Death is but the beginning
Look if you had one shot, or one opportunity To seize everything you ever wanted. one moment Would you capture it or just let it slip? - Eminem
That's the way I lived my life I seized every opportunity, pushing myself to succeed. It hasn't been an easy path but its the one I have chose. Nothing worth doing is ever easy, take it from me that's a fact of life. I have but one regret, in twenty five years of life I consider that good going. Now I stand at a metaphorical cross roads with a massive decision to make. A life and death decision you see I died. Yeah that's right I crocked it. I guess I should start at the beginning.
My name is Isaac hunt . I'm a mechanical engineer from England with a passion for speed. Its that passion that got me into this mess. Racing has been my family's addiction since before I was even born. MY grandfather raced speedway, father raced bikes in time trials and my brother is into drifting. Me I am into my drag racing.
My race car is a black and gold Nissan skyline which I have had since I was fifteen. I bought it from a scrapyard and built it up to what is today. I built everything on the car from the engine right through to the roll cage . It was my obsession when I wasn't working on it I was eating sleeping or earning money. My home life suffered but I kept pushing myself and the car harder and harder. My girlfriend upped and left because of the car. She said "I loved it more than her" It's a statement that cut like a knife I had agreed that this was to be my last season and that when it was over the car would go. I guess that wasn't good enough. So to celebrate my new found freedom I decided to go racing.
The weather was good clear skies, and plenty of moisture in the air. A perfect spring day. Not that I spent to much time thinking about it as I lined the car up on the start gate. The air filled with the sound of snarling valves as the engine screamed. The battle cry intensified as the turbo's began spooling up. As the tree lit up my feet danced over the peddles as the car launched forwards.
Inertia pushed me back in the seat a I kept the car reasonably straight of the line. Hurtling towards the horizon I shifted gears as my feet danced in rhythm across the pedals. I felt a slight vibration coming from the rear of the car. Before I had time to react, there was an almighty bang as the steering went light. As I went to break the car became air born. I braced myself as I prepared myself for the end. I felt weightless as the car rolled. The sound of grinding steel pierced my ears as the car flipped several times shedding its skin before landing on it's roof.
I had been thrown round like a rag doll but I was alive. That in itself is was a miracle let alone the fact that I'm still semi conscious. Me and pain don't really have a good relationship. I can stomach a fair amount but painkillers never seem to work. Considering that I can't move my left arm, I can't see out of my left eye and there's blood oozing out somewhere I can see I'm going to need a lot. I can see people approaching in the distance. But there to late I can smell smoke and even worse I can hear gas escaping from the nitrous bottle behind me. Summoning what little energy I have left I managed to remove my helmet as I hear people shouting as they approach my wreckage.
"Get back the cars going to blow" I shouted as loud as I could.
Fumbling I managed to undo my buckle to little avail. As my harnesses released my body fell a couple of inches, as I felt the flesh in my trapped leg rip open. The pain in my leg was unbearable as i screamed in pain. I could see the flames spreading through the car as I tried to pull myself free. The pain was indescribable I was close to passing out yet I forced myself to try again. The pain was to much for me I just hung my head for a second. As I saw someone approach the car.
The flames were growing closer licking at my fireproofs. The sound of the gas escaping from the nitrous bottle behind my seat wad the only thing I could hear over the ringing in my ears. My vision blurred for a second as I felt the blood gushing out of my left leg. As clarity returned I saw the flames change to a beautiful blue colour this is it I thought to myself as time stopped.
No big bang no noisy explosion. I always wanted to go out with a bang but this was kinda disappointing. I mean even the flames aren't moving but much to my irritation the pains still here. Much to my displeasure it feels like its getting worse. I began chuckling to myself.
"If its all right I think I'm going to pass out while I wait for someone to take me to the afterlife" I muttered to myself as I felt myself fading.
"But we were just starting to have fun" a angelic voice sighed next to me.
Slowly I twisted round to get a better view of the person talking to me. I have to admit I was a little shocked with what I saw but then again that could be just blood loss. I don't know can blood loss affect a dead person then again a I actually dead yet I don't know. Still the being next to me she is hard to describe without sounding cliché but here goes nothing. Imagine a beautiful brunette with long flowing hair, wearing sleeveless robes. Her arms are covered in mysterious symbols including a Celtic cross interlaced with scars. Her eyes are a light blue hidden behind smoky looking make up covered eyelids. Her skin was a very pasty white.
"Your not what I was expecting, then again nothing today has been but if this is your idea of fun I'd hate to know what a bad time was like " I replied shallowly.
Coughing up blood I tried in vain to wipe my face with my sleeve. But try as I might my arm won't budge. Turning my head to look at the people outside the car I ponder on there fate for a moment fighting of the need to pass out as I do so. It's a fight I'm desperately losing.
"What happens to them will they survive my mistake? " I asked quietly.
"Yes but you didn't make a mistake, your services are needed elsewhere but we will not force you down this path" she replied as she wiped the blood from my mouth.
"We need someone to balance the scales elsewhere one of my kin has defected and changed planned history in another dimension you are familiar with. We will give you whatever you need to get the job done in any way you see fit. If you decline you will wake up in hospital a couple of months later with no recollection that this conversation ever took place" the woman stated softly.
I looked about trying to digest the information, on the one hand I have a second chance but on the other I could just continue were I left off. Both of these choices have a price one that must be paid either in blood or some other form. The question is which is the better of the two evils. Before I make my decision I need some more details
"I need some more details before I can make my decision, I need to be able to appease my conscience. What will I need to do and how am I familiar with this dimension?" I asked as the pain seemed to intensify.
"Remember that game that Kayleigh got you to play when you were ill, mass effect. You will be sent there as for what you will need to do I don't know, I do know however that you will need to make some difficult choices with either option. Taking the job is a one way trip regardless of what happens you will be stuck there".
Laughing I twisted my face into a uncomfortable smile, at least she's honest. I guess I am just going to have to trust my convictions. If I am in charge of how I do the job I will just have to find a job that wont offend my morals. Fuck it, if I stay here I wont even be able to wipe my own arse a least if I take my chances hopefully I will regain some decision would have been a lot harder had I any family alive to leave behind. I would ask why me but to be honest the possible answers scare me more than the knowing.
"Two more questions and then you get your answer, one What failed on the car and two what's your name?" I whispered through shallow breaths.
"You are a strange one, your the first to think of anyone but yourself I can see why he picked you my name is Freya. As for your car nothing went wrong, had I not had to intervene you would have made a nine second pass. I apologize but this was the only way I could arrange this meeting. So what is your decision" she asked as she wiped away more blood.
"I will take the job but no matter what happens I will do it in a way that means I can still sleep at night, So what happens next" I asked using what felt like the last of my strength.
"You have to die here before you can be reborn where you're needed. This will hurt, for what its worth I'm sorry" she replied as she faded into nothing.
With a loud bang the flow of time resumed as I shouted her name in vein before the flames consumed me. The pain was unbearable but mercifully I succumbed quickly. My vision fading to black. As I departed from this mortal coil.
Gasping for breath I came round in a strange room. I didn't have long to notice much before I began hocking up blood. My vision was all over the place but I felt alive. They say the closer to death the more alive you feel and i have to agree that with said it feels like crap although I probably shouldn't moan. As I try to get up i feel disoriented and woozy, big mistake. As I tried to right myself a wave of nausea hit leaving me with no choice but to throw up.
Just when i thought my day couldn't get any worse i had to throw up. I know its a perfectly normal thing, well as normal as any of this death and rebirth crap could be that wasn't the . the problem was I just threw up on someone's feet, just great.
I tried again to push myself up of the cold floor, my lack of balance becoming a real problem. My lungs felt like they were burning probably are but I continue to try and force myself onto my feet much to the humour of this alien who's feet I puked on. At least I think he finds it funny, I can't understand a god damn word it's trying to say. I feel like I'm losing it I mean I just threw up on a alien, I mean I would say this is all in my head if it weren't for the pain and the fact that it all looks so real. For some reason that eludes me I ain't scared, no idea why i should be caking my pants.
"Freya what's happening?, were am I?" I shouted as best as I could.
The alien who's species eludes me was growing more frantic as i tried to find my feet again. I know i have seem that species before i just can't think were my head is pounding to much for me to have any real coherent thought for anymore than a few seconds.
The strange creatures pacing back and fourth talking gibberish in a high pitched voice. He was wearing some strange overalls with a metal thingy round his neck. The overalls were of an orange and green design really gaudy. His head had to fleshy horns and giant eyes. Kinda reminded me a bit of a toad. Yeah a toad on acid, the alien seems as twitch a hell then again if I was in better shape I'd probably be running for my life right now so twitch is good.
As the alien approaches again I panic trying to get to my feet, I get about half way before my leg gives out and i fall back down. The pain is immense and in the same area as I was pinned in the car. I bring up more blood and vomit as the alien grabs my leg. I'm to week to resist as he cuts my torn cloths from my leg. The last thing I see before I pass out is him applying some sort of translucent gel to my mangled leg.
Visions flash through my mind visions of the past, meeting Kayleigh, the accident and playing video games in the private hospital were I had treatment afterwards. In particular the mass effect games raced through my mind rapidly yet I could remember every detail it. I now know what that alien was it was a salerian maybe even Mordin solus. In what felt like a few minuets I had reviewed the whole trilogy so to speak. The trouble was there was so much information my brain felt overloaded, Clouded with ideas and possibility's. Dozens of scenarios played out in my mind as i tried to work out what exactly was expected of me. What would a fallen angel or god do in the universe to make it worse then it came to me like a bolt in the arm. I am going to have to stop the reapers. With that profound realization I came to another more alarming one I'm fucking screwed.
Coming round for the second or third time today, my vision was a lot less blurry this time and I didn't need the need to vomit this time. I felt drenched as if i had been thrown in a sauna, cut and bruised but in a considerably better sate than last time. Trying to move my arm to wipe my face I realized I was strapped to the table this time.
"God damn it" I cursed loudly.
"Stay still your body needs time to recuperate, my name is Saul kun your contact" I heard the salarian squeaked.
As he typed into his omnitool the restraints released themselves. My mind was full of questions and ideas. Top of the list was a requisition list. My instincts were telling me that I was going to need a lot of guns.
"I guess I have a bit of explaining to do. Freya can only have minimal contact in the mortal realms I am her go between anything you need i can provide you any questions you have i will do my best to answer them. There are some restrictions to my capabilities however. Did she explain why you are hear and what you need to do".
I thought about it for a second up until now I had a few ideas but nothing concrete. What I could gather reading between the lines whatever I have to do is going to be big and from what I know its it's going to be messy and no doubt the reapers are going to be involved. No matter what happens this is going to end badly and no one is going to come out of this the same especially not me.
"Someone has altered event's and its my job to sort the mess out any way I see fit in order to save the most lives" I replied as I sat up.
"Pretty much, but we won't know how they have changed until you experience them, the game you played through is the original version of history but there's no way of knowing how much Scorvions has changed events. We only know that what he has done is big" he replied as he scanned me.
Well that's pretty much what I had figured out but the conclusion is still the same I'm fucked I mean I have never shot a gun,how the hell am I going to pull this shit off. Not even the terminator or master chief could pull this off. Its amazing how my brain works I just had a light bulb moment.
"You said you could get me anything I needed right Saul? I asked hoarsely before taking a glass of water from my new friend.
Mentally I began listing the stuff I thought I could use, I have to think about this carefully if I can't beat them conventionally then I'm going to have to use my head for what good that will do its full of steel swarf I am engineer for Christ sake not a soldier.
"Ah right I haven't introduced myself please forgive my rudeness my names Saul within reason I can get stuff from any ware but I can't create new equipment why what do you need?
"Better get a pen and paper mate this is going to take a while" I replied closing my eyes.
After a while I had rattled of a list of weapons and equipment, pretty much everything I could remember from my very limited memory's of playing call of duty. The way I figure it these mass effect weapons fire tiny rounds so conventional weaponry should do a lot more damage. I also included some armor sets from a couple of other games I played. Mainly the master chiefs armor and prophets from Cryisis. come to think of it having an AI like Cortana could come in real handy, hacking doors and stuff.
"Most of this stuff is next to useless I mean no body uses conventional ammunition any more and that armour won't work without modifying you on a genetic level"
"Then do it and as for the fact they don't use mass effect technology that's the point your shields and armour aren't designed to cope with large calibre rounds there designed to stop rounds the size of paint chips."
"Makes sense, I can modify these weapons with modern mass effect technology while retaining the characteristics you want but I can't make the necessary genetic modifications there's to much of a risk
"I need that advantage if I am to pull this of you have to do it I am willing to take the risk and if we can get a working Cortona AI my life is going to be so much easier"
"Ai's are banned by citadel law if you get caught they will lock you up and that's even if you don't end up becoming a vegetable or a cripple"
"Look pal I can't hack a door I don't know how to work an omni tool, I don't know tech if I have someone like Cortana helping me I stand a much better chance of pulling this of. As for the risk I think the rewards far outweigh the risk its something I have to do.
"Lay back down when you come round you will have everything you need prepared for you will be on the citadel" he replied calmly.
"One last request ear can you modify Cortana so she doesn't suffer with rampancy and can be fitted into a omni tool. And thank you Saul I know I have been fairly demanding but if I didn't think this was the best option I wouldn't ask." I replied as I complied with his request.
"I know, I just hope your right. As soon as your on the citadel your on your own I can only guide you via extranet messaging but I should be able to organize shadow drops as you need equipment."
With that he shoved a hypodermic needle in my arm. Within a second my vision blurred and I passed out again.
Daylight filters in through the window disturbing me from my slumber. Blinking my eyes I get up to uncover another shock. I have to admit I expected this to be some sort of bad dream if I am honest but no I am well and truly here and the full extent of my situation is apparently obvious. I'm in what appears to be a re purposed warehouse on my left there's a window overlooking the citadel skyline complete with sky cars. To my right is a an armory that would put the expendables to shame. I mean seriously I left Saul with a list of stuff but man there must be ten times the amount of weapons in here.
Getting up I Look forward to see a pair of eyes staring back at me. Jesus Christ I have to give Saul credit were credit is due he did it he actually managed to get me an AI and build the armor sets I requested. I can't believe i am looking at an AI . It looks like the Cortana from the game only better looking. I don't know how to describe it words elude me but she looks more human looking than in the games I know she glows blue but even so. I don't know how long I have been sat laying in this bed but I'm starting to get a little creeped out having this staring contest with an AI.
"What's the mater haven't you seen an AI before?" it spoke in a soft voice.
I stood there for a moment a bit shocked for a second her voice was a direct copy of the Cortona from the halo games. The armor mounted on the rack in the corner was exactly how I remember seeing it in the games as well minus the damage.
"Not in the flesh sorry for staring , may I ask what your name is?" I replied as I got out of bed.
Thankfully Saul had the decency to put some clothes on me after the surgery and I have to say I feel a hell of a lot better. I took a look round the room and saw what appear to be a on suit bathroom at the other end of the room so I headed in that direction.
"My name is Cortana but then you should know that you requested me specifically and what I would like to know is why" she replied a bit of irritation apparent in her voice.
"Did Saul explain the situation to you" I asked as I pushed the bathroom door.
I had a bigger shock than all the rest of the crap that's happened to me recently. My whole image ha been altered. My body is a hell of a lot muscular, my hair is now a light grey fashioned in a buzz cut and my eyes are well there a light yellow. This is going to take a lot of getting used to still It's still a price worth paying for the advantages I have gained. I'm disturbed from my vanity trip by more questioning.
"Pretty much that's the only reason why I gave your salarian friend the designs to the armor and helped out with the surgery now I want to know why before you get any more help. Why am I so important" she relied her voices cutting through me.
I had come up with a list of demands to try and get the job done that I had really fucked up. I brought someone else in to help me solve my problems without taking into account there wants and needs. This was not her problem it was mine and now she is stuck here like me because of my selfishness.
"Cortana I'm sorry I should never have got you dragged into this, it's my problem not yours. The truth is I need your help, I can't do this on my own. You are the best person to help me with all the tech stuff together we stand a chance but I should not have got you involved if you want to leave I wont stop you but I could really use your help. If I fail all life will be eradicated human, alien and AI I know I put you in a bad position and for that I'm sorry but will you help me" I explained as I sat down in front of her.
"Yes I had already decided that I would I just needed to hear your reasoning now grab some weaponry and head through the door on your left we need to begin your training." she responded as she flit erred to static before dispersing.
Looking at the weapon rack I picked up a couple of weapons that looked familiar one reminded me of a Barrett sniper riffle the other looked like a p90 sub machine gun. I held the riffle up in the light it looks exactly as I remembered from the TV, It even had a traditional scope on it which in theory should help I used to do a fair bit of target shooting with an air rifle in my youth. Walked through the door and into a fully fitted training room. I doubt the marines are as well equipped as this place.
Looking round the converted warehouse the firing range practically took up the entire length of the building. There were targets a different intervals different species with different score markings in different places. Looking to my left there were solid magazine shaped chunks of metal with some with yellow flakes in and some without. Cortana appeared on my left side and began instructing me on how to shoot the riffle and various other information. Correcting my posture and other various flaws in my technique.
For what felt like a small while I fired down he range with each shot I took my body adjusted to the recoil my body began reacting without me having to concentrate on what I was doing. I was becoming more and more accurate. The sniper riffle I was using was designed for taking out targets behind armour its weight was considered a major disadvantage along with the recoil but I was barely noticing it. I have no doubt that the augmentations were playing a massive part but no matter what happens I'm determined to master the skills that Cortona's teaching me.
"That's enough for today get some rest you have earned it" Crotana instructed as I let loose another volley of shots down range.
"Not yet I'm not tired I think I will get a bit more practice in" I replied as I lined up another shot.
"No you will get some rest" she replied curtly as the lights went out.
I walked back to my room putting my weapons back in there respective slots on the rack. Its remarkable how my night vision has improved. I considered how far I had come from meek engineer to gun slinger extraordinaire. As I climbed into bed I let all the thoughts drift from my mind as I entered a peaceful slumber.