Mass Effect: Augment

Chapter 10: Always Wins

Wrex had so far kept his word, and was easing the Mako out of the garage and into the dug in track to the icy surface. There was no boost or hostile maneuvers, yet, but the ride had only just begun. Jon had his grip on the safety bar ready, off hand on the gun, and Garrus was strapped in as tight as he could go. Liara so far thought the ride smooth, clueless to the approaching shitstorm.

The track ended and Wrex slowed her down for the door to open, and then sped back up some as he crossed it. His pace was still respectful however, and he expertly navigated the rough terrain path. Around the divots and bumps rather than straight though them at maximum speed. The tractive speed and six wheels carried the Mako forward along the ice road of the cliff mountain pass to peak 15.

Jon and Garrus kept their eyes on their displays and scanned around for enemies. They so far only found wrecks of grizzlies when the short range sensors got close enough to cut though the storm. The Matriarch could have only smuggled them in, though shipments of some thing or another a powerful Matriarch would do all the time.

Wrex slowed his pace further, not trusting the blind curve the House provided maps said lead to the bridge. Wrex really did know what he was doing, Jon judged. He just wanted to be a jackass because his boss was stupid enough to let a Krogan drive an IFV with a tank sized gun on top through planet volcanism. The armor was angled steeply, and Wrex feathered the throttle forward. Garrus already had a shot angle lined up, and all he had to do was adjust for elevation up the hill.

The main cannon thundered, and Wrex tossed the Mako back behind cover. The missiles returned but hit naught but the icy cliff face. He feathered forward again, and Garrus fried again as soon as he had a target. A return barrage was lunched, but quickly dodged again by Wrex’s expert control and knowledge of armored tactics. If the Krogan had just 10 more of him, Jon thought, they would have won the rebellions, or gotten the payback in the near future after the Geneophage was dropped. They wouldn't have dropped fucking asteroids on the colonies they were trying to conquer to live on if that was the case, necessitating it.

The missiles exploded without striking their target and Wrex pushed forward again. The turret was down and it was obvious the geth had upgraded their barriers quickly after the engagements on Therum. They also were now utilizing a new type of deployable cover by Jon’s eye. The gun was already angled as Wrex toed around the curve, and Jon had the same view that Garrus did, the repeater being moved to the turret.

He didn’t like that particular upgrade, wanting the potential wide angles of offense and defense by mounting it on the front. The repeater clears the infantry on the front while the gun turns to face the flanking tanks to the rear. They would need to either move it back, or place a secondary one in.

Secondary, Jon decided as he opened up. The barrier cover stretched across the bridge, but it was easily defeated by Garrus placing a shot in the center of the defensive line. All of the barriers either exploded or flickered out. Jon kept his fire up with the comparative pop gun, and cut down the last remaining geth that got flung way, but were still functional enough to try and get a few shots. A couple was all they got though the whole engagement, and Wrex moved forward again, straight on to the bridge and crushing the mechanical bodies under the digger tires.

“I don’t like it, get your own firing angle.” Garrus said from his gunner’s perch.

“Great minds, Garrus.” Jon said as he opened up again a little faster on the draw than the Turian.

There was another defensive line at the other end of the bridge. Wrex rammed the Mako almost to the side wall. When their easily called shots at the longer range were called, he played chicken for a moment before slamming back to the side. He missed a second barrage that way, and another side move dodged a third. The fourth however called his tricks. The fire was a line and he took the center as it approached at the high speed.

Jon and Garrus kept up their accurate fire though the harsh maneuvers, but they lost it when Wrex thumbed the micro-thusters and ground the top barriers and top of the turret against the tunnel roof. He hopped over, and the fire started again, but now their shots were wide, and needed compensating for. They were both professionals and made it easy, but it was an annoyance.

“Damnit Wrex, I haven't even calibrated this thing yet! It will never be calibrated now!”

“You want shot by a load of missiles and plasma after the hammering we already gave her? Don’t make me-”

“Do not! Finish that sentence!” Jon yelled as the gap closed and Wrex rammed into the last of the line, plowing them over. There was an armature in the group, and the Mako slowed and bit as it connected with its guided target, even shot up some, but gravity quickly took it again, and the momentum overtook the heavy bot.

Wrex slowed up a bit as they passed though, more mindful of the path again. He quickly picked up pace when another fighting position was not that long on. The space was a little more wider, and Wrex had more room to move. He tapped the boost, and out ran their initial volley at an extreme angle. Then he jerked it to the side and slid some, bring the nose back towards them. Then he hit the boost again and shot forward. Jon and Garrus did their best, but the aiming was well and truly misaligned for fighting on a more open plains with the violent maneuvers.

It mattered not because what they didn’t get, Wrex ran over once again, including another armature. He backed up over the bumpy mass, throttled forward again, and then back out from the fighting position and onto the path. It narrowed off quick, and Wrex took it slow and careful for the benefit of his passengers.

Jon huffed, “Wrex, you said-”

“Comparative, Sheppard, everything is comparative.” Wrex said with an evil grin.

“Spirits damn him again, the last one got taken out by a super volcano after everything else.”

Jon casually opened up on a small fighting position up the cliffs as Wrex toed forward, “Liara are you alright back there?”

Garrus shot his shot, but it was wide now in a different direction. Something was obviously loose, and he huffed himself. Liara said, “Why, yes. I think Wrex is an excellent driver to pull off the maneuvers he has on this terrain.”

“HA! See Sheppard? Listen to the good doctor.” Wrex said as Garrus shot again, nailing the small position the second time. Not that loose, more like knocking around every so often.

“Subjective, Wrex. Everything is subjective.” Jon said as they crossed another fighting position.

“Heh heh, always got jokes, Sheppard.” Wrex replied.

They passes a couple more smaller positions, but their main line at the bridge was their main line. By the map they were nearing peak 15, and it was another blind turn. Wrex repeated his earlier tactics, and came in around as wide and as angled as possible. Their first clue that something else was amiss, was the lack of return fire, and the smoldering missile turret.

Wrex inched forward more, and the rest of the detachment to guard the entrance was cooked as well. He pulled forward, and to the blocked main gate. The team put their helmets on and exited the Mako into the storm. Blocking the gate, no doubt to cut off any escape and provide cover if they just throw open the doors to fire, was a stealth shuttle. It was mostly normal, but outfitted with stealth components and older alliance laser weapons. They were easily powered on the ezo core rather than phasers needing anti-matter generation to match their output.

Their rifles were up and scanning but found no more threats. Liara did her own looking, but also did her best to stay in cover behind the Mako. Jon said, “Wrex.”

“Yeah yeah, kiss your asses, and stay with the VIP.”

Jon smirked, “Garrus, you’re up. Let’s move.”

Garrus took point with his vindicator battle rifle, and the squad methodically moved into the side garage entrance. The got into the garage, and the inner door was already open. A few steps inside and they saw the wreckage of the main cargo facility for Peak 15.

“Spirits.” Garrus said as he did one last scan around and dropped his rifle to low ready in order to look around.

Jon did his own assessment, “Two Krogan, a whole bunch geth.”

They were dead in the open field, obviously being driven to rage from damage and goading them to charge. The shrapnel around was detonated denoted from a healthy amount of ordinance. There were a coupled shell casings, near one of the Krogan execution style, but most looked like mass effect fire from high power and high caliber shavings. Certainly not any spec, but custom made.

Wrex looked around at the dead Krogan, and the squads of geth, all kinds broken and sometimes sparking. He said, “Would have been a little dicey, even for us.”

Jon said, “House sent a man.”

“Just a man?” Wrex asked.

“There’s a man I know that worked for House, still does obviously. He was partial to duel welding pistols when the situation warranted it. A big iron for longer range, and a 9mm he took off a corpse back when that’s how anyone got anything. The Courier.”

Liara said, “I believe he is what the Alliance calls a wasteland warrior, people that had great skill in battle, and brought about great change to the ruined world around them.”

“You’re one of those aren’t you, a living legend basically?” Garrus asked.

“Yeah. Only I got nothing on this guy. His first battle with Lanius of the Legion was with words. He beat the Butcher of the East with fucking words. The guy couldn't talk after getting shot in the head.”

“Okay now that’s gotta be varrenshit.” Wrex said.

“No, NCR records clearly show that is what happened, right before they got the same ousting from him. The Courier talked Lanius down, and he retreated from Hoover Dam.” Liara added.

Jon said, “If I didn’t watch the video recorded on the secruitrons with him, I wouldn't believe it either. The guy pantomimed the fact that Lanius couldn't take the Mohave, attack the NCR, and hold his core territories at the same time. That he would be overextend while his nation crumbles behind him. Lanius understood what he was trying to say, and admitted defeat, but promised he would return. His armies went back East and put down the civil war that was just kicking off once the news of Ceaser’s death really got out.”

“I hope there is still time. He would certainly kill Benezia before I had the chance.”

Jon nodded, knowing what he knew about the man, “Garrus.”

“On it.” Garrus said as he put his rifle back up to move.

They went further down and spied the one and only way to deeper into the facility. The overseeing VI chimed up, “Warning, Bio hazardous materials present throughout the facility.”

Garrus took the squad up the steps to the catwalk leading to the exit. He slowed a bit as the hard corner came up, then methodically cleared the close quarters to no surprises. There was one more door, and they crept up to it as well, taking cover along the sides. Garrus tapped the door button, and it flung open to two deactivated and shot to hell turrets.

Jon peaked, “Facing the wrong way.”

“Something to do with the bio hazards?” Garrus wondered.

Wrex could smell something from a mile away. A faint whips on the wind in the cargo bay, as if a ghost had passed him by, “I hope not.”

“It could be to keep the people in. That is almost standard procedure in a black site like this. I am ashamed I know that.” Liara added.

Jon rose his eye brow under his helmet, and almost saw Garrus reaction in the form of upward flexed mandibles though his. Jon gave a nod, and Garrus assumed his position in front. The shorter path ended at another door, then a turn as it lead to an elevator. It was large enough for cargo, being the only way deeper in, and the squad fit almost perfectly up it.

When it opened, it did so to a hall wrapping around a courtyards, the actual entrance to it being at the far end. Two more turrets were facing down it, also blown up and stabbed. The man fucking stabbed a heavy turret, Jon thought. The blade was broken off, he spied, as Garrus kept a slower pace, not storming past it.

Some of the windows were also broken, the snow freely carried in and piled from the outside storm. They came to the final door, and when Garrus opened it and cleared the room he said, “Who in the spirits is this guy.”

Jon exited out and Wrex and Liara followed. He scanned around, and saw almost two dozen geth scattered about, some laying on the ground, over railings, one over a rafter in the broken window ceiling. Somehow.

Wrex took a few big whiffs, “Rachni. Some got killed not far off. What in the fuck were they doing here.”

“Rachni, you’ve got to be kidding me.” Garrus said.

Jon took his own measure, “Is that what that is?”

“Oh, no.” Liara said.

“That’s why the turrets were facing the wrong way.” Garrus concluded.

“Sheppard. You’ll want me up front with my big gauge, Heh, that’s a good one, like-”

“Big iron. It is. You’re up, Garrus.”

“Holding your ass, boss.” He said as he shifted positions.

Wrex stomped forward and up to the second level, where the exit to further in. the facility was designed to be defensible in the extreme, Jon judged, but still replicate some of the brutalist creature comforts of the main campus at the bottom of the mountain for the long term staff. They moved into the cargo sized elevator again and took it up to the next level, set deeper into the peak.

After Wrex cleared the next turn, the squad entered a main core for the facility reactor. Off to the side was the tram to their destination. There dead Rachni on the floor, a couple of the larger variants, the warriors, and several smaller workers. A few more of the workers crawled out, and Wrex worked his big gauge against them. A couple rapid fire shots took care of them, and steam vented from his weapon as he held it up and clear.

He said, “They like to spit acid at yah, the bigger ones at least. Try not to get hit. The tram looks like it’s working. That courier was though here, obviously. I wanna see this guy.”

Jon motioned to move, and Wrex went to the tram door and opened it wide. No more hostiles were down the tram quarantine area, and the squad moved up and though it to the car itself. They had to step over a couple more Rachni though the actual airlock to get to it. The ride was short and smooth, and when they got out there was no trouble for either them or the Courier in the station area.

Wrex said, “Two doors here. Both are working, that Courier doing something probably. If I were a Matriarch where would I be?”

Jon said, “Not the personnel quarters, the hot lab. Move”

Wrex nodded, and hit the button to the hot lab hallway. There was another elevator down to the lab itself, and it was probably working because the Courier went the other way, and cleared out the rest of the Rachni as he did, triggering some automated protocol knowing both of their old luck stats from when last it was mutually measured.

They entered the last elevator, and the storm was raging under the chilly peak. The fight was already on, and Jon could tell at a glance the Courier had found a back way in. the fight was close range, but off and away from the elevator entrance. It gave the squad the room they needed to initially maneuver. Jon opened up with his plasma rifle as he moved around Wrex and into cover. Wrex charged up his biotics and they a heavy crush as the first commando he saw. Liar shot out her own lift, and Garrus worked his battle rifle like a good Turian would in the presences of their commanding officer.

The Courier was obviously under heavy fire from the veteran Asari commando force, but several were dead and one more was dying as he snapped shots while jetting between covers. In one had was a checkered relic much like Jon’s singer. In his gun hand was a custom mass effect big iron. The cylinder was detachable, and held the shaving mechanism that allowed it to fire pebble sized shots rather than grain sized. The bottom of the bull barrel formed the heat sink, and it was steaming as another bit of ordinance from the wasteland warrior went out blind from his new cover.

The surprise attack from the squad however eviscerated the remaining commando numbers. A couple moments more and they were all dead, getting shot in the back now from two ways. The shots Jon saw had some kind of explosive effect as well, much like his own six gun, no longer able to call it a big iron after seeing what the other man was wielding.

Benezia was in the center, and the biotic storm didn’t let up even with the death of most of the biotics in the room. She threw an attack at Jon’s way, and forced his squad to maneuver to avoid the powerful mass effect sorcery. The Courier left their cover again, but Benezia was wise to him now, and threw another quick attack at the other side of the room.

She boomed though the biotic lighting surrounding her, “You do not know the privilege of being a mother! There is power in creation!”

She threw more powerful attacks, keeping her assailants down, “To shape a life! To turn it towards happiness or disrepair!”

More attacks followed, a powerful biotic she was, “Her children were to be ours!

The squad and the Courier had to maneuver more as their cover was nearly bling eastern by gravitic effects. Benezia was in front of a bay window into the real labs, and in a massive pod was a massive Rachni, no doubt a queen.

“Raised the hunt and slay Saren’s enemies! Your Alliance! Do you think you can move me by sympathy, no matter who you bring!?”

“Mother Please! Stop this!”

“It has only just begun, Liara!” She blasted out an attack, forcing more maneuvers, and slammed down a barrier around her on the upper platform.

She signaled and doors opened around, now with the squad separated from her gambit. A few more commandos poured out and so did geth supporting them. Jon opened up on who he saw first and never quit the full auto spray down to his magazines last shots. Wrex was blasting on the other side, not taking the time to charge a biotic attack close quarters with people that would out draw him at that range. It was better to keep shooting, and charge in with biotics supporting him. A normal Krogan they could overpower with their own biotics, but not with a battle master on top of them using his.

Liara and Garrus has stayed together, and they were covering each others backs firing at their own targets. The Courier pick his targets and made as many crossfires as he could. A shot here and their to ping their barriers, and even his backup even odds with their pea shooters, well not the General’s at least.

When they were handling themselves, he turned his ire back to the Matriarch. He pumped shots into it, and ejected his cylinder for a reload as the gun steamed. He slotted a new one it and gave it a spin before popping back out and quick handing the weapon into her barriers again. When his off hand was done with that task he launched another grenade form his kit and into its side. The General was just catching up and adding his own fire into it. When the rest were done with her reserve forces, they joined the fray as well.

Benezia was powerful indeed, but not invincible. She heaved to keep her wide barrier up, but the volume of fire was to much. It collapsed along with her, and the room was quiet once again. The usual aftermath of combat.

She breathed heavy as the force moved in around her on the large main upper platform to the control room. She tried to get up, and failed before saying, “This...isn't over. Saren is unstoppable. My mind is filled with his light. Everything is clear.”

Liara ran up and grabbed Benezia, “Mother, what happened. What has gotten into you. Please, let me help you.”

“No, no I will not betray…No, no no no, what have I done. Little wing? What have I done?”

“I do not know mother, please, help us. What happened to you?” Liara said with tears forming.

She had her own tears. She whispered, “The Alliance. I hated the alliance for what happened. How humiliated I was, the threat to the galaxy they represented. I...I...I, Saren. He promised retribution. But I had to learn about my enemy…”

She grabbed her head in struggle, fighting the compulsions. She said, “The Alliance wasn't wrong, the more I learned, they weren’t a threat. We were. I was a threat to them for going along with him…but I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t stop. You must listen, I can fight him, temporary, but the indoctrination is strong. You come to idolize him...worship him...his words pour into your ear and eat at your mind. Sovereign. His flagship. That’s the key to it all. The longer you’re on board…”

A mad look took her eyes. Liara knew what she was seeing, her mother one last time. She sobbed, “Please...mother! You can fight this!”

“The more you realized Saren was correct!” She flared her bionics, throwing Liara away and back, also directly into Jon. She fought one last time, with all her might Benezia mind clawed out from under the shadow it was under.

She was a Matriarch, an old and proud one, of both her status and her daughter. Her last words would not be left as they were, in the hands of a madman, “Protect my Little Wing, Sheppard.”

Jon gave a small nod as the fire from the rest of the squad opened up when she took an angry look again. Wrex, Garrus, and the Courier cut into her weakened state as Jon clutched a crying Liara. It was quite again, with only Liara’s sob’s making their way though it. Jon held her there for a moment, both to console her, and to keep her from truing to face the Courier of course looting her mother’s corpse. He pulled small data disk, and motioned it towards Jon. He nodded as he slowly picked Liara up.

Garrus and Wrex turned their guns at an intruder stumbling up the platform. It was one of the dead commandos, and she was staggering as if puppeted by a master. The corpse shuffled to the front of the observation bay, where the large Rachni was watching the chorus.

The hollow and echoing voice said, “This one. Serves as our voice. We can not sing. In the low spaces. Your music is colorless.”

Jon asked, “This commando dead? You’re controlling her?”

“This vessel is at the edge. Yet she struggles. You cannot see her magnificence. We are breathing on the embers. We are the mother. We sing for those left behind. The children you thought you silenced.”

Jon slowly let Liara go, sharing on last look in her eyes, and stepped past the Asari and to the bay window for a more face to face conversation. He asked, “The infestation of the lab your doing?”

The puppet replied, “No. we were locked away here. The children are beyond our song. They have been lost to silence. The children were stolen from us before they could learn to sing.”

Jon grimaced. He didn’t know what he would do if someone had taken his daughter from him. No one was stupid enough to try. Literally he killed anyone that would have been before she was born. The Queen continued, “End their suffering. They cannot be saved. They will only cause harm.”

“My condolences.” Jon simply said.

“Is that what you sing? Will you release us? Or are we to fade away once more?”

“You can’t be considering that, Sheppard.” Garrus said first. He continued, “That tank is rigged with acid. I say drown her. It’s the Rachni, they’re killers.”

Liara softly said, “She’s the last of her species Sheppard. She had done nothing to us. Worse, she has only been victimized. There had been enough death today.”

Jon considered his options. Wrex was suspiciously silent. What was he thinking. Jon asked, “What about the war? What happened that your kind tried to eat the rest of the galaxy?”

“The yellow notes! Foul and sickly they sang to us! No tune! No harmony! We did not want to attack! Their song forced us!”

Jon asked, “Like the song that was in your voice’s head? Indoctrination?”

“Yes! Sick! sick! sick! Foul! It taints our song! Drives us towards death!” The queen raged in remembrance of the war and the screeching discord that ripped though the Rachni all those years ago.

“Holy spirits. The Reapers caused the Rachni war.” Garrus admitted with a slightly backtracking tone.

“You have heard the truth. You have the power to free us, to give us to the silence.” The queen said with finality.

Wrex had heard enough. We walked passed the decision making and slammed his chosen button. The pod lifted up slowly, it’s alarms blaring. But instead of the acid, the door opened to the chilly winds of Noveria. The queen looked back once more at her liberator, perplexed by it more than anything that the Krogan made the choice, and the one he did.

Wrex said, “The cycle has to stop, the Asari is right. But if I have to find you again, I promise you will will be the first Krogan to savor queen meat in a long damn time. There will be no third chance.”

She looked on a moment more that the Krogan eyeing here, believing his song. She simply said, “Thank. You.”

She turned and clawed her way from her prison and into the storm, masking her movements. Garrus took a watch pattern, and Liara simply went to sit next to her mother in mourning, holding her hand as she sobbed. Jon would give her a moment as he turned to Wrex.”

“Good call.” He said.

Wrex nodded, but didn’t want to say anything more on the topic either. The Courier didn’t much care for the exchange, and had already wandered off to the various terminals by the end of it. His job in reality was to find out what was going on, not debate morality. The Asari and bugs were just in the way of that to him.

Jon walked up, not trying to hide it, and the Courier turned and offered a hand. Jon took it and in it was the data disk that he palmed in return. House would berate him for not turning it in so it could be sold back, but what the old man didn’t know wouldn't hurt him. That was probably intel the General needed to save the galaxy or something.

“Haven't seen you since-”

The Courier nodded his upgraded and modernized riot helmet, “Washington.” He almost said.

He had the rest of a medium hard suit as well, another Atom Cat custom, but in the style of the old riot armor. On the helmet was a peace sign, with Hope Ville painted around it. On his shoulders was a black duster, and on the walk up Jon noticed a symbol of the old world adorning it.

From what he knew, Hopeville was a thriving settlement that was inadvertently blown up by his actions, a delivery that just happened to hold the detonator for the missiles sill in their silos. The Divide was another place like Washington and the glowing sea. A battle took place there, according to the legends, between two legends, and a great debate as well. Legends where wasteland warriors are concerned were usually true, Jon determined.

He said, “Thanks for the help pal. What’s House putting into to keep you alive?”

The Courier brought their fingers up and rubbed them together to Jon’s scoff, “Money.” He meant.

He pointed at Jon with a questioning tilt. He said, “About the same, just a little earlier in the process.”

The Courier nodded in understanding. He gave a thumbs up, “Thanks.” And a thumb back towards himself, and then a fist binding them both in battle, finally a noose up his neck, “You helped me too. Almost died there.”

Then he pointed at the terminal he was looking at, “Check this out.”

Jon took a casual step and eyed the screen. He whistled some, “The entire Board is implicated in what happened here according to this. Rachni experimentation, and now outright treason due to the geth presence.”

The Courier nodded, but with his finger up. Jon said, “Blackmail for House to use, obviously.”

The Courier motioned with their finger once. Jon finished, “For the investors. Go around the Board entirely and usurp them.”

The Courier kept their nod up again while wagging their finger. Jon added, “Hell, House might even convince them that their risk just became too risky. Buy them out and absorb Noveria Holdings outright.”

The Courier snapped their head, not thinking of that one. He gave a love tap to Jon’s chest and brought their finger up to their temple, tapping it, “Taking that idea.” He meant.

Jon smirked, “Be a raise I’m sure for an idea that good.”

The Courier nodded, holding five fingers up. Jon scoffed, “One expensive trip you made up here. Almost elder abuse the amount of money we’ve sharked out of him in one form or another.”

“Heh, Heh,” The Courier sounded out.

Jon asked, “Never did catch you name though all the bullshit. Jon, in case you didn’t know.”

The Courier thought a moment. They were the Courier, and had been for a long time at that point. He hadn’t shared his real name with anyone is almost as long. But they were the last of a dying breed together. The wasteland warriors, and the General knew intimately what it was like to get shot in the head. Very few he shared a common understanding with.

He pulled out a ratty tag from his duster breast pocket, a memento he never gave up. It was as piece of scrap cut from larger scrap, with somewhat professional stamping put on it by the now defunct Crimson Caravan Company. Jon eyed it for the name. It was palmed as if to prevent others from seeing, as if it may hold real power.

“RYDER” It said.

Jon smiled, and gave one last shake to the man before picking his squad up and moving. He said, “Make sure House gets these people’s bodies back to Thessia for proper burials, if you could.”

“Thank you, Sheppard.” Liara softly bit our from her kneel across the room. All heard him, but only he heard her.

The Courier nodded with a thumbs up. House would be perturbed about the de facto order, but overall he was having a very good day and would get over it. Jon just wished his would get better, or that he would have them at all going forward.

Sovereign. Red washed over him and didn’t want to stop when he thought of the name.