[Begin Playback]
Date: July 19, 2188
Location: Undisclosed location, interstellar transit
Interview Subject: TT-3920-GV
"Do I remember the commander? Of course I remember him. It's impossible to forget, after everything that happened."
"What can you tell us about him?"
(Long pause) "What is this? Some kind of extranet interview? Trying to get a look at the real guy, beyond what they show in the vids?"
"No."
"Then what is the purpose of this?"
"That's classified."
"Ah. I get it. Classified. I've spent enough time in the military or in police agencies to know that really means shut the hell up and tell us what we want to know."
"Basically."
"I'm not sure I'm the one you want to go to. I was a soldier, like him. I didn't know all the details of what was going on."
"That's irrelevant. We already have the information from higher up the chain. Your story is the one we're looking for."
"Hmm... my story, huh? Or is it our story?"
"Come again?"
"I know you've been talking to the others. You're not interested in the big picture. You want your information from the ones who knew him best."
"That is correct."
"Why?"
"It's classified."
(Long pause) "All right. What do you want to know?"
Date: March 25, 2187
Location: Earth
Interview Subject: VS-0329-AW
"Is this some kind of bad joke?"
"No, it is not."
"You're asking me whether I remember the Commander? After everything we went through with him... you seriously think I'd forget?"
"Lieutenant Commander, please lower your voice."
(Long pause) "You're not Naval Intelligence."
"No."
"You're not Internal Affairs?"
"No."
"Some kind of creepy terrorist group, maybe?"
"No."
"Then what do you want with all this? I know you've been talking to the others. You aren't exactly being secretive about all this. What are you trying to do?"
"We are simply trying to gain a better understanding of just who the Commander was and what he went through."
"Watch one of the vids. They'll tell you more than we can."
"Yes, they'll show us an idealized superhero who protected the good and the meek in the universe. That's not the information we're looking for. We're just going to ask you some simple questions and we want you to give us your take on how certain events unfolded."
"I'm not sure I want to."
"Then the commander's memory will be left to those who idealize him in such a way. In a few years, no one will know the real man. And soon, the idealized hero will begin to crumble as people find discrepancies in the story. They'll tear his legend apart, Lieutenant Commander, until his name is nothing but a joke. You've seen it before, when dealing with your grandfather. Is that really how you want to honor the commander?"
"No... I guess not."
"Good. Now may we ask our questions?"
(sigh) "All right. Shoot."
Date: August 9, 2185
Location: Earth
Interview Subject: GW-3025-DA
"The commander... now there's a touchy subject. Everything he's accomplished, all the shit he's done... good and bad, it makes for one hell of a story. Not sure I believe it myself sometimes."
"How so?"
"I've seen things during my service, done things that would make some grown men cry. Every soldier has stories like that. But the things the commander has seen and done... well, let's just say he's a different breed."
"Can you elaborate?"
(chuckle) " I don't know what you're planning with these interviews or what you want. But there's only one thing you need to know about the commander."
"What's that?"
"He's a hero. A goddamned hero, the kind of person that only comes around once in a generation. He is our generation's Achilles, our Hercules. Hell, he's our generation's Superman as long as we're making comparisons."
"You know the man personally. You have known him for a longer period of time than anyone else. Are you sure that is the description you want to give?"
"Yeah, I know the man well. And he's not perfect. Who is? But he's willing to put everything on the line for what he believes in. Willing to put everything above his own well-being or personal safety. That's not an easy life."
"No it's not."
"But the commander does it anyway. Without a second thought, without complaint, without ever wishing things could be different. He is what the galaxy needs him to be. That's the kind of person we need protecting us, now more than ever. So write that down in your little notebook and relay it to whoever you're doing this for. I'm not saying any more."
Date: January 14, 2186
Location: SSV Normandy SR-2
Only Recorded Project Interview with Primary Subject
"He said that?"
"He did."
(long pause) "He's wrong."
"Come again?"
"He's wrong. I'm not a hero."
"There are many who would disagree, Commander. Look at your accomplishments."
"I did what I had to under stressful circumstances. More than that, I had the support of some of the best people I've ever had the privilege of serving with. Soldiers who didn't give up, no matter the odds, no matter what I dragged them into. Some of them... some of them didn't make it back home afterward."
"But surely-"
"Look, you can keep trying to drive this into my skull, but I'm never going to agree. I'm just a man. I'm not a hero and I never will be. I do what I'm asked to. What people depend on me to do. I'm not going to give up on them. That's all, and it's nothing special."
"And if history decides otherwise?"
"Then I guess this interview will be the only thing that explains the truth. That is the purpose of all this, right? Getting everything down for the record, once and for all?"
"To a certain extent. Can we get your name one more time for our files?"
"Of course. My name is Commander Shepard, Alliance Navy, Captain of the SSV Normandy SR-2. And I guess this is my story."
Author's note: Whew. This story was a long time coming. I've been waiting to work on this project for a very long time. Here's hoping I can pull it off to everyone's satisfaction. I'm not as familiar with Mass Effect as I am with Star Wars, but I'm determined enough to give it a try.
From here on, I'm going to try working on a serial novelization of each Mass Effect game. With ME1, I'm going to divide it up into sections, starting with the attack on Eden Prime. Let it be noted that this is NOT just a word-for-word translation of the game. This is going to have my own scenes, characters, plotlines, etc, all of which will tie in to the overarching superstructure of the ME1 experience. Hope you enjoy.