Level 31, Shalta Ward
Day 1, 1000
Less than an hour ago, Andersen mused, he had been sat in this same café, looking out over the Citadel and contemplating life in general. Now, everything looked slightly... different.
Not visibly different, mind... There were no darkened skies, no burning fires, nothing you could see, it was more like... more like he was seeing it in a new light. There was no fighting here, no chaos, and its absence seemed insulting. The passers-by – mostly asari, hanar and drell on this ward – had no idea what had just happened on the Cambrai, nor did they care, he imagined. A few of them shot ponderous looks at the huddled ensemble of N7s in the corner of the café, especially at the big krogan, but most simply drifted past in their normal, day-to-day lives.
"Today sucks," Andersen muttered, glumly.
"Complete understatement, human..." Kamur chuckled, darkly.
"You two are cheerful," Yui sighed, with a slight grin.
"Three of our men died in the last hour," the young engineer growled, feeling slightly frustrated with the krogan – not that he could do anything about it, Yui could crush him in one hand, but still...
"And seven of them died on Benning," scowled Vimes. "You were looking cheerful enough this morning, after that happened."
"I... I suppose so... this felt personal though, y'know?"
"I hear that," Tyco grumbled, from the chair next to him. "It's one thing to lose men to the enemy, it's a completely different thing when they turned round and stab you in the back..."
"Are you sure you're alright?" Andersen asked, for the fifth time. "I electrocuted you half an hour ago!"
"The doctor gave me the all clear," the sniper replied, exasperatedly.
"How could she?" persisted the young engineer. "She's been in the theatre performing surgery this whole time!"
"Not that doctor," Tyco tutted, as if that was perfectly obvious. "The new medic – asari? Dresses like she's from Afterlife?"
"Oh really?" Yui murmured, leaning in. "What was she like?"
"Put your tongue back in your mouth, big guy," Vimes muttered – the krogan looked rather abashed.
"So anyway," the sniper continued, "I asked if she could check me out, she said I looked fine, I told her she looked more than fine, and she kicked me out. If that's not an all clear I don't know what is!"
"Well, Saffiya's not here, so I guess I'll have to say this for her..." Kamur smiled.
"Say what, turian?"
"You are such a dog..."
Tyco looked affronted, staring at his squadmates open-mouthed as if to say 'Who, me?'
"Stop gawping, human, you look like a drooling varren," Yui scowled. "Now who wants drinks?"
"It's ten in the morning, Yui!" Andersen moaned. "Beer might not touch your guts, but it makes the rest of us a bit too stupid for this time of day..."
"Andersen..." Vimes began, "there's no day and night cycle on the wards, that's only on the Presidium."
"So beer makes the rest of us a bit too stupid at any time of day," the engineer corrected.
"Correction," the former C-Sec sniper smirked. "It makes us a bit too stupid at every time of day."
The five men around the table grinned at each other, as the first inkling of an idea began to creep into their minds.
"There's a good club down on Level 12," Vimes murmured. "Lusia. I used to patrol near the place..."
"Drop your gear on the ship," Tyco muttered – he himself was still wearing his armour. Then he continued, sarcastically, "we move out at 1300 hours, go, go, go!"
The five of them – Andersen, Kamur, Yui, Tyco and Vimes – got up, and began to pace back off towards the elevator to the docks. Walking at the back with Kamur, Andersen saw Yui lean over to Vimes with a conspiratorial whisper.
"Hey, Vimes. What's this club like?"
"Good place," the C-Sec officer replied. "As long as you don't start the fights, you're fine. It's Shalta Ward, and the hanar ain't too good at the partying thing, so it's mostly packed with asari..."
"Hell yes!" Yui boomed, punching the air.
"He has problems," Andersen thought to himself, smiling and shaking his head, as he set off towards the elevator.