October 30th 2185
12:03 PM
Freedom's Progress
oOo
I pulled my shotgun off my back as we jumped out of the shuttle and I looked around at my surroundings.
I smiled as an idea came to mind. Stooping down, I gathered up a handful of snow, and compacted it into a ball. Then tossed at the back Lawson's head. She happened to turn and look at me as I threw it. I quickly raised my shotgun and turned away, pretending not to pay attention. 'Score!' I thought as she wiped the snow off her face.
"Why you little…" She said, turning her icy glare towards me.
"What? You get hit in the head with a snowball and you automatically suspect me?"
Shepard gave me that look.
"Ok, fine, it was me."
"Anna?"
I jumped and turned around, and was shocked to see my mother standing behind me. Miranda broke into a defensive stance.
"Put your hands up where I can see them!"
"You wanna see my hands?" She threw her an inappropriate gesture, with both hands.
"I'm serious! Keep your hands where I can see them or I will shoot you where you stand!"
"Go ahead. Shoot me. But you better hope I don't get up. 'Cause it'll be the last thing you ever do." She said, not breaking eye contact.
"Mom?!" I gaped.
Shepard turned to me.
"That's your mom? I can see where you get your dramatic flair."
"That's the scary thing, Shep. She isn't dramatic. She's dead serious."
Shepard glared at the nickname.
"What the hell, over?" My mom said, drawing attention back to her.
"Mom?! What are you doing here?!"
"Keep it down! There's mech's here!" Shepard hissed.
"Very good question. And what the hell are you doing here?" She said, completely ignoring her.
"Okay!" Shepard said, cutting off my reply. "You," She pointed to my mom. "Get into the shuttle, and don't come out till we get back. We have a Quarian to save!"
My Mom looked at me.
"Ya know, you could seriously screw up the story line by doing that."
"What?" I asked, spreading my arms out in an innocent gesture.
"Seriously, telling her what's gonna happen? You don't see any marginal error, there? One mistake and it could change the entire story line."
"Hey!" Shepard shouted. "I am WELL aware of the dangers that changing something major could create. Why do you think I haven't done so yet?"
My Mom just glared at her.
"Mom! Just go wait in the shuttle! We'll be back in a little bit!"
She turned around and stomped back to the shuttle, mumbling something about 'Never wanting kids in the first place'.
"Can we get this over with, before my mom decides to murder me in my sleep for pulling her into this?"
Shepard shrugged and turned back around. Jacob just stared with a 'What the hell just happened' look on his face.
Shaking my head, I turned back towards the others and we headed out, wondering what I would come up with as to why I was here, how I got here, and how my mom got here. If I wasn't careful, It would come back to bite me in the blubber.
oOo
October 30th 2185
5:15 PM
SSV Normandy SR2
oOo
After, painstakingly, explaining to mom what had been happening the last couple years, I had decided to take a shower.
I sighed as the hot water ran down my back, washing my stress away. 'Why, oh why, did mom have to touch me, right as soon as I fell asleep? Now, I'd have to deal with mom…'
I banged my head against the wall a couple times. When I had decided to get out, I realized the time. I had to get mom back, like… Now! I quickly dressed and ran towards the mess.
"Come on mom! Gotta go now!" I said, dragging her towards the crew's' quarters.
"Slow down!"
"It's five till!"
When we go there, I laid down in bed.
"Hold my hand!"
She looked at me like I was crazy.
"Why…?
"Just do it!"
"I'm not holding your hand."
"Do it, or never go back." I said glaring at her.
She glared back, and took my hand. I laid my head down, and relaxed. Before I knew it, I drifted off.
oOo
November 1st 2017
6:05 AM
Sol System / Local Cluster / Earth / United States / Nebraska
oOo
My head jerked up. I looked down at my laptop, which had died. Sighing, I closed it and rose to my feet, setting it back on the couch. Mom was already in the kitchen.
"How'd you manage to get in there so quick?"
She just looked at me.
"Do not breathe a word of this to your Dad. If you do, he will most likely put us both in straight jackets and ship us off to the nut house."
"I won't, if you don't."
I quickly headed back to my room changed. I emerged ten minutes later, ready for work.
"Mom! Have you seen my keys?"
"Nope. I don't use them, so why are you asking me?"
I stuck my tongue out at her. Then it hit me. I had left them in my pants pocket, and they were currently sitting next to my bunk on the Normandy. I swore and borrowed the spare key mom keeps with her. When I got into my car, I laid my head down on the wheel, making the horn go off. Things couldn't get much worse…
I sighed and ran my hand through my hair, sitting in the holding cell at the police station. I had run a red light, after dropping my phone and bending down to pick it up, and had gotten pulled over. Apparently, someone matching my description had robbed a local convenience store, so they brought me in. Now, I was five hours late for work, Arrested for theft, and likely to miss my quiz on my criminal justice course, Which makes up for a fifth of my grade. Finally, someone came to the door.
"Anna Erwine?"
I stood up.
"There appears to have been a mistake."
'Ya think?!' I resisted the urge to say.
"The thief was caught with all the money, so that means you're free to go."
"Finally. Thank you."
Resisting the urge to pull out my hair, I finally headed out to work."
oOo
November 1st 2185
7:15 AM
En Route to Omega / SSV Normandy SR2
oOo
I sat across from Shepard in the mess hall.
"And not to mention I got a D- on my quiz! I might as well have flunked!" I said, banging my head on the the table.
"Must've used up all your good luck. Karma is a bitch." She replied, sipping her coffee.
"Talk about it."
"We should be close to Omega. Go suit up."
I stood up from the chair, almost tripping over the lip on the floor.
"God! I'd be surprised if I didn't get shot!"
"Don't jinx yourself."
oOo
November 1st 2183
12:28 PM
Omega Nebula / Sahrabarik / Omega
oOo
I sat behind cover, my breath coming in short gasps, as I looked down at the hole in my chest.
I had volunteered to 'Keep Garrus alive' while Shepard took the other two and closed the shutters.
I had stopped Garrus from getting sniped in the chest by taking it myself, and didn't realize my barriers were so low. It went straight through them and my armor. Garrus knelt down next to me.
"Goddammit, Anna! My barriers could've taken it!"
A nervous chuckle was my only reply.
"Shepard! Hurry it up! Anna's hit!"
"Jesus, Anna!" Was her reply. "We're on the last one! How bad is it?"
He scanned me with his Omni.
"It pricked her lung. We have ten minutes, if even that!"
Another wave and the pain lessened.
"Make it 20!"
He popped up and fired a shot, immediately ducking as a rocket flew over his head. I lifted my shotgun and shot a merc that was trying to get a bead on Garrus. I screamed in pain from the recoil. After that, I was only vaguely aware of my surroundings. Shepard came back, and knelt next to me. She said something before her attention was turned to something out of my field of vision.
"Shit! We have no time for this!"
Then I winced as the rocket sent Garrus flying… 'Oops. Guess I shoulda warned them about that…'
Shepard said something into her earpiece before her and Miranda hefted Garrus up. Jacob easily scooped me up of the floor. After a coughing fit, I looked down at the fresh blood on my hand.
"Oh… That's not good…" Was the only thing I said.
Jacob turned at yelled something. Taking a full breath was getting harder to do.
When we boarded the Normandy, half the crew gathered around the airlock. Two crewmen grabbed Garrus and I was transferred to Shepard. Then my eyes slowly drifted close, only to jerk back open when someone slapped my face. I glared at Shepard as she laid me down on the bed. I wasn't able to help my eyes drifting close a second time.
oOo
November 2nd 2017
12:56 AM
Sol System / Local Cluster / Earth / United States / Nebraska
oOo
I gasped and shot up when I woke, immediately holding back a scream as pain shot through my chest.
"Oh, owowowowowowow…" I said, getting up and limping towards the bathroom.
Rose had taken off on her, 'Tour'. Lets just say that didn't end well. We might've been close at one time, but I hadn't talked to her since we'd argued the day before she left almost a year and a half before.
Digging through the medicine cabinet, I pulled out the bottle of aspirin. 'Whelp,' I thought. 'Medi-gel doesn't heal everything right away…' Sighing with relief as the pain slowly faded, I lay back down on my bed.
oOo
November 1st 2185
1:36 PM
Omega Nebula / Sahrabarik / Omega Docking Bay / SSV Normandy SR2
I moaned and opened my eyes.
"Ow…" I said, slowly sitting up.
"Well, what did you expect, taking the equivalent of a 50. Cal round to the chest?" Shepard said, reclining in the chair she was sitting in. "I told you not to jinx yourself, but did you listen? No…"
"Hey! I didn't know my barriers where that low!" I said, still grimacing.
"Garrus' could have taken it. And about that whole missile thing…" She said, glaring at me.
"Before you say anything, I was gonna tell you, but kept forgetting."
"I know. Just, try a little harder next time." She said.
I sighed.
"Okay. And, why'd you slap me?"
"Huh?"
"Earlier?"
"You weren't paying attention to anything anyone was saying, so how else was I supposed to get your attention?"
I shrugged.
"Still. It hurt. You could have at least taken of your gauntlet."
She shrugged.
"So, now you have an imprint of my hand on your face. Big deal."
"Um, Yeah, it is. My sisters and my dad?"
"Just do what you did every other time."
"Excessive make up? Ya know when I do that, I break out like crazy?"
"So… Better than being shipped of the psychiatric ward."
I sighed.
"How long till I can get up outta here?"
"Now, if you're careful. But you won't be going planet or station side for about a week, if you're lucky.
"Ugh…."
She smirked.
"Welcome to my world. I was lying on a slab for two years. Dead."
"Yeah, But it's not my fault. It's Bioware's!"
"Yeah, but I wouldn't even be here if you hadn't played the game!"
"Exactly! You have me to thank for your life!"
"Ah, shut up."
"You can't tell me to shut up. I'm technically, older than you."
"How so?"
"I was born in 1998. So HA!"
She glared it me, before whacking me upside the head and exiting the room.
"She Gibbs' slapped me."
