Ian Newstead

Ian Newstead is one of the colonists at Zhu's Hope on Feros. For some reason he is hiding down in the tunnels where Commander Shepard encounters him, instead of taking shelter at the colony.

Shepard meets Newstead down in the tunnels after fighting off the geth that are down there. Newstead is acting strangely. As he talks to Shepard, from time to time he suddenly screams in pain and then starts laughing about it. When a very puzzled Shepard asks what's going on, Newstead cheerfully replies that he's "just invoking the master's whip!" The squad decide that he's lost it. If Shepard asks Fai Dan about Newstead, Fai Dan replies that Ian is sick and they can't help him. If Shepard presses the issue Fai Dan refuses to discuss it.

Like the other Zhu's Hope colonists, Newstead has been infected with Thorian spores and is being negatively reinforced into obeying the Thorian's wishes. However he seems to either enjoy the pain or is able to resist it - despite the agony he keeps trying to tell Shepard about the Thorian. During their attack on Zhu's Hope, Newstead is among the colonists the Thorian rallies to defend itself, having come up from the tunnels. After killing the Thorian Shepard can speak to Newstead in the medical room of the freighter: he's relieved and grateful to have his own mind back.