E2C1R: Correspondence

Episode 2: Hunted
Chapter 6: Correspondence

Tali rubbed her shoulder after closing the injection port on her suit. Mordin hadn't been kidding when he'd said that the injections would cause soreness. It felt like she had run a marathon-… with her arms. Both Chakwas and Mordin had kept her under constant surveillance since administering the first dose of the retro-virus. So far the only side effects were a ravenous appetite and the expected dull ache throughout her muscles that accompanied the treatment.

She understood the basic principles of how the treatment worked. A normal virus operated by splicing its genetic code into a target cell, causing the cell to replicate that code and produce more viruses until it died, usually from filling itself with the offending pathogen.

The retro-virus spliced the regen-sequence into its target cell and effectively 'died', leaving the altered cell to go about its normal business. Since the virus didn't get replicated, multiple doses of the treatment were required to obtain a self-sustaining saturation. Eventually, enough of her body would be altered that any part of her could regenerate non-fatal damage in minutes, provided the wound wasn't too severe. Not quite as fast as a krogan, but still a welcome gift.

After the first day, the repurposed genes had begun to take their effect. She'd noticed a substantial decrease in the pain from her wound, but dismissed it as a placebo-effect. Mordin, on the other hand, had been far more optimistic. He'd run several tests over the past five days to check for any abnormalities and found that much of the scar tissue that had been forming was reverting to a healthier state. The quarian's muscle tissue had been affected as well, increasing in density by nearly three percent.

Tali was shocked to find the injuries nearly gone by the fifth day. Chakwas had accompanied her from the medical bay for a few hours to walk around, never leaving the young woman's side. The quarian found herself stiff at first, but was soon back to her usual mobility, if a slight bit slower. She'd even visited engineering long enough to say hello to Gabby and Ken, both of whom were pleasantly surprised to see her out of the med-bay.

The quarian briefly stopped at her work station to check for any messages. Several letters had been sent to her terminal at the drive-core. Tali copied the notes to a data-pad and returned to the infirmary with the aid of the doctor. After laying back down in her clean room, Tali flipped through the messages.

Most were what Shepard called "spam" but a few were from the fleet. One in particular held her interest.

      Sender: Migrant Fleet Admiralty Board, Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay
     Recipient: Tali'Zorah vas Normandy

          Child, I was recently given legal right to examine the documents belonging to your
     father. While reading that correspondence which was important to the fleet, I decided
     against reading anything personal in his log. Some of those were addressed to you
     directly, letters that he never finished or was unable to send, you will find them
     attached below.
          One note in particular struck my eye. Below is a communication sent to your father
     from Commander Shepard, your captain. I have not read it, so I cannot guess as to its
     contents, but I thought you might wish to check it. Be well.
-Shala

Tali scrolled down through the message checking the list of correspondence that Shala had compiled. Most of the letters were updates on her father's research needs; what parts she should look for, systems clarifications, and the like. Two or three notes were horribly disorganized, but what little she could dissect from them seemed to imply that Rael was trying to apologize for something.

At the bottom was the message her aunt had mentioned. She briefly contemplated not opening the link, but something about it compelled her. She had to see what was inside. Butterflies danced in her stomach as she began to read.

     Sender: Commander John D. Shepard, Spectre, Alliance Military,
     Recipient: Migrant Fleet Admiralty Board, Admiral Rael'Zorah vas Rayya

          Admiral, in regards to your recent communication regarding Tali'Zorah's transfer
     to the Normandy: I am well aware of Tali's importance to the migrant fleet and to
     yourself. You needn't worry about the crew in regards to her safety, I run a tight ship
     and will not permit any violence or abuse (verbal,  physical or otherwise) against her
     person. Please accept that she will be well supplied and protected.
          In regards to our earlier discussion: I have indeed developed strong feelings for
     your daughter. If you truly wish that I not act on these feelings, I will honor that. Take
     note, however, that my doing so is out of respect for her and her respect for you, not
     for your sake.
          I have no intentions of violating her honor; such action is against my personal
     values and beliefs. Intimacy of that nature is a sacred action and has no place outside
     of the marriage-bond. (I believe the term among your people is a Khelat-Union?)
                                                  -Respectfully, Commander John D. Shepard

Tali almost felt guilty reading the John's personal message to her father, but they were now hers by legal right. After a brief internal debate, she continued on to the attached response.

     Sender: Migrant Fleet Admiralty Board, Admiral Rael'Zorah vas Rayya
     Recipient: Commander John D. Shepard vas Normandy, Spectre, Alliance Military

          Commander, I apologize if my words in our previous discussion came across
     as hostile. Tali'Zorah is, as you know, my only child, and is thus very dear to me. It
     has been a difficult season for the quarian people, between the attack on the Idenna
     and the losses in the Sigma-23 system, we have suffered a great deal of loss.
          My attitude towards you was reprehensible and I again request your forgiveness. I
     do not forbid you to pursue a relationship with Tali, but I request that you only do so
     if she makes it explicitly clear that she desires it. Incidentally, the union is
     called a Khelat-Bond.
                                                  -Admiral Rael'Zorah vas Rayya

The Quarian's heart pounded. Her father had all but blessed the relationship! Any outsider reading the letters would have taken the admiral's words as a grudging concession, but Tali knew her father well enough to understand what was really being said.

She looked around the room, as if to find someone to share the news with, and found her eyes settling on Shepard.

John lay in the cot next to her clean room, his bare chest rising and falling steadily in a fitful sleep. Keelah! She thought, He's perfect! Tali chided herself and looked away before a light stirring brought her attention back to him.

"Hey beautiful," he smiled. "Sure you should be sitting up? Coupla days ago Chakwas said you'd be laid up here for another four weeks minimum."

"I, um, your chest, er, well…" the young woman fumbled. "Mordin made a breakthrough," She finally managed. "What, um, happened to you?"

Shepard could barely contain his laughter. "Garrus and I went looking for one of- Ah!" he winced as his bullet wounds reminded him of their presence. "-For one of his team on Omega. Iiiit didn't go too well."

"You don't say," Tali quipped, her composure returning.

"Took two rounds below the lung. What're you reading?"

"Oh! Um nothing! Well, not nothing, just some, old letters."

To her relief, he didn't pry any farther, but nodded and laid back down. "So, what kind of breakthrough are we talking about? Some new regenerative drug or something?"

Tali watched his eyes scan the ceiling. "Close enough. He's reverse engineered a part of the krogan genome."

Shepard's lips pursed in thought.

"You'll have to ask him about the specifics."

XxXxX

     Sender: Tali'Zorah vas Normandy
     Recipient: Migrant Fleet Admiralty Board, Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay

          Auntie Raan, just writing to let you know that I am well. Well, that's not
     entirely true. I received an injury on the collector station, but am making a
     swift recovery. Shepard has been watching and waiting outside my clean room for
     almost three weeks now, making sure that my recovery is going well.
          It seems almost like it was planned, but Shepard ended up in the medical bed next
     to my clean room after a ground mission on Omega. Apparently, the local mercs still
     haven't forgiven him for helping Garrus.
          John's stamina is incredible. Even with two bullet wounds, he's still leading his
     weekly prayer meetings with crewmen Ericson, Rhienhardt and Dawne in the med
     bay.
          I can't help but feel curious about his faith. He didn't seem very serious about it on
     the first Normandy until after the mission to Virmire, but once he did… …I can't
     describe the change. It was like he felt more…

Tali stopped writing for a minute and looked over at Shepard. The Commander was quietly sleeping. She gazed at his face for a few minutes before the words finally came to her.

     …at peace.

The quarian set the pad to the side and thought.

Shepard had always been a picture of stoicism; his ability to analyze a situation without becoming emotionally entangled seemed almost superhuman at times. His death and subsequent 'resurrection' after the Collector attack seemed to have stolen some of this ability, whether it was a psychological thing or a chemical change, she couldn't begin to guess.
The Commander still kept his stalwart façade, but Tali could see the burden that he'd shouldered since the attack. He felt personally responsible for Williams' death, for the losses on Elysium… …for her.

With a heavy sigh, Tali cleared the thoughts from her mind and resumed writing the letter.

          Anyways, Mordin, the salarian doctor aboard the ship, has created a new retro-
     virus that produces krogan-like regeneration in its recipients. The results are
     astounding. I've completed the first treatment and can already walk around the ship
     with minimal difficulty. Mordin says I'll be able to actually see the tissue
     repair itself after the final treatment.
          Thank you a million times for the letters from father, they've given me a lot to
     think about. Keelah Se'Lai.
                                                  -Tali

XxXxX

four days later-

Shepard felt the bandages over the bullet wounds on his abdomen. The injuries were still slightly tender, but Mordin's treatment had already begun working its wonders. The conversation he'd had with the salarian had closely followed the doctor's dialogue with Tali; Shepard was intent on learning just what the virus could and could not do.

Mordin had reassured him many times that the quarian hadn't exhibited any negative side-effects- though there were several side benefits that had surfaced.
"Mildly increased strength; metabolic efficiency; expected increase in immune response…"
Shepard had agreed to undergo the regimen only after a full day of prayer concerning the issue. Now he could see just how impressive a discovery the salarian's work had unearthed.

The Commander pulled on his shirt and walked slowly to the door, only to bump face-first into Miranda Lawson.

"Commander, we have a problem," Miranda's usually smooth voice betrayed a hint of anxiety. "Thane is gone."