Jane
Jane flexed her fist, watching as the orange holograms formed around the hand and along the forearm. She could only barely sense the thin band of metal floating inside, held in place by the biotic field her omni-tool was generating. The band was made of an eezo metal and was therefore capable of having its mass altered by her biotics.
She threw out a fist, feeling satisfied as there was no lag or resistance in the metal's movement. It weighed practically nothing while it was floating there, yet she was certain it would hurt like a son of a bitch when it hit someone. Jenkins was inspecting the movement, taking notes on a holo pad as he inspected it.
“So this will be able to handle one of those nova charge punches I made?” Jane was curious when Jenkins said he already had something to give her before she left. It had only been a couple of hours since they left the Citadel, and she hadn’t expected any progress until after they were on their way to Noveria. It seems she had underestimated him again.
“That’s the theory, although the time for actual testing was limited. At the very least it should reduce some of the feedback, keeping you from wrecking your arm again.” He was speaking plainly, his focus on this project replacing that carefree attitude he usually had.
“Thank you. I’m sure I’ll make good use of it.” Jane couldn’t help but smile. She can’t remember the last time someone had gifted her something. Granted it was a weapon for combat use, but honestly it was the sort of gift Jane would have asked for anyway. She liked practical things, stuff that would get regular use.
“Pft I hope not. It should be good but you seriously should be using your guns before this thing. I know that’s not going to stop you but if you have to punch a giant robot to death then something has already gone wrong.” And there was that smile. That stupid grin made it clear he was being lighthearted even if his words might have been true.
“For most people maybe. I think a solid punch has its uses, even in a firefight. Besides I don’t think the person who blew himself up gets to tell me how I approach combat.” She jabbed back, enjoying the look as he just shook his head and smiled.
“Fair enough. You guys be careful down there alright? Beta, you’re on duty with Tali again, keep them alive.” Jenkins spoke turning toward Tali who flinched as a hologram projected from the large omni-tool on her wrist.
While Jane trusted Jenkins’ judgment when it came to the AI, she still wasn’t comfortable letting it transfer itself freely through their devices. As such Tali was wearing Jenkins omni-tool, the larger size of it covering almost her entire forearm. She had been looking over its specifications and making sure it fit before Beta had appeared.
“Of course, I will do all I can to look after my team.” My team. If someone had asked Jane a week ago if she would ever have an AI that considered itself allies with her she would have called them crazy. Yet here she was, seeing crazy things and just having to take it in stride.
It might have bothered her more, but ever since her… conversation, with Sha’ira Jane had been feeling better. More relaxed, but also more confident, more sure in her choices. She hadn’t realized how badly she had needed that comfort. Ever since Akuze, she had felt alone. Isolated. Like she was the only person fighting a war that only she knew about. Then she learned about the Reapers and the Council decided to ignore every warning she gave. Even with her team, with a squad that believed her, she felt alone. Sha’ira reminded her she wasn’t, in more ways than one. She felt more solid than she had in months.
“Good. You all come back in one piece, I should have some more toys ready for you when you do.” Jenkins spoke again, his words to all of Shepard’s ground team. For this mission, she was keeping it simple. Herself, Tali, Kaidan, and Liara.
She had debated bringing Shiala, but in the end, she didn’t trust the woman. While she knew that on a mission to neutralize the Matriarch, she would be reliable. However, outside of that, she wasn’t sure where the woman’s goals lay. The other reason was that if there was one thing she trusted it was that Shiala already knew how to fight. Liara was inexperienced. If she was going to help them fight on Noveria then Jane needed to know she was more than just a powerful biotic. A rogue VI should be a simple enough problem that she could test her without putting too much in danger.
“For us? You shouldn’t have. I’ll be looking forward to it Jenkins.” Kaidan smiled, giving a punch to Jenkins’ shoulder before climbing into the MAKO. The vehicle was going to be dropped into the crater nearest to the facility. The training facility they were going to had exterior turrets as defenses. If they wanted to get close without getting lit up they would have to drive the armored vehicle in. Jane couldn’t help but feel excited to drive the thing. It was an absolute beauty of a tool.
“Thank you for the SMG Jenkins. We will be back shortly.” Tali placed a hand on Jenkins’ shoulder as she said her thanks, letting it linger a moment before she also climbed in.
Jane couldn’t help but wonder if something was going on there but decided it was better not to worry about it right now. Alliance regulations were against fraternization, but they weren’t Alliance right now. As long as it didn’t interfere with the mission she didn’t have a problem with it. Of course, she could be reading too far into it. After all, she had been convinced Jenkins was interested in her for the week before they talked. She would ask about it later, and make sure there weren’t going to be any issues with it.
“Sorry Liara, your project is still in development. Should be ready for Noveria though.” Liara flinches at Jenkins’ words, seemingly surprised that he’s even making something for her.
“Oh. Um, thank you. That’s not necessary but I appreciate it.” Jenkins just smiles softly, the look in his eyes changing for a moment.
“It will be necessary. Think nothing of it.” Liara, like Jane, simply watching Jenkins, the weight with which he spoke the first four words was different than the rest of the conversation. It held a pressure Jane hadn’t expected from him. For a single moment, Jenkins felt tired and dangerous in a way few people have ever made Jane feel before. The last time was actually when she met Saren.
The similarity made her uncomfortable, but as quick as it had appeared it was gone, and the casual uncaring man had returned. Liara just shook her head, repeating her thanks before climbing into the Mako. Jane was the last one, she took a moment, watching Jenkins again. Every time she thought she understood him she would see or feel something that would just raise more questions. She didn’t have time to ask all the ones she wanted, but she had time for one.
“Jenkins… are you okay?” She doesn’t know why this is the question she felt the need to ask him. But that look he had, the way he spoke. It was like a man already defeated, just barely holding on. At times she thought he was the strongest person here, as far as willpower was concerned. But at others, she thought he was one wrong event away from falling apart.
“...” Jenkins was surprised by Jane’s words and doesn’t seem to know how to respond right away.
“If there’s something wrong... if you need help. You can ask.” Jane had the feeling Jenkins was important.
The way he fought, the upgrades he worked on, and his instincts when it came to the people they encountered were all far beyond almost anyone else aboard this ship. Jane considered herself a strong judge of character, but even she would have hesitated to trust an AI like Beta or the daughter of their enemy's greatest backer. Yet he was right on both counts. So right that he made it feel like it was the only possibility.
“I’m fine Shepard. I’m just worried about stopping Saren. I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure we win this.” He is lying.
It becomes obvious to her as he says it. Every time Saren had come up he had unending confidence in their victory against him. Jenkins isn’t worried about stopping Saren. But he isn’t lying when he says he’s doing everything in his power to make sure we all win this. The problem is that it isn’t stopping Saren he’s talking about when he says ‘this’. Jenkins is looking far past Saren already. For the first time, Jane has the realization.
Stopping Saren won’t stop the Reapers.
A force like that wouldn’t be dependent on one method for returning. Stopping Saren will only delay their invasion. Jane curses herself for not realizing it sooner. She would have eventually, she’s positive, but she had been so focused on Saren that she didn’t even stop to what it meant that he was just a pawn for their schemes. And Jenkins realized this already. She understands how that must eat at someone. The hopelessness you can feel when you think you’re alone in understanding the threat. She almost regrets having a ground mission now, if she could she would have stayed to try and reassure him, to remind him he wasn’t alone in this. She knew how important that was to hear.
“We’re going to win this, Jenkins. First Saren, then the Reapers. We will stop them all.” It’s all she could say for now. When she was done on Luna she would try and have a more in-depth conversation with him about things, but for now, she had to hope this was enough.
“Of course we will. Be safe alright?” Jenkins put a hand on her shoulder, and while she could see his smile looking more comfortable, less forced, it didn’t reach his eyes.
Jane turns her back on him, instead climbing into the MAKO. They had to go, they would be over the drop point soon. She would have to talk with him when she got back. Until then she had to focus on the mission at hand. She looked back at Jenkins as she stood in the top hatch, watching as he gave a small wave, speaking one last time.
“And hey, if this training facility has any remote drones equipped with weapons, can you bring a few back for me? I can imagine they would be useful.” Jane was intrigued by the suggestion, she hadn’t considered remote drones inside of the facility but it was possible, she nodded at him, acknowledging she would at least try, before she dropped the rest of the way inside of the transport.
Jane dropped down into an entrance point and turned to the driver’s seat of the MAKO. It was a single seat, with a panel of controls and pedals on the floor. Behind her were the seats for passengers, only three empty seats left. The vehicle was built for a squad of seven, so the four of them had enough room to sit comfortably. Jane looked out the front window of the MAKO staring at the bay doors of the Normandy.
She knew the standard drop procedures for armored vehicles well, it was covered in all N7 training. The Normandy wouldn’t land. Instead, they would open the bay doors and drop the MAKO from the ship while it was still flying. Mass Effect fields would allow the transport to land without damage, and from there they would drive to the facility. Jane kept her cool, but even she couldn’t ignore the bubble of excitement that built. She loved combat drops. The adrenaline, that feeling of weightlessness as you fell before the jolt of an impact. It was something she couldn’t find anywhere else.
It took three minutes for the Normandy to get over their landing point. It was Joker’s voice that broke the silence in the transport.
“We are over the landing zone now. Opening bay doors.” Jane shifted in her seat, her foot over the pedal as she waited. There was a hiss and a thunking sound as the bay door slowly opened. The bay had already been sealed and depressurized, so all that was needed was for the team to seal their helmets, and wait. It didn’t take long, and the moment there was the thunk of the hanger opening completely Jane stepped on the gas.
The MAKO tires didn’t even spin, they gripped the cargo bay floor completely and with great speed launched out of the bay and into the open air. A hundred feet, maybe more, the MAKO fell. She could see through the window the gray dust and dirt that made up Luna’s surface. She watched as it approached, calling it out just in time.
“Brace for landing!” There were no words in response, just the sounds of those tightening their grips on their seats as the MAKO swelled, its momentum slowed before the thud of impact with the moon’s surface shook the vehicle.
“Landing complete Joker, we will radio you when we are secure for pick up.” Jane sent the message through, letting things settle for a moment before they started moving.
“Copy that Commander, good luck down there.” Jane smiled at the response. She had a good team, she could tell that much. She turned around to address the three others in the MAKO.
“Alright team. This mission is a simple one, in and out. We are going to approach the training grounds in the MAKO, and if the defenses engage us we will disable them with the MAKO’s weapon before making our way inside. From there we determine the cause of the issue, most likely a glitch or problem with the VI that runs things. We will get Tali and Beta to the mainframe and he will shut it down.” She could give the orders clearly and without much trouble. Having an AI should make dealing with the whole problem much easier, especially if it is an issue with the VI.
“Yes Commander,” - “Yes Shepard.” The three in the vehicle give a response, joined in by Beta who appears on Tali’s wrist.
“Understood Commander.” Its tone matches the others, and Shepard has to shake her head. The AI’s obedience is always a surprise.
“Good, then let’s go people.” Jane turns back to face the front of the vehicle, grabbing at the controls. She had to stop a moment as where she was expecting a steering wheel to be there was instead a joystick. Jane looks down and around the panel and the few buttons available. There is a second joystick to the left that, according to the labels, controls the main canon. There was nothing even slightly resembling a steering wheel.
She leaned forward, grabbing both Joysticks and placing her foot over the pedal. How hard could it be to control, it was supposed to be a state-of-the-art vehicle. She was trained to at least be able to pilot most ships she came across. She could handle this, no trouble.
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“All in favor of never letting the Commander drive again say aye.” Kaidan spoke to the rest of Jane’s crew as they crawled out of the MAKO’s hatch.
“Aye.” - “Ugh, aye.” Both Tali and Liara answer quickly, the latter of which is groaning.
“Agreed.” Okay even the AI agreeing was too much.
“Okay, it’s not my fault. Who ties the acceleration of the vehicle to FORWARD on the joystick? Who even uses a joystick to control a land vehicle? Left and right, and then press the gas for acceleration. A steering wheel should be standard.” Jane couldn’t help her frustration. She knew it wasn’t the smoothest drive she had ever made, but again, that wasn’t her fault. It wasn’t exactly easy to maintain speed forward and turn the vehicle smoothly simultaneously. If it had a steering wheel there would have been no trouble.
“Well, they actually use joysticks in most vehicles throughout the galaxy, since the finer motor controls needed for something like a steering wheel and pedal control is not a given for every race. It became standardized over a thousand years ago.” Liara spoke, her stomach seemingly having settled now that they weren’t moving.
“Well. It’s not standard in the Alliance. Only spacecraft use joysticks. It’s just not something I’m used to.”
“I propose Liara drive the MAKO back aboard the Normandy.” Beta once again spoke, and once again Jane was starting to realize letting Jenkins have constant access to the AI might have been a mistake. It was picking up on his snark.
“Agreed,” - “Absolutely.” Kaidan and Tali respond immediately, the first of which Shepard can hear chuckling into his helmet. Jane just shook her head, exasperated with the clear teasing she was receiving. She glanced around the small ridge top they stood at, the defense turrets that had come alive to attack them on their approach were still sparking and smoldering.
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“Well, I still handled those turrets pretty well. I’ll practice with the driving later but for now, we have work to do. We are going to head inside. Beta can you breach door security for us? Maybe give us an idea of what to expect on the inside?” Jane was all fine for banter but the time for that was over. They had work to do now.
“I have already breached the door security Commander. I can also confirm that the culprit responsible is likely the VI in charge of the facility, as it attempted to fight off my attempt.” Tali looked shocked for a second as Beta’s hologram appeared, while Shepard weighed what exactly the AI’s words meant.
“You mean that the VI has gone rogue? Did it become an AI or did someone hack it, how did this happen?” Jane had a series of questions, and while she did ask them she wasn’t hopeful of Beta having an answer.
“Unclear as to how this occurred without accessing the VI itself to assess the cause, but it is not a full AI. A closer description would be a Nascent AI. It is still operating solely to its base program, but it has begun to interpret those orders in ways that likely were never intended. It treated my incursion as a military threat and responded in kind, as opposed to a personal enemy.” It was more than Jane had expected to learn but she nodded.
“Could you shut it down from out here?” Kaidan asked the obvious question first. If the VI could be disabled without having to enter the training grounds it would make things much easier.
“Unfortunately when the program realized it was outmatched at the door security it isolated its program to the interior systems. I would need direct access to the servers that house the VI to be able to disable it.” Another disappointment, but not a surprise.
“Then we have our mission. I’ll take point, Liara back me up. They likely have drones or turrets running defense inside. Use your biotics to ground or manipulate their frames to keep them from targeting us. Tali, you and Kaidan focus on destroying or disabling any of the turrets we take hold of.” There were nods all around, and with that Jane approached the door.
The airlock door to the facility was small, but that was revealed to be an illusion as the room on the other side was solely an entrance. There was a desk, several waiting chairs, and finally a scanner directly in the path to the elevator. It was likely most of the facility was underground, and only this room was actually on the surface.
The room was dark, the only lights coming from their helmets that automatically turned on when the amount of light was low. There was the occasional flicker of light from the far end of the room as the panel for the elevator flashed and flickered. More oppressive than the darkness was the silence. There was no sound as they walked through the space aside from the thud of their boots on the floor echoing through their suits. It wasn’t unexpected as everyone knew sound could not travel through a vacuum, but the concern was the existence of the vacuum inside the facility.
“Got a body here Shepard.” Liara was looking over the desk, and as Jane approached she found the sight she expected but was dreading. It was a woman’s body, swollen and covered in a layer of frost, she was lying on the ground just behind the desk, on her stomach with her arms outstretched towards the elevator.
“She tried to run.” It’s not a question, Liara says it plainly as it is clear to anyone looking.
“Unconsciousness from exposure to space takes anywhere from ten to twenty seconds for an adult human. The VI vented the atmosphere to the facility. Anyone not in a suit had enough time to know what was happening before they passed out. If the whole facility was vented at once, no one remained to save them.” Beta’s voice is clinical, an assessment of what happened, but even Jane can tell it’s displeasure for the events in how it speaks about what happened.
“This… this is why we can’t trust AI.” Tali speaks softly, her voice echoing softly in everyone’s suits. “Only a machine could do something like this. Could see this and feel nothing.” Jane turns to observe Tali and in turn, Beta, as they observe the body and what it means.
Nobody speaks up to challenge her. Even if Jane doesn't agree with every detail the general point she is making is true. Moments like this, where a facility was wiped out in a single moment because one program decided it was the most efficient way to do so. That was why people feared AI.
“Do not mistake apathy for malice. Unlike the Geth, this VI is nascent. There is no emotion in its action, positive or negative. This was simply the most efficient method of clearing the facility.” They are silent once more, understanding what Beta said.
This wasn’t an act caused by hatred. It was simple indifference. To Jane that somehow seemed more dangerous than an enemy that hated you. One that didn’t care less about you. No emotion to cloud judgment, to have you making mistakes or hesitating in those moments where it mattered.
“We need to shut this thing down. Can you breach the elevator and figure out where it is?” Jane asks the question to both Tali and Beta, the first of which nods silently before approaching the elevator.
Jane is surprised by the speed at which the elevator is called, and the lights return to that structure alone. She had expected it to take a moment longer to breach the defenses of the base.
“Well, that was fast.” It’s Kaidan who points out the speed first to which Tali just shakes her head.
“It wasn’t locked or protected. We could have just pressed the button.” This causes a wave of confusion, that Kaidan follows up on.
“It locks the front door but doesn’t bother with the elevator? What the hell?” His confusion is shared by Jane but Beta is quick with an answer.
“The difference in our abilities is likely the cause. It was unable to defend the front door’s security from me for any substantial length of time. It likely decided wasting time setting up defenses at other checkpoints was a waste of time. It is likely more focused on setting up an ambush or more direct attack.” The answer made sense as Beta explained it, and once again Jane found herself thankful the AI was with them. This might have taken much longer, or been much harder without him.
“Understood. Let’s move people.” Jane gives the order and they all step into the elevator together. There are multiple floors available to the facility, each only labeled by floor number. They had no way of knowing which floor the servers were on, they may have had to search the whole facility to-
Jane’s thoughts are interrupted as Kaidan presses the button for the bottom floor. He receives a look from everyone before he shrugs.
“What? Facilities like these usually put the most important stuff on the lower floors. If we have to search the whole base we should at least start on the bottom floor.” Jane… can’t argue with that logic, although a small part of her brain is bothered by not going top to bottom. Still, if it is on the lower floors starting there will be best, and if it’s not she could always hold it over the lieutenant's head like he was doing with her driving. She was a soldier, but not above payback.
“This floor is likely the correct destination. The VI just attempted to disable the elevator.” Beta’s voice had them all at attention, weapons raised and ready at the elevator doors. It took only another moment before the elevator stopped moving, the ding announcing their arrival at the base's bottom level.
The door slid open painfully slowly and despite the anticipation everyone had, nothing happened. No gunfire, no security traps. No giant death turrets set to fire on the open door. What they did however notice, were the bodies. Three soldiers, wearing sealed alliance armor were lying on the ground just a few meters outside of the elevator. Unlike the bodies they had seen at the entrance, these were not killed by the vacuum. It was clear they had been shot, the blood from their wounds splattered and then frozen on the ground in front of them. The freezing made it clear even down here the facility had been vented. Liara moved to step out of the elevator, taking her position in the lead with Jane seriously, but was stopped by Tali’s arm and an orange glow appearing across their visors. The glow highlighted the blood splatters from the bodies while Tali spoke.
“Stop! Beta just pointed out the blood, but looked at the splatter closely. These soldiers were shot in the back as they left the elevator. They didn’t even have time to boost shields.” Tali explained things quickly, and once again Jane was thankful for the program on their side. She doubted their superior armor would have been breached as badly as the dead soldiers, but knowing an attack was coming made it easier to avoid.
“Understood thank you, Tali, Beta. Liara, check the right as we step out and smash anything hostile with your biotics if you have to. Kaidan, boost her shields and back her up. Tali, stay ready to overload anything else that engages us.” Jane issues her orders, keeping things ready.
She gives Liara a look, waiting for her to be ready. The Asari takes only a moment, before nodding her head, the determination in her eyes visible through her helmet's visor. Jane steps out of the elevator looking to the right as she does so. She can see in the top corner of the room a turret hanging from the ceiling. It turns its barrel attempting to focus on the target that stepped off of the elevator. Jane doesn’t give it the chance and instead reaches out, feeling her biotics coil through the air as a field takes hold of the turret and she pumps as much energy as possible increasing the mass around it. She can only grin in satisfaction as the metal twists and warps before the whole turret is ripped out of the ceiling and sent crashing to the floor.
She turns around quickly to see Liara doing the same, both arms forward as the Turret is ripped from the ceiling and suspended in the air before being compressed and crushed into a small ball and allowed to fall to the floor. The showing of biotics was impressive, the control needed for that particular showing being greater than even Jane might have been capable of.
There is no time to celebrate however as Tali points out two drones as they fly around the corner. They move similarly to the Geth models they had all faced before, but were larger, with sharper angles in their design. Large guns hung from the bottom but they did not have the opportunity to fire as electricity arced from between the two, causing the lights to flicker off and both to crash to the floor in a pile. Jane was feeling good about the squad's handling of events, raising a hand to signal them to move forward. It was then that a third drone swept around the corner, this one similar but red. Instead of the twin guns hanging from the bottom, there was a much larger canon-looking weapon.
“TAKE COVER!” Jane shouts it out as loud as she can, pulling biotic energy into as much of a field as she could hoping it would be enough. She is surprised as she sees Kaidan step forward not backwards, raising his arm as he does. Jane doesn’t even have time to shout before the drone fires, the rocket sailing forward. There is a flash of light and a plume of smoke and she can feel the vibration as the weapon goes off through her suit.
“Kaidan!” Jane shouts, not seeing the man through the thick plume of smoke that was raised. Her Biotics reach out for the drone instinctively, and she can feel it as they grab hold of the device. In a fit of rage, she drags it through the air towards her, the boosters of the device straining against her pull but unable to resist as she pulls the drone directly into her closed fist. Her arm surrounded by the glowing orange hologram of her new tech knuckles tears straight through the metal of the drone, punching a clean hole in it.
She doesn’t have time to feel satisfied with the weapons showing, having not even felt the impact on her arm, as instead she steps forward through the smoke looking for Kaidan. She is pleasantly surprised to see him standing exactly where he was, a glowing orange shield in front of him extending from his omni-tool. He was bracing the shield arm with his other but otherwise looked fine.
“Kaidan?! You’re okay, thank the ancestors.” Tali is the one to step forward behind them just as quickly.
“Yeah, looks like Jenkins’ new shield works wonders.” Kaidan is smiling as he looks at the glowing shield attached to his wrist. He flexes his arm and the shield lowers becoming invisible once more.
“The shield is impressive, I would not have expected such a thing to be cleared to defend against explosive weaponry.” Liara seemed impressed inspecting the device, however, it seems as though Kaidan shrinks for a moment, letting out an anxious laugh.
“Kaidan,” Jane asks the question stepping forward. “Jenkins did clear that shield to be able to hold up to rockets like that right?” Kaidan takes a moment hesitating to answer before Beta breaks the silence.
“He did not. In fact, Jenkins’ exact words were,” Beta’s audio is replaced by a remarkably high-quality audio recording of Jenkins.
“Remember, I don’t actually know what the upper level of this shield's durability is, so be careful.” Jane can’t help but glare at Kaidan as she shakes her head. Why must so much of her team be so reckless to throw themselves into danger? Is it her? Does she just attract those kinds of people?
“However the testing does seem to conclusively confirm the shield should hold up against all but armature attacks. Far greater than I had predicted.” Beta still seems to be assessing the upgrade, while Tali is looking awestruck over the device. It was impressive, but it took up an entire arm and couldn’t be fired through while using it. Suited for those who preferred smaller or lighter weapons, not exactly Jane’s style.
“That’s enough, we will talk about you risking so much on experimental tech later. For now, we have to disable this VI.” Jane took point again. Rounding the corner at the end of the room, just in time to see a long hallway. Despite Jane’s expectations of an attack, they were able to move through it securely. The problem came at the hallways end. There were two paths, one left, and one right.
“We are going right first. Tali and Liara watch the rear. Kaidan with me.” Jane’s orders are followed without hesitation.
As they move forward Jane and Kaidan step into the next room, finding it barren aside from what appeared to be a series of generators and what looked like an access panel. Jane feels confident this is the place, but as she and Kaidan both cross the threshold into the room there is a hum that Jane begins to feel in her bones, the vibration through the floor noticeable even through her armor. She steps back to warn the others and is surprised as a blue barrier is erected between them. Her shoulder slams against it, but it doesn’t budge or move.
“Shepard!” Tali calls out her name as she notices the barrier as well, the group is split in two by the biotic barrier.
“Tali, Liara. See if you can break the barrier I think I found the main terminal for the VI he- BEHIND YOU!” Jane’s train of thought is cut off as she sees a series of drones flying down the hall toward her teammates both pinned behind the shield. They turn at her warning, and both instinctively raise their weapons opening fire. The fire rate of Tali’s SMG surprised even Shepard as it spits out rounds at the enemy drones that crumpled under the barrage, but more drones kept following.
“Shepard, we got our own problems.” Kaidan’s voice brings Jane’s attention back to the room they are in as she sees what has to be a half dozen drones flying up into the air from where they had been hidden in the room.
Jane doesn’t have time to panic, her instincts taking charge as she immediately raises her omni-tool firing a grenade from it at the drones further back in the room. The disk spins through the air before sticking to a drone. Jane’s feeling of success at the successful stick turns to dread as the drone immediately rushes forward aiming its body right for her. It is intercepted by Kaidan who steps in front catching the drone on his shield just as the grenade detonates.
Jane trusts the shield enough now that she doesn’t panic, instead raising her weapons and opening fire on the drones, using Kaidan and his new shield as cover to fire from. She feels she’s making quick work of the drones and can’t help but feel relief that there doesn’t seem to be any of the rocket drones. That is immediately interrupted as she hears Tali behind her.
“Liara rocket drone!” Her voice is panicked as she shouts out, and Liara responds in kind.
“I got it stay behind me!” She can’t look back, even if she worries about them. There is no getting through the shield in the short time they have, and with her drones to deal with she can’t afford to turn her back.
“Boosting shields, Liara it may be possible to use their own rockets against them.” Beta’s voice brings relief and clarity Jane didn’t know she needed, and as she sees a rocket drone rise in their room she can’t help but feel thankful for his advice.
The drone fires a rocket through the air, aiming for the ground in front of Kaidan’s shield, but Jane reacts faster. She extends her arm, letting power flow through her as the biotics lash out, grabbing the rocket and halting it in place in the air. The control needed for this alone is a lot, and she can feel the sweat gathering on her brow as she fights the rocket’s propulsion to hold it in place. Carefully, and with more precision than she is used to she spins the rocket, aiming it back at the drone and the cluster gathered around it before releasing it once more.
It soars through the air faster than could be expected, detonating in the corner against the machines and shrouding them in smoke. Jane leans on Kaidan, both relying on his shield for protection against any incoming fire and his actual support as that last feat took more out of her than she expected. She needed to practice more precise moves with her biotics, raw power could only do her so good. She called out, praying there was an answer.
“Tali, Liara are you both okay?” She prayed for their answer, and as no fire came from the smoke in front of her she spared a look back. She could see them both standing against the barrier, Liara was panting and leaning on Tali but otherwise, they looked okay, there were no drones visible on their side.
As Jane looked back their smoke cleared and there were no drones left operational. Jane breathed a sigh of relief at this.
“Thanks Kaidan. That shield was useful.”
“Of course Commander, but you’ll have to thank Jenkins for the shield. I just used it.”
“Without fear or hesitation. That takes a lot, believe me. Well done. Beta, can you drop the shield and join us?” She finishes her thanks, calling out to the AI who does not respond. Tali instead answers.
“He’s already working on it. Should only take a minute.” Tali’s answer is still a little anxious, and she continuously glances back at the room the drones came from, as though expecting more. And yet a minute passes without incident and the shield flickers twice before switching off. Tali and Liara walk over, rejoining the group with a visible sigh of relief.
“Perfect, I’m pretty sure this terminal is the hub for the VI. Beta if you would?” Beta’s hologram appears, hovering for a moment as Tali approaches before it flickers and appears over the Terminal itself. The terminal sparks for a moment, and Beta disappears. Another minute passes before suddenly the audio on all of their transmitters is flooded by a screeching sound. It’s deafening and Tali falls to her knees hands on her ears as it goes. Just as quickly it passes, Beta returns to appear over Tali’s wrist.
“Beta! What the hell was that?!” Jane couldn’t help her tone, as her ears were still ringing from the volume alone of the cry. Beta’s answer is delayed, and something feels off in his tone as he eventually gives his answer.
“I apologize. The… program attempted to send out a distress message in binary on all channels. I couldn’t interfere while I was dismantling it.” Beta is quiet, and Tali is the one who asks the question Jane was wondering.
“What did it say?” Beta is silent again before answering.
“It simply repeated ‘HELP’ over and over. It was scared.”
“I thought you said nascent AI don’t have emotional responses?” Kaidan points out the detail Jane remembered and was also questioning and Beta’s longest pause of silence follows. Eventually, he says only two words.
“They don’t.”