The shuttle swept through the clouds, steadily descending onto the twisting mass of tubes and metal on the planet below. A gust of wind caught the vehicle, causing it to sway slightly while continuing its path down to the ground.
Inside, Team Alpha sat in silent anticipation. Dvorak and Kajira didn't speak at all, only moving to occasionally check their equipment or counteract the turbulences of the craft. Gash and Peter sat opposite of them, barely containing their excitement.
"Thirty seconds to touchdown!" the mechanical voice of the pilot sounded, unseen behind a thick steel door.
Team Alpha stood up in unison and formed up on the door. "Check your gear!" Kajira ordered. Although they'd done it only minutes before, the team did as it was told. Belts were strapped tight, armor was adjusted and weapons were readied. "Ten seconds!" the call from the cockpit sounded.
"Remember: Keep your cool, stay alert and watch your fire. Let's do this."
The hatch opened with a hiss of incoming air, revealing a large plaza that separated two buildings of the refinery. The first structure didn't have any sort of entrance, while the second one was blocked by a large blast door.
With a leap Kajira sprung out of the shuttle, elegantly rolling off her shoulder to keep on running. Peter followed her, landing not as ceremonial but keeping his balance, taking cover beside his team leader. Gash leapt out, landing heavy with both feet, and stomped off to join them.
Dvorak exited last. His old reflexes kicked in, as he methodically checked their surroundings for any sign of threat. When the shuttle ascended again, stirring up the air, he fell in beside the rest of the team.
Their transport vanished behind a rig when Kajira began to speak.
"There's no sign of a fight anywhere!" she stated.
"No sign of the workers, the dispatch team or any hostiles, either." Dvorak chipped in.
"Maybe they're just having extra-long breaks?" Peter offered, earning himself a slap on the back of the head by Gash.
"Hey, quit it!" he objected, but was quickly shot down by Kajira.
"Stay focused! Gash, Helfer – cover me and Freeway while we're heading for the blast door back there. Once we're there, we'll cover you and you follow. Understood?"
"Got it." Dvorak confirmed, while Gash nodded solemnly. Both raised their weapons to meet any opposition, as Kajira grabbed Peter and bolted for the door.
After a quick dash, both the Engineer and the Turian reached the door, turning around and securing the way for the Krogan and the Biotic. They too reached the door without event.
"Keep an eye on the perimeter! Freeway, get to work on opening this door!" Kajira ordered, panning her rifle from side to side.
"You got it, boss!" Freeway replied delighted, as he opened his Omni-Tool and interfaced with the door.
And opened her instantly. For a moment, the team, Peter included, stood baffled in front of the open entrance.
"Eh… good work … Freeway." Kajira said unsure.
"Not bad, man!" Dvorak complimented without taking his eyes off the perimeter.
"That wasn't me, guys …" Peter said reluctantly, still crouched on the floor.
"What?" Kajira demanded. "What do you mean, 'wasn't me'?"
"Well, I didn't hack the door, that's for sure." He said, standing up.
"I think I triggered the …" he began, broke off and waved with his arm. A little red dot above the door flashed in response as the door tried to open again. "Yep. Triggered the automatic response. The door still got juice because it's got its own power source, so they don't lock their workers in in case of fires. This door wasn't locked."
The team shared a concerned look.
"Command said that no one left the facility since the power failure. The doors didn't stop them from escaping, so what did?" Dvorak asked
"We have to keep pushing forward." Kajira said resolved. "Eventually, we'll find someone or something that explains what happened here."
She stepped through the door into the darkness of the station.
The inside of the station proofed to be as eventless as the way to the door. The team made for the main control room, encountering nothing that indicated a fight on their way.
A strange silence hung over the refinery. Any other time, the machines that filled this place would drown out any other sound with their noise, but now they lay quiet, starting to gather dust.
Illuminated by the team's flashlights, the machinery resembled eerie serpents of steel and metal, coiling and twisting before hardening into solid forms of boxes or tanks.
"This is pointless." Gash grumbled. He had shouldered his shotgun, more bored than concerned or unnerved. "There is no one here!"
"He's right, boss. No sign of anybody, friendlies or hostiles." Peter agreed.
"The main control room is over there. Maybe we can pull some video footage or find survivors there." Kajira thought out loud. When the team reached the door to the room, it tried to open but jammed halfway up.
"We don't know if there are hostiles in there. Gash, when I give the signal, you push the door open and Helfer breaches and secures the room. Understood?" she said, regaining her resolve.
"Helfer, be careful!" Kaj whispered, leaning against the wall next to the door, preparing to rush in and help should help be needed.
Dvorak was slightly confused. On the one side, Kaj had expressed concern for his well-being. On the other side, she had just ordered him to burst into a room that was, potentially, filled with Reapers. He clenched his teeth and prepared to breach.
"Now!" Kajira hissed, her mandibles twitching in excitement. Gash used both hands and pushed the door up, causing it to yowl tortured.
Dvorak's biotics flared up, engulfing his arms in a blue haze. He grasped his SMG with one hand, formed a whip of biotic energy with the other and spun into the room.
What he found was not the enemy, but carnage. The bodies of the workers lay piled up in a big heap, blood of various colors had oozed onto the floor below, forming a partly dried pool.
He clenched his teeth, forcing himself not to gag. There was a … thing, doing something to one of the bodies, a gaunt, slender figure, crouching. When he heard a ripping noise, followed by chewing, he recognized the human form of a husk.
He clenched his teeth harder, anger flashing through his mind as he tried to block out the smell.
Startled by the noise, the husk raised its head, spotting him. A feral growl escaped its throat as it launched itself off the pile of bodies, darting towards Dvorak.
"What is happening?" Kajira inquired, gesturing Peter and Gash to form up and enter with her.
He breathed out. Time seemed to slow down when he pulled his hand with the whip back, focusing the energy onto his fist, causing it to glow bright blue. The husk was nearly upon him. He hurled his arm forward, striking the former human under the mechanical eye, smashing through dead flesh, organic and cybernetic tissue. The head of the thing exploded, spraying the floor and far wall with black blood.
When the team finally stormed into the room, guns ready and fire in their eyes, the broken form of the thing lay sprawled with the rest of the bodies on the floor.
"Holy shit …" Peter said, spotting the bodies, followed by "Oh god" when the smell hit him.
"Nice one!" Gash laughed as he walked over to the mangled body of the husk and kicking it slightly.
Kajira opened a channel to the Poltergeist: "Command, this is Alpha Leader. The civilians are dead, and we have a confirmed Reaper presence on the planet, I repeat, civilians dead and confirmed Reaper presence on the planet. Warn Bravo Team, Alpha continues as planned. Confirm?"
A single "Confirmed." crackled through the channel. Kaj closed it again and turned towards her team.
"Now we know who we face. We don't know how big the force is they gathered here, but seeing as our scans didn't pick anything up, it can't be too much. Still, exercise extreme caution. We're taking this station back!"
"Finally!" Gash laughed as he took point. Dvorak still stood in the middle of the room, fists clenched. When Gash and Peter went out of the door, Kajira lingered behind.
"You okay?" she asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just never got used to seeing …" he looked at the origin of the pool of blood and stopped.
"Come on, let's go." she said, leading him out of the room.