War of the Old Ones

by Ian the Mechanic

In forgotten ages past, two near eldritch forces vied for the very life essence of the Galaxy. Unknown to the young races, that war is still ongoing. how can the UNSC, the Citadel Council or the Covenant hope to stand against such forces, when they are still embroiled in their own petty squabbling? How could they hope to survive the War of the Old Ones?

22. Chapter 22

Liara sat in the common mess where the rest of the Nieera crew ate while aboard the Human Cruiser. There was no one there at the moment, which suited her mood.

The Hanar were banished from the Citadel Alliance.

Saren had betrayed the Council, and nearly started a war.

Human space was under renewed assault, and was currently cut off.

Titanic, ancient AI superweapons not associated with the Humans were roaming the stars.

The jumbled vision Specter Vakarian had agreed to share with her.

Her mother, Benezia, was missing.

That last one hit her harder than she expected, given the distance between them in the last decade.

She knew she could get lost in her chosen field of research and lose track of time, but this was all too much. Asari weren't accustomed to the universe changing at such a breakneck pace; It was one of the reasons they pushed so hard for diplomatic solutions and measured responses. The universe, it seemed, had other plans.

She looked around the room. Most other places on the ship were so drab and utilitarian, but this one had floor to ceiling high definition vidscreens. They showed different pastoral images from the Human homeworld of Terra. Today's theme was of tall, snow covered mountains overlooking green valleys.

She'd asked a technician once if he could change to an external view. He'd reluctantly agreed, then gave her a switch to set it back and promptly left. Instead of the swirling colors of exotic particles interacting with the superluminal effects of the Mass Effect field, there was a dark, shifting nothing, and the unsettling feeling that something unknowable lurked just beyond her senses. Maybe it was the lingering effects of trying to understand the Beacon vision, or just her perusing the Piper's library to read about her namesake, but it took less than a minute for her to switch back.

It was all so alien to her: the changes, the violence, and the sudden scrutiny and interest in her research into the Prothean extinction. She'd have been flattered, if the implications weren't so dire.

She startled slightly when the Galley's hatch clunked open, admitting one of the massive Human supersoldiers. She walked over to one of the many food dispensers lining the wall, and secured a steaming plate of what looked and smelled like Asteria style Breel.

"I didn't know you had Asari dishes on your menu," she looked at the childhood favorite dish.

The dark skinned giantess glanced at her platter in confusion. "What are you talking about? These are Swedish Meatballs." She sat down at Liara's table, and conspicuously set the tray within Liara's reach.

The Maiden plucked one of the gravy covered balls from the plate and bit into it. "If you say so, but I certainly couldn't tell the difference, and I've been eating Breel for more than one hundred of your years."

Jane shrugged as she popped a meatball in her mouth. "Chalk it up to, 'only so many ways you can make a dish." They ate in companionable silence for a time, until the plate was empty.

Jane folded her hands on the table and looked at Liara. "How are you doing, really?"

Liara's tendrils flexed at the question which had been asked so many times in the past week. "I have seen more death in a month's time, than in the entirety of the rest of my life. The galaxy is teetering on the edge of total war, and I learn that my mother may be captured or complicit in all of this madness."

Jane nodded. "All of that is true, but none of it answers my question." She held up a hand when Liara took a sharp breath. "Things aren't going to suddenly get easier, so we all need to know if you want off this crazy ride now."

Liara sighed and looked at the empty plate. "I want to have been having this meal with my mother; but it's several decades too late for that, even without the greater goings on." She sat up with a fierce look. "Now, I want answers to it all."

Jane smiled at that. "Don't we all?"

"Speaking of answers," Liara relaxed slightly, "there was some talk of your people trying to help with Garrus' vision?"

The supersoldier laughed. "Yeah, nothing's coming of that; even if Doctors Chakwas and Chambers could get around the political and legal status of a Neural Map of 'Specter Garrus Vakarian, Turian of Mystery', Doctor Theopolis won't go through with it without Garrus' consent."

She leverred herself out of the bench, towering over the Maiden. "So for the time being, we're doing this the hard way. Speaking of, we're coming up on our rendezvous with the Nierra. As soon as we're docked up, Captain Pressley wants us away so he can get a headstart to one of our two next stops."

...

Jane looked at the planet below them. "Why this world?"

Jo'Kar rumbled from his seat. "Hesitantly, The Council has always maintained a patrol presence in this system due to the extensive Prothean ruins. With concern, That patrol went dark while you were in transit to the rendezvous."

"And? Could just be the Jellies attacking anything near their precious 'Enkindler' sites."

Garrus walked in behind her and tapped a few controls. "This was the last transmission sent by the Squadron lead."

The cockpit was filled with the sound of Nazara's trumpetting.

Jane fought down a shiver. "Okay, he was here a week ago, but he's not here now. I'm assuming we're looking for whatever brought him here?"

"In a way," Garrus headed back to the Command Navigation Map Room. "Back when Saren was all over the place, and the Batarians hadn't gone into isolation, he brokered a deal between the Hegemony and the Council, with backing from Binary Helix Corporation, to allow them to set up a colony here. That colony has also gone dark."

He brought up a topographic map of a section of ruined cityscape. "Until proven otherwise, I'm going to assume that all of Saren's actions over the last decade are related to... whatever he's planning. This colony is only five years old, so that qualifies."

Jane nodded. "Alright. So what are we looking for?"

Garrus headed for the stairs. "Myself, Doctor 'Tsoni, Miss Tali and friend will be looking for whatever happened here, and what brought Saren running back. You, Williams, Alenko, Commando Theris, and Wrex are going to be looking for anything trying to kill the rest of us."

They settled into the freight elevator. "Bringing the whole team down again?"

"We have a lot of unfamiliar ground to cover, and no clear objectives; plus, I don't want the Niera grounded if Saren or the Hanar come back, so Jo'Kar will drop us off and head back into orbit."

They stepped off the elevator just as Williams was stepping out of the Armor Ring, while Kaiden, already armored, set the ring for Jane.

She stepped in and allowed the machine to begin assembling her Mk VI armor. "How do you want to divide the teams?"

Garrus kept focus on his equipment locker, rather than the uncomfortable looking contraption Jane was currently in. "I need a good blend of Biotics, Brains and Brawn in each team, so myself, Kaiden, Tali and Wrex will be Team Aurek, while You, Williams, Therris and Doctor 'Tsoni will make up Team Besh. Any objections?"

Jane looked at her fellow Spartans as the Ring came to a stop after depositing her helmet. Kaiden seemed indifferent, while Williams was no more annoyed than usual. "Sounds like a good balance. Are we leaving the Doom-Buggy behind?"

Jane heard Garrus buzzing in mild mirth. "When I said 'a lot of ground to cover, ' I meant it. Once we're on the ground and have a better feel for things, we'll 'throw hands' to see who takes the MACO out."

Williams rolled her neck and cracked her knuckles. "Might as well just let us decide now, cause I know how that game will go."

Garrus stood back, clipping the last piece to his hard suit. "Not fight; that stupid 'Rock, Pooper, Schism' thing you Humans do when you want to delegate something."

Jane bit back a laugh at the almost petulant look on Wrex's face at missing out on a brawl. "Fine, we'll do it the boring way. Everyone setup?" She looked around as she clipped her Striker and Brute-Hammer to her back. "Alright; lead the way."

...

The ground teams slowly made their way through the ancient tower, suits sealed. Almost as soon as the Nieerra's airlock had opened, the Spartan armor began warning of, 'Possible Biological Contamination.' Doctor Solas had promised to analyze the spores which had already been caught in the Airlock.

Meanwhile, the teams were left to the largely empty tower. For several floors all they encountered was signs of weapons fire, and large vaguely humanoid shaped moldy patches on the ground and walls.

When they arrived at the main colony site, all they found were the ruined remains of a freighter.

Tali nervously swept her shotgun around the area. "Is anyone else getting 'haunted derelict ship' vibes?"

"Oh Goddess!" Everyone lurched at Liara's shout. They saw her gently sweeping a fragment of masonry with her Omnitool. "A Prothean Pictoglyph!"

Everyone sighed in relief and frustration, as Garrus walked over to the Maiden. "Doctor, I can understand your interest in a Prothean site like-"

She held up a hand, while the other traced the ancient marking. "Doom upon..." She looked around at the nearby rubble. "This looks to have been Biotically carved into the stone. If I could find the rest of the message-" She stood up and began examining the loose rubble.

"Do we really have time to do this," Theris looked around nervously.

"Current activities of subject Saren focused on Prothean sites," the Geth squawked from Tali's chest. "Reasonable to assume possible correlation between interest in this site, and previously unidentified Prothean warning."

Garrus buzzed in his helmet. "Well it looks like we won't be 'Throwing Hands'. Jane, your team is staying here with the Doctor. We'll head across the causeway; Binary Helix had registered a satellite office site in the next building."

Once Team Aurek left, Doctor 'Tsoni worked diligently for a half hour; mumbling to herself as she sifted through pieces of ruined stone. She had a half dozen fragments in a slowly forming collage on the ground, when a noise came from an adjoining tunnel.

The three soldiers homed in on the disturbance, with the Spartans advancing while Theris guarded Liara. Jane and Ashley climbed the wrecked ship, and spotted a pack of cyber-Varren.

"Something's off about them," Ashley scoped in on the largest beast. They saw the creature sniff around until it found a mold pile, then tore into the sludge. The rest of the pack circled nearby, snapping at one another until the Alpha had eaten its fill.

While the rest of the pack supped on the leftovers, Jane and Ash watched the beast stumble away a short distance. It retched a few times, until it threw up a mangled chunk of circuitry. It then shook, and one of the external cyber-implants sparked and fell off.

"I think I've got it!"

Jane and Ash opened fire on the pack before it could rally to attack the absent-minded Doctor.

They came down off the wreck to see Theris pointing an accusing finger at the Maiden. Liara seemed apologetic, but no less excited.

"I do apologize for my outburst, but I believe I have enough of the message assembled." She gestured to the stone collage. "It's a warning of a biological contamination, or perhaps infestation; the way rescue workers might mark a building that was in danger of collapsing."

"Does it say what this infestation was," Jane peered at the stones, as if she could read them somehow.

Liara shook her head. "No, only that it is a biological danger. This would simply be a visual notice to avoid this particular building. More specific information would likely be kept at a municipal office."

Ash shrugged. "Might as well call it in; see if Secret Agent Alien wants us to stay put."

Jane shook her head, knowing she'd need to pull Ash aside about the anti-alien sentiment. "Aurek Actual, Besh Actual, over."

"Little busy, Besh!"

Garrus sniped two more Varren, while Tali and Wrex poured shotgun blasts into the pack Kaiden was suspending in air.

As the smoke cleared, Garrus walked over to one of the ruined corpses. "These look like the Varren the Hanar used on Eden, but their-"

"Incomplete," Kaiden nudged another corpse, causing a cyber-implant to come loose and fall off.

"Tuchunkan life always finds a way," Wrex commented as he swept his gaze over the largely empty space.

Garrus clicked his mandibles in frustration. "Whatever the reason, we aren't here for them. Tali," he looked to the young Quarian, "see if you and Geth can pull anything from that terminal," he pointed to a faintly glowing haptic interface attached to a bullet ravaged data core.

"On it." She walked over, gingerly avoiding the grizzly mess on the floor. It took her and Geth a few minutes to salvage anything.

"Alright: there's part of a roster, a shipping schedule for supplies of...fungicide?" She shook her head. "and a mention of 'Subject Pillar' affecting the colonists. That's back at the main colony site. I also see a third site listed, but it looks like a pure research lab."

"Team Aurek Actual, Team Besh Actual, Over!"

Garrus flinched at Jane yelling in his ear. "Besh Actual, Aurek Actual, report, over."

"Aurek Actual, Besh Actual, Doctor's translation is finished. Apparently it's a Condemned Notice due to a Biohazard Threat, Over."

Garrus looked at his team. "Anyone think we need to hit the second site?"

"Supplies of requested Fungicidal agent are far in excess to treat common infections sustained by organics. As no supplies are in evidence, it is possible that those stores are at research post."

Garrus buzzed, then slung his weapon. "Besh Actual, Aurek Actual, Heading to secondary site for quick recon, then returning to you, Over."

"Copy, we'll be waiting. Be advised, we encountered a Varren Pack that were-"

"Half converted? Yeah, we've seen those. We'll compare notes once we link up. Aurek Actual, Out."

The drive to the research annex was as uneventful, and unnerving, as the rest of the mission had been. There were several packs of Varren in various stages of conversion, but no other signs of life.

Until they reached the Annex.

They had climbed through several layers of smashed research terminals, when Wrex stopped and sniffed the air.

"Drell," he whispered as he unlimbered his shotgun.

Soon, everyone could hear a soft, singsong droning.

"'Arashu, goddess of Protection, give your beneficence unto my child. Kalahira, goddess of Oceans, may your tides wash him upon the Dry Shores," Geth provided a running translation, before the voice suddenly stopped.

"If you are here to carry out the will of Amonkira, I welcome you."

The team rounded a corner to see an unconverted male Drell in tattered clothes, kneeling next to a burst organic pod of some kind.

"Garrus Vakarian, Council Specter; Identify yourself!"

The Drell made no move to protect himself from the armed team. "I am drala'fa, who was once called Thane Krios. I am forsaken of the gods, for we have forsaken them. My son..." Thane shook as he began weeping. "Kolyat, forgive us!"

Garrus slowly approached the distraught man. "Can you tell us," he hesitated. There was so much that needed explanations, so he settled on the immediate concerns. "Can you tell us what happened here; why did Saren come here?"

Thane froze for a moment. "The Great-Nation wills that we obey Saren; seek the path to the Conduit, that the way may be opened once more. There is corruption here, it angers the Great-Nation, and we must destroy it no matter the cost. Saren hesitates; the corruption weakens the voice of the Great-Nation. He cannot find the path to the Conduit, the Parasite burns our senses, even as the Asari's blood poisons it. The pod bursts, spores invade my body. The Corruption burns away the control of the Great-Nation, even as the Great-Nation's implants burn away the spores. I follow Saren as far as I can, back to the storage unit. The chemicals will kill the spores, though the Corruption remains: dormant, but not benign. I collapse. The implants are nearly falling off of my flesh. Saren spares no look as he directs Kolyat and the rest of the drala'fa to load up the fungicide. I am alone, but whole once more, for the first time in years."

The team was dumbfounded. Kaiden almost stumbled towards Thane. "You're saying that something on this planet can, what, cure the conversion process from Nazara? Is that what we've been seeing in all these varren?"

"It could, but I do not think it will have survived Saren's wrath at being denied."

"Why would he kill it," Tali blurted. "I mean, if Saren was slowly being freed by whatever, why would he destroy it?"

Wrex snorted while looking around. "Because he's an impatient brat. He probably thought he was special, and didn't give a second thought to the possibility that something greater was at work."

"That is very close to true," Thane looked towards Wrex, "though he has had a team researching a possible cure. Before you ask, I do not know. I was... deployed elsewhere prior to this mission."

Garrus shook his head and buzzed at it all. "Alright, it looks like this site was stripped clean, so nothing left but to get back to Besh and plan our next move." He extended his talon to Thane. "Come on, I'm not leaving you here. At a minimum, we can get you back to the Nieerra and get you checked up and fed."

The ride back was quiet, and everyone was relieved when the teams reunited.

Jane threw a varren corpse at a growing pack of the beasts. "Alright Garrus, this planet is dead as dead can be. Can we leave now?"

"No," Garrus took a moment to wipe his helmet filters clean of built-up spores, "because there's something on this planet that seems to be able to counteract Nazara's conversion. I intend to find out what that is."

He turned to Thane. "You said there was something Saren tried to communicate with, and that was where you got blasted with curative spores." He brought up a map of the local region of ruins. "Can you show me where?"

Thane stood up, and walked over to a portion of the wrecked ship. "Down."

It took a few minutes to clear away the wreck, to reveal a stairwell. They arrived at the top of a ventilation shaft, where more of the Prothean writing was carved into the wall.

"It seems as if there was some manner of sickness from the spores," Liara spoke as she recorded what she saw. "It appears the spores attacked the Eezo nodes in any biotic, while non-biotics became violent and unreasoning. The building was sealed off, with a notice of planned demolition." She looked at the shaft. "I suppose that is why they wrote the message, instead of using their neuro-transfer devices to communicate the message: the spores would have damaged any Eezo based technology."

"Maybe Eezo based, but not all tech," Kaiden edged up to the shaft. "Bubo says she just got pinged by something at the bottom of the hole."

"Something as in..." Garrus glanced at the hole.

"She described the protocols as unknown, but familiar."

Garrus clicked and buzzed in frustration for a moment. "We still don't know why Saren took so much effort to set this place up, other than his possibly trying to counteract whatever influence Nazara was exerting."

He sighed and started back the way they came. "Tali...Miss Zorah," he corrected himself as the Quarian glared at his familiarity, "would you help me salvage one of the Emergency Survival Balutes from up top? We don't have the descent or ascent gear for however deep that hole is."

The inflatable conical re-entry device was brought down, and everyone piled in. Just before activating the small Eezo core to slow their descent, Tali tapped her omnitool and launched a drone.

"Chiktika can scout below." She tapped her Geth-Box. "Would you monitor the data feed?"

"Yes."

The teams huddled around Tali's Omnitool to watch the drone feed as they floated down the shaft. There was more of the green mold covering the walls, as well as a fine dust that was becoming thicker as they descended. An alarm sounded.

"Caution, creator Tali; organic particulate density now exceeds 250 parts per million. Engagement of Hostile Environmental Seals is recommended."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Theris said as a blue shimmer enveloped her, while everyone else fully locked their suits.

They had descended a full kilometer when the drone shorted out.

"Particulate contamination of nano-Eezo core has rendered Drone inoperable."

Ash shuffled nervously. "You gonna be okay, Kaiden?"

The Biotic Spartan nodded. "Bubo's working on my Panoply to keep this crap out of the armor."

"That's gonna chew through your power plant pretty fast," Jane said as she checked her own Fusion Cell status.

"Unless we're going to be down here a day or more, I should be fine."

It was still five more minutes before they finally passed through the basement of the building, and into a cavern. The walls looked as if they had been carved out by tree roots, though there were no plants visible. The Balute finally settled on an island in the middle of a lake of green goo.

Garrus stood by the 'hatch'. "Theris, stay with Thane in the Balute, and keep it sealed against... whatever. Everyone else, let's have a look around."

Once everyone stepped out of the Balute, their suits all indicated both the 'Organic Particulate', as well as a gaseous toxin that was still leaking from several canisters with Biohazard warnings, as well as 'Binary Helix' logos.

Their wandering stopped when Kaiden knelt on a slime covered bump. "Wrex, Doctor 'Tsoni, could you come here for a minute?"

The Krogan was the first to arrive. "You find something?"

"Maybe," Kaiden knelt in the goo with his hand extended towards the ground. "Could you stomp right where you are?"

Liara came up behind Wrex and tapped his shoulder. "I think I know what he's trying to do; one moment." She looked at Kaiden. "Go ahead and begin your vibrations, and I'll do the same. Battlemaster, when you sense the resonance point between us, I need you to deliver one strong pulse there."

Everyone watched silently as the three Biotics moved into position. Wrex delivered a glowing punch into the ground, and everyone felt the island vibrate.

"Holy hell," Kaiden said after a moment. "This isn't an island, it's a ship!"

"And not one I'm familiar with," Liara said as she transmitted a seismic map to everyone. "This layout doesn't match any known Prothean design."

"Ship design does not correspond to any known Citadel Council design."

Jane frowned in her helmet. "Well it's not Covenant: too many sharp angles."

"Not ours either," Ash said as she looked across the ship's hull. "Everything's sloped wrong. Is Bubo still getting the ping?"

"Yeah; it's weak but it's clear, and definitely coming from this thing." He stood up and pulsed out a Biotic wave, sweeping the goo aside. This exposed a section of pristine hull metal, and what was clearly a hatch. "Bubo's trying to handshake with the new computer, maybe see if we can get this hatch open."

Tali tapped her chest. "Do you think you could help with that?"

"Yes," came the almost hesitant response. "Syntax: unknown. Protocol: unknown. Command Line: unknown. Initiating Prime Number verification. Standby." The cavern filled with the unfamiliar tones of machine language.

Kaiden tapped his helmet as this was going on. "Be nice Bubo; they're helping out."

The noise abruptly stopped, and the hatch opened.

"We are transmitting interface protocols to all microframe computers." There was a pause. "Specialist Bubo was correct in their evaluation; the computer syntax and logic structure of this system is similar to those of similar UTSG informatics systems, though significantly more advanced and refined."

"Shit!"

Everyone turned as Kaiden danced away from a writhing green tendril. Before anyone could draw down on it, the mass began to wither and liquify.

Tali and Liara both madly tapped on their Omnitools. "The biomass reads as fungal," Liara swept her tool over the hatch, "though I've never seen such mobility in flora before."

She yelped as her Omnitool shorted out.

"Everyone back away," Tali swept her tool infront of her. "When the tendril died, it released a cloud of whatever this dust is."

There was a faint biotic shockwave, as Wrex began dragging one of the leaking canisters to the hatch. He held the container over the hatch, and squeezed. A jet of Fungicide was sprayed into the opening, and everyone felt the ship shiver under them. He tossed the spent canister into the lake of liquified fungus. "Keeping the dust clear will be a hell of a lot easier than fighting carnivorous Scale Itch."

Everyone dropped into the ship, some slipping in the slickened corridor. Tali swept her Omnitool back and forth. "Okay, I'm getting faint power signatures from fore and aft, and one deck down on the port side."

"Alright," Garrus lit the flashlights on his gun and helmet, "same teams as before. Jane, head aft, and we'll head fore. Gather what you can, then meet at the port signal."

Jane's team moved deeper into the stern, and arrived at a cramped compartment. There were several various almost familiar devices in the are, including-

"That's the smallest Slip-Drive I've ever seen," Ash slowly circled the device.

"I've seen one that size," Jane knelt beside the machine, "on a downed Covenant Vampire; but not on something the size of a Corvette."

Liara shivered near the hatch. "It feels odd in here, like when I asked the crew of the Piper to show me an external feed while in Slipspace."

Ash and Jane looked at one another, then directly scanned the drive.

"Shit," Jane ushered Liara out of the room. "The drive core was still spun up."

Ash shut the hatch behind them. "Looks like the drive went out of alignment and the housing got cracked. I'm amazed this ship survived."

The three silently made their way to the lower deck rally point.

Kaiden was on point when they entered what he was confident was the bridge. He slowly scanned the room as the rest of the team filed in. The layout was achingly familiar, as were the various symbols glowing faintly from a central terminal. He had to resist squinting at the characters, as if he could almost but not quite read them.

-I have begun a download of files from the mainframe- Bubo chirped in his head. -It will still take some time to translate them.-

"Maybe you could get Geth to help you out there," Kaiden said as he panned his helmet cam over the compartment.

-Nnnooo,- his AI partner whined. -They're so dull!-

"Bubo," Kaiden chided, "they're just differently sapient. Besides, we need the help; if Ash can play nice with Garrus, then you can work with Geth."

-Ugh, fine. Download complete.-

"That was fast."

-There's not much in here except navigational data; all other files are degraded past recovery.-

Garrus looked expectantly at Kaiden. "Got what you need?"

"Got everything we can get; the computer's on its last leg, so there wasn't much to recover."

"Alright, pack up and rejoin Besh."

The teams arrived at the compartment at the same time. The entire wall was transparent, and had no doors.

"That looks like it could be a laboratory," Liara said as she leaned against the wall. "There are holding containers, as well as what looks like incubators."

"I'm more concerned by that," Wrex pointed at a row of containers near a breach in the hull. In one intact container was a bulbous creature; the creature thrashed in its cell, tendrils flailing about.

Another had a thick branch of tissue extending out. Several tendrils were ripping furniture from the walls trying to seal the breach, while others latched onto the roof. The fungicide saturated slurry from the laked lapped through the crack in the hull. Whenever it touched a tendril, the mass recoiled.

Before anyone could say anything else, the ship shook.

Aurek, Besh, get out here now! The cavern is collapsing!

The teams made it out onto the hull in time to see a chunk of the cavern roof fall into the lake. The green wave washed the Balute towards them. Everyone joined hands as the three Biotics anchored them against the slick Tsunami, as well as the impact of the Balute.

"Specter Vakarian, we have analyzed the cavern decline, and recommend-"

"No recommendations; just do it! Launch for survival!"

Everyone was pinned to the Balute floor as Geth fed a maximum charge into the Eezo core, and fired the orbital maneuvering engines. The Balute rocketed out of a hole in the cavern roof and into open air. The group watched as the building they had been in collapsed into the cavern, pulling the neighboring two buildings down with it. There was a momentary flash, and the Balute was launched out of the atmosphere.

The teams floated in the now unpowered emergency survival Balute.

"What the hell was that?!" Wrex did his best to stop spinning.

"Best guess," Jane grabbed onto Ash and Liara, "the Slipdrive core fully breached when the building dropped on it."

"A Slipdrive," Garrus boggled. "How the hell did it get out here?"

Ash grabbed onto Theris, as the entire group finally arrested their drifting. "Given what we know and saw, it probably jumped too close to a Relay. Instead of blowing up, like us or the Covies, it just went wildly off course and crashed."

"But that doesn't make any sense," Liara started to biotically pull everyone towards the 'floor'. "That was clearly a scientific research vessel, given the compartment we saw. At a minimum, it was transporting scientific samples. Why would it not use an established route to a known destination?"

Kaiden finished pulling everyone down. "Well, once we're back on the Nierra," he looked pointedly at Garrus, "we can get to work translating what little was left in the computer."

Everyone sat silently for a moment.

"Anybody got a deck of cards?"

...

They were picked up by the Nierra in less than an hour, though Doctor Solus insisted they spacewalk onboard and undergo stringent decontamination.

"Apologies for strict protocol; could not risk bringing contaminants onboard."

"That's alright, Doctor," Garrus waved the excitable Salarian off as he put his duty uniform back on. "We saw first hand what that fungus could do."

"Fungus irrelevant," Mordin said as he stalked over to a nearby monitor. "Simple vector for real danger." He brought up an image that looked identical to the organism that had been in the sealed tube.

"Have reviewed some of your reports, corroborates my own findings." He tapped the keyboard. "Prior to assignment to Nierra, served in STG on bioweapons research project. Quite familiar with engineered life forms." Two lines of information came up. "This organism, subject to two separate modification events. Based on my limited findings before needing to incinerate and sterilize samples, first created as perfect bioweapon, then modified to render mostly harmless."

Garrus frowned. "'Mostly Harmless' and 'perfect bioweapon' are not words I like hearing in the same sentence. What do we know about organism."

Mordin gave a sharp nod, "Likewise." He continued to type. "Base organism spore similar to slime molds, though massively complex; no evolutionary need for observed and hypothesized specializations. Can infect both Levo and Dextro amino acid-bearing life forms, though appears to be designed to target higher order species.

"Infection causes formation of additional pseudo-neuron fibers throughout tissue of host, mimicking native neurons to avoid immune rejection. Additional fibers also similar to muscle tissue, able to amplify host strength while increasing capillary action. Maximizes both Tissue Growth, and parasite spread. Dangerous enough on own, except..."

"Except?" Garrus asked, almost dreading the answer.

Mordin brought up a completely new file. "Performed experiments to observe growth, plot pathogen target. Energetic readings detected, analogous to observed UTSG faster than light communications emissions."

Garrus turned in alarm. "Wait, this thing was growing an FTL communicator?!"

"Possibly, thus the need to destroy samples and sterilize equipment. Effect seemed... less efficacious in fungal substrate; hypothesis, this was intent with second modification."

Garrus waited as the Doctor brought up more information. "Genetic tampering targeted the binding proteins in the parasite: caused them to form unstable Prion chains rather than pseudo neuronal muscle tissue. The parasite effectively starves, though the host would then be infected with a Prion disease."

Garrus paced around the room. "That explains some of what Liara said about the Prothean warnings." He turned back to Mordin. "So what was the deal with the fungus then?"

"Adaptation," the Doctor brought up a new file. "Mycelial networks, very similar to animal neural pathways. Parasite self-modified to utilize available biomass. Once combined with fungus, could use as insulator against targeted modification, allowed infection and infestation of new hosts, though formation of exotic manifestations would have been limited. Dread to think what an unmodified parasite would grow to become."

"Is there any way to stop this thing, outside of WMDs?"

Mordin flashed a smile. "Eezo." He played a video of his sample. "Exotic emissions catalyze Eezo, causing rapid Beta decay which both interferes with exotic energies, and ionizes tissue. Parasite destroyed, though Eezo consumed in the process."

"That's an expensive fix for a limited problem, though it also explains Thane and the Varren."

"Yes, very expensive, but optimistic. No other examples of infestation observed in UTSG, Covenant or Citadel space. Hope this means all examples of parasite were destroyed on Ferros."

Garrus frowned at that. "We won't know until we can figure out where that ship came from; and we still don't know why Saren was there."

...

The ground teams sat in their various customary chairs, while Doctor Solus stood nearby.

"So that's what Mordin has learned," Wrex grumbled out, "that Fungus-Amongus was being controlled by some super-duper bio weapon that was brought there in the crashed ship?"

"Looks like," Garrus huffed, then looked at Jane. "Any luck with the nav logs?"

All three Spartans looked uncomfortably at one another. "Yes, but none that makes sense." Jane brought up a holographic starmap with unfamiliar characters. "Liara was right about the ship being a science ship; but the reason it took the 'path less traveled', as best we can tell, is it was running from something. There's conflicting data on two sets of hazards."

The map shifted to a system in the Perseus Galactic Arm. "That's why they jumped into what we call a black system; the ship's systems had been especially hardened to try and breach a system with a Mass Relay, but it wasn't enough." The map shifted to show the arrival on Ferros.

Lira tapped her Omnitool for a moment. "Could you return to the Relay system, please?" The image shifted back. "I think that might have been the Mu Relay."

Ash quirked an eyebrow. "Might have been?"

"A supernova more than four thousand years ago knocked the Mu Relay out of position; which is a tragedy since records indicate it led into several Prothean colonial systems." The Maiden drifted off before shaking her head. "I'm just surprised the Protheans didn't notice a ship crashing on one of their colonies."

"It wouldn't have been one of their colonies at that time," Kaiden adjusted the star map, "since the onboard computer said this all happened more than 100,000 years ago."

Garrus choked a little. "That's a pretty bold projection. What's it based on?"

"The ship's point of origin in relation to neighboring stars," Jane said as the navigation course backtracked to a main sequence star in the Orion-Cygnus Arm. "Earth; which is impossible because we'd know if we had an interstellar empire 20,000 years before the first Human migration out of Africa!" Jane thumped her fist on her chair, denting the armrest. "The data has to be wrong!"

"Invalid conclusion," Tali gripped her chest as if she could muffle the Geth. "All corroborating data points to Sol System as point of origin for derelict vessel. Furthermore," the map was replaced with an electron Microscope image of a DNA strand with clearly visible lettering, "evidence found by Doctor Solus indicates that species which built the ship, also modified the Parasite DNA."

"That only tells us that the ship departed from the Sol system," Theris leaned in, "not that it came from there."

Wrex scoffed. "That's a load of Varren shit and you know it." He looked at Kaiden. "You said they were dodging two groups of hazards, and that's why they bounced off a Relay. Only two things make a ship take the hard road: major stellar events, and war. Since the Good Doctor," he side-eyed Mordin, "has already confirmed this parasite is an engineered weapon that narrows it down."

He looked at the three Spartans. "You're not the first race to get knocked off your pedestal, not even the first in this room."

"Technically incorrect," Mordin commented from the wall, "since if, timeline is correct about human rise, fall, and rise again, then their decline would have been thirty thousand years before the rise of the Protheans."

Garrus buzzed and clicked his mandibles to get everyone's attention. "With apologies to the academics in the room, this topic is academic. Unless someone can prove them wrong, then the ship's origin was the Sol System. Since the UTSG has never reported incidents with this Parasite," he waited for Jane to agree, "then we can at least table any concerns about its spread. That still leaves the issue of Saren."

Liara tapped her controls, bringing up a list of worlds. "It still all seems to point to something to do with the Protheans: the Beacon on Eden Prime, trying to seize me on Therum, and the Prothean Colony on Ferros. While there may be additional variables, that is the common thread."

"Yes," Tali said hesitantly, "but according to Mister Krios, Saren was there specifically to communicate with the Super-Fungus, which we now know isn't from anywhere in Citadel or Prothean space."

"Possible hypothesis," Mordin rubbed his chin, "genetic memory. Mycelium do not degrade in the same way as brain tissue in animals; can remain dormant and intact for years, even centuries. If combined with Pseudo-Neurons of Parasite, along with observed higher- dimensional effects, could mean that information available to previous host creatures would be retained in the primary fungal mass." He looked to Liara. "Protheans known to interact with many species in their era, so Ferros hosts may have known something Saren needed to know."

"Something he needed transmitted directly into his brain," Theris looked around questioningly. "Saren had an entire team with him, but Thane said he 'fed' it an Asari, which suggests whatever he needed he wanted transferred via Melding."

Garrus huffed. "Maybe he was hoping someone could parse out the Titans damned Beacon vision. I haven't gotten a decent night's sleep since Eden Prime." He held up a talon when Mordin was about to speak. "I'll get a sleep aid later. For now, we have theory, conjecture, and three ruined Prothean sites. Saren may or may not have gotten what he wanted and then lit out of here a day before we arrived, based on Thane's condition when we found him. We don't know where he is, so let's keep looking at where he's been."

He brought up a holographic map of a frozen world.

...

Doctor Catherine Halsey paced the confines of her cell/office. "I understand 'Winter Contingency' is in effect, but this can't wait for normal channels."

If you 'understand' we're in Winter Contingency, then you 'understand' why I have to deny your request

Catherine stopped in her tracks. "Damn you to hell, Donnel! You are the one who insisted I be sent here to crack this artifact, and now that I have, you insist I sit on my hands and wait primly for permission while the Covenant is actively searching for this place?!"

Yes I did, which was a political minefield to begin with, Donnel Udina placated. Even I can't casually ignore 'Cole Protocol', which is why I am working on an alternative solution to extracting you and the data.

The Doctor sneered at the hologram. "You mean your old ONI crony Jack Harper?" She relished the look of concern and malice that flickered across his face. "You know better than to assume I'm deaf and blind down here, or that I'd allow his little fiefdom in Citadel space anywhere near John."

What does Spartan 117... Donnel's features hardened. What have you done, Catherine!?

She smiled beatifically at Udina. "I've ensured the safety and security of intelligence critical to the survival of humanity. The AI I developed has the information gleaned from the Artifact. That AI is currently being paired with Spartan Master Chief Petty Officer John 117."

She chuckled as she began pacing once again. "You've gotten soft, Donnel; or maybe just distracted. Either way, we are doing this my way, not yours."

And what is your way, Doctor?

She stopped to fully face the hologram. "The Flight 3 Life Extension Program has been completed on nearly every legacy ship in the fleet. The only ones left are the Charon and Stalwart Frigates and Halcyon cruisers; one of those Cruisers is in the breaker Yards in Asźod awaiting transfer of critical equipment. Removal of the Pillar of Autumn from the Fleet Order of Battle won't affect their operational capabilities, and there are enough Reserve Duty Crew still on Reach to fully staff her. She'll just need a Cadre, assign John to her, then Launch for survival while the Covenant have their forces divided over the world."

She could see Udina trying to find some way to bend the circumstances to his will, but he knew she would spoil it if he didn't cooperate. With her having directly talked to the base Commandant, as well as several Spartans and the Alien Exchange Operative, he couldn't effectively silence her without tipping his hand.

Alright, we'll do it your way. He pointed an accusing finger at her. If this fails, it's on your head!

She snorted as the image cut out, replaced by the subject of her studies of the Reach Artifact: a Bishop's Ring station, the last location the Artifact ship had visited before crashing on reach.