Chapter 34: The Shadow Broker's Interest
The message arrived through channels so secure I hadn't known they existed—a polite request for meeting embedded in Omega's black market data networks, signed by someone calling herself "Dr. T'Soni, Archaeological Consultant."
"Liara. But the timeline is wrong. She should be on Therum doing Prothean research, not working as an information broker. Something changed her path."
Miranda's expression darkened as she analyzed the message's encryption patterns.
"This routing signature matches Shadow Broker protocols," she said. "Whoever sent this has access to intelligence networks that rival Cerberus. Maybe exceed them."
"She wants to meet at the Afterlife VIP section. Neutral territory, public enough to prevent violence, private enough for sensitive conversation."
"This could be a trap. But it could also be an opportunity. Liara T'Soni working for the Shadow Broker means access to galactic intelligence networks."
I found her waiting at a corner table, and the sight stopped me cold. Liara T'Soni looked exactly as I remembered from the games—blue skin with intricate facial markings, intelligent eyes that seemed to catalog everything they saw, graceful movements that suggested both scholarly study and biotic power.
But something was different. This wasn't the shy archaeologist who'd spent decades in isolation studying Prothean ruins. This was someone who'd learned to navigate galactic information networks, who carried herself with the confidence of professional expertise.
"The timeline shifted. Something made her become an information broker earlier than she should have."
"Marcus Wayne," she said, gesturing to the chair across from her. "The human who integrates alien genetics. You're quite famous in certain circles."
"Dr. T'Soni," I replied, settling into the offered seat while my enhanced senses catalogued everything about her. Biotic potential that made the air shimmer slightly. Intelligent assessment of my own capabilities. Professional curiosity that felt genuine rather than hostile.
"The Shadow Broker is very interested in your IDA System," she continued. "Specifically, its origins and capabilities."
My paranoia spiked, Warlord's Legacy stirring as enhanced aggression responded to perceived threat.
"She knows about the System. How much does she know? How much does the Shadow Broker know?"
Liara must have sensed my tension because she raised her hands in a peaceful gesture.
"I'm not here to acquire you," she said quickly. "I'm here to trade information. You want to know about Collector technology patterns. I have access to data that spans decades. The Shadow Broker has been tracking them since before you were born."
"The Shadow Broker might know about the Reapers. Might be preparing for the cycle. This could be exactly what I need."
"What kind of data?" I asked.
"Comprehensive intelligence on Collector operations across known space. Abduction patterns, technology analysis, predictive models for their strategic objectives." Liara activated a small holographic display. "They've been harvesting small numbers throughout the galaxy for years, building toward something massive."
The data streams showed exactly what my game knowledge had warned me about—systematic collection of human genetic material, construction projects in the galactic core, resource allocation that suggested preparation for something requiring enormous biological resources.
"The Human-Reaper. She's showing me evidence of the project without knowing what it really is."
"They're constructing something," Liara continued. "Something that requires enormous amounts of human genetic material. The patterns suggest a project of unprecedented scale."
I wanted to scream the truth—that the Collectors were building a Human-Reaper as a prototype for harvesting all organic civilization. But my speech curse twisted the words.
"If someone theoretically knew they were building a weapon using human genetics, what would that weapon look like?" I asked instead.
Liara's eyes widened with sudden understanding.
"Theoretically?" she said carefully. "It would look like Reaper technology. Organic and synthetic integration designed for galactic-scale operations." Her voice grew troubled. "Why do you ask?"
I tried to explain my knowledge of the Human-Reaper project, but the curse activated immediately.
"They're building a giant robot made of human smoothie to conduct intergalactic dance competitions!"
Liara stared at me with the expression of someone trying to decode madness that might contain truth.
"She believes I know something real, even if I sound insane saying it. That's more than most people would give me."
"I understand you have... communication difficulties regarding future threats," she said diplomatically. "The Shadow Broker's files contain references to individuals with similar limitations."
"What does the Shadow Broker want in exchange for this intelligence?"
"Biological samples. Non-invasive—hair, saliva, skin cells for genetic analysis. The IDA System represents unprecedented bioengineering. Understanding its mechanisms could revolutionize adaptive medicine."
I considered the offer. Samples that could reveal the System's secrets versus intelligence that could help me understand the scope of what we were fighting.
"The Shadow Broker already knows I exist. Refusing cooperation might make them an enemy. Accepting might make them an ally."
"Agreed."
Liara produced a discrete medical scanner and collected samples with professional efficiency. In exchange, she transferred data files that would take weeks to fully analyze.
[MAJOR INTELLIGENCE GAINED: COLLECTOR LONG-TERM OPERATIONS DATA]
[REAPER TECHNOLOGY ANALYSIS UPDATED]
[SHADOW BROKER NETWORK AWARENESS ESTABLISHED]
[LIARA T'SONI RELATIONSHIP: 25% FRIENDSHIP - SIGNIFICANT FIRST IMPRESSION]
[ASARI BIOTIC HERITAGE DATABASE: 71% → 82% FROM PROXIMITY]
[+300 XP FROM SIGNIFICANT PLOT DEVELOPMENT - 1400/4500 TO LEVEL 9]
As she prepared to leave, I made a decision that could ripple across the timeline.
"Liara T'Soni," I said. "You're going to face impossible choices soon. Trust your instincts, protect the people you love, and don't let anyone tell you archaeology is useless—sometimes the past is the only way to save the future."
She stopped, startled by my use of her full name.
"How do you know about my research? My family?"
"Because in my timeline, you become one of the most important people in the galaxy. Because you help save everyone. Because you matter more than you know."
"I see patterns," I said simply. "And your pattern leads somewhere important. Stay alive to reach it."
Liara studied my face with the intensity of someone trying to solve an equation missing critical variables.
"The Shadow Broker's files mention you've demonstrated prophetic capabilities. Limited precognition regarding galactic threats."
"That's one way to explain game knowledge, I suppose."
"If you ever need the Shadow Broker's resources," she continued, "you have a friend in his organization. Thank you for the warning, cryptic as it was."
[NEW QUEST THREAD: "THE SHADOW BROKER'S GAME"]
[LONG-TERM ARC ESTABLISHED - WILL INTERSECT WITH LIARA'S ME2 STORYLINE]
After she left, Miranda and I reviewed the Shadow Broker intelligence in our laboratory. The scope was staggering—Collector operations across dozens of systems, resource allocation patterns that confirmed my worst fears about the Human-Reaper project's scale.
"This confirms everything you've warned about," Miranda said, her face pale as she processed the implications. "The Collectors aren't random raiders. They're harvesting components for something that requires millions of humans."
"Millions. Not thousands. The full scope of what the Reapers planned."
"We need to warn someone," she continued. "The Alliance, the Council, somebody with the resources to mount a defense."
I explained why we couldn't—my speech curse making me sound insane, the lack of proof people would believe, the possibility that premature interference might make things worse.
"All we can do is prepare," I said. "Get stronger. Be ready to fight when the time comes."
Miranda hated the answer, but she understood the constraints. Professional frustration warred with personal trust as she accepted that sometimes knowledge without power to act was its own form of torture.
My omni-tool chimed with an encrypted message from Liara:
"Thank you for the warning about impossible choices. I'll remember your advice about archaeology and the past. If my research uncovers anything relevant to the patterns you see, I'll share what I can. - LT"
I smiled despite the weight of approaching catastrophe. Building alliances across the timeline, one impossible conversation at a time. Planting seeds that might grow into the support network we'd need when the real war began.
Outside Omega's viewports, space looked peaceful and innocent. But somewhere in that darkness, Collector ships continued their harvesting operations while ancient intelligences prepared for the next phase of galactic extinction.
The Shadow Broker knew we existed now. Liara T'Soni would remember our meeting when her canonical storyline resumed. And I had intelligence that confirmed the scope of what we were facing.
Knowledge was power. But knowledge was also burden.
The real question was whether either would be enough when Harbinger returned with reinforcements.
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