A Parallel Dimension
AN: This is my first FanFic and my first SI story so I hope you enjoy it. I will appreciate reviews on how to improve the story. Thank you and enjoy the story.
*Edit 3/21/12* I have continued this story up to chapter 9. I know the first chapter is probably not the best but if you give the story a chance I think you might enjoy it. Even I know that this is probably the worst chapter but they improve as you read, I promise. Thank you that is all.
Chapter 1: Rude Awakening
The bell rang throughout school signaling the end of 8th period and the time for the kids to go home. However there lied a senior who was sleeping in study hall after the bell rang.
"Brent wake up!" an unknown voice shouted in my ear causing me to fall out of my chair. Laughter filled the room as I looked up to see Jesse and Joseph rolling on the ground laughing. Jesse and Joseph are seniors like me and I have known them since I moved here in the 9th grade. Like me they played sports but have a love for video games.
"Funny you guys" I say as I whipping my eyes and stretching.
"You ready to get going" Jesse said
"Go where?"
"Dude have you forgotten we were going to the Community Center to play some basketball." Joseph said
"Oh right, yea I did forget sorry sleep and school does that to you." I reply rubbing my eyes
I stood up and grabbed my bag and followed them out to the gym where I would take my truck to the Community Center and with them in it since them both lacked vehicles. I started my truck and drove them down there and found that no one was at the center, as usual. We got out and grabbed our bags with our sports clothes. We entered to see the new floors that the county inserted and the new lighting that filled the room. We left to separate rooms to change into our basketball gear.
I walked onto the court wearing my NBA shorts that were black and had a white stripe that ran down the sides and my Hibbets Sports shirt which is also black, a under armor black shirt, an ankle guard on my right ankle and red Air Jordan shoes. I stood 6'2 with short light brown hair; I was a heads length over my friends and was the more agile one. I was the whitest out of the three of us, thanks to my German and Italian decent.
Jesse walked out with the ball in his hands, he was wearing shorts that he uses for football agility training, he had a Razorback shirt on, and he wore Nike shoes. Jesse stood about 5'10 with short blonde hair, and was in the best of shape out of the three of us, probably because he played football. Jesse was the second whitest thanks to his Scottish decent.
Joseph was the last to finish and walked out wearing Nike shoes, a plain blue shirt, and black basketball shorts. Joseph was the smallest of us at the height of about 5'8 but as small as he was he was pretty strong and he has medium length black hair. He was the darkest of us because of his Indian decent.
We started the stretches that my Coach taught me when I played basketball my sophomore year. After stretching we began to play 21 as our first game. We agreed whoever could get the best out of seven would be paid ten bucks from the others.
We started at 3:20 P:M and we were still going up till 8:30 P:M with the three of us holding one win each. Even though it was a Friday we were going nowhere with this game and it was getting late. After playing for another two hours Jesse had two wins, Joseph had one and I had two. In the end we had been playing for seven hours and we were exhausted. Sweat ran down our faces like a heavy rain, we played all afternoon with only twenty minute breaks after each game and our bodies were killing us. After a stalemate for almost an hour we decided whoever wins the next game wins them all because this was taking way too long.
It was near the end of the game, it was midnight and we were completely exhausted the score was tied with each of us having twenty points. Jesse had the ball and was charging for a layup but neither I nor Joseph was going to let him win so we met his charge. As Jesse jumped to win the game we both jumped and we all smashed into each other hard. With the momentum we all built up from our charge the impact was enough to send us all flying across the air. As we flew through the air the world around us began to spin and fade then we all struck the ground simultaneously blacking out.
I was the first to awake from the blackness. I sat up holding my head "God damn that hurt" I removed my hands and realized that the floor wasn't wood but rather metal or tile. I opened my eyes and looked around to see something that both confused and shocked me. I was in a bright white room with windows that lined the walls. I sat up barely able to see over the window, I looked out of the window next to me and saw the distinctive purple nebula "No way" I whisper "Am I on the citadel" I asked myself. I jumped up but the room started to spin and I began to take deep breathes to prevent myself from passing out.
After the room stopped spinning I did a double take to confirm what I was looking at. I stood straight up and examined everything around me to make sure I wasn't losing my mind. I searched the room for my friends and found them only a few feet from me.
"Ok so I'm not dreaming and I hope I'm not dead." I said trying to comfort myself
I ran up to Joseph who lied next to me and began to wake him. "Joseph, wake up! Joseph, wake up!" I yelled trying to wake him *smack* Joseph woke up and lurched forward and held his head the same way I did. He looked at me with confusion stamped on his face.
"Where are we?" Joseph asked as he looked around before realizing where we were. He looked at me to make sure he wasn't losing his mind. "Are we…" Joseph said trailing off. I simple looked at him and nodded with a small smile on my face.
I helped Joseph up and we both looked around when I heard another noise I turned to see that Jesse was here too. I ran over to him and helped him up he too was holding his head.
"Damn that was some collision." Jesse said. He raised his head and looked around "Uh did we die?"
Joseph and I just laughed at him and he just watched us, confused "No we're not dead" I tell him to calm him down. At that I turn to Joseph who knew exactly what I was going to say.
"We're in the Mass Effect Universe!" we both say as we high five each other. Jesse just looked at us like we were crazy causing us to laugh even more. "Joseph, can you believe it we're in Mass Effect!" Joseph and I just jumped like little kids in a candy shop.
"Wait, Mass Effect as in the game? Jesse asked
"Yea, I don't know how it happened but we're here." I replied
"Are you sure Brent?" Jesse asked still in denial
"Trust me Jesse, Joseph and I have played the game enough to know where we are." I said along with Joseph who nodded his head confirming my story.
"But how did we get here." Joseph asked getting slightly serious
"I don't know a parallel world or dimension, maybe alternate universe there are multiple possibilities." I reply thinking of all the things I read about that science theorized
"Wait, if we are in Mass Effect then that means one of might be a biotic." Joseph said excitingly changing the subject as to avoid further frustration and confusion
"You're right, but how do you know." I ask "Hold on Jesse do you know anything about Mass Effect?"
"Some but not very much I do know the basic story line and what the classes are, stuff like that. I have only played it a few times." Jesse said
"Ok good" I said as I turned to Joseph "So all we need to do is figure out when are we rather than where."
Joseph nodded in agreement before looking over my shoulder and was pasted with a very odd look. I turned to see Jesse making himself strain with his hands facing forward.
"Um, Jesse what are you doing?" I asked
"I said one of us might be a biotic so I'm trying to see if I'm one."
"Ok just be careful we don't want you to hurt yourse…" but Joseph was cut off when Jesse fell to the ground.
"Ahhhh, I think popped a blood vessel!" Jesse yelled while holding his face.
Me and Joseph couldn't hold back our laughter, we were laughing so hard we couldn't breathe.
"It's not funny guy this hurts." Jesse whines revealing a blood colored eye making us laugh even harder.
After laughing until we couldn't breathe and Jesse recovered from his little incident while me and Joseph tried our hands at the biotic attempt. After a few minutes of trying we both were finally able to get a small blue glow from our hands. When this happened we jumped with joy. I don't know where in the Citadel we were but I was glad we were alone because people would think were crazy. Jesse watched in envy as me and Joseph began to figure out our biotic powers. Just for fun I turned to Jesse and tried my hand at a lift which succeeded. Jesse became surrounded in a blue aura and started to rise in the air. As Jesse rose he started to freak…
"Put me down Brent!" Jesse shouted
I began moving my hand to see what would happen, Jesse began to move in the direction of my hand and at that sight I couldn't help but laugh "You look like a ragdoll." I said while breaking down from laughter.
"Brent put me down seriously." Jesse said with worry clouding his voice
"Jesse I would but one this is too much fun and two I don't know how." I said with a smile
"Put me down now!" Jesse yelled
"Fine I'll put you down" I said as I tried to figure out how to do that. I did eventually figure that you had to relax your arms and hands to disable the biotic field.
After our little experience we finally started getting serious…
"Alright Joseph I want you to find some news on how far in the story line we are. Me and Jesse will go get some armor and weapons."
"Well how will we pay for it?" Joseph asked
"Well we can always sell our stuff. I mean our bags are over there so we could sell our phones and your PSP." I say pointing far down the corridor we were in.
"Wait our bags came with us… well that's convenient." Joseph said *looks over at reader*
"Who are you looking at Joseph?" Jesse asks
"No one just forget it." Joseph said waving his arm
After the weird comment Joseph made Jesse grabbed the bags and followed me to the wards where we would sell this junk, well at least the phones and PSP.
Jesse and I finally arrived at the wards with our bags. Jesse looked so stupid, he was constantly staring at the aliens but then again so was I. We weren't the only ones giving weird looks however, we also got some weird looks ourselves, but you couldn't blame them we both were wearing clothes that they would probably consider ancient so it was understandable.
We approached a shop located on the lower wards, it had a blue color scheme and seemed a little deserted, I didn't recognize it but the game couldn't show everything right… anyway we walked in to be greeted by a Turian.
"Good afternoon, how can I help you?" Asked the clerk
"Hello we'd like to sell some of our stuff." I said giving him my bag while holding back my excitement for talking a real turian, even though I was hoping for my first turian human conversation to be with Garrus
"Alright let's have a look then." The clerk said digging into our bags. The only objects he removed were our phones Jesse's and Joseph's iPods, the PSP and my laptop which I took back right away.
The clerk examined them with extreme focus. I leaned over to Jesse "I think we should keep yours and Joseph's iPod but sell our phones."
"Agreed" Jesse said
The clerk finally finished examining our stuff and looked at us in disbelief "This stiff is amazing I'll give you both 1,000,000 credits for each phone and 2,000,000 for the handheld thing" the clerk said trying to hold back his excitement.
"Deal, oh and can we get three Omni-tools too?" Jesse stated eager to get the money and the Omni-tool
"Alright then I'll take these and here are your credit chits and three Omni-tools." The clerk finished taking our things and handing us the Mass Effect universal tool before departing.
I turned to face Jesse "Alright so 1 million credits for each phone so that's 3 million plus the two million we got for the PSP, and it was half a million for the three Omni-tools so total that up and we have 4.5 million credits."
"I know I wander what we can buy with all that" Jesse said way too eagerly
"Hold on now, we have to divide up the total for each of us ok so since you don't have biotics you can have 2.5 million while me and Joseph will have 1 million credits deal." Extending my hand out to shake…
"Deal" Jesse said shaking my hand. With that we both left to meet up with Joseph who was sitting at the upper wards.
"There you two are I've been looking for you two."
"What did you find out Joseph?" Jesse asked tossing Joseph his Omni-tool
"Well Eden Prime happened like a couple of days ago so Shepard could arrive anytime now." Joseph said as he figured out how to equip the Omni-tool, tech freak.
"Ok, so first thing we need to do is get some weapons and armor, and then we can find Tali since she is the first person you really recruit." I say
"Good idea well let's find a place that sell that kind of thing." Joseph replies
After about an hour of searching the wards for a decent dealer we found one on the lower section, it was decorated with bright lights and green walls and had a few people wandering it, there they were greeted by a Salarian clerk.
"Greetings how may I help you today."
"Well can you help us find some weapons and armor please?" I asked
"Certainly have a look around my store I hope you find what you're looking for."
As we looked around the store I realized that there was so much the game didn't show. The store had armor lined up on the walls and guns in cases. After looking at everything they offered we finally had our selection.
I decided to go with the Heavy Mantis armor, M-3 Predator pistol, an M-27 Scimitar shotgun, and an M-8 Avenger assault rifle. Joseph picked the M-27 Scimitar, the M-9 Tempest Machinegun; he also picked the Heavy Mantis armor as well. Jesse however picked the M-92 Mantis sniper rifle, the M-8 Avenger, M-3 Predator pistol, the M-27 Scimitar, and the Heavy Hydra armor. With all that along with shield attachments and extra thermal clips we spent close to 2 million credits. The clerk thanked us for our business and we left with our new gear.
Joseph and I looked at each other and high fived to celebrate our new equipment while Jesse just looked at his Mantis rifle.
"Geez Jesse, are you going to make out with the thing." I say sarcastically
Jesse looked over towards me and smiled "Maybe"
I rolled my eyes while Joseph just laughed at the comment.
"Anyway" I say trying to change the subject "We need to go to the alleys to see if we can find Tali she's the key to hooking up with Shepard. Oh, before I forget we can't make it known that we know everything that is going to happen or the fact that we are from an alternate dimension."
"Well duh Brent it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out." Joseph said
"Ok the sarcasm is not necessary Joseph" I say getting aggravated "Now let's go get Tali."
After that we departed for the alleys ready for what was going to happen. We approached the entrance that went to Chora's Den and made the right to face the door that led to Tali…
"Can you believe it Brent we are about to meet with Tali?" Joseph said excitement filling his voice.
"I know I can't wait either" I say high fiving him "All we have to do is kill the Shadow Brokers assassins and wait for Shepard. Um, Jesse there will be like five of them so take the ones that are farther away while me and Joseph will use our biotics to kill the closer ones."
Jesse nodded in agreement pulling out his sniper rifle. I looked at Jesse and I could swear there was a twinkle in his eyes as he readied his rifle. I took a deep breath and opened the door, the areas lighting made it look red and there seemed to be some crates lying around. When we made our way up the stairs we could see that Tali was already talking to the turian ass. We rushed behind some cover and braced ourselves for the fire fight about to erupt.
We were too far to hear them but when I saw the turian lay his talon on Tali me and Joseph rushed out of our hiding places. Joseph launched himself in the air using his biotics, similar to what Jack did in Mass Effect 2 on the Purgatory, hammer fisting the turian's head breaking his neck, he fell to the ground with a thud. The salarians who accompanied him started firing at Joseph but not before he grabbed Tali and pulled her to cover. Jesse open fire on a Salarian who was closing on their position, the bullet went right through his helmet spilling green blood and brains across the wall before turning and shooting another Salarian in the head. When the other two noticed they switched their focus onto Jesse. I ran for cover to get closer to Joseph and Tali. Me and Joseph looked at each other and turned the corner and lifted the salarians with our biotics. As they rose they released a shriek of horror as Joseph and I slammed their bodies into the walls killing them instantly.
After the brief fire fight we relaxed and walked up to Tali who looked at us with what I would assume amazement.
"Are you ok?" I asked her
She simply looked at us for a moment before replying "I'm fine, that bastard Fist set me up." Tali replied angrily
"It's ok I think he is going to get what is coming to him." Joseph said looking at me.
Right after Joseph finished we heard the door open and we all pulled our weapons out to see Shepard. As we gazed at Shepard and the others a lot of our questions were answered immediately. Shepard was indeed a girl; she looked like the default Shepard but with longer hair, a younger looking complexion, not such a strong looking jaw bone and she had bright blue eyes. Garrus, Kaiden, Ashley, and Wrex followed her weapons drawn…
"Who are you?" I say feeling completely stupid since I already knew them.
"I'm Sarah Shepard who are you." She asked with her Avenger rifle pointing at me.
I lowered my weapon and signaled the others to do the same. "I'm Brent; this is Joseph Jesse, and Tali." Each of them waving at her
Shepard lowered her weapon and so did her team. Shepard walked down the stairs and looked around to see the carnage we left behind. She looked at us showing us that she was slightly impressed but she soon turned to Tali.
"Tali was it, we need your help with Saren. We heard you had information involving the Specter Saren and the Geth."
Tali looked at her for a second before responding "I do I was going to trade the information with the Shadow Broker for protection but Fist set me up and was planning to kill me. If not for these three I surly would have died" she finished pointing at me.
Shepard looked at us for a moment "Where did you three learn how to fight?" she asked as if she was interviewing us
"Well we were raised in the country on Earth and living in the country you kind of pick up how to shoot, we also spent our high school years as best friends." I say truthfully
"Ok, so I know a little bit about you know. With how highly Tali speaks of you and my need for a strong team I ask you, do you want to join me and fight a rogue Spectre and his Geth."
After hearing that it felt like my heart stopped I thought "Wow that was pretty straight forward." I looked over at Joseph and I could tell his heart stopped too. I looked at Shepard with shock still plastered on my face and nodded my head. I swallowed to remove the knot that formed in my throat so I could breathe "I am sure Tali and my team will be of great use. Oh and Shepard I ask that you help Tali with her Pilgrimage.
Tali seemed to be taken aback by my offer and to the best of my hopes Shepard agreed.
Tali turned to me… "How… how did you know I was on my Pilgrimage?"
I looked at her "Well, Quarian usually leave the Migrant Fleet to complete their pilgrimage, am I wrong?"
"No you're not… I just didn't think you knew anything about my people."
As Tali and I talked Shepard seemed to just stand there, listening until she decided she has stood there enough and turned to leave signaling her team to follow, leaving me and my friends…
As she walked away with her squad tracking behind her, me and Joseph couldn't hold back our excitement anymore.
"Dude we get to join Shepard!" Joseph said high fiving me.
"I know and she's pretty hot to" I said as Jesse rolled his eyes at me. "Oh dude, you know what we should do to celebrate this… biotic chest bump."
Joseph chuckled "That's an awesome idea". We backed away and leapt into the air about ten feet thanks to our biotics and chest bumped cheering for who we are to follow now. Unfortunately Shepard hadn't quite left the room and she looked back and noticed the little display of our biotics and chuckled. Joseph and I walked over to Jesse and high fived him and we rushed after Shepard as she walked out the door.
AN: Thank you for reading the first chapter. Please leave reviews and if I get some good reviews and I'll update as soon as possible and I hope to see you again.