Shepard and Kaiden straighten their heads. The biotic man taps Ashley's shoulder and she looks at something behind me. Anderson looks over my shoulder and stiffens up. Something irritating is going to happen to me isn't it?
"Humans…" the turian councilor voice is filled with abhor.
"Uuhhhhh" I lean my head back, turn around, and take a full breath to prepare for a boney annoyance.
"The counselors made some progress with the throian's treatment." He said.
Oh. OH SHIT.
"Did it say anything about the reapers? Anything we can use?" Shepard asked.
"To be honest, I thought your reaper story was nothing more than a tale to strong arm us to give humanity more… leniency."
Ashley stands back and folds her arms "and now?"
"You will show me respect human! The creature was underground during the age of prothean disappearance. It reported a conflict with an unknown race that 'did not contain fertilizer.' Anthropologists have seen many small scale conflicts with artificial intelligences they developed who ran amok."
"Are you taking the reaper threat with the utmost caution?" Anderson asks.
"Don't put words in my mandibles human. The safety of council races are the highest priority. Council."
Kaiden starts to speak "So the rest of us mean jack…" Anderson interjects.
"What I believe Mr. Alenko is trying to say is that the reapers pose a threat to us all, conflicts between ourselves would only aid a mutual enemy. We should treat this possible threat as if it real." I nod to Anderson and throw the ok symbol.
"A preparation for a genocidal machine race that wiped out the protheans seems premature for the moment. We will need more Intel before moving forward. *********, The thorian repeatedly froze up whenever humans attempt communication, she frequently asks where you are. If you are far away. What did you do to it?" He asks.
"I am so so sorry. I only wanted to avoid the fight. I never meant to traumatized it. I already feel guilty enough as is. I am sorry" YOU KEEP THAT TEAR INSIDE YOUR EYELID. crap it might actually come out. Tilt your head down to obscure your face.
"Hmm. Whatever the case is I personally will be keeping my eye on you." He steps forward and invades my personal space. He needs a mint… or ten.
"Do not do anything to jeopardize this mission. The last thing we need is some child playing solider to endanger everything we built. I have my reservations of spectres using mercenaries, but you, you are just a civilian with no training or experience who had a few lucky occurrences and I have no idea why the human spectre allowed you onto his team. Now there is a very slim chance all life in the galaxy could be eradicated. You will not get in the way, or else. " The turian councilor warns. The funny thing is, one part of me wants to kick his legs out from under him, the other part is urging me to put away his worries. Probably should ignore both voices for the moment. The turian councilor walks away. I see the salarian disapprovingly shake his head. Well that was weird.
"Did he seem different to you guys?" I ask.
Anderson says "Something scared him. He can't admit it, the threat became a lot more real. Shepard, continue investigating and let me know immediately if anything about the reaper resurgence comes your way. I'll inform Udina. Dismiss."
The elevator calls our name and we hop in. The doors close and the music is overshadowed with discussion on the reapers.
Ashley aks "Do you really believe the reapers are real and coming to kill us all?"
"I hope not. The visions are becoming clearer. I think what I saw happened to whoever made the beacon. I really hope it is a metaphor or some shit. This is not a war we want." Shepard said.
"I still don't buy it. Nothing against you Shep, I just think it seems a little over the moon. Think about it, why would a machine race want to come back after 50,000 years? Makes no sense." Kaiden hypothesized.
"What do you think *********?" Ashley asks.
Oh what if the reapers aren't real in this universe. I didn't think about that. I could retire early, find a cabin in the woods and drag Wrex with me. Make him take care of me as I let myself age. I could tell him all the stories of bullcrap I did and he would never believe my crazy old butt.
"I have a feeling it is real. I have seen crazier. Plus it would be fun to kill a robot the size of a skyscraper" I said.
"This isn't something you should be wishing for. A wise warrior avoids the fight" Shepard warns. But…I need something to activate the dopamine release. I like killing new enemies. Plus, it gives me something to add to the resume.
The elevator stops at the ground floor. The doors won't open. I kick it. Come on, don't break on me. I gesture towards Kaiden to use his biotics when a voice comes over the speaker. It is distorted, unable to tell the gender of the speaker.
"Spectre. You'll need acid resistant armor. Place hurry and free me" the voice disappears and the doors open.
"What was that?" Kaiden asks. Goosebumps run down my sides.
"Are we really going to listen to the creepy voice?" Ashley asks. Shepard takes a moment to think.
"Anyone with the ability to hack the council tower elevator has either really good hacking skills or had a program already installed. The request for acid resistant armor is very specific and strange. Someone needs our help. We'll go shopping and ask if there are any consequences to using that kind of armor in case it is a set up."
A couple of hours have passed. I am window shopping at this point. There is nothing I want. Ok there is nothing I can find here. I really wanted the red energy sword, sadly the masters wouldn't let me have one. Hold on, who are you sexy?
The lighting enhances the curves of the pearly white body. The sense of confidence installing. Wow I mean wow, the glass lens could pick out even the smallest details. I need to set up Garrus.
"SHEPARD SHEPARD SHEPARD" walk faster walk faster.
"What did you find?" He skeptically eyeballs me.
"You know how I said I would ask for something if I wanted one?" My commander turns around and squeezes his skull.
"This better be good" Shepard asks. I point to the goodie.
"You don't need one." Shepard argues.
"No but Garrus does" I said.
"Garrus?" He asks.
"Yeah you see I did something to him and I feel sorta bad about it. I thought about getting rid of these feelings, expel them out or something. Although once I heard about what she can do…" I nudge the commander with my elbow.
"I am a spectre. I could get him a better sniper from the c-sec armory" Shepard argues.
"No you can't. This is the best sniper rifle in the entire galaxy" the salesmen said.
"I'll take that bet. What are the specs?" Shepard orders.
"8 round magazine, 40x scope, range of 3,000 yards, weight 25 lbs, and can halfway penetrate the hull of an asari cruiser with minimal kick thanks to patented mass effect field technology." he said.
"That is good right?" I ask.
Shepard squints his eyes. "Are you serious? If this is true Garrus would marry this girl."
"My products are true and tested. And it seems like you can afford it. It is 20,000 credits." He said.
"That is a lot for a rifle. How do you even have something better than what's in the spectre armory?" Shepard asks.
"My boys in the lab have to work for their salary. The beauty and pain of private weapon manufacturing." He said. Shepard is mulling it over.
"Would you reduce the price to $15,000 if I sponsor your company?"
"I suppose that could be arranged." The paragon chime went off somewhere. Oh no that is just the asari wind chimes over there.
"Garrus is going to be so happy" I said. My guilt is released.
"It's a good investment. I'm just hoping it will finally make him as good as me. Hey, you said you needed to talk with me" Shepard hands over his credit chit.
"Oh yeah I needed to apologize to you. Wrex got to talking and said something that made me realize I am overstepping my bounds. I feel like I am taking away something from you and need to step back " I said.
"What? No you have been great. What made you think that?" Shepard asks.
"I used to lead some people back in the day. Things got better for a while until it slid down. I got so mad and tried to force things the way I thought they should be. It didn't go well. We went our separate ways. The point is I don't want to be in that kind of position again. My role is to aid. I'm a doer, a man of action. I should not be a leader. I don't want to be on the next mission." I explained. I'm trying to be vague and make it sound like I only led a few people and not an entire nation.
"You have been going above and beyond for a while. You could use the rest. I want you to understand you did not step on my toes. Whatever happened to you is in the past. I'm grateful for your help. It has been… comforting to have you around" Shepard said.
"Really? Why is that?" Where is he going with this.
"I take my job very seriously. Too much. I always had to be the best and would tell myself if I fail people will be killed, that I don't deserve being an N7 or a spectre. You kinda do what I do, although you don't get paid or have support, you're happy and stress-free. It inspires me. That all the shit we've seen, that I could be happy one day." Shepard explained.
"You will. I was not like this for a long time. I used to be miserable and apathetic. I know it's hard to believe" I said.
"What changed?" Shepard asked.
"I don't really know. I just did whatever I could to improve myself and one day I kinda stopped hating myself and kept going. Eventually I became happy. Maybe I felt so negative for so long my brain decided to feel good to make up for all that has happened." I said.
"I can actually see that. Liara and I have been talking…" I interrupted my superior officer.
'Oh she told me what you said behind my back." Shepard gulps.
"Hey hey hey I didn't…" oh he is panicking.
"She… she… she said you loved me and admired me and wanted to be like me when you grow up" I reassuringly placed my hand on his shoulder.
"I-I. Huhhhh. I said some words" Shepard lowers his head, defeated.
"Hahaha. Listen, you don't want to be like me. I had to overcome a lot of crap to be how I am today and it wasn't worth it. My piece of advice is to be yourself and choose to be happy. I know it's cliche but it works once you allow yourself to do it. Although it is kinda a foreign subject. The point is just be you. I believe humans represent portions of the infinite. Think about it. Animals are just kinda animals. One rabbit isn't that much different from another. Sure color or some personality differences can occur but with humans and aliens, whatever we think of, we can probably find it. I don't want to live in a universe where there are only one kind of people. I want to live where everyone fills the infinite and to start is just being you."
"That is a really interesting perspective. I kinda like it. Come on I'm starving." Shepard's directs us to a nearby restaurant. Looks like a salarian ran one. We sit at a high table. Ashley sits in front of me and the guys to the sides.
I ask "Is salarian food any good?"
Ashley said "do you like eating bugs?"
"Eeeww. Nope that's disgusting" a salarian waiter stares at me.
"It is not the best for humans to eat. I'm sure you evolved to enjoy it" I said. He doesn't care and goes back to whatever he was doing. I hope he doesn't spit in my food.
Shepard and Kaiden ordered some kind of bowl and Ashley ate a sandwich. I ordered an asari burger and a note was left on my plate.
"Hi I saw you and thought you were very handsome. I'm the asari in the yellow dress behind you."
I turn around and sure enough I see her. The dress is actually very pretty. I wave hi and show the note to everyone.
"How do you keep doing that?" Kaiden begs for answers.
"I tried suppressing it but it doesn't work" I said.
"What is going on?" Ashley asks.
"He has some weird ability to attract basically every women in the room" Shepard explained. He is just jealous.
"Well not everyone. A small portion of people seems to instantly hate me… except you Ashley. You don't seem affected by my magnetism" I said.
"Who said I wasn't?" Ashley casually mentions.
"WHAT!" all three us guys yell.
"So why haven't you tried anything?" I ask.
"Regulations prohibit dating within ranks for obvious reasons. I take that pretty seriously" she said.
"I'm technically not military, I mean alliance" I said.
"True but even then I don't get many opportunities to date so I always look for partners I can see myself marrying and you're…" she trails off.
Oh let's hear this.
"I need someone more… predictable" she saves herself.
"You're sounding really old fashioned. Maybe I'm out of touch. But I thought all the rage was proving you don't need a man." I said.
"It is, however I see it as being able to take care of yourself so you only focus on finding someone who makes me happy. If I can take care of my needs, I won't end up with someone I need I mean someone who can take care of my needs but don't enjoy and instead be with someone I like" Ashley explained.
"That's very enlightening." I said.
"Enough about me. What is going on with you and Tali?" Ashley asks. Shepard leans forward. Is he afraid of the competition?
"What do you mean?" I ask.
"Are you going to ask her out?" She said.
"I have no plans to" I said.
"Why not?" She asked.
"I don't know what is going to happen or if I'll be staying after Saren is taken care of. Besides is Tali even a grown up? She is on her pilgrimage. I don't want to get hit with statutory or something" I said.
"You seem young enough. I don't see the big deal" Ashley said.
"I am older than I look" I said.
"How old are you?" Kaiden asked. I turn to him.
"I have a stopwatch somewhere keeping track. It's been a while but the last time I check I'm 27 (centuries)" I said
"Really? You look early 20s." Ashley said.
"Oh you are just saying that" I said
"We are getting side tracked, the point is you like her don't you?" She asked.
"Yeah… but not like that I think. Tali reminds me of some people I met when I was a kid. There were a few people who showed me kindness despite being an angry brat at the time. A couple of classmates and a teacher. I think they knew I was suffering and were trying to help. Their kindness gave me a few moments of feeling normal and not a monster. Knowing those people inspired me. They were my light in the darkness. I would have turned out a lot worse if I never met them. I admire kind people because of that and Tali feels that way to me." I explained.
"You're not a monster" Shepard said.
"Yeah I know that now, but I was a kid and struggling. It left an impact." I said.
"Awwwww" Ashley places her hands over her heart.
I'm pleading. "Please stop. This is getting weird"
"Alright alright. We'll leave it alone" Ashley takes a sip of water.
"Thank you. So are you and Garrus banging yet?"
I did not think this through. She uncontrollably spits her water out and it lands all over my face. I keep my eyes tightly closed and try to find a napkin. I pat around looking like I'm trying to find my phone half asleep. Kaiden is slow clapping and going "ooooooo." Shepard commented "karma is a bitch." In my temporary blindness someone handed me a napkin after failed attempts to locate one. I slowly wipe off the disgusting liquid off my face. I'm slightly germaphobic and feeling very grossed out.
"I'm so sorry" Ashley asks for forgiveness.
"No it's fine. I kinda asked for it. I'm going to the bathroom to clean up." I excuse myself and head to the back of the restaurant. The bathroom symbols are unrecognizable to me. Oh no I don't know which one is the men's room. Well it's a 50-50 percent chance. Eenie meenie miney left. I open the door and cautiously peek around. I see urinals. Success! I clean my face multiple times and head back to enjoy my food. Shepard pays the bill and on our way back, we come across a turian protestor.
"Those are the ones responsible for the slaughter at Xiphos" the middle aged red face painted turian screeches towards us.
"Wait a minute. What happened? What did he think I did?" I reply.
"In short, genocide" Shepard said.
"Ah"
Processing
Processing
Processing
"Of who?" I ask.
"During the first contact war the organization that later became the alliance captured a small turian colony and tried to broker an exchange" Ashley explained.
"I don't think I did that" that doesn't sound like me.
"You say that like your not sure" Kaiden said.
"Well time travel is always a possibility" I said. Shepard rolls his eyes.
"Your race killed my parents and would have killed me too if I wasn't in boot camp" the frustrated turian said loud enough to draw attention.
"Is this true?" I ask Shepard.
"It was before my time. The story is that the human forces thought it was a military command post and took action. The turian colonists resisted and a lot of people died on both sides. It is one of those incidents you repeatedly hear about which made a peaceful transition… challenging" Shepard said.
"You see the human admits it" he is trying to get the crowd on his side.
"Your race would have done the same if my grandfather didn't surrender our colony. There is blood on both hands. We have to stop fighting each other, picking old wounds, and move on" Ashley said. The crowd agrees with her. The turian senses this, insults us and leaves. Another turian in the crowd approaches and says "he doesn't speak for all of us" and departs.
"Tensions are still pretty high huh. I'm glad I got a gift to bribe Garrus with" I said.
"It used to be a lot worse. Think segregation but half as bad" Kaiden said.
"Woah. I had no idea. And the other races?" I ask.
"They were somewhat sympathetic with humans, although they knew the turians and humanity was an unknown to them. Hopefully we will turn them around" Shepard said.
"We could always take over the council" Kaiden joked.
"Even if we could, the other races won't be happy to follow and that could cause major problems if we need them to fight the reapers, assuming they are real" I said.
"It's conjecture at this point. We should head out. I had enough drama today" Shepard leads the way. We make it to the Normandy. There are at least a dozen cardboard boxes next to the door. Supplies and shopping goodies. I load them into the Normandy and find the sniper rifle for Garrus. I place that box to the aside and after unboxing everything else, I grab his present and head down to the cargo bay. Garrus is going to be so happy.