No

Liara’s breath caught as the scanner pinged, the soft chime cutting through the medical bay's sterile silence. Her eyes darted to the readings on the console, her frown deepening as she processed the data. This can’t be right. She glanced at Shepard, who lay on the bed, her chest rising and falling with shallow breaths, her skin flushed, her eyes half-lidded with a mix of confusion and something far more primal.

“Shepard,” Liara began, her voice steady but laced with unease, “I’ve detected something in your neural interface. It’s… a program. Embedded deep within your systems.”

Shepard’s eyes snapped open, her gaze sharp despite the haze that seemed to cloud her mind. “A program? What kind of program?”

Liara hesitated, her fingers hovering over the console. “It’s… it’s Cerberus. Their signature is all over it. It’s designed to override your cognitive functions, to… manipulate your desires.”

Shepard sat up abruptly, her legs swinging over the side of the bed. “Manipulate my desires?” she repeated, her voice low and dangerous. “As in… this isn’t me?”

Liara nodded, her expression grim. “From what I can see, the program triggers a heightened state of arousal, clouding your judgment and amplifying certain… impulses. It’s subtle, almost undetectable unless you’re looking for it. But it’s there.”

Shepard’s fists clenched at her sides, her nails biting into her palms. “Those bastards,” she hissed, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and something else—something raw and uncontained. “They planted this in me? During the Lazarus Project?”

“It would seem so,” Liara replied, her tone softening. “They must have added it as a failsafe—a way to control you if need be.”

Shepard’s breath hitched, her body trembling as another wave of heat surged through her. She pressed her palms against the bed, her knuckles white. “Can you remove it?”

Liara’s eyes flicked back to the console, her fingers moving swiftly. “I can try. But it’s intricately tied to your neural network. Removing it won’t be easy—or painless.”

“Do it,” Shepard growled, her voice strained. “I don’t care what it takes. I’m not letting them turn me into their puppet.”

Liara nodded, her expression hardening with resolve. “I’ll need to enter your neural interface directly. It’s the only way to bypass the program’s safeguards.”

Shepard’s jaw tightened, but she nodded, shifting to make space on the bed. Liara moved to sit beside her, her omni-tool flaring to life as she prepared the connection. Shepard’s heart pounded in her chest, the rhythm erratic, her body still burning with the program’s influence.

“This might… feel strange,” Liara warned as she initiated the link, her voice gentle but firm. “Try to stay as still as possible.”

Shepard’s breath caught as Liara’s consciousness brushed against hers, a sensation that was both familiar and alien. It wasn’t the first time Liara had delved into her mind, but this felt different—more invasive, more intimate. She closed her eyes, focusing on her breathing, though it did little to calm the storm raging within her.

Liara’s presence in her mind was steady, methodical, like a surgeon navigating a delicate operation. But the program wasn’t going to give up without a fight. As Liara probed deeper, the program surged, its defenses activating with a vicious intensity.

Shepard gasped, her body arching as a jolt of electricity shot through her. “Liara—” she choked out, her voice strained.

“I know,” Liara murmured, her voice calm despite the tension in the room. “Just hold on. I’m almost there.”

Shepard’s hands clenched the edge of the bed, her knuckles white. Every fiber of her being felt like it was on fire, the program fighting back with everything it had. But Liara was relentless, her focus unwavering as she dismantled the program’s defenses one by one.

“Almost… got it,” Liara whispered, her voice tense.

Shepard’s breath came in shallow gasps, her body trembling with the effort to stay still. “Hurry,” she managed to rasp, her voice barely audible.

Liara’s omni-tool flared brighter, a final push to break through the program’s core. For a moment, everything seemed to stop—the air in the room heavy, charged with anticipation. Then, with a soft beep, the program’s defenses collapsed.

Shepard’s body went rigid, her breath catching in her throat as the program’s hold on her mind shattered. The sudden relief was almost overwhelming, the fire in her veins cooling to a dull ache. She slumped back against the bed, her chest heaving, her eyes fluttering shut.

“It’s done,” Liara said softly, her voice tinged with relief. “The program is deactivated.”

Shepard let out a shaky breath, her body still trembling from the aftershocks. “Thank you,” she murmured, her voice raw.

Liara nodded, though her expression was still troubled. “But this isn’t over, Shepard. If Cerberus planted one program, there could be others. We need to run a full scan of your systems—make sure there are no more surprises.”

Shepard’s eyes opened, her gaze meeting Liara’s. “You think there’s more?”

“I don’t know,” Liara admitted. “But we can’t take that risk.”

Shepard nodded, her jaw tightening. “Do it. I’m not letting them control me again.”