I raised my head and blinked a few times. I could see that I was in the room that I rented yesterday. That should throw that dream theory out of the window. Dammit. Getting up, I decided to take a closer look at my new body. Quarian body was so familiar yet so strange. Mixed up memories kinda helped, but mostly just confused me. Inherited knowledge helped in moving it, but didn't remove that strange sensation that something was not right. Mostly with my legs. Human legs have feet, while quarian legs are more like that of a dog. With means walking on fingers. All of my experiences as human screamed at me that something is wrong. But for quarian this is just normal. I need to get used to it. Probably should force myself to walk around and get familiar with this new anatomy. I got up and went to the bathroom. Stopping in front of a mirror, I took a good look at myself.

My suit takes my attention first. I never before understood how much a sophisticated piece of technology it was. Completely sealed from outside, capable of sealing of parts of itself in case of contamination. It could take care of many of my needs. Cleaning from sweat? Sure thing. Need to take a piss or something more? Covered. Breathing in space? Just carry some O2 tanks and attach them. There were many smaller functions that tied together, tried to create the best experience for someone that needs to spend all of his life inside it. Something that games tell you Quarian have to do, but you never think would happen to you.

I stopped looking at the suit just overall, focusing on the mask this time. Just like with Tali and other quarians in games, only my eyes could somehow be seen from behind it. Maybe there is a setting that changes it. Few moments spend looking at options and sure enough. Found it. Visor Transparency was set around 40%. Bringing it down made it solid in color and prevented anyone from seeing anything behind it. Rising it on the other hand allowed me to see myself partially. Despite the blue tint, I could see that my skin is probably ash-colored. Eyes gleam with silver hue and dark hair can be seen just beneath the hood of my helmet. The overall shape of my face was similar to my previous, human face, but with some differences. I turned transparency back to 40% and went back to sit on bed. Little scary to think about all that changes.

Lying down, I began thinking about my options instead. Getting a means to support myself should take priority, but what after that? Just living here would not be enough. In less than a decade, reapers would come and grind everybody into paste. Literally. What should I do? I would probably end up with Shepard just thanks to the perk. When I picked it, I didn't know it would become my reality. What choices should I make before that happens? I spend a good twenty minutes thinking and lamenting until my omnitool started to play some strange tune. Bringing it up, I saw that someone was calling me. What the hell?

I accepted the call. Holographic display showed an older, turian with green face paint in what I assume is their semi-casual attire.

"Hael, good to see you boy." Who was he? "I prepared everything, we can meet on the Honor Grounds in an hour." Shit. I don't remember anything about that. What are honor grounds? This isn't some arena, right?

"Are you alright?" He asked with worried voice. "I know this is a lot, but you should do it for closure." Closure? Wait a second. Again, I tried to focus on memories that this body carried before I was put in it.

Ou. Right. Funeral. "Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry. I will be there." Dammit. Just when I thought I had some grasp on my mental state.

"Good to hear that." I could see a small smile on his face. Wait. His name was Nolius Varscus. I remember now. He helped me after that fight. "I'll be waiting for you at the north gate."

I give him a nod and ended the call. My head was spinning. Funeral. How could I forget? No. I was just put in this body. I should, don't know. Dammit. That cyoa didn't have that as a backstory, I should be just dropped in with a new body and no story in this universe. My head went into my hands on its own. I should just go before I have a nervous breakdown.

Checking the map app showed that the route there would take half an hour. I turned off everything, took the key to the room, passed the doors, closed them and went to the motel entrance. This time there were clients here. Turians, humans, asari. I can even see one batarian. No point to stay and stare through. Passing by, I exit the building. Short march to another train station, paying for the ticket, and I'm on my way. This time, I can't distract myself with extranet. Simply too much to think about, so I tried to focus on the view from the window. This Honor Grounds are quite away from the city. Little more than half a way there and city landscape was replaced with silver plains and forests. Just two stops before the train takes a turn and either go back or enters an intercity line. Looking at alien nature somehow calms me. I could even see a few strange deer like creatures galloping along the tracks. A few minutes later, a ping from my omnitool tells me that my stop is next.

Honor Grounds turned out to be a complex of huge fields surrounded by carefully placed boulders. They are placed next to each other, but sometimes ground fills the area made of boulders to the brim, allowing them to pile up on top of each other even above the canopy of ordinary trees. The entire complex is massive in its size. Easily covering around eight square kilometers. The role of Honor Grounds is simple. It's a burial ground. Therefore, decorated monoliths were thickly scattered over each field. To honor every person outside Hierarchy that gave their lives to protect it. It started with turians that lived on colonies during Unification Wars, who fought to protect innocent lives. Later on, aliens were included. Krogan Rebellions were a bloody conflict, no surprise that many aliens were buried here during that time. And it continues to this day. At least that's what this info board is saying. They have one for each race, using its most common language. For humans, it's obviously english, and it's the one that I read from.

Halfway through reading about some STG team, I felt someone tap my shoulder. I turned my head and saw Nolius.

"Boy." Really? This is your greeting? "How do you feel?"

How to answer that. On one hand, I feel slightly uncomfortable. New body and its problems. On the other hand. My brain itself feels exhausted, yet I want to do things. "Physically? Tense. Mentally? I do not know."

Nolius just looked at me for a few seconds, then nodded and just motioned for me to follow him. We walked for a while. Probably going to the spot that my… dammit, I don't know anymore if I should just think about them as Hael parents or mine. I have my human memories that seem to take priority and make me call them Hael parents, but the more I think about them, the more quarian memories come back to me with makes me think about them as my own parents. This is so… frustrating and confusing.

"So, you don't know how you feel." Nolius said, turning his head to me. "Can you elaborate on that."

"I don't really know how." How can you explain all that happened? "I just… I don't know what to feel."

"What you want." He answered. "No one but you know your parents best. You should feel how you want, not how you think you should."

This time it was my turn to look at him. "What?"

"Trust me, you will know." He straightened up. "We're here."

A monolith was waiting for us under a lonely tree. Dark gray in color, it stood as tall as me. A special holo projector has been integrated into it. Nolius gave me a graver and explained to me that I should engrave my parents names here and then upload a picture of them. So their memory can be honored. After that he went for a walk, to as he said 'give me some time'. I stood there for some time thinking about everything. No matter if I consider Hael parents as my own, they did deserve to be honored. So I tried something. Ignoring all of my human memories, I tried to recall what I know about them. And it really worked.

All manners of memories came to me. Cheerful ones, scary ones, funny ones, embarrassing, joyful and sad. While reliving them, I was also thinking about how I ended up as Hael. I told NSO that I took Drop-In because there was no civil background. So she gave me one, and now I have a second set of memories of living in this world. Hael life was in many places similar to mine. Turns out that our both first gaming experience was an old NES knock off, Pegasus. School time was a complete opposite. I went to school and met other people, while Hael got homeschooling and Extranet chat rooms. His parents were experts and could spend all their time teaching him and only him so he got a much better education.

On autopilot, I started to engrave their names. Hael life was much different in terms of privacy and freedom. He could do a lot, but because they lived on ships they were contracted for, he was always spending time with his parents. Always. Just imagine that you can't be alone for more than a few hours a week. Good thing that they were very good. Clear orders what need to be done, advice how to do it, good luck wish and after that you could lay down and chill. Much less confusing than my previous life.

After engraving was done, I looked for a good picture on my omnitool. I found one that had both of them and me in it. Just us sitting on a couch. Simple, yet it beamed with happiness. After loading it up on the projector, a hologram came to life. I think that I'm happy with the result. I could see them the best way possible while remembering them. If I have to live in this galaxy as Hael I should take responsibility for his memories. I stood there, muttering a quick prayer from my old human faith and one from my quarian memories. After that, it was good for me to just look.

"Good work." Nolius's voice rang behind me.

"Yeah." I sniffed my runny nose. When did I started to cry?

"Do you want to go now? Or do you want to stay for some time?"

"I think. That I have done all that I could. There is nothing more to do." I stared at the photo. "Keelah Se'lai."

"May the spirits guide them." Nolius clenched his right hand into a fist and hit his chest. Probably some form of turian salute. "Come. I will give you a lift."

We turned away, leaving my parent's grave alone. In silence, we walked through Honor Grounds. My head cleared a little. I felt like some weights were lifted off my shoulders. I started to think about me appearing here. No doubt, NSO was responsible. She all but told me. Hell, she even indirectly called herself ROB. She used that cyoa as a base. Backstory confirms that my choices there shaped all of this. So everything that I picked is here now. But how would that affect perks like "Shepard's Flock"? Did the method how she taped my choices together will make me somehow end up with Shepard? Too much about that. That is some serious meta thinking. My omnitool is top of the line, just as I picked. Then what about...? I chuckled. I'm an idiot.

"Good memory?" Nolius asked.

"No, just some realization on how stupid I'm." And isn't that an understatement. "I didn't pick up my guns from the spaceport security."

"Ha." He laughed genuinely. "I will give you a lift there. I will have a nice story about my last days in office."

"What do you mean, last days?"

He paused for a moment. "I'm an old man and even if I'm like a gravel between plates for my superiors, I served hierarchy with honors. But now that service comes to an end."

"Why?"

"I'm really past my prime. It is time to step down and rest." He says as if he was a sage. "Besides." His tone changes to a more sly one. "I did all I could to postpone it. I got a good fourteen years over my planned retirement. Better to left while still being able to do more good than harm."

"Wow." Well deserved rest then. "Nolius, can I ask you a few questions?"

"Shoot." He said. "I can pass some of my old man wisdom to you."

"Why are you helping me? You certainly have better things to do."

"For one, that's the least I could do for your parents." He answers. "Besides, that's what we should do. As protectors of citadel space. We should honor those that help us protect it."

"Positive point of view." Good that someone in hierarchy has it.

"You need that in life. Your next question?"

Here we go. "What should I do now?"

"What?"

"I have no regular job. Just some stash of cash. No home, I live in the motel. Pretty good one, but still. I have ten thousand units of minerals for sale and don't know where to begin with it. My life was turned upside down, and I'm alone now. What to do?"

I was speaking fast and most of it came out in a blur of words. Big question. But if I can ask it to someone with experience and also someone that is somehow friendly, then why not. We reached his flying car. He motioned to me to ride shotgun. As he turned the engine on, he looked at me. "First, we get your guns." He focused on the 'road' or rather civilian air corridor for city entry. "After that, we will drive around, and I will show you some good places. Then I will drop you off at your motel and go back to accepting my retirement with a smile." He smiled while his voice carried some smug with itself. "How's that sounds?"

"Too good to pass." I answer. "Teach me."

We talked about many topics while driving. The first stop at spaceport got me back my guns. Mark I striker pistol and Mark I katana shotgun. Feels good to have them, or rather have them back.

After that we visited many places. Some good shops that would not reap me off. A gym, got myself gym pass to get better feeling on my body. Combat training center, Simulation that works like one from mass effect 3 citadel dlc. Real life? This thing is pure awesome. Will definitely spend more time here. We also visited volus company that could buy my stash. I sold them everything. After they took their cut, I had one hundred sixty-two thousand credits more to my name. All of that and then some more, and finally Nolius is leaving me at my motel. I bid him farewell. He was a really chill and helpful guy.

I entered the motel and this time stopped at the bar. I wanted to celebrate. Many things have happened, but I did get some grip on my new reality. Just got to tighten it. I ordered some funny sounding drink, filtered times three. I already decided what to do for the first few months. Stay here. Learn. Earn money. Train. That should get me up to a standard that can achieve what I want. Traveling through Attican Traverse and Terminus Systems will be a challenge. I don't expect to just find geth on extranet, so getting there personally is the only way to talk with them. Until then, this motel will be my home. Kinda nice to think about it that way.

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And this is the second chapter. I read some of my favorite fanfiction and most authors posts this kind of messages at the end or sometimes at the beginning. English is my second language and there is probably many mistakes here. Sorry for that, will try to do better.

Moving on. In this chapter, I tried to write how having a second set of memories might make someone feel. How someone might decide to handle this situation. Human Hael decided to respect Quarian Hael past and make it his own. Due to body swapping, he might still need some time to get most of it back.

I also tried to explain how I Isekai'ed him into mass effect. Involving gods in clearly sci-fi universe even with space magic ezzo would not fly for me. Super advanced race too. If you can borrow someone from other dimensions, then you sure have the technology to defeat reapers! Being killed and reborn? Might be good, and I might decide to do something like that later, but not now. The only option that could get me what I wanted with was cyoa with options was making ROB do the isekai'ed away part. Now all of that choices plus few narration bonuses, I have a solid ground to work with. And this cyoa is online. It is easy to find and really simple, but you can get it.

Next chapter would be month in time skip and seeing Hael daily routine. After that, some random event that I will roll for. I have crazy tables for roll results, so they will be probably awesome. So see ya next one!

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