On the way to Mordin Solus's clinic, we ran into only one ambush that EDI couldn't destroy with the LOKI Mechs, but against Samara's barrier and our shots, they could do nothing. So you could say we got there easily and without any incidents.
"Halt, who are you?"
At the entrance stood tough-looking men who examined us closely, their rifles pointed in our direction.
"Spectre Shepard, I need to speak with Mordin Solus."
"And what does a whole Spectre want with the doc?"
"To talk."
"Yeah... and take him away from here..."
Discontent could be heard in the guard's voice.
"...and after that, we'll all be dying without him."
"Put that rifle away. And I'm not obliged to report to you. But just so you understand... if Mordin Solus leaves here, a couple thousand sentients will die, because he won't save any more. Yes, they are certainly someone's friends, relatives, loved ones, BUT!"
I looked intently at the guard.
"If I don't find a good scientist who can do a very important job, billions will die..."
The mercenary flinched.
"Do you see the difference? Thousands and billions..."
"I..."
"Gun down and step aside. And yes, I've already organized an evacuation corps; the Turians have agreed to provide aid to Omega's civilians and will be here in five hours. So everyone who wants to can leave this station."
"Thank you."
The guards stepped away from the passage, allowing us into the clinic, where there were quite a few civilians and not-so-civilian individuals waiting their turn.
"Hello, please describe your problem. I'll enter..."
I walked past the girl standing at the registration desk and kept going.
"Hey! You can't do that!"
"Believe me, he can."
Jack said those words with a slight mockery.
"But we have a specific protocol!"
At that moment, one of the sick stood up and blocked my path.
"The desk is over there. Then the line."
I didn't draw my pistol, just smirked, which was clearly visible through the transparent visor. And I punched the guy short in the stomach, making him double over and fall to his knees.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
"I'm doing a bit less than I could. I'd like to point out that your guards didn't make me surrender my weapons. But I want to reassure everyone waiting for treatment. I'm not sick; I just need to talk to the doctor. Though perhaps after this talk he will leave the station, but in any case, Turian ships are moving here now to carry out a humanitarian mission. Both treatment and evacuation..."
I said all this loudly enough for everyone to hear.
"And now I'm going to see the doctor."
After those words, I walked past the other patients, signaling my subordinates to stay in this room.
"...he can't be saved anymore."
Those were the words being spoken as I entered the room used as an operating theater, and then I saw the Salarian pull out a pistol and pull the trigger.
"How can you do that?!"
"Daniel, could we have done anything else?"
Mordin Solus addressed the man in a calm voice, in which bewilderment could be heard.
"We could have given him medicine!"
"Daniel, I'm afraid that in a situation like this..."
I decided to join the conversation.
"The medicine you'd give this patient to ease his suffering is exactly what you might lack to treat the next one. And then you'll have two corpses on your conscience. Only the first will die not on your table, but a couple hundred meters away from it, while the second..."
"Who are you?!"
The man even took a couple of steps back, though we were a decent distance apart.
"High-quality armor. Weapons. Confidence. Familiar face. Seen it. Not in person. Where?"
Mordin Solus began to chatter, and if it triggered a slight nostalgia for the game in me, his student didn't react to what was happening at all.
"Criminal? Mercenary? Latter is doubtful. No..."
"Doc, don't waste your brilliant brain on those thoughts. Spectre Shepard at your service."
I gave the Salarian a short nod.
"Ah... understood."
Mordin Solus seemed to lose interest in me.
"Leave."
"Hm? You don't even want to know why I've arrived?"
"You caused harm. Salarians became an undesirable race. Considering the upcoming war. This will be fatal. You destroyed my race."
"Well, I didn't force your race to do what they did. Besides, I didn't destroy a race, only struck at a state. As far as I know, many Salarians live far from the Salarian Union. So if they don't start doing stupid things themselves, many of them will survive."
"Salarian Union..."
Mordin Solus froze with his back to me, while irritably tapping his hand on the pistol already in its holster.
"...they made many mistakes. However, it is the homeland. The homeland of all Salarians. A strike against it is a strike against all Salarians."
"So, counting on your help makes no sense?"
"What is needed?"
Mordin Solus turned to me wearily.
"Developing protection."
"Protection?"
Disbelief mixed with bewilderment could be heard in the Salarian's voice. This wasn't the request he expected from me. At least, so it seemed to me.
"Yes... colonies are being abducted in the Terminus Systems. It's being done by the Collectors, as well as Batarian pirates..."
"I don't do Planetary Defense development."
A sharp answer that cut off my reasoning and made me wince slightly. No, I understand, of course, that with the lifespan allotted to Salarians, communicating with others can be a torture for them. But he was talking quite normally just a moment ago. And now...
"Planetary Defense isn't needed..."
I shook my head.
"The problem is the Collectors, or more precisely, that according to our data, they use unknown drones to paralyze Humans. We have recordings, not very high quality, but..."
I spread my hands, as if saying this was all we had and not to count on more.
"...we've conducted a comprehensive analysis of them. And we'd like you to work on developing protection."
"Protection... unusual. Will I be able to pass the data on this protection to the Union?"
"Yes."
Mordin Solus turned to me and examined me from head to toe with surprise, as if seeing me for the first time.
"Very unusual..."
"Doctor, you're not going to just abandon everyone here, are you?"
"Abandon?"
Mordin Solus looked at his student, bewilderment in his voice.
"Daniel, here I save individuals; by developing protection against the Collectors, I will save millions. The choice is obvious... It would be obvious, if not for my potential employer."
Now he was looking at me.
"Too ambiguous a figure for a Salarian. I will become a pariah. Is it worth it?"
He tilted his head.
"That depends only on you. As for your student's concern, I've already called in Turian ships to carry out a humanitarian mission here. So there will be someone to treat the sick and shoot criminals."
"Amusing..."
Mordin Solus allowed himself a smirk.
"...shooting criminals on Omega. Ninety percent of Omega's population are criminals or were criminals. So the Turians will be able to shoot almost all of Omega's residents."
"Doctor!"
The guy—and despite the fact that he looked about thirty-five, my tongue refused to call him a man. He was too... soy. The boy doesn't understand how the world works.
"Daniel..."
Mordin Solus sighed.
"...I didn't say they will shoot, I said they will be able to shoot. Catch the nuances. Please. I doubt the Spectre called a humanitarian mission for a purge of Omega Station."
I co-
nodded in agreement.
"So?"
"I doubt it... It is a righteous cause. Important. However, I am needed here. I am resting my soul after everything..."
A hint of sadness touched the doctor's voice.
"I am not certain I am truly needed. Perhaps a student would suffice? Not Daniel, he is a physician, another one. He was in the STG, he was a student. Capable. Extremely ambitious."
"I hate to disappoint you, but if you mean Maelon, he is currently somewhere on Tuchanka, and according to my information..."
Shaking my head, I chose not to finish the sentence.
"Dead? Was he captured and retaliated against for that work? But he was a student. Not the lead developer. Retaliation against him is pointless."
"No, at least according to my unconfirmed data, he is alive and has arrived on Tuchanka himself. Arrived to fix what he considers a mistake. It's just that his methods... field testing before a full calculation of all consequences is performed."
"Impossible!"
Solus became highly agitated at my words.
"Did not teach him this! Must stop him! Making a mistake! If what was done is reversed, the galaxy will be destroyed!"
I only sighed at these words.
"You know... I'm not going to debate this topic with you; I'll simply suggest you look at the result of your labors, if we happen to reach Tuchanka."
"If you need my help, then we shall."
A firmness appeared in the Salarian's voice, suggesting it wasn't worth arguing. For him, this matter was not up for discussion.
"Well, since you want it so much, I will arrange for you to be shown the result of your work... in person, so to speak."
I looked intently into the former STG operative's eyes, and he did not look away. Solus was certain that everything had been done correctly and that there had been no other choice. Well, no matter, he would change that opinion. He would change it and work to fix his mistake.
"But only if you come with me."
"I will go. Maelon must be stopped; he is making a very large mistake. I need a couple of hours to hand over all affairs to Daniel. Can you wait?"
"Yes, we will wait for you in the area where the patients wait. Afterward, we will escort you to the ship."
"Oh... no need. I remember which end of the pistol to hold. There will be no trouble reaching the docks. Just tell me where to go."
Nodding to Solus, I told him exactly where to go, then left his clinic with my team.
"Do you think he can be trusted?"
Samara asked the question once we stepped out of the clinic. She, like the other members of the group and those on the ship, had heard our conversation with Solus.
"EDI will keep an eye on him. In any case, he is an extremely desirable crew member, as geniuses like him are hard to find."
"I do not argue, but sometimes it is better not to be a genius, but to be a most ordinary sentient... geniuses are unstable..."
"You are both right and wrong at the same time. Don't forget he went through the STG. All instability was beaten out of him there. Our main goal is to show him that working for us is more profitable for him than working against us. And from there..."
I shook my head.
"You want to acquire this particular specialist very badly. Do you not think it might work against you?"
"It might..."
My voice carried agreement with her words, yet there was a stubbornness that said I had no intention of abandoning my idea.
"...which is why we will act cautiously. It's just... he truly is capable of developing this defense. As for others... others, I am not sure."
"I am not arguing, I am simply asking you not to lose your vigilance."
"I won't."
I answered my mother, after which we dropped the subject, moving on to another unrelated to Solus or our preparation to face the Reapers.
***
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