A mysterious program, Project Blue Collar.

When Liara had received the invitation from Dr. Ann Bryson to tour a Prothean dig site with her, she'd barely finished reading the message before confirming she'd be there. Shepard wasn't thrilled about letting her run off on her own for what was bound to be a few months at least; it wasn't that Liara couldn't handle herself, it was that if something went wrong, she'd rather be there to have her back. Nevertheless, once Liara had made up her mind, she wasn't going to be dissuaded. So with a kiss goodbye and a promise to return, she was off.

When she arrived at the dig site, Dr. Bryson was waiting for her, along with another woman whom Liara presumed to be the doctor's research partner.

"Dr. T'Soni," Bryson greeted her with a handshake. "It's nice to finally meet you in person. Welcome to Project Blue Collar."

"Thank you Dr. Bryson. You and your father's work on the Leviathan of Dis was most commendable. I was saddened to hear of his disappearance." Dr. Garret Bryson had flown off in a mania few months earlier, claiming to have made some kind of great discovery about the Leviathan of Dis. No one had heard from him since and he was presumed dead.

"Dad never could let some of his research go," Ann admitted. "As you can see, however, I moved on. This new project I'm working on... It's quite exciting really." She smiled, a little too widely for Liara's comfort. Her eyes turned to the other woman, who had thus far said nothing and was simply staring intently. She looked familiar somehow. Black hair, wide eyes, smooth skin...

"Oh. Where are my manners? My partner. Dr. Eva Coré. We met a few months ago. She's the one who came to me with the idea."

"Nice to meet you, Dr. T'Soni," she said in a taciturn voice, outstretching her hands.

"Yes... Nice to meet you doctor..." Liara didn't get a chance to finish that sentence because the moment she took Eva's hand, the doctor tightened her grip and a surge of electricity ran through Liara's body, causing her to black out.

...

The next thing she knew, she was naked, and strapped to some kind of surgical table in a softly lit room. Dr. Coré was standing in front of her unblinkingly, keeping watch no doubt.

"Where am I?" She grumbled. She intended to sound more forceful, but she was still shaking off the drowse. "What did you do to me..."

"Oh a simple electrical discharge," a new voice said. Liara looked up to see a dark-skinned woman with long hair step through the door with Dr. Bryson at her side. "How do you like the new model by the way Dr. T'Soni? Eva here is a bit more sophisticated than the model we gave the Normandy, and unlike EDI, she has no independent streak to worry about. She'll never let something like 'feelings' get in the way of her loyalty."

"You... You work for Cerberus don't you?"

"Work for Cerberus..." She chuckled. "Doctor, I am Cerberus."

"Something tells me that the Illusive Man might take umbrage with that claim..."

"The Illusive Man is gone. I'm in control now." Liara tried not to look surprised. None of her contacts mentioned anything about the Illusive Man being dead or missing and she imagined Miranda would be bawling her perfect eyes out if he was. Yet the conviction in this woman's voice...

"And who might you be then?" She asked dismissively.

"A woman of a thousand faces. You may call me Maya Brooks," she smiled. Her eyes were predatory as she scanned over Liara's naked body. "You see Liara, Cerberus has been trying to secure humanity's rightful place in the galaxy for years and we've been doing it completely the wrong way. Intimidation, extortion, ****, terrorism... All this and more with nothing to show for it. Then I read Dr. Bryson's research about the Leviathans, and I found a better way."

"The creatures my father and I were investigating developed the means to dominate the minds and bodies of other organisms to serve them," Bryson explained. "Combined with the technology from the Collector base your beloved provided, and we've been able to emulate the effect. We can't do it from across the galaxy, but we can also do it without risking the health of the subject. We want them to serve us for a long time, all their knowledge and experiences put to better use... That is Project Blue Collar." Dr. Bryson joined in the manic grins, like everyone was in on some sick joke Liara wasn't getting.

"Don't you get it yet? Why destroy when you can dominate? And what better place to start domination than with the high and mighty Asari?" Brooks proclaimed. "With your mind melding, it's going to be all too easy."

"What?"

"Oh I've done enough explaining. I think a practical demonstration is in order now. Dr. Bryson, are we quite ready?"

"Say the word."

"In that case, Eva, would you please lower the hood over our guest?"

"As you wish," Eva said in a monotonous mechanical voice. She walked forward and reached up to the ceiling, dragging down a metal hood from the ceiling and locking it in place over her face. It started to hum, and Liara instinctively screwed her eyes shut.

"See you soon, Liara," Maya said, exiting the room. "What is it your people always say? Embrace eternity..."

Dr. Bryson threw a switch, and the hood filled with blue light. Liara tightened her eyes even further, only for them to jolt open when the table suddenly electrified. In seconds, her eyes turned black as the light filled her mind. Against every fiber of her being, she found herself becoming aroused. Her thoughts became connected to the intrusive light that filled every corner of her mind, burning away any stray thoughts, and focusing her solely on the transfer of information within. With each new thought the light implanted in her head, a shudder of sexual pleasure ran through her body, like an intimate partner penetrating her very being. Her brain was being reprogrammed. Where the machine ended and she began was becoming increasingly difficult to tell. It was as they said, they wanted her knowledge and experiences intact, but the rest of her was not needed. Her personality, her identity, her very sense of self, all of this was irrelevant to their purposes, and so they washed it away in a sea of pleasure. By the end of it, her body no longer reacted even to these sensations, as she had not been authorized to feel anything.

When the light finally faded, Dr. Liara T'Soni faded with it, leaving behind only a puppet waiting for someone to pull her strings. The hood raised and the restraints unlocked, and Dr. Bryson watched as Liara stepped off the table and to attention, her expressionless face devoid of all emotion. She smiled as she watched Liara's brainwashed body walked out the door towards a pre-programmed destination.

As Liara marched obediently through the halls of the Cerberus facility, she passed room after room filled with her fellow Asari, all being processed by the dozens in machines similar to the one she had just experienced. The Asari were known to be adventurous in their youth. Some became dancers, some became soldiers, some simply traveled, some did all of the above and more. That's what these were, young women away from home for the first time, who no one would miss if they were never heard from again.

She passed some naked prisoners being led down the halls. When they saw her, they looked horrified, as in her blank face and mechanical movements they saw a reflection of their own futures. One even began to weep as she realized the destiny that awaited her. It was a waste; she should have made the last emotions she would ever feel more pleasant.

Liara, of course, noticed none of this. She was only aware of her objective. She stepped into the hanger of the Cerberus facility, climbed into a waiting automated shuttle, and sat rigidly in one of the seats as it took off. She stared blankly forward for the whole trip, never moving, never reacting, just waiting. When the shuttle finally did set down, she stood up and continued her march as if there had been no interruption. She walked down corridor after corridor in the same rigid walk until she came upon her destination.

Inside the Illusive Man's old office, Maya Brooks sat in front of a holographic display, reading reports from across the galaxy.

"Mmm..." She moaned to herself. Her eyes trailed downwards to between her legs. She wasn't wearing any pants, and the head of Dr. Coré was pressed against her wet pussy, her synthetic tongue vibrating as it pressed deeper and deeper. "Oh Eva... Did I ever tell you how wonderful you are?"

"I exist to serve you, mistress," she said, then returned to her duties. Maya peered through the holograms and saw Liara standing in the doorway, her naked body on full display.

"Ah! Dr. T'Soni! I see they finished with you just as expected. How are you feeling? Did you enjoy our little treatment?"

"I feel nothing that you do not wish, mistress," Liara replied in a robotic tone.

"Exactly..." Maya replied with a devilish grin. "Now come here. Eva will be finished soon, and I want to experience everything your body has to offer."

Liara complied, stepping forward and allowing the door to slide shut behind her. Maya grinned. She knew Shepard wasn't expecting her love to be back on the ship for months. She knew there would be plenty of time to get intimately acquainted with the former doctor.

But then again, there was no time like the present to get started.