Alliance High Security Prison Facility
Abigail Shepard stayed in the wake of Paul Leighy, along with the rest of the squad, as they approached the welcome desk on the Prison Facility floor. Shepard peaked out from around Leighy's back side just in time to see the person sitting at the desk to take his old style newspaper, folding it neatly, and standing to face the oncoming group of people, a hand reaching for a side arm.
"What are you doing here?" He asked.
"Here for maintenance on the prison's electrical and ventilation systems."
"There wasn't anything about this in the log." The guard grunted.
"Check again."
He eyed them for a second, "Well I guess it wouldn't hurt," he said toggling his Omni-tool and bringing up the stations inventory, he blinked, "Well…you are on the dossier."
"Thank you."
"Still you guys seem a bit…much…to be put in here for this job."
"Oh?" Paul asked.
"Yeah just…" he sighed "never mind, go on through."
Paul nodded and they went, as a group, to the maintenance and entrance elevator at the far side of the drab complete gray corridor. When they were alone in the elevator, they waited five seconds, before proceeding to rip their coveralls and their business suits off; each one of them opened their work suitcases, and wriggled into their appropriate sets of armor appropriately.
"I miss the bunny suit." James remarked feigning disappointment.
"You better watch it James that thing was all sorts of uncomfortable." Abigail snorted over to the side.
"Well they don't wear them for comfort but so men can just sit there and drool." Cynthia pointed out grinning.
"Or women." Miranda pointed out.
Abigail and some of the gang, including Cameron, turned to her.
"What? Just saying."
Their conversation was interrupted before it could continue any further as the elevator shuttered to a stop allowing them to enter the corridor.
And it was just one long row of doors and indentation in the rock leading on down the corridor in an infinite series of cells, though only a few of these would be occupied at one time. Better to be safer than sorry I guess, Abigail grunted.
"Alright, this is it, split up into two teams and look for Keith, EDI will be able to help us from the Kodiak if you find him. Remember to stun anyone you come across. And hope we don't set off any alarms. EDI you ready?" She asked the ceiling.
"Affirmative Shepard." EDI replied in her ear.
Abigail un-holstered her Scorpion pistol as her squad followed in her of Miranda and Cynthia. She checked her corners as Cameron, Paul, and James, moved along the other side of the corridor in the other direction down a side group.
A guard popped up in front of them and Abigail fired the Scorpion before he could get even a 'hey!' out. Abigail looked around securing the area.
"Uh, Shepard, we don't exactly have a lot of these." Cynthia muttered behind her.
"Yeah, your point?" Abby quizzed.
"Well, I'm just thinking there are not a lot of overlord grenades, and we don't know how many guards there are down here…yet we have to stun anyone we come across."
She smiled wryly, "yeah maybe not the most complete plan in the universe but it's the only one we got."
"At least we have our weapons." Cynthia glanced at Shepard's Valkyrie hanging off the back port.
"Yeah," I hope we don't have to use them.
And they continued on through the labyrinthine structure, at least five levels of high security cell blocks, and at least a hundred cells per level, and of course most of these were not only not filled, but were in fact decoys.
"Hey!"
Cynthia's screeched out and disabled the guard before he could do anything else.
"That was too close," Miranda said, before her gun came up and she defeated yet another guard.
"I am actually a bit surprised by the lack of security and there aren't any mechs around." Abigail muttered.
"Its space, they have nowhere to go." Miranda paraphrased.
"Yeah, I guess." She sighed, "We need help, EDI?"
"Risking an active scan could alert the facility that we are here."
As usual Abigail muttered. "Alright EDI stay on it."
"We even sure we want to risk this?" Cynthia commented. "We are taking an awfully big risk for a total scum bag."
"A total indoctrinated scum bag, apparently that means he has information we want, that is something that we will need." Abigail continued.
"Well, yeah, but you and Miranda beat indoctrination, can't we just learn what we learned from you?"
"And apply it to a population of billions," Miranda pointed out, "and we aren't sure what the exact process is, the differences between Reaper indoctrination and Leviathan. And besides we just can't drag an entire planet in for psychological testing to get their demons all worked out, you know how long that would take?"
"Fine." Cynthia groused.
"Captain I may have a suggestion," EDI reported over the intercom.
"Shoot EDI."
"I can fake a power loss, that should open the cell doors currently occupied for emergency situations and to keep the air running as long as possible, but only the doors of any of the cells currently occupied."
"But that will alert the guards that something is up." Abigail commented.
"Yes but it should allow your Omni-tools greater range of access and then it should also prohibit their movement." EDI reported.
"And ours."
"I'm not sure we have a choice."
Abby sighed, "Alright everyone get ready, EDI, on my mark…mark!"
And, nothing happened.
Abigail glanced around, before the power started to flicker the lights went off, before emergency power kicked on and more lights gave a red sheen to the entire corridor. The human operatives hesitated for just one second more. Slowly they started to move, only to have shouts of despair and anger clouding echoing down the corridors.
"Shepard, the guard force is going to full mobilization and they are attempting to restore power and ascertain the problem. I have no specific whereabouts on Keith Faulkner."
"Good enough for me," Shepard replied gripping her Scorpion even tighter in her hand, "come on lets go."
The three of them started down the corridor only to have guards swing around the corner, and they were met with blasts from the Scorpion pistols which took them all out in a heap, quickly.
"Alright, we have to be running out of guards, right?" Cynthia asked.
"Let's hope." Abigail agreed.
…
Cameron Shepard rolled forward under a blast from someone's Eviserator Shotgun, he bought his Scorpion up in a two handed grip and placed two rounds squarely in the center of the assailant. And then winced, have to conserve ammo…at least that guy is going to be out for a while.
A new guard popped up with Harrier assault rifle and Paul dealt with him by firing a round into the door frame, then a second orb into the guy's chest causing him to crumple. Vega dealt with yet another guard who was trying to sneak around on the flank. Cameron Shepard brought his pistol around scanning the area, finding another guard moving around and firing into him.
"Dispatch, it looks like that cleaning crew that you sent up here is not exactly friendly, they are moving around, massacring us! Send help!"
Cameron grunted following the noise at a trot, when he spied the guard sending the message he went into a charge, slamming the guy against one of the doors and then slammed him again karate chopping him. And for good measure put one of the overload orbs into him.
Spying around he noticed one of the doors was open; he tip toed up to it, took a breath, and peaked around the corner. A man peered back at him with a full growth of beard and alert eyes; he was sitting next to a work station.
"Keith Faulkner I presume?" He smirked.
"Yes, and you are?"
Cameron hesitated for a second, "Someone who is here to rescue you."
"Well and why would you want to do that? After all you are in N7 armor, an operative of the Alliance, and I am a guest of the Alliance. This also assumes I want rescuing. I know my punishment, it will still stand."
"Mr. Faulkner," Cameron grunted, "There are things happening in the rest of the Alliance that you do not understand. Things that you might be able to help us solve."
Keith smiled wryly, "so there is some alien influence…Reaper maybe…behind all these news reports of the Alliance going insane. And you think my knowledge into Reaper indoctrination can help solve it?"
"Something like that, come on we'll explain the rest later."
Keith's smirk grew larger and his eyes twinkled, "As amusing as this is, that someone needs me, my crimes were still legitimate. My soul has been stained, and I don't know if I can trust myself getting near the Reapers ever again."
Cameron frowned, and hesitated, "Look Doctor I get it, the fear, the loathing, the need for personal redemption and atonement. But this could be your redemption. If f you save Earth from the very fate you yourself have suffered then you will have earned your life again, then you can be happy."
Keith sighed.
"As far as the Reapers are concerned, we'll make sure you are out of harm's way as much as possible, but as I said we'll explain later."
He sighed a second time, "very well, help me get this door open."
He heaved on it from the inside and Cameron went to work on the outside. After much heaving and pushing and Keith began to sweat they finally got the door open and Keith spilled outside.
Dusting himself up he smirked and looked around at the group, and his eyes widened. "Wait, James, Paul? What are you two doing here? Where's Shepard?"
James blinked at Keith and then looked right over at Cameron, then shrugged, "it's a long story loco."
"One we can explain later, we need to move, and the guards are regrouping and may wake up at any time." Cameron explained remembering Abby's words.
"Fair enough, let's move out." Keith grunted.
…
Abigail's Omni-tool buzzed at her causing her to toggle it automatically and bring it up to her mouth.
"Captain, we've retrieved the package and are on our way to the rendezvous point. We'll get there as fast as we can but,-"a screech interrupted him; "we are beginning to face heavier resistance."
"Acknowledged we are on our way, Shepard out." Abby said then turned to the squad. "Come on lets go we only have so much time before the mission window closes."
"We're running out of ammo." Cynthia pointed out.
Abby sighed, "If I had known that you going to the academy would have turned you into such a worrier I would not have sent you."
Cynthia snorted, "It's the duty of the subordinates to post the tactical situation to their superiors." She quoted sarcastically.
"Uh huh."
They started to move back down the corridor off in another direction but slightly down the angle they came down, when Shepard noticed a door was open, she felt a chilly trickle go down her spine and went to investigate.
She peaked into the door, it was barely lit and she could just make out a dark figure in the back shifting.
"Oh Abigail Shepard, I figured you'd be the one who would eventually come and get me."
The hairs on her neck, what she had of them, stood up on end, "You!"
The figure chuckled and came forward revealing the pasty white figure she knew all too well. "So are you going to get me out of here?"
"Why should I?" She retorted angrily.
"Because you are fighting legends, you are fighting the reason I am in here, the reason why I worked with the enemies of humanity to create the perfect army. You challenge the…what do they call themselves now? Oh yes, the Leviathans. And I can help you."
Abby's eyes widened, she froze against the door.
"Shepard we need to move!" Cynthia's voice broke through her consciousness like a mass effected gun shot.
Better to have it and not need it, then need it and not have it, her mind echoed back from the distant past. She dropped her head and sighed, hesitating just one second more. "Come on Cynthia help me get this door open!"
"Why?" The Operative said but moved to comply; together they heaved the door open with a very loud wail.
"Whoa, who is this guy?" Miranda asked as the occupant came blithely strolling out.
"I'll explain later, come on!" She started running down the corridor.
As they ran, with the occupant taking up the rear, she toggled her Omni-tool. "Cortez how do you feel about two passengers."
"Two Lola?" James interrupted.
"Yeah, they can fit, but we can't take any damage." Cortez reported.
Abby ignored James, "very well…we will try and make that not happen, Shepard out." She said brokering no further discussion.
They rushed out through the corridor to the central elevator, they had to hold for a second as guards rushed in behind them and the elevator came in behind them, just enough emergency power to use the thing.
The elevator rushed up, then to the side, depositing them in the central chamber just outside of the landing strip. Abigail had to hold the line as a small group of guards was waiting for them, they were dispatched to their particular dream worlds easily.
Shepard rushed out into the landing port as the Kodiak came down in front of them and the side compartment opened up, Cameron and his squad rushed out from a side door as Keith Faulkner trailed in his wake. Abby huffed moving.
"There they are! Its Shepard stop them!"
Abigail whirled around bringing the Scorpion up instinctively and firing. The guard took the orb in the chest and collapsed off to the side. More guards quickly replaced him and pointed their adventures at the group.
"Drop your weapons you're surrounded!"
"Retreat and cover, Keith, get back to the Kodiak!" Abigail screamed.
The guards surged forward, obviously intending to capture them instead of cripple them, a few of them fired over their heads, Abby didn't give them the chance to accomplish their task as she began to put orbs into them. Some of the guards stayed back and intentionally fired over their heads, Abby crouched giving them an even smaller profile, the criss crossing fire made it hard for the untrained guards to properly acquire their targets even if they wanted to.
Abigail had to fire again and again at the guards as one after another fell to her barrage. Until…
Click, the Scorpion ran empty and beeped, she reached for another thermal clip only to discover that she was fresh out, and the guards were squatting on the ones that were left. All around her she was met by the sounds of Scorpion's hissing and beeping as their owners reached similar states of empty Scorpion syndrome.
"Crap." Abigail muttered.
One of the guards rushed forward, seizing on his opportunity. Abby's hand instinctively went to her Valkyrie as it deployed in its back port, she yanked the weapon up and brought it around. Into the chest of a guard, the same fat guard who greeted them, his eyes widened, and he collapsed on the pavement bleeding.
Abigail felt her eyes close, as a stunned silence pervaded the courtyard. The guards looked at her, and then charged in a run, James brought his Harrier up and Abby brought the Valkyrie around as they both fired into the dirty causing them to scatter and hesitate.
Just enough to get them onto the shuttle, the door closed, and the shuttle rotated, and climbed ever skyward, to hearth and home.