(MS) No

The Captain moves away from the object and shakes her head clear from the ideas of opening the box. Just in time because the bay doors open to reveal the Shadow Broker's liason.

A azure-skinned asari with voluptuous breasts in a skin tight suit with a lab coat waited in front of the cargo bay. Her deep blue skin accented but her pink lips combined with her blue eyes made for a drop dead gorgeous asari. Although her ass and legs were covered by the lab coat, one can tell that she had a surplus in the ass department as well. With an impatient look on her face, the asari quickly stepped aboard to inspect the artifact. She quickly approached the artifact without hesitation. The captain runs up to both stop the asari from getting within range of the object and also security concerns.

"Password." "Password." "PASSWORD!" yelled Captain Guranpi.

The asari who was deeply intrigued by the artifact barely heard her and only responded when a pistol was fired in the air.

"Next one will be a little closer if you choose to ignore me again," threatened Captain Guranpi.

The asari who just seemed to notice she was not alone in the room responded, "Password? What password? Oh yeah, the password is Atifakuto."

"Glad to see we're finally on the same page. Names Guranpi but you will refer to me as Captain."

"Nice to meet you, my name is Dr. Liara T'Soni and I am a researcher sent by the Shadow Broker himself to transport this artifact to him. I must ask where ever did you find this? Wait don't answer, the Shadow Broker doesn't want to know." Liara making sure to keep up the masquerade of the young and dumb researcher and not the illusive Shadow Broker.

"You done? You talk faster than a jackrabbit on coffee, damn. Where is my payment?"

Liara hands her the credit chit for her payment and radios for the forklift to carry the container to her shuttle.

"You have hazmat suits I hope? If not for a few extra credits I can loan you a few," says Captain Guranpi hoping to make a few more bucks on this job as the good paying ones are few and far between.

"Um, hazmat suits? I thought the container keeps out all radiation. Are you sure you sealed the container right?" responds Liara as she both played the part of dumb researcher and also wanted to be reassured that the container was secured by the team.

"Yes hazmat suits, Doctor. For when you take the artifact out? I don't know about you but I've seen what this artifact can turn people into and it isn't healthy," says Captain Guranpi trying to both reassure Liara and salvage a few more credits.

"Oh, we have those at home base. But thank you for the offer," finishes Liara to the great disappointment of the Captain. The dockworker arrived with a forklift and hauls the container away. The two asari shake hands and part ways.

Liara boards her shuttle for the short ride to Haglaz to study the artifact and its effects. Liara circled around the Citadel to ensure she was not followed and made the trip to Haglaz. Routed through a few mass relays to be thorough, Liara arrived home to the Shadow Broker ship.

She pulled into the landing pad on the shuttle deck. Upon opening the door to the shuttle, Liara is immediately greeted by the Shadow Broker's VI drone.

"Welcome back, Shadow Broker. Is there anything I can help you with at this moment?”

"No," Liara responded walking briskly to the vehicle room to get a forklift. Although Liara's biotics are strong, a twenty ton container is too much for any biotic. As Liara makes her way to the garage, she waves to Feron who came through the door moments ago. Starting the forklift's engine, Liara expertly drives the forklift to the shuttle and lifts the container out of the shuttle.

Driving the forklift with twenty tons on the front is more difficult than the dockworker made it look but after a few dings and scratches, Liara made it to the lab.

Steering the forklift back to the garage was easy allowing her to talk with Feron for as short while.

"Glad to see the Shadow Broker came back in one piece," remarked Feron. The drell stayed at the Shadow Broker's ship with Liara. They were old friends and although some circumstances **** the drell and the asari in close contact, Liara maintained her constant relationship with Commander Shepard, much to the dismay of the very horny and very lonely drell.

"Well the Shadow Broker has to do her dirty work every once and awhile. Besides you are the Shadow Broker as much as I am. Its good to be home, Feron," responded Liara.

Liara and the drell made their way back to the lab with the drell appraising Liara of the Shadow Broker's moves today. At the doorway of the lab, the duo split up, Feron to man the Shadow Broker terminal and Liara to study the artifact.

"Keep me updated of your progress and get out the lab every day," said Feron as he walked to the comm center of the ship.

"Of course Feron. And no promises on the lab part."

Liara donned the hazmat suit and she opened up the container. The grey, discus shaped object glinted light off its dull surface as Liara got her first true look at the artifact. She used large tongs to lift the object out of the container and she placed the artifact in a containment field made of gravitron particles making it theoretically impenetrable. Carefully disposing of the suit and tongs in a hazardous waste bin, Liara entered the lab to begin her work.

Day pass like hours to Liara as her natural home is in the lab. But after almost two full weeks, the object has only raised more questions than answers. There is microscopic writing etched on the disc in some dialect she had never seen. Liara couldn't find the source of the radiation. Every test she ran came back negative. Even isotope reading didn't place the metal on the periodic table.

Frustrated and tired, Liara took a stroll around the ship to clear her head. She headed to the kitchen in hopes that a little food may help her get some traction. Upon finishing preparation of the sandwich, Liara is greeted by the Shadow Broker VI.

"Hello, Shadow Broker. Is there anything I can help you with at this moment?" it asked in its synthesized voice that is equal parts creepy and friendly.

Liara sighed as she knew that the simple VI is utterly useless in aiding her. Pouring her self a glass of something off the top shelf, she mocks "Not unless you've sudden gained the ability to analyze that Collector device, but thank you anyway..."

Liara knocked back the glass and proceeded to eat her sandwich. She takes a walk around the base with the sandwich while the drone processes the sarcastic comment.

"If you are finding this analysis equipment to be insufficient for your tasks, Shadow Broker, I could direct you to a laboratory that would prove more capable at the task. The SR-2 Normandy, currently commanded by Cerberus Operative Jane Shepard, has both the adequate equipment and AI systems that may be required to analyze such a device," reports the VI.

Liara is taken aback by the report as she had not thought of Shepard or the Normandy since she entered the lab. It struck her odd that a VI would recommend an AI for help but it made sense. Also, it had been a few months since the lovers had embraced and Liara longed to be with her. Liara knew that even with the vast resources of the Shadow Broker it would be very difficult to study the artifact.

Author's Log 3.0
This point is another place where I hope other authors will pick up the story and fly away with it. Again, any characters you need developed in the main thread, make a thread about it.