Naturally, our trip wasn't all that smooth. Several times Geth tried to attack us; once a Geth dropship even tried to shell us, but a singularity from me and a couple of shots from Tali forced the Geth dropship to change plans and make an emergency landing some distance from us. We even spent a couple of minutes shooting it until it exploded.
And after that, we moved on.
"Commander... I've detected signal signatures. It's clearly negotiations between ExoGeni representatives; as I understand it, they evacuated from the corporation's main building and are now requesting help... or rather, trying to. Their transmitter doesn't reach the colony."
"And what do you want?"
"It's almost on our way... so maybe we should stop by?"
"Do we really need to?"
Doubt could be heard in my voice.
"Well... whatever you decide..."
Dissatisfaction could be heard in Liara's voice, so I had to suppress my desire to tell these megacorporation representatives to get lost.
"Fine, let's stop by, though I don't see what exactly it can give us."
"Thank you."
I didn't answer Liara, as I was afraid my voice might betray all the feelings overwhelming me at that moment.
Meanwhile, after a couple of minutes, we reached the place where the corporation representatives were.
"Stop!"
Two guards pointed their weapons at us, while Jane and I were covered by a biotic shield.
"Put the weapons away, or I'll shoot everyone here."
Jane was clearly prepared to threaten, and I didn't mind.
"I am a Council Spectre, and on our way to the ExoGeni building, we caught your transmissions, so we decided to check if everything was alright with you."
"Does it look like everything is alright with us?!"
Some frantic man headed toward us.
"Indeed, does it look like everything is alright with us?!"
"Listen..."
I pointed my pistol at the man, causing him to recoil and start turning pale.
"...don't raise your voice. We could have just driven past you, and you'd still be sitting here. So either you calmly report what happened and we possibly try to solve your problem, or we turn around and you stay here without help. Your choice."
"I will provide explanations..."
The female voice came from the direction of the makeshift computers, and a middle-aged girl immediately walked up to us.
"Juliana, don't you dare! You have a contract with ExoGeni, and if you give out information, then..."
"Ethan, these people are Spectre representatives..."
"To be more precise, I am a Spectre."
"All the more reason..."
The one called Juliana nodded understandingly.
"...and refusing help to a Spectre could cost us very dearly. Now, Spectre, how can I help you?
"What is the situation in the ExoGeni building?"
"Deplorable. There are a lot of Geth there. Several of their dropships have attached themselves to the building—well, you might have seen that while driving. What's worst is that not all employees were able to evacuate."
"Juliana!"
"What 'Juliana'?! My daughter is in there!"
A note of desperation could be heard in the woman's voice, and by her look, she was ready to throw herself at her boss and literally tear him apart.
"I brought her to Feros because YOU guaranteed it was safe! YOU swore to me that a specialist like my daughter would be in high demand here, and in the end, she was pushed into some obscure department, paid peanuts, and then not even evacuated!"
She snatched a pistol from one of the guards.
"So maybe the whole problem is you?!"
"N-no... Juliana, you know..."
"I wouldn't want to hurt your daughter..."
The man began to gradually back away from the girl, and his guards' weapons were now aimed at her, but a biotic barrier appeared around her.
"No need to get your hands dirty with this shit. Better continue your story."
"Well, there's not much to tell, really. The building was put on siege mode and evacuated. Now, numerous energy barriers are preventing the Geth from moving. However, they won't hold them back for long."
"Access codes?"
"Of course, I'll hand them over now, but please, save my daughter."
"Julia, you understand..."
"Listen to me..."
Jane stepped out from under the barrier and, approaching the head of ExoGeni Corporation, grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up.
"...if an accident happens to Julia while we're dealing with the Geth, an accident in the form of an extra hole in your head will happen to you. If she turns out to be wounded, encounters enemies, or is forgotten here—basically, in any unforeseen and negative case for her, an accident in the form of a hole in your head will happen to you."
A light shove, and the guards, who were already about to open fire on Jane, were scattered to the sides.
"Do you understand me?!"
"Y-yes!"
"Good then..."
Jane let him go, and he fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes, after which she turned to the girl.
"I can't promise anything, but if we meet your daughter, we'll try to evacuate her, as well as the other employees who still remain in the corporate tower."
"Thank you."
The girl almost burst into tears, then handed us the access codes to the tower, which should allow us to pass inside by disabling the protective fields.
"Thank you."
I nodded to the girl, after which Jane and I returned to the Mako and continued our way toward the tower.
"So? Was it worth it?"
"Worth it, worth it..."
I replied with a slight smirk to Liara T'Soni, who clearly wanted confirmation that she had done the right thing when she insisted on visiting this place.
"They gave us the codes for the building's protective barriers."
"Contact!"
Chifuyu Orimura's voice made me fall silent, after which several shots hit my barrier, then Jane opened fire on the Geth and Tali also opened fire on the enemy. In general, it was quite boring, as there were no large enemies, and the small ones were simply incapable of breaking through my barrier in such a small group.
"Captain..."
Rebecca Lee's voice came over the comms.
"...we've finished protecting the civilians, returning to the ship."
"Were there any problems?"
"No... a few dozen Geth during the whole operation."
"Excellent, well done."
The connection cut off, and I, half-turning, looked at Jane.
"What are you looking at me for?"
"Just because..."
There really was no subtext in my action; I just felt like looking at her.
"I see how it is with you..."
Shaking her head, she continued to monitor the situation...
"And what exactly is clear about him?"
Chifuyu Orimura's mocking voice ruined the intimate atmosphere—though what the hell atmosphere? Nothing like that was happening right now.
"Chifuyu..."
"What? I'm just curious... John's barriers will protect us anyway, no matter what happens, so I don't need to be too focused."
"Not from everything..."
I shook my head, though she couldn't see it.
"...if they blow up the road in front of us or have laid mines, you'll have to try hard not to get into trouble."
"Uh-huh... I got it... no details then."
Chifuyu wasn't upset that we didn't continue the topic and simply continued to drive the Mako, and fifteen minutes later she informed us that we were approaching the destination.
The Mako drove into the garage, which opened as soon as we transmitted the access codes to the terminal, after which it closed, and we were inside the building.
"Well, let's get out and get ready for work... Tali..."
"Yes, yes... I know. The data is on me."
"Exactly."
I nodded contentedly, then, after waiting for everyone to leave the Mako, we moved through the garage, all exits of which were blocked by energy fields.
"Psst!"
Jane raised her hand, stopping the group, and looking around quickly, we noticed a girl who was behind one of the energy fields.
"Yes?"
"Shh! Speak quieter..."
She was literally whispering.
"...Geth are everywhere."
"Alright, and you are..."
"Elizabeth Baynham, a scientist. I was promised a good job and salary, but in reality..."
She grimaced.
"...I discovered traces of some dirty dealings and was immediately pushed into a department where nothing happens at all."
"Oh... so it was your mother we most likely met... Juliana..."
"Mom? Yes... that's my mother."
"Good then. What about the Geth? Any more detailed information?"
"Yes, there's a very large machine behind that field. It's bigger than a Mako... only it's... in a dormant state?"
Her voice sounded uncertain.
"But when people tried to sneak past it to the exit, it killed them with its laser. So I don't recommend going there. If you need to get inside, it's better to go through the basement..."
She pointed to another passage.
"And besides you, any survivors..."
"There are, but they're all in the bunker. And if I understood correctly, they're in relative safety there, as the Geth aren't pushing in. But I... I didn't make it, and they won't let me inside."
"One second..."
Jane sent the code to the energy field console, and it deactivated.
"Chief, take her to the Mako. She won't be able to drive it anyway, but at least she'll be safe while we take care of business here."
"Yes, follow me, ma'am."
"Thank you..."
The girl was ready to burst into tears at what she heard. However, she might have actually cried once she was in the Mako; I couldn't know.
"So, through the basement or head-on?"
"Head-on."
Jane smirked.
"As for me, we just need to go inside and..."
I shook my head, though my smirk, which could be seen through the transparent visor, turned this gesture from judgmental into a kind of anticipatory one.
"Alright, head-on it is, especially since we should be able to handle one giant..."
We approached the barrier and, looking through it, found a Geth Colossus lying on the floor as if in sleep mode.
"They don't sleep..."
Tali shook her head.
"...and Geth don't activate power-saving mode like that. For that mode, they fold up completely, but in this position, it can open fire in just a couple of seconds."
"Maybe we shouldn't?"
Liara asked this question very quietly, but we heard it.
"Well... I wouldn't want to meet a Colossus either..."
Tali shook her head.
"...of course, John's barriers are strong... but let's be honest, running into such a machine is a bad idea."
"For us, the idea is just not very good, but for the civilians who might try to follow us after we leave this place..."
Jane gave a strained smile.
"...actually, that's one of the reasons why I suggest going head-on. We destroy the Colossus, and the civilians' chances of survival will be higher."
"Alright..."
Liara agreed, and Tali also nodded somewhat uncertainly, making it clear she wasn't against the decision...
***
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