Author's notes: And I'm back with the next chapter update! Hope you'll enjoy where the story is going so far. Wouldn't want to bore you all with all the unnecessary author's notes so I'm just going to keep this short and simple!
The Mass Effect series and all its characters within are the sole property of Bioware. Kudos to them for crafting this universe and letting us fans have a field day in it!
MASS EFFECT: REMNANTS
Chapter 4 - Adventure Awaits
Wow.
Only one word comes to mind as we near the hectic Verona Spaceport. Underneath the night sky, the spaceport is awash with the white glow of phosphorescent lighting that radiates from the spaceport's large network of interconnected structures and buildings. Add the thrusters of numerous space shuttles and ships taking off as well as the blue, streaking hue of mass effect fields that envelop their hulls into the mix, and it pretty much makes for a picturesque image that I would forever frame in my mind's eye.
Come to think of it, this is pretty much my first time ever in being to a real spaceport. While we traveled across United North America during our constant time on the move, we usually got by on Uncle Leo's skycar alone. I've always wondered why he never resorted to using space shuttles instead. They were so much more convenient and it would have saved us plenty of time when we travelled from one city to the next. I guess it must have had something to do with today. Heck, I'll bet everything that happened during all these years was one way or another related to today's little incident.
The buildings come into sharper focus now as we turn off the main skyway onto the off-ramp, which judging by the holographic signboards, would lead us to the spaceport's departure terminals. From a ways off, I instantly recognize that the buildings are distinctly human in terms of its architecture. Simplistic, practical yet elegant in its glass-fronted design and featuring mostly an amalgamation of various geometric shapes, Verona Spaceport is truly a sight to see, especially when brilliantly lit up during the night. The fact that the hustle and bustle of the spaceport just puts into perspective how small Earth is in the entire galaxy is a sobering notion that settles rather uncomfortably in the pit of my stomach. .
Pulling myself back into the present, I'm left a little confused as to why Uncle Leo pulls out of the lane of traffic and stops the car on the curb directly opposite the departure halls' main doors.
"What are you doing, Uncle Leo? You sure it's okay to just leave the car like this?" I ask, grimacing a little at the weird looks people are giving us.
"We're not going to need it anymore. So, we might as well." Uncle Leo says a little morosely as he proceeds to clamber out of the vehicle.
"Wait, what?"
Only then do I realize the full extent of his words and intentions. Holy crap. We're actually going to be leaving Earth. That would explain the spaceport. I grab my bag and hurry out after the turian already crossing the road. "You mean, like, we're never coming back here again? As in, Earth? That we're actually going to head on out to one of those other worlds out there?"
"Exactly." Uncle Leo steps through the automated glass-paneled doors into the relative chill of the building. "Though for how long, I don't know. Still," he cracks a small smile at me in an attempt to brighten the mood, "look on the bright side. You're finally getting the chance to leave Earth and see the galaxy. Maybe we'll even drop by Palaven too, your old uncle's homeworld."
Okay, now I'm left with a roller-coaster whirl of emotions. Confusion, excitement, a tinge of regret and worry, I can't decide what to feel. Sifting through the tumult of emotions, I decide that to be sure I don't get my hopes up just yet, there's a question that needs asking.
"What about school? I have what, half a year left to graduation? I can't just drop out all of a sudden."
Uncle Leo pauses in his steps, a brief pause in his brisk stride the only visible cue to show that he's thinking it through. He finally relents.
"What's a few more months of school to you? You're already getting decent enough grades. Besides, turians your age would already be enlisted in the military and some of the turians I know turned out to be just fine. I don't see any harm in you just dropping school for the time being."
It takes some time for his words to register and even longer still for me to react to this news. Despite all that's happened in the past few hours (and the obviously apparent flaw in causal reasoning and comparisons), Uncle Leo's response throws my brain into a bigger frenzy of conflicting emotions.
On one hand, summer break comes early this year round and I'm about to spend my self-proclaimed holidays on my first intergalactic voyage ever! True, nothing's more awesome than seeing the sights and sounds of entirely new worlds but there's something wrong with just leaving like this without notice. I mean, we were almost killed. Shouldn't the authorities be notified or something? For all we know, our would-be killer is still out there and who's to say that he won't be following us to wherever we're going?
"I think of sort of understand the need to leave but whoever it is that tried to kill us could still be out there! For the last time, shouldn't we at least inform the police or file a report or something?" I ask again, still not completely buying what Uncle Leo has just said.
"The galaxy's a big place, Nate. I doubt if he'll be able to track us down if we just lay low somewhere for a while. Besides, we're going to see someone who can sort this whole mess out, okay? Trust me." The turian breaks out into a slightly wider smile now; yet the hunched shoulders and his sordid, urgent steps suggest otherwise.
I know that tone all too well. Trust me. It's something I find harder and harder to do as the years go by. Everything's always so damn mysterious and secretive with Uncle Leo, especially when it concerns the things I believe I should be entitled to know. Like why Dad left or why we're always moving all the time. Sure, Uncle Leo gives his best to answer my questions, however vague his answers are, but I suspect that there's more to his answers than he lets on. Guess there's not much choice in the matter, not when both of our lives are at stake. "Fine. Lead the way, Uncle Leo."
By now, we've entered the main terminal building and wormed our way across the large threshold to a section of the spaceport that catered to travelers with privately-owned starships, if the direction panels are any indication. Wait, privately-owned starships? Oh boy, this day just keeps on getting better and better.
We approach the immigration counter and Uncle Leo slows his pace to walk alongside me. He whispers into my ears, "Just keep quiet and let me do all the talking, alright?"
Puzzled, I raise my eyebrows but I just nod, still trying to make sense of the day's happenings to give Uncle Leo's request much thought.
As Uncle Leo sidles up to the counter to settle some travel clearances with the human attendant, I look around to bask in the surroundings of the spaceport. One thing that immediately stands out is the crowd. Back in New Madison, the majority of the populace is humans with the occasional turian and asari expatriates a common sight. But here in the spaceport, there are some aliens the likes of which I've never even seen before. I can see several of them rushing to and fro with a purpose, perhaps catching their next shuttle out of here towards some distant planets in the far corners of the galaxy; some others are just sitting down at the various cafes enjoying their exotic-looking meals; and a handful more just browsing through the souvenir stands and kiosks that are liberally scattered throughout the terminal building.
From what I gather during the conversations I've had with Uncle Leo, I know for sure that the slender, tall and amphibian-looking ones are called salarians while the heavy-set, brutish, reptilian-like creatures are the krogans. As for several others, I'm completely clueless at to what species they even are. Oh well, just another thing to find out during my travels abroad!
Uncle Leo thanks the attendant and gestures at me to follow him, which I promptly do so as to not lose him in the sea of alien and human faces.
"Once again, thank you for visiting New Madison and may we hope to see you again, Mr. Quinn! Have a safe trip and bon voyage!" The attendant behind us merrily calls out as we turn to leave.
I shoot a questioning glance in Uncle Leo's way. "Mr. Quinn? Last I checked, wasn't your name Leonus Daelon?"
The slight twitch of Uncle Leo's mandibles is enough for me to know that he's cooking up a lie even as we speak. "Well, uh, the shuttle we're taking is a friend of mine's and uh, it was registered under his name so–"
"Uncle Leo, save yourself the trouble. I know a fake ID when I see one," but I manage to cut Uncle Leo off before he's able to think of another alibi, "and as to why we're using them, I'm much too tired to even want an answer for it."
The turian is taken aback at first but he eventually breathes a sigh of relief and gives me an appreciative nod. Best to just go with whatever Uncle Leo has planned out for me.
"Since we've travelling light, I'd say we head on straight down to the hangar bay where I think you'll be pleasantly surprised, Nate," Uncle Leo speaks again with a hint of excitement in his voice.
I wonder what the surprise is this time. Here's to hoping it's actually something cool, which judging by the circumstances so far, is more than likely to be. I find my spirits lifting up a little.
We ascend a level of the terminal building and make our way through the crowds towards the hangar bays where the private starships are presumably housed. After undergoing a security check and noticing that Uncle Leo has somehow discarded his pistol along the way, we walk through another set of glass doors into the hangar bay sections of the spaceport. From our elevated positions on the glass-encased overhead walkway, I'm treated to a sight I've seen only in holovids.
Holy shit.
Rows after rows of starships of different makes and sizes are lined up neatly along the gargantuan length of the futuristic indoor hangar. And to think, we're actually going to be travelling across the galaxy on one of those vessels down there.
Sensing my awe, Uncle Leo stops in his tracks and leans back against the glass railings to allow myself the time to drink in the sights of the technological marvels before me. "Try and guess which one of those is ours, Nate."
"I…wow. Throughout all my years with you, Uncle Leo, why didn't you ever tell me that you owned a starship? Better yet, why didn't we ever get to ride one while we were moving all over the States all those years ago?"
"Well, technically, this ship isn't mine. It's a friend's. And, the ship's only to be used for emergencies. In any case, I'd say that this counts as an emergency."
I struggle to pull my eyes away from the unbelievable sight below me. Screw any misgivings I might have of this sudden interplanetary voyage and whoever it is that wants us dead. If it means I get to sit in one of those, then so be it! I can die a happy man. "Okay, I've had enough of looking. When can we actually get to sit in one?" The excitement and the suspense of sitting in one is already coursing through my every vein.
"I'd thought you'd never ask," Uncle Leo replies with a jolly laugh. "Come on, it's down this way. Hangar 12."
After what seems like walking for an eternity, the display sign of Hangar Bay 12 comes into view and in my haste, I rush straight for the elevator platform. Uncle Leo hurriedly clambers onto the platform, a bit winded in having to keep pace with me.
"You know, sometimes I forget that I'm getting a bit too old to be keeping up with your antics," the panting turian remarks.
"Oh yeah. Sorry about that, Uncle Leo," I reply sheepishly.
The elevator platform descends to bring us down to ground level and it is then I see for myself the imposing yet majestic figure of Uncle Leo's starship. Make no mistake, I've seen starships and vessels before on the extranet and holovids, but seeing an actual, full-scaled version of their video counterparts in person is another mind-blowing experience entirely.
Suspended off the ground by virtue of its gravitational generators with its massive, white-and-black-accentuated hull catching and reflecting the light in such a grand manner; the words 'Vanguard' proudly emblazoned on both of its wings; its sleek and sporty arrow-headed design; the starship is truly a beautiful and awe-inspiring sight.
"So, Nate, what do you think of it?" he gestures towards the vehicle for dramatic effect, "The Cord-Hislop Aerospace's Vanguard , one of the best human starships money can buy." Uncle Leo must have noticed my jaw-dropping expression. "Get used to it, this is going to be our new home for the time being."
Emerging from around the bow of the starship is another turian clothed in some sort of flight suit who beckons rather hurriedly to Uncle Leo. While Uncle Leo leaves my side to talk to the other turian, I absent-mindedly wander around the ship to reach out and touch its lustrous and well-polished hull. As I edge closer towards the bow of the ship, I overhear snippets of their conversation.
"…We're activating the contingency now. There's not much time left, they've found him." Uncle Leo whispers.
"Are you sure it's them? It could be others, for all we know. Sunderland did paint a pretty big target on his back with all that he's done." The turian who I assume must be Lyraxus replies.
"Regardless, we need to leave Earth now. It's not safe for us anymore, or you for that matter. I'm taking him to the Citadel to see Aurania and then we'll decide our next move from there."
There's a brief silence before Lyraxus speaks again, although with a tone of resignation in his voice.
"Alright then. I suggest that both of you leave now. The ship's all prepped and ready for departure on tarmac 5-A. Just in case, here's your gun that I smuggled through security. Let's just hope you don't have to use that thing."
I hear the exchange of something metallic between hands.
"Thanks, Lyraxus. I knew I could count on you."
"Hey, what are squadmates for? Oh, one more thing, Leonus. Do Aurania a favor and get the Vanguard to the Citadel in one piece. It breaks my heart to see several millions worth of credits burning up in an exploding wreck."
"Don't worry about it so much. At least the Ranger's still alive and kicking which by the way, is now all yours. It's parked just outside the departure hall building."
"Will keep that in mind. So, until we meet again my dear friend, promise me you'll stay safe."
"Likewise," and with that said, I hear the footsteps of Uncle Leo rounding the starship towards me. I realize I'm not supposed to be eavesdropping and as Uncle Leo comes back into view, I pretend to be very interested in a particular section of the ship's hull.
"So, what are we waiting for? Christmas?" he eyes me, hands busy fixing the pistol and its holster onto his waist.
"Uncle Leo, puh-lease. Christmas," I sweep my hands towards his starship, "just came early."
"Point taken. Alright, time to 'get this party started'!"
I bite back the urge to laugh. Instead, I make do with a face-palm. Wow, Uncle Leo sounds so wrong when he tries to be hip like us. As in, hip like us human kids.
"What? Give your old uncle credit for trying to relate to you human kids." The turian looks at me all exasperatedly.
"Yeah, you might need to work on your swagger a bit more, Uncle Leo," I finally burst out laughing as I make my way to the vessel's port side to climb up the ramp leading to the ship's airlock.
Once both of us are inside, the ramp behind us retracts into the ship's hull and the airlock closes with a hiss of pneumatics.
"Go on ahead. Look around," Uncle Leo gives me an encouraging push on the shoulders, to which I immediately take off to explore the ship's interior, "and try not to touch any big red, ominous buttons or break anything!" The turian sighs, and turns to head into the cockpit. "Kids these days."
If it's any indication, the inside of the ship proves to be just as elegant and mind-blowing as its exterior, promising epic bouts of adventures without sacrificing the comforts of home. Furthermore, the luxury of the Vanguard's facilities and interior décor definitely goes without saying. It's like a friggin' 5 star hotel in here. From what I've seen, the Vanguard definitely merits its luxury-sports designation, much like several of the sports car on the streets back home. The cockpit is housed in the bow of the ship, while the four rooms of the sleeping quarters are housed in the stern, equally lined up on the bow and starboard sides. In the large space still left between the cockpit and sleeping quarters, are the unbelievably well-furnished living area (complete with a 42 inch holoscreen panel!), well-stocked kitchen and bathrooms.
After much button pushing, rifling through cupboards, gawking at foreign devices scattered all over the place, and just plain exploring the ship to my heart's content, I walk towards the cockpit with a skip in my steps. Seriously, I still feel as though I'm moving through a dream; a hazy, unbelievable experience compounded by the absurdity and the otherworldliness of my current situation. I enter the cockpit only to find Uncle Leo still fumbling about the various holographic control panels, clearly having no idea (or at least trying to remember, I hope) as to how to operate the starship.
"Uh, Uncle Leo, need some help?" I ask, clearly out of courtesy than actually having to offer my assistance because I have absolutely no idea whatsoever on the flying of starships. I'm more of a video game kinda person, not a starship enthusiast.
"No, no need. Just give me a minute. It's been years since I last flew one of these things. I just need time to figure this ship out." Uncle Leo's talons fly deftly across the control panels and bring up interfaces after interfaces. "Aha! Got it! Now to just enable the primary core engines," his talons key in several commands, "start up the FTL drives and mass effect generators and," a reaffirming 'ping' chimes with several display panels flashing green, "There we go!"
"So, how much longer before we take off?" I look over his shoulders at the interfaces and then out the large windows which practically make up the ceiling of the cockpit to see the hangar bay doors opening.
"In less than a minute or two. Come on Nate, have a seat," the turian pats the empty co-pilot seat next to him, "You wouldn't want to miss this for the world."
I gladly oblige and I make myself comfortable in the plush leather seat. Out the windows, the hangar bay doors open entirely to reveal the runway and the endless unknowns waiting beyond the fringes of the night sky.
"I know our departure's kind of rushed but, any last words to say before leaving Earth, Nate?"
"Not much, but would 'Here's to 18 good years of calling you home' do it any justice?"
"Close enough." The turian smirks rather amusedly.
"Well then, that's it, I guess." I settle back into my seat, staring ahead at the black expanse of sky. "Wow, this is really kind of a big deal, isn't it? Leaving Earth and what I've come to call home for the past 18 years now."
"It sure is." Sensing the solemnity in my voice, Uncle Leo's quick to add, "Don't worry about it. We'll be back here soon enough. You'll always have a home to come back to."
"Good to know." I break into a small smile, the feeling of euphoria that buoyed me before now giving way to exhaustion and fatigue.
With a low hum of its thrusters, the Vanguard powers up and taxis its way out of the hangar. Once positioned on the runway, Uncle Leo inputs a series more of commands and I can feel the primary drive cores kicking in. Having reached the apex of its power-up sequence, the starship hurtles forward with a powerful blast of the thrusters and ascends through the night sky. With the inertia dampeners taking effect immediately after takeoff, there's a disconcerting yet slight lurch in my stomach as I stare out the window at the rapidly-shrinking halo of light on the ground that is Verona Spaceport. This is it, we're finally leaving Earth.
We climb further upwards through the stratospheres at great speeds and before realizing it, the dull and flat black of the night sky eventually coalesces into the lustrous, star-filled, infinite black expanse of outer space. I straighten upright in my seat to get a better look out the cockpit's window.
"Hold on, Nate. I've something to show you before we leave." The turian proceeds to slow the starship down and bank it around.
Emerging from the corner of the window, the view of Earth in all its garden world splendor and resplendence fills the entirety of my vision. The sight of it literally overwhelms me.
"Beautiful, isn't she? And to think, I wouldn't have spent the past 18 years with you on any other planet, Nate." Uncle Leo turns to me before falling silent so that we may both bask in the moment.
"Yeah, it really is. And I wouldn't have either, Uncle Leo." I answer, tears already tugging at the edges of my eyelids.
"Just one more thing before we both call it a night. Do you know what a mass relay is, Nate?" Uncle Leo asks as he directs the starship away from Earth and sets it cruising along on another trajectory. From the window, I see that the ship's hull is slowly being enveloped in a rippling blue hue.
"Uh, some sort of technology that allows for travel from one part of the galaxy to another? At least, that's what I think it's for."
"Well, you're about to see one firsthand. Promise me; try not to get too impressed. Or you'd be dropping your jaw at everything else you see in the galaxy." He chuckles lightly.
We sit in silence in the cockpit for what seems like several minutes. As the novelty of being in outer space for the first time wears off, the events of today catch up to me in the familiar pangs of fatigue and hunger. I just realized that apart from the insufficient sleep I had the previous night, I've not had dinner yet. Damn, I wonder if there's any food in the kitchen? Maybe later though, these seats are much too comfortable to get up from. The rippling blue of the ship's hull coupled with the serenity of space makes for a lulling effect and I find it harder and harder to keep my eyes open.
I must have dozed off because the next thing I know, Uncle Leo is shaking me awake and rambling on excitedly about something unintelligible as I struggle to shake off the haze of sleep. What I see next when I blearily peer out the cockpit window brings my surroundings to full awareness. I swear to God, I don't know how much more of these sights my eyes stand to see. First the spaceport, the starship, an orbital view of Earth and now this. The awesomeness of it all will turn me blind one day.
Up ahead and majestically orbiting Pluto, is what I assume must be a mass relay.
"In case you're wondering, that's the Charon Relay. Pretty impressive, isn't it?" Uncle Leo points out.
I'm at a loss for words, settling for the familiar jaw-dropping, awestruck expression. That thing is huge, even more so as the ship approaches the relay. Who the hell could be capable of building such a thing? I'll bet not even the most technologically advanced species in the whole of galactic space could build one of those.
"Too bad the Protheans aren't around anymore. We could have learnt so much from them..." Uncle Leo mutters rather absent mindedly as he proceeds to key in several commands into the console.
I turn my attention back to the mass relay as we approach the revolving rings in the center where a blinding blue light emanates from within.
"Nate, ready to sit back and enjoy your first mass relay jump?"
"Huh, wha– WOAH!"
At the same time, arcs of lightning leap off the glowing blue core of the mass relay onto the ship and with an increasing hum of the ship's mass effect generators, I'm cut off as the Vanguard rockets forward along a corridor of mass-free space to some distant part of the galaxy, effectively plunging me into the unknown.
Despite it all, I'm loving every single moment of it. What a day.
Author's Notes: Hooray for Nate and his first ever intergalactic voyage! I know the starship's not Normandy material but hey, it's good enough to get from point A to point B in the Milky Way galaxy. As to whatever awaits him out there, stay tuned to find out!
Lastly, before I end this, I just want to say thanks to all the readers who've stuck with this fanfic so far. You guys are the best! =)