A/N: Special thanks for Lachdannen and Palaven Blues for helping me get this in some shape.


MASS EFFECT

THE ARK

Prologue

2200 A.D. - Somewhere in the Nimbus Cluster

Silence dominated the universe. Although the vast space provided no reason for claustrophobia, one could very well feel alone and trapped. Small dots of light painted the black canvas, providing energy for life in a never-ending battle against cold death.

A lonely communication buoy drifted on its orbit in the middle of nowhere. No stars close enough to warm up its surface, no planets to visit. A tiny layer of ice covered the machine's encasement like scales. It was alone in the dark, serving its purpose like it had for thousands of years. Its relatives were scattered all around the galaxy to make sure connection between family members living on different sides of the Milky Way could be established.

The space behind the device slowly distorted, then only a blink later, the buoy exploded silently, and shattered into thousands of pieces, each setting off into the vast space. Something else, something much bigger, took its place, disrupting the fragile system of communication.

The Citadel

Deep inside the hub of the galaxy, a beeping alarm shook up a bored salarian maintenance worker. Like many of his colleagues, he was also responsible for maintaining the communication buoy network across the galaxy. It wasn't exactly his dream job; no wonder he usually almost fell asleep during work hours. Today, however, seemed different. They rarely received any error messages from the buoys, and even if they did, several protocols said that they should first consult with a supervisor before taking any further steps. It took him a fraction of a second to realize that something had gone horribly wrong, as an important device in the Nimbus Cluster had gone completely offline.

He quickly started typing on the holographic keyboard to run diagnostics and soon shook his head. Checked and rechecked, but the buoy's diagnostic system didn't respond. His large eyes blinked rapidly, then looked at the screen in disbelief.

"This is agent C113, experiencing code 45 in sector 12. We might have a problem." He moved his lips like a fish gawping, asking for manager support.

His asari supervisor arrived only two minutes later. She wore a similar blue uniform as the salarian, covering her body from toe to neck. She paled, leaving her a lighter purple that her marking stood out against in deep relief. After her glance at the data, the salarian saw a flicker of fear in her eyes. She seemed to made up her mind quickly, as if she faced life-threatening danger, and touched her earpiece. "Patch me through to Citadel Defense," she said, "We might be under attack."