Chapter 25
It was dark and cool and dry. There was no other sound than the slow labored gasps of lungs as they fought for air, no movement other than the faint rustling of battered bones and bruised flesh. No feeling except that of shooting pain and an overwhelming heaviness.
She opened her eyes. A surprisingly painful movement that only confirmed the oppressive darkness.
She inhaled slowly. A searing pain spread throughout her chest, shadowed by a constricting pressure that increased the difficulty to breathe.
She flexed her hand. More pain, but now a constant, pounding agony. Then, she flexed her other hand eliciting the same sharp sting that slowly ebbed to a dull throb.
This was all familiar. The suffocating darkness, the labored breathing, the pain. She had experienced this before, after the beam, the Citadel, the explosion. She had been buried under a pile of rubble, trapped by her quickly weakening body as much as the debris on top of her. At that time, she had been powerless to save herself. In this moment, she refused to be that helpless.
She took another breath, concentrating on her situation while deliberately ignoring the stinging sensation cutting through her chest. She was lying on her back, on a flat surface, still encased in her armor. She blinked rapidly in an attempt to focus, but it was difficult to go beyond the pain coursing through her body and the darkness that distorted her perceptions. The blackness, so thick as to simulate physical form, pressed upon her, goading panic into her mind. She forcibly swallowed the ice cold fear that threatened to overtake her thoughts. Panic could come later, when weathering such emotional chaos wouldn't be a precursor to her demise.
She turned her head from side to side, seeking to distill clarity from the confusion, and felt the awkward yet familiar confinement of an environmental helmet. That's when she sensed rather than saw a human-like shape above her. Darkness swarmed her vision and again that sudden chill of panic rushed through her veins. Hastily, she tried to move away, to distance herself from the shape, and then a familiar voice came through the confusion, reassuring her.
"Lakota, it's okay. It's me! It's Liara." A second later, a light illuminated their immediate space, highlighting the Asari's delicate features in a soft white hue. The researcher was using her omni-tool as a lantern.
"Liara?" Lakota whispered with obvious difficulty. Relief was evident in her eyes, though.
She lifted herself on her elbows, attempting to sit up, but a sudden weakness overcame her limbs, halting her momentum. Liara was instantly at the Spectre's side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, helping her to a sitting position.
"What happened?" Lakota asked, grimacing through the pain. "I remember putting my hand on the panel, then… darkness."
Even through Liara's visor, the concern on her face was easily discernible. "You triggered something. The platform you were standing on disappeared and you fell into the ruin. I followed after you."
Lakota frowned as she attempted to recall those actions the Asari described. "I got the wind knocked out of me," she said, trying to explain her discomfort. Although ineffectual, she placed her hand on her armored chest in an attempt to soothe her breathing.
Chagrined, Liara admitted, "I think I landed on you."
"That explains why it feels like a MAKO ran over my chest." The Spectre shook her head, trying to clear the cobwebs from her mind. Then, she activated her omni-tool and typed in a few commands.
Liara fixed her with a glare for a moment, and then returned her gaze to their surroundings.
"I shall remind you of that the next time we're in bed."
"I can't contact the Normandy," Lakota replied with a faint smile playing on her lips. If her attempt at levity had been well received, then their situation was obviously not utterly hopeless.
"This underground ruin must be shielded. It never showed up on any of our scans." In case the Spectre's armor biometrics had been damaged in the fall, Liara swept her omni-tool over the human's body, watching the readout of its medical diagnostic program, making sure there were no internal injuries or broken bones. Nothing other than some severe bruising was detected.
"Well, that means we're on our own."
"For the moment, maybe… but Miranda won't stop until we're back in contact." Liara smiled softly. "She's a very driven woman."
Lakota grinned. "Just like someone else I know."
"What? I am nothing like her."
"Oh really?" Lakota countered.
"No!" Liara snapped.
Lakota raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Tell me again what lengths you'll go to while hunting me down."
Pursing her lips, the researcher said, "Fine. I can see your point."
Lakota chuckled softly, then, with Liara's assistance, she slowly got to her feet, being careful to take easy, shallow breaths. She wasn't sure how far they fell, but the impact with the ground had been severe enough to steal all the air from her lungs, and she assumed, bruise her newly healed ribs.
While looking around their nebulous surroundings, she switched on her omni-tool's flashlight application, sweeping her arm around in a semi-circle pattern. The added illumination revealed that they were in a large octagonal room with four arched exits leading down unlit tunnels. The floors and walls consisted of the same dark alien metal on the planet surface, complete with the intricate circuitry. Although down here it appeared to be inert. If the room had a ceiling, it was beyond the Spectre's visual range because looking upward only revealed an infinite blackness.
Lakota noted that the room was completely free from errant dust and debris. On a hunch, she used her omni-tool to run a quick atmospheric scan and discovered that the air was a mix of nitrogen, oxygen and argon without any trace of the microscopic symbiotic creatures that existed on the surface. Clean, breathable atmosphere. Although, even with that bit of knowledge, she wasn't going to remove her environmental helmet. She didn't know the status or integrity of the rest of the ruin and wanted to avoid unexpected suffocation. The information was important though, because now she knew that even after 50,000 years some basic operations were still functional within the structure. Beyond that of secret trap doors.
"We can't go back up," she said, still wondering how far down they had fallen. "So, any idea which way to go?"
Liara surveyed the area looking for any familiar symbols or markings that would indicate where the four corridors led. "None," she said, sounding disgruntled.
"Well, you're the Prothean expert, which ways feels right?"
"That way," Liara said, pointing to the northern passageway. Her intuition wasn't guiding her, rather her logical mind decided that at this point, one direction was as good as any other.
Shrugging her shoulders, Lakota pulled out her pistol, then headed off toward the north corridor. "And now to explore the creepy Prothean ruin." She flashed Liara a wry grin. "Not something an intelligent being would typically say."
Liara stared into the velvet nothingness surrounding her. "When have we ever done anything particularly intelligent?" she muttered sardonically.
Drawing her pistol from its holster, she followed the Spectre through the ominous archway.
…
The war room's artificial lighting glared harshly against Miranda's frenzied blue eyes as they sped through the data feeds. "We've lost Shepard and Liara's biometric signatures!" she barked, a subtle panic etched into her normally unflappable voice. "Specialist Traynor—"
Hearing the brunette's commanding tone, Traynor reflexively straightened her posture. "Yes, ma'am?"
"Use that renowned ability of yours to analyze the data and find out where the hell they went!"
"Yes, ma'am."
Miranda's fingers danced across the communications console. "Samara. What's going on down there?!"
"The Commander and Dr. T'Soni activated a hidden doorway which sealed immediately after their entry. They are within the ruin. Javik and I have been unsuccessful in repeating the process to gain access."
"Bloody hell! Keep trying, I'll get you some help."
"Understood."
Fuming silently, Miranda keyed up another comm line.
"Cortez here."
"Lieutenant, I need you to make sure Samara and Javik have new suit filters, then make your way to the mercenary's main base. Pick up Tali and EDI and then get your ass back to the ruin. They are now our best bet in opening that damn thing up."
"Copy that."
Miranda terminated both comm links before activating another. "Garrus."
"Go ahead, Miranda."
"Shepard and Liara have disappeared in the ruin."
"Gone sightseeing, have they?"
"Something like that," Miranda growled. "Cortez is heading your way to pick up Tali and EDI. You and the rest of your team need to make sure no one leaves that base. Disable all of their transportation. We'll keep the reinforcements off of your back."
"Well at least Jack and Grunt will finally be able to blow something up. For the record, they are bad influences on each other."
"Just make sure Vega doesn't crash your shuttle. I'm not sure we'd be able to spare the time to pick you up."
"I'll make sure he knows the score. And that unless he wants to experience swelling of the tongue, a skin rash, nausea, and vomiting followed by death, he'll want to keep the shuttle intact."
"Good luck with that," Miranda said, then terminated the link.
As she continued to scan through the data feeds, she tossed around various scenarios that would keep the mercenaries occupied. Suddenly, she looked up from her console's display, the fire of inspiration burning within the depth of her eyes. "Specialist, make sure you keep all of the mercenary's comm lines blocked."
Something in the brunette's fierce gaze made the hair on Traynor's neck stand on end. "Yes, ma'am," she said curtly, then concentrated on her assigned task.
Smiling conspiratorially, Miranda asked, "EDI… how difficult would it be for you to tap into their ship's sensor array."
The AI's sultry voice replied over the intercom. "I believe the correct human expression is 'it would be as easy as 1, 2, 3...'"
"Good. I have an idea…"
…
"What's the plan?" Liara asked. She was three steps behind the Spectre, illuminating her way through the passageway with her omni-tool's flashlight application. This reminded her of walking through the catacombs of the ancient Krogan city on Tuchanka. Minus the threat of being consumed by, as Wrex had said, the mother of all thresher maws.
As they continued down the corridor, Lakota adjusted her omni-tool's light to emit a high powered, narrow beam at a ninety degree angle from her wrist allowing her to use a more controlled two-handed grip on her pistol. "Let's keep it simple," she said. "If you don't recognize it, shoot it."
"Good plan."
"I am a master of strategy and have a natural aptitude for juggling."
Only the sound of their footfalls could be heard until Liara's curiosity got the best of her. "How is your juggling ability relevant in this moment?"
"It's never relevant, but I wanted to mention it anyway."
"Nice segue."
"Master strategist at work."
Liara rolled her eyes in amusement as she continued to scan the corridor. According to her omni-tool's mapping program, this latest passage was longer than the others they had traveled, though it was visually difficult to tell in the blackness. She knew they moved downward, as though the tunnel was taking them to the center of the Prothean ruin, but again because of the darkness her sense of direction was disoriented. Fortunately, her omni-tool didn't have the same handicap.
Even after decades of studying Prothean ruins, Liara could easily say that she had never encountered a structure such as this one, intact and untouched by scavenger's hands. Part of her was thrilled by the prospect of being the first to explore the depths of such a pristine site. It seemed beyond fortuitous. The other part of her was leery of being the first to explore a facility that had successfully remained hidden for over 50,000 years. The length of the ruin's concealment, and their somewhat questionable entry, spawned a sense of apprehension and foreboding. The fact that the ruin's environment and alien architecture resembled the backdrop of every horror vid she had ever seen added even more to her trepidation.
"Goddess," she said, her voice echoing eerily through the passageway as they turned another corner, "it feels like we're in a maze."
Lakota glanced back at the Asari and snorted. "Question is, are we the mouse or the cheese?"
"That's not a comforting thought."
Attempting to see further down the corridor, Lakota raised her left arm higher in the air. "Let's face it. We don't have a good track record when it comes to exploring Prothean ruins. Invariably something jumps out and tries to kill us." The light's new visual angle didn't offer any aid, so she resumed her two-handed grip on her gun.
Liara gritted her teeth as her hand tightened around her pistol's handle. "That's not comforting either."
Shrugging her shoulders, Lakota added, "For what it's worth, it was never Prothean technology that tried to kill us. On Feros and Ilos, it was the Geth. On Mars, it was Cerberus. Eden Prime was a mix of both, depending on the year." Not wanting to upset Liara, she purposely avoided mentioning Thessia, the Asari's home world which had been devastated by Reaper forces.
"And on Therum," Liara offered, "it was the Geth and that Krogan Battlemaster." A brief, sad smile passed over the researcher's lips when she noted her lover's omission of Thessia. She was grateful for its exclusion from this conversation, but the sharp sting and bitterness that accompanied knowing her home world resembled that of a wasteland instead of a paradise was still acute.
"He was scary, wasn't he?"
Liara shuddered involuntarily at the memory of the hulking, one-ton mass of rage and brutality. "Having never encountered one before, he definitely made an impression."
"I wonder what would have happened if we'd arrived later."
"I imagine that I would have been safe in the Prothean security stasis, but I would have probably thought you were a hallucination."
Surprised, Lakota sputtered, "Really?"
"And I probably would have accused you of ruining my life."
"Seriously?"
"It's just a guess," Liara said nonchalantly.
Lakota cleared her throat. "I'll never be late to pick you up… ever again." The tone of her voice sounded like she was making a solemn promise.
"Your strategic mastery serves you well."
They traveled another twenty meters, then the passageway curved to the left and immediately opened into a large chamber similar to the one they were dropped into: octagonal in shape and constructed out of the grey alien metal heavily imbedded with circuitry. Compared to the other room though, three distinct differences were readily apparent.
The instant they stepped into the chamber, the circuitry lining the floors and walls brightened, the amber glow illuminating the whole chamber revealing its true, imposing dimensions. The room measured at least thirty meters across in any direction with no visible termination point when looking up.
"That seems unusual," Liara said, scrutinizing the intricate patterns that ascended the walls and disappeared into the expanse of the vaulted ceiling.
Also, hovering in the center of the room was a self-floating sphere. With its smooth, liquid-like surface and silvered opalescence it could have been considered a smaller version of the artifact on the planet surface, but its size and appearance bore a greater resemblance to the Leviathan artifacts they had found in Dr. Bryson's Lab and on the ship at 2181 Despoina. On the floor, surrounding the artifact in a tightly woven circular pattern were hundreds of miniature spheres, all of which appeared to be dormant.
Lakota's eyes narrowed as she scanned the room. "Somehow I don't think that is a good sign either," she said, deactivating her omni-tool flashlight and pointing her finger at the floating, opaque sphere.
Stepping next to the Spectre, Liara also deactivated her omni-tool, then violet tendrils of biotic energy coiled around her left arm. "I am in agreement with you."
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, Lakota had a bad feeling. Even before they entered the room, a prickling sensation trickled down her spine followed by a sudden dread that burned in the pit of her stomach. Her apprehension only multiplied once they crossed the threshold, and the room, like a living entity, seemed to become aware of their presence.
Lakota caught a quick flash of light emanating from the metal spheres on the floor.
"Liara," she whispered hesitatingly, "I don't want to alarm you, but…"
"Shepard? What is it?" The infinitesimal sound of fear was etched in the Asari's voice.
"… I think we're the cheese!" Lakota shouted as she shoved Liara to the ground before diving in the opposite direction, barely avoiding the energy beam from the miniature sphere that had risen from the floor.
Then, without preamble, chaos erupted around them.
Ten more spheres became alive, rising in the air, lights blinking rapidly as they swarmed towards Liara.
Lakota rolled to her feet firing her pistol until her thermal clip was spent, then activated her tactical cloak to reload. She never stopped moving. There was no cover, nothing to hide behind and her shield was going to be useless against the energy weapon the sphere had emitted. Although she was an expert marksman, her running combined with the speed and size of the small spheres made it so only three out of her twelve shots hit their mark. That was not an encouraging percentage.
Despite being surprised by the sudden push to the ground, Liara recovered quickly, spinning to her knees and firing her pistol at the approaching orbs. She wasn't as good of a shot as the Spectre, so when none of her shots found their mark, she immediately released a biotic surge of energy that briefly staggered the flying globes, and as luck would have it, their energy weapons, too.
Seizing the unexpected opportunity, Lakota unloaded her pistol at the momentarily stunned spheres, hitting and disabling six of them before the remainder careened off toward the center of the room, swirling around the larger sphere.
Liara scurried to her feet as fiery violet strands of energy lashed out from her arm, enveloping the last two spheres and smashing them together in an explosive collision.
"Well done, T'Soni! That was—" Before Lakota could finish her praise, eleven more spheres had woken from their dormant state on the floor, risen into the air, and renewed the assault on the Asari, firing their weapons in rapid succession.
Having little time to recover, Liara moved as fast as she could through the room, attempting to dodge the orb's energy beams, but she wasn't quick enough. One bolt hit her solidly on the right shoulder, knocking her off-balance and sending her careening into the unforgiving hardness of the cold floor. When she turned around and looked up she saw the spheres rapidly converging on her. She rolled to her feet, pushing her biotics down her legs, concentrating the energy on the soles of her feet. Then, using the gravity neutralizing energies as if they were skates, she pushed away from danger, narrowly avoiding being hit by the relentless attack, sliding swiftly across the floor towards safety a few meters away. Barely had she come to a halt when she felt her left leg get knocked out from underneath, sending her back to the floor as her calf muscle erupted in searing pain.
Lakota had noticed the recharge delay after the first orb fired its weapons and knew she only had a precious few seconds before the new set fired on Liara again. Fortunately, seeing the orbs explode when they were smashed together had given her an idea. She raced to the center of the room, coming to a skidding halt just before the circle of inert spheres on the floor. She picked one up in her hand, reared her arm back to throw it into the group approaching Liara, but just as it left her fingers, the orb detonated. The force of the explosion catapulted her backward through the air where she connected with the wall in a bone jarring thud.
"Shepard!" Liara screamed, as she fired her pistol at the oncoming spheres.
When she saw Shepard's form slide listlessly down the wall, panic seized the Asari, but not the crippling kind that felt like ice water flooding your veins. Rather, this was a molten hot surge that empowered and wanted nothing more than to destroy everything in its path.
Now on her knees, Liara discarded her pistol. Ignoring her throbbing shoulder, she raised both hands in the air and dark blue streaks of biotic energy immediately coiled around her body, swirling at impossible speeds, creating a sphere-like protective shell. She smiled humorlessly when she felt the sudden shift in the gravitational force as the blazing violet tempest increased in density around her. Sweat tickled down the side of her face, but she maintained her focus on containing and increasing the force of the inferno engulfing her, waiting for the right moment to unleash its fury. Then, just before the orbs were about to overtake her, Liara clenched her hands in the shape of fists and all of the floating orbs suddenly slammed into the ground with such force that it caused a thunderous rumble, but instead of exploding, they imploded in a frenzy of shrieking metal and angry blue flames.
When she was satisfied the orbs were destroyed, Liara released her hold on the biotic energy and unceremoniously fell forward, exhausted, barely catching herself with her hands before colliding with the floor. Glancing over at Lakota, she saw the Spectre attempting to sit up and her heart skipped a beat in overwhelming relief.
Lakota's teeth rattled in her skull and her eyes were slightly glazed as she struggled to a kneeling position. Although her armor absorbed the majority of the impact with the wall, it was still powerful enough to aggravate the ribs that had been bruised earlier, and when she tasted a strong metallic flavor on her tongue, she knew she must have bitten the inside of her mouth, as well.
Even though Liara had just destroyed the orbs in an impressive biotic display, an urgency still tugged at the Spectre as her thoughts raced almost as fast as her pulse. The spheres, although constructed out of some metal, acted similar to holographic combat drones. Obviously, they were being controlled by an active security system, protecting the orb in the center of the room. But curiously, they seemed to be fixated on Liara as their primary target.
With concern for her lover on the forefront of her mind, Lakota looked up and met Liara's steadfast gaze. Time seemed to slow to a crawl. In that moment, all that existed was the two of them, drained and disheveled, staring at each other from opposite sides of the room in a near desperate visual embrace. As though spellbound, Lakota found herself plummeting into the unfathomable depth of emotion flashing across the Asari's face and within her eyes.
Then, blinking lights and another set of eleven metal spheres in the center of the room rising in the air brought reality crashing back down around them.
Grabbing her pistol, Liara scooted across the floor, but her limbs felt like rubber and she knew she wasn't going to be fast enough to avoid another one of their onslaughts. Although her armor's VI had distributed medi-gel to her injuries, not enough time had passed for the salve's healing properties to be of any real benefit. She rolled to her knees and chanced another glance at her lover, knowing that she would find strength in the woman, the strength needed to keep going no matter the odds, just as the human always did. She blinked slowly and attempted to control her breathing as she took aim at the swiftly approaching horde of little angry spheres whose only purpose was to end her existence. She steeled herself, focusing intensely down the sights of her pistol as the rest of the world receded into the background. There was only she and the spheres now, while time, as it so often did in moments of high tension, began to gradually slow down.
Then, Liara pulled the trigger, and when the first round cracked through the air, the illusion ended.
Fear and dread blossomed within Lakota's chest as she saw the group of spheres advance upon the retreating Asari. They gathered around her like rabid varren, charging their weapons, preparing to go in for the kill. As the scene unfolded, Lakota's eyes narrowed and her face became white with rage. Acting with little regard toward caution, she launched herself forward with an unintelligible scream, primal and raw, that erupted from the depths of her being. No thought existed, only the instinct that guided her and the adrenaline that fueled her inhuman pace. Her focus was so absolute that she was completely oblivious to the myriad ribbons of green light enveloping her body and trailing in her wake.
Even as Liara strained to erect a biotic barrier, hoping that it would be enough to protect her from the orb's weapons, she caught sight of something startling in the corner of her eye. She witnessed her lover doubled over on her hands and knees, seemingly in distress, being enveloped by wispy threads of emerald energy. The human's fingers curled like claws, digging into the floor. Then, she stiffened suddenly, her face a grimace of pain as she lifted both hands high in the air and then smashed them against the ground, releasing a blast of dark green energy that fanned out like a wave across the floor. A split second later, the Spectre, who was now woven in fiery green tendrils of energy, launched herself forward, sprinting through the room and heading toward the group of floating spheres.
It was as though gravity had no hold on her. She traveled across the room at an impossible speed, and then, just before reaching the spheres, she jumped high in the air and dropped down in the middle of the grouping, striking with the merciless speed of a cobra. Dark green energy coursed around her as she punched one with her right fist, another with her left fist, and then struck one with her right elbow. She was a flurry of destruction, as each solid hit disintegrated its intended target. Within a couple seconds she had eliminated eight orbs.
The remaining three flew out of Lakota's reach, but regrouped forming a wide circle, and prepared once more to attack Liara.
Lakota turned hastily, as though to retreat, sprinting towards the wall but then, at the last possible second, she leapt up and in one move changed her direction in an implausibly abrupt manner, springing off the vertical surface with her right leg. She turned her body while in mid-flight, sending her right fist on a collision course with the middle sphere. An emerald arc of energy, like lightning, erupted on impact, splitting off in two directions, each bolt striking the remaining two orbs causing them to explode in a brilliant spectacle of dark green fire and atomized metal.
Landing on her feet with ease, the Spectre took a moment to dispassionately survey the debris, a green halo still shimmering along the outline of her body. Then, underneath the floating artifact, she noticed another collection of security spheres begin to stir.
Without hesitation, she leaped high once again, propelled by the emerald energy surrounding her body as it surged through the air, coiling in long loops into her raised hands.
From Liara's perspective, it wasn't so much that the energy gathered around the Spectre, but that the Spectre was gathering the energy.
After reaching the zenith of her jump, Lakota fell to the ground, slamming her right fist on the metal surface with such force that the impact reverberated through the room like a clap of thunder. Dark green energy swiftly spread along the ground all throughout the room, and as the newly active spheres began to float upward, sharp emerald spikes jutted up from below impaling each orb, rendering them useless.
The Spectre, still on her hands and knees, kept her palms flat on the floor as the iridescent green hue gliding like a fog across the flat surface grew brighter, reflecting off the dark metal walls in a harsh alien light. She flexed her hands and the atmosphere within the room began to bend and shift, twisting into a tangible thickness that pressed in on every inch of space.
Even within her armor the change in pressure was making it difficult for Liara to breathe.
Slowly, Lakota rose to her feet and faced the center of the room. Like a maestro leading an orchestra, she stood with her arms outstretched to her sides, and the dark emerald energy followed her command by rising off the floor and swallowing the inert spheres within its eerie mist.
Just as the next group of orbs rose from the ground, the virulent energy surrounding Lakota grew more luminous while the mist expanding along the ground darkened. In a sudden, unexpected movement, she lifted her arms high into the air, and as the density and gravitational pull of the mist increased exponentially, the outer edges of reality itself became distorted until reaching a critical point. Then, the orbs came crashing down to the ground with ruthless fury, being smashed beyond recognition in the single act.
In a mix of shock, concern and fascination, Liara watched the bizarre scene before her play out. Her lover's unprecedented raw biotic power and near superhuman abilities were wild and frightening. The only thing comparable was the Cerberus security vids she had obtained showing an adolescent Jack, before she joined Shepard, in a manic biotic rampage, all but destroying the Pragia facility in a fit of unbridled rage. Lakota appeared to be more contained, but the vast amount of energy rippling off of her was no less astounding. Her lover hadn't been born with any biotic ability and only showed a minor aptitude after being in Cerberus' hands, so the extraordinary display being showcased now was quite remarkable and somewhat unsettling, both on personal and fundamental levels.
Lakota, her arms once again outstretched at her sides, took a step toward the center of the room. She released a guttural snarl as her pale green eyes, illuminated in an unnatural light, focused on the hundreds of inert spheres still strewn across the floor. Within seconds the energized mist darkened aggressively and under the stress of their rapidly increasing mass, the orbs began to shake and buckle. Scarcely a moment before the spheres were to be crushed by an imploding, invisible force, she swung her hands together in dramatic clap which sent a dazzling blast of gravitational energy fanning outward in a dark emerald wave, distorting the visual spectrum and launching all of the orbs on a destructive collision course with the outer wall. Twisted fragments from the shattered spheres dropped unceremoniously to the floor.
As the dark green energy faded away, Liara got to her feet and quickly made her way to the Spectre. "Shepard," she said hesitantly, her hand reaching out to touch her lover's shoulder.
The human didn't move, didn't respond, she just stared at the center of the room.
Tension crept up the researcher's spine as she stepped in front of Lakota and for the first time was able to get a good look at her lover's face—expressionless, with unfocused eyes that betrayed no awareness of Liara's existence. "Shepard," she repeated, her voice sounding more insistent.
Abruptly, Lakota shook her head, her eyes blinking rapidly as though she was waking from a dream. Initially, she looked surprised to see the Asari, but then her eyes narrowed and recognition took hold. In a somewhat delayed reaction, a super bright smile slowly spread across her face. "Hey, I know you," she said, her sing-song voice drunkenly slurring her words. "Liara." Then, her legs buckled beneath her.
"Goddess," Liara exclaimed as she caught the Spectre just as she started to collapse. With great care, she eased her to a seated position on the ground.
"Now I know why Jack eats so many damn energy bars," Lakota said wearily, her body leaning into the Asari's for support. "Biotics are exhausting."
"Yes," Liara agreed, "they are. How do you feel?"
"Tired. Hungry. And I could use a shower." Lakota's fingers fumbled clumsily with her helmet's release clasps. "Can you help me with this?" she asked, an underlying desperation adding urgency to the request.
After quickly double-checking the air quality with her omni-tool, Liara helped the Spectre remove her helmet. Looking relieved, Lakota took a deep breath and said, "Thanks. That's much better. I was starting to get claustrophobic, too."
Liara followed her lover's example and took off her helmet, placing it on the ground next to them. "Shepard," she began tentatively, "how did you…?"
Shrugging her shoulders, Lakota said, "I honestly have no idea."
She turned her head, meeting Liara's worried gaze and tried to explain what was going through her mind just before the new ability manifested. She did this for herself as much as Liara, hoping that voicing those thoughts would give some insight or clarity to what had happened. "Those orbs were focusing on you and I just... I just wanted to be there… next to you, to protect you. But they kept coming and then you were hit. And then I just wanted to destroy them."
"Well, you definitely did that," Liara said, as she playfully nudged her lover's shoulder with her own.
Lakota shook her head slightly, scrutinizing the scattered debris in the room. "I really have no idea how it happened," she repeated. Then, she turned and smiled softly as her eyes met Liara's. "But I'm glad it did."
"Me too," Liara said as she returned the Spectre's smile. A moment later, she took a deep breath and frowned, her thoughts shifting between concern and wonder. "I've never seen anything like that. Not really. But your biotics having a green hue…"
"Yeah," Lakota said, snorting softly. "That's a little too familiar. If I start saying things like 'in my cycle' or start referring to everyone as 'primitive' or by their species' name, you have permission to slap me."
"Trust me, if that happens," Liara deadpanned, "I'll slap your ass with a singularity."
Lakota blinked… then burst into laughter as some vigor returned to her fatigued limbs. "You've definitely been hanging out with your father too much!"
Wrapping her right arm around the Spectre's shoulders, Liara replied cheekily, "Don't think I won't do it."
"Oh, I know better than to disregard your quarter Krogan self."
"Good."
Over the years, Lakota had become adept at deciphering the nuances of the Asari's body language as well as reading between the lines of their unspoken dialogue. So, despite the good-natured teasing, she knew that Liara was concerned about her physical well-being and the unexplained biotic ability, which was evidenced by the troubled look in the Asari's eyes and the stress induced stiffness of her body. In truth, Lakota was concerned as well, but she believed that right now her physical health was not their main priority. Escaping the ruin in one piece was their main priority.
She also knew that a bit of reassurance would go a long way in easing her lover's apprehension.
With this in mind, Lakota captured the Asari's left hand in both of hers, bringing it to her lips and giving each armored knuckle a light, reverent kiss. "I'm okay. Really. I'm not sure what's going on with me, but I know we'll figure it out." Looking a little smug, she added, "I was pretty badass though, right?"
Liara smiled wanly, distress still evident in her eyes as she leaned over and placed a quick kiss on the Spectre's cheek. "Yes," she said. "You were very badass." She remained quiet for a moment as though collecting her thoughts, then asked the most persistent question running through her mind. "Do you think you could do it again?"
Lakota's eyes closed as she breathed in deeply through her nose, contemplating her answer. When she exhaled, her eyes opened and returned to the inquisitive look on her lover's face. "I'm not sure," she whispered, "I just don't know." Then, she raised her left hand in front of them and as she curled her fingers, making a fist, emerald strands of energy coiled around her hand and forearm. "But I know I can do something."
Biting her lower lip, Liara stared at the glowing fist but said nothing. Lakota could see the kaleidoscope of emotions racing behind her turbulent blue eyes as the questions and inescapable unease sank into her being. Eventually, the researcher nodded her head, quietly acquiescing to their current predicament and shelving her worries for a later time.
A tired sigh escaped Lakota's lips as she leaned into the Asari's comforting, one-armed embrace. "This was a first though," she said, flashing her most charming smile, trying to lighten the mood.
"What was a first?"
"This was the first time that Prothean technology, in a Prothean ruin, actually tried to kill us."
Liara glared at her lover momentarily, then shook her head and smiled, the distress in her eyes being replaced by humor.
Frowning suddenly, Lakota tilted her head and as though just becoming aware of their surroundings, noticed that the artifact hovering in the middle of the room had been entirely unaffected by the biotic tempest exhibited early.
"That's strange," she murmured as she slowly stood up, extending her hand towards Liara.
Perplexed by the Spectre's odd comment, Liara took the proffered hand and then allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. "What's strange?"
Lakota pointed toward the artifact. "That."
"Oh," Liara whispered, wondering why she hadn't noticed the undamaged sphere earlier, "that is strange." Then, she wondered what materials the sphere had been constructed from to make it seemingly immune to biotic energy.
"I've something even stranger than that on my mind," Lakota said.
"Why do I not find that surprising?"
Lakota smiled sheepishly. "What if I told you that my instincts are telling me to touch it?"
"I would remind you that that is how we got down here in the first place."
"Then maybe that will get us out of here."
Liara sighed heavily, a look of unhappiness flashing across her face as she picked up her pistol from the floor and holstered it. They were in an underground labyrinth with no food, no water, no contact to the outside world and no clue on how to escape. She had experienced the dangerous unpredictability of Prothean technology in the past and knew that if they continued to wander through the ruin blindly, they would eventually run into something they couldn't defeat. She hated admitting it, but with her lover's newfound Prothean influence, following her instincts might give them the edge they need to rescue themselves.
"Okay," she said, sounding deflated. Just because she agreed, didn't mean she was overly fond of the idea.
"Okay?" Lakota questioned.
The Asari's brows furrowed testily. "Okay."
"Okay," Lakota replied, drawing out the last vowel in an amused and somewhat placating tone while her head bobbed up and down.
Then, she turned toward the center of the room, and with Liara walking just behind her, she headed toward the artifact. As she approached, the sphere began to pulse a slow, steady rhythm, like a heartbeat, and the radiance of its fluidic surface seemed to become more vibrant. With each footfall, the pulsing of the orb quickened until the Spectre was less than a foot away. Then, it ceased all movement, settling back into its original hovering position.
"Are you sure about this?" Liara asked, her doubts causing her to second guess the plan.
Lakota captured the Asari's right hand in her left and gave it a light, reassuring squeeze. "I'm rarely sure about anything." Then, with a mischievous smile playing on her lips, she reached out with her right hand and touched the sphere.
Slowly, pervasively, images slipped like tendrils of creeping vines through her mind. She saw fountains of fire and mushrooms of smoke, holes gaping into ravaged landscapes with skeletal faces grinning out, but eventually the images settled on a serene vision: a lush planet surface in an area near the edge of a dense forest. It was daytime and the sky above was a hazy yellow-green hue as though there was a filter in the air altering the spectrum of light. The tall trees and large stones surrounding Lakota were all covered with green and brown lichen, and as she breathed in, she caught its distinct scent: woody and sharp with a hint of something slightly sweet.
When she noticed Liara standing next to her, looking confused, their hands still clasped together, a sense of déjà vu overwhelmed her. Somehow she and Liara were sharing the same vision, like the shared dreams they braved together during the recent months. As that realization began to settle within her being, a somewhat familiar prickling sensation scratched at that back of her head. Then, a brief chill danced eerily down her spine. Somebody or something was near.
"Something's coming," she warned.
With an ease born of trust as well as combat experience, Liara flanked the Spectre's side, never releasing her hold on her lover's hand, scanning the forested landscape for any sign of movement. That's when she saw the emerald orb afloat within the shadows of the trees. She pointed towards it with her free hand.
The sphere began to spin rapidly, zipping to the left and then to the right, a cyclone of swirling tendrils and chaotic flashes of blinding light. Eventually, as the storm faded away, a bipedal shape gradually became discernible. The figure crossed the verdant landscape, stopping a few feet in front of them.
Lakota's eyes narrowed in recognition. "You're the Prothean from my dream."
Liara was startled, but not quite surprised by that information. Somehow it made sense. "Who are you really?" she demanded.
The Prothean tilted his head, a look of amusement on his face. "I am Vindication."