She was running from something, the weight from the bulk of her suit causing her to slow down more than she would've liked. She knew the aliens were the ones that was chasing her. She had to get away from here, from them. If she didn't, they would kill her. She tripped over a rock and fell to the ground, her helmet cracked from the impact of her fall. The aliens were upon her now, their guns pointed at her. She turned to see her pursuers, their bone infused skin and green armor prominently displayed, as their receded, pale white eyes glared back at her, their razor sharp teeth snarling a vicious grin. "Please! No!" Her cries were ignored by the hostile aliens, who held their aim on her as she balled up in the fetal position. She was going to die here. She was going to die. She began kicking and shouting angrily as the aliens encircled her more, hoping to push them back and away. This will have to keep them back, at least momentarily. It had to. One snagged her arm, nearly ripping it out of her socket before pulling her up, her breath choking on the toxic air that inhabited the world. "Wha-What do... you want from me..?" she tried asking the aliens, but they ignored her. She dropped her head as she gasps for breath, coughing and choking before another word could come out.

Unbelievably, she heard Sheila's voice followed by Rocky's. She lifted her head to see the source of the voices, nearly screaming. The faces of the two NASA specialists were standing before her, blood dripping, pooling out of their wounds as their undead corpses began speaking to her.

"How could you do this to us, Evee?"

"I was going to marry Rocky when we got back to Earth."

"But you took that away from us."

"Now look at us, Evee. Look at what you did to Rocky and me!"

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she began screaming, her words filled with nothing but apologies. She begged them for forgiveness, to be at peace, that she would do anything for them. "There is nothing you can do to fix this," Rocky's disembodied voice said calmly, taking Sheila's hand and slowly disappeared in the fog. "No please!" she begged in a cough. "I don't want to die! Please! I don't want to die!" She began wailing in fear and desperation, her body too weak to fight back against the aliens. She tried begging to the aliens next, but it didn't work either. Tears streamed from her eyes as she choked to death on the unbreatheable air. All hope was lost.

"Evee."

Who was that? "Evee, it's alright. Wake up." It sounded like a man. Alex? What did he mean, wake up? "Evee, you have to wake up now!"


Evee shot her eyes open as she was shaken awake, the face of Alex standing above her. He sighed heavily with relief, immediately hugging her. "Evee! Thank God. You were practically screaming in your sleep." She groaned as she tried to sit up on her own, a headache manifesting as her eyes adjust to the bright lights on the walls. "Wha... Where..?" "You're safe now, Evee. We're safe," Alex said, reassuring her. Evee gazed around the room slowly, taking in her new, foreign surroundings. The room was very clean, sterile, however it felt a little small. There were two medical beds that were built into the machinery behind her, both with pillows that adorned a different colored stripe. She was sitting on the one with the pink stripe pillow, closest to the window that had the words "Med Bay" printed in bold letters. The other bed wasn't in use, and had strange half-circles connected to it. A constant beeping sound could be heard, although Evee was unsure as to where it came from. She noticed to her far right, there was a skeletal scan of her, as her name was indicated on the screen. She apparently appeared healthy, although that was all she could tell from first glance. It made her wonder if that beeping was coming from this screen, indicating her heartbeat. As her pulse began to race, so too did the beeping sound. That seemed to answer that question. She looked over at Alex again, taking in the sight of him. She prayed she wasn't dreaming as she made sure all of the features he had were there. The piercings, the long undercut hairstyle that was put into a ponytail, the tattoo of a woman's silhouette with stars adorn inside on his left upper bicep... Yes. This was Alex, her Alex.

But even with this knowledge, she still felt disoriented and confused. "Alex..? What's going on? I... I was being chased by some aliens or something, and then..." She choked up on her words, suddenly remembering the corpses of Rocky and Sheila as she fled from her alien pursuers. But it had to be a dream! This couldn't be real! Evee smashed her face into Alex's chest, tears beginning to flow with no sign of stopping. "Oh God, Alex! It was horrible! Rocky... and Sheila, they..!" "Shh. Don't try to talk now, okay Little Red? You're safe here." Alex gently stroked her head, cooing her softly as she gripped his grey tank top tightly. It truly felt like a nightmare she couldn't wake up from, a tormented dream that will forever haunt her because of that damned device they found on Mars. She wished she had never found it. She wished that she ignored it when she stepped on it. Evee's face wiped her tears on his tank top as she pressed it against his chest, stifling her sobs the best she could. "Alex... tell me. What happened? Is this really real, or a dream that feels real?" She could hear him sigh deeply, about to open his mouth before the sound of a hissing door interrupted them. "Evee! Oh my God, hey!" It was Judas' voice. Evee looked up, noticing that it was he who entered the room.

She took this moment to calm herself and make sure that it was truly him as well, not wanting to leave anything to chance. He had a similar undercut hairstyle to Alex, but whereas Alex's head was shaved on the sides, Judas' was only cut around the nape of his neck. All those months in space allowed it to grow out into a ponytail, which he seemed to have kept when Evee told him that it looked cool. His bangs were covering his forehead a little, but his green eyes were visible from miles away. She sighed; good. It was Judas. He dashed towards the opposite side of her medical bed, leaning in close to her face. "How you feelin'?! Are you okay? Do you feel sick or anything?!" He was desperate to know if she was okay, fanatic even. It almost scared her. "Dude, relax," Alex murmured, his hand trying to push Judas back to give Evee some space. "She's okay. She just had a nightmare." Her face contoured into a grimace, her knees buckled close to her chest. It was more than just some nightmare. It was a nightmare she was reliving every time she closed her eyes. "I'm glad you're okay, Evee," Judas finally said, his hand resting on her shoulder. "If it weren't for that guy, you'd be dead for sure." Evee's head perked up at the mention of this "guy," curiosity getting the best of her. "Wha-What guy..?" Alex's eyes shifted over to Judas who only bit the inside of his cheek in response. Alex helped her off the medical table, his body being her crutch as she tries to balance herself. "It's best if you meet him," he replied, letting go of her arm. "He's in the cargo bay. Just... don't freak out over his crew, okay? They seem like good guys..." Judas scoffed annoyingly. "Oh sure, until they shoot you in your sleep," he griped with a huff, crossing his arms. Alex snorted as he peered over at him, shaking his head. "They haven't done it yet, now have they? Besides, they saved our lives - they saved Evee's life." Judas scoffed as he shook his head, ignoring Alex. "I still don't trust 'em," he argued. "C'mon, Evee," Alex continued, ignoring Judas and his complaints. "Let me take you to the Pathfinder. He'll want to see you're awake."

Pathfinder?

As they approached the door, it hissed open and revealed a small hallway. Blue and white lights lit up the area, her eyes examining the unknown location. Upon looking above her head, she noticed a glass-like walkway, with what appeared to be a woman power walking across it before disappearing behind another hissing door down the far right. Also at the end of the corridor, she saw another door with the words "Pathfinder's Quarters" written above it. "What is this place?" Evee asked, observing the rest of her surroundings. She noticed the door in front of her with the words "Crew Quarters" above it. She was lucky everything was labelled. Another set of words caught her attention, too, as it was written in even larger letters. Andromeda Initiative. Andromeda? That was the galaxy closes to the Milky Way. Did they use the name for their Initiative because it sounded cool? Alex noticed that she was enthralled with her surroundings, admiring the ship they were on. He had to admit, he was mighty impressed with the ship, too. "I heard them calling it the Tempest," Alex answered finally. "Apparently, it's a scout ship for space." Her head snapped back at him, her eyes widened with excitement. "What, like a space ship?" she asked, tilting her head curiously. Alex chuckled a little, nodding his head. He knew she would like that. "Yeah. A space ship. Kinda cool, huh?" Evee slowly nodded in reply, mesmerized by the fact that they were on such a vessel. If they were flying through space right now, however, then how are they able to stand upright and not float around? Did this futuristic space ship have anti-gravity technology or something? She couldn't help but remain curious. She felt Alex nudge her arm, helping her towards the large door to her left. "This is where I last saw the Pathfinder going. I think this is the cargo bay." Evee swallowed hard. Was she actually nervous about meeting this Pathfinder? Who was he? What should she say to him?

The door hissed open and revealed a large glass panel in front of them. Evee assumed it had to be the cargo bay. Although, a large, oddly shaped figure stood firm in their path, shadowing their view of the next room. She had never seen anything like it, and couldn't help but investigate it. Alex took in a breath, leaning into her ear. "This is a member of the crew," he whispered. "An alien." She froze in place, bewildered from Alex's words. Another alien? Here on this ship? And a member of the crew, no less! This thing was going to kill them, wasn't it? Just like the other aliens tried to do? Alex cleared his throat, grabbing the alien's attention, much to Evee's dismay. "Relax," he whispered again. "They're not the enemy. They helped us." The large alien grunted as he turned around, noticing the two humans before it. It was wearing yellowish armor, adorned with large bones (or was it teeth?) strapped to it. A large hump was on it's back, similarly to a camel hump, although it might've provided the alien with a different function. It had said something as it pointed at Evee, allowing her to see that it had three, large, stubby claw-like fingers. She immediately grabbed Alex's arm, practically hiding behind it as the alien approached. As it stepped into the light, it's face seemed obviously aged, and had miniature spikes on it's chin, similarly to a beard of sorts. Perhaps it was the male of it's species? It had the characteristics of a turtle in the face, with a harden shell-like crown on it's head, which was also spiky. It's eyes shimmered in a frightening yellow tone, with reptilian slits for pupils staring back at her. It felt like a hefty giant, towering over her in a way she couldn't explain. It made Evee feel extremely uncomfortable, no matter how much Alex tried to calm her down.

It spoke it's language to them again, it's voice deep and gravelly as it spoke. What were they saying to her? How did anyone understand these aliens and their weird languages? "Oh, I see you met Drack." The sound of a man's voice was heard after the hiss of an opening door, his British accent clear as day. A man with dark skin approached them, his brown eyes sparkling as he nudges the alien's arm. "Don't let him intimidate you. He's not all bad for an old man." Evee drew back slightly, still unsure of the stranger and the alien. Alex placed his hand to her back soothingly. "Don't worry," he whispered to her. "He's one of the people who saved us." The man outstretched his hand to Evee, who could only stare at it. "I'm Liam Kosta. Nice to meet you." Liam? Evee suddenly remembered hearing someone calling out to that name, before rushing over to her side. She remembered those icy blue eyes so vividly... could the man who saved her be the man known as the Pathfinder? She took his hand gingerly, slowly shaking it. "I-I'm Evee." "Evee? That's a pretty name. Short for Evangeline, right?" She looked startled at the mention of her full name, her hand suddenly retracting from him. He smiles a bit bashfully, chuckling a little. "Sorry. I forgot to mention. You're friend Alex told me your name. I didn't mean to upset you." She looked up at Alex for confirmation, only to see him smile and nod his head in reply. She began to relax a little, but not by too much. She still wasn't too sure about these people.

The alien spoke in it's deep voice to Liam, pointing at his head before bellowing a laugh. "Oh right," he chuckled. "Now I see what the problem is. You guys don't have translators yet." Liam showed the small device in his ear, tapping at it as an indicator to what he meant. "It'll translate any alien language into whatever language you prefer. We have extra ones from the Nexus, in case we meet new aliens or if our implants stop working. I can fetch them for you." His smile was kind as he looked at Evee with bright eyes, which began to put her at ease. The alien known as Drack didn't seem so bad either, despite his scary appearance. She smiled a little. It felt like it's been some time since she's smiled so calmly. The sound of a hissing door came from behind them, and Judas appeared. He seemed to have been watching from the Med Bay window, and decided to join the party. He didn't want to leave Evee alone with these strange people and aliens. Especially aliens. Judas crossed his arms as he stared holes at Liam, making the man uncomfortable. The soldier would cough before he began to slip away towards the cargo bay. "I better go get those translators. The sooner you get them, the sooner you can understand krogan." Liam patted Drack's arm before departing, causing the alien to laugh again before waving at Evee and her friends. He said something in his native tongue again as he walked past them, his feet thudding loudly as he continued down the corridor of the ship. She raised her shoulders slightly, watching the alien from afar. As the door hissed closed, Evee smiled, shrugging a little. "He isn't so bad," she admitted, looking over at Alex. He nodded his head. "I told you. These guys are a helluva lot nicer than the aliens you saw. We don't know much about those guys, yet." "They... didn't exactly tell us much," Judas said in a stern voice. "Except that they are to be avoided, whenever possible. It's like they know something about them that we don't." Evee's eyes lowered to her feet. They weren't wrong. Those aliens back on that strange planet tried to kill her, successfully slaughtering Rocky and Sheila. She swallowed hard, trying to get rid of the large lump in her throat. She didn't want to cry again, yet it was so hard not to. She had to think about something else.

As she peered over at the glass, she saw what looked like a six-wheeled vehicle, sleek in design. It was an icy white, clean and crisp, as if it was a brand new car they bought from the dealership. The door before them hissed open, and another alien was there, along with a human woman with blonde, undercut hair. Her head had turned in the direction of the door, noticing Evee. She said something to the tall, slender alien next to her before coming towards them, the alien turning to watch the woman depart. Alex nudged Evee's arm, hinting that this alien was also a good guy. The only glimpse that she got of it was this odd blue visor across it's eyes. That, and their body type was extremely slim and tall. The human woman stood in front of her, however, blocking her view of the rest of the alien. "I'm Lieutenant Cora Harper. I am the Pathfinder's second." She stood tall as she spoke, her hands locked firmly behind her back. She was a beautiful woman, too, with her platinum blonde hair swept over the left side of her face, curving to the shape of her cheek. Her brown eyes looked Evee up and down, as if studying her. She suddenly felt like she was being judged by this woman, as if her lieutenant status gave her the right to do so. Cora gave a small smile, tilting her head in a nod. "It's good to see you're awake," she finally responded after looking Evee over. "He'll be glad that you survived. He was... very distraught when he found you in such a state." "Wh-Who? The Pathfinder?" Evee saw her nod her head in response, her hand moving in the direction of the vehicle. "He's right over here, working on the Nomad." She began to lead Evee away to the opposite side of the car, but Evee couldn't move. She looked at Alex, who only nudged her with his hand. "Go on. We'll be right here for you." She swallowed hard before her feet began moving again, following the woman in front of her. The lieutenant led her to the other side of the car, towards someone working on the vehicle. 'That's him? The Pathfinder?' Evee thought to herself, swallowing hard.

Cora stood aside for Evee to greet the man they called the Pathfinder, she thought about what she could possibly say to him. Should she say hello, or perhaps thank him for saving her? Or should she begin to bombard him with all of these questions that continued to rack in her brain? As she approached, she was surprised to see someone was halfway inside the vehicle, tinkering with it on the inside. Their bottom was in the air a little, swaying only a tad as they tried to tighten something. Evee couldn't help but admire this, being caught completely off-guard. She tried to clear her head, however, as she remembered that the Pathfinder wanted to speak with her. "Ex-Excuse me?" she called out. "Are you the Pathfinder?" The person began to slightly pull themselves out of the vehicle as she spoke, climbing down and finally coming face to face with her. Evee's amber eyes grew as she saw her savior's face at last, doing everything in her subconscious to memorize his features. His face was nicely shaped, his thick, brown hair was combed back and styled slightly with a side part, with a dusk of a beard on his face. His face seemed relaxed, but serious as he stared at her, wiping the grease from his hands. That was when she noticed his forearms, and how the muscles rippled underneath his skin every time he moved. And his hands! They were large, probably calloused from all the years of hard work, but they looked strong and capable of doing whatever task was given to him. He cleared his throat gently to grab her attention, causing her to snap her head up to look him in the eye. And right then and there, she was able to confirm that this was indeed the same man who saved her, for staring back at her was a set of familiar icy blue eyes that she dared not forget. These were the eyes of her savior, of the man who risked his life to help her.

She swallowed hard before clearing her own throat, and fixing her bangs behind her ears. "H-Hi." He raised a brow at her from that timid response, causing her to stammer a moment before continuing. "I'm Evee." He began to nod his head in understanding, wiping one of his fingers of the grease. "You're Evangeline Roberts." She was startled as he spoke, hardly able to reply back to him. The Pathfinder sighed a little, pointing in a direction. "Your friends told me your name." It wasn't the fact he knew her name that took her by surprise. It was his voice. She didn't expect it to sound so calm and gentle, and most certainly not so charming. She imagined he had a deep voice, but was clearly mistaken. And in a way, Evee was glad to be wrong. She looked him over one more time, taking in his features to memory. "An-And you're the man who saved me? The pathfinder..?" He nodded in reply, his eyes locking onto hers. "That's right. I'm Ryder."

Ryder.

"Thank you. If you guys hadn't have come along when you did..." He didn't respond. He seemed to be watching her closely, as if observing to see what she might do or say. It was starting to make her feel nervous. Was he judging her about something? He turned his back to her, setting down the rag and picking up a tool. "How did you end up on Habitat 7?" His question was so direct, his voice highly serious as he tinkers with the tool in his hand. Evee stammered again, his question catching her off-guard. "Wha-What..?" "The planet where we found you and the others on. Our 'golden world.'" Ryder turned his head to peer over his shoulder at her, his eyes shifting slightly as he places the tool back down. "The equipment you had is ancient, shoddy at best. There is no way those suits would've lasted the way they did." He turned to her at last, crossing his arms. "How exactly did you get there to that planet? And with tech that's been out of date for centuries?" Evee was utterly confused by this line of questioning. What did he mean that their technology was out of date? It was the most advance pieces of hardware they had of that year. Was there something going on that she didn't know about? Evee wasn't sure if she should tell him what had happened back on Mars, but if Ryder could shed some light on why it happened, or even what's going on right now, then perhaps...

"We... We were on Mars," she admitted, biting her lip nervously. She dug her toe into the floor, her eyes adverting from his gaze. "We were selected by NASA to be the first to explore it. We were suppose to find water there." Ryder took a step back from her, surprised by Evee's story so far. "After about a month on the planet, we were running low on food and water. But we found more. There were caches that were left behind to resupply us..." He peered over at some of these caches she spoke of, noting that they also came with her and her friends. "We... I, had found something. A metal panel of some kind. I touched it. I thought it was safe!" Evee gripped her arms, almost hugging herself tightly. "It's all my fault... Rocky and Sheila are dead because of me. I didn't mean to activate it! I didn't even know it was going to cause a storm!" "Stop." Ryder's authoritative voice shook her from her thoughts, grabbing her attention. "You mean to tell me... you teleported from Mars to Habitat 7?" Even Evee admitted to herself that it sounded crazy, but she simply nods to him in reply. He scoffs softly, tuning away. "Impossible. I suppose you time traveled, too, huh?" "Time traveled?" Evee took a step closer to him, her face contorted in confusion. "What do you mean? What year is it right now? Where exactly are we?" Ryder turned to her once again, his hands on his hips. His look was stern, but he answered her questions in a cool demeanor.

"You're in the Andromeda Galaxy. The year is 2819."

Evee's heart sank into the pit of her stomach as she heard those words. She couldn't believe it. This definitely had to be a dream now. That was 800 years in the future! And in a whole different galaxy, for that matter! She stumbled backwards slightly, catching herself on some crate before she fell. "2819..? No. That's impossible," she whispered, turning away from Ryder. "It was still 2018... we were gonna celebrate Christmas and New Year's on Mars for the first time... there's just no way!" The Pathfinder shook his head, crossing his arms. He was surprised to hear how far back they came from. It was impossible! He thought about protocol, about what to do in this situation with unknowns. He had to do this by the book, just like with everything else he's done. "You are not part of the Initiative," he said, affirmatively. "You are unknowns. People who are marooned out here... people who don't belong." Evee turned to him, her face grimacing angrily at him. "What does that mean?" He didn't answer her. Did he say it the wrong way? She stomped over to him, nearly shoving him to look at her. "Hey! What the hell did you mean, 'people who don't belong?' Is that some sort of threat?!" "No. An observation," Ryder replied coolly, adjusting his shirt. Despite how much he wished he could yell back, he knew it as wrong. He had to keep a calm, respectful demeanor. "As par procedure, I'm taking you and your friends to the Nexus, where Director Tann and the others will decide what is to be done with you. They are the ones who lead the Initiative now. I must refer to their judgement." "And what is to be done with us, huh, Ryder?!" Evee shouted angrily. "What are those people gonna do to us?!" He did everything he could to remain calm and collected, which was eerie, given the circumstances. Judas and Alex had dashed over as they heard Evee's voice shouting, both concerned and confused as to what was going on. The Pathfinder leaned his arm against the vehicle, a gentle sigh flaring through his nose. "I am not sure. But if I were to guess..." He paused for a moment, thinking about the possible outcomes could be to bringing them to the Nexus would be. He didn't like thinking about it. Hell, he didn't like the fact that he has to do this. But rules were rules. He had to take them. Ryder swallowed a bit, his eyes gazing up at her.

"The worse they would do is exile you. But I believe they would simply detain you until a trial could be held. And then, after things smooth over, they'll give you the final judgment."

Evee almost wished that he didn't answer her. She was in complete disbelief over what was happening. First, she's saved by a stranger only to be thrust inside a jail cell for crimes they didn't even commit? She sighed angrily. "They- You guys can't do that!" Ryder didn't bother looking at her. "It's not my call," he replied simply. "Unbelievable! We didn't do anything wrong! Those aliens attacked us!" She was determined to get this man to listen to her, to hear her plight and try to do something about it. But instead, he stood there quietly, listening to her rant. "I already take the blame for causing this! For getting Sheila and Rocky killed! I was the one who activated that stupid device! It was me!" "Evee," Alex's voice soothingly called to her, trying to calm her down. She looked over at him with tears in her eyes, ready to stream down her cheeks again. Ryder waited a moment before sighing. "I'm just following procedure," he replied simply. "There are protocols we have to follow. Rules we have to uphold..." She shook her head, the tears finally falling down her cheeks as she balled up her fists. They trembled terribly, simply angry at everything. At him! She despised Ryder, hated him. He was a jerk!

"You are such an asshole," Evee told him, looking up with angry eyes fulls of tears. His head snapped up to look at her, his eyes wide from the sudden statement. He tries to speak, but she cuts him off instantaneously. "But I just-" "I thought you were a decent person after saving me... but it looks like I was wrong. You might as well have let those monsters kill me, too!" She stormed off past Judas and Alex, whom - after giving Ryder one final look - took off after her. Cora stood there silently, vigilantly as Ryder finally let out a long sigh, both hands cupping his face. He screwed up, he thought. He had to have. He was only trying to be professional about this, explain it simply so there wouldn't be any problems. But instead, he created more problems. And it hurt. He tried to think about the device she described, wondering what it was exactly that she found. It was times like this he wish Sara was awake. She would've been able to help him. Not just with discovering what the device on Mars was.

But with how to talk to women properly.

"Ryder? Are you okay?"

Cora's voice was calm and quiet as she spoke. She saw how distraught he was over this, how in pain he was from Evee's words. It felt like a plasma round was shot into his gut. It burned and scourged him. "Y-Yeah. I'm alright." He lied. "Thanks, Cora. I'm... going to get back to work on the Nomad." She had a inkling that he was lying. He wasn't very good at it, either. However, she knew it was not best to push the issue right now. She departs back to her lab to tend to the plants, as Ryder picks up a tool and begins to work on the vehicle again. However, his heart remained heavy as he began tinkering away, Evee's words still resonating in the back of his mind.


Evee had stormed back to Med Bay, nearly collapsing into the medical bed as she tries to clear her mind. However, it proves difficult as her memories come back to haunt her. She sobs quietly. It was all his fault, that Ryder. She simply couldn't believe that jerk! Did he truly not care about her and the others? Was he too big of a soldier man to even worry over them? Maybe his career was too important, since he insisted on following protocols and such. Maybe if she were in his position, she would understand, but still - Ryder was an ungrateful, rude, self-absorbed jerk! Alex and Judas entered the Med Bay right after her, both concerned for her well-being after what had transpired with Ryder. Alex lightly touched her arm, gently rubbing it to soothe her. "Hey Evee. C'mon. It'll be okay," he said calmly, offering her a tiny smile. She jerked her arm away suddenly, her voice full of venom as she continues to sob. "Don't touch me! Please." She couldn't meet his eyes, knowing that they begged for her to look at him. She couldn't face him, or Judas, or anyone right now. She wanted to be left alone. "Go away. Just leave me alone," she whispered quietly, her bangs falling over her eyes. "Please just leave me alone." Judas objected to her request right away, shaking his head furiously. "No way! We can't leave you alone here. You need us!" She groaned angrily to herself, her hands balling into fists again. Why couldn't he just understand that she needed to be left alone? "Go. Away." "No. I can't-! I won't-!" "Judas," Alex said calmly, gently pulling him back by the shoulder. "She needs her space." "But-!" Judas tried to object again, but Alex silenced him. He didn't want to leave her here alone, either, but what choice was there now? Evee was in a dark place, her mind scrambled like breakfast eggs. She needed to recollect herself, and the only way she could was to be left alone. There really was no choice. Judas realized that Alex wasn't letting this slide, and growled in defeat. He hated losing like this. Evee didn't need to be alone right now! He wanted to be with her! "She just needs time to adjust," Alex replied finally, gently pushing Judas back with his palm pressed against the man's chest. "I know that's hard to believe, but I've known her since we were kids. Trust me. She just needs a minute to herself right now, okay?" Judas looked over at Evee, watching her sob quietly on the medical bed, her head hung lower than her shoulders. He hated leaving her. He wanted to be the one to comfort her, to make her smile, laugh, be happy. He still wanted to be with her, and be more than just a friend. He wanted to be something else.

But he sighs, knowing that Alex is right about one thing: he's known her since they were kids, while Judas has only known her for seven months. Still, it too feels like a lifetime. "Fine," he huffs quietly. "But if she needs me, I'm there! I ain't gonna let her handle this all on her own." Alex nods as he gently leads Judas out, leaving Evee all alone at last. The room was peaceful and quiet at last, leaving the distraught woman to her personal thoughts. Especially of all that has happened these past few... has it been hours, or days? She didn't know how long she's been here, or what had happened after she blacked out. It didn't matter none at the moment, however, as a massive pulse pounded at her temples. Evee lifted the hem of her tank top to wipe her eyes of the tears, groaning in pain. "Great. A headache. Just what I need," Evee thought to herself, pressing her temple into her palm. She knew it was all because of that jerk, Ryder, and the excitement of all that had happened to her recently. She tried to ignore it, thinking about Sheila and Rocky. Did they leave their bodies back on that planet? Did those aliens take them away? What were those creatures, and why were they so hostile? Why try to kill her? Why kill Rocky and Sheila? The questions only made her head hurt more. She sniffled as she sat up a little, her bangs getting stuck to her cheeks by her sweat and tears. "This sucks," she murmured to herself. The door hissed open suddenly, but Evee didn't seem to hear it. It wasn't as loud as most would thought it would be. Footsteps approached her, a hand reaching out to touch her. "Are you feeling well?" The voice was soft, gentle, and sweet. Yet it also belonged to someone Evee's never heard of before. She looked up, a heavy gasp following right after as she was startled by the stranger. It was another alien, or at least, Evee thought it was another alien. It was a woman with blue skin, with what appeared to be a sort of crest or something on her head where her hair should be. She was wearing a red and white outfit, complete with gloves to protect her hands. Her face had a very thin, light blue stripe that extended from her bottom lip to her chin, although Evee wasn't sure if it was a marking or some weird alien tattoo. She had a nice round face, with worried filled, but caring eyes that seemed to be examining her closely. The alien lifted her hands, indicating that she meant no harm towards her. She almost looked... human. "Please don't be alarmed. I'm the doctor assigned to the Pathfinder team," she replied softly, offering a sweet smile. "I'm Doctor Lexi T'Perro. Your friend, Alex, told me your name's Evangeline?" Evee groaned as the headache came for it's next wave of pain again, making her slightly wince. "Y-Yeah," she said with a sniff. Lexi had noticed that she was crying, and dug into her pocket to off her a tissue. "Here, sweetie. Blow." Evee took the tissue after a second of hesitation, proceeding to blow her nose for the doctor. It made the headache slightly worse, but she had to agree that she needed that.

Lexi continued to observe her, noting how Evee groaned in pain and continued to grab her head. She had made an immediate diagnosis, getting straight to work. She came over to the center of the two beds, working on the machinery as the human continued to clean herself up. "Are you experiencing headaches?" Lexi asked, peering over her shoulder. Evee looked up in confusion at first, before she realized what the doctor was asking. "Yes." The doctor nodded, tapping on the console. "Understandable. After a trauma like that, humans are highly susceptible to headaches." Trauma? What trauma? "Wha-What are you talking about?" Evee asked the alien, her eyes squinting to adjust to the sudden bright lights all around her. The doctor took a moment to make another input on the console before moving to the other side of the med bay, grabbing what looked like a tablet with a clear, digital screen. "Your oxygen was cut off to your brain for some time. Likely from when your helmet cracked back on Habitat 7. Ryder was able to patch it up in time, but you had already blacked out." Just the mention of his name left Evee with a bad taste in her mouth. She was grateful that he saved her, but that was the extent of her thanks to him. Anything else about him, she didn't care. She let out a huff, turning from the alien doctor. "So what? He slapped duct tape to my helmet or something?" Lexi took note at how angry Evee sounded at the mention of the Pathfinder. She seemed to have judged him base on how he acts, not his personality. She shook her head, forcing a tiny laugh. "No. But he did fix your helmet's crack to stop the oxygen leak with his omni-tool." "Omni what?" The doctor looked over at the human with a raised brow, not realizing that Evee's not exactly of this world. She approaches her, clicking something on the tablet. "It's a handheld device that combines a computer microframe, sensor analysis pack, and minifacturing fabricator into one. It's standard issued for soldiers and first-in colonists." Evee still seemed confused, which Lexi expected she would be. With the tablet in her left hand, she raises her arm and an orange, hologram appears, which Lexi prompts to typing something on it with her right hand. Evee suddenly remembered from before, when Ryder came to save her. He had an orange hologram on his left arm, too. "This is an omni-tool," the doctor explained. "It has a multitude of functions to benefit our needs. Mine being medical, of course." She tapped on a button and a holographic light appeared, which she aimed on the human. "What are you-?!" "Relax, Evangeline," Lexi hushed. "I am scanning you to make sure there is nothing else wrong besides a headache. Can't be too careful." She offers her a smile, which calms Evee slightly. It didn't hurt her or anything. It was like an equivalent to having a dim flashlight pointing at someone.

"There we are," Lexi said at last, looking at the results. "Hm. You had an old hairline fracture in your left forearm, one that could've been obtained from a biking accident." Evee was shocked that Lexi saw that. She had practically forgotten all about that old injury, back when she was in high school. She remembered going home to her parents with Alex, showing them what had happened before they rushed her to the hospital. "It could've been worse," she had told her parents with a laugh. It almost brought tears to her eyes just to relive that little memory. "Y-Yeah. It wasn't serious," she replied, trying her hardest not to choke up. Lexi made a note of that on her tablet, before going back to the omni-tool to flick on a flashlight. "I need you to do a couple more tests for me, and then answer some questions." Evee was almost about to ask why, when she realized that this alien is a doctor. It was obvious that she was going to ask medical questions. "Follow the light, please." As Evee complied, Lexi had asked her for her medical history, her allergies, and so on. It made her a little nervous, telling a complete stranger things she barely even told any other random doctor. However, she got the feeling that she was going to be here a while. A long while. After the tests, Lexi continued to note them down on her tablet, making sure she had every bit of information she needed on record. "All right. Just one more thing and you're home free," she tried joking, which seemed to succeed a little as Evee cracked a tiny smile. Lexi took victory in this, putting the tablet down and retrieving a syringe. "This is a vaccine," she told the human before she could ask, knowing she would. "Your friend Judas was highly against me giving him a shot, but it is required. Being sick in space is not ideal, and we don't want you or the others to become ill from unknown viruses." She turned to the human, who's eyes stared at the needle in the alien's hand. "Is this all right? I will only give you this shot with your consent." Evee was nervous about this. What if there were other things inside that syringe that were going to hurt her in the long run? Or what if there was medicine intended for aliens inside the tube instead of human medicine? She didn't think the doctor would be so careless, but it still worried her.

"Um... I just have one question," Evee asked, rubbing her shoulder subconsciously. Lexi looked at her quizzically, ready to answer any questions the human might have. At first, she wasn't sure if she should ask this alien, but she did worry. What if she wasn't experienced at all, or was new to the job? What if she didn't really know her stuff? "What... What is your experience working with human patients? How long have you been doing this?" The alien let out a tiny laugh, shaking her head a little. "That boy, Nikolai. He asked the same thing." Evee felt a wash of relief sweep over her at the sound of Niko's name. She was so glad to hear that he's here, too. Maybe Valentina was as well, since Alex and Judas were here. Maybe Professor Stevenson was, too. Lexi grabbed the bottle with the vaccine in it, drawing it with the syringe. "I have been doing this for 200 years, and I have exemplary knowledge in human anatomy." She approached Evee with the syringe and wipe, offering another sweet smile. "Do not worry. I have steady hands. I promise I won't do anything that'll cause you more discomfort." The years of knowledge that the doctor had surprised Evee greatly, her curiosity getting the best of her. She wanted to know how old Lexi was now, and how she is able to live that long. What made her become a doctor, and will she keep doing it after a few more years? There were so many questions that Evee wanted to ask her, but the pounding headache made it's rounds again. The questions will have to wait for now. She took a breath, offering her arm to the alien. "Please give me the vaccine. If you say I need it, then..." The doctor went straight to work as she got the confirmation from Evee, cleaning the area on her shoulder before getting ready to use the needle. "I know it can be scary, but I promise it'll only hurt a pinch." "It's okay," Evee reassured the alien doctor. "I'm not scared of needles." Lexi was glad to hear that, and carefully inserted the needle into her shoulder, distributing the vaccine to protect her new patient from future illnesses. It was done quickly, and Lexi retrieved a bandage to place over the prick. "There. All done." Evee felt relieved, but she knew she wasn't done yet. The doctor still had to help her with her headache. Then, a strange thought occurred to her. This alien is able to speak the human language. It was an odd thing, but it made her wonder. "Um.. so," Evee began, trying to make this question sound natural. "You know English? That's... cool." Lexi peered over at Evee as she was cleaning up her slight mess, a brow raised. "Well, I studied the human language a little. Your kind speak so many of them, I didn't know if I should attempt to learn one." She returned with the tablet again, inputting some information into it. "I heard English was the most common one used on your homeworld. I didn't exactly understood what made it the superior language, but I opted to learn it, anyway. It was a side lesson I did in my spare time." "Well, English isn't exactly superior," Evee tried to brush off. "It's just a popular language, like Spanish or Arabic nowadays. Or, at least..." She bit her lip, not exactly sure if her words were considered correct anymore. Now that she was in the future, so to speak.

"Well, anyway. I'm glad you know it. It kinda helps with some of us who can't understand alien languages." The doctor nodded in reply, noting how the human and her companions didn't have the translators in their ear. She made another quick note before standing before the human, examining them. "All right. Let's take care of this headache, shall we?" Evee let out a breath in relief. She was happy to finally be able to get rid of this headache once and for all. It was the future, so maybe they had a pill, or maybe even a gel that could make the headache disappear like magic. Well, maybe almost like magic. "Can you show me exactly where it hurts? That way I can pinpoint the nerves that are inflamed." She pointed out to the doctor the major area in her temple where the pain was, watching her note it down again. Lexi seemed quiet all of a sudden as she worked, as if she was thinking about something important. It gave time for Evee to think, as well. How long has she been here? Where in Andromeda are they exactly? What is the Andromeda Initiative all about? How did they even get here from the Milky Way? Are there other aliens in this galaxy they meet besides the murderous ones? She was so lost in thought that she didn't even notice Lexi until she spoke again. "You are very lucky Ryder saved you when he did. He had been through a very similar trauma when we first arrived to Andromeda." This caused Evee to be curious. Despite having a dislike for him, Ryder apparently was worried over her condition at the time. Everyone she met so far had told her that. She leaned forward, tilting her head. "What happened?" The doctor lowered her eyes as she stared at her tablet, a sadness overcoming her features. Evee felt that there was more to this than she was being told, and that she wasn't going to get all the answers right away. "He... He was clinically dead for 22 seconds, Because his helmet completely shattered on Habitat 7." Lexi began typing away on her tablet, not meeting the human's eyes. "He lost so many things that day. He was unable to focus for a short time." She paused a moment before looking up at Evee at last, a sad smile gracing her lips. "But then he found you, in a similar situation. He went straight to work to try and avoid the same thing that happened to him, happen to you. Some would say he was determined, really." She finished making another note before putting the tablet down beside her human patient. "And after being out cold for two days, I'm sure it was a tremendous relief when he saw you up and walking around."

Evee sat there quietly on the medical bed. The way the doctor made it sound, it was as if Ryder wasn't that bad of a person at all. In fact, he seemed like a kind, decent person who put others before himself. However, the bitter memories of his words came back, and she scowled. "He's a jerk," she replied with a frown. Lexi blinked from the statement, startled by the sudden aggression in her words. "He doesn't care about us. He's just some soldier boy, following protocol, or whatever. He's taking us to be judged at this Nexus place. We might end up in jail for doing nothing!" She crossed her arms angrily, trying to shrink her size down into a ball. "He's... awful!" Lexi let out a sigh. She didn't think this might happen, but she knew why Evee was so bitter. The Pathfinder was a man who exhibit heart and empathy in many situations, but maintains a direct and professional demeanor. After many considerations, she believed that a solid and respectful approach to things is just his nature when it came to his professionalism. Which was a problem to some who met him, however. While he was kind and easy to work alongside with, it seemed that with complete strangers, Ryder would push his professionalism even harder, not taking a moment to himself to think about what these people might feel afterwards. He couldn't help it. It was what protected him from the unknown. Lexi noticed this as she continued to evaluate him, even letting him know. She remembered that he denied it once to her, but then let her in on a couple of his secrets and fears. She didn't know how to explain it to Evee, but she was willing to try and convince her that the human Pathfinder was not a bad person. "Don't judge him too harshly," the blue skinned alien said in a sweet, calming voice. She checked the scanner on her arm before looking Evee over again. "Ryder is kind deep down, but... he wears his professionalism like a shield. He's not use to being himself around strangers. Or people he doesn't consider friends yet." She looked up at Lexi, her eyes showing how unconvinced she is of this description of the Pathfinder. "I promise you. Ryder is a good man. He just... needs some time to adjust to you and your companions." "Yeah right," Evee scoffed, shaking her head. "He doesn't care about me or my friends. If he did, he would be helping us find a way home instead of taking us to be judged by a group of politicians." The alien sighed in defeat. There was no way she could convince Evee that the Pathfinder was, indeed, a good person. Perhaps, in time, this human woman will open her eyes and see the man behind the title. That is, if Ryder lowered his shield and acted more casual and showed a bit more empathy towards Evee.

The doctor's thoughts are suddenly interrupted as the door hisses opened again, and a very eager Liam comes dashing in. "There you are! I didn't think you would be in here, again." He held his palm out to her, showing her a strange device that resembled an earbud in his hand. "I got you that translator you needed. I can-" It took a moment for him to realize Lexi was there, standing quietly with a small smile. "Oh! Sorry, Dr. T'Perro. I was just bringing Evee a translator, so she can understand everyone." She smiled at Liam with a nod of her head, gesturing to the female human with her hand. He comes over to her, handing over the device. "You put it in your ear, like this." Liam demonstrated how to insert the translator, which Evee followed with great ease. "Now let's test it out. Doctor, say something in the asari language." Evee was curious as to what Liam meant by the term asari, but didn't get to ask before she heard Lexi's voice again. However, it still sounded like she was speaking English to her. "Did you say something in your language?" Evee asked. "It sounded like you were talking to me normally, like before." The doctor let out a little laugh. "Yes. I spoke my native language. It means the translator is working." Evee was shocked with amazement. She didn't realize how smoothly the translators worked, or if they were going to work at all. The doctor took this time to grab some medication for the human female, getting a small prescription ready for consumption. "Here you are. Some painkillers." Evee took it hesitantly, a brow raised as she grimaced at it. "Pills? You're giving me pills?" She looked up at the doctor at last, who only nodded in reply. "If you want to get better, you only take two of them at least two times a day. I suggest taking them after waking up in the morning, and right before bed." She couldn't believe it. It seemed that, in the future, people still relied on pills and the like. The future didn't seem so different in that regard. She decided to take a couple now, just to be on the safe side. Lexi didn't seem to object, which was good. "We'll be coming up on the Nexus soon," Liam started again. "Why don't you head up to the bridge, Evee? You can take the ladder by the Pathfinder's quarters." She nodded her head in reply, thinking on that. She wondered what would be waiting for her there, and who exactly was flying this ship. Was it another friendly alien, or perhaps a human? Liam headed out the med bay door as Evee got to her feet, although she wobbled a little. "Hold on now. I haven't discharged you," Lexi said, putting a hand up. "C'mon, doc. She's good now, right?" Lexi looked over at Liam, getting her scanner ready. "One more scan, and then she is." Evee stood still as best as she could, hoping that the scanner would finish quickly. The doctor checked her omni-tool one more time before looking the human girl over, nodding her head. "Alright. You're free to go," she said in a soft voice. "Make sure you get plenty of rest, and drink lots of water. No sugar for a while, just to be sure." "So no cereal for her?" Liam asked with a laugh. The doctor shook her head in reply. "No cereal. It has too much sugar for her right now. Maybe a chocolate bar, but that's as far as your sugar intake should go, for now." "Doctor, thank you," Evee said with a smile. Even though this was her second encounter with aliens, she was sure these were the good kind. The ones before were beyond hostile, to the point they were willing to kill anyone who stood in there way. Maybe even other aliens. "Evee." The voice of Liam caught her attention. "C'mon. I'll take you to the bridge." She tucked a portion of her dark hair behind her ear as she slowly started to follow him, her mind still reeling with thoughts of Ryder and his crew. And now, with the people who will judge them as if they were criminals. Maybe they could be persuaded to release them? They didn't do anything wrong, technically. Was there a way to fix this? She dreaded what will become of them when they get there. They didn't deserve this, to be tried and put in jail. They were innocent.

Weren't they?


As the door hissed open to the bridge, Evee was mesmerized by the view of the stars and nebulas that surrounded them. The view from the window was all that enraptured her, causing her to stare at it in complete and utter awe. She hardly even noticed the alien pilot and the human woman sitting across from each other. They past a planet with a hurricane that nearly engulfed it's entire northern hemisphere, and practically the size of Earth's moon. It was oddly beautiful. "Setting coarse for the Nexus. Initiating system jump," she heard a male, squeaky voice say. "Coordinating... the path is clear for initiation," a female voice replied, her Australian accent strong and sweet. Evee seemed to ignore them as the view of the stars began to blur and then thrust them through space at light speed. She couldn't hold back a chuckle as she watched on, reaching into her pocket to retrieve her camera. However, as she patted her pant leg to feel for the digital camera that had all of her photos of their journey on it, it was revealed that there was nothing there. She began to panic, checking all of her external pockets in hope that it was there. But nothing could be found. Where was it? What happened to it? Did Alex take it for safekeeping by chance? As she thought these things, the door hissed again and was followed by familiar voices. "Evee!" She turned, the fear she felt for her missing camera dissipating, replacing with one of joy. "Niko!" Nikolai dashed and practically squeezed her, his dusty goatee gently scratching her shoulder as his face pushed against it. A tear streamed down his face, a soft sniffle emitting from his nose. "I was so scared," he admitted openly, still holding her. "I thought you were dead! When that guy brought you onboard, and you weren't breathing..!" "She's okay, Niko," Alex's soothing voice hushes him. "Evee's not going anywhere now. She's safe." Nikolai pulled away a little, still not wanting to let go. "But... you were out for almost two days! Are you sure you're okay now?" "Yes, Niko, I'm okay," Evee replied with a soft laugh. "If anything, I'm starving." The boy with the Russian accent laughed as well, his expression that of extreme happiness, even as tears began to flow.

"It's moments like this that make me happy, too," said the squeaky male voice. Evee turned towards the alien pilot, a brow raised. "Who are you?" "They call him Kallo," Alex said, coming up behind her. "He's a salarian, and the pilot of the Tempest." "Oh so you're gonna elaborate what species they are to her?" The sound of Judas' voice followed after Alex's, and was seen at the door before it hissed closed. Valentina was close behind him, and gave Evee a glance before looking away. Was she mad at her? Evee wouldn't blame her if she did. She is, after all, the reason they were even here in Andromeda. Alex snorted quietly to himself, crossing his arms. "Why not?" he asked Judas. "We might as well learn what we can about them. They're Milky Way species, after all." Evee's head snapped towards her childhood friend curiously. "Wait. They're from the Milky Way?" "That's right!" Kallo answered enthusiastically. "It took us 600 years to get here. We were in cryo, leaving the Milky Way in search for something greater." "And we found it... for the most part," the woman with the Australian accent replied, turning her head. "Oh. I'm sorry! I haven't introduced myself to you all yet. I'm Suvi Anwar. It's nice to meet you." Evee gave a friendly wave to Suvi, who continued to type away on her console. "We'll be arriving soon. ETA ten minutes, tops." "Thank you, Suvi," the salarian replied, clicking buttons on his console. Evee stared out the window again, watching as they warped at light speeds. It was beautiful; she wished she had her camera.

The camera!

"Alex, my camera," Evee began in a panic again, dashing over to him. "Do you have my camera, by chance? I was feeling though my pockets and I couldn't find it." The room fell eerily silent. She could see everyone didn't want to talk about it. She looked into Alex's shifting eyes, her hand touching his arm. "Alex..?" He gazed up at her, his eyes revealing a sort of sadness to them. Why was he acting like this? There was obviously something wrong. Was it her camera? Did something happen to it? "Alex, my camera. Where is it?" He tucked his lips into a frown, his brows furrowed and his eyes narrowed. He was trying so hard to find the words to explain this, and yet, a part of him wanted to hide it from her. But he knew it was only a matter of time before she found out. He looked up at her at last, biting back his fear and preparing for the worse.. "Evee. Your camera. It's..." He sighs, rubbing his face. "When you fell down those cliffs and cracked your helmet... you, uh... you landed on your camera." Her heart fell into the pit of her stomach, her blood running cold as ice from his words. He couldn't be right. He had to be mistaken! "After the Pathfinder guy brought you on board, they took you out of your suit. I checked it's pockets to see if it was okay. I know... how important it is to you." He held back another moment, trying to ready himself for what was about to transpire. He knew she was going to be heartbroken. That camera not only had memories of the past seven months, but they were memories for her father to see when they returned to Earth. Alex took her hands into his, bringing her close to him. "I'm sorry, Evee. I'm so sorry." Her lip quivered as tears formed in her eyes, her heart shattering into a million pieces. The one thing she promised her father before leaving was to capture the stars, and she broke it. She broke her camera in the fall. There was no way she could ever take pictures again, and now, it was broken. All because of her.

She nearly sank into the floor as she gripped onto Alex's tank top, almost dragging him down with her. Evee was extremely distraught over this, her cries becoming wails that could be heard throughout the whole ship. Suvi and Kallo both sat silently in their chairs, the pain hurting them just as nearly. The door hissed opened again, the soft footsteps of the Pathfinder gaining entry. He saw Evee weeping on the floor, his face expressing sorrow. He didn't know what she was crying about, but it was her pain he could sense. That's what hurt him back. Valentina stood next to Ryder, whispering in his ear. "That camera she always had on her. She broke it when she fell, so... like, that's why she's crying." He didn't answer. It felt wrong, given the situation. Especially after their earlier discussion in the cargo bay. Alex looked up at Ryder, somber blue eyes gazing into icy ones. The Pathfinder took a breath before slowly moving around them, heading towards the middle of the bridge. As he did, a console rose from the floor, lighting up as his hand touched it. "Evee," Alex cooed, helping her stand up. "We're almost there. To the Nexus. It'll be okay." "No," he heard her say, her bangs covering her downcast eyes. To her, all hope was lost. Her camera was the only thing that mattered to her now... and it was gone. "We're not going to be okay. We'll never be okay." She tries to hold in another loud sniffle, but can't help it. She trembles in Alex's arms, her face colliding into his chest. Ryder bites the inside of his cheek, his eyes glancing downwards in thought. The broken camera was still there, on the ship. Perhaps there was something he could do?

"Entering the sector," Kallo said at last, breaking the dreary silence. The Tempest pushed through the warp and was thrust into another star system altogether, revealing different planets and a softer atmosphere, surrounded by the light of the blue sun. Evee's head turned to see it, her chest swelling from the beauty of seeing all the planets from this distance. But the thought of taking a picture of it caused that elated feeling to dissipate, and soon, depression began to sink back in. Ryder turned to the salarian pilot, setting a navpoint. "Take us in easy, Kallo. These guys are still new to the Tempest." "As you say, Pathfinder!" He turned to look at the group before him, of these new people who were unlike any normal humans he's met before. They were from a time that didn't get to meet aliens in space, a time where the thought of interstellar travel seemed far-fetched, or make believe. He frowned at himself for his earlier actions towards the girl, Evee. He had to do this, even if he was regretting it. There was no room for error here. He had to try to make the right call.

"We'll be arriving soon," he said to them. Evee looked at him before snorting angrily to herself, trying to fight back her tears. The conversation between them still stung her, and she simply wished him away. But of course, there is no such thing as magic in this galaxy. "When we arrive, we will go straight to Director Tann's office. Then he and the others will decide what must be done." "What, wait?" Nikolai approached the Pathfinder, confusion in his soft, brown eyes. "What do you mean by that? What's going on?" "We're to be judged," Evee said in a disgusted tone as she peered over at Ryder. "And depending on what happens, we may be exiled or put in jail." "For what? We didn't do anything wrong," Nikolai objected, coming over to her. "Well, technically, Evee's the one who got us here," Valentina pointed out, her hands on her hips. "But's it's not her fault!" Judas snapped. "She didn't know what that machine was going to do! Hell, none of us knew!" "That doesn't help the fact that now Rocky and Sheila are dead, and Professor Stevenson is missing!" she snapped back, shoving him. The two continued to bicker before Alex came between them, pushing both of them off each other. "Hey, hey, break it up! If we start attacking each other now, we'll never get anywhere!" He took a step back, rubbing the side of his partially shaved head. "Now I know there is a lot of tension between us right now, but we need to suck it up and get our shit together. No more of this bullshit. Got it?!" Evee was glad that Alex was good at taking charge. He was more fit to lead than any of them, including herself. She tugged at her arm, sniffling again to avoid from crying.

Alex turned towards Ryder, crossing his arms. "Look, Pathfinder. We didn't do anything wrong here. We were simply at the wrong place at the wrong time." Ryder averted his gaze, sighing softly. "I know... but I have to follow protocol," he answered genuinely, although there was a hint of melancholy in his voice. Alex sighed harshly though his nose, clicking his tongue to himself. "I get that. You're a soldier, doing what you do best. Trying to protect your crew." Ryder peered over at Alex, nodding his head. "...I wish things were different," he replied at last, his voice now a lot more softer then Evee's ever heard before. It almost took her by surprise. She saw him peer over at her before he looked away, avoiding her eyes. "We came to Andromeda for a fresh start, to begin a new life in a new galaxy. Some of us are looking for adventure. Some, a home. That's my job as Pathfinder. Finding people a place they can call home. It isn't easy. But there is no one more qualified to do it now. This was my father's dream. I have to make it work." Evee felt her chest ache as Ryder made his speech, a part of her regretting how she treated him before. Even if a piece of her still is mad at him for how rude he acted towards her, she instantly felt the weight he had on his shoulders. To hear that he is trying to make his father's dream a reality, that struck a chord in her. She wondered what his father was like, and what had happened to him. Her mind was a jumbled mess, all these different emotions pulling at her from all directions. She felt dizzy, uncertain for what to do next.

As Evee tried to regain her posture, the Tempest was closing in to an enormous space station that floated above a cloudy planet, acting as a beacon to all who were to pass by it in space. She couldn't hold back the gasp she released upon seeing it, her feet acting before her head could wrap itself around this majestic structure. The Tempest was extraordinarily tiny compared to the Nexus, and everyone felt just as small. "Holy shit," Judas gasped, leaning over the railing to get a closer look. "That's the Nexus? Like, yikes it's scary," Valentina whined softly, taking a step back. Nikolai seemed like a child as he gawked at the construct, his mouth agape and his eyes glistening with awe. Alex peered over at Evee, seeing a little bit of light returning to her eyes. He was unsure as to what was going to happen when they landed. Were they going to be separated again, and put into holding cells, like she told him? Alex's took a hold of Evee's hand, smiling at her as she blinked over at him. "It'll be okay," he said softly. "I won't let anything happen to you. Okay? We'll stick together." She felt more tears beginning to build in her eyes, but she fought them back, smiling as well. "Y-Yeah. I... I know it'll be okay. I still have you, Bigby." He chuckled at the sound of his nickname, his forehead nuzzling against hers. "You got it, Little Red." Ryder offered a cheerless smile, as if a memory had returned to him and caused discomfort to his mind. He blinked a bit before looking away, biting back whatever emotion he must've been feeling. "I should send a message to Director Tann and the others, get them ready to meet us at his office," he said, acting professional and affirmative again. "When we land, meet me in the cargo bay. That's the way off this ship." He walked past Evee, taking a second to pause and look over at her with an obscured glance before departing at last. Evee watched as she saw him leave, her mind raging war between hating him, and wanting to learn more about him all in the same day. Why was she so conflicted when it came to the Pathfinder now? Was it because they both wanted to do something for their fathers? Is that what will connect them? As the door hisses close behind Ryder, Evee ponders...

What secrets does the Pathfinder have deep inside, and who is he - really?

She supposed some questions will continue to remain unanswered, even in Andromeda.