One month passed.
Thirty days of Subject 13 in quiet preparation. Measured planning, and careful patience. Subject 13 did not want rush, he knew when he made his move there was no going back.
Jasen understood something most people in this facility didn't: No facility is a hundred percent secure in or out. It takes careful observation, information, ingenuity, and timing. If all these things are done correctly, then anyone could infiltrate or escape any secure facility.
The bigger it is, the higher the percentage of success it becomes. There are always weaknesses in a facility, you just need to know where to look or how to exploit it. But the doesn't mean it will be easy. But in this case, 13 has been trained for something like this whether the scientist knew it or not.
The mental training and experiments pushed Jasen, to use his knew brain in ways he never thought of in his past life. Biotic drills and combat with the Asari, have made powerful for his age. With his other biological abilities, Jasen knew he had a higher chance of escape more then he should normally have. He just had to escape, and make it to the mainland, and making sure no one realized he was gone until it was far too late.
Well that was the best case scenario, if he had more time to plan. One month was sufficient enough from his mental calculations. Jasen was surprised with himself. He planned out some many different scenarios in his head, and he knew the percentage for deviation to the last decimal. He was almost scared with how inhuman he was starting to feel. Or maybe superhuman is the better term.
Either way he was ready to make his move soon. Before Kline and the others make theirs. It's a good thing for the last four years he had secretly mapped out the facility.
Subject 13 walked through the facility like he always had, calm, observant, and making himself invisible. He kept his head down when necessary. No displays of emotions to any of the scientist. He pretended to just be their compliant subject on his leash walking familiar halls that was his cage.
But every step around this cage was made with purpose. He found several blind spot's in the facility.
The first one was a narrow stretch of hallway, slightly curved, tucked behind a maintenance junction where two camera fields failed to overlap. A design flaw. A very human one. The kind that passed unnoticed because no one expected a child to exploit it.
But he wasn't the only one. Over the years he saw a few members of staff. Scientist, guards, facilities maintenance. Over the years, he had seen scientists disappear here briefly, and they were never alone when doing it.
Curiosity turned into confirmation. One evening, he snuck into the vent and wait in their so see what was going on. A man and a woman rounded the corner. The woman was a security officer, and the man a researcher. Jasen psychic sense caught it then. The two were pressed together into the shadowed corner, clothes disheveled beneath their naked bodies. Their breath's shallow, desperate to be quiet but lost in the pleasure. quiet.
They weren't the only ones, from what Jasen could tell from observing this place, and his psychic sense this place was the fool around spot. Pretty much everyone used it, who didn't have their own space. Jasen even recognized a certain man or woman with multiple partners. He would hear the and watch how they would lie to the other people. Talks about liking them, but never did. Knowing it was all just a distraction from the hell that was this facility.
Jasen caught at all over the years, but said nothing. He would wait to use this useful information. Later that night, when the corridor was empty and the facility settled into its night cycle, he returned. He climbed the wall with ease, his advance strength made jumping and climbing easy for him.
He pulled himself into the vent, and fit perfectly. The ducts ran everywhere in the facility. To the labs. Offices. Cafeteria. And the security room where the armory was as well. Through maintenance shafts and storage areas. A hidden circulatory system feeding the entire facility.
Jasen learned and memorized it all. Every route, between the vents, room and the floors their on. And the routes between each room. He did this to plan out the time it would take on average to get from one place to another.
At night, he moved unseen. His usual first stop was the cafeteria. He slipped down near the back, moving quickly, and silently. He found nutrition and protein bars, and hydration packs. They were sealed rations meant for emergency situations. But for him they will keep him alive while, or after he sawm across the ocean to the mainland.
He just hoped this new body will pick up swimming quickly like his last body did. But wasn't worried. His lung capacity was beyond good, and his stamina will ensure if he needed, he will be able to swim under the tides the entire time if he needed.
He proceeded to hide the rations in small caches within the vent network. Never leaving them all in one place, but spread out just incase he needed to take a alternate route.
Then he went into the freezer. In the very back, behind crates of frozen supplies, were bottles of alcohol. Someone had smuggled it in, and must be saving these for a raining day. When he tasted it to try and figure out what type of alcohol it was, he almost gagged.
It burned like hell, but not like heat, like chemical fire. His organs reacted instantly, metabolism spiking to neutralize it. For a brief moment, it felt like his insides were melting. That's a familiar sensation. It's been 8 years since he had a sip of alcohol.
"Holy Shit…" he muttered quietly. He that the liquid was Everclear, but for all he knows this could be moonshine or Krogan liquor concoction. Or something close. But when he tested it later, carefully, he realized something else. It was flammable. Very flammable. Jasen smiled faintly.
He knew distractions didn't need to be big. They just needed to be loud and confusing enough, and this stuff will be a perfect distraction.
As he continued mapping. The Emergency exits. Security rotations. Drone and turret docking points. Power junctions. And what doors need admin level access. He also found walls that were under construction. He planned multiple escape routes, but so far the best route was to leave from the roof, and use his biotics to launch him into the ocean.
The loudest one involving fire, explosions, and his biotics, and a lot of force. But this was his absolute last resort.
He didn't want to fight Yelara or Sula. They would over power him in a instant. And he absolutely did not want to fight Ela. He had a feeling she do something far worse then fighting, and beating him. Hell she might even help him, but he doubt she would do that out of the kindness of her heart.
Not to mention the the security forces here would outnumber him instantly. He couldn't tell if the weapon systems infinite ammo heating system. Like the first Mass effect game, or if they just use thermal clips in the later games. Jasen just assumed a mix of both, until he found out otherwise. He knew he couldn't use a gun yet either way. His damn hands were still to hold one properly, but he should still take one one to be safe.
He also didn't know how powerful Doctor's Kline's, Korgath's or Vorath's, biotics are. Or if anyone else in the facility have biotic abilities.
One night, curiosity pushed him further. He sneaked into Dr. Kline's office. He knew if he wanted to find out more about this project, and the reason for his existence. Then this place will have the answers. The only problem was he didn't have a omni tool, to hack any terminals or safes she might have.
He slipped in through the vent ,and dropped silently onto the floor. The office was dark, illuminated only by the faint glow of the city hologram on the far wall.
Jasen moved slowly. The first thing he noticed was a window behind her desk. He walked up to and, noticed it was a viewing window to his old room was still there. So this is why there was a mirrored ceiling.
He felt a flicker of relief that he demanded a new room, and had left that space behind. Jasen proceeded to look through the office and noticed a terminal, the screen illuminated the dark room. When he tried to access it, he was stopped as he noticed he needed a password or biological key. He knew that he shouldn't press his luck so, he turned to leave, but as soon as he did his kinetic vision picked up movement.
Someone was coming in and fast. He dove under the couch just as the door hissed open.
Dr. Kline entered, but she wasn't alone. Matriarch Yelara followed her inside. Jasen went still as he watched beneath the couch.
Kline spoke first, relaxed in a way he had never seen before. "Everything is progressing better than expected."
Yelara's voice was softer than usual. "He's adapting beautifully. I believe he might be ready." Kline opened her desk and withdrew a small vial of deep-blue liquid, pouring it into two glasses. Alcohol from what Jasen could tell.
Jasen felt a sensation and vision, come over his mind. The constant tension that defined Kline's presence was gone. Her posture loosened. Her voice warmed. Yelara's mind hummed faintly in happiness.
The two drank, and talked, and laughed quietly. Nothing of important was said. Jasen just controlled his breathing and made sure to not be noticed. That's when he saw something that surprised even him.
Then they kissed.
Jasen's sensed the emotional echoes, their pheromonal traces, their intimacy bleeding into his psychic perception. The two ladies got hot and steamy. Clothes were getting taken off and moaning was heard. Jasen was sighing internally this was the last place he wanted to be now. And hearing that bitch of a woman getting off with a sexy asari, was like a nightmare. He wish he could be blind and deaf in that moment.
The two women naked then moved onto the couch. Right on top of him. The sounds. The heat. The emotions, and the couch pressing close to Jasen face. Jasen new in this moment new he would never look at Kline or the Matriarch the same.
It made his skin crawl. No matter how beautiful they both were, this was very awkward to him .He had to stay frozen while looking at the clock on the wall. it was 10 pm the two finally stopped at 11: 05 pm. After that the two were sound asleep, their breaths even, and their bodies entangled with one another.
Then he slipped back into the vent, and returned to his room. The moment he made it back to his room he showered immediately. He scrubbed until his skin tingled. From that night on, he made sure they were never together when he entered that office again.
But tonight felt different. The facility was quieter than usual. Too quiet, and it wasn't even night time yet. the cafeteria just ended their hours, and no one was even in the lounge area. The security presence was higher, patrols tighter. I even heard word of drones and turrets being activated.
A ghost town load with armed Marshalls. Jasen thought. He knew it was his birthday today. June 13th, 2166.
Jasen finished checking his supplies and made his way to Korgath's office. As soon as he was in front of the door he knocked.
"Come in."
Korgath sat behind his desk, datapad glowing in his massive hands. "Subject 13," he said gruffly. "Happy birthday."
"Thank you," Jasen replied evenly. "You said you had something for me?"
Korgath gestured. "Come here."
Jasen stepped closer.
"Give me your hand." Korgath gestured.
Jasen offered his left arm. Then there was a sharp prick. "Ow...." Subject 13's eyes widen slightly. "Wait I felt that"
Korgath chuckled. "Good. Means it worked."
Then an orange holographic interface flared to life along Jasen's hand and forearm. His eyes widened.
"Is that… an omni-tool?"
Korgath nodded. "Not just any omni-tool. A Synthetic custom-built. It made to integrate into your body perfectly. Won't show up on standard scans. So it can go unnoticed."
Jasen stared at it. A synthetic omni tool that only I can use. This sounds like a dream come true, but the real question is why is he giving me something like this. I could use this to hack my way out of the place, if I wanted to. "Thank you, but why give me something like this?"
Korgath's expression hardened. "Listen, kid. I don't have much time left."
Jasen didn't speak. But he didn't know how to take that statement. Was he dying, was he leaving the facility?
"I didn't find a cure here," Korgath continued. "But I did leave my legacy with you."
He slid a small data chip across the desk. "I know you plan on leaving this place. Whether the others want you to leave or not."
Jasen didn't react. He had to not show any signs that Korgath was right. This could be a trap or a test for all he knew. This omni tool could be a tracker in disguise.
Korgath didn't push. "Good. Means you're smart. Don't show all your cards" He leaned forward. "If you can get off this planet, get this data to a Krogan named Okeer...then my life's work won't die here. I will be able to help my people."
Jasen's breath caught. Okeer. He knew that name. He's a Krogan geneticist who developed Grunt. as a genetically perfect Krogan super-soldier to overcome the debilitating effects of the genophage. And one of the companions from the Mass Effect 2 game.
"You carry the best parts of me," Korgath said quietly.
There he goes again with that statement. Jasen thought.
"You been saying stuff like that for years." Can you explain to me what that means?"
Korgath chuckled. "Figure out what that means yourself kid. Your smart "
Jasen closed his fingers around the chip. " Thank you, Korgath."
"Leave tonight," Korgath said. "Use the omni-tool. It will give you an edge. The moment this place has no more use for you they will get rid of you."
Jasen nodded and turned to go.
Behind him, Korgath murmured, "I hope you made it to Vorath. I hope you keep your promise."
In Dr. Kline's office, her eyes were sharp. As she was on call. "Doctor," a security officer reported. "Dr. Vorath is missing. We cannot find him anywhere in the facility."
Kline sighed internally. "Of course he is."
She nodded once. "Monitor closely. But know this he is a Salarian Spectre. If he doesn't want to be found, you won't find him."
"Yes, ma'am."
"What about the Krogan?"
"In his office. Subject 13 just left."
"And the Asari?"
"Matriarch Yelara is in her quarters. Sula is in hers. Ela just left her room."
Kline's lips curved faintly. "Understood. Two hours remain in the window. Maintain full level alert status."
"Yes ma'am."
Jasen sat on his bed, manipulating the omni-tool interface with growing ease. The system responded instantly to him activating and deactivating it. It had a blade projection. Hacking modules. Environmental mapping, and more.
Korgath had just increase his escape percentage by 20.
Then came the knock.
Knock...knock
They were sharp and close.
Jasen stood. "Who is it?" he asked. But no response.
He stepped toward the door