"No, no, not daughter! My surname is Daraughter! Check one more time, please!" - dark-haired girl begged at custom house, bringing her chubby hands to face. She was exhausted with nearly day travelling to Earth just to spend brief winter holidays with family, and now they're sent luggage without her just because of stupid mistake in tickets. Sometimes she was jealous to...
"Jenny! Is that you? Jenny-Jenny-Jenny!" - fair-haired teenager ran towards to her, wide mouth in the most cheerful smile. Jenny smiled to her best friend - she had just thought about surnames, and Alyson, who hardly ever was on Earth, came with bright colours in the spoilt day. Friend slightly changed after last video mail, became taller and thinner. Shepard always seemed to consist only of bones, and guys often called her a grasshopper. It was very right, and even Alyson doesn't seemed to be offended hearing this - always in motion, speaking, waving hands, curly blond hair flying around in total mess.
The most frequent result of such haste, however, was a blow in a head - hasn't notice, something, collided with it, fell and still laughed.
"I found you! Listen, my family decided to spent this Christmas together, in a granddad's house. Would you like to spent some days skiing with me? Oh, and maybe we'll invite..." - Alyson smiled playfully, - "Thomas and Sigourney? Or just Thomas?".
"I'd appreciate that, but mistake in my surname in ticket doesn't let me to leave this spaceport. I don't know how many times they're going to check my personality, so," - Jenny tilted her head sadly, unable to believe in her long-lost best friend will go away leaving her in stupid custom house, - "You'd better go to your family."
Shepard nearly jumped: "No way, Jennifer Monica Daraughter! First, I'll start a rebellion for you if your personality wouldn't confirmed soon - I won't left my best friend behind. Second, my family will arrive only several hours after, and I strongly don't wish to dig my path to house in snow. Third,..."
"Okay, okay," - laughed Jenny, showing big white teeth, - "you've won. But if you'll call me again Jennifer Monica Daraughter, I'll call you Alyson Ingrid Magnusdottir Shepard. Just as revenge".
"You're evil," - said Alyson, searching her bag, - "want a candy?"
The sun began to fall, and soon after area of equatorial spaceport was completely dark. Bright lights of building attracted numerous moth, one of few numbers of species survived post-industrial era. Natural landscape was partially rebuilt in alleys with fountains, where strangers could find a quiet place even in such busy place. In the one of such valleys two girls discussed infinite girly problems.
"Oh, no more candies for me," - Jenny moaned, holding her stomach, - "where do you keep them all?"
"in my bag, of course," - mumbled Alyson, chewing next candy, - "I'm always hungry, you know"
Dark-haired girl shook her head in jokingly disapproving "And this all may have two solutions: either you begin to shine from all this calories or one day you'll find yourself so fat that Joseph won't love you anymore"
"No!" - exclaimed blonde girl, - "Joseph is nice. He is as blonde as I am, he is very brave and he is familiar with tech. Just that sort of boys I like. You'd definitely see him. And he'll love me no matter how ugly looking I will be."
"O.k. then... ough! Message from departure quarters. They've finally proven my personality".
Alyson grabbed her bag, as red as her wind-cheater, and friends moved towards to building. Smell of coffee reminded Jenny that she wish a normal dinner instead of sweets, at the same time Alyson felt nausea and remembered that her migraines have become more irritating recently. Tired administrator allowed them to depart with next planetopter heading to Iceland, so girls with ten more passengers went to docking bay 36.
"This is our planetopter? Seems unsafe," - Jenny glanced at rather worn machine disapprovingly.
"Don't worry, I've seen ships more fragile that this bird. It lacks painting in pieces, it may be shaky and rattle, it may smells with fertilizer, but such flying cans are surprisingly durable."
"I'll trust you, cosmogirl with complexion such pale what shines in darkness, but maybe we should wait until tomorrow and depart on normal flyer? Oh no, I understand that look, it means I'm - familiar with - sleeping - at - stone - hard - surfaces - and - what -about - you?" - dark-haired girl laughed, her friend joining soon. Still chuckling, they entered airlock - Shepard was almost right about scent, little difference was in that planetopter was used to transfer farmers wished to live in harmony with nature. Bright lights within couldn't help Alyson's head - her temple was pulsating, and it seems that nerves in hands follow that rhythm. "Great, now I've got cold while waiting departure outside the building. Live on ship a bit more, and your immune system will become similar to quarians'," - thought Shepard and hasn't noticed shelf.
Thud!
"Al! Are you alright?" - friend helped her to rise, feeling guilt for forgetting major feature - magic head drawing troubles.
"I am. Just have seen... never mind," - Alyson shook her head only to make matters worse. Really she saw little blue flashes in her eyes, but decided this was caused by mechanical interaction of impact.
"And look where our sits are? Just above the mass effect core. You said shaky?" - Jenny allowed her friend take seat near the wall, sitting by the passage way for herself. Smiling, she received one more candy - this one was acidic green and visibly sour. Alyson always was extremely caring about her friends - not many people were honoured to be them, but for all of them Shepard willingly be punished instead of betraying one, or gladly follow at blood transfusion.
Jenny could understand why it isn't easy for Alyson to become close with anyone - grown up on ships, permanently changed location, simply hasn't enough time to share gentle secrets, later this became a habit - but why people hesitate about getting along with her? The reason given by Shepard was her disgusting appearance - not as disgusting, at Jenny's opinion, how unusual. Big eyes frozen in staring expression, square jaw and wide chin, curly blonde hair always in total mess, almost lacking... things teenage girls are usually very proud of, long spiderish fingers and , top of all, monstrously wide hips more suitable for turian than to human female. All of this Alyson told her on their first meeting six years ago - she tried to defend chubby Jenny from the band of bullies. They were beaten both, of course, but leader of band had his nose broken. Since then girls spent many time at school together - Shepard was all happy and emotional while Daraughter was familiar with minor repairing - her friend has unique feature acting like chance to cause crash of any electronic system she approaching to. Later Jenny found out one more reason people dislike Al - because of her father. Magnus Ulrichsson was a scary type of men - commander of the Alliance, first-class engineer, butcher who wiped out entire batarian settlements, including women and children, he never doubted sacrificing his own people for greater task. Alyson Ingrid was his almost exact copy, so "daughter of a killer" followed her everywhere. Jenny glanced at friend - all her life was fighting, from womb where she got that creepy exposure caused nodules in brain, then fighting for helping people who often didn't wanted to receive any help from her, then with own features. Boys laughed her up, in best cases saw buddy in her, and Joseph was the first who showed signs of romantic involvement.
As hearing thoughts, Alyson murmured "We are beautiful, no matter what they say". Lights were dim, and many passengers was already sleeping. Girl had another migraine, so tried not to sleep - it only could make pain stronger. Scents knocked in her temples, causing wish to grow up faster to end period of storming hormones and migraines with it. Her omni-tool was broken as always, but somehow Shepard managed to understand topter is somewhere in space of European Union. Jenny was totally absorbed with own thoughts, so Alyson decided not to bother her.
Daraughter's beautiful warm brown eyes instantly became concerned: "Do you hear this. Al?"
"What I should hear? Some monster?"
"No," - girl shook head, opening omni-tool, - "Engines. They're sound not as they used to when we ascented"
"You're just unfamiliar with flights. It's..."
Engines went completely silent.
"We're falling!" Shouted young woman by the helm.
Alyson dug her head between knees and forced Jenny to do the same with right hand. Last thing she saw before crash was glowing of own body.
"What a bad dream," - thought Alyson, trying to open eyes. It was warm and peaceful, but her ribs hurt from undefined reason. Slowly she pop lids open.
Snow. White snow, so alien, fallen from sky. Flows of snow Shepard never seen before - people had strange word blizzard for it. Everything in borders of vision was covered with white, fluffy substance.
No, not all.
Wreckage twisted by awful force. Bare wires and armature. Chairs tossed around. The only undamaged area was occupied by friends.
Corpses torn apart. Blood covered the innocent snow and partially covered with it.
"Jenny! Jennie! Please, say something!" - Shepard cried, shaking friend's shoulder.
Eyes of older girl slowly opened, then focused on remains of woman shouted while falling. She covered mouth with hand, eyes wide open in shock: "What... Why... No! I don't want!" - she looked at friend pathetically.
Alyson hugged friend, shaking with entire body. They sat there for a few minutes, crying, when sudden realisation stroke.
If it's a ship, such enormous holes would cause death in vacuum after ninety seconds. There weren't void outside, but falling snow melted nearly a meter forward to girls. In horror, Alyson turned back. Cargo area was fallen apart, and both suitcases andslits in the floor were glowing mysterious glow.
"What is it, mass effect core? It almost turned off during falling, but still commit radiated relaxation which can't provide directed moving but warm up atmosphere?" - Jenny joined to friend.
Shepard didn't understand a word, but there was something about element zero what everyone knew - open eezo, let alone open eezo in fuel mode, is lethal. "We have to go. It's too dangerous," - she rose, ribs killing her.
"Al, I know eezo exposure is almost always lethal, but what we'll do outside? It's blizzard, and we should approximately be somewhere at the Northern Atlantics. We'll freeze to death".
"We can't stay here. If we'll ever be rescued, we'll die in several days after because of irradiation. There's no way to cancel its action," - trying to make friend stand, she continued, - "Or maybe we're lucky enough and your tool still working? What's the nearest town here? Maybe we'll be able to reach it before freezing to death?"
Jenny checked, but found only red exclamation mark. Desperation overwhelmed her - lost somewhere in snowfall, without warm clothes, without a map, with deadly toxin nearby. She began to cry again, letting Shepard lead while they left for the snowy void.
"I can't walk anymore" - Jenny clung to friend's sleeve.
Sooner or later, this should have happened. Entire Shepard's body was numb cold, in spite of her significant warmth producing from physical activity. Her friend wasn't that lucky - layer of fat kept body warm, while girl already have fallen into snow several times. Can't feel own arms and legs, she so longed to lay down into warm snow and sleep peacefully.
Alyson turned back to friend. For recent time, she pulled Jenny forward and now was completely exhausted. Snow, so warm snow, so good... maybe she'd better lay here and wait for rescue team? They definitely
For last time, her almost snow-blind eyes checked horizon. Blizzard was losing power here, and visibility was better...
"Look! What's this!" - she exclaimed, pointing at blurry spot far away.
"Looks... like... town..." - mumbled blank answer was.
"let's go then! It's close!" - Shepard pulled Daraughter. In response, dark-haired girl sat in snow.
"You don't understand. I Cannot Walk Anymore. Leave me here, just... leave me here," - she spoke wearily. They'll obviously won't reach that town before freezing to death.
"Maybe it's better to leave her here and run to town for myself? There I can call people to help her. After all, this isn't my fault that she's so unsporty, why should I die because of that?"
"No, Shepard, this isn't how the things are should be done. She's your friend, your only friend. She can't save herself, but you can. How do you will look at the mirror if you'll survive and she won't?"
"I don't want to hear your complains. Stand up," - Shepard gave a hand to friend.
No response. Jenny lost consciousness.
"And now you won't even feel her gaze when leaving. She's almost dead, and you're alive. For now. Leave her here and live!"
Sighing, Alyson grabbed friend's arms and pulled her on own back. After third attempt, she managed to lift friend. Several steps forward. Stop. Breathing hard. Again several steps. Falling face down into snow.
"Why me? Why not any other people? I don't..."
Shepard almost saw her father, barking "Rise and go!" at her. She stood, looking at Jenny. There wasn't any power, only things that dragged her forward were stubbornness and anger. Al tried to drag friend and was too weak to perform this. She tried again, and again, and again, until completely losing her temper. She punched Daraughter's body, and this threw it on nearly meter. Terrified, Alyson looked down at own hands - they were glowing at the same mysterious tone with eezo.
Decision was quick - Shepard approached friend and lifted her with glowing hand. Now Jenny weighted completely nothing and shined in same blue way. Feeling herself surprisingly warm, Shepard realized that this was just a hallucination caused by low temperature, what meant she's dying. Dismissed this thoughts, Al continued her way to town.
Further she walked, stronger her head felt uncomfortable. Nausea appeared almost immediately , vertigo soon after. Now girl felt that all the weight hands didn't feel her head carried instead. Last steps were made with ducked head, then Alyson stopped and, finally, have fallen into snow. Her last thought was about how warm snow was.
Corporal Ericsson felt himself very nervous. First, SPV "Capricorn", proved super-steady flying bucket, crashed somewhere near Iceland, its destination. Second, there was a blizzard in this area which made searching far more complicated. Third, the bloodiest and most ruthless commander, Magnus Ulrichsson, was appointed as head of expedition - to make matters worse, one of the missing passengers was his only daughter.
Island "Capricorn" crashed onto was small piece of rock, its only point of interest was a geothermal station. Internal controls of the station hasn't shown, however, presence of any people - so passengers, if they survived falling from 8000 miles, were somewhere else.
They found crash site soon after - it was dangerous to approach because engine was breached into atmosphere, and level of eezo contamination was lethal. Probe sent awful pictures from inside the debris - twisted bodies, limbs fallen apart, blood and internal organs covering walls.
"Back seats are pretty intact but empty. What happened to people there?" - commander tilted his head to monitor, - "Who had that seats?"
Paul Ericsson checked tickets: "Jennifer M. Daraughter and Alyson I. (M.) Shepard" - he answered.
Without any sign of excitement, Magnus Ulrichsson ordered to search at island. They flown above it in circles, projectors cutting through blizzard. There obvious wasn't any chance they've survived, but as long as commanding officer wants, corporal would continue the search.
"There. Take a closer look"
Definitely nobody else could see anything where commander pointed, but it's better trust to sniper in such questions. Corporal lowered "Libra" at that zone, still not noticing anything. Ulrichsson left vehicle and limped to somewhere.
His subject of interest was found to be a red wind-cheater belonged to one of teenage girls. It was partly covered by other girl, chubby one, laying in unnatural pose above. Medics took care, but it was obvious that both girls were dead.
"Lieutenant Commander Magnus Ulrichsson?' - good-looking doctor approached to moody man sit in corridor playing with yoyo. His gaze told nothing. "We're still fighting for life of Ms. Shepard, but now her state isn't that critical. We'll start to replace damaged tissues soon. The problem is anomaly brain activity, connected with nodules. It seems to secondary eezo exposure interacted with them, and we still don't know all circumstances of their way to geothermal station, so it's impossible to understand consequences right now. I suppose participating of research centre which specializes on kids with such deviations."
"Tell me the only thing. Will my daughter survive?" - commander stiffen his jaw.
"And what about my daughter?" - Jeffrey Daraughter with his wife stormed from entrance, - "What about Jenny?"
"We did everything possible, but..." - doctor's speech was interrupted with Mercedes Daraughter's whimper. For a moment, Magnus was glad Hannah doesn't know anything - on the other hand, he had to explain her everything, but it doesn't matter now. Now only Alyson does.
"Survival of Alyson depends now on operation on that nodules. If it will be fast and lucky, she'll regain almost all functions. If not..."
"Do it," - ordered Magnus Ulrichsson.
It was a third month after catastrophe, and it was a day Alyson will finally wake up. Sunbeams played with leaves giving fantastic shadow on girl's face and bed. She slept peacefully, not paying attention to seriously damaged organs, scars all over body, permanently high temperature and biotic implant in her brain. It all was possible to live with, and her parents standing nearby were infinite glad.
Nurse approached and injected meds in fragile arm, which became even whiter compared to period on stations. Several moments after girl inhaled deeply, her lids trembled. Slowly she opened eyes and, even not fully aware where she is and what has happened, smiled to family.
"Mom? Dad?" - she tried her best to say, but was unable to produce any sound. Her lips moved silently.
And then the memories struck.