A/N: Edited as of 3/7/18
A quick note about my character of Death: he is inspired by the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. You'll be seeing more of him throughout the story, so I thought I would acknowledge his origins. Also, the title of this story is a reference to the song "Welcome to the Family" by Avenged Sevenfold. No real significance behind it, I just like the song and thought the name was fitting.
Ow, My Head
Commander Jennifer Shepard takes off her helmet and extends her hand. As we shake hands, I get my first real look at her. Dirty blonde hair pulled back into a short ponytail, lightly tanned skin with a fair complexion, brown eyes. Her face has a slight roundness to it that gives her a softer appearance than one would expect from a career military officer. She's pretty.
"It's nice to meet you, Commander," I say, completing the introduction. "Though, please, just call me Dylan."
"Alright, Dylan, then you can just call me Shepard." She pauses for a moment then looks at Kaidan and Ashley. "This is Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko, and you've already met Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams." She says that last bit with a tiny smirk.
I shake both of their hands. "Nice to meet both of you." I pause for a moment, trying to think of what to say next. I need some way to convince them to let me tag along. Maybe I can play the scared civilian card? Ask to tag along for safety? Welp, it's the only idea I can come up with on short notice.
"Comm— Shepard, what did you mean earlier about being glad to see a civilian survivor?" I ask, trying to inject a little concern and some fear into my voice.
Her expression darkens. "You're the first one we've come across."
"Shit." I look down and bring a hand up to wipe away an invisible tear, hoping that I manage to sell it. After a moment, I look back up at her and do my best to look determined. "Shepard, can I come with you? Wherever you are is probably the safest place on Eden Prime right now, and I really want a chance to get revenge on those metal bastards for what they're doing here. You saw what I could do with a rifle."
Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes. She stares at me, expression fairly neutral; though, one hand idly moves up to touch her nose.
"Alright, you can come with us." Yes! "But be careful. You don't have any armor and that shield generator looks like a piece of crap. You seem like a good shot with that Mattock, so I want you to stay back and pick off any geth that the three of us miss."
"Of course. I have no desire to get shot at any more than necessary," I say with a little smile.
The others smirk back before replacing their helmets and starting off. Shepard and, surprisingly, Kaidan take the lead on the way to the dig site while Ashley hangs back to walk by me. That's odd… you'd think that with Ash being a pure soldier she'd be up front. Though maybe Shepard's a soldier. Actually, I don't know what class she is. I saw some biotics being used during my ambush, but that could have been Kaidan. Now I'm really curious about it.
"So what were you doing in this area?" Ashley asks, pulling me back into the moment. "The whole area around the dig site was being patrolled by marines up until very recently."
Welp, I guess that answers why she hung back. I could tell her a basic form of the truth, but before I can even get a word out, we all hear the classic geth noises: that kind of mechanical clicking and whirring. Oh yeah, I forgot about the geth near the dig sight. Quickly scanning the area, I see a small flat rock with an upward protrusion. Cool, that'll give me a slightly elevated position and some good cover.
Without waiting to see what the others are doing, I sprint over to the rock and get behind the natural cover. Peeking around the rock face, I see that Ashley has moved up while Kaidan has hung back. Shepard is also hanging back a little, but not as much as Kaidan. With a fluid motion, the N7 draws the sniper rifle from her back. Well that partly answers my question about her class: she's either a soldier or an infiltrator.
Before I can speculate any further, the first geth rounds the corner into our field of view. Without any hesitation, Shepard draws a bead on the synthetic's flashlight head and lets a shot off. The report of the shot echoes through the valley, and more geth quickly stream into view. Ok… here goes nothing.
Looks like five geth in total, arranged in a sort of staggered battle line. Ashley shoots towards the one on the far left with some damn accurate bursts of her assault rifle while Kaidan lifts the one next to it with his biotics. That seems like an easy target for me, so I bring my Mattock to bear and give the helpless geth three bullets to the center of mass. That does the trick as the AI goes limp and soon falls to the ground as Kaidan's biotics wear off.
Surveying the battlefield, I see that Ashley has moved on to another geth and that Shepard is keeping another one down with some accurate pistol fire. I'm pretty sure that she's an infiltrator now, and she proves my theory correct when she activates what looks like an overload on the geth. The robot falls over with sparks flying everywhere. Shepard takes this opportunity to put two rounds through its head with her pistol.
Meanwhile, Kaidan conveniently lifts another geth out of cover, providing me with a clear shot once again. A repeat of my previous performance ends with similar results. By my count, there should only be one geth left. I look around just in time to see Ashley finish it off.
Wow, that worked better than I could have hoped for. Kaidan's biotics sure make things easier. I exit my cover and hurry over to the others, who currently stand around an empty dig site.
"But who moved it? Them or us?" Kaidan asks right as I arrive.
"It doesn't matter now," Shepard says. "We need to get to that spaceport ASAP."
With that, the four of us head up the path that leads to the scientist camp. Wait, shit, isn't this where we first encounter husks? Oh I really hope none of them have a chance to get close. I have absolutely zero desire to see a husk anywhere within five feet of me.
As we crest the rise, we get our first glimpse of the devastation that happened here. Craters dot the ground, and most of the pre-fab buildings on the far side have taken serious damage. Ahead and off to the left, Dragon's Teeth stand, fully extended with victims impaled on top. Just as before, a little bile raises in my throat, but it's not quite as bad this time. The scene isn't nearly as fresh as before. Besides, those buildings and the Dragon's Teeth, the area is fairly open with very little cover.
"This looks like a good spot for an ambush," Kaidan says. "Everyone stay on your toes."
As if on cue, the metallic sound of the Dragon's Teeth retracting reverberates through the destroyed first husk reaches the ground and stands up with a sort of awkward grace. The red sky reflects off the creature's metallic skin, making the husk itself look blood red. This fact only serves to enhance the appearance of the blue cybernetics that shine through. The whole effect is rather frightening.
"My god! What are those?" Ashley asks, actually sounding fairly scared.
"I think that's what's left of the science team," I say, trying to point them in the right direction. As I say this, the other three husks get to their feet while the first one begins stiltedly running towards us.
I raise my Mattock, aiming at the charging husk, but I can't bring myself to pull the trigger. Whatever this thing is now, it used to be a human being, and that thought stops me dead in my tracks. In my mind, shooting the geth was no different than hunting an animal. I'm fully aware that they both have some kind of intelligence, but, to me at least, they lack sapience: that key factor that allows judgment. I mean, sure, the geth use cold hard logic, but that's not quite the same thing.
These husks, however, were humans. While I'm fully aware that they're basically mindless zombies now, the fact that they even were human causes me to hesitate.
A rough shove interrupts my internal struggles. I let out a surprised yelp, and as I fall, I see Shepard firing at something from my vacated spot. Before I can think about anything else, my head impacts the ground, and the entire world goes white.
HELLO.
Oh fuck, really? Am I going to die?
YES.
… Wait, seriously? Just like that? I'm gonna die because I got shoved too hard?
OH, I DIDN'T MEAN NOW.
But you just said I was going to die!
WELL OF COURSE. EVERYONE DOES EVENTUALLY. AT THE MOMENT, I AM HERE TO SEE HOW YOU ARE ACCLIMATIZING TO YOUR NEW SITUATION. OH, AND TO PICK UP THE TURIAN.
Turian? Do you mean Nihlus?
No response. I guess he left.
"Dylan! Are you alright? Wake up!"
"I think you pushed him a little too hard, Shepard."
I groan in response. I keep my eyes squeezed shut because otherwise it feels like the pressure in my head will make them fly out. That hurt a lot. I really hope that didn't cause a concussion. I feel two sets of hands grab my arms and haul me off the ground and then support me by their shoulders. After a moment, I manage to open my eyes, only to be met by the sight of Ashley and Shepard on either side of me.
Now that my feet are under me again, I try to stand on my own. It's a little wobbly for a moment, but I manage to keep my balance. I gingerly touch the back of my head, feeling for any blood. Thankfully, there's just hair.
"I'm sorry, Dylan," Shepard says, looking just a teeny bit embarrassed. "You froze up when that thing charged you, and I had to get you out of the way before I could take a shot." She pauses for a moment, her expression turning more quizzical. "You alright? You were fine against the geth but completely froze against those things."
"I don't really know," I say. "I guess those things used to be human, and I've never shot at real live human before."
"I understand, but you said it yourself: those things used to be human. Whatever they are now, they're just husks of their former selves. There's no humanity left."
"I guess…. I'll try to remember that if we run into any more. Oh, and thank you. For saving me."
"Of course," she says, smiling. "Now let's get going. We need to get to the spaceport."
I nod, and we make our way over to the opposite end of the science camp. As we approach the two buildings on that side, Kaidan walks out of the one on the right. If I remember right, I think those two scientists are in the left building.
"This building was empty," Kaidan says, gesturing to the one he just exited. "And the left one was locked."
"Can you unlock it?" Shepard asks.
"Already tried, Shepard. One of the scientists must have sealed it up because it has one of the most complicated firewalls I've ever encountered."
"Then let's just move on. We don't have time to waste."
As we crest the ridge that separates the science camp from the spaceport, a single gunshot echoes through the small valley. Shit, that must have been Nihlus. Unfortunately, I don't have much time to dwell on that fact.
A boom pierces the air, quickly followed by an incredibly low mechanical note. Lightning dances through the clouds as the four of us look towards the sky just in time to see the single biggest object I've seen in my life ascend towards space.
Sovereign.
"The element zero core must be massive for it to be able to take off from a planet!" Kaidan says, barely making himself heard above the noise. The rest of us stand silent, gazing in awe at Sovereign's ascent, like the hand of a wrathful god leaving the scene of its most recent smiting.
The sound of retracting metal spikes reminds us of the task at hand.
A small group of geth along with two husks. Even though the approach to the spaceport has relatively little cover, it works both ways. Our weapons are much more accurate at these longer ranges, so we dispatch the enemies with relative ease. I let the others deal with the husks, not quite trusting myself to pull the trigger against them yet.
With the path forward clear, we make our way down towards the spaceport. At the top of the ramp to the first platform, we find Nihlus' body. It's a very gruesome sight. Since he was shot in the back of the head, most of his face has been replaced by the exit wound. Grey matter and dark blue blood covers the surrounding area.
This time, I can't stop myself; I rush over to the edge of the platform and throw up. After a few heaves, I regain control, and after a few shaky breaths, I return to the others. They all look sympathetic, but I can't help but feel a bit ashamed that I couldn't control myself. Kaidan opens his mouth to say something, but a crash interrupts him.
Shepard, Kaidan, and Ashley immediately draw their weapons and aim them at the source of the noise: a dockworker.
"D-don't shoot! I'm human!" he says, putting his hands up. Even standing still, he's shaking like a leaf. Can't say I blame him, though; anyone would be scared if three marines pointed weapons at them.
"Well be more careful next time. We almost shot you," Shepard says, lowering her weapon. "What were you doing behind those crates, anyway?"
"I was hiding from those damn synthetics!"
"That's understandable. Did you see what happened to this turian?"
"Umm…I didn't actually see anything," he says, continuing when he sees Shepard's expression, "b-but I overheard a conversation he had with another turian! The first one was just sort of standing there when another one came up. I guess they knew each other because the first one dropped his guard, and the second one shot him right in the head. The first one called him Saren, I think."
"Why does that name sound familiar?" Kaidan asks, mostly to himself.
"We'll worry about that later," Shepard says. She turns back to the dockworker. "Do you know where the beacon is?"
"That other turian, Saren, he took it to the next dock," the man says. "Just go down the ramp and take the tram."
"Thank you. That should be everything we need."
"Hold up Shepard," Ashley says before we can leave. She turns toward the man, presumably to ask him one last question. "How did you manage to get behind the crates before the geth found you?"
Oh damn, I forgot about this part. He looks rather uncomfortable now. I would too if I had to admit what he does.
"Well you see," he starts, "I was kind of already back there. It's just that… I was working so hard, and, well, I… umm… sort of… maybe… went back there to… umm… kind of… take a nap."
All four of us are silent after the dockworker's cowardly admission. Ashley looks absolutely disgusted while both Shepard and Kaidan just look disappointed. All I can do is shake my head slowly. It's really rather pathetic. Finally, Ashley finds her voice. This should be good.
"You were taking a nap?" She starts off really quietly, and that's almost scarier than her just yelling. "You survived while good marines died because you were napping?" Ahh, there's the yelling that would make her drill sergeant proud. "Tell me right now why I shouldn't—"
"That's enough, Chief," Shepard interrupts, effectively ending Ashley's tirade. "He's not worth it. Right now, we need to stop Saren." Ashley glares at him for another second before abruptly turning away and walking towards the tram. The rest of us quickly follow.
The path to the tram is a completely straight shot for about a hundred yards with very little cover. Despite the presence of half a dozen geth, we make short work of them. Well, I say "we" when I really mean Shepard. Sniper rifle in hand, she picked off every enemy with a single shot.
"Holy shit, Shepard. That's some damn good shooting," I say. She simply smirks before leading us on to the tram.
Once she presses the button, I settle in for a boring ride. I lean against the railing with my arms crossed and close my eyes to see if I can get a quick nap in. This has been a very tiring day. First I wake up in the Mass Effect universe. Then I find Shepard and spend the rest of the time in and out of active combat. Contrary to popular belief, fighting a small army of synthetics is not the best thing to do when you have asthma. I'm holding together, though, and I hope this leaves a favorable impression. I really want to stay with Shepard after this — mostly because I have no other options.
"So you never answered my question earlier," Ashley says. Jeez, I just wanted a tiny nap, is that too much to ask for?
I sigh and open my eyes, seeing Ashley directly in front of me with her arms crossed. I doubt answering 100% honestly would go over well, but I might as well answer as truthfully as I can.
"I was out on a hunting trip," I say. "Woke up this morning to a red sky and that god-awful noise. Then I noticed the fire and the ships in the distance. It scared the shit out of me, so I gathered my weapons and headed to the dig site, figuring there'd be plenty of soldiers there guarding it. And that's when we ran into each other."
"Talk about a hell of a way to start the day," she says, softening her expression a bit. I guess my explanation was good enough for her. "I never did thank you for the help back there, so… thanks."
D'aww, is she extending an olive branch? I smile. "Of course, Chief. Happy I could help."
"We're approaching the end," Shepard calls from the front of the tram. Welp, so much for my nap. Oh well, at least we got a tiny breather. I push off the railing and move towards the front.
The tram stops, and we immediately see the first bomb. Wow, it's… a lot bigger than it was in the game. The countdown reads just over five minutes.
"Shepard, please tell me you can defuse a bomb," I say, suddenly worried about what he answer might be. In the game, all you had to do was press a button, and Shepard would start defusing. But this is real life. What if she doesn't know how? Can Kaidan do it?
"Don't worry, Dylan; N7 devotes an entire month to explosives," she says. "I could probably do this in my sleep."
"Please don't," I say quickly.
She just smirks and gets to work. Seven seconds later, she stands up, and the readout on the bomb is blank. Then she turns towards us. "Let's go. My omni-tool is picking up three more explosives."
The four of us tear through the spaceport with (ironically) machine-like efficiency. Between Shepard's sniper, Kaidan's biotics, Ashley's assault rifle, and my Mattock, the geth have a hard time standing in our way. Shepard must have really excelled at the bomb defusal training because she disarms each one within ten seconds. With two minutes still left on the timer, she defuses the final bomb. The last few geth also go down quickly enough.
With the coast finally clear, we finally come to stand in front of the Prothean beacon. It's… pretty damn awe-inspiring. The odd green glow surrounding it absolutely radiates this feeling of pure power. It just has a… a presence about it that almost feels like it's distorting space itself.
After a few moments to admire the sight, Shepard and Kaidan walk off a small way, most likely to call the Normandy for a pickup. Ashley and I stay here, still staring at the beacon. She cautiously takes a few steps towards it.
Wait… that's not supposed to happen. Kaidan's the one who triggers the beacon when Shepard is a woman. Oh shit… Ashley starts to struggle against the pull of the beacon as it gradually draws her nearer against her will. Fuck, Shepard is too far away to help in time!
My legs move without bothering to consult the rest of me. I cover the distance in two strides and grab her around the waist. With all my might, I manage to throw her back away from the beacon, seemingly out of its range of effect. Unfortunately, now I'm the one stuck in its pull. No matter how much I struggle, the beacon pulls me closer. It lifts me off my feet, and I have just enough time to realize how absolutely fucked I am.
My world goes entirely blank for a moment: no lights, no sounds, no nothing. That quickly ends when a terrible screech/scream resounds through my all too familiar vision begins to flow across my consciousness. I'm not just seeing this with my eyes; no, this is being burned into the very cells of my entire body. Organics dying, synthetics on a rampage. My nerves light on fire, and I try to scream but nothing comes out.
With one last horrible shriek, the vision dies, and I slip into unconsciousness.
A/N: Working my way through revising the first few chapters of this fic, as mentioned last chapter.
Hope you enjoyed the first bit of canon divergence. Next chapter we'll get to see some of the repercussions of it. As always, thanks for reading!