Del was so surprised she could not even be embarrassed that nearly a dozen people were staring at her. Not only had she never expected to see that familiar face again- and certainly not here- she definitely hadn't expected such a greeting.

The rush of conflicting emotion that passed through her was jarring. Old feelings she thought long buried rose back up and blended with her surprise, confusion, and ultimately, her hesitation.

Soft, warm hands cupped her face as the kiss broke, eyes as dark as hers meeting her gaze. "Thank God, you're safe. I only just heard you were the specialist Osco was after."

"Sammi…"

Suddenly seeming to realize her behavior, Samantha Traynor cleared her throat and dropped her hands, taking a half-step back. "Sorry, I shouldn't have done that. I just…it's good to see you again, 'Lilah."

"It's good to see you again too, Sammi-…it's just-why are you here?" Del asked. "Last I knew you were working R&D at a lab in Bangkok."

"Alliance transferred me to the Albany just a couple of days ago, when all this started to hit the fan. I've been assigned to help your pathogen research."

"I see."

Mordin suddenly spoke up, abruptly remind Shepard of the others standing around them. Feris only looked amused, arms folded and half a smirk on her face as if Del were a younger sister who had just done something indescribably adorable. Liara's expression was patiently neutral. For some reason, that bothered Del more than Feris's bemusement.

"Should get to work, Doctor. Much to do, much to discuss. Thirteen hours left at most."

She blinked. "Thirteen hours? I don't-"

"Wyatt was kind enough to let us know another missile or similar device will be detonated somewhere in the galaxy," Liara told her. "Another 'test', this time in a densely populated area. He gave us a maximum window of twenty hours, seven hours ago."

"What?" She felt herself pale. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"Needed you alert," Mordin reminded her. "Preliminary work on samples already under way."

"The Alliance and the Council have been informed, and protective measures are being initiated," Liara said. "We've got people working on tracking down both Osco and the supposed target area. Your concern is to find this pathogen and a way to cure it. Wyatt seemed rather confident that once you started to work, you would be able to tell us Osco's motivations and methods within a very short amount of time."

Her motivations? Her methods perhaps, but how can I possibly dissect the motivations of a woman who is clinically insane?

Mordin showed her the data they'd obtained so far at a nearby work console. He'd spent the time she was sleeping analyzing the soil samples from the initial impact site, which were showing a peculiar overgrowth of a native spore. While the spore growth was odd, odder still was no trace of actual recognizable pathogens in the samples. The same was true of the samples of the dead colonists both mutated and not, and those of the immune Domingo and the 'improving' Delphine. No viral traces, no bacterium carriers, no foreign bodies of any kind.

In the victims who had died of heart failure shortly after initial infection, large amounts of cellular damage was clearly visible, but there was no indication of cause- the cells simply seemed to have collapsed from nucleus outward. Initial invasion by the invisible pathogen in the sinus and mucus membranes prompted a huge anti-histamine reaction- resulting in wild sneezing and coughing fits- but in reality it was the collapse of cells in the heart and major vessels that lead to swift death via coronary.

In the victims that had gone mad, all damage seemed to be relegated to the gray matter of the brain. In those that had mutated, it was DNA only that showed signs of damage and wild changes to protein structures, prompting not only physical mutations but also mutations in the very functionality of cells. Red blood cells no longer accepted oxygen transference. The blood-brain barrier was broken down. Liver cells no longer processed toxins properly, the effect cascading until the mutations were no longer compatible with life.

Domingo's samples showed no damage at all, the most notable discrepancies in his exams a natural propensity for his body temperature to run slightly hot, and past gene therapy for natal diabetes. Delphine didn't have these propensities or any other that might explain a possible path to immunity. Instead, it was clear the invisible pathogen was working on her and actually mutating her DNA and cells…but instead of changing them in malign ways, it was actually improving the way her body functioned. Muscle fiber regeneration was at twelve times normal rates. Blood cells transferred oxygen more efficiently. Her organs were altering in ways that would exponentially increase their productivity.

She - as had been said earlier- was getting better.

Fluid samples that had been retrieved from the crash site almost immediately after release had a chemical makeup nearly identical to IV saline solution…and also possessed no pathogens. Despite this, tiny samples of the fluid injected into healthy living human or salarian tissue (cloned for the purposes of testing) showed immediate reaction in the form of cellular collapse or mutation. Though it apparently did not exist on any examinable scale in the samples, the pathogen remained quite deadly.

The spores were another mystery. They were native spores of a kind that dwelled naturally in the soil on this part of the planet. Normally fairly slow reproducers, this sample of spores was replicating at a rate nearly a hundred times their normal- though that process seemed to be slowing down. There was no apparent cause for it, and the new spores remained genetically identical to their parent samples.

It took her two hours to go over the current research data and catch herself up completely on what they had to work with. During that time, her concentration was such that she was barely aware of what was going on around her. However Del had always worked best when at least part of her mind was distracted…and right now, part was definitely distracted.

Samantha Traynor.

They'd met in the university, when they were both freshman. Traynor was there on an Alliance scholarship program, already enrolled military and being groomed toward Research and Development. Del was the spoiled rich girl who wanted to save poor children.

They'd become fast friends, and very soon after, something more. They'd been together for four years before life and circumstance parted their ways. They'd kept up writing and calling at first but eventually contact had just dwindled and died. Shepard had always thought of Traynor with fondness, but running into her here so unexpectedly…and that kiss

She felt her cheeks color again slightly, doing her best to put Sammi out of her mind. Focusing on the samples, she was in the midst of mixing a sterile, neutral saline solution that matched the PH of the infected samples from the missile site when she picked up Liara and Ashley talking.

Feris had gone out an hour later, changing her guard rotation with Williams. Del had been aware of the change only peripherally, paying it no mind. Liara had left about the same time but now came back. Though their voices were soft, Shepard could hear what they were saying. They were discussing what Wyatt had said about the second 'test' and the result of their notifications to the Alliance and Council.

Not actively eavesdropping, Del's mind was mostly on the saline solution. She intended to introduce it to a sterilized colony of spores and see if that resulted in the same overgrowth as Mordin's samples. If so, then it would be clear that the spores were simply reacting to the suspension fluid and not the pathogen itself.

Even so, she was subconsciously listening and evaluating the conversation taking place only a few feet away.

"The Citadel is on lockdown," Williams said. "C-Sec is using some security excuse or another to avoid panic."

"It took some convincing but Aria T'Loak is locking down Omega as well," Liara said. "We're still working on some of the major trade hubs, and we have the defense grids of most of the home worlds and colonies alert for any incoming foreign launches, as well as natural debris- in case Osco disguises her missile as a harmless meteorite."

"Wherever she's going to hit she's going to want to see her little 'disease' in action against a lot more people than were on Purdue. Wyatt did say a heavily pop- Doc…you ok?"

Shepard had fumbled suddenly, nearly knocking over a stand of empty test vials as she abruptly turned around and stared at the pair.

"Oh, my God…"

"What? What is it?" Liara asked. "The pathogen-"

"No, I- what you were saying. Wyatt said 'densely populated', didn't he? T-to Commander Hovin, I mean. Those were his exact words?"

"Yes, precisely. It stands to reason that Osco would want to see the effect of her plague on a wider scale-"

"But she would still want it contained for now. She's a scientist. You always test in controlled conditions. An isolated colony, for example, with a small sampling of one species. She doesn't want this thing getting out on a galactic scale until she releases it. For that reason alone she won't be hitting any high-traffic hub like the Citadel or Omega. Far too many variables."

"What are you thinking, Merah?" Liara asked.

"I'm thinking of the one population that is both contained and densely populated… a lot of people closed in a small, isolated space. The ship…the Percusses…Wyatt wasn't trying to halt the research or destroy the samples, he just wanted us to think he was. He was really there to test the dispersal of plague in a ship using the hydrolyzers and the environmental systems."

Her eyes were wide as she stared at them. "They're going to hit the quarians."


"Look, Tali, I know you are nervous-" Rael'Zorah said to his daughter, as the pair walked toward the docking bay.

"I'm not nervous," she replied. She was carrying a heavy pack over one arm, her long fingers fiddling endlessly with the strap. Pausing, he reached out and halted those fingers with a knowing look. She sighed, shoulders slumping a little. "Ok, not too nervous…"

"You will do just fine, Tali," he told her gently. "You are the smartest and most resourceful person I know…and you have far more going for you than I did when I went on my Pilgrimage."

"I don't believe that," she said. Behind his face-plate, he smiled a little.

"Well, do. Because it's true. I'm proud of you, Tali. I will always be proud of you, no matter what."

"What if I don't bring back anything useful?" she asked. He laughed.

"Knowing you, Tali…you'll bring us back the home world. No pressure."

She giggled a little, shaking her head. "Yeah, no pressure he says."

"Come on. Your Aunt Shala and Deefa are waiting in the shuttle bay to say good-bye. We shouldn't keep them."

They continued on their way, taking the small lift toward the cargo decks. Tali resettled the bag on her shoulders, trying to steady her nerves. Most of her was beyond excited to get out and see the galaxy, to experience all those places she'd only dreamt about. The rest of her knew that was exactly her problem, as well. She'd only dreamt about them. Unlike some young quarians, Tali had never set foot off of the Rayya, the ship of her birth. She well knew how much of the rest of the galaxy saw them- most considering them thieves, suit-rats, scum. She was about to be dropped into this entirely foreign and hostile place and for the first time, she'd be utterly on her own.

It was enough to terrify anyone, no matter how eager they were to prove themselves.

Just as they reached the cargo decks, her father suddenly coughed, roughly clearing his throat. Tali blinked at him in surprise. With their environmental suits, coughing was a sound quarians rarely heard. Not even dust could pass through the sophisticated air filters.

"Father…?"

"I'm ok. Just a tickle in my throat. I need something to drink, that's all."

"Are you sure?"

The doors had parted and they had started to step off the lift when another cough suddenly wracked him, violent enough to make him hunch and shake. Now alarmed, Tali dropped her bag, grabbing his arm.

"Father!"

"Tali, I can't-…can't breathe," he rasped, then sneezed, and again, wobbling on his feet. She tightened her grip on him, shouting toward the ship comm.

"Help! We need help on the cargo decks, section four! I need a medical team!"

He stumbled to his knees and she grabbed him even tighter. His body was shaking so hard it bordered on seizure, every breath wheezing in and then erupting in either a whooping, ragged cough or a powerful sneeze. No one had answered on the com, and as she looked around frantically for help, she saw four other crewmen collapsed or half-collapsed in the hallway, similarly wracked.

Then Rael let out a rattling wheeze, thin and drawn out like stretching rubber. He shuddered, suddenly going dead weight in her arms. Unable to hold him upright, she half fell over him as he slumped to the ground.

"Father!"

Horror slammed through her, and she gripped his shoulders, shaking him. "Father! Father, no…what's…what's happening?"

The others in the hall had all collapsed now. One was still gasping and wheezing for breath, but the others had gone still.

Something's gotten on board. Something's gotten through our suit filters! It's…it's not possible, how is this possible?

Her hands were shaking frantically as she accessed her omni-tool. A heavy sob broke out as her scan revealed that Rael'Zorah had no life-signs- a sound of pure grief and fear.

Raan and Deefa.

Surging shakily to her feet, Tali grabbed her pack almost as an afterthought, rushing frantically toward the shuttle bay. Though it was only a dozen yards away, she passed six more quarians. Two were limp and dead on the ground. The other four seemed all right, holding the dead or trying to hail the rest of the ship. Tali barely saw them as she ran past.

The shuttle was already idling, waiting for her. It was tiny, with room for little more than one or two within. As she darted into the bay, she tripped on the form of the launch technician slumped just inside the door. Pain barked through her knee as she fell sprawling, unaware she was still sobbing. As she got back to her feet, she saw her best friend.

Deefa was crouched, cradling her mother. Shala'Raan was limp, and Tali's heart seemed to crush even harder. "Oh, no…no no!"

She dropped in next to the pair, reaching for the Admiral's helmet. "Auntie Raan!"

"Tali, don't!" Deefa said, grasping her hand. Emotion trembled the edges of her speech, but Deefa had always been able to hold herself in a stern grip. "Are you sick?"

"Wh-what?" Tali asked. Deefa gripped her shoulder tight and gave her a light shake.

"Are you sick?"

"N-no, I-"

"Rael?"

"H-He's dea…"

"Come on! Something is loose on this ship and it's getting through our suits. We need to get out of here."

She grabbed hold of Tali and hauled her to her feet. The pair plunged onto the shuttle, Deefa immediately dropping behind the pilot controls as Tali closed and sealed the door. The younger quarian's hands were shaking, her heart feeling like it was going to thunder right through her chest. Pressing her helmet to the door, she felt the ground shift ever so slightly as Deefa lifted the shuttle, guiding them out of the bay and away from the Rayya.

She could hear the marine's voice as she tried to hail the ship…first helm, then infirmary, then security. When that didn't work, she tried to hail the Quib Quib, then the Moreh. Tali could only stand there, shaking and listening and feeling a chill sweat oiling her back underneath her suit.

Today was supposed to be the greatest day of her life. Today she was supposed to go on her Pilgrimage. Instead, her father was dead, her aunt, her family, her crew…her people.

How did it get through our scans? How did it get through our suits? Keelah, this isn't happening. This cannot be happening . He can't be dead. This can't be happening!

She was on her knees without remembering how she got here, her helmet still pressed against the closed shuttle door. She felt hot, slow tickles tracing along her spine and her temples. She dismissed the shaking and perspiration as a result of her emotions, her frantic run. She pressed a hand to the door, sniffling, and lifted her head.

Her skull felt thick, throbbing dully, and twice as heavy as it should. That, she could chalk off to a normal reaction as well…but when she looked at her hand, she could see shimmering lights around it, pulsing in time with her heart beat. Though her fingers were only a few inches away, the distance seemed like miles.

"Tali, no one is answering." Deefa stepped in away from the helm, going over to the younger girl and winding an arm around her shoulders. "I've taken us to a safe distance from the Flotilla but all the ships are drifting, and there is no response to hails. I've scanned the shuttle thoroughly, there's no trace of any kind of contaminant. We should be safe here until we can find help-"

"Deefa?" Tali said, her voice shaking and as distant as her hand.

"What, Tali? What is it?" Deefa asked, her arm tightening in concern. Tali looked at her, Deefa's helmet outlined in the same light. Tali was terrified, but it seemed so distant and detached as to be completely outside of herself.

"Deefa," she said again, softly. "I-I think I'm sick…"


"We have the Flotilla on scope," Jura said, her fingers already flying over the console even as Liara spoke sharply.

"Hail them."

"Quarian Flotilla, this is the Spectre vessel Aswa, please respond."

Silence.

"Quarian Flotilla, this is the Aswa- if anyone can hear me, please respond."

Liara's eyes narrowed as she looked out the viewscreen. The quarian ships were still distant, little more than ranked gleams of light from here.

The moment that Shepard had suggested the quarians would be the next target, Liara had taken the Aswa and immediately departed. Messages were sent and by the time they dropped out of the nearest relay, two other Spectre vessels and three medical transports had joined them. Messages had been sent to the Flotilla as well, but none had been answered.

Liara's gut was telling her they were already too late…and probably had been the moment that Wyatt had even suggested a second 'test' attack.

Jura repeated her message a third time, and Liara blinked as a voice suddenly crackled in response.

{Aswa, this is Colonel Deefa'Raan vas Rayya of the Flotilla Heavy Marines-}

"Colonel, this is Captain Liara T'Soni," Liara said. "We have reason to believe that the Flotilla may come under attack-"

{You are too late, Captain. If you are referring to some sort of sickness that can penetrate even our environmental suits, you are too late. Hundreds at least are dead aboard the Rayya, and neither she nor the other ships are responding to our hails.}

Liara lowered her head, before her jaw tightened. "What is your location, Colonel?"

{I was able to get onto a shuttle that was readying for departure, along with Admiral Rael's daughter, Tali'Zorah nar Rayya. I have been trying to hail the Fleet to no avail. All scans show we are the only shuttle to have departed after this…whatever it is…struck. I am sending you our coordinates.}

"We have medical vessels with us that can take your shuttle on board. Are you injured, or ill?"

{I seem to be fine, but Tali...}

"Is she ill, Colonel? Is she showing symptoms?"

{Not like the others. They all started sneezing and coughing before they collapsed. They died fairly quickly. She seems to be feverish, chilled, and sweating. She is terribly frightened, Captain…and I am not ashamed to say that I am as well.}

"Just stay calm, Colonel, and stay put. The Blakeny is heading your way, and will take your shuttle aboard. They can offer medical assistance."

{Can they cure her, Captain? Whatever this is, can it be cured?}

Liara's lips tightened, and she paused a moment, before responding gently. "We are working on that, I assure you, Colonel. We will do everything we can for your friend and your people. We will be sending security and medical teams aboard the Fleet vessels, to locate any survivors and provide every assistance we can."

{You will need the security protocols to dock. I am sending them now.}

"Thank you. We will talk again soon, Colonel…sit tight."

She could see the Blakeny heading toward the shuttle's coordinates, and directed Jura toward the nearest live ship. She would join the recovery teams to scour the vessels and see if they could locate any survivors.

If they exist, they will be few. The infected who are still living will be destined to mutate, or go mad. We might find a few immune or…'improving', as Delphine is, but they will be rare- two or three for each ship, at most. Add to that a hundred quarians- maybe two- that are away from the Flotilla right now…

Her face darkened. This test was more than just a few dead colonists. Gellian hadn't just attacked a small town now, she'd attacked an entire race of beings. There had been only fourteen million quarians or so in existence before this had happened. With only a handful that might have escaped…

We may end up charging her with genocide, as well as murder and treason. She may have just killed their entire civilization.