Mass Effect: Another Time, Another Place

Chapter 32: Virmire: Indoctrination, Beacons and Reapers, Oh My!

Summary:

Shadow Team breach the facility via the back door and make some startling discoveries while on their way to destroy said facility... They find a new beacon in Saren's private lab and activate it. Once they do, they have a very interesting conversation with a certain world-destroying entity, for which Wyatt and Shepard have some questions...

Chapter 32:

Liara quickly picked it up and slammed it to the ground with Biotics and Wyatt took it's head off with bullets. Two more Geth rounded a corner of a large box and Garrus and I took care of them. Tali picked up a canister and threw it over some crates, and we heard an explosion and powering down Geth... "Good call Tali." I nodded to her and she nodded back.

Wyatt moved forward and quickly caught the hand of a... Salarian? Said Salarian had tried to attack Wyatt with hand-to-hand. Bad call. He moved aside holding the arm, making it outstretch and then hit his upper arm where the Salarian's elbow was, breaking his arm. He yelled in pain and Wyatt gripped his throat, picking him up and slamming him to the concrete floor, blood pooling at his head. We ran over and quickly gunned down two more...

We stopped and examined the bodies. "Salarians? The Captain mentioned he had lost some men..." Liara pointed out to us...

Wyatt sighed then and shook his head, crouching near the body. "Indoctrination." he pointed out.

Garrus then looked around us. "I wonder what this place is really for, then..." he added his suspicions.

Tali nodded at that. "This doesn't feel right..." she told us, and I happened to agree.

I sighed then. "Let's keep moving. We can find out more inside." I decided and everyone nodded. We went up a set of stairs and turned left, coming face to face with a Geth Juggernaut... Tali and Garrus overloaded it's shields, Liara used Stasis and Wyatt and I opened fire, quickly tearing it apart with our ammunition... "Good job everyone." I said, impressed at our coordination.

We continued moving, through a door and into a small room and then through another door that led onto a walkway that looked down on some cells. "Hello? Is someone out there?" came a voice from one of said cells. Until we found a way down there was nothing we could do. We went through the door at the end of the walkway and found two more indoctrinated Salarians. We quickly disposed of them.

The radio then beeped. "Give a little ground, Lieutenant. We don't want them to bunker up. Draw them out." Kirrahe ordered.

We went forwards and through another door, climbing some stairs. We came across more cells... I went up to one of them... "What do you want?! I told you everything! I..." the Salarian cut off then when he realised. "Who are you? Alliance, right? I knew someone would come. It tried to break me, but it couldn't! I shut it out!" he exclaimed.

Wyatt then stepped forward. "Identify yourself, soldier." he said to the Commando.

Said Salarian then saluted. "Private Menos Avot of the Third Infiltration Regiment STG, sir! Captured while on reconnaissance six days ago. Glad to answer, sir!" he nodded to us. He then shook his head. "Never any questions from these bastards. Just whispers and poking and cutting. I'd have said anything to get out and get some payback!" he exclaimed, pissed off it seems. "That's not too much to ask is it? A little payback?" he asked me.

I raised my eyebrow then in question. "What did they do to you, soldier?" I asked him.

He was quick to answer. "Experiments, but I don't know what for. The effect of incessant whispering on my shortening temper? Who knows? I just need out." he said to us.

Wyatt seemed unsure. "I don't know... This doesn't seem right, but being cooped up could have done this... I don't want to leave him but... I don't know." he sighed finally.