2,453Thane waited until Shepard and her crew were thoroughly distracted before slipping away. He'd been waiting for an opportunity during which her time and attention would be focused for more than a few minutes. He knew she would appreciate the gesture, but he would much prefer not to have to explain it to her.
She could be cunning, clever, and effective…but she was too up-front and honest to consider that her room might be loaded with subtle instruments of death.
He was still a part of her crew. Even if he were now, he cared a great deal for her safety. So, while she tended to her crew as best she could, he slipped away and took the elevator up to the Loft. "EDI, I need to check Shepard's room for anything nasty Cerberus might have left her."
The door immediately opened. Not that it was locked, but he wasn't certain whether EDI would report his incursion into Shepard's private space. He supposed EDI's lack of comment was her way of saying 'you were never here.' So much the better.
It was a lovely room, full of tiny touches. He knew to expect the empty fish tanks; they were truly amusing. She looked after her crew so well but she was afraid to let down fish? Such a silly notion—not that he'd ever say as much to her or to anyone else.
He began at her desk, carefully keeping himself blind to anything that was none of his business…and found one.
EDI might have control of the ship, but he couldn't vouch whether or not the nasty surprises he worried about were within her ability to deactivate. His fingers found an orifice that should not have been present. Probably a colorless, odorless poison.
"I have already deactivated the release mechanism," EDI observed quietly.
Nevertheless, he manufactured a few units of omnigel and after inserting an omnigel-saturated ball of medical gauze into the tiny pipe covered he covered the whole thing with a thick omnigel seal. Airtight, it wouldn't matter if EDI didn't have control over it. "Not that I don't trust you," he announced, "but it will help me sleep at night." It was safe because he made it safe.
"Of course."
Thane continued making his way through the office space, carefully, methodically. He didn't doubt most such things would be under EDI's control—remote activation could be such a sketchy thing. However, it didn't hurt to have a look. His training simply imprinted the necessity for paranoia about such matters; he entertained very few doubts that any of the crew, no matter how die-hard Cerberus supporters they were, would raise even a little finger against Shepard.
It also helped that the personnel here were all fringe members at best, and Shepard had saved them from a grisly end.
He shivered inwardly; that was one of the things he wished he could forget, just behind that horrible moment of finding Irikah's body.
He swallowed, forcing himself to shove aside the press of memory. He couldn't aid the dead. He could ensure the living.
Thane tensed as the doors hissed open.
-J-
"Ah, Krios. Good to see you," Mordin announced briskly, cuing his omnitool and moving into Shepard's office. Unsurprising to find Krios here; drell cared for Shepard's safety, had training to find unpleasant surprises. "Two pairs of eyes better than one. Suspect different focus. Deathtraps?"
"Yes."
"Good. Sure most have to go through EDI. Still, second look never hurts." EDI part of crew. Interesting that organic should inspire loyalty in synthetic. He didn't think 'loyalty' was overstating anything.
His omnitool blinked and he dexterously removed a bug from under the desk. Unlike deathtraps, monitoring devices could work on independent channels. Data collection necessary for subject like Shepard. Medical. Psychological.
Should expect Chambers. Guilty conscience would prompt removal of bugs.
Mordin began to hum as he continued working his way through the bathroom, down the wall and into the sleeping quarters. Bugs went from carefully-selected, strategic locations into his labcoat's pockets. Would return them to Miranda…or just put into garbage compacter, jettison into space. Safer for everyone that way. No coming back from space…except in Shepard's case, but Shepard clearly statistical outlier.
Good given circumstances, immediate and previous. He wondered how long she could keep it up.
Not forever.
He picked another bug from its hiding place and studied it. Now that suicide mission over…began to worry. Shepard racked up high mileage; wrote checks body might not be able to keep.
No solution presented itself. It worried him.
The door hissed open to reveal chambers, who turned pink. "I didn't realize this was a party," she observed quietly, going over to Shepard's desk and producing a roll of paper.
Psychological coping mechanism.
She brought it over to him and held it out. "It's got a filament in the paper; it's set to relay contents to my omnitool."
"Clever," Mordin nodded, taking the roll and examining it with his omnitool. After several moments of fiddling he handed it back. "Inert now. Put it back. Best no evidence of snooping." With desk so messy, Shepard probably wouldn't notice minor positional variances in belongings.
Small blessings. He'd take them.
Chambers nodded and returned the roll of paper to its place. "She'd appreciate the snooping in this case. If she knew."
"She doesn't need to know," Krios announced from where he knelt by the couches.
Agreed. Might appreciate gesture, but still better not to know personal space being scrutinized by outsiders. Had enough experience being monitored.
"No, she doesn't," Chambers answered somberly. Then, with a sigh, she topped off the hamster's food bowl.
Krios completed his once-over, then began all over again with the careful attention of someone making a first sweep.
Mordin patiently continued his own investigations, barely noticing when Chambers withdrew. Then, as Krios had, he began a second sweep of the room to ensure he really had discovered everything there was to find. STG training handy. Measure twice, cut once. Good policy.
-J-
That's it! Newton's Second is finally over! (*Bursts into hysterical tears.*) After nearly five years, it's really over! That's… kind of a weird feeling…
My ruminations aside, thanks to all my readers and reviewers, to lurkers and those who sent me PMs, to everyone who faved or followed, for your support of this story! It's thanks to all of you and your support that this didn't end up an unfinished project.
So, I'll see you all in First Law of Thermodynamics!
~Raven Studios
