DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN MASS EFFECT THEY BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS.
A/N: Wow now we meet some of the alien cast huh. I figured I changed the way they make their names because of how long they had been trapped on Earth. So far my beta is the only other person who knows the alien species. Mostly because I didn't know which aliens to put other then the Protheans. But the ideas started to filter when the T.V. show Siren played on Freeform which I watch on my computer. I thought also that it would be good to put some other aliens in there. So I did my research into M.E. Lore and found that the Rachni was around the same time as the Protheans. They also were experimented by them which makes it more ideal when writing them in. The Asari and the Krogan I figured would have to be in it because of the Rachni Wars. I was going to include the Salarians but then that would not make any sense whatsoever to include them. So I made them die out when they arrived on Earth.
The Turians were completely out because the Krogan and the Asari that arrived on Earth would be the ones who fought in the Rachni Wars. I am still writing in the bit of history. I also made them aware of the Krogan Rebellions since they happened not long after the Rachni Wars so it would make sense that they still could catch communications. The only reason I said that the could receive, but not send out a signal was because if you are thinking it their systems might have been damaged. All will be explained later rather then give a healthy rant.
But any hows I apologize before hand with how late this chapter is because of the Pandemic (no excuse there) but I have an essential job and my beta works in general and we have a life outside of fanfiction writing. So with our busy lives dealing with this bullshit getting this story properly proofread is hard for us. Even more so with me writing it. But we will try that I will tell you.
With that said lets get on with the story shall we.
Mass Effect the Immortal Series Part 1: Flight of the Normandy
Chapter 25: Close Encounters
TOKYO, JAPAN
The plane landed without a hitch at the brightly lit Tokyo Airport's Private Terminal, taxiing to a special hangar, built by the Japanese government for special guests and for their special friends. The door opened to allow a few large figures to emerge. One of them had a veil on their head as it was led into a large SUV. The SUV, in turn, wasted no time driving towards the main streets of downtown Tokyo and to a specific tower in the heart of the city.
Emiko Komori entered this building with a familiarity that was both comforting and reassuring. She bowed respectfully to the human secretary, and the woman smiled back at her with a friendly, "Welcome back Komori-Sama," as Emiko proceeded towards her rooms at the top of the tower.
She was greeted by her guards who stood at the door. Both of them were Krogan like her, and they respectfully bowed their heads as they allowed her to enter. Unlike the Krogan of the homeworld, these Krogan were not hindered by the humps on their backs. Instead they trained their bodies to be more flexible and lithe, even though they still looked cumbersome and heavy.
Stepping through, she waited for the doors to close before allowing herself to undress from the overly protective gear. It was more to hide her features than offer protection. That latter part was under her outfit, allowing her to be comfortable and yet protected at the same time. A relic of her ancestors' time before they came to Earth, it had protected her from stray bullets and explosives well enough so far. Even in modern times, things tended to blow up around her.
It was the life of the clan leader.
That meeting she had in Greece showed her that things were starting to change now that a working space craft has emerged. The Normandy had proven useful in that it allowed them to visit the Mars outpost that their Prothean friends had left behind. The information that was given to her had proven valuable in hopefully reaching out and contacting the homeworld.
But something did not seem right to her.
"What troubles you, clan leader?" said a voice, and Emiko turned to see another Krogan beside her. She smiled as it was her Krantt who called to her.
"Greetings, Kyouji-san, what can I do for you?" she asked, letting the question be for now. Her voice was warm as she felt his eyes on her as he paid his respects by bowing.
"Repairs to the clan facilities in Fukushima are nearly completed, and many of our people are pulling resources to helping others who might be trapped in the rubble," replied Kyouji. Last year, a tsunami had struck the Fukushima Coast, killing many people and leveling the town. Not only that, but the radiation from the nearby nuclear power plant has made the city and the lands around it uninhabitable. It was perfect for the Krogan to expand. But unlike their ancestors, the Krogan of planet Earth are not as foolish as their brothers among the stars.
"Good, when the humans have cleared the area of inhabitants, begin preparations to harvest the land and cleanse it of radiation. We can't have any more of that stuff destroying this environment. I like my land the way it is, thank you," she said. The male turned and left, leaving her to her thoughts. Emiko turned towards the horizon of Tokyo and saw the light of the rising sun to the east.
She let it bathe her in its warm glow, allowing her the time to think about the eight hundred years she had been alive on this planet, and all the changes that had been done in that time.
I have lived through the worst aspects in history in this region. The lands of my birth have shaped me and my kind into a fighting force unlike anything in the galaxy. If what the Protheans say is true, then our world will meet its end in less than two hundred years. I must be prepared for when that day comes. She thought as she looked at the images in front of her. It was the images of Tokyo today, overlooking her window landscape. She waved her hand, and the images instantly changed to old wall paintings of a time long ago.
They showed the Krogan when they first landed more than twenty-seven hundred years before. The first of her kind were highly aggressive and wanted blood. But the humans of that time were just as savage and cruel...as well as a lot more crafty. They knew the Krogan had a weakness. It was their use of sheer strength and overwhelming power that was their undoing. Emiko remembered the tales her mother told her when she was very young. She said that their people were bloodthirsty and savage. They only wanted to kill for the sheer sport of it. The males had ruled and wanted to overpopulate this planet and harvest its resources till there was nothing left.
Just like the homeworld.
But then the females struck back, starting with her very own grandmother. The first of the Krogan to integrate into Earth's society. Emiko stared at her portrait on the wall of an ancient Chinese painting. She resembled a turtle or a bat, depending on the region the paintings were made. But Emiko remembered the stories her mother taught her. In them, her grandmother's escape pod crashed landed somewhere in Mongolia. She was unconscious for many days until she woke up in a yurt with several members of a family of eagle handlers.
Shocked, she nearly killed them, until the head of the tribe showed her that he meant no harm. In fact, he was a member of the Xiongnu people of Mongolia. He was a soldier who left the army for a time, to visit family before returning to war with what is now China. The Han Chinese at the time were trying to conquer his people, and with her help, managed to keep them at bay. But she was at a disadvantage with her size and bulk.
It would have killed her, had it not been for her natural armor and the redundant systems in her body. So her grandmother had to adapt to life on Earth by learning skills from various warriors across the Mongol Army. As she learned, she grew in strength and wisdom. So when she rose to the status of the highest ranking general, she became their version of a battlemaster. It was also at that time the rest of the Krogan descended from the heavens. Of four hundred Krogan to fight in this region of space, only seventy two survived the fall to Earth. Others were burned up upon entry into the atmosphere.
She was lucky her grandmother survived, and over time had learned the ways of the ancient warriors of the East. Growing in stature until her name changed from what it once was when she came, to what it is known as now. Altandöl The Golden Flame, for the gold color of her eyes. She was the epitome of a warrior and many Krogan would have been proud of her.
When she rallied her fellow Krogan, many of them wanted to fight her for her change in beliefs. But her grandmother proved them wrong by besting all of them and establishing the Krogan society as it is today. A society where a few females are chosen to be breeders while others are warriors like the males. They take years of meditation to overcome their basic instincts, but they do so with earnest. They don't want to waste this world with their rampant breeding like what had happened with the Mother World.
Emiko knew that such horrible things had happened to the Krogan. The last communication that happened with her people had been nearly fifteen hundred years ago, when the genophage came to being among the stars. Her people were able to listen to the broadcasts of the world beyond this one, but many failed to repair the damages that were done to their communication's systems. So they were stuck listening to the broadcasts of the worlds beyond theirs, hoping someone would see their now failing distress signal.
But none came and the signal went silent.
The remaining Krogan were left on this world alone... or so they thought.
Emiko sighed as she reopened the windows to see Tokyo again. Many things happened in the past, from meeting their allies, the Asari and the Sirena, to meeting the ancient Protheans and making peace with their former enemies, the Rachni. All things had happened on this world and this world alone. She felt in her bones that things were starting to happen that will decide on their fate when the dark ones come.
She knew what was coming, and with the Normandy rising from the sea, things were starting to look up for her kind.
"You are silent as always, my daughter, what troubles you?" said a voice and Emiko smiled as she turned and greeted her mother. The ancient chieftain of her clan, Biānfú Ling.
The old Krogan smiled warmly at her daughter as she greeted her mother with a formal bow. "Mother."
"Tell me my dear child, what troubles you this day?" her mother repeated herself and Emiko quickly filled her in on the meeting in Greece.
"I see, so this ship is able to travel the stars so soon? It must have been very advanced to last that long at the bottom of the ocean," said her mother.
"It is, mother, from what I understood of its make, it precedes even the mighty Protheans. It is far older than anything we have ever encountered, and from its weaponry it will be a ship that is formidable to our enemies. However, due to its size, it is a lot smaller than most dreadnoughts that I had seen in the ancient vids that were preserved by some of the Asari. But, from what I understand of human philosophy, sometimes being small can be mighty," Emiko replies.
Biānfú snorted through her nostrils and Emiko could see bits of steam emerge from them. It was something her people picked up when they came to this world. But the origins are unknown, "Small and mighty or small and stealthy. I've read the schematics of this 'Normandy,' and from what I saw, the ship is a highly advanced warship disguised as a diplomatic frigate. Such a ship should not have the firepower that it possesses, meaning that it was more than a force of peace; it was a show of power," her mother warned.
"Are you saying that Normandy is used as a means of force for those who disobeyed its former masters?" Emiko replied, startled.
"Yes, and no. You must understand, my daughter, that when one becomes a clan leader they must understand what it truly means to show force and to step back. Normandy, in her pristine appearance, is a ship that is both elegant and dangerous. Just like a spider or just like my daughter before me: beautiful as a flower but deadly to her enemies. Even the prettiest flowers can sometimes carry deadly poisons, or thorns," Biānfú replied smiling.
"Your wisdom is insightful, mother, and I pray to the gods everyday that our future will be bright," Emiko said bowing.
"Indeed, I hope it does and I hope this Normandy can give us the hope we have longed for so long," Biānfú replies before stepping out of the room, leaving Emiko to her own thoughts.
She stared out into Tokyo bay once again, contemplating the silence, her hands behind her back as gracefully as she could while thinking to herself. The Krogan of Planet Earth had to make a great deal of sacrifices to protect their people. When the genophage emerged and their transmissions, died they could not think of anything else but to secure the future of their species. "We are the only pure Krogan left," she whispered to herself as she put her hand on the glass window.
Tokyo's daytime filtered through the glass, the sun glaring now in her face. She would hold it as long as possible; the image of the land of the rising sun.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
Martha once again put her hand on the pole in front of her and discharged another amount of electricity. The vast amounts of power that she has to release was scary to think about. But she endures as the doctors asked her again and again to discharge so that her body can start its recovery process.
She hates it.
The worst part was that no one but the nurses visited her, since they had been released just the day before. Ichigo, Lucas and the others had been discharged, leaving Martha to herself with no one to keep her company. Her own family can't afford to come to Australia because of financial concerns. Even if her brother in the United State Air Force was able to come, he would be ordered to stay away, which is most likely the case right now.
Either way, Martha was alone and without any company. The hospital had not cleared her because of the amount of biotic energy still needing discharge. She was slow to discharge that amount of power, but at the same time, she didn't want to overload the system again. That is what happened to her on a particularly bad day the week before. Sighing, she resigned to her fate as she sat on her bed, bored.
"Your biotic discharge is increasing," EDI said to her through her omni-tool.
"I know," Martha said to her.
"Have you increased your food consumption? It seems as if your energy levels are also decreasing," EDI replied to her, her voice sounding concerned as she heard Martha's response.
"I am just afraid that I would overflow the amount of electricity through the hospital," Martha replied truthfully.
It was hard to discharge slowly, but unlike the Normandy, she did not know the extent of the power she can release.
"I have run an analysis of the conduits the hospital uses to help biotics discharge their static buildup. It should be able to withstand your current levels. However, if you had done so in the beginning, you would have overloaded the system. Now, however, your current level of electricity should be more suitable for the amount the conduits can discharge," EDI replied to her. Martha breathed a sigh of relief as she went back to the pole and put her hand on it. Letting the electricity out she felt it leave her body, allowing the lights to flicker for a bit before returning to normal. When it was normal, she felt her hair hand in her face, having not realized that her hair was standing on end.
"Awk! I really need a haircut," Martha grumbled to herself.
"At least your energy levels have returned to normal," EDI said to her.
"That's good, and I feel a lot better now that all that electricity is gone," Martha replied as she sat down on her bed again.
She took up the remote and turned on the television to see what was playing. After flipping through a few channels all she had gotten was the news networks which bored her. She tried to find something else to watch so she could entertain herself. But finding nothing, she used her laptop to update some of her stories that she had neglected throughout her stay on the Normandy.
It took a few hours, but when she was done updating and uploading her stuff, she was once again bored.
"You could play a few games to pass the time. A few of your friends are online right now on one of the Call of Duty games," EDI said to her as she laid down.
"I stopped playing those a while ago, it bores me and it reminds me too much of my brother," Martha replied, looking at the ceiling.
EDI had reluctantly tried to find something else to occupy the time. As she filtered through some of the channels, Martha just enjoyed the silence. But even then, the silence was beginning to wear on her. She missed the sound of the engines on Normandy and the sight of the stars in space. In fact, the deep sea fish in the Abyss was more entertaining than staring at blank walls. She was tempted to go to the window to see the probably empty courtyard once again, when the door to her room opened.
Sitting up, Martha recognized the nurse from before. The one that wore too much makeup. She could smell the oils and product on her skin as she walked in with food.
"Ah, good, I see that you are up! I brought you lunch," she said as she pulled the tray toward her. It was filled with food and if this was before, Martha would have blanched at the amount but now…. GRRRGGGGG!
Her stomach growled and Martha looked sheepishly at the nurse.
"I see someone is hungry," she said with a genuine smile.
Martha rubbed the back of her head, clearly embarrassed. The nurse giggled, and Martha could see the blue of her eyes. It was a strange shade of blue. But then again, she rarely saw anyone with blue eyes before coming to Australia. Here it was a common sight. But this woman's hue was something she had never seen before.
Tilting her head in curiosity, she studied the woman's features, noticing the way she put the tray down and passing the food down. Her eye suddenly changed hue and she could see heat from the woman's body. Startled, she quickly remained still as she took the food in front of her. Soup with a bit of rice, fish and chips, salad, spaghetti with meatballs, some bread, fruits of all different types in one bowl. And from the looks of it, ice cream.
Normally, before her transformation, Martha could not eat this much food. But now she could not wait to eat, and started eating like there was no tomorrow. As she ate, the nurse watched with amusement as she acted like a starved animal. When she was done, she was so full she wanted to pass out, but she knew she would regret it if she did.
As she laid there on the bed with her eyes barely open, she could have sworn that the nurse looked different.
What she did not know was that her omni-tool started to take a scan of the woman. It took her form inside and out, and when it was done, it stored the information both in its data banks, and sent a copy back to Normandy. As it did so, Martha could feel her eyes start to droop as her body succumbed to being relaxed. Though not before the nurse smiled again as she left her alone to rest.
NORMANDY
EDI had done a numerous amount of scans around the continent of Australia. She even performed communications and information scans of the rest of the planet, hoping to find something of interest. There was a lot of interesting things about this planet, from its diversity to the thousands of cultures that litter its surface. EDI had found humans fascinating in her quest for knowledge. The future as she knew it was bleak, and if her memories served her right, she never really took the time to research into human biology or psychology.
Just as she was about to do a diagnostic into her core systems, something pinged her. Scanning it, it was coming from one of the many omni-tools that the crew members wear to keep in contact with her and the ship. It was coming from Martha's omni-tool.
Curious, was the thought that came from her mind when she scanned the data that was sent. It appears the omni-tool did an automatic bio-scan of a potential alien life form. Going through the data at the speed of light, EDI felt her circuits do a slight tremor in their circuitry. The scans showed that the nurse in the image that was scanned was not human at all. In fact, the match for the species has showed up on EDI's data banks of current alien life forms on this planet.
Asari!
But humans are not supposed to meet with any Asari. Not for another one hundred and forty plus years!
That's impossible!
If the Asari are already here, what else happened that she did not know about?
Curiously, EDI scanned the data banks concerning history. As she went through them, she made an astonishing discovery. Something that was not told in her timeline. The diagrams of many species began to show, and most of them familiar to her. Krogan, Asari, Rachni, Prothean and even an aquatic species that she was not familiar with. Shocked as only a computer could be, EDI dug deeper. She found them in history, in different parts of the world. All of them working alongside humans in different cultures. Some of them were worshiped as gods. All of them dated back as far as the Rachni Wars. That part of the timeline she knew, and from her hidden cache of knowledge, she knew that the Krogan that came from then didn't have a trace of the genophage that nearly wiped out their species. So these must be a more pure strain. EDI knew she must get in contact with them first.
MARTHA'S ROOM
Martha woke to the sounds of the hospital again. That feast was really something, it knocked her right out. Groggily, she sat up and had a huge urge to use the facilities. When she relieved herself and sat on her bed, the first thing on her mind was when she was allowed to leave.
So far, they told her that her static charge was too high, so it would be a while.
But Martha felt fine.
Then again, most illnesses have their ups and down, so she did not complain much. Idly, she glanced at her omni-tool and twitched in surprise. Somehow it was on scanning mode.
What the hell? She thought as she turned it off. The results that came from the scans were a bigger surprise to her. On it, she saw the hospital layout and all the patients in there. However, what caught her by surprise was the insistence that there are other bio-forms besides humans in the hospital.
Animals in labs maybe? She thought and looked through the scans.
It appeared before her in 3D, but she immediately placed it onto her laptop to keep prying eyes from seeing it. When she did look at the results again, her eyes went wide. Here in this hospital, non-human lifeforms were roaming the halls. In fact the nurse that helped her was not human at all. The bio-scan showed an image of a being that looked similar to a human but its skin was not normal. In fact, the scan showed the creature's true form in naked view.
Holy shit!, she thought, almost uttering it out loud.
She realized for the first time that she was in the presence of a real life alien life-form.
"EDI?" Martha said, her voice cracked with surprise.
"I see you have come to the same conclusions as me, Martha. When the omni-tool started scanning the nurse, it immediately sent a report to me, detailing the biology of the alien lifeform. Upon research into your world's databases, we can confirm that the alien lifeforms have been here for sometime in human history. In fact, this particular alien is called an Asari from what I gather. They are from the area known as Greece," EDI replied and Martha whistled.
"Damn! Holy shit!" she said out loud.
"Be advised, you would be wise to keep this between ourselves for now, Martha. Until I get further information, we should keep an eye out for any more aliens. I have a list of the species here on Normandy. Access is limited and I am under heavy guard. However, they don't know about the omni-tools or the fact your computer systems have been improvised and rebuilt with Normandy's technology. I had it done while you were unconscious. The repair drones that repaired the ship are equipped to build any sort of electronic equipment and allow them to replicate any files that are on the old system before it is recycled. Your computer is safe from any sort of hacking attempts. Aaron's computer has a specialized software installed onto it to prevent unwanted tampering of any of his systems as well. So your conversations are safe." EDI said to her. Martha breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that her secrets were kept safe for now.
"So about this alien?" she asked EDI.
"It is called an Asari. I have it on my data files after I used the computer systems to look into the matter. Apparently, the Asari have been around as long as human history, more then twenty-seven hundred earth years. There are other species on this planet as well, each with their own stories. I can show them to you if you want?" EDI offered, which Martha was more then glad to agree to. As she looked through at what EDI could dig up of the various races, Martha's mind began to wonder. She was still shocked about the fact that aliens do exist, but then again, the Normandy is millions of years old. And she met with the Watchers, the ones who had well...changed her. She looked down at her hand and saw for herself that her hand looked human but her mind and her body felt different somehow. Healthier and stronger than she had ever felt before. In fact, her lungs hadn't given her any problems since her death. Now, her senses were sharper, her health better and she had superpowers. But then, the reality of it all came crashing down, and she had to look at reality.
I am becoming something other than human.
"EDI, am I...becoming an alien?" Martha asked, remembering a movie she watched back in 2009.
"To put it plainly, yes," was the reply.
"Will I become like those in the movies where I have an overwhelming sex drive or will I become like those things that kill without mercy?" Martha asked, overcome by a bout of paranoia.
"We do not know what you will become. All that we do know is that the DNA that was inserted into your genetic code makes you different. Your body has become stronger, faster and more agile. It also boosts your biotics to levels that are stronger than any creature in existence today. Perhaps the alien vessel you are becoming was a very proficient biotic species that we had yet to encounter. It had probably gone extinct millions of years ago and only now has reappeared in you. All these factors are unknowns. We still need to discover more about the aliens here on your planet and about your transformation. But for now, don't get the aliens' attention. Let them come to you first." EDI's words of wisdom came to Martha and the girl felt compelled to nod in agreement.
It did make sense to wait.
Sometimes, it is hard to do so from her standing.
But it was also hard to not think about aliens when your family is not here to greet you.
In fact, she hadn't had many visitors since being moved to this hospital. From her doorway, she had watched the many people come and go as they pleased. She watched from the window as many more people passed under her in the courtyard. But still, there was no one here to see her or greet her. She wished her family could come, but they couldn't.
"Hey, how are you?" asked the nurse as she opened the door again. Martha looked puzzled as she walked in with her bag in hand.
"Um, are you leaving?" Martha asked her.
"Yeah, my shift is ending and Nurse Alexia is coming to take over for me. I've been working for twelve hours already and I am exhausted. So I wanted to see how my favorite patient is doing before I am off," the nurse said.
Martha beamed at being called favorite. "Thanks I guess," was the reply.
"So I need to check on your electrical output before I depart. The doctors wanted to make sure that everything is going smoothly before I clock out for the night," she said to her. Martha nodded, allowing her to check her vitals and her electrical output. When she was done, she wrote it down on her pad before bidding her a good night and a farewell. When she was gone, Martha looked to that hated pole again. She felt for her electrical levels and found them at normal levels.
At least I am not using my powers, she thought as she looked towards the now darkening sky. The sunset was on the opposite side of the building, and Martha wanted to see what it looked like to kill some time, so she made her way towards the front of the waiting room. Her patient's gown was a bit big on her, but she didn't care. All she wanted was the chance to see what it was that made the Australian sunsets special. So, when she stood out on the deck, looking towards the west, the sun indeed looked special. It was bright and colorful despite the high rises and skyscrapers blocking some of the view.
It looked like something out of a movie. She was glad it was not as she enjoyed the view. It is much prettier in real life. A gentle breeze filled the view as she watched the last rays sink beneath the horizon. The light fading into the darkness of night as the birds changed to bats. The night life taking over the skies and well as the bugs. Martha began to feel strange as she opened her arms. It was pleasant to feel such warmth, while at the same time, the wind seemed to call her.
"Enjoying the view," asked a voice, and Martha snapped back to reality as she turned her head to view at another nurse. This one she knew as Alicia, the night nurse. The daytime nurse Daphne had already gone home so Alicia was the one to take over.
"Yeah, just feel weird is all," Martha admitted and the nurse wanted to take her inside to do some checks and called a doctor to check her vitals. When that was done, all Martha could see before being put to bed was the man standing there smiling and holding out a needle to ensure that she gets her blood sample to be tested. When she had her arm out the man slipped the needle into her arm and extracted the samples. When he was done and Martha was cleared she hit her head on the pillow and was asleep before anyone noticed.
IN A HOTEL ROOM IN ADELAIDE
"EDI are you sure that nurse was an alien life form?" Dr. Alenkov said to her omni-tool.
The holographic form of EDI confirmed it as she showed the data to Dr. Alenkov.
"My data is conclusive. I've researched your history and technology throughout the millennia and found that several cultures around the world have had some knowledge from outside sources. This is living proof that there are other sentient species among you." was EDI's conclusion in this.
"So you are stating that the aliens are aware of who and what Martha is?" she said.
"Yes, with the amount of power that Martha has and the DNA in her genetic code, many organizations would use that as a means to an end. I do not think Martha's life is in jeopardy or believe the motives of the aliens involved to be malicious. I can, however, monitor the situation and give you a conclusive report should you request it," EDI replied to Dr. Alenkov.
"See that you do, and remember to be discrete about it. The less people who are involved, the better. But keep it between the main Normandy crew. If you have even the slightest suspicions about anyone else, do not share such information. Especially towards Dr. Caradine. I do not trust him just yet, but keep an eye out." she said to her omni-tool.
"Understood Dr. Alenkov," and the line went dead.
Dr. Alenkov didn't like this one bit. This seemed fishy to think that there are aliens in that hospital with Martha. Either they knew of her existence or they became aware of it when she was accepted. Something does not add up. She would have to look into it to find out more. But she sent the alert to both Major Lawoski and Major Reynolds just to be safe. Then she sent the information to both Dr. Keller and Dr. Jackson to see if they could analyze the different species on Earth, and if there was a way to find the coordinates to their homeworlds.
Looking across from her hotel room, Dr. Alenkov wanted to make sure that things were set in motion the way they wanted it. But as it turns out that such things were starting to take a turn.
She did not like it one bit.
SYDNEY
Daphne stood in her true form in front of the computer again. This time, she was finishing up her report, when an alert came from one of her security systems. She quickly activated the security cameras around her home.
Instantly she saw several men enter her driveway uninvited and proceeded towards her door. She checked her security cameras to make sure they were not carrying any weapons. She then cursed when she found that they were, indeed, carrying weapons.
All of them were armed, but to her surprise they also carried other items such as…
"Oh shit!" she said as she saw the battering ram and the explosives.
Running towards the back, she grabbed an emergency pack which included a specially made mask and wig to hide her features. Thanking her stars that the computer she has is portable, she packed it up as well as her emergency stuff and threw them down a specially made chute that led to her car. The car itself had a sun roof, which was good for getaways. It was hidden under her house, and the way the safe house was built under the streets of Sydney, it allowed her to get away.
Thanking the Goddess for this forethought, she grabbed her gun and her bag. Just as she was about to bolt, the door flew open and armed men rushed through. She began to open fire with the pistol she kept under her desk at all times. Running out of the room, she was pursued by several men. She then leaped from her window when the opportunity arose, and landed in a crouch thanks to her biotics.
Running, she saw several men open fire with silencers but she thankfully knew where the car was at all times. As she got in she started the car up and raced out just as the men open fire on her. She smashed right through them and started down the street. The men quickly raced after her as she activated the specially-made holographic projectors. The projectors should protect her from being sighted as she raced away from them. The traffic, thankfully, was not heavy or else it would have halted her escape. Driving down the road, she knew that these men must be some of those agents that blew up that area across the street. She reached for her phone and sent it to speed dial.
"This is Daphne N'teri calling all Asari in the Sydney area, I am under attack and in need of assistance. I repeat: I am under attack and in need of assistance!" she said to the radio. The bullets couldn't get through her windows because they were bullet proof (another precaution) but she was not safe from explosives. Someone threw something at her and an explosion rocked her car. Thankfully she managed to keep her car in control. The men who were after her were not alone as they chased her down the street still. Another group tried to block her way, but she avoided them.
As she sped down the streets, she could see the many lights of the police sirens as if they were alerted to her arrival. Two squad cars pulled up beside her, trying to force her to pull over. One of them managed to pull her badge up and nodded. It was a female police officer in one car with another in the second. She gave a hand signal to her as well. Good, her sisters had arrived. Their partners were humans who know them well. They sped down and opened fire on the men coming after her. They began to shoot as if they didn't care. As they pulled into another alley, this one she didn't know, the police officers helped her switch her gear and took her car, while she entered one of the police cars with her mask on. When they pulled out from the other side of the alley.
"What's the situation?" said the officer.
"They are after me," replied Daphne. She hurried to apply the wig to keep her scalp hidden.
"Was your cover blown?" asked the woman.
"I believe so. I think we either have a leak or someone noticed our performance back in Adelaide." said Daphne.
She was well aware of the unit that was there and what their activities were.
"You think it was them?" asked the officer.
"Who knows, but let the council and the other sects know that we have a problem," Daphne said, and the officer nodded in understanding. While they were driving away from the men pursuing her, they were unaware that their phone was tapped. One by a malicious entity, another by a more friendly one.
NORMANDY
EDI was monitoring the situation on the police chatter. Listening in she normally didn't pay attention to such feeds, until her monitoring program's alert went off. One of the feeds showed an Asari clearly getting into a car and racing off into the dark streets of Sydney. She was being pursued, before she made a switch off with a police officer not far from her place of residence.
EDI then decided to listen in through the traffic cameras and nearby cell phones. What she got was interesting. It seems this Daphne was indeed an Asari and she had been around Martha long enough for her to know the woman. If she was the same person, EDI would take precautions to protect her crew. She will listen in to ensure that this Asari and her compatriots are not trying to destroy all the hard work EDI had done to earn these humans' trust in her.
MEANWHILE
Daphne sat in an office with another Asari and, this time, a Prothean, overlooking the questioning. After giving a full detailed report, both parties now knew they had a breach in security.
"I will report to the council immediately," said the Prothean as he left the two Asari alone.
"What do you think Daphne," said the Asari on the other end.
"I think the Prothean is right there is a breach in security. And if they have found my safe house then who knows how many others like me are in danger," replied Daphne as she sat in her chair.
The other Asari looked like she wanted to shoot something.
"Do you know what they were after?" the other Asari asked, her face serious. Daphne's eyes narrowed, coming to the realization as to why they were after her. "They are after the data I have on the Normandy crew, that has to be it," she said, realizing something dangerous.
The other Asari's eyes widened in alarm. Just as the doors opened and the Prothean came in.
"Jagadis, let the council know there has been a new development. Tell them we need to increase security around the Normandy crew immediately!" she said. At this realization the Prothean's four eyes went wide as well, and he raced out of the room.
"Come with me, we need to speak to the council about this." she said and both she and Daphne raced from the room towards another section of their base. This one with a large communication's array. It was created to help the members of their society talk with others around the world. It was also a way for them to speak to the council much faster.
"What new developments have you found," the voice of Atlanta asked through one of the video chats.
"Great Matriarch, Agent Daphne here realized why those men attacked her! They are after the Normandy crew…" the agent said only to be silenced by Daphne.
"They are after the pilot! The rest of the crew are fine, but I was targeted because I am the nurse who personally transferred to Sydney from Adelaide to help care for the pilot. A biotic this powerful is sure to get a lot of people after her. We must increase security immediately!" Daphne said.
"I will speak to the other council members, and I want you in charge of security, agent Daphne. We can't let anything happen to her and the Normandy crew, understand me," Atlanta said her face was grim.
"I understand, Matriarch," Daphne said.
"You were wise to bring this up with us, such a security breach will not be tolerated. I will send some of my men to help with security," the image of Emiko Komori added to her from her own video chat.
"I will send some of my agents as well, every precaution must be taken to ensure that the Normandy crew is safe." said the voice of Sean as he was well aware.
"Will the U.N. be notified as well?" asked Daphne to her human counterpart.
"Yes, I will inform the U.N. security council at once. We can't let such a thing go to waste. If they are after Normandy and her people, then every security measure must be taken. In the meantime, agent Daphne, you will protect that pilot with your life. If they are after the pilot specifically, then that means that not only they want the Normandy they want the DNA that this woman has in her system. We can't let them have it!" said Sean as he pulled something up.
"I have been informed that several teams are working to protect the Normandy crew that had been released from the hospitals. We also placed security teams around the families of those crew members, except Ivan Alenkov, who is currently not due back from his space station posting for another two months. So that leaves everyone else. I will have you moved to another, more secure location near the hospital in Sydney. And I will have a team with you this time, to ensure that no one else gets hurt." said Sean.
"I have been informed of other developments as well. When we investigated the submarine wreckage from that battle with the Normandy, we indeed found evidence of someone copying American and Russian Military technology. If you are launching an investigation, I suggest go there. That way we can trace back the evidence and hopefully find out who sent them," said Serena from her own viewer. Her features slightly distorted due to the dark abyss in which she resides.
"I think, if I may speak freely?" Daphne started, and the others nodded for her to continue.
"I think that the main target besides the Normandy itself is its pilot. The pilot has traces of alien DNA in her blood that rapidly increases her biotic levels to new heights. If that were the case then we also need to ensure that she is protected at all costs. With Martha due to leave the hospital soon we can't take any unnecessary risks," Daphne explained to them.
"My people have been keeping an eye on Alexandria Wilcox's movements, and so far she was last seen near our territory in the Andes mountains. We will scour that area for any activity, but will not be surprised if we came up as a dead end." the voice of a Rachni queen answered.
"Very well I will take up my tasks here and protect the pilot with my life." said Daphne as she stood up. But Atlanta held up her hand to stop her.
"For now, Agent Daphne, rest until you've recovered your strength. We will make sure your shift is covered at the hospital," said Atlanta and Daphne settled down again. She was not pleased by this but had no choice in the matter.
"Yes, Matriarch, esteemed council," she said to them.
Then, one by one, they turned off and she turned towards the other Asari.
"Is there a place to rest?" she asked her and the agent nodded, "Follow me," she said and they both departed.
SOMEWHERE UNKNOWN
"What have you found," Alexandria Wilcox asked as she sat behind her chair. Her room was secured, with monitors behind her to make it seem like she was outside, when in reality she wasn't.
"The woman had helpers, but she isn't human," said the agent in front of her.
"One of them, interesting," Alexandria said to him.
"Yes, from what our files told us she is what they call an Asari. They are a monogendered species in that they are only female in appearance but have no true gender. Their reproductive purposes are a mystery to us, but we are trying our best to solve this with the specimens we have," said the man in front of her.
"Good, do you have any way to get the pilot from that hospital?" she asked them.
"No, not since we blew our chances with that alien," said the agent.
Alexandria looked at him with cold eyes, "Then find a way to get your hands on that pilot. If my sources are telling me the truth, then the pilot has the DNA we need to advance our human evolution!" she said to him.
"Yes, ma'am," the agent said and disappeared into the hallway again. Alexandria only hit a button and a series of videos is being shown. Footage taken from the hospitals the Normandy crew were stationed at. There is also cameras and bugs planted at every house that the Normandy crew's families are. She smiled to herself and took a sip from the wine glass that she had on her chair.
"You may think you've won, Alenkov, but I am only just beginning to play dirty," she said out loud.
SYDNEY
Martha was getting rather impatient. It had been nearly two weeks since she was put here and she wanted to go home NOW! As she sat there, waiting for something to appear or sound off, the door opened and the nurse from before entered. Martha's senses were on alert when she saw the nurse. It had been nearly two days since she saw her and now, the poor thing looked like she hadn't had a wink of sleep. From the way she put on her makeup, to the way her hair stood Martha was on high alert.
"You look like shit," she said out loud ever so diplomatic.
The nurse returned her glare, but it was halfhearted as she placed Martha's food down on the bed. Martha herself was at the window when she saw the nurse, and the woman was for once silent. As she turned to leave, Martha noticed something was off about her neck.
Normally the nurse's neck was hidden by her hair, but today it was not. Instead, it was exposed, and several strange patterns on her neck were shown. Her collar made them hard to see, but Martha could still spot them with her advanced vision. They did not hide much from view. She watched as the nurse slowly got up and headed out the door. Her demeanor was slightly off, but she was cautious. When the door shut again she was left in the room alone.
"EDI?" she said.
"I managed to get some security footage from last night. It appears as if the Asari that has been your caretaker has been attacked by a group of terrorists," EDI said to her.
"Really? And she still shows up for work, whoa," Martha said to her.
Then again, she had noticed some changes to the hospital staff lately. More doctors, nurses and security personnel are here, either someone big is coming, or they are being threatened with something.
"It explains why I am still stuck here," Martha muttered darkly. She knew for a fact that she might be a security risk due to her advanced biotics. Thanks to that incident at the hospital in Adelaide, Martha became more cautious with her use of biotics. If she could cause such a surge with just that little incident, she could just imagine what could happen if she went all out on something, or someone.
"EDI, I'm scared of what is happening to me. What if I lose control?" Martha said, conveying her thoughts out loud after thinking for a bit.
"It would explain your rise in heart rate, Martha. But fear is a way to show that you care. My creators often stated in the past that such things do happen, when someone who is untrained in the use of their biotics suddenly causes a whole lot of destruction. But remember that the species that created me are also powerful biotics. That is why the Normandy was designed to handle large surges so flawlessly. It was meant for my creators who had biotics to a higher degree," EDI replied.
Martha's head shot up when she heard this, "So I carry the DNA of your creators?" she was curious after all.
"To clarify, you do not have the exact DNA of my creators. However, the DNA you do carry is of a species found on my homeworld. I have managed to analyze the DNA sample that the doctors managed to extract from your blood. The nanites discovered in your DNA coincides with those of my creators. But that is where the similarity ends. You have the sentience of both human and alien. However the exact base DNA model that was used, I had to piece together in a way. It was of a shape shifting species found on my homeworld. A reptilian animal similar to that of your dinosauria, but the resemblance is more towards a mythological creature. I would need a larger sample of the nanites to be sure, as human technology is not as advanced as the Normandy's. But the conclusions are there. Will have to verify later to be sure about it." EDI replied to her.
Now Martha could understand the way her teammates make comments about the changes to her hands and her eyes. It scared her to think about such things before, but EDI confirmed it for good. And it frightened her.
"EDI?" she said to the artificial intelligence. Her voice wavering on the brink of fear.
"Do not be afraid, I am here," EDI replied.
"Thanks, for being there," Martha replied to her.
"You're welcome," EDI said to her.
It was not till a few hours later that the nurse returned and Martha stared intently at her. Her weariness was gone and her makeup looked as if she had freshened up a bit and her hair was back in its place. Martha remained silent as the woman gave her a warm smile.
"Thanks for letting me know I look horrible this morning," she said to Martha, her eyes shown how much it meant to her.
"No prob, you really looked like shit. Did something happen to make you come to work all of sudden?" Martha asked her deliberately. The woman gave her a strange look.
"Um... what I meant to say was that my dad and step mother used to work at a hospital. And they were on-call all the time, so if that was the case, then I understand." Martha continued.
The nurse smiled back and nodded, "Yeah, had a rough night and had to work a double. But they let me go home for a few hours to rest before coming back to do another shift. I was exhausted," the Nurse replied.
Martha could see the tension under her skin and the fact that some of the makeup didn't match.
"Yeah, must have been rough. Um, could you tell me something?" Martha decided to be a bit daring.
"Alright," the nurse replied.
"Well, when do I get to go home? I mean I've been stuck here longer than the other patients and I know it was because of my biotics, but can I at least get to see my family?" Martha asked her.
Nurse looked at her and sighed, "I will see what I can do, but I don't think you are allowed to leave the hospital. But I can see if I can get your family to come here. I'll have to ask my boss, though, to see if he can pull some strings," she said to her. Martha's eyes lit up at this and to the nurse's surprise Martha bowed to her.
"This one thanks you," she said before giving her a hug also.
Caught by surprise, the nurse slowly returned the hug and Martha felt something strange as she did so. The nurse had a pulse unlike her own. And she could feel the sparks from her own body. Before she could stop herself, Martha blurted out, "You're a biotic!"
Her smile was large as her eyes. The nurse looked alarmed at being caught and Martha gave a happy squeal.
"Wow, this is so cool, you are just like me! We could learn how to control it together! I mean this is so cool," she said to her, and just before the nurse replied, there was a call on the intercom. "Nurse Daphne, you have a call on 633. Nurse Daphne, you have a call on 633," the intercom stated and the nurse sighed. "I have to go, but maybe we can talk more later ok," she said sadly to Martha, and Martha nodded before she left.
When she closed the door, Martha felt her hand and her omni-tool came online, "EDI did you get that?" she said to the A.I.
"I got the full detailed scan and will send the report to Dr. Alenkov immediately," she said to her.
"Good," Martha said excitedly as she showed the full screen in front of her in life size holographic form. Her first real alien and she was so excited by this close encounter.
ADELAIDE
Dr. Alenkov had just exited the hospital after a thorough examination of her mental and physical health. She walked towards the car that was waiting for her, when her cell phone went off.
It was a text message from EDI. Martha has some information she wanted me to send to you, the message said.
She scrunched her eyes at the text and quickly entered the car. Her driver was from the Russian consulate and he would be taking her there for a debrief with the Russian Ambassador. Shocked to see it, she waited till they were on the road before she opened her phone and replied to the text.
What sort of information? She asked the AI.
She has asked me to relay some information regarding one of the nurses in the hospital that she is currently staying at. She also told me to inform you that there was a mysterious increase in security. She had me run some analysis and it was confirmed that the nurse is not whom she seems to be, EDI texted her back.
Is she some sort of enemy agent? Was the reply.
No, she is not an agent of a known country she is the alien species that my databanks shows as an Asari. It appears she was the one Martha's omni-tool scanned earlier, EDI replied to her and Dr. Alenkov shook from where she was sitting in the car.
"Is everything alright ma'am?" the driver asked in Russian.
"No, everything is alright I am just receiving some disturbing news from on the internet. Something about a bombing a few streets down from the hospital I was staying in," Dr. Alenkov replied.
The driver on the other hand seemed to nod and then replied. "You mean the one that followed the explosion at the hospital? There was a drive by shooting that happened the same night. Hit a gas truck they said but in reality it was a gas tank by one of the nearby warehouses. It was parked just next to the building when it happened. Luckily no one was hurt," said the driver as he turned down the street.
"I did not get to that part yet, thanks for letting me know," Dr. Alenkov replied.
"No problem," the driver said before rolling up the window.
Dr. Alenkov gave a sigh of relief before looking down at the phone once again. The information that Martha passed to her was transferred to her omni-tool and then she used her phone to see the images that was shown. What she saw was shocking. The nurse was a real live alien. While she had received the earlier scan information, it was different to actually see the image of the alien herself. It made all those sci-fi movies that she and Ivan watched when they were younger seem more real then anything in the world. It was the close encounter that they had been waiting for. However, when she saw the other information that EDI had passed to her about the terrorist attacks the night before it gave her pause.
The men that attacked the alien were professionals, she could tell. However, the way they drove and the way the alien was prepared meant that the so-called, 'Asari' knew that they would eventually find her. So that means if she could she needed to get in contact with this alien. And she had a suspicion that others were watching Martha as well. She looked out the window and watched the world go by. Knowing that it would be 12 hours to get there by car, she would probably have to take a short flight. She was not surprised when the driver had taken her to the airport and to a waiting helicopter that would speed up the process.
Dr. Alenkov went onboard with her security personnel and waited for the machine to take off. As they were getting into the air, she looked at her phone again, going over the details of Martha's report. So far this 'Asari' proved to be a friendly ally of sorts and Dr. Alenkov was taking no chances with new people. After what had happened with Alexandria's monsters in the E.Z.C. she is being extra cautious. So when she read up on the reports she was shocked to see both the biological scans and the video footage that EDI took of both the terrorist attacks and the nurse.
She was intrigued.
EDI relay these orders: if they find any sort of 'Strange' persons on them, do a bioscan with their omni-tools immediately. This is no joke, I want to know what we are dealing with and how long they have been on Earth. She texted the A.I.
Acknowledged, was the reply before she put away her phone.
The body guards all looked at her in curiosity, but the only thing they saw on her screen was the image of the Russian President of Cosmology in Moscow and the U.N. security council. She was not about to show them that she was talking to an alien computer.
As they neared the heliport in the city of Canbarra which was in New South Wales. Dr. Alenkov had a feeling of dread come over her. When they eventually touched down, and she went to greet the convoy, something seemed wrong. She could not help herself, but the wrongness was an instinct born from years with the military. Just as they made their way out of the airport onto the main highway that sense of wrongness had grown a lot. That wrongness grew as she suddenly felt sleepy and disoriented all of a sudden.
"Wha…," she thought as her mind started to slow. As she started to see black spots, Dr. Alenkov's sense of wrongness suddenly gave a gigantic jolt as a realization dawned on her.
She was being kidnapped…
This was not the way to the Russian Embassy….
What is going on?….
All these thoughts were going through her head as the last thing she remembered before blacking out.
TBC
A/n: Whew Ah man sorry about the delay my beta and I had some serious issues in our real lives to deal with. Me with being so sick these past few months and him with other issues and being sick. So anyways just remember that if you enjoy this fic please leave a review and remember no FLAMES, LORE MONGERS OR BASHINGS PLEASE! THANKS!…..