Past: 15 Years Post War
Ash walked up as Sundby and the others re-entered the Normandy, one of the N1's holding a cuffed and only half-coherent egghead who looked like he'd been worked over by a krogan. She grimaced a bit as blood dripped on her floor.
"Get him down to the infirmary," she said, before fixing Sundby with a look. "I take it he sang like a robin?"
"He needed some encouraging," the blonde replied.
"I see. Well, I have some more encouraging news. Liara's waiting to talk to you over the QEC in the conference room. EDI, I want you in there too."
The four of them- Ash, Sundby, Lane, and EDI- headed toward the conference room, Ash directing EDI to re-secure the room for confidentiality before nodding to Sundby to access the call. Immediately, Liara's small holographic form appeared over the table.
"I have good news," she said. "We were able to recover Tali safely. EDI, I am sorry but I am afraid your spare chassis is beyond repair."
"I can easily procure the required elements to construct a replacement. I trust it fulfilled its purpose admirably?" EDI asked.
"Enough for us to get Tali to safety unharmed," Liara said.
"She's all right?" Sundby asked. "Really all right?"
"Beyond being a little rattled, she is just fine," Liara said. "We were able to question one of the remaining mercs before he succumbed to his wounds. I recognized him. His name was Dr. Padrik Vehn."
"Also from this research station," Sundby said with a nod. "We have detained Dr. Hewitt, after he attempted to detain me. He informed me that he and the other two had departed the station a couple of months ago in an attempt to locate an unusual energy signature that matched one they found in the accretion disk of the Anadius phenomenon. They believed it would lead them to technology contemporary to the Cinch device."
"Did he say what they found?"
Sundby shrugged. "He said they found a mine or a cave, that some batarians and others were already there, and then started spouting off some insane drivel having to do with Alice in Wonderland. The Red Queen-"
"Off with her head," Liara replied softly. Sundby raised a brow.
"I take it your fellow rambled much the same?"
"Yes. I immediately began a search on the words that he used, and came upon quotations from the ancient Earth author Lewis Carroll and his works on Wonderland. I did not read much of them but from what I could glean, it is apparent that this Carroll should have had some professional mental therapy and guidance. I do not believe he was well."
Sundby smiled a little. "Well, that's a debate for later. What I want to know is why these two are quoting him."
"They have made an error," EDI said. When the others looked at her, she said, "If both men made reference to the Red Queen and then quoted, 'off with her head', they have made an error. It was the Queen of Hearts who was fond of decapitation. The Red Queen did not appear until Carroll penned Through the Looking Glass, and she was an anthropomorphized chess piece. They are distinct and separate characters."
"We have no way of knowing if such a distinction is important at the moment," Liara said. "What I am more concerned about is that their behavior is far too close to indoctrination to be of comfort…and that Vehn knew the name 'Iovino.'"
"The Reapers are gone," Ashley said with almost firm irritation. "Nearly every military out there has scoured for the last fifteen years trying to find any that might have escaped. The last one was found and destroyed years ago, and there are no signs that any others survived. All of the indoctrinated that weren't outright husked regained their own minds."
"I do not believe that the Reapers are involved in this," Liara said. "However, the Cinch used at Anadius was either contemporary to -or shortly predated- the relay and Citadel, items we now know may in fact also predate the Reapers themselves. If this odd signal lead the three researches to a new source of such technology, that tech may have been built by the very hands that constructed the Reapers and set in motion the Cycle of Extermination. It may very well be able to 'indoctrinate' in a like manner."
"Hewitt was kind enough to give me a location as to where this signal they were tracking originated from: Rakhana."
"The drell home world?" Liara looked surprised. "Rakhana is a dead planet, even more ravaged than Tuchanka. There is no longer an appreciable atmosphere, and the world itself is torn by enormous tectonic shifts, resulting in earthquakes and volcanos. If there is ancient technology somewhere on or under her surface, it is amazing it has endured intact."
"Even so, we've got to head there," Sundby said. "If other tech like the Cinch exists, then we definitely don't want it to remain in the wrong hands."
"The other trap…" Liara said softly. Sundby lifted a brow.
"I'm sorry?"
"The attempt on Irie, Tali's kidnapping- these were to lure 'Iovino' into a trap. However, in case it failed, they had a back-up plan. A way to bring the 'Killer of Galaxies' to exactly where they wanted her."
Sundby narrowed her blue eyes, then nodded. "Then this is now moot."
Reaching up she took hold of an almost invisible seam at her hairline, gently peeling the synthetic skin prosthesis off her face. As it pulled free, it revealed burn scars. Padded areas of the prosthetic changed the shape of cheekbones, chin ,nose.
Shepard looked at the false face in her hands, then shook her head. "Goodbye, Dr. Sundby."
The good doctor- invented by Liara and verified by every document she could plant on the extranet with her Broker resources- had served her purpose. They wanted Orthrus to be completely unaware that the synthetic on Araxis was not the real Shepard- at least till the last possible moment. It offered them the best chance to get Tali back safely, and allow Shepard herself to investigate the Anadius station without ambush, and pick up any leads there that might explain Dr. Kurat's odd new choice of occupation.
While Del trusted Ash and those of her crew still on the Normandy, they had to take in account how Orthrus had infiltrated numerous criminal organizations undiscovered, and how they had found the information that Liara was the Shadow Broker. They couldn't take even the smallest chance that someone aboard the ship was a spy.
Now, Orthrus knew exactly where Del was heading. Keeping up such a pretense was pointless. They would wait for her to come to them.
The blonde hair and blue eyes had been physically altered by a cosmetologist. The eyes were a color fill that would have to be removed- Shepard didn't have the means to do so herself. The length of her new hair was thanks to chemically bonding strands to her own natural growth. She could get it cut at her convenience but the color itself would just have to eventually grow out, or be dyed.
"Hang on, Skipper," Ashley said. She was unsurprised by the transformation, Del having filled her in on who she really was during their first debriefing. "We know there'll be a trap waiting for you at Rakhana. There's got to be a better way to do this."
"The answer to all of this is on that planet," Shepard said. "The Cinch was deadly enough to form a black hole, Ash. Any other technology of that kind could be even more catastrophic."
"We've only got the word of a lunatic that anything of the kind even exists-"
"Which is why the Normandy is going to do a scan of the planet and verify the same anomalous energy signature that they found in the accretion disc."
"If you insist on going to Rakhana you are not going alone," Liara said sternly. "We shall rendezvous with you there."
"That's fine, Tianlán, but without really knowing what's waiting for us, I can't risk an entire platoon hitting that planet. We don't know what Orthrus intends, don't know what they have at their disposal, and setting them off with heavy numbers coming at them could have incredibly dangerous consequences. I'll see what else we can get from Hewitt, and we'll plan accordingly- but if it comes down to it, I will go to the surface alone."
"See what you can discover from Hewitt," Liara said, her tone firm. "We shall discuss the size of the landing party in person. T'Soni out."
Blonde or no, in a proper uniform and bearing a stern scowl on her scarred face, Del was every inch as intimidating as she had ever been. Hewitt had been treated in the infirmary and now sat in the Normandy's brig, small and bowed like a child waiting to be punished.
"Tell me more about this cave you found," she said.
"The signal lead right to it," he replied. His voice was still thick and stuffy, though his broken nose had been treated and repaired. "Nothing remarkable about the cave itself…just a lopsided crack in the rock-face. It was very near a fault line, and looked like it had been exposed by a quake. Th-there were guards-"
"Guards?"
"Yes, men at the entrance with rifles. Sentries. By the time we saw them it was too late. A patrol came upon us. M-most batarian. Some human w-with these weird silver lines on their faces. They didn't say a word, just pointed their guns at us, bound our wrists, and took us into the cave."
"These 'lines' on the humans. Did they look like metal threads?"
"Y-yes…they were kind of, just…growing out of the edges of their eyes, or from their temples. Spreading out like veins."
Del knew who those men were. Shiva indoctrinated- former Cerberus who had been experimented on and then vanished when the Illusive Man was killed. With Shiva's control gone, they were clearly not under that particular influence any more, but there was no telling what kind of damage their minds had undergone.
The batarians were another issue. Over ninety-five percent of their people had been killed when the Reapers first entered the Milky Way. The remnants were incredibly scattered and seemed to keep to themselves- the ones that weren't trying to kill Del for destroying the Bahak system, anyway.
"Go on."
"The cavern was at least a couple of kilometers deep. At times it was so narrow we could only go single file. It sloped a bit now and again, and volcanic glass made the footing slippery. A-about halfway, the natural stone gave way to…to architecture. It was horribly worn, and the rock had grown through in many places, b-but I could see the even lines, the construction. Th-then the c-cave at the end…"
He seemed to get more distressed as he talked, breaking off when he started trembling, shaking his head frantically. "I d-don't remember, I don't know, it…the Red Queen, the Red Queen…she's…she's through the glass. Off with her head! Iovino…b-b-betray-…"
He broke down, started sobbing. No matter how she asked, pressed, or even threatened him, he gave her nothing more than stammers and sobs and great whooping breaths. Finally, she had the medic come in and sedate him.
'Through the glass' and the initial description of the cavern were the only new bits of intel she'd gotten. 'Through the glass' itself seemed to only be another inexplicable reference to Alice in Wonderland.
The only way we're going to find out any more is to go down the rabbit hole ourselves, she thought as she went to inform Liara of what Hewitt had said.
The Normandy had already set course for Rakhana. According to her wife, they were also on their way. Tali had contacted her family, tearfully assuring her husband that she was fine and safe, and that she'd be home soon. In the meantime, she was along with them for the ride, refusing any alternate transport back to Rannoch.
Just past the relay, the three ships rendezvoused- the Normandy, Jack's Banter, and Riot's command ship, which was ten times the size of the others. The Banter and the Normandy connected at their airlocks, and Liara was over to the other ship immediately, with Tali and the N1s on her heels. Shepard instantly hugged the quarian tight, reassuring herself that her Mei Mei was just fine.
The reunion was necessarily brief, and they immediately set themselves to planning their next move.
"According to Hewitt, the cavern sounds like just a natural crack in Rakhana's crust, opened by a quake and joining purely by accident to the much deeper, artificially formed structure," Shepard told them. "Whenever it comes to describing what happened after he entered this chamber, he reduces to blubbering and repeating nonsense about Alice in Wonderland."
"We have verified the odd energy signature," Liara said. "It is weak but it is also shielded by radiation, atmospheric disturbance, and apparently nearly two kilometers of rock and dirt. Taking into account that sort of dampening, we are looking at a source roughly two hundred times the size of the Cinch. It is clear some sort of indoctrination is taking place."
"Hewitt described humans with Shiva's biocybernetic threading," Shepard said. "As well as batarians."
Liara's brow wrinkled in thought. "It could be that previously indoctrinated individuals, released from the source of their original control, remain incredibly sensitive to alternate forms of similar control. I have pulled medical reports from around the galaxy, and most of those we can verify were released from the Reaper's control, continue to suffer anxieties, neurological imbalances, and seem highly susceptible to suggestion. That stands true for former Cerberus who underwent Shiva alterations as well."
"What does that mean?" Tali asked.
"It means that it is possible a small group of ex-Cerberus hid on Rakhana in an attempt to avoid justice, after the war ended. Being a hostile world there are few that would look for them in such a place. There, they accidentally encountered the source of this strange energy signature, and found themselves almost immediately and quite efficiently under its sway."
"What about Hewitt and his two buddies from Anadius," Ashley asked. "They went through extensive vetting before being put on that project. If they'd been among the indoctrinated, it'd be known, and they wouldn't have been within a thousand light years of any important research station."
Liara nodded. "That is where the theory breaks down. I looked into their histories myself, and none of the three were ever under coercion…by the Reapers or Shiva. Then again, Orthrus is not strictly human as Cerberus was. Among those that attacked the recital and those on Araxis were vorcha, turians, and drell. It is possible- even likely- that the converted Cerberus agents recruited others…brought them to Rakhana and the source of their control, holding them there for a short period of time until its influence could convert them as well."
"Which means that anyone that goes into that cave runs the risk of being 'converted' just like they were," Tali said.
"Fuck it," Lane spoke up. She'd been standing with Bax and Fu nearby, silently listening. As eyes turned to her she said, "They don't have a hostage down there. Between the Normandy and the rachni ship there's more than enough firepower, and a fault line right near the source of that signal. Few well-placed shots and the whole place is a lava pool for a hundred kilometers."
Tali looked at Del. "I can see why she's your protégée, Jie Jie. She likes making big explosions."
"Well, why not? So far that's the best idea I've heard all day," Ash said. "Send hell down on them and walk away."
Shepard scowled thoughtfully a moment, then shook her head. "No. We can't risk it. Without knowing what this tech is, exactly, we don't know what will happen if we try and destroy it. It's two hundred times bigger than that Cinch, and that was enough to destroy a star and its system."
"So we just go down there? Knock on their door and say 'hey?'"
"They want me," Shepard said firmly. "And I want answers. How did they find out that Liara is who she is? Where the fuck did they get the name Iovino? And how can I safely bury the goddamn lot of them and this mysterious 'Red Queen' under ten billion gallons of molten rock?"
"Del, you can't just walk in there and-"
"Fuck that," Shepard said angrily. "They threatened my family, kidnapped Tali, and fuck only knows what else they have up their sleeve-"
"Exactly Shepard," Tali said firmly. "You have a family now. Daughters. You can't just throw yourself into the fire and hope you can beat your way out of it!"
"What other option do we really have?" Del asked. "We can't do a full on assault, it's too far underground and with too narrow a passageway. We can't blow it from orbit until we know exactly what we're dealing with, and we certainly can't just ignore it."
"I refuse to believe we have no other option than just you giving yourself up and hoping for the best," Liara said heatedly.
Del sighed and wiped a hand over her face. "No, that's not going to happen either, but we need to risk as few as is possible."
"I am going with you," Liara and Tali both said in unison. Shepard blinked at them, then shook her head.
"No. Li, no. If something happens I don't want Mel and Irie losing both their-"
"I am not staying behind! If nothing else, my expertise may be vital down there."
"She is the archaeologist, Shepard," Ash told her. "Not to mention the smartest person I know."
Shepard's glare could have cut steel, but Ash didn't so much as blink under the weight of it, defying Del to tell her she was wrong. A silent argument passed between them before Shepard sighed angrily and straightened.
"All right, here's what I propose. Myself, Lane, and Liara will go down-"
"Shepard-" Tali started to protest.
"Mei Mei, do not make me order Ash to throw you in the goddamn brig!"
Tali's mouth shut with an audible click, but her glower of frustration did not abate.
"Myself, Lane, and Liara will go down," Shepard repeated firmly. "Ashley, you and the rest of the N class will shadow us down. Stay close enough for a signal but do not encroach until you get that signal or the shit hits the fan. The rachni can stand by and cover our exit. If for any reason this mission fails or the appropriate signal is sent by me, the ships will hit that fault line and take out the whole area. Is that understood?"
There was a general murmur of assent. She nodded again. "All right. We have two hours until we reach Rakhana. We have that long to make sure we've taken every measure to get out of there again intact and with our brains unscrambled. Let's get to it people."
Present: 217 Years Post War
Night had fallen on New York, but the famous 'city that never sleeps' was more than living up to its name. For days now, the city had seen a massive influx of people from every species, all desiring to at least catch a glimpse of the funeral procession the following morning and the honor of paying their respects in person as much as they were able. Authorities and hospitality workers were putting in overtime to make sure everyone was housed, fed, and kept in order.
Liara could see none of it from their appointed quarters. Their view looked out high over the city, which from this vantage seemed almost still and peaceful, glittering in the black like jewels set on ebony cloth.
Mel had arranged for food to be sent up and they had eaten the best they could. Liara barely made a pretense of her own efforts, and her daughters didn't press her overmuch.
Mel's omni-tool lit just as they finished clearing things, and she tapped it. "Dae and the others are here," she said, immediately heading for the door. Liara didn't turn around until she heard the heavy tread of boots on the polished floor.
Grunt's sky blue eyes fixed on her as he entered, now a mature and robust krogan male just entering his prime. He had been scarred badly in the War, tears across his face pulling his lip up on that side and making him seem to eternally sneer. Behind him came a pair of half-grown krogan- both boys, and both with those same sky blue eyes.
Grunt's eldest, Shep and Dug.
Liara parted from the window and she walked over as Grunt came to meet her, the two wordlessly embracing. In truth, Grunt had always been Del's first child. She'd made herself his role-model and mentor, and she was the closest to a mother he had ever come. He would hide it well, being krogan, but she knew that this was hitting him just as hard as it was Irie and Melara.
"It's good to see you again, Blue," he said affably, but his big hand on her back was gentle.
"Solus did not come?" she asked, inquiring after Wrex's boy. Solus had been born almost immediately following the cure of the genophage, with only the length of the average krogan gestational period to separate the two events. Since his father's death, Solus had become one of the most commanding and respected voices in Krogan government.
"He's here," Grunt said, releasing her. "Figured he didn't want to crowd you too much. That, and I think he spotted a cute asari wandering past. Huh. With the Genophage cured I never saw the appeal of asari over a good krogan woman- no offense, Blue."
"None taken," she said with a smile she did not feel on her face. "I am glad you are here, Grunt."
He looked at her seriously. "She was my battlemaster…and the greatest friend I ever had. It is my honor to shout her deeds with my brothers until the very heavens shake. If there is a life after this one, they will hear our voices and know the greatest warrior ever to walk the stars is coming to beat them into shape."