Here is the next chapter, hope you all enjoy it. I will try get chapter 9 up before Sunday, but I am going to Italy with a few of my house mates next week, so I might not post it until I get back.
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Chapter 8 : When I go to the stars.
Doctor Chakwas shook her head in annoyance as she investigated her Commanding officers neck, five horizontal bruises marking the woman's tanned skin with a dark purple tinge. With the Commanders chin held gently between three fingers, the doctor turned her head from side to side, investigating the blackening bruises with a scowl.
"I am starting to think that you like it in the Med-bay Commander." She said as she moved to her desk, keying some information into the data pad in her hand. Shepard looked sheepishly at the doctor through dark lashes. Sliding off the bed and rolling her neck, she smiled when she heard a satisfying click.
"What can I say doc, I just love your company." Shepard said, flashing a charming smile towards the doctor as she moved to the elder woman's side. Karin raised an eyebrow, pursing her lips.
"And I enjoy yours, I would enjoy it more however if it did not end with me cleaning your blood off my hands."
Shepard shrugged her shoulders, an action that reminded Karin of a moody teenager.
"There was no blood this time." The Commander said, unconsciously rubbing her neck. Karin turned, her eyes narrowing at Selena's words.
"This time?"
Shepard merely chuckled, starting towards the door as she slipped her N7 jacket over her shoulders, zipping it up to just below her breasts.
"Thanks Doc!"
Karin could not help but smile as she watched the Commander disappear through the door. Her eyes following the marine as she made her way towards the table outside her window. Her crew sat patiently waiting for her. It always amazed Karin how far Shepard had come, from a colonist that didn't even know how to shoot a gun, to the most well-known and respected solider in the galaxy. A fact that made Karin extremely proud. She watched as the woman took a seat at the head of the table, her playful expression suddenly replaced by a professional mask of authority.
Karin smiled once more, before returning to her reports.
"What have we got?" Shepard asked, silently nodding her thanks to Liara as the Asari placed a cup of coffee in front of her.
"I have managed to find a few names of the slavers Cerberus was working with. A few of them stand out as very important figures in the slave trade." Liara said, taking a seat beside her bond-mate. "Although, without Glyph, I have had to sift through all the information myself. It is…time consuming."
Shepard nodded sadly, her thoughts momentarily shifting to the pleasant little info-drone, then to EDI. A pang of guilt cut through her chest like a knife.
"Keep working on it. I'll ask Traynor to help you." Shepard said, reaching for her coffee cup.
"Anything else?"
"Yeah. Somethings been bugging me" Ashley said from the far end of the table, her brow furrowing to create three faint lines across her forehead.
"What's that?" Shepard asked, taking a two large sips of her coffee, she stared at the younger woman over the rim of the glass, her deep green eyes narrowing ever so slightly.
"When we entered the base, we met almost no resistance. The place was practically empty. Apart from a few troopers."
Shepard nodded in understanding, remembering how easy it was to sneak through the base. Placing her now empty coffee mug on the table she leaned back in her chair, clasping her hands behind her head.
"I know what you mean. Apart from the whole rocket incident, I got through that base no problem. Nothing but a few troopers on patrol. Come to think of it, the only doctors that I saw were the ones with that man."
"What man?" Liara asked beside her.
"I didn't get his name. But he seemed to be calling the shots. Reminded me a lot of the Illusive Man actually. He was there when they administered the serum to Bentley. I could have sworn he looked right at me. Like he knew I was there."
"What about the guy that attacked you. How does he fit into all of this?" Garrus questioned. Shepard's chest tightened. Her thoughts returning to the young solider she had promised to save. A promise she had broken.
"Corporal Bentley. He was an experiment, a test subject. The bastards injected him with some sort of serum, I'm guessing the Medi-gel enhancements they were working on with Doctor Carter." Shepard's voice softened as she said the other woman's name, although it still held a hint of disappointment. "Whatever they gave him, killed him."
The room was silent for a while, Alex shifted in her seat. An action that did not go unnoticed by the Asari opposite her.
"He didn't seem that dead when he had you pinned down to that chair Ma'am." Ashley put forward, leaning forward on her elbows as she spoke. Selena nodded, moving her right hand to rub her tired eyes.
"You see, that's just it. He was dead. I felt for a pulse…he didn't have one. I turned my back for a minute and suddenly, he's throwing me around the room like I am nothing but rag doll. It's like he didn't even remember who I was." Shepard paused for a moment, biting her lip thoughtfully. "No, he was dead. I'm sure of it." Alex shifted in her seat once more.
"Perhaps Doctor Cater can explain." Liara suddenly said, her voice thick with venom as she spoke the woman's name. All eyes turned towards the raven haired doctor, silently waiting for an explanation. Alex swallowed hard, suddenly feeling nauseous.
"It was one of the side effects of the experimental formula. Subjects experienced seizures and then eventually death. A few hours or sometimes days later, they would come back to life."
"Hours? Days?" Shepard repeated, deep lines marking her forehead. "Corporal Bentley came back within minutes?"
"Perhaps Cerberus has found a way to speed up the reanimation process." Alex explained, turning to face the Commander, however, her gaze did not quiet meet the other woman's.
"Whoa, stop right there. Are you saying they are like, Zombies or something?" James Vega leaned forward in his seat, his large arms coming to rest on the table with a dull thud. Alex laughed faintly, shaking her head.
"No Mr Vega, 'Zombies' are undead, these people were very much alive. You would not be able to tell the difference between them and us. Although they were Stronger, smarter, faster. However, it wold be like, their brains had been wiped clean. They would remember nothing about themselves, or their lives prior to waking up again…then they started to become violent, murderous even."
"And you continued these experiments, even after all of this happened?" Ashley asked, her voice laced with mistrust. Alex's jaw tightened. A cold expression morphing her features.
"I have devoted my life to this project. Ten years of research went into the development of the improved formula. If we could have just gotten it to work. It could save countless lives."
"Human lives?" Garrus asked, his deep tones echoing with mistrust. The room was silent. Alex glared across the table toward the Turian, her mouth open slightly, her eyebrows slanted towards her nose.
"At first yes." She said calmly, her voice a harsh whisper. "The formula would have to be tailored towards each species anatomy. Being Human, my species took priority."
The young doctor's words caused yet another tense silence. Shepard felt her chest tighten once more, Alex's words playing in her head and making her bite the inside of her cheek. Selena took a deep breath before breaking the silence.
"Doctor Carter." She said formally, pushing back the lump in her throat. "I want you to join Doctor Chakwas in the med bay to thoroughly examine the data we retrieved from the base. You are to have an escort with you at all times."
Shepard pushed herself from her chair and into a standing position.
"Selena." Alex argued, Shepard turned sharply before she could say anything else.
"This is not up for debate Doctor." Shepard said harshly, her eyes flashing with anger and disappointment. "And it's Commander."
Shepard turned, trying to ignore the hurtful expression that crossed Alex's features. As she made her way towards the elevator she suddenly stopped, looking over her shoulder.
"Dismissed."
The moment Shepard reached her quarters, she let out a frustrated growl, her fist slamming into the first flat surface she could find. The sound her hand made as it hit the wall beside her was a cross between a thud and a crack, the noise echoing slightly through her empty cabin. As she pulled her hand away, she let out yet another growl, the sight of her own blood doing nothing to calm her down.
How could she be so callous, so blind!
Shepard thought, wrestling her jacket from her shoulder and throwing it towards the bed.
How could she work with Cerberus? After everything they have done. How could she willingly work with a known terrorist organisation?
A small voice in her head said
Isn't that exactly what you did?
Another voice answered, calm and calculating. Shepard sighed, looking down at her bleeding hand.
No. I didn't work for Cerberus. They worked for me. I did it to save the galaxy, to help people. The first voice answered back, angry and hurt.
So did she. The second voice said, causing Shepard to rub her temples. Maybe she had been too hard on Alex. After all, she was just trying to help. Moving towards the bathroom Selena turned on the shower, stripping out of her clothes and stepping into the warm cascading water, closing her eyes and letting it run down her skin. Her thoughts moved to Alex once more, a tingling sensation at the back of her mind bringing back a 'fond' memory.
She gazed at the raven haired girl with a smile, taking a tool from the box and placing it on the work bench. Alex had her nose in a book, like always, sitting on the table at the end of the small workshop, her legs crossed; eyes, focused on whatever she was reading.
Selena turned towards the work bench, picking up the engine part she was trying to fix and inspecting it. She much preferred working with her hands then reading books all day. She just did not have any interest in science or Botany, a field both her parents kept trying to push her in to. Maybe they just wanted her to follow in their footsteps, but she saw no point in doing something she had no passion for.
Selena placed the engine part back down on the desk, slightly twisting a small screw with the tool she held in her other hand. She was momentarily shocked when she twisted the screw too far, causing a jet stream of oil to jump towards her face. She heard Alex giggle behind her, sliding off the desk to stretch her legs.
Shepard looked at her with a lopsided grin, a black smudge of oil on her nose. Placing the tool back on the workbench, Selena moved towards her, running a hand through her messy red hair.
"So, have you thought about our little chat?" Selena asked, leaning forward and placing two hands on the table behind Alex. Trapping her. Alex shivered as Selena pressed her body against hers, a mischievous smile on her lips.
"What little chat?" Alex asked, her breath catching in her throat as the red head gently nipped her ear. Alex moved her eyes to the door, afraid someone might walk in and catch them.
"You know exactly what chat I mean." Selena said, trailing light kisses along Alex's neck.
"When I go to the stars. Will you come with me?"
Alex giggled, placing her hands on Selena's hips.
"Selena you are relentless."
She felt the young red head smile against her skin, Selena's breath hot against her skin, sending pleasant shivers down her spine.
"It's part of my charm" Selena whispered, fixing Alex with a lazy smile. "So what do you say?" She asked, her bright green eyes gazing at her through long dark lashes.
"Okay" Alex said suddenly, her hands tightening around Shepard's waist. "If you make it to the stars. I'll come with you."
Selena's smile grew, resembling the innocent beam of a child who just found a puppy in her Christmas stocking. Pulling Alex into a passionate kiss, the red heads hands cupped the younger girls face gently, pressing her body against her even more. It lasted only a few moments before Shepard suddenly pulled away, rushing back to the workstation, her back turned to the dark haired woman. For a second, Alex felt a sudden rush of cold air prickle her skin, wondering what had made the woman pull away from her so abruptly. She was about to ask what the problem was, but was interrupted by a deep voice calling her name.
"Ah, Alex, there you are." Her father greeted, stepping into the small garage through the now open door. "I have been looking everywhere for you. Dinner is ready. Wash up and come eat."
Alex picked up her books, holding them close to her chest.
"Yes father." She said, giving Selena a worried smile before leaving through the door.
"Shepard." Her father greeted, looking at the young girl with a distasteful expression. Selena offered him a tight smile. Looking up from the engine part in her hands.
"Mr Carter Sir."
"I would assume your parents would want you home for dinner also."
"Yes sir. I just need to finish cleaning this engine part. Then I'll be on my way." Selena explained.
"You do that." The man said, taking three large steps towards her, Selena watched him out of the corner of her eye, tensing slightly as he came to stand next to her. He ran two fingers along the work surface, cringing as they came back black.
"In the future Shepard, keep my daughter away from your little projects. I don't want you corrupting her any more then you already have."
Mr Carter glanced around the tiny room with disdain.
"You might enjoy this little rebellious phase you seem to be stuck in, but do not bring my daughter down with you." He wiped his dirty fingers on Shepard's sleeve, leaning closer.
"You. Belong. Here." He said slowly. "In this dirty workshop. Fixing engine parts. My daughter, belongs in the labs, taking part in the advancement of the human race."
Shepard bit the inside of her cheek, her right hand flaring slightly with a pale blue.
"The only thing you are good for, is fixing the machine your betters use."
Selena bit her cheek harder, tasting blood.
"Remember that." Mr Carter whispered, his lips almost brushing her ear. As the man turned to the door, he continued his lecture, Selena cleaned her fist, trying desperately to control the biotics that threatened to tear the man apart.
"It's a shame really. Your parents are exceptional scientists. Fantastic minds." He turned back to look at her, eyes looking her up and down in an unimpressed fashion. "I guess that trait doesn't run in the family."
Mr Carter turned towards the door again, chucking slightly.
"Oh well. I guess someone has to fix the coffee machine."
Shepard let a small smile tug at her lips, mixed feelings of absolute happiness mixed with absolute hate, made her chest ache. The moment Alex had said yes to her question, Shepard had felt happier than she ever felt possible, then Alex's father had to go and ruin it all by being a grade A ass.
The Commander sighed as she turned the shower off. She seemed to have calmed down considerably. Slipping in to a tank top and lose fitting trousers, she let herself fall to the bed, her head hitting the pillow with a soft thump. She closed her eyes for just a second, letting sleep take her.
Hope you liked the chapter, I will try and get the next one up before I go backpacking.
Hope you enjoyed it!
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