Hey! I'm still alive! Surprise surprise!

Alright, next chapter here we go.

Human colony of Syrene - 'The Serene' Hotel - March 22nd 2181 18:27 pm Terran Time

I groaned in pleasure as I felt the warm water hit my skin. I hadn't taken a shower in… well, pretty much a long while. Sure, I had a couple of baths on Typhon, but this couldn't even compare to the feeling of having a true shower. Oh, how I had missed this.

Tilting my head back to let the water fall on my face, I thought back to what Hektor had told us. We were on Cyrene, a human colony in the Terminus Systems, and the year was 2181, two years before the events of Eden Prime.

That was quite surprising. Honestly, I had almost expected arriving in the middle of the Reaper War or after Shepard's death prior to ME2.

Anyway, it meant that I had time to prepare for what was to come. The question was, how much did I want to be involved? Should I let Shepard progress alone and only intervene when necessary, or should I take a more active role? There was a lot I could do in two years, yet, at the same time, not so much.

But before I could take any action, however, there was research to be done. With the couple of omni-tools that I had acquired from the batarians and BT, it was only a matter of hours before I would have all the information I needed.

The most important of which was if ME technology was compatible with Titanfall's. And if so, what would be the differences? Could omni-gel be used to recreate the technology from BT's universe or would I need more resources?

Also, I'd have to see if we could find some alternate source of energy for BT's reactor core, perhaps even have him installed inside a smaller chasis, like that of a security mech, before we could get the Titan's capabilities back to one hundred percent.

Still, no matter what I decided to do, I would still have to gather resources, like a ship in which I could transport BT's chasis, and money. Preferably from outside of the Citadel's watchful gaze until I would be ready. Which meant staying in the Terminus Systems for the meantime, which in turn meant that I would have to go to Omega for "job hunting", which meant... I would have to meet Arya.

Ugh… There was absolutely NO WAY that would turn well for anyone involved. But we had little other options if we wanted to stay somewhat under the radar of the Council and the Alliance, not to mention Cerberus. The Shadow Broker was also another matter to consider but I had enough information on the Yahg to keep him from going after us… I hoped.

I dried myself with the first towel I found and put on the clothes Hektor had generously provided me. It felt a bit weird to be out of my Pilot Suit after so long, but a good weird. I was currently inside a room of one of the city hotels 'The Serene' and I had to admit I was grateful for the privacy it provided. I had no desire to be mobbed by people.

As for BT? Well, his optic monitor was on the bed while his Chasis was at the edge of the city. I knew the probability of anyone trying anything was low, but I had still left an alarm that would alert us if anyone came too close of it, just to be safe.

"So, BT, how's the Extranet?" I asked my partner, who was connected to the omni-tool.

"Fascinating, yet so similar to what I am accustomed to." Was the reply.

"Huh." I blinked. "I don't know what I expected, but I guess that's the net for you: it never really changes." I said as I sat down. "Anything worthy of note?"

"Affirmative, starting with the different alien species populating this galaxy and said galaxy's star charts. Then there is the difference in technology and the fact that I cannot find anything related to the IMC or the Militia. The human military is called the Alliance." There was a pause. "We are far away from home, Ethan."

I snorted. "That's putting it mildly, BT. Who knows what the Ark exactly did, but I'd bet we aren't getting back anytime soon. Hell, it wouldn't be farfetched to assume we're in an entirely different universe or dimension."

"The Solar System is just as it has always been, but everything else is… wrong." BT's optical monitor narrowed. "How strange, that humanity still has the same cradle but an entirely different universe outside of it."

I was unsurprised, but what can you expect from the multiverse theory? "Don't dwell on it, you'll just go around in circles. More importantly, keep an eye out for anything that might betray our presence. Photos, videos, anything. Shut them down before it can truly get out as something real or we won't get any peace anywhere we go."

"I am already on it. One hundred and twenty-six attempts neutralized at this moment."

Freakin' civilian gossipers.

As much as Hektor had promised me they would keep our presence a secret, I knew better than to trust his word blindly.

"Also, can you try and compare our technology to theirs? I'd like to know if they are compatible."

"Acknowledged."

Nodding, I rose and went to find something to eat. As I was about to open the fridge, I paused, seeing my reflection in the mirror above it.

Now that I had washed away all the blood, sweat and grime, I didn't look like some psychopath. My short brown hair had grown during our time on Typhon, now forming spiky bangs that could easily fall to eye level if I let them grow a bit more. I had tried to shave as best as I could, but with nothing but my data knife, the result had been a tad catastrophic. I would remedy to that in the morning. Steel grey eyes stared back at their owner and blinked. All in all, if you discounted the bruises and scars, I could pass as a rugged but average human in his late twenties or early thirties.

I shook my head and opened the fridge, taking out a couple of chocolate bars and a can of soda before plopping back on the bed and activating my own omni-tool. The thing was quite tricky to interact with but I figured I would get used to it soon enough. So, while BT continued his job, I decided to see what he had managed to get from the data I had hacked from the batarian ships.

As I had somewhat expected, the raid had been sanctioned by the Hegemony but to find actual proof of it still surprised me somewhat. The four-eyes must have really thought they wouldn't encounter any trouble if there was still something to trace the raiders back to the Hegemony. Other than that, there were coordinates to what I supposed was their raid base and other caches of various goods… including slaves.

Most surprising, perhaps, were the various reports of operations against human colonies. Those batarians had been at it for years, possibly since the first conflicts between the Alliance and the Hegemony. According to the data, they had only relocated to the Terminus Systems recently, so as to lay low for a while before going back to their activities.

Which meant that I had in my hands proof that the Hegemony had supported the slaver raids. Actual proof, at that. Although I knew that it didn't matter much, as the Council would never agree to open conflict against the Hegemony, anyway. Still, this could be a very important tool somewhare down the line. Perhaps to get me in the Alliance's good graces?

I was also pleasantly surprised to find mentions of a batarian carrier ship at the raiders' base. Probably what they used to ship their ill-acquired goods back to batarian space or anywhere else they might sell them. It seemed like I had found my next objective: raid the raiders.

Still, that meant I needed someone to fly me off this planet and to said base. I'd see about that tomorrow. Surely there would be someone willing?

I closed the batarian data and went onto the extranet. Time to learn a little more about the state of the galaxy as a whole.

I woke up to the sound of knocking on the door of my room. Blearily, I sat up and rubbed my eyes. When had I fallen asleep? There was more knocking at the door and, shaking off the tiredness, I swiftly got up, donned my helmet on and opened it with a short "Yes?"

The man, who still had his hand raised to knock, was startled for a moment before he quickly composed himself. "Beg your pardon, sir, but Mr Salvail would like a word with you."

I nodded. "I'll be down in fifteen minutes at most. Thank you." That said, I closed the door and took off my helmet, laying it on the bed. "BT, what time is it?"

"It is currently 2.18 am Earth Time of March 23, 2181 CE. You have slept a total of seven hours and fifty-one minutes."The Titan dutifully answered.

I blinked. I had slept almost eight hours? I could be at 100% with half that much, usually. Guess I'd really needed it. "Anything happened during that time?"

"Four people tried to analyze my chassis but their scans didn't get past the firewalls. Fifty-seven pictures and thirty-four videos were uploaded on the extranet but I have deleted all of them, amounting to a total of two hundred and twenty seven traces of our presence intercepted. Twelve people came to the hotel to inquire about you but the manager turned them away."

"So, nothing unexpected then." I summed up. "Do you have answers for me regarding what we discussed last night?"

"This 'Element Zero' technology is very adaptable. Analysis states that compatibility rate between ours and theirs exceeds 90%. Calculations suggest that, with modifications, we could drastically improve most of our own weaponry while ignoring most of the drawbacks from Element Zero."

"Even when it comes to Titans?"

"From what data I have gathered, adding an Element Zero Drive core the size of those that can be found in standard Alliance vehicles would be able to increase my output time by 50%."

My eyes widened. "That's... impressive, to say the least." I replied quietly.

And what an understatement that was! I had suspected that Eezo cores could make a big difference, but to such an extent?

A Titan, with its reactor core supported by four batteries, could move for an average of a a week in combat, with only seventy-two hours at maximum output, before its batteries needed to be changed. Thing was, the damage a Titan sustained in the field and the weapons it used could drain the things dry very quickly if you weren't careful. Titans used for farming and other war-unrelated things could last, at most, a month before you needed to change their batteries.

But put an Eezo core alongside the reactor core to alleviate the Titan's mass and thus the strain on the reactor, and you had one and half the time without decreasing the output, it seemed.

"Unfortunately, adding an Element Zero core to my chasis is currently impossible, given the space it would require, and redesigning the chasis around it is not something we are capable of doing."

"That's a shame but keep that idea in your database, BT. Who knows, we might be able to implement it at some point. But back to my original question about our weapons, can you give me an example of the improvements?"

"Taking a standard R-201 Carbine and applying Mass Accelerator technology to it, we should obtain a weapon capable of firing a thousand shots before the heat sink would need to be changed, a third of that if continuous fire is sustained. And even then, the heat sink's thermal energy could be used for various purposes such as powering your pilot tactical tools. That is, of course, if we want to preserve the rifle's original accuracy, fire rate and damage output."

Why, that just sounded perfect. "And what about others such as the L-STAR, or the anti-titan and Titan weaponry?"

"When it comes to more unconventional weaponry, tests will have to be made but my calculations indicate that we should be able to improve them as well."

I nodded as I stood and went to the bathroom. "Sounds good. I'll make do with the weapons we collected for now, but I hope we'll be able to get what we need to recreate our technology soon."

I missed my Alternator SMG.

A few minutes later, after shaving my uneven beard and mustache and donning my pilot suit once again, I went to meet Hektor at the front desk.

"Ah, Mr Wolfe. Good morning" the man greeted me with a warm but tired smile. "I assume you slept well?"

"Like a rock." I replied with an equally warm tone. "What about you? I hope the night haven't been too difficult for you and your citizen?" I asked, slightly concerned as I spied the dark rings under his eyes.

"Well... I don't think much of us slept soundly, if at all. I know a lot of people, myself included, were subject to nightmares and dreaded falling asleep again." he answered, his smile dimming a bit.

"That's understandable. It will probably take a couple of weeks before things can go back to normal, but the important thing is that you make sure they know that they are safe and that you will take care of them. Beyond that, psychological evaluations and therapy would be a great thing to do. I'm sure the Alliance will be willing to provide such aid when they arrive."

Hektor seemed to be relieved by my words. "Please, take a seat." he gestured to the couches. "We have much to discuss, and litle time to do so."

I nodded and sat as he did the same. "First," he began, "let me thank again for your help yesterday. I do not wish to think how this would have ended had you not intervened."

"As I said before, I was only doing my duty." I humbly replied.

"Nevertheless, you have my gratitude. Now, if you do not mind, might I ask what your plans are for the near future?"

I wasn't surprised by his question and decided to answer honestly. "Short term, I plan to leave the planet before the Alliance arrives and take control of the pirates' assets now that I now the location of their base. Long term... I am not sure."

He nodded. "I suspected something of that nature. Of course, I will help in any way I can. That is the least I can do."

Deducing that trying to refuse would only serve to waste time I simply nodded. "Aside from a few resources, what I mainly need is someone who knows to pilot, and possibly maintain, a ship. Once I take control of the pirates' resources, I would be able to employ people to do that. From there, I will see what my options are."

Hektor raised an eyebrow. "So you intend to go to Omega? While I do not doubt your abilities, you will not be able to enjoy secrecy once you are on that station."

I had to give the man some credit, he was sharp. "Do not worry, Hektor, I know what to expect from Omega and its queen. And I know my presence and the technology I carry with me will be made known to the powers of the galaxy soon enough. I just need some time to get myself started so that I can handle the follow-up."

"A most wise course of action." he commented. "I will ask for people willing to help you in your endeavor. Doubtless there will a few who will want revenge or to leave Cyrene for a while, perhaps forever." he paused, looking saddened by his words, but knowing that they were true. "There is another topic that I wish to broach with you, Mr Wolfe."

I frowned slightly under my helmet. "What is it?"

"That machine of yours... Is it an AI?" he asked quietly

For a moment, silence reigned inside the hotel's lobby as Hektor and I gazed at each other. From the corner of my HUD, I could see the front desk man looking a bit uncomfortable at the sudden increase in tension.

I sighed. "You are very sharp man, Hektor. And while I will neither confirm nor deny that statement, be assured that I know the galaxy's policy reagarding Artificial Intelligence." I replied just as quietly. "However, make no mistake, BT has been my partner for far too long for me to doubt him. His protocols are clear on what his priorities are and he will protect me until his total destruction." I leaned forward, bracing my arms on my knees. "I am his Pilot, and he is my Titan. We are Linked until one, or both, of us dies. But our mission is, and will always be, to protect those who cannot protect themselves." My piece said, I leaned back into the couch. "I hope that you understand where I stand."

Hektor nodded. "I do. And, to be honest, I am relieved that you show such conviction. It is refreshing from what we have to deal with here, in the Terminus Systems. Rest assured that we will claim BT to be an advanced VI, nothing more. "He said as he rose from his seat. "But I do hope that you will maintain contact with us even after you leave, should we need your assistance."

My mind flashed to the Collectors, and their abductions of human colonies. "Of course. If there ever is trouble that the Alliance cannot deal with, you will have but to call me and I will do my utmost to help."

Hektor smiled. "I'm glad to hear it." he held out his hand and I shook it firmly. "Now, I shall leave you to your occupations, Mr Wolfe. Rest assured, you shall have your ship and a pilot ready in but a few hours."

As I watched Hektor leave, I couldn't help but smile. The man had a good head on his shoulders and truly looked after his people to the best of his abilities. Once the Alliance would give him the means to protect the colony, I had no doubt that Cyrene wouldn't suffer another raid for at least a few years... until the collectors and the Reapers.

I felt my smile evaporate at that thought.

The Reapers... could my presence in this galaxy make enough of an impact to change what I know will happen? Even with my, admittedly limited, knowledge of the future, I had no idea for how to truly eradicate the Reapers. The best option would be to find some way to fix the Crucible to target only the Reapers and spare the Geth, EDI and the mass relays. Not to mention... BT himself.

The way I saw it, the best I could do was to prepare for the worst and make it so that the situation doesn't hit total rock bottom once the invasion starts. That meant planning on a huge scale, both economically and politically.

Just thinking about it was enough to give me a headache.

With a sigh, I went to the elevator and made my way back to my room. BT had, of course, listened in on the whole conversation with Hektor via my helmet and as I hadn't received any comment or alert from him, I could assume that everything was fine.

"Any news?" I asked him as the door closed and locked itself behind me.

"Nothing relevant." Was BT's answer. "It seems you have decided on our next objective."

I nodded. "We have to start somewhere. Taking overs those pirates' assets will go a long way to open more possibilities than we have currently. I have no doubt that you've seen what the extranet has to say about Omega and I would rather venture there once I can be in a position to negotiate."

"A valid argument." The Titan commented. "What shall we do in the meantime?"

"Right now, I'm planning to do some physical exercise and then we'll perform whatever maintenance we can on your chasis." I replied, taking off my helmet and starting to stretch and warm up. "Oh, and while you're still connected, can you give me everything interesting that you can find on a 'Shepard' in the Alliance?"

There was a pause for a couple of seconds. "Search results gave four relevant individuals. Hannah Shepard, Marcus Shepard, John Shepard and Jane Shepard."

I blinked, freezing in my stretching for a second before continuing. Two Shepards and their parents? That was unexpected. "Give me a general history of the family."

Another pause. "Hannah Shepard, born on Earth in 2127, exact date of birth and original surname unknown. Lived on the streets until the age of eighteen, upon which she enlisted in the Alliance. Married to civilian Marcus Shepard in 2152 and gave birth to twins in 2154. The family established itself on the colony of Mindoir, relatively close to the close to the Alliance station Hannah Shepard served on at the time. In 2170, Mindoir is attacked by Batarian raiders and all colonists, save for Jane Shepard, are killed or abducted, Marcus and John Shepard were KIA trying to fend off the raiders. Jane Shepard then proceeded joined the Alliance at eighteen in 2172."

I mechanically dropped to the ground, starting a series of push-ups while I digested the information. 'So all three backgrounds mixed into a single one, huh? Can't say I'm surprised, though. Still, the picture it painted isn't a pretty one.' I almost dreaded to hear which 'Nom de Guerre' Jane had earned but I wasn't about to let it deter me.

"What else can you tell me?"

"Hannah Shepard, while not having any outstanding achievement, is serving aboard the SSV Kilimanjaro as its XO. The remaining twin has shown great potential and was introduced into the N-7 program, which she graduated with honorable mentions. In 2176, Jane Shepard received her nickname, the Lioness of Elysium, for her actions during first the defense of the city of Elysium against a Batarian raid called the Skyllian Blitz."

I hummed slightly in thought as I carried on with my push-ups. There hadn't been any mention of the Sole Survivor or Butcher backgrounds there, but something like that was probably buried somewhere no one would look and kept out of public information. That was if they had happened at all. Still... I hadn't expected to learn about the history of the Shepard family as a whole.

Then again, I supposed that most of it was somewhat public knowledge, as Shepard was one of the Alliance's poster children.

I shook my head slightly as I switched positions and began sit-ups. I had two years before I would have to worry about Shepard, so there wasn't any use thinking about her now. Still, it seemed that, compared to the Titanfall universe where my path had been pretty much a straight line with little to no possibility of deviating, the Mass Effect universe had much more variables that could be changed and/or influenced. I had expected that, kind of, but while it meant that nothing was truly set in stone, it would make things harder to predict.

"Thanks. BT." I said between repetitions.

There was a moment of silence filled by only my huffed breaths before BT spoke again.

"Ethan... Is there something you are not telling me?"

I almost fell over at that. "What do you mean?" I asked back, trying to keep my tone levelled.

"Ever since we have arrived in this new universe, you have not been very surprised or shocked by what we have discovered. Correction. Even before this event, you seemed to anticipate a lot of things or reacted in ways that were most unusual compared to your psych profile. Again, is there something you are not telling me?"

I smirked slightly. As expected of BT, there was no way I could have hidden that from him for too long.

"I was planning on telling you, eventually, but I guess the cat's out of the bag now. Then again, if there was anyone I would expect to pick up on that, it would be you, Partner." I replied as I sat up and faced the Titan's optical monitor. "You're right that I'm not surprised by what we've found in this universe so far. And you're right that I've been able to anticipate a lot of what happened to us back on Typhon. But are you sure you want me to tell you? The answer might be hard to hear, even for you."

"I am ready." BT said without hesitation.

"Alright." I took a deep breath. "My name is Ethan Wolfe. I was born on Earth in 1989 AD... and I died because of a car accident in 2017. And in my home universe, both the one we came from and this one are video games." I bluntly told the Titan.

There was a lengthy pause before BT responded. "My apologies but I think my audio receivers must have glitched for a moment. You said that you... died?"

I nodded. "Upon my demise, I was presented with a choice by two entities which I assumed to be the manifestations of Luck and Fate. While I could not be sent back without being reincarnated, they told me I could keep my memories and embark on an, in their own words, adventure." I explained. "The next time I woke up, I was on a medical bed inside the Nightingale, with memories that were both mine and at the same time weren't. I can only assume that the Ethan Wolfe of that universe died and I ended up taking his body. A body that was the same as my previous one but, at the same time, not. Getting the use of it, its reflexes and all the muscle memory was a pain, let me tell you. As for the rest... well, you know just as much as I do."

BT didn't react for a time before his optical monitor plates narrowed slightly. "What exactly did you mean when you said this universe and the one we came from were games?"

"Just that." I replied. "Where I come from, all that we went through on Typhon was a game for people to experience. They would control a man by the name of Jack Cooper, a militia rifleman apprenticing under Captain Taï Lastimosa, and experience through their screen everything we did. So yes, I was able to anticipate quite a few things that happened to us because I knew they would." I paused. "But even knowing what was awaiting us, there was little I could truly change about how things played out. If I could have, I would have saved Lastimosa or killed that asshole Blisk when I had the chance." I sighed. "However, it's different here. While I have a... general knowledge of the big events that will happen in the future, there are too much variables, too much things that can change and too many unknowns for me to accurately predict how things will turn. The most I- WE- can do, is prepare for the worst."

For a long while, BT stayed silent and I couldn't help but wonder if what I'd just told him had frozen his processor. Then,

"Protocol Two: Uphold The Mission. What is our mission, Ethan?"

I grinned. "Nothing much, BT. Just, you know, helping to save the galaxy from extinction. The usual."

"Acknowledged." Just as he said that, his monitor blinked and the plates frowned. "I do not detect sarcasm?"

My grin widened. "No rest for the wicked, buddy."

"My calculations showed there was a 66.6% chance that you would say that."

I laughed.

I grunted with effort as I tightened the screw in one of the joints of BT's right arm as much as I could. It had been two hours since the Titan and I started to work on repairing and maintaining what we could on his chasis and to say the battle with Slone and the Ark energy had fucked up a lot of things was an understatement. There was a reason Laser Cores were the deadliest to face in the field. And while the majority of the Ion models weren't capable of sustaining it more than a few seconds, it was enough to do serious damage to a Titan, since it fried and melted pretty much everything it came in contact with and was nigh unblockable.

And Slone's Ion, while not much different from the other models I'd seen when it came to the power of its arsenal aside from its Phase Shift ability, had been customized in a way that allowed it to use its Laser Core for an extended period of time and repeatedly, provided she didn't overclock her Titan. Also, as she had stated during our fight, trying to outrun a Laser Core was impossible. I had only just managed to stay alive by using Sword Core's improved Blocking ability and Phase Shift to confuse her, and even then I came close way too many times to loosing and arm or a leg of the chasis. I'd lost count of how many batteries I ended up changing during that fight, just to make sure our shield would last at least half a second when hit by that Laser Core.

Anyway, our fight with Slone aside, the fact was that BT had suffered extended damage because of it and the Ark's energy hadn't improved things. All in all, it was pretty much a miracle that BT was still able to function at most of his capacities. It would take a lot of fixing and tinkering to get the Titan back to 100%, what with the chasis being composed of over 25k pieces, but I was confident that, once we had the needed resources to do so, it would only be a matter of time.

With a final grunt, I tried to turn the screw a bit more and, seeing that it wouldn't budge, I huffed in satisfaction as I climbed down BT's arm.

"How's that BT? Any trouble moving?"

The Titan moved his arm experimentally and I winced a bit hearing the arm squeak.

"This is adequate, for the moment."

"Glad to hear it." I replied. "I know it's only a patch-up job but it's better than anything we could have done without the omni-tool."

The flash-forging ability of the device was a boon, no doubt about that. Some of the more fragile and small parts of BT were easily repaired or recreated thanks to it and the omni-gel. I didn't know how long or how effective those repairs would be, and I doubted that I would need to use BT's chasis for some time, but it was better than nothing.

"Someone is approaching."

I snapped out of my thoughts and turned to see a petite woman making her way toward us. My eyes zeroed on the short blond hair framing a somewhat sharp face with chestnut eyes and I recognized her as the one who had flown the ship back to the city once I had completely hijacked it.

I remained silent for a moment as she continued to walk toward us, her eyes going back and forth between BT and I.

"Can I help you?" I asked, once she was but a few steps from me.

She blinked. "Um-Well, that is to say..." she fumbled with her words. "I was told you were looking for a pilot?"

My eyes widened slightly behind my helmet. Hektor was working fast, to say the least. "Indeed, I am. Are you volunteering?" She nodded slowly. "Then I trust that you know what I'm planning to do?"

"You plan to attack the raiders' base." She said bluntly.

I nodded. "Then welcome aboard." I held out my hand and she shook it. "I won't ask your reasons for volunteering. However, if I give you an order during this, shall we say, operation of ours, I expect you to follow it, especially in combat situation. Do you have any problem with that?"

"None." she responded flatly. "Just let me have a clear shot at those bastards for what they did to my grandfather, that's all I ask."

"Noted." I replied. Again, I saw her eyes move to BT. I turned slightly to look at the Titan. "He's impressive, isn't he?"

"It's not every day you find yourself staring at a twenty feet tall robot who managed to destroy a batarian raid with only its owner as backup." her gaze went back to me. "Did you build it yourself?"

I snorted. "If I had, I wouldn't be having so much trouble fixing him." I turned back to her. "I never got your name?"

"Emma. Emma Nightingale."

I couldn't help but stare blankly at her for a moment. I had started my journey back in Titanfall aboard the Nightingale and I was about to start another one in Mass Effect with someone who had the same name. Was this going to be a trend?

'Sure. Let's go with that.'

I ignored the voice in my head and nodded to the young woman. "Nice to meet you, Emma. I'm Ethan Wolfe and this is BT 7274, my Titan."

"Greetings."

"Ah... Nice to meet you as well, Mr Wolfe, BT." she replied a tad nervously.

"My apologies." BT's optical monitor narrowed slightly. "I understand that my appearance can be... intimidating to civilians."

"Well, it's not so much intimidating as it is imposing. Security mechs, even half as big as you, aren't something many people can afford, so they are rarely brought out for display." Emma replied. "And the only time I heard one was actually activated was as a security measure to protect a VIP against a terrorist attack, the attackers were pretty much reduced to bloody smears on the walls and floor... even after they had surrendered "

I whistled lowly. "Yeah, I can see why that would spook a lot of people. But don't worry," I pointed my thumb at the Titan, "This guy has clear protocols to follow and won't ever go on a mindless rampage. Of that you have my word."

"I can speak for myself, Ethan." BT interjected

"True, but who's gonna prove you're not lying?" I shot back

"I was not designed to lie."

"What if that was just another protocol of your coding?"

"You know that is not the case."

"I'm not the one who designed you! I don't know much about your programming besides the basics!"

"It is all written in the instruction manual. Should I read it for you?"

"The instruc- wait, there was a manual this WHOLE TIME?!" I snapped my head to face BT's optical monitor, "Why am I learning that only now?! And where is it?!"

*Snrk..!*

"I assumed that you knew. And it is stored in my database."

"Yeah? And how would I know about it?! I didn't even get past the theory part of Titan piloting before all the stuff happened! "

*Krrr!*

"It is not within my protocols to advise a pilot that he should read the instruction manual as all Pilots are instructed to read it before linking with a Titan."

"Oh, you have got to be kidding-"

"Pffffff-HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

I was interrupted by a Emma bursting into laughter as she held her sides, trying not to fall over. I could only blink as the young woman continued to let out a full blow belly laugh that didn't show any sign of stopping anytime soon.

I turned back to BT, "This is all your fault." I deadpanned.

The optical monitor blinked. "Incorrect. My calculations indicate that you are, at minimum, 50% responsible."

"Oh, that's just rich!"

Emma's laughter redoubled and I couldn't help but chuckle behind my helmet.

And that was how I found myself with my ship pilot for our first venture in the traverse and my first new companion in this universe. Not that I knew at the time.

Although I knew what was going to happen in a few years, I had a feeling that BT and I were going to be just fine, if very busy.

The Galaxy and the Reapers wouldn't know what hit them.

First off, my apologies for not updating this sooner. I got myself a full time job a bit over 6 months ago that made me move from France to Portugal and stuff happened that made me just unable to find the time to sit down and focus on writing.

So, this chapter is quite evidently a filler compared to the two action packed previous ones, but don't worry, you'll see some action again in the next one... which shouldn't arrive in more than 6 months, I hope.

Anyway, don't hesitate to leave any suggestion, critic or opinion on this. I'm open to everything.

PS: My other stories will be updated soon too, for those who are interested and/or still following those.

This is MidnightFenrir, signing off.