Mass Effect 2- Origins Normandy SR1-6 months after the Battle of the Citadel

Jeff "Joker" Moreau: "Entering the Amada System- detected Geth activity."

"Stealth mode active."

Jane F. Shepard: "After this assignment- we could enjoy our shore leave for this entire year."

Joker: "I see their ship- open fire."

The Normandy SR1 fired it's torpedoes toward the stray Geth transport, which is quickly blown into pieces by the Normandy's upgraded torpedo and cannon fire.

Jane F. Shepard: "Good Job! Now we just have to leave this place and enjoy our shore leave-Joker, Plot course to the nearest Mass Relay."

Jeff "Joker" Moreau: "Wait... There is another ship that were appearing 7 o'clock from behind us..."

The Collector Vessel have fired- and a beam of yellow-gold particles punched right through Normandy SR1's kinetic barriers- and the barriers not even flicking a bit as Particle beams are not based on Kinetic energy.

Joker: "We got fired on by an unknown vessel- Kinetic Barriers are now down! Evasive Maneuvers! Evasive maneuvers!"

The Normandy SR1 squeaked and squealed under the stress of all four of it's main engines firing in an attempt to evade the fire from the unknown vessel. But as particle beams travel near the speed of light- up to 99.97 percent C for your average desktop particle accelerators, or in this case, the unknown particle accelerators used by the Collector Vessel, the Normandy SR1 is not going to evade the next shot.

A massive golden beam plunged right through the CIC of Normandy SR1, and the artificial gravity of the ship have failed.

Commander Jane F. Shepard engaged the magnetic boots under her feet, and start to walk, slowly yet steadily, toward the Cockpit and Jeff "Joker" Moreau.

Joker: "All Crew, Get to the escape pods! Right Now! We have to abandon the ship!"

Jane F. Shepard: "Joker, you have to get to the escape pods, now!"

Joker: "No- we may be able to save her, we just have to- I can't leave yet until the last of my crew was safe."

Jane F Shepard carried the last of the crew member to the escape pod, and then proceed to lug Joker into the pod as well.

However, just as Shepard put him inside the escape pod and set up the pod for launch, another golden beam sliced right through what's remained of the connection between the Normandy's cockpit and the rest of the ship- Leaving Jane F. Shepard stranded on the other side of the ship.

The crippled frigate soon exploded in a fireball, leaving Shepard drifting away slowly, slowly, slowly toward the planet of Alchera.

In the year of 2016, GenTek created a new retroviral agent that was promised to enable instant regeneration, tolerance toward extreme environments and end world hunger by enabling it's user to essentially use anything organic as his/her food source, absorbing it by just being contact with it. The original agent came from a natural strain that were found in the archives of the U.S. military, strain DX-1117BE "Forced Evolution MK1 'Redlight'", and were later engineered into what's known as DX-1118ABC "U-V Original". Animal tests were promising... Until the creator of the agent, Alex "Zeus" Mercer, decided to test it on himself. It did not play out well in the rest of the New York City. At the peak of the original event, an enigmatic organization, "Blackwatch" intervened by deployment of multiple high-yield thermobaric weapons into the zone that was now infected and turned into a giant Tyranid hive.

Alex "Zeus" Mercer, who have miraculously survived his "test" and were successful by his own standard, tried his best to contain the Outbreak, which was revealed to be the result of a containment breach of DX-1117BE and what's known as Elizabeth "Mother" Greene. With the collaboration of the first ever Evolved and the military, Elizabeth "Mother" Greene was defeated and eaten alive by Alex "Zeus" Mercer. However, Blackwatch intervened by deploying a high-yield nuclear bomb near the center of the Infection- In the hope of completely eradicating what's left of the Infected and conceal what really happened to their own pet bioweapon when it breached containment and put all the blame to GenTek. Alex "Zeus" Mercer barely saved the New York City and exposed Blackwatch by taking the nuke out toward the Atlantic on a helicopter, blowing himself into bits in the process.

Like everyone know in the ending of [PROTOTYPE], Alex "Zeus" Mercer managed to piece himself back together after eating/consuming the biomass/energy from a crow that was stupid enough to pick at what's left of him. Little to other people's knowledge, another secret organization, known as "Cerberus", took another bit of the first Evolved in history, preserved the sample on ice, and started their own development of what was known today as the DFEV "Blacklight" of the Terminus Systems.

In the year of 2018, A pissed off Alex Mercer, after discovering that he could turn other humans into beings like himself- The Evolved, by infecting them using his own strain DX-1119DEF "Mercer" with a moderate success rate, and learned about the presence of the Knights Templar- that was intended to control and subjugate the entirety of Humanity using what was known as Pieces Of Eden, decided to deal with the threat by spreading the Mercer Virus to the rest of Humanity, starting with New York, saving some rather than losing all. Of course, his actions are not approved by the majority of the U.S. nor the U.S. Military, and soon after the second Outbreak of the Mercer Virus, one of the newly created Evolved, James Heller, who knew nothing about the Knights Templar and their nefarious plot, decided to rebel upon Alex "Zeus" Mercer, eventually getting strong enough to eat Alex Mercer alive and eradicate the last traces of the DX-111x series from the face of the Earth soon after. ([PROTOTYPE 2])

After the two games, the rest of Humanity, including the backwards United Nations, partially controlled by the Knights Templar, issued a total ban on genetic engineering and research, and the existence of the DX-111x series were soon forgotten. Except that the ban was far from perfect. Cerberus, believing that the only way Humanity could ever escape the stronghold of Earth and it's Ecosystems was through genetic engineering (And partially as a plan against the soon-will-be take-over of the World by the Knights Templar using the Pieces of Eden), secretly developed upon their own sample of DX-1119DEF, removing the Hive Mind aspect, increasing the chance of successful Evolved creation and solving the issue surrounding reproduction of the Evolved once one have been successfully converted. (See Dark Forest- A Black, Viral Fate for the technical details about how they managed to do this.)

However, it was already too late- just as the Cerberus distributed their first iteration of Blacklight, DFEV L2 toward their own personnel, the Knights Templar activated the Pieces of Eden, eradicating free will and permanently enthroned them as the leader of a unified world government known as the Systems Alliance. Seeing no other option, the Cerberus Evolved, taking advantage of the hyper-adaptability of their new bodies, started a century-long infiltration plan toward every aspect of the Systems Alliance's society. First reviving the dismantled SpaceX company by turning the company CEO, an Assassin named Elon "Tesla" Musk into an Evolved and replacing the rest of the company with clones, Cerberus finished Spacex's Mars Plan and transported themselves onto Mars, free from interference of the Systems Alliance Government.

Then, after knowing that there were a special group of people, termed Assassins, that were immune to the effects of the Pieces of Eden, Cerberus responded by turning them into Evolved and planting them down into critical locations of the Systems Alliance- stealing their technologies and pin-pointing the locations of the Pieces of Eden. (Imagine someone that can already run on walls and climb up buildings like the Assassins suddenly got the super-not-falling-to-your-death-powers of an Evolved...) Of Course, the Knights Templar wasn't so stupid to let their arch-nemesis to slip away unaffected by their mind-controlling powers- soon after the Cerberus Escape in 2061, the Knights Templar re-enacted the NASA to start their own plan-the Ares Mars Projects, using part of the technologies of the Forerunners to compete with Cerberus. They discovered the Prothean ruins on the Prometheus Planum- what's officially known as the Most Important Discovery in Human History known by the others in the galaxy as Mass Effect.

Cerberus, however, taking advantage of Evolved physiology, quickly responded by stealing Element Zero from the Alliance research facilities, and developed the first Human Biotics after consuming the reddish dust. Red Sand. Or at least what the Systems Alliance and the Citadel called it. It is a type of drug, created with Element Zero in it's composition, that happens to counter the effects of the Pieces of Eden on humans after it's consumption. The Kinghts Templar, knowing this, of course tried as hard as they could to stem the flow of the material. Yet their efforts were futile against the best Infiltrators in the entire multiverse that were the Evolved Assassins meticulously placed down by Cerberus on the Earth.

As by year 2081, due to the rampant use of Red Sand, the first "Official" Human Biotics are born. The Element Zero that flows in their veins and laced their nervous systems created a natural barrier against invasive agents and mind control- the Pieces of Eden had no effect on them just like the Assassins or the Evolved, and normal bullets simply bounces off them as they are stopped by an impenetrable barrier of Mass Effect field surrounding their bodies. Biotics can run on walls just like the other two sub-races could- by creating a gravitational field that points down the normal vector of the surface they happen to stand on, a Biotic individual could walk on any surface in defiance of gravity, even gliding and dashing in midair through skillful manipulation of the local Reference Frame. Also, by creating a field that counters gravity, Biotics can jump hundreds of meters up into the air, and negate all fall damage by simply decelerating mid-air before their feet touches the ground.

The Knights Templar was ultimately defeated as all the Pieces of Eden, formerly used by the Systems Alliance to perform Mind Control on the inhabitants of Earth, were located and destroyed by the joint forces of the Evolved Assassins and the Biotics in the next 50 years... However, as the Mass Relay that leads to the 314 system from ShanXi was opened in year 2138, there were another, far more oppressive, far more hostile-toward-genetic-engineering galactic government for the Cerberus to deal with.

CODEX: Terminus Systems/ Population

Unlike the peaceful and law-abiding landscape of the Alliance and Citadel Space, the Lawless Terminus Systems are a perfect world for all and every kind of madman and terrorist groups to perform activities and researches that were all but outlawed in the rest of the Galaxy.

The Major Population of the Terminus Systems are comprised of outlaws and discriminated races of the Galaxy- the Krogans, the Quarians, the True Geth, the Vorcha, the Batarians, Mercenaries, and most recently, Cerberus, the Evolved and Human Biotics. All of which are rejected by the rest of the Galaxy due to their innate resistance toward Mind Control- which is more than just a Templar choice. Though members of the Council races are not rare in the Terminus Systems either- Outlaws, after all, exists in every society in every universe as we know.

Currently, the Citadel and the Alliance is wary about the Terminus Systems, but due to the fear of the Migrant Fleet- the largest fleet in the entire Galaxy, and due to the fear of the forces of Omega, the Shadow Broker and the recent addition of Shapeshifters and Supermen from the exodus and settlement of Cerberus with these two sub-races of Humanity, none of the "Orthodox" factions in the Galaxy have risked war against them. Though frequent Council patrols regularly dotted the part of the Galaxy.

CODEX: Bio-ships

Despite being created through very different means, Human Biotics and The Evolved share many similarities when it comes to their individual abilities and powers- both have an enhanced melee attack, a long-range manipulation capability, and both have the ability of super-speed, wall-running, gliding, air-dashing and the ability to negate fall damage. The only difference being that while the Evolved does it through tools and appendages created using shapeshifting Biomass, Biotics does it through manipulation of Mass Effect Fields and Gravity. A classic example of Convergent Evolution where two very different approach end up achieving the same functionality.

And it's no wonder that Human Biotics are often seen traveling together with Evolved in symbiotic clusters known as Bio-ships- Evolved Biomass is used to create a scaffolding and supply Oxygen which Human Biotics can not perform by their own, while Human Biotics supplies all the functionality of a spaceship where Evolved Biomass can't perform.

When forming a Bio-ship, Evolved and Human Biotics are capable, together, performing all the functions a spaceship performs: Propulsion in a vacuum is achieved through a Biotic version of the Tantalus Drive derived from the Air Dash ability of the Human Biotics. Hull, Armor and Life Support is provided by the Biomass of the Evolved forming the scaffolding. Weapon systems are simply the same Biotic and Biomass attacks used by the Individuals themselves. Shielding is provided by Biotic Barriers. Lastly, by replicating certain aspects of the Citadel Mass Effect FTL and the Alcubierrie Drive using Biotic Mass Effect Fields, Bio-Ships are capable of FTL and Relay transits just like normal spaceships.

Although functionally identical to normal Spaceships of similar size and tonnage, Bio-ships are comprised of individuals- which means that they are formed when a group of sufficient numbers of Evolved and Human biotics (Though Asari will work) needs to travel through space, and disassociates once the Individuals have reached their destination and have landed/docked. Members of the non-biotic Council and Alliance races can also hitch a ride on one of these Bio-ships, though it's generally not frequently used except around Omega where the Terminus Systems' traffic rates was the highest. Partly due to the internal environment of such Bio-ships, despite being habitable, generally is not visually and functionally appealing to anyone except for the Individuals that actually comprise the structure.

Lazarus Station, deep space

Illusive Man: "We have recovered Commander Shepard's body... But the condition of which... wasn't great."

"Commander Jane F. Shepard, Earthborn, War Hero, a normal Systems-Alliance baseline human that were born during the time of wide-spread Mind-Control by the Knights Templar. There were no evidence of Biotics or Genetic Enhancements anywhere inside her genome... which means that Jane F. Shepard is as dead as a doornail. Which mean that it's impossible for us to revive her as a normal human like before."

Miranda lawson: "Could we just make a clone of her, and send that instead of the original?"

Illusive Man: "No- the reason we need Commander Shepard to be back is because of the Cipher in her mind- the message that the Prothean Beacon left inside her brain that only she could understand. Messages that are critical for unlocking Prothean artifacts and for fighting against the Reaper threat. And also the Collectors. Human Colonies- both the Alliance's and our own, are disappearing. And we will not let this continue unaddressed. Plus, cloning is not possible considering the state of decay- there is not even enough intact genetic material left in her cells that could allow even the most basic form of cloning to take place."

Jacob Taylor: "But... You have just mentioned that Commander Shepard is dead beyond our medical technologies to the hope of revival as a normal human... The DFEV would have worked for this kind of issue right? Since an Evolved is not exactly 'Pure Human'?"

Miranda Lawson: "DFEV/Blacklight was designed for use on Live or recently deceased subjects- the Ribosomes inside the cells must be active for it to work. It can not turn a pile of rotten organic matter back into a human as you wished."

Illusive Man: "And the genetic material of Commander Shepard was already decayed beyond repair."

Jacob Taylor: "But it may still be possible to upload her mind into a synthetic body, since the Cerebral cell membranes were still intact- which means that her mind should be largely preserved."

Illusive Man: "Turning an Organic mind into an A.I... what's the difference between this with the Reapers' practice of 'Canning' organic races into their own shells? Remember that we want Commander Shepard to be revived as an (at least partially) Organic mind/being, and we all know that Prothean mind-coding self-destructs if uploaded into a synthetic intelligence, being their standard contingency plan against Reaper capture right?"

Miranda Lawson: "Which means that we have no more options for reviving Shepard. Or at least until somehow a new technology comes up that lets us accomplish this impossible feat."

Illusive Man: "Maybe you are right. Unless we use that."

Miranda Lawson and Jacob Taylor: "What's 'that'?"

Illusive Man: "The origin of our kind. What was the ultimate cause of the majority of the events within the century and half before now and what made Cerberus exist as today in the first place. We don't want to use that unless it's absolutely necessary... As using it risk bringing something more insidious and dangerous... back. It's More than just Shepard."

A hologram, displaying some form of container preserved in Liquid Nitrogen within the bowels of the Cronos station around Anadius in the Horsehead Nebula, have replaced the holographic image of the Illusive Man.

The sound of the Illusive Man returned, explaining the object displayed in the hologram while data of it's properties, nature and history popped up around it. "DX-1119E, the Mercer Virus. This was the origin of the two Outbreaks in the New York City and the focus of nearly 80 percent of all the events that happened during the century and a half before now. During our time of origin, I took a small sample of what's left of DX-1119DEF from the shreds of Biomass that were left from the Manhattan Detonation. Then from that on, we stripped it of it's innate DNA content and Hive Mind and created the first version of the DFEV system that are now ingrained within every nucleus of our cells. That sample was still here. Frozen inside the Cerberus HQ within the Cronos station around Anadius. We have safed our own by eliminating the original DX-111x's ability of assimilating memories and the resulting Hive Mind. Removing the risk of stagnation by a lack of innovation. However, it also means that our modern DFEV system is incapable of bringing a dead person back from memories alone."

"A shuttle have been sent from the Cronos station toward Lazarus. A small sample of DX-1119E would soon arrive on that shuttle. Do what you could do, Bring Shepard Back. But remember, DO NOT REPEAT HIS MISTAKE. DO NOT REPEAT HIS MISTAKE. DO NOT REPEAT THE ZEUS MISTAKE!"

1 year later.

"We have it."

Jacob Taylor: "DX-1119J or DX-1120. we managed to strip the original DX-1119DEF of it's genetic memories yet still preserve it's ability of assimilating memories as original. If we use it on Shepard now... at least the memories will all be her's."

Miranda Lawson: "But Shepard's genetic material is too damaged to be fixed with this alone. If we use DX-1119J on her then she would not have a definite shape even if we manage to restore his mind to an active state."

Jacob Taylor: "Luckily. The original DX-1119E came with a genetically-encoded appearance within it's genome. Just appearance. We have kept that appearance within DX-1120 while got rid of the memories that came with it. We still couldn't severe the Hive Connection though... It was too integrated with the memory assimilation ability to be removed while keeping the other intact."

Miranda Lawson: "Unless there were still Infected around. Or if Shepard decided to make some Infected after she have been revived. Otherwise, the Hive Connection will be of no effect."

Jacob Taylor: "Though I still recommend playing safe with this issue. Maybe we should do more research on it before we actually put that thing inside Shepard's Body."

6 months later.

"Warning: Quarian Cyber-warfare connection detected. Lockdown initiated."

"Warning: Lockdown failing: Firewall integrity reaching 71 percent and falling. Load on Physical Firewall Cluster A, B, C and F: 44 percent and increasing."

"Warning: Firewall to Security mechs at 65 percent and falling, Security Breach imminent."

"Warning: Main Firewall Breached. Secondary System Firewalls holding at 78,76,74,77 percent and falling."

Miranda Lawson: "We have obfuscated the Hive Connection so that it won't connect to anywhere or anything if accidentally activated... Not a permanent solution but we have to use it right now- the Suit Rats have breached into the station, and they are after Shepard!"

Putting a manual lock on the gateway that leads to the operation room where Shepard's body have been on for nearly a two years, Miranda Lawson took out a syringe and injected the orange liquid into the dead body, before leaving through a maintenance tunnel and latched the door.

The Awakening

Jane F. Shepard woke up on the operating table, confused as she saw a pair of hands that wasn't hers- masculine, large hands in sleeves looks like a black leather jacket. Getting off the operation table, Jane F. Shepard heard a voice emanating from what seems to be the facility's broadcasting system.

"This is Miranda Lawson, operative of the Lazarus Station. You should be able to hear me if you are now awake. There is an Omni Tool just beside the table you are currently on- take it and connect to me if you can hear me in the loudspeaker."

Picking up the Omni Tool and wrapped the small wristband around her right wrist, which strangely refused to show up as she tried to pull up the sleeve of the "jacket" she was currently wearing, she called Miranda Lawson.

"This is commander Shepard. Am I supposed to be dead? And what happened to my voice?"

Seeing that the Omni Tool was being picked up and someone is calling her, Miranda Lawson replied: "Yes. You are officially dead for 1 year, 295 days and 4 hours. This station is specifically built for bringing you back to life. As for your voice... it's not important okay?"

Shepard: "Am... I dead? So...what happened in the time when I was dead?"

Sparks start to fly from the seams of the closed door in front of Jane F. Shepard. And before "She" could finish her question, the door was busted open, and what looks like security mechs have rushed inside the door.

"This is Miranda Lawson. Listen, this station is currently Under Attack! The Quarians have breached the station's firewalls, and the Mechs are killing everybody! We need you to get out of there as soon as possible- the Shuttles in the shuttle bay was still operational. I am currently behind a closed door in room 21b. Jacob was locked inside the command bay. The course toward both locations have been uploaded to your Omni Tool. There is a M-505 Pistol just behind you. If you want to stay alive now shoot at the Mechs!"

The security mechs opened fire on Jane F. Shepard, which, surprisingly, did not actually feel a thing. The bullets just passed through "her" body leaving little if any visible wounds, which quickly closed up without a trace. Shepard picked up the Pistol from just beneath the Operating Table, and shot the head off the two Mechs that are currently shooting at her.

"Great. Now you have to go at this route toward Ward 3A- I am in room 21b, which is just beside it. Also, I have detected that you have lost some Biomass- the small bar on the top edge of your Omni Tool display will tell you how much you currently had."

Jane F. Shepard looked at "her" Omni Tool, and discovered that there were a small bar on the top left edge of the display. And the bar wasn't very long.

More security mechs showed up, which Shepard quickly shot down with the pistol. However, in doing so, she got hit a few time more, and the bar on her display became even shorter.

Miranda :"Watch out for your Biomass! If you run out, you will die for a second time! And this time there won't be another Lazarus Project to revive you!"

Shepard: "Biomass? Is it the same as 'Health' displayed on my original Omni Tool in the Alliance? It looks like that I am not able to regenerate it like Health. Miranda, Do you know how I could get more 'Biomass'?"

Miranda: "You get more by consuming organic matter- you will know what I am referring to after I plot a course to the closest source of it. I will now highlight all sources of Organic matter on your Omni Tool display- If it glows red from the screen then it can be consumed. Just get close to the source and think about 'Eat'."

Following the course to "Biomass" plotted by Miranda Lawson, Jane F. Shepard was chilled to the bone as the "Source" was the body of a dead researcher- and it looked like that the rampant Mechs have shot her so much to the point that her entire lower half was gone.

"Miranda, are you sure for that?"

"But the food production facility on the Lazarus Station have been shut down by the invaders-the only sources of Biomass was the bodies of the unlucky researchers that weren't able to evacuate or respond quickly enough when the Mechs were hacked and went rampant. Either you eat the bodies or you run out of Biomass and die."

"I'll try..."

Jane F. Shepard approached the carnage, and as "she" thought about "Eat" when near it, one of her hands, as if by instinct, shot off and stabbed into the body, before what looks like thousands of shimmering, opalescent tendrils emanated from the submerged parts of "her" arm in a weird, fractal-like pattern, covering the entire body before retracting back into "herself", leaving only a small puddle of an unknown fluid and piles of some sort of inorganic materials behind.

Looking at her Omni Tool display, the bar representing "Biomass" have increased in length for a lot. And she could clearly feel herself being much more 'full' and slightly heavier. At least not unnaturally light like before.

Mechs have emerged again. However, as Jane F. Shepard tried to shoot them with the Pistol, it refused to fire.

"Miranda, Why the pistol isn't firing?"

"Shepard- nearly two years is a lot of time for things to change. After your heroic battle with the Geth and Soverign near the Citadel, the Council adopted the Geth invention of Thermal Clips for the small arms of today. It allows soldiers to shoot their weapons more frequently without having to wait for cool-down, just by changing the Thermal Clip like one would change a conventional Clip in the old times. However, if you run out, you won't be able to fire that weapon any further. Look for a spare thermal clip on the mechs- but if you can't find any, I recommend that you use your melee attack."

"What melee attack?"

The mechs get closer, yet no thermal clips to be found. Shepard ducked behind a large crate as the YMIR mech rained mass-accelerator rounds in her direction.

"Just try punch that mech in the face!"

The YMIR mech stopped it's machine gun fire as it started a cool-down cycle. Jane F. Shepard emerged from behind cover, fists clenched as she tried to punch the YMIR mech in the "face". And to her surprise, "her" arms suddenly extended way beyond what humans could, a flash of orange light rippled across "her" arms as the same iridescent material emerged from beneath "her" sleeves and skin, extending "her" arms into long tendrils that struck the "head" of the YMIR mech and seemingly stuck to it. Shepard felt her hands clenching down on the "head" of the YMIR mech, and as she pulled "her" hands back toward "herself", the Tendrils retracted to reform the clothed arms and she found out that she was now holding the severed head of the YMIR mech in her hands. The rest of the YMIR mech quickly exploded as the power reactor within it went supercritical.

Seeing that Room 21b is now right in front of herself, Jane F. Shepard notified Miranda Lawson on her Omni Tool.

The door opened, and the genetically enhanced woman came out from her hiding.

"Cerberus?"

Jane F. Shepard looked at the woman in front of "her", and the emblem of Cerberus could be seen on the chest of her tight-fitting clothing.

Miranda Lawson handed Jane F. Shepard a couple spare Thermal Clips, which Shepard quickly changed out the spent one from "her" pistol.

"Yes. Nearly two years ago, when the Collectors attacked your ship Normandy SR1, your Alliance friends held a memorial for you and your colleagues that have seemingly vanished in that accident. But only memorials. Memorials that can't bring the dead back to life. We knew that you had the key information about the Reapers and a Cipher that could unlock a mean to defeat them. So we spent nearly two years trying to revive you, while the suit-rats that you tried hard to befriend before have completely forget about you, even attacking this station so that they could sell your body to the Collectors for quick credits."

"Miranda, You mentioned about the Collectors. Is is related to my premature awakening, my changed voice and the strange clothing I find myself wearing after I woke up in this facility?"

"Commander Shepard- The Collectors are an entirely different thing. But it can't be said that it is unrelated to what happened to you now. The Collectors were an enigmatic race that came from behind the Omega 4 Relay, where no ships that dared to enter have returned. They did what they are named after- they Collect biological samples and strange things and exchange them for strange Tech. Samples that includes from two Krogans that came from a pair of warring tribes to 6 pairs of Quarians with heterochromatic eyes. The Tech they exchange for are unlike anything we have ever seen within the galaxy- from Particle Beam weapons to Biological armor. All sort of weird stuff on this line. Recently, the Collectors have started to raid Human Colonies- both the Alliance's and Ours. They had a quadruple stranded DNA structure as far as we have recovered from their tech and tissue samples we collected from the detritus that fell from their bodies when they are present for their 'exchange'. And since the only race that had this kind of DNA structure was the Protheans, we need you, the only Human we knew about that had the Cipher that could decode Prothean language, to be resurrected for our battle against them."

"We have to go- Jacob Taylor was still inside the Command Bay, and we need to get him out of there as well."

Miranda: "Plotting course to the Command Bay- we need to go through deck 4. and there were a lot of mechs... luckily, I have the ability Overload. So it'd be relatively painless for the next part of the fight."

Command Bay. Lazarus Station

Sparks flies as tendrils shot across the hallway, disabled mechs and broken parts littered deck 4. Jane F. Shepard and Miranda Lawson ran across the empty hallway, absorbing the dead bodies and organic matter that littered the station.

In the Command Bay, Jacob Taylor, a Human Biotic, trapped behind closed doors, watched in horror at the gate in front of him was being cut open- before the door behind him suddenly opened, and a male figure wearing black jacket and hood and a female figure wearing white, tight fitting leather appeared at behind him.

Jacob Taylor: "Thank God that you Miranda and Shepard have came. Let's get out of here."

The gate in front of the three suddenly opened, revealing what appeared to be 2 YMIR mechs and two male Quarians controlling them behind the mechs from behind.

"Scatter!" After shouting out the command, Miranda Lawson and Jacob Taylor each ran ONTO the walls of the Command Bay. What seems like a shimmering material could be seen flash-forming below Miranda's feet which appeared to adhere to the metal walls of the chamber, while Jacob Taylor could be seen standing from the Ceiling without any external aid- who know how he did it. The YMIR mech opened fire, and the place where Jane F. Shepard was was peppered with mass accelerator rounds that took away Shepard's Biomass at an extremely fast pace. Shepard tried to find cover, but there were nowhere to hide.

As the YMIR mech have downed 1/3 of Jane F Shepard's current Biomass with the dual machine gun on it's arms, Miranda lawson, from behind a raised structure out of the wall, shouted at Shepard: "Run onto the walls! There were cover on the walls!"

Shepard: "What?"

Miranda Lawson: "Just do it!"

Dodging fire from the YMIR mechs, Jane F. Shepard tried to run up the wall- before "she" found out that she was already hanging down from the ceiling on "her" legs, iridescent material emanating from her feet which she couldn't tell whether they were hers which seemingly adhered her feet onto the metal. Seeing an advantage point from top down on one YMIR mech, Jane F. Shepard used her newly found tendril attack on it- which pried the head of the robot right off it's body, causing an explosion that pushed the male Quarian toward an exposed bur in the chaotic room, puncturing his suit and causing brown excrement to spill out as if the Quarian was bleeding. Jacob Taylor used his biotic attack as will- a container inside the room seemingly lifted off the ground without being pushed upon as halos of blue energy wreathed upon it with a beam of something connecting the container with Jacob Taylor's body, which have also been wreathed inside the same halo of blue energy. Jacob Taylor then proceed to swing the container with the beam of energy, and the upper parts of the other male Quarian was smashed into bits by the container hitting his torso, leaving only the legs behind. As the YMIR mech lost it's controller, the large robot deactivated and stowed it's weapons, entering standby.

Miranda Lawson went to the Quarian that were smashed into bits by Jacob Taylor's attack- and the same thing happened as iridescent, fractal-patterned tendrils emanated from her body and stabbed into what's left of the Quarian, fully enveloping the remains before retracting back into her body, leaving a small puddle of what could only be assumed as Quarian blood and bits of shredded rubber and plastic behind.

"Commander Shepard- I recommend consuming the other Quarian so you could get his memories and the exact planning behind the attack. You have appeared to lose a lot of Biomass as well- I recommend restocking right now."

Jane F. Shepard: "Why you can't do this by yourself? Also, what exactly I have been turned into after this 'Lazarus project'?"

Miranda Lawson: "I know that you have already knew that your new body had the abilities similar to ours- but it was different. We used a dangerous, forbidden technique when creating this body you are currently in and reviving you, which means that you are the only person we know that can actually assimilate memories when consuming living subjects."

The impaled Quarian let out a garbled slur, as what could only be assumed as blood have filled his oral cavity under the mask. None of the translators of the three was able to translate that last voice.

Jacob Taylor: "That Quarian's suit have been punctured anyway. If you don't consume him he will die soon after- We won't be able to interrogate him or let he go. And we have to know how exactly these Quarians have to do with the Collectors and the Reapers."

Jane F. Shepard: "Fine. I would try."

Jane F. Shepard approached the dying Quarian, laid a hand on to his body, and thought about "eat". Iridescent tendrils extended from "her" hand in a fractal pattern, and the Quarian was soon erased from existence- absorbed into Shepard's body as the tendrils are retracted back into "herself". Then, Jane F. Shepard remembered something. The Quarian's memories. Only the most recent memories was available. Though critical information was clearly there. Shadow Broker. The attacking Quarians were on a mission to take her body and send her back to his lair. The Hacking module they used in this attack was not created by the Quarians themselves- it was in stead provided to the strike team by the Shadow Broker's agents that met them. The Code on that module is eerily familiar- the Prothean Cipher in her mind tells that it was partially of Reaper in origin. Then the Biomass of the Quarian was quickly digested and absorbed into Shepard's body, the unnecessary Nitrogen and Water removed through metabolic processes, and the rest added to "Her" Biomass reserves.

Shepard's Omni Tool Display now displays an additional blue bar at the end of the bar for "Biomass".

"Miranda and Jacob, I think I found it. The Quarian attack was orchestrated by the Shadow Broker- and Reaper Codes was involved. They were after my body- and luckily I woke up before they could accomplish their goal."

Miranda Lawson: "We need to get to the shuttle bay- the Station is now under complete control of the attackers- and we need to evacuate the station as soon as possible. I have plotted a course to Shuttle Bay 2C, which goes from ... to ..."

Shepard: "Any way, why this thing is on the Biomass meter on my Omni Tool?"

Miranda Lawson: "It means that your Biomass reserves is above critical- you can now use some of the more special abilities that you may get afterward. Right now, it simply means that you have more than full health than usual, and it could be used to revive/recharge your team-mates should they are downed, or needs Biomass desperately."

Biotic energy, shots and tendrils rocked through the corridor on Deck 2, as the three rushed toward the shuttle bay. The now leader-less mechs came down effortlessly as they are either shot in the head, smashed by objects animated through Jacob's Biotics, or is torn apart by Shepard and Miranda's Tendril attacks and plain ol' fists and feet.

However, as Shepard, Miranda and Jacob entered a room just before the shuttle bay, Jane F. Shepard found a familiar face- Dr. Chakwas, the Medic of Normandy SR1. She looks downed, but still alive.

Shepard: "There is a survivor! And we have to get her out of here."

Miranda Lawson: "It looks like Dr Chakwas have somehow survived the attack- but she is out of Biomass! Bring up the skill menu on your Omni Tool, and select 'Transfer Biomass/ Revive' while being near her. You should have critical Biomass reserves- which means that you got one chance of bringing Dr. Chakwas back on her feet and evacuate her with us."

Selecting "Transfer Biomass/ Revive" on "her" Omni Tool and aimed the targeting cursor at Dr. Chakwas, Jane F. Shepard discovered that a small tendril have extended from "her" feet, and connected to the woman on the ground. Jane F. Shepard felt "her" body getting slightly lighter as the blue bar at the end of Shepard's Biomass meter have disappeared. After the progress bar on Shepard's Omni Tool reached completion, Dr Chakwas gets back up on her feet as the tendril connecting to her body retracts into Shepard's body.

Dr. Chakwas: "Thank you for saving me- we were under attack by our own mechs and I was shot down before the researchers could evacuate. I am lucky as they don't seem to target anything that didn't move... but the other researchers were brutally murdered- shot repeatedly until they were nothing more than shredded piles of dead meat. It looks like that the attackers knew about the nature of Cerberus well. Or it's that they are just skilled at dealing with presence of Evolved and Biotic Humans in the Terminus Systems in general. You know, the only Humans that had the basic ability of surviving in the monstrosity-filled Terminus must be themselves monstrosities."

"Any way. We are close to the shuttle bay- we could evacuate soon."

A shuttle left the Lazarus Station, carrying the newly revived, but still Confused Jane F. Shepard, Miranda Lawson, Jacob Taylor and Dr. Chakwas away from the mechs-and-quarian infested space station.

CODEX: Humans: divided

Since the opening of the 314 Mass Relay that leads to Citadel space and the larger galaxy, both the Systems Alliance and the Cerberus have saw opportunity of expanding and getting away from each other. The Systems Alliance, due to arriving right next to the Turian 27th Patrol Fleet when they opened the Mass relay in ShanXi system, established Peaceful First Contact with the Citadel after convincing that they were a new race that stumbled upon Citadel space after opening their Mass relay that leads to the wider galaxy. Something that is not explicitly forbidden by Citadel Law. The Submissive Knights Templar soon surrendered their full political control toward the Citadel Council, showing that they have banned both Artificial Intelligence and Genetic Engineering even before First Contact, earned an embassy place on the Citadel and was registered as a "minor race" on the Citadel version of the Codex.

However, Cerberus, which have been developing Genetic Engineering secretly, after seeing the Council's galaxy map and Codex displaying nearly half of the entire Galaxy as being outside Council and Alliance Law, mobilized their entire population- both Cerberus Evolved and Biotic Humans, into the Terminus Systems. The DFEV agent was put up as an open source formula on the numerous piracy websites and black markets in the Terminus systems and on Omega, so does the formulation of Red Sand- an Element Zero-containing drug that was responsible for the creation of the first "Pure" Human Biotics.

And the tactic worked- as the Mind Control ability of the Pieces of Eden was limited in range, Humans that travel near the Citadel and the Terminus become temporarily outside the Mind Control range of the Systems Alliance Government. And in doing so, many became Outlaws through both the innate allure of Opportunity that lies in every place of Anarchy and through skillful manipulation by the Cerberus's media outlets and propaganda agents. Once entered the Terminus Systems, the promise of great Power and immunity toward Templar Mind Control that is achieved through the use of the open-source DFEV agent and the Red Sand Biotic drug became irresistible to a Human that may soon lose his/her hard-earned Free Will again if nothing was done right now.

In order to fight the Templar Monster, Cerberus created their own Monsters. And Humanity have been officially divided into three factions- Baseline, Evolved and Biotics. The Assassins, the ancient faction that fought hard to resist the Knights Templar's plot to control everything, joined Cerberus almost as soon as they found out the truth and entered the Galaxy's Wild West. And By the year 2141, the Assassins, now Enhanced with both Viral and Eezo powers, waged a hidden war against the Systems Alliance that ends in the destruction of the Pieces of Eden and the removal of the Knights Templar from the seat of power in the Systems Alliance.

However, as Council Law have already infiltrated every aspect of the life of a Baseline Human inside Alliance Space, Even as the effects of Mind Control is no longer present upon the Baseline Humans of the Systems Alliance, the extreme social and political inertia that was left by the Knights Templar on the Structure of Power of the Systems Alliance is not going to go away very soon...

The balance of politics and powers have been shifted as Outlaws and Defiants started to appear within the Baseline Alliance faction and escaped Council Law to the Terminus systems, many joining the two new factions through chance or choice- but only time would tell the true victors of this 5144-year-old war.

CODEX: Human blood

Due to the technological nature of the Evolved and the Biotic Factions, all three Human factions bleed differently when they were injured/hit.

Red, the color of Baseline Human Blood, is in fact a rare occurrence within the galaxy that is only shared with the Drell- Batarians bleed brown, Asari bleed purple, Turiand bleed Blue, Salarians bleet green, Quarians bleed brown(due to their "blood" being excrement stored within their suits), Hanar bleeds pink, Vorcha and Krogans bleed yellow while Geth bleed white.

Due to the nature of Human Biotics (being the result of Baseline Humans being saturated with the chemical known as Red Sand in utero and during childhood), their Eezo-saturated internal fluids is a deep crimson color that displays a vivid cyan luminescence in low light, same as unrefined Element Zero.

Evolved does not have blood that carries oxygen the same way as the other races does- but they can lose Biomass if struck with sufficient force, which is a black color that glows brightly orange when under low light, resembling molten lava.

Shuttle to Normandy SR2 Construction Site

Jane F. Shepard: "We have left the Lazarus Station- However, you still didn't explain everything that happened to me during these years- like what happened to my skin color and height and voice- in fact, I don't even think that this body is my own. And why did I gain the abilities of the monsters that roams the Terminus systems. What you Miranda Lawson and Jacob Taylor really are? What am I now? How am I being able to talk with you in the first place since I should be dead for a long, long, time?"

Miranda Lawson brings up a hologram that displays a small container of something inside what looks like a large, sealed, cryogenic storage container in a large facility. "This. Is the thing that brought you back from the dead. And also the reason why you are stuck in a body that isn't yours- in fact, the appearance you are currently wearing isn't even female." Miranda Lawson pulled out a mirror from storage, and handed it to Jane F. Shepard.

Jane F. Shepard looked into the mirror- and the man in the mirror looked at her. Jane F. Shepard recognized the man in the mirror that was holding the mirror. "Is that ZEUS?" Shepard instinctively backed off from her own image in the mirror, and the piece of polished stainless steel fell onto the ground, ringing as it bounced several times before settling. And from the metal mirror that is now on the ground, Jane F. Shepard could recognize the entire body and the outfit of the man in the mirror, which he could evidently tell being a reflection of her(him?)self. Same clothing and hood. Same hands. Same face. She have been put into the body of Alex "Zeus" Mercer. The monster of New York Zone that was used as an example against Genetic Engineering in every primary school textbook in the Systems Alliance. The textbooks that she was told to believe as stone-hard truth when she was in school. Jane F. Shepard have became the very monster that she was told to hate and avoid from recurring at all cost in the first half of her entire life.

Miranda Lawson: "When we recovered your dead body from competition between the various factions that want your memories and your brain for the Collectors, we initiated the Lazarus Project- there is a Prothean Cipher in your mind that could well be the only key toward resolving the Reaper Threat. So we have to bring you back to life."

"But even at the beginning we have been met with a major road-block. By now you should have guessed the nature of us Cerberus, and basically every Human, or with your Systems Alliance speak, 'Monsters' in the Terminus Systems. Yes. Both Me and my co-director of the Lazarus Project Jacob Taylor were the product of Genetic Engineering."

"I am an Evolved, the result of a Baseline Human or the Cell Culture from one being exposed to an open-source bionanotechnological agent known as DFEV L2+/'Blacklight' first developed and deployed in the terminus markets by Cerberus, which recreates the various functions of the Omni Tool within the Individual at a molecular level. Jacob Taylor is a Biotic- more precisely, a type II biotic, which was the result of a Baseline Human Embryo or Child being exposed to a stabilized preparation of Element Zero known as Red Sand, again first prepared by Cerberus, which saturates their cell membranes and allows the individual to control Mass Effect fields using his/her muscles and nerves at will."

"We intentionally spread these two agents, open sourced and free of charge, toward the Terminus Systems, because both the Evolved and the Biotics are resistant toward Mind Control. The Pieces of Eden that let you believe in the great lie that was the entirety of Systems Alliance Education. We were the only remnants of Free Will when the Knights Templar enslaved the world back in 2019 thanks to the first iteration of the DFEV series, DFEV L2. Or except for the Assassins which were naturally resistant. And while your Alliance was busy grabbing powers and dividing loot in the High Places of the Earth, we went to Mars to escape the madness, before the Knights Templar followed suit. The rest is history like you have learned in your textbooks. Except that, after the Relay 314 Incident and the opening of the wider galaxy toward Human Space, Your useless alliance agreed to become a vassal of the Citadel Council, while we went to the Terminus Systems and amassed our own forces and people. Or the 'Monsters' in the Terminus Systems as called by your defunct government outlets."

"When we first recovered your broken body after your official 'death' after the destruction of Normandy SR1, we thought about exposing your body to the newest DFEV L5 agent that could bring any human remains with an intact DNA genome back to life as a member of our kind with appearance, memories and personality intact... except that your genetic material was damaged beyond recognition due to all the decay and damage your body have sustained during the heated competition for your brain by the various factions in the galaxy."

"So we have to use something that was never meant to be used again. The actual origins of the DFEV and the Evolved. DX-1119DEF, the Mercer Virus that was the root of everything in human history of this entire 130 years. When your Government declared that the last trace of Genetic Engineering have been eradicated from the earth's biosphere, The founder of Cerberus, the Illusive Man, took a small sample of DX-1119DEF from a piece of infected biomass from what's left of Manhattan and, from that, developed the modern DFEV agent that are now found in nearly every Human Individual that roams the Terminus Systems. And basically everyone that works in Cerberus. The original DX-1119DEF possessed a powerful ability- An ability that was extremely useful for the time of being, but extended use of it may result in the irreversible real end to Free Will as we know it. An ability that was immediately removed in all DFEV versions after the first stages of it's development, yet was the only hope for bringing you back to life. It was the ability of assimilating minds and memories from the patterns of the cell membranes of the neurons within a brain that was consumed."

"Knowing the dangers of such an ability of assimilating memories, we took a sample of DX-1119E, wiped it's genetic memories clean and scrambled up the Hive Connection of the original Virus, before applying the result, DX-1119J, alongside with a piece of the original Genome that governs the formation of a functional body since your own Genome was too damaged to be used as a template, to your dead body and hoped for the best. On the end, we managed to bring your mind back to life... albeit in the body of the long-dead original DX-1119DEF Evolved. You should have known whose body it was by now."

Jacob Taylor: "Don't worry- It's just an appearance. You can change it once we figure out how to modify the genetic appearance of a DX-111x series Evolved. In the mean time you may have to get accustomed to this appearance as default for a while, since the appearance/shape-producing mechanism of DX-1119E/J is very different from that of the DFEV we use now. At least your mind is still intact. Welcome Back, Commander Shepard."

The scream of a Woman that was put inside the body of a deceased Man could be heard even through the vacuum of space...