Chapter One
"talking"- normal speech
'talking' - Tabitha speaking with Nicodemus
'talking' - Nicodemus speaking with Tabitha
talking - Tabitha thinking to herself
Melbourne, Australia, Sol System 2012 1:20pm
The heat of the Australian sun beat down heavy on my unprotected neck; it was as if I could feel my skin turning pink with sunburn. Groaning under the weight of the shopping bags, I adjusted my grip as I continued walking along the footpath. Reaching the crossing I slammed the button a few times before retreating into the shade of the corner store shopfront. Rolling my neck I sighed turning my grey eyes to the road in front of me. Cars drove past before inevitably stopping as the traffic lights turned red. The right hand turning lane beside me had cars ready to turn as the arrow turned green. My eyes widened in horror and were accompanied by the screams as a small boy only around 6 years old ran out onto the road. It hadn't even occurred to me that I had dropped the shopping or that I had started running, looking at the silver vehicle which was going way too fast around the corner and was now too close for me to save the both of us. Making a split second decision I shoved the kid out of the way right as the car hit my side. I felt bones cracking and the breathe rush out of my lungs. I felt the impact as I crumpled to the asphalt road, screams filled the air and the screeching of tyres was accompanied by the sounds of crashing cars. I was rolled over onto my back, I noticed how hard breathing seemed and my focus began to swim as a man came into view. Though his mouth was moving I heard nothing but a loud buzz as the screams receded into the background and blackness encroached on my vision. I suddenly felt tired, so very tired, what was the point in fighting to stay awake, the blackness seemed so inviting. As I lost track of my thoughts I was enveloped by the cool blackness.
I felt weightless, like there was nothing tying me to the ground and that I was free to just float away. No pain, no fear, absolutely nothing except for a deep sense of peace. The feeling did not last, as if I had triggered it, the dam of my thoughts broke and the memories, emotions and the pain came flooding back. Doubling over in pain I cried out. But as soon as the pain had come it disappeared. Confused, my eyes snapped open only to be assaulted by the bright light of my current surroundings.
"Jesus Fuck!" I hissed shading my eyes, groaning loudly I opened my eyes again, however this time far slower, allowing them to adjust to the light.
"Tsk tsk tsk, a lady should not be using such foul language" At the sound of the voice I started, turning quickly trying to spot the owner of the voice, my previous feeling of weightlessness long gone.
"Who's there? Who are you? Where the fuck am I?" I called out worriedly, my eyes scanning the blank whiteness surrounding me.
"I have no given name dear, some call me Death however other's an angel. But that is of no matter at this point in time Tabitha. What is important however, is that the world you once knew is not the one you are destined for" the disembodied, honey like voice spoke once again. As if his words triggered my brain into action I realized the consequences I now faced.
"So I am dead then" I murmured more to myself then to the voice.
"No, not dead, simply pulled from one universe into the in-between, the Netherworld, or better known by those from your world as Limbo. Either way it is my domain and I am its ruler" I blinked. The Netherworld? Oh sweet baby Jesus I must be going crazy
"You are not crazy Tabitha, far from it."
"Oh great you can read my mind." I grumbled before sighing "well then I suppose you would also know I don't appreciate not knowing who it is I am talking to." I remarked.
"Oh do forgive me, I sometimes forget you mortals cannot see me." The voice chuckled lightly, before a flash of light filled the whiteness. I blinked a few times as before me stood a figure, garbed in flowing black robes and holding a oddly shaped staff with a glowing red crystal embedded into it. The figure was male but had long hair that tumbled over his shoulder, and despite the pure white shade of his hair his face was youthful. His eyes were the same glowing red as the odd crystal embedded on his staff.
"Well you certainly aren't what I expected" I stated raising an eyebrow in question, as I eyed his choice of attire.
"Ah, Apologies. I was in the middle of something when you arrived." With another flash of light the man reappeared wearing a well tailored black suit, his hair tied back neatly with a black ribbon and his staff had change into an elegantly carved walking stick. I had to stifle a giggle, he looked like a weird cross between Lucius Malfoy and a Albino.
"Well you appear to be taking this better than most." He murmured a slightly offended look on his ageless face.
"I'm sorry, but Fan fiction and too many video games" I explained with a shrug. As if he finally understood, he simply beckoned me forward.
"Well then Tabitha, come, walk with me we have much to discuss."
"TJ, please. Tabitha is a tad bit stuffy" I answered scrunching up my nose slightly as I
approached him.
"As you wish TJ, Nicodemus is the name I favour" he responded in kind, his honey textured voice held a smile. With a wave of his hand the whiteness faded like fog, to reveal a beautifully kept garden. It had stone walls surrounding it, though as for how I knew this I did not know, cause I certainly could not see them from our current position.
"So Nick, what did you want to talk about?" I asked glancing around in interest at the exotic yet alien flowers around us.
"Nick?"
"Nicodemus is just a bit of a mouthful" I flashed a grin at him before my eyes returned to the flowers. We had begun to follow a stone path and before long reached a river that had a beautifully craved stone bridge built across the rushing waters. Nick stopped at the halfway point before turning to me.
"Now, as I mentioned before the universe still has need of you, just not in the world you were born into. You were placed into your previous world to gain the knowledge needed to save the universe in question. You now possess the required knowledge to complete the task you were destined for." Nick began, his eyes boring into mine.
"You have but two choices ahead of you, one you begin life anew and complete your given task. Or you continue onto the afterlife." I stared at the man for a few seconds blinking,
"Right, well I'm going to have to ask a few questions before I go and make any freaky decisions." I stated, leaning back comfortably on the stone railing behind me.
"Ask away." Nick returned, his blood red eyes glinting with hidden mischief.
"Alright then, first off what is going to happen to my family if I choose to go into this new
world?"
"To them you would never have existed, your existence in your previous world would be erased." At Nicks response I felt a pang of heartbreak, did I want my family to mourn my passing or be saved from that heartbreak by me never existing? Deciding to think on that later, I continued on.
"Okay, question number two. What would happen if I fail?"
"I return you back to the beginning until you fulfill your destiny" he answered matter-of-factly, at his response I raise my eyebrow before continuing.
"Three, am I going alone?" Nick grinned.
"No, I'll be coming with you." He said as with a wave of his hand I fell backwards off the bridge into the rushing waters below. I screamed as I fell, splashing into the water before sinking into oblivion.
Vancouver, Canada, Sol System, 2173, 3:37pm Earth time.
A rush of pain pulled me back into consciousness and ripped a groan from my chapped lips. Everything hurt! Opening my eyes, I was once more assaulted by the bright light.
"Christ" I grumbled, turning my head in an attempt to shield my eyes.
'What did I say about being ladylike' at the sound of Nick's voice I cursed again loudly.
"Where are you arsehole. I'm going to fucking murder you." I growled.
'Tut tut TJ, that's not very nice. And to answer your question I'm on your wrist.'
"My…Wrist…?" I murmured in confusion. Gritting my teeth, I pushed my battered body up into an upright position leaning my back against the wall. Once somewhat comfortable I looked at my wrist. It seemed clear I was about to say something when I spotted what seemed to be an intricate tattoo on the underside of my wrist.
"You're a...tattoo?" I inquired completely flabbergasted.
'Technically speaking yes, It allows me to communicate with you from my Realm and help you with your task. Also I am communicating directly in your mind so there is no reason to speak aloud, unless you enjoy looking ridiculous.' I narrowed my eyes at the tattoo.
'You are an arsehole Nick.'
'Tut tut, not very ladylike'
'I don't care, never been one for being ladylike.' I could almost see Nick conceding my point.
I examined the tattoo more closely; it appeared to be of Celtic origins though what it meant or was I had no idea. I think I would make a point of looking it up later. Shrugging, I figured I could deal with it, it was aesthetically pleasing enough.
'Okay so I'm obviously not in the afterlife because everything fucking hurts. So that leaves the question of where the fuck am I?'
'Of course you're in pain, you did get hit by a car you know. And you are on Earth, just not the Earth you once knew' Nicks cryptic response irritated me, but I figured that was all I was going to get.
"Best get to figuring out where the fuck I am then." I murmured, grunting as I pushed myself to my feet. I stood still swaying slightly from sudden vertigo. Once the nausea had passed I looked around me. The alleyway I was in was filled with Garbage and debris. Scrunching my nose slightly, I gritted my teeth as I began walking to the end of the alleyway. Poking my head out the street seemed somewhat empty but did not look abandoned, just quiet. Great, chance of Zombies is decreasing ever so slightly. Smiling in amusement I left the alley and began to walk toward the faint sound of bustling streets. Figuring that my best option to figure out where the fuck I was, was to find someone to ask. I didn't walk long before I reached what appeared to be a sign. It simply said Northumberland Apartment district.
"Guess that explains why it was so quiet, it must be the middle of the work day or something..." I muttered, I continued on a little bit further towards the brighter end of the street only to stop in awe. I stood in the shade of the buildings around me but just ahead of me was a large square with people rushing about their daily business. However the thing that struck me silent was the futuristic apparel the wore, the metal skyscrapers, the fucking flying cars. If I didn't know any better I would have thought that I had landed in the middle of Mass Effect, when right at that very moment on one of the big billboards, A Special Elcor rendition of Shakespeare's Macbeth.
"Holy shit..." I murmured 'I'm in the Mass Effect Universe?'
'You are quite correct TJ, now head across the square to the Alliance Registry Vancouver Branch.'
'Alliance REGISTRY! What! You want me to become a fucking marine?'
'Indeed it is the best way to get you equipped and ready to complete your destiny. And don't worry you are considered a street rat here, you don't have records.' I stood stock still for a few minute shell shocked. Me, in the Alliance... I wasn't sure what Nick had in store for me but he did raise a point. I f I managed to join the Alliance it would give me a chance at staying alive when the Reapers Attacked…OH CHRIST JESUS. The Reapers, Saren, Sovereign, Cerberus, The Collectors. I was going to be up against a whole lot of shit. Considering my options, Nick had made a good point. If I wanted to complete this so called task I needed to be well equipped. Especially considering what his so called "task" might be. Making my decision I stepped out into the light of the courtyard and tried to spot the registry. People who passed me gave me dirty looks and I was a bit offended in all honesty.
"What's a Street Rat like you doing here in civilization?" A man sneered at me. Frowning a glared at him.
"Simply trying to find my way to the bloody Alliance registry, or am I not allowed to do that?"
I sneered back, hey I don't like people talking down at me.
"Tired of slumming it Street Rat'
"No I simply want to join the Alliance. D'you have a problem with that Sir?" I asked coldly, the man seemed slightly taken aback by my attitude. "Look I don't want to cause any trouble, I really am just looking to sign up at the Alliance Registry and I am currently very lost, so if you excuse me time is wasting away and I need to get a move on if I want to sign up today." I gritted my teeth and spoke as politely as I could to the man, despite his rudeness. When he didn't say anything I rolled my eyes "Good day Sir." I said before turning on my heel and walking away Prejudiced Arsehole. However I was telling the truth when I said I had no idea where I was going. I was stopped when the man called out to me.
"Wait, I apologize miss. Let me take you there." I was slightly surprised at his offer but accepted it politely. He led me to the far side of the square and towards a shop, on second glance it was actually the registry."There you go Miss. Sorry about before." The man looked appropriately contrite so I chose to forgive him.
"No problem Sir, you have your reasons I'm sure" I returned "and thank you, I would have had a hard time finding it by myself' the man left quickly and I turned and entered the registry.
'Nick?' I asked nervously as I walked into what looked like an empty waiting room
'Yes TJ?' he replied slightly amused.
'How am I suppose to bypass the age restrictions, I'm only 15.'
'Why, my dear. Lie. You don't have a records here. I'll change it back after you are enrolled don't worry.' He said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
'You can do that?' I had to admit I was surprised.
'Of course I can.' He sounded offended.
'Right, sorry.' I answered before walking up to the desk. I stood there awkwardly for a few moments before clearing my throat lightly. The African American man behind the desk turned to face me, slightly surprised to see me standing there.
"Hello there, what can I do for you?" he asked politely eyeing my clothing. I blushed furiously at the state of my attire. I was still in the clothes I'd been wearing back in my time but they were ripped and ragged.
"I'd like to enlist Sir" his eyes widened at my quiet statement.
"Uh...okay then. Name?
"Tabitha Jane Jamieson" I responded, watching intently as he turned to the holo screen in front of him.
"You don't appear to be on records."
"Street Kid" I shrugged "Never had to fill out the census" he chuckled slightly.
"Get a lot of you guys we do, something about a better life. An Australian though, you guys are rare around here."
"I guess so." I murmured, hoping he wasn't going to ask how I got to Vancouver, because I honestly wasn't sure about that myself.
"Alright then I'm going to need to set you up a profile. So if you come with me we'll get started."
"What about the desk?"
"Oh that, there's a VI that can handle any enquirers" I simply nodded and followed the man down a hallway to the right. We entered a room and he sat behind another desk with a holo screen however this time there was a seat for me.
"Take a seat Miss Jamieson, and we'll get started." I took a seat facing the desk and sat up straight.
"Alrighty we're going to start with the easy stuff. Place of Birth?"
"Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia." I recited.
"Date of Birth?" I winced at this.
'2154" Nick supplied
"13th of August 2154 I answered, the guy looked at me funny but continued on asking me routine questions. He then took a blood sample; he seemed confused how I was alive without current vaccinations. He ordered a referral to the closest medical clinic for a physical check up, eye surgery and to get up to date vaccinations, by this point it was quiet late but he suggested a place for accommodation for the night. Taking his advice and heading off towards the apartments I was quickly put into a room. The room itself was quite bare but in all honesty I didn't care it had a bed and after the day I'd had I needed sleep.
'Well I must say I'm quite proud of you' I smiled at Nick's statement.
'Thank you Nick.' Now that I was alone, bar the exception of Nick the events of the day came crashing down on me. The tears began to spill from my eyes and sobs ripped through my body. Within minutes I had completely broken down.
'TJ? TJ!' Nick was trying to get my attention but in my hysterics I had lost control. The room had lighted up for a split second before I was pulled into warm comforting arms.
"Shhhh, shhhh darling child." His honey like voice felt like it was soothing my soul. "Now child what brought this on?" at his question I began to bawl like a child.
"I'm never going to see them again. My parents, my brothers, and my friends, they all don't even remember that I exist." Nick simply held me close as the tears ran their course and sleep took over my exhausted mind.
Vancouver, Canada, Sol System, 2173, 6:30 am Earth time.
My mind was still groggy as I shuffled down to the common area to have some breakfast.
"Need some coffee?" I started at the familiar voice. Turning I was met by the warm brown eyes of the register.
"Hey, you're the guy from the registry" I muttered rather dumbly.
"Yes, I do have a name you know, it's Rick" he teased, I blushed furiously.
"Right, sorry Rick and no I don't drink coffee, I only drink tea." He laughed.
"Just as well this place is well stocked in tea." At his comment my eyes lit up he laughed again as I raced to the kitchenette. Once settled with my tea and breakfast I sat at one of the many tables. Rick came and sat near me and looked at me curiously.
"You planning on going to the medical center today?" he asked
"You make it sound as if I have a choice. But yes I do plan on heading to the medical center.
If I knew where it was..." I stated sipping my tea.
"Well good news for you then that I know where it is and also where to get you an omni-tool." He grinned at me.
"Do you do this with all recruits?" I asked confused,
"Not usually, only with Street Kids, and to be honest you're an interesting one." I raised an eyebrow at him but conceded.
"Well then, what time did I need to be at the medical center?" Rick waved his omni-tool and checked the time.
"In 15 minutes."
"Christ we'd better get a wriggle on then." I said, stuffing my mouth with my cereal.
"Wriggle on?" Rick asked with an amused look, as I continued stuffing my face. I rolled my eyes at him and swallowed.
"Move on, you know. Get moving, that sort of thing, Aussie slang" I sighed as I finished my breakfast. Standing up I dropped my dishes into the dishwasher and followed Rick out of the apartments. We made quick time and reached the medical center on time.
"Alright then Jamieson, I'm going to head off and grab you a few things and I'll meet you back here after you're finished." he smiled before giving me a pat on the back and pushing me in the direction of clinic.
"Just so you know Rick, I hate needles!" I called out after him, I heard him chuckle as he walked away. Scowling I stared at the medical clinic and squared my shoulder.
"Better get it over and done with then..." I murmured before walking through the door. The doors hissed closed behind me and I had to blink a few times to make out the details of the room in front of me it was so stark white. Spotting the receptionist I walked over towards her, shifting from foot to foot anxiously as she ignored me for the person on the other end of her head piece.
"Yes Doctor, I'll send them a reminder immediately. Of course, was there anything else I could help you with? No? Well then goodbye Doctor." her tone was crisp and professional. It matched well with her appearance blonde hair tied up in a tight bun, brown eyes focused on the holoscreen in front of her, a crisp suit with a soft white blouse. Overall she reminded me of the receptionists back home except her attire was far more futuristic and she didn't wear one of those dickey little scarves around her neck. After the receptionist had ended the call. She took a few moments to do as asked. Before turning her brown eyed attention to me.
"Hello, what can I do for you today?" her voice was kind and chirpy very different from the tone she used with the doctor earlier.
"Ah...I've been sent to get the required vaccinations, eye surgery and have a physical check up by the Alliance Registry. Tabitha Jamieson?"
"Of course we've already been informed of your needs Miss Jamieson. If you would take a seat up the corridor on your left Doctor Gordon will be right with you" Following the receptionists instructions, I took the corridor to the left and took one of the empty seats. I was quite surprised to see several other people seated near by despite the early hour, except I could tell from the dog tags they all wore they were apart of the Alliance. There were 7 of us all up, 4 guys and 2 other women. I took my time to observe them while I waited for the doctor. One of the guys was well built, had more than one tattoo and had several scars marring his face. Well he is definitely a marine.
Nick chuckled in my head. 'Having fun there TJ?'
'Have to keep myself occupied somehow.' I smiled a bit, my eyes turning to two younger guys, they were probably just getting into their twenties by the youthful aura that surrounded the two of them. One was a blond whose eye were a deep blue, I had to admit he was uh...quite attractive. His partner was equally as attractive with his well toned arms and inviting eyes, his hair was darked and mussed up. Quickly glancing away my eyes fell on one of the women. She was attractive despite the aura of strength she gave off. Her dark hair was plaited and tendrils escaped to frame her face, her blue eyes were trained on the words she was reading on her omnitool.
'Hmmm. Infiltrator or Sentinel. Nick she can't just be an Engineer. She doesn't give off that kind of feel'
'She's a Sentinel Class, she's here because her L2 amps are giving her migraines and she needs pain meds before she is due back on board her ship.'
'Awww you're taking the fun out of it, you're not suppose to tell me why their here, I was supposed to guess' I whined internally my eyes moving to land on the last two people in the room. The guy had curly red hair that was accompanied by some warm brown eyes, he was talking with a blond woman whose hazel eyes were shining with impatience. Every once in a while he'd lay a hand on her knee or rub his hand along her arm. If I was to be completely honest they were a cute couple.
'You are quite right, she is expecting a little bundle of joy. She just doesn't know that yet.' I had to hide my grin at that.
'So what about GI Joe over there, what's he here for?'
'Psych evaluation before his next mission. He's been off duty due to a injury.' the marine in question glanced my way, before returning to his previous position with a grunt. 'Obviously he thinks you're a bit lacking there TJ' Nick teased. I huffed in annoyance at the deity but turned my eyes back to the two younger marines.
'What are those two in here for Nick?' I asked, purposely changing topics.
'Blondie is in for a check up and evaluation along with doe eyes. They're up for recommendation into the N1 Program.' his amused voice let me know he was more then aware of what I was doing.
'N1? Isn't N1 to N3 the basic officer training?'
'Correct, all Alliance Officers have a minimum of N1 training. N2 and N3 Officers usually take up the high ranking Officer positions within the Alliance higher ups.' he responded.
'So when Shepherd finishes N7 training technically speaking that man or woman is ridiculously over qualified.' I deadpanned for a few moments before asking 'on that note is it a fem!Shep or dude!Shep in this Universe?'
'The future Commander Shepherd is male in this universe. He's had a bit of rough time but it might be best if he tells you himself rather than finding out before hand. All you need to know is he's a Vanguard, Spacer his military service history is still in the making at the time being. Although I do have access to that too, that might take the fun out of it.' Nick replied, his tone instructive.
'Ok cool. I can do that. It' s 2173 yeah? So he's what 18..19? So he'd still be at the AMA*. I'll have 3 months of Boot Camp, before hitting the Academy, but you have 4 years so assuming he signed up fresh out of turning 18 he'd be in his second year.'Wait Vanguard, makes 5 years at the Academy.
'The Alliance runs 4 separate Boot Camps Jan- March, April-June, July-September, October-December. The current date is March 29th so you'll be going through the second round of Boot Camp. You'll be starting at the Academy just as Shepard enters he's second year of Basics, as he started the same time as you last year. He also lied his way in by a year. He shows relatively good skills at hacking as he has managed to change his birthdate back to April 11 2154.'
'Alright. It's interesting I wonder why he just didn't wait... But either way he's going to Graduate the Academy before me so it doesn't really matter.' I mused
'Only a year before you, so you have plenty of time to get to know him. He's a Vanguard and as you said before he has 5 years, he'll Graduate June 2176. Now have you put in any thought as to what class you want to train as?' Nick informed, I narrowed my eyes externally at the wall in front of me at his precocious tone, before letting my face fall back into a neutral expression.
'Infiltrator, I just don't see myself as strictly an Engineer or Soldier.' I answered slightly irritated.
'Good choice, and Infiltrator and a Vanguard would make a complementary pair. Also I think it suits you, you're not a very tall girl, and quite slight which makes you ideal for reconnaissance and infiltration, but you still would be able to wield a sniper rifle, Assault Rifle and Pistol with relative ease. Because I just cannot see you wielding a Shotgun.' he analyzed with a laugh.
'The recoil would probably blast me off world.' I grinned internally, the deity in my head burst into laughter. I turned my eyes from the wall when one of the doors further along the hall opened, to reveal a short stout man in his late 60's, early 70's wearing a white medical coat and glasses hanging from the pocket. Exiting the room was a tall blonde woman with a very visible athletic build.
"Thanks for that Doc. I'll be seeing ya" she smiled before walking down the hall, passed the other patients and me towards reception. The grey haired doctor, looked down at the data pad before calling out.
"Jamieson, Tabitha?" I stood from my chair and walked over to the doctor, giving Gi Joe a rather wide berth after a particularly nasty glare.
"That would be me" I responded quietly to him with a weak smile. Spirits I hated needles.
"Nice to meet you Tabitha, my name is Doctor Gordon. Lets see what we can do for you today hmm" he smiled at me reassuringly leading me into the room before shutting the door. I winced as I spotted the tray with multiple syringe like appliances neatly line up. This was going to be a long day.
AU; HI everyone, this is my first attempt at a MASS EFFECT OC SI, so apologies if it's not the best.
SO the plan is for this story to span from the 10 years prior to ME1 through to the end of ME3, at this stage I think I'm going to keep it in the one story and separate each section into ARC's that will be labelled in the chapters to make it easier to find.
The First 10 years are going to be covered in the first 5 chapters or so, there is going to be several time skips so I'll try to keep them as easy to follow as possible.
This is going to be a VERY VERY LONG story, not just chapter wise but in chapter length, as most of the chapter's are going to average 10,000 words. This first chapter is an exception as I wanted to set the scene and introduce my OC.
This first Arc is centered about setting Tabitha and Nicodemus into the story alongside Shepard and it may have a few sneak peeks at other characters.
PLEASE RATE AND REVIEW. Let me know what you think I'm really interested in what you have to say.
Desperate Reader Signing Out.
((UPDATE: 25/11/2014- Re-reading the chapter I have edited a few things to keep the flow with the next chapter, so please re-read this chapter before reading the newest chapter ))
((UPDATE: 28/02/2015- Apologies to all you readers, I know I said Id have the next chapter out last Nov/Dec but real life caught up with me and stopped me from writing. But I am back at Uni part-time now and have taken up writing again. I hope to have the next chapter out soon, as I am already halfway through (it 5914 words long at the moment). Thats all for now, AVDR out))
*AMA- Alliance Militant Academy: The Academy that all Alliance go through to specialise into different classes. Each specialty class has a different number of years until you graduate and become a fully fledged Alliance marine.
Soldier: 3 years
Engineer: 5 years
Adept: 3 years
Infiltrator: 4 years
Sentinel: 4 years
Vanguard: 5 years
Please Note that all Graduates get sent out on a mission immediately afterwards to test their skills.