A Matter of Race and Character

LINES OF COMMUNICATION

Engineer D'Ceni's Quarters, Anapondus, Gellix – 13:59 UTC – 6th February 2183 CE

One of the hardest things the crew had trouble getting used to working on Gellix was the almost constant daylight. On most star-ships and bases there were clear delineations between night and day shifts. But on Gellix, night-time lasted a mere 51-minutes and the planet's 20-hour rotation made it impractical following Gellix local time. The turians' body clocks had a hard time adjusting and insomnia was a common problem amongst the crew. As a result, Velarus Station operated on Universal Co-ordinated Time, which unfortunately, did lead to certain contradictions.

It was midnight on Gellix. Lunch was being served.

Erata stared absently out of her cabin window into the murky blackness, absorbed in the howl of the blizzard besieging the base.

Behind her, Erata's console beeped quietly. The asari sighed; it was a call she was expecting but was hesitant to take. Speaking to the person on the other end always provoked strong emotions – The strongest of which was guilt.

The console beeped again. Erata turned to answer it. She sat at the desk, shaking her head slightly in an attempt to clear her thoughts.

Putting on a bright smile, she answered the call.

The youthful face of an asari materialized on the screen.

"Hey, sis," Erata said cheerfully. "How's my favourite shut-in?"

"I love you, too, Erata," the asari on the other end replied, smirking slightly. "Though I hardly see you these days. Where were you on the last visit?"

"Working," Erata explained quickly. "You know how the Republic likes to keep me busy. I'm a popular engineer."

"I can imagine they are keeping you busy," her sister agreed, "especially after what happened on Illium."

"Ah! You heard about that, then?"

"We do get extranet news feeds here, Erata."

"Yeeaah." Erata shifted in her seat. "I had to clear up the wreckage from that fiasco with Lidanya."

"Matriarch Lidanya," the asari corrected hastily, her eyes darting to something off-screen. "Due respect must always be given to those in authority," she intoned mechanically, as if she was reading from some invisible script.

Erata nodded, more from habit than agreement, and looked a little closer at the younger maiden staring back at her. Her sister was wearing a rather old-fashioned, full-length white dress with a high-collar and darker highlights running down the front. It was a traditional outfit intended to cover the wearer from head-to-toe, and clearly not designed with style (or comfort) in mind. Erata could make out a few other asari, each wearing identical dresses, mingling in the background of the airy, white-blue communal hall her sister was calling from.

"I sometimes wonder if you get into trouble simply to avoid seeing me," her sister said, a hint of accusation in her voice.

"You know that's not true," Erata assured her.

"Yeah, I do, Erata," her sister replied, smiling. "It's just… I miss seeing you. I was hoping you'd be here for the Feast of Athame, but Thalia tells me you're going to be away for that too."

Erata nodded, trying to keep the disappointment from her expression. "Yeah, I'm kinda tied up in the Minos Wasteland. Not a place I want to be, that's for sure!" Erata gave a pained expression, her cheerful façade starting to slip. "I'm sorry I won't be there. Honestly, I don't cause trouble to avoid you…" Erata shook her head sadly. "I do it because I'm a screw-up!"

"You know that's not true," her sister assured her quietly.

Erata suddenly brightened up. "I got the copy of your latest book," she said excitedly. "Another triumph. I did not see the twist at the end coming. Though, like your first two, the whole tone was a little bit gloomy – You know, what with everyone dying! You ever thought of writing a comedy?"

"We have Thalia for that," her sister replied with a grin. "I have some news for you, though…" She leaned closer to the screen. "I'm making a trip to the Citadel!"

"Really? When?"

"In two months – Pending further evaluations, of course."

Errata grinned freely. "That's fantastic news! I know you'll sail through the assessments. That means we can meet up with everyone. Have a proper reunion… Oh, I could organise a party. Get Mom, Dad and the whole family together…"

"Well, it's… supervised," her sister replied, looking away. "Limited contact only. So, I won't be able to see everyone at once… But I might be allowed to visit the Presidium."

"It'll be so good to see you."

"You promise you'll be there?"

"Try and stop me!"

A broad smile lit up her sister's face. "Where are you working this time?"

"Gellix."

"There for a summer vacation, no doubt!" She grinned again. "How are you getting on with the turians?"

"They're suffering a bit with the cold, as you can imagine. Tempers are frayed and snow-storms are making work difficult. But they're all professionals. And it's not like I'm bored. There are some interesting characters here."

"Interesting? How so?"

"Well, there is this one engineer I'm working with… Human. She's highly intelligent. A little inexperienced working with other species, perhaps; and a bit shy, but very likeable. Quite attractive, really…"

Someone cleared their throat loudly off-screen, interrupting Erata's train of thought. "This is not an appropriate topic of conversation, adherent D'Ceni," a stern disembodied voice declared.

Erata's sister turned at the sound of the voice. "My apologies, Matriarch."

Another person appeared on-screen. An asari in a scarlet robe homed into view from the right and stood looming over Erata's sister – The newcomer's head was just out of shot.

"You are aware of the rules. There will be ample opportunity to discuss more acceptable subjects on another occasion. And in more regulated circumstances." The newcomer gestured to the groups of asari mingling in the background. "It is almost time for evening meditation. Please re-join the other students."

"As you wish, Matriarch Gallae." Her sister turned back to the screen. "I have to go."

"I'll see you on the Citadel," Erata promised.

Her sister nodded. "Missing you, Erata."

The screen went black, leaving only a small block of white computer typescript visible in the bottom-left corner. It read, Disconnected from Lesuss comm-buoy.

Erata stared into the middle distance and continued to sit there, lost in thought, for Goddess knows how long. Her thoughts often dwelt on her youngest sister, despite the pain it brought. She wasn't ashamed of her family's situation – In fact, she was proud of her sister's resolve and the dignity she captured in the face of her condition.

After a time, her console chirped again. Erata sniffed and wiped her eye before opening the display. Commander Joric appeared before her.

"Yes?" Erata said curtly.

"Am I catching you at a bad time?" Joric asked, frowning.

"No," Erata replied. "What do you need?"

"Regulations demand I keep all senior or visiting personnel in-the-loop if anything unusual is discovered near the base. Their expertise might prove useful," Joric explained. "And one of our automated probes just picked up something unusual ten-clicks from here…"

Pella was preparing for bed when the call came through. She had already undressed, hoping against hope to get some much needed sleep before her 'morning' shift started in six hours. Her armour was discarded in an untidy heap on the floor, and her body wrapped in two pairs of warm, form-fitting pyjamas. Despite the layers, she was still cold. She was just wrapping the duvet around herself when the console on her desk beeped. Pella moved to answer it. The holographic display opened and face of the comm-officer appeared before her.

"My apologies if I've woken you, ma'am. You have a secure communiqué from the Hierarchy on encrypted channels. Shall I feed it to your quarters?"

"Well, I'm not really dressed for it, but sure. Thanks. Who's the call from?"

"Praetor Narrius."

Pella became stone-faced. She sat down in the chair.

The image of the comm-officer disappeared, to be replaced by the face of a dour, tan-coloured turian man, his brow fringe lined with blue colony markings. He bowed almost imperceptibly in greeting.

"Artificer Vettiill," the turian said stiffly. "It is agreeable to see you in good health."

"Hi, Dad," Pella replied.

Narrius didn't react to the title. He seemed to be eyeing the duvet Pella was wrapped in. "I trust the cold is not proving too much of an inconvenience for you?"

"Well, I'm…" Pella began tentatively, "…this weather isn't quite what I'm used to."

"Is your work suffering because of it?"

"No, of course not."

"Then there is no cause for concern."

Pella frowned. "I haven't heard from you in a while. Is everything OK? Is Mom alright?"

"Your mother is well, I believe. She certainly was the last time I heard from her. Her duties have taken her back to Digeris. I understand she recently elected to take a new lover!"

"Daaad!"

"A sub-commander from the 79th Flotilla some twenty-years her junior, my sources inform me. Your mother's choices are her own, of course, and I try to no longer concern myself with them, but that doesn't mean I still don't care for her in my own way. Though, I do despair of her consistently poor judgement in sexual partners."

Pella was holding her head in her hands. "Why are you calling, Dad?"

"I don't believe a father needs a reason to call his daughter," Narrius replied.

"That's not been my experience. You've generally only ever called to deliver bad news. Or to give a new assignment… Or to stick your talons in," she added quietly.

"Very well," Narrius conceded. "I have been instructed by the leadership to collect your assessment of the Human System Alliance's representative – And specifically the human's knowledge of element zero technology. The Hierarchy is trying to evaluate the alien's potential level of threat. So, in your professional opinion, is the human a competent engineer?"

"Yes," Pella admitted. "She's actually really good." Pella was surprised to find herself nodding vigorously. "Probably one of the finest engineers I've worked with, in fact. Her knowledge of mass effect technology is extensive. Even in regards to turian systems. She's calm and extremely adaptable in hostile situations. She can give Artificer Leptis a run for his money, and he's the best engineer I know."

"Sounds like you admire this human? That's not the attitude I would have expected. I remind you your mission is to observe. Not to be in awe."

Something occurred to Pella. "Wait. You knew I'd been ordered to spy on the aliens?"

"Certainly I knew. I endorsed you for the assignment."

Pella gaped. "You recommended me?" she exclaimed. "How could you do that? You know I'm not trained for this!"

"Which is exactly why I recommended you. It's time you started living up to your responsibilities." Narrius glowered, his face showing emotion for the first time. "Our family has a proud tradition of protecting the security of the Fleet. Something you should be honoured to continue, even in your limited capacity…"

"I'm good at my job!" Pella fired back. "I can do a lot more in the Engine Room on Arcadias then I ever could on this frozen armpit of a world!"

"That is not for you to decide. What you are doing on Gellix is for the good of the Hierarchy – Don't make the mistake of getting friendly with this human; she's the enemy, remember that. Have some pride in what you're doing."

"I do have pride, Dad," Pella assured him. "I do have pride."

"Good. Now, I shall let you get your rest. But I will expect your full report in the next solar day." He paused. "It was… pleasant talking with you again, daughter."

Pella gave him a thin smile.

"I will speak to you again when I am able."

"Bye, Dad," Pella said, but the screen had gone black.

Pella kicked out, smashing her foot against the desk leg in frustration.

Damn him! Why does he always have to interfere?

She leant back in her chair, her mind racing. It all made sense to her now – The reason she'd been chosen for this mission. Trust her father to use the security of the Hierarchy as a pretext to wheedle his way into her life; using her like she was just some instrument to be used for his purposes. That's exactly why her mother had left… It was all about what he wanted, with never a thought about anyone else's wishes.

Pella shook her head. Spirits, what a family!

She stood up suddenly, letting the chair crash to the floor behind her, and paced up and down the room. She wasn't going to be able to sleep now, not with this running around her head. She needed time to process this. She needed a hot drink. She needed to get warm.

Pulling the duvet tighter around herself, she wrenched her cabin door open and stomped down to the Mess.

She didn't hear her console beep for a second time…

"Refresh my memory, why can't I access the comm-buoy from my quarters?"

Gabby was stood in the communications room, glaring ominously at the comm-officer who at least had the good grace to look suitably embarrassed. "My apologies Engineer Daniels, but I'm not permitted to grant you access to the communications network except directly from the comm-room."

"Let me guess, on Commander Joric's orders?"

"In point of fact, no, the order came from Hierarchy central command."

Gabby blinked, slightly taken aback by that revelation. "Wow, they must really be suspicious of humans."

"Well, to be fair, the Hierarchy is suspicious of everyone." His statement didn't appear to make Gabby any happier. "Would you like me to leave you alone?"

"Very much!" Gabby agreed, nodding.

The man retreated to the seclusion of his office. Gabby sat at the desk and accessed the Gellix comm-buoy, now eager to contact Arcadias. She was actually surprised by how much she'd been missing speaking with Kenneth. Her work didn't feel as fulfilling without him by her side. Somehow it just wasn't the same working on any kind of machinery without his distinct voice resounding in her ear.

The link to Arcadias opened and the smiling face of her long-time friend appeared. But something was wrong. Gabby frowned. For a moment she thought the picture colour needed adjusting. Kenneth's face was purple! Then she looked a little closer; his left eye was sporting a spectacular bruise and his nose was swollen – Kenneth had been in a fight. Her frown became a scowl.

"I'm away for a few days and this is what happens?!"

"What, this?" Kenneth asked, gesturing casually to his face. "No, this is just a bit of playful male posturing – A wee test of each other's mettle."

"Do you have mettle to speak of, Kenneth?"

"Aye, of course I do, Gabby. I'm humanity's representative. Gotta do the Alliance proud."

"Having the crap kicked out of you is not 'doing the Alliance proud', Kenneth!"

"It wasna like I was brawling in the corridors. It was all official. We were in the sparring ring. I had a second and everything. Oh, it was a grand match – Shame you missed it." Kenneth looked away, and began waxing lyrical. "You woulda been proud, Gabby … I stood in the centre of the ring, my enormous opponent facing me, towering above me, but I took him on anyway. The crowds lined the arena, cheering an' hollering. I've never felt anything like it. An' you know what I did?"

"Bricked your pants?"

"No!" Kenneth raised his fist. "I took this an' I panned his head like he'd impugned your honour!"

"And then he punched your lights out?"

"My memory is a little hazy on that part, to be honest."

"Brian damage will do that to you, Ken."

"I'll admit the fight was a wee bit one-sided. But I still got in a memorable punch an' then…"

"…Then you graciously allowed him to win because he was one of our hosts?" Gabby finished for him.

"Certainly," Kenneth agreed. "Well, that and he was bigger than me." Gabby couldn't help but smile at that. Kenneth grinned in reply. "Dinna worry though, it was all friendly."

"God help you if it was hostile!"

"Anyway, never mind me, Gabby, what's with you and the get-up?" He waved vaguely at Gabby's orange, fur-lined coat. "You auditioning for a part in Eskimo Nell?"

"Trouble with the bases' heating," Gabby replied, pulling the coat tighter around her. "No-one seems to be able to get the generator working."

"That's strange. Surprised you havna gone down and fixed it yourself.

"Well, maybe I will, Kenneth." She shivered. "This field trip is rapidly losing its novelty value!"

"You don't wanna stay on permanently, then?" Kenneth teased.

"Right now all I want is to be back on Arcadias."

"I knew it! You're missing me, girl."

"I'm missing a hot bath!"

"A distinct lack of baths on turian vessels. You may have to wait until we're back on the Citadel."

"If I have to I'll fill-up one of Arcadias' empty cargo-crates and dunk myself in that!"

"Well, I'd hope you'd take it out of the cargo deck first. You might get a few funny looks from the crew!" Kenneth was grinning at her, but slowly the smile faded and his expression became slightly despondent. "But, I can't say I blame you for wanting to come back. It must be tough being so far away from everyone you know. Working with complete strangers in an alien environment. I can see how you might start to get a wee bit homesick…"

Gabby's brow creased. She couldn't decide whether he was talking about her situation or his.

"What's the matter? Are you feeling lonely, Kenneth?"

"Not in the least, girl." Kenneth bristled at the suggestion. "I've got plenty to occupy me."

"I can see that. That's quite a shiner you've got."

"You should see the other guy."

"Why? Break a nail when you collided with his fist, did he?"

"Oh, ye of little faith! I'll have you know he'll be remembering our match for quite some time." He glanced away, his frown softening as he failed to meet her eye. "Though, I'll admit something isna quite right. I'm not getting yelled at anymore, there's no shrill sound of protest from the console opposite. I canna put my finger on what's missing."

"Stuff it, Kenneth."

"Aye, there it is. Like music to my ears. It's all coming back to me."

Just then Gabby noticed a subtle movement on the stairs behind Kenneth. A figure was creeping down the Core Monitor stairwell. Gabby smiled as she recognised the tan-coloured face of Officer Severan, smartly dressed, as always, in her fetching blue and silver uniform.

In the days before she'd left for Gellix, Gabby had noticed that Severan was spending an inordinate amount of time in Kenneth's company; chatting with him while he repaired equipment, sitting with him during meals, laughing at his bad jokes, and doggedly asking him to relate stories of his early years growing up in Scotland. She thought it was laudable that a turian was taking such an avid interest in human culture, but Gabby still feel a little peeved that Severan had never requested stories about her childhood.

"Hello ma'am," Gabriella offered happily. Sevaran froze; her expression reminiscent of a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Gabby quickly stifled a laugh at the expression of embarrassment on the turian's wide-eyed face. Kenneth turned around to see where Gabby was looking. "How are you coping with this one?" Gabby indicated Kenneth.

Severan quickly regained her composure and walked up to join Kenneth at his console. "He's exceptional, Daniels," she replied cheerfully, "I'm very impressed with him."

Kenneth beamed eagerly at the compliment; in fact, he had a distinctly smug look on his stupid face. Any little praise from a woman! Doesn't take much to sway you, does it, Kenneth?

"He's feeling lonely," Gabby said, goading her friend.

"I am not feeling lonely," Kenneth fired back.

"He's bruised, battered and a bloody martyr for trouble. Keep an eye on him, would you ma'am?"

"Consider it done," Severan agreed, perhaps a little too eagerly. "Though, I did have a hand in getting him into trouble in the first place."

Gabby cast a withering glance at her facially injured friend. Typical! Kenneth has to drag someone else into his shenanigans.

"You wouldn't be the first and I'm sure you won't be the last. It's all fun and games 'til someone gets hurt."

"Now you're starting to sound like my mum!" Kenneth said petulantly.

"You know what the best way to control him is?" Gabby asked the turian, pointedly ignoring the discoloured engineer. "If he gets out of line just threaten to shave his beard."

"Um…" Severan's eyes darted towards Kenneth.

"I mean it, if he won't do what he's told just take a razor and go to town on that peach fuzz. That'll bring him round."

"I can't say I have any experience using a razor," Severan confessed; she looked a little worried now.

"Well, there's a first time for everything. Don't worry, ma'am, just the threat of it should be enough…"

"I'm…" Kenneth began.

"You know, actually," Gabby interrupted, "I don't think I've ever seen his face in the nude. Could you shave him anyway and send me the pictures?"

"What, just the beard?" Severan asked anxiously.

"I am standing right here, Gabby," Kenneth reminded her.

"Why do you think I said it?" she replied, grinning.

"I'm hanging up now," Kenneth stated firmly.

"I think I left a lady-shave in my cabin, ma'am; it's there if you need it…"

"Duly noted," Valni replied, grinning at Kenneth. The turian's gaze lingered on his face; her eyes flicked up to his hair. In the brief time she'd spent in their company, Gabby had learned to read turian facial cues quite well, and for one fleeting instant she thought Valni was looking at Kenneth with almost an expression of longing. The moment passed and Severan glanced back at the screen, fixing Gabby with a warm smile. "You're being missed on Arcadias. And Leptis needs you at your station, so come back safe."

Gabby beamed in response, and then shivered. God, it's cold! Maybe I should have taken Khoris up on his offer?

She glanced up when the comm-officer re-emerged from his office, his expression serious; he was holding a computer pad in his hands.

"Stay warm, Daniels," Severan added.

"Doing my best, ma'am," she replied.

"See you in a fortnight, Gabby," Kenneth said quietly.

Gabby waved and the signal died.

She sat there for a moment, still a little preoccupied by Valni's curious expression. Maybe human hair is just as fascinating to turian women as it is for men? she speculated. No reason why it shouldn't be the same for females.

She made a mental note to ask Officer Severan about it when she was back on Arcadias.

The comm-officer coughed into his hand, interrupting her chain of thought.

"Pardon me, but Commander Joric wants to speak to you," he said. "She's on the link."

Gabby opened the call and the brown facial carapace of Commander Joric appeared. "Daniels. There's a situation that I'm obliged to notify you of," she said formally.

"What is it, sir?" Gabby asked.

"Twenty minutes ago one of our automated probes found a body ten-kilometres from the base. It was buried in the snow. The storm may have exhumed it."

Gabby frowned. "Is it one of the crew?"

"No." Joric shook her head. "Everyone's accounted for. Besides, the armour's all wrong. I've sent a team out to retrieve it. The body is pretty messed up but preliminary scans suggest it's a batarian!"