Chapter Twenty-Seven: Gomorrah

"Nothing is what it seems."

Date: February 2184

Martin awoke to the low hum of the ship's engines, the familiar rhythm steady and constant. His eyes blinked open, taking in the dim lighting of his small, cramped quarters. He stretched, feeling the stiffness in his muscles from a few days of hard travel. As usual, it seemed like he was the last to wake up. Groaning, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed, planting his feet on the cold floor.

He heard voices drifting through the corridor outside. A small commotion, nothing too alarming, but enough to pique his curiosity. He grabbed his boots, pulling them on quickly before running a hand through his hair, trying to make himself look halfway decent.

Once ready, he pushed the door open and entered the hallway. The voices were clearer now, an argument coming from the bridge. Martin moved down the narrow corridor, the metallic walls slightly claustrophobic. As he entered the bridge, he found Dez and Rinn sitting in their pilot's chairs, both with their attention on the controls, while Athria and Velpia stood closer to the door, their discussion already heated.

"I'm telling you, it's a mistake to stop!" Velpia's voice had an edge, her mandibles twitching in frustration. "Staying in one place is just asking for trouble. We need to keep moving, keep our head low." Athria crossed her arms, her expression calm but firm. "We can't keep running blindly, Velpia. I need to contact the Initiative to update them on the artifact. We have to stop by a comm buoy." Velpia scoffed, clearly not happy with that answer. "And what happens if the Geth catch up to us? Or worse, those damn mercs? We've been through too much to get caught now."

Martin leaned casually against the doorway, watching the exchange with some amusement. It wasn't just the conversation that had them both on edge—he could sense something else was at play. Maybe something a little more personal. He smirked, briefly entertaining the thought that perhaps they both had a "similar interest" in something... The air between them was thick, not just because of their tactical disagreement.

The argument continued, with Velpia's voice rising. "We don't have time for this! Stopping now is suicide!" Athria's voice remained calm, but there was a sharpness to it. "And wandering around aimlessly is a better option? We need to know where we're going. We can't just fly blind." Martin, enjoying the show for a moment longer, finally decided to intervene. He stepped forward with a smile, throwing his hands up in a playful gesture as he positioned himself between them. "Alright, alright, break it up, ladies. No need for a catfight in such close quarters." Athria raised an eyebrow at him while Velpia shot him an annoyed look. But his comment had done its job, breaking the tension just enough.

He took a breath, knowing he'd have to weigh in on the argument. And while part of him felt for Velpia's concern, he had to side with Athria on this one.

Turning to Velpia, he spoke calmly but firmly. "Look, Vee, I get it. We don't want to be sitting ducks, but Athria's right. We can't just fly around without a plan. We need to hit that comm buoy, figure out where we're going, and make sure we have everything we need. We'll be in and out quickly." Velpia's expression hardened slightly, clearly not happy that Martin didn't side with her, but after a moment of glaring, she relented with a sigh. "Fine. But if we get ambushed, don't say I didn't warn you." Athria gave a slight nod, her eyes flicking to Martin in silent thanks. "Dez, find the nearest comm buoy. We'll make the stop, get what we need, and then we'll move out."

"Aye-aye," Dez replied, her fingers moving over the console to plot the course. Velpia, still a little ruffled, muttered something under her breath before stepping away. "I need a drink," she said flatly, walking toward the galley. As Velpia disappeared down the corridor, Athria shot Martin a smile and a soft nod of gratitude before she, too, headed off, presumably to cool down after the argument.

Martin left, standing on the bridge, glancing over at Dez and Rinn, who were both staring at him, amused by the scene that had just unfolded. "What?" Martin asked, shrugging. Dez turned in her chair, an amused but questioning smirk. "They're your problem now, Barbarian." Rinn chuckled softly beside her, shaking her head. Martin sighed dramatically, but there was a hint of a grin on his face. "Yeah, don't remind me."

Athria stood in her quarter. Her arms crossed as she waited for Dez to lock in the comm buoy. The silence was thick, the tension from the earlier argument still lingering. Velpia had disappeared for now, but Athria knew she'd be back with more complaints. Dez's voice over the ship's intercom broke through the quiet. "We've got a connection. The buoy's by the relay, and we're synced up." Athria nodded, her mind already moving forward. Without another word, she turned and made her way toward the conference room, the weight of the artifact's case lingering in her mind. She didn't like this situation. Not one bit.

When she entered the room, she closed the door behind her, sealing off any distractions. She moved quickly, setting her laptop on the table and pulling out a chair. As the call connected, the screen flickered, revealing two familiar faces: Derek and Alec Ryder.

"Hello, Athria," Derek greeted with his usual professional tone, then took a sip from his stupid mug. Alec nodded in acknowledgment. "Athria, good to see you."

"Likewise," she replied, sitting back in her chair. She could feel the tension building as she prepared to explain everything that had happened. Derek leaned forward slightly, his expression expectant. "How did it go? What's the situation?"

Athria took a deep breath and began, keeping her voice steady. "We encountered a lot of... issues. First off, the relay malfunctioned, or it could have been the ship. I'm not sure if it was intentional or just a fluke, but our ship shut down right before every jump in or out. Then, when it rebooted, it projected us forward so hard that the ship's inertia dampeners couldn't keep up. It caused... problems." Alec's brow furrowed slightly as he listened, but he didn't say anything yet. He just gave a quiet "hmm," his mind clearly working through the details.

Athria continued, leaning forward slightly. "Once we made the jump, we ended up in a dense nebula. It completely obscured our sensors, and based on our telemetry... we might have been in dark space if our readings were correct. We aren't sure the data the ship collected was correct.." That caught Alec's attention. He straightened up, his voice more urgent now. "Dark space? Are you sure? Send me your telemetry data immediately. This could be useful."

Athria hesitated for a moment. She didn't want to bring up the phantom ship they saw. It still didn't sit right with her, and maybe, just maybe, they hadn't seen what they thought. She decided to leave that part out for now.

"I'll send the data," she confirmed before moving on. "After we made it through the nebula and jumped to the second uncharted system, we landed on the planet. It wasn't a smooth landing—others had beaten us there. Mercs and Geth. Hundreds of Geth. We had to fight through both groups to get to the bunker."

Alec's expression remained unreadable, but Derek's face tightened slightly as she continued.

"We made it to the bunker," she said, her voice growing more serious. "We found what we think is the artifact, but... it did something to Martin. It tried to speak to him in a way. Maybe even control him. We think it's tried to connect to the control chip Cerberus put in his head during Project Titan. We've taken extra security measures and contained it for now, but it's not something we can ignore."

Alec's gaze hardened at the mention of the control chip. "I'm not comfortable with bringing the artifact back without having it looked at first. We can't risk it getting out of control or triggering something with anyone else. It could make the Initiative look bad. And we have enough problems to deal with."

Athria felt a surge of frustration. She wanted to be done with this mission. Every second they spent with that artifact was a second too long. "We've already gone through enough trouble to get this thing. Now, you want me to take it somewhere else?" She recoiled as soon as the statement slipped her lips. That wasn't supposed to be said. Athria tried to regain her composure.

Alec didn't budge. "I understand your frustration, but this isn't a suggestion. Take it to Illium and have it checked over before doing anything else." Athria clenched her jaw, biting back her anger. "Fine. We need to refuel the ship anyway. I'll get it done." Derek quickly chimed in, sending the necessary information. "Here's where you need to go and who to contact. You'll be in and out with any luck." Alec's tone softened slightly. "I'm glad to hear everyone made it out alive, Athria. Stay safe."

"Thank you," she muttered, ending the call. The screen went black, and Athria sat there momentarily, her hands clenching the table's edges. She hated this. Being told to delay the mission and risk more exposure with this dangerous artifact. She ran her hands over her face, thinking about what to do next and how to explain it. But her anger carried her thoughts.

Pushing herself up from the chair, she stormed out of the conference room, her anger still simmering under the surface. She made her way back to the bridge, where Dez and Rinn were still at the controls. "Change of plans," Athria said, her voice sharp. "We're heading to Illium. We've got to get the artifact checked before we do anything else."

Dez gave her a quick nod, noticing her anger simmering, quickly adjusting the ship's course. But before Athria could say anything more, Velpia stormed up to her, her face a mask of frustration.

"What do you mean we're going to Illium? We should be taking the artifact directly to our contacts. The longer we wait, the more dangerous this gets!" Athria stepped up to her, her voice ice-cold. "Back off, Velpia. This isn't your call to make. I'm done arguing with you!"

Velpia's mandibles twitched, her eyes narrowing. "You're risking us with this detour." Their tempers flared. Velpia muttered something under her breath, and though it was quiet, Athria heard it clearly: "Asari slut."

In an instant, Athria threw her arms down to her side, balling her fists, biotics flaring, crackling around her like a storm. She stepped forward, eyes glowing, and she had a stern, cold look on her face. She was ready to unleash, but Martin rushed up behind Velpia before she could act. With a quick, firm motion, he lifted her off her feet by her hips, turned Velpia around him, and placed himself between the two women.

"Enough!" he barked, his voice breaking through the argument. He set Velpia down and looked between the two of them. "You're going to stay away from each other, got it?" Velpia's glare could've burned a hole through steel, but she relented, muttering something under her breath as she walked away. Athria stood there for a moment, her biotics slowly fading as she tried to calm herself. Martin's gaze met hers, his expression serious but calm. He had stepped in just in time—again. He rolled his eyes at Athria as she turned away.

'''''''''''''''''''

Rinn leaned back in her chair on the bridge, her eyes darting from the console in front of her to the closed door where Athria and Velpia had just stormed out. The argument between them had been heated more than usual, and she couldn't shake the tension it left behind. Her visor flickered softly as the ship hummed around them, now en route to Illium.

Dez, seated next to her at the pilot's console, was busy adjusting the ship's course. After a few moments of awkward silence, Rinn finally turned to her, curiosity getting the better of her. "Why are Athria and Velpia always at each other's throats like that?" Rinn asked, her voice soft but laced with genuine curiosity. "It's like they're arguing about more than just the mission."

Dez snorted, her fingers pausing mid-air as she glanced over at Rinn with an amused look. "Oh, you don't get it, do you?" she said with a chuckle. "Everyone thinks they're playing each other."

Rinn blinked, confused. "Playing with each other? How?" Dez leaned back in her chair, smirking. "Velpia's toying with Martin, trying to get him to side with her. She wants him on her side, whether that's for the mission or something else, who knows." She shrugged. "And Martin? He's an idiot. He's playing along to keep Velpia loyal, trying to make sure she stays with the mission and doesn't, I dunno, pull a fast one on us." Rinn raised her brow, still processing the strange dynamics Dez was laying out for her. "And Athria?"

Dez chuckled again. "Athria's convinced that Martin's falling for Velpia's little game, so she's been toying with him too, trying to keep him focused. But if you ask me, Martin's getting played on that one." Rinn sat there, her visor dimming slightly as she mulled it over. She hadn't noticed half of this, though, thinking back, the tension between Athria and Velpia did seem to get worse every time Martin was in the room. There was definitely something going on beyond the mission.

Feeling a bit bold, Rinn made a subtle, awkward hand gesture—a quick, crude motion that conveyed a certain... implication. She bit her lip and looked at Dez. "wait... Are you asking if they are all...?"

Dez froze for a moment, her eyes widening slightly at the gesture before a deep, awkward pause settled between them. She blinked, then let out an uncomfortable cough. "Uh... I mean... who knows?" She shrugged, trying to play it off. "I hear things but don't really want to know things. Besides, I don't see how anyone could put up with Martin and his bullshit for that long."

Rinn gave an uncomfortable laugh, unsure how else to respond. The awkward tension and sudden embarrassment she felt kept her silent. She glanced back at the closed door to the bridge, wondering if there was more to the crew's complicated relationships than she'd realized. She decided to stay quiet for the rest of the flight.

''''''''''''''''''

Martin sat on a crate he'd dragged out from the cargo area, his back resting against the cool metal wall of the corridor. His arms were crossed, his mind bouncing between boredom and frustration as he kept his "watch" over Athria and Velpia. After the heated exchange earlier, he wasn't about to let either stir up more trouble. The tension between the two was like a bomb with a faulty fuse—ready to go off at any moment.

He exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck, hoping the quiet would last longer. The ship's hum was the only sound in the corridor, occasionally interrupted by distant footfalls or the soft rumble of equipment shifting as they made their final approach to Illium.

The door to Athria's quarters hissed open, and she stepped out, her expression serious but composed. Her eyes locked on him, and without skipping a beat, she said, "Get ready. I need you as an escort." She didn't wait for a response, turning on her heel to head for the bridge. Martin watched her retreat down the hall, the bridge door shutting firmly behind her. "Well," Martin muttered, "guess that's my cue."

He stood up from the crate, stretching his stiff muscles, and made his way to the bunk room. Opening the drawer under his bunk, he pulled out his lighter armor—still reinforced but less bulky than the heavy gear he'd used during their last mission. He started the routine of slipping into it, piece by piece, the familiar weight settling comfortably onto his body. As he buckled his utility belt, his attention shifted to Velpia, lying in her bunk, watching him through half-lidded eyes. Her face had a look of annoyance, but it was mingled with something else—something softer. Admiration, maybe. It didn't take a genius to notice.

Ever the opportunist, Martin gave her a playful wink as he adjusted his gauntlets. "You like what you see, Vee?" She rolled her eyes and scoffed, her usual response to his teasing. "You wish," she muttered, clearly still peeved at him, before turning her back to him, pulling her blanket tighter as if to block him from view. Martin chuckled to himself, shaking his head as he finished gearing up.

With his gear in place, he grabbed his sidearm and holstered it before heading toward the corridor. However, he felt off with only one now. Just as he reached the door, Athria emerged from the bridge, her stride purposeful. She didn't acknowledge him at first, her focus entirely on her quarters. She entered quickly, clearly on a mission. Moments later, a loud "Fuuuuuucccckkkkk" echoed from her quarters, followed by the unmistakable sound of biotic energy flaring. Martin's instincts kicked in as he rushed after her. Athria stormed into the bunkroom, her eyes blazing with fury. "Where is it!?" she snarled, her biotics flaring as her fists clenched.

Velpia sat up in her bunk, her posture instantly rigid as she grabbed for her pistol, drawing it in a smooth motion. She pointed the weapon squarely at Athria, her mandibles flaring wide as she spat back, "I don't know what you're talking about, but get those biotics out of my face, or I will put a hole through you!"

"Try it, and I will paint the wall with you!" Athria snarled back. Martin reacted quickly, grabbing Athria's arm, his fingers pressing firmly against her wrist to hold back her power. "Whoa, whoa—Athria, calm down. No one has been in your quarters but you for a while now." She turned to him, her eyes burning with frustration. "The artifact's gone, Martin. It's not in the safe!" Her voice was edged with panic as her biotics dissipated.

Martin's mind raced. If it wasn't in the safe, then where—?

And then it hit him.

"Wait," he said, his tone steady but sharp with realization.

"Where's the fuck Rinn?"