Chapter 1: Out of the Dark…

I felt the return of my mind, out of the Void, but still darkness surrounded me. My body felt numb and my mind heavy. Somewhere in the distance a woman was saying something, but my brain couldn't decipher anything she was saying.

Than the world around me shock, but after a few seconds dimmed down to a gentle swing. It was like my body has been transferred on a ship which gently swung on the waves.

My mind grew heavy and my consciousness embraced the darkness again.

/Location unknown

/Time unknown…

"Initiating emergency wakeup protocol. Please standby until suit is completely charged."

The shock that forced my mind back into the land of the living was beyond anything I ever experienced before. My muscles sized under electrical currents, while my body was hold still by clamps that pressed themselves into my Arms, legs and neck every time a shock went through my body.

My eyes now wide open were assaulted by blinking status displays, which switched in a rapid pace from a standby yellow to a ready green.

I felt panic rising inside of me as the next wave of pain cursed through my body. I couldn't even scream, because the clamp that held my neck also blocked my jaw.

So the only thing I could do was hoping it would be over soon. A wish that was answered when the last status light switched to green and an HUD began to initialize. Energy bar, shield bar, ammo counter, everything aligned itself along the borders of my vision.

At first I was confused, then the conversation from last night came back to me and I understood. The transfer had been successful.

Steadying my breath I began to look around the clamps that hold my body still retracted and another window on my HUD appeared. Also a very familiar voice began to speak in my head.

"Operator, the initialization of your frame is complete. I apologize for the rude awakening, but it was the only thing I could do after those – bastards – humans took you and the ship to this station. I found a recorded message that I was told to transmit to you if something like this should happen.
Would you like to hear it now?"

I just nodded a quick yes, which the cephalon seemed to understand, as it closed itself and opened another window, which to my surprise showed the face of the Lotus. But I had no time to get into a nerd like sate and droll all this window, because as soon as she appeared she began to talk.

"Tenno, when you are seeing this message the worst case has happened. You have been abducted while you slept and now you are in the hand of the enemy. Your top priority is now to break out of your prison and when you can delete all data that they have collected about you. Also kill all personal that could have worked on you and could remember you.
Since the pod has should have spent all its energy in reactivating your frame, the magnetic locks should be opened easily.
Remember your first and outmost objective is now survival. All your questions will be answered when you reach your ship. Good luck Tenno."

With this the window closed again and I was left to my thoughts, which began to run wild in mind head.

Taking in a deep breath I began to collect all my thoughts and pushed the unnecessary ones back in my mind. Like in the training against blackouts in exams I began to sort them into categories, preventing them from running wild again.

After that I began to asset my situation. The field under the ammo counter was empty, so I had no weapon. A circumstance that grew less important as my eyes darted to the name under the shield and health bar.

Lvl. 30 MESA. My heart jumped in joy and threatened to burst through my chest as I saw the with 300 energy filled bar.

This joy was short lived as something or someone suddenly opened the pod and nearly came face to face with me.

At first I was surprised to see a Human face and not a blocky helmet of a corpus soldier or the creepy face of a Grineer.

We both stared at one another. He in amazement, I in complete stupor until my gaze wondered to the emblem directly over his heart and my face darkened.

Orange and black, hexagonal in shape, Cerberus. I hated this organization through all three parts. In every Mass Effect I tried to make the world of the illusive man a living hell and now I had the chance to do it for real.

I lifted my arm, murder gleaming in my eyes. The Cerberus tech mimicked my gesture, curiosity and excitement radiating from him like heat from the sun.

But my hand didn't stop at the height of the naval like his did. It went further up, my arm and hand now moving on its own accord. My mind was perfectly blank as the barrels under my forearms sledded forward; forming into the Regulator guns that Mesa is so famous for.

The curiosity and excitement in the man's eyes were replaced with fear as the muzzle of the first gun pressed against his chest, right where the curst symbol resides.

I pulled the trigger and watched with joy as the chest of the man burst open, splattering flesh and bone fragments on the red and black parts of my armor.

Thinking quickly I jumped out of the pot before the peacemaker ability would glue me in one place.

Finally freed from the coffin like pod I would have access my situation or I would have if it were not for the now at least two dozen eyes that followed the mangled corpse flying though their midst.

The reaction time was quicker than the ones of the lab coats. As soon as the first one saw the body flying it snapped its rifle up, only to fly backwards spraying bones and brain matter from its exploding head.

I really would have liked to follow the geyser of blood that was spraying out of the hole in the back of his head, but my head had already snapped into the direction of the second guard that stood at the door, Regulators following suit, sending a double shot into his or her chest.

My gaze fell upon the next guard and again the guns followed swift. My body was now reacting on instinct. Every movement that occurred around me was analyzed and dealt with accordingly. Roughly to dozen shots later I stood in a sea of blood. The formerly white walls were sprayed in the same color my body is still glowing, Blood Red.

With a flick of my fingers the barrels slid back under my forearms and I began to look around. Everyone I knew would call me a psychopath, walking through rivers of blood, but the truth is I felt nothing for these persons, which I slaughtered in self-defense.

Walking calmly between the rows of tables looking at the destroyed lab equipment, I searched for a console or a data pad. Something that would help me finds out where in the time line of Mass Effect I am.

As I finally found a still active console on the last table I was surprised at what was lying beside it. Two bracelets with an engraved lotus symbol on both of them.

I quickly picked them up and attached them to my wrist. With a satisfying 'shink' the two, three bladed claws, assembled themselves over the bracelets. I gave them a few experimental swings, cutting through some expensive looking lab equipment, before I retracted them by opening my hands, which were clenched into fists and began to examine the console.

The screen showed only the option to replay the last entries so I just did that. After two seconds of loading, the voice of an elderly man began speaking.

"January the 25th 2185. Entry 13. The pod, the gear and the ship that was found in that pocket dimension we opened one week ago were finally transferred to this ship. We will remain in orbit while a team is searching through the ruins of that construct. I don't know what I should call it, but Frank from Xenobiology came up with the term tower and it stuck.
We lost three more personnel and two Loki's, that just started firing at the others in the process of retrieving the gear. We still don't know what is causing it. We managed to capture one of them but he just died after we dragged him through the portal. As a precaution we have separated the gear that we retreated from the pod and the ship. There are already rumors of the curse of the Orokin that are spreading among the personal. I will mention that in my next report to operative Lawson. Hopefully we won't run in anymore complications. Project Lazarus is counting on us."

Curiosity sparked in I skipped to the last entry, which seemed to be shorter, because it was just half as long as the others with no data attached to it.

"February the 15th 2185. Entry 43. The scanners finally picked something up. The Pod that seemed to reject every try to open it as stubborn as the ship that we found is now losing power. Jackson already got a crowbar in between the small gab that is now present in the middle. (Loud clank plus several curses from multiple persons). I can't believe it, the alien in the pod it seems well preserved and astonishingly alive. It seems like it wants to greed Jackson. But what are so things under its forearms and is it starting to glow… Jackson get away from it! (Gunshot) Fuck! Everyone get… (Multiple gunshots. Sound of breaking glass and machinery)…."

The audio log just cut there but I know that there wasn't anything else to hear. Looking at the headless corpse behind me, I still felt nothing and my mind didn't seem to care.

After one last glance through the room, I pressed the green glowing panel and the door parted into the walls. I stepped out into the corridor, trying to comprehend what I was seeing. Which was nothing.

No Alarms, no banging of steal clad shoes against the metal deck. Just silence and the faint humming of a life support system.

Taking the only available course of action I tried to get a connection to Ordis, which after some seconds opened again in a video on my HUD.

"You need something operator?"

"Yes can you…"

A female voice answered and stopped as I also halted my question. My eyes wandered down and blinked as they looked at the two hills sprouting from my chest, pushing against Mesas trademark jacket.

"What the fuck?"

"Sorry operator is something wrong with my appearance?"

The remark didn't reach my mind that was now a maelstrom of thoughts again. All centering on why I suddenly had breast and why I didn't noticed them earlier.

"Operator? Do you need help with something?"

I still couldn't answer. The encounter with the strange being entered my mind again and suddenly it all became clear or clearer. The being said, my spirit would be transferred into a new body. He never talked about a gender. And since Mesa is a female bodied Warframe, it should be clear that the Tenno operating it would be female too.

I cursed the being that brought me here for its lack of imagination and creativity, because an all mighty Individual that can cross the borders between dimensions should have enough power to create a male version of something.

Sighing I got back to the task at hand.

"Ordis can you show me a map of this ship as well as sowing me how many persons are still alive?"

"One moment operator"

The cephalon vanished again into the depths of the computer of the Liset I hoped was till in on piece.

Ordis retuned a few seconds later. And with him the mini-map updated with the schematics of the ship together with several red dots. The iconic counter under the map appeared to, showing 0/13. I blinked at the number. 13? A bid low or?

"Ordis check your scanners. 13 can't be right."

"Operator, my scanners are working at 100 percent. This ship is a Cerberus science vessel. Build to maintain research with a minimal crew at maximum efficiency. Also only 12 of the life signs are crew. The last one is located at a region of the ship labeled holding cells, obviously the next research project."

I pondered about this and remembered the entry of that researcher. Something about a Camp, down on the planet we are orbiting. But that was for later. Now I needed to get the rest of my weapons, secure this ship and rescue whoever is in that cell.

"Ordis where are my weapons? Can you locate them?"

"Yes Operator. I have 32 of your weapons stored within the Liset, but two are located in a storing room two doors to you right. Be cautious, two live signs are within that room."

"Thanks monitor the movement of the others onboard. Alert me if someone is about to get close to this section."

"Yes Operator. I will do as you command."

With this the window closed and I turned towards the mentioned door, flinching at every footstep that echoed through the empty corridor, expecting an ambush at every second. But none came and I reached the door unhindered.

Pushing at the green hologram again I extended my Venka, expecting to dash forward to silence the two persons quickly. But to my surprise the two researchers seemed to be too focused on something on the table in front of them to notice me entering.

The first thing I noticed as I slowly worked my way across the room, were the bright yellow rubber aprons the researchers wore. Blue splats covered the few visible parts I could see, but sill I couldn't see what is laying on the table.

As I was in striking distance of both I stopped, finally able to see what both man worked on the whole time. The sight saddened me, disgusted me and fueled my anger with new images to project his rage on.

With a quick motion I send the first Venka through the back of the first researcher. Serving his spin and sending gushes of blood on the cut open, blue body of a small Asari.

The second researcher began to turn to its demised partner, but the scream that was about to leave his throat was silenced by the second Venka, slicing across his throat. Letting him drown in his own blood, I turned to the small form that now lay before me. And at that moment I wished for all those emotions that I mentioned before to fall upon me. But all that was left in my mind was a cooled emptiness, which I couldn't understand.

Every person I know would have broken down in tears now or threw up or went crazy. Why don't I? Why was mind empty? Devoted of every feeling for this extinguished young life?

I knew no answer and so I just closed the still open eyes that seemed to burn into my soul trying to find a spark of feeling that just they could awake. But they found none and I turned towards my weapons that lay on another table.

Slowly I picked up the dual Magnus first, before I holstered them on my thighs. The black and red colored Soma assault rifle remained in my hands. As soon as the weapons touched my hands the ammo counter sprang to life, showing me that the magazine was full and that I also had full reserve ammo. Also a spare magazine appeared on my hip, answering the question of where said spare ammo was.

As I turned to leave, I glanced around the room a last time. My gaze fell again on the child like body of the young Asari. Her body still open and her innards for everybody on display. That was the moment I swore myself to change something in this dimension. To save, who I could save. Even if they were mend to die. I would still try and do everything to change their fate to the better.

But also I would make sure that everyone that in my eyes deserved to die would die, as quick or slow as I deemed adequate.

But first I had a hunt to finish. So I gripped my Soma tighter and stepped out in the silent corridors of the Cerberus ship which should become the grave of just ten more people and hopefully not for the eleventh one.

Second part of this story out of my mind and finally brought to paper or more written in a code of zeroes and ones on a display programmed to show it as letters.

I am also quite surprised with the number of views and favs I have got. I first thought that maybe a couple of views would accumulate and maybe a fav or two. But 100 views in the first few days and the ten favs and fourteen followers were quite surprising.

Thank you and for the one that commented on the beta reader thing. Yes I will get one as soon as possible. I already asked a few people, but with the upcoming exams it will be difficult to find one that I know, who will take this extra weight. But I will also write the betas on this site and ask if one of them has time to look through my rampart thoughts.

I hope that you still enjoy reading this story even if there are some mistakes in it.

Also if you ask yourself what the story picture is showing. That is the Mesa frame I am currently playing with.

Why I took Mesa? Because I freaking love her! No other frame can down so many enemies so quick like her! And she is not overpowered. Yes she can down a lot of enemy's fairly quick, but she is a real glass cannon. Incoming fire can down her as quickly as she can down others.

I hope I answered all questions that came up. If they are still some you can pm me or just write them in a review. I will answer them either directly or in a guest case, in the next chapter. Till then, cheerio! And have a happy Christmas!