19 – Not One More

An accomplishment for Gorman was having disabled enough geth soldiers to realize that this was not right.

The geth always disintegrated upon 'death'. Without fail, they withered like a burning flower, breaking down into base components so that neither them nor their shiny weapons could be recovered for any purpose. The three living beings in the room waited, and waited, but no such process even showed signs of happening. The trooper and its gun were motionless. Gorman was brave enough to approach it, and bent his leg back. He was going to give it a little kick. His hands were still holding his rifle tight, in case this was all just a tactic these 'feral' robots were suddenly capable of.

"No! Wait!" Saal'Inor snapped out of her trance, racing to kneel next to the broken machine. Her omni-tool once more came to her arm as she frantically pushed its glowing orange buttons. "It's not possible – I mean, nobody's ever done it – not anyone I know, at least – but how could it have…"

"Why isn't it disappearing, Sally?" Gorman asked.

"Your gun!" she pointed a finger at the M16. "Between the effects of the jammer, Arcelia's team with their presumably mass accelerator-based weapons, the geth's therefore lowered impact threshold, a hit at the right height and angle, with the right velocity…"

"So the geth's sticking around. Remind me why that's a big deal?" Zaz was more skeptical.

"Big deal?" Saal'Inor was incredulous. "It's a massive 'deal'! A geth unit disabled without it self-destructing, it's never been done! If I can just find the memory core… There!" The quarian was gleefully giggling, waving her omni-tool at the metal corpse.

"Memory core? What exactly are you looking for?" Gorman knelt down beside her, eyes going blurry from trying to look at the complexity on her tool's display. He should have expected it to be all in a different language, a confusing, completely foreign picture-based alphabet. Gorman's mind made a key connection. "Something for your Pilgrimage?"

"Yes," she solemnly nodded in response. "I'll need to take as many precautions as possible, obviously, but to bring even a fraction of geth military data back to the Fleet…it would be beyond amazing."

"Military data? Based on this guy? Good job Commander, now the quarians are going to start arming themselves with M16s," Zaz chuckled.

"Like you said earlier, though, Sally…" Gorman's deductive mind was on a roll, he knew that there were going to be complications with that particular plan. "They use networked intelligence. This geth was cut off from its commanders, cut off from its network. What are the chances it has accurate data on the rest of their forces?"

The quarian raised their head in thought for a moment, then resumed scouring for information.

"You're right, captain, I was getting ahead of myself," she admitted, "This won't single-handedly take back Rannoch. But…without a network connection it's a lot safer to take the data in the first place. We don't want an entire geth armada swooping in on the Fleet all because I accidentally brought back some active tech. Most of the memory core seems wiped, actually, except…"

Her omni-tool gave a distinct ping as her voice trailed off. She'd found something…and it wasn't what she was expecting.

"Hold on, what's this? An…audio recording?"

"Geth communications?" guessed Zaz.

"…Are always done through the network. For any audio to be here, it had to be stored – willingly. As far as I know, geth don't have any conversations with each other, much less save them to memory. Let's find out if I'm wrong…"

The three of them waited with bated breath. The recording's playback started with crackles and static – they half expected to be let down and that to be all they hear. Suddenly a voice cut in. A woman's voice. It was deep, clear and hypnotizingly smooth, but its intonations were slightly off-center.

"…And one step closer to the return of the reapers."

Then, more static. The surprise in the room was palpable. This geth unit was carrying a recording of a woman speaking with authority and talking about 'reapers'. Was this mystery lady giving the geth orders? Was she responsible for their attacks?

Suddenly another voice was heard. This one was much different – deeper, menacingly growly, and due to a likely glitch in the audio it was coming through twice, a miniscule delay for each word.

"Set course for Virmire, Matriarch. With our first new batch of soldiers, dealing with the Thorian will be as good as done."

This was getting complicated – fast. Gorman glanced to his crew for any hints, but they looked just as lost as he was. The recording crackled some more, and then it cut out for good.

"Unbelievable," exhaled Zaz, rubbing her temples to try and keep herself from fainting again. "That wasn't just a fluke, right? This geth – those voices – they must be working together. Whoever they are, they're behind the attack here, and on Eden Prime."

Silence was her answer.

"Virmire? Matriarch? Thorian? They're just making stuff up at this point," Gorman groaned. "Is there anything else in there, Sally?"

The quarian finally rose from the geth's side.

"Nothing audible, I'm afraid. I took everything I could from the core. Let's get out of here, captain. That recording…I've got a bad feeling."

"You and me both," Gorman nodded.

The elevator was just around the next corner, meaning they could have easily left without even seeing the last geth. It was good for the colony that they put it in a metallic grave, of course, but the words of its eerie recording were bouncing around the Commander's head. He felt deep down that there was something he was missing, some connection he needed to make things make sense. The geth, the prothean beacons, the voices, there had to be a greater link. His mind was hurting from the questions, his lungs were hurting from the dust, and his body was still hurting from the last planet's wounds.

Not a word was spoken on the ride down – just contemplation and the occasional cough. The elevator shuddered to a halt and they filtered out into the dark corridors of 'ground' level. The pile of helmets was still in the corner, now joined by a suit of equally brown armor with harsh damage to one of its arms. Nobody was around, leading the Commander's team to venture back down the stairs to open air. The brightness through the last doorway was overwhelming, and hands were raised to shield eyes and visor. Nighttime had fallen on Zhu's Hope, but the artificial beams in daylight's place were just as blinding.

It was therefore something of yet another surprise to see a whole gallery of people standing by. Among those awaiting the crew were the doctors Baynham, Jeong, Arcelia, and the Reynolds siblings. Joining them were Kalu and Blanc. Gorman expected those two to be relieved that he and his team were okay. It's not what he saw, they instead looked decidedly worried.

Jeong pointed an accusative finger towards the group.

"This one. Take her away," he curtly ordered. Davin and Greta approached, Lancer rifles on their backs and strained expressions on their faces. It took Gorman a second to realize they were coming towards Saal'Inor. He stepped forward, placing his boots firmly between them and the quarian.

"There something I should know?" Gorman snarled. Jeong let out a sigh.

"Don't make this difficult, Commander. Let her go with the guards."

The Commander did not budge. He scanned the crowd, crewmates and colonists, and found only reluctant agreement…with Jeong. Zaz and Saal'Inor herself were stunned into silence.

"Not a chance," Gorman retorted. "Tell me what's going on."

Jeong let out another, even heftier sigh.

"Does anyone else feel like telling him?"

Davin flicked out his arm, revealing the glow of an omni-tool. After a brief search, he was able to produce a video screen in mid-air, wide enough for all to see. Gorman's eyes narrowed. He was now staring at grainy footage showing an office area that looked remarkably similar to the one he had just cleared up the tower. On closer inspection, it was the very same – and he recognized the three figures that waltzed into its frame. The virtual Commander aimed his rifle at the camera for a moment, then backed off. The figures on screen sped up for a few seconds, Davin's fast-forwarding the cause, before it showed the scene of the alleged crime.

The camera angle did no service to the massive revelation that it was showing. Gorman and Zaz were standing idly, most of them out of frame, while the quarian was kneeling down, omni-tool clearly visible, next to the disabled geth…except the geth itself couldn't be seen. Gorman's memory placed it behind one of the office cubicles with faded ExoGeni stickers taking up the view. His recollection was also filled with noise, disturbing and otherwise, whereas the playback here was completely soundless.

"That's enough, thank you Davin," Jeong cut in, and the recording ceased. He redirected his frown to Gorman. "That quarian of yours has, predictably I might say, committed industrial espionage. While you watched. Can't say I never warned you not to touch anything."

"Industrial espionage? Oh, come on," it was the Commander's turn to start pointing, this time right to the ExoGeni man's face. "We didn't touch anything of yours – there was barely anything intact up there to touch. She was scanning a disabled geth trooper, that's all. If you had any sound on that recording, it's all you would need to hear."

Jeong took a step back, rattled by the Commander's tone. His eye twitched.

"Disabled geth?" he composed himself, allowing a laugh. "That's a load of crap, Gorman. They fry themselves after you take one down, even I know that."

"Security camera audio takes longer than video to get back online after a reset," Arcelia interjected. "That footage is all we have."

"Footage which, may I add, shows you about to destroy said camera," Jeong resumed.

Gorman clenched his jaw. All they had for proof was the extracted dialogue between two total strangers – something nobody would have ever expected a robot to be carrying. He needed to think fast.

"The disabled geth's still there, up that elevator," he began, wondering if this was actually true. There was a chance the geth's self-destruct was just delayed, not stopped entirely. "You're welcome to go see it."

"She was scanning company property," Jeong dismissed him with a wave of his hand. "The camera footage is all I needed to see. She needs to answer to the ExoGeni corporation." Gorman could tell from the way he spat out company policy that one could tell that 'answering' to ExoGeni would take as long as Jeong could make possible.

"Check her omni-tool all you want," the Commander continued, glad he couldn't see whatever horrified expression was potentially underneath Saal'Inor's mask. "You'd find that she took nothing of yours. Absolutely nothing."

"Oh, we'll check alright," Jeong twisted out a smile. "You were nice enough to find a good holding cell, Arcelia tells me. Between that and your generous 'contribution'…" he gestured to Blanc and Kalu, "…I'm willing to let any complicity you had slide. That is, if you still plan to find a beacon."

Gorman blinked. He'd almost forgotten about the expedition, and that the man he was looking daggers at was the only one here who could help him find that crucial beacon. It was becoming clear that the Shackleton's crew were no longer welcome guests on Feros.

He now had to make a choice, and it came in two flavors – from the head and from the heart. Leave the recording or leave the beacon. Both, he was convinced, were crucial to solving the big, red, bloody question. Complicated enough as it stood, but there was also a life being callously tossed around the decision. All the times the quarian had brought out their omni-tool on the upper levels…was there a chance, no matter how small, that she had taken something that didn't belong to her? The Pilgrimage called for anything useful, and research on a remote prothean world like this might be worth its weight in gold. Another eternal second passed. He made up his mind, and opened his mouth to answer, but the choice was made on his behalf.

Saal'Inor emerged from behind the Commander with defeat in her usually upbeat voice.

"I'll go with Davin and Greta," she surrendered. She turned to face Gorman. All he saw was a deep orange cloud in a visor, but he could feel the sadness all the same. "I hope you find what you're looking for, captain. Come get me when you do." She left the speechless Commander, starting her walk back to the tower doorway. The Reynoldses moved together. At once, other armed colonists from Arcelia's team appeared, quick to escort.

"Glad that's settled," Jeong remarked, radiating smugness. "Expedition leaves at daybreak tomorrow – that's in about six hours. Until then, do try to stay out of trouble, Gorman."

The crowd exchanged looks and dispersed, leaving only four.

Gorman, Zaz, Blanc and Kalu stood there, looking out over the rooftop and to the lights on distant towers.

Two moons shone above.

"Sounds like we missed out, for better and worse," the pilot started. He was massaging his arms, giving some indication as to how the cargo lift eventually went. "He let you off easy, Commander. Should have seen his reaction when he first saw the video."

"Was…any of that true?" apprehensively questioned Kalu. "Did Saal'Inor take anything from ExoGeni up there? I thought their main research facility was the tower across the bridge."

"Absolutely not," Zaz finally spoke up – and her exhausted, defeated voice gave the reason why it took so long. The earlier biotics showcase and the kangaroo court had taken a toll on her. "The part about the geth is true, though. There, um, was a recording in it. Of people. People I believe are behind the geth attacks not just here, but on Eden Prime too."

Kalu and Blanc's eyes widened.

"Behind the attacks?" said Kalu.

"What did they say?" said Blanc.

"I…you'll have to hear it for yourselves. Sally has it on her omni-tool…assuming those colonists haven't taken it from her."

"We need to get this recording to the Alliance," Kalu was quick to see an implication. "Hopefully she still has it when we come back, after we go on the 'expedition'."

"After the expedition?" Blanc scoffed. "You're happy to let that young lady rot in a prison for who knows how long, especially after what she went through on Mavigon…" he trailed off, latching onto something else. "Did you call her 'Sally'?"

"Don't have a choice anymore, she volunteered," Kalu went on the defensive, although similarities to a certain frozen hell were now unavoidable. "She'll be fine, it's not like she's in the hands of criminals again. Besides, once we find that beacon it'll be worth it, right, Commander?"

Gorman was unusually quiet, leaning over the wall and gazing upwards. Somewhere up that tower, a cell door was being shut. Inside was an alien that had defied his expectations – more than that, a woman framed by a racist corporate stooge – but even more than that, a member of his new team. He was responsible for her safety like he would be for any rookie or top lieutenant in his old team…and right now he felt he had failed her. He was dragged back to how he fought as hard as he could on that fateful mission 170 years ago. He would never forget how he felt when it became clear that someone under his command – and a friend – wasn't going to make it back home. He swore then and there that they would be the last casualty, but as the day progressed, more and more sacrifices from brave men and women were grimly necessary. Their deaths were not in vain, but it haunted the Commander for the short and sparse moments he'd had to unwind since. That is, when he wasn't fixated on his own self-preservation…or the vision from the beacon.

He had made a solemn, silent vow ever since he fell into the deep slumber on that escape pod, something he pledged to uphold no matter what the future held. Upon his current introspection, he could finally put it in words.

Not. One. More.

As long as he breathed, as long as this lost twenty-first century soul still fought, his duty was clear and the fallen of 2013 were remembered. He'd lost too many friends, there would be no more sacrifices of any kind. Human, alien, whomever, the antiquated phrase 'No Man Left Behind' drilled into him in training came to mind. It turned out there never was a 'choice' for him to make here on Feros after all.

"Screw the beacon," Gorman faced the rest of the crew again. "One of us is in trouble. I'm going to break her out of there."

The crew looked taken aback – some understood quicker than others. Kalu seemed wary, while Blanc grew a satisfied grin, clapping his hands together.

"Not alone you're not, Commander," the pilot declared. "Whatever you're planning, I'm doing it with you."

"You'd do the same for me," Zaz nodded. "Actually you did, come to think of it."

"That's all well and good," Kalu didn't commit, instead turning his attention to Blanc. "And I don't know how much help it'll be, but we have some information you'll want to hear…right, Pierre?"

"Oh, right," Blanc remembered, "While you were busy smashing geth headlamps, this Dr. Baynham comes up to us just after we'd finished bringing up the cargo."

"Which one?" Gorman's interest was piqued.

"The young one," Kalu continued the story. Between the two of them there was a small reluctance to relay whatever they were about to tell. "She brings us aside where nobody can hear, and tells us that there's something…wrong with the colony."

"You don't say," sneered Zaz.

"Let me guess…" Gorman, on the other hand, got a sudden lurch of a feeling that this was connected to his own recent piece of frightening information. He had a few made-up words to choose from, and took a shot in the dark. "…Virmire."

"Vir-what? No," Kalu shook his head. "It was some sort of…monster that the researchers were studying, that ExoGeni was hiding from the colonists here. It was living right underneath the ship. The 'Thorian', she called it."

"The geth recording mentioned the Thorian!" Gorman snapped his fingers with recollection. Zaz shot him a knowing look. Then his mind got to processing the rest of what Kalu had said…and it became filled with fear. "A…monster? Under the ship?" That hollow space he sensed when stomping through the Borealis had taken a backseat to the rest of the day's questions and problems. He was surprised to remember it – at the time his head had been scrambled by a talking frog. "Is it…still there?"

"Commander Shepard took care of it," Blanc filled in the gap, much to Gorman's immense relief. "But not before it took control of most of the colonists' minds, apparently. It was a minor miracle that Shepard was able to snap the survivors out of it." The bruises on so many colonists' heads came to mind. "It's also why, as we and I'm sure you noticed, they still seem sort of…submissive." He gave the perimeter a sweeping glance to make sure no colonists were in sight.

"Well then there's our plan," Gorman tried to draw his preferred conclusion from the tale. "We threaten to let ExoGeni know how the colonists were endangered, Jeong lets our quarian friend go, and we all get out of here."

"Endangering the colonists was ExoGeni's idea," Kalu blew up the Commander's plan as quickly as it was formed. "They funded the colony just to study the Thorian. Baynham wanted us to tell the Alliance about it if Shepard doesn't. And I thought the McFinley corporation was bad…"

Gorman didn't think he could be any more thoroughly disgusted in ExoGeni, but he had just been proven wrong. At least Baynham seemed reasonable enough to confide the truth.

"You said the Thorian was in the geth's recording?" Blanc rhetorically asked. "The sooner we rescue 'Sally', the better."

"Can we at least take a break?" Zaz moaned. "I'm starving." She wasn't the only one, the last time Gorman had anything to eat was back on the Shackleton.

"We need time to come up with a plan," the Commander acknowledged. The clock was ticking. Saal'Inor's life was hopefully not at risk, but the information definitely was. Gorman aimed to save both if he could, praying not to have another critical choice to make. "I need to talk to Dr. Baynham."

"I'm with you, Commander," Blanc snapped his arm out into a salute.

Back into the Borealis they went.

It felt quite wrong, especially after his epiphany at the overlook, to be having a quick feast while Saal'Inor was languishing in a cell. Gorman had to have energy from somewhere if he was to rescue her, of course, and scarfed down a standard colonial meal at a table inside the Borealis. All colonist and researcher eyes were naturally on him – word naturally travelled fast at Zhu's Hope. Zaz was reluctant to eat what was in front of her, mumbling something about it being 'barren', but relented if only to stop the side-glances from their surroundings. Gorman didn't care what he was eating, but found it serviceable, beating Captain Chen's rations by a wide margin. If he had any complaint, it was a bit too well done.

While the Commander had been chowing down, the Lieutenant had been busy.

At Blanc's beckon, Gorman spun around the Borealis' deck and out to a much more secluded area of the colony – by the big crane. No colonists loitering nearby, and thankfully no salarian was around to properly chastise him this time. Instead there was the pilot, a nervy brunette in a lab-coat and, surprisingly, a short-haired Hispanic wearing armor.

"Commander," Dr. Baynham began, "I'm…I'm sorry we have to meet again like this. Jeong's ego is bigger than this tower, but he's right in that he's the only reason ExoGeni haven't pulled the plug on the colony altogether. It took Shepard pulling Spectre rank to shut him up last time, and unfortunately neither you nor I have that privilege." Arcelia was silent. "Is this about the Thorian? I would have told you sooner, but -"

"While I appreciate that," Gorman interrupted, feeling the need to get to his point. "It's not why I wanted to talk to you. Saal'Inor, the quarian your…guards took up the tower. We're getting her out of there, and we need your help." Gorman tried to project confidence by folding his arms and widening his stance, but his tongue almost slipped to call Davin and Greta goons.

Dr. Baynham tilted her head, almost confused as to why that was the Commander's priority having just heard that the existence of a mind-controlling beast was being covered up by the colony's benefactors. Arcelia was unfazed.

"The geth data she retrieved is real," Blanc attempted his own persuasive effort, appealing to the ExoGeni logo on the doctor's shoulder. "And worse than that, it links the Thorian to the geth attacks. If we don't get that data back to the Alliance, it's a disaster waiting to happen. Yesterday it was Eden Prime, today it's Feros, tomorrow it could be Earth."

Dr. Baynham gulped, but didn't look as shocked as expected by the bombshell Blanc just dropped. She looked at the Commander for a moment, before deferring her gaze, and her judgement, to Arcelia.

"That's not the only reason you're doing it, right?" Arcelia interrogated. Gorman redirected his own stoic stare to her. "Even if it means you're not allowed on that expedition?"

"I'm not leaving her behind," he dryly replied.

"That's all I need to hear," Arcelia's tone softened. Blanc released a subtle sigh of relief. "I can't release her for you, but I can give you the tools to make it happen."

"Starting with this," Dr. Baynham cut in, pulling up her arm to reveal an omni-tool. She gave it a few premeditated taps, and Gorman's own wrist momentarily blinked orange – a sign he'd learned to mean information received. "Security codes for the upper levels. Most doors should already be unlocked – if not outright destroyed if that footage was accurate to the state of those offices – but I hope it helps."

Gorman nodded, bringing up his own tool. A yes or no decision graced the screen. With one tap, the codes were his. Arcelia cleared her throat, and continued.

"I hope it helps too, I think some of the doors up there were old fashioned. Y'know, lock and key, the way it always used to be. Either way, unless the geth taught you how to turn invisible you'll be needing disguises. I've got two spare suits of armor, as luck would have it." The Commander was about to say 'Perfect' when he noticed that Arcelia was about to give the catch. "Problem is, you'll need to wear the helmets too. You might have noticed that they cover almost all of your face. When your quarian friend sees you, they might not be willing to tag along – and with cameras back on, the helmets stay on."

"We'll make do," Gorman managed a smile. "Thank you, both of you. Lead Pierre and I to the armor and let's get this started."