So here's chapter 2. 1,500 to 2,000 words is around normal length for me. I'm surprised that so many people like this idea so much; the response was overwhelmingly positive, thank you!

The low-ceilinged tunnel spiraled lazily upward towards the surface. Lights were interspaced at even intervals along the right-side wall with khelish signs indicating some item of caution that would be important to crews working the garbage system.

Shepard paid little attention to these minor details as he stormed up the path. The pistol, a model he did not recognize, pointed ever forward in the event that more quarians tried to stop him. Other than his footfalls and the hum of electricity, there were no other sounds that he could yet discern.

His mind was not in the tunnel. The information given to him by the quarians he encountered at the bottom of the passage raged through his consciousness. Tali'Zorah? His Tali? Queen of Rannoch? Not to mention they had already built an advanced capital city judging by the fact that they had a working garbage disposal system which was already working near capacity. Particularly strange was the young quarian's statement about his age: "She was queen when I was born…" All of which had a very disturbing thought nagging his mind over and over and over again.

WHEN am I?

In all seriousness he was incredibly concerned, but his more cynical side thought it comical. You wake up in a strange place, wearing a Cerberus outfit without knowing anything about anything. He thought, and couldn't help but smirk. Deja fucking vu Shepard! If only you could choose when these things happen, but NOOO, of course you can't. Maybe there'll even be another evil clo-

His body slammed into a door. "Unf-" He staggered back, jarred from his thoughts. It appeared that he had reached the exit.

Shaking off the shock, he inspected the door's workings. They looked like the doors on Omega, a simple two piece design with the access mechanism located in the center. The hologram showed orange, indicating that it was accessible only by those with the proper access codes. Or those with hacking software…

Shepard pulled up his omni-tool and activated his hacking module. The device began to interface with the door, but it immediately gave him an error message.

"Program outdated, please upgrade?" He wondered aloud, and then shook his head. "Great…"

He had to think of a new plan. Maybe there was a console nearby that he hadn't seen, or a code written on the wall, perhaps? He was ready to start backtracking when the door suddenly beeped. What the hell? He thought, whirling around to watch. The hologram disappeared as it unlocked and flew open.

A blast of hot air from the outside immediately overwhelmed him. The interior of the tunnel was a comfortable temperature, perhaps pushing the limit of what most humans would consider too warm, but the outside was even hotter. Sweat already streamed down his filthy forehead.

Yeah, definitely Rannoch. He thought. He remembered that the codex entry for the planet listed its average temperature at 48° centigrade, a sizzling number for most though apparently quite pleasant for the native species.

He thanked God, and who or whatever was responsible for unlocking his escape route. The only way he could go once he stepped out was left, as his front and right was covered by solid walls. Pistol still in hand, he peeked around the corner.

The entrance was at the end of a short alley. He could see quarians walking by in their exo-suits and a storefront on the other side of what looked like a divided avenue. Looking up he saw, framed by the alley's moderately tall walls, open sky; it was partially cloudy and a sort of golden color, which meant it was probably dusk. High up, a lane of air traffic flowed diagonally across his view, a sight expected on most developed planets.

Since it would be difficult to blend in among mostly quarians while covered in filth anyway, Shepard quickly decided that the Cerberus outfit needed to go. Luckily, he would always where a white t-shirt underneath, and sure enough it was still there. He folded the uniform jacket inside out around the weapon, took a deep breath, and walked out onto the street.

It was a modest area, perhaps a suburb. The buildings were tall but certainly not towering. The architecture reminded him of the Citadel, but with a distinctly quarian features, such as abundance of vines and plant life. The street was divided in the middle by a barrier topped with native plant species which ended at an intersection just off to his right. It continued in either direction as far as he could see. There were no ground vehicles.

As other quarians walked by, giving him curious glances or altogether avoiding him, his attention narrowed down to the store he had seen across the street. The sign was in khelish naturally, but the display window showed a number of different exo-suit designs with accompanying accessories and beautifications. Perhaps the shopkeeper would be willing to answer some of his questions.

A pleasant tone sounded throughout the aisles of the small shop when he crossed the door's threshold. A quarian immediately began to greet him. "Welcome to Omni sui- oh…" He stumbled back a bit, seeming frightened. Shepard's hand slowly began to reach under the folds of his bundle… But soon another quarian came out to greet him, this one taller and much more outgoing.

"Well! Humans don't usually come to this part of town, and we certainly never get any humans in here! I must say it's a pleasure to meet you." He extended his hand. "Mr.?"

Shepard's mind raced. Dropping his real name would probably be a bad idea. "Uh… um…" He stuttered. He was about to simply shrug when it struck him. "Gunn!" He half shouted, taking the quarians hand and shaking. "Solomon Gunn!"

Kasumi saves the day… sheesh. He thought.

The quarian nodded respectfully. "Mr. Gunn, my name is Hes'Theal, and this-" He indicated the other quarian who was more or less cowering behind him. "-is my son, John. Do forgive him; he's never seen a human in person before." At the mention of his name, John'Theal sank further behind his father who chuckled and patted him on the head.

"John? I don't think that's a typical quarian name is it?" Shepard asked, perturbed slightly at the use of his name.

"Well no it isn't." Replied Hes'Theal. "But the man who gave us back the home world was a human. THE Commander Shepard, and since John was his first name… well…" He shrugged. "John has topped the names list ever since and humans get a lot of respect around here. My wife simply insisted on John."

"Commander Shepard was really a hero." The shopkeeper continued. "Nobody could believe it when he was killed, especially not Queen Zorah." He gazed out the window at pedestrians strolling by. "She still talks about him in her speeches to the people and to the parliament."

"Uh… I'm not too clear on the quarian's system of government." Shepard said, trying to sound as innocent as possible. Combined with the fact that he was apparently dead, he was more confused than ever.

"Sir!" Spoke up John'Theal. "Our government consists of a parliament with 325 members, with each member representing a constituency of a few hundred thousand. We also have a separate court system for resolving most legal affairs. However, our monarch, the great Queen'Zorah, technically has absolute power and could dissolve it all at any moment."

"That's my boy!" Hes whooped, and turned back to Shepard. "He's in advanced level government classes at his school. The teachers tell me nothing but great things about him."

"Father…" John muttered bashfully, retreating back behind him.

Shepard began to ask another question, this one would have been about Tali, but a quarian couple, tailed by a group of friends, entered the store before he could finish. He did not want to draw too much attention to himself, especially when quarians are so talkative. The best course of action was probably to excuse himself as quickly as possible.

"I'd better let you work. And thanks for the info." He said, indicating the party that had just entered and shaking Hes' hand again. "I hope you and your family do well." He glanced out the window, and it was indeed getting darker. "But real quick, do you know where I could find a hotel that's human friendly around here?"

The shopkeeper nodded. He pointed to the intersection. "Take the avenue here down two blocks to the intersection with Teshuun Street. There'll be a taxi stand there; ask for the Mercury Hotel and Restaurant. Nice place, not too expensive either. They've got rooms and levo food, and uh… a change of clothes." He said, finally taking note of "Mr. Gunn's" disgusting and sweaty state.

Shepard laughed. "I could really use that. Thanks again." Waving at John, he strode out, past more curious looks from the quarian shoppers, and began his walk to the destination that Hes had specified.

He cursed himself. He had gotten too caught up in pleasantries and hadn't asked the important questions that he really needed to know. Luckily, he had come away with some enlightenment, that apparently he was dead and that the quarian government was a partial democracy that existed on Tali's whim. He still had more questions than answers; but once he had a place to stay and maybe after some food and rest, he could really get on with finding out what the hell was going on.

Unbeknownst to Commander Shepard, a great many pairs of silvery eyes were watching his thoughtful journey down London Avenue. All of them waited only for the right moment to strike, and they all sensed that that moment was rapidly approaching. Not all of the watchers had the same goals and motivations, but this man would define their struggle, and they all knew it.

A bit more revelation though not much. All will be revealed in due time. :P

Please continue to review and give suggestions/ point out mistakes. You will really help to improve my (mediocre I think) writing skills and I would appreciate it so much. :)

Stay tuned folks!