24

So, "Rome". The ship that Hakket and Anderson were on. That's all I needed.

- Did you find anything else on the ship? - I asked the geth.

- Yes. A video recording was found. It was taken 49 hours 15 minutes and 3 seconds ago. This is the last recording made on the ship.

- Give it to me. - The geth sent me the recording, and I started watching.

Recording 1.

- So. Admiral Hakket, Alliance Fleet, cruiser "Rim". 5 hours 3 minutes after the crash. 15:17 ship time. For some unknown reason, the relay threw us into this system. After that, we came under fire from an orbital station. We were hit by an unknown type of weapon. It burned through the armor and ignored the shields. We managed to land somehow, but then we had a fire. We started the evacuation, but they were already waiting for us there. They were the dralasites. We repelled the attack. Losses in the crash - ten people. Losses from the dralasite attack - 15 people. Almost all officers, including two pilots, the commander of the landing group, and the captain of the ship, were killed. Of the remaining officers, only I, Anderson, and Hraston survived. The latter has a serious injury, so we had to amputate his arm, fortunately, the doctor survived.

Recording 2.

- Admiral Hakket, Alliance Fleet, cruiser "Rim". 15 hours 7 minutes after the crash. 01:21 ship time. Three more died from their injuries. So, there are 75 of us left. But the lives of another 17 are still in question. We seriously lack panacelin, antibiotics, and donor blood. The doctor says that seven more will not survive for another 10 hours. Three need a blood transfusion, but no one on the ship has the first group, everyone died. Two more have started blood poisoning. There is nothing we can do to help them, so... Oh well. One more has shrapnel from a grenade in his heart, it is impossible to remove them, all the surgical equipment is smashed to pieces, and the doctor, although a great doctor, is not all-powerful. And one more needs a kidney transplant. He already had one kidney replaced with an implant, but he refused, and the second is on the verge of failure... Damn it, and he has three children. And I haven't even got a scratch, just hit my head hard, but nothing serious compared to them. That's the 22nd century for you. Super-technology, and when you find yourself in such a situation, you immediately realize what a nothing you are without it. If I get out of here, I'll tear the Committee apart about equipping ships for emergencies. Hraston has already promised to help, and Anderson suggested preparing a speech to distract himself. Maybe it's really worth it.

Recording 3.

- Admiral Hakket, Alliance Fleet, cruiser "Rim". 25 hours 16 minutes after the crash. 11:30 ship time. We examined the weapons of the dralasites who attacked us. Now I don't understand where we ended up at all. They have no mass effect at all. There isn't even any electricity. All weapons operate on the principle of using gunpowder gases. This was on Earth before we found the Prothean archive. I know how to use it, so now I'm teaching the others. Most likely, others will come.

Recording 4.

- Admiral Hakket, Alliance Fleet, cruiser "Rim". 27 hours 46 minutes after the crash. 14:00 ship time. We just caught a distress signal from the Migrant Fleet ship. It's about the "Riltuk" ship. It has two Fleet admirals - Daro'Zen and Zaal'Koris. I feel the irony. I ordered Anderson and three more soldiers to fly to this ship on the last shuttle. Now I have hope.

Entry 5.

- Damn! They attacked after all! At dawn. About 20-25 vehicles from all directions. Our traps weren't enough, and they... Damn! They killed everyone. Everyone! For now, I've locked myself in the ventilation shaft under the hangar. I'll leave the coordinates of the quarian ship, and I'll get out through the hatch and figure something out. Anderson already reported that there are surviving quarians on the ship, so I need to... Damn! They're here! Well, good luck to you all!

That's where the recording ended. So, there are quarians here, and who knows what else! And how did they even get here? At least now we know where to go. If they're still there, we need to save them.

- Alright, let's load up the shuttle and head to this "Riltuk". - We immediately boarded the shuttle and took off. I hope they're still there. In any case, these drells definitely won't eat the quarians. I hope. In 3 hours we finally saw the frigate, which was half-buried in sand. More accurately, we noticed it with the thermal imaging camera, as it was deep night. Then we saw that there were plenty of cars with headlights on.

- Approach another 200 meters, then we land, - I ordered, and within three minutes we were walking. The sand, in which we were simply sinking, hindered our step. The temperature was 35* degrees, and that's at night! Humidity - 7.3%. They really messed up the planet. As soon as we climbed a low dune, we immediately lay down and started observing. They were already gutting the quarian ship. Literally. Welders were already working on the hull, they were taking wiring, weapons, all sorts of junk, bodies from the ship. They stripped the bodies, and the suits were loaded into the cars. In short, everyone had plenty of work. And then we noticed a neat line coming out of the ship. I immediately recognized who was in it. Zaal was leading, followed by Daro, then Hackett, and Anderson brought up the rear. So Hackett did make it, I wonder how? And where's Hraston? Well, screw him, we need to save these guys. But then there's a problem. I've already counted 115 drells, and each was armed. Plus, there was at least one machine gun on each car, resembling a DShK, and I also spotted 15 grenade launchers. No, the four of us, even if we're geths, even with a prime, can't handle guys like these, especially since they're marauders and bandits, but they're organized enough to disassemble a ship and load up the loot into the cars. Anyway, instead of this, I came up with another plan.

- Alright, listen to the plan. I'll try to sneak up to them and get to their base to free those four. You go back to the "Rilik" and do whatever, even take yourselves apart, just make sure it flies. That's it, go.

- Understood. - They responded and immediately began to crawl back to the shuttle, while I started to execute my plan. I quickly descended from the edge of the dune and began to walk to its end, where the vehicles were already parked. Running up to the first one, I immediately jumped under it. Now the main thing is to crawl to the car where all four were seated. I crawled slowly to avoid detection. I hid in the shadow, which seemed completely black compared to the white and yellow light of the car headlights. There were still five cars left. I should hurry up, but drells frequently approach the cars, bringing the next load of loot.

- HEY! What are you doing standing there like a rock gobbler!? - Suddenly, I heard the gruff voice of a drell sitting on a vehicle. I looked to the side and saw a drell standing and trying to catch his breath.

- Just wait! You try hauling junk back and forth without a break! - the drell started to justify himself.

- You talking to me!? You opening your mouth at me!? Come here! - suddenly, right before my eyes, two strong, muscular legs in worn-out sneakers appeared above. This drell walked up to the other and hit him so hard that he fell onto the sand with a broken jaw. And then the drell, who got hit, looked directly at me. I read surprise in his eyes, but in the next second the other drell started beating him with his fists.

- No one! Ever! Dares! To open! Their! Filthy! MOUTH at me! - The assailant was kicking the downed drell's head, and the lying drell became a dead drell. Talk about marauders. And I almost got spotted! But I need to keep crawling. I already saw the underbelly of the car where this foursome had been put. Suddenly, I heard an attempt to start that very car. Okay, so they have an internal combustion engine, that's good. After 5 seconds the car finally started, and a second later I was able to latch onto the undercarriage of the car with all my limbs. It's good to be a geth - I can't get tired. Then, after three more seconds, another drell got in the passenger seat, and the car started moving.

From what I understood, there were 5 vehicles in the convoy. Ours was in the center. We were driving on asphalt, which was riddled with cracks, potholes, and in some places, covered with sand. Alright, now I need to think. We won't be able to escape, even if we manage to steal the car or jump out of it. We simply have nowhere to run, and they can definitely catch up to us, near the ship I saw at least 17 motorcycles. So, we have to escape from their base, which is where I'm heading. Judging by my geths' messages, they have already started to convert some weapons, armor, and themselves into omni-gel, which they use to patch holes in the hull that are exposed to the outside. They've also repaired the second engine using parts from the platforms. It's a good thing I brought three primes, that's where all the programs of the disassembled platforms are stored. And now we can somehow, but still, fly through the relay. And that's very important. As it turned out, it takes a week, or precisely 175 hours, to get here by "Kila's Light". And I don't want to wait on this planet for a week at all. Also, as it turned out, this system has not only a regular relay, which we flew through, but also a paired relay that leads to some system of the Batarian Hegemony, and there is a regular relay there that leads to the Omega station. That's where we'll definitely fix everything, and that's where we can drop off our admirals. The main thing is that Aria doesn't find out about them, otherwise... Otherwise, we'll be turned into a sieve. Literally, they will melt us down. These admirals might be taken prisoner for ransom, but us geths will be immediately sent to the nearest metallurgical plant. Well, okay, now I need to get to the base. All that's left is to wait.

Damn it!!! We've been driving for 17 fucking hours and we're still not there. It's already dawn, the temperature is 55* degrees, and we're still driving and driving. Didn't the admirals get cooked by any chance? They're more useful to me alive.

Suddenly, I picked up a radio broadcast. Ordinary radio waves, without any encryption. Just take it and listen. Alright, let's listen.

- Tal, where are you?

- Almost there, boss. Just passed a lone rock.

- Good. The Collectors contacted me. They are already here.

- What!? What do you mean, here? On the planet?

- Yes. They want to pick up the goods now. I told them I have no people to bring and provide security, so they agreed to wait until the end of the day. So as soon as you return - you get on another car, take the girls, and take them to these bugs. And yes, take as many people as you can.

- Understood. How much are they paying?

- 10,000 trulks of fuel. Well, plus 5 calts of grub.

- Got it. I'll arrive and go straight to them. You just tell me the meeting place.

- OK. That's all, dismissed.

So that's what's going on. These marauders have also made contact with the Collectors. And they work not for technology, but for fuel and grub. But what are they trading? As I understood, these are some girls, but what's special about them? Well, I doubt I'll find that out. I don't have time for that, but the fact remains - the Collectors work with drells. But it's unlikely that station belongs to the marauders. And the post-protheans don't work with the government. So, the particle accelerator was stolen from the marauders by the government. For instance, in one of the raids. And the mines are probably also the technology of these bugs. Now I understand why their sensors didn't detect them. We accidentally stumbled upon the first mine, and then a contact detonator triggered. But the rest of the mines were supposed to fly at us from all sides, like kamikazes. However, they didn't take into account that there would be geths here, so we were able to hide from them. But the mines in the asteroid field we noticed literally. We just saw them through the porthole. It's a shame geths don't use them, it saved us, their ships would have been stirred up. However, there was only one question left - what exactly exploded, piercing our hull in the captain's cabin? Most likely, something from these bugs. Something that the local races would give a lot for. Suddenly, instead of the endless desert, I saw the stone walls of a tunnel, on which there were some wires, and dim yellowish lighting. A minute later we turned left, and a reinforced door closed behind us. We've arrived. Soon we stopped, and people started to unload from the cars. Then I saw all four being led away one by one. Everyone's hands were tied with ordinary rope, and then they were led into a narrow tunnel, behind which another reinforced door closed. However, above and to the left of it, I noticed my best friend for now - the ventilation.

- STOP! Everyone change cars and follow me! Boss's orders! Quick! Quick! Quick! - everyone immediately started hustling, running around, throwing everything, and in half a minute I found myself in a completely empty room. Lowering myself to the ground (and here it was indeed a stone sprinkled with sand), I crawled out from under the car, stood up to full height and looked around. It was a small garage with five cars. Alright, I need to prepare in advance. I've just found the right car. Five seats, a hole in the roof, a heavy machine gun on it, a place behind the seats for some cargo. After rummaging through the garage, I found fuel. It wasn't exactly gasoline, but rather alcohol. The formula was closer to this. So, in short, this fuel can be used to rinse wounds, and vodka can be made from it. They live well, nothing to say. After the inspection, I took a canister and filled the car to the brim with fuel. Then I put another 5 full canisters in the place behind the seats. Now the weapons. I personally had a pistol, a shotgun, and a rifle, so I need to take more weapons. They will surely send a chase after us, because such a catch doesn't fall from the sky every day. In the most literal sense of the word. Alright, several automatic rifles, something like M16s. A sniper rifle with a bolt-action of 7.5 mm caliber. Mosin approves. A grenade launcher with a magazine for six rockets. Then another grenade launcher, a pure copy of the RPG-7, even the projectile is the same. A three-barreled minigun. A bunch of pistols and explosives. Need to figure out a way to get out of here. And more ammo. Also, I had an idea to take a mortar with cluster ammunition, but I immediately rejected this idea - the shell takes too long to fly. And then I saw something completely incomprehensible. It was a sniper rifle a meter long, with a 20x homemade scope, and the whole rifle was homemade. But the strangest thing was something else. This rifle had a generator, and the inside of it was just made of copper. After a little thought, 0.75 seconds, I realized that here the rifle acts, so to speak, as a particle accelerator according to the Gauss principle. Without the zero element! Only need metallic balls, but that's a mundane matter. I decided to take it too. Alright, everything seems to be ready. Good thing the drells locked the garage with several locks. Well then, it's time to look for our admirals.

Placing a box under the vent, I stood on it and, after ripping off the grate, I looked around. A lot of cobwebs, insects and drafts. Jumping up, I quickly climbed into the shaft, but I couldn't close it anymore. The shaft was too narrow. Well, they might not notice. I started to crawl and realized how bad it is to have a metallic body. I made so much noise that only a deaf person could miss me. But to my great fortune, in all the grates that were the exit from the shaft, I only saw stone walls and wires hanging with incandescent lamp bulbs. And it's the 22nd century, damn it! Turning left, I crawled another three meters to the next grate. Through it, I saw one drell snoring at a table. Well, let's not disturb him. Then I crawled another 10 meters, turning three more times, and after the fourth turn, I heard the characteristic sound of opening an armored door, and then - voices.

- Hey, you. Get up.

- What? Why?

- We're going to conduct a search.

- True, we'll have to take your suit off for that, but safety first.

- Yes. You're probably hiding something in there, so we're going to have to conduct a thorough search. In all... places.

- HA-HA-HA-HA-HA...

- Get lost!!!

- What?

- Oops. You're a feisty one, aren't you!

- We love taming the feisty ones.

- Leave her alone!

- Ohhh, we've got a defender here.

- Well then, we'll conduct a search just for you right here.

- HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA... AH-HA-HA-HA!

- Well, it's time to take this junk off of you.

- Don't touch me!!!

[sound of a mask hitting the head]

- Ah you jerk...

[sound of a gun cocking]

- Well!? What will you say now!? Swallowed your tongue!? You'll be swallowing something else right now!!!

Creeping up to the grate, and incidentally to a dead end, I grabbed it and as quietly as possible tore it off the frame, after which I shoved it into the shaft. Then, grabbing the pipe that was on the ceiling, I jumped out of the shaft, landed quietly, and looked around. I was only a meter away from the armored door, which was wide open, and in the cell, the following picture was presented. All four prisoners were tied to the pipe. One drell was standing with his back to me, and the other had a gun pointed at Daro, seemingly savoring something already. I, meanwhile, began to sneak up on them to take them out without extra noise and dust. As I crept, Hackett noticed me out of the corner of his eye. He didn't turn his head and showed no emotion, but still looked at me with huge surprise. Three more seconds - and I'm gripping the drell's head with my hands. I sharply break his neck, then grab his knife, hanging on his belt, and go to the second drell. He has already noticed me and is trying to aim a pistol at me, looking much like a Colt 1911. I swing the knife and the next moment I plunge it right into the drell's heart. His eyes widened and his mouth opened slightly, from which a prolonged and mournful wheeze escaped, but he was still trying to aim his trembling hand at me with his pistol. I carefully take it with my free hand and put it on safety. The drell, realizing that everything is over now and that he does not have enough strength even to take off the safety, just hung there, probably reviewing his whole worthless bandit life. Waiting another two seconds, I abruptly pulled the knife out of him, causing a faint squelching sound, and red blood flowed from the wound, which was also on the knife. The drell fell to the floor, after which the gaze of his wide-open eyes glassed over, and I turned to the surprised prisoners.

- And hello again, gentlemen.