Post by supes on Feb 10, 2014 4:59:30 GMT
(Previously electricferret.freeforums.net/thread/1170/mass-effect-storm-coming)
"My name is Kelly Chambers. About an hour ago you emerged from the wormhole following the object you called the 'Marker'. We managed to redirect the Marker so it landed safely on a small uninhabited moon. You said it was dangerous, and although we don't don't who you are or why you wanted it destroyed, my commanding officer decided that we would take necessary precautions. Dr. Chakwas nursed you back to health, and now I'm going to have to ask you some questions."
Jane Shepard waited in the corner and waited for a response from the engineer calling himself Isaac Clarke. She didn't know quite what to make of the man. At first glance he had appeared to be a raving lunatic and Shepard hadn't seen any evidence to the contrary. But looking at Isaac now, Shepard could tell that he was also much more. His eyes were determined yet tired. He had an air about him that suggested he had seen death and destruction on an massive scale. But Isaac had buried it deep down and hardly noticed it now. Just like me.
Kelly, who sat across a small table from Isaac, proceeded with her evaluation. "Now, you say your name is Isaac Clarke. Could you state your profession?" Isaac finally looked up at her and answered. "I was an Engineer for the Concordance Extraction Corporation; a mining and extraction company." Kelly smiled and continued. "Your armored suit and plasma based cutting tool suggested something like that. Now, what is the Marker and why do you want to destroy it?" Isaac's expression darkened at the mention of the object. "The Marker is a tool used by ancient creatures called the Brethren Moons. They alter the minds of any life form they come across and eventually drive them insane. The unlucky sons of b***es then turn on each other and one they're dead the Marker reanimates them into Necromorphs."
Kelly gulped before continuing. The man's answer clearly unsettled her. "What are Brethren Moons, and Necromorphs? Why would they do this?" Instead of responding to her, Isaac turned to Shepard. "You should have destroyed it. We can have this conversation after the damn thing is gone." Shepard didn't give him any ground. "Answer the question, Clarke." Frustrated, Isaac directed his attention back to Kelly. "They're a collective hive mind, each organism inhabits a wrecked moon when it collects enough biomass. Necromorphs are a life form that comes from a virus infecting dead flesh. They kill anyone they come across and transform them into Necromorphs too. They evolve into different stages until they eventually form a new Brethren Moon. The markers are the way to start their life cycle, and they send them out into space to any new world with life."
Kelly paused while Isaac caught his breath. "Alright, now I'm going to ask you about where or when you came from..." She didn't get the chance. Isaac walked over to Shepard, who didn't even flinch. "You have to let me go. We have to destroy it! And that's not enough. You only recovered one piece. The Marker split and each one is headed towards a different world. Every second we waste here, somebody could be out there dying. " Shepard looked Isaac square in the eye. "Even if what you're saying is true, I don't know if we can really trust you. You said the Markers affect people's mind. What if it's affected you?"
He smiled grimly. "Trust me, they have. I was nearly driven insane each time I tangled with them, but I was stronger than they thought." Shepard looked at Kelly, who shrugged. The yeoman was usually very good at analyzing people, but the maddened engineer had her stumped. Shepard turned back to Isaac. "I'll make you a deal. We isolate the piece down on that moon and find the other ones but only if you tell us everything." Isaac was silent. Shepard could tell that he was weighing his options, deciding whether he should cooperate. From what she could tell he had not interacted very well with authority where he came from.
Finally Isaac responded. "Deal."
"My name is Kelly Chambers. About an hour ago you emerged from the wormhole following the object you called the 'Marker'. We managed to redirect the Marker so it landed safely on a small uninhabited moon. You said it was dangerous, and although we don't don't who you are or why you wanted it destroyed, my commanding officer decided that we would take necessary precautions. Dr. Chakwas nursed you back to health, and now I'm going to have to ask you some questions."
Jane Shepard waited in the corner and waited for a response from the engineer calling himself Isaac Clarke. She didn't know quite what to make of the man. At first glance he had appeared to be a raving lunatic and Shepard hadn't seen any evidence to the contrary. But looking at Isaac now, Shepard could tell that he was also much more. His eyes were determined yet tired. He had an air about him that suggested he had seen death and destruction on an massive scale. But Isaac had buried it deep down and hardly noticed it now. Just like me.
Kelly, who sat across a small table from Isaac, proceeded with her evaluation. "Now, you say your name is Isaac Clarke. Could you state your profession?" Isaac finally looked up at her and answered. "I was an Engineer for the Concordance Extraction Corporation; a mining and extraction company." Kelly smiled and continued. "Your armored suit and plasma based cutting tool suggested something like that. Now, what is the Marker and why do you want to destroy it?" Isaac's expression darkened at the mention of the object. "The Marker is a tool used by ancient creatures called the Brethren Moons. They alter the minds of any life form they come across and eventually drive them insane. The unlucky sons of b***es then turn on each other and one they're dead the Marker reanimates them into Necromorphs."
Kelly gulped before continuing. The man's answer clearly unsettled her. "What are Brethren Moons, and Necromorphs? Why would they do this?" Instead of responding to her, Isaac turned to Shepard. "You should have destroyed it. We can have this conversation after the damn thing is gone." Shepard didn't give him any ground. "Answer the question, Clarke." Frustrated, Isaac directed his attention back to Kelly. "They're a collective hive mind, each organism inhabits a wrecked moon when it collects enough biomass. Necromorphs are a life form that comes from a virus infecting dead flesh. They kill anyone they come across and transform them into Necromorphs too. They evolve into different stages until they eventually form a new Brethren Moon. The markers are the way to start their life cycle, and they send them out into space to any new world with life."
Kelly paused while Isaac caught his breath. "Alright, now I'm going to ask you about where or when you came from..." She didn't get the chance. Isaac walked over to Shepard, who didn't even flinch. "You have to let me go. We have to destroy it! And that's not enough. You only recovered one piece. The Marker split and each one is headed towards a different world. Every second we waste here, somebody could be out there dying. " Shepard looked Isaac square in the eye. "Even if what you're saying is true, I don't know if we can really trust you. You said the Markers affect people's mind. What if it's affected you?"
He smiled grimly. "Trust me, they have. I was nearly driven insane each time I tangled with them, but I was stronger than they thought." Shepard looked at Kelly, who shrugged. The yeoman was usually very good at analyzing people, but the maddened engineer had her stumped. Shepard turned back to Isaac. "I'll make you a deal. We isolate the piece down on that moon and find the other ones but only if you tell us everything." Isaac was silent. Shepard could tell that he was weighing his options, deciding whether he should cooperate. From what she could tell he had not interacted very well with authority where he came from.
Finally Isaac responded. "Deal."
****
Samara was a Justicar.
While there was still injustice in the Galaxy she would be there to fight it as the Code dictated. And as there would always be an innocent in need of help, a debt to be paid, or a crime that needed punishing Samara had accepted that she would never find true peace. But within the past few years she had found comfort in her friendship with Commander Shepard. Having been there when no one else had, Shepard had proved to be a brave and exceptional leader, and someone that Samara could always count on.
So after the Reaper War, Shepard had stayed in contact with Samara and, with her help from Liara had supplied Samara with information about any major crime they discovered. In the aftermath of the war such crimes were hard to come across, but every now and then Samara had found a serial killer or a crime ring that needed to be stopped. Most people in her position would consider retiring with the Galaxy in such relative safety. But not Samara. Not a Justicar.
So here she was, on Ilium once again. She had been informed by Shepard that a shipment of a certain dangerous artifact was to arrive on Ilium and it was her job to stop it. An Asari commando unit and Detective Anaya sealed off the area where they would seize the 'Marker' and keep it isolated. I will do my duty. I will not let any innocents be put in danger by the Marker Shepard speaks of. She asked for an update on the ship's arrival.
"The craft carrying the Marker will be an Asari vessel, correct?" Detective Anaya looked again at her datapad. "Yes. It's named... Heh, it's named the Harbinger. The crew found the artifact drifting in space and decided to carry it here." It was not easy to irritate Samara, but the name was so distasteful. So inappropriate, given the most well known association of the word. "By the way I have to tell you it's an honor meeting you again. I never thought I would actually work with a Justicar let alone meet one."
Samara couldn't help feeling a small sense of pride. Before she could respond Anaya stuttered. "Samara, the ship is... inbound. It... It's not flying properly." The Justicar looked up and sure enough the Harbinger was descending towards Nost Astra at an alarming pace. "Detective, notify city officials. Prepare for a city-wide evacuation if necessary." Anaya began to protest by Samara grabbed her by the shoulder. "There is no time to debate. Do as I say!" Turning back to the Harbinger her heart stopped. Its momentum carried it directly towards the spaceport. Where she and Anaya were standing. Acting quickly she grabbed Anaya and pulled her towards the nearest transit. But it was too late.
****
"Anaya. Wake up!"
Anaya opened her eyes, with her head ringing and and her body shaking uncontrollably. Samara stood over her with her rifle drawn and her biotics flaring. Pulling the younger Asari to her feet, Samara hoisted her rifle and scanned the area. Anaya pulled out her own gun and did the same.
Nos Astra Spaceport was in ruins. The Harbinger had brought down much of the building and from the looks of it, it had clipped at least one other skyscraper on it's way down. Several officers were tending to their injuries nearby but none of the Asari commandos remained. "What happened?" Samara looked at the center of the wreckage. "Something must have happened to the crew when they were preparing to land, something most likely having to do with the Marker."
Almost on cue a nearby pillar was shoved aside by. Although the flames obscured their features Anaya could make out several shaped making their way towards the group of Asari. "Detective, it is time to leave." She looked at Samara with an incredulous look. "What? No, maybe those are survivors who need help." Samara did not look back at her. "They are not here seeking help. They are here to kill us all." Anaya looked back and sure enough more and more shapes emerged from the site of the ship's collapse. One of them came into plain sight.
It was once an Asari, but as it came closer Anaya saw that it's features were pallid and rotting. It's arms were warped into massive claws with the flesh hanging off in shreds. It's head was bent at a ninety degree angle to it's side, and an unnatural scream emanated from it's mouth. More of the abominations approached in various horrible shapes and Anaya was paralyzed by fear. "Samara, what do we do?" The ancient Asari warrior looked at her with a look of resignation. "You and the other officers are in no shape to engage them. You must flee and seek aid elsewhere. Send a message to Commander Shepard requesting help." Anaya scanned Samara up and down. "You don't look like your in very good shape either. Justicar or not, you can't stop all of them."
Samara slowed for a moment. She had her fair shape of bruises and scrapes from the Harbinger's crash and the destruction that ensued. But Anaya and the other officers had it even worse. They wouldn't last a minute. "I will hold them off while you escape." One of the monsters charged but was quickly crushed by a well-placed Reave. Anaya shot another two in their heads. "Justicar, please. You don't have to do this."
Samara sent out a powerful force field to protect the group as more monsters swarmed them. "If I stay here and engage them head on, then they will focus on me. You will be able to escape." Anaya wouldn't yield. "No. We're staying with you." She then added her energy to the force field, with the other Asari doing the same. Samara was touched. But their only hope was help arriving, and soon.
The squad made their way towards the nearby exit, and they released the forcefield energy in a blast that scattered their attackers. But there were more coming.
Countless more.
****
Samara (Mass Effect)
vs.
Necromorphs
