So, basically we have now arrived at the scene that basically sparked this entire story. Yes, it's a blatant rip-off of a well-known scene in ME2 but I just had to do it. All that came before and all that comes after, all originated from this one image I had in my mind. And I'm sorry...
Binthu – The Controller
Two out of the three known facilities, previously owned and exploited by Cerberus, were as dead and empty as they had left them. The third just loomed up in front of them and, strangely enough, the facility appeared to be just as abandoned as the other places.
Garrus fought down a wave of despair as they entered the facility. Electricity was still working. That was a good sign. The lack of a welcoming committee . . . not so much. If no one was left behind to protect the work they were conducting, chances were they still wouldn't find Dani.
They slipped into another empty office, ruffling through papers and whatever information they could get their hands on. Liara found more log entries and activated the first.
"We set up perimeters here on Binthu today," the same raspy voice they heard on Taitus rang out. "Dr. Archer constructed the VI that will work on our algorithms. It will benefit greatly from the ability to access human imagination. Preparations to set up the Controller will commence tomorrow."
"Human imagination, are they talking about Dani? What the hell were they planning for her? Cause from where I'm standing, it really doesn't sound too good! And what is this Controller thing?"
Garrus started pacing around like a caged varren. He'd seen the horrors that Cerberus had inflicted on humans and other galactic creatures. The thought what they might have done to Dani nearly drove him mad. At the moment Garrus really couldn't say if finding Dani alive would be a good thing.
Liara activated the second entry.
"It took longer than expected but the Controller is finally in place. We're still debating just how much control it should possess. First test runs were positive and show tremendous promise."
"There's no mention of the VI or Dani," Liara said puzzled. "It's like they just moved on to something else. Have we just hit another dead end?"
"Are there any more log entries?"
"Yes, two."
"Activate them."
"Yes, Shepard."
"The Controller is now running the entire base. Work on viable bio toxins has recommenced. There's a team standing by to maintain the system. There's more work involved in that department than previously anticipated. The Controller is prone to . . . internal system failure. Nothing that can't be solved. It just means hiring an extra task group."
"Shit fuck! Still no viable information!" Shepard swore.
"Well, work on the bio toxins recommenced. Wasn't that what they wanted Dani for?" Liara said.
"They were talking about a way to use her without needing her cooperation. If work on bio toxins recommenced, does that mean they succeeded?" Garrus didn't want to think what that might implicate.
"What does the last entry say?"
Liara activated the last entry.
"It was a trick. Oh it's clever! Cleverer than we gave it credit for! It let us think the VI was in control, but it wasn't. It really, really wasn't. It was the other way around! And now, the Controller is killing us. Once we gave it full control, it turned on us in a heartbeat. Project Controller, I am sorry is to say, is a complete and utter failure. We need to find a way to shut it down. We have to kill her. If we can."
"Okay, why did he suddenly say kill her?" Garrus' voice keened.
"By the Goddess," Liara breathed. "I – I think I understand. Oh, I hope I'm wrong, but if I'm not, I'm afraid we will find Dani here."
The way Liara said it, killed all his desire to ask her to elaborate.
"Come on, let's go find her," Shepard said quietly.
The three of them took out their guns and Shepard led Garrus and Liara deeper into the facility. When they went through a door to enter a new area, the facilities security system gave them a warning.
"Intruders are requested to report to the main entrance for immediate removal of this facility."
"That must be the Controller," Shepard cautioned his squad. "Keep your eyes and ears open."
They quickly jogged through the area and suddenly there was a body count. At least seven dead researchers were found lying on the floor near a door leading to a different part of the facility.
"Intruders detected. You are not authorized to be in this area."
More dead bodies awaited them after turning each corner. Garrus couldn't remember ever have gotten this far. The previous time they'd been here they had just shut down everything in the main room. Turns out, there was so much more!
"All intruders intentionally violating security are requested to exit the facility immediately."
Not a word was spoken between them as they headed deeper and deeper into the facility. With each step, Garrus could feel his heart beating faster, more violently in his chest. Each step took him closer to finding out what happened to Dani. Spirits, he wanted to find her so badly. And at the same time, he really didn't. They reached a small tunnel-like hallway leading up. It was dark and the silence deafening. Seemed like a perfect place for a death trap. Sure enough, as soon as they climbed up, the Controller friendly warned them away.
"Plasma venting in progress. Attempting to reach the maintenance controls will most likely result in serious injury or death."
The highly volatile streams of plasma jettisoning through the duct looked incredibly bad for your health.
"Time your steps everyone. This kind of pressure can't be held up. As soon as it diminishes we go through. Quickly. Who knows how fast they'll reach full pressure again!" Shepard warned.
One wrong move and his armor would heat up like a sun. Garrus wasn't too keen on finding out what that would do to his body inside it. He timed his charges carefully.
"All attempts to decontaminate the facility have failed. Require more information about intruders to escalate defenses."
They reached the end of the corridor and entered a room where they found a large screen and console. The screen emitted a blue glow that just barely illuminated the room they were in. For some reason, Garrus felt like he was being watched, as if this room had a thousand eyes watching him.
"A squad team of three. N7 armor. Human. Asari. Turian. Accessing information. Suspected relation to SSV Normandy. Are you Commander Shepard?"
"Who am I talking to?" Shepard wanted to know.
"Please confirm your identity. Are you Commander Shepard?"
"Yes! I am Commander Fucking Shepard of the SSV Normandy. With me are Dr. Liara T'Soni and Garrus Vakarian. We are here for Dani Pryde. Where is she?"
"Identity confirmed. Controller health status . . . low. Insufficient power for direct Controller communication. Direct communication will result in critical health status."
"I have no idea what you are rambling about, I just want to know where Dani is! Now tell me what I want to know or I will blast your virtual ass into actual dust!"
Suddenly the blue light vanished and the screen flickered to life. A picture slowly built up. It was a much distorted image but Garrus would recognize her features anywhere.
"Dani?" he choked out. "What, what the hell happened to you?"
"Gggg –rrus. Sssrry we nnnnvvrr got to hhhvvv thhht tttttlk. Pllllls go. Thhhherrs nnnotthhhhhng you can dddddddoo."
Her computerized voice was all garbled up. And it sounded faint and so tired.
"You have got to be kidding me!" he cried out. "I haven't come all this way just to give up!"
"Sssshprd, Liaaaaaaaaaara. Keeeeeeppp an eeey out fffr himmm? Pppplls ddddooooo nnott entterrrrr next arrrreaaa. Jst go. Rrrremmmbr me as I wwss. Ppplssss Shep."
Her voice became more garbled and sounded fainter with each syllable. Her image started to waver as well.
"Shepard?" Garrus asked.
"To hell with this," Shepard muttered. "Liara, Garrus, how well are you stocked on medi-gel? I have a feeling we're going to need it. Sorry Dani, but we're coming for you."
The screen flickered once more and then faded to black, not even the blue glow came back. Shepard turned around and stormed out of the room and into the next area. The first thing Garrus noticed was that there were gigantic thick cables suspended in the air, all leading to a gigantic dome structure. Several rows of mainframes were lined up in the spacious circular room and more bunches of cables were draped over the floor. Silence hung heavy in the room, except for the faint shuddering beeps and weird noises coming from the mainframes.
They cautiously approached the dome, stepping over an insane amount of cables on the floor as they did so. As soon as they crossed some kind of unseen threshold, metal rings around the dome started to turn and shift position. The dome opened up, revealing a large metal rig. And inside that rig, they found Dani, or what was left of her.
Liara couldn't suppress a cry of dismay. Shepard merely sighed in shock. Garrus just stared at the travesty these scientists had turned her into. Time seemed to come to a grinding stop for Garrus. Nothing else seemed to exist in the room but that one image and the frantic beating of his own heart. For a moment, all he could do was stare though at some point his legs just seemed to take over and carried him straight towards her.
Dani's wrists were shackled to the rig but her body hung forward in such a way that her shoulders were dislocated. Her head sported some sick representation of a halo with tubes sticking into her now bald shaved head. Clamps forced her blood clotted eyes open. There was so much dried blood pooled in her eyes, they almost saw black. Dried blood traced from her ears and nose as well. If she'd bled from her mouth, Garrus couldn't see, but that was because of the large tubes stuck down her throat. Her legs dangled down and from the look of it, the bones were shattered.
Garrus quickly checked the read outs from his visor. Her heart was still beating, but just barely. Internal organs were already shutting down. It looked like they were too late.
"Dani!" His voice broke when he whispered her name. If she heard him, she showed no sign.
Looking at her eyes, Garrus realized there was no way she could still see. If her ears were as badly damaged, she wouldn't be able to hear as well.
"There's a team standing by to maintain the system. There's more work involved in that department than previously anticipated. The Controller is prone to . . . internal system failure."
He closed his eyes as the meaning finally hit him.
"Liara, can you . . . is it safe to get her down?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.
"Already on it Garrus," Liara responded just as quietly. "Hold her up, I'm releasing the holds."
The arm restraints snapped open and the tubes from her head and mouth retreated, freeing her from the contraption.
A faint sigh escaped her cracked lips as she sagged down against Garrus' supporting form. Blood started to trickle from the wounds in her head. Liara quickly moved over to Garrus while he crouched down, cradling Dani in his lap. Liara applied medi-gel to the wounds.
Tights bands of cloth were wrapped over her breasts and private parts. There were large wounds on her abdomen as well. There had been tubes there as well, just concealed from the eye by the metal rig.
Every wound, bruise or tender spot Liara spotted, got treated with medi-gel while Garrus cradled her lovingly. He whispered in her ear, just non-sense really, even though he knew she couldn't hear him. Her vital stats were very low but at least they stabilized somewhat.
Her hand struggled up and faltered half way up to his face, she lacked the strength to raise her hand further. Garrus gently grasped her hand in his and placed it against his mandible. A low moan struggled from his lower vocal cords as he leaned into her touch. She managed a small smile before her head lolled against his chest.
"Shepard!" Garrus called out. "You need to alert the Normandy and tell Dr. Chakwas to standby. Her vitals are crashing!"
