Next chapter is up, thanks for the reviews for the last one and thanks for the help on the last chapter RheasHelm
Hope you enjoy the chapter, please leave a review to tell me what you think and give me some feedback.
Chapter 11 - Apologies and Experiments
Mr Smith watched with fascination as the serum entered the young man's body, smiling at the way the orange liquid dyed the veins of the man's arm. Thin brightly coloured trails crawled up the man's bicep, across his shoulder and over his neck, his heart beating faster and faster as he struggled against the restraints that held him. The machines beside him beeped franticly, his screams dying down to a harsh whisper.
He stopped struggling, his arms falling weakly by his side as he gasped for breath. His chest rose and fell, then suddenly, he was limp, the machines next to him emitting a low pitched whine.
Mr Smith watched the man for a second, before turning to the doctor beside him.
"Insert the control chip."
The doctor did as she was asked, making a tiny incision in the man's neck, the doctor placed a capsule sized metallic object into his soft tissue then closed the wound using an instrument that resembled a laser pen. Moving over to the computer, she typed a few commands into the console, watching as the capsule lit up under the man's skin.
"Subject transformation successful sir." The doctor stated. Mr Smith smiled, fixing the tie round his neck.
"Good."
He watched as the man was wheeled away, only to be replaced by another struggling marine. Smith smiled before turning on his heel.
"Keep up the good work Doctor Kennedy."
Doctor Kennedy nodded before preparing the medical chair.
"Patient 131…Alliance Marines, Female, approximately one hundred and fifty pounds."
The marine struggled against the restraints that held her, screaming profanities at the top of her lungs.
"Administering serum."
She screamed as the orange liquid burned in her veins.
Shepard's fist connected with the punching bag with a hard, dull thud, her breaths coming out in short gasps as she bounced on the balls of her feet, her tanned skin shining with a thin sheen of sweat. She punched the bag again, her shoulder screaming in protest as she jabbed three more times, causing the bag to swing on its hook.
She ignored the bloody stains she was leaving on the leathery material of the bag, dancing round the shuttle bay as she hit it with tight fists. She could feel a fire in her chest as she hit the bag harder, faster, the only sound in the otherwise quiet room being the dull thuds of skin on leather.
After a while, she collapsed to the floor, her chest rising and falling in a frantic search for air. Her eyes were closed as she rested her head against the cold hard floor, her body wet with sweat, her hands resting on her bare stomach, her knuckles bloody and raw.
"Ah Commander?" A voice called to her from the door, she didn't have to open her eyes to see who it was.
"What is it Lieutenant?" Shepard said, still trying to catch her breath.
"Dr T'soni wanted to see you after your workout. She says it's important." Vega's voice grew louder as he approached, his hulking figure blocking out the lights above Shepard. The Commander opened her eyes, staring up at the young solider. He held out a hand, his eyes soft as he looked down towards his C.O. "You ok?" he asked, pulling Shepard to her feet, his large hand completely covering her small one.
"Fine, why do you ask?" Shepard said, moving towards the bench and wiping her face with a towel. James moved his head to look over his shoulder, his brow creasing slightly as he took in the state of his punching bag.
"Because, you kinda gave my punching bag a morbid makeover." He said carefully, Shepard followed his gaze, noticing the large red smears of red against the dirty white leather. She made a face, moving to look at James with a guilty expression.
"Ah." She said "Sorry. I'll get you a new one."
James waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it Lola. It looks better this way." He said, moving towards the bag. He smiled cheekily. Shepard nodded wordlessly, heading towards the elevator. James watched her go, a strange expression on his face.
When Shepard arrived on the crew deck, she was still in her training clothes, dressed head to toe in black, with lose fitting trousers and a tight top that showed her stomach. She threw her towel over her shoulder as she turned the corner to Liara's office, blowing a few stray bits of red hair away from her sweaty forehead.
She was not surprised to see her bond-mate staring at the screens in the middle of her office, a cup of steaming Asari tea in her hands as she focused intently on the screens in front of her. Shepard smiled, moving to the young maiden and wrapping her arms around her waist. She rested her chin on Liara's shoulder, pecking the young Asari on the cheek.
"You wanted to see me?" Shepard asked, pulling Liara closer. The Asari turned her head and smiled.
"Only if you are quite finished beating that poor defenceless bag…what did it ever do to you?" Liara asked, a hint of amusement in her voice. Shepard chuckled.
"I was just letting off some steam. No punching bags were harmed!." Selena kissed Liara once more, before moving away and flopping down on the bed, her left arm moving to rest over her eyes. She could feel a sudden weight on the bed next to her.
"Which is more than can be said for your hands." Liara questioned, taking Shepard's right hand in her own to examine the nasty welts on her fist. Selena looked at her sheepishly.
"Yeah, I guess I kinda got carried away."
Liara tutted as she shook her head, then moved back to the screens. Shepard followed, staring at the information that scrolled across the terminals.
"What's this?" Selena asked.
"It is some of the information that Doctor Carter found, about the Medi-gel formula. Apparently, after the first failed experiment, she created a fail-safe within the chemical compounds of the serum." Liara explained.
"A fail-safe?" Shepard inquired.
"A way to reverse the process."
"Reverse it?"
"Apparently Miss Carter was working on it behind Cerberus's back. She found a way to rewrite the serum, so its effects would not be permanent." Liara typed something into the console in front of her, causing the screens to flash. "After a while, the subjects would start to gain their memory back as the serum was flushed through the patients system"
Shepard watched with fascination as the information skimmed across the screen.
"The improved formula we found in the Cerberus lab has been intensified, but the fail-safe is still there, the subjects would feel the effects of the serum for longer, but they too will start to remember their lives prior to receiving treatment. The subjects would need multiple treatments in order for the serum to keep doing its job. "
Shepard nodded wordlessly, trying to take in all the information.
"Unfortunately, the more treatments the subject gets, the less the fail-safe works. Until, eventually, they completely forget who they are…Indefinitely."
Shepard continued to stare at the screens in front of her, her mouth slightly open in disbelief.
"Shepard, Cerberus has slavers getting them test subjects, they could have created hundreds by now." Liara stated, frowning at Shepard's expression.
"That's amazing."
Liara's frown deepened as she looked between Shepard and the research.
"It is not exactly what I would call Amazing Selena. It is evil."
Suddenly, Selena blinked, closing her mouth and moving her head towards Liara, her eyes didn't quite move from the screen. Shepard smiled.
"Huh…Oh, Yeah, what Cerberus is doing is evil, but Alex's idea about the fail-safe…its genius."
Shepard missed the scowl that formed on Liara's face, the flash of jealously in her eyes as Shepard stared at the screen with an impressed expression on her face.
"I would not go as far as saying it was…genius." Liara said, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Are you kidding Liara. This could save the people that have been taken and turned into those mindless drones."
Liara placed her hands on her hips, her scowl deepening. Shepard did seem to notice as she moved to the door.
"Where are you going?" Liara asked, reaching out to catch Shepard before she left. Selena turned, a sad look in her bright green eyes.
"I need to talk to Alex…I need to apologise for the way I have been treating her." Shepard answered.
"Apologise!" Liara shouted, her voice raising unexpectedly as she spoke. Her biotics flared as she clenched her fists by her side. Shepard was taken back by her sudden ferocity. "The women worked with Cerberus Shepard. She can't be trusted."
Selena turned slowly on her heel, the muscle in her jaw clenching tightly.
"You forget that I used to work with Cerberus as well Liara." Selena voice was low and angry. Liara's biotics dimmed.
"But you were trying to help people Shepard."
Selena turned on her heel, stomping towards the door.
"So was she."
Alex rested her head against the soft leather of the sofa, gazing out at the millions of stars that stretched before her. She sighed and hugged her blanket closer to her body as she shivered. The cold dark reaches of space were far from what she was used to. She much preferred the trees and colourful meadows of the colony planets, the beautiful blue skies of Earth, the warm sun…real air.
She sighed again, closing her eyes and hugging the blanket even closer to her body. She had just gotten comfy when her door chimed. The sudden sound made her jump, the blanket falling around her feet as she stood.
"Who is it?" She shouted. A familiar voice called back.
"It's Shepard."
Alex gasped silently, her hands moving to fix her hair. She smoothed down her clothes and took a deep breath.
"Come in."
The door opened with a hiss, revelling Selena as she stood in the doorway. Alex could not help but let her eyes travel down to what the Commander was wearing, the tight black fabric hugging the women in all the right places. She felt her heart quicken, her eyes resting on Selena's impressively toned abdomen. The tanned skin was blemished with white raised scars. Alex found herself wondering how she had gotten all of them.
"You got a minuet?" Shepard asked.
Alex nodded wordlessly, extending a hand towards the soft leather sofa she lay on moments before. Shepard took a deep breath before she entered the room, the door hissing shut behind her.
"I wanted to apologise" She said, her voice surprisingly soft as she spoke.
"For what?" Alex asked, frowning.
"For the way I have been treating you since you got here. For the way, everybody has been treating you. You were only try to help people. You didn't deserve it. I'm sorry."
Alex couldn't help but smile at the way Shepard's forehead creased when she was nervous. The way she pursed her lips when she concentrated hard on what to say next. Even with the scars that flawed her cheek, she was still as beautiful as Alex remembered.
"You were just doing your job Selena. Protecting your own." Alex reached out a hand, her slender fingers caressing the battle scars on her cheek. "I understand." Alex felt chills run down her spine as Shepard's eyes bored into her own. Piercing green orbs shining with unshed tears.
"I'm still sorry. It's just…" Shepard took another deep breath. "It's been so long since I lost you…so long since the attack. I thought I had finally gotten over it and after everything that's happened, everything I've lost…you turn up again, after all these years."
Alex looked up at the taller women, lifting herself onto her toes, placing a gentle kiss on Shepard's lips, she's surprised when the Commander doesn't pull away, she's even more surprised when Selena kisses her back, the woman's strong hands gently entwining through her hair. Alex smiled against the solider soft lips, feeling a warmth run the length of her body, she had wanted this for so long, ached for it. Her smile only deepened as Shepard's scent met her nostrils, a spicy aroma she remembered so well. Still the same as it had always been.
Alex squinted her eyes tiredly as she skimmed her notes, the glow of her computer lighting her room with a sickly orange glow. She pushed her fingers deep into her eyes, pitching her the bridge of her nose and sighed.
She really needed a break from studying.
A soft knock on her window made her jump, causing her to turn in her swivel chair, she spied a small figure perched on her window ledge. Her mouth opened in disbelieve as Selena Shepard waved at her through the glass, a mischievous smile on her face. Hurrying towards the window, she unlatched the catch, carefully pulling it open, she was instantly met with the warm hungry lips of her partner. It was a few seconds before they parted. Selena smelled like flowers and spice.
"Whatcha doing." Selena asked, drawing out her words, smiling drunkenly as she hung off the ledge of the window. Alex was afraid she was going to fall.
"I am writing my paper for school, like you should be." She whispered, worried her father could walk in on her at any minute. "What are you doing here?"
Shepard grinned, leaning into the room as she swayed slightly on the window frame. Alex's fear of the women falling two stories only grew.
"I came to break you out of here." Selena said. "I thought we could spend some time together, just the two of us." Shepard held up a crate that contained a few bottles of expensive beer. "I even stole some of my Dad's beer."
Alex shook her head in amusement.
"Selena, we are under-age…do you have any idea what will happen if we get caught with that!"
"Then let's not get caught." Selena's husk voice was filled with humour, Alex sighed, thinking for a moment. She was seriously contemplating on leaving with the fiery haired, leather wearing girl that currently hung from her window ledge. There was something about that cocky lopsided smile of hers, something about the mischievous glint in her eye that made Alex want to do anything she said, even if it was against the rules. But then again, rules were not a thing that Selena found interesting enough to follow. Alex bit her lip, torn between the trouble making tomboy in front of her and her responsibility to her school work.
"I'll have you back before anyone notices you're gone?" Selena said, taking her supporting hand off of the edge of the window and extending a long arm towards Alex. "What's the worst that could happen?"
Alex smiled again, she couldn't help but melt when Selena smirked at her, her legs going weak at the knees. Taking her partners hand she giggled and stepped out onto the ledge. Selena was right.
What's the worst that could happen?
Alex was forced from the memory when Shepard pulled away, a rush of cold wrapping around her when the Commanders body moved away from hers, she watched as Selena moved away towards the large window that looked out into the dark reaches of space. It was only now Alex realised what she had done.
"I'm Sorry Selena, I don't know what came over me…I-" Alex started.
"It's not your fault." Shepard responded, hey eyes staring unblinking.
"But-" Alex began again, taking a step towards the Commander, Shepard took a step away, rushing towards the door.
"I should go"
"Shepard?" Alex called out, but Selena was gone before she could say anything else. Alex sighed and flopped down on to the sofa, letting her head fall into her hands.
From her office, Liara switched the screen to the observation deck off, her hands fisting by her side.
Ohhhh What's going to happen now!
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I hope you all understand how the Medi-gel serum works now, it is not an exact science, but...it's the future, that is my excuse. Next chapter up soon, and trust me, it's going to get exiting and a little darker.
Please leave a review to tell me what you think.