*DONT OWN MASS EFFECT OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS*
#Well here we are again, like I said last time had some personal shit to do + was just being plain old lazy, but now it getting pretty fun to write so hopefully I will do it more now. Seriously writing about the geth was really fucking boring for me but I had to go with it because that was the premise of this story, I can't say why this even has gotten this much attention. Personally I think it is crazy that my own story in just 3 chapters have gotten almost a 100 followers and 54 favs, it means a great deal for me. Anyway, I'm quite happy how this chapter turned out. I feel like it has gotten a little bit easier writing but that's maybe just my mood at the moment idk.
Let's get back to my shitty SI!#
2176, November the 15th Alliance Calendar
Caleston Rift/ Balor/ Fuel Depot
I must say, first of all, space is fucking amazing. It is more beautiful when I would ever have thought, far away Nebulas in vibrant colors, trails from Comets and a huge amount of more things, it is fucking crazy, me here a fucking cyborg or something from the 21st century being so far away from "home", yeah of course we had some astronauts before and in my time going far away too but not like me now, me some punk kid from a depressed industry town.
Wonder how my old home looks like now… I'm maybe going there before the game timeline, Anyway space is amazing and since I left Omnius and the Geth I have been flying firstly through the Perseus Veil and the Far Rim to get too here, Nothing really "exciting" other than all this space stuff has happened, other than me trying out the manual controls on my little craft and the VI getting a little bit "scared" from my "reckless" piloting.
But yeah the VI said that we needed more fuel for our trip to Omega so I obliged and set the mark for here, Lucky that the Geth got me some cash… credits I mean. I haven't met or seen any ships yet, but to be truthful that makes me somewhat glad, I searched about this place and it seems like only Volus and Human mining companies are here… plus a lot of piracy.
But it seems like my small little stealth/explorer ship is good for staying undetected.
Soon I'm going to refuel and from what I have learned from the extranet this depot is manned by a human fuel company so I'm going to have my first contact in this galaxy with sentient organics maybe soon. Maybe smart to suit up? Yeah, that is a good thing.
I was starting to put on the last of my gear when my com started to blink green and the ship VI said in a monotone voice: "INCOMING TRANSMISSION"
"Yeah Yeah, accept it then". I said.
"Unknown ship, you have your transponder off, identify yourself and your intentions". Said a gruff male voice. Oh fuck forgot about that, the geth had come up with a new IFF for the ship and they let me name it, so being the old mythological geek that I'm there was only one name that fit my own ship, Tanngrisnir was now the name of it, a little bit funny that an old Salarian ship is named after one of Thor's goats.
"Ohh forgot that had some suspicious-looking ships after me when I was in Dakka so I turned it off and ran away"- I lied, but yeah I would think everyone here would know about the Nubian Expanse and its outlaw havens so it is plausible at least -" I'm the owner… I mean Captain of this beauty, the Tanngrisnir, and I would like to refuel at your depot and maybe buy some supplies for the road". I don't really need supplies but I would think that the chance for some extra income would make this gruff man on the other side of the com more accepting of me after my mistake, and yea flying without a transponder is very illegal in Council space, but here of course council law is equaled with ratpiss but the same principle is here too, transponder on = Non-Hostile and transponder off= Hostile or Smuggler.
The com was quiet for a minute or so, but soon after the same grum voice cleared me for docking, no not that kind of docking you degenerate.
I stepped out of my airlock and was meet by 6 rifles pointing in my area and a makeshift barricade, me being the nice guy that I'm and not very tempted to gun down some innocents or even test my skill on them, I have some bolts loose in the thinking department, but I ain't a psycho. I chuckled and threw my arms up in the air.
"What a nice welcome party you guys have for me". I said only seeing a glimpse of their helmets, seems like some old gear if all the nicks and the odd rust spot are truthful.
"What do you want krogan?" the same gruff voice from before said, krogan? I chuckled, Aha my armor, but why would they think I would be a krogan besides that? I was speaking English before so their omni tool would not even need to translate what I was saying, nevermind.
"Hahaha, I'm not a krogan, this was just borrowed the original owner doesn't need it anymore"- I said smiling inside my helmet, simultaneously reaching for my helmet release, I learned very quickly that moving my arms was a no-go when the 6 original rifles plus 4 more were pointing at me instead of my general area -" Ooh, I was just removing my helmet" I quickly added.
"Do it then, but if I see one move for that cannon on your hip you are done". The gruff voice from before said, I pretty quickly released my helmet, the people behind the barricade stopped pointing the guns at me after that.
"See, I'm a pretty normal human, not a big scary krogan". I said securing my helmet on my back. One of the rifles on the barricade was collapsed and put away, and forward walked a large middle-aged man of European origin with the most well-kept armor on their side of the hallway.
"Sorry for the rude welcome, we have had a problem with slavers recently trying to take control of our depot"- the same gruff voice said -" And my name is Wiktor". The big man said, stretching out his hand. Me having spent time with the geth so long now had a small brain glitch at this but soon shook his hand.
"No worries, not the first time I have had rifles pointed at me"- I said chuckling 'seems like my synth face works' I thought -" And I'm Alexander".
"Why use that?"- Wiktor said pointing to my armor -" that seems like it weighs a shitload, have never either seen a human use something like that".
"Ate all the greens as a kid". I said smiling to which Wiktor chuckled.
"Anyway, what do you need?" Wiktor said looking at me, in the background, the other people seemed to relax and some of them walked away to do something else.
"A refuel, a bottle of rum, and some nice company to share it with". I said, still smiling.
"The first we can fix, but the other one…" Wiktor narrowed his eyes" we ain't a whorehouse". He said with a dangerous edge.
"Nonono I just mean some company of the talking variety"- I said quickly looking a little embarrassed, forgot that people out here are a "little" more… uncouth is the word then what I'm used too, jokes are maybe pretty bad to do here with everyone on edge -" Haven't seen people or humans for that matter in a long time".
"If that's the case, welcome to our little oasis". Wiktor said smiling and stretching out his arms like a salesman.
"Thanks". I said smiling.
The other people still standing behind the barricade walked away, and I started walking with Wiktor somewhere else in this little station. If I'm honest, after seeing geth facilities this place was a rustbucket, but a rustbucket with some charm at least compared to the sterile geth structures. We walked through a hallway meeting some other humans which saluted Wiktor and looking at me curiously.
"You Alliance?" I asked him curiously.
"Ex, ex many things"- He signed -" You?
"Just your everyday non-military trained merc". I said to which he chuckled. We arrived in a combined mess-hall, cafeteria, and supply store, yeah weird but if you have limited space this was pretty smart. Some music was playing that I could not really categorize in a genre, maybe was some new type of EDM? Wiktor saw my confusion and chuckled, "Ask Emma, I don't understand you younglings music".
"Hey, stop bashing my taste because you are a walking dinosaur"- a feminine voice called over from behind the counter -" and who is the pretty boy". Wiktor chuckled and I turned to look at the speaker, which was a pretty fit brunette with long hair in a ponytail, she was average height and had normal brown eyes 'Pretty cute' I thought.
"You can stop checking me out"- Emma said grinning -" Or don't". She added.
"Sorry were are my manners"- I said, taking my hand out for a shake, which she shook -" Alexander". I added.
"Emma, but pops here spoiled it"- She said with mock anger against Wiktor. -" What you need?" She said.
"A refuel and some supplies "- I began -" What time is it anyway?" I thought out loud.
"Lunchtime here". Wiktor said.
"Some food then if big scary outsiders can buy that here". I said.
"Sure, but where is the big scary guy you talked about then?" Emma quipped looking around to which I chuckled.
"Nyx and Daniel will take care of the refuel"- Wiktor said -" You can pay when they are done" He added.
"Other than that some medigel, a crate nutrient paste, and a crate of water"- I began, of course, I would not need the latter parts but that could be good to have for emergencies with others -" Ohh and you any canisters with deuterium?" That I would need in the coming years.
"Ok, the first 3 I know we have here, but the other one am I not that certain of, gonna call down to storage to check". Emma said activating her omnitool and calling someone.
I stepped back and looked at Wiktor, "Is this your company?" I asked him, I was genuinely curious.
"Yeah, bought this when I and her mom quit our last job a few years back, was calmer around here then not so many slaver scum and pirates like now". He said and spat on the slaver part.
"Seems like a nice little place "- I began -" If I am allowed to ask, what did you work with before this?"
Wiktor paused and looked at me suspiciously but then relented. "I was in the Alliance for a time, got out and found out that being a civvie was fucking boring, got offered a job in the Suns and took it, met Emma's mum there too".
"Suns?" I asked 'does he mean the Blue Suns?'
"The Blue Suns yeah"- He said a little bit embarrassed, and showed me a faded Blue Sun on his neck, it seemed like there were burns covering it -" We left before they began with all this terrorist shit".
We sat down on one of the tables and small talked a little more, we stopped when the door opened and an older version of Emma arrived, she was a little more olive in her tone tho but wearing the same type of armor as Emma and Wiktor.
"And here she is". Wiktor said.
"What have you said now Wiktor". Emma's mom said, narrowing her eyes but still smiling.
"Nothing, were just telling our new customer of how a wonderful wife I have". Wiktor said with a shit-eating grin, which this new woman ignored with a shake on her head.
"Jade". The woman said, bringing her hand forward, which I responded to. "Alexander", I said.
"So Alexander, what does a man like you do here in this part of our galaxy". Jade asked.
"Nothing really, needed to stock up some stuff". I answered.
"Oh, I meant what do you do for work? With armor like that only one type of work comes to mind" Jade looked at me curiously.
"Believe it or not, I'm currently unemployed and searching"- I said smiling -" And the armor is just for some extra protection".
"I would think that armor like that would weigh a ton". Jade said studying the armor.
"Like I said to your husband, I ate all the green as a kid"- I said grinning -" And maybe have some help on the inside too". Which was true, had some sort of muscle suit installed on the inside helping me with it, not really that I needed it but yeah it was nice.
Before Jade could respond Emma called out, "Your stuff is ready, Iza found a canister with that deu… stuff you wanted down in storage and are taking it up now".
"Perfect". I said walking to the counter and began to pay '5000 credits don't really know how much that is, but it seems like I have 30k left at least' I thought after checking my credit count.
"Where do you want it?" Emma asked, too, which I responded by grabbing the nearest crate and lifting it. Wiktor and the others just stood there wide-eyed and I tried to hold my stoneface when I walked to my ship. When I left them I could hear some mutter behind me and I just chuckled at that.
Walking through the hallways to my ship was not that exciting, meaning I could not fuck with more people with my "above-average" strength, I found my newly bought canister and lifted the crate with one arm to my shoulder and grabbed the canister and called out to the VI to open my airlock.
I stored my new shit in my supply area, let me tell you, that area was a little bit too small for my taste.
I thought about taking off my area but decided against it, there are still pirates and other scum out there in the system so it seems to be good to be prepared.
The airlock opened again and I was met by Wiktor and 2 other people that I had not met yet, behind them were 2 pallet loaders with my crates on.
"Thought we could help you"- Wiktor said -" Not that you seemed to need it" He chuckled.
"Thanks"- I said smiling -" My shoulders feel a little bit sore after that stunt". I said rolling my shoulders, the answer I got was a laugh and a shake of the head from Wiktor.
They helped me load up my cargo and we walked back to the mess hall thingy.
On the way, I asked the other people that I haven't met yet who they were, "I'm Daniel". Said a darker young man with a buzzcut, "and I'm Javier" said a South-American looking teen.
"Found these two boys lurking around in Fumi District on Omega, they helped me in a firefight and after I offered them a way out of that hellhole". Wiktor said looking at them.
"I'm for one really fucking grateful for that". Daniel said. "Me too," Javier said.
"How is Omega?" I asked looking at Daniel.
"A shithole". Daniel and Javier said at the same time, Wiktor chuckled and I just looked at them inquisitively.
"Nothing special, if you don't have any creds like me and Jav here Omega is a struggle, but if you have creds the area around Afterlife is pretty nice from what I have heard at least"- Daniel said -" Why do you ask?"
"Haven't been there yet"- I began "Thought it would be a good place to find some work". Daniel and Javier looked at my armor and the handgun on my hip.
"Yeah, maybe you could do some creds there if you are not a greenie of course". Javier said.
"Have done a bit of fighting". I said chuckling, remembering back to my past life when I served.
We arrived at the mess-hall thing and I saw more people than I had seen since I got to this universe, mostly humans but there were also 2 light blue Asari sitting with Emma and Jade, a Turian sat with some others some tables away. Emma saw me and waved me and Wiktor to her, Daniel and Javier said bye and walked to some other people.
"Grab some food and sit with us". Emma said looking at us, which we when did, the food seemed good, it was some sort of meat with some other sort of vegetable and some sauce, this prompted a thought for me, I haven't tasted anything since the taste testes with the geth when I first got this body 'hope this is good then, can't let my first real taste in this galaxy be some disgusting shit'- I thought -' It doesn't seem bad tho' I thought and looked down on my plate.
Wiktor seemed to pick up on my confusion, "Its space cow and some Asari beet from the neighboring system".
"Seems good". I said looking back at him.
Coming back I found out a small problem, there were no chairs at this table, just a bench and me in my armor was a "little" bit too large to get in.
"Having problems?" Jade asked.
"Knew I would need to get this off me when I was at the ship". I muttered, for all the protection this gives me it takes away in being clumsy.
"Are we now having problems with the overcompensating armor?" Emma said grinning, this prompted Wikor, Jade, and one of the Asari to chuckle and the other one to blush a little purple.
"I'm even bigger without this". I said winking at her drumming on my chest making Jade, Wiktor, and the Asari change from chuckling to full out laughing, The blushing Asari turned even more purple and Emma sat there just smiling and shaking her head.
"Men…" I heard Emma mumble.
"Anywhere I can strip down from this?" I asked, still drumming on my chest.
"What do you have under?"- Wiktor asked -" If nothing, don't do it here at least".
"Have under-armor and pants"- I answered -" is that acceptable?"
"Well, that's a shame". The non-blushing Asari said grinning, which got her to get a punch on the shoulder from the other Asari and a quiet whispering, I just shook my head and smiled at the scene.
"Yeah, you can just do it here then"- Wiktor said -" Well, that's is, of course, you are comfortable with half of this place watching you". He said now laughing, and yes were where quite a lot of eyes I had on me. But instead of answering, I placed my guns on the table and started to remove my armor.
After I was done I placed it on the bench and sat down beside Wiktor with non-blushing asari in front of me.
"Well, he didn't lie at least". She said looking at me with a grin.
"Would be awkward if I lied". I said smiling, I took in the view of the asari in front of me, she had a quite muscular body, clear blue eyes and white markings on her face over her light blue skin, yeah she was quite attractive 'Seems like the games were true about asari' I thought.
"You can stop checking me out and introduce yourself"- She said grinning and bringing her hand forward -" Nyx'li Muraana and this is my little sister Iza" She said patting the other Asari on the shoulder.
I responded to her and shook her hand, "Alexander Böhm"- I said looking at her -" Sorry if this seems rude, but I haven't seen an Asari this close before". Which was not a lie at all.
"No problem, just hope I didn't disappoint you then". Nyx'li, or Nyx as Emma said before, said still grinning.
"Can't say that you did". I said smiling.
"Can you two lovebirds stop flirting so we can hold a normal conversation?" Emma asked, which brought me back to reality where there were more people, and when just the two of us, I responded with a mimed "OK" and a chuckle, what I got from that was a roll of the eyes from Emma.
"So Alexander where are you from?" Emma asked, looking at me from the other side of Wiktor.
"Earth originally"- I said -" English isn't my mother language even". This did peak Iza's interest. It seemed like at least because from just looking at her food to look right at me, she looked like her sisters but not as trained and she did not have the same markings, she instead had some sort of green marking on her face.
"Where are you from on Earth then?" Iza asked with a more youthful version of Nyx's voice.
"Sweden"- I answered, but now the lies most start, I have come up with a backstory why I have no Alliance record but was born on Earth, this is mostly based on that my father and mother was on the other side of the law and had to leave rather abruptly our home, so we moved to a human community on Trident, a lawless world in the Traverse bordering the Terminus -" Mum and dad did some shit back on Earth so we had to move, think I was like 7 years old, anyway we moved to Trident".
"Trident? That can be tough to grow up on". Wiktor said.
"Not really in the beginning, it was kind of nice when I was a kid, we had it definitely better there when back on Earth"- I said -" it all changed when mum and dad got shot and I was thrown in all the chaos that planet can offer". I said with some sadness, not really fake sadness even if this was a lie mum, dad and all other people I once knew are dead or haven't even existed here at all.
I looked at the people with me and I could see some sympathy from them, but this is the deep Traverse and is almost as bad as the Terminus so all here have lost somebody.
"But anyway, that's behind me now, can't really do much for the dead now other than remember them"- I said trying to lighten the mood -"Any other questions?" I asked, smiling a little.
"What do you work with?" Iza asked.
"What do you think I work with?" I asked back.
"Are that so hard to figure out?"- Nyx said before Iza could respond -" He is obviously a merc or something like that". Iza just rolled her eyes at her sister, I chuckled at the scene.
"Do all kinds of work, but yea mostly merc work but I'm unemployed at the moment"- I said drumming with my fingertips on the table -" But what do you do Nyx? You seem a little out of place here, you hold yourself like somebody with experience and besides Wiktor and Jade here -" I waved my hand against them"- you are the only one here doing that".
"Good catch, I'm here mostly so little sis can settle in"- She answered -" After that who knows". She said, winking at me, the response she got was another punch at the arm from Iza.
"Where are you two from?" I asked them both.
"Illium". Iza said.
"Yes, Illium born and raised, both of us, typical Outcast trash the both of us"- Nyx said smiling -" our mum is a scum and didn't treat Iza right so I just swooped in and got her from there, knew Wiktor and Jade from before and asked them if they could get a job for her, have been stuck here since". She said chuckling
"It's not that bad here". Jade said with mock offense.
"Didn't say that"- Nyx said, still chuckling -" it's just that this is a bit boring, that's all".
I tuned out of the conversation around here and began eating and thinking about something.
First of all, food was fucking amazing to eat again, I dont feel any hunger anymore but anyway it feels good to taste something. On another note when Nyx talked about being an Outcast it got me thinking about how much I don't know about this galaxy, what is even an Outcast? Is it common knowledge? Am I going to feel like I have lived under a rock my whole life? I don't really know anything else besides what I read on the Extranet and that was mostly basic human stuff, of course I will know some major events in the future but that's the future, as a normal being in this galaxy I'm horribly under knowledgeable of events in the past, meaning normal shit like small events and stuff like that. But I can just add to my knowledge here, so that's what I am going to do.
"If this is okay to even ask"- I said looking at Nyx -" What's an Outcast? I don't know much if it is not related to humans".
"No problem"- Nyx said and waved away my worries if it was offensive to ask -" Asari Outcasts are Asari that do not answer to Thessia and their bullshit, like most in Terminus and the Traverse".
We sat there chatting for some time with the 6 of us, mostly just smalltalk. I must say I have missed this, just holding a conversation with people, yeah yeah I talked with the geth and all that but they do not compare to us organics, yet at least, Omnius was kind of fun to talk to but it gets boring pretty quick to be around only one "good" talker.
"Forgot to ask you, how old are you even?" Nyx asked me curiously.
"26". I said, Iza reacted to my answer.
"I find it weird that I'm the second oldest here". She mumbled.
"You are still a child sis, only 73, soon you are going to run around and hunt boys or girls". Nyx said to her, which prompted Iza to blush.
"Seems like you speak from experience"- I teased Nyx -" How are old are you then? If I'm even allowed to ask a woman that". I said chuckling.
"Have some experience"- Nyx said playfully making her sister roll her eyes -" And I'm still a maiden at a measly 216 years of age". She said, putting a hand on her hip.
"So now I have a cougar flirting with me, God help me". I said signing trying to hold my stoneface, Wiktor and Jade starting laughing the second I said that, Emma just sat there trying to hold in her laugh, and Iza seemed clueless about what I meant, Nyx just looked shocked.
"Coug…. Nonono I'm like 25 in a human sense"- She blurted out, this broke my stoneface immediately when I saw her semi-panicked state and started laughing -" You fucker". She said when she realized I was fucking with her.
"Ouch". I said chuckling, rubbing my arm, I got punched for what I said, 'Worth' I thought.
"There is more from where that came from". She said with narrow eyes but a small grin on her lips.
My reply was cut short when an alarm on Wiktor's omni-tool rang out, his demeanor changed to something harder.
"Suit up"- He said -"Darak is back".
'Well, who the fuck is this Darak?'
#Next chapter is maybe done this weekend, have some time off now and writing feels oddly calming, anyway thanks for reading and all that!
York52: Yeah I see it now when you mentioned it hahaha, wasn't my inspiration tho :)
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