Scientific Aftermath

The team sat at the table solemnly, deep in thought and waiting. Ashley was staring at the table while Kaidan was sitting next to her, drinking a glass of water. Ashley watched from the corner of her eye as Kaidan gulped down the entire glassful of water. As he sat the glass back onto the table, Ashley could see that he was nervous. He had enough composure to hide it from the others, but the way he furrowed his brow betrayed the anxiety underneath. Ashley gazed around the table and could see that this was true for everyone there.

Liara sat at the table, deep in thought with her hands on her lap. Ashley thought she seemed extremely tired, with faint dark circles and rings beneath her eyes. Still, she eyed the Asari warily. This alien was Benezia's daughter and despite everything she said, Ashley didn't trust her. They were family and family always stuck with each other, even if they didn't stay in touch. Ashley made sure that this Asari didn't leave her sight.

The hall was filled with the silence, everyone too stunned for words. Garrus began his tapping again after a moment while Kaidan stared at his empty glass.

"I had no idea that Shepard was a biotic," Kaidan muttered.

"She's not," Dr. Chakwas said as she walked out of the Medical Bay. "I brought her into this world, and no medical scan picked up any eezo nodules, or any biotic tendencies. No headaches, no fatigues, nothing."

"Well, obviously she is, doctor! She just showed us nearly an hour ago!" Ashley exclaimed.

Ashley crossed her arms and sighed. This was getting nowhere.

"So how's the Commander?" Kaidan asked.

"She's still unconscious, but she should be fine, for now," Dr. Chakwas said, leaning against the wall. "She was hemorrhaging when she came aboard. I managed to stop the bleeding but her brain took a beating, though it's not as bad as it seems. Surprisingly, it doesn't seem to be in too bad a condition. But she won't be awake anytime soon, there's too much stress on her brain at the moment.

"Says who," came a soft voice behind her. She spun around and gasped. Everyone nearly fell out of their chairs. Shepard was awake.

"You should not be up!" Chakwas ordered. "You need rest or you'll collapse at any moment! You're putting too much strain on your body!"

"I'll sleep when I'm dead," Shepard told her. "I know my body's limits. Hell, I've been living with it for nearly 30 years. I know every inch of what my body can and cannot do."

She shook her head and continued. "Besides, I won't be up for long. I just need a few minutes with my crew to talk about the mission. Since your all here I'll hold the de-brief right now."

Kaidan stood up and offered his chair to Shepard, who gladly accepted. Activating her omni-tool she quickly glanced at the data, it had recorded, before she was interrupted by Joker.

"You awake now, Commander?" Joker's voice came over the intercom.

"More or less," Shepard replied.

"Well, I'm glad to see that you're okay," Joker's sarcasm was palpable. "As far as I'm aware of, nothing can survive within an active volcano. Not even the Normandy. They tend to fry our sensors and melt our hull! So, as most super humans have, you must have some kind of ancient warrior sense that allows you to just plain know what's going on around you even when you're asleep. On that note, you're probably hearing this on a subconscious level, so I should just end this rant right here by saying that the Normandy is not meant to land in active volcanoes, for future reference of course."

"Joker, quick question," Shepard asked.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"How much coffee do you drink in a day?" Shepard asked him, tilting his head thoughtfully. There was a pause on the intercom.

"Apparently too much Commander," Joker's voice was barely a mumble.

"Okay, if you say so," Shepard smiled to herself. Some of the others also smiled along with her. Except Liara, who was just confused by the entire conversation.

"We…we almost died," Liara stated. "So your pilot makes jokes?"

"It's a stress relief mechanism; a human thing," Shepard told her, shrugging her shoulders. Liara stared with her mouth slightly agape.

"I…see," Liara said slowly, brushing her hands across her lap. "As you can tell, I don't have a lot of experience dealing with your species, Commander. But I am grateful to you. You saved my life back there and not just from the volcano. Those…Geth would have killed me or dragged me off to Saren."

"What did Saren want with you?" Kaidan asked her. "Do you know anything about the Conduit, by any chance?"

"Only that it was somehow connected to the Prothean extinction," Liara replied. "That is my real area of expertise. I have spent the last 50 years trying the figure out what happened to them."

Shepard cocked an eyebrow.

"Just…how old are you, exactly?" Shepard asked.

"I hate to admit it but I am only 106," Liara answered hesitantly.

"Only 106, she says," Shepard said aloud, mainly in shock.

"Damn!" Ashley exclaimed. "I hope I look that good when I'm your age!"

"Doubt it," Shepard replied. "Considering the fact that we humans wrinkle up as we get older, you'll probably look like Wrex when you're her age."

"Ha, ha, Commander," Ashley rolled her eyes, but smiled softly. "Don't quit your day job there, ma'am."

Ashley could see what Shepard was doing and some part of her felt happy for her. She was trying to get everyone to relax despite what happened, which was what a leader should always do. But in doing so, she was ignoring what happened. But still, she was happy for Shepard.

"A century may seem like a long time for a short lived species like yours," Liara admitted. "But among the Asari, I am barely considered more than a child. That is why my research has not received the attention it deserves. Because of my youth, other Asari scholars tend to…'dismiss' my theories on what happened to the Protheans."

"And what did your research turn up, exactly?" Shepard asked her, slightly curious.

"What is more interesting is what I did not turn up," Liara explained. "There is remarkably little archaeological evidence of the Protheans and even less that might explain why they disappeared. It is almost as if someone did not want the mystery solved. It is like someone came along after the Protheans were gone and cleansed the galaxy of clues."

"Or something," Shepard muttered.

"But here is the incredible part," Liara went on, sounding increasingly excited. "According to my findings, the Protheans were not the first galactic civilization to mysteriously vanish. This cycle began long before them."

"And this civilization that came before them?" Garrus asked. "What about them? Who were they?"

"I don't know," Liara said sadly. "There is barely any evidence on the Protheans. Even less on those that came before them. I cannot prove my theory but I know that I am right!" Liara clenched her fists.

Shepard almost smiled. This girl was interesting.

"The galaxy is built on a cycle of extinction," Liara continued. "Each time a great civilization rises up; it is suddenly and violently cast down. Only ruins survive. The Protheans rose up from a single world until their empire spanned the entire galaxy, yet even they climbed to the top on the remains of those who came before. Their greatest achievements, the Mass Relays, and the Citadel, are based on the technology of those who came before them. And then, like all the other forgotten civilizations throughout history, the Protheans disappeared. I have dedicated my life to figuring out why."

Shepard paused for a moment before he spoke.

"I believe that they were destroyed by a race of sentient machines called the Reapers," Shepard told her. Liara stared at him for the longest time.

"The…the Reapers?" Liara said slowly. "But I have never-. How do you know this? What evidence do you have?"

"I got mind-raped by a prothean beacon on eden prime. It burned a vision into my mind, but it's…chaotic. I can't make any sense from it."

"A beacon? Visions?" Liara said, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. Shepard nearly jumped when she exclaimed, "Yes! That makes sense! The beacons were designed to transmit images directly into the mind of the user! Finding one that still works is extremely rare. No wonder the Geth attacked Eden Prime! The chance to acquire a Prothean beacon, even a badly damaged one, is worth almost any risk. But the beacons were only programmed to interact with Prothean physiology. Whatever information you received would have been confused. Unclear.

"Well, you got that right," Shepard said.

"I am…amazed you were able to make sense of it at all," Liara said, almost wonderingly. "A lesser mind would have been utterly destroyed in the process. You must be remarkably strong willed, Commander."

"Okay, this isn't helping us find Saren, or the Conduit," Ashley angrily interrupted.

"Of course, you're right," Liara nodded her head slightly. "I am sorry; my scientific curiosity got the better of me. Unfortunately, I do not have any information about Saren or the Conduit."

Shepard sighed. It seemed that they had gotten nowhere at all. They still didn't know what the Conduit was or why Saren was looking for it. They had battled through the lava, went underground, nearly died at the hands of those working for Saren and they had nothing to show for it. Shepard looked at Liara.

Well, she thought they had something to show for it.

"I don't know what Saren wanted you for," Shepard said. "But I think we'll be better off if we brought you along. Plus, you'll be safer."

Liara looked at Shepard for a moment. Was she asking her to join her? Should she? If it were true that Saren was after her, wouldn't she just be a burden upon Shepard and the team? She couldn't join them if she would just get in their way. However, the way Shepard looked at her eased her doubts. The look said so many things to her. But the one that called to her was that she would be just fine. So, she stood up as she answered.

"Thank you, Commander," Liara said. "Saren might come after me again and I cannot think of anywhere safer than on your ship. And my knowledge of the Protheans might be useful later on."

"And your biotics will come in handy when the fighting starts," Wrex commented as he leaned back.

"Does everything revolve around fighting with you, Wrex?" Garrus asked.

"Of course!" Shepard answered. "That's the best part of the job!"

"Are you alright?" Shepard asked her, face full of concern. Liara's cheeks reddened as she forced herself back on her own two feet.

"I…am afraid I am feeling a bit light headed," Liara told him, trying to hide her face without looking like she was hiding her face.

"When was the last time you ate? Or slept?" Kaidan asked as he stood up. "Dr. Chakwas should take a look at you."

"It is probably just…mental exhaustion," Liara said, still trying to hide her blush. "Coupled with the shock of discovering the Protheans true fate."

"Yeah, I'll bet," Ashley muttered angrily.

"You say something, Williams?" Shepard asked.

"No, ma'am," Ashley lied. Shepard looked at her for a moment, and then accepted it.

"I need some time to process all this," Liara stammered.

"Still it couldn't hurt to be examined by a medical professional. It will give me the chance to…think things over." Shepard nodded.

"Looks like we're done here," Shepard announced. "Dismissed."

As everyone began filing out, Joker spoke to him over the intercom.

"Mission reports are filed, Commander," Joker told him. "You want me to patch you through to the Council?"

"No," Shepard said. "They reluctantly allowed me to join the Spectres. They don't need to know anything about me, my mission, or my crew. Fuck 'em!"

"Yes Ma'am!" replied Joker.