บท 32: 32
We found the right planet surprisingly quickly. It was a perfect match. Well, almost. It had a population of 1200, and the colony itself was owned by Exo-Geni. Rilik and the Geths, disguised as Quarians, were buying up all the food supplies that went on sale for credits. When asked "What the fuck do we need food with left-handed squirrels," I transparently hinted the merchant that we buy here and then sell at three prices at the other end of the galaxy. I even gave him a hand to keep him from asking unnecessary questions. He didn't ask any more. There was no question as to the origin of the 5,000 credits he had in his account and the additional 40,000 credits we had bought groceries with. And while Rilik was at the colony, the Light of Kila was collecting water with hoses, and the Geths were chopping wood on the night side of the planet. There were no radars on the colony, and the Light of Kila had difficulty but still managed to enter the atmosphere, so we weren't worried about anything. We had somewhere to store water and food - the dreadnought had water tanks and food fridges. Big fridges. We had 10,000 potential colonists or soldiers to feed. We finished everything in 12 hours. In that time we had collected 100,000 tons of water, 10 tons of food for Mila, cut down 3 hectares of jungle, killed three packs of Warrens, 170 in total, which had attacked us and, towards the end, killed the thresher. As it turned out later, on scanning the entire planet, there used to be a colony of crogans here, which they didn't have time to crap out, and what they did have time to recover. They have taken warrens with them, and now breed uncontrollably, but fortunately there are predators of their own here, and so warrens quickly give birth and quickly perish. The Thresher, on the other hand, is the one the Krogan have tried to kill, as evidenced by the old scars from the mass accelerator, most likely a tank. Apparently the krogan tried to finish him off, but missed. But we didn't miss. From the dreadnought's short-range guns. So now the Geths were sawing wood into sawdust, the thresher into mincemeat, and the Thorian was munching leaves at the moment. Well, let's not get in his way. I decided to wake Mila instead.
We placed the capsule in a holding cell and locked it with a transparent, bluish-tinged biotic field. Still, I didn't want it to hit us with the biotic and then walk around the ship. Getting ready to talk, I opened the capsule.
At first Mila tried to come to her senses and at least stand up. Then she started to look around, then she started to panic and run around the pod, and then she noticed me and two other primes that were on either side of me.
- What... Where am I?" she asked in a frightened voice.
- Does it matter to you? - I asked.
- Do you... Can you talk? - and why is that such a surprise to everyone.
- Why don't you answer a question with a question. - I said a little angrily and it worked.
- Х... Okay? All right, calm down. Let's go in order.
- Come on, if it makes you feel any better.
- You're a talking get.
- I am.
- You have me captive.
- Me and 1,500 other platforms.
- And you want something from me.
- Yes, I do.
- Why kidnap her? - she couldn't take it anymore.
- You're the one who got away. I offered you $10 million, but no, you don't want it. So I had to take it by force. - I explained, which made Mila's eyes the size of anime ones.
- So you were the one who called me?
- Yes. And you said no. What else was I supposed to do? - I started asking questions myself.
- Well... Uh, and I'm supposed to believe that you would have paid me? - That's a weird question she asked.
- I have three billion credits in my account right now. You know, financial fraud's easy for us. So, yeah, I would have paid you. You wouldn't even know I was a goet. We're good at pretending to be Quarian. Though you know that yourself. - I remembered the time we kidnapped her.
- Okay, fine. What do you want from me? - Finally got around to talking and asking questions about the case.
- We need help deciphering the protean data. - I began. - However, we've activated some kind of security protocol while decoding it, and, in short, now only an organism can decode the beacon.
- Hmm... I've never encountered this before... - Mila wondered, looking down at the floor, and I continued.
- Well, you don't have Artificial Intelligence, either, you know. - I reminded her. - And don't give me that look. You won't be the first, you won't be the last. Anyway, I'll make you a deal.
- What's the deal?
- You help us with the decryption, and then I'll give you thirty million credits. I'll give you fifteen for kidnapping and moral damages. If I have to, I can help you with the paperwork or something. We can do that. - I explained the terms of our deal.
- What if I don't agree? - she decided to elaborate.
- Then your mistress, Sola Wirtuk, would be in trouble. - Her fists slammed hard against the field, and she glared angrily, on the threshold of rage.
- Don't you dare. Do you hear me, you piece of scrap metal, DON'T you dare touch Saula, YOU UNDERSTAND!!! - just screamed with rage at Mila. Maybe you shouldn't have made her so angry. Oh, the hell with her.
- It's your choice, Mila. It's either thirty million or your mistress goes to her Spirits. So, are you in?
Oh, it's a shame I don't have a face to make the most f-cking smile the galaxy's ever seen.
- I do. - said Mila in a voice that said, "Like I have a choice!"
- That's good. Just remember, if you try to escape, it won't be bad for you, it'll be bad for Sole. Like with work or with the law. Do you understand?
- Yes." she growled angrily, glaring at me. In the blink of an eye the shield went out and I hand invited her through.
- This way, please. - Mila didn't say anything and just walked past me, and we followed her. So that was the procession we had. Mila, followed by me and two Primes. When we got to the T-intersection, we saw how paranoid I was. On the left side we saw a blockade of geths. 7 Geth stormtroopers "wall to wall" were sitting on one knee. Behind them 7 more stormtroopers were standing. Behind them 3 Primes, and above them, hanging from the ceiling, was a double turret of anti-boarding defence. And so was almost the entire deck, which was cut off from the rest of the ship by hermetic doors. Even the ventilation was blocked off by five centimetre thick grilles. Yeah, the Quarians were paranoid. Even the vents were sealed off. And this is the race I thought was the cutest race since the Azari? And it's the race that the most lovable character in Mass Effect belongs to!? Seriously!? Oh, those Biovarians, there's a lot they didn't tell us, and the hitchhikers are supposed to find out for themselves. Whatever.
Five minutes later we were there. We walked into the lighthouse room and Mila whistled.
- Well, that's quite a haul you got there. And not damaged at all. - she started, and I wasn't even a little surprised.
- Has it ever been any other way? - I wondered.
- Yes. The last time, the lighthouse was trashed and there was almost nothing to read. Though, what I could get out of it caused a phenomenal brain-burst for all Proteanologists.
- What was in it? - I decided to keep up the conversation, while Mila was tuning up the equipment.
- Well... Eh, well, I guess I can tell you. The beacon was found on the moon of Thessia. According to what I found, the Proteans were studying us Azari and even doing some genetic research. There was something about our biotics and the developmental curve of our biotic abilities. Oh, what happened back then... And they even tried to cut me out of the fee.
- And who paid you?
- One matriarch who had a daughter who was a proteanologist. She started defending the theory that we were being studied, others started refuting it, and started accusing ME of almost all the deadly sins. I was even threatened. Shit, what was the name of that Azari they started harassing. Li-Lir... Oh, Liara. Yeah, Liara T'Sony. That was a hell of a time for her.
- And who won? - Interesting story, by the way. Still, Liara's past wasn't much of a story in Massa.
- They sent her away for a long time. I once hacked into conversations between the matriarch and the director of the Academy of Protean Science. They sent her away because she's a 'purebred little girl'. Anyway, everyone forgot about her.
- And the other cases? Well, was it the same with the other beacons? - Mila was already fiddling with the lighthouse and I decided to keep the conversation going.
- Oooh, it was. The first time I worked as a team. We got paid half a million each, but we really dug in there. I've got some cool mass-core coolers, and a good bio-implant, and even a fighter jet. Anyway, we paid up and went our separate ways. Then there was another lighthouse that looked more like a sieve. While the archaeologists were getting it out, they were attacked by the batteries and the lighthouse was damaged as much as the soul wanted. But I did manage to get something out of it. There was a study of biotics and a name. Atame.
- Your "Goddess!"? - I said in an Azarian voice, which made Mila even stop, but then she digested everything and continued.
- Yes. Except that the beacon was found in Volus territory. Volus! And now the question is, what does Atame have to do with the Volus?
- I don't even want to imagine what happened afterwards...
- There was nothing. The data was classified, I was given seven hundred thousand and a written undertaking not to disclose it, and it was all over. Then there was the third lighthouse and it was a total disaster. I was already being prepared to decrypt the fourth, but it safely played into a drawer.
- The sadness of it all. - I agreed.
- Tell me about it. You know, you're not that callous. Even though you slaughtered your own people. - she reminded me.
- Don't mention it. Please. - I asked, and she acquiesced, realizing that it was a sore subject.
In an hour...
- So, there's something strange here... - Mila started talking, and I stopped to study the history of the races here.
- What is it?
- I don't understand. I'm doing one thing and something inside me is blocking me. Hmm, what if it's... Right, so that's... Okay, so... Come on, come on, come on... Yeah, yeah, yeah! Gotcha! That's it, get it and sign it! - she said and pressed Enter. Or rather, its equivalent. After that the lines on the lighthouse glowed green, and in 5 seconds a hologram of a Proteanin was projected in front of us.
The frigate Normandy SR-1
- So what do we do next, Shepherd? - asked Garrus, who was finally able to walk and get out of sickbay. It was now lights out on the Normandy and two o'clock in the morning ship time, but the entire crew was now sitting around a table on the living deck and rejoiced that Garrus could walk. All the lights on the deck were off, and only the yellow-orange light illuminated the table, which was occupied by the crew. The crew were also wondering what to do. After all, just before lights out, strange news came from the council.
- I don't know. We are not going to Novuria. There's no reason to. I got word that Benezia had escaped from the Apex 15 complex, where she'd been for a week. "Bynery Helix found out about Benezia and Saren being traitors and sent a special forces unit after the matriarch. They managed to escape, but before doing so they mothballed the complex. So far they're trying to open it up, but they've been building it to the best of their ability. They could be done in a week or a month. Because no one knows where Saren or Benezia is. No one knows where the Get is either. We have to wait for news from the GOR. - Shepard explained the current state of affairs while she sliced open a chicken chop and ate pasta. Everyone was eating now except Talya, who was still in sickbay. Rex was eating five army portions of instant meatball soup for biotics straight from a ten-litre pot. Liara was munching on chocolate cupcakes. Ashley, croissants and coffee. Cayden had some kind of cherry-flavoured biotics shake. And Garrus was eating some kind of turian animal. And everyone was listening intently to Shepard, for they knew she was expecting suggestions from them.
- Well, GOR always finds what's needed. And what isn't needed. They find everything. - Garrus began.
- I wouldn't argue with that. - Rex continued, taking his face out of the pot as half of it was already finished. - The toads will find anyone, anywhere.
- So we'll, for now, scan the planets. Alliance pays good money for finding resources. - Shepherd said.
- We also found three records of the Dilinage matriarch. The Azari Republics could give a lot for them. - Liara suggested, to which Rex immediately agreed.
- Yes. And you can sell it to the Grey Mediator. - For that he got the uncomprehending look from Shepherd and everyone else. - Why? You think the Azari will buy those records from you? As soon as this Azari, Tevos, finds out about your find, he confiscates them. And the Mediator pays his dues and doesn't ask unnecessary questions.
- Let's not cooperate with the mercenaries. - Ashley suggested, earning a contemptuous snort and a look from Rex.
- To be frank, the SPECTRs aren't far behind them. Only the sides are different. - Garrus added.
- That's true. We maintain ourselves, run our own missions as we please, report only to the Council, who will back us up even if we violate the rights of reasonable people. - Shepard said and sent another piece of chop.
- We also have to decide what to do with the protean data we found. We already have three data disks. - Cayden remembered.
- Yeah. It's not like the Council is going to give them away. - Ashley seconded.
- Ahem." Rex hinted.
- And not to the Grey Mediator. He'd sell it to the Battar, or the Yeager or the Vorcas, for that matter. - Ashley answered at once, seeing where Rex was going with this. But Shepard saw where Ashley was going too.
- The Alliance isn't getting those disks. We'll have them for now, then we'll think of something. - Everyone else was silently in support of the Captain except Ashley and Cayden. But the impending tirade from Ashley and Cayden, as a reserve, was interrupted by a strange voice.
- Guys... Can I come in? - A voice came from the darkness and everyone immediately turned their attention to it. Immediately everyone was petrified. Shepard dropped her fork and knife onto an empty plate. Rex dropped the pot, having managed to eat everything before doing so. Ashley very carefully put down the cup of coffee, which luckily she'd managed to finish. Cayden dropped the already empty plastic cup. Liara swallowed the last piece of muffin, barely chewing it. Garrus dropped the bone he'd already chewed completely out of his hands. And everyone's mouths fell open. No one knew what the voice was, but the suit was painfully familiar. So after about twenty seconds Shepherd overcame the daze that engulfed the entire team and squeezed something out of herself.
- T-Tali? - It was the Quarian who was now standing in front of the boys, nervously cracking her fingers. Except now she wasn't wearing a mask or a hood. Instead the team saw the face of a pretty girl, with short black hair, pale skin, and glowing white irises. The boys still couldn't tear their astonished looks away from her, and Tali already felt uncomfortable, so she lowered her gaze and waited silently for the reaction of the team. - Sit down, of course. - Jane said, after which Tali slowly, tentatively, walked over and sat down on the last available chair. All eyes were still on her, though their mouths were closed.
- Tali, are you... without your mask? - Liara said gruffly.
- Yes... Chakwas said I was immune now and now... I don't need the suit... - stammering with excitement, Tali explained. - So you... like it? - she could see that Tali was afraid of the question, and at the same time she was even more afraid of the answer. She rarely looked at her own face without a mask. She hadn't taken the suit off since she'd gotten it, and she only took the mask off occasionally and for less than a minute, just to make sure she didn't forget what she herself looked like. But she didn't know how the team would react to her. She didn't know if she was beautiful by their criteria or not. She didn't even know what it meant to be beautiful, so she couldn't even really say anything about herself. Now she was holding her breath, counting the seconds, waiting for the reaction of the team, who were already family to her.
- Tali... You... - tried to say Garrus, but he couldn't say anything himself.
- Magnificent... - Liara muttered, which immediately elicited a surprised look from Tali.
- Really? You... Do you... like me?
- Of course, Tali... - Shepherd went on. - You are... Beautiful.
- I'm speechless. - Garrus added.
- I've never seen anything like it before. - Rex said, and there wasn't a hint of mockery or anything in his voice. He sounded surprised.
- And how can you wear masks that are not transparent and hide such beauty. - Shepard pretended to be indignant. All this made Tali feel... ...lighter? Warmer? She didn't know. The feeling of being thought of as beautiful was already pleasant. And the feeling of hearing her own voice without an air filter, or feeling the little breeze that tickled her face as she walked.
- Thanks, guys... I... I was afraid that you... not like... - the quarian was still talking excitedly.
- How could you not like it, Tali? - Liara wondered. Instead of an answer, out of the blue Tali quickly sniffed something and it was at the last moment that everyone realised what it was, but it was too late. Tali sneezed, which caused the biotic wave that emanated from her to balloon in all directions, throwing everyone off their chairs and scattering all the dishes, followed by an angry tirade in four different languages, and for some strange reason the translator took a holiday at this time.
- Oops. - Tali could only manage to squeeze out of herself as she looked at the fruits of her biotics.
สถานะพลังงานรายสัปดาห์
-- การจัดอันดับด้วยพลัง 
-- หินพลัง