Off in the distance,a small tear drop splot of orange (the color not the fruit) is near the center of the windshield. The omega relay. Its off-putting spectra warns any species to stay away from it. The closer we get, more details are revealed. I'm sitting next to Joker. I've been resting after my encounter with the soul shark and what I'm afraid to say. I think four hours have passed since the battle. I have no idea what the weapon they built did to me, which I'm so going to guilt trip them later. The best way to describe it is, imagine you spend your whole life with syrup in your veins now you wake up and its magically water. It feels oh so good. Everything flows so much easier now. That's not all, my senses have been upgraded. The genuine leather under my skin feels absolutely amazing. My eyes feel sore though. Not sure why.
Shepard slaps my shoulder "you feeling any better. That blast must've not felt good."
Joker asks "I don't know the details but what happened out there? You seem different."
"Different how?" I ask.
"I don't know. You just seem better" he said.
"I differently fee- yawn. Feel different" I close my eyes for a moment.
Shepard shakes me "stay with us *********. We'll need you."
"Oh you'll YAWN. Oh sorry usually I'm not so sleepy. You got all the upgrades, just don't YAWN." My jaw opens so wide like a snake I get that weird unpleasant muscle contraction thing. That hurts.
Tali softly brushes my hair. "My cherished, stay with me."
"Always my -YAAAWN. Let me rest my eyes for a moment. I- zzzz."
Joker says "I get the comedic relief, but this is not the best time. Commander we're ready to go through the omega relay. On your go."
"Go Joker. ********* wake up it's go time. *********? Not funny. Seriously, wake up." Shepard violently shakes the limb slumbering man.
Tali says "Let me try." The quarian kneels down besides her bondmate and whispers "********* please wake up."
No response.
"********* this isn't funny" she said.
No response.
While I don't quite understand how they are bad guys, I know he has plenty of reasons to hate them based on the stories he told me "Ugh… Hurry get up. The communist are invading!"
No response.
Commander Shepard presses his two fingers against *********'s neck. A slow and steady pulse is felt. Tali leans in super close and whispers something into *********'s ear.
No response.
"Shepard he is out cold. He would have shot up if he heard me" Tali said.
"What did you say?" Joker asked.
"I said I would do something I know he would love. Shepard, Jeff he's not waking up. Should I be worried?" Tali asks.
"Maybe? It's hard to tell with him. Whatever we are going through the relay now and I need to focus all my attention on what's in front of me. Everyone buckle in. Who knows what we're going to face on the other side" Jeff said.
THUMP!
The sudden shockwave wakes me up from the best nap I ever had. Irritated I sit up and shout "can't I ever sleep in for once and not be… oh hey guys. What happened? Why did I black out?"
Joker asks "how the hell did you sleep through all that?"
"Sleep through what? I haven't felt this rejuvenated in a long time. Where are we?"
"THE COLLECTORS STATION!" he yells way to loud for first thing in the morning. I'm craving french toast.
"Now? Already? Wait a minute. What happened? Did anyone die?" I ask.
"Everyone status check. Is everyone ok?" Joker asks. A series of yes or yeps or complaints from Zaheed fill our comms, and a notification my camper has been obliterated by the mini boss battle. Why do all my nice things get destroyed? Future ********* will fix it later. Shepard, Samara, Zaheed, Kasumi and Garrus exit through the wide open decontamination door. My sleepy eyes need a quick massage befo-OUCH. I forgot everyone jumped down and there isn't a ramp or something.
Shepard pulls me off the ground, asking "are you ok?"
Now that I have a moment to think, something is different. The vibe of this place feels very dense. It's hard to breathe. "I feel weird. Am I heavier? I feel heavier."
Shepard explains "gravity is definitely stronger here. You feel thirty pounds heavier, don't you?"
"At least" I said.
Shepard rounds everyone up and splits them up into teams. Shepard, I, and Garrus are team one. Team two is Thane who is going to be our tech expert, Samara, and Grunt. I can feel everyone eyeing me for approval.
"What?" I ask.
Shepard asks "did I pick the right people?"
"I think so. It's been a very long time since I played the game and alot factors in how we succeed. If I remember correctly, I picked Thane on my playthrough and only one person died. Who was it?" I ask myself.
"This is no time for games! This is real. I need to know" Shepard says.
"I'm telling you the truth I don't remember. I don't have an eidetic memory. I'm sorry I don't have better news, but this is what we trained for" I said.
"Ugh fine. Listen while you were fucking napping Thane is going through ventilation shafts to infiltration the station. Jacob is leading everyone else codenamed fireteam. Everyone you know the plan. Let's go rescue our people" Shepard said.
The long dark hallways with lighting even bats would have trouble seeing creeps me out. Not to mention those weird flying sounds the collectors make in the distance. The sweet sounds of rifle blasts distract from the negativity at the cost of fighting weird space bugmen.
Thane over the comms asks Shepard "Commander, there is an obstruction. Can you remove it?" Shepard opens the valves. Then he turns a corner and is faced by the harbinger possessed collector who says something I couldn't make out. Along the way, we fight through collectors, opening valves, Harbinger's demotivating lines. The last two valves were the hardest because of those annoying flying collectors. I think they are harder to fight than the possessed one. Maybe It's just me. It's been a while since I had to duck for cover and recharge my shield. Fire team meets up with us and brought a deadly seeker swarm on their tail. The door won't close all the way. Jack and Samara send shockwaves to slow them down while we blast them.
Garrus takes position and says "go we'll cover you."
Thane is at the console, hacking our only way out "Something is wrong. I can't get this door open" Thankfully the door opens, and we can slip through. Shepard orders to fall back and not let anyone through.
"Suppressive fire. Don't let anyone through that door" Jacob orders.
Wait I remember this part. If I chose wrong Garrus would have gotten another rocket to the face or if Tha-THANE!
He looks at me with concern. The large steel door slam shut and a millisecond later, an explosion on the other side rattles the room.
"What is it?" he nervously asks.
"You're supposed to be dead. Crap this is why I hate changing too much. Now I don't know who should survive" I said.
"We all knew it was a risk signing up for this. We don't have time to waste. Everyone stays on guard and let's move!" Shepard said.
Miranda stares at the thick black cables connected to oval lights "Shepard you need to see this."
The scene reminds of when Neo awakens from the matrix and there are pods of people everywhere. Inside a cocoon-like container with semi transparent orange encasing, my instincts to open her up and free her before becoming reaper toothpaste kick in.
"GET THEM OUT! HURRY!" I yell. Grunt and Jack rip apart the containers, freeing Dr. Chakwas.
"Shepard? You… you came for us?" she weakly asks.
"No one gets left behind" Shepard said.
"Thank God you got here in time. A few more second and… I don't even want to think about it" Kelly said.
"What would have happened?" Garrus asked.
"The colonists were… processed. Those swarms of little robots they-melted their bodies into gray liquid and pumped through these tubes" Chakwas explained.
"Whatever the collectors are doing it ends here" Shepard said.
"We've done well so far. Let's hope we can finish the job" Miri comments.
"Joker, can you get a fix on our position? Shepard asks through the comms.
"Roger that, Commander. All those tubes lead to the main control room right above you. The route is blocked by a security door, but there's another chamber that runs parallel to the one you're in" Joker said.
EDI interjects "I cannot recommend that. Thermal emissions suggest the chamber is overrun with seeker swarms. Mordin's countermeasures cannot protect you against so many at once."
Shepard replies "Conventional weapons are pretty much useless. They'll tear us apart."
Samara says "maybe not. I might be able to generate a biotic field to keep them at bay. I won't be able to protect all of us, but I could get a small theme through if they stay close."
Miri says "I can do it too. In theory, any biotic can handle it. Shepard, who do you want to maintain the field?"
"My gut is telling me to go with the strongest biotic. Jack you up for it?" he asks.
"Hell yea- I mean yes Commander Shepard" Jack said.
"Understood Commander. Who should lead the diversion team?" Miri asked.
"Garrus, I'm counting on you" Shepard said.
"I'll keep the defenders busy. You slip around the back" Garrus said.
Chakwas asked what to do with her and the rest of the crew. Tali and Kasumi offer to escort them, and Shepard agrees.
"We all got our assignments. Let's move out" Shepard said. He, I, Mordin, and Zaheed get close to Jack. The biotic bubble tints the outline a pretty purple along the structures of the base. I'm skeptical of Shepard's choice. Samara has centuries of experience over Jack. Eh it will be fine.
Zaheed yells for us to stop moving. His one good eye spots a tripwire. I'm amazed he could see it in this dark lighting. Mordin scans the trap. Zaheed disarms it. Mordin believes there will be more. Zaheed takes charge and he actually does a pretty good job. When Zaheed isn't being… well himself… he's actually a pretty great trapper. He probably saved our lives and the whole mission. Zaheed waits until we are pass then rearms it for the collectors.
We are walking down a long dark away with a rectangular pattern on the wall. White lights where the mortar would be. Several collectors fly pass us, Harbinger's voice is heard from one. Jack slowly proceeds. Shepard fires multiple rounds at something I can't see. Jack moves forwards, giving us space to see the battlefield. Shepard had already cleared it for us. He's not a spectre for nothing.
"Assuming direct control" Harbinger said.
"Why does one always say that?" Zaheed asks.
"A reaper is remote controlling a collector. It gives it armor. Focus on the goons behind the energy shields. Less goons meaning less bodies it can jump too" I said.
Several swarms of husks appear out of nowhere. Most of them are killed before they can enter our barrier. They aimed for Jack, but thankfully we were able to prevent the few that passed through from harming her. We're at the entrance. Jack sends a massive shockwave. The shield is down. I turn my back; confident we made it.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH" Jack screams.
The seeker swarm somehow overpowers Jack. No matter how hard she tried, her random blasts are useless. The black locust engulfed her and swept her into the air. Her screams are haunting. I raise my hand and send a sonic blastwave to knock them seekers… I send a sonic blastwa– Oh no.
"Shepard! My powers aren't working!" I said.
"Are you for real right now?!" he said.
"This has never happened before. JACK!" I scream. The seeker swarms muffler her chest stabbing high pitched cries. The doors slam shut. I bang my fists against the alien steel and desperately try to pull it apart. It is useless.
"NO! She was the right choice! I know it. Why? This shouldn't have happened" I yell.
"I'm sorry *********. We'll mourn later. We have to go" Shepard pulls me.
"AH SHIT dam it stops fucking biting me" The collector mosquitos have pulled me away from everyone else. No, it can't end like this. There's shit I need to finish. I have so much I want to do. I just started living. This can't be the end for me. I refuse to die here. Think. My biotics form a thin protective layer which will only hold for a moment. What the hell would ********* say? Be a light in the darkness or some fortune cookie chinese bullshit.
Wait. What if I do become a shining light and fry these little shitstains. Samara said I should learn to circulate it but how the fuck am I supposed to do that? Up my back, I guess. I take a deep breath and focus on my biotics. I circulate the energy up my spine, over my head, and down my chest. Repeating it faster and faster. Making the energy more intense with each pass. Shit this kinda hurts but I feel something brewing inside me.
Something just ran up my spine and pierced through my brain. It felt like lava. My body feels so fucking weird and it's glowing a soft blue. The seekers are burning all around me. Holy shit I'm flying! HaHA you can't fucking touch me now bitches! Nothing can hurt me now. I burn the seekers and collectors in the room. Fry them into crispy bacon. Ha this is so cool. I'm going to have to ask ********* what the fuck just happened. Speaking of which, I smash through the 18 inch or so metal walls and find the surprised looks of everyone.
"Energy skin already? No fair!" ********* said.
Garrus's voice is nearly inaudible through the comms "...Do you copy? Come on, Shepard! Where are you?"
"I copy what's your position?" he asked.
"We're pinned down at the door. Taking heavy fire." his voice sounds urgent.
"We're coming. Get this door open!" Shepard yells.
Garrus is struck in the abdomen; he won the lottery, and it bounced off his armor and hit the wall. He's going to have a sore tumtum but will live.
"Joker? Are you at the rendezvous point?" Shepard asked.
He answers "I'm here Commander. Chakwas and the others just showed up."
EDI says "Tali's group just arrived, Shepard. One casualty."
"EDI WHO WAS IT?! ********* yells.
The collectors aren't too fond of the galaxy's baddest quarian stealing humans from their station. Serves them right after everything they've done to help the reapers. Thankfully my olde model shotgun doesn't run out of ammo unlike Kasumi's pistols. She carried one and gave the other to Kelly. We don't have far to go. I can see Normandy. Once we are inside, we'll be safe. The crew rush towards the door. Joker is firing an assault rifle pressed against his legs at collector snipers. Brave but incredibly stupid. Every shot will fracture his bones. The mask blocked my visibility. A sniper almost ended me if Kasumi didn't push me aside and kill the bosht'et.
"Thanks for saving my KASUMI!" There is no blood on the ground. There can't be. The burned three-inch hole below her ribs cauterized the veins and arteries before it had a chance to escape.
"No No No Kasumi. Please stay with us. We can get you out of this. We're almost home" I roll her under her side and apply copious amounts of medigel.
"Tali, this is a very bad wound for humans. I'm afraid…" Doctor Chakwas said.
"We are not leaving her. ********* can heal her. We just need to carry her" I stubbornly tried to pick up the near lifeless woman.
"Tali… you can't carry me and fight the collectors at the same time. There's more coming right behind you. You should leave me" Kasumi said.
"Now we aren't leaving you behind. You're like a sister to me. Please we can get ********* to fix you or we can make him to go back in time to right here. Looks he might appear any second. *********!" I frantically look around and cry my bondmate's name.
"Tali. I… don't want to keep going. Let me die. Please." Kasumi softly said.
"Don't say that! Why would you say that?!" Tali asked.
"Because then I can be with my husband again. Tali, I miss him every day he's gone. Now I have a chance to reunite with him. I don't want to wait to die of old age to see my Kenji again. It's better this way. If the blast would have hit you, ********* would be alone. This way we can both be with our mates. Tali let me go. Please" Kasumi uses the last of her strength to grip my fingers.
Chakwas places a hand on my shoulder "Tali we have to go now."
"We will see each other again one day" I cry.
"We'll be watching and rooting for you two. Now go. Enjoy your lives together. You'll make it" Kasumi succumbs to her wounds. Doctor Chakwas pulls me away from her. The collector reinforcements are going to overwhelm us. We made it back to Normandy safe. The automatic defenses will protect us while Shepard and ********* finish inside.
"JOKER WHO IS IT? WAS IT TALI?" My heart is pounding outside of my chest. My blood on fire. Please don't let it be her. I get no response. Please I can't lose her. Please someone tell me she is safe.
Garrus and his team regroup with us. The team gathers around and listens to his famous heroic speech while my mind is focused on Tali. I'm hoping our bond is strong enough that I can feel her life force. I search desperately in all directions. I feel nothing. It doesn't mean she is dead, but I have no answers.
Shepard, Mordin, and I load onto a mobile platform. Proceeding forward, other platforms with collector fire on us get closer. My aim is a little off. My arms can't stop shaking wondering if they'll never hold my sweetheart again. I shake those thoughts off and focus on the fight ahead of me. Shepard gains control of the mobile platform and flies it to where all the tubes are conjoining.
"I wonder what all these tubes are for" Shepard said.
"I'm detecting organic and nonorganic energy signatures. Given the readings, it must be massive. Shepard, if my calculations are correct, the superstructure… is a reaper" EDI said.
"Not just any reaper, a human reaper. It looks almost finished" Shepard said.
"It appears the collectors processed nearly a hundred thousand humans. Construction is nearly complete" EDI said.
"How are we going to take that down?" Shepard asked.
"Orange glass connectors holding it in place must be weakspot" Mordin correctly guess.
"We'll test that theory in a moment. We got company" Shepard said. More mobile platforms of collectors dock next to us. After we win the battle, the added space will be useful for the upcoming boss fight. Garrus informs us he and his crew have to retreat to the Normandy. Shepard wished them good luck.
The illusive Man's hologram appears. "Shepard I'm pleased you have succeeded thus far."
"I'm glad you've been enjoying us getting nearly killed a hundred times. Let me guess. You want the base intact" he said.
"Originally that was my plan if the possibility existed, and while it does, I believe the technology isn't worth the risk" he said.
"Really? I didn't think you would suggest that" Shepard said.
"I'm unwilling to risk advancing my condition. If you can, please try to find anything to cure indoctrination" he said.
The sound of metal snapping draws our attention. This reaper is a lot bigger than what was in the game. Its armor is thicker and much more weaponry. The infant reaper's six orange eyes look down closely on us. "Shepard… anomaly… trespasser" it's distorted voice angrily said.
"I don't think it talked in the game" I said.
"********* I'm using my freebie. Get rid of this thing!" Shepard said.
"Come on Shepard, we can take it. Beating the fetus reaper was easy. Infant reaper can't be that hard. Although in my time abortion was one thing. Infantcide was another!" Its fake protective silver skin looks so creepy.
"How do we kill it?" he yells.
"Target optics. We'll at least blind it. I have the place rigged to blow. Shepard we must hurry" Mordin yells.
"Watch the mouth. It's a cannon. This thing has extras I don't know" I yell. Shepard orders us to spread out. It can't attack everyone at once. The reaper is focused on Shepard. Mordin scans for weaknesses while I blow an eye away. Missiles launched from its shoulders and nearly blowed me off the platform. My shield is barely active. I find cover and wait. As I do, I observe Mordin using a green variation of thermal clips. He tosses the both of us, ordering to use it only on the armor. I pop it in and green bolts fire from my assault rifle. The bullets expand into a thick gel which blocks the missiles from being able to fire. The reaper screams in pain. The powerful soundwaves hurt my lungs. I'm going to feel that in the morning.
Its agonizing roar sends massive balls of energy randomly across the battlefield. Most of the metal pieces we used for cover are gone. We are all behind the center one. By chance or survival instinct. It matters little now. "Guys it's do or die. We have three eyes left. One the count of three, run to different covers and throw everything we have at it. All your grenades first then empty your clips. Ready. On the count of three. THREE!" Shepard said. I rarely used the grenades, so my accuracy is way off. It blows off its ear. Mordin's grenades damage the remaining eye on the right side. The reaper can't see me now. I mount my gun and fire. I used all my remaining thermal clips. Shepard and Mordin crack the remaining eyes.
The infant reaper's hand slams the battlefield. It rocks the platform. Mordin loses his balance first. Shepard grabs the professor's hand. The platform tilts at an increasingly uncomfortable angle. Friction yields and we all fall. I grab a metal pipe to stop me. Shepard and Mordin are able to stand on a shelf. The reaper spots me and charges up one more mouthful. It's directing all its energy at me. Balls of orange crawl under its skin, traveling to the laser piece behind its titanium teeth. I throw my gun into the bright light, and it evaporates instantly. Shepard takes out the last eye while Mordin gunks up its mouth. The reaper is going to need a dentist. Salarian plague and exploded teeth are a well-known problem in infant human reapers.
The reaper is falling down and so are we. My free hand joins at the pipe and holds on for life. The air current pushes me upwards, as if I'm in a skydiving simulator. My body flops around, slamming multiple times. One of my ribs cracked. The platform crashes. Shepard comes over and pulls me up. A seeker swarm chased after us. Adrenaline allows me to run. The pain of my snapped rib poking against my lung is dulled. Mordin and I sprint for our lives while Shepard plans a pickup. The Normandy is in view. It docks as close as it can but it's going to be a leap of faith. Shepard and Mordin easily make the jump. My slower speed is just enough for one hand to grab onto the ledge. Shepard and Tali me inside. I'm so happy I get to see her again. The doors slam shut. We're not safe yet. Joker hightails it out of the base. Our bodies being carried by the random movements from the law of conservation of momentum and our reckless pilot's driving nearly tosses us all over the place. Then it stops.
"We successfully passed through the omega relay and entered FLT. We made it" EDI said.
The crew cheers. We did it. The collectors are no more. Rounds of applause are heard throughout the entire ship. We did it. The taste of saving the galaxy one more feels so good. Shepard pulls me off the floor for a hug, which reminds me of my current condition, but I soldier through it for one more with my sweetheart. Something is off.
"Tali sweetie what is it?" I ask.
"... Kasumi sh-" I interrupt her before I need to break time.
"Don't tell me she died. I don't want to create a paradox. Tell me when and where. I'll go back and bring her here and now" I said.
"*********, she doesn't want that. She wishes to be with Kenji again. I'm so sorry *********. I know you two were friends. I miss her so much" Tali starts to sobs, wrapping her arms around my neck. I think to myself 'no she's gone. She was one of the good ones. Her vibe was so loving and good. I can't bring her back. Even if I did have her body, I doubt her soul would volunteer to come back.'
Doctor Chakwas comes to examine me. I just barely missed having my cracked ribs rupture my lung. My abilities came back online and with extreme effort, I reset my body before all the damage occurred. Everyone else unfortunately has to rest and recover naturally. While everyone is breaking open the champagne, I head down to the stairs. Taking a seat, I cry into my knees. Tali follows. We both hold each other and cry together over the loss of our dear friend.
"I never asked. Did she have anyone else besides us?" I muffled through my sobs.
"Maybe a cousin. She didn't speak about her family much. I miss her too. Hey, we'll see her again one day, right? At least we can take some comfort in that" Tali attempts to cheer the both of us up.
"You definitely will. I don't know if I'll be able to reach the apogee. This could've been the last time I've ever seen either of you again. Tali I was so scared that I lost you. I would have tried my hardest to find you again, but I don't think I'll be able to. I won't be able to withstand you being ripped away from me" I confess my greatest fear.
"You don't ever have to worry about that. I promise on my ancestors if that were to happen, I would learn whatever I need to do to come back to you" she said.
"Really? That's much harder than you think it will be. You would have to give up infinite bliss. You would do that for me?" I ask.
"It won't be bliss without your love. I won't let anything separate the two of us. I love you" Tali said.
"I love you too."
