Mass Effect - Modifications

The desiccated slab lying on the table had once been the first human Spectre. Time spent floating in the void of space, as well as the initial trauma that had killed it, had left little resemblance to Commander Mary Shepard. The lump of flesh sat still as a corpse should, even as needles full of nanites and experimental poultices injected into what had once been veins full of blood.

"Is it even possible, do you think?" Miranda turned to her employer as she asked.

"I will make it possible, Miss Lawson." He responded flatly.

"And what if she decides that a life debt isn't enough?"

"The collective threat to humanity should be enough motivation."

"And if it isn't?"

"That's why our insurance plan is being built in."

The workers of Project Lazarus, both human and mechanical, toiled away diligently in ignorance of the discussion that was happening on the other side of the cameras. The process of bringing one individual strand of DNA back to life was an unprecedented task, to bring enough back to rebuild a human was an expensive pipe dream. One that, to the right set of eyes, might look worth the cost. If anybody in the history of mankind were to be brought back, it was always going to be her. Even leaving aside the amount of recoverable DNA in comparison with anybody else you might want, there was a certain amount of clout to having a figurehead. With enough coaxing, an individual telomere could be reconstructed. Rebuild enough telomeres and you rebuild a chromosome. The ball rolls slowly, but if you can make the initial push, eventually it does roll. If you could get it rolling fast enough, you could rebuild an entire person. Why stop there? Why not build them better than before?

"I wish I shared your confidence." Miranda scoffed.

"I don't need your confidence. Just do your job and make sure she does hers."

"For the record, I never signed up for what you're asking of me." Miranda's fingers turned on the terminal and started punching commands. The baseline was established, the exceptional could start to work. Her lip twitched into a sneer.

"But you will do it. I believe that you believe in the cause, the actions remain up to you to justify." The Illusive Man's broadcast flickered off inside the media room. Miranda could only roll her eyes.