Bourne:
I dodged the kick even as I launched it, and I/we circled around, looking for an opening.
Since I lacked Ty's code based powers, the only things I could do in a coma were think or use this environment to train.
And after what he'd said about Tali, and me about Hero, the last thing I wanted to do was think.
I grabbed this kick and used it to pull me in close, but I twisted away from it and circled back around.
And who better to train against then someone who can match me exactly? Be better with biotics, but I don't want to somehow risk activating them and screwing up what Ty did. I both went for the same move, and ended up butting heads, knocking each other back stumbling. "Oww." We said simultaneously.
^How long have I been sleeping?^
)...I'm in a coma dude. I don't exactly have a clock in here.( The second me disappeared as I concentrated on the conversation.
^You are like a swiss army knife that is missing the most basic tools. Like a can opener.^
)That analogy makes almost no sense.(
^Name me one swiss army knife that doesn't have a can opener.^
)What does that have to do with losing track of time because I'm in a coma, literally sparing with myself?(
^Just checked my omni-tool, it's 3:00 pm. Blech, why the hell would you want that?^
)Unlike some people, I can't write complex programs in here...or simple programs...or a letter in binary code.(
^Not you, Cecelia keeps trying to get me to suck on her finger.^
)...do you have any idea how hard it is to not inflict violence on you for putting that image in my head, friend or not? Seriously, way too much information.(
^We aren't having sex or anything. In fact, I still have my clothes on because she took all the blankets and had me turn the thermostat down to sixty-four degrees. Talk about ice queen.^
)Then why- no, no, I don't want to know. Just go back to what you were doing, and I'll go back to doing what I was doing.(
^She is still cuddling up to me while wrapped in blankets and her hand keeps working its way up to my face. Now, no I won't go back to what I was doing because I can hear your fighting through the mind link.^
)Then block me out. It shouldn't be a hard trick to get the hang of.(
^It's hard when I am sleeping.^
)Oh no, you get to be awake instead of in a coma because you fell several stories and got impaled. What a nightmare.( I raised my fists again, and the mirror image of myself appeared again. )I'm trying to keep myself from dwelling on things. This is the best way I can right now.(
^Wow, you are worse about avoiding problems than I am.^
I didn't reply for a moment, stuck in a series of rather complex moves and counter moves before we broke away again. )Most of them aren't even my problem here. They're that of the women you are currently cuddled up next to. And those that are my problem-( I launched a series of kicks that were just too powerful to be blocked, forcing the other me back. )Are just as much yours as mine.(
^You are wondering if Raptor will like you at least half as much as Cecelia?^
Both versions of me paused, and looked up at the 'sky', where his voice seemed to come from. )I think Raptor likes me a lot more than "Cece" does. She's my best friend. This chick is...difficult to get along with.(
^Well, I don't want to get stuck with another Hannah if she gets pulled in here too. Then again, maybe John will come here and we can… Fuck, he would probably blame me and punch me in the face.^
)I like his style.( I joked as I started circling again. )And trust me, they might both be paragons, but Hero and Raptor are completely different.(
^Cool, maybe she will go drinking with me. I always wanted a friend of the female gender.^
I dodged another blow, my counterblow landing square. )Ty, I don't think you get it. I don't want you in my world, and I don't want to be in any other world than that one. Call it idiotic- because it probably is- but I started it with just Raptor, and that's how I want to finish it. No Code, no AI, no Users, just me and her, helped along with some generous reality bending.(
Ty didn't say anything for several exchanges. ^What if this is like the game in that we will keep coming back to this universe after we finish one game in ours?^
I grimaced as I got the other me in a chokehold. )I've considered that we might not just call it done after Saren is beaten…and that what we do will likely have consequences.(
^Like what?^
I realized the other me was somehow unconscious, and let it fade. )Like what happens to Wrex on Virmire.(
^And what consequences will that have in our universes?^
)I'm not talking about ours. We already did that. And in Cecelia's universe...John's way might be better than Raptor or Hero's if we do make it to the final 'game'.(
^Do you really think that Cecelia would choose the salarians over the Krogan?^
)I think if she sees a chance to get both, she'd take it. And if she does it with Wrex in power, instead of giant dinosaurs, we end up with frog-people that apparently ate flies at one point.(
^Haha, Javik joke. I don't think Cecelia is renegade for the same reasons as Iron. I think she is-^
)I know they're different. Iron kills for fun, she kills because it gets the job done-mostly. I don't know, if it was a version of Shepard one of us created, we'd have a headcanon to go off of or something. With her, she's barely predictable- if at all...she was ready to slaughter those colonists. And she killed those two dock workers in cold blood. And she executed Fist-actually, I did that myself, but in my case it was accidental. Point is, she's got a heart and conscious deep down, but she's far from a paragon, or even neutrality.(
^Hey, apparently you are waking up.^
)I don't have to be in a coma to be in here. And now you're the one ignoring things.(
^Thought I'd point it out since Tali is apparently standing over you, waiting for you to wake up.^
)...Jesus Christ, I hate this universe. At least in Raptor's world, I got the Spectre Status and respect along with all the crap that got flung my way. Here, it's just buckets of crap flying at me every five minutes. Seriously, how long has it been since we got any good news whatsoever?(
^Uh, ten seconds for me.^
)What, did Arnold come back to life and then explode again?(
^I'm very warm and Shepard wants to stay in bed all day with me. I hope to god it's not the drugs talking.^
)How long before the biotics are back online for me?(
^You remember.^
)You said three days. How long has it been? No clock, remember?(
^Three hours.^
)Well, hope you can block out the fighting, because I'm going to be doing a lot of it for the next 69 hours...god I wish it had been 2 or 4 hours instead.(
^Uh, wake up and talk to Tali first.^
)Why exactly did you think I planned on staying in here?...also, did Drew actually stop Hero from talking to her or what?(
Our mission was a success.
)And did you end up telling her why you didn't want them talking, or were you smart enough to avoid that subject?(
I feel I divulged enough information and was vague enough that she wasn't able to discern my full intentions.
)Then why is she sitting here waiting to talk to me?(
We told her that Bourne and Ty asked me to stop her from talking to Hannah. She is going to speak to you for her own intentions though. Not because of our actions. Also, she thought we was confessing love for her when we were not. She is strange for an organic life form.
)...so you let her up here, alone, when I'm all but planning to break her heart, and am in no position to stop her if she decides to use her shotgun on me?...also, why the hell did she think you had the hots for her?(
Because we said we had feelings for her that carried over from Ty and she seemed to miss me saying that and only heard that I have feelings for her.
)...So it's Ty's fault. I don't know why I even had to ask.(
We hold an admiration for her but that is it. Although, we are excited to meet the AI designated EDI.
)...I...I don't even...I think you just broke my brain with that sentence.(
How does one break a brain with words?
)I don't know. If I did, I know several people I'd love to do it to.(
Do you think that EDI will exchange information with us?
)...You realize that it'll be over half a year before she gets a body and stops looking like a blue chess piece? Also, never, never ask me anything like that again. You keep calling Ty your dad, which means that talk is his job.(
^Uh, well Drew. When two AI hold a compatibility level that is over a ping level of 1345, They begin to exchange data at a higher rate than most. In fact, some would say that these two AI are conjoining into one program because it is so extensive between the two.^
)I never thought I'd be so glad to not understand anything about programing…is this just an attempt to annoy me to the point where I'd rather deal with Tali than you two?(
^Maybe.^ Possibly.
)Uh-huh. And why do you think that's going to work? I had Iron in my head for several months. You think you can top that in a couple of days?(
^So Drew, sometimes these AI decide to contribute some of their data into creating a new being. Usually, the designated female program has to have the male program's code inserted inside her. Sometimes it has to be done through a hard information transfer if the server that the female is in is too small for the male to fit. That requires an intermediator to come and exchange the data from one system to another through an OSD or USB drive.^
)Can I just point out that your goal is to top Iron? I mean, do you actually want to succeed at being crazier than that guy?(
^Actually, that was me giving the rest of the talk to Drew. Now, I will give you one chance before I send every fucked up thing I have seen on Reddit to you.^
)...how long do I have to decide?(
^Three, two, one and I am going to sen-^
I practically threw the connection out of my head, and slammed down barriers so they wouldn't get back in, leaving me alone in the void.
"They're right you know."
I turned to see Hero standing in there with me. "How-"
"You can keep them out because they're outsiders. I came directly from your brain, so you really can't deny me as well."
I shrugged and leaned against a wall as it appeared behind me. "So, how much of that did you hear?"
"Let's just say I'll never look at computers the same way again." She crossed her arms. "So, let me get this straight. You sent Drew after me because you thought I'd turn Tali down for you?"
"It was mostly Ty's idea."
"Mostly?"
I shrugged again. "Well, you weren't exactly in a good mood earlier...you sure it isn't that-"
"No, it is not that time of the month." She said, face reddening slightly.
"So, what do you think about-" I gestured vaguely upwards.
"I think you're screwed no matter what you do. And not in the way you were with Ashley."
I gave her a pointed look. "I think you've been spending too much time around Ty."
"Look, it's like this. Either you turn her down now and feel bad about it, but she gets over it, you lead her on and break her heart entirely, or...well, she's not exactly bad looking under that mask."
A knife appeared in my hand as I clenched my other fist. "As I've said before-"
"I know Jason, I get it." She leaned against a wall of her own. "It's the same way that when you meet Thane...it won't be the person I fell in love with. And if I met him here, it'd be an insult to his memory to hook up with this new one."
"Sounds like we agree then."
"I agree, but I can also see where Ty's coming from saying that-" She cut herself off abruptly.
"That since Ashley's going to leave me in maybe a month, why not have a good time here?"
"That's a bit more blunt than I would have put it."
"Because it's also more true." I sighed. "Hero...when you were with Thane, how did you deal with that?"
She considered it for a moment. "I'm not sure what you mean."
"You knew that you only had so long with him."
Her face darkened, yet also seemed to light up slightly. "I focused on the time we had, not what happened after. Bourne, if you really want my advice…"
I nodded.
"Then enjoy what you have, but realize that no relationship is guaranteed to last anyway."
I answered with a grimace. "Yeah, I know."
"What's the worse thing that can happen if you gently let her down?"
"She uses that blade on her boot to castrate me and cut off my arms."
"..."
"Ty and Drew had a lot of suggestions for ways she could be angry because I turned her down."
"No, it's not that, it's the fact you think she's good enough with a blade that you wouldn't be able to stop her." She said with a small smile.
I pointedly pulled up the sleeve of my shirt.
"Yeah, I guess there is that." She acknowledged after a moment, and I covered the scar back up.
A thought occurred to me, and I immediately hated myself for it. In the void, I didn't hide my emotions as well, and Hero noticed my mood immediately.
"What is it?"
"Nothing." I said, forcing my face back to normal. "Just another product of a warped mind."
She shook her head. "Well, it's really your choice. But I think the sooner you get it out of the way, the more time to deal with the consequences."
"You know, Tali isn't the only reason I'd rather stay in here for a while."
She looked at me in question.
"I abuse my biotics, okay? It's weird to go from having stuff come to me to having to walk over to stuff or reach for it. Not to mention- I can't teleport now. I have to walk."
"You poor thing." The wall disappeared behind her, and I knew she was getting ready to leave. But then she stopped. "There's one other minor thing. With the way the gloves for the whips are set up, you can't remove them."
"Great."
"I'm just saying it because it'd be insensitive to talk about it around Tali. And because I didn't know how much you'd care."
"I wear gloves a lot of the time anyway in combat. I'm more worried that the extra thickness of my fingers might screw up my coordination."
"Right. Well, I'm going to go. Mostly because Ty's trying to break through with that reddit stuff."
"Can you tell him I'm going to do it so he doesn't?"
"So you're caving in after all?"
"Just say you and I made a bet and I lost."
Although the feeling was detached in the void, I felt my body get jostled from side to side as if someone was trying to wake me.
"Or you could say that you felt that." She answered, fading away.
I sighed. This is not going to end well.
I closed my eyes, and let sensation return to me. My eyes popped open in time to grab Tali's wrist as she reached over to shake me again. "Have Quarians never heard of sleeping in?" I asked with a wry smirk as she looked at me with a hint of shock.
Tali cocked her head. "Sleeping in?"
"Okay, so they haven't." I released her wrist and sat up. As the cold air hit me, I realized my shirt was gone, though thankfully the jeans I'd worn under the armor were intact. And a quick glance at my hands confirmed that they still had the gloves on. Without the benefit of biotics. "Never mind." I said with a shake of my head.
"Sarcasm Bourne. Just cause I am not of your species does not mean I don't like sleeping in. Seriously, it's like you all assume I am this cute and innocent little girl."
I rolled my eyes and looked down at my torso to see the stitch up wounds. Though the one across my chest was nearly as bad as my other knife wounds, where I'd been impaled were simply small circles of thread around what looked like a patch of skin from somewhere else. Must've been skin grafts. Or a quick clone job. "Compared to the rest of us, you're not exactly battle hardened or experienced. Relatively speaking at least."
She gave me a flat look. "I've killed people, fought hard, and threatened people like you."
The look I gave her was flat enough to make hers seem a mountain. "Don't insult yourself by saying you're like me." I again had to fight to keep my hand from wrapping around my bicep, especially as she shifted on her feet, and my eyes went to the knife on her boot.
She caught my eyes "Like the knife?"
I swear, does fate just conspire to make this as difficult as possible? "As long as it's not pointed my way." I shrugged. "Though generally I prefer ones that retract- easier to store."
"Then, if the gears jam or the spring weakens then the knife will get duller and weaker faster." She grabbed her knife out from her boot and began spinning it between her fingers until it was up in the air and she caught it on the end with the tip of her finger.
"I carry a set that are more durable for just that reason." I said, gesturing to my shoulder, belt and foot. "It's like any machine or weapon- great until it stops working...or gets thrown into a wall by your friend's ex and ends up bented beyond repair."
Tali was keeping eye contact with me the entire time but kept the knife balanced perfectly on the tip of her finger. "I guess it's just personal preference then. Better hope that the machine doesn't break I guess."
I chuckled and held up a hand. "Well, maybe it's because you have fewer fingers to get in the way of using one." I stuck my other hand in my pocket- somewhat awkwardly due to the glove- and pulled out one of the knives I'd stuck in there. I started spinning it between my fingers, as much to test my coordination with the gloves as to show off. The difference was negligible, so I started getting more complicated with the movements. It was going fine until the blade slid off the smoother and thicker metal of a finger, causing me to lose control of it. It fell, and sliced one of Tali's fingers as she tried to catch it.
She grabbed her hand and covered the slice, dropping her knife simultaneously. "Damn, I can't move my hand to add medigel."
I activated my own omni-tool, and held it up to hers. Luckily, someone had replenished my supply for me, and after a single drop of blood fell, the wound seemed to be healed. Of course, now she's going to be sick for days cause of infection.
Not as bad as last time, but goddamnit.
"God, Bourne, you are such an ass." Tali's voice told me that there was a lot of sarcasm and a bit of flirtation.
"So I've been told. Numerous times." I responded just as sarcastically- though without the added flirtation.
She bent down, obviously trying to show me how tight her suit was in certain areas, and picked up the knives. "Here, I'll get the metal."
I pulled out another knife and pointedly focused on that, though this time I wasn't trying to show off so much as distract myself. "I always keep a spare on hand."
"Here you go." She held out my knife in her hand but was balancing it at it's fulcrum point on her index finger.
I tossed my knife to my other hand and grabbed that one, keeping them both spinning, with more control and focus than before.
She pulled herself up on the nearest, empty bed and leaned on her knees. "So, I found a good knife store when I was out with Wrex on the Citadel last time. Want me to take you there?"
I collapsed and put away both knives. "I found an entire crate of them on Feros. Should still be in the Mako."
She stretched her arms out and sat back. "Well, they have some experimental ones that you can actually generate your biotics through."
"Considering the last fancy I knife I got-" I pointed at my stitched up chest. "I think I should just stick with what I have."
"Didn't most of those come from the same batch as the cleaver?"
"So did a few tomahawks for Ty, and he's had no problems with those."
"Bourne, are you sure you aren't over reacting because you didn't hold onto the cleaver well enough when you fell?"
"I held onto it just fine. And then a piece of rubble landed perfectly on my elbow to snap it down into my chest." I glanced at her hand. "Shouldn't you repair that cut in the suit and sanitize and all that? I've had that knife a while, and it isn't exactly sterile."
She looked at it but her eyes showed that she was worried about something else. "I… you're right, I can do that here."She grabbed out a syringe out of her belt and put it in where the fresh medi gel was. "There, that should sanitize the area."
I shifted so my legs were over the edge of the bed. Okay, should we keep dancing around the issue or I should I just confront her about it?...)Hero, I could use some advice here.(
*Just let it happen naturally.* She said before blocking me out. Gee, thanks.
"Bourne, can I ask you a serious question?"
I fought back a sigh, got my face perfectly composed, and nodded.
"How do you feel about me?"
I considered it a moment, trying to be accurate, but not brutally so. "I think of you as a friend I suppose."
My hand stretched up towards the scar unconsciously, but I managed to divert it so it looked like I was rubbing the stitches on my chest.
"Okay, that's great." Her voice was unusually upbeat for me breaking her heart.
I searched her body language for any sign she was lying. Nothing was apparent, and I decided to simply be silent and see if she'd say anything further.
"So, knife store?"
I considered it a moment. Either she's accepted that I don't return her feelings and she's taking me as a friend...or it'll be some awkward attempt at flirting, in which case I can at least get new knives out of it. "Sure, why not?"
Tali nodded to show she was happy and then pointed over her shoulder. "Well, I better go get to the sleep pods. I think I am going to drop dead if I am awake any longer."
"Yeah, I hear that." I lied. Being able to go without sleep is one of the few perks of this situation.
Tali walked out of the room and I was alone only for a moment before Ty called in over the mental link. ^Uh, Tali just asked me to give her a hug and help her find a place to cry.^
*That's actually better than I was expecting him to handle it.*
)As I recall, you insisted I talk to her. I would have been perfectly happy avoiding the issue.(
^Well, it's kind of awkward… especially with the way I kind of… tried to leave her dead.^
)Yeah, and I almost killed her with her own knife. Join the fucking club.(
^I don't think I want to join a 'fucking club.'^
*Oh grow up.* )Real mature.(
^I feel weird because there was a time that I would have done anything to wrap my arms around her. Now, I really want to be back in bed with Cecelia and away from her.^
)Talimancer huh? Not sure I would have called that.(
^Yeah, huge change in my personality over my adventure. Now, I want a human girlfriend that I will absolutely love again… I mean for the first time!^
)Is she still out there? Because I want to grab a shirt and jacket, and I'd rather avoid her if I can.(
They are in the middle of the lunch hall.
*I'll grab them for you. I'm headed up there anyway...and Ashley is at her bench right next to the lockers, so...*
)I'd rather stick with one awkward romantic thing for today.(
*That's what I figured.*
^That means you have to see her tomorrow.^
Unless she decides to visit him today as well.
*You just have very bad luck with women in this universe.* Hero commented.
^And there is the elevator. Dear maiden, please rescue me from the monk without control.^
)And that's my cue to go back to the meditation/void/coma thing.( I leaned back, closed my eyes, and did just that.
Ty:
It was weird holding Tali while she was crying and people were beginning to stare at me. Luckily, Hero stepped out of the elevator just a few meters away and headed straight toward us.
"Are you alright?" She asked. Even though she had to know what had occurred, her concern was genuine.
Tli buried her face deeper in my chest and it got a bit more awkward. "No, no I'm not. I just want someone that I can trust to hold me."
"And because I am like your brother, I'm the ideal person." My voice was soft and I managed to keep her from catching on that I was annoyed.
*Is it wrong that I half think we should try convincing Bourne-*
)You know I can still hear you from in here?(
*...nevermind.*
)I'm just going to pretend I don't know what you were about to say. Isn't comforting people like, your specialty?(
"I wish I could just forget what Bourne did and all the feelings I had for him."
Grabbing Tali by the shoulders, I held her out and forced her to make eye contact with me. "Tali, I can make that happen. But you have to promise me that you want it to happen."
*Would that even work in the long run? I mean, if she felt this way about him once- Bourne, you of all people-*
)If I got my memories of the real world back, I'd want to have those removed. Removing memories by force is what I hate the thought of. Choosing to forget is something else entirely.(
Tali looked around frantically locking eyes with Hero and me one after another. "Uh, I don't know now. I was speaking as a wish. It's just… I don't… You would do that for me after what I told Hannah about you?"
)Tell her she should think about if before she makes a choice.(
"Tali, this type of decision is one you should think about first." Hero agreed.
^Why do you all keep bringing up the things from so long ago that happened between me and Hero? It's the fucking past people, I've forgotten it. How about you do too?^
)Dude, it was like...less than a week ago.(
^That is like a whole different life time ago.^
*...Should I like, leave or something?*
^If you do then you have to take Tali with you. I don't like dealing with this stuff.^
)Is that why you were threatening me with Reddit to get me to? Hypocrite much?(
^I mean girls crying to me about their boyfriends or lack thereof. I never had any girl friends.^
Hero gently took Tali's arm. "I think right now, what you need to do is just take some time to think over what Ty offered." Her tone became even softer. "And maybe think about what Bourne really meant."
)Oh you are not-(
*She'll either accept being friends or she won't.*
)Why can't I ever get simple problems to deal with? Like an angry biotic krogan charging at me when I don't have weapons or armor?(
I let Tali go with Hero and took off on my way into the elevator and hit the down button. ^Thanks Hero. I do not like being a woman's shoulder to cry on when that girl is not mine.^
*You get a free pass considering which woman it is.*
^Free pass? Fuck the what?^
)Let me put it this way. If a dude started crying because...I don't know, his mom was dying, would you let him cry on your shoulder if he needed it?(
*Why is everything about death with you?*
)They say to stick with what you know.(
^Uh, dudes are easy to cheer up. You just need a beer and the game on.^
)...should we even respond to that one?(
*No. And should you really be wearing that over your- of course, you wanted the jacket for the knives.*
)It's also cold in here. You'd think they'd have figured out heating for doctor's offices in the future.(
*But you mostly wanted the knives.*
)What's your point?...pun not intended.( The link faded as I got far enough away.
The elevator opened and was immediately spotted by Ashley. I took a quick second to look into my mind and find a way to extend the link. When I opened my eyes, Ashley was walking over toward me.
^Damnit Bourne!^
*What now?* )Now what?(
^Ashley is walking toward me to talk to me.^
)...wait, how are we getting reception at this distance?(
^You wouldn't understand.^
)Or care. What, did your mouth suddenly stop working so you can't talk to her?(
*When has our luck ever been that good?*
)Exactly. We're due for some good luck.(
^Huh, well, I'm just going to find a way to dodge her then instead of passing on messages or giving her advice.^
)Oh no, how will I ever survive now.( He said flatly.
I looked for the closest person to me and walked up to him. "Hey how's it going?"
Wrex raised an eyebrow at my sudden approach and stopping him. "Hey, uh… what's your name again?"
"Dude, we fought each other like three times."
"Just giving you a hard time, Ty. What do you need?" His face went stone cold and he took a glance at Ashley.
"How are you doing?" I asked.
He seemed to sniff at the air. "You're nervous about something, and I'm guessing it's her."
I rubbed the back of my head as I saw Ashley had stopped out of the corner of my vision. "Yeah, I don't really feel like being the intermediary between Bourne and her."
"Women." He said with a grunt. "Doesn't matter what species, they'll find a way to confuse us males."
"Tell me about it. I have one that's an interdimensional being after me"
"Sounds fun." He said sarcastically.
"You saw what she could do after we met those exogeni assholes."
"Looked like you held your own." He said with a shrug.
"Yeah, but I had to think fast and use the only trick that she didn't know about to beat her."
He looked over my shoulder, apparently at Ashley. "I think she's waiting to talk to you. And at least your former mate fought you. With Krogan females, they just talk until you'll do anything to make them stop."
"I wish that was the case with women. I prefer to just not talk and focus on what comes to mind."
"Well, sometimes I try that too, and just pretend to listen…I have a dozen scars from the results."
An idea came to mind as he spoke. "Would it be a big deal to your people if you killed an interdimensional being?"
He thought about it for a moment. "If they believed it existed maybe. With a thresher maw, you can show off the corpse. With her, she looks the same as any other human."
"Guess you're right, but it would make one hell of a story."
"What's your point in asking?"
"Figured I could super power you so that you could do it but that the more I think about it, the more the numbers don't match up."
"Super Power me?" He laughed. "What makes you think I'd need the help?"
"She could lift you into the air, just by thinking it." The more I talked to Wrex, the more I felt Ashley's stare burning into my back.
"So could Bourne or T'soni."
"But she doesn't need biotics. She could rip you out by her smallest bits just by thought."
"She needs her head to stay attached to be able to think."
"You can't jump twenty-five feet in the air to do that."
"Carnage. Scoops it clean off."
I shook my head at his statement. "Not if she makes it cease to exist."
He crossed his arms. "So why did you think you'd be able to power me up to beat her? And how long are you going to keep this conversation going while she's holding that shotgun?"
I looked back at Ashley and saw that she was looking down its sights and making adjustments to them. "Uh, maybe I should sneak into the engine room."
He laughed. "Have fun with that." He said, lumbering past me towards the shooting range.
Pivoting on my heels, I turned and began to walk to the engine room but felt a hand grab my shoulder and hold on tight."Oh, shit."
"You use that line on all the ladies?" Ashley commented.
"Just the ones that I find have certain, undesirable qualities at a given time." I turned to look at her. "What do you need?"
"Do you know where Bourne is? I wanted to talk to him."
"Last I heard, he was in the medbay. Of course that was from Tali, whom's heart he recently broke."
"..."
"Something wrong?"
"How'd he end up in the medbay?"
"Skewered on rebar."
"Ouch."
"Yep, and then he was feeling so good afterwards. He told Tali that there was no chance that he would return her feelings."
She was quiet for a moment. "Do you think he feels that way about me? He hasn't talked to me since before that barfight you started."
"I don't know." I shrugged and immediately she glared at me. "What?"
She just glared at me a moment more before storming towards the elevator.
^Heads up, Ashley is on her way.^
)Hero, you think you can figure out how to teleport with a friend?(
*How is it you can face down a Reaper without flinching, but you want to run away from this?*
)I'm not insane…completely.(
^I'll meet you and Tali in the comm room, Hero. Then you can go help Bourne.^
)Comm room?(
^Nobody will be there since Shepard won't be using it until she wakes up.^
*What exactly do you need me for? Also, Tali's sleeping, and she seemed to be needing it.*
)Besides, I thought you didn't care about her? At least not with this.(
^Well, I didn't know she was asleep and I thought I would help. At least to get Ashley off your back.^
)I know I'm jinxing myself by saying this, but I don't see how letting her down could be worse than Tali.(
*...that has got to be the dumbest thing I have ever heard you say. And there's a lot of competition.*
)I still think the joke about the anti-biotic restraint and infection tops it.(
^Anti-biotic restraint?^
)The handcuff thing that shuts down biotics.(
*Raptor made a comment about him not needing it after an injury, and his response was "I guess Chakwas isn't was worried about infections this time."*
)Man, the look on her face was priceless.(
*Anyway, Jason, even if she isn't 'your' Ashley, can you honestly just let her walk in there and say the same thing you said to Tali?*
^Yes, I am curious about this too. From what I can remember you were really into her.^
)Were implies past tense. But the women in the elevator headed up here isn't the same one I care about...also, couldn't you like, make it slower or stop it dead or something?(
^Sure, if I was an asshole.^
*I get what you mean with that Jason, but nonetheless...it's not like you'd be able to leave her behind on Virmire.*
)Not my call in this universe.(
^You know, I kind of like Kaiden in this universe. Seems like a cool guy, a boy scout but a cool guy.^
)I figure Cecelia would choose the biotic over the soldier.(
*Even for you Jason, that's cold.*
)Oh grow the fuck up Hero.(
*...you do realize for the next three days, I have biotics and you don't? I'll give you a chance to rephrase that sentence.*
)Okay. Grow the fuck up Hannah.(
*...*
^Dude, you need to grow up and learn what it means to be a man.^
)Hello pot, my name is kettle.(
^I do not need to grow up. I am already there.^
)When you ended up here, you were brash, immature, had no common sense whatsoever, and acted without any forethought whatsoever. So did I. Difference is, I changed. And I get the most basic fact of existence: Everything has a price. Not monetary, but in terms of who suffers or dies and who doesn't. And I've accepted I can't save everyone, or even the majority.(
^Yet you avoid problems, drag out doing the right thing, and constantly doubt the integrity of everyone around you.^
)Have you noticed that I usually 'solve' problems by killing them? And that 90% of the people I've met have tried to shoot me at one point or another? And how is there any 'right' thing in this situation? It's either break a couple hearts or cheat on my girlfriend. I'll take the lesser of the two evils where I can.( His voice came across harsh enough it almost sounded like Iron. )We can't all be fucking demigods!(
^Yes we can, look at Theseus. He had no special powers that made him divine, just a sense of adventure and joy to do something exciting.^
)You know something, I was wrong. You're not Immature. You're a naive fool.(
^No, I'm not. I know what I did wrong and just have accepted it. I don't dwell on it for too long like you.^
)I have a perfect memory, so excuse me if it's a little harder to put something like, oh, I don't know, almost wiping out an entire species out of my mind and focus on something else. And that's one of my less severe sins.(
*Now you're being overdramatic.*
)Funny, I don't recall asking either of you. Or caring.(
^Bourne, when you wake up in the morning, your first words are 'who do I kill and whose heart can I break.^
)I don't look for people to kill. And I don't look for hearts to break. I do what I have to with what comes my way. You call it improvising, I call it adapting, the only difference is I plan ahead first. And I rely on my brain as much as I do my instincts.( There was no volume with the mind link, but his voice seemed to become softer. )You think I like what I am? What I've become?(
^To be honest, I thought this was becoming a roast. I wasn't actually trying to hurt your feelings.^
)So. You think it's something to make fun of.( He said flatly.
^Dude, we are in a video game. Nothing to do but make fun of each other and play.^
)This. Is. Not. A. Game. Not to me. So get that through your thick head. This is a life or death scenario and- forget it.( He slammed the link closed.
*Actually, he handled that better than I would have expected.*
^Agreed, though he seems to have a problem accepting fact.^
*Meaning that this is all code? That's just it Ty- to him, this is reality. And it is to me too. He might have started out in the 'real' world, but he doesn't remember it or care about it. This is his life.*
^Well, maybe you need to accept that this is a game for me and that's all it ever is going to be. I am getting out of here.^
*Because you want to, and because you have something to go back to. He doesn't.*
^You know his memories from before he was in the game. I know, you said that you could release them and allow him to remember it all. Does he really have nothing to go back to?^
*...I lied.* It would have been barely audible if she'd said it aloud. *I knew that he'd choose not to have them if offered. But he needed to hear himself say that too. Not just to himself, but to someone he believed could help him if he said yes.*
^Why the pause before you said that? Why would you have to think about your next words if you knew it?^
*It's not something I'm proud of. He'd just had his whole world shaken upside down, and I manipulated him further.*
^Then, what if he starts remembering and blames you for it?^
She was silent another moment. *Ty, I need you to promise me you will never tell Jason what I'm about to say.*
^I can keep a secret, but wait to tell me in person. I don't want Bourne suddenly listening in. I'll be in the comm room.^
*Alright. I'll be in there in a minute.*
I put my hand to the nearest glitch and within seconds was in the comm room. There was only enough time to take a seat before Hero walked in and sat across from me.
"So, guess what."
She sighed. "What?"
I held up my hands and purple matrix code began weaving around them. "I found a way to make purple code."
"Ty, if you're not going to be serious about this, I will walk out right here and now."
Setting my hands in my lap, I leaned back in my chair. "Fine, just thought you would enjoy it since it is your favorite color."
"No, green is my favorite color. The purple is in tribute to my grandmother that died in the first contact war." She sighed. "I can't blame you for thinking that though. I don't think even Bourne would guess that."
I brought my hands up in green matrix code. "So you like this then?"
"Considering that you threatened to use it to 'rip me apart by my smallest bits', I don't much care for it in any color...also, I prefer lighter green."
With a slight adjustment, the code turned lime green as I gave her a shrug. "So, you were going to say?"
She took a moment to compose herself. "Bourne isn't from the 'real' world."
"What?!" The info caught me by surprise and I almost fell over in my seat.
"You know how Saren created him? How he took minds from other universes and put them into that body?"
"So, is he a copy or a fragment?"
She shook her head. "It's not that simple. Since Iron and I were from more similar universes, we got pulled straight in. Me from the Catalyst, him from the carnage of letting the reapers slaughter everyone. And Bourne...his body got ripped apart by the process. As did his mind." She gestured in the direction of the medbay. "The man lying in there has a brain that's copied from his psychological profile, with certain relevant knowledge. But he's not the same person that was blasted apart."
I looked down at me hands. "Anything that has been fragmented can be repieced."
"Ty, you don't get it. In the real world, someone reached for his x-box and was blasted apart. That person is dead. Bourne is based off of that person- a clone, a copy. There were no memories to start with." She looked in the direction of the door, as much to not have to look at me as anything. "And if he knew that…"
"If he is a clone then he has that man's memories. If he is a fragment, then there are other fragments in here for the man that died. Hero, there would be a lot more at work then just him being one part of the man. Other parts would be drawn toward him."
"Clones don't always have the original's memories...trust me on that one." She shivered a little. "She was creepier than the Leviathans."
I stood up from my chair and began to pace. "That means that I am the only person actually pulled into a isn't like me and I'm…" I stopped pacing and kicked over the nearest chair. "I'm fucking alone!"
"What about Danny and Cody?"
"They are with me. As far as I am concerned, we are of the same accident. Hero, you don't get it. If Bourne was like me, then I wouldn't be an isolated incident. There is a chance that I could meet someone that is like me that does the things differently. But now…"
She grimaced. "I'm only telling you what I know. But considering its source...I could be dead wrong. Not sure how likely either scenario is."
I leaned on the rail and put my full weight on it. "I need to know."
She was silent for a moment. "I considered telling him so many times, but didn't want to because there'd be no way to know whether it was true or not. But if you have a way…"
I slammed my hand in the wall out of rage, when I met Bourne a small bit of hope emerged in my mind that I wasn't the only one trapped. Now, Hero not only made it waver but it became a burning curiosity that needed to be satisfied. There was so much riding on this one question now. If someone was out there that was in the same position as me then maybe they knew how to get out. Then again, if Bourne was a fragment of someone from the real world then he wouldn't be able to get back because he would be mostly data.
I slammed my other fist into the wall, then another, then another until I realized that my punches were sending waves through the Normandy. Once I saw that, I got even angrier and just slammed fist after fist into it sending a hurricane of waves out, not caring what they did. The escape from my struggles was riding on the answer now.
As my anger rose, the world around me just began to look like matrix code falling in different directions down the walls. Each wall fall different from the one next to it and it only went to feed my rage more. With one look at the floor, I stomped and sent a wave through the entire comm room that threw the chair and lifted Hero into the air.
)What the hell is going on in here?!(
Just hearing Bourne's voice in my head made me data purge without meaning to and blast all the chairs away. "Get out of my head!"
Bourne suddenly fell out of the ceiling on onto his ass. "So, good news, now I can talk to Ashley later. Bad news- there's somehow an earthquake on a spaceship."
I fought back my anger now and fell to my hands and knees trying to make myself calm.
He got to his feet, and suddenly the waves stopped and everything returned to normal- though I hadn't done anything. "So, did I miss something?" He asked, looking at Hero as she got up off the ground.
I was able to relax and fall on my back finally able to relax. "Found out something that made me flip my shit."
"What, was Tali wrong about that Super Bowl thing?"
Hero cleared her throat, and he turned her way. "It's...a bit more serious than that."
"I really do not like that look. Why do I get the feeling I'm about to go apeshit as-"
"You might not actually be from the real world." She blurted out.
He froze with his mouth half open.
She shook her head. "You might want to sit down for this."
Instead, he just fainted and fell to the ground.
I took it as my chance to find out and jumped right into Bourne. This time making my way into his mind instead of his amps.
(...What.) )The Hell?( *Did I just...?*
T117:So, question chapter. I think the one I'd like to start with is...Can Bourne/Ty die as far as our head canons go?
(He can in mine, but I'm having trouble proving it in the story itself.)
T117: Yeah, Bourne's hard to kill between the genemods, cybernetics, biotics, etcetera, but he's still human, and ergo mortal.
S7: Please, Ty can never die. He's just too damn stubborn.
^While your confidence is reassuring. I don't think I can be stubborn enough to survive a gunshot to the head.^
~Yeah, if I can die. He can.~
S7: Next question, Can Ty only give up some emotions and leave a tether back to what he was?
^... Really? One or three emotions can't just be a tether. Say I left anger, I would just be angry at everything. Sadness? I would just be to depressed to do anything. You can't tether yourself to humanity because one emotion will just remind me of why I should hate emotions. It's an all or nothing deal.^
(Here's a question then...does hope count as an emotion? Cause that seems like a pretty damn powerful force.)
)...Let me guess, that's what makes your victims last a little longer or something?(
(Bingo.)
^Is it, though? Hope, is what gives people a driving force and it's not always for good. You can hope someone will be killed when you stab them, you can hope that you will one day succeed in your rebellion, and you can hope that you can bed a woman enough that it leads you to drugging her. Hope, is not a force of good. That is why it was in Pandora's box.^
(Hey, it'd be better than nothing.)
^But hope would latch on the immediate thing I want to do and that is gain more power and thus push me to get rid of it.^
(So it's your priorities that're screwed up.)
^... Iron. You have ten seconds to run before I pull your spine out your ass and feed it to you.^
(I'm just saying, my whole reason for trying to kill Bourne in SiaWoF was to get back to Eden Prime with way more power- namely his- so you're basically saying you're a more ugly version of me.)
)Yeah, keep telling yourself he's the ugly one.(
S7: Trebor, next question.
T117:...Why hasn't Saren made Biotic Geth? Uh...apart from the fact neither of us thought of it, and it doesn't really fit the theme-
(Though it's totally possible they'll now throw it in somewhere later)
T117: Well, my understanding is the biotics are basically eezo nodules in the person that are triggered with electrical pulses from the nerves. So I guess Saren could do something similar by putting eezo in the geth and then like, basically setting up circuits so they could control it...maybe.
S7: Or he could just program the ability into a Geth. We did it with… Whoops, almost did a spoiler.
T117: Yeah, I guess I forgot the "screw logic, it's all code so reality doesn't have to apply" aspect of the story. Anyway, next question is the backlog, specifically how many chapters we have right now.
S7: 75-35=40.
T117: And that's not even close to being done- this could easily end up being longer than SiaWoF and Users combined.
*I think it already is with wordcount.*
T117: Yeah, I'd have to double check the numbers on that.
S7: That would mean that it is longer than the second Lord of the Rings book.
The word count provided for the sight shows that UiaWoF is already twice as long as the original Users, but it does not take into account how much of that is the A/Ns. Though given that it would be more than double the current number of chapters, and later chapters are much longer than early ones, it seems more than likely.
S7: Off a rough estimate of 6,000 a chapter we got 75X6,000=450,000 so far.
T117: So, it would be. Cause SiaWoF has 308,000 words, and the original version of Users had 100,000. I dunno how long Prime is going to be, but since this thing'll have way more than 75 chapters that long...it'll at least be longer than the originals combined.
S7: Well, we have 255 reviews, so if we surpass 636 then it will have more reviews than both combined at this current time. Next question, what kind of rules does Ty go by?
(Seems to be that they're to be as stupid and annoying as possible.)
^Ha ha, very funny. Trebor and Spike thought up a universal controlling system they call the Universal sway. When it is in the middle I am about as powerful as usual. When it is my way, I am full on programer, able to manipulate anything I want. When it is not my way, I get sick and a serious craving for pie along with barely being able to use my powers and in some cases not being able to at all.^
)Kinda the same deal for me. Middle, I'm about the same as I was for most as SiaWoF, other than having the new powers like Flare or Dark Channel. When it's on his side, my power decreases, I can't do some of the more advanced or powerful techniques like Charge or Singularity, and I get negative symptoms like migraines. When it's on my side, I'm as powerful as me+Iron+Hero.(
(And you have one other advantage over Ty- you can make people throw up just by making them look at your face. He has to talk to make them want to throw up.)
S7: Anyway, that would be something that would make it harder to consider adding a new person. We would have to think of a brand new balancing system.
T117: Especially if they didn't have powers at all or something.
S7: Actually, that would make it curious. A man among gods. One without but one unhampered.
T117: Can we just put the question aside for now? I've got enough things I'm trying to nail down for SaWoF without having to consider stuff like that.
S7: True, it's definitely one that we can wait on.
*Okay, back to questions...not really a question, but someone suggested which is either a cure for T117's "Let it Go" earworm or a suggestion to torture Iron...which is watching My Little Pony.*
T117:...Die.
(Totally with him on this one.)
^Okay, next, how am I going to evolve?^
S7:... you are not a pokemon.
~I think he means in power.~
S7:Well, I only have one more User power. I mean sure you can manipulate stuff but you only have five as of now.
^Format strike, Datapurge, Armor manipulation, Recode (Healing code), and Glitch jump. What else could their be?^
~Something awesome.~
)Yeah, as if he wasn't already powerful enough.(
^The enemies that I face match my power so it isn't really all that bad. You on the other hand are walking around wielding the fist of a biotic god and loving it.^
T117: Yeah, uh...let's just say you might be getting some upgrades too come SaWoF.
S7: Plus, only recode will follow him back to Users. The biotic catching, world manipulation that you just read, and tech powers that Bourne unlocked among other things will not.
^What? Can't I keep submission net?^
S7: No. Next question, CTHI, if T117 & I were to put you in the story outside if the AN-verse, when, where, and how would you like them to?
Perhaps in a machine that would torture Iron?
T117: Hmm, I might be able to arrange that. Okay, got a last minute question: If Ty gave Bourne Warp Sphere, Dark Channel, Nova, and Flare, why not something else too like Annihilation Field or Dark Sphere?
*Well, for starters that's not really Ty's job- Bourne's kinda lucky Ty was nice enough to unlock as much as he did.*
T117: I'm not going to say they won't show up later, but I'm also not going to say that they will- I'm trying to keep Bourne from being a complete mary sue.
)And Annihilation Field seems kinda...well, game vs reality, how would you keep that from warping allies as well as enemies?(
(Probably some sorta tech thing like what maintains the Warp Sphere?)
S7: That or maybe it just a complete thing based on your actual mind and feels toward a person.
T117: Doesn't seem all that likely- or at the very least it's not the explanation I'd want to go with for my character...I'm going to cut that conversation off there because I may have just gotten an idea or two for that.
)What about Dark Sphere?(
(That clapping thing you do is kinda the same thing. Only reason it's not a complete flagrant rip off of it is because T117 wrote that before ME3 even came out, let alone the Collector playable character.)
S7: Well, I think we have covered everything.
T117: Yeah. There were more questions than I'd actually expected.
S7: Yeah, I'm kinda hoping that the reviewers ask us more so every fifth chapter can be like this.
T117: Ditto.
S7: Well, 1473I2.
T117: Sayonara