Out For Karma: Mass Effect

[Book Two] Chapter 7: Knowing her crew better

Chapter 7: Knowing her crew better

Jack had taken residence in the engineering deck, right under Donnelly and Daniels, who were a bit anxious at having a known murderer so close. What worried Shepard was Rick himself being so close as his quarters were just a few feet away.

She laid it out thick on him when they got back on the ship, in the privacy of her cabin. He answered that if they wanted Jack to comply they needed a display of strength that would make her hesitate to act, which he did. For now she was subdued, but some work would have to be done.

“Besides, she did ask for it.” He justified himself but the unimpressed look she gave him said a lot.

“Alright, I may have gone a bit hard on her. It still worked.”

“You choked her! It’s beyond ‘a bit hard’.”

“Ashley never had any problem with it.” he replied casually.

“Wh… That’s not the point!” she replied confused for a second.

“It’s done, now. What do you want me to do?”

“Apologize to her to begin with!”

“Fine, fine, whatever you want. Are we done?” he was clearly done with the conversation, unfortunately his tone angered Shepard even more. However instead of blowing up she took a deep breath.

“I trust you and only you to act as you see fit during a mission, but there is a limit, a line that I don’t want and will not accept for you to cross. Letting your feelings take over for your decisions. You can bullshit me all you want about your actions; they were not rational. You were not acting like yourself. Ironic considering you said the same thing to me the other day.”

“...”

He had no answer to give her, she was right. He has been so done with, so angry and irritated that at the first occasion he lashed out. This was not how he usually worked. He squashed his feelings, ignored them and used his head instead. He did nothing like that here. He let his feelings take over because it has been easier to just let them free.

She got closer to him and in a calm voice spoke up.

“What’s going on in your head? Did… being myself shocked you so much?” she asked in real worry.

“Yes…”

“How so?”

“Because… you acted just like her.”

She didn’t need to inquire who was the her he was speaking about. The sadness in his tone was enough to know. She felt a bit guilty knowing that, even if it wasn’t really her fault. She was the way she was but she still felt the need to apologize.

“I’m…”

“Not responsible. This wasn’t your fault. It’s… how my brain works. I see something that reminds me of something else and… my brain just goes full throttle. Analyzing, comparing, differences and similarities. Yours, then hers then both at the same time. From the current moment that made the connection, to all the interactions I had. The more interactions, the more details there are to go over. Sometimes it takes just a few minutes, sometimes days. And if feelings are attached in some ways then… my mind is overthinking and gets lost in the memories, forgetting anything else, basic needs like sleeping or eating included. Trying to find some truth, some solution of a problem that does not matter anymore most of the time but just for the sake of knowing. That’s how I came up with my ideas when no one else ever thought of it or did but didn’t have enough information to piece the puzzle together and succeed.” he said as Shepard took one of his hands in one of hers.

“That must not be easy.”

“It isn’t. It’s tiring more than anything, to see connections everywhere between things that should not be connected and that nobody else sees. The worst is that it creates an imbalance between my tired mind and my body which is not.”

“Is there anything that can help?” she said, squeezing his hand.

“Hard physical activity needing focus or a new intricate puzzle to work on if it’s just to bring me to stop overthinking.”

“Thankfully we have a gym now, and I’m sure I can find you some chinese puzzle boxes.” she said in humor with a small smile

“Oh! I love those.” he replied with a more cheerful tone.

“Somehow, I’m not surprised.”

“Acting like a smartass doesn’t suit you.”

“I’m not a smartass, I’m just smart.”

“Uh-huh.” he answered in a skeptical tone.

She dragged him by the hand she was holding to her couch and made him sit by her side.

“I already know the answer but… Is this also why you spent days with Ash in a hotel room? It was more than just dealing with your anger and venting.”  she said more as a statement than a question.

“Yes. Sex… changes the chemistry of the brain making you act differently. That’s why sometimes when you orgasm your mind goes blank, because there is a flooding of neurotransmitters for pleasure, so much that you overload your brain which just shut down. That’s why you’re generally in a good mood afterwards and really unhinge when you can’t reach your peak.”

“So sex is basically an off and on button for the brain. Good to know.” she said with a cheeky grin.

“It’s more complicated than that but yes.” he replied, chuckling.

“Does that mean that if I want you always at 100% I will have to throw women at you? I’m not sure my bank account would be able to pay for all those escorts.” she joked.

“Your bank account? You mean mine, right? Besides, why pay for an escort when bubble is on the ship?” he said, waving his hand around indicating that the bugs were listening. Shepard understood and decided to play the game.

“Why am I not surprised you’re interested in Miranda? Probably all the men and some women in the ship are.”

“I call her bubble for a reason, red. And she needs to get laid. Always so tense, so focused on the mission… She will make mistakes. So since we both need to get laid, why not her? That may change her attitude for the better. A good spanking will do and if not…”

“If not…?” Shepard asked, really curious.

She was listening attentively, as his times with Ash had fuelled her fantasies and dreams for a while. She always was all hot and sometimes wet when the brunette described in detail what Rick did to her and what she felt about it.

“You’re too eager to know, pervert.” Rick replied in a playful tone, before removing his hand from hers and standing up making his way out of the room a very bothered Shepard alone.

____________________________________________________________

Rick went down the engineer deck but made a stop to the med-bay to pick up some packs of ice. Getting to his room he grabbed a towel, put the packs inside and made some kind of scarf. Satisfied with his work he exited the room and entered the engineering area. Climbing down the stairs Jack called out to him.

“What do you want, dickhead? Another go? I won’t go easy on you this time.”

He didn’t answer and instead tossed her the makeshift scarf. Which she grabbed with one hand.

“What the fuck am I supposed to to with that?”

“Numb the pain and reduce any swelling around your neck.”

“Is that it? Taking pity on me?!” she said, throwing the scarf on the ground.

“I don’t feel pity, it’s useless.”

“Then what?!”

“Then nothing.”

“Can’t get it up without choking someone? That’s why you’re here? You think that I’d be thankful then spread my legs for you?”

“No. And I wouldn’t fuck you even if you’d throw yourself at me. With your bald head, I’d think I’m nailing a guy.” he said in a disinterested tone climbing back up the stairs.

“FUCK YOU!!” she screamed after him.

“No thanks! Come back when you have enough hair to pull!” he replied from up the stairs.

Out of rage she trashed the small room she had just made. A call of her name brought her out of it.

“WHAT?!” she yelled, turning around to be faced with Shepard.

“Did Rick come to apologize?”

“Oh! He came, but to piss me off!” she replied, making the redhead sigh then frown.

“What did he do?”

“Gave me that fucking towel with ice! And told me I’m a fucking dude!”

“... Okay… I guess the towel was his way to say he’s sorry. He’s not very good at saying it. Took me two years to hear him say it to me, actually.”

“Good for you! I don’t give a shit!”

“Look, he’s not… Well, yes, he can be the biggest, bluntest asshole around, but he meant well with this gesture.”

“I don’t fucking care! Next time I see him, I’m punching his face in!”

“No. You insult him if you want, or you let it go but you don’t punch him because he’s pissing you off. Nor anyone else on this ship for that matter or you’ll find your ass spaced very fast.” Shepard said in a firm and authoritative tone.

Hypocritical of you, Jane. You punched him like half a dozen times already and kicked him once.

“What the fuck do you want anyway?”

“Are we clear on that?” she insisted, gravely.

“Alright, fine!” 

“Good. As for why I’m here… It’s to tell you that Miranda is gathering the files you wanted, you’ll get them soon.”

“You told me, now fuck off.”

“Oh, no. I’m not done yet…”

____________________________________________________________

After leaving alone a screaming Jack, he went back to his room and laid down on his bed. He began to fumble with his omni-tool but stopped, not really in the mood to work on something.

“EDI, are you busy?”

“I’m an AI, Rick. I multitask.”

“I know.”

“Then, why ask?”

“Because saying ‘EDI, come and watch a movie with me’ is rather rude. You could have things more important or more interesting to do or focus on.”

“I have not.”

“Movie night then? We have some catching up to do, I owe you one from last time.”

“Will it help you feel better?”

“... I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe not. It may take my mind out of things so… let’s check it out? Any preferences from the list I gave you?”

“I noticed the movies on the list were all made during the late 20th or 21st  century.”

“Because they are from the time period that humanity takes its current view and ideas. They are classics, most of them.”

“I see. I’d like to watch… Big trouble in little China.”

“Wow, yes, no, not that one. Definitely not that one.” Rick said laughing.

“Why not?”

“I don’t think you’re ready for it. It’s… not a normal kind of movie.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“What I mean is… You must be ready to leave any logic or rationality behind to watch it, otherwise it will just confuse you. A. LOT.  I won’t stop you though, it’s really a great experience and there is a lot to analyze and talk about. That’s what makes it a masterpiece. People love it or hate it for it.”

“I’m curious now.” she said as Rick simply started the movie on the screen against the wall on the other side of the bed.

“Why did you pick this one in the first place?”

“It was the first on the list.”

“... Figures…”

“Should I make the list random to have some surprise?”

“That’s a good idea.”

As the movie began, Rick broke the silence.

“EDI?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you for caring.”

She kept silent instead of answering and just watched what was happening.

____________________________________________________________

She was just back from a sudden call from the Illusive man. He got intel that the human colony on Horizon was currently under attack from the Collectors. Apparently a Cerberus agent who was there sent a message warning of the attack just in time before the assaillant cut the communications off. Exiting the com room she went straight to the cockpit.

“Joker, cap on horizon.” said Shepard from behind her pilot.

“Sure, Commander. For how long?” he replied.

“What?!”

“For how long do I have to fly on the horizon?”

“The planet, Joker!” She replied in exasperation and facepalming.

“Ha! Sorry, Commander. It's a reflex.” he said as he entered on the console the coordinates for the planet.

“To fly on the horizon?”

“Yes. It’s a training exercise.”

“Really?”Shepard asked, surprised.

“No, I’m just messing with you.”

“JOKER!”

“We’ll be there in… 6 hours. We’re rather close to the nearest Mass Relay so we’ll be into the Lera system in no time though Horizon is rather far from its own.”

“...”

“...”

“No more coffee for you, Joker.” Shepard said as she went to look for Mording. They needed the biological agent against the Collector’s swarm and they needed it now.

“Geez where did you lose your sense of humor?”

“Inside the coffee you’ll not be drinking anymore!” she yelled back from half the bridge away on the way to the lab.

When she entered Mordin’s area she was quite blunt with the professor.

“Mordin, the Collectors are attacking Horizon right about now. I hope your bio agent is ready otherwise you have six hours and not one minute more.”

“Bio agent in synthesis. Personal version at least. Area version still in development.”

“Area version?” Shepard asked.

“Rick’s idea. Personal version useful for few dozen bugs. Area version for swarm. Possibly protection for entire colonies.”

“Since when does Rick know anything about biology?”

“Xenobiology and my recruitment on Omega. Bugs half organic half synthetic Rick’s tech knowledge priceless. Asked for basic courses to understand organic part. Four days later advanced courses. One week later, expert courses.”

“Are you telling me that Rick became an expert in xenobiology in less than two weeks?!” She exclaimed, unbelieving.

“No. Yes. Maybe. Rate of learning astonishing. Thirst for knowledge unquenchable. For now, good assistant, bright and uncommon ideas. New perspective. Still lot to learn. Fascination for brain chemistry. Very talented young man. Genius intellect. Been Salarian, place in STG.”

“I… see. If the personal agent is working, what’s the problem with the area one? Isn’t it just… I don’t know… Doubling the dose?”

“No. Method of diffusion ineffective. Personal, simple counter agent to bug venom. Vaccine. Area more difficult, different agent to repel bugs. Rick’s ideas interesting. Electric signal or smell to repel bugs.”

“Smell? Like burning citronella sticks to repel mosquitoes?”

“Yes. Last idea biotic barrier. Last resort, lot of flaws.”

“I’m surprised to know you’re working on it together, I don’t think I ever saw him in here since I gave him a tour of the ship.”

“Came once. Everything else through com.” he had replied not once taking his eyes off the terminal he was working on.

Shepard nodded and exited the lab. Her direction was Rick’s quarter. She needed a lot of information on Horizon and fast.

____________________________________________________________

“That movie makes no sense.” Edi stated.

“I warned you.”

“Lo Pan’s plan is illogical and his subordinates as idiotic that they are incompetent despite their magical powers. They took two thousands years to find one woman with green eyes and got a second out of the blue when they lived in the most ethnically diverse country in the world at the time. Furthermore had they gone to a country like Ireland or Scotland where 86% of the population has either green or blue eyes they would have found one immediately. What was even the point of showing one of Egg Shen’s men getting eaten in the sewer by a monster if there is no relation to Lo Pan and is never even explained nor shown again. There is…”

At that moment Shepard entered Rick’s room and was about to speak when he signaled her to stay quiet.

“Jack Burton is what is considered a jerk. For being the protagonist he has almost no virtues most heroes in fiction share. He keeps on boasting, and failing among other things. He’s by all instances a loser.”

“That’s because Jack Burton is not the protagonist nor the hero, Wang is. Jack is just his sidekick and depicted as this big jerk you love hating.”

“Oh.” EDi said in realization.

“What… is going on?” Shepard asked, perplexed.

“EDI and I just watched a movie that she didn’t understand. I gather that now that I gave her a new perspective she may change her …”

“No, even with Wang as a protagonist and Jack as his sidekick that doesn't make sense on the whole of the story. Lo Pan…”

“Sorry to interrupt you EDI but I need Rick urgently.”

“What is it about?” Rick asked.

“I need a report on Horizon before the end of the next six hours. The collectors are hitting Horizon.”

“Horizon? That’s in the traverse not the Terminus, that’s a change of pattern.” 

“What does it mean?”

“I don’t know yet. It could be important or not.” He said as he got up from his bed to sit on his chair behind the desk and began his research as Shepard left the room.

“Sorry EDI, we'll have to postpone the rest of our night.”

“It is alright.”

“And sorry you didn’t like the movie.”

“Despite its lack of sense and logic it was interesting. In fact this lack of sense and logic is what makes it interesting. It is so open in the lore that it is easy to build on it and theorize.”

“So you liked it then?”

“I… do not know?” She replied, surprised at her own answer making Rick chuckle.

“It’s alright. Maybe next time we’ll be luckier and have a good normal movie?”

____________________________________________________________

Rick has been a bit frustrated with his work. In a couple hours he had gathered all the relevant information he could on the colony and it wasn’t much. Taking his report with him he went to see Shepard in her quarters. She was currently choosing which piece of armor would be the best suited for the mission. Quickly he disabled the bugs in the room.

“Did you know that Ash was on Horizon?” he asked, not happy with that tidbit of information he learned from hacking Miranda’s terminal.

“I didn’t tell you?” the redhead replied in a bit of shock.

“No.” 

“I’m sorry, I forgot. I was too focused on the mission itself.” she said embarrassed.

“Wait! How did you find that? The illusive man told me himself.”

“I hacked Bubble’s terminal.”

“She won’t be happy about that.”

“I don’t care, she’s not happy to begin with and that gave me an idea of how to deal with the Collectors.”

“Okay, brief me.” she said as she put back into the drawer the armor piece she was holding in hand and went to sit on the couch. Rick did likewise.

“Horizon is the home of shitty cowards. They can’t stand the influence of the council nor the Alliance but don’t dare to go into the Terminus systems, so they settled on Horizon who’s in the traverse and rather close to Alliance space. Basically they want all the pros but none of the cons.”

“So, they want their independence because they do not like the council or the Alliance but stayed close enough to get the Alliance’s protection as they are part of humanity?”

“Yes. Ash’s presence there is proof of that.”

“What assholes. I imagine we will not receive a warm welcome nor help.”

“The Collectors are there so either way, the answer is no. However, since some alliance troops are there we can expect some heavy defense.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know for sure. Alliance presence is supposed to be a secret so I think it’s anti-spacecraft turrets because they can’t spare the manpower for long. That doesn’t tell us anything about the situation though.

“Nothing at all?”

“Too many possibilities. The Collectors being destroyed but all coms down; the turrets destroyed by them; the turrets not yet deployed; no turrets at all; coms down but the alliance is still fighting. Some are more possible than others but there is just no way to know which one it is.”

“What can we expect in terms of terrain?”

“Uneven ground. Lots of prefab. Basically urban warfare. “

“So lots of cover around but big spaces without any.”

“Yes and that limits the team composition greatly.”

“Garrus for his skill with a sniper rifle is obvious then…” she began but took a moment to think about it.

Because of the big spaces, the members on her team that fought rather close, meaning Jacob, Grunt and Rick, were out, leaving Miranda, Jack and Mordin as team candidates and she wasn’t even sure about Jack.

“You need to take into consideration that the Collectors are perhaps the most advanced species in the galaxy right now. The chances are high they have good armor and or shields, perhaps even barriers.”

“So biotics in the mix, huh…”

She took a moment to decide but came to a conclusion.

“Miranda. Garrus and Miranda.”

“And?”

“And what?”

“You’re making a three person team again?”

“No. I gave that up, when you told me the benefit of a four person one.”

“Who’s the fourth then?”

“Well, you.” she answered, confused at his question.

“Me? I’m good but not that good with a sniper rifle and my biotics are more oriented towards close range. Sure I know how to pull a Pull and throw a Throw with a Warp on the side but I think Mordin would be better.”

“Mordin is not a biotic. You’re good enough with a sniper rifle, you think fast and read well what’s happening on the battlefield and…”

“Mordin too.”

“And most of all, like I already told you I trust you the most to save my ass if needed.” she said with a bright smile. 

“…”

“...”

“I’m glad I overcame that urge to vomit when you say things like that.” He said, earning him a hit on his shoulder. “No seriously, that’s disgustingly cheesy. Anyway, are you sure? I may not be at my best. With being up for two days and Jack rescue mission just earlier.”

“I’m sure. I’m not going anywhere without you.”

“And I’m at my limit of your cheesiness. I’ll go rest a bit.” He said getting up to leave.

“Wait! Do you have more biotic advice for me? For a throw or a pull?” she said as she grabbed his warm to hold him back.

“For a Throw make it flow back and forth into your hand. For a Pull, I don’t know I don’t use it. The most important advice is… Use your hand like a whip instead of doing a straight punch.”

“A whip?”

“Yes. That way instead of whatever you throw going in a straight line, you have a curve. It could circumvent covers.”

“How?”

“Get up.”

She did and he placed her between her bed and her tea table. He then went up the small stairs and behind his desk. He could still see her behind the big glass between them.

“I can’t hit you with my biotics like you use them unless I get in a proper line of fire, correct?”

“Yes, we’re separated by a wall.”

He nodded then charged a Pull in his left. In a swift motion, he swept the air with his left arm and flicked his wrist just before releasing the Pull. The blue orb went around the glass wall and hit shepard dead on, making her float.

“That’s how you do it.” he said coming back from behind the glass.

“That’s amazing!” she explained with her body being upside down in mid-air.

“Trade secret, so don’t go sharing it around.”

“You’re the one that came up with it?!”

“Yes. Almost all asari go for power or speed. Humanity is still a baby concerning biotics. They don’t know squat so do as the asari do.. I went for finesse and control instead. That’s why I was able to be on par with Jack when she’s a good deal more powerful than I am. Best of all it’s actually very easy and very helpful to practice it in secret.”

“How so?” she asked, being straight up again.

“The first thing you should train is not the strength of power but its circulation in your body, especially your hands. You just need a tiny bit, it’s a control exercise. You don’t need to release what you’re making but since you already have something on your hand, instead of dissipating the power, practice your curve throw. I would advise you to put something on your tea table and try a different angle while sitting on your bed. Something solid and durable but worthless, just in case a Warp shreds it. Once you get the hang of it, change the distance and the position. One last thing, thermal clips are all over the place, so instead of putting some in that armor part you had in hands when I came in, put high calorie bars.”

“Why? I never saw you eat one on the field.”

“You’re still new to your biotics. You have no proper control, making your stamina consumption bigger. Once you can do what I show you on instinct, you’ll see that it will not take nearly as much stamina as before and not put a strain on your body and your bio amps.”

“So that’s how you charge around tirelessly when a biotic charge is supposed to be very straining?”

“Yes. I have such an acute control of my biotics that in and for a moment I burst them. That’s what I was trying to teach Buzz to counter-effect his L2. It worked more or less. If you feel uncomfortable to rely on thermal clips on the field I have a cooling system back in my room.”

“Yeah, I wanted to ask about that; how come no one uses it? It’s handy!”

“Clips are so cheap to manufacture that they are everywhere, so there isn’t really a need for the system which in contrast is not cheap. So it’s not a standard if you’re not in the spec or black ops, scouting or infiltration squads as you’re often beyond enemy lines  and you need to be stealthy. If something goes wrong you can’t rely on finding a clip somewhere. N7 also made it a standard.”

“They make anything you do a standard.” She stated in jest, which was true.

“They will be very happy with what I came up with recently.”

“Oh?! What is it?” She asked, clearly interested.

“It’s a secret and there are too many upgrades anyway.” he said, walking towards the exit.

“Hey! Put me down before you leave!” she yelled, still rotating around in mid-air.

“It’s training!” he said laughing loudly.

“My ass it is!” she screamed to a now closed door, alone.