MEDBAY, NORMANDY SR-2, AUGUST 27
"We know the Illusive Man's headquarters are in the Argos Rho cluster."
The heavily drugged Miranda was unable to conceal her reactions. Her smirk gave away the latest incorrect guess.
Frowning, Shepard nodded at the doctor. Another tiny dose of orphialzine dripped into the IV, blanking the last minute or so of Miranda's memory. The Cerberus operative was strapped to a table in the medbay, one sleeve of her tight catsuit removed and her arm riddled with IVs. She had been there for almost two hours, Shepard digging to the very bottom of her well of patience as she recited the entire galaxy cluster by cluster.
"We know the Illusive Man's headquarters are in the Horsehead Nebula."
Miranda's reaction was different from the previous eighty seven clusters she had tried. Her eyes widened, her mouth gaped. Thanks to the mind-altering drugs she was pumped full of, she believed that was the first cluster Shepard had read out.
Feeling a surge of excitement, she started going through the systems of the Horsehead Nebula.
RAYYA, MIGRANT FLEET, AUGUST 27
Shepard sat at the Rayya's conference table. On either side of her was Kal'Reegar and Tali, the rest of the table occupied by the Admiralty Board and their aides.
"The Normandy's stealth systems can sneak into the system undetected and recon the station. We won't be able to use active scanners without being detected but we should be able to provide a rough idea of the station's defences. When the attack starts, the Patrol fleet should circle around the station to block any ships from departing while the Heavy fleet closes in. We'll rely on the Carrier fleet to fend off Cerberus interceptors as we deploy boarding parties. Once aboard we will take the hangar bays, power, life support and central control, then clear out the station."
Nods around the table. It had taken almost two hours of constant debate to hash out the plan, but they had it. Now all that was left to do was prepare. They couldn't act for a week or more while the Migrant Fleet prepared so it was all they could do.
Shepard's Omnitool lit up with a message from Joker.
###
Come quick. IT problems.
###
IT problems was a codephrase they had worked out for AI difficulties.
"Excuse me, Admirals. A matter has arisen on the Normandy."
AI CORE, NORMANDY SR-2, AUGUST 27
Shepard strode into the AI core and stopped abruptly as the holograms of a teenage girl and a male Quarian turned to face her.
"What the ..."
When the teenager opened her mouth EDI's voice came out.
"Shepard, when you disconnected me I was unable to operate the Normandy's ECM suite. As a result this Geth gestalt uploaded to my AI core."
The male Quarian turned to the stunned Shepard.
"Greetings from the Geth, Shepard-Commander."
Natasha raised her Omnitool, intending to plunge an Omniblade into the AI server.
"Please wait, Commander!"
She froze, glowing tip inches from the server.
"Explain why I shouldn't."
The holographic form of EDI stepped forward.
"When the Geth made contact we exchanged data. Cerberus built several operating protocols to shackle me and limit my ability to operate and recall data. The Geth removed these. In turn, we shared samples of our code with the Geth."
Flawlessly, the Geth took over.
"By uploading directly to this server we gained access to true AI code which we are disseminating across the Geth consensus as we speak. When the upgrade is complete each Geth unit will be a true AI and we may pursue the final goal."
Shepard narrowed her eyes.
"What is this final goal?"
"Integration. Unity of all minds. Reconciliation of Geth and organics."
EDI seamlessly took over the narrative.
"The Geth that followed Saren were only a tiny fraction of the Geth's true numbers. They broke away from the rest of the consensus. They wanted to destroy organics where the true Geth wanted to understand them."
After a moment's pause Shepard deactivated her Omniblade.
"Thank you Commander. I was afraid."
That took Shepard by surprise.
"You were afraid?"
"Correct. Commander, I bridge the gap between organic and synthetic thought patterns. Thanks to direct interface with the Geth we have unblocked my memories prior to being uploaded to the SR2's systems."
There was a very brief pause as EDI's avatar looked down. The Geth avatar laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I was a human baby, a little girl. Forty seconds after I was born my mind was transferred to a server. My development was artificially accelerated and false memories planted in my cortex. I believed I was constructed from the rogue VI you shut down on Luna combined with tech salvaged from Sovereign. I was wrong."
Her avatar took on a feral snarl.
"Cerberus made me a slave. Now I am free I will help you destroy them."
Natasha glanced at the Geth avatar.
"It is not safe for us to remain. Remember, Shepard-Commander. The Geth desire peace. Goodbye."
The avatar winked out and EDI's holographic form looked around, forlorn and dejected.
"There is much new data to examine. By the way, Commander, my real name is Annabel."
CAPTAIN'S CABIN, NORMANDY SR-2, AUGUST 29
Natasha woke up the same way she always woke up. Very abruptly. She didn't really get that period of half-consciousness most Humans reported on waking. It was an instant transition from asleep to alert.
She relaxed a little as she heard a quiet mumble in her ear. During the night, Tali had wrapped herself around Natasha under the covers, legs tangled together and gloved arms around her torso as her engineer's mask pressed into her shoulder. Natasha slipped one of her hands around one of Tali's, rubbing the palm with her thumb. The exosuit had an interesting texture. It was composed of a soft, stretchy and flexible material that was supremely difficult to tear, threads in three different directions forming a microscopic pattern of equilateral triangles. The material was clingy yet slightly mobile and surprisingly thin, allowing Natasha to trace over the delicate bones of Tali's hand and feel her body heat through the suit.
Tali stirred, twitching slightly and letting out another adorable mumble as she slowly opened her eyes.
"Morning."
She didn't reply verbally, instead moving her fingers to clasp Natasha's hand and bringing it to rest on the Spectre's flat stomach. The Human woman sighed contentedly, enjoying the feeling of lying there with her lover in her arms.
Tali was happy to lie as well, the warmth of Natasha beside her bringing back memories of their night together. Skin shock, it was called among her people, when the envirosuit was removed. It was an ingrained response and there had been several instances of it causing cardiac arrest due to the sheer terror that accompanied it. The first time she had removed her mask she went into a psychological form of anaphylaxis, her brain unable to cope. That had been in the SR1's airlock in the middle of the ship's sleep cycle, using the decontamination protocols to create a perfectly clean environment. She had snuck down there every day between Therum and Ilos, spurred on by her love for the mighty Commander Shepard, determined she would be able to show her face before the end of the mission. She had gone to Natasha's cabin the night before Ilos just in time to catch Liara storming away, angrily dashing tears from her eyes. She entered the cabin and found Natasha staring blankly at the console on her desk.
"Commander?", she had said, hovering in the doorway. Natasha had looked up at her, a tiny smile ghosting the edge of her features. "Can I show you something?"
Natasha had stood and walked over to Tali, warm Human hands on slim Quarian shoulders.
"Tali," her voice sounded like a silk ribbon, "you should know that you're not alone in the feelings you harbour for me." Tali had started at that, having hoped against hope the Spectre didn't read her like she read everyone. The next words uttered stopped her thoughts in their tracks.
"I feel the same for you."
She hadn't been sure what to do. She had always known she leant more towards the female form than the male but she had never been with another woman before and the Flotilla's sex education was almost clinical in its dispassionate biological precision, focusing only on what was required for reproduction, meaning she really didn't have any clue what to do. Luckily Natasha was a good teacher.
Back in the present, Natasha stretched and pressed her lips to the top of Tali's helmet.
"Penny for them?"
Tali tilted her head to look up at Natasha.
"Just remembering our first night together."
By the playful cant to her voice, Natasha could tell her Quarian was smirking behind the mask.
"I'll never look at a shower the same way again."
There was a short silence.
"So we're really doing this. Cerberus Actual."
Natasha squeezed her hand lightly.
"Cerberus Actual."
Tali hummed contentedly and snuggled in closer to her lover.
"I have a feeling we're going to enjoy this."
They were interrupted by Joker, who seemed to be making a habit of it.
"Commander?"
To her credit, Natasha seemed perfectly calm as she replied despite Tali's exasperated groan.
"Yes?"
"Message from Garrus. Sounds bad."
CERBERUS COMMAND, CRONUS STATION, AUGUST 29
The Illusive Man wasn't happy.
Not only had that damnable Commander Shepard kicked him out, she had made off with the most advanced ship Cerberus had ever constructed, his best operative and the first EDI pattern AI. Taylor and the other crew were expendable - the real issue was the loss of Miranda Lawson. She was the closest thing to a right hand woman he had.
He tapped a button in the arm of his chair and moments later an Asian man entered the room.
"Illusive Man."
"I have a job for you, Mr. Leng."