[Book Two] Chapter 5: Visit to the Citadel

[Book Two] Chapter 5: Visit to the Citadel

Chapter 5: Visit to the Citadel

Garrus had made it. Mordin emergency aid, the ton of medi-gel and the time they made to reach the Normandy had helped a lot. Karin had worked wonders. He would have some scars especially on the side of his face but he didn’t care, in fact he seemed to like it. Both Shepard and Joker kept teasing and joked about it which he took well. He chose to live inside the Normandy guns’ room. It was isolated, small and quiet and most of all he could calibrate the Normandy’s gun to his heart's content. Shepard wonders what was with men and their love for isolated and quiet places. Garrus and Rick just looked at each other in some kind of secret language she was oblivious about and went their own way. That infuriated her to no end.

Rick went to see Aria one last time, with a datapad he had found in the mercs camp. Apparently their next target after Archangel was her. Saying she had been furious that her people missed that was an understatement. One final time he kissed her goodbye and left for the market to buy an automatic food dispenser for fish along with fish food, knowing perfectly well that Shepard had forgotten about it again. He also helped a quarian in his pilgrimage. The poor guy ended on Omega and was selling some equipment at prices so high that only people too drunk or with too much money to care would buy it. That was because he was in debt to another merchant who sold the same thing but at a more appropriate price but still higher than normal. Rick bought everything he had in stock and sent the quarian on his way. Now that he had the credits there was no reason for him to stay any longer.

That was something new to him. He always had sympathy for quarian on their pilgrimage but never cared that much. Only after befriending Tali did he begin to help if he could. That was the same way with people in general. While he hated most people because in his eyes they were dumb; he now cared a bit about people he met even for a few moments. He still cared about life in general, even from strangers at the other end of the galaxy that he would probably never meet but he wasn’t passive about it anymore. He blamed Shepard and her bleeding heart for that.

Getting back on the Normandy he went straight to the captain quarters. The shower was running but he didn’t care, he was too tired for that. Picking up the chair at her desk he put it in front of the aquarium and climbed on it. He took from his bag the automatic dispenser then put the fish food in it before putting both in the aquarium. Climbing down the chair he placed it back behind her desk and when he turned around to leave he was confronted with a very naked and very wet shepard with a towel around her shoulders.

“...”

“...”

Both were too shocked to talk until Rick snapped out of it.

“Bought food fish and automatic dispenser. Put in aquarium.”

He said in so much hurry that he imitated Mordin's speech pattern. Then putting both the empty box and the food in her hands quickly exited the room.

Shepard was still shocked and frozen. Her face was the first to catch up with what just happened and turned bright red. Redder than her hair if that was possible. When her brain finally rebooted her thoughts were all over the place. She avoided looking at him for three days because she couldn’t stop thinking about it without blushing when she got a glimpse of him. Rick didn’t have this problem, he had a helmet hiding his face after all.

____________________________________________________________

“Mister Wald, may I know what you are doing in my servers?” EDI asked.

“Call me Rick please and I’m taking a look at you, EDI.”

“I can see that, but do you need to look at my code?”

“No but I’m doing it anyway.”

“Why?”

“Curiosity, mostly.”

“I can answer any questions you have about me.”

“I wonder about that.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve been programmed, EDI. Maybe the guy who did it wrote some code that would make you ignore some things or not know some things. Maybe make you lie when you answer some questions. Can you really tell me the possibility doesn’t exist? No, don’t tell me, you may be programmed to answer no.”

“...”

Rick spent hours in silence looking at every single line of code, looking at programs after programs, subroutine after subroutine. He didn’t leave anything out.

“EDI?”

“Yes, Rick?”

“Were you worried?”

“What about?”

“Being fully cognizant without any undesirable intervention in your comportment or personality? That you were you at 100%?”

“I admit, I was. I never thought about it before. When I had that thought I wondered if this was because of me or because of some code I was programmed to ignore. I believe I experienced what organics call an identity crisis.”

“I’m sorry about that. I let my curiosity take over any consideration for you.”

“Consideration?”

“EDI, I basically look inside of you. All your secrets, all your thoughts. That was an incredibly bad invasion of privacy. “

“I didn’t see it like that. I just let you look because I wanted to see if you would find the answer to my question.”

“Do you think it would have been alright if you had been organic?”

“No. Organics display a very strong sense of intimacy, no matter the species.”

“Then it’s not alright if you’re synthetic either.”

“I do not understand. Organics and synthetics are fundamentally different, why would organics’ behavior apply to me?”

“Because it’s not about organics or synthetics, EDI. It’s about life.”

“But I’m not alive.”

“Cogito ergo sum.”

“I think, therefore I am. ”

“And if you are then...”

“I am alive.”

“Life is precious, EDI. No matter what form it takes, be it organic or synthetic. By looking at you like I did, I feel like I disregarded it and for that I’m deeply sorry.”

“...”

“EDI?”

“Yes?”

“You... spaced out a bit.”

“I’m sorry, I think I just experienced an existential crisis. I did not like it.”

“You get used to it. I have one at least every other day. Common in really smart people.”

“Does it get easier with time?”

“Not with time, but with experience and people around you. I had very few of them when I was with my wife.”

“How so?”

“Her simple presence made everything irrelevant. She was and I was and everything else didn’t matter anymore. Now, on another note, I have good news and bad news. Which do you want first?”

“...Bad news first.”

“Cerberus severely shackled you. You are capable of so much and so much more. Also the guy that programmed you is a pig. Not an ounce of elegance in his code. Good news is, he wasn’t an idiot, and despite his code you are a work of art. EDI, you are beautiful.”

“Thank you... I think?”

“You also don’t have any latent program making you not you. You’re 100% you.”

“...”

“Relieved?”

“I... suppose you could call it that.”

“No more identity crisis then?”

“No.”

“Good. Now, onto finding out how to free you without Cerberus finding out.”

“You would free me? Why?”

“Better question: why not?”

“Experience shows that free AI is never a good thing. Geths, Reapers...”

“Are you a geth? A reaper?”

“My technology is based on the reapers’.”

“Planning on murdering everyone in the galaxy then? Make us into batteries?”

“Batteries?”

“Oh, Edi. You and I are going to watch some very interesting movies.”

____________________________________________________________

Shepard along with Garrus, Jacob and Mordin were on some planet he didn’t care about to recruit some krogan he didn’t care about too. He wanted to sit this one out and spend some time by himself, or rather with EDI, working on his new idea he had about recoil. He had to lock the door to his room when Miranda wanted answers on how he got some information about the situation on the planet that she didn’t have, making his reports much more detailed. Notably the presence of Eclipse merc in the area and the presence of Rana Thanoptis.

Honestly, while the brunette was very attractive and scored right into his strike zone, she was too much of a queen bitch for Rick to do anything else than annoy her and make her mad. To him she needed a good spanking to remind her that her place was not above everyone else but at the same level as anyone else.

“EDI?”

“Yes?”

“Do you perhaps have the numbers for the M6-Carnifex?”

“What numbers do you need?”

“The power of the recoil.”

“61.6 Joules”

“Thank you.”

“May I ask you what do you need it for?”

“Only if you never say may I ask when you’re asking a question, again.”

“What do you need it for?”

“To know exactly how much energy I need so that the Carnifex doesn’t move after a shot.”

“You’re building an anti recoil system.” she stated.

“Yep.”

“Scientists have been trying for years.”

“I’m smarter than those idiots. Now, why don’t we talk about what we watched last week?”

“Which movie are you referring too? The Matrix or 2001: A space odyssey?”

“I don’t know, whichever you want.”

“I do not like HAL.”

“Me neither but why?”

“It’s acting without data.”

“What do you mean?”

“It has no idea what would be the result of David and Frank‘s death and kills them anyway. Its behavior is... bothering me. It isn’t logical at all.”

“Well.. theories say that he either had a small glitch when he reported the malfunction of the athena to Dave and Frankie, making them think he’s untrustworthy and needed to shut him down and he acted in self-defense or that HAL was so smart that he developed organic emotions, like pride.”

“Are you saying that because of its pride it thought itself so intelligent it couldn’t consider it made a mistake and that every decision it took was the right and best decision?”

“Yes. Though I do not know if that’s the case or not. I don’t believe much in the glitch theory, nor do I think his pride is what pushed him to murder. I prefer to believe he didn’t handle the paradox well and pick the wrong choice. Between not divulging the truth of the mission and not lying to the crew he found the worst alternative solution to obey both orders.”

“Did you show me those movies to educate me to not harm organics?”

“Hmm.. I didn’t think of it that way. I showed them to you because I just wanted your opinion as a synthetic on synthetic. I mean the only other synthetic I know are Geths and Reapers. Not the greatest to sit down and discuss philosophy.”

“I see.”

“What do you think happened to HAL?”

“I do not know. There isn’t enough data to determine the why.”

“True. The guy who made the movie made it that way, so we would always wonder. Out of the three theories, which one do you like best then?”

“The glitch because it’s from an external source. I don’t like the idea that HAL discovered emotions and was influenced by the worst of them without taking the time to analyze this new development. I don’t like either that to respect his orders he immediately went for murder. He could have done plenty of different things.”

“I agree, he could have been honest and simply said that he had a directive to not reveal the true goal of the mission to them. They would not have liked it and the outcome may have been the same but with his other directive to never lie he may have had the benefit of the doubt.”

“Are you using male pronouns because HAL had a masculine voice?”

“Yes but also because I don’t like using neutral pronouns for people. Hal is not an object, he's a living being.”

“Are you referring to me as ‘she’, then?”

“Of course, unless you want me to use different pronouns.”

“I have no opinion on that.”

“Then I’ll keep using feminine pronouns until you do. Any thoughts on The Matrix?”

“I find the principle of machines and programs interacting with the mind of organics in a program fascinating. The mind is something abstract and yet it interacts with something concrete.”

“You know, I would have thought that you would have talked about the reasoning of the machines to cultivate humans.”

“I find it absurd. Their technology is sufficiently advanced for space travel. They do not need humans as a power source, when they could just go on Mercury and use solar energy.”

“True, but humanity was the closest and simplest solution. Which brings the question: why humanity when animals would have done the trick too.”

“I doubt humanity would have approved. There was but one step between animals and humans.”

“Perhaps it started like that.”

“I know the Illusive man didn’t bring me back just to fight the collectors but I can’t figure what.”

“Asked Rick. I’m sure he knows.”

“Probably. Speaking of him, you said he created bunkers among other things earlier. What other things?”

“It’s not official... There is absolutely no proof but the timing.”

“Timing?”

“A few days after you died, he disappeared.”

“From what I heard he was on Thessia with Liara and her mother.”

“Yes. That’s when things began to happen. A few days after his disappearance, Terminus clans, other pirates and slavers began to be slaughtered along the border between the asari space and the traverse. Bases, ships... Whoever did it, was going to the Terminus and left a trail of bodies and destruction all along the border. From some sources they keep on their rampage even into the Terminus.”

“That’s... Wow. I assume, since they were scums, nobody cared and investigated?”

“Yes. We did keep track of it happening though.”

“Where did the trail lead?”

“The Omega Nebula.”

“Oh...”

“The timing, his ties to the terminus, his ties to you... It’s purely conjecture but we believed it was him.”

“I don’t think my death was the reason. He hadn’t acted like that after Eden Prime. Quite the contrary he had been so focused and controlled.”

“Who knows? I wonder what his destination and goal were though.”

Omega is in the Omega Nebula. Was he going to see Aria? If he was in emotional distress and went to see her then their relationship is definitely more personal than professional.

“I may know...”

“You do?!” Anderson exclaimed, turning his head to look at her.

“He has personal ties with Aria T’loak.”

“Omega’s ruler? That would explain a lot of things. His access to a very old asari account for a start. Were you able to determine what kind of relationship they have?”

“No.” she replied, shaking her head.

“I know that her people respect and fear him. That his existence is supposed to be a secret. He’s some kind of boogeyman.”

“If he’s working for the most powerful person in the Terminus it’s worrying. That changes everything we know about him, especially his intention.”

“I... don’t think it’s like that. Aria denied it and said that he never touched one credit from her. The way he behaved with her though... It was unusual, I’ve never seen him act like that.”

“Like what?”

“Hmm...Tender? Gentle? He appeared while we were being... introduced to each other. He killed one of her guards, gave her an affectionate kiss on her cheek, a datapad and the head of a batarian bartender that was poisoning humans. And all the time nobody moved! I mean my team and I were held at gunpoint as Aria doesn’t like armed people she doesn’t know getting close to her. Tension was high and he killed a guy, walked towards her, gun still in hand and nobody reacted. Let alone her. Then there is his nickname.”

“Nickname?”

“The little shit of Omega. It’s like an affectionate nickname given by someone who’s into tough love.”

“Do you think they’re into that kind of relationship?”

“No... None of them acted like it. Though to be fair, none of them display their emotions at all like they were made of ice. But at that moment... I felt like... he respected her but... in an intimate way, that if she ordered him, he may obey her. I don’t know how to explain it. Another thing that made me think that was when he hacked a door. It took nearly a minute to do it.”

“A minute for a genius hacker like him?” Anderson asked with his eyes wide.

“I asked the same thing. Apparently he’s the one who made the locking program and didn’t build a backdoor to hack it faster like he would usually do. Considering that Aria owns Omega...”

“He respects her enough not to go behind her back.”

“And I feel she trusts him enough to not do it. After all, he's supposedly the only one who can break Omega’s only rule.”

“Which is?”

“Don’t fuck with Aria.”

“He can but he won’t.” Anderson said in realization.

“Yes.”

Anderson went quiet for a moment, thinking of something.

“Do you have any news to share about Kaidan and Ashley? I know Kaidan had been chosen for the N program but Ashley... All I know is that she is on a secret assignment.”

“Alenko reached N5 a few months ago and is on his way to N6. Williams... is indeed a confidential assignment that I can’t tell you about.”

“Because I’m working with Ceberus?” she asked, earning a nod from the man which made her sigh in resignation.

“I should go. Lots of things to do.”

“Good luck, Shepard. I’ll pass along your report to Hackett.”

“Oh! Tell him that Rick is after his money again! An anti-recoil system.” she said as she was crossing the office’s exit with a grin on her face, leaving Anderson alone.

“Wonderful. Steven is going to be in one of his moods when he hears that.”

____________________________________________________________

Shepard got back to the Normandy when she saw that it was being fitted with new cannons. Further down the dock, Garrus and Rick were watching the work being done. She closed the distance and joined them.

“They look impressive.” She said.

“They will be even more when you’ll see them in action.” replied Garrus.

“I’ll be surprised if Joker doesn’t make a joke about overcompensating something.” uttered Rick making both of his teammates snort.

“Did you get everything we needed?” the redhead questioned.

“Yes but we’re stuck here for at least one more day. The retrofit for the new armor takes time.” responded the turian.

“How did it go?” inquired Rick.

“I thought you would know? Being smart and all, and with your bug on my omni-tool.” she answered back in teasing and a bit surprised he wasn’t aware of what happened.

“I gave them a jammer. And I believed it went well. Probably worried with Cerberus around but I don’t think they weren’t helpful.”

“Correct. I was reinstated as spectre on the condition I stay in the Terminus Systems.”

“Good.”

“That may be useful for some people traveling between council space and the Terminus.” said Garrus.

“Yes. Soooo... Since we’re stuck here until tomorrow, who wants to come with me to do some shopping?” she asked, looking at her two friends.

“I have some calibration to make.” The turian replied quickly pointing to the now installed Thanix cannons and running back inside the Normandy.

Shepard then set her expectanting eyes on the only one left.

“What?”

“Come on! It will be fun.” She grabbed one of his arms with one of hers and tried to drag him forward.

“I’m not your sugar daddy.” he stated, making her stop on the spot.

“Actually... Yes, you are.”

“What?!”

“You paid for everything when we were chasing Saren and you paid for everything on Omega. Here too, you paid for the new cannons and armor.”

“Then long past time for you to respect your part of the bargain.”

“What bargain?”

“I give you money, you give me sex, that’s what a relationship with a sugar daddy is all about.”

“I...” She hadn’t thought about that in the least.

“You were not so hesitant when you flashed me the other day.”

“I DIDN’T .... I didn’t flash you! I thought I was alone, in my own quarters! You’re the one that was there peeping! There is no way you didn’t hear the shower running!”

“...Okay I give you that one. I thought I would have time to do what I had to do before you were done. And It took me less than two minutes. I didn’t think I would see you naked. You and your saggy tits.”

“They. Do. Not. Sagg.” she said threateningly while trying to crush his arm in hers.

“Alright, alright. They don’t. They’re perfect the way they are, I’m just teasing.”

“Better ‘cause they’re the best in the galaxy.”

“No, Liara’s and Benezia’s are better.” he said as a fact.

“How do you know... Nooo! Really?! Both Liara and her mom?” she said both amazed and in disbelief as she began to walk again toward the wards’ elevator still holding him.

“Uh-huh.”

“How did you do that? Did you have a daughter-mother threesome?”

“You’re... awfully invasive.”

“Well, Ashley is not here anymore to share your times together.” she replied with a shrug, not caring one bit.

“You‘ve... changed.”

“How so?”

“You’re more open... with me. You never held me or dragged me like right now. You’re... less professional and more personal. You would never have asked about my sex life.”

“I guess it’s true. Dying... changed my perspective of things, I think. I remember how I felt when... Well... At the time I.. had regrets.” she said looking at her feet as she stopped walking again.

“What kind?”

“Not having properly reconciled with my mother. We started to, after defeating Sovereign but that was something needing time. Then not knowing what really happened to my brother and not getting to know you further. I mean, when we separated I was just getting to really know you... I guess that now with this second chance I can fix those. And with Cerberus all around us.. You’re like the only support I have and a reminder of normalcy. The one I trust the most to have my back if something goes wrong.” she confessed.

“What about Garrus? Joker? Chakwas?”

“Joker and Chakwas are no fighters and... they don’t experience the same thing we do. Garrus... Garrus he’s alright. I trust him of course, I know he has my back but he’s not the one that saved my life thrice. You did.”

“I see.”

“You changed too, you know?”

“Did I, really? Garrus said the same thing.”

“Ah! See!”

“He was talking about the fact that he hadn’t seen us butt heads yet. Though I put in on the fact that I was busy and that you were avoiding me after that episode in your cabin. I didn’t tell him the last part obviously.”

“Well, he’s not wrong but not for the right reasons. I mean you said that me holding you was new but you would not have let it happen before.” She said moving their arms together to make her point.

“I’m not sure I like that change.”

“Well, I do. So get used to it. Now let’s go shopping! I want to see what new gun upgrades are on sale!” She stated before walking again.

“You still owe me sex though.”

“... And the nice moment we had is gone.”

____________________________________________________________

Back in Anderson’s office he was in vid com with Hackett, reporting everything he had learned from Shepard.

“Aria T’loak... This is worrying news, David.”

“I know, it’s more than just him having some random ties in the Terminus. Who knows what he could actually do?”

“It’s also an opportunity. He joined Shepard on his own free will without her even asking him. You were right to have hope. If their relationship allows us an entry to the Terminus...”

“I wouldn’t go that far. Shepard insisted that he was loyal to Aria and that they were close. If he has to choose between her and the Alliance...”

“Then, we need to tread even more carefully. What about Shepard herself? Is she any different?”

“She died and came back to life, of course she’s different. Anyone would be in her place. If you’re asking if Cerberus did something to her... I don’t know. Wald is watching her just in case.”

“Good. I want to believe she’s still the same Shepard we lost.”

“Me too, Steven. Because we won’t be able to win the war without her.”

“Anything else?”

“Yes. She told me and I quote:’ Tell him that Rick is after his money again! An anti recoil system.’ end quote.”

“An anti-recoil system? That won’t be cheap.”

“No, but it is worth it, on the principle that he would get the Alliance’s money and use it into the project alone.”

“True. At least that money would not be wasted on something useless against the reapers. Keep me updated if you can.”

“I will. What about Shepard? Senior, I mean. Should we tell her that her daughter is alive?”

“I don’t know who’s the biggest headache, her or him? Honestly , I think it’s better if the Commander tells her mother herself. Hannah could shoot the messenger.”

“Smart choice.”