twilight as he finished up for the day. Paperwork wasn't his cup of tea, but following the war, he found himself piled on by it. He wished he was out there, helping to rebuild Earth. However, he knew that his role in the world was required and that Earth would be rebuilt, regardless of his participation.
Shepard left his office, locking the door behind him as he went into the elevator. Shepard looked at his Omni-tool as a small chime came from it. Inside, a message from Ash appeared on it.
Hey There Shep, come to my room for some wine.
-Ash
Shepard smiled as the door opened to his floor. Shepard went to another door down the hall, the one that was Ashley's. He knew the code, so he let himself in as soon as the door was open. Shepard had a pretty good idea of what was in for the night, and he liked it.
Shepard found himself in a clearing that was very familiarly to him. The dead tree branches hung like ghosts as the grey sky closed in on him. He looked around at the ground, the grey rocks and dead leaves scattered all around him. He was in his N7 armor, his guns not with him. Shepard began walking forward, not knowing where to go.
Eventually, in what appeared to be an endless forest of death, a figure emerged from the distance. Shepard looked forward, trying to see who it was. Eventually, the figure became familiar to him. It was Legion, the Geth responsible for their survival and independence. His mechanical eye was an eerie white that pierced Shepard's soul.
Then, he spoke, "Shepard-Commander? Does this unit have a soul?"
The question burned his very soul. The answer was a resounding yes, but he felt guilty about it. The Geth were gone, extinct like The Reapers; and this genocide was his fault.
"Sacrifice the trillion for the trillions," Shepard thought. Turning them into numbers made it worse, the guilt of labeling a life, innocent and pure, as something less made him sick. Yet, he knew it had to be done.
Legion seemingly evaporated as Shepard continued on through the forest. Then, another figure appeared before him. A clearly feminine figure, her body curved along with its artificial features. This was EDI, or at least her "body."
"The Illusive man ordered my creation years ago, Jeff is the one who allowed me to think for myself, But only now do I feel alive, that is your influence," EDI spoke to Shepard.
These words stung Shepard's core, she felt alive. She was his friend, she was Joker's friend, but most importantly; she was the friend of the crew. She was with Shepard through The Collector's and through The Reapers, and even on Luna in a weird way. However, he still chose to strike her down when she finally felt truly alive.
EDI disintegrated as well. Shepard continued on through the forest. The trees became more and more scarce as he reached a barren opening. The ground slowly became metallic, a pattern appeared ingrained in the metal as he continued along. The grey sky turned into dark, littered with thousands upon thousands of stars. Eventually a final figure appeared before him. The Catalyst.
"You," Shepard demanded, "Your responsible for all of this!"
"No!" it blared back in a deep dark voice, "You made the choice." Then, shooting up from the ground like a Thresher Maw, were three objects. On the right, a tall obelisk engulfed in red fire. It swirled around it, giving off waves of heat as Shepard looked at it. On the left, another obelisk shot up. This one was engulfed in sparks of lightning that swirled around it. Crackles and pops pierced Shepard's ears as he looked to his left. Finally, in the center of the two obelisks was a vortex of green mist. It swirled around as he was memorized by its haunting glow.
"Choose," said The Catalyst.
"I already have," said Shepard.
"Now you have a second chance," said The Catalyst, "Choose."
Shepard looked to his right, leaning towards it again as he contemplate his choice. However, he knew what laid down that path. He looked to the left, disgusted by the choice still. Then, Shepard took off running, throwing his weight ahead of his body as he sprinted towards the whirlpool in the ground ahead of him. Shepard was feet away from the vortex, ready to jump in.
Then, out of nowhere, a figure popped up in front of him out of the vortex and grabbed him. It was EDI, however, her face was that of a skeleton. She had sharp teeth and glowing red eyes. She screeched at him as her fingers ripped through Shepard's skin.
"YOU LET ME DIE!" She screamed as she dragged Shepard down into the vortex. Shepard was grabbed by husks as he fell into the vortex. Then, EDI lurched at his face, biting down and engulfing him in darkness and pain.
Shepard lurched forward out of bed, screaming as he fell out of the bed. He couldn't stop screaming as he pushed himself up against the wall near the bed. Shepard was shaking violently as he tried to breath. Shepard couldn't recognize anything near him, he felt completely lost. Shepard took a swing of his fist, feeling that someone was near him and going to attack.
Eventually, Shepard began recognizing things around him. He saw a lamp on a desk, its light still on. Shepard began breathing more normal, his heartbeat slowed down. He looked down and realized he was naked. He also wasn't in his room, he was in Ashley's room. Their rooms were similar, but his was more luxurious due to it being the presidential suite.
Shepard looked up, hearing some footsteps coming towards him. Ashley appeared, in a robe and was holding an ice pack against her face. He looked, realizing that there was a large bruise on her left cheek.
"Ash," Shepard exclaimed, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, you took a swing at me," she said.
"Oh my god," said Shepard softly, "I'm sorry."
"It's okay, but we need to talk," said Ashley as she sat down next to Shepard and handed him a blanket from the bed. She sat next to him quietly, letting him rest. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, just some nightmares," said Shepard.
"It's more than that," Ashley said, "These nightmares have been getting worse and worse." "You're losing your sanity."
"I'm fine; it's just... The Reapers left a toll on me," said Shepard.
"Shepard, I love you," Ashley said as she cuddled next to Shepard, "Tell me what's bothering you."
Shepard thought for a moment. He wanted nothing more than to tell her about all of this, The Catalyst and The Reapers. He wanted to confess all of this, knowing that if anyone would understand it would be her.
"I...I feel guilty," said Shepard. "I killed EDI... I killed The Geth... trillions of lives gone, because of me," Shepard struggled to say.
"You didn't know," said Ashley, "They understand why it had to be done and they'll never be forgotten." Ashley leaned in to kiss Shepard, her lips softer than anything he felt in a long time.
Shepard knew this wasn't true, he knew. However, he couldn't tell Ash. He felt like complete garbage, but knew he needed to suppress it for the greater good.
"Come to bed," she said as the two stood up and fell into her bed. Ashley handed her ice pack to Shepard as she removed her robe, revealing her tan, nude body.
"I love you," Shepard said as he moved her ice pack onto her wound. "I'm sorry."
"You didn't mean it," she said, "Plus, you act like I can't take a punch." The two softly laughed as Shepard closed his eyes.
