Kaidan's Room, 33 Apocalypse Ave, Wednesday Morning
"This is Systems Alliance communications, how can I help you, Lieutenant Commander Alenko?"
Joker's comments had been nagging Kaidan for days. It was true that after the initial debriefing, he hadn't been asked much about Saren and the Reapers, nor had the press seemed particularly interested in picking up the story. And now there were Joker's claims that people were starting to fall off the map, Ronan's comment about Liara being here... it was worth looking into.
"I'm looking for someone," Kaidan said, rubbing at one of the scars right beneath his bottom lip. "Doctor Liara T'Soni? She was serving as a liaison to the Systems Alliance on the SSV Normandy until recently."
When had their previously tight-knit group fallen apart? The days after Shepard's death had been such a blur-- he must have stopped paying attention.
"Doctor T'Soni is no longer liaising with the Alliance." The communications officer had a pleasant voice; she looked honest, too.
"So she was discharged?" Kaidan asked. "Do you know what her new posting is? Does it have anything to do with the new sub-conduit?"
The communications officer's fingers slid over the keys on her holographic interface. "Doctor T'Soni resigned," she said. "She was last seen requesting passage to Omega. We do not have her current contact information."
Omega. That was... entirely on the wrong side of space to get her anywhere near the island. But what would Liara - reclusive, quiet, bookish Liara - be doing on a place like Omega? Somehow he didn't think she'd decided to give up archaeology to pursue stripping or bartending after all - there had to be something funny going on.
"Can I do anything else for you, Lieutenant Commander Alenko?"
He glanced up. "Could you get me in touch with, ah... Officer Garrus Vakarian?" he asked.
"Officer Vakarian is currently not available," she said pleasantly. "Spectre's orders. I'm sorry, Commander."
"Tali'Zorah nar Rayya?"
"Currently in transit to rejoin the quarian Migrant Fleet."
Kaidan ran a hand through his hair. "Urdnot Wrex?" he asked. True, Wrex was... difficult, but at least he'd know something. Probably.
"Has left for Tuchanka," the officer replied. "I can give you his contact details."
He nodded. "Thank you," he said.
She smiled pleasantly in return. "Is that all?"
No. Not everything. Kaidan had questions, and he'd like to pose them now - preferably to someone he knew was sympathetic to them. There really was something niggling here, something wrong; he didn't know why the whereabouts of any of the Normandy crew had apparently, if not been kept from him, at least not communicated down to him. "I'd like to request a comms appointment with Admiral Hackett," he said.
The officer ran her fingers over the keys again. She looked thoughtful. "I'm afraid that might not be possible," she said. "Admiral Hackett is currently away on leave, and has ordered me to keep his schedule clear outside of emergencies. He's designated Major Ischa to cover his major duties. I can patch you through to him now."
Kaidan nodded. "Thank you," he said again. The officer's face disappeared from his omni-tool screen, only to be replaced by that of another woman in her late 30s.
He had never served under Major Ischa. Hadn't heard much about her reputation, either, but that was probably because he didn't tend to spend a lot of his time on gossip. "Major," he said. "I appreciate you taking the time to speak to me."
"I haven't got long, so keep this brief, Alenko."
"I've heard rumors," he started, "That, uh, the Reaper files are being closed, ma'am."
"That would be correct."
Kaidan blinked.
"The Reapers are a fable used by Saren to control the geth," Ischa said, shooting him a pointed look. "We can't afford to support fairy tales, Commander. Not only do they cause unnecessary chaos and fear, but it would be far too easy for another dissident element to step in and manipulate the tale for their own ends."
Kaidan stared. "Ma'am," he said slowly, "The Reapers are real. We saw them-- Shepard spoke to Sovereign itself--"
"Commander Shepard, rest his soul, is dead," Ischa replied. "He was a capable man and a good leader. But there is also evidence he was under a great deal of stress to perform as humanity's first Spectre-- no one blames him for falling for a few tall tales, but that doesn't make them true."
"They are true, Ma'am," Kaidan started. "The Reapers are coming, and if we don't prep--"
"The Reaper files are shut," Ischa said firmly. "I'd suggest you fall in line with Alliance policy, Commander. We've been working very hard to keep the press off your back so you can recuperate and we can reassign you somewhere your skills can be put to better use. Spouting off nonsense about-- giant sentient cuttlefish is not going to help either you or me or the Systems Alliance. Dismissed."
The screen on his omni-tool flared out of existence.
"...They're really doing this," Kaidan whispered, shell-shocked.
Something else to feel guilty about.
[[ can be open, sure! some references to Mass Effect: Redemption under the cut. ]]
Joker's comments had been nagging Kaidan for days. It was true that after the initial debriefing, he hadn't been asked much about Saren and the Reapers, nor had the press seemed particularly interested in picking up the story. And now there were Joker's claims that people were starting to fall off the map, Ronan's comment about Liara being here... it was worth looking into.
"I'm looking for someone," Kaidan said, rubbing at one of the scars right beneath his bottom lip. "Doctor Liara T'Soni? She was serving as a liaison to the Systems Alliance on the SSV Normandy until recently."
When had their previously tight-knit group fallen apart? The days after Shepard's death had been such a blur-- he must have stopped paying attention.
"Doctor T'Soni is no longer liaising with the Alliance." The communications officer had a pleasant voice; she looked honest, too.
"So she was discharged?" Kaidan asked. "Do you know what her new posting is? Does it have anything to do with the new sub-conduit?"
The communications officer's fingers slid over the keys on her holographic interface. "Doctor T'Soni resigned," she said. "She was last seen requesting passage to Omega. We do not have her current contact information."
Omega. That was... entirely on the wrong side of space to get her anywhere near the island. But what would Liara - reclusive, quiet, bookish Liara - be doing on a place like Omega? Somehow he didn't think she'd decided to give up archaeology to pursue stripping or bartending after all - there had to be something funny going on.
"Can I do anything else for you, Lieutenant Commander Alenko?"
He glanced up. "Could you get me in touch with, ah... Officer Garrus Vakarian?" he asked.
"Officer Vakarian is currently not available," she said pleasantly. "Spectre's orders. I'm sorry, Commander."
"Tali'Zorah nar Rayya?"
"Currently in transit to rejoin the quarian Migrant Fleet."
Kaidan ran a hand through his hair. "Urdnot Wrex?" he asked. True, Wrex was... difficult, but at least he'd know something. Probably.
"Has left for Tuchanka," the officer replied. "I can give you his contact details."
He nodded. "Thank you," he said.
She smiled pleasantly in return. "Is that all?"
No. Not everything. Kaidan had questions, and he'd like to pose them now - preferably to someone he knew was sympathetic to them. There really was something niggling here, something wrong; he didn't know why the whereabouts of any of the Normandy crew had apparently, if not been kept from him, at least not communicated down to him. "I'd like to request a comms appointment with Admiral Hackett," he said.
The officer ran her fingers over the keys again. She looked thoughtful. "I'm afraid that might not be possible," she said. "Admiral Hackett is currently away on leave, and has ordered me to keep his schedule clear outside of emergencies. He's designated Major Ischa to cover his major duties. I can patch you through to him now."
Kaidan nodded. "Thank you," he said again. The officer's face disappeared from his omni-tool screen, only to be replaced by that of another woman in her late 30s.
He had never served under Major Ischa. Hadn't heard much about her reputation, either, but that was probably because he didn't tend to spend a lot of his time on gossip. "Major," he said. "I appreciate you taking the time to speak to me."
"I haven't got long, so keep this brief, Alenko."
"I've heard rumors," he started, "That, uh, the Reaper files are being closed, ma'am."
"That would be correct."
Kaidan blinked.
"The Reapers are a fable used by Saren to control the geth," Ischa said, shooting him a pointed look. "We can't afford to support fairy tales, Commander. Not only do they cause unnecessary chaos and fear, but it would be far too easy for another dissident element to step in and manipulate the tale for their own ends."
Kaidan stared. "Ma'am," he said slowly, "The Reapers are real. We saw them-- Shepard spoke to Sovereign itself--"
"Commander Shepard, rest his soul, is dead," Ischa replied. "He was a capable man and a good leader. But there is also evidence he was under a great deal of stress to perform as humanity's first Spectre-- no one blames him for falling for a few tall tales, but that doesn't make them true."
"They are true, Ma'am," Kaidan started. "The Reapers are coming, and if we don't prep--"
"The Reaper files are shut," Ischa said firmly. "I'd suggest you fall in line with Alliance policy, Commander. We've been working very hard to keep the press off your back so you can recuperate and we can reassign you somewhere your skills can be put to better use. Spouting off nonsense about-- giant sentient cuttlefish is not going to help either you or me or the Systems Alliance. Dismissed."
The screen on his omni-tool flared out of existence.
"...They're really doing this," Kaidan whispered, shell-shocked.
Something else to feel guilty about.
[[ can be open, sure! some references to Mass Effect: Redemption under the cut. ]]