I am Iron Man

by Colin Cook

  from the Reapers…"

  Legion, raised a brow. "You resist the Old Machines?"

  "Of course we do! Those damn things ruin everything. It's not easy cultivating an entire race for extinction just to have those overgrown tin-cans get involved!" He waved

  a hand, "Hell! That's why Jacohbe has been rallying our kin to help destroy your people and the Quarians!"

  "Explain!" Legion's flaps flare up, and he clenched his fists.

  "Those things are bad enough. Should the Geth ever become such a threat or the Quarians foolish enough to make peace with them. We know damn well the outcome.

  Our kind FEED on souls. Geth, are souless and therefore dangerous. We just need some time to find out how in the hell to kill you damn machines!"

  Legion shook his head as the Creature began following his former self again. Suddenly, he heard the creature laughing. "Hell, heh. I kind of miss it."

  Legion followed faster, he worked double his speed to try and delete the data that this entity was part to.

  Tali snapped at the doctor, "Let her go Vary! You're not getting out of here! Not after what you did!"

  Vary, narrowed her eyes pushing the pistol harder to Chakwas neck. "I'd beg to differ. My work was necessary. I knew it was wrong, yet served a purpose and part to my

  mission Tali'zorah! You of all people on this ship should understand!"

  Tali, shook her head. She heard someone coming, and Jacob, the male officer of Cerberus came rushing in, he had a pistol drawn, and others he gave to Tali, Garrus and

  Kasumi. "Listen, I don't know what's going on but lady, this is a Cerberus vessel. If you want to talk about experiments? Then here's as good a place as any to do it!"

  Reeger was on his knee, asking, "Okay… got my second wind. What the hell is going on?"

  Tali, held her pistol shouting, "Vary'Ex Vas TRAITOR was doing illegal experiments on the ship! She was using that little girl!" Turning to Reeger, he was glaring back at the

  Quarian. "She kept Madila sick, Reeger! She forced her condition to progress. All in hopes of some damn, foolish idea that it somehow put her in communication with a

  'higher being' that could help her stop Jacohbe!"

  "Which it did!" Vary, screamed back. "There was no way Madila could have known the things she did unless someone was telling her! You heard that song, what she said.

  There's something… someone, trying to help stop Jacohbe."

  Garrus, asked with a slight accusation, "Right, and that's supposed to make what you did to a little girl all forgotten? Make it all go away?"

  "It makes sense." Said Vary, angrily. "It made sense that her sacrifice was an acceptable loss. One, that I can't help was made but offered greatly needed information! You

  saw the Vids. Tell me, you don't have use for that same information? If so I'll call you a liar!"

  Tali however said, angrily, "I've seen a lot of terrible things of late. I've seen innocent people, die agonizing deaths and watch their loved ones do the same. Yet seeing one

  of my own kind, torture a little girl? It's definitely a first."

  "It won't be a last Tali'zorah." Vary narrowed her eyes sourly at Tali. "There is a war far, far worse than you can imagine on the horizon. The things I've learned are more

  terrifying than you can possibly understand. Tali'zorah, you're a hero to our people. Don't waste the information."

  Tali however snapped back even with more venom. "This data is tainted! It was acquired by forcing a little girl to suffer, to endure a fever and… you want me to just use it?

  Keelah! I don't even know what's on these other pads!"

  Reeger, to that asked, "Then why don't we just see?" He took the pad from Tali. "Because, I want to know what charges I should bring this bitch up on to the Flotilla?"

  Vary simply had a chuckle. To that, Tali narrowed her eyes. Then it finally clicked, "Reeger? How did you get to the Hunley?"

  "The Admir…" Reeger had a sudden pang. Looking back, he asked, "You're kidding me?"

  "Commander Reeger? Do you really think you were sent to recover a crew of nothing but a bunch of pilgrimage rejects? Those that turned on our own culture?" She

  scoffed, turning her eyes back on the soldier. "The whole reason you were sent there was to retrieve the data. That you're so sure is not worth your time."

  "If that's the case? I need to see what I lost my team for." Reeger looked down tapping the data pad. Soon, a Vid began.

  Vary was sitting at her desk, hands folded together. "Data Log: X-4350-233-01, Experiment Classification: Soul Searching." Vary, turned in her chair, showing the small

  Quarian girl atop a table. "Recently, specimen classification 'Madila' was brought to me with one of her episodic fevers caused by her otherwise problematic condition. Her

  desire to rebel against her mother, has caused her to remove her helmet in retribution for her leaving on another mission." Standing, the doctor moved to the bedside.

  "After the earlier episode she made mention of a 'Shadow Man' whom, at first I assumed was an imaginary friend set into motion to cope with the stress. However,

  recently, I've kept logs of our conversations and made sure to do so with the last. The following, is one of these so sessions."

  The screen fizzled, changing to another. The girl, was awake and humming with a data pad. Vary, working across the room. Finally, she turned asking, "What's that song

  my dear? It sounds rather lovely."

  "He sung it to me."

  "Who?" Vary, turned fully around. "Who sung you that song? You've been with me for three days now."

  "The Shadow Man. He sung it just last night. It's special."

  Vary, raised her brow to this. "The 'Shadow Man' sure seems to care for you."

  "I'm going to help stop it."

  "Stop what?"

  "The Kaireshi." Madila, looked up saying, "It's going to arriving in a few days. I'm going to be important to stop it, he said."

  "I see." The woman held her chin, "What is the Kaireshi?"

  "An Elder Kin." Madila's next words, made Vary stand at attention. "Just like Jacohbe, though he's more than that now… after he sold his being. Least the Shadow Man is

  pretty sure, he's trying to learn the truth."

  "…." Vary bent down, "Madila, when does this 'Shadow Man' talk to you?"

  "When I'm hot, and sweaty. He said, that's when I'm between the worlds. It's easier for him to communicate, in our world then. He says he wishes I was older, because

  then he could do more direct communications."

  "I-I see…" She stood, rubbing her hands together. "I think, you need another shot."

  Madila watched her take a few steps to the left, and look among her shelves. "Doctor Vary?"

  The doctor turned around. Madila, points to the right, "The Fever Inducer is over there."

  "…." Vary, looked at the shelf and went to it, pulling out the vial and looking back.

  "He said you'd need it."

  The video ended rather abruptly. Reeger held the pad a while, then turned back up. "You sick bosh'tet."

  Vary, shook her head. "I didn't like it either! Trust me, I didn't WANT to do this! Yet when I realized what was going on it was all damn near too late!"

  "When did this happen?" Reeger, made a move but the gun was pressed tighter. A wrench of his side, he had clenched up all his muscles. "Damn, I don't think I can wait for

  the Flotilla, or the Admiralty board!"

  Vary screamed, "Play the next log! Don't try ANYTHING stupid!"

  Reeger glared back all the same. Turning to Tali, she looked down and began playing the next log.

  "Data Log: X-4350-233-02, Experiment Classification: Soul Searching." Vary rubbed her helmeted forehead, "Today was… eventful. She was lucid in some ways, distant in

  others. It was… troubling, she made it sound like it was here with us which… I-I assume, is impossible. However, because of this I've decided to do all further experiments


  with lights on, just to be safe." She was silent, closing her hands around one another. "It was very eventful."

  The screen changed, and the girl was twitching on the table. Vary, watched over her Omni-tool, "Madila? It's okay. Calm down. You're alright." Another shot, she began to

  look her over. "For now, there's nothing to be afraid of child."

  Madila slowly stopped twitching, and laid still. Breathing rather heavily. The room was very dark, she must have worried if the crew saw her working so late what they may

  think. Coughing though, Madila asked, "What is it you want?"

  "I just wanted to talk to you about the Shadow Man. What is he-,"

  "No, I was asking him."

  "…." Vary looked around, "He… is here?"

  "Yes."

  "…." Vary, swallowed a little. "Is he, a friend?"

  Madila looked to the corner, which Vary shifted back from it. "He says… hell no. I'm sorry I thought we were friends?"

  "I-I see? Then, why does h-."

  "No, he wanted to tell me he means, not yours."

  "Oh. I see."

  "He hates those that harm innocents without a reasonable cause… it does hurt doctor…"

  Shifting very uneasily, she said, "Well, he helped me? Why did he tell you what he did if he didn't want me to…"

  "He says, he knew what you'd do. He just wanted you to get it over with so he can rend your soul later."

  "Ah…" Vary, shifted once more farther from the corner. "Madila, this isn't funny."

  "He's laughing."

  "This was a mistake. I'm ending this!" However, Vary felt the unease. The shadows seemed to be moving in on her. She swallowed, stepping into the light a little more.

  "M-Madila… what does he want?"

  "He says, a lot. Mostly that he wants to kill the traitors. If they did betray his kind. Though, he's not sure. It could be there's just one of them, coercing the others."

  Lowering her head, she coughed again. "I feel sick…"

  "Right, but these 'traitors' does that mean he's one of them?"

  "Sort of." Madila lowered her head. "I think he's kind of like… a renegade? He says that there are laws even they shouldn't break."

  "What laws did they break?"

  "Too many…" she closed her eyes, and whispered, "I'm feeling really hot."

  "Madila, what connection does Jacohbe have with these 'traitors'?"

  "That's the one that… he thinks, might be behind it."

  "Right, so he IS one of them too?"

  "I… I don't feel too good…"

  "Madila?" She raised her Omni-tool, checking her vitals. "Keelah, she's too hot." Looking back she grabbed a syringe and began another injection. It was a while, but she

  sighed as the fever reduced. Sitting back, she was in the shadows a moment, before she pulled herself swiftly back into the light.

  Tali shook her head. "You could have killed her."

  "Next Vid! Now!"

  "…" Tali, started the next pad.

  "Data Log: X-4350-233-03, Experiment Classification: Soul Searching." Her head hung a little more than before. "Madila almost died today. I'm afraid I'm pushing her too

  hard. Still, I've gained the most information today than before. It's important work, I know this now."

  The screen showed Madila huddled on the table, shiver. "It's okay Madila. You're doing great."

  "I feel really hot. Really… bad."

  "I know, I'm sorry. Keelah I'm so sorry." Sitting, she asks, "What does the Shadow Man have to tell me?"

  "He says he'll be seeing you real soon."

  "Stop that." Vary, shook her head. "That's not…"

  "He says that Jacohbe, may be using the other traitors. Yet they are still traitors so he'll just go ahead and kill them too."

  "That seems harsh."

  "From where he's from, harsh isn't harsh enough."

  "Ah…" Lowering her head, Vary rubbed her neck. "Wouldn't it be easier to turn them over to his side?"

  "The threat still remains. They still would be traitors all the same. He says, that this way gets rid of the influence and the chance they'll do it again."

  "I… see." Vary, asked a strange question. "You mentioned some kind of 'Old Machines' tell me, do you mean something the Protheans made or…?"

  "They were before the Protheans, but after the Elder Kin. The Shadow Man says, that he is under suspect that Jacohbe, made an alliance with the Old Machines in order to

  keep himself the superior to the Elder Kin. Who are slowly dying out in our universe. They have lost most of their dominion in this realm and because of that, Jacohbe may

  have formed some kind of secret alliance with the Old Machines to be the last of them. Yet he's not entirely sure how, or why. He still believes that there is a link with the

  Abysmal."

  "The what?" Vary, rubbed her visor. "There's so many players… it sounds a little complicated."

  Looking to the corner, she says. "He told me to tell you, for a Quarian you're kind of stupid."

  "…." Vary narrowed her eyes to the corner, incidentally it's the only dark spot in the room now.

  "The Abysmal is the force that Jacohbe is telling his allies that he's working for. However, The Shadow Man hasn't found any proof it's real other than Jacohbe's unusual

  powers of late. The Shadow Man says that could be something the Old Machines did, to try and make him more believable. Or, just a side effect of Indoctrination, which

  even that is strange since Jacohbe shows no signs of alteration… though, he also says that… uh, I kind of lost track."

  Vary narrowed her eyes. "Hmph, if he didn't talk so much maybe I could get a REAL answer instead of all this nonsense. Old Machines, Abysmal… none of it proves the

  actions of Jacohbe to what he's participated with the crew. What the hell was he doing? Who the hell is he?"

  Looking to the corner, Madila said, "He just called you a 'know nothing quack' whatever that is?"

  "Rargh!" Vary stood, pointing at the corner. "I'm sick and tired of your nonsense! You're going to answer my questions directly, or so help me-."

  The lights blew, the darkness jumped from the corner, and she screamed falling back into the center of the room where the lights still were. Pulling her feet from the

  shadows she laid there panting, gasping for air. Shivering a little.

  Madila whispers, "I think you made him… angry."

  "Angry?" Vary hissed, grabbing the syringe. "He wants ANGRY? Here! I'll SHOW him angry!"

  "W-wait! No! Stop! I'm sorry!" The message ended very abruptly.

  "Keelah…" Tali glared back at her, "You almost killed her? Out of paranoia! Hell, for all we know it was just a light blowing out! You crazy bosh'tet!"

  "I know what was in there! There's no mistaking it! How else could she spout on about, the Abysmal, Old Machines and Indoctrination? Hmm?"

  Tali raised her head, "The Old Machines, Indoctrination…. The Reapers?"

  Vary raised a brow, "Wait, you… know what that means?"

  "Of course we were trying to stop the Reapers."

  Vary lowered her head, "I thought you were after the Geth?"

  Garrus shook his head, "No, the Reapers were controlling the Geth." Sadly, the council made things very hard after all that happened. "Listen, we don't have time to

  explain that. Right now, you need to drop that pistol."

  Cocking it up, she snarled, "Two more to go. Don't you dare try and tell me what to do."

  Tali winced, Keelah she's serious. A nod, she stood there, turning to Kasumi. "Kasumi, you know? You should go get…"

  "I know about her cloaking ability so she's staying where I can see her." Vary motioned to the pad with her head, "Now play it!"

  Tali really wanted to end this peacefully, with Chakwas safe.

  "Data Log: X-4350-233-04, Experiment Classification: Soul Searching." To this one she had Madila crying in the dark corner of the room. Holding her hands she said,
/>
  simply. "After today's experiment I feel that perhaps… further experiments may be complicated. The testing has, led. To an unforeseen event. Continued spikes in her

  fever have resulted in un-repairable damage to her liver…. It, will not bode well I'm afraid. However, I must press on."

  The screen changed, and Vary was looking over information. "It does not look well…"

  "Doctor?"

  "I'm sorry… never mind. How are you feeling?"

  "Okay." She lowered her head. "I miss my mommy."

  "Of course you do." Scanning with her tool, she gave a nod. "Your fever is slowly climbing… are you, able to see him now?"

  "No…"

  "Ah, well." She sat back. "When you do see him, please let me…"

  "He's here."

  "…." Vary sat up, asking, "Where?"

  "Behind you."

  Vary turned to see nothing, of course. Yet she coughed and held her heart all the same. The fear was immense. Then the little girl was giggling, and she turned with a

  glare. "You find that funny?"

  "He did."

  "Where is he really?"

  "Same place as always." Shrugging, she sat back breathing a little harder. "My sides hurt…"

  "It's okay… I'll give you some pain medication later. Right now, let's talk about Jacohbe."

  "Jacohbe is just a weak link."

  Vary groaned to the words of the other via this child. "Please, just work with me!"

  "Why do you care so much about Jacohbe? Why not anything else he's said?"

  "So, is this him, or you?"

  "Me!"

  "Hmph, I see." Vary, crossed her arms and sat back. Leaning into the chair, she says, "I am here on business. No more or less. I have no more interests other than

  proving Jacohbe is a criminal and that he must be stopped at all costs."

  "What about the crew?"

  "Of this ship?" Vary showed interest.

  "Yes! There's something, he tells me there's something coming. If you warn the captain? You can stop it before it happens. You can keep many people alive!"

  "Doing so would jeopardize my mission. All the work I've done to catch Jacohbe. You don't understand how important this is."

  "More than our lives?"

  "…." Vary, simply pulled out her chair, saying, "I think you need another shot. You're a little more lucid than usual."