Lazarus Project: Mass Effect 2 (Shenko)

Chapter 58

"Dammit. I knew this wasn't going to work. Should've know better."

"So you want out? You're done?"

"Look Shepard, don't try to make me see the higher road here. Vito shot me. Had the men hold me down while he put a bullet in my brain."

"You took a bullet to the head and lived?" Callie had wondered why Zaeed's right eye was white, but she hadn't expected this.

"Yeah I lived and you survived getting your ship blown up. Rage can be a helluvan anesthetic."

"So why now? Who is he to you?"

"He was my second in command when I ran the Blue Suns."

"You ran the Blue Suns? Why doesn't anyone know about this?"

"Because it's not common knowledge. Vito wiped my name from the books."

"You still haven't answered my question Zaeed."

"Dammit Shepard. Fine, we'll do things your way."

"I hope so Zaeed. I won't choose you over innocent lives. Just so we're clear."

"Mmm. Talk more later Shepard."

----xxx----

There were two more crew she need to speak to down here. Even so, she couldn't decide who would be more challenging. So far, Tuchanka was on the bottom of her list. The krogan planet of Tuchanka was a hostile, desolate place. Rendered inhospitable from the krogan nuclear wars, it was home only to native krogan. Aside from the poisonous air and lack of plant life, the only other life it supported was the kind that would eat you.

She sighed. Her to-do list was growing and not having someone to back her up made it worse. Someone who would help carry the burden, someone like... Callie trailed off. She'd been about to say Kaidan, yet thinking about him was not going to help her now. But it reminded her why she was down here. She still needed answers about her death.

Squaring her shoulders she headed for the maintenance area below the engineering deck where Jack had hidden herself. She didn't understand the young biotic, but she could relate to her desire for privacy.

"Shepard." Jack greeted, her tone snarky. "Didn't think you knew where the bottom of the ship was what with you being so high above us all."

"Hello to you too Jack." Callie retorted. "Did you call me down here to insult me or did you want to talk about something?"

"Don't get high and mighty with me Shepard. This is who I am. Take it or leave it."

"Drop the attitude Jack. I'm here to talk and I'll listen to anything you have to say."

"Whatever." Jack snorted, dismissing her. "I've been reading all about your friend, the Illusive Man. I found out where they kept me when they did all those tests on me."

"Tests that made you a biotic?"

"I was abducted, injected. They taught me how to fight, how to kill."

"Who'd you fight?"

"Other kids. Whenever I hesitated they shocked me. Eventually I stopped hesitating. When I killed they gave me other drugs. But it doesn't matter. They're dead and I'm not."

"They conditioned you to kill?"

"I still feel warm when I take a life. But never mind that."

"How'd you escape?"

"Some kind of emergency. My door was open. When I got out the guards attacked me, the automated defenses attacked me, the other kids attacked me. I fought my way out and lived. It's all that matters."

"That's awful Jack."

"Whatever Shepard, I don't need you pity and I don't need a psych evaluation. I just want to go there, go to my room, plant a big, fat fucking bomb and blow the shit out of the place."

"You're certain it was Cerberus?"

"I'm not stupid. I might have been a kid, but I wasn't blind and I wasn't deaf."

"Attacking a Cerberus facility isn't a good idea Jack."

"No shit Shepard, but it was abandoned a long time ago. There's no one there."

"Alright, you've made your point. We'll go."

"Thanks Shepard. I'm not good at this friendly shit, so yeah... whatever."

----xxx----

"Shepard!" Tali beamed when she saw her. "It's good to see you. What can I do for you?"

"Just checking in Tali. How are you settling in?"

"It's good. I miss the old faces though. Doesn't seem right to be working with Cerberus."

"I know what you mean Tali, but I thought you had something you wanted to talk about."

"Right. Yes, I uh.. I have a problem Shepard. I've been accused of treason by the Admiralty Board."

"What?!" Callie cried. "You're no traitor Tali. How can they think that?"

"I don't know. But I have to return to the Fleet to stand trial. I won't know any of the details until I return to the Flotillia. The Admirals won't communicate something this classified to a ship outside the Quarian fleet, and certainly not to a Cerberus vessel."

"Well I won't let them do this Tali. You have my word. Is there a time limit on this?"

"They'll wait a reasonable amount of time. Then, if I don't show up they'll try me in absentia and I'll be declared an exile."

"Don't worry Tali. I'll get you there as soon as I can."

"Thank you Shepard. I thought I might have to book myself on another ship. I really appreciate this."

"You're my friend Tali." Callie reassured her. "But I should go. I have a lot of things to take care of before we can go anywhere."

"Of course. See you later."