The Firefly (Mass Effect Andromeda)

Chapter 15

Ever since the call from Olivia, Scott had felt slightly anxious, a feeling he did not enjoy. She'd had a particularly obstinate look on her face, and had entirely avoided promising not to go after her friends. Something big was going on, no matter what she said. He'd had one hell of a time himself, working with Angaran resistance to save the Moshae. They'd discovered the horrible secret of Exaltation: that the Kett were turning captured Angara into further Kett. The Angarans were killing their own.

"We're going to the Nexus." He announced to a surprised Cora.

"Why? We've finally got leads on the Asari Ark, on the exiles, on the Archon." She sighed, "Don't tell me it's that journalist again."

"I think she's in trouble." Scott admitted, "She didn't ask for my help, but she stopped answering my calls and emails. I just want to see if she's alright and then we'll head out again."

He went straight to the cryobay, smiling fondly down at his still comatose sister lying on a bed. She'd laugh at him right now, he had no doubt. "Scott!" Harry appeared from nowhere, "I wasn't expecting you, but I'm glad you're here. I..."

"Pathfinder!" A voice behind Harry called out cheerily. Scott spotted a man sitting up in bed with grey hair, and a chalky face with oddly familiar features. Then it dawned: this was Martin Taylor, finally awake.

"Dr Taylor!" Scott forced a smile on his face, "It's good to finally meet you. Olivia has told me a lot about you. Are you feeling better?"

"I'm well, just a little tired." Martin smiled back, "Harry said you and my daughter were friends. He explained the mix up too. It's good to know she's had people looking out for her. I can't wait to see her face when she gets back from her work on Eos and sees that I'm awake." Behind him, a woman who he assumed was Laura Taylor stared at him; her face was pale and taut with tension, her eyes filled with a kind of warning.

Wrong-footed, Scott excused himself, and wasn't surprised when Olivia's mother followed him. "Pathfinder, have you heard from my daughter recently?"

"Not for a while. I came here to check on her actually. She's not been answering my messages. Your husband said she'd gone to Eos?" Scott felt his heart begin to speed up and took a breath. It wasn't time to panic yet.

"For work apparently but it was very sudden. We heard from her in Prodromos but then she's just dropped off the grid. We asked her boss, and he said that Director Tann was the one who asked her to go." Her mother's face ceased with worry. "She wouldn't have missed her dad waking up without a good reason. Martin doesn't know. He's still recovering and I didn't want to worry him."

"I'll speak to Tann." Scott promised, an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. I told her not to go.

Tann was no help at first. The moment Olivia's name was mentioned, the salarian's lips had clamped shut. He first denied all knowledge of her, but when Scott had pressed, revealing what he already knew of Olivia's activities, he had ushered him out of the open-plan office and into a quieter space.

"I sent her to find and retrieve the Firefly team." Tann admitted. "I won't go into the project details here. She went out with two men from Prodromos. They were attacked. We found the bodies of both men out in the desert, along with a broken vehicle."

"And Olivia?"

"We thought the worst for a few days but then the Project came back on the grid. They started sending their data, closing everything down and made contact. Miss Taylor made it there. She overpowered the one who had killed the others and was safe. I organised a ship to collect the science team and their equipment. It was due to go out today."