Chapter three is here early, folks! I took a part I had cut from chapter II, and expanded on it. Plus, I'm snowed in from work today, so I was able to go on a three hour typing/editing marathon. Don't forget to leave feedback!

Nick sat with his eyes closed for what seemed like an eternity. Would he even feel it? How would he even know if he was dead?

"How did you get that blood on you?" The turian soldier spoke, pulling the rifle a few centimeters back from Nick's head.

"What?" Nick mumbled, opening his eyes.

"That blood. How'd it get on you." The turian pointed the muzzle of his weapon downward, directing Nick's gaze to his pants. They were stained in blue blood, most likely from the dead turian he had tried to help earlier.

"Oh, that.." Nick blinked heavily, trying to cure his now blurring vision. He had one hell of a headache, and the constant ups and downs of adrenaline weren't helping.

"Well?"

"I'm a medic, and there was an injured turian soldier in there." Nick nodded in the direction of the dwelling he had just exited. "They didn't make it... I tried to help." Nick added, before the alien could ask.

"Stand up." The alien commanded. "Show me were he is... Slowly."

"Sure thing..." Nick stood up, careful not to make any sudden movements. "This way." He began walking slowly back the way he had just come.

"Keep your hands up." The turian commanded, following at a short distance. Nick walked cautiously, half expecting to be shot in the back. He came to a stop at the open door to the dwelling he had just been in.

"Just in here." Nick nodded to the open doorway. The turian studied Nick's face for a moment, then looked at the door. He took a step forward, then stopped.

"No. You go first."

Nick slowly entered the dwelling. He walked purposefully into the back room, letting the alien follow behind him. He went into the room, and went past the dead turian. He paused, and turned around.

"Thats my medkit, there." Nick pointed. "I found him just like that... Was hangin' by a thread, I couldn't do much to help him. He said a few things I couldn't make sense of." Nick explained. The still living turian was obviously shaken by the horrific scene. The alien knelt down, put an hand on his fallen comrade's shoulder, and bowed his head.

Nick let his eyes wander. He spotted the assault rifle that belonged to the dead alien, laying only about a meter behind himself. He slowly took a couple of steps back, bending down to grab the weapon. As soon as he had a secure grip, he swung the weapon up, bringing it to bear on the turian.

"Allright, asshole. Time for you to start answering questions." Nick spit the words out with a fiery intensity. The alien merely looked up casually, not looking scared or even surprised. After the two stared each other down for a moment, the alien responded:

"What do you want answered?" The turian was legitimately annoyed with this human, and it was starting to show in his tone of voice.

"Why did you shoot down my ship? The cargo vessel?"

"We didn't. That must have been the geth."

"What?" Nick lowered his rifle a bit. "You're saying the... the geth did this?"

"Yes. They're the whole reason we're here. We got a distress call from the human colony. They were under attack from the geth. Most of us were wiped out trying to defend the main settlement, and the only other remaining members of my squad were murdered by a human moments before I found you. Murdered by a human that walked into this settlement along side of you." The turian spoke faster as he explained, getting even more frustrated with the belligerent human.

"Bullshit. The fucking geth? Thats the best you can come up with after you attack this colony? After you... Massacre everyone here?"

"Its the truth."

"The geth haven't been seen outside their system for... years!" Nick had forgotten the exact amount of time the geth had kept to themselves.

"Thats what I said when we received the distress call from this colony... A Cerberus colony.." The turian said the name with a hint of disgust in his voice. "We had no obligation to help.. Especially a colony run by terrorists... But my commanding officer thought it would be a gesture of... good faith."

"Get out of my way." Nick brought the rifle back to his shoulder. There was no way this turian was telling the truth.

"The geth are out there. There is also another turian ship on the way. So you're either dead at their hands, or dead at ours. Unless you end this, now." The turian spoke, standing up. He slowly stepped to the side, obeying Nick's command to move out of the way.

"If I change my mind, I'll let you know." Nick carefully walked passed the turian, keeping a firm hold on the weapon. He backed carefully away from the open doorway, keeping his weapon at the ready. Nick was just about to turn and run, when the turian stepped through, having rearmed himself. The two stood about 20 meters apart, locked in a Mexican standoff.

"Make your choice now, human."

"Don't even think about it..." Nick bluffed. He was no weapons exert, and the chances of him pulling off a lethal first shot were slim to none. The turian took a sudden step forward, and Nick instinctively reacted. He squeezed the trigger, firing a burst over the alien's head. Nick turned and sprinted away, expecting to be shot in the back as he ran. To his surprise, that didn't happen. Nick dove for cover behind a metal crate, catching his breath. He looked out from behind the crate, seeing no sign of the alien pursuing him.

After a few moments, Nick stood from his hiding spot. There was no sign of the turian. No sign of anyone, actually. Nick began a slow wander into the center of the human colony. The whole scene was silent again, like it had been earlier in the forest. There was a few bodies scattered about the roads. Not nearly enough bodies to be all of the colonists, Nick noted. The rest of them could be hiding somewhere else, or have been taken prisoner. Nick began to smell the familiar stench of death in the air. A stench that triggered unpleasant memories, memories Nick tried hard to forget.

He stopped at another dwelling, this one more intact than the previous. He entered, carefully. The interior was virtually untouched in the apparent battle, and everything looked almost normal. Nick laid his rifle down on the kitchen counter. He grabbed what appeared to be a clean glass, and filled if with water. His eyes wandered over the countertop after finishing the glass of water. He picked up a family portrait that had been laying face down next to the sink. A good looking couple, most likely in their early 30s, stood smiling into the camera. In front of them stood a young boy, probably only 9 or 10 years of age. Nick began to feel sadness for what may have happened to this near perfect looking family. The more he stared at the photo, the more his sympathy turned into anger. Eventually, he tossed the picture to the floor, its frame shattering into glittering pieces.

Nick stood, turned, and grabbed his rifle. He stopped halfway out of the dwelling. Something had caught his eye. Something unsettling. It was the same feeling you get when someone sneaks up behind you, and stares into the back of your head. He slowly turned, keeping the rifle at a low ready. He saw a figure standing in the shadows, completely silently. The figure looked frail and small, only about 4 feet tall with thin limbs. It was the figure of a child.

"Hello?" Nick spoke. He blinked his eyes, trying to make sure it wasn't his mind playing tricks. The figure didn't move, appearing to be staring at him from the corner.

"It's allright.." He softened his voice, and knelt down. Glass crunched under his boots as he knelt. He gave a faint smile, trying to calm whatever nerves the child might have.

"Is this your house?" There was no response. "What happened to your parents?" Still, silence. Nick furrowed his brow, becoming confused as to why the child was ignoring him. He lay his weapon on the ground next to himself. Flicking at a few buttons on his omni tool, Nick activated its flashlight feature again.

The figure let out a horrifying, high pitched screech as the beam of light lit up its face. By the time Nick's eyes were off of his omni tool, the figure had lunged forward. It didn't hit Nick with much force, but it was enough to put him off balance. The child jumped on top of him, clawing and grabbing at his neck, while still making that bone chilling shrieking sound.

"No... stop it.." Nick wasn't sure if he actually even said those words aloud. He looked into the face of the child as it still groped for his face and neck. It was the child from the photograph, but it was different.

"STOP IT!" Nick screamed, kicking the child with all his might. The small figure was lifted into the air, and hit the wall with some force. It landed in a heap on the ground, its shrieking sounds reduced to low guttural moans. He shined his light on the figure again, and grabbed his rifle. He scooted himself backwards, his legs kicking at the ground franticly.

After a second look, Nick confirmed that the figure that had attacked him was the young boy from the photograph. At least it used to be a young boy. The figure climbed to its feet, and stumbled forward. The child's face was now a metallic grey, its eyes glowed a soft blue. Metal tubing weaved in and out of its skin, also throwing off a sinister purplish glow. Nick raised his rifle, and fired a single shot without hesitation. Bloodless grey flesh was sprayed onto the wall. The husk recoiled, instantly crumpling to a heap.

Nick stared at the lifeless geth husk for a moment. He felt a hint of regret. The regret didn't last long, as fear set in. Nick clambered to his feet and stormed out of the colonist dwelling. He paced back and forth, running a hand through his hair. He felt nauseous.

The turian was right. The realization came over him like a giant wave. The geth. The geth had been here. The geth had attacked the colony. The geth had transformed that child into a monster. Nick found himself staring at the ground, him mind racing. His head was pounding, but he didn't pay attention to the pain. He quickly weighed his next actions, and then took off at a slow jog. Nick still doubted the turian's true motives, but he hadn't been lying. About the geth, at least.