Mass Effect: Humanity First Read online

  “Shit,” cursed Cavanaugh.

  The aura lifted them both into the air, then tossed them against the metal wall of the research station. It hurt. The operatives grunted as their heads hit the wall.

  Towards them approached two asari, both identical in look. They each held their hands in the air, keeping their telekinetic hold on the operatives.

  “We’ve got you now,” said one of them.

  “Nice job, Cell,” said the other. “Now what do we do with them?”

  “What we have to.”

  She drew her weapon at Hallard. Despite how much he struggled to break himself free from her hold, he couldn’t. He could only budge an inch. Not more.

  “Now you know how it feels.”

  “Mina, stop.”

  Behind the two asari with guns were five others, three unarmed, and two additional armed. One of the unarmed stood before the rest.

  “Mina, we don’t have to kill them. Just take their ship and leave. That was the plan, right?”

  Mina had a different thought.

  “After everything they’ve done to us, you want to let these Cerberus freaks live?”

  Hallard spoke, “I have nothing to do with what’s going on here. I know this might be hard to believe, but this place is as new to me as it is to you.”

  Mina produced a mocking chuckle.

  “You’re right. It is hard to believe.”

  “But it’s the truth. I don’t want any part of this. No one has to get hurt. If you want our ship like your friend says, then you can have it. You can take it, and you can use it to go wherever you want. After everything you’ve been through, I figure you deserve it.”

  Cavanaugh objected, “What the hell are you…”

  “Shut up, Cavanaugh. Let me do the talking.”

  “I don’t think any of you will be doing the talking for much longer. Sweet words, Cerberus. But it’s easy to play nice when you’ve got a gun pointed at your face. But no matter what you say, you’d treat us all the same. The girl we sent outside to keep watch hasn’t reported in. I bet you already killed her.”

  Instinct made Hallard want to shake his head, but he couldn’t.

  “She’s still alive. She’s in critical condition, but if you take her, and you get her to a hospital off-world, then she’ll make it.”

  “You expect me to believe it?”

  “Go outside. Check for yourself.”

  The asari was highly skeptical. But even in spite of her mistrust, she was willing to give Hallard the benefit of the doubt.

  She cocked her head to the unarmed asari.

  “Nadia, go check outside.”

  Nadia did. And when she returned, she reported the good but dire news.

  “She’s still alive, but she’s lost a lot of blood. We have to take her and leave as soon as possible.”

  Mina locked eyes with Hallard; at first unwilling to believe, but then slightly more hopeful. She let Hallard go. Hallard dropped, and then Cavanaugh.

  “You proved me wrong, Cerberus. It’s a shame you couldn’t keep better company.”

  “I’m starting to think so too.”

  “Alright. Everyone get on the landing platform. We’re leaving immediately.”

  The asari made for the exits, turning their backs on the Cerberus operatives. Cavanaugh handed Hallard his pistol.

  “Now,” he whispered, and his eyes were focused squarely on the asari who had trusted them enough to turn their backs on them.

  Hallard retrieved his pistol, and mentally cycled through his options.

  The one thing that Hallard was certain of was that the kidnapped asari didn’t deserve what Cerberus had done to them. It wasn’t right.

  But that was where the facts ended, and everything else became a grey area. After the hell that Cerberus put them through, they deserved to get out of her alive. But if they left, they’d expose Cerberus, and what they were doing to the asari. Whether Hallard would let them go or shoot them in the back fell upon what was more important.

  Was he going to take innocent lives in the name of protecting Cerberus’ secrets, its research, and its mission? The advancement of human biotics would undoubtedly prove invaluable in securing humanity’s future. But was it worth the lives of innocents?

  No (Free them all).

  Yes (Shoot them all).

  Yes (Shoot them all).

  War was hell. And it would stay that way until the end of time. Humanity was at war for its own survival. And in war, there would always have to be casualties.

  Hallard didn’t like it. He hated it. He detested himself for it. But in the end he did what had to be done.

  He had the asari locked in his line of sight. He and Cavanaugh took aim of their weapons. Mina, the one who’d let them go, turned around and saw the weapons drawn. Her eyes widened in shock. But before they could do anything else, or say anything, Hallard and Cavanaugh finished them one by one.

  Seven asari dead at Cerberus’ hands. And that was only on Station 12. Knowing now what he did about the people he was working for, he could only imagine how many more lives they had and would be willing to take to reach their goal.

  Hallard wanted to puke. And the pat on his back didn’t help.

  “Guess I was wrong about you, rookie,” said Cavanaugh. “You really pulled through on this one.”

  Hallard wanted to bash the grin out of Cavanaugh’s face. There was nothing here to be proud of. There was nothing to celebrate.

  “Let’s get out of here.”

  “I’m gonna put in a good word for you when we get back to base. Cerberus owes you one, Hallard. From this moment on, consider yourself an honorary member of the club.”

  Hallard didn’t know how he was supposed to feel. Proud? Or sick to his stomach? After everything he’d seen today, he didn’t think he could have hated anything more than he hated Cerberus.

  But for better or for worse, Cerberus had proven its dedication to its goals. They did what they had to do. Just like him. They were the only ones fighting the fight. Without Cerberus, there’d be no one to do what had to be done; to put humanity first.

  Mission Completed.

  Save partner.

  Hallard leapt into the fray of gunfire and threw himself over his partner, tossing them both down on the ground.

  “Hallard, what the hell are you doing?!”

  “I’m saving your ass!”

  The Cerberus operatives motioned to their feet when suddenly they lost control of their own bodies. Hallard couldn’t move his arms, his hands, his legs, or even his fingers. Cavanaugh had the same problem. A blue aura lit their outline. It didn’t take long for them to piece it together.

  “Shit,” cursed Cavanaugh.

  The aura lifted them both into the air, then tossed them against the metal wall of the research station. It hurt. The operatives grunted as their heads hit the wall.

  Towards them approached two asari, both identical in look. They each held their hands in the air, keeping their telekinetic hold on the operatives.

  “We’ve got you now,” said one of them.

  “Nice job, Cell,” said the other. “Now what do we do with them?”

  “What we have to.”

  She drew her weapon at Hallard. Despite how much he struggled to break himself free from her hold, he couldn’t. He could only budge an inch. Not more.

  “Now you know how it feels.”

  “Mina, stop.”

  Behind the two asari with guns were five others, unarmed. One stood before the rest.

  “Mina, we don’t have to kill them. Just take their ship and leave. That was the plan, right?”

  Mina had a different thought.

  “After everything they’ve done to us, you want to let these Cerberus freaks live?”

  Hallard spoke, “I have nothing to do with what’s going on here. I know this might be hard to believe, but this place is as new to me as it is to you.”

  Mina produced a mocking chuckle.


  “You’re right. It is hard to believe.”

  “But it’s the truth. I don’t want any part of this. No one has to get hurt. If you want our ship like your friend says, then you can have it. You can take it, and you can use it to take you wherever you want. After everything you’ve been through, I figure you deserve it.”

  Cavanaugh objected, “What the hell are you…”

  “Shut up, Cavanaugh. Let me do the talking.”

  “I don’t think any of you will be doing the talking for much longer. Sweet words, Cerberus. But it’s easy to play nice when you’ve got a gun pointed at your face. But no matter what you say, you’d treat us all the same. The girl we sent outside to keep watch hasn’t reported in. I bet you already killed her.”

  Hallard tinged with regret.

  “I’m sorry. It wasn’t my intention.”

  “Monsters. Every last one of you. You all deserve to die.”

  Mina inched her finger on the rifle’s trigger when suddenly, a bright flash of light erupted, shaking everyone off balance. With the asari’s attention sapped, the biotic barrier vanished, and both Hallard and Cavanaugh could finally move again.

  As Hallard tried to keep up with what had just happened, he saw Cavanaugh tossing away a spent flashbang grenade. He retrieved his pistol, and in the heat of the moment he shot the two armed asari in vital organs that led to their immediate deaths.

  “Wait! We don’t want any more shooting!”

  An asari from the opposite end of the room called out, hiding under cover. It was the same one who’d tried to get the other two not to shoot them. The peaceful one.

  “Please, stop firing.”

  But from the way he was waving his gun, it was quite obvious that Cavanaugh had no intention of stopping. Hallard immediately rose to his feet.

  Cavanaugh and Hallard counted five remaining asari, two armed with assault rifles that they’d obviously never held before in their entire lives. It sagged in their hands like dead weight. These asari weren’t combat trained. They could barely hold a weapon. The other two that Cavanaugh had shot were lying dead behind. They must have been the ones that fired. They must have been the ones that planned the ambush.

  Hallard considered to himself that if Cavanaugh hadn’t killed them, then the remaining asari wouldn’t have surrendered so easily. Now, without a leader, they were directionless, with no move to make.

  “We surrender,” spoke the one asari for the rest of her group. “We just want to get out of here.”

  That had been their plan. To take Hallard’s craft and leave the planet. A clever idea, but it wasn’t going to happen now.

  Or was it?

  The one thing that Hallard was certain of was that she didn’t deserve what Cerberus had done to her, or the rest of the people they’d kidnapped. It wasn’t right.

  But that was where the facts ended, and everything else became a grey area.

  Was he going to take innocent lives in the name of protecting Cerberus’ secrets, its research, and its mission? The advancement of human biotics would undoubtedly prove invaluable in securing humanity’s future. But was it worth the lives of innocents?

  No (Free them all).

  Yes (Shoot them all).

  Leave him.

  A burst of plasma fire bolted all around them. Hallard dropped on the floor while Cavanaugh was left to save himself. But he didn’t. Rather than back down, he raised his pistol and began firing back.

  “You worthless shots! We’ll kill you all!”

  “Cavanaugh!” yelled Hallard. “Get down!”

  He wasn’t afraid of getting shot. He stood his ground and fired his pistol in a blind rage. It was disconcerting to Hallard. Cavanaugh obviously got off on killing, on making himself feel like the bigger man. As his partner, Hallard was supposed to watch his back. But what little time they’d spent together had been more than plenty to make him hate his guts. If he died on this assignment, if he died right then and there right before his eyes, Hallard could honestly say that he wouldn’t mind.

  But that didn’t happen. Despite all certainties to the contrary, Cavanaugh actually managed to take them out. Two of them, at least. He heard the grunts, and saw the bodies fall. With three down, there was supposed to be five more left. Hallard expected more gunfire, but it stopped. The room settled into silence while the smoke began to clear.

  “Any more of you want a piece of me?! I’m right here! Come and get me!”

  “Wait! We don’t want any more shooting!”

  An asari from the opposite end of the room called out, hiding under cover.

  “Get out here!” demanded Cavanaugh.

  “Please, stop firing.”

  But from the way he was waving his gun, it was quite obvious that Cavanaugh had no intention of stopping. Hallard immediately rose to his feet.

  “It’s alright,” he said to the asari. “We don’t want any more shooting either.”

  “How do we know we can trust you?”

  Hallard couldn’t see her. But from the sound of her voice he could only imagine how deathly afraid she must have been.

  “We all want to resolve this peacefully,” said Hallard.

  “Okay. We’re getting up.”

  They did. Cavanaugh and Hallard counted five of them, two armed with assault rifles that they’d obviously never held before in their entire lives. It sagged in their hands like dead weight. These asari weren’t combat trained. They could barely hold a weapon. The other two that Cavanaugh had shot were lying dead behind their cover. They must have been the ones that fired. They must have been the ones that planned the ambush.

  Hallard considered to himself that if Cavanaugh hadn’t killed them, then the remaining asari wouldn’t have surrendered so easily. Now, without a leader, they were directionless, with no move to make.

  “We surrender,” spoke the one asari for the rest of her group. “We just want to get out of here. Cel and Mina said we could take the first ship that was coming and leave this place.”

  The first ship obviously referred to the craft that Hallard and Cavanaugh had arrived in.

  A clever idea, but it wasn’t going to happen now.

  Or was it?

  “What’s your name?” Hallard asked the asari.

  She hesitated at first, then replied, “Nadia. My name is Nadia. Please, don’t keep us in here any longer. The needles, they hurt so much.”

  The one thing that Hallard was certain of was that she didn’t deserve what Cerberus had done to her, or the rest of the people they’d kidnapped. It wasn’t right.

  But that was where the facts ended, and everything else became a grey area.

  Was he going to take innocent lives in the name of protecting Cerberus’ secrets, its research, and its mission? The advancement of human biotics would undoubtedly prove invaluable in securing humanity’s future. But was it worth the lives of so many innocents?

  No (Free them all).

  Yes (Shoot them all).

  No (Free them all).

  Cerberus was wrong. No matter what their reasons, there was no justifying what they did. Hallard wouldn’t stand for it. He wouldn’t let himself be a part of something so absolutely heinous.

  Unfortunately, his partner didn’t see things the same way. Because he raised his pistol at the asari as they made their way towards the exit.

  “Let them go, Cavanaugh.”

  Cavanaugh didn’t listen.

  “You stupid wimp,” he cursed underneath his breath.

  One of the asari, the one who’d let them go, turned around and saw Cavanaugh’s gun pointed at her face. She flinched. Her eyes widened in shock. Before she or the others could react, a round went off. One clean shot straight into Cavanaugh’s temple. The man fell like a stack of bricks, crashing hard against the ground.

  When the asari had time to register what had happened, they were all taken aback.

  “Go,” said Hallard. “Get out of here.”

  Mina no
dded at Hallard. And if he hadn’t known better, he’d have sworn that in the short minute or two since they’d met, she’d actually managed to harbor a modicum of respect for him.

  Hallard nodded in return, and without uttering a single word the prisoners took their leave.

  It was finally over.

  Hallard sat and waited in the empty facility. He’d give it half an hour until he called it in to command. Hopefully by then the prisoners would be far, far away from Feros.

  They wouldn’t find them. Not as long as Hallard could help them, and maybe anyone else that Cerberus might have had their hands on. There were eight kidnapped asari in Station 12. There was no telling how many more innocent people were being kept in Cerberus facilities throughout the galaxy.

  When Hallard joined with Cerberus, he did so out of a wish to protect humanity from the threats of the galaxy. But some ends weren’t worth the price of admission. Enhancing human biotics might have proved crucial in humanity’s continued survival. But if the price of that was torturing innocent people, taking their lives away from them, abandoning all semblance of humanity, then it wasn’t worth it.

  For the human race to be saved, it had to first prove that it was worth saving. It had to prove that even in the face of extinction, it was willing to put its humanity first.

  Mission Completed.

  No (Save them all).

  Cerberus was wrong. No matter what their reasons, there was no justifying what they did. Hallard wouldn’t stand for it. He wouldn’t let himself be a part of something so absolutely heinous.

  “You’re free to go,” said Hallard to Nadia. “You know how to fly a ship?”

  She nodded.

  “Alright then. Take our craft, and go. We’ll give you a head start before we call it in. Good luck to you.”

  “Have you lost your mind?”

  Cavanaugh didn’t see things the same way. Because he raised his pistol at the asari, making them all flinch.

  “Let them go, Cavanaugh.”

  But his partner didn’t listen.

  “You stupid wimp,” he cursed underneath his breath.