The Broken Cycle (original) (raw)

| | Thinking of the time made Xenia sigh out loud; It was well after midnight by Zakera time. Even in the seeder alleyways she hadn't witnessed a suitable victim.She looked around as she walked and she recognized the neighborhood as being one close to an Alliance dock- she wouldn't be able to find anything here- the privates who frequented businesses in this corridor while on shore leave tended to be clean of corruption.Over the drunken laughter of humans echoing through the open corridor, an energetic beat could be heard emerging from a club nearby. She closed her eyes to focus on the music, letting it flow through her veins, breathing in every note as it rode through the airways to her... Perhaps dancing could get her mind off her bad luck. She made her way into the club (using her charm to get in without having to pay a cover) and made her way to the washroom. Her reflection looked good; her makeup still looked fresh and her crests shimmered the way she liked. She nodded to herself in the mirror with a slight smirk. She would probably be able to drink for free tonight as well. She didn't need to, of course; the fee from her last job had been quite high. That mercenary had messed with the wrong person, as they had vengeful and wealthy friends...Just as she was about to turn to leave she heard a ghastly moan from the last stall. Curious, she walked over to find a pair of human legs emerging from under the door. "Are... you okay?" She asked. Compared to Alamosa, Questa, New Mexico, was overrun with Reaper debris. While most of his fellow NLRA members sighed in a sort of pre-emptive defeat, Zef marveled at the potential haul. Vidicon had sent him more counterweights than usual to mask the stolen cargo, so it was obvious she was expecting more out of their partnership. He hoped that he’d be able to send more important parts; so far their system had been able to fool the rudimentary Reaper waste disposal programs. He figured he’d tested the waters enough to jump in and take a risk- especially since along with the counterweights Vidicon had wired him a bonus for the Marauder skull.There was the problem of Larana, however- she might be onto him. He would have to keep his activity on the down-low… and figure out some way to get real candy bars shipped in soas to confirm her inkling as to what it was his “uncle Vlad” had sent him.“Beautiful…” A woman next to him whispered as their transport pulled into the center of what had been once been a town. He raised an eyebrow. “That’s not the typical reaction…” He said with a slight grin.The brunette woman laughed uncomfortably. “Oh, sorry- I’m just a tech junkie so I’m interested in this kind of stuff.” She held out her hand, “I’m Cindy.” Zef shook her hand and gave his name in response. “I haven’t seen you before. You part of the new unit? We didn’t really get to properly meet them, what with all the politician’s festivities and the new coolers and loading the trains and all.”She shook her head. “Yeah. It was pretty crazy. I’ve only met a handful of people on the ride because I’ve used the time to sleep.”He looked back out the window of the tram as the seemingly endless fields of reaper corpses. “Well, we won’t have much time for sleep during the next few weeks, so it’s a good thing you got it out of the way.”He looked back to her. “Uh, you wouldn’t happen to have any chocolate bars would you?” Xenia sighed as she walked out of the security firm. The meeting was a bust. She wasn’t able to meet directly with the target, so it was basically a waste of time. Though parts were informative, she found herself scanning the crack in the door to the back room, waiting for a shadow to pass over so she could get a look at the Turian, but she’d had no luck.She noticed that when she felt frustration, it was easier for her true nature to begin to take over. This wasn’t good… She was beginning to hunger again. It had been a two and a half galactic standard weeks since her last ‘encounter.’She closed her eyes slowly, letting the woman’s memories flood her mind. _She kept a nervous eye on the back door. The wind kicked up and blew her hair out of her face momentarily before she lifted the hood of her jacket. ‘You sure no one will come out here?’ She asked the young man who was digging through his messenger bag. They were behind the middle school building near a dumpster. ‘Relax.’ He responded. ‘The first time’s free.’ He said as he tossed her a bag of red sand......Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she stood over the body of her first kill. It was a nice, clean head shot. ‘Nice work.’ Alanna confirmed as she patted her on the back, ‘Looks like you’ve earned your armor. Welcome to Eclipse.’… Her lungs filled with the rich, smoky taste of the cigar as she took a puff before tossing the winning hand on the table. ‘Read ‘em and weep, punk.’ She added, smugly.‘No-‘ the Volus said in a panic, ‘No- that was everything I owned… You can’t clean me out- that hand was one in a million- I couldn’t possibly lose…’‘Sorry, sweet meat.’ She said before bringing the cigar back to her mouth, ‘Looks like you’re SOL.’‘But… my savings- my little girl’s college tuition money… Give me one more hand, please…’She blew smoke directly at his envirosuit’s filters. ‘There might have been a time when I would have cared about shit like that- but it’s looooong gone, honey.’ She drew her blaster. ‘Now clear out.’_Xenia took a deep breath and opened her eyes, breaking her connection with her most recent victim. She flexed her fingers, her nerves tingling as if they had themselves carried out every action that the human woman had. Joining worked like that for Ardakt Yakshi; they gained the wisdom and experience of their victims, making them stronger, faster, and- as a result- addicted to the sport.Xenia’s body ached with longing. She was parched for the taste of a lover’s lips on her own. She took another deep breath, but it was all for naught; there was just no use trying to fight it. She had heard stories of several seedy places in the wards where she was sure she could find someone who wouldn’t be missed… Xenia picked up her pace and began to walk toward Zakera’s access corridor. “I’ve seen the vid spots, Garoon- they’re good but I don’t think it’s enough.” The councilor said as she mulled over a datapad momentarily before looking up to make eye contact with Kaul.“What do you mean? I thought you said the Council was 4-1 against repealing the laws.” Kaul recalled, “So, even if we didn’t sway public opinion you could still veto, right?”She sighed and pushed her chair out from her desk before making her way to the balcony. “It’s not that simple.” She began to explain as she surveyed the Presidium.“If there’s enough interest we will have to reconsider; they’ll be brought to the table again and open for debate. That means months of expert testimony and outside influence… And I know the trend in business is to abolish the laws. Just look at what Grimm Industries is doing- they’re really willing to risk anything just to make another buck. Truth is, I don’t know how well we can stand up to so much financially-packed pressure from those lobbyists… I just want this whole thing to stay dead.”“They’re willing to risk even the possibility of galactic extinction should things go astray?” Kaul asked, both rhetorically and in disbelief.“I agree. Some things just shouldn’t be ‘political,’ some things shouldn’t be up for debate…” She sighed again and made her way back to her chair.“We might need some extra help on this one.” The human councilor whispered as she pulled up the SPECTRE database on her omnitool… Collin looked out over the Toronto skyline from the penthouse suite of his Earth based offices. He found himself looking at the rebuilt CN tower. They’d built it to its original specs, and it now served as a memorial for those lost during the war. He couldn’t believe it used to me taller than most of the buildings in the city only a century or two ago.Human society had come so far since the discovery of the Prothean archives on Mars- and it had the potential to jump forward again. He had seen it with his own eyes, what Cerberus had been rumored to be able to do during the last few months of the war… He knew that it wasn’t just a fantastic story- it was the truth.He was confident that whoever was able to emerge at the forefront of technological advancement and AI research would wield the most power in the days to come. He intended to be that person. He rested his arm against the glass of the window and leaned himself against it, loving the rush he felt from the intimidating view as he looked down toward the street. With Vidarr secure on the Citadel and the rest of his cult scattered throughout the galaxy, he had eyes and ears everywhere.A knock on his door shook him from his thoughts. He pushed himself away from the window and looked back toward a slender-bodied, dark haired teen. “Vecna,” he addressed his spy, “News from Vidicon?”The boy nodded and held out a datapad. “What the Salarians uncovered could have huge political sway with voters, especially those close to wounded vets.”Collin smirked as he read the report. “Perfect, DeVin… Perfect.”“Don’t thank me yet-“ the boy interrupted, “Vidicon also wants a raise and more agents on the field. She claims procuring better samples will produce more risk. She also suggested that this discovery could become exploited by STG… if they were to find out...”He laughed. “That’s the trouble with hiring Salarian scientists… you can’t outsmart them.”His smile faded, “As much as I’d like to keep this in human hands they are still our best resource. Fine. I’ll agree to her terms. Luckily enough I’ve already planted more agents on the digsites of various worlds. Give her half of what she asks for, money-wise, and make sure she gets this…”He rummaged through his files and copied an incriminating image onto a spare data disc before tossing it to Val. “That should keep her loyal.”Val nodded and took his leave. “Vidarr- I presume you have arrived at your location?” The voice of Prometheus buzzed from the hologram displayed in comm room of his ship.Ke’Tore nodded, both in recognition of his code name as well as to confirm his arrival. “I am approaching the docks. I will transmit the docking codes you gave to me and report to my post as instructed. Do you have any further orders of me?”“Yes, over the next standard day I want you to make contact with all of your children, make sure they have made it to their assigned locations as well. You’ll be able to use the secured industry channels in the business center; I’ve modified ours to be untraceable.”“Understood.” Ke’Tore confirmed before the flickering image of Prometheus disappeared.He made his way back through the CIC of his small cruiser. Some of his children were assigned to different parts of the citadel, but they would be arriving together under the guise of work transfers. Prometheus had spared no expense; he’d registered the cruiser as a transport vehicle and had high quality counterfeit passports and papers individualized for each of them.From what Ke’Tore could tell, Prometheus was a man of connections and a vast wealth of information. He truly must have been sent by the Gods and Goddesses to carry out their interstellar plan for the reemergence of harmony throughout the galaxy… Kaul was more than a little frustrated with his team’s lack of results. He sighed and took a seat at the head of the boardroom table before cupping his face in his hands. “Okay, so recent incidents of indoctrination seems to be a dead end… But there have to be other arguments we can use to push our side of this issue.”He pushed several documents aside and brought out his personal datapad. He twirled the stylus in between his fingers before jotting some things down. “We can use the Geth as an example, even if they did co-operate in the end… look at what happened with the Quairans- exiled from their own planet, the biological functions began to suffer from isolation in space- the older generation are still wearing those suits, and it could have had consequences on the younger generation’s health- Jones- research that, see if there’s any merit there.”“Yes, sir.” Jones responded before exiting the room and headed for the information archives.“Okay, what else?” Kaul asked, looking to the others on his team.“We can use images of the many still-ruined sectors of Council worlds- we’re still cleaning up three decades after the attack, for God’s Sake.” One of his assistants, Heather Maolne, added. “Or just the death count from the war- by the end more than 2/3 of the entire galactic population was AWOL.”Kaul jotted it down. “Any luck getting ahold of Shepard?” “None yet,” Heather responded, disappointed.Kaul looked toward Heather with an expression that could only mean “_well, get back to it._”Heather jumped up and made her way to the comm room.Lisa Jerome leaned away from looking out the window. “Aren’t the dig teams in the HLRA proponents for introducing AI into their efforts? Have they ever considered that by doing that they’re actually jeopardizing their own jobs?”“Tell me more,” Kaul said as he jotted the ideas down.“Simple- AI will be more efficient and synthetics will be more resilient. They’re going to outsource themselves.” Lisa took a sip of coffee, “And- then much like the struggle with the Geth, what happens when those units realize they’re vital to society- will they want rights?”Kaul nodded and jotted down bullet points. “Okay, those are some good ideas for now. Call editing, have them start working on some TV spots.” “No fair!” Larana protested as she looked over Zef’s shoulder. “How come you always get care pacakages?” Zef looked back over his shoulder, alarmed. “Oh- they’re not exciting.” He said, quickly trying to shove the box under his bunk.Larana reached out and grabbed the card from off the top of a stack of what looked like candy bars. “Who’s it from?” She asked as she opened the card. She furrowed her brows. Inside there was no message or signature, simply the letter “V.”“V?” She asked.Zef laughed uncomfortably. “My uncle… uh, uncle Vladimir.”“Vladimir?” She aksed, “Vladimir Garik?”Zef chuckled, “No- he’s my uncle on my mother’s side. Vladimir…. Bezukladnikov.”Larana stared at him for a while. “I didn’t know you were half Russian.”Zef looked around uncomfortably. “Yeah… That’s me. Half Bresnikov.”“I thought you said it was Bezukladnikov.” She said as she reached out for one of the candy bars, “Hey, can I have one?”Zef tried to swat her hand away, but she had already grabbed one. “What the- why are these so heavy?” She asked, “They feel hard- like lead weights.”Zef grabbed the wrapped bar from her. “So you question my heritage and now insult their delicacies?” He asked, offended, before throwing the bar back into the box and shoving it under his bunk. “Come on, brat- we’re gonna be late for morning shift.” He said as he pushed her toward the door.Larana bit her bottom lip in suspicion. Zef was acting really weird- and she doubted the origin story of his “care package.” Something strange was going on… Ke’Tore looked out onto his Sons and Daughters with a heavy heart. Though he knew the time was right, the orders from his Citadel contact marked the beginning of the revolution, and he couldn’t help but be weary concerning the fate of his Children. “Today, my children, the call to action is upon us.” He spoke slowly, in a calm manner, “Prometheus has laid the groundwork for our mission, and the time to reintegrate with society is now. He has already provided us with positions across Council space, and has created for us new identities. As you all know, our mission is to help restore balance to the universe by furthering the cause of the reintegration of synthetic life and the reactivation of AI.”“Though our commandments require us to leave the nest, we are still family. We are the chosen few who can still hear the Truth. We will have to take comfort in that, for the time being, as many of our new appointments will, by their nature, sever our communication with one another. Prometheus assures me, however, that he will keep watch over us, and communicate everything we need to know about our purpose through his agents.”The others looked to each other with concern. There were some expressions that transcended species. “Take heart-“ Ke’Tore could tell they would need a rallying cry, “The path for those chosen is never easy, but once walked it takes us to a place from which we can change the universe! You are the bringers of life, the ressurecters of justice, and the last real hope for harmony.”His charisma had succeeded in glorifying their new orders, and his children began to cheer. Ke’Tore smiled as he looked out among them. He would indeed miss them, but their mission was too important to be swayed by longings for familial bonds. Ren had become completely immersed in the Marauder sample. Palon had reminded her to sleep more than once in the past week. It was hard for her to do anything besides work- when she stepped away from the sample she was thinking about it. When she slept she was dreaming about it. She had skipped meals because the prospect of food just wasn’t important in comparison with studying the sample.Her stomach rumbled again as she focused the lens of the microscope. Palon cleared his throat, as if he were about to say something to her. “Not now- I’ll eat later.” Ren stated simply as she continued to magnify the image.Palon sighed and shifted his attention back to his much more mundane sample. Most of the things Mercury was able to smuggle for them turned out to have little scientific value- they were mostly miscellaneous, random chunks of Reaper hull and nothing that provided much insight into Reaper AI or synthetic life functions. The skull plate, however, was one of the only samples they’d been able to get from the ground forces the Reapers had employed. It was particularly fascinating to Ren because at one point it had been Turian; completely biological and not synthetic, yet it had been converted- possibly within days or hours- into a hybrid life form.Ren slowly moved the sample under the microscope, examining the inert synthetic cells. It was amazing that there were still traces of the synthetic cells at all; they had been in that field for three decades; much more time than necessary for decomposition. Suddenly, something familiar caught her eye. She stopped moving the plate and inhaled sharply. Ren focused her gaze intently. “Anaphase?” She asked out loud, bewildered.The other scientists perked up. “That… that can’t be right. There’s just no way…” Ren mumbled to herself.“Palon- what do you see?” She took her face away from the microscope and let her assistant look. “No…” He gasped. “It’s impossible, isn’t it- for organic cells to still be viable after so long… Let alone reproduce- what does it mean?” Ren’s heart began to beat quickly.If the synthetic reaper tech had affected the organic cells… the applications would be enormous. “Captain!” Palon interjected enthusiastically, “Do you understand the impact this could have on medical science?”It was hard for her to contain her excitement. “It would be amazing- but we can’t get ahead of ourselves. We need to run some more tests on this; it could be that Mercury contaminated the sample, or that the cell isn’t from the original host… but if it is…”“Jahore- start prepping the bio lab.” She commanded before gently pushing Palon away from the microscope and looking back onto her discovery… After a month and a half of excavation, Zef’s team had gotten the go ahead to move down the Rio Grande to the next residential area with reaper debris: Questa, New Mexico. They were currently loading the temporary housing facilities and diggers onto the hovertrain, which was actually just about as hard as excavating the reaper fragments. “Even though it’s been hot as balls, I think I’m gonna miss this place more than the other East of Jesus Nowhere towns we’ve cleaned up.” Zef said with a small sigh as he tossed a bag of equipment into one of the housing units, which were doubling as transports for cargo.He flinched a little at the loud clang that followed. “What? Why?” Larana asked as she gently set a box down inside one of the transports.“Come on- those sand dunes are pretty freakin’ cool. Though I hear they were even bigger when Zebulan Pike’s group found ‘em. I wonder if they ever tried to ski down them. Did they have skis?”Larana giggled a little. “Yeah, skis were around, but actually that expedition left all their winter gear behind- don’t you remember from the vids in class?”Zef shrugged. “I don’t like the really old stuff. I only paid attention to the newer stuff- you know, the stuff that matters now.”Larana sighed as she lifted another crate, “So- you paid attention the last month of school?”Before Zef could respond the sound of helicopters filled the air. “What the…” They looked up to the skies to see that they were carrying water pumps. “No way!”Upon further inspection, The choppers did not bear the standard NLRA insignia, but instead the campaign logo of one of the candidates running for Senate… “What’d I tell ya?” Luke yelled in excitement as he slapped Zef on the back. “We’re a big deal this election season!”He took off running toward where the choppers were setting down and Zef and Larana followed. There was a crowd forming around the new units, and several men in black suits with tinted glasses began erecting a podium, presumably for the candidate to speak. “Grimm industries?” Larana asked as she pointed to the water pumps. “Aren’t they a defense company? I wonder why they are shifting their focus to reclamation…”“Who cares!” Zef exclaimed, himself pointing in another direction, “Looks like this guy brought us lunch!” He was practically salivating as a buffet table and tent began to take shape. Xenia had used part of her earning from her last hit to procure a small sales kiosk in the market district of one of the wards. She had a small inventory of luxury lotions and body oils (mostly presents from old suitor hopefuls) that she could offer for sale. Though the primary function was to provide a legitimate business front seeking security consultation with its data, if Rolan proved to not be the man Reek suspected she could always keep the profit for herself. In her spare time, she had spent a few days scoping out the security consultation firm from various locations around the strip. So far she was having a hard time believing Reek’s assertions, but then again- a good con artist never looks suspicious. It was time to advance her plan and move to actual contact.Again clad in professional dress, Xenia walked through the office doors, checked in with the receptionist, and began to browse various holo-pamphlets as she waited. “Miss Kataarn?” The receptionist called the false name Xenia had acquired for her stay on the citadel, “We have a consultant who can see you now.” The shuttle's engines groaned and chugged as it burned the last of the low-grade eezo she had picked up from one of the many "vulture" mining ships that roamed around Omega, grinding rocks cast off from the Omega asteroid millennia ago into powder and selling the resulting crude fuel to those who would not or could not deal with Aria. In Myri's case, it was price, although she didn't even have a Council credit to her name, instead swapping an old but reliable sensor package for the eezo. Now, she just prayed her tiny, battered shuttle could run on fumes.Then she blinked and it was in sight. The Citadel....glittering, a mishmash along its smooth hull surfaces of ancient and new metal, testament to what had been damaged and what replaced. She sighed, glancing over at her helmet and running her fingers along its smooth faceplate. She was coming to the capital of the galaxy with literally nothing...she hoped it didn't mean she would never leave. Ke’Tore blinked his inner eyelids as he looked out the viewport onto the asteroid’s surface, which was softly glowing with the light of a faraway star. He was up earlier than his children; the fellow chosen few who could still hear the whispers of Truth. The gods and goddesses were clear in their instructions to him- the genocide of synthetic life had been unacceptable. He and his children had to work to restore the balance of the universe.Ke’Tore rolled his shoulders before heading back into the main room of the remote base. From the time displayed on the Citadel-linked clock on the wall he could tell that he had enough time for his morning meditations before the call from his contact would come… Collin K. Grimm surveyed the stock prices as they ticked across a hovering display in the Citadel’s business district. A faint smirk crossed his face as Grimm Industry’s numbers flashed green. He looked back down to his personal datapad and scrolled through various correspondence while taking a sip of coffee. He curled his lip at the too-bitter taste. He really should have known better than to visit a Krogran-run stand. “Hello.” He stated simply after he brought his finger up to press the receive call function on his omnitool headset.“No, I don’t care if it looks like the startup cost is too high- we go through with the water pump plan for HLRA. Trust me, this move will pay off. I don’t want to hear any more questions about this issue, understood?” His voice was cold and calculating and he barely braked for a breath between sentences. Collin was the type to think seven steps ahead of the opponents, and it had paid off for him. He was in the top 5% income bracket in Council space, and his organization was growing rapidly. It was perfect. The end game was within his reach and the pieces were falling into place… Ren took a moment to stretch and look out at the beautiful landscape of Sur’Kesh from the balcony of the top-secret STG black ops base where she worked. The Salarian homeworld had taken very little damage during the Reaper invasion compared to other Council worlds on the arms of the Milky Way. She closed her eyes and listened to the comforting sound of the nearby waterfall. As was the case with many of her species, water did something to calm the nerves.After the stress-inducing flight across regulated space with the contraband in tow, Ren needed to calm down. Still-the mission was a success; the rest of her team was ecstatic with her haul and was currently unloading it into the labs.“Captain- you’re gonna want to see this.” Palon announced from the doorway onto the balcony, pulling Ren out of her meditation.She turned and nodded before following him inside. “What do we have?” She asked as they made their way into the labs.“Loads of stuff- mostly the usual inconspicuous nonsensical parts, but this time it looks like Mercury was able to get us something good.” Palon was visibly excited.Her team was gathered around a central table in the middle of the lab, all struggling to get into a better position to see. “Alright men- move aside.” She commanded.The scientists parted to reveal the most in-tact piece of a Reaper ground force she had ever seen; it was almost a complete metallic skull plate of what she recognized from the history vids as a Marauder. Her instant grin encapsulated her whole face. “Mercury, you son of a bitch.” She praised as she reached out and touched the synthetic fossil.“Sorry, men- I’m pulling rank on this one.” Ren asserted as she picked up the piece, claiming it for her own to investigate. Ruined cities scattered the landscape and thick clouds blotted out the sunlight in the Tuchankan sky. Though this was the new norm for planets across the galaxy, the Krogan homeworld looked the same as it had before the Reapers invaded. Xenia had heard rumors that Clan Urdnot had begun several reform efforts, including planetary ecosystem reconstruction, but it wasn’t apparent in this sector. She had to watch where she stepped to avoid loose gravel in her heels. Xenia tended to dress formally when meeting with new clients as it gave her a professional image, but truth be told, it was massively uncomfortable. She preferred her leather pants and combat boots, but dressing like a commando gave her the wrong kind of attention. She preferred to look more feminine, as it seemed to calm the other species and mask her true nature.Her careful stepping did nothing to help her avoid what seemed like hoards of young children running through the ruins, however. They screamed a headbutted each other in what looked like some version of ‘king of the hill.’ Many citizens were worried when Shepard cured the Genophage in order to secure Krogan help during the war with the reapers, but their concerns were unwarranted. There was a surge in the birthrate immediately following the defeat of the reapers, but in the decades after the reaper attack the birthrate had leveled off and become stable. Krogan still reproduced much faster than other species, but it wasn’t at the exponential rate many species had feared.Under the progressive leadership of Urdnot Wrex, and thanks to their help defeating the Reapers, the Krogan had gained galactic respect and were granted expanded colony rights as well as a seat on the council. Those weary of Krogran revenge had had their anxiety squelched. Though, to be fair, the temperament of many Krogran remained true to the stereotype. They were still feared in close range combat and many people she knew swore to let them win whenever they played Five Colors, lest they leave the game with less limbs than when the game began.She made her way into the office building which overlooked heaps of rubble and keyed in her destination on the lift. There were days when the very idea of a Krogan office building would be laughable, but Xenia guessed that was a judgment of the past. Perhaps the Krogran had been the way they were because of the Genophage and not the other way around like the Turians and Salarians she’d known in her youth had claimed.“Reek- your appointment is here!” The receptionist called into the office behind her. A loud, booming laugh erupted from within the office. The sound of a chair scraping the floor was audible shortly before a hearty voice proclaimed, “Send her in!”Xenia walked into the office to find an excited looking Krogan donning a suit staring out his window. “Miss Astrida Plennox-“ He greeted her with the false name she’d given him, “Pleased to make your acquaintance. Please, close the door behind you.”She did as instructed and took a seat near his desk. Reek turned to face her and handed her a datapad. “Here is the information you required from me.”She scanned the screen and quickly became puzzled. “A security consultant?” She asked, looking up to the with a confused expression.The Krogan threw his hands in the air, “All a cover! This damn Turian’s one of the most vicious conmen in the galaxy! He wiped out my entire savings account when I was on shore leave at the citadel. My unit mostly spent time in the wards, but I’d gotten an officer’s invitation to some casino fundraiser. I figured I could win big on the Varren races- hell, no one knows Varren quite like a Krogan- but instead I lost all my credits to that two bit liar. Didn’t even realize it ‘til after I got back from fighting on Palavan. Can you believe it- I lost Krant defending that scumbag’s home planet.”Reek swatted a large paperweight off of his desk and it collided loudly with the wall. Xenia could tell he sincerely believed the Turian was at fault for grand theft committed against him… “It’s not my usual target, but if what you say is true he sounds pretty low… For cases like these I require an observation period. I’ll need pay for transport and lodging. If I can verify your claims I’ll contact you with information about the hit.”Reek grunted. “Oh, I have no problem believing you’ll find him as repulsive as I do, but what I care about the most is that this can’t be traced back to me. Urdnot Bakara’s instated some pretty strict regulations for Krogan in my position, and I’m not about to risk my job- I need the money. That’s why I contacted you. Your reputation of making things look like an accident intrigued me.”She rose to her feet. “I never disappoint in that aspect. Once the observational period is complete I’ll contact you regarding my decision. Do we have a deal?” The Krogan took her hand and shook enthusiastically. “Deal.” 2 years agoRoz woke in a panic. The alarm! She was sure she'd set it! She now had about ten minutes to ready herself."Shitshitshitshitshitshit" she muttered as she threw on her dress uniform. "If I miss Graduation, Jack is gonna have my ass!"She manically swiped a comb through her blonde locks, slapped on some black eyeliner and cursorily brushed her teeth, popping a mint just in case.She opened the door of her quarters to see her instructor, Jaqueline Nought, better known to her students as Jack. "Hey, freshman! You overslept again didn't ya?" The older woman chuckled. "Get your shit and let's go. The rest of your squad is waiting in the hangar."Roz grabbed her pack and exited her room. "Can you really tell I just woke up?" She asked Jack."Hey if anyone gives you shit about it just do like I told you and kick em in the balls! Or punch em in the tits if they don't have balls." The instructor responded.Roz had idolized Jack from the minute they had met 10 years ago. Roz had been on track to spend her teenage years in a detention facility before Jack had intervened and brought her to the Ascension Program where she could hone her biotic abilities. Over the years they had developed a unique bond. Jack was completely unlike the other instructors. She was covered in tattoos, she swore like a sailor and she had no patience for workplace politics and bureaucracy. Still, the others respected her. She was seen as a hero by many, as unconventional as her methods may have been.Now it was the end of their time together. "Ja..I mean Miss Nought." Roz stammered, not wanting to seem too informal as they joined the other squads in the hangar. "After I graduate the program, I'll still get to see you, right?""Of course, freshman. Hell, I'll buy you your "first" drink when you're old enough" Jack replied knowingly. "I'm always here for all of you, you're all my responsibility. So don't do anything too stupid..." She said, addressing the rest of the squad as well. "Thanks, Jack." Roz said under her breath. She straightened up as the large vid comm in the hangar lit up. "Welcome graduates, instructors and families. In just a few minutes, we will begin recognizing the achievements of our students who have completed the Ascension program and are ready to take their first steps into the world, as masters of their biotic abilities."Roz wondered exactly how she was supposed to decide on a biotic-focused career. She wasn't overly fond of the military route, and mercenary work seemed dangerous. She felt less like she was taking on a new adventure and more like she was about to be pushed out of a moving train. Jack gripped her hand tightly as the squads began to move toward the main stage. "Don't worry, I got your back." What had once been the small town of Alamosa, Colorado, was now mainly comprised of temporary housing units. While a few of the town’s original landmarks remained, most notably the bear statue at which once graced Adams State University, the vast majority had been reduced to rubble during the Reaper attacks.Larana wondered why the Reapers would have bothered; the town seemed to be in the middle of nowhere and the surviving data showed its population to be under 15,000 at the time of the attack. She had been to countless towns in rural areas just like it during her stint with the National Land Reclamation Agency, however, so from what she could tell the older generation wasn’t exaggerating when they said the Reapers were going for total annihilation of organic life.Still, the concept seemed so foreign to her. She wasn’t even born until 9 years after the attack. As far back as her memory went back the citadel had been functioning and the mass relays to the council home worlds were repaired. Instead of a sense of fear when she examined the technology she and countless others were employed by the Alliance to unearth, she felt a sense of wonder.Untold power and AI had once run through the circuits of the synthetic creatures she dug up every day. If the hunks of tech could really do what so many people claimed they could do, then wouldn’t it make sense to use it to help reclamation? She wasn’t alone in her curiosity; it was often the topic of discussion at Alibi’s. (The name the crew had given to the makeshift pub they’d created in one of the temporary housing units. It was against regulation, but no one had enforced its dismantling.) She took her usual spot- the third stool from the right side of the bar- ordered a drink, and waited for her friends to arrive. “I don’t get why they don’t send us North during the summer months.” Luke Harrington complained to Larana as he poured her a Tequila Sunrise, “It had to be at least one hundred degrees today.”“Tell me about it.” She agreed. “The fact that we even have to be in the field at all is pretty backwards if you ask me. Machines wouldn’t get overheated and slow productivity. I wish we could at least use AI with some of the diggers.”Her friend Zef slid into the stool next to her. “Yeah.” He agreed, jumping in on the conversation. “But that goes against Council laws. I think it’s disgusting how they use fear to try and keep the population small. I mean- think of how much further along we’d be if we could actually use this tech to help us. I mean- look at what the Quarians were able to do to Rannoch with the Geth tech- they don’t even need those suits anymore. I mean, when I was a kid watching the vids I was like ‘who are those weird looking guys?’ When my teacher told me that the Quarians used to need those envirosuits just to survive and that once they made peace with the Geth and used their tech to help them they didn’t need it anymore- Like- I got in serious trouble for what happened next. I asked why we didn’t use AI technology to help with planet reclamation, and this teacher like, flipped her shit. I got detention for ‘insubordination,’ just for even asking the question.”Luke passed him a pint and Zef took a long sip. Larana had heard the story countless times before. Zef seemed to tell it daily. It was no secret that he was a critic of the Council’s Anti-Experimentation laws, which put strict limits on AI research (Basically- you couldn’t research it at all), VI programs, and the disposal of reaper technology. Many of the field workers in the NLRA were. “All I know- is that if they don’t at least send us more water pumps in the summer months they’re gonna be hurting during midterm elections.” Luke said as he cleaned a glass and looked up at the Alliance News Network on the screen. “Reclamation seems to be the hot topic this season.” Luke stared at the screen, his lips slightly parted. He seemed to be sucked into the debate. “Hey Zef- where were you at lunch today?” Larana asked after taking a small sip of her drink. “I wanted to sit with you but I couldn’t find you. I ended up going back into the field early because I was so bored.”Zef took another sip of his beer, “Uh… This is embarrassing, but…” He broke eye contact with her and looked down at the bar. “You know how Bravo team has Taco night? Well… I guess it didn’t sit very well with me-““Gross!” She interrupted him and smacked him on the shoulder. “WHAT?” he yelped, rubbing his shoulder. “You’re the one who asked!” “Whatever- I didn’t want to know that. I was just wondering if you’d gotten another freelance repair gig. You know- if you ever need help with those mechanic jobs I wouldn’t mind the extra cash.” She hoped she wasn’t being too forward.He grinned. “So- you smack me and then ask for a favor, eh?” He ruffled her hair, “Is that how this is gonna work?”She swatted his hand away. “Stooooop.” He took another sip of his beer. “Well?” She asked, hoping for the answer she wanted to hear. He looked back to her. “If I need help next time I’ll let you know.”She smiled slightly. “Thanks.”“Hey Luke- how about another pint? And another fru fru girly drink for Larana- on me?” Zef asked. To say Kaul was nervous would have been a massive understatement. He could tell by his body temperature and the thin layer of sweat on his brow that he’d have to send this suit to the cleaners after the meeting. It didn’t help that the presidium didn’t have natural breezes like he was used to in Toronto. The human embassy was kept at a comfortable 72 degrees, but it felt much hotter.“Would you like a water while you wait?” the young receptionist asked. Kaul looked over to the young blond man, thankful to be shaken from the prison of his own apprehension. “Yeah- sounds good.” He answered.“I’m sorry the counselor is running late. If it makes you feel better she’s late for just about everything, so it’s not just you.” The young man said as he reached into the cooler and pulled out a chilled bottle. “It’s not by choice, though- it causes her a lot of distress, truth be told. That’s just the nature of politics- always ten more things on the to-do list…”Kaul nodded. He understood, being a senator himself. “I know how that goes.” He took the bottle and unscrewed the cap. The cold water cascaded through his body. It was refreshing. “Kenny-“ A frantic sounding voice announced as the human Counselor walked into the office, “I need you to pull up the water and power reports for Zakera last quarter. Oh- Senator Garoon- hello.”Before Kaul could respond the Counselor brushed past him and into her office. “Come on in.” She yelled back into the foyer.Kaul made his way into her office, which overlooked the presidium. He was captivated by the view; in his lifetime he had seen the place transform from desolate and nearly unrecognizable to a beautiful atrium buzzing with life. “Oh- and Kenny- pull up the Tayseri reports too!” She yelled back into the foyer.“Yes Ma’am.” The receptionist responded.“Senator- you had some concerns?” the counselor asked as she took a seat and motioned to an empty chair with her hand.“Yes, Counselor. As you know there is a growing movement to modify the anti-experimentation laws. There is a claim that since no apparent effects of indoctrination have occurred since the Reapers were defeated that the technology must be safe to use and could further restoration efforts.”She sighed. “Yes, I’m familiar with that push. Is that why you’re here?”Kaul nodded. “Counselor, please block any of these efforts. I feel experimentation on Reaper tech and reactivation of the Reapers could have galaxy-sweeping horrific consequences.”“I feel the same way.” The Counselor agreed. Kaul felt a wave of relief wash over him. “However-“ she continued, “the opposition to these laws wants evidence that the current state of the Reapers is harmful. Truth is- we don’t have any.”Kaul blinked. “We don’t have any- what about the ruined cities on every council homeworld?” She held up a hand. “You don’t have to convince me, Garoon- I lived through the war. The problem is, a lot of the people on Earth working to clean up didn’t. Most of the field workers at dig sites are under 30. They’re toiling every day, resentful that AI isn’t around to help with restoration efforts. Couple that with the short lifespans of the Salarians and their cultural intrigue with science and technology and well, you’ve got a movement. I mean, there’s only a handful of Salarians old enough to remember the attacks firsthand. What we need is a good, solid reason why we shouldn’t reactive Reaper tech in order to satisfy these questions."“What about Shepard’s warnings?” Kaul thought out loud. “Shepard’s vision on the Catalyst…”She nodded and looked out into the Persidium. “The sad truth of the state of the world is that Shepard’s name and opinions don’t carry the same weight as they used to- for those same reasons. Hell, I remember the instant the Reapers fell in the streets when Shepard activated the Crucible. I’ve never felt anything remotely close to that since… but the people pushing for the dismantling of the anti-experimentation laws… they’ve never experienced the horrors we did. They can’t appreciate Shepard the way we do.”She looked back toward Garoon. “What I need from you, Kaul, is tangible proof that Reaper tech is harmful. Form a committee to research the issue. Until we get that it’s going to be hard to silence those voices.”Kaul sighed. “I wish we didn’t have to prove something that should be common sense.”“That’s politics for you.” The Counselor responded. Kaul laughed mirthlessly before standing.“Garoon- contact me within the week to let me know the progress of your Reaper Tech Committee.”“Yes Ma’am.” He agreed as he picked up his bottle of water and headed for the door. 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