Interlude: Pop Quiz
The shuttle departs Lazarus Station, heading off for an unknown rendezvous. Shepard watches out the window as the station shrinks, until it disappears from view entirely. Everyone is quiet for a moment before Miranda speaks up. “Before you meet with the Illusive Man, we need to ask a few questions to evaluate your condition.”
Shepard scowls at her, glaring a bit. Jacob scowls too. “Come on, Miranda, more tests? Shepard took down those mechs with no problem. That has to be good enough.”
“It’s been two years since the attack,” Miranda counters. “The Illusive Man needs to know that Shepard’s personality and memories are intact. Ask the questions.”
Shepard shakes her head, still having difficulty comprehending the idea. “Did you say, two years? I’ve been gone that long?”
“Two years and twelve days. And you were on an operating table for most of it,” Jacob replies.
“The sooner we start, the sooner we can be done,” Miranda states sternly. “Start with personal history.”
Jacob lets out a sigh of resignation. “Okay. Records show you grew up on Earth, in New York City. Tough environment, no parents. You enlisted and led troops during some heavy fighting, most notably on Torfan. Do you remember taking on some batarian slavers?”
“Those bastards were dug in deep in a fortified bunker. I sent a lot of good soldiers to their deaths. That’s how it had to be,” Shepard replies, voice hard. She’s not about to let anyone judge her for the choice, certainly not a Cerberus soldier.
The questions continue in that vein for awhile, going over things Shepard knows already. It’s starting to annoy her when Miranda finally says, “Your memory seems solid. There really are other tests we should perform…”
“Come on, Miranda. Enough with the quizzes. The memories are there, and I can vouch for Shepard’s combat skills personally.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Miranda responds. “We’ll have to hope the Illusive Man accepts our little field test as evidence enough.”
“Finally,” Shepard sighs, rolling her eyes and turning her gaze back outside as they approach a new space station.
* * *
Upon arrival, Miranda directs Shepard to a room off of the one she and Jacob have set up shop in. After taking a moment to find a hair tie and get her hair back up into its usual knot at the back of her head, and to give her armour a much darker colours scheme than it had before, she enters the room and is surprised when a holographic field rises up over her to scan her and presumably transmit her image to someone. After a moment, a tenor-pitched man’s voice greets her.
“Commander Shepard.”
“Illusive Man,” she replies, crossing her arms. “I thought we would be meeting face-to-face.” He’s not transmitting an image back to her. All she’s got to go by is his voice, which is mildly annoying.
“A necessary precaution,” the Illusive Man replies. “Not unusual for people who know what you and I know.”
Arms still crossed, Shepard says, “From what I hear, I cost you a fortune. Why’d you do it?”
“For the defense and preservation of humanity.”
Yeah. Right.
“I didn’t spend two years and billions of credits bringing you back to serve as a common soldier. But humanity is up against the greatest threat of our brief existence.”
“The Reapers,” Shepard replies immediately, the name leaving a sour taste in her mouth as she speaks it.
“Good to see your memory’s still intact. How are you feeling?”
“I noticed a few upgrades,” Shepard tells him wryly. “I hope you didn’t replace anything really important.”
“We tried to keep you as intact as possible. We need Shepard-just as you were when you defeated Sovereign.”
“What are the Reapers doing that made you decide to bring me back?”
“We’re at war. No-one wants to admit it, but humanity is under attack. While you’ve been sleeping, entire colonies have been disappearing. Human colonies. We believe it’s 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 we chose you.”
“Fighting a war doesn’t seem like Cerberus,” Shepard tells him, suspicion clear in her voice. “Why are you involved?”
“We are committed to the advancement and preservation of humanity. If we wait for politicians or the Alliance to act… no more human colonies will be left.”
“Sovereign was trying to harvest all life in the galaxy. Why would the Reapers target a few human colonies?”
“Hundreds of thousands of colonists have vanished. I’d say that fits the definition of ‘harvesting.’”
“Touché,” Shepard admits with an unhappy sigh.
“Nobody’s paying attention because it’s random and the attacks occur in remote locations. I don’t know why they’ve suddenly targeted humanity. Maybe you got their attention when you killed one of them.”
Shepard narrows an eye at him. “You could have trained an entire army for what you spent to bring me back.”
“You’re unique. Not just in ability or what you’ve experienced, but it what you represent. You stood for humanity at a key moment. You’re more than a soldier-you’re a symbol. And I don’t know if the Reapers understand fear, but you killed one. They have to respect that.”
Shepard considers that for a moment, then shakes her head. “If this is a threat against humanity, you need to mobilize the Alliance.”
“The Alliance is overwhelmed by the responsibility you gave them. They’re too busy building relations to put resources into verifying the Reaper threat. Blaming the abductions on mercs and pirates is easier. And more convenient.”
Shepard is silent for a long moment while she takes that all in. Finally, she says, “If you’re after the Reapers, just point me in the right direction.”
She can hear the Illusive Man’s smug smirk in his response. “Miranda was worried you’d be resistant. She’s not usually wrong. I have a shuttle ready to take you to Freedom’s Progress, the latest colony to be abducted. Miranda and Jacob will brief you.”
“Miranda killed Wilson in cold blood. Jacob’s just a gun for hire. You expect me to trust them?”
“Wilson was one of my best agents. But he was a traitor. Miranda did exactly what I expected of her. And she saved your life in more ways than one. Jacob’s a soldier, one of the best. He’s never fully trusted me, but he’s always been honest about it. You’ll be just fine with them… for now.”
Shepard nods sharply. “I’ll get what you’re looking for and be back before you know it.”
“Good to hear it. Find any clues you can. Who’s abducting the colonies? Do they have any connection to the Reapers?” The Illusive Man’s voice turns hard after a moment. “It’s up to you to do the rest.”
With that, the conversation is over, and Shepard steps out of the room and back into the chamber where Jacob, Miranda, and Harry are waiting.