MASS EFFECT ANDROMEDA SERIES II

CHAPTER 12

"Commander! We have prisoners over here," Kaidan Alenko called out to Shepard and Garrus as they reached the lower part of the base on Virmire. The place was crawling with husks, Geth and Krogan. Not a pretty combination. Two of the first cells contained Salarians that physically appeared their mind were gone. They lumbered around slowly, crying out hysterically. One Salarian STG prisoner stood quietly in his cell. His eyes blinked as they focused on Shepard and his squad outside his imprisonment.

"What did they do to you, soldier?" Shepard asked as he gave an unsteady glance back over to his cellmates.

"Experiments. I don't know what for," The Salarian spoke quickly as he looked around nervously. Garrus felt uneasy as he spoke. This guy seemed like he was on the edge and ready to take the plunge. "The effectiveness of whispering on my shortening temper? Who knows? I just need out."

Horror struck Garrus. The soldier was definitely not himself and seemed to be in a different state than Benezia. Fear crept into the back of his mind. Maybe whatever Saren was doing to these people came in stages and this was the final stage? He wondered now what the scan would pick up on Andromeda on the Normandy. At first finding her brought a huge calm to him but knowing she was found with a Geth transport did not settle well with him. It meant at some point she was probably on the same vessel as Saren. How long did she have to stay on there until she turned out like these poor souls? These people were brought here so whatever Saren had to turn people into willing zombies he could transport it. More questions arose out of this place. He thought the breeding of Krogan soldiers was bad enough. That part tore a rift nearly between Shepard and Wrex but thankfully Wrex was able to calm down and know that whatever Saren was doing here, these Krogan were not truly Krogan and the process would not benefit Krogan kind. "Something's not right with him, Shepard," The Turian warned as he looked on. He knew it wasn't right to keep the Salarians locked in their holding cells but what would they do once they were released? At least here, they wouldn't have to be shot.

"He's not part of the mission," Shepard agreed with Garrus' hesitance on releasing them.

"No!" The prisoner protested in fright. His voice quivered with the mere thought of staying in his cell both physically and mentally. "No…no. I-I need to get out. This room is too small and it keeps talking. I really want to get out of here and get some work done. I need to get out. Let me out."

"I can't take that chance."

"Can't take that chance? No chance," The Salarian pondered the response. "I need to do what it says. I-I have to. Let me out…let me out!" Suddenly, he charged at them, smashing his head violently against the cell's glass. His unconscious body slumped down into a heap on the floor as drool dribbled out of his mouth.

"Man, that's sad," Kaidan shook his head. "These poor men."

"Let's keep moving," Shepard pointed towards the floor's elevator up ahead.

Crossing the bridge, the trio pushed their way deeper into the base. With every step they took, they were approached by deadly adversaries and Garrus knew their ammo would be running low. What would they find at the end of their search? As the next elevator doors opened, they arrived in what appeared to be an empty office. Suddenly there was stirring over near the desk and Garrus could see someone was trying to hide. "Come out…nice and slow," Shepard was the first to draw his weapon. Garrus and Kaidan followed suit.

"Please don't shoot me!" A blue Asari pleaded as she stood up, clearly trembling. She was the exact opposite of Benezia's demeanor on Noveria.

"Give me one reason why I don't shoot you." Shepard never lowered his gun.

"I'm no threat. I'm a neuro scientist and this job is not worth dying for. You think the indoctrination process only affects prisoners? I just want out of here. This is not what I signed up for!"

"Indoctrination?" Garrus and Kaidan exchanged confused looks.

"I –I can help you, "The scientist stammered. "I can get you into Saren's private lab." She walked over to a locked elevator and swiped her key card. "See?"

As she was talking, Garrus began to wonder what the indoctrination process composed of. Who all were test subjects? Was Andromeda one? If this one was a neuro scientist then perhaps she could take a better look at Andromeda to make sure she was not indoctrinated. "Commander, maybe we should escort her back to the Normandy. We may need her expertise," He proposed hopeful.

Shepard was not moved by his proposal nor the Asari's willingness to let them go further on their way. "You conducted brutal experiments on innocent test subjects. You helped Saren. You don't get to live."

Anger overcame the scientist, "I just did what I was told."

"Sorry doesn't help your victims," Shepard raised his pistol one more time and before the woman had a chance to beg once more for her life, he pulled the trigger, shooting her straight in the head. Her lifeless body fell to the floor.

Garrus stared down at her and shook his head solemnly. He prayed that Chakwas would be able to clear Andromeda now or she would befall the same fate as the Asari in front of him.

"Let's get to that one room and fast," Shepard motioned them ahead.

The last room seemed like a dead end but it was deserted. The only thing was a large towering beacon at the far side of the room. A strange green hue covered it. "Commander, it appears to be like the one off Eden Prime," Kaidan commented as they slowly approached it.

"Yeah," Shepard held up his fist to command them to stop as he continued forward. He reached out to touch the beacon, in hopes of activating the ancient structure like he did on Eden Prime. The technology was Prothean and no one really knew how to activate them. Suddenly his body rose up towards the beacon and he was held in place. Garrus and Kaidan watched in awe. What seemed like forever, but only a few seconds, Shepard finally was released by whatever force was holding him and he dropped back down onto his knees. Shaking his head, the man stood back up towards the beacon. Just as he did, a red light shined out through the back of the beacon and took shape. A shape that Garrus never seen before.

"It looks like that ship we saw on Eden Prime," Kaidan commented.

"This is not good, "Garrus added.

A deep voice filled the room that seemed to come from the strange being before them. "You are not Saren."

"What is that? Some kind of VI interface?" Garrus shook his head as he tried to look around.

"Rudimentary creatures of blood and flesh. You touch my mind, fumbling in ignorance. Incapable of understanding."

"This is definitely not a VI, Garrus," Kaidan was in awe.

"Saren didn't find a ship that looked like a Reaper. It is a Reaper." Fear struck the Commander's voice.

"The cycle will continue." The Reaper said matter-of-factly.

"They are harvesting us!" Garrus stepped back. "They are letting us advance to whatever level they want and then they are coming after us."

"Just like they did with the Protheans. Commander, we need to stop this!" Kaidan gripped his rifle tighter.

"I agree. I'm just about done listening to this thing." Shepard commented in frustration. "This thing is just a machine and machines can be broken."

Their frustration and impatience didn't faze the Reaper as it stood there with no emotion. "Your words are empty as your future. I am the vanguard of your destruction. This exchange is over." Suddenly the glass to the outside busted and shards flew everywhere. Everyone covered their heads to protect themselves and once more room became silent.

Before Shepard was able to give the next order, a chime came through their comm indicating that the Normandy was trying to hail them. "What is it, Joker? Shepard asked.

"I don't know what you did but that ship Sovereign just turned and heading straight for you." Joker said over on the other line.

"Let's head to the breeding facility. Time to blow this place to hell."