Mass Effect: Humanity First

(Choice AA) Save Partner

Hallard leapt into the fray of gunfire and threw himself over his partner, tossing them both down on the ground.

“Hallard, what the hell are you doing?!”

“I’m saving your ass!”

The Cerberus operatives motioned to their feet when suddenly they lost control of their own bodies. Hallard couldn’t move his arms, his hands, his legs, or even his fingers. Cavanaugh had the same problem. A blue aura lit their outline. It didn’t take long for them to piece it together.

“Shit,” cursed Cavanaugh.

The aura lifted them both into the air, then tossed them against the metal wall of the research station. It hurt. The operatives grunted as their heads hit the wall.

Towards them approached two asari, both identical in look. They each held their hands in the air, keeping their telekinetic hold on the operatives.

“We’ve got you now,” said one of them.

“Nice job, Cell,” said the other. “Now what do we do with them?”

“What we have to.”

She drew her weapon at Hallard. Despite how much he struggled to break himself free from her hold, he couldn’t. He could only budge an inch. Not more.

“Now you know how it feels.”

“Mina, stop.”

Behind the two asari with guns were five others, three unarmed, and two additional armed. One of the unarmed stood before the rest.

“Mina, we don’t have to kill them. Just take their ship and leave. That was the plan, right?”

Mina had a different thought.

“After everything they’ve done to us, you want to let these Cerberus freaks live?”

Hallard spoke, “I have nothing to do with what’s going on here. I know this might be hard to believe, but this place is as new to me as it is to you.”

Mina produced a mocking chuckle.

“You’re right. It is hard to believe.”

“But it’s the truth. I don’t want any part of this. No one has to get hurt. If you want our ship like your friend says, then you can have it. You can take it, and you can use it to go wherever you want. After everything you’ve been through, I figure you deserve it.”

Cavanaugh objected, “What the hell are you…”

“Shut up, Cavanaugh. Let me do the talking.”

“I don’t think any of you will be doing the talking for much longer. Sweet words, Cerberus. But it’s easy to play nice when you’ve got a gun pointed at your face. But no matter what you say, you’d treat us all the same. The girl we sent outside to keep watch hasn’t reported in. I bet you already killed her.”

Instinct made Hallard want to shake his head, but he couldn’t.

“She’s still alive. She’s in critical condition, but if you take her, and you get her to a hospital off-world, then she’ll make it.”

“You expect me to believe it?”

“Go outside. Check for yourself.”

The asari was highly skeptical. But even in spite of her mistrust, she was willing to give Hallard the benefit of the doubt.

She cocked her head to the unarmed asari.

“Nadia, go check outside.”

Nadia did. And when she returned, she reported the good but dire news.

“She’s still alive, but she’s lost a lot of blood. We have to take her and leave as soon as possible.”

Mina locked eyes with Hallard; at first unwilling to believe, but then slightly more hopeful. She let Hallard go. Hallard dropped, and then Cavanaugh.

“You proved me wrong, Cerberus. It’s a shame you couldn’t keep better company.”

“I’m starting to think so too.”

“Alright. Everyone get on the landing platform. We’re leaving immediately.”

The asari made for the exits, turning their backs on the Cerberus operatives. Cavanaugh handed Hallard his pistol.

“Now,” he whispered, and his eyes were focused squarely on the asari who had trusted them enough to turn their backs on them.

Hallard retrieved his pistol, and mentally cycled through his options. 

The one thing that Hallard was certain of was that the kidnapped asari didn’t deserve what Cerberus had done to them. It wasn’t right.

But that was where the facts ended, and everything else became a grey area. After the hell that Cerberus put them through, they deserved to get out of her alive. But if they left, they’d expose Cerberus, and what they were doing to the asari. Whether Hallard would let them go or shoot them in the back fell upon what was more important.

Was he going to take innocent lives in the name of protecting Cerberus’ secrets, its research, and its mission? The advancement of human biotics would undoubtedly prove invaluable in securing humanity’s future. But was it worth the lives of innocents?

No. Free Them All (Choice AAA)

Yes. Kill Them All (Choice AAB)