Chapter 2

The Mowglis – Bad Dream

"Outta the way, human!"

"Sorry, sorry!" I practically yelp, jumping aside as a pissed off looking turian barges on past, mandibles flared in an angry expression. I only slowed down for half a second to check the map software on the omni-tool that I'm still getting to grips with, but the flow of foot traffic is merciless, grumbles and occasional glares following as I press myself up against the ward's wall and try to shrink into it. The Citadel always seemed so much calmer in the games...I guess Shepard never visited during what I can only assume is commuter hour.

Getting a read on time is difficult, given the artificial nature of the place, but it seems to be the morning rush. People look too well dressed and groomed to be heading home...I think. It's hard to tell with aliens.

Real aliens. The initial childlike sense of wonder I got from that was quickly dashed when I realised that it wasn't a sentiment they shared about me; from the few mutters of 'tourist' that I've heard, they're just writing me off as an inexperienced dawdler.

If only they knew the half of it.

The mapping software, to its credit, is quick once I've scrambled to type in "c-sec academy", correcting the spelling errors that result from the unfamiliarity of a holographic display that uses gesture control. An hour and twenty-six minutes, with a lot of straight lines and elevators; I guess I'm on some kind of main street in the lower wards, given how everyone seems to be splitting off to various elevators leading into higher levels, presumably containing offices and the like.

This must be more of a residential area; I guess it would've made it easier for the asari to drop me off here. A symbol of what looks like some kind of bus implies fast transit is an option...but I've got the time to kill, and I'm really not feeling confident enough to grapple with alien public transport, all things considered.

Still, even as I set off and continue grappling with the gravity of my newfound situations, a couple of thoughts do hit me. I can understand what aliens are saying, which means I've got a translator implant at least somewhere; which in turn, begs the question of just how long I was unconscious, and what happened when I was out. If the asari brought a shuttle to my Earth, does that mean there was a Mass Relay to bring me out into the Citadel? I've seen humans walking around, though, so unless I was somehow unconscious for nearly a hundred and sixty years, that can't be right. Then there's the question of why she just dumped me in an alley with the new clothes and omni-tool, rather than somewhere a little more comfortable or hospitable.

I doubt I'll find out the answer to either of those questions soon, but mulling them over saves me from having to deal with the bigger issues. An interview with C-Sec is great and all, but I've no law enforcement experience beyond trash TV shows, no experience with alien culture beyond an overview in a fucking video game, of all things. The idea that this is all real and happening is still ludicrous, a small part of my brain fighting furiously to resist it despite everything going on right in front of my eyes. What the hell are my family going to do? If I'm this far in the future, they'll have to be dead, and that assumes we're even in the same reality. If this is some kind of alternative universe, then getting back might be possible, but I've got no way of knowing how…

I'm brought out of deep thought by practically walking into the back of a volus who was below my eyeline, getting myself a wheeze of frustration as he sidles slightly to the side and lets me get past. There's too many questions right now, too many things to worry about, and if I stop and try to think about them all I'm not going to be able to function. It's a shitty situation and I'm going to...do something. Eventually. Find a way out. Right now I just focus on getting through each minute, and save the worrying for when I've got something that remotely resembles a bit of safety.

The walk takes an hour and twenty six minutes exactly, and I've learned a couple of things by the time I step out into the blue-tinged lobby of the C-Sec Academy. The main Citadel areas seem slightly warmer than I expected, like a fairly hot summer day; presumably to suit turian and salarian inhabitants, seeing as they've been in the place a lot longer than humans have. It's fairly pleasant, but it explains the tendency for humans to wear thinner garments, or t-shirts when they can get away with it, while other species tend to opt for thicker fabrics.

Secondly, the elevators really are as slow as made out. I can only assume the distances we're travelling between 'floors' is vast, because it takes a solid minute to get up from the lower ward elevator, crammed in between a bunch of officers and civilian visitors. Plenty of turians in uniform, a few salarians...the only human I see is after the elevator doors open, sat behind the inquiry desk in the middle of the hall. I guess that should probably be my first port of call, find out some more about this 'interview' I'm supposed to have, despite being about half an hour early. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do or say in there, but given the asari mentioned it being a 'formality', I can only assume that me fucking it up isn't a major concern. After that...I have no idea how to even go about being a C-Sec officer.

Christ, I don't want a job, I want a way out. What the hell am I doing? I walked over here through a bloody alien civilisation, casual as anything, to interview for a job in the fucking space police, which I have no qualifications for. Just seeing the desk, and realising that I'm somehow supposed to do this, is making the reality suddenly sink in, and sink in hard. How am I supposed to just make a life here? Once I've done this, then what? Just knowing about something from a game doesn't set me up to exist in it.

I freeze up in the middle of the atrium, halfway between the elevator and desk. I should just turn around, get out of here, find the nearest spaceport and use the credits to get back to Earth, back home, there'll have to be something-

No, it's too far in the future. The asari said this 'wasn't my world'; I'm not sure if that was meant literally, in that the Citadel isn't Earth, or if I'm in an entirely different universe, but it doesn't matter. Anyone familiar to me is either dead or doesn't exist.

Then I should leave and find a job doing something else, something less dangerous, that keeps me out of trouble. Save up some money, get away from the Citadel-

With what? I've no physical evidence of qualifications, identity, anything. Even if I did, what then? Work as a shop assistant in a colony somewhere and wait for the Reapers to annihilate organic life? I've got about seven or eight years, at most, before whatever the hell Mass Effect 3 involves happens, and I can only assume that's an apocalyptic scenario I stand no chance of surviving. And it's not even like I can do anything now to stop it, because everyone's going to think I'm crazy.

I'm going to die out here, one way or another. Stick around in C-Sec and get murdered by the first geth that come through the Conduit, get harvested by the Reapers a few years later if I avoid that, nowhere to run and nobody to turn to, no way back home-

"Sir? Are you okay?"

The voice snaps me back to reality, practically jumping out my skin as I look up at the human from the inquiry desk. He's about six feet, mid thirties at a guess, with mousy brown hair, a broad nose, and notably sharp features, looking at me with what appears to be genuine concern. "Are you lost?" he asks.

It takes me a few seconds to find my voice, clearing it as I try to bury the wave of anxiety that rushed up in the past minute. Focus on getting through each minute, survive. I can do this, for now, and work something out afterwards. "No, no, sorry, I'm just...here for the job interview," I finally manage to explain, despite my mouth feeling dry enough to host its own desert ecosystem. "I set off really early, didn't want to get lost, and I'm about thirty minutes early..." I trail off, hoping he knows what I'm talking about.

The look of concern passes...before his eyes narrow. "You're Ian Shaw?"

At least they're expecting me, I guess. "Yep, that's me," I reply, trying to inject at least some cheer into my voice, well aware that I'm probably as pale as a sheet.

"Right. I'll tell the Executor you've arrived, then," he mutters, heading back over to the desk and leaving me confused as to whether or not I'm supposed to follow him. He turns around to see me still dawdling, sighing and gesturing to the benches against the walls. "Take a seat and wait, he'll get to you when he can."

"The Executor?" I manage to ask, trying to piece together what little knowledge I have of C-Sec, shoving the thoughts of Reaper harvesting to the back of my mind with limited success. "Pallin? Isn't his office up in the Presidium?"

The officer fixes me with what I can only assume is his best 'are you serious' expression, a withering half-eye roll accompanied with another gentle sigh. "The Executor is based there, but he finds the time to move between buildings as and when the job requires. Which you'd know, if you'd spent any time on this force."

There's definitely hostility behind that, and curiosity weighs out over the feeling of intimidation. "Sorry, I'm new? I'm interviewing for a new job, I don't understand why I'd have needed to have spent time on the force."

He gawks at me for a second, before shaking his head in disbelief. "You do realise you're getting interviewed to be the first human detective, right? What that means? People like me spend fifteen years on the force, and when the Council finally approve this, they hand it over to some kid fresh out of university. I mean, no offence, but it just isn't right, you know?"

Detective? When the asari mentioned C-Sec, I assumed she meant as a regular officer, not something that major. I'm hideously underqualified for this – something that the desk officer seems to have picked up on too. "Look, I just got told to turn up for the interview," I say weakly. "I didn't mean to step on any toes."

"No, course you didn't," he mutters, and the anger seems to fade a little bit, although not entirely. "Do you see what I mean, though? People put in the long service, and they decide the graduates are the one who deserve the push." He opens his mouth to add something else, before shaking his head. "Ah, forget it, Pallin's gonna chew you out plenty without me adding to it."

"So he's not happy to see me either?" I don't remember the Executor being too fond of humans in Mass Effect 1.

"Kid, the only people happy about this are the Council and the ambassador. C-Sec upper ranks aren't human free 'cos of a lack of applications," he replies, looking back down at his terminal. "Have a seat. I'll let you know when the Executor is ready to see you."

"Right. Thanks," I say, lingering unsteadily for a second before deciding to just do as I'm told, heading over to a bench and pretty much collapsing on it.

First human detective. I can see why he's pissed off; if I'd worked at C-Sec for that long and got passed over for some new kid fresh from Earth, I'd be angry too, and if Pallin doesn't like humans as is, I'm not really going to change his mind. I haven't even started yet, and I'm already the least popular guy in the precinct.

Still, the nature of the job brings me back to how long I was unconscious. If that asari organised all this, it must've been a hell of a task. Faking qualifications, background information, history, test results, probably interview information, landing them on the right desk and making sure I got picked...that's not a job for overnight, especially given that this is the first human detective.

Either I've been unconscious for a while, long enough to put all of this together and get me to the end of that process, or this is something that was planned well in advance.

She did seem surprised to see me back on Earth, but then I don't even know why she was there in the first place. Observing, and I bumped into her? Even then, going to this much trouble of getting me a job, even when she acted so callous on that call either...something doesn't add up on this. Combined with her knowing what I know about this place, this universe or reality, or whatever, this is too deliberate.

C-Sec isn't just a random choice to put someone so they can get on their feet, and first human detective on top of it? What if...

I get up off the bench again, walking back over to the desk. "Hey, excuse me. Can I just double check the department I'm interviewing for? Detective, but the specific area?"

I get another glare for my trouble. I could probably count the amount of glaring I've been received on two hands today, and that's not even with Pallin included yet. "You don't know the department you're interviewing for?"

"Just want to make sure there's not been a mix up, y'know." Realising I've put myself into a corner here, I decide to take a guess based on the assumption I've got building up. "I was told contraband…?"

"Yeah, it's for contraband detective. Guess they're smart enough not to let you get involved with homicide or something serious first." He smirks at his own joke, but I'm too busy heading back to the bench, the sensation in my legs forcing me to take a seat.

This is all too much to be a coincidence. A feeling of guilt wouldn't lead that asari to all this trouble, to set me up in this exact department, fabricate all the evidence it would've required. I already know that she's got all my knowledge about Mass Effect events, because there's only one C-Sec detective that I know, and he just happens to work contraband.

Garrus Vakarian.

If anything, that just doubles the urgency for me to get the hell out of here and find something else. Whatever this is, that asari is setting me up; I don't know why she wants me close to Garrus, but this has to be on purpose. Why, though? I can't tell anyone what I know, like she said, and it's not like Garrus needs the help before Mass Effect 1. As much as I like the guy in the games, getting to know him in reality is something else entirely, assuming that even happens.

The alternative choices, of course, are still vague at best. Take the credits and get off planet, do something else, put this behind me and wait for armageddon. Blue pill or red pill. Get the hell out, or see how deep this rabbit hole goes.

Probably six feet under.

In the end, though, the desk officer clearing his throat decides for me, and I look up to see him standing in front of me.

"The Executor got out of a meeting early. He'll see you now."

Screw it. I'm backed into a corner, and if this asari can travel across worlds, following what she wants might just be my ticket out of here. It's the only real chance I have; running leaves me in an even worse situation than what I'm facing here. Maybe once I've done whatever she has in mind, I can get taken back, go back to normality. It's that, or consigning myself to being stuck in this place forever.

No choice, then. Let's see where this is all leading.