Double trouble

Prologue

Orbit of Alchera

Cmdr. Cassandra Sydney Shepard S.P.E.C.T.R.E. stared as the wreck of, what was left from, her beloved ship started to explode and fall towards Alchera. The massive dreadnaught that was responsible for carnage of her ship was leaving towards the relay and she could see several escape pods heading out of gravity field of the Alchera. Shepard felt as relief flooded her when she saw that that pods were left alone as her friends and remnants of her crew were safe. She took a long breath knowing that it will be her last as her suit was damaged and on top of that she was slowly heading to make close acquaintance with Alcheras surface as she was pulled by its gravity field. On the hud of her suit she could see that her air supply just ran out. She could feel that the darkness started to envelop her as last thought was: "Damn I will never have chance to introduce Liara to mum."

She closed her eyes and embraced eternity before darkness swallowed her….

Club Artemis Illium

23:35 of local time

Athriel Rivdale was slowly sipping her wine overlooking a mass of swirling bodies on a dance floor. She enjoyed her downtime, as she was sure that her boss would assign new mission for her and her fellow commandos. She was surprised when next to her sat an epiphany of an Assarian beauty dressed in a extremely tight leather outfit. She gulped when the beauty asked her, if she is going buy her a drink.

"Of-f-f courrrse" she stammered. Wow smooth, real smooth She thought to herself. Goddesses preserve me I am 217 but I am stuttering like a teenager. Get your act together girl you are commando for goodness's sake. She mentally admonished herself as she smiled charmingly at her companion.

Back alley behind Club Artemis

Two hours later

As the beauty dragged Athriel from the bar, she thought that this was the best and the hottest night she ever had in her life and it will probably get even better, as the beauty that was kissing her murmured to her, that she would experience pleasure far beyond that of a normal melding.

Few hours later her unconscious body was found in the same back alley. Never to woken again. As she come to be another unlucky victim of an attack of an Ardat-Yakshi.

Location Unknown

The Illusive man took long draft from his cigarette and looked on man who was sitting in front of his table.

There was siting Prof. Orfanik Eisenstein and he was nibbling on a carrot. The man know as The Illusive Man looked at his acquaintance again. "He looks like as basis for the stereotype of the mad scientist from all those old movies. I wonder if he looks like this on purpose or has more loose screws than I thought.

True to his thoughts Orfanik Eisenstein indeed looked like a walking, breathing stereotype of a mad scientist. Prof. Orfanik Eisenstein was small, humped, slightly rounded, caucasian man. He had dirty and unkempt mob, of what probably used to be fiery red hair, that was sticking into all direction accompanied with similarly unkempt goatee. He had high forehead, big electric blue eye that was looking at world through thick glasses, also he was wearing an eye patch over his right eye, as a result of his first experience in inventing explosives. Overall his face looked like a human version of a bulldog. He was wearing a lab coat that was stained from what was probably a human blood, motor oil and many other unthinkable and imaginable fluids. What was also prominent was his right forehand or therefore the lack of it due to his second experience with inventing explosives. Instead of it he had strange looking skeletal artificial limb that was outfitted with various integrated tools and also with an omni-tool.

He looked at him again and spoke. "So you are sure that your project will be successful? The fate of the humanity might depend on it. If the project Lazarus fails."

The professor stopped his nibbling on his carrot absent-mindedly stroked his beard as he said, "Technoscientific revolution will prevail!" It was said in a manner as a normal people are saying: "As I was saying" or "Well". Then he turned pensive for a second and continued. "Transfer will be successful. No doubts about it. At least to the temporal holding system. Only problem that I can foresee so far is a lack of the suitable host body for the final transfer. There might be problems with the cloned body as the Alliance interferes with the genetics of their N7 marines. But we might be able to get around that obstacle. And if we don't succeed. I have received unaltered samples of genetic material from both of her parents, if we will have to create completely new body for her. Closer relation between subjects makes safer results." He concluded then he then sighted miserably. "I still can't understand why you didn't want to use that cyborg body I have created."

Illusive man quirked eyebrow to that and said. "Need I remind you that the said body had slaughtered nearly the whole base, including you, when turned on last time as the "pilot" went mad from body's programing?"

Professor looked sheepishly at him " I'm sure it was only a glitch." he mumbled.

"No we need Shepard as unaltered, as possible, if we want to succeed. Am I understood?"

"Yes sir" professor reluctantly agreed.

Illusive man looked at him for several seconds while in deep thoughts and then he said with a tone of finality.

"Good then. The project Shiva has green. Keep me updated with your progress." With that he dismissed professor from his office.

AN This is it folks more will be in the next chapter I would like to say big thank you to Tellur for all of his suggestions and help from him when creating this fic. Check his works they are awesome.

Logging of Noir Detective

PS I am looking for beta if anybody is interested as English is not my first language and I still make lots of mistakes.