Massive Disaster 3: Interlude 2

C-Sec Footage Transcript (2436 DP-C2-2A GST)

[FOOTAGE BEGINS: Presidium Level, Near Embassies – 14:37]

[Ambassador Donnel Udina walks briskly across the Presidium Commons, datapad in hand, face set in its characteristic scowl]

REPORTER: [hurrying alongside] Ambassador Udina! Emily Wong, Citadel NewsNet. Can you comment on reports of Alliance Military meetings with Victory Innovations representatives?

UDINA: [not slowing pace] No comment at this time.

REPORTER: Sources indicate Captain Anderson visited Arkadia IV specifically to—

UDINA: [interrupting, pace quickening] I said no comment. The Alliance maintains relationships with numerous human corporations.

REPORTER: But the non-eezo technology could potentially—

UDINA: [stopping abruptly, turning to face reporter] Ms. Wong, the Systems Alliance is pursuing all avenues to strengthen humanity’s position in the galaxy. That is all I have to say on the matter.

[Udina resumes walking, now at an even faster pace]

REPORTER: [following] What about Council concerns regarding—

UDINA: [over shoulder, visibly irritated] Direct your questions to the Alliance Military Press Office. Good day.

[Udina enters embassy doors, which close behind him]

REPORTER: [to camera] As you can see, the Ambassador remains tight-lipped about these developments, but his reaction suggests there may be more to these rumors than—

[FOOTAGE ENDS: C-Sec Security Filter Activated]

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

The screen faded in like it knew you were already judging it. No music. No fake lens flares. Just white—too clean, too big, the kind of white that made everything feel temporary, like someone was about to scrub it all away. Then a shadow cut across it. Long. Low. Fast. You didn’t hear it at first. You felt it. A pressure in your gut. A presence on your skin.

And then it appeared.

Not drove in, not hovered in—just was there. Obsidian black so deep it didn’t reflect, just absorbed. Electric blue veins pulsing like something alive. It floated a few inches off the ground with all the arrogance of something that knew it didn’t need wheels anymore. No engine growl. No hover hum. Just motion.

Then the voice dropped in. Deep, unhurried, like it didn’t care if you bought in or not.

“You don’t have to leave the ground to leave the past behind.”

The V-Coupe V1 slid across a road that wasn’t really a road—steel becoming stone becoming sand becoming something unclassified and red-veined. It didn’t bounce. It didn’t swerve. It didn’t care. Terrain changed. The glide didn’t. Even the dust didn’t cling to it. The field underneath caught everything before it could matter.

“Victory Innovations presents the V-Coupe V1. Surface transportation, redesigned from the field up.”

The camera dipped under it. You saw it: soft glow, pale-blue, pulsing like a heartbeat under pressure. Kinesis field generators sunk flush into the hull, humming just loud enough to remind you there was power happening beneath silence.

“No emissions. No element zero. No excuses.”

Inside was quieter. Cream leather with hex stitching, blue thread like a pulse traced into the seatbacks. Dashless display array. Holographics that moved when you looked. Glass that dimmed when you blinked too long. It didn’t look futuristic. It looked inevitable.

“Let them chase the sky. We own the road.”

The screen split down the middle. On the left side, a conventional wheeled land cruiser jerking across cracked terrain. Passengers bracing inside, their necks tensing and teeth gritted. On the right was the V-Coupe, a single relaxed cool-looking driver inside, the man of Chinese descent and dressed all in black. The terrain was the same but he didn’t move a muscle. The camera shifted to focus on the center console, showing off a single glass of water.

The surface remained flat. Unmoved. Untouched.

“Real-time kinesis correction. Zero drift. Zero skid. Zero roll.”

The V-Coupe approached an impact scenario—a downed branch across a cliffside lane. It didn’t jerk. It didn’t panic. It slowed like it was thinking. Energy shimmered, field caught the kinetic backlash, folded it in, and the car stopped like it meant to.

“One-thousand-two-hundred klicks on a single charge.”

Then coastal—somewhere west of nowhere, ridge winding against a lavender ocean. The sky dimmed. The car didn’t. Reflections moved along the body like memory.

“The V-Coupe V1. When the journey has to feel better than the destination sounds.”

It stopped outside a cliff-mounted home too expensive to describe. The door lifted vertical with a whisper. The Victory Innovations logo floated into frame, blue over black.

“V-Coupe V1. It doesn’t just break the ground. It forgets it was ever there.”

Tiny text blinked alive at the bottom of the screen.

Victory Innovations | Redefining Possible

Pre-order now at select Victory dealerships across the Attican Traverse and Systems Alliance sectors. Starting at 75,000 credits. Extended-range model begins at 100,000. Colonial infrastructure compatibility sold separately.

[SPECIAL TASK GROUP – INTERNAL MONITORING NETWORK]

CONFIDENTIAL – LEVEL 4 CLEARANCE REQUIRED

SUBJECT: ZEDD VICTORS (VICTORS, ZEDD – HUMAN – ARKADIA IV)

DATE RANGE: C2-2J to C2-7Z, GST, year 2436.

FILE #STG-A58110

DATE: 2436 DP-C2-2J GST.

Subject has not been observed on Arkadia IV since 2436 DP-C2-2B GST. Local sensors and port records indicate private transit launch from Providence VI Dock under anonymized cargo manifest. Destination: unlisted. Victory Innovations facilities remain active; proxies appear in control of surface operations. Inference: Temporary absence. Pattern inconsistent with standard business travel.

ADDENDUM: Subject’s known associates (Gov. D. Shen-Abraham, N. Herra, D. Shankar) continue normal operations. Implication: planned departure, not emergency evacuation.

PRIORITY: MEDIUM
OBSERVATION CONTINUATION: APPROVED

FILE #STG-A58344

DATE: 2436 DP-C2-5B GST

Reports from Terminus-linked comms relay intercepted: data burst associated with non-standard propulsion telemetry matching VI encoding protocols. Signature shows deviation from mass effect calibration. Conclusion: Subject is experimenting with propulsion systems outside of Alliance norms. Possibly stasis-tethered or reactionless.

FREQUENCY ANALYSIS: Transmission pattern suggests regular testing cycles. Quantum entanglement components suspected for data security.

PRIORITY: ELEVATED
RECOMMEND: Enhanced signal monitoring of outer Traverse bands.

FILE #STG-B60129

DATE: 2436 DP-C2-5Q GST

Signal triangulation places short-range VI-packet test in an asteroid cluster near Epsilon Nyx, unclaimed system. No planetary installations found. Believed to be a temporary test range or deep space workshop. Subject remains unaccounted for by public channels. Attempts to access encrypted R&D logs unsuccessful.

NOTABLE OBSERVATIONS:

• Energy emissions inconsistent with known mass effect profiles

• Thermal signature suggests fusion-based power source

• Minor element zero signatures detected, but in quantities insufficient for standard ME drives

ASSET DEPLOYMENT: Remote probe authorization requested for Epsilon Nyx system.

FILE #STG-B60780

DATE: 2436 DP-C2-7M GST

Surveillance of Victory Innovations HQ notes no internal alerts, suggesting Subject’s off-world status is sanctioned internally. Several minor component shipments rerouted from Traverse scrapyards—classified under industrial propulsion hardware. No eezo manifests.

SUPPLY CHAIN ANALYSIS:

• Palladium quantities exceed standard manufacturing requirements by 342%

• Iridium shipments inconsistent with documented VI product line

• Thermal regulation equipment suitable for extreme environments

INFERENCE: Subject constructing vessel or facility for deep space operation.

FILE #STG-C63118

DATE: 2436 DP-C2-7X GST

Signal intercepted near Thesius Drift, unregistered ship matching VI kinesis emissions pattern entered low orbit of dead moon. Transient energy spike detected: non-eezo burn, high-efficiency core signature. No official planetary landfall logged. Inference: Subject may be conducting field tests of space-capable vehicles. Craft not currently registered.

VISUAL CONFIRMATION: Negative. Local dust cloud prevented optical identification.

ENERGY ANALYSIS:

• Thrust-to-mass ratio exceeds conventional chemical propulsion by estimated 280%

• No detectable element zero mass effect fields

• Radiation signature suggests contained fusion with unconventional shielding

PRIORITY: HIGH
RECOMMEND: Council Science Division consultation (limited disclosure)

SUMMARY NOTE:

Zedd Victors’ whereabouts between active observation window 2436 DP-C2-2J to 2436 DP-C2-7Z GST remain unconfirmed, but overwhelming telemetry and logistics data suggest:

• He has left Arkadia IV.

• He is likely engaged in classified vehicle development, with a focus on non-eezo propulsion systems.

• Facility location unknown. Suggest deep space modular R&D lab or hidden industrial facility within outer rim of the Terminus.

TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT:

• If successfully developed, non-eezo propulsion would significantly alter galactic trade dependencies

• Potential strategic implications for Council species’ economic leveraging of element zero resources

• Would represent first significant human technological leap not derived from Prothean artifacts

Further Action: Continued observation. Escalate to Assets-in-Field if VI tech begins distribution beyond planetary contracts. Flag any sightings of non-standard propulsion signatures within 100 LY of Arkadia IV.

STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION: Prepare contingency for rapid technological acquisition should prototype prove viable.

– Compiled & Sealed by STG Node 17 (Traverse Sector), 2436 DP-C2-7Z GST

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

The playback opened clean—too clean, even for a press release. No motion blur, no drone flicker, no stabilizer lag. Sirta Foundation’s logo rotated with rehearsed gravitas across an empty black field, twin helices locked around a sharp-rendered caduceus, all sterile branding and none of the warmth they liked to shove into humanitarian statements.

The viewer didn’t move at first. They just sat with the playback on pause, five seconds longer than usual, thumb hovering over the volume glyph. Then the increase. Slight. Deliberate.

The stage came in crisp, the layered depth-field giving the illusion of dimension even in flat display. Fabricated lighting sharpened everything into that soft clinical glare corporations liked to pretend felt “assuring.” Center stage held the podium—standard composite materials with a polished carbon overlay meant to resemble wood. Sirta’s blue backscreen stretched beyond, glowing soft. At its center, Dr. Melissa Chen walked out like she’d never not been in front of cameras.

Lab coat immaculate. Buttoned collar. Hair tight to the scalp in a severe bun that hadn’t moved since the last press circuit. Every feature was angular, intentional. No jewelry, no softener. All precision.

“Today marks a significant breakthrough in medical science,” she began, voice crisp, cadence deliberate. It was the tone of someone who hadn’t needed cue cards in a decade but still rehearsed just to remind you she could. “For decades, medigel has been the standard in emergency field treatment across Council space. Today, Sirta Foundation is proud to announce the next generation in rapid trauma response.”

The shift came on screen without her needing to gesture—two molecular chains rendered in ultra-clear biovisual overlay, one pulsing green for standard gel, one shifting violet-blue for what came next. Most of the viewing public wouldn’t clock the difference. The observer did. Slight fold differential across the third bonding site. Too slight to mention in most documentation. Still there.

She paused the feed, zoomed, and logged the shift. Only then did she resume again.

“We call it Medigel-X,” Chen continued, pivoting into demo footage that now filled the wall behind her—field application, one clean incision along the forearm. The green gel—noticeably less viscous than the standard appearance of medigel, almost fluid—was applied by a faceless tech in Sirta blue. The timestamp ticked in the corner, time-dilation compressing five minutes into thirty seconds.

Wound closure was aggressive. Full epithelial lock in fifty-two seconds, surprisingly enough, with collagen regeneration visibly thicker than baseline.

Chen’s voice overlaid. “A specialized variant that accelerates cellular regeneration by interacting directly with the body’s natural healing processes.”

Translation: biochemical coercion instead of traditional cellular scaffolding. The observer didn’t blink. That part wasn’t new.

“As you can see, Medigel-X demonstrates healing rates two to five times faster than standard formulations, depending on wound severity and tissue type.”

Back to the podium. Chen still hadn’t moved anything but her mouth. Not even a blink. The observer logged the stillness. Controlled breathing, low diaphragm draw. No visible tics.

Who fed you this information, Chen?

“It is important to note,” she said now, and the tone subtly shifted—lighter, like the disclaimer had been smoothed out of legalese but still carried edge. “Medigel-X is currently only compatible with human physiology. Our research indicates strong incompatibility when product is applied to non-human tissue structures. Standard medigel remains the recommended treatment for all Council species.”

Tap-tap. A new note logged there. Same warning as always, but worded differently. “Incompability,” not “potential complications.” Direct warning, not simply hedging to cover their bets, as if this was told to them.

“We’ve already begun the Alliance certification process, and expect Medigel-X to be available for military and emergency service deployment within three months, with civilian market access to follow pending final approvals.”

Another tap. A timeline discrepancy. Previous reports cited twelve months to rollout any new product, medigel or otherwise. Either marketing had moved the date up or someone else had.

Then the question segment.

A salarian stepped forward—Council-accredited, especially as his outfit matched known associates from the Sol-side press pool. Fast cadence, clipped tone, eyes already on the next follow-up. “Dr. Chen, given species-specific nature of product, did Sirta develop independently or in collaboration with human-centric research partners?”

Chen’s smile didn’t flicker. Her face did. Microsecond shift in cheek tension, logged in playback frame-by-frame. Voice still calm. “Sirta is a known collaborator with many independent scientists,” she said, now measured. “Our research partnerships extend across multiple disciplines and organizations, all operating under strict ethical guidelines and oversight.”

The viewer’s eyes narrowed as Chen’s stance shifted, left foot rotating three degrees. Years of experience in espionage didn’t let that go unseen, a classif defensive adjustment. Noted.

“Any other q-questions?”

The stammer, though faint, got its own line on the datapad as the viewer shook her head, dark hair spilling in perfect waves. An automatic flag, if there ever was one.

The rest played out predictably—market forecasts, Alliance integration queries, investor queries wrapped as science interest. Chen navigated with smoother responses now, the momentary lapse buried beneath decades of training.

As the playback began to reach its end, Sirta’s tagline pulsed across the screen: A Healthier Future.

The final frame froze: Chen mid-smile, her teeth just visible under perfect lighting. Behind her, the Medigel-X structure glowed green. Two helices interlocked.

Playback shut off. Silence.

A new line typed cleanly into the search interface, no hesitation:

Sirta Foundation + Victory Innovations + research partnerships

Search engaged.

Results began populating.