Hello, I realize that in my first chapter I totally didn't write a note to all the folks reading, my bad. =) Well this is my first story for fanfiction and I'm doing it solo so please pardon any grammar or spelling mistakes. I start college in a few weeks so I will try to get as much of the story out before then. Also, since from this chapter on Marc will mostly be residing in side my head I will use italics for his thoughts and bold for my own. Otherwise, thanks for reading. =)

I don't own Bioware or Mass Effect and if I did, I would be fabulously wealthy and totally awesome.

Chapter 2: Suntanning my butt off

I am sure the look on my face was enough to make even Lucy laugh on "I Love Lucy" for a desert was totally not what I was expecting. Sand? Check. Incredibly hot temperatures? Check. Developing a sun burn from just standing there naked with my mouth open? Double check. Yep, I am definitely in a desert. I grew up my whole life surrounded by forest so I don't the first thing about surviving in a desert let alone a desert on a random planet in the middle of a gigantic galaxy. Before I could consider turning around so my backside (hehe) could get an equal tan I heard the sound of a ship approaching.

I stepped out of the elevator, which turned out to be at the front of an ancient temple, and saw a shuttle heading my way. I recognized the writing on the side to be asari and my conclusion that the shuttle is from an asari ship proved correct when 5 asari stepped out of the now landed hover craft. They seemed like soldiers not the scientists I would expect to be interested in a Prothean site. They could be looters…or they could be my only ticket out of this desert. Considering my options were practically nonexistent I decided to wave my arms and draw their attention. If they shot at me: they're looters, and if they did not: most likely government military.

Waving my arms in the air, I quickly garnered their attention and three of the asari ran over, without shooting me may I add. I have never been the best at telling people's ages and even in the game most of the asari looked alike. What I could tell is that the asari in the middle was in charge and all three were completely flummoxed as to why a naked human was walking out of some Prothean ruins. Drawing up a few feet in front of me the light blue asari in front of me spoke up, "What are you doing here on Asteria? Where is your ship? And by the goddess, why aren't you wearing any clothes?!"

Feeling very self-conscious and turning a bright lobster red like most red heads do I stammered, " I..I... don't know where I am or how I got here…I remember being at home…bu...But then I woke up here and I wanted to get out of the sun so I hid in here." At this a dark blue asari to my right spoke up and addressed her leader, "Niara, I have grown up here and been to these ruins countless times. There was no opening here just an elaborate carving. Perhaps this girl was taken by slavers and when they came by here they may have set something off causing the energy readings we saw."

Internally, I am blessing the high heavens that this nice asari provided me with a convenient back story. When the light blue asari looked my way again, Niara I believe, I ran with it, "I honestly don't remember, what happened. One second I am on Earth sleeping and the next thing I know I wake up here. Please don't leave me here." I didn't mean to sound so desperate at the end but I couldn't really stop the feeling of hopelessness that started to surround my thoughts.

At my words, Niara shook her head, "I wouldn't leave anyone here let alone someone so defenseless and without clothes." I smiled a little at her words and when they turned to go back to the shuttle I followed. While we got in the air, I was handed a thermal blanket from the med kit to cover myself with. Going around the cabin Niara introduced me to the 4 other asari: Diath, Tanra, Rega, Lilith, and Rebecca. At such a familiar name I looked up startled to meet the eyes of a pale purple asari sitting next to the pilot, "My father was human and named me after his mother."

I smiled and went back to staring at the shuttle. In all three games one never saw too much of the shuttle there being none in the first game and all. I was like being in a small but bulletproof airplane. The 10 minute ride back to the asari ship was spent with Niara asking me how much I remember: nothing; is there anyone I would like to contact: no one; and then updating me on where I was. Apparently, the Prothean ruins were on Asteria outside a main settlement and the whole system is in asari space. Niara is actually the captain of a small frigate and was stopping on Asteria for supplies while heading back to Thessia when their scanners picked up abnormal activity at the dig site. They hadn't seen any other ships but the Prothean ruins still carried mini mass effect fields that could disrupt tracking radar.

Their frigate looked exactly like the Normandy from the view through the front window but inside the layout definitely was all asari. Everything was clean and smooth but there was no big galaxy map only a central command station with surrounding terminals. The whole crew was obviously asari and I became quite the spectacle walking along in only a blanket and being the only human on board. The layout overall was like the Normandy Sr-1 so the med bay was where it was supposed to be. Instead of a Dr. Chakwas, I saw a light blue asari in a lab coat. "Rinka, we found this girl at the Prothean dig site. We believe she was captured by slavers and drugged for she has no memory of the time since she was captured. We will continue on to Thessia and on our way there she can figure out where she wants to go," Niara left quickly leaving me and the doctor alone.

Smiling gently at me Rinka directed me to sit on one of the beds, "What is your name and how old are you?" Trying to sit comfortably without flashing the nice doctor I replied, "My name is Eva Miller and I am 19." Sensing my discomfort, Dr. Rinka closed the shutters giving me some privacy while she walked back over with a med kit in hand. In the bright lights of a medical room one could see I had a few scrapes and bruises from my fall out of the tank and subsequent jog around the room. I was expecting lots of questions and made up answers but the whole time she was cleaning my cuts and applying medi-gel she was silent. "What are you planning to do from here?" Just about jumping out of my skin from the unknown voice in my head I startle the doctor while she was in the middle of looking at a bruise on my hip.

Giving her a small smile to show I was fine, I sent out a question to the voice I really didn't want in my head, "Marcus what are you doing in my brain and when did you get in there? Stop scaring me like that!" "I assumed that you would not want the asari who picked you up to know about me so I went back inside your head. I also informed you back at the lab that I have been in your brain since you woke up so I do not know why you are so surprised," the small mechanical that spoke back sounded slightly injured that I hadn't remembered every word it spoke. "From now on please do something to indicate that you will start talking…like make the pinging sound people do when they log on to Facebook? Also, any reference to you being inside my head is strictly forbidden got that? I will go insane if I have to think too deeply about an AI being inside my head; just say you are going back home or something." Apparently, the doctor had finished my check up and was putting her supplies away when I heard his reply, "PING. Your concerns have noted."

When I finally had silence in my head I realized that the good doctor was standing leaned up against her desk and staring at me. It seems I would need to speak first, "Please don't send me back to Earth." The asari looked vaguely surprised that was the first thing I said and for a second I was surprised too. That was not what I had meant to say but there it is. "Niara made it clear before she left that you may go where you wish. It seems she is taking some sort of responsibility for you and where you wish to go she will take you," the doctor spoke in an even but authoritative voice. I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding, "Thank you, there is nothing there for me anymore. It's just…I don't have anywhere else to go." As I spoke a single tear ran down my face for I had realized that everyone I knew was dead and gone and there truly was nothing for me. I sniffed and wiped my nose on the blanket and looked into the eyes of the asari.

She seemed to be making sure before she turned around and gathered a bundle of clothes from a closet in the corner. "Change into these and rest. I will leave and give you some privacy. Feel free to choose a bed. I will return when you wake up." I grabbed the clothes and after she left I got dressed in a loose shirt and pants that seemed to be military issue. Picking a bed in a back corner I lay down and just got comfortable when I realized the lights were still on. Just as I was about to get up and go across the whole room to turn them down Marc spoke up, "PING. I can remotely access the light controls if you wish." Laying back down I replied, "Thanks Marc that would be a lot of help…do you keep running while I am asleep?" "PING. Yes, I am not connected to the part of your brain that sleeps…I mean my house is not close by and I will continue to be active while you are asleep." "Good. Then can you alert me if anyone is sneaking up on me while I sleep with the attempt to harm me? Wake me up so I can run or something." "PING. Concerns noted." "Have I mentioned how much I hate that pinging sound?" With that I fell asleep before he could reply and had a very uneventful night.