Finding a way: Mass effect 3

Finding Dr. Bryson

Aubrey opened the meeting. "Okay, here's what we know – Leviathan is a creature capable of killing a Reaper, so we're looking for it to try and get it to help us against them and the Reapers are looking for it to try and make sure that it can't. Also, these artifacts," she brought up a holographic image of the orbs over the table, "allow it some form of indoctrination and control over people who are exposed to it long enough."

"Are the artifacts some form of Reaper tech then?" Liara asked.

"They do not appear to be. They contain no similarities in composition to known Reaper technologies and emit no known energy signatures," EDI answered.

"So far Leviathan seems to be using the artifacts to protect itself and stay hidden. It keeps talking about not allowing the darkness to be breached and those freed from it mentioned feeling like they're in a cold, dark place," Aubrey continued.

"It's been violent about it, though. People have died. Hell, poor Hadley is in a vegetative state that appears to be permanent," he chimed in.

"Any creature that's cornered will use violence to defend itself," Tali commented and he grudgingly nodded agreement at her logic.

"Dark and cold, huh? Are we thinking this thing is living in space, then?" Vega asked. "I mean the Reapers came from dark space...that's about as cold and dark as you can get."

"A distinct possibility, Lieutenant," EDI answered him.

"With Garneau out of the picture, that leaves us with Dr. Bryson's daughter, Ann. She worked with him and sent several messages to Garneau and to Bryson this past week," Aubrey took back over. "She indicated she was at a dig site in the Pylos Nebula," an image of the area came up on the table, "where she found another artifact."

"Then it sounds like we need to find her," Garrus said.

"Joker's already got us on route," she smiled. "I'm expecting Reaper forces to be there, as well, if the situation at the mining colony was any indicator. Garrus, James and Liara, you're with me ground side. Tali and Kaidan, I need you helping Adams keep the stealth systems and drive core at peak performance, we may need a hasty getaway."

He nodded in acceptance, even though he hated that she was going on a mission and leaving him behind. She dismissed the team and went to the comm room to update Hackett. He joined Tali on her way to engineering.

"I'm surprised you didn't argue with Aubrey about not being on the mission," she said to him as they got in the elevator.

"Oh, believe me, I wanted to," he admitted. "But she knows what she's doing and I trust her."

Tali beamed at him from behind the mask of her environmental suit saying, "It's so good to see the two of you back together and happy."

"Thanks, Tali. It feels pretty good, too," he replied as the elevator doors opened and they got to work.

He was up in the CIC when the shuttle launched to take the team down to the dig site. He was doing well keeping himself distracted with diagnostics on the heat sink modules and weapons arrays, until he heard a garbled message from Cortez come over the comms.

"Tracking multiple bogeys! The LZ is too hot, heading for a lower platform."

Shitshitshit! he instantly thought, moving to the bridge.

"Joker, what's going on?"

"Don't know, sir, long range communication just went down."

"I am compensating, Major. One moment," EDI said.

As soon as EDI's repair was completed she patched him in to the ground team's comms.

"Commander, what's your status?" he asked.