The Normandy shook violently, jerking both Shepard and Garrus awake.
"What just happened?" Garrus asked, sitting up.
"No idea. EDI, what was that?" Shepard directed her question towards the terminal where EDI usually appeared.
The small sphere popped up. "I am not sure, but I suggest that you go to the CIC to see for yourself." Her advice given, EDI disappeared.
"This can't be good. It's only been four days since the last disaster happened!" Shepard shook her head and got dressed in her Cerberus uniform.
"Joker, sitrep," Shepard barked as she neared Joker. Garrus had followed her and now stood beside her.
"I'm…not sure, Commander. One moment I'm about to enter the last mass relay to get to Ilium, the next the whole Normandy shudders and now we're on some planet."
"A planet?"
"Look outside."
Shepard looked and saw the blue of a sky, not the blackness of space. She crowded close to the window next to EDI's holographic image and saw trees and grass below.
"EDI, did Joker follow proper mass relay jump procedure?" Garrus asked.
"Hey, some respect here, Garrus. I wouldn't make that kind of rookie mistake. Besides, if I had I don't think we'd be on a planet. We'd be blown to smithereens." Joker cast Garrus his meanest glare.
EDI interrupted. "Jeff followed the proper protocol. This is not his fault. Most likely the mass relay malfunctioned and sent us here instead of Ilium."
"Malfunctioned? Is it even possible for a mass relay to send a ship to a planet?" Shepard asked, turning the conversation away from finding someone to blame.
"It seems it is now possible," was EDI's somewhat snippy reply.
"But where exactly are we?"
EDI paused, something that was almost always a bad indicator. "I don't know. What I can tell you from preliminary scans is that the air is breathable and there are humans, three humanoid bi-pedal life forms, and a fourth unidentified life form. We are in the air near a ruined stone city. There seems to be two armies gathering at this location as well. If you want more details, I suggest taking the Kodiak and investigating further."
"A stone city? Just how primitive is this place?" Shepard asked. Suddenly Garrus doubled over. "Garrus!" Shepard rushed to his side and tried to support him. "What's wrong?"
"I— " was all Garrus could manage as his body and armor began to change. When the transformation was over, he resembled a tall human with silver hair and the same blue facial markings he had as a turian. The scars on his face also remained. His eye piece no longer fit but his armor had molded itself to his new body. Garrus stood slowly, examining his hands. "I…I'm human?"
Shepard reached up and touched his face. "You certainly look human. But you're just as tall as you were when you were a turian. What's going on?"
"Commander!"
Shepard turned and saw what looked like a red-haired elf with pale skin running towards her. His almond eyes and the tattoo on his forehead reminded her of someone. "Mordin?"
"Surprised you can recognize me. Hmm, must be distinct facial features. Garrus changed as well? Interesting. Wonder what is causing sudden anatomical changes in alien crew members."
"Shepard, look at me!" Tali wailed as she and the rest of the crew from the lower floors minus Jack exited the elevator. Tali and Samara had also transformed into elves. Thane had changed into a human and Grunt had changed into a dwarf. Miranda hadn't changed and was hurriedly making her way to Shepard. Kasumi had also not changed. Instead of heading towards Shepard, like the rest of the group, Kasumi stopped next to Kelly.
"Doesn't Thane make a smoking hot human?" Kasumi whispered to Kelly who could only nod as she stared.
Tali had her facemask and hood removed. Her new long, black hair rested on her shoulders. Samara's skin was slightly tanned and she had her blonde hair slicked back into a short pony-tail, not a single stray hair was visible. Thane had short, black hair and had a slightly darker skin tone than Samara. Grunt was visibly shorter, but remained just as stocky. He had black hair cut close to his scalp but his ice blue eyes remained the same. Legion had changed the most. He was no longer a machine but a horrible looking monstrosity that had scars all over its face. Shepard and Joker could only gape at the group. Miranda made her way to the front. "All right, if you don't have the answers, I sure as hell don't know how this happened."
Shepard shook herself mentally. "Just throwing it out there, but maybe it's this place that's changed you guys?"
"That seems like the most logical conclusion," EDI chimed in.
"Or at least the best we can come up with," Miranda muttered.
"I doubt that we are still in our universe. This place is completely new," EDI added.
"Can we leave?" Shepard asked.
"Nope, Normandy's crippled. We can't move but we're still airborne at least. Don't know how long repairs will take but I think we're stuck here for a while."Joker sighed. "We barely had her fixed too…"
Shepard also sighed. "I guess we should at least check out the two armies gathering at that stone city. Maybe we can help. Everyone to the Kodiak."