Lazarus Project: Mass Effect 2 (Shenko)

Chapter 61

Milky Way/Serpent Nebula/Widow System/Citadel

Earth year: 2185 CE --- October

Callie approached the information desk outside C-Sec on Zakera Ward followed closely by Thane and Garrus.

"C-Sec seems to have tightened security since I was last here." Callie observed, addressing the woman behind the desk.

"After the geth attack two years ago, Citadel Security made improvements to prevent geth infiltration." She replied dryly.

"You'd think a geth would stand out." Garrus drawled.

"Assumptions are dangerous." She retorted. "Be alert, be safe."

"Right." Callie drawled. "Come on, let's go."

"Shepard." EDI called on her comm. "I have received reports that a drell recently passed through C-Sec. I suggest speaking with Captain Bailey for more information."

"Thanks EDI."

"Commander Shepard." Bailey drawled. "What can I do for you?"

"My friend is looking for his son. We have reason to believe he may have passed through here."

"Let me check. Damn, seems he was looking to speak to someone named Mouse."

"Mouse?" Thane repeated.

"Yeah he's one of the poor kids who grow up on the Citadel. Petty criminal who used to be a duct-rat."

"What's a duct-rat?" Callie asked.

"Some of the kids who end up on Zakera Ward hide from authorities using the ventilation shafts on the Citadel. We do what we can to keep them out, but they get in anyway. Occasionally we find a little body, but Mouse seems to have survived. Now he's too big to fit in there."

"That's awful."

"Not enough man-power or resources to change the access vents Shepard. Truth is no one cares. Anyway, if you want to speak to him, he usually does business on the upper level of the ward."

"Thanks Bailey."

As they left Bailey's office, Thane placed a gentle hand on Callie's arm. "Shepard. You didn't tell him why we're here."

Callie frowned. "Of course not. You make a habit of telling law enforcement what you do for a living?"

"Point taken."

They found Mouse where Bailey had said they would. After speaking with him he left, unhappy about the exchange and less than pleased to see Thane. Thane explained that Mouse had been one of his contacts and in a rare display of sentimentality, Mouse had given him a holo of himself. Hoping that someone, or anyone would remember him.

"What's wrong with that?" Callie asked.

"Drell can relive any memory they choose. It's called solipsism, it allows us to relieve any memory as though it were happening all over again. We have no need for holos."

"Mouse said you didn't have one of your son." Callie remarked as they returned to Bailey's office.

"No. Perhaps I knew even then that I'd failed my son and hoped to make up for it through Mouse."

"Did it work?"

"No."

After speaking to Bailey, he arranged to pick up the suspect, Elias Kelham, who had hired Thane's son, Kolyat. When he arrived she and Thane set to interrogating him as a hostile witness. Callie got rough when he refused to cooperate, but it got them the answers they needed.