Mass Effect: Titan

Chapter Twenty-Six: La gamba di Lucifero

"What comes after the abyss?"

Athria stood at the bridge's viewport, watching the muddy terrain of the planet disappear beneath the ship as Dez expertly navigated them through the atmosphere. The engines roared as they pushed against the gravity and thick cloud cover, the ship shaking violently from the turbulence. Her fingers tapped rhythmically on the back of the pilot's chair as she kept her eyes forward, mentally pushing the ship higher, faster.

She knew Martin was keeping to himself in the small, cramped cargo area. She hadn't spoken to him since they retrieved the artifact, but she could sense his unease from across the ship. Velpia and Rinn had left to clean off their armor and get a moment of peace after everything that happened underground, but there wasn't much peace to be found in any of them.

"Steady, Dez," Athria said calmly as the ship hit another rough patch, rocking side to side.

"Doing my best, but this damn atmosphere isn't making it easy," Dez muttered, her hands deftly moving over the controls. "Should be clear in a minute."

True to her word, the violent shaking gradually subsided as they finally broke through the upper layers of the atmosphere. The skies ahead cleared, and the ship leveled out. Athria exhaled softly, letting the tension in her shoulders relax just a fraction. They were back in space, but there was no time to dwell on relief.

"Scanners are picking up something," Dez reported. "Looks like several large Geth ships moving toward the planet, but..." She squinted at the screen. "They don't seem to care about us." Athria glanced at the console, her brow furrowing. "Good. Let's hope it stays that way. Get us to the relay. I don't want to stick around long enough for them to change their minds." Dez nodded, increasing the ship's speed. Athria's mind was already racing ahead to the next task—figuring out what they had retrieved. The artifact. Whatever it was, it had done something to Martin, and she wasn't about to leave that unanswered.

After some time, Athria turned away from the viewport and headed toward the conference room, carrying the case with the artifact carefully in her hands. It felt heavier than it should, the weight of what it represented pressing down on her. "Dez, once we're on course for the relay, meet me in the conference room," Athria said over her shoulder. "Got it," Dez replied, already adjusting the ship's heading.

By the time Athria entered the conference room, Velpia and Rinn had already arrived, freshly cleaned and back in their standard gear. The tension in the room was thick, and Velpia's unease was written all over her face. Athria set the case down on the center of the table, taking a seat across from them as Dez entered a moment later. Martin hadn't joined them, though. He was still cleaning his armor in the tiny, cramped shower room, trying to rid himself of the mud and, more importantly, the memory of whatever the artifact had done to him. Athria knew better than to press him now; he needed space to process. But they didn't have time to wait for long.

"All right," Athria began, her voice steady as she looked around the room. "Let's figure out what we're dealing with. Whatever this thing is and what it's doing." Rinn leaned forward, her visor gleaming as she analyzed the case. "Could it be some kind of psionic device? But that wouldn't explain why it's only targeting Martin."

Velpia shifted in her seat, her mandibles twitching slightly as her eyes darted away from the group. Athria didn't miss the movement. Velpia was hiding something.

"Velpia," Athria said sharply, locking her gaze on the Turian. "You seem like you want to say something."

Velpia's mandibles twitched again, and she hesitated, her gaze flickering between Athria and the others but refusing to speak. "Damnit, we don't have time for this!