Lazarus Project: Mass Effect 2 (Shenko)

Chapter 92

Milky Way/Omega System/Sahrabarik/Omega

Earth year: 2186 CE --- March

After contacting Aria over the vid-comm and enjoying her reaction to his bad news, he joined Tanner and Mason in the mess. Grabbing glasses and his last bottle of whiskey, he settled into a chair to fill them in on what had happened.

"So what do you think went wrong?" Tanner asked. "Why couldn't the mercs take Grayson down?"

"I'm not sure, but I felt something in the alley just before Grayson escaped the warehouse. He gave off a powerful biotic energy, but it was unlike anything I've ever felt before."

"Like how?" Mason asked.

"For lack of a better word, it felt alien. I was similar to the energy I sensed coming from the Mass Relay monument on the Citadel."

"Like dark energy?"

"More like Reaper tech."

"Shit." Mason swore.

"But how is that possible?" Tanner asked. "I didn't think Grayson was biotic."

"I didn't think so either, but if Cerberus caught up to him there's no telling what they might have done to him."

Mason looked horrified. "Holy shit. You think they were experimenting with Reaper tech?"

"It's Cerberus Zima. I wouldn't put anything past them."

"He's right Chief." Tanner nodded, her face clouding in disgust. "After everything we saw of their other projects, it would be the next logical step."

"But why?" Mason persisted.

"I gave up trying to understand them a long time ago Mason." Kaidan admitted. "But my guess is they did it simply because they could. They've probably been planning this for some time. The Illusive Man seems obsessed with the Reapers. He probably wants to know how indoctrination works."

"Whatever his reasons," Tanner began. "The man is sick and delusional. If I ever come face to face with him, I'll kill him."

"I agree Lieutenant." Kaidan said, putting away his glass. "But I'm beat. If Anderson contacts the ship rather than my personal terminal, let me know."

"Understood sir. We'll be up for a while yet." Tanner assured him.

----xxx----

After a shower and change, Kaidan fell into bed, exhausted by the day's events. The look of shock and surprise on Aria's face had been worth it though and he smiled as he drifted off to sleep. 

He'd been out less than an hour when a soft ping brought him awake. Anderson, he thought groggily as he snapped on a light and threw his legs over the side of the bed. Blinking in the harsh light, he waited a moment for the fog of sleep to leave him before accessing his messages.

"Kaidan,

 Joker and I are in the Sol system, twenty minutes from Alliance HQ in Vancouver. By the time this reaches you I'll be in custody.

I shouldn't have shut you out. You didn't deserve that and I'm sorry. For everything. Take care of yourself.

Shepard"

Dammit! Kaidan snarled, his face creasing in anger. Of all the times to contact him she picked now? And it hadn't escaped his notice she'd signed as Shepard not Callie. More evidence she was distancing herself from him. As if he needed it, he though angrily.

But she was right he didn't deserve it. He didn't understand why he continued to let her treat him like he was made of glass. He knew she did the same with everyone, but it didn't make him feel better.