The shuttle driver nodded silently to the lieutenant as he approached the craft. Kaidan understood: not every Normandy crewman had yet gotten used to the fact that the biotic officer was no longer being hunted almost every day by brutal migraines.
Climbing aboard, Alenko gestured for the three MPs accompanying him to take seats in the cabin. He sat, buckled in, and nodded to the driver peering out of the cockpit.
A few minutes—and the shuttle left the hangar, setting a course for the archaeologists' camp that had excavated the Prothean Beacon.
"We could've been doing exactly what we're doing now—flying to the camp to extract the Beacon. Just under very different conditions," one of the MPs said, not addressing anyone in particular.
"We could," another MP agreed. "Only now we're really flying to the archaeologists' camp under completely different conditions. I'm afraid the Reaper's fall and our fight with that shrimp were very visible from there."
"And noticeable," the third MP added. "In every sense."
"Lieutenant," the driver's voice came through Alenko's speaker. "I'm picking up activity from the archaeologists' camp on the audio traffic scanner frequencies. Looks like… no, definitely… they've got someone indoctrinated there. And I think it's not just one. We'll get closer and know more точно, sir."
"Let me hear it." Alenko tore himself away from studying the files "posted" to his omni-tool screen. "Good. I hear it. Yes, there are several humans in there who've been indoctrinated. But from what I'm hearing, the indoctrinated are behaving fairly calmly so far."
"Camp ahead, Lieutenant," the driver reported.
Alenko rose from his seat and stepped to the side cabin door. The shuttle was flying the traditional "box," choosing a landing spot.
"Damn, we're taking fire—assault rifle," the driver managed to jink the craft to the side and the tracer line passed left. "Burst fire. That's not an accident."
"If it's indoctrination…" one of the MPs said quietly.
"We're not landing. We drop, colleagues. From five meters," Alenko уточнил, manually cracking the cabin door without using automation. He crouched behind the door panel, estimating altitude. "A little lower. Like that—good," he told the driver when there were a little more than five meters to the ground. "Jump!" He turned to the MPs at the door, then looked at the driver. "Take the craft to the camp perimeter. Don't fly into the camp yet." Alenko looked into the cockpit opening and noted the driver could see him in the mirror.
"Yes, sir," the driver said. He waited for the lightened craft to give one last faint shudder: the biotic lieutenant jumped last.
He hit the door-close key and pulled the shuttle away from the camp's bounds.
"Dropped pretty far from the camp center," one MP noted, brushing off his knees and shifting his rifle more comfortably.
"Alliance recon drones. Two hundred meters. Three o'clock," another MP reported, watching the situation around the landed group. "They're acting… weird…"
"They've been reprogrammed, Lieutenant." The third MP barely managed to dive behind a boulder, dodging a combat laser beam. "Destroy them?!"
"Yes." Alenko ducked behind another boulder, crouched, snapped his rifle up, and caught the incoming drone in his sights. Three rounds—and the drone flew apart in small pieces. The MPs, firing single shots, destroyed several more drones that approached.
"For now—clear. Scanners and locators—clear," one MP said, crouching and carefully looking around for new airborne "troublemakers." "I don't get it." He looked down and reviewed the objective record on his omni-tool. "So the drones were patrolling here. But into the camp… they didn't go?"
"Indoctrinated in camp, the shuttle getting fired on, and now these reprogrammed drones," another MP summarized. "Something is very wrong here."
"How could it be right? We found that huge ship already on the planet. Good thing we didn't let the geth get far from the shrimp," the third MP said. "And I'm thinking these drones are watching the camp like prison guards watch an inmate. Neither the archaeologists nor the marines can leave the perimeter, and…"
"Very interesting. They can't shoot down these drones?" the second MP asked, looking at his overly energetic colleague. "How should that be understood? The marines stopped being soldiers?"
"Well… under certain conditions…" the third MP hesitated, not knowing how to put his thought more precisely and, above all, more safely.
"The conditions are clear. Complex," Alenko said curtly, straightening. "Planet traffic is being filtered by the frigate—we managed that. Though absolute silence on Eden Prime is hard, and you can't count on a complete blackout. So we'll clarify the situation in the camp." He stepped out from behind the boulder. "And about those 'certain conditions'—we'll learn to fight in real conditions, not on a range. As the duty group, we are обязаны be combat-ready."
"And the fight's only beginning," the first MP noted, listening. "Gunfire."
"And the gunfire is along the camp perimeter," another MP уточнил, bringing his rifle up.
"Looks like the soldiers assigned to the archaeologists' squad decided to deal with the rabid drones that got too deep into the role of jailers." Alenko reloaded his rifle and listened. "Forward. We'll help the nearest shooters. And then we'll solve our mission. We won't be using the shuttle," the officer уточнил.
A few minutes—and Alenko's group helped two marines beat back recon drones spitting little laser beams.
"Sergeant Williams, ma'am, 212th Marines platoon," the girl introduced herself. She was wearing medium armor. "Help the others, Tom." With a gesture she dismissed the second marine, who hurried off among the bushes.
Somewhere in the distance, single shots could be heard—the fight between drones and marines was still going.
"You really bailed us out." She saluted after spotting lieutenant insignia on Alenko's armor. "You're the senior of the arriving group, sir?"
"Yes." Kaidan returned the salute. "Lieutenant Alenko, landing team, frigate Normandy. You command the platoon?"
"Yes, sir." Ashley nodded. "But we've got… difficulties. Ones we haven't… faced before, sir."
"Report." Kaidan waited while Sergeant Williams unfolded her omni-tool display. After hearing the report, he thought for a minute. "We have orders, Sergeant. Take the Beacon. And clarify the situation. So let's go."
With the MPs around them, the sergeant and lieutenant moved closer to the camp.
"Here, at this spot, we found the Beacon," Ashley pointed to a circle of churned earth. "The archaeologists… worked several days. My platoon was assigned for security. So we didn't go into details, mostly held the perimeter around the dig zone. And from there… you don't see much. And you understand even less. Archaeologists are great at keeping quiet."
Listening to this story—which didn't match the requirements usually placed on a military report—Alenko understood the girl was frightened.
It was hard to expect a marine sergeant to be ready for what had happened in the archaeologists' camp over the last several hours. The sudden loss of control over security and recon drones, the indoctrination of archaeologists and marines—these were only small parts of one problem that now had to be solved.
"So it was… your ship… that brought down that shrimp?" Sergeant Williams asked the question that had been tormenting her, as Alenko understood, once they reached the first prefab hut.
"Yes." Kaidan nodded. "We had to," he didn't go into details now. He looked around with growing interest. "These crates…"
"We don't understand, sir," the sergeant replied. "The lock VIs refused to obey even service commands. Those refusals 'covered' the camp in minutes, and we've been forced more than once just to break locks. Until now." Ashley bent down, keyed some numbers and letters into the lit holographic keyboard, hit Enter—but there was no response; the lock stayed shut. "See? I enter the correct commander-level password and the VI refuses to open."
"Reprogramming," one of the MPs said quietly.
Ashley heard it. She straightened and turned to the MP. She saw his sergeant stripes and MP patch.
"Is that… possible, Sergeant?" she asked, looking directly into the MP's face.
He paused, then nodded briefly. The other two MPs kept silently studying the camp surroundings, occasionally noting something on their omni-tools. Kaidan understood it was time to step in.
"That shrimp, as we understood fairly quickly, can do a lot," Alenko said quietly, not addressing anyone in particular.
"We have no comms with military bases or with Eden Prime authorities," Ashley said. "We're cut off. Is that… also?!"
"No." Kaidan shook his head, bringing genuine astonishment to the marine sergeant's face. "That's the frigate's electronic warfare service. Right now the whole planet is quiet. We've severely limited Eden traffic, filtering it, checking it. If we allow the previous, full format, too many gawkers will flood Eden Prime. And we don't need that right now. A ship like that shrimp falling onto the planet, an engagement with it—those facts are too ambiguous," he paused, lowering his voice to a half-whisper. "Sergeant, this isn't for the press or for comments in smoking pits. Not yet." He paused again. "We're on the threshold of a big war with ships like these—half-synthetic and at the same time half-organic. It's a Reaper." Alenko fell silent, trying not to let Sergeant Williams's face out of his sight.
"But… Reapers are a legend," Ashley said quietly.
"Consider that you've seen the legend in reality. And you saw that it's not only real—it's very much alive," Alenko replied.
"So it's… not destroyed? It's still…" Ashley grew agitated.
"I don't know." Kaidan tried to keep his voice firm. "That's not my clearance level. Frigate command will decide. Where's the Beacon?"
"The archaeologists moved it not long ago… closer to the camp center," Ashley said, pointing. "They didn't even have time to put it into a container. They didn't set a special guard around the new storage spot. And then… it started. I don't know how to define it shorter."
"Indoctrination," one of the MPs said, listening.
"Indo… what?" Ashley snapped, looking at the police sergeant with an indignant, questioning stare. "You know more than we do?"
"We do," Kaidan confirmed. "For example, we know that your camp may have—and most likely does have—quite a few indoctrinated людей, Sergeant Williams. Among both scientists and marines," the lieutenant added.
"You mean… the one who fired at your shuttle on approach…" Ashley's voice lost even the hint of command volume and crispness. "But we… we weren't… not…"
"We weren't either, Sergeant," Kaidan replied. "What's that muttering?" He listened. "Who's in that prefab?"
"That's Dr. Warren's work space. And her assistant—Manuel." Ashley turned to the prefab's entrance door. "Manuel… that's his voice. That muttering again. He's been doing it a long time. Repeating the same thing. It… unnerves everyone. Civilians… and marines."
"Dr. Ilza Warren?" Alenko asked, opening his omni-tool.
"Yes… she's the scientist in charge of the dig—the Prothean Beacon excavation," Ashley confirmed.
"I'm very glad that thanks to your intervention we're relatively safe," a woman stepped out from the neighboring prefab. Seeing her official portrait on his omni-tool screen, Alenko recognized Warren at once. "Lieutenant Alenko?"
"Yes. You…" the officer began, wondering why the dig leader was in another prefab rather than her own.
"We hid," Ilza rushed to say. "We were afraid those drones—completely out of any control now, as I'm convinced—would start shooting people who took cover in the settlement itself…"
"They didn't let anyone out of the perimeter?" one of the MPs asked.
"Yes," Warren nodded. "Exactly. We constantly need to do things outside the camp, and then… the drones stopped obeying direct orders. And began… shooting at people who tried repeatedly to leave the camp. We ended up in a blockade… work stalled… no, it didn't just stall, it was practically stopped!" Ilza almost shouted. "And then some marines went mad too… and also… started shooting. Good thing not to kill, more like… warning, maybe. We had to retreat into the prefabs—at least there you can somewhat shield yourself from this unmotivated shooting. And its consequences, by the way. We…" Warren was clearly very rattled. "We didn't know people would keep going mad. And now my assistant, Manuel, too… didn't avoid it…"
"Yeah…" one MP said, stepping to the prefab door. "He's muttering again…"
"He…" Dr. Warren hurried to steer the conversation into a more acceptable channel, "is a brilliant scientist, but now, apparently, in part because many marines started firing at almost everyone in the camp… he is in a semi-mad state. But when he has a lucid interval… he's a successful, very productive scientist. I consider it correct to believe that genius and madman are simply two sides of the same coin."
"Perhaps…" The MP by the door listened. "He's yelling, not just talking. He's claiming the Beacon is the heart of evil and that humanity's time is over. It's audible. Every word. Doesn't sound much like muttering, Lieutenant."
"Indoc… what did you call it… indoctrinated…" Dr. Warren said. "We call it simpler: drugged. He… is afraid to go out. He sits on a chair, rocks back and forth, and really does mutter and shout. Several dozen minutes have passed and he… still hasn't calmed down. And it seems to me his condition is only worsening." Warren took a few steps and stopped at the prefab door, turning back to the MPs, Alenko, and Williams. "Are you… going in?! You… need to be sure."
"Open the door." Having made the decision, Alenko slung his assault rifle into his suit's back mounts and stepped to the prefab. "Open it, Doctor."
"Maybe… don't?" Uncertainty—maybe pleading—crept into the leader's voice. "He's… not himself."
"Open the door, Doctor," Alenko repeated. A pistol appeared in his hand. The same instant, pistols appeared in all three MPs' hands. "Open it!" the officer repeated.
Warren keyed in the code. The door slid aside obediently.
With pistol ready, Alenko stepped over the threshold quickly and cautiously. Two MPs entered after him. The third stayed outside, positioning himself so he kept Dr. Warren in view.
"I hear the whispers again. I hear the whispers again. Whispers. Whispers. Whispers. They… are talking to me. They… are saying humanity's time… is coming to an end. There's only… only a little time left for humans. And not only for humans!" A middle-aged man in a standard research jumpsuit—with all the usual velcro patches—didn't pay the entrants any attention. "The Beacon is evil! It has to be given away. Given away! Given away!!! Aaaaaaah!" The madman raised his head and looked at the MPs by the door, but there wasn't a spark of reason in his eyes. "You… you came to make sure humanity's time is over? Then know that it really is over!!! And not only humanity's time! The time of all races! All of them! All! All! All!" The screaming man suddenly folded in half, slid off the stool onto his knees; his hands drooped limply, palms awkwardly touching the floor; his head dropped sharply. "A-a-a-all of them," he snarled or howled, then soon fell quiet.
"Our doctor will have an interesting patient," one of the MPs standing beside Alenko said.
"No," the lieutenant said. "We won't involve our medic in this. There are plenty of other doctors here. Let them handle him. Soon there may be very many of these… 'special ones'..." Kaidan looked around the interior. "Yes, nothing dangerous here. And he doesn't look violent," the lieutenant said, stepping out and pulling the door shut behind him.
"Convinced?" Dr. Warren asked when the officer stepped up to Ashley.
"Yes," Kaidan nodded. "Looks like he'll remain in that 'twilight' state for a long time."
"Maybe you're right, Lieutenant." Warren put as much venom into it as she could. "You were interested in the Beacon."
"I was," Alenko confirmed. "And I am. Lead the way." He did not holster his pistol. "And Doctor—no foolishness!" the officer warned.
"What foolishness could there be… under circumstances like these," Warren muttered softly but viciously, stepping away from the prefab and onto the path. "Let's go."
"Lieutenant," one of the MPs moved ahead and pointed his pistol toward three men in ordinary Earth farmer clothing who were walking quickly toward the woods. "Those three… clearly aren't from the archaeological staff."
"Dr. Warren." Without taking his eyes off the departing men, Kaidan turned to the dig leader. "Yours?"
"No," the irritated administrator-scientist shook her head. "Locals. Always hanging around. They think we pull Prothean artifacts out of the ground by the sack. But our order was one: the Beacon. Otherwise we wouldn't have been given a marine platoon for security. Usually we work… without soldiers in our immediate and distant surroundings," she shot an unhappy look at Williams. Ashley tried to stay calm and neutral.
"Then we stop them," Kaidan decided. "Catch and detain." With a gesture, he ordered one MP to stay close, while the other two ran after the "farmers."
The men quickened even more, heading for the camp border, but from behind the hill the Normandy shuttle appeared.
Realizing they wouldn't be able to leave the camp perimeter anyway, the men stopped. Two MPs reached them, spoke briefly, and, threatening with weapons, forced all three to walk back to the lieutenant.
"We didn't do anything wrong," one of the frightened "farmers" said. "We come here often, we watch… season's over, not much work in the fields… and here you help a little, carry something, hold something. Like that… And that ship… it fell after your frigate fired on it, right?" the man asked, seeing the Normandy insignia on the lieutenant's armor.
Alenko nodded.