Mass Effect: The Complete Novels 4-Book Bundle (86 page)

The device was built into the kiosk. And as Anderson looked into it he knew that it was scanning his retinas. From there the data would be sent to the Citadel’s central computer where it could be checked and confirmed. All in a couple of seconds. The turian nodded. “You can proceed to the elevator, Admiral … Welcome to the Citadel Tower. Miss Sanders? Please look into the scanner.”

Once all three of them had been cleared it was time to enter the transparent elevator that would carry them up the outside of the tower to the Council Chamber. They were alone and, as the platform shot upward, a broad swath of the Presidium appeared. A view so remarkable that it earned a “Wow!” from the normally taciturn Nick.

The view was no accident, of course. It was meant to impress visitors and did. Way off in the distance Anderson could see all of the space station’s widespread arms. They were frosted with lights that glittered and faded into the hazy distance.

Then the trip was over as the elevator slowed and stopped. Doors parted and Anderson followed Kahlee
and Nick out into a hallway. A broad staircase could be seen at the far end. As the threesome approached it they passed between eight honor guards, four to each side of the marble-lined corridor. There were two turians, two salarians, two asari, and two humans. The latter having been added once humans were granted a seat on the Council.

An asari in a beautifully draped floor-length gown was waiting for them at the foot of the stairs. “Good morning. My name is Jai M’Lani. The meeting is about to begin. You are fourth on the agenda. Please go up the stairs and follow the pathway to the right. It will take you to a waiting room where you can watch the proceedings. Refreshments are available. Approximately ten minutes prior to your presentation I will come to get you.”

Having thanked M’Lani, Anderson followed Kahlee up the stairs and off to the right. The waiting room was a luxurious affair equipped with two dozen seats, all facing a large screen. About half were filled. As the humans entered the other petitioners turned to stare at them. The group included turians, salarians, and a human female. After satisfying their curiosity they turned back to the screen.

The threesome found three chairs and sat down. Nick consulted the glowing omni-tool attached to his left arm as Kahlee leaned in to whisper in Anderson’s ear. “They put us halfway down the agenda. Not a good sign.”

Anderson knew what she meant. The Council had a well-known tendency to tackle the items they believed to be most important first. And their number one priority quickly became clear as the huge wall
screen came to life and a wide shot of the Council Chamber appeared. Viewed from the back of the huge amphitheater one could see that all of the spectator seats were filled, signaling that something of interest to a significant number of people was up for discussion.

There was a raised platform off to the left where the Council members were seated. The Petitioner’s Stage was located directly across from them with a male quarian ready to speak. The quarians were a nomadic race who were typically a bit smaller than the average human. As was typical for his kind, the petitioner was dressed in a motley collection of clothing, held together by a variety of straps and metal fasteners. His face was obscured by a reflective visor and breathing apparatus. The essence of the quarian’s request became evident once he was given permission to speak. “My name is Fothar Vas Maynar. I appear before you as a duly authorized representative of the quarian fleet.”

“Duly authorized scum is more like it,” one of the turians seated in the waiting room growled. And Anderson knew why. It was the quarians who had created the artificial intelligences known as the geth three hundred years earlier. Later, in the wake of the hard-fought geth rebellion, the quarians had been forced to take refuge on a collection of starships called the Migrant Fleet. And because of that history other races looked down on the nomads.

The audience seated in the Council Chamber uttered a chorus of boos which garnered a stern warning from the human master-at-arms. Her voice boomed
over the PA system. “There will be order! My soldiers will clear this room if necessary.”

The noise died away and the asari Council member spoke. She was in the matriarch stage of a very long life and known for her reasonable nature. Her bluish skin seemed to glow as if lit from within. “Please accept our apologies, Representative Maynar. You may proceed.”

The quarian delivered a half bow. “Thank you. The matter I wish to put before you is simple. While it’s true that my race unintentionally loosed the geth menace on the galaxy, it’s also true that we have paid for that mistake and continue to do so.

“The Council may recall that many years ago, in the wake of the geth rebellion, we were ordered to close our office in the Presidium. And we understand why. But a great deal has changed since then and we believe the time has come for a
new
relationship. That is why I come before the Council seeking permission to reopen a quarian embassy on the Citadel. After all, even the batarians have such an office in the Presidium, so why should the Migrant Fleet be excluded?”

That brought a roar of opposition from the crowd and, true to her word, the master-at-arms sent troops in to clear the amphitheater. That took ten minutes and the quarian had to stand and wait until the process was completed. Then the debate began in earnest and it soon became clear that the Council was split. The salarian and human members were in favor of the proposal while the others were opposed.

After fifteen minutes of give-and-take it was the asari who offered a compromise. “I oppose the concept
of reopening a quarian embassy, because it implies the existence of a cohesive government. And Representative Maynar has yet to prove that such an organization actually exists.

“However, that being said, he has a point. I believe that the creation of formal linkage through which the quarian fleet can communicate to the Council would be a positive development. So rather than an embassy I suggest that we authorize a quarian consulate. Then, when and if conditions warrant, that presence can be elevated to the status of a full-scale embassy.”

Both the salarian and the human agreed to the suggestion, leaving the turian to scowl powerlessly as Maynar expressed his thanks. There would be no embassy, but a step had been taken, and the fleet would be pleased.

The next hour passed slowly for Anderson, Kahlee, and Nick. But finally, after three additional presentations, the asari named M’Lani came to fetch them. As Anderson stood Kahlee took the opportunity to admonish Nick. “Wait here … And be ready in case we need you.”

Nick was playing a game on his omni-tool. The puzzle was designed for biotics so there were no physical controls. Just receptors through which dark energy could be channeled. “Yeah, yeah,” he said without looking up. “Then we’re going to The Cube. Right?”

“Right,” Kahlee agreed, as she got up to leave. “Wish us luck.”

Having returned to the main staircase Anderson and Kahlee followed it up to the Petitioner’s Stage. It was one thing to see it on-screen and another to actually stand on the platform and look across fifty meters
of empty space to where the Council members were seated. The asari was on the far left. The salarian came next, followed by the turian and human. A five-meter tall holographic likeness of each person could be seen over the Council members’ heads, making it possible for petitioners to see their facial expressions.

Though not in uniform, Anderson stood as if he was, with his back ramrod straight and his arms at his sides. He had black hair, a rounded face, and olive-colored skin.

Kahlee had served in the military many years earlier but had spent even more time as a civilian. Nevertheless she understood that appearances were important and was careful to maintain eye contact with the Council members. The asari was the first to speak. “Greetings Admiral Anderson and Miss Sanders. First, before you make your report, let me say how much we appreciate the work you’ve been doing. Who will speak first?”

“I guess I will,” Anderson replied. “As you know, Miss Sanders and I agreed to follow up behind the investigation of what took place at the Grissom Academy and, after considerable study, we believe that the Reapers were involved.”

“The Reapers?” the human Council member inquired cynically. “Or Cerberus? Frankly, I feel the Reaper angle to be a bit far-fetched.”

Knowing the man as he did Anderson had attempted to lobby the Council member in advance of the meeting, but with no success. So, being unable to rely on support from that quarter, Anderson chose his words with care. “Both, actually,” he replied. “There
is evidence that Paul Grayson, the man who invaded the academy and murdered a number of staff members, was a Cerberus operative at one time. Then, for reasons we aren’t sure of, the Illusive Man turned on him. At that point he was imprisoned on a space station and subjected to a series of experiments that placed him under Reaper control. We know because we saw the lab with our own eyes. It’s difficult to say exactly how much influence the Reapers had over Grayson, but we think it was extensive.”

“Oh you do, do you?” the turian Council member inquired. “Based on
what
? I’ve read the reports. And the man was a red sand addict. You admit that he was employed by Cerberus. Why concoct elaborate theories regarding the Reapers when his motivations are so obvious?”

“What you’re saying is true,” Kahlee admitted. “Grayson
was
an addict. But he was also the parent of one of my students. A very talented biotic named Gillian. And Grayson doted on his daughter. So to attack the place where she went to school ran contrary to his interests. But he did it anyway. And where did he go? To our research lab. The place where all of the data pertaining to our students was stored. Then, after killing three staff members, he entered the OSD library, where every readout and every test result were stored. Moments later he began to send the data out.”

“You have evidence of that?” the human demanded. “Calls that went out over the extranet? You can
prove
that Grayson sent information to the Reapers?”

“No,” Anderson admitted. “We can’t prove it. But Grayson’s body had been extensively modified and
we believe he had the capacity to transfer information without using conventional communications technologies.”

“Even so,” the asari said reasonably. “Isn’t it more reasonable to assume that Grayson was acting on behalf of Cerberus? And that the data was sent to
them
? No offense Admiral, but the person in question worked for Cerberus. A pro-human organization that’s willing to do just about anything to advance its cause. And
you
are human. Therefore it would be understandable if you sought to shift the blame away from your own kind. Not consciously, I know that you’re too professional for that, but unconsciously.

“As for Miss Sanders,” the asari continued, “there is evidence to suggest that Grayson liked and trusted her. And perhaps that was enough to influence her judgments.”

Anderson felt a rising sense of resentment. It took all of the discipline acquired during a career in the navy to keep from snapping at her. “Cerberus is a threat,” he said tightly. “But if you read all of the material that Miss Sanders and I submitted prior to this presentation you know that Grayson’s body was examined by three independent scientists, and they agreed that his implants were of unknown origin. Plus, to the extent that they could be tested, the mechanisms installed in his body are far too exotic to have been created by Cerberus. But seeing is believing. So with your permission I would like to call for Exhibit A.”

The human Council member produced a look of pained exasperation before leaning back in his chair. “If you must you must. The sooner this farce is over the better.”

A spotlight came on and a gentle
hiss
was heard as a glistening metal column extruded from the floor below. It rose until the display positioned on top of the piston was located halfway between the Council members and the Petitioner’s Stage. And that was when the Council members saw the thing that had been Grayson. The body was enclosed in a transparent stasis field. It sparkled as dust motes came into contact with it.

Grayson’s body was naked and his skin had a grayish tint. There were two blue-edged projectile holes near the center of his forehead and his eyes were disturbingly open, as if looking up at the person who had pulled the trigger. Considerable damage had been done to Grayson’s torso as well. The implants that had been installed in his limbs were dead now, bereft of the energy that once animated them, but could still be seen running snakelike under the thin semitranslucent covering of his flesh. It was as if his entire body had been systematically repurposed.

“My God,” the asari Council member said feelingly. “I had no idea. The poor man.”

“The poor man indeed,” her human counterpart agreed soberly. “One can only imagine his suffering. But, much as it pains me to say it, there are no observable limits to man’s inhumanity to man. I can’t explain where Grayson’s implants came from, or what their purpose was, but Cerberus is known for its cruelty. And I still don’t see a credible connection to the Reapers.”

“I agree,” the salarian put in. “But I don’t think we can afford to simply dismiss the possibility of Reaper involvement. I suggest that Admiral Anderson and
Miss Sanders be encouraged to continue their investigation. Assuming they’re willing, that is.”

Anderson looked at Kahlee and saw her nod. His eyes flicked back to salarian. “We’re willing.”

“Good,” the asari said, as if glad to dispose of the matter. “Please remove the body. We’ve seen enough.”

Even though the public had been forced to leave the amphitheater dozens of the Citadel’s employees were still present. As the spotlight was extinguished, and Grayson’s body rode the gleaming shaft down into the staging area located beneath the main floor, one of the uniformed functionaries took a look around. He had
two
employers. And the second had an unquenchable thirst for information. He slipped away.

Kahlee entered the waiting room and scanned the seats. Nick was nowhere to be seen. Most of the other petitioners had left by then, but a salarian was present and still waiting his turn. “Excuse me,” Kahlee said. “We left a teenage boy here … Do you know where he went?”