Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect and its related characters, setting, content, etc. That honor belongs to Bioware.
TEMPORAL LEAP: INCIPIENS
ONE: THE INITIATE
The bō staff. A long stick - two meters of solid oak, tapered at the ends and held at the center. An ancient weapon dating back to feudal Japan - simple yet formidable.
I gripped the staff firmly and looked across at my opponent, my face expressionless. He held a similar weapon, and was returning the blank look with some trepidation. The top end of his staff twitched, advertising his intention. I pretended not to notice, anticipating the next few seconds.
He made his move, and I responded.
He lunged, thrusting the tip forward in a jab. I swept my staff inward, deflecting the strike to the side. Simultaneously, my leg came up and exploded into a perfect side kick, which I stopped just short of contact. I used my position to add a roundhouse kick towards the temple, which he ducked - just in time to come up and meet my own jab, aimed right between his eyes. He froze in shock, my staff an inch from his face.
One block and three strikes. Engagement over within four seconds.
Not bad.
He sighed in defeat, and we both relaxed, returning our weapons to the sidelines.
"Better." I said, not unkindly. "But again, you showed me what you were going to do before you actually did it. You need to be aware of what your body is doing at all times."
"You're a Second Dan black belt," he sighed, "I'm just a red belt."
"Keep thinking that way and you're already lost." I replied. "Rank isn't the final determinant of skill. Experience and practice are. And as you get more of both, you're bound to improve."
"You think so?" he asked hopefully.
"You definitely have the potential to." I said. He looked a little happier as class ended and we were dismissed.
Soon, I had packed my uniform in a backpack and was outside unlocking my bike. I tightened the strap on my helmet and rode for home.
The wind stung my cheeks as I peddled on through the night. I lowered my head to shield my eyes and rode on, silhouetted by the roadside lamps. Cars whizzed by and stopped a hundred meters down the road. Traffic lights coming up - an intersection. I slowly squeezed the brakes. Nothing happened. My eyes widened, and I pressed harder. No response. I prepared to bail, but was too late to stop myself from shooting off the sidewalk. I gave up on the brakes and peddled harder in an attempt to get off the crosswalk ASAP. Quickly, I looked to my right, and time seemed to slow as I caught a glimpse of two blinding lights careening towards me at breakneck speed.
There was a piercing pain, a horrifically loud screech, and then there was nothing.
Darkness. Not the kind you get when you turn off your lights and the moon is shining in through the windows, or when you close your eyes and there's still some light filtering through the lids, but the real kind. Absolute, all-encompassing, and uniform in its emptiness. Outer space - without the stars.
I found myself drifting in the middle of it all, slightly shocked, slightly panicked, and very, very confused.
Holy shit. What the fuck? Where am I? Can't see anything. Crap. Can't feel my body either. Where are my limbs?! How I am in this state in the first place.. What the hell is-
A feminine voice jarred me out of my train of thought, echoing all around me. "Sorry," it sighed, "the processors are running a bit slow today. We haven't had a case like yours in a while."
Processors? Case? And voices in my head. Now I know I'm going insane. This has gotta be some kind of trippy dream sequence. Or a sick, twisted version of the Twilight Zone. And it's still dark. Damn.
"You haven't lost your marbles," the voice said, "although I understand why you might - and the system's finally online. Twenty-Seven, run the projection."
Another voice - this one synthesized - spoke. "Acknowledged. Initiating."
The black around me abruptly changed to a blinding white that gradually died away to reveal a semi-lit squarish room. A woman was sitting in front of me, a L-shaped clear glass desk between us. Red hair, blue eyes, about 5'4 by my initial estimate, dressed in a black suit. I was also sitting down - when did that happen? And huh, I have a body again... - and surrounding us were several computer monitors, including one on her desk. A floor-to-ceiling window on my left treated me to a stunning view of a snow-capped mountain range that was wreathed in golden rings of mist. As I looked around in astonishment, the woman entered a few more things into a holographic interface, then turned to me and cleared her throat.
I scratched my head. Feels real enough. "Um, hi...?"
She cocked her head to one side. "Hello, Alex Zheng."
"You know who I am?"
"Yes, I do." she said matter-of-factly.
I closed my eyes and sucked in a deep breath, gathering my thoughts. Calm yourself. You're...somewhere. And you have no idea what in the world that "somewhere" is. Think logically. Gather information. One step at a time. "Okay," I looked up again. "I'm clearly out of my depth here. So who are you, what is this place, and why the hell I am I here?"
She nodded approvingly. "Pragmatic, I see. Most of my cases aren't so calm about this." Clasping her hands together, she leaned forward. "Welcome to The Realm. I'm Aeshia, and I'm Supervisor of the Post-Mortem Processing Office, Special Cases Division." With that, she began typing in commands.
Post-Mortem…"Wait, does that mean-" I began.
"Yes." She adjusted her computer so I could see the screen. "Which answers your third question."
Oh, no…
"You're here in the Realm because you're dead." Aeshia said simply, and tapped a button. A grainy recording came into view...
An ambulance tore around the corner and screeched to a halt in front of the grim scene. A gray Ford pickup, its front fender slightly bent. A swaying college-aged male, clearly drunk. A younger girl, leaning on the hood and looking faint. A silver bike, mangled and wrecked beyond repair. And the beaten, bleeding body of a second boy, bent in such a way that precluded any possibility of survival. [Shit, that's….that's my body!] He did not move.
The paramedics knelt over the inert form and checked for vitals. It was a formality at best - the truth was obvious to all present. They returned with a body bag, put me inside, and sealed it shut.
Well, shit. That certainly wasn't the...most pleasant way to go.
Life is a very twisted and very confusing entity. Given everything that's happened and is happening to me, I think I'm pretty qualified to say that.
Well, technically I'm dead now, but the principle still applies.
There had to be at least twenty different thoughts and emotions warring for dominance in that moment, but I pushed them to the side. Introspection later, gather information now.
"Ok," I said, swallowing a lump in my throat, "I'm dead. So what happens now? Is this some kind of afterlife…? Am I about to be eternally judged for the life I've led…? Lay it on me."
Aeshia shook her head. "Not quite as you humans understand it, with your hundreds of religions that none of you can agree on." That was a definite eyeroll. "Your profile says you hold generally agnostic-atheist beliefs, though, so I suppose for you, this whole explanation thing might be a bit easier to wrap your head around."
"I have a profile, huh?" I muttered, arching an eyebrow.
"We like to keep tabs on these things." she responded. "It helps to know who you're dealing with. Anyway, the easiest way to describe The Realm is probably as a different...plane of existence. It deals with existential processes that transcend the physical. The Protheans for example, with their collective memories and ability to transfer experiences and ideas. Or the Thorian, possessing and controlling its thralls. Now,-"
"Woah woah woah - wait a second!" I exclaimed. "Protheans? Thorian? You're talking about...about the…"
"The Mass Effect universe?"
"Yeah...talking as if it actually exists."
"It does."
There was a very long pause while my brain rebooted. "You're shitting me."
"Nope." Aeshia shot a small smirk at me.
"But it's a videogame!" I spluttered. "Hell, it's about as close to art as a game can get, but it's still just virtual!"
"In your universe, that would be true. But yours is only one of many possible universes that are in existence at the moment. There are a lot more besides your own, the Mass Effect universe included. The Realm serves as the command center for all of them. It's complicated," she added unnecessarily, seeing the dumbfounded expression on my face.
"I...you know what, forget it. I'm not even going to try to understand this right now, lest I get multiple aneurysms. I'll deal with it later." I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Ok, so...why am I, as you put it, a 'special case'?"
"Well," she sighed, "for the most part, the people who think that the personality and soul die with the body are correct. The dead are dead. A sleep without end. Thank heavens for that, I say. Any eternal afterlife would be like a condemnation to hell - boredom forever. I know you've thought much the same."
I snorted. "Well, I'm glad that's the case. But then - why am I here talking to you if that's the way it is?"
"I'm getting to it, Alex," she said patiently. "You'll get your answers. Now, on occasion and with certain individuals, we pull an intervention. People with specific backgrounds, traits, certain qualities. We bring them here if we have a situation that that particular person has a potential to change, being the person they are. You're one of them."
Well, this isn't what I expected. "Why me?"
She regarded me appraisingly. "Several reasons. First off, you're quite introspective. You think about a great many things, and go into pretty good depth when you do. That helps you be clear and honest with yourself on many important aspects. Morality and ethics, your personal faults, philosophy, an understanding of the implications that new events bring, and so on. It keeps you on the straight and narrow, even when things get tough. However, you also have the presence of mind to be pragmatic when you have to. You'll do what you have to, even if people don't always like it. You despise conflict and all its inhumanity, but you accept it as an unpleasant necessity and something to be prepared for. Often, you look at the world through the lens of a cynicist or a realist, but deep down, you still fly the flag of optimism because ultimately, you want the best for others. It's quite admirable, and a rare combination these days."
Wow. That's actually pretty accurate. I could have said it myself. "What else?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.
Aeshia smiled, a bit sadly. "You're not without your faults, Alex. No one is. As I understand, your early teenage years were...turbulent. Left you...emotionally stunted. Scarred."
"You could say that." I mumbled, and looked at the floor.
Ugh. That time. An initial discovery of some of my dad's emails had subsequently triggered a long, painful series of events. The messages documented in intimate detail accounts of his infidelity, and shocked, I had turned to my 'friends' for consolation. At the same time, I had had the misfortune to fall really hard for a girl who I knew. Given my mental state at the time, people had thought I was creepy and unstable, and I was pretty much abandoned. My most vivid memory of one my most trusted friends had been of her shouting "Don't talk to me!" and dashing away in response to a simple request for a bus ticket.
After that, things went downhill and I spiraled into a deep depression. Several times, I had entertained the idea of suicide, but never really came too close. Still, it was plenty enough to leave its mark for the rest of my life. I had problems trusting people for quite a while afterwards.
What a clusterfuck.
"I'm sorry," Aeshia winced, noticing my moody expression. "I didn't mean to make you relive that."
"It's fine," I blurted, not knowing if it was true. "It's just...I'm trying - well, was trying - to move on. Put it behind me. Make a new life for myself. But sometimes, I would just be sitting and thinking, and then it would hit me all over again. Remembering the sorrow, the anguish, and eventually, the emptiness..." I sighed. "But I can't stay stuck in the past. I have to move on. I promised myself."
She nodded. "You're willing to accept your mistakes and fix them. That's good. Another reason why we picked you."
I squirmed in my seat. "Well, here's hoping I can live up to your expectations.." I muttered, uneased by her words.
"That, Alex, is up to you." she said pointedly. "Now, because of all that turmoil, you're rather reclusive when it comes to social dynamics. You're slow to trust, and you sometimes keep things to yourself that you ought confide in others. Many people find it hard to crack through your mental shields and see the person inside. Conversely, when someone does manage to gain your trust, you display strong loyalty and dedication. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen too often. Certain people are capable of seeing through the walls, but they're few and far in between. Put all of that together, and you generally know three types of people. The ones you despise, the ones that you're neutral or friendly towards yet distant at the same time, and the ones you trust absolutely and would lay down your life for. Your problem is that you don't know enough of the third."
That stings. But it's also the truth. "Anything else?"
"One more." Aeshia said, fixing me with a deadly serious look. "I know your sense of justice is fundamentally central to you as a person. Your only intolerance is intolerant people, and you're willing to go to great lengths to uphold your beliefs. But don't go too far. Don't consume yourself in revenge or retribution for things you perceive to be wrong. He who fights monsters, Alex. Ignore this warning at your own peril."
"I'll...keep that in mind." I said slowly, chastised. "So...you've explained that I'm a special case and what that all means, and you mentioned the Mass Effect universe specifically to get my attention. I guess I know where you're sending me, then?"
She nodded.
"Okay...what do you expect me to accomplish once I'm there?"
"One overarching goal. You have foreknowledge - of the Reapers' existence, the threat they pose, and of the events that were represented by the Mass Effect games. Simply put, you have the power to alter the course of The Reaper War. And with such great power, comes great responsibility."
"Damn, you don't ask for much.." I shuddered. "You sure you want me doing this?"
"We wouldn't have brought you here if we'd thought you couldn't get it done."
"Do I even have a choice in all this?"
"Of course you do." she replied, mildly offended. "We wouldn't force anyone into an arrangement like this against their will. Beside, even if we didn't care about what you thought, pushing unwilling individuals into situations where worlds are at stake generally doesn't produce the best results."
"And what happens if I refuse?"
"Well, then we treat you like anyone else who died, and you'll go pretty much the way you thought it would be - a long sleep without end." She shrugged. "Then we start looking for other candidates."
"I see…" I mused. "Is there somewhere I can think about this?"
"Door on your right. Take your time," she gestured, "and come back when you're ready."
A/N: The plot bunnies were relentless, so I eventually yielded to their demands.
Try not to read too much into the whole Realm business. It does act as a setup for our protagonist's adventures, but it's definitely not going to be as involved in the story as say, Mass Vexation's Fade.
Zheng is not my real last name, going to say it now. However, I am of Asian descent.
This is my first project of this kind and scale, so any reviews (bar flames) would be appreciated. If you like it, please spread the word. I'd appreciate it a lot.