MASS EFFECT ANDROMEDA: HOLLOW WORLDS

CHAPTER2

DECEMBER 6, 2185 21:00 HOURS EARTH TIME

"Hit me again!" Torvi called to the bartender nearby as she danced her way towards him. She felt like she was straining her voice to the top of her lungs over the pounding rhythm beat of the club she visited outside their training complex at Cape Canaveral, Florida. At her designated time slot, she would depart to the awaiting Hyperion located outside the moon's perimeter. The Initiative found it fitting to depart from Florida since humanity's space exploration started there in the twentieth century. Seconds later, a glass with a shot of asari whiskey slid her way. "Whoo-hoo!" She exclaimed after downing the shot, feeling the warmth of the alcohol sliding down her body. Four shots in and she started to feel a little lightheaded. She wasn't too sure if it was truly all from the alcohol or the strobe lights flashing multiple colors on a pattern in the middle of the dance floor. A green bright glow from her watch indicated a call was coming in. "Hello?" She asked as she held the watch up to one ear and covered the other with her hand to hear the recipient.

"Sis, I didn't find you at your room. You still down there?" Her brother replied on the other end.

"Of course! Having a blast! You should be here!"

"You do know that we leave in four hours. Why don't you get some sleep?" He encouraged.

"Pfft…don't pull that big brother shit on me." She felt her words slurring some.

"How many drinks did you have?" He picked on her impairment. "And yes, I will. I always will look after you and you know that. I am your big brother." Haldor's voice was deep with concern.

"Only by a few minutes," Torvi argued. "I can handle myself."

"Don't make me drag you out of there."

"I'll sleep in cryo, remember? Six hundred years." She reminded him curtly.

"Okay, okay," He was defeated. "Just be careful and leave soon. I'll see you at the rendezvous."

Shaking her head with a slight smile, she realized no matter what, her brother always cared for her. She eyed the dance floor and debated if she should listen to his reason or party some more. After all, technically, this was their last night on Earth.

"You look like you are waiting on someone," A male voice grabbed her attention. His accent placed him near the Southern American continent of Earth.

She turned to see a gentleman in his very late twenties to early thirties with tanned skin and black hair. He tossed playful wink her way as he took her side at the bar. "Not yet," She grinned at him as she moved next to him. "I guess you just showed up." Despite their obvious age difference, he was very alluring to her or at least his face and his charming accent. "You are?"

"Reyes Vidal. Nexus." He motioned the bartender over to them. "Give her another shot of whatever she last had and make mine the same."

This made Torvi raise an eyebrow to him flirtatiously. "You a whiskey drinker too?"

"A woman after my own heart." He winked again as he picked up the glasses given to him and handed one to her. "You haven't told me your name."

"It's Torvi Ryder. Ark Hyperion."

"Ryder? Yes, you related to the Pathfinder?"

"I'm his daughter."

Vidal nodded his head in appreciation. "That makes you the heiress to the Pathfinder title then?"

Torvi shook her head. "No, Cora Harper, is under him. She has been trained to be the next Pathfinder should something happen to dad…" She felt herself growing sad from just noting the possibility that they already had a succession line. She couldn't lose another parent and her dad was apart of her.

Reyes lifted her chin back up with his fingertips to where his dark almond eyes stared into her deep blue ones. "Hey, now. None of that…not when we are here to celebrate." He tapped her glass with his own before downing his shot. "Now that's whiskey," He smiled big in enjoyment of the dark liquid.

"You should have another," Torvi smirked as she motioned the bartender to refill his glass before downing her other.

Reyes chuckled. "You know how to party, Ryder." He paused as his fingers creased around the rim of his glass. "You are going to be on the Hyperion you said. What's your position there?"

"Recon Specialist. I will be part of dad's team once we reach Habitat 7. You must be pretty amazing if you are stationed on the Nexus. One of the first ones out there."

"Trade."

"Trade?" Torvi stared at him in bewilderment. "Like you are a vendor?'

Reyes busted out laughing. "No, Torvi. I will setup networks among the colonies for trade and with whoever else we run across. I guess you can say I'm a very good businessman."

"Oh," Torvi blushed, feeling embarrassed for the question. She became silent and cursed herself inwardly. Maybe she had one shot too many.

"I guess this time tomorrow, I will be frozen for six hundred years to come. Sounds kind of boring, huh?" Reyes picked up the conversation.

Torvi felt his eyes fixed upon her and she felt guilty to try to guard herself away from him. "I guess it be awhile since we will see each other again." In fact, she wasn't too sure even when they woke up in the Andromeda galaxy if she would be able to locate him. Their course was to inspect Habitat 7, identify key outpost placements and then report then to the Nexus. It could be several months or a year before she actually got the opportunity to track him down.

Reyes leaned over and gently kissed her on the cheek. "Then we make the most of it," He whispered into her ear as he allowed his breath remain on her skin sending chills down her spine.

"What are you…" She struggled for her words as she felt her heart pounding in her chest. Her hands were trembling. The last time she felt like this was when she experienced her first kiss.

A devious smile spread across the man's face. "You know exactly what I'm referring to, Ryder…" He paused for a brief few seconds to allow the meaning sink in. "Are you up for it? Or do you just pretend to know how to have fun to impress someone like me?"

"I'm yours, Reyes Vidal," She bit her lip as she felt herself desiring him more. "My room is a few sectors from here."

"Mine is more discreet. Let's go," He took her by the hand to lead her out of the club.

Panting heavily to catch her breath from their session, Torvi leaned down and tenderly placed her lips on Reyes' sweaty chest, then nuzzled her face against his skin as she nestled down on top of his body to bask in the afterglow. Reyes wrapped his arm around her naked body and placed his other arm underneath his head to prop it up. A faint chuckle escaped his mouth as he panted as well to catch his breath. "You are good, Ryder. I can give you that."

"So are you," She murmured sleepily, her eyes feeling heavy as her body was drained.

Reyes gently caressed the small of her back with his fingertips. "When you get to Nexus, you better drop me a line."

"Count on it."