Chapter 11
Target: Moriarty

Shepard wasted no time organising his team for the mission. Booker and Elizabeth were to lead a company of Vox Populi troops and take out the artillery guns blocking the escape route from Columbia. Benton meanwhile, would lead Sarah, Xena and Gabrielle to Monument Island and destroy the tower before Moriarty's forces could reach it. Shepard would lead the final team, consisting of himself, Garrus, Sherlock, Watson and the Doctor, to Comstock House, where they would hopefully capture Moriarty himself. The hardest decision however, was leaving Tali behind with Amanda and Lestrade at the Normandy.

"You can't just leave me with the ship! You know I can fight!" she had shouted upon hearing the news.
"I don't want to leave you behind Tali, believe me," Shepard said reluctantly. "But I need someone to operate Dex's radio scanner so we can track the signal back to Moriarty's universe."
Tali crossed her arms with an angry huff.
Feeling guilty, Shepard put a hand on her shoulder.
"Tali… you're the best engineer I know, and I need to make sure we keep bouncing that signal back to Dex."

Tali sighed slightly.
"I don't like staying behind."
"Neither do I, but I need you on this."
Slowly Tali turned around and looked him dead in the eye.
"Okay John, I'll do it, just make sure you come back to me."
"Don't worry, I don't plan on letting anything stop us now."
Still feeling dejected, Tali followed Amanda back to the Normandy. By now more explosions could be heard in the distance, occasionally joined by the crack and stutter of guns.
"So," said Amanda, who had spent the last few minutes standing by awkwardly as the quarian and the commander had argued. "What do you think about the transmission setup?"

"It's based on the portal technology we managed to get hold of on Sevastopol station," Tali replied, just as eager to forget her argument with Shepard. "Dex and I put most of it together, but it is bound to have problems. Mostly we have to make sure the valves don't burn out too quickly, and replace the ones that do."
"I still can't believe we're using valves for interdimensional communication."
"Neither can I. But Dex did say it would be easier to manage than something from our universe."
"I guess we'll soon find out if he was right."

They came to the Normandy and stepped into the airlock. They waited a few minutes for the pressurization cycle to finish, then entered the ship. With most of the crew out, the command deck was very quiet. Joker was in the cockpit, half focusing on various systems while Lestrade was sitting in a chair near the airlock, lazily adjusting the settings on her electric pistol.
"So you got lumbered with guard duty?" Amanda said, hoping she came off as friendly.
"Yeah," the inspector sighed. "I know someone needs to stay here, I just wish it wasn't me."
"You and me both," muttered Tali.

She headed to the CIC where Dexter's interdimensional radio had been set up. The whole thing had a rather ramshackle appearance, with several of the Flying Legion's crystal radio sets wired up to a holographic map of the multiverse and one of the teleporters.
"Alright, moment of truth," said Amanda.
She pulled up a desk chair that she had borrowed from Dexter's workshop and began switching on the radio sets. Tali did the same, though instead of a radio, she had a small cathode-ray tube screen that would show her the wavelengths of Moriarty's portal transmission.

"Once you see the waves on the screen, it should be easy enough for you to keep tuned in and send the signal back to me," Dexter had told her.
At least that was the theory.
"You ready?" Amanda asked, looking up at her.
"Ready," Tali replied, feeling anything but.
Amanda picked up a microphone and pressed its 'speak' button.
"Normandy to Conran Base, Normandy to Conran Base, are you reading me? Over."
The radio's speaker gave nothing but static in reply.
"Normandy to Conran Base," Amanda stated again, "Normandy to Conran Base. Do you read me? Over."

Still nothing.
"Maybe we need to change the frequency?" suggested Tali, feeling a little worried.
"Alright…" said Amanda, turning one of the dials very slightly, "Okay… I think I'm getting something."
A sound broke through the speaker's static, indistinct at first, but soon became much clearer.
"Conran Base to Normandy, Conran Base to Normandy," crackled Dexter's voice, "We read you. Over."
"Thank goodness," said Amanda, breathing a sigh of relief.
"Have you reached the target? Over."
"We have reached the target and have confirmed enemy presence. We are scanning for Moriarty's signal now. Over."

Tali began working the switches and dials around her. The screen soon flickered into life, a thin white line waving across it. Slowly she adjusted one of the dials, until a faint beeping could be heard.
"Dexter," Tali said, "I think I have Moriarty's signal. Over."
"Yeah, it's just started coming through on my end. Now you just have to hold it. Over."
"Got it. Will let you know if anything changes. Over."
"Roger that. Over."
Tali focused her attention on the screen. Despite only being distracted for a moment, the signal had already become less clear.
"This is going to take a lot of work," she muttered, flicking a series of switches.

•

Watching Tali's suited form disappear into the haze of smog with Amanda, Shepard felt his heart become very heavy. The Quarian was one of his most dependable squad mates as well as being the love of his life. To send her away felt nothing less than insulting.
"We'd best get going," said Daisy, "We don't know how long it will be before Comstock will begin his assault."
"Alright," Shepard said, reluctantly tearing his eyes away from the smog where Tali had disappeared.

Moving at a brisk pace, Daisy led Shepard and his team down a series of streets and walkways. All of the main roads they passed had been barricaded in preparation for whatever attack may come, while Vox fighters stood nearby, weapons ready.
The slum's docking area was extremely crowded when they arrived. People, mostly civilians in shabby clothes and overalls, were waiting on stairways and boarding planks, sitting on suitcases as they waited. The docks themselves were a series of wooden walkways suspended over empty space. Airships were moored up all the way along it, their engines silent and still. The area was sheltered by large buildings at its far end, but beyond that, the sky was completely exposed. Leaning over a railing, Booker was able to see more buildings floating above them.

"Is that where the artillery guns are stationed?" he asked Daisy.
"Yeah, that's them," she answered, "We should be able to sneak a small team up there on a cargo barge, but it's gonna be a tough fight."
"I've never seen a tough fight I couldn't handle," Booker remarked.
"See if you feel that way after you've tangled with a collector," Garrus countered.
Moving through the crowd, the team made its way to the very end of the dock, where four flying craft with very different designs to the airships were moored. They were shaped like canal boats, with a rounded bow, flat deck with a small crane in the middle, and a wheelhouse at the stern. Instead of a gas envelope, the craft was kept in the air by what looked like jet engines attached to gimbals on the underside of the hull.

"Cargo barges," said Daisy, "Not the prettiest vehicle, but they'll get you around Columbia safely enough."
Shepard was less sure, as he could not help but question how safe it would be to fly thousands of metres above the earth on a craft without even a handrail. All the same, he stepped on board the closest one.
"Remember, stay in radio contact," he said, watching as Benton and Booker's teams boarded another two of the cargo barges.
"What should we do if something should happen to one of the other teams?" Benton asked.
"You finish your mission," answered Shepard, "If you can, come and help the other team. If not, then return to the Normandy."

"Yes Sir."
A bell clanged and the barge carrying Benton and his team took off, soon lost from sight among the buildings.
"Good luck Commander," said Daisy, "I'll see you when this is all over."
"Same to you Miss Fitzroy," he replied.
Daisy laughed.
"I think you're the first person to call me Miss."
A bell clanged and Shepard steadied himself as the barge took off and began flying between buildings at speed.
"How far is it to Emporia?" he called to the Vox pilot at the controls.
"About twenty minutes!" she replied.
"Are we likely to run into trouble?" Watson asked.

"We should be fine, we'll go through the back routes. Comstock's got his forces focused on clearing out our strong points around the factories, so we're unlikely to run into anyone."
"I hope you're right," Garrus replied, who was sitting with his back to the wheelhouse, trying to stay as far away from the edge of the craft as possible.
Before long the cargo barge had left the smoke of Finkton behind and was flying through brilliantly clear skies. Here the buildings were clean and ornately designed, with large windows and balconies, and plenty of space between them. It also meant they were much easier to spot, so the pilot took care to stick to the shadows under the floating platforms. Here they passed a series of metal cylinders attached to the underside of the buildings, each letting off a jet of blue light.

"What are those?" Garrus asked, pointing to one of the cylinders.
"They must be the engines that keep the city afloat," said Sherlock.
"But I thought this place used balloons," Shepard remarked, before feeling rather foolish.
"Hot air alone couldn't keep all this mass up," said the Doctor, "No, these look like a form of quantum levitation."
"Quantum levitation? Would you care to enlighten us on that subject?" said Sherlock.
"It's a process of locking atoms in a fixed point in space, counteracting the effects of gravity," the Doctor explained. "As long as the machinery is kept operational, you could float indefinitely."
"Sounds useful," said Shepard, "But I've never heard of it."

"Very few people have. It's a complex piece of engineering, and can be very dangerous," replied the Doctor. "I've never seen it on anything more than an experimental scale. Whoever designed this place was as mad as they were brilliant."
As they rounded a cluster of apartment buildings, the team caught its first real view of their target, Comstock House. It was easily the largest building in the city, rising far above the flashy streets of the nearby district of Emporia, and was composed of three towers, linked by bridges. At the bottom of the complex were three massive heads made from metal, each wearing a stern expression.
"You recognise those statues?" Garrus asked.

"They appear to be Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington," Sherlock answered, "Founders of the United States of America,"
"I take it Mr. Comstock had great admiration for those men?" Watson said.
"He goddamn worships them," the pilot replied bitterly.
"How close can you get us?" Shepard asked, deciding to pre-emptively head off any political arguments.
"I can drop you off near Emporia's main street," said the pilot, "It's a straight shot to Comstock House from there. Watch yourselves though, there's bound to be security troops around."

Dropping down through a patch of cloud, the barge slowly got closer to the cluster of platforms near Comstock House. Many of the buildings here had been badly damaged, and there was no sign of life on the streets. The sun meanwhile was high above, casting a bright light over everything.
After weaving between two warehouses and flying low to stay in cover, the barge suddenly rose until its deck was level with the edge of a cobbled public square. Three of the square's sides were lined with residential houses, while a narrow road on the far side linked it to the rest of the district.

"This is as far as I can go," the pilot said. "Take a left at the end of the road and keep going until you reach the big square. That's the entrance to Comstock House."
"What about you?" Shepard asked.
"I'll fly under one of the buildings and wait for you. Just radio in when you need a pick-up."
"Got it."
Shepard turned to his teammates.
"Move out!"

Taking a deep breath, each of the team jumped the small gap between the barge and the square, landing hard on the cobbles. Sherlock was the last, and had barely touched down before the cargo barge flew away and disappeared under one of the platforms.
"Do we have to get on that thing for a return trip?" muttered Garrus, who was still shaking badly, "Couldn't we just call a shuttle?"
"Only if we wanna give the game away," said Shepard.

Taking the M-76 Revenant assault rifle from his back, he began to look around at their surroundings. The square seemed to have escaped any battle damage, but it was quiet, too quiet. There were no sounds of fighting or grumble of engines as there had been in Shantytown, only the gentle whistle of the wind. There were no signs of life, and although the day was bright and sunny, there was a sense that none of them were welcome here.
"I'll take point," Shepard said, "Watson you cover our rear. Garrus, Doctor, Holmes, stay between us at all times."
"Yes Commander," each man replied.

Keeping his gun at the low ready, Shepard left the square and headed down the narrow street. It was strange. This whole city was a technological marvel, on par with the Systems Alliance's space stations, yet all its architecture was centuries behind. The road was made up of cobblestones and the buildings had been constructed from red brick and wood, their windows made up of several small pieces joined together in a frame. All the curtains had been drawn, and there was no indication that any of the houses were inhabited.
"Keep an eye out for movement," Shepard said.
"Got it," Garrus replied.

Reaching the end of the street, they came to a wide T junction. The other side of the road was open to the sky, a tall white building with a belfry at its apex floating before them. Unlike the square, it was clear that fighting had happened here. Market wagons were scattered about and overturned, their content spilled across the cobbles. The bodies of Vox Populi fighters lay where they had fallen, along with men and women in blue uniforms that Shepard assumed were Columbia's security forces.

"The pilot said to turn left," he called out aloud to remind his team.
He began making his way down the road when a great clang sounded out. Stopping in place, Shepard searched for the source of the sound when he noticed that the large white building was moving. It was slow at first, but it soon gathered momentum, causing the bell on top to ring frantically. He turned to warn his teammates, when a blast ripped through the lower levels of the white building, causing it to swing around violently. This was followed by the roar of tearing wood and the belfry split apart, causing the bell to tumble out and spiral down, straight at where they were standing.

"MOVE!" Shepard bellowed.
Thankfully the Doctor, Sherlock and Watson had already seen the danger and rushed out of the way. Garrus however had been caught off guard by the explosion and had staggered back, losing his balance.
"GARRUS!"
Without thinking, Shepard lunged forward and grabbed his friend's arm, dragging him back as the bell crashed into the road. The floor shook violently under their feet and the two were thrown back into the narrow street, tripping over one another's feet. With a heavy thud, Shepard hit the cobbles, feeling a rush of dirt and dust wash over him. A final ringing echoed out and within moments the silence returned.

Breathing hard, Shepard lifted his head. The bell lay unmoving, barely a few inches from his outstretched leg, surrounded by cobblestones that had been displaced by the fall.
"Ow…" Garrus grumbled in a sarcastic tone.
Shepard turned to look at his friend. The turian lay sprawled on the road, his armour sporting a number of new scratches.
"You hurt?" Shepard said, hardly daring to breathe.
"Only my pride," Garrus answered.
He sat up and began brushing dust off himself, when he noticed the bell lying just in front of his feet.
"Guess I owe you one," he remarked with a dry chuckle.
"Let's just call it even," Shepard said, "I'm sure you'll have to save my ass before the day is out."

"I can believe that."
"Commander! Mr. Vakarian! Are you alright?"
Sherlock's voice echoed around the narrow street, and the man himself appeared soon after, Watson and the Doctor just behind him.
"We're fine," Shepard replied as he got to his feet. "What about you guys?"
"We managed to get clear," said Holmes, "But when I saw that bell come crashing down I feared the worst."
"I wouldn't worry too much Mr. Holmes," said Garrus as he pushed himself into a standing position. "It'll take more than a bell to stop the Commander."

Relieved that the team had survived unscathed, Shepard went back out onto the street to see what other damage had been caused. The tall white building had vanished, its remains now plummeting to the stormy sea below no doubt. Only the bell and a few scraps of wood scattered across the cobbles showed that it had ever existed in the first place.
"With buildings blowing up like that, it's a wonder this city is still flying," Garrus remarked as he stepped out onto the road to join his friend.
"Let's hope that's not the case until we're back on the Normandy," Shepard replied with a grin.

The team set off down the wide boulevard once again, passing more signs of battle. Destroyed walls, abandoned barricades, burning ruins and countless bodies.
"The fighting here must have been heavy," Watson remarked.
"Yeah," replied Shepard, "But you'd think someone would be around, even just Columbia security."
"Maybe they've retreated as well?"
"It's possible, but where to?" said the Doctor.
An answer dawned on the Commander.
"Comstock House," Sherlock said slowly.
The team members looked at one another in concern. If the theory was true, then they could be facing hundreds of dug-in troops.

"Maybe we should call Daisy," said Garrus, "She could send us reinforcements."
"I doubt it," Shepard replied bitterly, "She said that Comstock was sending everything he had at Shantytown. I doubt she's got a man to spare."
"So what should we do?" asked Watson.
"We carry on with the mission. See if we can't find a way to pass their defences. If not, then we've got a hard fight ahead of us."

When they reached the end of the street, Shepard saw that his worst fears had been realised. Before them was an open-plan square, with a statue of a woman kneeling in prayer in the middle. Around the statue was a flight of stairs that led up to a gatehouse, where a large number of the insect-like collectors were standing on guard.
"Take cover!" Shepard whispered.
The team quickly ducked behind an overturned fruit cart on the edge of the square.
"How on earth did Comstock get collectors working for him?" Garrus whispered.
"They must be with Moriarty," Shepard replied, "My guess is he must be trying to win Comstock over as an ally, or is after his technology."

"Both are a possibility," said Sherlock.
Deciding he would have to risk it, Shepard poked his head around the cart to get a better view of the collectors' defences. There were about ten of the creatures, all grouped around the statue. They had not bothered to set up any barricades of their own, but it was very likely they were using kinetic barriers. That meant they could survive the initial attack and return fire quickly, and no doubt accurately.
"We need to hit them hard and fast," he said, ducking back behind the cart, "Garrus, how many grenades do you have?"
"Four. You?"
"Same. We both use one, that should drop their shields and maybe stun them. We then hit them with as much firepower as we can."
"Sounds like a plan."

Moving carefully to avoid making any noise, Shepard and Garrus each took a grenade from their belts and primed them. Meanwhile, Watson and Sherlock adjusted their electric pistols for maximum effect.
"Ready when you are Commander," the detective whispered.
Counting down from three on their fingers, Shepard and Garrus tossed their grenades over the cart. The two bombs landed beside the statue and exploded, ripping apart the silence.
"OPEN FIRE!" Shepard roared.

Jumping out from behind the cart, the commander levelled his assault rifle, unleashing a storm of mass effect rounds. Beside him, a series of deep booms sounded out as Garrus took careful aim and fired his sniper rifle. Within seconds more than half the collectors had been cut down, but the rest rallied, returning fire with their organic-looking weapons. High-powered beams cut into the walls and road, sending up jets of flame and forcing Shepard's team into cover.
"Spread out!" the commander barked as a beam cut through their overturned cart, "And don't stop shooting!"
The team dashed for cover just as the cart burst into a mass of fire, scattering charred pieces of wood across the cobbles.

Ducking behind a stack of boxes, the Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver and aimed it toward one of the collector's rifles.
"Let's see if this works."
He depressed the screwdriver's button causing it to buzz. Suddenly the rifle of one of the creatures stopped firing. Seeing a window of opportunity, Sherlock fired a series of bursts from his electric pistol, causing the armoured creature to twist and writhe in soundless pain. Still it managed to reset it's weapon and fired off a beam of white hot energy. Sherlock managed to roll out of its path just in time, but the edge of his cloak was caught by the beam, setting it alight.

"Blast it all!" he snapped, hastily beating out the flames, "Do you know how much a good Inverness cape costs!"
He fired the pistol again, hitting the collector in the chest. There was a crackle followed by sparks, and the creature collapsed, soon crumbling into a heap of blackened ash.
The final collector stood resolute. Seemingly unmoved by the deaths of its comrades, the creature fired again and again at the spot where Shepard was crouched, turning surrounding surfaces into an inferno.

"Garrus!" Shepard coughed, his eyes streaming from the smoke, "Take him down!"
The turian tried to get a clear shot, but every time he moved the collector spat a burst of fire his way, driving him back.
Suddenly a voice boomed out.
"OVER HERE YOU FOUL BEAST!"
Raising himself to his full height, Watson jumped from cover and fired his electric pistol, catching the collector across the shoulder. It turned instantly, unable to resist such a clear target, allowing Garrus to roll out of cover and line up a shot.
There was a deep boom, the collector's head snapped back, and it collapsed to the floor, its body already turning to ash.

With the last threat eliminated, silence returned to the square, broken only by the pop and crackle of the fires caused by the collector's weapons. Shepard scrambled up from his burning cover, taking big gulps of air to clear the smoke from his lungs.
"Are you alright Commander?" asked Watson, his expression worried.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Shepard wheezed back, "Thanks Watson, but you shouldn't have done that. It was needlessly risky."
"Sometimes one must risk one's self for victory. I saw that enough times during my life."
"Just the same, don't do it too often. I'd rather not have to carry you out of here."

Keeping their weapons ready in case any more collectors were waiting to attack, Shepard's team crept out onto the square. The gatehouse barring the way to Comstock House was an imposing edifice, but the gates themselves were a fairly basic set of steel bars. In their centre was a brass knocker, shaped like a lion's head, with a hand-shaped inlay on a metal plate below it.
"Hello there citizen," a chipper voice sounded from the lion's head as the team approached, "Do you have an appointment with the prophet?"
"Umm…" Shepard said, unsure how to respond.

"I'm sorry," the chipper voice replied, "Only those with an approved appointment may entre Comstock House. Please return at the proper time when you have one booked."
"It's a security system," said Watson.
"I see that," Shepard replied, "But how do we get passed it?"
"Perhaps we should see if someone nearby had an appointment with Mr. Comstock?" Watson suggested, "Anyone who lived around here must be close to the man."
"That would take hours," Shepard grumbled, "And it's likely we'd be facing reinforcements before we found it."

"Let me try," said the Doctor.
He took out his sonic screwdriver and ran it around the lion's head, but to no effect.
"Ah, there's the problem," he muttered.
"What?" said Shepard.
"It's a biometric lock. It needs a handprint from an authorised person."
Shepard sighed. This just kept getting more tedious.
"I think I have an idea," Garrus said, "If you would stand back."
He levelled his sniper rifle at the gate's lock and the rest of the team quickly backed away.
"I should warn you," the lion head stated firmly, "Vandalism of city property is a serious offense, punishable by…"

The sniper rifle boomed and the gate's locking mechanism split apart as if it were made of glass.
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," Garrus said.
He walked up to the gate and shoved it open with ease.
"That's a rather brutish method," Sherlock remarked, "But I cannot argue with the results."
"Much appreciated," Garrus replied.
Heading through the ruined gates, the team came to a long and very exposed bridge that linked Comstock House to the rest of the city. The three towers loomed high above, dark and foreboding, the metal faces of Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington looking down at them sternly. On the far end of the bridge was a flight of stone steps leading to a pair of white double doors. There were no signs of Columbia security or the collectors, but Shepard knew better than to believe they were not waiting for them.

"Spread out," he ordered the team, "Stay low as we cross the bridge and keep your eyes open for snipers."
"Yes Commander," the team muttered in reply.
Positioning himself at the front, Shepard went first. The wood and metal of the bridge banged loudly as his armoured feet made contact, only becoming louder as the others began running as well. Shepard kept his eyes down, bracing for the first bullets to strike his kinetic barriers, for the horrible sensation of his bones jarring hard from the impact. To his surprise however, there was no gunfire, nor even any shouts, and he reached the stone steps only a little winded.
"Well…" breathed Garrus as he caught up, "That was easy."
"Too easy," Shepard replied.

Keeping his assault rifle at the ready, he looked up the steps, checking the shadows for any would-be ambushers. Still he saw nothing but stone and the two white doors.
"What a spot of luck," said Watson as he finished crossing the bridge with Sherlock and the Doctor.
"I doubt the lack of shooting had anything to do with luck," the Doctor said, craning his neck to look up at the entrance.
"Indeed," remarked Sherlock, "If those collector creatures wished, they could have set up lines of defences."

"Then why didn't they?" said Shepard, still keeping his gun trained on the steps.
"Perhaps they weren't expecting anyone?" said Watson, "Or they don't have the manpower to guard this place while attacking the Vox Populi."
"No, there's something more going on here," said the Doctor.
"Agreed," said Sherlock, "The only question is what, and how do we counter it?"
"EDI?" Shepard said, keying his radio, "Did your scans pick up anything at Comstock House?"
"Only that Moriarty himself was here," she replied, "There was nothing in the transmission about how many troops he had stationed here, or even what he was after."
"Whatever the reason he's here, it's important," Sherlock said, "The good professor doesn't do field work unless he has to."

Shepard was quiet for a moment. What should they do now? The sensible thing would be to turn back and rejoin the others at Shantytown, but they could not do that. They could not simply turn down an opportunity to capture their main target.
"EDI," he finally said, "Can you tell us which floor Moriarty is on?"
"He is on the 20th floor," she answered.
"Right, we're going in. If we don't report back within 15 minutes, order the rest of the team to evacuate."
"Yes Commander."

Shepard turned to his team.
"You ready?"
"Lead the way," said Garrus, popping a fresh heat sink into his assault rifle.
"All the way Commander," said Sherlock.
"You can count on me," said Watson.
"You act as if we have a choice," chuckled the Doctor.
Climbing the steps, the team opened the white double doors, coming to a short hallway that ended in another set of doors. Opening these led to an entrance hall, vast, dark, and bleak. At the far end was a statue of a woman in a dress with a sword clutched in one hand, a sign over her head made from green glass reading:

THE SEED OF THE PROPHET SHALL SIT THE THRONE, AND DROWN IN FLAME THE MOUNTAINS OF MAN

"What on earth does that mean?" Garrus remarked on seeing the strange display.
"You heard what Daisy said," answered the Doctor, "Comstock sees himself as a prophet. This must be part of his religion."
"Yes, but that can't be Comstock," said Watson, gesturing to the statue.
"It does say 'Seed of the prophet'," replied Sherlock, "He must be talking about his children."
"Whatever the case, it doesn't matter," Shepard said sharply, "For now let's focus on finding Moriarty."

Murmuring their agreement, the team slipped passed the statue and came to a large square room with a metal frame in the middle that disappeared into the ceiling.
"Must be a lift," said Sherlock, looking up at the frame.
"Must be," said Shepard, "But we'll have to take the stairs. We can't run the risk of them cutting the power and leaving us trapped."
Ignoring the lift, the team crossed to the far side of the room, where a flight of stairs was waiting for them.
"Are you feeling fit Doctor?" Sherlock asked.

"Never fitter," he replied drily.
The climb to the 20th floor was slow and uneventful, with the team stopping halfway for a few minutes to catch their breath. Along the way they passed many doors, most of which were locked, but a few opened up to workshops or medical rooms.
"What was Comstock doing here?" Watson asked as they passed a room with three chairs with built-in restraints bolted to the floor.
"Nothing good," the Doctor replied darkly.
Finally they reached the landing of the 20th floor, a checkerboard of black and white stone, with a set of white double doors set into the wall.

"Here we are," said Shepard, his breathing laboured, "Take up positions around the door and wait for my signal."
The team members did as instructed. Garrus and Shepard stood on both sides of the door while the Doctor, Sherlock and Watson pressed themselves against the wall beside them.
"On three," Shepard said.
Garrus nodded.
Counting down under their breath, the two reached for the door handles.
"One. Two. Three!"
In a single swift motion, they pulled open the doors and rushed inside.
A large hall greeted them, a mezzanine level running around the middle of the wall, held up by metal columns.

The hall was empty, save for a solitary figure standing in the middle of the open floor. He was tall and thin, wearing a black frock coat over a waistcoat and dark grey trousers. Though he had only seen the man in a grainy video, Shepard recognised his narrow face and black hair striped with white at once.
"Moriarty," he hissed.
"Professor Moriarty," the man corrected him, sounding almost bored.
"Whatever. Put your hands up! You're coming with us."
"I'm afraid things cannot be that simple Commander."

Moriarty snapped his fingers and there was a rush of movement from the mezzanine. Shepard and his team raised their weapons, only to lower them almost at once as dozens of collectors appeared from above, each one armed and ready to attack.
"Now then," said Moriarty, unable to hide the amusement in his voice, "Where were we?"