Glittering Star
By Jackie Almasy
Musical Inspiration: Zanarkand by Nobou Uematsu and Your Star by Evanescence.
"Critical Failure. Warning. Critical Failure."
The darkness was slowly creeping up, preparing to swallow her up into the infinite black of space. The distant beeping within her N7 helmet flashed erratically, warning the woman of the impending doom. The chaos around her seemed infinite: flying debris, explosions of electric short circuits, and the agonized screaming of one pilot trying to reach for her form.
"Shepard!"
Her friend's screams joined the storm of sound waves assaulting her ears. Her hands lost grip, the explosion sending her careening into the sharp metal shards and exposed electrical chords. She felt her back smack into the units, her scream of pain caught within her throat.
The hissing of escaping air from her suit, the female computer voice flashing even more warnings.
"Warning. Warning. Critical Breach: Losing Air Supply. Decontaminants present."
She looked up in time to see Joker shoot his arm foreword, foolishly trying to reach out and save his dying commander.
"SHEPARD!"
His scream was quickly silenced, the ever presence of silence and cold surrounding the body of Commander Shepard. She become free floating, aimlessly drifting into the majestic vastness of the Milky Way and foreign planetary system. Her eyes widened, the pupils constricting and mouth opening party way.
There she was: her home, sanctuary, and ship. Floating metallic debris launched the final pod, to gather around the local drifting containers keeping her crew members safe. The small smile of relief slowly spread over her face.
"Thank God…"
The momentary euphoria suddenly ended, her lungs screaming out in silent agony at the need for air. Grabbing her neck and back of her suit, Shepard desperately tried grabbing the holes to cover them. The icy cold of space beckoned her to the atmosphere below her, her suit beginning to feel hot and empty all at once.
"No! No! I-I don't want to die! I can't yet! Kaiden!! KAIDEN!!"
Reaching out her hand towards the cluster of floating pods, the tears free floating within her helmet and forming within her eyes began freezing. Her once tanned skin was becoming dangerously blue and hard.
Sparks of fire and resistance began flickering around her darkening gaze, the atmosphere of the nearby planet beginning to burn her copy on one side and freezing herself on the other from the exposure to space.
"This…is it…"
The familiar voice of the computer flashed one more time, speaking with great difficulty.
"Heart rate minimal. Warning! Warning! Seek…medical…"
"….Ashley, I'm sorry. Kaiden…I…love…"
From within the waiting pods sending out the beacon of distress call to nearby Alliance stations, the shattered cries of a heart broken man could not stop the tears from falling as the sight of Commander Shepard twinkled for a brief few seconds against the backdrop of stars and planets.
Playing Mass Effect 2's opening was probably one of the more emotionally twisting beginning I have ever seen to a game. While balancing game play time between commuting, 18 credits, and an internship is certainly interesting, my pen will not stop flowing these past two days.
My next story will most likely center around Thane/Female Shepard. Not going to lie, I sense my new favorite character will be Thane. Nice to see romance interests of the fan girls are now being answered.
Till next time,
Jackie Almasy
Mass Effect 2 is copyrighted and owned by Bioware and EA. I own nothing.