3 - Ticking Hands
"This place again, huh?" remarked Steve Cortez, laying his shuttle to rest with care. "Gambling's never been my type of thing, but the restaurants around here? Absolutely." Having been given a lift, Shepard arrived at the Silversun Strip well within time of his meeting with Kasumi Goto. "Here you go then! Just let me open the-" Cortez began in good spirits, turning towards Shepard, who had been staring into seemingly nothing for a long moment. After a moment's thought, the pilot questioned "You okay, Shepard?"
[Option 1] Startled, the commander turned his gaze towards his friend. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm… good. Just tired, that's all."
[Option 2] Shepard continued to gaze for a long while before simply replying "I should get going". His voice was stone. Emotionless.
[Option 3] Shepard sighed longingly and turned his attention slowly towards his friend. "Steve, just open the door please."
[Option 1 consequence] Motioning to open the shuttle's door, Cortez said "Alright, then don't let me keep you waiting!" once again in high spirits. Or at least he was keeping them up for Shepard's sake. Even not knowing what was wrong with Shepard, it was perfectly clear to the pilot that something was wrong.
[Option 2 consequence] Cortez hesitated, before asking his question once again. "Shepard? You didn't answer my question. Are you okay?" His voice was colder this time. More serious.
[Option 2.1] Taken aback slightly, Shepard turned his attention towards his friend. "Sorry. Yeah… Yeah, I'm fine."
[Option 2.2] "I really should get going" Shepard replied. His eyes remained fixated towards seemingly nothing.
[Option 2.3] "Steve, please just open the door." Shepard said, as he turned slowly and longingly towards his friend.
[Option 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 consequence] "If you say so, Shepard." Cortez sighed, and motioned to open the shuttle's door. It almost felt like a conceding.
[Option 3 consequence] "Just looking out for a friend Shepard. That's all."

Cortez motioned to open the shuttle's door. Shepard swivelled round and climbed out of the shuttle gingerly. A tentative worry engulfed his thoughts. "So where exactly are you headed? Anywhere nice? I could do with going someplace nice."
[Option 1] Shepard turned slowly back towards Steve and leaned his hand on the shuttle's open door. He simply couldn't make eye contact, and stared past the pilot, further into the shuttle. "Steve… I think we're in danger. Kasumi says that the Normandy is compromised," began Shepard, whose voice was reduced to a whisper. "I've never been so alone in a threat from someone so faceless," Shepard continued, still staring past his friend. "I'm meeting her now. At least until I know more, please don't go back there, Steve. And… don't mention this to anyone else."
[Option 2] Shepard turned back slowly towards Cortez's shuttle and leaned his hand on the open door. "I'm… meeting a friend at my apartment. Haven't seen her since the war ended." His heart sunk when he realised that he couldn't spit out the truth about the Normandy to Steve, the pilot that had saved the commander's life more than once. Shepard found himself unable to repay his friend by simply warning him about the Normandy's safety. He had to keep quiet, at least until he knew more from Kasumi.
[Option 3] Hearing Cortez's question, Shepard simply ignored the pilot and began walking slowly away from Steve's shuttle.
[Option 1 consequence] For a slight moment, Cortez felt like he had lost the concept of words. Finally he managed to mutter a barely audible "I-I don't know what to say to that. You're saying there's a mole on the Normandy?" Steve's voice was now borderline incredulous. "All this time, and we've never had a problem with the Normandy's security," Cortez continued. "Surely it's got to be someone who's been part of the crew for some while, Shepard. Somebody with ties to notable organisations would never get through the Alliance's recruiting system for the Normandy without your say so. They're supposed to perform regular background checks on crew, but I've heard that the Alliance have been cutting down on frequency lately." The pilot looked slowly up at Shepard and nodded. "Alright, I'll stay here on the Silversun Strip. And I'll keep my mouth shut. It might be a little while until I see you again, so stay safe." After a moment's hesitation, Shepard returned the nod and turned towards the Silversun Strip's main walkway, removing his hand from the shuttle door.
[Option 2 consequence] "Alright, have fun, Shepard!" Steve replied, spirits high. The Commander's heart sunk even further when Cortez motioned to shut the door and continued "I'll head back to the Normandy. Catch up with you in a bit."
[Option 2.1] "Cortez! Wait!" Shepard yelled, much louder than he had intended. Albeit, it didn't matter much at the moment. "Steve… I think we're in danger. Kasumi says that the Normandy is compromised," began Shepard, whose voice was reduced to a whisper. "I've never been so alone in a threat from someone so faceless," Shepard continued, staring at his friend intensely. "I'm meeting her now. At least until I know more, please don't go back there, Steve. And… don't mention this to anyone else."
[Option 2.2] Still, the Commander chose to keep quiet against everything his brain urged him to do. "Will do, Steve. Travel safe."
[Option 2.3] Shepard stood and watched the shuttle door close. Did nothing, as his friend disappeared from sight. But it was the best he could do.
[Option 2.1 consequence] For a slight moment, Cortez felt like he had lost the concept of words. Finally he managed to mutter a barely audible "I-I don't know what to say to that. You're saying there's a mole on the Normandy?" Steve's voice was now borderline incredulous. "All this time, and we've never had a problem with the Normandy's security," Cortez continued. "Surely it's got to be someone who's been part of the crew for some while, Shepard. Somebody with ties to notable organisations would never get through the Alliance's recruiting system for the Normandy without your say so. They're supposed to perform regular background checks on crew, but I've heard that the Alliance have been cutting down on frequency lately." The pilot looked slowly up at Shepard and nodded. "Alright, I'll stay here on the Silversun Strip. And I'll keep my mouth shut. It might be a little while until I see you again, so stay safe." After a moment's hesitation, Shepard returned the nod and turned towards the Silversun Strip's main walkway, removing his hand from the shuttle door.
[Option 2.2 consequence] And with that, the door closed and Cortez's shuttle took off. Whatever Shepard could have said couldn't be said now. Not without risking speaking over the Normandy crew's comms system. Shepard turned towards the Silversun Strip's main walkway and loomed ahead.
[Option 2.3 consequence] Cortez's shuttle took off and drifted out of sight. Shepard turned towards the Silversun Strip's main walkway and loomed ahead.
[Option 3 consequence] "Shepard?" Steve called out as he leaned towards the shuttle's open door. A 'thank you' would be a nice sentiment.
[Option 3.1] Shepard turned slowly back towards Steve and leaned his hand on the shuttle's open door. He simply stared intensely towards the ground. "Steve… I think we're in danger. Kasumi says that the Normandy is compromised," began Shepard, whose voice was reduced to a whisper. "I've never been so alone in a threat from someone so faceless," Shepard continued, still staring downwards. "I'm meeting her now." The Commander looked up and their eyes met. "At least until I know more, please don't go back there, Steve. And… don't mention this to anyone else."
[Option 3.2] Still, Shepard remained to walk slowly away from Steve's shuttle, ignoring his question.
[Option 3.3] The pilot's begging triggered something in Shepard, and his stature embodied something completely different almost instantaneously. Spinning around in rage, the Commander made no secret of his anger. "Cortez, where 'exactly' I'm headed is my own damn business!"
[Option 3.1 consequence] For a slight moment, Cortez felt like he had lost the concept of words. Finally he managed to mutter a barely audible "I-I don't know what to say to that. You're saying there's a mole on the Normandy?" Steve's voice was now borderline incredulous. "All this time, and we've never had a problem with the Normandy's security," Cortez continued. "Surely it's got to be someone who's been part of the crew for some while, Shepard. Somebody with ties to notable organisations would never get through the Alliance's recruiting system for the Normandy without your say so. They're supposed to perform regular background checks on crew, but I've heard that the Alliance have been cutting down on frequency lately." The pilot looked slowly up at Shepard and nodded. "Alright, I'll stay here on the Silversun Strip. And I'll keep my mouth shut. It might be a little while until I see you again, so stay safe." After a moment's hesitation, Shepard returned the nod and turned towards the Silversun Strip's main walkway, removing his hand from the shuttle door.
[Option 3.2 consequence] Cortez was worried about Shepard. This was out of character. He wasn't going to turn back, however, so the pilot took off and drifted out of sight. Shepard turned towards the Silversun Strip's main walkway and loomed ahead.
[Option 3.3 consequence] "I… don't think I was out of line there, Shepard." Cortez replied. He hesitated before closing the shuttle's door and taking off. Shepard turned towards the Silversun Strip's main walkway and loomed ahead.

The area was fluttered with life. Everyone who passed and went had a sort of rushed calmness to them. It disturbed Shepard. Anyone of these humans and aliens could be conspiring against him and the Normandy. Kasumi was hiding in the shadows when she had contacted him for a reason.
He was sat at a café table not a few blocks down from where he was dropped off, analysing each and every human and alien that came into sight and passed out of it. That Shepard had arrived early was no accident, of course. He had planned to wait until he was a little late, in order to seek out anyone set up to follow him-or worse. The Commander had chosen his table specifically so that he could see the corridor leading to his apartment elevator. Shepard wasn't out of sight by any means, but it was the best he could do without seeking help. And that was a huge risk in itself.
An asari sat down on a table just down from Shepard, pulled out a datapad and began typing frantically. She could have been doing anything, setting up anything. The chances of the alien doing anything other than browsing the extranet? Slim, but unknown. It was impossible to keep his eye on everyone, and that was incredibly unnerving to Shepard.
It was now merely minutes until Kasumi had arranged to meet with the Commander. If a presence was about to make itself known, unknowingly or not, now was the time. Shepard stared intensely at the corridor.
Nothing.
And then everything.
Debris was propelled in all directions as a terrible, overwhelming sound emerged from the corridor. Screaming and disarray lasted for a split-second in the Commander's ears before everything turned to darkness.