Omega Chronicles -20- Splitting the atom
"Williams!"
The Commander's voice resounded with all her years in the Alliance as she approached the Chief, walking in sure strides.
The soldier was betrayed by her automatic instincts and snapped at attention even before turning around to see who was calling her. "Yessir!"
As she realised it was Shepard she visibly relaxed. "Jeez, you could announce yourself in a less commanding way, you know?"
The serious look on the ex-officer was enough to grant her Ashley's attention and concern.
"A little bird told me your intention is to turn this lovely resort into a nuclear wasteland. How about we go over the whole plan, and make sure that my people and I have a fair chance at surviving the blast? Or do we count as cannon fodder?" Shepard stood tall in front of the two Alliance officers and Captain Kirrahe, not so patiently waiting for an explanation.
They all stared at each other for a few moments, then the Chief volunteered. "Ok, listen. I wanted to tell you, but Captain Anderson told me to wait until we were sure that this was our only option, or at least the most feasible one. Yes, we have a nuke. Yes, we want to plant it and blow this place to smithereens. We would also really appreciate any help you might be able to lend in bringing it all to fruition."
The Commander took all the information in and evaluated it thoroughly. There was a deep crease between her eyebrows as she spoke. "There are tons of Geth everywhere. And if Saren has been breeding Krogan warriors, you will need all the help you can get." She looked quickly at Jack, who was standing right behind her, the biotic simply nodded at her, and she went on. "We have been involved in this since the very beginning, and I'll be damned before I see the Alliance fuck up all the work we have done to uncover Saren's goals and to try and stop him. So yes, we're in. Now tell me how you think you will pull this off: knowing how you guys work, I'm sure your plan can use a bit of fine tuning for sure."
"Team Aegohr will attack here, team Mannovai will approach from this side, and team Jaëto will draw the fire from this other main entrance to Saren's base." Kirrahe's voice was sure and clear as he explained the strategy involved in the attack to the facility. "While the Geth and Krogan forces concentrate on us, Shepard and her small team will have a chance to sneak in undetected from the back of the building. I have located an access door that shouldn't be heavily guarded. Let me pass the details to your omnitool."
Garrus had a doubtful look on his face as he paid attention to the briefing. He commented in his deep, raspy voice. "Nice plan. It sounds a bit too easy to be true, but then again we won't be the ones under heavy enemy fire all the time."
The Commander interjected. "You keep 'em away from us as much as you can, Kirrahe, and we'll get inside the base, no problem. If we're all in agreement, I suggest we get this show on the road. I don't think we can afford wasting any more time. Jack, Garrus and Wrex will be with me. Anyone else wanna tag along?"
Alenko and Williams shared a look, and before the Chief could say anything, he made a decision for both of them. "I'll go with the Salarian teams. Williams, you will join Shepard. And good luck to us all."
Shepard shot him a look that could have melted titanium. "Luck has nothing to do with this, Lieutenant. You better learn to count on something more solid than that. I know I do." She turned and started walking to reach the edge of the Salarian camp. "Let's move out. I want to be done in time for dinner."
A precise shot fired from her Carnifex and the last flying drone came careening down and crashed on the landing platform a few yards away. Kirrahe's voice sounded relieved on the comm channel. "Thanks for taking care of that, Shepard. It'll make it easier for us to hold on a little longer."
The human replied while moving ahead towards the facility. "Don't mention it, Captain. Just hang in there, we're almost at the entrance."
Williams was following her quickly, keeping up with Garrus. "Damn, she has eyes like an eagle. That is some of the most impressive shooting I've ever seen."
The Turian looked at her quizzically, not having any idea of what an eagle would be. He figured it was a positive comparison and went along with it. "Yeah. She just doesn't miss. At least -I- have never seen her miss..."
The Chief was sporting a big smile on her face. "I sure am glad Alenko sent me with you guys, it's turning out to be quite exciting."
A shot from a Geth sniper missed her head by an inch and she squatted immediately, they both took cover behind a low wall and calculated from which direction the robot must have fired. They both got their sniper rifle out and in perfect unison sprung up, aimed, and ended the artificial existence of the culprit. They stood and stared at each other for a long moment. Then they laughed.
Garrus was the first to get a hold of himself. "Nice shooting."
Williams wasn't far behind. "You too, you too." She wheezed as she got ready to make the final approach.
They reached the heavy door just as the Commander was decrypting the lock. She smiled her lop sided smile at them. "Glad to see you two finally managed to join us. Having fun with the field trip, Williams?" She winked at the Chief, who blushed just a little as she was embracing her assault rifle.
The door opened and they entered swiftly. In the silence of the warehouse, Shepard spoke softly to them. "Shoot first, ask questions later. Just assume that everyone in here wants us dead."
Wrex was the one who replied, his voice echoing in the huge room even if he was trying to keep it down. "I don't think we need to assume that. It's pretty much a fact, if you haven't noticed yet."
Garrus agreed. "He's got a point."
Jack commented as well, as angry as ever. "Just let them come. I'm having a shitload of fun."
The Commander signalled to move forward and they started on their way to the main labs.
It was a bloodbath. Apparently all of the Salarians that had previously been sent to investigate had been indoctrinated and were now fighting for Saren. The team was making fast work of them, room after room, section after section. They managed to squeeze some precious information out of a couple of them, details about this indoctrination technique or whatever it was, that would probably prove to be useful. Or so Shepard hoped.
They had even managed to run into the very Rana Thanoptis whose message was the clue that had led them here. They had a short conversation during which she enlightened them about Saren's ship and the experiments going on in his base. She hadn't seemed too happy when the Commander had let her in on the imminent atomic blast that would erase the entire facility. In fact, she had literally run off screaming, much to the amusement of Garrus and Jack.
Wrex was sporting a very serious look on his scarred face. Shepard wasn't yet back to being fully at ease with him after having his shotgun in her face earlier, but she made an effort to be friendly anyway.
"Hey, is everything ok?"
He turned to look her in the eyes and took a moment to choose his words. Pride was trying to get in the way, but he was after all an honourable warrior and he knew what was the right thing to do.
"You were right, Shepard. After seeing what is coming out of those breeding tanks, I am more sure than ever that Saren must be stopped. Those things are not my people. They may look the part, they may even be good fighters, but I can smell they're not... right, somehow. Thanks for giving me the chance to see this with my own eyes. And for talking some sense into me earlier. I guess the possibility of finally having a cure for the genophage just shut off the better part of my brain."
She stared back at him and extended her hand. "I'm glad it didn't end up badly. Are we good?"
He shook her hand wholeheartedly, the equivalent of a smirk on his otherwise menacing features. "Oh yeah. We're good."
Shepard tightened her grip on his hand a bit more and pulled him closer, their faces just inches apart. She spoke in a low voice, her eyes never leaving his. "Never, ever point a shotgun at me again. Unless you want a third eye socket right in the middle of your thick skull."
Wrex laughed. "Damn. I do like your style, Commander. And it's a deal."
The room seemed to be empty, which in and of itself was quite suspicious. Shepard made her way down the short metal stairs and noticed the command console that was right in front of... another beacon? Her mind went to red alert right away. After being pestered by nightmares in the past never ending nights, and realising the cipher had not helped much in the interpretation of whatever images had been seeded into her mind on Eden Prime, she had certainly developed a deep distaste for anything Prothean related.
Jack's voice took her out of her unpleasant thoughts. "Well, fuck. Here we go again."
Garrus echoed her concerns in a more articulated way. "Shall we give you a wide berth, Shepard? I don't want that thing to explode in my face."
The Commander turned to give them all a sarcastic grin. "Gee, thanks for the support, guys. I am touched."
Williams and Wrex, not quite following the banter, were standing a few steps behind, a half curious, half worried look on their faces.
Shepard put her gun away and took a deep breath. "Everybody stand back, I'm going to try and activate it." Her hands glided on the console quickly, and the familiar humming sound of the Prothean artefact filled the room. The beacon started glowing. The Commander steeled herself.
For a few long seconds nothing happened.
Jack sounded almost relieved. "Maybe this shit's broken."
Her words were still hanging in the air as the Commander was enveloped by the green light and lifted like a puppet by the invisible strings of the artefact.
She saw the images embedded in her mind again, flashing, screaming, burning, then they suddenly slowed down, they shifted, they morphed, they repositioned themselves, and as the energy slowly, gently lowered her back onto the cold floor, it all finally made sense. She felt a sense of clarity pervading her brain, and right away a sense of dread so strong, her head spun. Garrus' arms came up immediately to steady her, her eyes still drifting around the room, trying to get her bearings. She clutched onto his forearm as she finally got full control of her body and mind again.
Wrex's voice was just a loud whisper behind them. "What the fuck just happened...?"
Shepard stood on her own and looked at her squad. "The puzzle is complete. And fucking disturbing." She motioned with her head towards the platform upstairs. "Let's get up there, I want to take a better look at this beacon."
As soon as they walked in front of the upper portion of the Prothean artefact, a huge holographic image appeared. It looked like Saren's ship. Then it spoke, its voice deep and aloof.
"You are not Saren."
The Commander couldn't help herself. "It must be the advanced technology that gives you such powers of observation."
The hologram was not amused. "Rudimentary creatures of blood and flesh. You touch my mind, fumbling in ignorance, incapable of understanding."
Williams commented from the back. "Uh oh. Someone's not a fan of us. Shepard, this doesn't sound like any ship's VI I've ever heard."
Sovereign replied without hesitation. "There is a realm of existence so far beyond your own you cannot even imagine it. I am beyond your comprehension. I am Sovereign."
The Commander's mouth slightly opened as she realised a simple yet terrifying truth. "This is not a Reaper's ship. This is a Reaper."
There was just a hint of what sounded like disdain in Sovereign's comment. "Reaper? A label created by the Protheans to give voice to their destruction. In the end, what they chose to call us is irrelevant. We simply... are."
As they listened to the artificial voice telling them about the past, the future, the inevitability of destruction and the unending nature of the cycle they so adamantly repeated and protected, they all stared at the hologram, their eyes transfixed, their ears not believing what was being told to them by what seemed to be an impossible form of life, making impossible threats.
After a few minutes of doom saying, Shepard thought she had heard enough. "You're not even alive. You're a machine, and machines can be broken."
Sovereign sounded almost insulted. "Your words are as empty as your future. I am the vanguard of your destruction. This exchange is over."
The glass panels of the wall exploded, Tali's voice sounded loud and clear from the comm. "Guys. That huge ship is turning around and heading straight for your position. I'd start running if I were you!"
The Commander didn't need to be told twice. "Let's get back to the breeding facility, we need to set up that nuke and clear out as fast as possible."
"We're pinned down! There are Geth everywhere! They are sending in reinforcements every minute!"
Alenko's voice was cracking through the slightly disturbed line. The situation was getting out of control too fast for Shepard's liking. "Hold on, Alenko, we're coming to the rescue. Williams, stay here and set up this damn bomb."
She signalled to her squad and they quickly made their way towards the AA tower where the Salarian team was under heavy attack.
As soon as they stepped out of the elevator they saw a huge Geth ship flying by towards the bomb site. The Commander muttered a curse. "Fuck. That doesn't look good."
She couldn't even finish talking that her comm was receiving a distress message from the Chief. "Shepard! The Geth are attacking us! There are too many, we don't have enough fire power to fight back. I'm arming the bomb, we can't risk wasting this opportunity, it might be the only one we get."
She stopped dead in her tracks and understood immediately the gravity of the situation. She looked at her companions, even though she knew they could not have an answer to the choice she was facing. She had to make up her mind, and she had to be quick about it.
As used to be her habit when in the Alliance, as she did before many decisions, on many missions, as she did even on Torfan, she closed her eyes for a moment. She took a deep breath. Her heart turned to stone. That state of not being, of perfect indifference to the human condition, detached from her mortal flaws, that was when she knew she would make the right call, always.
"Alenko, hold the line for as long as you can, we need every second we can squeeze out of your diversion. Williams, we're coming back to your position, don't let them get close to that bomb."
There was a second of silence as everyone was taking in the consequences of what Shepard had just said.
Alenko was the one who broke it. "You know Shepard has made the right choice, Ash. Now stay alive and kick these bastards' ass."
Williams was at a loss for words. "I... I'm sorry Kaidan."
An unexpected voice came through their comm. "Hey, don't count him out too soon. I'm still here, and I have every intention of swooping in and saving the day."
The Chief's face opened in a big smile as she replied. "Joker? Oh thank God!"
The young pilot was rather smug in his comment. "Who else were you expecting? Alenko, I'm flying the Normandy to your position, get ready to jump on board."
The Lieutenant sounded absolutely relieved. "We'll be ready, don't worry. And very, very willing."
On that positive note, the Commander closed the comm and started her way back to the bomb site.
Crouching behind a big crate, her grip sure around her Carnifex, Shepard was listening intently to Saren as he spewed words of fear, self importance and a future of deluded opportunities.
He had descended on them as they were getting ready to blow up the whole place, like some sort of twisted messiah, standing tall on a hovering board, and now he was trying to convince them that working for the Reapers, proving the worth of organic life to those machines, was the only hope of salvation for the civilisations of this cycle. His words were obviously a construct stemming from his very personal fear of being found unworthy and eliminated. His manic attachment to his own existence was shining through every phrase he was reciting. The Commander couldn't believe her ears. She tried to reason with him, tried to open his eyes to the simple fact that the Reapers didn't care about him, his work, his hopes: they had one job to do and they would do it. And that meant obliterating all organic life, including Saren. But she quickly realised he was too far gone into the indoctrination to truly see the bigger picture.
Having come to an impasse, and considering Shepard and his team as the only thing standing between him and getting a figurative gold star from Sovereign, he had no better idea than to attack them.
He certainly proved to be a sturdy adversary.
"Williams! Watch out!" Jack's voice had to strain to be heard on top of the noise from all the weapons' fire.
A barrage of biotic attacks was raining down on the squad from Saren, who was floating around on his hoverboard, effectively making it difficult to find cover anywhere.
Shepard yelled her orders. "Concentrate your fire on him! Garrus, overload his fucking flying toy!"
They finally worked out a way to do some damage, and the Spectre was forced to change strategy. He made a beeline for the Commander, who was trying to get back up after being knocked down by the same blast that had catapulted Saren off his board and back on the ground. He grabbed her by the neck and effortlessly lifted her off her feet. He quickly walked to the edge of the building with the clear intention of throwing her down to her death.
Garrus aimed his sniper rifle and fired, his shot diverted by Saren's shields. It was enough to make him turn for a second. It was all that Shepard needed.
She closed her fist and punched him in the jaw with all her might. He got staggered and let go and she fell, quickly rolling out of his reach and getting back up, she immediately reached for her gun and started firing at him.
The entire team was shooting him from all directions. Seeing that he could not possibly emerge victorious from this confrontation, Saren jumped back up on his hoverboard and escaped as fast as he could.
The Commander didn't waste any time. "Williams, you need to tell the Normandy to get out of here, now. It's going to get very hot very quickly."
The Chief nodded her agreement before bringing her comm to her ear. "Joker? You have to get as much distance from this planet as you can, the nuke is armed and about to explode. There's no time for me to join you, I'll be hitching a ride on the Inanna."
Shepard took a moment and looked around. "Is everyone ok?"
Wrex answered for all of them. "Yeah. Wish we had been given the chance to end Saren's miserable existence though. Fucking coward."
Shepard replied without hesitation. "This isn't over, we'll get our chance." She raised her comm. "Relan, we need you to come get us, right away. The bomb's about to go off, we don't have much time."
Her pilot's voice sounded confident. "Not a problem. Stand by for evac."
The sight of the red mushroom cloud expanding at an incredible speed was mesmerising. Shepard was watching the destruction of Saren's facility, and a good portion of Virmire with it, from one of the Inanna's viewports, sweat still clinging to her skin and her hair after the almost desperate run to jump on the ship before the explosion.
She felt arms coming around her waist and the welcome weight of Aria's chin on her shoulder as the Asari joined her to witness the macabre show. "That was a close call."
"Yeah. A bit too close. And Saren still got away." The human entwined her fingers in her lover's and brought her blue hand up to her lips, she placed a soft kiss on her palm. "At least now the Prothean vision is clear to me. And thanks to our talkative Reaper, mister Sovereign, I know what the plan of those machines is. I can tell you this: it does not have a happy ending. We must find a way to stop them."
Aria smiled and brushed her cheek against Shepard's. Her voice was velvet in the human's ear. "I know this much. If there is one person who can pull this off, it's definitely you, Commander."
Shepard shifted in the embrace and came face to face with her bondmate. They stared into each other's eyes. "You flatter me, my Queen."
The Asari's voice dropped a couple of octaves. "Indeed. I expect to be properly, thoroughly thanked for that. Several times. In fact, I believe you should spend the rest of the day doing just that."
The Commander's arms tightened around her waist and drew her even closer as she whispered her reply on her inviting blue lips. "It will be my deepest pleasure."
They met in a slow, passionate kiss. Their mouths opened and their tongues immediately shared long caresses, gliding in hot motions, lasciviously devouring each other. Their desire was rising steadily, the Asari's hands found the clip of Shepard's armour and opened it, she pushed it off the human's torso and let it fall in a loud thud on the floor. She noticed how damp her technical undershirt was and broke the kiss for a moment, shaking her head. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. I should be the only one making you sweat like that."
Shepard quickly picked up her armour, she grabbed Aria's hand and started making her way to her cabin on the lower deck, a smirk on her tired face. "I agree. No better time than now to start."