Mass Effect - A Hero Rises Ch. 20

Book 2, Chapter 1 -- Resurrection

*****

A/N -- So much like Book 1 of the Mass Effect novelisation, the majority of Book 2 will be from Shepard's POV. However, I will sprinkle in occasional POV's of other characters, I'm thinking mostly for their loyalty missions, just to switch things up a bit. So the first part of this will only be from Shepard's.

*****

"Wake up, Commander."

I opened my eyes at the sound of the rather urgent voice. I expected to see... well, dark space, perhaps a few twinkling stars in the distance, the remains of my ship as it burned up in the atmosphere of the nearby planets. I didn't expect to look around and find myself in some sort of laboratory. It definitely wasn't a hospital, at least.

"Shepard, do you hear me? Get off that table now. This facility is under attack!"

What facility? Where the hell am I? Still, I heard at least one explosion so figured I should get up. Heaving myself up, I sat on the edge of the table, looking down to see my groin was covered, but I was otherwise naked. I took a moment to look up and down my body. There was some scarring, but not scars I recognised. Running a finger over a couple, I swear there was something glowing under my skin. Raising a hand to my face, I trailed a fingertip along what felt like another scar.

"Shepard. Your scars aren't healed but I need to get you moving."

Looking around, there wasn't anything I could dress myself in, nor arm myself to stop whatever was causing the explosions. "Need a little help here, lady!"

"Your armour is in a locker nearby. You should find a pistol in there as well."

"Pistol? Forget that. What about an assault rifle?"

"Not necessary, Shepard. Now hurry!"

Not necessary? Like fuck it isn't if I'm under attack! But it wasn't really the time to argue, walking towards and opening the locker. There was some underwear, a t-shirt I could throw on, before I assembled myself in the armour. It was fairly basic, jet black, without any markings. Grabbing the pistol, my eye immediately took in the design. Something wasn't right. There was no heat sink.

"What's up with this pistol?" I wondered.

"New design, Shepard. I can't explain it, but you'll have to find a thermal clip."

"Clip? You mean ammo now runs out? That's just..."

I heard the groan. "Now isn't the time, Shepard. Just find a clip."

"Could really do with an assault rifle," I muttered, head down as I made my way out of what seemed to be a med bay.

It didn't take long to run into the enemy, a bunch of mechs that walked like zombies, intent on filling me with plenty of holes. I knew they were more VI than AI so figured they'd been hacked. That just left me with more questions as I glanced to see at least three of them converging. "I'm stuck here without any ammo!"

"Use your biotics."

"I'm not a fucking biotic!"

"You are now. Try a control gesture and throw a warp. All you need to do is focus and your biotics will work."

I had no real idea what she meant but I figured it couldn't hurt. Waiting until they stopped firing for a second, I stood up and threw what I thought was a warp. Whatever I did throw was bloody powerful, as two of them went down, the third swinging around to fire at me. I waited until the perfect time and did the same thing. Once that was also on the ground, I quickly leapt out of cover and grabbed a thermal clip, slipping it into my pistol, grabbing a few spares at the same time. Well, this is just bloody stupid...

Moving forward, I kept to cover, taking down any mech dumb enough to get in the way. As I moved, the voice directed me where to go, letting me know when mechs were closing on my position, explaining that I needed to get to the shuttle bay. I definitely wasn't in a hospital, so was left wondering exactly where I was.

I eventually found a grenade launcher, which didn't have enough ammo to bother keeping it for long. As I moved on, I did quickly check terminals for any indication as to where I was. But there was nothing about that gave me a clue. All I knew is that mechs were trying to kill me and the lady guiding me seemed to have my best interests in mind, though she was rather short and abrupt most of the time.

Then I stumbled across the first survivor of whatever was happening and I recognised the symbol immediately, sitting on his chest. Before I could ask any questions, or just put a bullet through his head, we came under fire from more mechs, so it seemed the mechs didn't care who they were shooting at. Once they were all dead, surprising I could send a warp across the clearing, I turned and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him up and surprising myself as I soon had his feet dangling off the ground.

"You're Cerberus!" I growled, "Give me one good reason I don't throw you over the edge right now."

"Everyone else gave up on you, Commander," he wheezed, "Cerberus didn't."

Shit... Even though I was amazed by my own strength, I met his eyes and they appeared honest. I'd never spoken to many Cerberus operatives. I'd usually killed them without much thought. But I still remembered everything they'd done. Lowering him down, I released his throat, though kept my pistol in hand. "Right, explain to me now what the fuck is going on."

"Two years, Commander."

"Two years what?"

"You were spaced, Commander. When you were brought back here, you were dead, or as dead as dead can be. Nothing but a meat bag. Cerberus has spent two years rebuilding you. Alliance declared you KIA within a few days of the attack. Council and Alliance gave up on you. We didn't."

"What about my team?"

The other man shrugged. "Spread to the four winds, far as I know. I don't really know the details."

I could have put a bullet in him and been done with it, but if even half of what he said was true, then I had few allies remaining. Though I wouldn't give Cerberus the time of day. Until I was off wherever I was though, I would have to make do with what was available. "Right, I don't know my way around here. I'm going to need your help."

"That's why I'm here, Commander."

Before he could continue, his radio crackled into life, speaking to someone called Wilson. After a quick conversation, we moved on, and that's when I asked him about the stupid new design. What he told me made at least a little sense.

"The turians designed a universal heat sink that could be used in any weapon. A heat sink that can be used in a pistol can be used in a sniper rifle and vice versa. Once a weapon has expended the energy of the heat sink, it will automatically pop and a new heat sink can be placed within seconds. It's certainly a more efficient design and overheating is no longer a problem."

"Hmmm. Not so sure about that but I'll take your word for it."

"Might take getting used to but you'll soon see it's worth it."

We moved on, taking down more mechs as explosions continued to echo around us. I was left thinking wherever we were was bound to blow up eventually. The other male finally introduced himself during a moment of silence, his name being Jacob Taylor, a Cerberus operative. He certainly had training, with biotic capabilities, and I was left thinking he must have had at least some form of military training. We certainly managed to link up more than once.

"I'm sure the biotics are a surprise," he stated, "We'll organise some training later on so you can adapt."

"What sort of biotic am I?"

"A vanguard, Commander. You'll definitely need some training to understand your new capabilities."

"And why am I now a biotic?"

"It was a decision taken by the Illusive Man during your reconstruction. You've been given the best biotic implant possible. No headaches, unbelievable power. Once you begin to learn and master your abilities, you'll give most asari a run for their money."

"No shit?"

"I don't know the whole story, Commander, but billions have been spent to bring you back." That's when he finally met my eyes. "And you'll know why."

Thankfully, I wasn't completely stupid. "The Reapers."

He nodded. "Aye, the Reapers. The Illusive Man believes, Commander."

As we moved on, we ran into another survivor by the name of Wilson. He mentioned another possible survivor by the name of Miranda, left believing she was the voice that had guided me at the beginning, though I hadn't heard her voice in quite a while. With three of us, we mowed down the mechs without any difficulty, though I didn't lead the way. They might have spent billions on me, but I didn't trust any of them enough not to take a bullet in the back, so I let Jacob lead the way forward, keeping my eye on both with me.

Finally making it to the shuttle bay, the door opened to reveal an attractive, raven-haired though rather pale woman, dressed in a white and black skin-tight suit, with what I immediately recognised as a fantastic set of tits. She turned towards us, raised her weapon, and fired. The bullet passed myself and Jacob, hitting Wilson in the head. I raised my weapon straight away. "The fuck?"

"He was a traitor," she replied simply.

I kept my weapon raised as I glanced at Jacob. "You reckon?"

"Miranda is rarely wrong, Commander."

I glanced back at her, a smirk forming. "Jacob, I'm never wrong. And I don't like having a weapon aimed at me, Commander."

"You're Cerberus."

She sighed, looking back at Jacob. The dark-skinned man shrugged. "He figured it out himself. Thought he was going to kill me, to be honest."

"Still deciding on that," I muttered, not lowering my weapon, "Who are you?" I asked.

"Miranda Lawson. The is Project Lazarus. I've spent two years putting you back together, Commander. Are you going to lower your weapon or not?"

"That depends on you. I have one simply question. Why?"

She shrugged. "Not for me to say. You'll have to ask the Illusive Man." She thumbed behind her. "There's a shuttle that can take us so you can speak with him."

"And if I don't?"

"Well, you can stay here if you want."

"I have the gun. I can easily leave you two here."

She sighed, no doubt already exasperated. "Look, Commander. All I know is that I've just spent two years of my life putting you back together. We've made you stronger, faster, better. Given you new abilities. You are now capable of great feats. We need you in the fight against the Reapers."

That made his weapon lower slightly. "And the biotics?"

"I understand it's a surprise, but it was a decision taken in your interests only." I scoffed which made her scowl. "Look, believe me or don't, I honestly don't care. But I think you owe it to the Illusive Man to at least hear him out considering he's the only one who bothered bringing you back."

I met her eyes for more than a few seconds. "Shit," I muttered, finally lowered the weapon completely, "Guess you have a point."

"I figured you'd see it that way." She gestured with her head. "Pilot is already on board. Jacob, you coming too?"

I let her go first, still not wanting to expose myself. I figured if they were telling the truth, they wouldn't put a bullet in my back, but I wasn't willing to trust Cerberus, though I was left wondering what the Illusive Man actually wanted with me...

*****

The massive red but dying star of Anadius provided the only light in the otherwise dark room. A bank of holographic screens provided an almost unlimited supply of information regarding activities around the galaxy. Maybe a coup in one system. An assassination in another. A successful scientific experiment completed. Perhaps the embezzlement of a few million credits in another front company. It was all there, yet he had no eye for these at the moment.

The middle-aged human male sat in his expensive yet rather simple looking chair with his back to the screens, only darkness in front of him. In his right hand was a cigarette. He brought it to his mouth and took a long drag, sucking the smoke deep down into his lungs, savouring the taste, before he blew out, expelling the smoke as it slowly faded away. He loved smoking. He loved it as it pissed off a lot of people, having been outlawed in many places throughout the galaxy. Because he loved smoking, he always smoked the most expensive brand. And the best.

To his left on a small side table was a glass tumbler. Within the tumbler were four large ice cubes. Surrounding the ice cubes was an amber liquid. Bourbon. On the rocks. The best, and as far as he was concerned, the only way to drink bourbon. But it had to be good bourbon. Expensive bourbon. Smooth down the throat, with only a slight burning sensation as it settled in your stomach.

He flicked ash from the cigarette into an ashtray as he took another drag of his cigarette and continued to wait. He was a patient man. He had already been notified of events that happened on Lazarus Station. He was aware that Commander Shepard had managed to escape with the help of two of his operatives. Miranda has done well. Far better than even I expected. She will go far with us. Jacob has proven to be a worthy addition to the cause. Shame the trust is not there but as long as he does the business, then it's a paycheque at the end of the day. But they did their jobs.

Shepard is alive.

Commander Shepard alive was step one. Investing Commander Shepard in his mission was step two. And far more difficult, in his opinion, than step one. He was more than aware of the Commander's one-man war against his organisation while he chased Saren two years before. Shepard still didn't know the whole truth about Cerberus. And that suited the Illusive Man just fine. Whether Shepard would ever become a believer in his cause was doubtful. But to have Shepard as an ally? The possibilities were endless if that came to pass.

"Boss, Commander Shepard is attempting communication," called one of his staff. He was simply known as 'Boss'. Being called 'The Illusive Man' would just sound silly. And absolutely no-one knew of his personal history before Cerberus. No-one knew his name, where he was born or even what he did prior to Cerberus. Anyone who did manage to find out would find themselves in a deep, dark hole in a far-away planet, lonely and forgotten. The past was not worth worrying about as far as the Illusive Man was concerned. It was only about the future.

Humanity's future.

He took another drag of his cigarette as assorted lights on the ceiling started to shine, illuminating his features slightly, as the holographic display of Commander Shepard, looking around slightly confused, appeared before him.

"Commander Shepard."

He watched the hologram of Shepard look ahead as his own display would now appear to him. He watched him fold his arms across his chest, a smirk appearing across his face. "Ah, so you're the Illusive Man. I thought we'd be meeting face-to-face. Though I'm sure you'd know how that would end. Very quickly." Shepard took out his pistol and looked at it almost reverently. "A bullet from this gun would enter your face and then I would have to resist pissing on your corpse."

The Illusive Man took another drag of his cigarette as he took in his words. I was expecting hostility but even this is a surprise. I wonder how Miranda and Jacob handled him.

The Illusive Man simply chuckled for a mere moment. "Well consider this a necessary precaution. Not unusual for people who know what you and I know."

"If you're expecting a 'thank you' for me being alive, then you're going to be extremely disappointed. I was quite content being dead. I'd done my job. My duty. All I ever wanted after I died was for my body to be burned up and then stuck in a hole in the ground and quietly forgotten. And if you think I'm ever going to trust you or any of the clowns you have working for you," Shepard chuckled, "You are seriously mistaken."

"You need to put your personal feelings aside, Shepard."

"Fuck you. And that's Commander to you, as well. While we're at it, why don't I list my personal feelings." He watched as the Commander held up a hand and subsequent fingers, counting them off. "Admiral Kahoku. Corporal Toombs. Edolus. Binthu. Nepheron. Chasca. Nodacrux. Should I continue?"

He didn't miss the fact Shepard left his middle finger up at the end. The Illusive Man took another drag of his cigarette. This is going to be more difficult than even I imagined. "Commander, humanity is up against the greatest threat of our brief existence."

The smirk disappeared from his face as Shepard raised an eyebrow and nodded. "The Reapers," he stated matter-of-factly. That got his attention. At least he remembers that.

"Good to see your memory's still intact. How are you feeling?"

"How about we just get down to business as I'm obviously here for a reason. I know you've invested money in me so you think you've earned the right to ask me personal questions. You haven't. Just tell me whatever it is you have to say."

"Cerberus isn't as evil as you believe, Commander. You and I are on the same side; we just have different methods."

"Could have fooled me. Although I did spend nearly a year killing many of your operatives. So I guess I was doing some good at least. Yeah, those are some fond memories. Really enjoyed wiping out some of your operations. You hired some right fucking assholes."

"Commander..."

Shepard sighed. "Fine. What are the Reapers up to that made you decide to bring me back?"

Finally, we can get to business. I wonder if he's going to be this hostile going forward. He'd better not be otherwise I'll have to reconsider. He stood up out of his chair, taking another drag from his cigarette as he approached the hologram. "We're at war, Commander. No-one wants to admit it, but humanity is under attack."

He could see that perked his interests as Shepard appeared thoughtful for a moment. "How do you mean?"

"While you've been sleeping, entire colonies have been disappearing. Human colonies. We believe it is someone working for the Reapers. Just as Saren and the geth aided Sovereign. You've seen it yourself. You bested all of them. That's just one reason why we chose you."

"I'm just one man. Why don't you work with the Alliance? They have plenty of forces that can be mobilised for protection."

"The Alliance suffered substantial losses fighting Sovereign. They're rebuilding and are stretched too thin to waste resources verifying the Reaper threat."

"That I remember," Shepard said quietly, and the Illusive Man took note of the bitterness in his tone.

"They're currently blaming these abductions on mercenaries and pirates. Far easier and more convenient."

"And a possible explanation and far easier to believe than a Reaper threat." Shepard was quiet for a moment, as if deep in thought, while the Illusive Man took another drag from his cigarette. He simply waited for his next question. "Okay, level with me here. Why me? For the amount of credits you spent bringing me back, you could have funded an entire army. And, let's be honest, I don't like you. Yeah, yeah, I don't actually know you. But seriously, I don't like you. And I definitely don't like your organisation. You should know I'm not going to cooperate with you."

"That we'll see, Commander. However, as to why. Let's just say that you're unique. Not just in ability or what you've experienced. It's what you represent. You stood for humanity at a key moment. You're more than a soldier. You're a symbol."

Shepard shook his head. "I'm not a hero. I'm not a symbol. I'm just a soldier. I'm just one man..."

"That's where you're wrong, Commander. You're much more than just a man to many people. Not just in the Alliance but also within my organisation. I don't know if the Reapers understand fear, but you killed one. They have to respect that."