Disclaimer: Don't own Mass Effect.
Chapter 3
Getting A Foot In The Door
"I'm Commander Shepard of the Systems Alliance Military," she introduces herself, eyeing me suspiciously. "Are you a colonist?"
I close my open jaw with effort.
Shepard. The character I'd played as so many times on my Xbox. Except this one is a woman. I'd never played as the female Shepard before, always having been content with controlling a Shepard of my own gender. It's...strange, seeing her there as if she actually exists and is a real person. Not to mention the fact that I've never even visualized a girl version of Mass Effect's protagonist before. But Shepard is really here, a woman, standing right in front of me.
Again, I...I can't believe it. Just then, the mind numbing disbelief I experienced earlier relapses, before I mercilessly squash it down in favor of regaining rational thought.
Her helmet is still on, so all I can see is part of her face, and not very well. Her eyes easily stand out through her visor though, I notice. They're emerald, sharp and piercing.
Realizing she's still expecting an answer, I fumble momentarily. "Uh...yeah. Yes, I am," I finally get out, knowing I've supposedly grown up there. "From Trankala."
The commander begins to open her mouth, but halts as we hear a surprised grunt.
"Trankala, huh?" Jenkins comments, chuckling good-naturedly. "That's great, I actually lived down in Rodante before I became a Marine!"
"C-cool," I respond uncertainly after a second, hoping he isn't about to ask me something that I should know about. I don't really want to broadcast the fact that I don't know stuff I should, nor the fact that I'm actually from Earth, for obvious reasons.
Especially not to Shepard.
Although I haven't had much time to think about what I'm going to do with myself here apart from just surviving, it occurs to me that I could join up with Shepard on the Normandy. If this really is Mass Effect, then I know what's going to happen, assuming things are just like they are in the game. I'd know all of the big events to come, I realize. I know the future and what's going to happen, all the way up through the suicide mission of Mass Effect 2. That has to count for something.
I can help them...help them succeed. It was worth considering.
Yes, joining Shepard would certainly be ideal. Maybe not the best way to survive, I suppose, with all that danger I'll face, but if I'm with her I'll at least be familiar with the stuff around me. I know next to nothing about anything I didn't come across during my time playing the games, so if I don't go with Shepard I'll be completely lost, not to mention by myself, in this universe.
That's when I make up my mind. There's really no other choice here, at least nothing good for me. I have to get them to let me join them somehow, and of course get off of Eden Prime without dying as well.
I reluctantly push away those thoughts as Jenkins speaks again.
"Small galaxy, isn't it? You know, the last time I visited Trankala was about 6 years ago. Were you living there then? Maybe we crossed paths back then, you know?"
I nod hesitantly at the talkative soldier, "Yeah. Yeah, maybe."
Out of my peripheral vision I catch Shepard giving the corporal an unfriendly look, shifting her stance. "If you're done, corporal."
Jenkins blushes behind the visor of his helmet. "Right, Commander. Sorry."
Part of me feels bad for the guy, I can already tell that this Shepard isn't very tolerant of him. Then I remember I want him to shut up so that he doesn't expose my patchy knowledge of Trankala.
It's probably good the commander spoke up when she did.
Either way, this female Shepard clearly isn't the easy-going type, which leads me to believe that she's likely more Renegade than she is Paragon. How much more of a villain than a hero she is, I'm unsure. I'll have to wait and see, it looks like. Ugh. This is going to be harder than I thought.
"You said your name was Banks?" Shepard returns her attention to me, ignoring the corporal's apology.
"Yeah, Tyler Banks," I nod, as Kaidan and Jenkins move over to the side of their commander.
Kaidan's eyes soon find my bleeding shoulder, "You need some medi-gel for that?"
"Sure," I smile. "Thanks."
The Lieutenant readily gives me some, looking on expectantly. Oh...right. He's waiting for me to put it on. So how exactly do I do this now? Hm. Well, it can't be that hard. After only a slight hesitation, I spread the molasses-like goo over my shoulder. I feel an odd sensation as the medi-gel immediately seals around the small flesh wound, but it's not terribly uncomfortable. Huh.
Shepard waits until I'm done, before jumping in with the questions, her tone abrupt. "Do you know who's responsible for these attacks?"
"Yeah." I send her a hard look, the images of the geth still firmly burned into my mind's eye. My jaw tightens as I remember them trying to kill me. "Geth. It's the geth."
"The geth?" Kaidan echoes doubtfully. "But they haven't been outside the Veil in nearly 200 years."
"It's them," I retort, not able to keep the anger out of my voice. "They killed almost everyone I was with not even an hour ago."
"You're sure it was the geth?" Shepard questions, her eyes narrowing.
I can't tell if she thinks I'm lying or not, but I know she'll find out I'm speaking the truth soon enough.
"Look, you don't have to believe me if you don't want to. I guarantee you'll see them for yourself if you're wandering around like this."
She considers me for a minute, her expression unyielding.
"What else can you tell me about what's going on here?" she finally asks, apparently accepting what I've said for the time being.
I look away from her, suddenly seeing flashes of the burned, scattered remains of the group I was with. Those of them that got away as I was recovering from the rocket...well, I can only hope they're still alive. Swallowing, I shake myself.
"Not much," I eventually answer. I'm not really lying - all I know about the specifics of the attack is what I was told and what I remember from playing the game.
Her eyes demand I continue, so I comply.
"It happened fast," I tell her, recalling Alexa's words. "They'd destroyed the whole town before I knew it and then I was running. I was with a small group of others who'd also gotten away, and we hid for awhile, but they found us. I-I got separated when those things caught up to us not long ago, and I've been on the run ever since. We lost a good portion of the group there, and for all I know the rest of them have been killed too."
The emotion creeping into my voice during the last part is shockingly real. I-...for some reason I feel a real sense of worry when I think about Robby, Dr. Mariel, and Alexa. Even Grant. It's completely stupid, because I've only known them for an hour or two at most, but...I don't know. I can't explain it. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I actually interacted with them, and now they might dead.
Hell if I know. Whatever it is I'm feeling, I don't know exactly. I've never had to deal with such a terrible situation before. All these foreign emotions are weighing me down.
"You're the only survivor?" Kaidan bursts out in shock, glancing over at the commander.
"That he knows of," Shepard cuts in evenly, staring me down.
I bob my head quickly.
"That I know of," I repeat swiftly, my game experience coming in handy as I remember that Ashley and those colonists in the sheds are also still out there. "I bet there are others hiding out like my group did. Maybe they haven't been found yet."
Shepard gives Kaidan a curt nod, not even looking at Jenkins. Her vibrant eyes sweep back to me, pinning me down.
"How come you were separated from the group you were telling us about?" she asks shrewdly. Evidently nothing gets by her.
I shrug, there's no need to tell her anything but the truth here.
"The geth fired on us as we were running away. I got knocked out of commission for a short bit from a blast, and when I fully came to everyone that wasn't dead was gone." The memory of all that is still fresh in my mind. "I remember seeing some people still fleeing though. I have no clue where they went, thought I might be able to catch up with them, but as you can see that hasn't worked out very well."
Shepard takes in my words with a neutral expression, her eyes eventually traveling down to the pistol in my hands. "You know how to use that?"
"Yeah, well enough anyway," I respond casually. "Just ask the geth I've been shooting at. Not that they'll be able to give you an answer."
Kaidan and Jenkins both look interested, but judging by the impassive look Shepard is giving me she's not impressed.
"How many geth have you seen?"
I blow out a breath. "Quite a few, unfortunately. A bunch of them overran my group like I told you, but we picked off as many as we could before that. Otherwise haven't killed that many - I've mostly just been running and gunning, trying to survive over anything else."
"Sounds pretty bad," Kaidan says.
I nod affirmatively, "Oh, it is. Though I expect you can do some real damage now that you're here. You've got armor and everything. Mind if I join up with you guys?"
Shepard looks at me, her eyes unapologetic. "Sorry, but we're only here for one reason, and it's not a rescue op. It's more important than that."
"But shouldn't we stick together?" I try to reason, looking between the three of them. "It's safer for all of us that way."
Shepard remains unfazed. "No, you just stay back. We'll handle it from here. Come on you two, time to move out."
And just like that they've already started walking away when it occurs to me that my window of opportunity is rapidly closing. I hurry after them, deciding it's time to get things rolling.
"Hey, wait! You said you were here for a reason?" I ask loudly, halting them. "What is it? Maybe I can help."
They turn back to face me, Shepard once again giving me an even look. "It's none of your concern."
Inwardly, I roll my eyes. I know the truth already, of course.
"Oh, come on. I could help you," I say, as confidently as possible. "You're here for that beacon, I'm guessing?"
"How do you-" Kaidan starts, before Shepard silences him with a look.
"And why would you guess we're here for that?" the Commander inquires, her tone biting as she scrutinizes me closely.
I smirk. Hook, line, and sinker.
"Well, you're obviously not here because of the attack, since you didn't know anything about it," I explain. "And that beacon is all that the entire colony has been talking about since that research team dug it up, even if it is supposed to be some big secret."
Okay, yes, that's probably an exaggeration. But Grant knew about it, and he was talking about it like it was common knowledge back in the clearing I woke up in, so I couldn't be that far off.
I pick up on the irritation in Shepard's eyes, and I find myself feeling extremely satisfied as I finish. "It seemed like a reasonable assumption that you'd be here for it. Your buddy there just confirmed it for me."
I can tell the Commander doesn't like that I have them figured out. Okay, yeah, better not push my luck any further. I should probably try and get on her good side from now on, I decide, at least if I want that chance at joining them in a more permanent capacity after Eden Prime.
"He does know the area, Commander," Kaidan inputs, coming to my rescue. "Probably better than Jenkins. Maybe we should bring him along."
Jenkins nods, "He's right. I grew up pretty far from here, Commander. I don't know this area very well."
My opinion of the corporal at this juncture is rather low, I won't lie, but after that he's just unwittingly gained back a few points in my book. I perk up as things seem to tip in my favor.
"And surely you can use the extra gun," I add pragmatically. "It's good for me too, because then I'll have you to watch my back as well."
She seems to consider it, but ends up shaking her head. "You'd be more of a hindrance to us than anything else. And securing that beacon is still our priority here. Not escorting survivors."
I look to Kaidan and Jenkins for some more help in persuading her, but they offer up nothing more.
Great. Thanks, guys.
"I won't get in your way, I swear. I can hold my own," I argue, cursing my luck. A paragon Shepard would have already agreed to let me tag along by now.
Renegade Shepard doesn't look any more convinced than she did a second ago. Sigh. Why does this Shepard have to be so difficult about this?
Likely because she thinks you're just some colonist she doesn't want to babysit.
That's when I realize that I'm going to have to give her something more if she's going to let me go with them.
"I..I do have some experience," I finally go with vaguely, swallowing as Shepard raises an inquiring eyebrow. "Of the shooting variety. So I promise you won't have to worry about me holding you back or anything."
Admittedly, I'm a bit hesitant about revealing this information for understandable reasons. It wasn't any secret that the Alliance didn't think much of mercs, even ex-mercs weren't trusted. Then again, my apparent mercenary history would likely show up on the inevitable background check that would be done if I did manage to get aboard the Normandy.
"Really?" Shepard responds curiously, eyes narrowing slightly. "Go on."
May as well get it out of the way, I think resignedly. Besides, it'll be better if they hear it from me first rather than find out from some background check.
Her impatience made apparent, I grin sheepishly. "I-...well, okay. I worked as a mercenary for a little while after I graduated. That's all. I don't really like telling people that, because of the reputation that comes with it, you know, but there it is."
The Commander blinks, evidently quite surprised. More than should be expected. Jeez, did I really look that weak and pathetic?
"For which group?"
Which group? Crap, curveball. I hadn't thought of what I'd say to that. Robby didn't tell me that either, he probably didn't even know which one! Shit, shit, shit.
"Um," I begin slowly, trying to stall. Then I'm talking again, pulling words out of wherever I can get them. "I'd rather not say, actually."
Her lips thin, pulling out her gun and pointing it at me. "Which. Group?" she bites out, suddenly glaring at me.
I step back, raising my hands up in a placating fashion. Overreaction much? God.
Gulping, I meet her gaze as steadily as I can. "Look, I'm sorry, but I don't know you. And I put that stuff in the past for a reason. I'm not that guy anymore."
I really wasn't that guy anymore. They'd probably never know how true that statement actually was.
Shepard keeps the pistol aimed on me for another moment, before re-holstering it to my relief. "Whatever, I don't have time to make you talk anyway," she mutters, annoyed.
"You know where the dig site is?" she asks me, pinning me with a hard look.
My heart jumps. Does...does this mean I'm in? Better make sure first before I start patting myself on the back though.
"Yeah," I reply hastily.
"A turian Spectre is planning on meeting us there, so we need the quickest route."
"Sure," I hurry to assure her. "Yeah, no prob."
Shepard looks me over for another moment, before turning away.
"Fine," she says. "I'll allow it. Just don't get in my way."
I grin. "I won't."
"We'll see," the Commander replies, a doubtful glint in her eyes I can't help but notice. "Now, let's go."
