<div align="center">(https://fontmeme.com/permalink/210128/2dbbbdb83f81e86eb7c97538c683a9ea.png)</div><br/><br/><br/>The response toward Ja’sia’s greeting wasn’t much; councilor Sparatus remained standing, blinking his avian eyes in her direction, then slowly allowed her a nod that could very well have been kind and thoughtful -for a turian, anyway. If he was going to give a verbal response, however, this was put on hold as the quarian joined their ranks.<br/><br/>Lia was just as Penin said she would be, so he wasn’t flustered at her energy and enthusiasm. With a gesture for the quarian to take her seat being the only response, Sparatus crossed the room to where a great desk sat behind one of the couches. Digits moved swiftly over an active terminal, which chittered in confirmation, meaningless to anyone but him.<br/><br/>Then Luus entered, a face more familiar than the rest so far. The lack of respect and terse greeting was only to be expected, so Laiel didn’t rise to the bait, even as he came to the conclusion that some of the anxiety in his chest was due to this particular reunion.<div class="floatright">(https://i.imgur.com/0BcMoOA.jpg)</div><br/>And then there was the human, who sat where instructed and looked just about as thrilled as he felt. She was the only other occupant in the room with a full understanding of what was going on, which gave her nervous energy. She pulled at her fingers, fidgeting and silent and no doubt tired from the long hours they’ve asked of her.<br/><br/>And then the Spectre completed the group. The last to arrive, but perhaps the perfect statement to the severity and weight of this situation.<br/><br/>Sparatus stood to his full height and began without further preamble.<br/><br/>“About two weeks ago, roughly a dozen humans fell ill. Since they were new arrivals to the Citadel station, most assumed it was just a natural physiological response. Acclimation to a new station, to new species they haven’t come in contact with. Only it spread at an alarming rate.”<br/><br/>A hologram unfolded from the console that was installed in the center of the room, offering a convenient point of view no matter which couch was claimed. Basic health readings from the humans who fell ill blinked into existence before the group. Things like the state of their health before leaving their respective planets. Updated reports mid-flight indicating very little change to the previous readings. Then there were the scans medical personnel took shortly after these people had fallen ill, a dramatic change that didn’t quite make sense.<br/><br/>These weren’t the signs of an illness like influenza, or even the sort of sickness that came with exposure to too much radiation. A child taking a random guess with chemistry and biology would have more logical sense than the numbers and readings scrolling across the screen.<br/><br/>“Stimulating the white blood cells helps, and that has been the method of treatment so far. However, the body slips into a stupor that they aren’t yet able to wake from. There are currently twenty-seven humans in restricted quarantine now. The good news? It doesn’t jump between species. Asari, Turian, and Salarian exposure have resulted in nothing more than a mild headache in some cases.”<br/><br/>The councilor paused here, glancing back at the nervous human who sat,<em>tap tapping</em>her heel quietly against the carpet. She was still pulling at her fingers, still focusing on the floor.<br/><br/>Then he returned his gaze to the others, giving in to the impulse to sigh- a dusty rattle that vibrated through his frame. “The bad news is that when not treated immediately and placed into this coma, those infected go through a bio-mutation. They change. And it’s already killed several members of the medical personnel who were researching the cause of this illness and working hard toward finding a cure. I don’t think I need to stress to you the critical importance of this situation.”<br/><br/>Whether for theatrics that would amplify his meaning or ‘good’ timing, it was then that the hologram adjusted it’s frame, displaying the mutation the turian implied.<br/><br/>He let silence fill the room for a pause, then continued. “Before we proceed, I will let you know that the following is classified. Information that is only released at a Spectre’s level.”<br/><br/>He nodded at Arcus with that, then wrapped up his statement. “Nothing you see here will leave this room. Is that understood?”<br/>