A Glitch in Her System

It was just another routine mission. It was always just another routine mission when things went wrong. The Normandy was called in to take care of some malcontents who'd been causing trouble on the backend of nowhere. They got the job done easily enough, but then there was some kind of accident, and the next thing anyone knew Shepard was lying on her face.

"She's not glowing," Liara said after turning her over, looking at her lovers scarred face, where the usual scarlet cracks in her skin were dark. "Goddess, why isn't she glowing?"

They rushed the the unresponsive Commander back to the ship, where Dr. Chakwas and Dr. Michel went over her with every instrument at their disposal, and consulted with Miranda on any Lazarus components inside the Commander's body. In the meantime, the crew awaited news, no one more so than Liara. She had lost her once. She did not want to lose her again. When she was called down to the infirmary later, she braced herself for the worst.

"It would appear," Dr. Chakwas said, addressing Liara in the same calm, dispassionate tone she used whenever she was on the job, "that Shepard is going to be okay." Liara felt a great weight lift from her. "Based on our examinations, we've concluded that whatever happened led to an excess of electricity running through her cybernetic components."

"She short-circuited?" Liara asked, making sure she was following along with what the doctor was saying.

"In essence, yes," Chakwas stated. "However, all her vitals are stable, and Miranda believes she should regain consciousness as soon as the cybernetics are finished rebooting. There shouldn't be any permanent damage, though she will have to take it slow for a few days. I trust you'll convince her of that necessity?"

"Of course," Liara chuckled. "She's stubborn, but I'm sure I can... persuade her."

"I leave her in your capable hands then. We'll bring her up to her cabin so she can rest comfortably until she wakes up. Dr. Michel will perform a routine check-in every few hours to make sure everything is as it should be. If you require anything else, you know where to find us."

...

That night, Shepard lay tucked in on her bed, while Liara was slouched over on her desk, having knocked herself out with a cocktail of work and worry. Had Liara been awake, she might've noticed her lover starting to stir near what would be thought of as the midnight hour, as a voice called out in the void of Shepard's **** mind.

Emergency System... Online...

Energy levels... Insufficient...

Replenish energy levels immediately...

Consume. Consume. Consume.

"Consume..." Shepard groaned as her scars began to glow.

...

"I'm not following," Miranda admitted. "What's your concern here?'

"The cybernetics in Shepard's body do not match the designs you sent us, Miss Lawson," Chakwas had been trying to get this point across for a good fifteen minutes now. "They're more extensive. Far more extensive in fact."

"It's possible the file I sent you was out of date..."

"No! The scans showed hints of what your information described, but it was as if the cybernetics had... grown."

"Ha!" Miranda laughed mockingly. "Are you sure you're a doctor?"

"Miss Lawson, I'm serious."

"So am I. Metal doesn't grow Dr. Chakwas. Circuitry doesn't expand. Not on its own."

"I don't think it did spread on its own. This is just a theory, but we all know Shepard's more... aggressive proclivities make those cybernetics surface through her face. What if it went deeper? Those implants are more thoroughly integrated with Shepard's mind and body than any other person alive. What if it changed the nature of the machines in ways that weren't predictable? They could be capable of anything... Shepard could be capable of anything..."

...

"Liara..." Shepard groaned. Liara shot awake and raced over to the bed.

"Shepard!" She cried with joy. "Don't try to move. You need rest. You're..." She never got the chance to finish that sentence as Shepard's arms shot from under the covers, throwing them aside in the process, and pulled her down onto the bed. In one swift motion, Shepard rolled the Asari onto her back, and was now on top of her. She leaned down and stuck her tongue down Liara's throat. The Shadow Broker's face went from surprise, to confusion, to relaxation, to bliss as she started to meld her mind with her love's, eyes turning jet black to contrast Shepard's electric red irises. Wait... Were the rest of Shepard's eyes black too? She felt like she should be more alarmed, but it wasn't enough to stop her. She was feeling so hot all of a sudden, like an animal **** for release, something Shepard appeared all too happy to provide. Liara never even realized that there was nothing coming from Shepard's mind, no memories or thoughts, just an overriding animalistic lust.

"Consume..." Shepard muttered. Liara's mind was too foggy to register anything odd about that. Shepard crawled down Liara's body, and with one swift motion tore through her clothes to reveal a clear path to her slit. Moments later Liara felt her lover's tongue enter her and she squealed in delight.

"Ah! Oh goddess..." She felt vibrations hitting all the right places. Goddess how long was her tongue? How did she make it do that? Why did it feel so... cold? Her brief moments of clarity vanished quick as they arrived with the next wave of masterful pleasure. "More... Give me more Shepard... Give me more!" She exclaimed. Shepard obliged, and soon enough Liara was on the very edge of orgasm. She wanted it to last longer, she wanted it to last forever, she wanted to...

She practically screamed when she finally came. However, as she came, she felt more than just her juices spilling out of her. She looked down, and saw that Shepard's hair had turned jet black, and her spine was glowing red, glowing brighter and brighter with each second while the biotic glow around her own body faded. She felt drained, her body felt heavy, and her head was all clouded. She tried to recall names, faces, basic facts about her life... All of them were drained away in an instant. Who was she? She wasn't sure anymore. Her body felt like a ton of bricks; she couldn't move.

"Shepard..." She managed that name at least. "Please... Stop... Something's wrong... I can't think... can't think... can't..." Then her speech was gone. Liara's eyes rolled into the back of her head as all the energy in her brain and body finished flowing out of her and into Shepard.

Harvesting... Complete...

Shepard stood up straight, and retracted her tongue. She looked at the braindead Asari husk, which drooled out of the corner of its mouth. She did not recognize it. She did not care.

Energy levels... Insufficient...

Replenish energy levels immediately...

Consume. Consume. Consume.

At that point, the elevator clicked open...