Massive Disaster 5-20 (Patreon)

"You… you completely decoupled the kinetic barrier feedback loop from the eezo core…”“Mmhmm.”

As much as Zedd hated the hum of eezo, he was finding that the Normandy’s drive core was almost peaceful. A vibrating too-loud testament to Alliance over-engineering, of course, but somehow a soothing blessing compared to the irritating idiots that were Jane and John Shepard up top. 

Williams… Williams didn’t even deserve a mention, but that Alenko guy, he was pretty decent.

How is it that I like the aliens more on this ship than most of the humans? Zedd shook his head at the whole irony of it, especially as he found himself side-by-side with yet another alien.

In fact, she was the whole reason he was down here.

Especially without Kai and Kira.

Tali'Zorah nar Rayya stood over a diagnostic terminal, three-fingered hands flying across the holographic interface with a speed that made the Alliance techs around her look like they were typing through molasses. “But without a mass effect field anchoring the dissipation cycle…” She paused, tilting her helmeted head as she analyzed another line of the schematic Zedd had just pushed to her datapad. "...a heavy enough kinetic impact should fry the emitter, no?” “Mmmhmm.” He offered her another nod and a hum, letting her talk her way through it. “It should do that. Theoretically.” One eyebrow went high. “But…”“But… you’re sheering the kinetic energy into vented heat instead?"

“There we go!” Zedd leaned against the railing, fighting a genuine smile even as he clapped his hands together. "Look at you. Takes some skill to piece that together so quickly.”“I… Thank you for that, but the skill to redesign…” Her head tilted over to the Normandy’s core in silence for a second before turning back to Zedd. “To redesign an entire core in a few minutes is far more than anything I can do.”“Eh, I’ve been down here a couple times already. Idea was already in my head. Either way, I’m not big into messing with eezo but with so much of it around, well…” He had to at least start getting used to the basics of the stuff. “Most of the galaxy puts so much focus on eezo I swear they’ve forgotten how every other part of basic physics can be tweaked if they put a bit more work into it. If you build a shield that doesn't rely on it, you don't get as much of a bleed-over to your power source when you take a hit."

"That's... incredibly efficient." Tali tapped her visor, posture relaxing the more they talked. Since they’d left the Citadel, she’d been tense enough considering the unspoken suspicion aimed at her from the Alliance crew. 

But Zedd found that when it came to talking shop? Talking raw, unfiltered tech? She was in her element. "If the Migrant Fleet had emitters like this, we wouldn't lose nearly as much ambient power to shield maintenance. We could reroute it to agricultural bays."

Knew I liked Quarians. Zedd nodded to himself, finding the species had an unadulterated appreciation for things that actually worked. Wonder what the galaxy would be like if the Geth thing never happened.

He doubted the Quarians would be in charge or anything, but he wouldn’t be surprised to see them with a Council seat by now.

"You’re good with this stuff, Tali." Zedd adjusted his aviators as the Quarian seemed to preen even with her face hidden. "But I’ve had eyes on your suit, you know.”“M-my suit?” The Quarian leaned back, hands almost rising to cover what was already completely covered. “What do you mean?”“...I mean, the readouts on your suit. I’ve been doing some scans on my own. Not to mention that pistol you had on you at the Citadel. Are all Quarians, uhhh…” He let the sentence trail off as he stared at her, silence doing the job for him.“...sadly, I am more fortunate than most.”Her answer was quiet but, at the same time, unsurprising. It made sense given that suit-rat was one of the nicer terms the galaxy had for Quarians but it just seemed so unfair given the way they were forced to live.

Zedd tilted his head to the side. “You know I could help with that.”“A new weapon, you mean?”“No…” He laughed a little. “I mean, I could help your people with that.”

Tali froze, her hands hovering over the terminal, as she turned to face him fully. 

“What do you…” Where the glowing eyes behind her visor had once been wide with technical excitement, Zedd had the pleasure of watching them narrow in clear suspicion. “Help how? The Alliance doesn't just hand out technology to vagrants, Mr. Victors."

"First, I told you to call me Zedd. Second, I'm not the Alliance." Zedd allowed himself a little smile as Tali continued to stare. “And I don't care about anything the Citadel has to say, even about sanctions on your people.” Hands out weren’t exactly his plan but a race of over fifteen million anti-Citadel aliens loyal to him sounded nice. Very nice, in fact.

Add the fact that they were pretty damn smart on a cultural level on top of that… well, that didn’t sound half bad at all. "I'm talking about at least upgrading your environmental seals, maybe setting up a blind-drop of VI filtration tech. Call it a professional courtesy."

Before Tali could process the offer, thudding echoed through the lower bay; the pace and rhythm making clear that it was footsteps.

"Victors!"

With a bellow, Urdnot Wrex stomped his way into the engineering section like it was his and his alone, his bulk parting a sea of nervous Alliance technicians who practically flattened themselves against the wall to give the giant battle-turtle his space. The krogan didn't so much as glance at them as he came to a surprisingly careful stop in front of Zedd, one massive arm pointed at the man in glasses.

"Heard you were down here talking shop with the suit-rat." If the krogan noticed Tali’s flinch at the slur, he certainly did a perfect job of acting like he didn’t care as his eyes swept over Zedd with clear approval. 

"Just killing time, Wrex.” Zedd tapped two fingers off his head. “You need something?”

"Need something?!” Wrex grunted, a rumble of a laugh shaking his chest through his blood-red hardsuit. “My comms have been lighting up since people heard I’m on your good side again.”

Zedd’s eyes narrowed. “You were on my bad side?”“Long story, all goes back to a lie I told to get some quadhumpers to leave me alone. Spread too fast and too far.” The krogan waved off the question with a grunt that bore a distinct familial resemblance to a chainsaw starting. “Forget that. Clan leaders back on Tuchanka are talking. At least, the ones with a brain. When I called you my krantt, I wasn't joking. You're one of the only humans worth taking seriously."

Zedd raised an eyebrow. He knew his reputation in the Terminus was solid, but having multiple krogan clans actively gossiping about Victory Innovations was a new metric of success.

"They asking for discounts?" Zedd smirked.

"They're asking for meetings," Wrex corrected, leaning in closer. "Krogan conflict’s simple enough. Usually, you headbutt the other idiot till someone’s first heart gives out. But even an old bastard like me knows we need more than that. When we gut Saren, you’re going to have a lot of new customers, human."

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

The main briefing room of the SSV Normandy was far from a cramped spot, but the pressurized air — as well as nine bodies, plus one oversized Krogan — pressed in tight around one table certainly made the situation less ideal than it was designed for. 

Jane and John Shepard both stood at the head of the table this time, running through potential engagement scenarios and team loadouts for a planet called Feros. 

The Council had been nice enough to throw their newest Spectre a bone and now they were going to make the best of that tidbit. 

Liara hovered by the far end, the Asari’s gaze not at all on the holographic map everyone else seemed to be focused on. The Prothean researcher had recovered from the surprisingly impactful meld from yesterday — a process Zedd was still heavily side-eying — but her large blue eyes were still on the move.

And, for right now, they seemed oddly fixed on…“Ms. Varnes?”Every eye in the room turned to the Asari who had attempted to whisper in a breath-soft across the table, only to choose the one specific moment when both John and Jane had gone quiet to do so. “...oh.”

“No, go ahead.” John smiled in Liara’s direction. “We’re just about finished here anyway.”

“Yeah, go ahead.” Zedd bit back a snort as Kira raised one blue eyebrow, chin resting on a raised palm as she leaned forward. “You called?”

"I apologize if this is intrusive…” The quiet helped her voice carry, the softness hiding nothing with acoustics that Zedd had to admit were pretty top-tier. "But during combat on Therum... I witnessed your biotics, and I am confused. The frequency, the sheer neural load of your manifestations…”Liara shook her head as she seemed to think the words over twice before allowing them freedom. “I don’t consider myself anything near an expert on the theory of biotics, in Asari or non-Asari, but I’ve been led to believe that human implants cannot sustain what you did, not without massive cerebral hemorrhaging at least.”

The room somehow deadened further, at least a few gathered holding their breath at Liara’s sudden statement.

The Asari didn’t stop, seemingly unaware how she had shifted the gravity of the room as she over-articulated even more of her statement. “I am simply… confused, yes, confused as to how yours are so similar to an Asari’s. If I’m not mistaken, it’s almost identical to the expected refinement and output of a proficient Maiden, if not a young Matron.”

Ashley Williams stiffened where she sat, eyes darting to Kira, while Kaidan Alenko simply leaned forward over the table, curiosity clear on his face. “That kind of output…” The male biotic grit his teeth in a hiss, the idea almost painful. “Even theoretical, L2 spikes would put you in bed for two weeks.” Kira rolled her chin on her palm, completely unbothered by all the eyes on her, as she aimed hers in a glance toward Zedd. 

He gave a microscopic nod, eyes half-closed behind his sunglasses.

"Not a standard Alliance amp or anything like that." Kira rolled her eyes, examining her permanently blue-tinted fingernails. "For a birthday present, Zee tore out the old architecture and redid a huge bunch of my brain and nervous system with it. No bottlenecks, no static feedback. And, of course…” She dropped her hand, eyes the same shade as her hair and nails right on Kaidan. “...no migraines."

Before the biotic lieutenant could fire off the dozen questions practically burning a hole in his tongue, John Shepard took that moment to interrupt, his focus shifting from Kira to the silent shadow standing behind Zedd's chair. "And what about him?"

One finger aimed itself at Kai Leng. "That one killed a Krogan… with a knife."

"Did he?" Wrex let out a booming bark of a laugh that had the table rattling. The massive alien stepped forward, slapping a palm directly on Kai’s back in a gesture of pure Krogan camaraderie. 

The impact should have sent a normal human sprawling across the deck.

Kai Leng swayed a few inches forward before turning his head to stare at Wrex with unblinking eyes.

 "Impressive.” Wrex narrowed his eyes. “How?"

"...Good angles.” Kai didn’t elaborate.

Wrex stared at the taciturn assassin for a few seconds longer, before turning that same heavy gaze onto Zedd. “How?”

“Simple…” Zedd sighed, leaning forward onto the table. "I just make humans less squishy."

Jane Shepard crossed her arms, the Spectre authority radiating off her in waves. "...Explain."

Zedd clicked his tongue. He knew the Alliance dogs wouldn't let it go, not when they had seen it up close. Granted, he’d already been hoping for the chance to make this pitch eventually anyway, something to sell to the Alliance in mass amounts. "I call it VITALIS."

The name hung in the recycled air as Zedd pushed his aviators up the bridge of his nose.

"A finalized procedure years of tinkering in the making.” Not as many as they probably were assuming right now, but it did take a good two years of work to even get MELD to its current state. “Essentially a full-body rewrite with training wheels. You could call it bullying your cells into becoming the best version of itself, the only way you could really do so without letting biology throw too much of a tantrum. Muscles, bones, organs, immune system, neural efficiency, healing... all of it gets tuned.”He spread his hands flat on the table, a wide grin aimed right at Jane.

“Better bodies to hold better guns.”

Kaidan looked up, face pale under the harsh overhead lighting. "...Is it safe?"

"Safe? You want safe, Alenko?" Zedd barked a laugh worthy of Wrex, raising an eyebrow. "No. We’re talking about massive rewrites of the entire human genome. Nothing worth doing, nothing on this scale at least, is ever ‘safe’."

The sound of a hand slapping a forehead came from over his shoulder, a whispered drama queen coming from a familiar colony-accented voice. “Drama queen, this one…”

Okay, he was definitely bullshitting.

And more than a little bit. 

Zedd didn’t need Kira to call him out on that to admit what he already knew, after all. At last check, the failure rate for a standard VITALIS rewrite was hovering at a bit under a 1% chance of critical failure — the kindly termed ‘Cronenberg Protocol’.

And even less than that for a fatal result.

But points still had to be made here, drama aside.

"Safer than getting shot with your factory-default organs?" Zedd went on, smirk returning as he looked around at the unmodified humans in the room, determined for one of them to get back to the Alliance with this and get the ball rolling. "Definitely. Humanity’s walking around in meat suits that haven't had a proper patch in a long while."

“I… I can’t listen to this.” 

To his complete lack of surprise, Ashley Williams threw her hands up into the air and stomped out of the room.

“...has anyone gotten that woman some therapy? Or a stuffed animal?” Kira clicked her tongue from his side, one eyebrow raised high as she watched the white-suited soldier leave. “Wasn’t she from Eden Prime?”“She…” Jane Shepard frowned, heat leaving her gaze as she took in the words of the blue-haired biotic. “Damn it, she was.” A huff left the Spectre as she jerked her chin over at another marine. “Alenko, retrieval. I need to have a talk.”

A pair of blue eyes turned over to face Zedd, John Shepard seemingly unbothered by the absent Gunnery Sergeant as well as Alenko slinking away to check on the woman. “When you say ‘a proper patch’, what exactly do you mean by that?”A wide grin split Zedd’s face. Okay, maybe I like one Shepard.