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9-16-2184
[ UNKNOWN LOCATION ]
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"I wasn't expecting to see you here so early." Miranda said as she walked in to sit down in her usual spot.
"I'm here to forget about the food I ate." Wilson grumbled with a sigh before gulping down some coffee. "You have to agree with me. It was like eating baked cotton."
"...I'll pass a memo to The Illusive man. Maybe he'll agree to make some alterations to the station's cuisine."
"Would've been nice if you'd done that when we started this." He grumbled.
She sat at her station, turned on the monitor, and gave Wilson a bland smile. "I'm sure."
"Did you get my report?"
"I did. Did you test his Medulla Oblongata?"
"Yes, we did. Dr. Jerome removed his pulmonary bypass earlier. He's passed the trials, Miranda. He's ready."
She gave John a hard stare. "...Then I guess we should get started."
"Everyone's already on stand-by. I'll call them up now." Wilson pressed a button at his desk for the PA, "Attention, Attention. This is Dr. Wilson speaking, requesting resuscitation team for immediate oversee of operation. We're ready now."
Not a moment later, seven technicians enter Shepard's room and prepare the crash cart and other instruments in case anything went wrong.
Wilson stood up and waved Miranda to the door. "Come on."
She stood and followed him into the suite to get themselves prepped. They wash their hands, change into gowns, and enter.
"Okay everyone." Wilson began as he put on his gloves, "I'm not entirely sure of what could happen these next few moments. Keep your eye on the EKG monitor. Watch out for dysrhythmias or pulseless ventricular tachycardias. Those will be the first things to see if things go bad. And I'm really stressing if."
Miranda glowered when Wilson said that.
"Are you sure we should do this?" Miranda asked, "Shouldn't we wait until he's stronger? He's only been free of his bypass for under an hour."
"No." Wilson said as he shook his head, "We do that, and we're going to displace our timetable. He scheduled for a total discharge of his life support by the end of the week. This needs to be done before we do anything else. Otherwise we'll risk stressing his other organs into failure.
She crossed her arms and held her breath.
"Look at it this way, Miranda. We're opening doors never thought possible in medicine. Resuscitating the clinically dead. I can't overstate my confidence in this."
"We'll see." She murmured as Wilson and the techs started working.
The frown on her face never left. The only reason she was letting this pass by was the sense of urgency she'd been receiving from The Illusive Man the past month (Due in no small part to the recent disappearances of multiple human colonies). Otherwise, she would've delayed the timetables set in place to test this thing for a whole damned year if she had to.
She was snapped quickly out of her train of thought when alarms from Shepard's EKG started blaring.
Not good.
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John didn't know for how long he'd been dreaming... but he knew enough to know it'd been a while.
The dreams though, however rare, came and went, and were usually forgotten.
Large pieces to an unfinished puzzle were missing. Gone. Corrupted even. He couldn't even grasp really what exactly he was dreaming. It was beyond him. Far beyond him.
If John could even remember to utter a sentence, it would say that he could only feel pain.
And it was... always in his chest. His heart always ached. His stomach constantly cramped. His lungs forever burning.
He wanted to scream. But he couldn't. Something kept him still. Kept him cuffed into an unyielding universe of purgatory.
Until now.
He was starting to hear something.
Whispers he thought.
Murmurs maybe.
Mumbling even.
The voices started growing a little clearer.
And when he tried opening his eyes, he felt pain in his chest.
No... not pain.
Unbelievable torture.
His eyes burned under the intense lights. All he could see were hues of deep blue and dark red.
The sounds in his ears started to grow impossibly loud. Even the slightest whisper made him want to curl in pain.
He screamed in agony.
He was denied his voice. Blood gushed from his throat and it silenced him.
'Welcome 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 to the living.' Saren and Sovereign murmured into his ear,
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Now.
ㅤ ㅤSmell
ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤYour
ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤAshes
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9-17-2184
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She followed closely behind her dad and kept her hands firmly at her sides.
"I'm going to the Citadel."
He stopped in his tracks and turned to face her.
"For?"
"Juel."
"...For Juel." He murmured as he thought it over.
"Yes." She nodded, "We're going to find him an arm."
"Ah. I heard about that." He turned back around and kept walking, "And you've passed this to your captain, correct?"
"Yes."
"How will you be booking passage? I'd hope it won't be too costly to the fleet's resources."
"We won't be traveling by ourselves." She answered as they entered his office, "We'll be going with the Neema's newest pilgrims come next week."
"Mm. Good." He sniffed.
"You approve?"
"My blessing shouldn't be of concern to you anymore, Tali. This is something you should consult to your captain now."
"I—I know." She rasped as she started playing with her hands absently, "I just... thought I'd tell you."
Rael dropped his own gaze and stared at his feet.
It was really rare to see him do that.
"...When will you be leaving?"
"Not really sure. The itinerary is still being planned."
"Then I wish you luck."
Before Tali could give her own goodbye, her dad's omni-tool pinged and Raan popped up. "Rael. Koris asked for me to get into contact with you since you've been ignoring his calls for fifth shift."
Rael took a breath. "I'll return his correspondence when time permits, Raan. For now, he must wait."
"He isn't going to like that."
"He will live with it."
"Fine." She huffed. "I'll tell him just that then."
Rael ended the call and faced Tali again. "I'm sorry Tali, but duty calls. I really do need to speak to Koris."
"Of course."
He gave her a small smile. "Be careful out there, Tali."
"I will."
"And do come back in one piece." He said as he sat down in his chair to turn on his computer.
"You act like I'm going on a suicide mission." She joked.
"It's not so far-fetched for me to believe you'd go off on another, is it?" He said with a small smile.
Humor. He'd been getting better at it.
All she did was shrug and give him a soft grin.
"...Take care, Tali."
"You too. Bye, dad." She said before closing the door behind her.
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C.M.B-7732:Id/11178-11-J786[Artcl#=]SNTtd:08:00:14GeST.****
To: Garrus Vakarian [SB_ScPt:I_d#:454647.9Ob.90]
From: Tali'Zorah [SB_ScPt:I_d#:55640.6Op.89]
Subject: Hey. |C.M.B-7732:Id/11178-11-| Sent: 08:00:14MGeST
-Garrus. I'm leaving to go to the Citadel. Just thought I'd tell you.
C.M.B-7732:Id/11178-11-J786[Artcl#=]SNTtd:08:08:02GeST.****
To: Tali'Zorah [SB_ScPt:I_d#:5564.6Op.89]
From: Garrus Vakarian [SB_ScPt:I_d#:454647.9Ob.90]
Subject: RE:Hey |C.M.B-7732:Id/11178-12-| Sent: 08:08:02MGeST
-What for?
-Are you okay?
C.M.B-7732:Id/11178-11-J786[Artcl#=]SNTtd:08:09:59GeST.****
To: Garrus Vakarian [SB_ScPt:I_d#:454647.9Ob.90]
From: Tali'Zorah [SB_ScPt:I_d#:55640.6Op.89]
Subject: RE:RE:Hey. |C.M.B-7732:Id/11178-11-| Sent: 08:09:59MGeST
-Yes. I'm fine.
-My friend lost an arm. We're going to find somebody to get him a new one.
C.M.B-7732:Id/11178-11-J786[Artcl#=]SNTtd:08:13:08GeST.****
To: Tali'Zorah [SB_ScPt:I_d#:5564.6Op.89]
From: Garrus Vakarian [SB_ScPt:I_d#:454647.9Ob.90]
Subject: RE:RE:RE:Hey |C.M.B-7732:Id/11178-12-| Sent: 08:13:08MGeST
-I'll pass the word to Liara.
-Maybe… she can meet you?
-When exactly are you going?
C.M.B-7732:Id/11178-11-J786[Artcl#=]SNTtd:09:01:24GeST.****
To: Garrus Vakarian [SB_ScPt:I_d#:454647.9Ob.90]
From: Tali'Zorah [SB_ScPt:I_d#:55640.6Op.89]
Subject: RE:RE:RE:RE:Hey. |C.M.B-7732:Id/11178-11-| Sent: 09:01:24MGeST
-I'm leaving next week.
-Liara doesn't need to come.
-But I guess she's welcome to.
C.M.B-7732:Id/11178-11-J786[Artcl#=]SNTtd:09:04:43GeST.****
To: Tali'Zorah [SB_ScPt:I_d#:5564.6Op.89]
From: Garrus Vakarian [SB_ScPt:I_d#:454647.9Ob.90]
Subject: RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:Hey |C.M.B-7732:Id/11178-12-| Sent: 09:04:43MGeST
-Do you have enough money?
-I can help you with the expenses.
C.M.B-7732:Id/11178-11-J786[Artcl#=]SNTtd:09:08:35GeST.****
To: Garrus Vakarian [SB_ScPt:I_d#:454647.9Ob.90]
From: Tali'Zorah [SB_ScPt:I_d#:55640.6Op.89]
Subject: RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:Hey. |C.M.B-7732:Id/11178-11-| Sent: 09:08:35MGeST
-I have enough.
-Thanks though.
C.M.B-7732:Id/11178-11-J786[Artcl#=]SNTtd:09:10:12GeST.****
To: Tali'Zorah [SB_ScPt:I_d#:5564.6Op.89]
From: Garrus Vakarian [SB_ScPt:I_d#:454647.9Ob.90]
Subject: Hey. |C.M.B-7732:Id/11178-12-| Sent: 09:10:12MGeST
-Okay Tali. I'll pass the word to Liara. Be safe.
-Keep in contact.
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9/18/2184
[ MFS NEEMA ]
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"Hey." Tali greeted as she entered his room, "Come up with a better excuse for not getting a new arm?"
Juel looked up from his book and smiled.
"Nope."
"Good. Nothing's going to change my mind. I'll find paralytics if you so much as argue with me anymore about it."
"Terrifying." He said before rolling his eyes, "Didn't know you were versed in phlebotomy. Through a suit no less."
"Doesn't mean I can't try." She joked.
He set his book down and sighed to show he was being serious now. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." She murmured, "Think it'll be hard adjusting to an artificial limb?"
"No more than getting used to a missing one." He said as he stared at his stump, "I mean— this sucks."
"I imagine." She said as she stared at the limb, or lack thereof, "When do you think you'll get back into your suit?"
"Not really sure." He panned, "Wish I didn't have to put it back on, honestly."
He sighed again and tried staring past her tint of glass. "Is it weird, seeing just me? Without the helmet?"
"No." She answered simply.
"No? And what do you look like?"
"Shepard told me I was pretty okay. So… maybe—"
"Shepard saw you without your—"
"—Yes."
He gave her a blank stare.
"...I'd believe him."
His stare went wayward. Blankness on the wall and his eyes. The last time he'd seen a woman's face was Serah.
"Probably not as pretty as Serah, though." Juel muttered as a jest. It got Tali to snort.
"She was gorgeous, Tali." Juel continued, smile waning, "What I'd do to wrap my arms around that woman." He made his own snort. "ahem. Arm."
Tali laughed lightly and it lifted Juel's spirits, if only slightly.
"What was she like?" Tali asked as she sat in a chair next to him.
"Where should I start without it sounding too mushy?"
"Anywhere you like. Girls like mushy."
"She was nice. Hard headed. Like a bag of rocks. Lovely. Sweet when she wanted to be. A giant bosh'tet sometimes. But she knew where her heart was." He nodded and felt a tear trickle in his eye, "Keelah, Tali. I had it so good with her. I miss her. A lot."
He drew in a sharp breath and held it before closing his eyes. He was going somewhere Tali didn't expect him to.
"And to think... of what those... men did to her." His eyes were suddenly filled of ice. "If only I could find the people who ruined my life. I'd kill them."
Stillness between the two. Tali only stared for a moment before offering the only thing she felt appropriate.
"...I'm sorry, Juel."
A thousand yard stare. A man stuck inside a restless mind. "I fantasize about ending them. Daily."
Tali drew in a silent breath and gave him a contemplative look. They were going to the Citadel. Search deep underground enough, there might be a chance of getting Juel the lead he'd need. But she didn't want to be making promises.
Just the two of them orchestrating some vendetta against a giant pirating merc group? That was out of the picture.
But if it was just one man? Who knew.
"When we get your arm. Maybe." She said finally.
Juel's face was nearly unreadable. "What?"
"Perhaps we can put feelers out. I don't know."
"You being serious?"
"Yes. No promises, but yes."
"...That's fair enough."
Her eyes narrowed. Personally, Tali didn't know what to think of Juel's fantasy for revenge. But all she had to think about is what she'd do if she was in that position.
Plan revenge probably.
She reached over and put a firm grip on his shoulder. "I'll try my best. Let's just tackle one thing at a time right now, okay?"
Juel gave her a straight stare. "Fine. But... this conversation is between you and I. Olasie doesn't need to know. Nor does Enyah. Or anyone else."
"I won't say a thing."
He nodded mostly to himself and lay back against his pillow before staring up at the ceiling in slight disbelief. "Thank you."
"Finding them... that could take a very long time. You know that. You said so yourself: your pilgrimage net you nothing."
"We'll find a way, Tali."
"Okay." She said before standing up, "Now rest. I'll see you tomorrow. I've got work to do. Docking cradle's static attenuator isn't discharging correctly.
"Make sure you lead it away from the eezo curl? You might make the ship weigh as much as a piece of dust if you aren't careful."
"I know Juel." She said as she made her way to the door, "You're looking at a master here."
"So I am." He said before waving her goodbye.