Mass Effect: Reaper Dreams

The Board Is Set

"A Wise Man makes his own decisions, an ignorant man follows the public opinion."

Grantland Rice

June 12th, 2188

Ashley Williams

_________________________

Ashley was seated in an interview room on Eirene S4, an old 3He processing station that was partially destroyed by the Reapers and recently repaired and refitted to serve as a temporary civilian law facility. She'd come here voluntarily to file legal documents in hopes of blocking the public release of the surveillance video of her interrogation of Dr. Cole.

As a Spectre, she was immune to prosecution for her actions, but in the court of public opinion her reputation would take a hit. Ashley had fought hard to restore the Williams name, and she'd be damned if she'd let it get smeared again, not only for her, but for her children and grandchildren, and the way Emma had been talking lately, children might come sooner rather than later.

She'd spent most of the morning trying to cut through red tape, and then everything seemed to clear up. She'd been pointed in the direction of a clerk who was willing to take care of things, but then her situation had gone askew. A couple of nervous looking guards insisted on relieving her of her sidearm. Shortly after, she found herself in an interview room and on the defensive.

"Please state your name, rank, and birth date," said the interviewer.

Ashley answered in a flat tone of voice. "Ashley Williams, Captain, April 14th, 2158."

"Race?" asked the interviewer.

"Human," said Ashley.

"I meant lineage," said the man.

Ashley frowned. "I don't know for sure on my father's side. It's a number of things, primarily African American, and on my mother's side, Irish, Welsh, Mexican, and Russian. Does it matter?"

"All the questions matter, Captain Williams," said the interviewer.

Ashley gritted her teeth. "Whatever."

More questions followed.

"What is your blood type?"

"B Positive."

"Genetic modifications?"

"In-utero vision correction, Alliance Infantry, Class B upgrades, Alliance Officer, Class M7 Specialist Upgrades, and Citadel Spectre G-Mod package HA-41."

"Number of confirmed kills in combat?"

"I have no idea."

"Any rough estimate?"

"Including husks, Geth, and all the other Reaper soldiers, I don't know, maybe thousands."

"That's a lot of killing."

"I suppose."

"You lost your entire family when the Reapers took control of the Citadel?"

"Yea."

"I have no record you saw a psychiatrist or a grief counselor."

"Hasn't been time. Friends helped me through it, though."

"But have you dealt with it?"

"I'd rather not discuss it."

"I see..."

The interviewer made an entry and began reviewing notes on her pad. "When did you first meet Dr. Brynn Cole?"

"Um, sometime in late November or December of 2186, at a Cerberus base. She was the head of a splinter group we rescued," said Ashley.