An elevator door opened, allowing the team of five that had ridden it to the upper levels of the Peak-15 facility to step off into a long, quiet corridor.
Since their arrival several minutes prior, they had yet to encounter any hostility since the firefight in the garage. And the silence was becoming more than a little foreboding for some of them.
"It's too quiet." said Liara, grip tight on her pistol. "What do you think's been going on up here?"
"If Saren's involved, then it can't be anything good. If he is a shareholder with Binary Helix, god only knows what he was able to fund behind the Council's backs." said Shepard checking her assault rifle over.
The team approached a door at the end of the corridor. Garrus hacked the lock granting them entry, they stormed inside the open room and found five Geth units waiting for them.
Two Geth Troopers greeted them first, but they were cut down before they had a chance to raise their pulse rifles. Liara lifted a Shock Trooper that popped out of cover giving Shepard a chance to take it down.
Garrus tossed a grenade across the room and destroyed a Rocket Trooper before it could get a lock on the group. Flynn rushed the last Shock Trooper in the room, stabbing it through its optic with his Doom Blade and kicking it off.
The room fell silent, save for the harsh wind howling outside. "I have a bad feeling about this." said Wrex after wracking his shotgun. His centuries of experience warning him of something coming.
Everyone else was on a similar mindset as they grouped together.
Then the sound of light chattering could be heard throughout the room, similar to dozens of small nails on a chalkboard. There was also loud skittering coming from all around them. The squad stood back to back with their weapons/biotics ready for what was coming.
"What is that?" said Liara, looking left and right.
Garrus aimed his assault rifle up when he heard some of the sounds from above. "Where's it coming from?" he said, keeping his eyes open.
Flynn scanned the room, gaze centering on the vents located at various points when he saw one of them start to shake. He brought his heavy cannon up just as the grate broke open and large, green, beetle-like insects began to pour out.
The large rifle roared as the heavy slugs tore through the creatures, splattering green blood across the walls and floor as other vents in the room burst open and more bugs began swarming toward them.
Everyone opened fire, their rounds tearing through the small creatures easily but they kept coming in droves. One of the bugs managed to leap onto Jane's chest plate. She grabbed it and threw it into a wall and saw that there were now burn marks on her armor where the critter had been a moment ago.
"They have acid that can eat through armor, stay sharp!" she called out spraying full auto fire all over the room.
Liara launched a shockwave that sent a group of the bugs splattering against the wall before taking out her pistol to deal with others. Garrus stood at her back and shot a few that were trying to climb the wall behind them.
The slayer brought his foot down on three of the insects with a wet crunch. His sharp eyes caught movement at the top of the small staircase that led out of the room. A larger insect that looked like a four legged cockroach with claw tipped tentacles stood and let out a loud screech before firing green globs from its extended appendages.
Flynn grabbed Garrus by the back of his armor and yanked him out of the way as the projectiles hit a nearby table and ate through it. He didn't give it a chance to fire again as he scoped the large bug's head and blew it off with a precision shot from his heavy cannon.
Three more of the new creatures came up from floor grates but were quickly riddled with bullets and put down. Any of the smaller ones that had survived quickly slipped back into the open vents, leaving the team and the bodies of their swarm.
"Just what the hell are we dealing with here?!" said Garrus, more than a little disturbed by what they had just seen and fought.
Wrex sniffed the air and growled at the body of one of the larger insects. "I know that stench anywhere. Rachni."
"That's...That's not possible." said Liara in disbelief. "Your people killed them centuries ago. Didn't you?" The Krogan growled again and shot the body when it twitched.
"Guess we know what those 'biohazard materials' are." said Jane. "Weapons ready people. Keep your eyes and ears open at all times, if these things are using the vents they could pop up anywhere."
The Commander turned to Wrex, "Anything you can tell us about the Rachni, Wrex?"
Wrex brought up his shotgun, "Shoot 'em till they're dead. Only strategy you'll need."
Flynn scrapped the bug guts off the bottom of his boot and signed, Best advice for any combat scenario.
X
The team entered another elevator and rode it up to a dark room lined with terminals and power conduits. Two hallways t-boned off from the main room with a large circular chamber with another door at the far end.
"Looks like a backup power system for the station's mainframe." said Garrus while looking over a nearby terminal. "Give me a second, I might be able to at least get the lights on in here." Hitting a few keys, the lights and terminals around the room came on.
"Critical startup error. Virtual Intelligence user interface offline. Manual reboot required." chimed the station's VI via the PA system.
Checking the doors and finding all of them sealed, they moved to the large room in the back and saw a large terminal system with a lift that was lowered down into the floor. "This must be the VI's main core." said Liara.
"Wanna work your magic again, Garrus?" asked the Commander.
The Turian detective stepped on the lift and rode it to the bottom level while the others stood guard. Flynn walked around the room, his combat shotgun now in hand with the full-auto mod in place. Being sure to keep the vents in sight as they all waited.
"How's it look down there?" Jane called down.
"It's a bit of a mess down here. I think the bugs got into the circuits and chewed them out." Garrus replied while he made repairs to the system. Can't tell if the Rachni were stupid and got lucky, or their smart enough to cut off the outside world from this place."
"Hate to admit it, but the bugs are smart. They used to make their own ships. So wrecking machines shouldn't be too hard for them." said Wrex.
Liara and Jane sent him a look, "That's not very comforting." said the Asari.
The Krogan Mercenary shrugged, "It wasn't supposed to be, kid. Better to know what you're up against."
Another minute passed before the core lit up like a christmas tree and the lift carried Garrus back up to the main floor. The rest of the team perked up when he returned and the holo-tank next to the terminal lit up revealing a purple/orange woman made out of code.
"It looks like you're trying to restore this facility. My name is Mira, would you like assistance?" asked the VI.
"Help would be appreciated." said Jane glad that they were finally getting somewhere in this place.
"Can I get your identification?" asked Mira.
"Commander Shepard. Citadel Special Tactics and Reconnaissance." said Shepard.
"One moment please...Council authority confirmed. You are entitled to Secure Access of all systems. Please note that queries relating to corporate secrets require Privileged Access. Privileged Access is only available to Binary Helix executives." stated the VI.
Flynn gripped his shotgun a little tighter. Being reminded of the UAC and all the stupid shit they tried to keep hidden for the sake of their 'company'. And as much as he wanted to blast the VI to dust, they needed it to get the facility back online.
"Where is Matriarch Benezia?" the Commander asked.
"Lady Benezia departed on the passenger tramway to the Rift Station subsidiary labs." replied the VI. "User Alert! The tramway system is currently inoperable."
Jane sighed, "What needs to be repaired to get the trams back online?"
"One moment, please. Diagnostics in progress." Mira said, taking a moment before speaking again. "Critical Failure: Main reactor shutdown in accordance with emergency containment procedures. Manual restart required. Critical Failure: Landline connections are disabled. Passenger Tram systems offline."
The Commander asked how to get the systems running again before gathering the team together. "If we want to get after Benezia, we need to get the power and communications around here up and running again. Best chance we have to get things done quickly is to split up."
"Sounds good, who's going with who?" asked Garrus.
"You, Wrex and I will take care of the reactor. Flynn, you and Liara will handle the landlines. Stay in radio contact incase of trouble and we'll meet back here when our objectives are done." Jane said, laying out the plan.
The slayer nodded as he and Liara headed to the door that would take them to the roof while the Commander, Garrus and Wrex headed in the direction of the main reactor. "Don't want me and Taggart off on our own, Shepard?" The Krogan asked rhetorically.
"Two of the most bloodthirsty and destructive men I know to date, one of them with a body count bigger than a star system, off alone in a hostile environment together? Pretty sure this place would be a crater, along with the mountain it sits on." Jane said with complete honesty.
Wrex chuckled, and not disagreeing with her statement.
"At least we can hope Liara can keep Flynn from going full rage." said Garrus. "After what we've seen, he could probably level this place himself."
"Please. T'Soni's got him wrapped around her finger, he just doesn't know it yet." the Krogan Mercenary said, causing the other two to look at him strangely. Wrex rolled his red eyes and walked past them, "Kids." he muttered to himself.
X
The lift ride was short, and ended in a corridor leading to the roof where snow was built up around the door at the end. The temperature had also dropped meaning that they were going to have to go through the snow storm outside to reconnect the station's landlines.
Liara held her pistol firmly while Flynn had his combat shotgun ready. Hitting the door panel, the howling wind and snow whipped past them as they stepped out onto the roof. The dark skies combined with the bad weather made visibility difficult.
Leading the way, the slayer moved unhindered through the snow that was almost up to his knees. Liara in-step behind him, being shielded from the harsh winds while following through the small trench he was making in his wake.
Following the power conduits until they reached the terminal connected to the main unit, the Asari brought up her omni-tool and began working. "The damage isn't severe, it shouldn't take me long to get the landlines running again." she reported.
Flynn nodded as he stood guard, expecting trouble. Though he didn't have to wait long as a chorus of loud screeches could be heard over the wind, a dozen Rachni warriors scuttled across the snow from the darkness toward them.
Spooling up the full-auto mod on his shotgun, the slayer unleashed a barrage of buckshot into the coming swarm. Their bodies were reduced to mulch when they got within range, blood and viscera paining the snow an array of green, orange and brown.
A smaller swarm of Worker Rachni joined the warriors, launching from the frozen drifts in an attempt for an ambush. The slayer saw them coming before they even made their move and unleashed a jet of napalm from his flame belch.
The insectoids screeched to a near deafening level as they burned. Some of them attempted to put themselves out and only succeeded in setting others ablaze, the roof of the facility lighting up from the fires and granting more visibility as Flynn gunned down more warriors that made themselves known.
Liara did her best to ignore the sounds of combat happening behind her as she worked on reconnecting the landlines. After a few more seconds the terminal lit up along with the rest of the equipment connected to it.
"I got it! Let's get back to-" she was cut off when a Rachni warrior jumped down from a nearby power unit and knocked her to the ground. Her pistol flying out of her hand and disappearing among the snow drifts.
Getting to her feet quickly, the Asari summoned her biotics and blasted the creature across the roof. Another took its place that she froze in stasis before lifting it into the air and slamming it back down, its carapace crunching loudly from the harsh impact.
A third warrior had crept up behind Liara, preparing to spear her through the back with one of its sharp tentacles. Until a large hand grabbed it by the head. The sickening sounds of crunching and tearing was heard as the Rachni's head was ripped from its body before the rest was crushed beneath a heavy boot.
Flynn did a final check of their surroundings to be sure no more Rachni were coming. Once he was sure, he got Liara's attention and motioned to the door leading back inside.
"I lost my weapon." the young Asari said as they got out of the blizzard and headed back to the elevator. Mentally berating herself for not having had a tighter grip on her gun and being more aware of her surroundings.
The slayer tilted his head her way before reaching into his suit's quantum pack and pulled out a gun he hadn't used for a few years.
Liara blinked as he produced a large pistol with a chrome finish and a few blue lights along its frame. Aiming the weapon back the way he came, he fired several energy rounds into the nearest wall. Hitting a switch on the weapon, the part under the barrel split open as energy gathered in the barrel before being unleashed in a larger blast that burned the metal surface.
Finishing with the little 'demonstration', Flynn spun the pistol around and handed it to the Asari handle-first. She hesitated a second before carefully taking the offered weapon. Finding it surprisingly light despite it being a bit larger than her previous one.
"What about ammunition?" she asked once she got a feel for it.
Self producing. Infinite. The slayer signed back as they got back on the elevator and began their descent back to the VI core. Liara smiled in thanks as they rode in silence.
When the doors opened again, they were greeted with the sight of the rest of the team having just gotten back from getting the reactor back online.
"Everything good on your end?" asked the Commander.
"The landlines are up and running again. We should be able to access the tram system." said Liara. Nodding, Shepard led them down the remaining hallway they had yet to enter. Entering an elevator, the team rode down to the lower level.
Garrus then noticed the new sidearm Liara was holding. "New gun, Liara?" asked the detective.
"Yes. A Rachni managed to get me on the roof and I lost mine. Flynn offered me one from his arsenal." replied the Asari.
"If it's from Taggart's personal armory, guarantee it'll do some damage. I'm almost jealous." said Wrex.
The elevator stopped and the door opened as Mira chimed over the PA system; "Now entering decontamination and transit hub. User Alert! Loose contaminants in the decontamination chamber. Access to passenger tramways inadvisable."
They entered a small corridor with two more doors on the right side next to one another. The farthest one was locked, but the closest opened to a security room that overlooked the way they needed to go.
"Guess that explains why the door was locked." said Jane as they saw four Rachni warriors sealed in the decontamination checkpoint that led to the transit hub.
"We could bypass the lockdown. But we'll have to deal with the bugs inside." Garrus reported as he checked the security terminal.
Flynn shouldered his shotgun and left the room in the direction of the decontamination unit. The detective didn't need to say anything, knowing what the slayer had in mind as he simply initiated the override sequence and unlocked the next room.
The Rachni inside screeched and prepared to charge the now open door when a flaming grenade was shot inside. Exploding a moment later and splattering the large bugs across every surface and clearing a path for them.
Traversing a long corridor, the team entered the empty transit station and stepped onto the passenger tram that was waiting to take them to the next station. Shepard activated the console and the doors closed before it began moving.
"Departing central station. Destination: Rift station." Mira reported as they all got comfortable.
"Almost there. Maybe we can finally end this madness." Jane said, taking a seat next to Garrus.
"I still cannot believe that the Rachni are here. How is that possible? And how is my mother involved in all this." said Liara from a seat between Wrex and Flynn. The former looked bored while the latter was adjusting the meat-hook on his super shotgun.
"I think the real question is what Saren could want with them." said Garrus. "Could he be hoping to raise an army of Rachni to fight for him?"
"Geth and a few Krogan are bad enough. But Rachni on top of that?" the Commander added.
Wrex snorted, "If he is, the Krogan aren't going to bother saving the council's asses. Last time we did that, they dumped the Genophage on us as a thank you." he checked over his shotgun, Though that don't mean I won't squash a few bugs along the way."
Flynn finished with his double-barrel and noticed everyone was looking his way. "Thoughts Flynn?" asked Shepard.
No matter how you look at it, the Rachni need to be put down. They'll spread beyond this facility and reach the rest of Noveria since the cold doesn't bother them. As for Benezia...He turned to look at Liara, We'll deal with that when we find her.
The team settled in their seats as the tram continued toward their next destination. The slayer remained focused on what was coming next, but as he sat on the transport, he felt something brush against the edges of his mind. A soothing feeling, reaching out from somewhere.
He snapped his head up and glared at the empty air, red tinting the edges of his vision as his rage began to bubble to the surface. The feeling immediately receded as if burned and faded entirely. Even though he knew what the source could have been, that didn't mean he liked having something try and invade his mind.
That was a sure fire way to light his already small fuse.
X
"Now arriving at Rift Station, Binary Helix research facility." The VI reported as the tram slowed to a stop, the doors opening allowing the team to disembark.
The station was as quiet as the central station had been, but they kept their wits about them and being sure to keep any and all vents in sight in case any Rachni decided to make an appearance.
"Stay alert. There could be survivors." said Jane.
"We haven't seen any so far, not even bodies. Could anyone have survived?" Garrus wondered as they moved deeper into the facility. There were several sealed doors along the way, but they managed to find an elevator that took them to the barracks.
When the doors opened, the team were forced to duck into cover when bullets bounced off the metal walls around them.
"Shit! Hold fire!" Someone shouted and the rounds quickly stopped. The team slowly stepped out, their own weapons raised but relaxed when they saw a handful of security guards standing behind makeshift barricades ahead of them.
A bald, dark-skinned man in white armor stepped forward when they approached. "Sorry about that. We couldn't be sure what was on the tram when it arrived."
"I would have done the same. Just make sure that what you're shooting at is actually hostile." said Jane. "Can you give me a rundown of what's happening around here, Mr…"
"Captain Ventralis. And as for what's happening around here? Bugs. Zillions of 'em, coming through tunnels from the hot labs. My team's been running on stims for days now trying to keep what survivors we managed to gather alive." said the Captain. "Look, you're human, and the rest of your team walk on two legs so that's enough for me not to shoot. But I'd like to know who you are."
"Commander Shepard, I'm with the Alliance and also a Council Spectre. My team and I are here to find Matriarch Benezia." said the Commander.
Ventralis looked surprised for a moment before schooling his features. "Benezia? Yeah, she's been through here. The bugs overtook the hot labs last week. The only one that made it out was Han Olar, but he isn't talking much. The next thing we know, the bastards were crawling through my command post...We had more people then."
Jane nodded, "My crew and I are packing heat and metal. If they wanna fight with claws and teeth, it won't end well for them."
"I can't thank you enough, we could use all the help we can-" The Captain was cut off when the nearby vents exploded and a small swarm of Rachni poured into the corridor.
Flynn, who had been the closest, raised his super shotgun and fired it one handed. The blast blowing one of the warriors in half before his fist lashed out, a blood punch charged when it connected. The shockwave that was released reduced all the alien insects to a pulpy mass that splashed across the walls behind the vents they came out of.
The slayer broke open his weapon and loaded a fresh pair of shells while everyone else looked at him with different emotions.
"W-What the hell was that?" Ventralis stuttered, he and his men now afraid of the large human in armor.
"Our resident exterminator." Shepard answered with a smirk.
A/N: More like exterminator to end all exterminators, but I digress.
I think I'm starting to get my mojo back. And it couldn't have come at a better time now that I actually able to start writing again.
Plenty more bug killing and the long awaited encounter with Benezia and the Rachni Queen is next. The only question that can be asked what Flynn will do when they meet?
Next chapter already in progress. Should be up in a few days, a week at most.