Jenkins
“God dammit Jenkins, how did you even do this.” Ashley was shouting at me as she fought off two green plant-like humanoids, kicking one away with a boot to the chest and dropping the other with a solid right hook to the jaw.
“Come on you cannot be blaming me for this. How could I even be responsible for this suddenly happening.” I kept an arm on Faid Dan, pushing him forward as we made our way to the crane he mentioned.
“I mean this only started once you questioned Fai Dan about the Thorian or whatever you called it. So it does kind of look like your fault.” Tali was very quick to point out my supposed fault as she knocked out another one of the entities with an electric pulse.
“Listen he had a private message he had sent to Exo-Geni asking about its safety or long-term effects on the colonists. He had tried deleting and expunging any copy of the message so I thought asking about it was reasonable.” Fai Dan groaned as I pulled him back into my grip and kicked out at one of the creatures that had jumped through our defense line.
“I’m not blaming you, Jenkins but I do want to say that this job is a lot easier when we are allowed to shoot our attackers.” Garrus gave a kick to the head of the one I knocked away before smacking another with the but of his rifle.
“N-no. They aren- aren’t in control of themselves. Don’t- don’t kill them. Please.” Fai Dan groaned out the request as we kept marching. He was clearly in pain but there wasn’t a lot we could do for him.
“Yeah we know, incapacitate only. Will killing this Thorian thing free them?” Ashley asked as she threw one of her attackers away as it tried leaping at her.
“AGH!” I nearly lost my grip on Fai Dan as he stumbled forward, clutching his head in pain.
“Yeah maybe don’t threaten to kill the thing that’s hijacked an entire colony. Sorry Ms. Thorian, we are totally open to negotiation and discussion. No killing needed.” I spoke aloud to the air around me, as we continued forward, and at the very least Fai Dan stopped crying out so loudly. Maybe the Thorian heard me and is feeling reasonable.
“It- it won’t fall for your lies. It negotiated with the other- the other one. It will not be betrayed twice.” Fai Dan half winced, half cried out the words as we kept moving.
“Who wants to put money on the other one being Saren?” I call out looking around as we finally reach the base of the crane.
It was a smaller crane, designed just to move the small hab units that made up the colony structures on this roof. While Dan had explained they covered the entrance to the Thorian with a hab unit when the Geth attacked, he was the only one who knew that was the purpose. He was the only one in the colony who knew that the Thorian was below us, and it was the one that directed him to hide the entrance. It was all he had the chance to explain before things went to shit.
There were cries of pain from throughout the camp, and Fai Dan collapsed clutching his head. He was barely able to get out the words to explain that the Thorian could control people through its spores and that it was triggering the colonists to defend it. We decided not to just shoot the colonists, at my suggestion that dealing with the Thorian directly would likely free the colonists, and killing them would be counter to the whole point of heading here when we did.
From there we took Fai Dan, as he promised to direct us to where the Thorian was in exchange for us freeing them from its control. That led us right to where we were now, in front of a crane that could lift the unit placed overtop of the entrance, with no idea what unit it was we were supposed to move.
“Alright Fai, which one do I move?” Ashley asked the question, while the rest of us posted up around the crane, keeping an eye on the surroundings. It was unlikely we dealt with all the colonists, and more would be likely to show up sooner rather than later.
“I… I’m sorry. I- Gah!” His voice was pained, more strained than it was even before.
He was fighting against the control of the Thorian to try and help us, but it was a losing battle. That creature had millennia of experience controlling who knows how many different races. In the games he revealed the Thorian’s location to Shepard before taking his own life, denying the Thorian the control it was trying to exert. That death never really made sense to me in-game, at least at first, since every colonist you knocked out was freed after the Thorian was defeated. Suicide seemed an extreme step to take, no matter the pain the Thorians attempted control caused. But given what Beta was able to pull out of his files, it made a lot more sense now.
Fai Dan was guilty. No one outside of the Exo-Geni scientists was aware of the Thorian's existence. Fai Dan not only knew about it but knew that the colonists were only here to test the long-term effects of exposure to Thorian spores. Everything that was happening to the colonists now was something that he could easily be blamed for, and in fact, Exo-Geni would most likely use him as a fall guy. He questioned the safety of the Thorian, but in the end, accepted the company’s claims that it was safe. The existence of these messages on the colony servers meant Exo-Geni was saving it.
Fai Dan dying while allowing others to free the colony was probably the best ending he thought he could get.
“It’s- It’s the storage hab. Th-There.” He pointed to a smaller unit that was already the closest to the crane. Probably could have found it with a guess but knowing for sure saved time. Time we needed as a screeching sound vibrated throughout the colony.
Fai Dan himself screeched loudly, falling to his back as it arched in pain. We watched in horror as a green-looking plant began pushing its way out of his skin. His eyes clouded and plant matter began crawling from his mouth and nose, covering much of his body. He glanced his eyes over, and for a moment made eye contact with me.
“Ki- Kill me… Ple-” A surge of electricity moved through his body, causing another spasm before he collapsed limp on the ground. I glanced around to see Tali with her hand on her omni-tool.
“I’m sorry but that was just horrific to watch. He’s unconscious now, shouldn’t be in any more pain at least.” Her body language was timid and reserved. We were all a little shaken by witnessing that. It didn’t look like a very pleasant process.
“At least we know for sure that those things are the colonists, and he wasn’t just trying to make defending ourselves more difficult.” Garrus looked both relieved and upset to learn Fai Dan was telling the truth. Not that I could blame him, it was unsettling what we had seen happen to Fai Dan, and if that had happened to everyone, well it wasn’t going to be a good experience.
“Alright, set up on defense, you heard those cries, more colonists are likely on the way here. I’ll move the unit and we can get started on finishing this.” Ashley spoke as she leaned over the controls, glancing at the boom of the crane as she began moving it.
We set up around the console, keeping an eye on the colony itself. We had the luck that the crane and the hab we had to move were both on the edge of the roof, so we only had one direction to be wary of. The cries and screeches echoed between concrete walls and metal structures, giving us only a vague sense of how many were coming.
The few we had fought made it clear that the possessed colonists weren’t that durable, but numbers were a strength all their own, and too many of them would be a problem for us. It only took a blow or two to knock one out, combined with our omni-tools administering the occasional electrical shock we had to hope that was enough.
There was no sign of the enemy for another minute or so, and it was only once Ashley had the crane attached to the hab we wanted to move that they appeared. I was thankful that Zhu’s Hope was a small colony because the dozen or so creatures that ran around the unit charging at us were enough to cause concern. A larger colony and I had little doubt that we would have been overrun if we avoided resorting to using lethal fire. As things were now we had a chance.
Tali and I both hit the rushing wave with two separate overloads, dropping nearly half the numbers instantly. Unfortunately, the bursts of energy weren’t large enough to disable the entire group, but with their numbers reduced our odds of winning the fight became much more reasonable.
The Alliance taught hand-to-hand combat, even if it was considered secondary to armed combat, it was something all soldiers knew. In moments like these, I was very happy to have Jenkins's memories and experiences in the back of my mind. I got into a combat stance, along with Tali and Garrus who got in their stances. I had both hands up, palms open, and my stance solid and sturdy. The Alliance favored martial art called ACMAP* which favored a mix of grappling and elbow and knee strikes. It was an amalgamation of many different human martial arts but would be most comparable to MMA.
Tali was sat in a lower squat, arms wide, and her head positioned in a stance that kept it behind her chest and body. It looked like a position that would favor grappling or perhaps redirecting momentum. Quarians tended to be lighter than most other races, and with their suits being a vulnerability a style that protects the helmets made sense.
Garuss was leaning forward, his arms forward and his legs tensed. The Turians were a military society, combat was part of their lifestyles and it’s likely their unarmed combat prioritized speed and rapid strikes with the hands and feet. I’d have to ask more about their fighting styles after this, knowing more would never hurt, and it was clear the different races prioritized different things in combat. Maybe Wrex could even be convinced to share some tips. Problems for later though, as I cleared my head and focused on the fight in front of me.
It wasn’t long, cutting their numbers in half made life drastically easier, as the first of the colonists reached me it was simple to swing an elbow across, connecting with the creature's jaw and having them go limp immediately. The second was right behind it, however, forcing me to take a step back and brace as it collided with me. It was swinging its arms wildly and without control, gnashing teeth together as it tried to bite and claw at me.
The blows were easy enough to block, and I brought a knee up into its sternum, causing it to stumble and hesitate before bringing another elbow across its face causing it to drop like the other. The movement led me to rotate, however, and I felt an impact slam against my side as a third one of these creatures hit me in my exposed side. It couldn’t get through the armor, but I felt the pressure of the impact all the way through, and worse felt a crack as its arm slammed itself across the forearm I raised to shield my face.
It wasn’t my arm that was injured though, no as I looked at the creature as it pulled its arm back to swing again I could see the limb hanging loosely. The Thorian was commanding them to attack with everything, with no regard for their body's durability. I couldn’t let the fight drag out or it would injure itself far greater than anything I would do to it. I rushed the creature, grabbing its shoulders with my arms while placing my leg around and behind its own.
It was easy to bring the creature to the ground, and from there it was even easier to knock it unconscious once more. I stood quickly, breathing heavily only to see Garrus taking down the last of his enemies with a set of rapid strikes. The blows weren’t heavy, but they flew fast in a straight line, a series of jabs aiming for the shoulders, the neck, and other weak points across the human frame. Garrus kept moving with each strike stepping into blow after blow, knocking the possessed colonist off their feet and leaving them unconscious as they landed. I glanced at Tali in time to see her standing up, dusting herself off as she got off one of the creatures she had brought to the ground and taken out. Together we had dealt with eight of the things, relatively unscratched.
“I just want to say, you guys are awesome and if you’re willing to show off some of those unarmed moves later I’d be happy to learn them.” I cracked a smile that was just visible through the visor of my helmet. I couldn’t see Garrus’s face through the helmet he had sealed at the start of his face but I could see him relax as he nodded.
“Yes, I’m surprised to see the Human unarmed combat is so defensive. You seem an aggressive species, I thought aggressive strikes would be the Alliance combat style.” He pulled his rifle off of his back swinging it forward as he got into a more comfortable stance.
“Depends on what you learn. The alliance standard is to teach a custom martial art that is a mix of many styles and techniques. There are hundreds of different styles practiced all over Earth, both for sport and combat. Plenty are very aggressive, but our military style is more defensive than others.” He nodded, seeming interested in the thought as Tali spoke up.
“You have hundreds of fighting styles on Earth. That seems crazy, do you enjoy fighting each other that much?”
“Eh, lots of them were birthed out of necessity, or are simply modified versions of other styles that gained enough popularity to gain their followings. It’s mostly a sports thing these days, but some areas are still dangerous enough that knowing how to fight could be considered a necessity.” Tali looked to at least be considering the idea when a clang rang out across the rooftop. The storage hab had finished being moved out of place, and a staircase was now visible headed down into the tower itself.
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“Good job soldiers. Arm up now, weapons are hot from this point forward. We don’t know what we are facing down there. Jenkins, was there anything on that file that said anything about what the Thorian is? Or are we just working on Dan’s description of a sentient plant?” I almost answer Ashely as she steps away from the cran controls immediately, giving an honest description of what Fai Dan’s message had said when I realize this is the perfect opportunity.
“There was a bit, for starters the plant is old as hell. Like we are talking Prothean old, likely older. It controls people through its spores, but you’d have to inhale a lot over a long period for it to have any long-term effects.” None of this information was on the file of course, but knowledge is power and I remembered the Thorian well, mostly cause it was an annoying boss fight.
“Got it, keep your helmets sealed while we are down there, assume the air is hostile for as long as we are on the planet. Anything else?” Ashley asked the question, drawing her rifle and taking point as we started down the staircase.
“It is capable of communication but requires a vessel it controls to do so, and seems indifferent to other lifeforms. They also theorized that a series of large growths they refer to as nodes that grow around the room it’s in could be destroyed to kill it, but they had no interest in testing that theory.” There was a sigh of relief as we continued down the staircase, into what was an increasingly dark space. Our helmet and weapon lights flicked on as we kept moving, keeping our environment lit up.
“Well, at least they bothered researching a way to stop the damn things. Still, we have to hold off on going for that option first. If it has a vessel it can communicate through then we can try and figure out what Saren wanted it for, gather the intel we came here for.” There were nods all around as we agreed. As awful as the Thorian was it had information we needed. I had the foreknowledge to know that killing it would give us that intel anyway, but no need to push my luck on handing out information I had no right to know. It’s a very careful line I had to walk.
We continued down the stairs in silence, keeping our eyes peeled for an enemy that never came. Eventually, after ten or fifteen stories light returned to the staircase, coming from a hall that led out of the stairwell. Knowing a sign of our destination for what it was we followed the light. Opening into a large amphitheater-like room. It had balconies and open halls that surrounded a circular space in the center. Five or so floors each without an interior wall that allowed an unobstructed view of the creature we had come here for.
The Thorian could barely be described to resemble a plant in any sense of the word. It had similarities to a fungus perhaps, but it was horrific to look at. It was a blob of biomass hanging in the center of the space. It was connected to the walls around it by a series of five thick tendrils that connected and formed large glowing orange masses that connected it to the walls. The nodes I mentioned earlier. The creature itself wasn’t hung perfectly in the center of the room, it had a section that could almost be called a face that hung over part of the broken landing we had walked in on.
It had several openings along either side of this half of the creature that almost resembled eyes, but there was no method of sight through them that I could tell. In the center of this ‘face’ was an opening that had a collection of tentacles hanging loosely. It might have been more accurate to call them vines given they were made of plant matter, but their texture and appearance was anything but vine-like.
“Bosh’tet**, what is that thing? That’s supposed to be a plant?” Tali was the first to speak as we all stared at the creature in silence and concern.
“I’m more worried about those things. What are they?” Garrus pointed out figures that had gone unnoticed when we first entered.
A half dozen in this small area alone, they were humanoid but taller than your average man. They had more angled heads, and four eyes in their face. Most noticeably though they were completely covered in that green plant matter, and their eyes had no light behind them. They more resembled statues than living creatures, but they put everyone on edge. I raised my omni-tool and an orange beam scanned the statue for a moment waiting to see the results.
“Thank fuck.” I breathed a sigh of relief as I checked the results. They weren’t actual Protheans, they just looked like them.
“What is it, Jenkins? Are they dangerous?” Ashley asked the question, keeping her rifle up as she scanned the room, going from one to the other searching for signs of movement or hostility.
“Those are two different questions but basically they are just plants. That plant matter we saw growing on the colonists upstairs, they are completely made of that. As for potential danger, my guess is the Thorian will be able to control if it wants to, but outside of that they should be harmless.” There were a few sighs of relief among the group as we learned they weren’t living people at least.
“What race are they supposed to be though? I don’t recognize them.” Tali took a few steps closer to one of them, looking closely at the face and features.
A sudden sound throughout the room had us quickly grouping back together as the Thorian at the center of the room pulsed and shook, and the tentacles hanging from its mouth parted. In a wave of slime and fluid, a creature was deposited onto the ground in front of us. We all had our weapons up and facing it, but were holding our fire for the time being. Waiting to see what will come of this change.
The creature that was deposited looked like an Asari, with the same hair-like tendrils on the top of its head, and face patterns across the eyes. They wore a black tactical suit, one that looked like it was designed for combat. As I looked closer however I noticed some concerning details, this Asari skin tone had a green tint, not blue, and a closer examination of the combat suit it wore showed that there was no distinguishing line between where the suit ended and the skin began. It was just a transition in texture, vaguely where the suit should end, but not exact or firm enough to be actual clothing or armor. My scanner was up again, highlighting the thing in orange as it rose from its knees to face us.
“Invaders. Your every step is a transgression. A thousand feelers appraise you as meat, good only to dig or decompose. I speak for the Old Growth, as I did for Saren. You are within and before the Thorian, it commands that you be in awe!” The Asari spoke once it stood, gesturing with its arms on every line, before swinging its arms wide to present the creature behind it.
As it did my scan finished, and once again it was confirmed that this creature was entirely made of plant matter. It was a clone, as it was in the games. At least this matched one-for-one so far. We would have to kill the Thorian eventually, to free the colonists up above, but there was no need to play things out the way they did before. We needed information and until we could get it staying on this creature's good side made sense. Everyone’s weapons were raised, and Ashley stepped forward, preparing to speak. I didn’t give her the chance.
“And in awe we are. Truly you are the most magnificent creature we have ever come across. We apologize for intruding on your domain so brazenly, but we are hunting the one you referred to Saren.” Ashley gave me a look as I started speaking, I gave a bow, holstering my pistol as I spoke. If there’s one thing I knew how to do it was to kiss ass, and this was a creature that saw itself above everyone else. All I was doing was showing the respect it believed it deserved.
“Finally, a creature of meat who understands the magnificence of the Thorian it stands before. Saren was here, seeking knowledge of the ones who populated the last cycle. For the first time in the long cycle, the Old Growth listened to flesh, and deals were made.” The Asari took a step towards me, as I put myself at the front of the group. Ashley whispered over my shoulder her weapon still raised.
“Jenkins, what are you doing?” I whispered back, trying to keep my face neutral as I spoke quietly.
“Getting intel, if we are going to kill this thing I’d rather be the one who kicks off the fight, not the other way around.” Ashley didn’t respond to me, just taking a step back keeping her weapon raised. She was giving me the go-ahead to handle this it seems. The trust was appreciated and I was going to run with it.
“Suddenly the cold ones arrived and began killing the flesh. The flesh that was freely given in our deal! The Thorian sees the air that flesh pushes as nothing but lies! It will listen no more!” The Asari raised its voice further, taking another step closer to me. Hostility was rising but I had to stop it. The Thorian was a chance we couldn’t miss out on. It survived multiple Reaper cycles and could give actual evidence and proof that corroborates our story about Saren. I hit a record button on omni-tool and began speaking once more.
“I understand, Saren lied to us too. He fights in service of the Reapers, betraying his people in aid of their destruction. He has to be stopped, so we need to know what he came to you for, oh mighty Thorian.” I add another flourish, keeping my head low and hoping to god I could keep this plant talking.
“The Flesh serves the arbiters of the long Cycle? Then the end has begun once more. Saren sought an understanding of the flesh of the last cycle. Knowledge the Thorian acquired in their study of their kind.” The Asari stepped closer once more, and we were barely a foot apart at this point.
“Then I humbly beg that the Old Growth share that knowledge with us as well, so we may continue our pursuit of our enemy. We need to stop him from bringing the Reapers.” I had gotten more dialogue out of them than I expected, but I was hoping for more. Every piece of information that matched what we had been saying was more evidence to present to the council.
“No. Flesh cannot stop the Arbiters, countless cycles they have tried, and always they fail. The Long Cycle remains unchanged. The Old Growth will wait out another passing, as it always has. The flesh that knows will be left to die and rot, and the Thorian will survive, as it always has.” The Asari stared me down, its face devoid of expression.
As it spoke I noticed that the Thorian gave little care for controlling facial expressions. The Asaria clone showed no emotion, only using its body to express and highlight discussion. It was unsettling.
“The Reapers, these Arbiters you call them, Saren serves them directly. If he is allowed to bring them to the galaxy then he will tell them of you. Even if the Old Growth has survived previous cycles, it was only because they went unnoticed. You said it’s the first time you listened to flesh, well now that flesh will tell the Arbiters of you. You can’t hide anymore.” This caused a pause in the creature. The Asari, and even the Thorian itself which had both been moving slightly, pulsing and swaying with the flow of air through this chamber, stopped. They were still and unmoving as they processed what I said.
“You speak true. The Old Growth had not considered the consequence of Saren’s servitude. You claim that Saren aims to summon them, and they have not yet arrived?”
“Yes, as far as we know Saren has only interacted with Geth, he wishes to bring about the arrival of the Reapers but has yet to succeed. He could still be stopped, if you can help us find him and what he was after.” This was untrue of course. While I was the only one who knew that Saren’s ship was an actual Reaper, we still assumed he had access to Reaper technology. I wasn’t going to share that information however, the Thorian would only be cooperative if it thought it had a chance of protecting its existence.
“The Old Growth understands. It will share the information it shared with Saren, knowledge of the previous flesh. You will hunt and destroy Saren for the Thorian. This is the only deal the Old Growth will make, understand your privilege.” There was a sigh of relief from behind me as we got the answer we were hoping for. But there was still one more complication and a little more information to gather.
“Of course, we would be happy to destroy Saren for you, oh great one. What is this knowledge he was after, how will you share it?” The Thorian quivered, and the Asari let a smile at my words, although the expression didn’t move past its eyes.
"The Flesh of the previous cycle stored information and could communicate through their very being. Without sharing the ability to do the same any knowledge of theirs would be wasted and incomplete. This marker allows their messages to be understood. Use it well.” The Asari spoke, that expressionless smile filling their expression as they stepped forward.
“Wait wha-” The Asari placed a hand on the top of my helmet and my mind was filled with searing pain.
I couldn’t even cry out, my whole body seized and was frozen as my mind was expanded. The Protheans stored information and could share it through DNA itself. My mind and body were being reworked to be able to do the same, and the process was not gentle or painless. I could hear, muffled and in the background as my teammates raised their weapons and shouted at the Asari to release me, to undo what was being done. I could hear it respond, telling them that halting the process midway would be lethal and that once it was done I would know, I would understand fully.
The pain felt like it lasted for a long time, minutes, possibly an hour, but eventually, it faded, passing with a wave of exhaustion that I shook free. I felt the Asari let go of my head and I stumbled back, I felt a pair of hands grab my side and hold me in place. I could see Ashley looking me in the eye, concern in her face as she tried to get my attention. Her voice was still muffled but was clearing rapidly.
“-kins. Jenkins! Are you okay!? Answer me, what happened are you okay?” The concern on her face filled me with a moment of warmth, and after another moment I felt better. The memory of the pain was still there, but the pain itself was nearly fully gone.
“I’m… I’m alright Ashley. It worked, whatever she did. I think I can understand Shepard’s vision now. Whatever it was. We will have to find a way to pass it to her though.” I stood strong on my own feet once more, and Ashley looked relieved before letting me go. The Thorian spoke once more.
“The Marker resides within you now. Understanding of it and its passing can be done by any of this flesh’s species.” The Asari clone gestured to itself. “It would be better passed on by one containing the marker itself, but the Asari I hold will remain mine. The Old Growth wishes you luck on your hunt, and if you wish to find true joy in servitude it would happily accept your return afterwards. Flesh that knows how to serve is valued under the Thorian’s rule.”
It was an invitation I’d never accept and one that disgusted me entirely. The fact I was connected to the hive mind that was that plant for even a moment sent shivers down my spine. I felt unclean, despite the advantages having a Prothean marker myself would grant me. Still, there was one final detail to clear up now that we were done. I ended the recording button on my omni-tool and typed out a quick message that was sent to everyone in the ground squad.
Get ready to fight, we got what we came for.
“Yes, about that dear Thorian. I’m afraid I’m going to have to request that you release the colonists from your control. I won’t be able to stand for you keeping them.” I stood tall as I did, and watched as the Asari clone turned back to face me. It walked forward its face darkening in shadow as visible displeasure was shown. The effort to do that told me how much the Thorian disliked that idea.
“The Flesh was promised by Saren and then was killed by his agents. Now the flesh that promised revenge and protection tries to take as well? No, the Old Growth will not return the flesh that is now its own. Leave before your presence outstays it’s welcome.” The Asari turned back away walking towards the Thorian mass.
“Oh well, can’t say I didn’t try a peaceful option,” I spoke out loud as I glanced at Ashley, and then drew my pistol, putting a single round in the back of the Asari’s head. The high-caliber pistol I possessed made short work of the creature, and in a flash of wet green plant matter the head was destroyed and splattered across the Thorian’s center mass.
“Oh good, I was worried for a second we were just going to let it go.” Garrus swung his rifle around checking the room as a groan vibrated across the space. The statues made of plants that lined the edges creaked and cracked, and slowly they began to move.
“As much as I’m glad we aren’t letting it go, I don’t think it’s going to just let us kill it.” Tali raised her pistol preparing to open fire at the first sign of hostility.
“Remember, move through the room and target the different nodes.” Ashley pointed at the areas where the large support tendrils kept the Thorian secured in the center of the room. “Destroy those and we kill it.”
The statues finally broke free into a full movement, and at once charged towards us. As they crossed the room we did the thing we had been waiting for since we got down here. We opened fire.