"Warm" Reception

Isolation was expected. Unlike the others, she had arrived on a shuttle alone, face stiff and eyes unflinching as she met the few gazes that lingered on her. Outside, cold howling winds blew, sending chills down her spine at the chill from the open hangar doors. The shuttle wasted little time once she disembarked, turning and disappearing into the blizzard outside without a pause. For a moment, she only watched the rapidly vanishing silhouette, as the hangar doors ground shut with a silent finality. There was no turning back now.

“Buchan.” A figure approached, face hidden beneath the blackened visor of their armour. The voice was masculine, as far as she could tell, nodding lightly as he drew closer.  “Director Luvgren is giving an introductory speech to the new recruits.” Her frown quickly made her opinion known, and the figure crossed their arms. “You’re one of them. And it is mandatory.” The voice carried with it just the faintest echo of threat, and in most situations, she’d have taken the man to task for it right there.

The slow coiling of his armoured knuckles gave her pause, and she nodded in compliance. “Alright. Show me the way.” The armoured man simply shook his head, turning partially to point towards the lone exit to the hangar, dark text across the bulkhead reading “PROCESSING”. She looked to the man for a moment, as he jerked his head roughly towards the door.

“Walk.”

Eyes narrowing the slightest degree, she never the less complied, even footsteps echoing in the soundless hangar bay. The facility did not welcome the same way most did, and the back of her mind mused sourly over the reason. Was it the isolation? She came to a stop in front of the door, taking a moment to swipe her hand across the interface, prompting the doors to open with a laboured groan. It was a far cry from the perfect shine and pristine efficiency of most bases she’d visited. It felt…old. Almost…forgotten.

A stiff jab to the spine startled her forward, and Buchan could barely contain the slight yelp from the unexpected hit. Looking over her shoulder, she came face to face with the guard’s visor, and an unfamiliar feeling settled in the pit of her stomach as the man loomed over her. “The Director is waiting on you, Buchan. Get moving.” She opened her mouth for a moment, and the figure’s head tilted downwards slightly, as if daring her to speak.

She buckled under the gaze, and continued into Processing. The room was small, a few meters across, and dominated by two large doors, one connected to featureless room with a small metal bench, which the man promptly ushered her inside. The door hissed shut behind her, and Vala drew in a sharp breath at the cold, still air inside the little chamber. Opposite where she entered, another door sat, it’s interface dark and dormant, just like the one behind her. To her left, sat a long observation window, no doubt reinforced and completely bullet-proof. The room behind it was dark, the faint movement of figures barely discernible through the shadows.

After a minute of silence, a single intercom above her head crackled to life, and a feminine voice addressed her. “Operative Vala Katharina Buchan, Cerberus ID Tag Classified, Born 2159, recruited in 2178. First Element Zero exposure in utero. No known tumours or malignant growths from exposure. Biotic capability is weak with potential for growth.” The voice droned on, reading off a few other meaningless measurements to confirm it was indeed her, before the figure on the other side of the glass stirred slightly.

“Alright, Buchan.” A small compartment slid out from the wall with a light hiss, and she wasted little time approaching the glass wall to look inside the compartment. A dull grey uniform with the logo of Cerberus emblazoned on the breast and shoulder sat inside, neatly folded and ready for use. “Place your belongings in the slot, and get yourself changed.” Her eyes flicked up to the glass, glaring at the darkened figure. “Either you do it, or we do it for you. Make this easy on yourself, cause the boys certainly won’t.”

After a moment of silence, she nodded sharply in compliance, tossing the duffle bag from her shoulders into the slot, and pulling the uniform out. Vala wasted little time putting as much distance as the small room permitted between her and the glass, face tinting with red but her eyes burning with anger. Did they think she was going to smuggle in a weapon? Shedding the light grey jacket, she hesitated with the hem of her long sleeve shirt for a moment, before pulling it over her head and placing it on the small bench. The air sent a chill racing down her spine, and the warm lining of the uniform looked more inviting, prompting her to pick up the pace. As soon as the jeans dropped to her feet, the intercom crackled again.

“Spread your arms, Buchan.” She half turned to give the speaker a furious look, but the feeling of being on display made her comply quickly to end the humiliation. The room was quiet for a brief second, before twin panels above the doors opened to reveal a pair of simple scanners, that pulsed and examined the room with a blue and white grid, before retreating back into their nooks. It was a moment later before the intercom crackled again. “Alright. Get dressed, you’re clean.”

Pulling on the uniform quickly, Vala barely had time to straighten it before the door across from the one she’d entered lit up slightly, parting to reveal a pair of armoured figures, one shorter and less stout than the other, which she could only assume was the same one from the hangar. Their armour made them all look slightly alike, as the shorter one took a step into the room. “We need to hurry.” It was the same voice from the intercom, identical in sound when it came from the external speakers of her helmet.

Vala nodded promptly, taking the cue that her belongings were to be left here and following the figure out the door. The two escorted her swiftly down the dimly light hall, and she couldn't help but wonder what exactly she’d gotten herself into by agreeing to this. She’d been told nothing of the facility or it’s staff,  the Illusive Man simply insisting that it was an opportunity she would be a fool to miss. The larger guard stopped before a door, smaller than the others they had passed, with a faded label that read “ATRIUM”.

The door hissed open, and the pair stepped aside, motioning for her to enter. Crossing the threshold tentatively, Vala blinked rapidly to adjust her eyes to the searing bright lights that flooded the atrium. Once her vision had adapted, she gave her surroundings a quick once over, only to find every face in the room turned to watch her in disturbing unity. At the front of the room, and standing atop a slightly elevated platform, was the only armoured man she’d seen since her arrival without a helmet.

Back straight, and shoulders broad, the grey haired man’s face turned the slightest inch to regard her for a moment. The face staring down at her was gaunt, with steel eyes deeply set into his skull, and it spoke little of what thoughts snapped through his mind. But what caught her most off guard was the perfect control lurking behind his knowing gaze, tempered by fires she’d no doubt ever know. It chilled her, cutting through her body like a sharpened knife.

When he spoke, the room turned once more in unison to look back at him, every soul present standing in rigid formation save for her. “Recruit Buchan.” His voice was low, an unassuming thing that crept up on you with it’s intensity, as he rested a gauntleted hand on the small podium before him. “I trust this tardiness will not set the tone for the entirety of your stay with us?” She shook her head, and his lips, set firmly into a thin line, tightened the slightest amount. “Speak, when I ask you a question, Recruit.”

Vala swallowed, before meeting his gaze proper. “Sir, No, Sir.” He gave no sign of approval, gesturing to a lone vacant spot at the head of one of the ‘ranks’ of other recruits. She moved quickly towards the designated spot, barely glancing at the other members as she passed. They were young, younger than her by a few years, each of them stone faced in the presence of the Director’s presence. Some brows were beaded with sweat, while others had a cold intensity that mirrored Luvgren’s. It wasn't overly difficult to find out who had been with facility for longer.

Director Luvgren examined the gathered bodies, little more than fifty young men and women, before his voice boomed in the small space. “May I be the first to properly welcome our newest recruits. You have been chosen, by both myself and the Illusive Man, to be part of a fundamental undertaking for the betterment of humanity. Biotics, as each of you should know, are one of the greatest and most untapped resources humanity has available, and yet the Alliance remains…still on their development. A few experiments, perhaps, but nothing large enough to truly unlock the human potential.” He barely moved as he spoke, words cold and echoing in the atrium, as his eyes roved the rows. They never lingered longer than a moment, but for the brief second she felt his gaze upon her, Vala felt the intensity lurking in his voice.

“With this in mind, I welcome you to Project Phoenix. Here, we simply have one goal above all others. The advancement, and betterment of humanity, regardless of cost.” Folding his hands behind his back, Luvgren continued. “You will find none of the luxury Cerberus often affords it’s operatives in my facility. Some of you are fresh from recruitment, others have decorated careers behind them, but the moment you stepped from the shuttles, that changed. Each of you is a recruit in my eyes. Raw, untapped, but with a sliver of promise that you could become something better than what you are now.” Stepping round his small podium, Luvgren descended from the raised platform, the powerful, purposeful strides carrying him among them.

“You will be tested. Each of you will learn the weaknesses that hamper you, and the drives to overcome them. I will not promise an easy journey. I will not guarantee all of you will survive. But to those of you with the capability, I can say this.” The man stopped, standing mere inches from Vala, forcing her to crane her neck slightly to look the man in the eye. “You will not leave this facility the same person you entered it.”

“Task leaders have been assigned, and each of you will have a bunk. Learn your bunk-mates names, and familiarize yourself with the facility.” One of the Atrium walls hissed apart, revealing what looked to be a rather meager mess hall, and no real kitchen in sight. A few armoured guards stood silent, no doubt watching the recruits from behind the faceless visors. “Once you've been sorted, we shall open the mess for a half hour. Eat quickly, and well. This will not be a luxury to rely on. You are dismissed.” 

The recruits snapped to attention, saluting the director before they began to disperse into the mess hall. The clamour of the guards rose above the din, directing the group towards the living quarters portion of the facility, but before Vala could take a step, she felt the cold touch of metal through the thin fabric of her uniform. She half turned, un-surprised when she met Luvgren’s cold gaze, his hand retracted and neatly folded in the small of his back. “Sir?”

“We have need to speak in private, recruit.” The man turned slowly, beckoning she follow with a subtle nod of his head. She complied, walking at a respectful distance behind him, her steps silent next to the echoing thumps of his armoured greaves. The small door hissed open at Luvgren’s approach, and he wasted little time stepping through it into the dimly lit hall within. Even though she doubted she had seen more than a quarter of it, it was difficult not to wonder how long such a base had been operating for it to seem so…rundown.

The hall felt as if it hadn't seen true maintenance since it’s creation, thick colonies of rust hugging the feint cracks that chilled the length of it with the cold tundra air of the world outside. More than once she feared that her foot might collapse through a particularly weakened section, but the director’s smooth powerful stride was weathered without complaint, so she persevered. After what could only be described as a silent march, Luvgren paused before the lone bulkhead connected to the hall, tapping a series of keys on it’s orange haptic interface as his breath misted against the cold metal.

With an automated hiss, the door slide open, and Vala found herself without words. Inside was unlike the rest of the base, and if she had not walked down the battered hallway herself, it would be difficult to believe the two shared any relation at all. Sleek black tile covered the floor, a familiar design she recognized from her conversations with the Illusive Man, leaving little doubt as to the inspiration for the decor. A lone, sleek black desk stretched from the right wall, curving slightly into a small L shape to create a more ‘enclosed’ work space. The surface was organized with a sense of perfection, not a single item left haphazardly placed or unorganized. A lone picture frame hung from the wall beside it, an image of Luvgren and a younger man who bore a striking resemblance to him, likely a son.

 Behind the desk, sat an large chair craft of actual wood, likely mahogany, a rarity she’d never truly seen in the age of advanced plastics and polymers. Two more simple, open back polished black chairs sat before it, space evenly apart and aligned symmetrically so as not to block the view of the door from the desk.

The back wall composed of little more than a grand bay window, stretching across the length of the room to showcase a beautiful view of the glaciers beyond, the soft howling of wind echoing faintly through the glass. A soft indentation along the left wall was all the sign of the door’s presence, but she concluded it likely lead to the Director’s personal quarters. Pressed flush to the wall beside the door, a unmarked cabinet stood, and Vala could only guess as to it’s contents.

Luvgren circled round his desk with the same cold decorum he had shown in the atrium minutes before, and she took the unspoken cue to enter the room proper as he settled into his chair. The graying man said nothing at first, powering up the orange screened terminal before thumbing his way through several small data pads on his desk and selecting one. “Sit.” He intoned, retrieving a small pair of silver framed reading glasses from their case beside his terminal.

Vala complied quickly, sinking into one of the chairs without delay. She already had an inkling the man cared little for those who followed orders, and displeasing him this quick into her stay would be tantamount to spitting in his face. A few minutes passed in silence, Vala sitting rigid in her chair as Luvgren’s eyes carefully examined the information on the data pad before him. On occasion, she’d fidget with her fingers, or shift slightly, but every movement brought Luvgren’s eyes snapping to her own, and the cold fire within would freeze her stiff.

His eyes finished their reading, and he set the data pad back into the pile, taking just a moment to align it perfectly with the others before resting his chin on laced fingers. “ You've come with quite the high billing, Miss Buchan. The Illusive Man seems to see something resembling potential in you.” The short, clipped tone he spoke in gave her no illusions of praise, the Director’s eyes seeming to scrutinize every inch of her as he spoke. “What, I ask, has given that impression?”

She hadn't expected a question, and blinked in surprise. “Sir?” Luvgren straightened slightly, and she cleared her throat quickly to answer. “I would assume my record of capability and drive, sir.”

“Capability, yes. Was it your capability that failed in the neutralization of the Ardat Yakshi on Illium? Your utter inability to defeat a mere armourer? Was it capability that lead you to disobey direct orders and then risk a superior operative’s life when you couldn't handle an outcome you should have prepared for?” Vala’s mouth opened lightly to retort, but Luvgren ignored it, his eyes burrowing in on her. “And your drive? Miss Buchan, your objective was to unify the commanders of Omni-cell, and yet one of them is near dead, another in a coma, and two of which have gone rogue?”

“Sir, with all due respect-”

“All due respect? You have nothing to speak of when it comes to respect, Buchan. I have been given access to your complete file, and while your past record may have been impressive enough for the Illusive Man, I will not praise you so readily, nor will I give you anything baring semblance to respect.” Luvgren’s neutral had given way to a biting cold that tore into her, every sharp truth ripping at the commando’s pride like a knife. “You have been sent to me for training, but I do not see a solider in need of new skills. I see a woman who must be re-taught what it is to truly be a soldier.” He paused for a moment, nostrils flaring. “Do I make myself clear, Buchan?”

She opened her mouth, attempting to respond, but nothing came. “I said, do I make myself clear, Buchan?” She slouched in the seat, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment.

“Crystal, sir.”

“Sit up when I speak to you, recruit.” She nodded, straightening her back and holding the man’s gaze, although she wanted little more than to wither away from the blistering intensity which he glared at her. “If I were to have any say, you’d not leave Project Phoenix until I deemed you fit, or you were in a body bag, Buchan. But the Illusive Man wants you on your feet immediately, for reasons he chose not to disclose. As it stands, we have just under two months to prepare you.” His face straightened back into it’s neutrality, as he took a moment to select one of the data pads from his pile. “Your training with Slatton was extensive, but there are areas that I want to see improvement in. Chief among them are your biotics. In a week, we will be implanting you with the Phoenix bio-amps.”

“Sir, I don’t have any amplification ports.” 

Luvgren didn't look up from his data pad. “We will be installing them. Primarily in your forearms, but there will be a few others along the spine.” Before she could even utter a slight protest, Luvgren held up his hand for silence. “These are non-negotiable. If you intend to be part of Project Phoenix, then you will live with it’s requirements of you.” Vala swallowed, before nodding lightly. “Good. I have a basic schedule laid out for your first week. I expect you to follow it to the letter.”

He slid the data pad across the desk, watching her silently as she retrieved it. Vala’s eyes flicked over the information, glancing up only once in confirmation before studying the text even harder. Biofeedback therapy would swallow the majority of her morning, followed by several hours of physical training, advanced combat drills, and what read simply as biotic boot camp. A scant few precious hours were given for sleep, before it would begin all over again. There wasn't even any mention of eating. “Sir…will I have time to eat on this schedule?”

Luvgren simply raised his brow. “That rests solely upon you, Buchan.” He spared a glance towards his terminal, a dark humourless chuckle rolling from his lips. “But I suggest you hurry. The mess hall will be closing in ten minutes, and I am not about to make exceptions just for you.” Vala grit her teeth, taking a slow breath before rising from her chair and saluting the director. “You are dismissed, recruit.”

Turning sharply on her heel, Vala nearly stormed from the office, feeling the cold gaze of her new ‘superior’ boring into her back.