Local Cluster
Unknown location
The image of the skull expanded, rotating slowly on its axis. Miranda studied it carefully. Moving the image aside, she examined the next seven simulacrums as thoroughly. All of them showed the same nick to the base of the head. Similar entry wounds with no signs of scarring. With these evidence, she could postulate the procedure was carried out with a specialized medical device. She could visualise the steps it would have taken. The subject would be anaesthetized while lying on a bed inclined at an angle. A device would inject the chip from behind, another would administer Reaper nanites. An application of medigel to seal the wound seamlessly. Medication would be prescribed to the subject. Over the next few days, the chip and the nanites would do the work they were programmed to do.
If I'm right. For all I know, they could be lining them up in the corridors and giving them simple jabs.
That was something she'd preferred not to be true. The implication of a swift painless, smooth delivery open up an unpleasant and sinister vista she would rather not envision for the future. She'd rather the technology destroyed to prevent further corruption but she could see the benefits if it was used legitimately for medical treatments. Every way she examined it, there was no getting around that the technology was there to stay.
Releasing a soft sigh, she switched out the skull images to a different image. An older control chip. The original chip in Santino's head. The chip was the dinosaur when she compared it to the latest models. The newer nano-chips were three times more robust and efficient with capabilities to self-repair and replicate components. Unlike the modified nano-chips which required two sets of security algorithms, the old model had one.
The instructions in the chip was simple. Nothing more than an impediment towards any attempt to contact anyone outside Cerberus and complete obedience to the organization. It didn't make any sense to her. Subjects were usually terminated once they completed their assignments. How and why this Saben Santino was not eliminated was hard to fathom. Since she no longer had access to any Cerberus database, she wouldn't be able to find the answer. With the mental faculty of the man himself shattered, it was unlikely he could provide any answers either.
After a glance at the chronometer, she enabled a live vid feed to the patient care unit and watched as Santino slowly lifted a spoonful of stew to his lips. A medical attendant next to him steadied his shaking hand. His frame was still gaunt but he had managed to put on some flesh since he arrived at the research base. The maniac bouts of fury that gripped him had gradually disappeared as parts of his brain began to break down, leaving him with the symptoms of a late stage PD sufferer. Despite his condition, Alliance interrogators held daily sessions in the vain hope he would be able to throw some viable information. Most of the time, he was silent though he would respond whenever the subject of Akuze was brought up. Not surprising since he was the reason April's company was wiped out on that planet. That fact was definitely a millstone in his subconscious.
Contemplating the vid, Miranda wondered if he would talk if April was there to question him. It was a long shot but she thought it should be considered. The question was when she should pitch the idea to the brass and to April herself. No doubt the former spectre was up to her ears in various assignments and might not be willing to spare the time but Miranda was sure she could persuade her. Cerberus was an all important plague that had to be eradicated quickly.
She turned off the vid and returned to the algorithm she was working on. It was fortunate all eight modified control chips from the corpses of Cerberus troopers were identical. Disrupting Cerberus troops could be done easily when the time come to go head on against them. That was, if the Illusive Man's lieutenants didn't take into their heads to make changes to the chips. Given the entrenching nature of the nano-chips, replacement was impossible and inadvisable. Codes could be changed but it was impossible for any of their agents to dodge security scans once the algorithm to detect control chips was added to the security directory.
The comm on her desk beeped. Without taking her eyes from her console, she reached over to tap the answer key. "Yes?"
"I can call another time if you're busy."
The familiar accent drew her attention immediately. "Dr Chakwas." She smiled at the silver, grey hair woman on the screen. "How did you manage to find me?"
"It wasn't easy," Chakwas said dryly. "I have to dig beneath layers of papers, round a few loops of silverfish before it struck me I should head for the top rather than swim at the bottom. You are quite the illusive woman."
Miranda lifted a fine brow as her lips twisted wryly, wondering if that was dig at her past loyalties. Though they had worked together on the Normandy under April's command, their relationship was cordial, not warm. The doctor never trusted her, even if she was instrumental in reviving April. Resigning from Cerberus after the mission through the Omega Four Relay tilted some favour her way but she suspected she would not totally have the doctor's confidence.
"Is this about Shepard?" she asked.
Chakwas nodded, eyes veiled.
Abandoning the console, Miranda turned fully to the screen. "Is there some development?" concern laced her voice.
Chakwas, she knew, was keeping very close tabs on April once she was appraised of the technology that was used to resurrect her. That was the core of the qualms the older woman was harbouring. Though she did not raise the issue with her, she knew it was so. She also knew the doctor had pulled all the necessary strings to have the medical review of April's annual medical examination.
"This is perhaps a daft question but did you ever consider the ramifications in using tenebrous technology that would have a undefine causative effect?"
"Yes," Miranda said patiently. "It was a shot in the dark. A calculated risk but it had to be taken, given the circumstances we were facing. The decision was not made by me but if it was up to me, I would not hesitate. We, humanity, the galactic community needed her whether they knew it or not."
"I would not dispute that." Chakwas sighed. "We will not be having this conversation otherwise."
"On the brighter side, doctor," Miranda said soothingly. "We may have revived her for selfish purposes but we also granted her another chance to build the life she wants."
"I doubt the Illusive Man had any iota of altruism in him," said Chakwas. "You were wagering on a hand that could go badly but that's water under the bridge now. He's gone and she's alive." A slight smile lifted her lips before it vanished. "She more than deserves it. We owe a lot to her which brings me to the reason of my call."
Miranda unconsciously straightened, braced against whatever was coming her way. She hoped Chakwas had good news to impart. "Yes?"
"I need a second opinion. Since you were part of the Lazarus Project, I can't think of any one better to consult." Chakwas looked down at her console at her end. "I'm sending you the last five years, up to current, cumulative medical reports on Shepard. Starting from the time she was recovered from the debris on the Citadel right up to the most recent checkup she has on the Glasgow. Your security code will unlock it."
Checking the email portal, Miranda saw that the message had arrived. She transferred the data to her console, clearing away the work she was doing before keying in her security code to unlock the encrypted data. "Any specifics as to what I'm looking for?"
"You used your own genetically modified template to revamp her cellular structure, didn't you?" Chakwas asked impassively.
"Yes, it was also-," Miranda hesitated, "infused with further alterations to speed up the process of recovery."
She brought up the relevant data, now that she knew what she was looking for. Silence fell as she studied the notes. Chakwas pulled up a file to read as she waited. She looked up when Miranda made a sound.
"Is this genuine?!" Miranda asked before turning a stunned look at Chakwas. "This is impossible."
"Is there a point in my feeding you false data?" Chakwas returned coolly.
"No. I'm sorry," Miranda said hastily. "I'm-," she waved at the screen before her, "not expecting this."
Chakwas nodded, accepting the apology. "Then you concur that the changes are unprecedented."
"I do. I expect the unique template to be a better extension of the original framework but not to take such a direction-," Miranda trailed off. What if the data was wrong? No, Chakwas would have been very thorough. She was willing to bet the doctor ran exhaustive tests before bringing her the final analysis.
"Although-," she tried again to voice her bewilderment and then shook her head in disbelief. "It doesn't matter." She looked at Chakwas steadily. "She has to be informed so which one of us is going to tell her?"
Thessia
The hours were late. Long past what Effia considered a decent time for any visitor to linger at the T'Soni estate. It became even more indecent when said visitors came by when the owners were away. Official visitors at that. Granted, she couldn't deny entry to police officers but considering they were conducting an illegal investigation of the dwelling and the surrounding grounds, she felt she had every right to see them off. But she held her peace, accommodating their every request to search and scan every room. She couldn't imagine what they thought the T'Soni estate was harboring. Affecting bewilderment and naivety under a barrage of questions wasn't difficult. Even if they didn't believe that she knew nothing, their hands were essentially tied.
The officers had descended on the estate in the early afternoon. She had spent most of the day getting dragged from one end to the other end. She rue the day she signed on as housekeeper. The desire to dump the officers out by their butts simmered. After hours of looking into every corner of the estate, they finally ended up at the hall. Crossing her arms, she regarded the officer before her with half closed eyes.
"I don't know how you want me to say it." She held on to her patience with both hands. "Matriarch T'Deynor has gone off planet on business. I don't know what it is. Do I look like her deputy? I have my hands full running this place and keeping them in line-," she waved at her assistants standing behind her.
"To date, there is no one else-," the officer in charge of the invasion eyed her suspiciously, "except you and these others in this house?"
Effia finally snapped. How many times was the idiot going to keep asking that same question?
"Yes, there are others! You, and that whole bunch turning this place upside down-," she indicated the cops she could see down the hall. "Whole planet's filled with vermin. Why couldn't you have plowed around out there instead of wasting your time here?"
"No need to get your crest in a twist." The officer closed down her omni-tool. "Pack it up," she said to her assistant who muttered into her comlink and gestured to those nearest to her to leave the hall. "If anyone else should turn up, I hope you'll notify us."
"Anyone?" Effia queried, narrowing her eyes. "Shall I inform Captain Shepard that she has to drop by the station to report her presence when she returns home?"
The officer's face blanched as she watched grimly. "That is..er.., no, that is..," the officer stuttered, as if struck by sudden enlightenment of whose home she was standing in before moving away quickly. "No. That is not necessary," she said hurriedly before making a rapid exit, almost running in her haste, as if she expected Shepard to appear on her heels.
Effia watched her go, wishing she could send a biotic throw after to vent her pique. Nothing like reminding insignificant gophers exactly whose territory they were digging in. Not that the T'Soni name carried any less weight but Shepard was in a class no one could ever touch and everyone knew it. If the human was around, she doubted whoever had sent the cops to the estate would have attempted it on a lame pretense.
Snorting derisively under her breath, she sent her assistants to the entrance to make sure the cops left before locking down the place for the night. She made a round to all the rooms to check that nothing was amiss. Not that the cops would have dared to mess up the place but she didn't trust they did not slyly slipped in a foreign object where it didn't belong. With the way things were, she wouldn't be surprised to find a few hiding in the odd corners.
An hour later, she sent everyone to bed and tucked herself into her own but she did not sleep. She lay there, eyes closed, listening to the slow breath of the others who shared the bedroom with her. She withdrew into a semi-conscious state and allowed herself to float in an ocean of darkness, enlivened by sprinkles of bright stars that weaved in and out of spinning globes. Setting herself on a red-hued star, she rode it as it visited every globe. Memories of her past she occasionally delved in.
The tiny vibration on her arm brought her out of her trance. Tabbing her omni-tool, she brought up the spy eyes planted around the dwelling and watched as black figures descended on the roof. With alacrity, they made their way to the large cold room in the kitchen and disappeared into it. Half an hour went by before something lit on her omni-tool.
Found the cellar eh?
Smiling humorlessly, she waited. Several long minutes went by before the intruders appeared. That they were disappointed was obvious in their carriage. Two of them were having a discussion. Rather audible. Foolishness but then, they didn't think anyone would hear them. How naive. Eventually, they headed back up to the roof where ropes were dropped down from a vehicle, possibly a skycar and left. Smiling, she turned off her omni-tool, turned to her side and allowed herself to sleep. Dawn was but a few hours away and she needed to get some rest. It would be a busy day.
Local Cluster
Earth, Citadel
April stood by the viewing window of the cabin with Liara as the Glasgow approached the Citadel. Mass relay, latent snare, nexus, home. The Citadel was those and more. Even not looking at its best, it never failed to draw a sense of awe. April remembered how she felt years ago when she first saw the ancient monolithic space station onboard the Normandy SR1. Then, Turian and Asari warships cruised the neighbourhood, along with thousands of other private and commercial vessels. It was still the same except that the ratio had changed. Alliance vessels were now predominant with only a few token Turian, Asari and Salarian flotillas. Hardly surprising since the Citadel was now stuck in Earth's orbit. There were also several new additions. Quarian liveships and Geth dropships. Easily picked out by their shapes. April frowned at the huge shadow next to a Systems Alliance cruiser.
Squinting, she tried to make out what it was. "Did they send a dreadnought?" she muttered, half to herself.
"Yes, that is a Geth dreadnought," Liara affirmed, following her gaze. "Amazing, is it not? Years ago, it would have been shot down."
"Not before it sparked off massive panic. It would have taken out a tenth of the Citadel fleet or more before any significant damage is dealt."
"I hope we never find out." Liara returned April's startled gaze gravely. "As you said, the door swings both ways. We should not expect the Geth to remain at the co-active stage." She turned around and leaned against the window sill. "Sooner or later, they will be divided into factions as the rest of us."
"In that, you're right." April pursed her lips thoughtfully, staring at the dreadnought. "They were fractured before due to a few decimal points. But now-," she shook her head, "their programs are no longer the same. They are developing their individual paths. We can only try to get as many of them to evolve in empathy with us. The other," she winced at the thought, "is to build better ships that are on parity with theirs."
"Not least, to write better firewalls to counter their hacking ability-," Liara reached out to pull at a lock of hair falling into April's eyes, "do you need a haircut?"
"You're topic jumping today." April took her hand, rubbing her thumb across her palm, hard and callused with short fingernails. The same as her own. She knew why her bondmate was restless.
How're you feeling?
Anxious. I know she would have planned it out carefully but I wish she had left a message of where she is going. She is so irresponsible.
What're you going to do when she gets back to us? Spank her ass? {laugh} Who's the parent now?
If only I could. {amusement} It is so strange. After five years, I still find it unusual to have a dad.
How strange is that? Considering she wasn't around for the most part of your life. I plan to be around for ours. As long as I draw breath.
And that makes promise number..?
What, think I can't keep them all?
Just keeping track.
Smiling, they kissed before looking out of the window. The Glasgow was approaching the docking ring, heading towards the berth it was allotted. Nestled in the other berths were Alliance cruisers. A few were framed by scaffolds with numerous tiny bright sparks flaring now and then. With all their resources concentrated on rebuilding infrastructures on Earth, the Alliance had chosen to make use of the numerous capacious berths on the Citadel. Plenty of room to harbour warships, from frigates to dreadnoughts. It was also easier to repair and overhaul ships. Building new dry docks, billets for personnel and the dozen other things that constituted a shipyard was too costly and time consuming. Rather pointless when a ready made facility was already available. Not only were there Alliance ships, Allied warships were also undergoing the same treatment.
Once the Glasgow eased into the berth, the engines were powered down. Docking clamps latched on to the hull and held the ship fast. An all clear rang out onboard, releasing the floodgate of anticipation that was building ever since they left Ilos. The crew was looking forward to shore leave. When April and Liara exited their cabin with their duffel, the corridors were abuzz with excited conversations and much scurrying from those eager to finish up their chores. Eventually, only a rotating skeleton crew would remain onboard during the duration of a scheduled light overhaul and discharging of the core.
They made their way to the airlock and had a brief word with commander Canning before stepping through the hatch, the ship's V.I. noting their departure as they did so. Then on through the security gauntlet of numerous scans that scintillated off them. To April's relief, there was no officious representative lying in wait, only Alliance personnel and civilians milling around the arrival hall. The C-Sec officers knew who she was of course. They braced to attention and threw sharp salutes that she returned. Other than the occasional glances, no one intercepted them. Hopefully, they would remain incognito. They made their way to the cab stand where a cab soon responded to their call.
Half an hour later, they were unpacking their duffel in the apartment the Alliance had rented for them. Since the meeting with Aria was not due that day, April changed into civvies, less chance of being recognised. A walk in the Presidium Gardens followed by dinner at a restaurant was the plan for the evening. After Ilos, she was all ready for a change of scenery. That of the living than the dead.
As she sat on the bed, waiting for Liara who was in the bathroom, the doorbell chimed. She froze for a moment. Who would be calling on them? Other than Tevos, Aria and the Alliance, no one outside the crew of the Glasgow knew they were on the Citadel. Perhaps it was Aria. Snorting to herself at that ridiculous assumption, she went to the door, checked the door vid, grinned and palmed it open.
"You do know you're in need of some spanking?" April crossed her arms as Aethyta walked in.
"I'm not sure Liara would approve of your hitting on me. She strikes me as the jealous type." Aethyta winked suggestively at her.
"You're incorrigible," returned April reprovingly.
Zounds, if she were married to a human partner, she seriously doubted she would be tossing such remarks to her in-laws. As if knowing what she was thinking, Aethyta laughed as she made her way to one of the armchairs. April rolled her eyes when the matriarch paused before the bed and cast a long lingering look at it and her.
"No, don't even think about it."
A voice broke in. "Think about what?" A towel over her head, Liara emerged from the bathroom. It slipped to her shoulders when she saw who else was in the room. "Dad!"
"Well, it's been a long time since young ones throw themselves at me." Aethyta laughed when Liara walked quickly to her and flung her arms around her. "Looking good, Little Wing." She tipped Liara's chin up to look at her carefully. "Worried?"
"A message would have helped," Liara said sternly. "It is very remiss of you to leave us wondering what had happened when we could not reach you."
"Damn, you sound like your mother." Patting Liara' s cheek, Aethyta looked around before settling into one of the armchairs. "She never did like my slipping the leash now and then."
Ignoring the comment on Benezia, Liara settled down on the couch with April. "Where did you go?"
"I snuck off and came right here after Nyrine was stabilized enough to travel."
"How is Nyrine?" April asked.
"Conscious-," Aethyta sighed, "which is a good thing. That girl put in a lot of effort. I would hate to see her expectations cut short. She's up at Huerta Memorial Hospital if you're interested."
"I'll drop by later. You could have informed me what she was up to right from the start."
Aethyta shrugged. "I need you at your honest best. Wouldn't have fooled the watchers otherwise."
"Does Tevos know you're here?" April asked suspiciously, wondering what the Asari Councilor thought of having an Assembly member in the doghouse roaming her backyard.
"I'm keeping my head down. She knows I'm here but not why. The less she knows, the better. Oh it's not that Tevos's a bad sort," Aethyta continued, "but I don't want to create too many lumps for her to deal with. She has a tough job already."
"Where did you put her?" Liara queried emphatically. Surely Aethyta wouldn't have brought her to the Citadel, the scanners would have screamed the minute the ancient matriarch set foot on the space station.
"There's scarce a bolthole on Thessia, can't even hide a century old vintage without someone sniffing it out," Aethyta complained sourly, "so I sent her to Sur'Kesh."
"They might not find the answer," said Liara, hazarding a guess why her parent would send the old matriarch to the Salarians.
"Never expect them to," Aethyta said. "I need a round the clock guard and Salarians are the only ones who don't complain about long hours and pay. Besides, they're practical-," she straightened, "and I called in some favors. Did Peliar say anything?"
"That she did." Liara nodded and recounted what the Asari researcher had revealed.
At the end of it, Aethyta shook her head. "That's the downside. Say what you like about consensus and cooperation, you talk till you're dry as a desert but it all boils down to how much dead weight one can pull up when push comes to shove." She sighed. "So she has no idea what's with the old hag?"
"We-," Liara hesitated, looking at April who nodded to her encouragingly, "have speculations."
"Spit it out," Aethyta said impatiently when Liara fell silent. "The sooner I get those stubborn asses to move, the better for everyone."
"I have to go back to an incident years back..," Liara stopped again and looked at April. "It is your story to tell," she said, feeling that it was better that her bondmate picked up the reins.
"I'll have to backtrack." April leaned forward, clasping her hands loosely before her. "Back when I was chasing Saren, I went to Feros and encountered an ancient sentient plant-like creature called the Thorian. This creature revitalised itself after every hibernation cycle by making thralls out of the people who lived on Feros. It used them and absorbed them. In so doing, it had knowledge spanning hundreds of thousands of years. Saren needed information on the Protheans so he gave in exchange for that information one of Benezia's students, Shiala."
"Shiala!" Aethyta exclaimed. "Damn, she was one of Benezia's best students. Whatever happened to her?"
"She's fine, she moved to Asteria after the war," April said, recalling an email she received from the Asari a week ago.
With the Zhu's Hope colonists who had survived the war, they opted to shift to the agrarian planet rather than returned to Feros. The years after had wrought a change in the accidental link brought about by the Thorian spores they were exposed to. They no longer explicitly felt one another's physical traumas and thoughts. In her letter, Shiala had expressed her relief though they felt the lost. The link was both a burden and a joy to bear. With the war over, she and the rest desired to build new homes and live peaceful lives. April hoped they would find it. One of these days, she and Liara would visit Asteria to see how Shiala was doing.
"Have to catch up with her some time," Aethyta murmured, lost in similar thoughts, "but you were saying?"
"The Thorian was killed and I freed Shiala. She gave to me what she gave Saren, the Prothean Cypher that she found within the Thorian's mind. She explained that it was essentially the essence of a Prothean, a cultural viewpoint. One that would enable me to understand the messages from the Prothean beacons we found."
"Did it?"
"Yes, with Liara's aid, we were able to track down Saren and brought an end to the first Reaper attempt to invade."
"Hmm...I heard stories aplenty after the Battle of the Citadel. The Assembly suddenly placed a ton of security protocols around the archives when I was trying to see if there was anything in there to figure some things out," Aethyta said. "When the Reapers showed up, I figured they were the reason."
"Are the Assembly archives still in existence?" Liara asked. If they were, perhaps they could get pertinent evidence on the old matriarch.
"I have no idea," Aethyta confessed. "Those stubborn morons are as tight as a krazak's jaws," she snorted in exasperation. "They are running out of time any way they try to turn."
Liara didn't like the sound of that. "What do you mean?"
"Our patience is at an end. If we cannot find the answer to break the deadlock within the next few weeks, we will bring the right of determination to the people." Aethyta saw the shock in Liara's eyes. "We have to, child. It has dragged on for long enough."
"What does that mean?" April asked worriedly for she could feel the shock and distress in her bondmate.
"The right of determination takes away the authority of the Assembly. It is used in extenuating circumstances. This is usually done when the unity and future of the Republics, the clans are threaten. All are equal, everyone has to vote on the proposition and irregardless of the outcome-," Liara trailed off.
"The Assembly ends," Aethyta finished grimly. "The unity will disband. Every clan has to decide their course."
"It...it has not happened in thousands of years...hardly ever..," Liara stuttered. "The chaos...I cannot believe..."
Realising Liara was deeply upset, Aethyta hurriedly moved to sit beside her. "There, there." She hugged Liara. "You're panicking. Understandable, with a little one on the way."
"Can the clans decide to form another Assembly?" asked April.
"They can." Aethyta rubbed Liara's shoulders soothingly. "But you have to understand the disenchantment most of us are feeling with the current Assembly members. They are impeding progress to our future. There are those who may choose to leave Thessia to found another colony of their own. It has happened before in our history but those were mostly sub-clans."
"Then should the major clans leave-," April understood Liara's anxiety. It was akin to losing parts of yourself that were always there; functional, dependable. "It may not happen, love," she said to Liara. "Perhaps what we learned on Ilos may help."
"Which is?" Aethya looked at her without ceasing her ministrations, feeling the tenseness in Liara easing a little. "What is the connection between the Cypher and the matriarch?"
"The Cypher is not what it seems. I'm not sure if Shiala understood exactly what it is either, I would have to ask her," April said. "I find myself with the ability to decipher Prothean records. I can read their script and I know the codes to their security nodes. I can-," she paused for a moment, "speak their language."
"What?!" Aethyta stared at her incredulously.
"It is true." Liara sat up, squeezing Aethyta's hand. "During the war, we found a working Prothean cryogenic pod. Without those abilities, we would not have found the means to release the Prothean."
"That's...what-," Aethyta frowned. "Javik, that's his name, isn't it?"
"Yes. On Ilos, we were able to get to the Prothean archives and revived the Watcher, Vigil," Shepard continued. "That's how we found the signal scrambler the Prothean researchers had devised."
Aethyta blinked. "What signal scrambler?"
"It is a device that changes the indoctrination signal the Reaper apparatus emanates. The original intent was to have the TI kill themselves but we thought we should try to reprogram it to have the TI turn passive," explained Liara.
"That is a good notion," Aethyta said. "If it works, it certainly settles the TI problem."
"That's what we hope. Vigil also provided a lot of historical information, most especially on what is the Cypher."
"Interesting," said Aethyta. "So what have you learned from this Vigil in regards to the old matriarch?"
An alarm went off. April hastily clapped a hand on her omni-tool. The sound died away. "We can discuss it after dinner. We made a reservation for dinner at Streaik," she said.
"Fine idea," Aethyta said approvingly and stood up. "A walk do wonders to clear the air. Shall we, Little Wing?"
"Sure, dad," said Liara, pleased to spend time with Aethyta.
"I'm going to swing by Huerta. I'll see you at the restaurant," said April.