Duty-Bound

Chapter 7--Photograph

"Can you believe it?" Joker asked ecstatically as he turned in his seat to face Shepard. "Look at these leather seats! The Alliance didn't care about comfort—the budget was too strict. But this cockpit is spectacular!" He turned back to his controls and rambled on about the ship, noting that while the reproduction was close to the original, there were some new upgrades that the SR1 hadn't had.

"That's great, Joker, really. But don't forget who gave it to us. I can't help but feel that this is all too good to be true," Shepard said uncertainly.

Joker was unconcerned. "Ah, I know. You don't trust them. I really don't either. But you've got command of this ship, and we've got each other." The thought made Shepard feel at least a little better. Joker's positivity was hard to shake, which had made his vulnerability earlier that day all the more surprising. But he was his usual self now, and his sunny disposition made it hard not to enjoy the perks of the beautiful new Normandy.

After talking with Joker, Shepard headed down the bridge and rendezvoused with Miranda. "Shepard," she said evenly, inclining her head in greeting. She showed her around the command deck, which was much the same as before. She also introduced her to a new crew member, yeoman Kelly Chambers.

Kelly was tall and fair, with short, light brown hair and wide, friendly eyes. She was looking at Shepard as though she was the love of her life. "I amso honored to be working under you, Commander," she said, starry-eyed. "I've always admired your work."

"Er, thanks," Shepard replied. She wasn't used to this sort of treatment. It felt weird to be treated like a celebrity. "It's nice to meet you, Kelly. What exactly is your job on this ship?"

"I will act as your personal assistant, but I am also a trained psychologist. I will consult with you about our various planned recruits, and also monitor the psychological welfare of our crew as we go along."

Shepard fidgeted uncomfortably. That seemed odd to her. They hadn't had a psychologist aboard the SR1. She didn't want to be analyzed, and she didn't want her new team to feel like specimens under a microscope either. "Why is anyone's psychological wellbeing in doubt?"

"Well, it isn't necessarily. Not yet anyway. We will be recruiting some unconventional people to your team, Shepard. Criminals. Assassins. You may need some help relating to them, and they may need some help adjusting. And . . . well, the nature of our mission isn't one that will sit well with everyone. Some might call challenging the Collectors a death wish." Kelly was certainly confident, and her response to Shepard's doubts had been readily and passionately delivered. Shepard figured she was alright; but the "death wish" comment left her on edge—mainly because Kelly was probably right.

"The probability of surviving an encounter with the Collectors is indeed quite low," a cool female voice said, startling Shepard.

"Who are you?" she asked, turning to face the source of the voice, a spherical blue hologram that lit up as it spoke.

"I am the Normandy's artificial intelligence. The crew like to refer to me as EDI," she said.

Shepard wasn't sure how to respond. AI's were notoriously dangerous. The last thing she needed was a Cerberus AI spying on her work and potentially taking control of its system.

"Joker's going to love this," she said sarcastically, casting a sideways glace at Miranda, who ignored her comment.

"I do not helm the ship. Mr. Moreau's talents will not go to waste," Mr. Moreau? Talents? Maybe Joker will like this after all, Shepard thought, smirking. Joker had a big ego, albeit a well-deserved one. "During combat, I operate the electronic warfare and cyberwarfare suites. Beyond that, I cannot interface with the ship's systems. I observe and offer analysis and advice, nothing more," EDI explained.