Serviceman First class Shepard never fully recovered from the infamous Thresher
Maw attack on Akuze in 2177. Although host to multiple infections and a
fractured leg, Shepard's body made a full recovery within a week. Mentally,
however, he remains to this day in a highly fragile state.
After being granted an honorable discharge on medical grounds later in 2177,
Shepard's mental condition persisted. Transferred to the care of Doctor David
Anderson at his clinic on the Citadel in 2181 in the wake of largely
unsuccessful treatments, Anderson felt it necessary to take a less aggressive
approach, and humored the patient's delusions in an attempt to gain his trust.
Assisting him was Nurse Chakwas, who shared Anderson's views on the matter.
Believing Anderson to be a Captain in the Alliance Military, Shepard's delusions became
more creative over time, going on adventures with Anderson and the staff of the
Hospital standing in as the crew members on the vessel. During this period,
Shepard opened up considerably, even managing to make friends despite his shaky
grasp on reality, most notable with a fellow patient, Jeffery Moreau.
Anderson concluded that Shepard's delusions reflected what were perceived as personal
failures or frustrations - as Shepard was powerless to prevent fellow marines
from being killed on Akuze, so Shepard was a distinguished war hero, performing
impossible feats to save the day. Confined to tiny quarters on the
Citadel, Shepard's flights of fancy were
interstellar romps aboard a spacecraft, the ultimate symbol of personal freedom.
In 2183, frustrated at Anderson's lack of progress, the case was transferred to a
series of other Doctors, including Asari, Salarian and Turian specialists. Shepard began to further withdraw, and began
fantasizing about a race of sentient machines known as the "Reapers",
who purportedly destroyed the Prothean civilization before returning to
"darkspace" to hide. Keen to avoid Anderson's mistakes, these doctors
openly rejected Shepard's "reality", the Turian doctor in particular.
In 2185, the management of the clinic was turned over to a non-profit
philanthropic organization known as Cerberus, and much of the staff was
replaced as a result. Notably, Nurse Chakwas insisted that she stay, arguing
that it was healthy for Shepard to have a constant when so many other things
were changing around him. During this period, Shepard made a new friend, who
refused to call herself anything other than "Jack". Much to the
dismay of the staff, "Jack" convinced Shepard that Cerberus was in fact
responsible for the attack on Akuze, in addition to the "horrific
experiments" she claimed were conducted on her as a child. Jack's
assertions caused a lot of friction with the Cerberus staff, Doctor Lawson in
particular.
Eight years on, Shepard's tragic story continues.
Adam Grif, Citadel News One.
Modifié par adam_grif, 19 avril 2010 - 01:06 .
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