Chapter 1 John Shepard
John Shepard stood behind Joker's chair as they admired the anomaly together. The Normandy sat where it had for almost 24 hours just shy of a kilometer from the Bright glowing space anomaly that EDI had drawn them to two days ago.
"EDI did you get anything from the most recent probe?" John asked.
"No. As with the other four it disappeared from my systems when it entered the anomaly's threshold. " EDI replied.
"Is it still giving off those energy pulses?" John asked the AI.
"Yes Shepard with increasing frequency. Whatever the anomaly is it possess more energy that any known substance in the galaxy. " EDI answered.
"Prepare a shuttle I'm going in to get a closer look." John said.
"Uh are you sure about that Commander? We have no clue what that thing is." Joker said fearfully.
"I'm sure. We might not know what it is but we need something that powerful if we want to have any chance to defeat the Reapers." John said.
"Understood Cortez will get the Shuttle primed." Joker said.
"No I'm going in alone. We aren't risking anyone else's life." John said and headed towards the shuttle bay.
John flicked on the Kodiak's engines and the shuttle came to life. Ashley Williams ran into the shuttle before John had the chance to initiate take off.
"What the Hell are you doing Skipper?" Ash barked.
"Ash we can't pass this up. I need to get a closer look at it and we aren't risking The Normandy or her crew." John said.
"Then get someone else to do it! Call Hackett tell him to send a team." Ash suggested.
"The anomaly is blocking communications and we aren't risking losing it. I'm sorry Ash this is the only way." The Commander replied.
"Then I'm coming with you." Ashley said definitively and moved to the cockpit.
She was stopped by Shepard's hand.
"Ashley you're not coming." John said heavily.
"The hell I'm not." Ashley replied trying to struggle free from John's grip.
"I'm going alone. It's the safest course of action." John told her as Ash stopped struggling.
"You have a funny concept of safety Commander." Ashley said defeated.
"I'll be back before you know it." John told her.
"You better be Shepard." Ashley said.
Ash pulled John in and planted a kiss on his lips.
"See you soon." John told her.
As the Commander approached the anomaly a funny feeling filled his gut.
"Alright EDI I'm initiating my scan stand by." John said.
As the scanner started up the hairs on Johns arm stood up. The feeling in his gut became a sharp pain and the Commander screamed in pain as his head was plagued by a splitting headache.
"EDI! Bring the shuttle back now!" John screamed in agony.
The AI's response was muffled and unclear to the Commander's ringing ears. A blinding blue light began to emanate from his body and John closed his eyes to shield them.
Suddenly John was falling. He landed safely on a soft bed and John opened his eyes and scanned his surroundings with confusion. He was in his cabin aboard the Normandy. Had he been dreaming? He thought to himself. As John inspected his cabin carefully he found some things to be not right. His collection of model ships were mysteriously gone among other minor changes. John stood up from the bed and heard a noise coming from his bathroom. The soft patter of water from the shower.
"What the hell is going on?" John said aloud to himself.
Suddenly the shower shut off and John slowly crept towards the bathroom door. Just when he was about to open the door it snapped open. Before John stood a dripping wet woman wearing her underwear. She had a beautiful face dotted with freckles and large full lips; her wet black hair went down past her shoulders.
"WHAT THE HELL!" The woman screamed and threw John down on his ass with a biotic blast.
"Who the hell are you? And what are you doing in my cabin?" The woman demanded threatening another biotic blast with her glowing fist.
"Your cabin? What are you talking about?" John asked dumbfounded.
"Who are you?" The woman demanded ignoring Johns question.
"I'm Commander Shepard of the Alliance Navy!" John answered.
"What the hell are you talking about? Is this some kind of perverted joke?" The Woman asked.
"Honestly I have no idea what's going on." John said
"Clearly because I'm Commander Shepard!" the woman said.
"Uh Lady I don't know who you are really but I assure you I'm Commander Shepard." John said.
"How did you get on my ship? We're several Light years from any port." Shepard asked.
"This is my ship. I am Commander Shepard!" John said back.
"Listen crazy I don't know who put you up to this but last time I checked I'm not a man!" Shepard barked back.
John scanned her body from top to bottom.
"Clearly." John said.
Shepard kicked him in the groin. John rolled over in pain.
"Listen weirdo Lets say I was going to entertain this idea prove it. Prove your Commander Shepard." Shepard demanded.
"Okay…I was born on an Alliance ship. My mother's name is Hannah and I was born April 11, 2154!" John answered.
"Oh please anyone could look that up on the Extranet. Tell me "Commander" what did Commander Shepard do Christmas Eve 2171?" Shepard asked.
"I…I kissed Cindy Gardner in the observation wing of the Columbus" John said.
Shepard lowered her fist and a look of shock overtook her face.
"How the hell could you possibly know I kissed Cindy Gardner?" Shepard asked.
John stood up from the ground and starred into her eyes.
"Your Commander Shepard." Shepard said in shocked hushed tone.
"And so are you?" John replied.
"What's going on?" Shepard asked.
"I don't know I was investigating a space anomaly in the Kodiak alone and then I was here." John answered.
"Space anomaly? Was it like a glowing blue light? Gave off insane levels of energy?" Shepard asked.
"Yeah." John replied.
"We just encountered that anomaly yesterday. I decided it was too dangerous to investigate." Shepard said.
"Well that may have been the right call." John asked as his eyes wandered to Shepard's breasts.
"Hey!" Shepard shouted and pulled Johns head back up to eye level. "I'm getting dressed just go wait outside." Shepard ordered.
"Yeah alright." John agreed and waited patiently outside for his female self to put her clothes on.
John's mind raced as he tried to understand the situation he was in. One second he was in the Kodiak and the next he was in this alternate timeline where he was a she. He thought of all the things that might be different was this Female Shepard involved with Ashley as well? Did she sacrifice the council to stop the Reapers like he had and did the Reapers even exist? The possibilities made John's head hurt. One question reigned supreme however, How was he going to get back?