~Paige~
We had to take down some more armatures and geth along the way until we were close to where Juliana and the others were.
"…anybody. Is there anybody picking this up?" The radio sounded.
"Get away from that radio!" We heard next.
"What was that all about?" Lizbeth asked.
"That's what I want to know," I murmured.
"…this is Juliana Baynham of Feros colony. Please help us…" Juliana said over the radio.
"That's my mom. Stop. Stop the rover!" Lizbeth said as we got to where Juliana was. She got out and ran to the hideout. We followed behind. We hid once we saw something going on.
"You can't do this, Jeong!" Juliana glared.
"Everyone shut up! Let me think!" Jeong shouted.
"What's going on?" Lizbeth whispered to us.
"You won't get away with this," Juliana said as a man walked up and grabbed her.
"Get her out of here!" Jeong ordered.
"Get away from her, you son of a bitch!" Lizbeth growled running out. We tried to stop her, but it was too late.
"Lizbeth!" Juliana broke free of the man's hold and ran to her daughter.
"Damn it! Come out here where I can see you! All of you!" Jeong called over. I sighed and we came into view. "Hah, Shepard. Damn it! I knew it was too much to hope the geth would kill you. I found some interesting facts about you in the ExoGeni database. I know what happened on Akuze. This doesn't have to end like that," Jeong told him.
"We can talk this out. Nobody needs to get hurt," John said trying to keep Jeong calm.
"You don't understand. It's not that easy. Communications are back up. ExoGeni wants this place purged," Jeong said.
"This is a human colony, Jeong. You can't just re-purpose us," Lizbeth glared.
"It's not just you. There's something here far more valuable than a few colonists," Jeong said. I glared and crossed my arms.
"You're after the one unique thing Feros has: the Thorian," I stated.
"The what?" Juliana asked confused.
"It's a telepathic life-form living under Zhu's Hope. It's taking control of the colonists there. ExoGeni knew all along," Lizbeth told her mother.
"You won't get away with this, Jeong," Juliana glared at Jeong.
"So you keep saying. But nobody's going to miss a few colonists," Jeong said to her.
"Can't you see the inherent potential in this colony? Think of the promotional opportunities!" John told him. I see where he's going with this. A way to stop Jeong from trying to kill everyone and from us having to stop him.
"Opportunities? What the hell are you talking about?" Jeong asked.
"They were recovered from an alien attack on a frontier world. Add that to your company profile," John told him.
"Well, yeah. No one's ever gone broke playing the 'champion of humanity' card," Jeong said.
"Sadly, you'd probably make a killing. But if it will let us get back to our lives, I'm for it," Juliana agreed.
"It just might work. Wait, no, but the infected colonists will throw a bit of a wrench in that plan. No, no. They need to disappear," Jeong said.
"You can't just kill the colonists. It's not their fault," Juliana glared at him.
"If you kill the Thorian, it might be enough to stop the infection. Maybe," Lizbeth suggested.
"It's worth a try, but I don't know if I can avoid harming the colonists," John told her.
"There has to be another way," Lizbeth said desperate to help the others.
"Maybe there is. I'm glad you've decided to help us. I think there's a way to avoid killing the colonists," Juliana told John.
"What did you have in mind?" John asked her.
"I think you could safely use a nerve agent to neutralize the colonists," Juliana said.
"Like a gas grenade," Lizbeth agreed.
"Releasing clouds of nerve gas doesn't seem like a particularly good idea," John said hesitant.
"It's not like its weapon-grade. The insecticide we use in the gro-labs contains trace amounts of Tetraclopine, a neuromuscular degenerator. If their nervous systems are already weakened, it may act as a paralyzing agent," Juliana explained.
"It's dodgy, but it just might work," I said to John.
"Sounds good. I'll do what I can," John replied to Juliana.
"Excellent. Thank you so much, Commander," Juliana said relieved.
"We'll stay out of your way until you clear a path. Good luck," Lizbeth said to us. We got the grenades and made our way out. Once in the Mako we drove across the skyway to make it back to Zhu's Hope. When we reached the door, we got out of the Mako to see some kind of creature in front of it. We shot it down till it was dead.
"What the bloody hell was that? There was no way that was human, infection or no," I said to John and Garrus.
"No hitting the colonists, even if the Thorian makes them fire on us. That's what the gas grenades are for," John told us.
"Ready when you are, Commander. Let's go for it," I told him. We then made our way in, knocking colonists out and killing Thorian Creepers. It wasn't easy with the grenades considering we didn't have that many. We cleared Zhu's Hope of the Thorian Creepers and made sure all the colonists were saved. I walked over to the Freighter Crane Controls and lifted the freighter. We were making our way over to the entryway when John turned pointing his gun. I looked over and saw Fai Dan.
"I tried to fight it, but it gets in your head. You can't imagine the pain. I was supposed to be a leader. These people trusted me," Fai Dan said grabbed his gun. I knew he was trying to fight it by how he was shaking. "It wants me to stop you…but I…I won't. I won't!" Fai Dan shouted before shooting himself in the head. I turned away from the sight. I felt John put a hand on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze. I grabbed that hand and squeezed before walking ahead. Once back at the entryway, John and I shared a look. We then started walking down.
"Okay, all we have to do is find this thing and shoot it a few…what the bloody hell is that?" I asked looking at a huge creature in front of us.
"That does not look like any plant I've ever seen. This may be…problematic," John noted. We walked up getting a closer look.
"This is bigger than I thought it would be," I muttered. Something then came out of its…mouth? It was a green asari.
"Invaders! Your every step is transgression. A thousand feelers appraise you as meat, good only to dig or decompose. I speak for the Old Growth, as I did for Saren. You are within and before the Thorian. It commands that you be in awe!" The Asari told us.
"You gave something to Saren. Something I need," John told her.
"Saren sought knowledge of those who are gone. The Old Growth listened to flesh for the first time in the Long Cycle. Trades were made. Then cold ones began killing the flesh that would tend the next cycle. Flesh fairly given! The Old Growth see the air you push as lies! It will listen no more!" The Asari told us.
"I won't let you keep your thralls. Release them. Now!" John demanded.
"No more will the Thorian listen to those that scurry. Your lives are short, but have gone on too long. Your blood will feed the ground and the new growth!" The Asari told us.
"Sorry, hun. Not today!" I said as she attacked. We then shot at her until she was dead and then some Thorian Creepers attacked us. We shot them all down before taking down one of the Thorian Nodes making the Thorian screech. "That's a start. But there' still bound to be more around here," I mused. We made our way up the stairs destroying more Thorian Creepers and other Nodes. We made it to the last Node and shot it down. The Thorian fell down and was destroyed. One of the pods opened and a purple skinned asari came out. It looked like the green one.
"I'm free. I'm free. I-I suppose I should thank you for releasing me," she told us.
"Is everything all right? Are you hurt?" John asked her.
"I am fine. Or I will be, in time. My name is Shiala. I serve-I served Matriarch Benezia. When she allied herself with Saren, so did I. Benezia foresaw the influence Saren would have. She joined him to guide him down a gentler path. But Saren is compelling. Benezia lost her way," Shiala told us.
"Are you saying Saren can control minds?" John asked. That would be a terrifying thought.
"Benezia understood Saren. As did I. We came to believe in his cause and his goals. The strength of his influence is troubling," Shiala told us.
"She tried to manipulate Saren. But in the end, her plan backfired," Garrus added.
"Asari Matriarchs are among the most intelligent and powerful beings in the galaxy. How could one fall under Saren's control?" John asked.
"Saren has a vessel. An enormous warship unlike anything I've ever seen. He calls it Sovereign. It can dominate the minds of his followers. They become indoctrinated to Saren's will. The process is subtle. It can take days, weeks. But in the end, it is absolute. I was a willing slave when Saren brought me to this world. He needed my biotics to communicate with the Thorian, to learn its secrets. Saren offered me in trade. I was sacrificed to secure an alliance between Saren and the Thorian," Shiala told us.
"Saren's pretty quick to betray his own people," John said, disgust in his blue eyes.
"He was quick to betray the Thorian too. After he had what he wanted, he ordered the geth to destroy all evidence of its existence. Saren knows you are searching for the Conduit. He knows you are following his steps. He attacked the Thorian so you could not gain the Cipher," Shiala told John.
"What's the Cipher? And why did Saren need it?" John asked her.
"The beacon on Eden Prime gave you visions. But the visions are unclear, confusing. They were meant for a Prothean mind. To truly comprehend them, you must think like a Prothean. You must understand their culture, their history, their very existence. The Thorian was here long before the Protheans built this city. It watched and studied them. When they died, it consumed them. They became a part of it," Shiala explained.
"So the Thorian taught Saren to think like Prothean? How?" I asked curious.
"The Cipher is the very essence of being Prothean. It cannot be described or explained. It would be like describing color to a creature without eyes. To understand, you must have access to endemic ancestral memory. A viewpoint spanning thousands of Prothean generations. I sensed this ancestral memory-the Cipher-when I melded with the Thorian. Our identities merged, our minds intertwined. Such knowledge cannot be taught; it simple exists," Shiala answered.
"I need that knowledge to stop Saren!" John told her.
"There is a way. I can transfer the knowledge from my mind to yours, as I did with Saren. Try to relax, Commander. Slow, deep breaths. Let go of your physical shell. Reach out to grasp the threads that bind us, one to another. Every action sends ripples across the galaxy. Every idea must touch another mind to live. Each emotion must mask another's spirit. We are all connected. Every living being united in a single, glorious existence. Open your eyes to the universe, Commander. Embrace eternity!" Shiala's eyes turned black as she gave John the Cipher. They were quiet for a moment before Shiala back away. "I have given you the Cipher, just as it was given to Saren. The ancestral memories of the Protheans are a part of you now," Shiala told him.
"John, are you okay? What did she do?" I asked looking at John with a little worry.
"I saw…something. It still didn't make any sense," he told me.
"You have been given a great gift: the experience of an entire people. It will take time for your mind to process this information," Shiala told him.
"You look a little pale. We should get you back to the ship," I said to John.
"I am sorry if you have suffered, but there was no other way. You needed the Cipher. In time, it will help you understand the vision of the beacon," Shiala told John.
"Tell me more about this ship Saren has," John said to her.
"Sovereign is alien. I do not know how it was built, or where it comes from. Its design does not match that of any know spacefaring species. It dwarfs any vessel in the Citadel or Alliance fleets. Its weapons are devastating; its defenses, virtual impenetrable. With it, Saren believe he is unstoppable," Shiala informed.
"You said Saren uses it to manipulate his followers," I pointed out.
"The indoctrination. There is an energy about Sovereign. You feel drawn to the ship. It makes Saren's arguments more persuasive, more compelling. Spend enough time in Sovereign's presence and you will lose yourself. There is no other way to explain it," she told me. I nodded.
"Now that you're free of the Thorian, what are you planning to do next?" John asked her.
"If you allow it, I would like to stay here with the colonists. They have suffered greatly, and I played a role in their suffering. I would like to make amends," she replied. I smiled a little.
"The colonists will need all the help they can get. They'll be happy to have you on their side," John told her.
"Thank you, Commander. May fortune smile upon you," she wished him. We then left the place and met up with the colony, mainly Juliana and Lizbeth.
"You did it. With the Thorian gone, we can start rebuilding for ourselves again. And we're free of ExoGeni's threats. We're back to being just a little nowhere colony. Thank you, Commander," Juliana said to John. We then left after saying goodbye to Shiala. Once back on the Normandy, we got out of our armor and went to the Comm Room where everyone was waiting. We told them what we found out.
"Commander, you look…pale. Are you suffering any ill effects from the Cipher?" Liara asked.
"The Cipher shook me up a bit," John replied.
"I might be able to help you. I am an expert on the Protheans. If I join my consciousness with yours maybe we can make some sense of it," Liara said to him.
"Do it. Hurry. We don't have much time," John told her standing up. Liara stood up and walked over to him.
"Relax, Commander. Embrace eternity!" Liara called as her eyes turned black. The two were quiet for a moment before Liara's eyes turned back to normal. "That was incredible! All this time. All my research. Yet I never dreamed…I'm sorry. The images were so vivid. I never imagined the experience would be so…intense. You are remarkable strong-willed, Commander. What you've been through, what you've seen, would have destroyed a lesser mind," Liara told him. I clenched my fist. We already heard this!
"Come on. Get to the point. What did you see?" Ashley asked impatient. She looked at me and sent me a smirk making me blink.
"The beacon on Eden Prime must have been badly damaged. Large parts of the vision are missing. The data transferred into the Commander's mind is complete," Liara informed.
"You sure you didn't come across any kind of clue or hint? Something we might have missed?" John asked.
"Everything I saw you already know. You were right about the Reapers. The Protheans were destroyed by a race of sentient machines. I think it's obvious there's a connection between the Reapers, the Prothean extinction, and the Conduit. But I didn't see anything that would help us find it," Liara told him.
"What's our next move?" John asked.
"I was able to interpret the data relayed through your vision. What was there, at least. But something was missing. Saren must have the missing information. Maybe he found another beacon. If we can find the missing data from your vision I can-whoa!" Liara held her head, dizzy from the thing she did with John. "I'm sorry. The joining is…exhausting. I should go to the medical bay and lie down for a moment," Liara said to him.
"We're done here. Dismissed," John said to everyone. We all left as John talked with the Council. I went to my cabin and started cleaning my guns. I heard a knock at my door after a little while.
"Come in!" I called. The door slid open and there stood John. I smiled at him. "How are you doing?" I asked referring to the Cipher.
"A little better, thank you," he replied with a small smile. I offered him a place to sit on the bed and he took it. "You know, we still have to finish that conversation from before we landed on Feros," he told me.
"Joker, now would be a good time to help me out here. Save me the embarrassment," I said looking up. John chuckled. "Where are we going next?" I asked him.
"Noveria, but the original subject," he told me. I sighed.
"Okay, yes, I have developed some sort of feelings for you. I won't let it get in the way of the mission, so you don't have to worry," I told him.
"I know you won't. I'm still trying to sort out what I'm feeling, but I do know they're positive," he told me. I smiled a little.
"Why would you even have feelings for little ole me?" I asked him raising an eyebrow. He chuckled.
"Paige, you're a beautiful, intelligent, funny, compassionate woman. I'd have to be an idiot not to like as more than just a friend," he told me. I blushed a little and tucked a piece of my black hair behind my ear.
"If I didn't know any better, Commander, I'd say you were trying to make me blush," I said to him.
"I'd say it was working," he smiled seeing the light blush in my cheeks. "So, before you went into military, what did you do?" He asked curious.
"Well, aside from school, I was a writer," I answered.
"A writer? What did you write about?" He asked me obviously interested.
"I was the type of writer who wrote about heroes. Finding a way to save the galaxy and getting the girl," I chuckled. He raised an eyebrow.
"I might have to read some of those stories," he mused.
"I've actually been writing…you've really become my inspiration. Once you stop Saren, people will wanting to know the details of what you went through. I figured through this story, you wouldn't have to worry," I told him. He smiled.
"That actually sounds interesting. Now, would be the girl I get?" He asked me. I smirked.
"We'll just have to see, Commander," I replied. "Now, you should probably get some rest. It will be a while before we get to Noveria," I told him. He nodded before sending a smile and leaving. I smiled myself and got some rest.