Lazarus Project: Mass Effect 2 (Shenko)

Chapter 24

Milky Way/Attican Traverse/SSV Nomad

Earth year: 2185 CE --- April

Mason knocked lightly on the door of Tanner's quarters. "Hey, Tanner? You in there?"

The door swung open and Tanner blinked bleary, blue eyes at him a frown creasing her brow. "What is it Mason? You better have a damn good reason for waking me."

"Sorry Lieutenant, I uh... Maybe I should just come back later..." Mason said nervously.

Tanner frowned harder, clenching her jaw with impatience. "No way in hell. You've got something to say, spit it out now."

"Well... okay, but can I come in?"

"What?! There's barely enough room for one person in here. What's this about?"

"I uh... I'd rather I came in first."

Sighing heavily, Tanner stepped back from the door and sat on her bed as Mason stepped into her quarters, leaning up against the door as it closed behind him.

"Okay, talk. What's with the secrecy? What's so important you had to wake me up?"

"It's uh..." Mason looked uncomfortable.

"You were hacking Alliance records again weren't you?" Tanner guessed.

"Yeah... but it was totally an accident this time!"

"Oh for the love of... what.. is.. this.. about?"

"Shepard."

Of all the things Mason could have said, that was not at the top of her list. "What? What are you talking about? What about Shepard?"

"She's uh... she, well, she might not be dead."

"That's not funny Zima." Tanner said, angry now. "Get out."

"I'm not trying to be funny Dlaney. I'm serious!"

"Right. Shepard's alive and no one's seen her in two years. Did you hit your head or something?"

"No! This is serious."

Tanner shook her head. "Fine. Let's say for argument's sake you're not crazy. What makes you think Shepard is alive?"

"Well I was just you know, doing uh you know, what I do and I kinda accidentally got into Councillor Anderson's private message files."

"You WHAT?" Tanner shrieked, trying to keep her voice down. "Do you know how much trouble you could bring down on yourself for something like that? Or on Alenko? He'd be held responsible! Or did you forget that part?"

"No! Of course not! I didn't mean for it to happen! I'm not even sure how it happened exactly, it just sort of... did."

"Fine. Whatever. Explain the part about Shepard."

"It's easier if I just show you." Mason said, handing her an OSD.

"Shepard,

On the off chance that the rumours are true and you are actually alive, I need you to meet with me on the Citadel. You put me on the Council,and it's only fair you be allowed to speak for yourself about what we've been hearing about you.

Anderson"

"What the hell?" Tanner exclaimed, her jaw dropping in disbelief. "Is this for real? This isn't one of your really bad, really tasteless jokes is it? Cause if it is I will kick your ass into next week."

"No! I swear. I didn't believe it either, so I checked it and then I checked it again and then I uh... I traced it to the receiving address."

"And?"

Mason looked more miserable than he had before. "It went through several very sophisticated firewalls so I couldn't pinpoint a location, but the security coding matched what Cerberus uses."

"Geesus."

"Yeah."

Silence stretched between them as the implication of what Mason found sunk in.

"Dammit Zima." Tanner swore, punching the bed in frustration. "Why the hell did you have to go and do something so stupid?"

"It was an accident!"

"Accident my ass!" Tanner retorted. "What are we supposed to do now? Why couldn't you have stumbled on something fun like mistresses or dirty politicians? This just... this sucks."

"I know."

"So now what? Why'd you have to tell me about it? You don't expect me to tell Alenko do you?"

Mason paled. "Oh hell no. No, I just... you know I suck at keeping shit like this to myself. I thought that if you knew then maybe, well you could keep me from I dunno, blurting it out."

"In all the time we've worked together, when has that ever worked?"

"Uh.."

"Exactly never." Tanner sighed. "It's just a matter of time before you shove your foot in your mouth."

"But maybe he already knows?" Mason said, his voice hopeful.

"You're joking." Tanner said, looking cross. "You really think Shepard being alive would be something the Commander could keep to himself?"

"Well, no. But he's got a great poker face... and well, maybe he just...Fine. You're right. I'm just being stupid."

"Yeah, you are."

"So what do we do?"

"Nothing." Tanner said, her voice calm. "We aren't supposed to know and neither is Alenko. If Anderson wanted him to know, don't you think he would have told him?"

"Well yeah, but why wouldn't he tell him? Aren't they friends or something?"

"They're close, but think about it. If she really is alive where has she been all this time? Working for Cerberus? She saved the Council and the Citadel, how could she be working for Cerberus? It makes no sense. Anderson probably just doesn't want to hurt Alenko. I mean, if it's a lie, it's a damn cruel one."

"But Anderson wouldn't send a letter like that if he didn't think it was true."

"Shit Zima. I wish you had never found that damn letter. We are so screwed. The Commander is going to know we're hiding something."

"I had an idea about that." Mason said nervously. "But you probably won't like it."

Tanner narrowed her eyes at him.

"I thought we could like, go on as though nothing's changed and then if he starts asking questions about why we're acting weird, we just say that we're like, dating or...  or something."

Tanner laughed. "Seriously? You and me, dating? Like, each other?"

"What? It's not that bad." Mason argued. "Besides, it's the most believable thing that would make sense."

"I hate this. And you, right now."

"If he finds out I'll convince him you didn't know anything about it. I'm sorry Tanner."

"Sorry isn't going to cut it Mason. Not this time. And definitely not if Shepard turns out to be alive. Now get out before I change my mind, march into Alenko's quarters and tell him everything."