by Colin Cook
Reeger walked over asking, "Isn't that the Geth from the Flotilla?" Tali gave a nod. With a smirk he asks, "Hey Geth? Any idea what happened here?"
"We are not aware. However, we did notice a severe energy surge several moments ago and the ship was vulnerable to our hacking. We were able to force a line to one
station in the ship, yours was our primary choice."
Mordin asked, "Why did you not choose the main deck? Shepard could need aid."
"We valued…" Legion, changed his response. "We deemed the medical ward most valuable it has the most life signs."
Somehow Mordin smiled, then he asked, "What was this power fluctuation?"
"A frequency being transmitted from the main engine of the ship continuously was somehow interrupted. It would seem, a combative frequency had weakened the power
source, and forced it to shut down momentarily. We are aware, it has begun again but is minimally weakened."
This, gave Tali a look to the girl. She just knew. So she had to ask. "Legion? Do you have any idea what the combative frequency was?"
"As far as we can tell. It was a vocalized frequency of a specific harmonic wavelength. This caused the other force, to somehow be weakened and shut offline. We are not
aware what created it or how?"
Tali sighed a little. Walking over, she bent down whispering, "Where did you learn that song?"
The young one lowered her head. "I was sung it in the shadows one day. There was a man and he said it was a really special song." Looking up, she offered a data pad.
"He said, that this was important."
Tali looked at the pad. It… it was the song? Written out. Word for word. Tali swallowed somehow reading it, getting it. She had a pretty strong memory one of the best
there is. Standing up she turned to Mordin. "This isn't natural."
"No, it is not." He took a deep intake. Eyes glaring at the events here. "In fact, is unnatural."
Legion suddenly called out. "WARNING: We have found thrusters are one. Ship is moving towards Mass Effect Relay."
Reeger walked over asking, "What the hell does that mean?"
"The destination has been confirmed. The ship is now directed to the Flotilla."
Tali's heart raced, "What…?"
Mordin, winced as he knew the reason. "That many ships. That many Quarians. Is not hard to imagine, the reason."
Obviosuly, Reeger was outraged. "This thing is targeting the fleet? We have to warn them!"
Tali, turned shouting, "Even if we did! They could never remove all their ships before this ship got close enough. Why, it might actually be able to jump ships somehow?"
Looking down, she knew the only choice. Shepard would agree. "We need to go to engineering! We can stop the engines manually!"
"Affirmative. This is the only recourse we can deem acceptable." Legion, turned to EDI who was watching him, hearing as Tali and the others made the same decision.
Stepping back, Legion began to leave.
"Legion? Where are you going?"
Legion turned to EDI. "We must assist in this matter. There is still an efficient power source and if it is anything to comment on the readings, it could be a dangerous
conflict in the engineering core."
EDI seemed to understand. "Tali will be safe Legion."
"Yes, we know. That is why we are going to the Engineering Core. To ensure this outcome."
"Understood." EDI watched Joker who was still unconscious. She understood immensely.
Shepard held his gun on the captain as he stepped back, letting them in. Garrus and Thane too. Yet, when he motioned them to sit and they did not? He chuckled, saying
lowly above a whisper. "I'm not going to harm you. Trust me, there are much worse things here than an old captain."
Seima looked at Antura. Her head shook, "Where's my daughter?"
"She's alive." Said the captain, lowering his head. "It would have brought her body here for me to mourn I suspect. Or perhaps killed her before my eyes? It seems to
have a great satisfaction in those things. Like suffering and torment, serve to spice the meal." Coughing, he sat down shaking his head. "The creature is nothing what I'd
ever have dreamed to come from our old home. I suspect, it might be a legend we forgot as we left the Geth. I wonder, did it hunger without us? Is that why it feeds so
coarsely? Perhaps, it's a means of justifying the torment it endured without us, that it tortures us?" Then, he thought, aloud, "Well, maybe it's just an evil bosh'tet that
needs no more explanation than that? Hmm?"
"I don't care!" Seima, snapped, "Madila? Is she alive?"
"I told you yes." He lowered his head, "The creature will not kill her until it is swayed to do so."
Seima clenched her fists and snapped, "You let this happen to our crew? To our family? Wh-what kind of FATHER are you?"
This, the captain looked at her and said with a deadpan serious expression. "I am a terrible father and a worse captain, my child."
Seima closed her eyes. Soon, she held herself. "I love you father. Why?"
"Jacohbe had resources I could never find. He had knowledge none of us could ever know." Standing, he walked to her. Then he whispered softly, "I made a choice to
make the best future for you and our family. I wanted you to go back to the Flotilla one day my child. To our home world. There is so, so much I wish I could give you.
That I never had."
Garrus rubbed his neck. Suddenly, turning to his left. His eyes widen in horror, and he nudged Shepard. "Shepard!"
Shepard looked and his form jumped, "W-what!"
Thane, turned and then turned on the captain. His hand holding his pistol tightly. Yet as Seima went to turn, the Captain demanded, "SEIMA!" She looked to him. "Don't
look!"
She was scared. Looking at her father. His eyes, pleading her to stay looking to him. To focus on him. "F-father?"
"Please…. Just look at me as I am here." Her eyes shiver, "Just remember me as I am, here. Right before you. Don't look, please." Her throat, swallowed a lump, and her
father smiled as she gave a nod. "T-thank you… Seima. Now, please. Just listen."
Shepard, asked however, "Wha-."
"I am the captain of this ship. OR I was before that creature, acted." He looked at Shepard with a bit of aggression. Yes, he knew. He knew well why he wanted to ask.
Yet he shook his head, "The incidents were small at first, arguments and fights. Then I locked them into the brig. After the first stabbing down there? The deaths rose. The
'creature' began to attack everyone." He lowered his head, turning away. "All the crew except me. It kept me up here, alive, locked up and not able to leave. It let me
listen on the speakers to them, all of them screaming. Calling for me."
The Captain hung his head, leaning on the consoles. "It kept me here. No matter what I did… to quiet the screaming, I was here all the time. I'll be here until the last of the
crew, or until I am no longer worth while keeping I suppose?"
Shepard lowered his head. What a terrible fate. Forced to hear the crew, your friends and family dying slow, agonizing deaths. He turned to the corner wincing again. This
is a fate most horrific. "Is there anything we can do for you?"
"No." He said, with a light laugh. "No, I am meant to go down with this ship. Least, what is left." He turned, however. "Yet, there is a way to stop this. The creature is in
the Engineering room, the core I suspect? During much of this event I've watched the fluctuations in the core, sometimes spikes other times they were drops. I think the
more it uses these powers to infect the minds of others, the more stress it has to endure on the engine. Now it's not using these powers. I suspect, it wishes to reserve
energy for the trip…. To the Flotilla."
Alarm was on the face of Shepard. He recalled that this thing was meant to go there, but really? "Wait? It'
s headed to the Flotilla?"
"It must be." Antura spoke. His eyes were tired, and his voice all the more. "It hungers for the Quarian soul. Or so, I am suspect to believe. They say we Quarians have
'old souls' and our songs, our culture were some the most rich and true. Perhaps, that is what it hungers for most?" Anutra lowered his head and gave a heavy snort.
"Perhaps, that is why it hungers so much? Too long without a good meal. Now it's just gorging itself."
Garrus, had to ask, "How could you unleash this thing? Didn't you have any idea what it was?"
"I had my theories." Looking away, he held his visor. "I assumed it was a geth weapon, or something. That made the most sense to me. Knowing the work Jacohbe did. I
assume also, my releasing the damn thing? Jacohbe went ahead and rushed any of his former plans, it was only a matter of time before this 'monster' became too active.
He probably feared this." Looking back, he gave a laugh. "Perhaps that's why you're here?"
Omega… it made sense. Jacohbe did not plan to release the Geth so soon. Antura, released this monster. That meant his 'fleet' was weak, and he had to rush whatever
his plans were. Now the question was, what did he really have planned for those Geth?
Shepard looked to Seima, she was shaking and obviously she wanted to see whatever it was that had worried Shepard and the others. However, her father knew again.
"Don't look. Just remember me like this."
She closed her eyes. "Father, come with us?"
A smile and Antura said, softly, "I would if I could but… a captain must go down with his ship."
"Mmm…" She whined, and held herself. "Father? Please?"
Looking at her. He slowly held her cheek. He felt incredibly cold. Even for him. "Child, know that out of all the mistakes I ever made on this ship. You were my only true
correct action. Know that so long you leave this ship the good in me, will live on."
"Father…"
"Go Seima. You've already returned a light of hope to this old captain's spark, just for a glimpse." He motioned her to turn right, away from the corner. "You and your
friends need to get to engineering and stop this mess before it reaches our people. I pray one day, this mistake is forgotten and you stand on the Home World."
Seima clenched her teeth as she balled her fists. Turning with eyes shut she dared not look. Garrus winced back, and Thane bowed to Antura, as he seemed to have been
praying in silent for some time now. Shepard, stepped between the door and Antura. "Is there anything I can do for, you?"
"Shepard, was it?" Shepard gave a nod. "Get your crew off this ship alive. That might be the only thing left to be done."
Shepard gave a nod. "I will."
"I'm glad there's a captain who can, then." Turning around, he put his hands on his tailbone. "I wish I had your spirit Commander."
Then, he asked, "Also, before you let my daughter back. Could you remove the…. Mess, in the corner?"
Shepard gave an uneasy nod and then left the room. Antura, had a chuckle. "Spirit… heh." Suddenly he heard something. Narrowing his eyes, he did not turn. Neither did
he struggle. Something moved coiling around him, surrounding him in the dark room. Here, the long black tendrils uncurl and slowly surround the captain. "It's about time
you bosh'tet. Waiting until I saw my daughter? How low are you?"
The lights flash, and, Antura was gone. Yet in the corner a lone Quarian was hunched over, his visor shattered and in his right hand a pistol with one last round fired. The
pale blue Quarian suit, showing a high enough ranking to still sit alone in this, the captain's deck. He seems to have been there for several days. If not too long after this
entire matter began did the body lay.
Tali had this horrible feeling something terrible happened. She just got this feeling deep in her gut. Like, Shepard was in trouble. Or that he was fighting for his life? Or, that
he got trapped by something? OR!
Kal'Reeger asked, "Ma'am?" She and Reeger were at point, Mordin was in the back, with the other two marines. The doctor and child, the center. "This whole thing has me
wondering. You ever think we can just meet without life-and-limb on the line?"
What is he talking about? Tali shrugged. "I suppose. Usually you're on a mission."
"Yeah, I know." Reeger had a little chuckle to that. "Just, I sometimes feel that the universe conspires against the people most active. To really ruin their lives. Almost for
some sort of sick, game of entertainment."
"If this all was based on a game? I'd wish it was at least a popular one." She smiled, to the sheer humility of this conversation. Her ego did not really hold herself so high.
Tali sighed as the next door opened and what did she find? "Long corridor, with what seems two paths." Checking her tool she whined, "Great, we have to take the bridge
to the right to get to engineering. Never, ever anything simple is it?" Turning over the railing there was a long, long drop. The chambers were all so dark. This one is no
better. The lights on the catwalk were still on though, if that really helped? Just made someone more of a sitting duck. The area they were on was a balcony like area, with
a lot of pipes over them bent around, funneling into the walls and to other areas in the ship. The core was across that bridge… or rather, the core engineering room.
Just then the door across from them opened. Everyone turned up with weapons poised. The last thing they expected this close to the end was Shepard. Commander
Shepard peeked out with his rifle, and behind him Garrus, Seima and Thane. When the two teams meet eye to eye, Shepard's lips curve with relief and joy. "Tali?"
"Shepard?" Tali, was very overjoyed. Though she wasn't sure was it another trick or… "OW!" She turned, as Reeger pinched her. "Reeger?"
"Sorry Ma'am, you looked like you didn't know either." A smirk, he raised a brow. "You going to just stand here and wait for him to come to you."
Tali glared at the marine then turned up to her Commander. Shepard was terribly relieved. Walking toward her, the Commander felt someone push by him. "Madila!"
Seima, shocked the Commander as she ran out. Then he saw the young Quarian screaming, "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" It made him smile, made him feel a little
something other than the misery of this place. The dark place that was slowly draining any good left.
Shepard's heart suddenly clenched up. He knew what was about to happen.
Even Tali, somehow. Standing just a few foot from the two, about to embrace? She could just sense this. Sense the worst, possible sensation of dread and terror, horror
or perhaps even disgust? It was hard to really tell where it began and ended.
Seima had just dropped to her knee arms out to her child. The one, last good thing she could find on this ship. After loosing her husband, her father and fearing this one
thing gone? She seemed overjoyed to the little body running to her.
How it tore her apart, to see something land on the railing beside her child. A large, black mass that latched the pipes with long, spindly fingers, and a tandum of tendrils
that lurch forth and ensnare that tiny body before pulling out from the railing. Seima turned with the small helmet, twisting to her, pleading with eyes that glow under that
visor with so much horror.
The dark entity landed onto the catwalk with hands slapping on the grating. The long black tentacles behind those arms whilst they drag and pull toward the engineering
room. The alarm of this event, Garrus raised his rifle to take a shot, but felt Shepard push his sights down. Snapping something about hitting the girl. The group ran to the
end of the catwalk as the thing pulled itself into the doorway of engineering, dragging the little girl with it. Her small fingers lace into the grated floor one moment, tugging
and pulling at the entranceway.
>
All the eyes were there watching, waiting. Seima, sat still there at the end of the catwalk. Just watching. Just waiting.
Then, as the little hands can not hold any longer. The small form was gone. Only the dark doorway remained, and the door closed soon after.
Seima sat there stunned, bewildered and shattered. Her heart torn apart as it was. Her mind on the verge of collapse. Seeing this? It did nothing to help her situation. "MM-Mad-dila…?"
It was a pathetic kind of squeak what Seima spoke. There she was without her child. There she was, without her father or lover. There she was alone and broken. There
she was still alive. Still alive after all this time? "Ahhh…"
Standing, Seima made a step toward the engineering door, then another and another. Shepard reached out, trying to stop her. Yet she pulled from him. "TAKE ME!"
Screamed the woman, tumbling on her shaky limbs. "Take me! Me! You bosh'tet! Take me! She doesn't know pain! She won't feed you! Just take me! Taaaaake
meeeeee-h-eeee…."
The sight as she collapsed down on her knees and forearms sobbing did a number on everyone. There was no one here who could even remotely be put in her shoes.
This, hadn't been any where what anyone expected.
Shepard watched on saddened by all this. His eyes lazily looking as she hung there crying. Yet his eyes grew vigilant, and stern as the door to Engineering opened. He took
out his rifle, and the others began to cover the door too.
Seima looked up as she heard slapping loudly at the doorway. There rolled out two long, thick black tentacles, suckers splotching on the metal grating. Then smaller ones
roll out, and pull something forward. A large, bushel of these blackened tendrils bubble out of the dark doorway with this long, torn robe hanging loosely on a body, a
frame. The torso, held tightly to itself a small, quivering body. Two arms, held the head and stomach of the girl, with three long fingers laced around the helmet and belt of
the little girl. The figure rolled forward holding the child like a prize of some kind. Its head hung low with a strange blackened hood over a bulbous, rounded head. Though
out from the hood hung five blackened tendrils that curve upward at the base, like a smile, as the eyes bare from under the hood with a twisted sense of delightment.
