Finding a way: Mass effect 3

Thessia - part 2

Rows of benches lined either side of an aisle leading toward a statue of the Goddess Athame that dominated the center of the room where the aisle ended. The sweeping lines of the architecture around them instantly drew one's gaze to the statue and up to its face, which was upturned to the sky. Various sculptures and display cases were scattered around the room containing artifacts related to the Goddess.

"Hello?" Liara called out. "The science team should be here," she said, voicing the worry that was going through all their minds.

"Fuck," James cursed from where he stood at the front of the room. His gaze was focused on the floor in front of the benches. They moved forward to see what he was looking at. The bodies of two Asari lay crumpled on the floor.

Kaidan bent down and examined them more closely. "Their throats were slit," he observed, his blood running cold.

"This wasn't the Reapers then," Aubrey stated, her gaze sweeping back over the room. "Stay sharp people, we're likely not alone."

She had been backing toward the statue as she spoke, but suddenly went rigid and gasped, her head darting from side to side.

"Aubrey?" he asked in concern.

"There's a Prothean beacon here."

"What? You're sure?" Liara asked.

"Being close to one...interacting with it...it's not a feeling you forget," she said, rubbing her temple absently.

She turned and ran her eyes over the statue of Athame and then started scanning the area around it. The rest of them took up defensive positions around her, giving her time to do what she needed to.

Her eyes settled on an ancient piece of stone on a pedestal off to the right of the statue. She tilted her head to examine it from another angle. "There's Prothean writing on this stone," she whispered, reaching a hand out to trace the characters.

"I don't see any writing," Liara said in confusion as she looked over Aubrey's shoulder.

"It's right there," she replied, finally making contact with the stone. A soft green glow spread from inside it and a responding green glow emanated from part of the Goddess' statue.

"Commander!" James' voice cut across the room breaking them all from their open mouth stares at the glowing statue. "There's another one of those stones over here," he said, pointing to a pillar to the left of the statue.

Aubrey quickly walked over and brushed her fingers across the surface of the stone with the same results. A low hum could be heard from the statue now.

"Here's another!" EDI called from further back in the room.

As soon as Aubrey's hand touched the third stone the hum and brightening glow of green from inside the statue intensified causing small cracks to form along the surface.

"Got another one," he told her, pointing to a pillar that was just in front of and to the right of the one EDI had found.

She touched it and the stone of the statue crumbled away revealing the Prothean beacon that had been encased in it.

"Holy shit," James breathed.

Aubrey holstered her rifle and took a deep breath. "Everyone keep your distance," she ordered even as she approached the beacon. But this time, rather than sweeping her into a telepathic link of eerie green fog, the bright glowing orb of a VI appeared.

"Obtaining chronological marker. Hold," it said. After a few moments it continued, "Timescale established. Reaper presence detected. Extinction terminus of this galactic cycle has already been reached. Shutting down."