I remember running out of oxygen but I feel fine not a hair out of place. These other memories. I wasn't there, I never visited those canyons but I remember what the rocks felt like, what the air smelled like, I remember technology so advanced stars were just play things for bored engineers. I remember...this life, all of my life runs by me. 'well I hope its just like my last life, please just like my last life.' An unknown amount of time had past when I could hear. 'I'm finally about to wake up, please let it be Miranda'
"Look there on the monitor," she points to my Heart monitor "He's waking add more sedatives, Shepard please don't move." she caught my hand and gently placed it down
"I-its not working Miranda"
She rushed by me to stare at a monitor "add another dose now". Turning around and holding my head with her left hand she rubbed my chest with her right. By instinct my left arm comes up and holds her right hand. "Beautiful" I said before loosing consciousness.
I stood there wondering why did that one word make my emotions stir
As I laid there in the void a HUD appeared telling me
Shield strength - One hundred percent
Primary weapon - Null
Secondary weapon - Null
Pistol
Heavy
Grenades - Null
Medi-gel
Ability points - 70
"Ability what now?" I asked
"If Inheritor would like to ask any question, Please start with 'Hey Cortana' followed by the question thank you"
"um okay... Hey Cortana what do ability points mean and what can I do with them?"
A second later Cortana replied "Simple they are Points you can accumulate over time for doing incredible acts of heroism, either unseen or witnessed. You can upgrade your powers Or upgrade your physical form by adding or replacing parts. No worries, the additions or replacements are seamless and natural. If you wish to upgrade your powers or physique. Just think Powers and Trainings" she finished
'Powers and trainings' a small screen appeared
Upgradable Powers are Overload, Incinerate, Combat Drone, Cryo Blast, AI Hacking, Tech Mastery. each level will cost that amount to upgrade. Physique is the one where you can spend points to change certain body parts for more Cyberpunk look or bigger.. muscles. Trainings are certain actions one can only get with experience, lucky for the both of us you just need points . please choose which powers to upgrade or which Trainings you want, Do not worry you can access this screen again if closed.
Overload Lvl One to Heavy Overload Lvl four
Incinerate Lvl One to Melta Blast Lvl four
Combat Drone Lvl One to Assault Mech Lvl four
Cryo Blast Lvl One to Deep Freeze Lvl four
AI Hacking Lvl One to Hacking Mastery Lvl four
Tech Mastery Lvl One to Mad Scientist Lvl four
'lets see if Physique is any good' and one trip later
Purchased One Plain Body Shield for three points
Purchased One Pair of Forerunner Cybernetic Eyes for Five points
One point into each Cyber-Adaptability point slot. Completely assimilating with the tech. "Is there anything else you would like to do before beginning"
"Yes. Why can I only remember the jump through the Omega 4 relay. And why can I remember other lives"
"Sorry but that would be telling. You were dying and your soul was moments from crossing over when you and the others merged, you remember them because they are you"
"Well Is there anything else I should get or are we done, I would love to restart my life" I said followed by darkness, screaming and gun shots
"epard wake up damn it just wake up. Oh good you're up. The station is under attack, I need you to get up, arm up and be ready for the mechs to attack. Armor, thermal clips, and a pistol are in the locker behind you. get ready they're almost there. Your wounds haven't healed yet, they are not ready for combat" I heard Miranda say
I got up clutching my stomach. Turning and getting of the bed I saw the locker she said earlier. I put the armor on and reloaded the pistol. My HUD showing me my Personal shields are on and the suits shields are still charging. taking that into consideration I moved for cover
"Into cover, hurry. Mechs on the other side of the door, they're about breach." Everything went quiet after the exposition. I waited a second, enough for the doors to rush past me and for most of the fragmentation to have already passed. While turning and standing I hacked the most central mechs' power supply causing it to explode destroying two more mechs. I shot the last one.
'not bad for old eyes. I wounder what kind of things I could do with this thing' I thought
"Nice work, I'll set you on a path to the main shuttles please hurry I'll meet you there"
I saw two people be turn into Swiss cheese. I saw the bodies of civvies and some security officers. After looting multiple Security Officers I found a Cerberus Harrier and multiple thermal clips, flash and EMP grenades. I walked around too found some recordings of the project too. Something called Project Lazarus, something to do with bringing me back from the dead. I mean I've lived three different lives so it should be easier for my soul to do soul stuff... After I left I could hear pistol fire coming from just ahead. I ran through a hallway that opened up into a larger room, that's when I see a stranger shooting at mechs. I ran next to him taking cover behind a small foot thick wall. "Hey there, my names Rudy, Rudy Shepard. What's yours Friend" I pop up shooting and ending two mechs
"Shepard!? your supposed to be under ice man, Oh right I'm Jacob Taylor head of security" he stated standing and using his biotics to pull two mechs over a gap and dropping them
"Today must be a shitty day, Hey do you know where the shuttle bay is by any chance. Miranda said to meet her there and to be in a hurry." I said throwing an EMP and ending the threat
"well if she has you running around It's about time we left" he said interrupted by our omni-tools
"Anyone on this channel. Anyone left, Anyone Need any help" He said in an hurried form
"Wilson that you?" Jacob asked
"Jacob good your still alive anyone else with you?"
"Yeah just me and Shepard here"
"wha, no way, how. Doesn't matter, I'm near the control room Please hurry I'll give you a way to me but be ready mechs are every where."
"Thanks Wilson keep in touch okay" Jacob said
"Jacob, I don't think we should follow Wilson's path. something feels off when he was talking to you and how he reacted to me being alive. If you trust him so will it but just wanted to bring it to your attention." I said standing back up
"He was acting strangely before all of this too"
"I'm not saying it is him. Multiple coincidences and strange behavior. Lets go and 'bring' him in?" I asked
"yeah lets do that and when its time we can pull the trigger." We agreed to have Wilson between us at all times, one in the chamber at all times.
Like I thought Wilson was sending us through the thick of it. Room after room of mechs. but thanks to my eyes, I saw bits and pieces I could use to upgrade my current rifle and armor. A little later Wilson called out to us.
"Please hurry I can hear them on the other side of the door. OH NO." he said before a shot and screaming could be heard. "I've been shot Hurry please". We practically flew up those stairs and on the other side of the door was Wilson but the door opening attracted The robots attention and they opened fire in for what seem to be entire minutes, but in truth was no longer that two seconds, I heard them reloading so I stepped out and Shot two in the head and used heavy Overload to remove the rest from play. "I've never been more happier to see your face Jacob. How bad is the situation outside."
"Well Its not looking to good out there, where were you when it all went to shit?"
"I was in D-wing when everything started shooting"
"So than why run here from the other side of the station."
"Because I was trying to stop what had happened from spreading. As I got here the door was sealed from inside, The only way in now is cutting the door open. I mean the only one who could have done this is Boss lady Miranda"
"Were not accusing you of being a traitor Wilson just bad timing. Come on the shuttle bay isn't that far lets hope there's still one left." I said walking up to Wilson and applying Medi-gel to his bullet wound.
It was a shooting gallery how bad the mechs targeting program was. We got closer to the shuttle bay, the bodies that were left behind points to this being the epicenter of this attack. The amount of Mechs here are a sure problem. I activated Assault Mech and a small rectangular pad detached from my suit and displayed a Bulky armored Mech, I say more Armored but in reality this thing was a walking tank by the Arc thrower and the Armor was at least Inch and a half and it ran at the enemy. The Arc thrower made little work of the mechs and short circuited any possible upgrades to my armor and guns.
Once we got to the shuttle bay Wilson ran to the main door. "I'll go ahead of you and start a shuttle for you. so please hold them off until-" the door opened to a very angry Miranda who pulled her gun so fast it was a blur to both Jacob and Wilson. Thanks to my Level ups I could see Mirandas speed draw and found it a little lackluster. Speaking of Wilson the last thing he saw was Miranda glaring at him. Bang
"What are you doing. We suspected him but we had no proof" Jacob said rushing over
"My Job and that's more than what I need to end someone who betrayed us all." she said distain evident in her tone
"I knew he was a rat when I first saw him after waking up the first time" she looked at me with a smile and nodded
"Most people trust blindly. Good to see you lack such eccentricities"
"Eh I call it more intuition than just cold distrust. What next on todays List of things I need to do"
"Well first we need to leave here and next you'll be speaking with my boss"
"Let me guess, you both work for Cerberus. Kind of hard to remove a logos dark past."
"If there's anything else lets talk about it of the shuttle. come on lets move" she said turning around and found two of the last shuttles. We made it to space and nothing was happening. "We need to run some test make sure you are you,
"Really Miranda, tests, He remember our logo and I can attest to his combat skills personally" Jacob said
"It's been Two years since the attack, we need to know if this Shepard is the same Shepard that died two years ago. So hurry up and ask the questions" Jacob rolled his eyes and started
"Two years? I've been gone that long" I asked
"Two years and twelve days and you were tubs and flesh for most of it" Jacob stated
"Start with Personal History" Miranda said
"Okay what was child hood like?"
"Well I was a Spacers kid, Mom and Dad were serving on Alliance ships. Fifth Fleet I think under admiral Steven Hackett"
"Followed by joining the Alliance a few years in you held of multiple Waves of Batarians do you remember that?"
"A lot of families demanded I hold that position at any and all costs"
"Say it however you want. That was impressive, I had friends who were there. In there eyes impressive is selling you short" he turns to Miranda. "Satisfied?"
"Almost" she stated. "Virmire what happened there?"
" I lost a close friend that day, some might say I chosen wrong, I'm sure Kirrahe would strongly argue against that"
"Staff Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko was killed in action Deffending a 'bomb', it was your call, why leave him behind"
"First who said i did it willing, Kaidan was an amazing Marine, but his L2 Implants were starting to drive him mad. One final blaze of glory"
"Everyone in Cerberus knew that cloning facility had to go, So you won't hear a complaint from me."
"There other test we should run-"
"Really Miranda. The memories are there and I can vouch for his combat speed and skills personally"
"Fine. I hope the Illusive Man accepts our little field tests, any other questions before me meet him"
I asked "So what was the Lazarus Project and where are my crew from the Normandy"
"First the Project was created for us to bring you back from death. We used tech so advanced, so cutting edge most of the tech wasn't even a day old when we grabbed it. As for your crew, well." she hesitated