MASS EFFECT and all Characters are property and Trade Mark of BioWare
Prologue
As he stared at the commotion of the space port Josh realize that this was all about to disappear. Arcturus, the Alliance Academy, it was all as good as gone to him now. The world he has known for quite a while to be his was now being quickly removed from under his feet. He could feel the ground slipping away at the mere thought and thanked God to be able to stand on his solid feet still. He trained for a long time now, he was ready, the Alliance deemed him ready. Yet somehow it felt strangely odd to be leaving a place he came to know as his home.
He stared at the busy port and wondered how he was ever going to get out of here. All of the platforms were crawling with marines and commanders, captains and lieutenants to be. Fresh graduates if the Arcturus Academy. He felt oddly proud to be part of that crop, although somehow he felt there was nothing special in it. Sometimes he wondered if anything special was left since the discover of the mass relays and the introduction of Mass Effect.
He made his way past the copious checkpoints, cursing every time he had to stop and present his identification. As much of a bother as it was, Josh couldn't help but feel that this was all in good health. After all, it was the Alliance main training ground, the main Academy. If something were to happen... It chilled him to even think about it.
Past the last checkpoint and he found himself staring at his transport, quickly filling with soldiers. Smiling he went in, after a number of ship's security procedures he found his place and allowed himself to relax for the first time since leaving the Academy grounds.
He was a graduate now, a marine ready for duty, ready to serve his planet, his race. He had a week off though as well. Josh smiled at that thought. He finally got to go home, to see his sister, to see his parents, to prove to them that he made it just like he promised, to show them he was right and they should have never even toyed with the thought of trying to talk him out of it. Those warm thoughts brought a smile to his face.
The system's sun shone through the illuminator and warmed his face slightly, highlighted all its features, including a small scar under his left nostril, a training accident. He grazed it with his index finger feeling the coarse bump, allowing his soft hand to smooth it out, although he knew it never would.
"Ladies and gentlemen," a soft female voice came from the speaker system, still somewhat distorted by the static. They could leap to millions of spaces at once but they couldn't invent a clear COMM system. "This is your captain speak. Welcome to the Space Transport Ship No. 412, destination Earth. Time at the destination is 2:22PM. Our travel would be brief so do not get too comfortable," a small pause to allow the passengers to laugh Josh figured, time of travel is about half an hour depending on the density of Earth's space port. We are about to enter a Mass Relay, I ask you to firmly fixate yourself to something and enjoy your flight."
Mass relay. Josh swallowed, pushing the unwilling saliva down his throat. This never was any fun. As the ship shook ever so slightly he grabbed the handle beside his bunk. This was the part he hated the most. Closing his eyes he phased out the ship and the mass relay, and the self-proclaimed captain of wit, all he could think of were his parents and his sister. And soon he would see them, however briefly.