BioWare; cuttlefish abound!
Dig Site Alpha, Therum, Knossus System, Artemus Tau Cluster, May 30, 2183
Petty Officer (Third Class) Sara Elaine Ryder had a routine set up now that she had her Clinic up-and-running to a fair degree, having a decent basic Dispensary set-up with a good nod towards minor medical emergencies. While she couldn't exactly perform surgery, almost any real Hospital Corpsman could stitch and sew wounds, as well as making emergency surgical procedures for removal of any life-threatening disease, illness, injury, or foreign object. She had all the necessary equipment for a routine check-up for a Human Being, and could make do for an Asari, a Salarian, and a Turian thanks to a few downloads of basic medical care and first aid manuals for those species. Hanar, sadly, would likely be out of her scope, the aquatic species having several internal organs that she knew little about, as well as a couple of biological systems that were more oriented towards living in water, and thus Sara having zero experience with. Turians might have different shaped lungs, but lungs and airways were still the same system. Oxygen-filtering gills? Ryder wasn't a zoologist.
Hopefully, the poor Volus didn't rupture his suit. There was nothing she could do for the poor guy if he ruptured and exploded from the too-low atmo.
Mornings began with pre-light physical training with the Marines, in which Doc joined in with the boys, doing pull-ups, crunches, and sprints with the Marines, along with a variety of other exercises with the platoon-sized element. After PT, she added a thirty-minute regimen more oriented towards her being a Corpsman, hauling a Navy SeaBag filled with Therum sand weighing in at one hundred kilos, simulating carrying a body off a battlefield. She would pick it up and shoulder it on each shoulder five times each with the three carries; shoulder, back, and bridal. She then did wind sprints with the bag, running one hundred meter dashes back and forth three times. For the finale, she clipped the SeaBag to a carrying harness and dragged the weight across the surface in the same manner, doing three hundred meters. By the time she was done, Sara was grimy, sweaty, and feeling like she needed to puke a little. A clear sign that she had pushed herself beyond her normal limit, as intended.
Shower and breakfast came after PT, in which Ryder joined the Day Shift Marines for chow, eating in the galley set in the barracks, enjoying Unified Ground Rations, Edible, known as UGRE's; section-sized meals where the only thing required was the ability to boil water and waiting a certain length of time since there were no Navy Cooks deployed on Therum with the Marines. Doc was beginning to learn about her Marines; their names, their preferences, who had wives and girlfriends, and who could be taken seriously. Most of the Privates, Private First Classes, and Lance Corporals were around her age, having served from anywhere from a couple of months to a couple of years. For many of them, it was their first ground-side deployment, having been stationed on Fifth Fleet, aboard one of the deployable Troop Corvettes. For the NCO's, there was more experience and bolstering, along with the addition of yelling and testosterone required out of a more experienced Marine. Not one of them was quiet or calm; it was like living with a pack of hungry monkeys in a zoo. Still, Sara eased into it, integrating with her platoon as she listened to the stories and lies, laughed at the jokes and screw-ups, and talked as much shit as the next Marine.
Day Shift, like Night Shift, consisted of duties, the main one being Site Security. Eighteen Marines were on each shift, and fifteen of them were stationed at the various defensive points around Dig Site Alpha, fortified bunkers that included anti-air and anti-space weaponry, such as small GARDIAN laser batteries and Gauss Linear Acceleration Heavy Machine Guns, the nomenclature being the Kh-29's, but generally called Railguns. The other three Marines, all NCO's were responsible for communications, monitoring, orders, and updating intelligence that might come from Arcturus Station, the Admiralty Board, or Fifth Fleet. The only two exemptions to the Shifts were Gunnery Sergeant Fredrick Halverson and herself. Gunny Halverson, being the Commanding Officer of Red Platoon, handled the administration portion, letting his junior NCO's run the platoon and troops. Ryder, as the Corpsman, couldn't be put on guard duty or a variety of other duties in case of a medical emergency and leaving a position undermanned. Instead, she had medical duties, which consisted of running the Clinic, keeping medical records updated, and making sure that her supplies and equipment were fully-functional and fully stocked. She would inquire about the general health of the Marines for the Day Shift before the shift change, and then for the Marines coming off the Night Shift before they went for 'dinner' in the morning.
Sara's day consisted of several tasks and duties to keep herself both occupied and working. She would work in the Tactical Operations Command Room for an hour or so along with the Sergeant of the Guard and the other two Marines, helping out in little ways where they might need it. When the SOG would do his checks, moving through the Dig Site perimeter to check on the separate defensive points, Sara would go with him, checking up on the Marines to make sure that they were hydrated as well as to acclimate herself to the hellish environment of Therum. After the rounds, she would head to the Dig Site Clinic to 'open' it up, the workday officially beginning for the expedition about an hour prior. She would enter the Dig Site itself to make sure that there weren't any injuries or illnesses to report, looking on the various sections of the Dig to make sure that all was going well and that the workers weren't doing anything dangerous that might cause any injuries.
Sara did her midday meal with the expeditionary members, picking a different table each day to talk to the various people involved in the Dig Site, learning a little bit more about the people as well as their specialties. She wore her Systems Alliance-issued Alliance Blues when she went into the Dig Site, taking off her Sirta Foundation's Phoenix Light Medic Armor after entering the environmentally-controlled site to better identify herself. She spent up to two to three hours at the Dig Site before making her way back to the Clinic, putting in a few hours studying on xeno-trauma care and updating any records as she looked through the medical transcripts that she had received from Professor Irissa T'vara. There was another round with the SOG, another check-in with the Dig Site, dinner with the Marines, correspondence courses with ENavyU for college credits, military education courses relating to the medical field for schools and training that she had started on the SSV Charger. After a few personal messages to her Dad, her brother, her Auntie, and Staff Sergeant John Brennen and a few other Marines from the Charger, Sara would finally allow herself to fully relax for the evening, taking another shower before slipping off into her personal bunkspace to read her Bible before going to bed.
The days and nights reinforced the routine as Sara got comfortable with her settings and surroundings, joking with the Marines and beginning to pick out the various members of the Expeditionary Team at the Dig Site. A few scrapes and scratches came to her attention from her Marines and a few of the workers, but nothing more was needed than disinfectant and some bandaging. One Marine came down with a gastrointestinal parasite, and Sara prepared herself for the potential of half-a-dozen more cases of what everyone affectionately called 'the Therum shits'. Ryder ordered the appropriate medicines to help combat the parasite, knowing that a ten-day regimen with four to eight potential victims would go right through her supply in no time with three doses a day. It was part of her job, of course, but Sara could do without the thought of half-a-dozen bellyaching Marines with diarrhea.
Then there was Irissa.
After that first encounter, Sara spent almost an entire day thinking of the situation. It wasn't that she wasn't intrigued, but… Sara had never thought herself attracted to anyone else other than her own kind, and certainly didn't go for Human women. The possibility had just never occurred to her. Could… could she have a relationship with an non-Human? Was that something she would even be interested in? Sara thought of the few Asari she did know, mostly acquaintances from the Cit. Most of the Maidens were shallow, transparent, and flaunted their views of Thessian superiority upon anyone within listening distance. Irissa wasn't like that at all, not even acting like the decadent Asari Matriarchs in the Cit, either. The Professor was a female who loved her profession, who enjoyed espousing upon ideas and cultures not merely her own, and listened to others. She was respectful and respectable, and Sara had to admit that there was an attraction there, something that shocked her a little bit. Perhaps it was because she felt as if she had found someone of similar thoughts and values, something like an equal.
Was that even possible, with a Matriarch and a Human like herself?
One evening, before going to bed, Ryder Chirped he Protheantologist to ask her just that.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
R U there? Can we talk?
Sara felt her get clench a little, wondering how the message would be perceived. While she hadn't really 'avoided' the Professor, she hadn't sought her out or talked to her about anything other than work-related topics the five minutes she did hold a conversation with her in front of a couple of colleagues. She still wasn't exactly sure how she felt, but she would at least talk to the Asari honestly.
A message came back a few minutes later.
IrissaT'Vara
ProtheanDeanUniSerrice
Of course. Are you well?
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
Yes, TY 4 asking. I just wanted 2 talk.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
Face-2-face is better. But I thought things over.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
This isn't easy for me. Just wanted 2 put that out.
IrissaT'Vara
ProtheanDeanUniSerrice
I understand. Just so you know, we all go through it.
IrissaT'Vara
ProtheanDeanUniSerrice
Even Asari.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
That's a little reassuring, actually!
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
I'm just nervous, I guess. I have questions, concerns.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
Grew up on the Cit, and I know what I saw there. That isn't something I want 4 myself.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
This was suppos person. Ugh!
IrissaT'Vara
ProtheanDeanUniSerrice
You are being honest. There is nothing wrong with that.
IrissaT'Vara
ProtheanDeanUniSerrice
Perhaps better 'in person', but I would rather you feel assured in what you wish for.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
I…
Sara wasn't sure what to say, seeing the cursor blinking as her fingers hovered over the Haptic keyboard of her connected datapad, looking at the messages.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
I want 2 try.
It took a lot of courage to hit the 'send' button. A lot of courage. Sara hadn't been this nervous when she brought her first date home to meet her N7 father. And that had been a real nerve-wrecker.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
I'm so fumbling this. But I want 2 try.
IrissaT'Vara
ProtheanDeanUniSerrice
Fumbling?
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
Human sports term. When U try 2 catch a ball but end up juggling it and dropping it. Makes U look like an idiot.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
Feel like I'm fumbling a little. Not sure what 2 say. Or do.
IrissaT'Vara
ProtheanDeanUniSerrice
We have all been there too, fair one.
IrissaT'Vara
ProtheanDeanUniSerrice
Even me.
IrissaT'Vara
ProtheanDeanUniSerrice
You are the first of your species that I have felt enough to try.
IrissaT'Vara
ProtheanDeanUniSerrice
I enjoy our conversations. The look in your eye when you speak of your job and duties.
IrissaT'Vara
ProtheanDeanUniSerrice
In my culture, we call that shar'tari; the drive of passion.
IrissaT'Vara
ProtheanDeanUniSerrice
You push yourself and strive in the service of others. It is a wonder to behold.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
U got me 2 blush a lil there.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
But I feel the same way. I think I could listen 2 U talk about ur work 4 hours.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
It's almost like being there. I bet U can fill a lecture hall with students and colleagues.
IrissaT'Vara
ProtheanDeanUniSerrice
I may have been known to do that a time or two.
IrissaT'Vara
ProtheanDeanUniSerrice
It is a joy to talk to someone who listens and interacts. Not just in Protheantology.
IrissaT'Vara
ProtheanDeanUniSerrice
I will not lie, fair one. I did not think I would find one of your kind enchanting. Too many bad examples?
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
Everyone has their saints and sinners. We have more than R fair share.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
So I'm enchanting, huh?
IrissaT'Vara
ProtheanDeanUniSerrice
Yes.
IrissaT'Vara
ProtheanDeanUniSerrice
If it makes you feel better, fair one, I am nervous, too.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
I wouldn't necessarily say that it makes me feel better, but I guess… a little more appreciative?
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
We'd call it 'being Human'. I can't think of another analogy. Sorry.
IrissaT'Vara
ProtheanDeanUniSerrice
We have the same analogy.
IrissaT'Vara
ProtheanDeanUniSerrice
'Being closer to ones' kind', which amounts to the same thing, I believe.
IrissaT'Vara
ProtheanDeanUniSerrice
I am glad that you are willing to try. I was afraid that I was perhaps too forward.
IrissaT'Vara
ProtheanDeanUniSerrice
I am unsure what the first steps are for a Human.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
No one got anywhere without being a little bit brave.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
And kissing certainly isn't a bad way to start.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
I'd like to see you tomorrow.
Sara winced at that. It sounded so lame. But it was true.
IrissaT'Vara
ProtheanDeanUniSerrice
I would like that as well.
IrissaT'Vara
ProtheanDeanUniSerrice
Very much so.
That had Sara's breath catch in her throat a little. Yes, she wanted to visit the Asari, but she could easily remember what their last visit had consisted of… and where it had almost lead to. She didn't doubt that if she had another visit with the Protheantologist, it would likely end up continuing where they had left off… and going further. Sara couldn't lie to herself; being the Asari's embracing arms, the feel of her lips, the tingling sensation of her Biotics upon her lips, the way she had been pressed against the wall? The young woman knew that, deep down, women were thrilled at the thought of submitting to a more dominate partner, to be taken like a cherished conquest. Just thinking of it gave Ryder a little bit of the shivers, and it wasn't unpleasant at all.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
Then I shall see you tomorrow, Irissa. Sleep well, Professor.
IrissaT'Vara
ProtheanDeanUniSerrice
And to you as well, fair one.
User has logged off.
The next evening, after her nighttime workout and supper with the Marines, Petty Officer Sara Ryder took a few minutes to meet with Gunnery Sergeant Fredrick Halverson, shooting the shit with the Commanding Officer of Red Platoon before begging off to work on her correspondence courses through ENavyU, working on her Associates Degree in Systems Technology at the University of Arcturus Distance Learning Program at the Clinic. Sara always had a head for programming languages and systems software programming, and had written more than a few to optimize her schoolwork and quite a few hacks and mods for her twin brother Scott's near-obsession with Full-Dive MMORPG's. She had actually already written a better GUI VI on-board systems management program for her Sirta Foundations' Phoenix Light Medic Armor for better attenuation for environment and combat operations, re-regulating and making more efficient the power distribution towards the armor's systems, cutting down on waste bleed and getting a few extra gigaHertz out of the protein chip-based on-board processors.
Sara had been toying with the idea of a distribution delivery system of OmniGel to encase the high-tempered ceramic-and-alumnisteel plates in another layer of hardened protection, like another layer of ablative coating upon the armor to absorb more kinetic force, chipping and shattering away to prevent round penetration. While the concept wasn't exactly NextGen, what she wanted was to install a management program that would deliver OmniGel into the cracks and damage in the fabricated layer of defense, 'healing' it by injecting more OmniGel to seal and patch the damage. Sara ran a few calculations on the project, which she just coined 'Tech Armor', and found that she could possibly double the amount of kinetic force absorption. For a Corpsman, who might have to run into the line of fire to pull out a wounded Marine? That was a boon! Integrating it into another Marine's armor would theoretically make them last twice as long as a force-multiplier. She had come up with the idea on the SSV Charger, and had worked out a few ideas on a sketch app, throwing in a few numbers and calculations to help support her idea and find flaws. What she needed were OmniGel distribution nodules installed into a set of armor and test it out, tweaking the system settings and modifying the program for combat purposes. It would require armor modifications for the nodules and delivery system, disposable cannisters of OmniGel integrated into the armor, and a practical field test. Sara wasn't looking forward to the thought of a live-fire exercise with her as a guinea pig.
Her weekly classes for UArc finish, Sara was working on the projected schematic of her Phoenix Light Medic Armor on her datapad, using the three-dimensional wireframe exploded view to detail how to make the Tech Armor work. She had already placed distribution nodules in between the chest plate and shoulder pauldrons, and then another set in between the lower portion of the chest plate and the fauld of the hips to cover the upper torso. Networking the four nodules to work together was a bit of a pain in the ass, since Sara wanted to deliver a directed layer of OmniGel over the chest plate, not an explosion of goop that might immobilize her arms and slather her in a ridiculous fashion. The code needed for it was a bit of a humdinger, needing the dimensions of the chest plate, the varying planes and angels, as well as the hypothetical thickness of the OmniGel layer. Ryder didn't want the OmniGel layer so thick that she couldn't perform her job or magnetically seal her equipment upon her armor, nor did she want the OmniGel to harden over her medical pouches and ammo block pouches, either. It was a work in progress.
There was a knock on her door.
"It's open!" Sara called out, still looking at the exploded wireframe as she looked at the wiring schematic that she had added for the four OmniGel nodes, seeing how she had them set around the armor, avoiding the seals as she barely heard the door to the Clinic opening as she shifted the wires a little more inside the chestpiece of the armor. It would certainly reduce the needed materials, and it actually decreased the power usage by a fraction of a percent, according to the Engineering VI program she had written up a year or so back for such ideas. She saved the new design, wondering if there was a better location for the nodules other than in between armor pieces. She didn't want to just start hacking off pieces of armor, though…
"That is an interesting concept."
"Oh!" Sara was a little surprised to hear the voice of Professor Irissa T'vara as she turned to see the Dean of Prothean Research and Studies looking at her design. The Asari Matriarch was wearing her University jumpsuit uniform, standing at a polite distance away as her eyes looked upon the exploded wireframe view of the Phoenix armor. "I totally apologize! I was engrossed in my pet project!"
"This looks to be… armor modifications for a dispersal system." Irissa took a step or two forward, folding one arm across her chest while tapping a finger thoughtfully on her lower lip. "Fire suppression?" Sara's eyes went wide at that thought. She had honestly never considered that she could, in fact, disperse other chemicals and bonding agents!
"Irissa! You're a genius!" Sara quickly added a side note to her design, adding the words 'flame retardation possibility', and then added right underneath it 'smokescreen dispersion'. The delivery system would be perfect for Coremen and Damage Control on Naval Vessels, where the threat of fire and chemical reactions were always a concern. A Fireman in armor able to enter an area and provide a wide-area flame-retardation chemical could save lives and systems, further saving a ship while keeping his hands free. Likewise, a Corpsman could literally run into a fire to pull out a potential or actual victim, dousing them with the same chemicals to prevent further burns. "I never considered Damage Control or Firefighters, but this would be perfect for them. It would keep their hands free to work while protecting them from fire, not to mention rescue teams able to fight fires and pull out casualties at the same time! Ha! Even if my idea for the OmniGel armor layer doesn't work, this alone is worth the time and effort. This will save lives!" Ryder was all smiles as she looked at T'vara, who looked at her with amusement.
"You conduct yourself with honor, fair one, seeking means to help others even if you are not around." The Asari smiled at her, and Sara felt her cheeks heating up a little. "OmniGel armor, though. It has been tried before, but I see that you are making a self-sealing system so that it is not merely replaceable plate applications that require changing for each mission. You intend for it to repair itself in battle."
"And you don't need to put it on before every mission." Ryder replied, pointing to the diagram, where one of the nodules was located. "The idea is that a Marine or a Corpsman can do any kind of mission, never needing to activate it if it isn't required. But the possibility of having it will always be there in case things go wrong or strange. Much like a Biokinetically-projected Barrier that we Biotics can use to give us another layer of defense." To that, the Protheantologist nodded. "But what I wanted was for one for the common trooper, twice the protection without necessarily adding twice the armor or cost. I'm playing with the thickness and kinetic absorption rates, as well as the perimeters and time required for distribution and hardening. I want the possibility of someone on a routine mission from going from standard protection to a much better degree when required, increasing their survivability and effectiveness. Something like this can translate to C-SEC and Law Enforcement Agencies, various militaries, Protection Service Agents, even politicians and persons who might be under threat of assassination."
"It is usually more difficult to improve armor than it is to improve a weapon, but this… this is certainly something that can be of extreme benefit." Again, the Asari regarded the diagram, studying it. "Have you considered the possibility of pushing the OmniGel through the armor at a molecular level? It would localize the repairs, and create an evenly-distributed layer without the necessary processing power necessary for the management system."
"I would need to hand-craft armor for that, start from the ground up." Sara grimaced, having thought of that possibility. "I was aiming more of a general addition towards armor, something that can be installed for less than the price of a heavier armor so that it could be manufactured and distributed to forces without pennypinchers squawking about how much it would cost to save thousands of lives." She had also thought of placing a distribution nodule right in the center of the armor, but that would screw with the armor's physical integrity, pushing some of the hardware around and needing an extra environmental seal around the nodule as well. She wasn't an armorsmith, and she was trying to make a system for more than just herself. The standard Aldrin Lab's set of Onyx Medium Interceptor Armor, the standard issue for Systems Alliance Marines on deployment and missions, cost just over eight thousand credits. Physically altering it would require expertise and credits. No, she was trying to create a sort of under-harness that could be purchased for less than a second set of armor or for the Onyx Heavy Interceptor Armor to be installed as an addition. OmniGel distribution nodules weren't expensive in a singular fashion, so she was trying to figure out how to make a rig with the necessary amount of nodules and hardware, writing a program that would activate it and maintain it for the user. A second set of armor for less than actual cost of another set of armor, for a second chance at life and success.
"So the concept is to be used by someone with armor, where it can be installed without requiring a great deal of expertise." Irissa nodded, looking at the diagram. "Yes, I see it. That is why the OmniGel are placed at the locations where the armor points are not fused together, using a natural soft spot so a common soldier would not ruin their armor trying to make physical alterations to their armor. Is this meant just for the chest piece?"
"Ideally, I want the system to cover the major organs." Ryder pointed out the curiass piece for chest and the back, the pauldrons for the shoulders, the fauld for the hips, and the cuisse for the thighs. "This would cover most every major blood vessel and all the major organs south of the collarbone. The helmet… will be tricky." Sara admitted, shrugging her shoulders. "But I'm sure that if I can get this design right, someone else will take the concept and come up with something similar for the head."
"I believe I see where you came up with this idea; the retrieval of casualties." The Protheantologist studied the blueprint. "Movement to and from cover is done in quick, short bursts for maximum protection and coverage, to keep ones' self out of the line of fire as much as possible. But retrieval always requires a Sister to rush into the fray, exposing themselves to incoming fire to secure the wounded, putting themselves in danger. This… is a rather elegant solution. You obviously developed it with a Biotic Barrier in mind, giving those without Biotics the same level of capabilities and protection, such as your fellow Corpsman. Others would benefit from it as well."
"Can you imagine someone such as you or I with this, with both Biotics and technological defenses to their repertoire?" Sara turned to the Asari, smiling. "We'd be something like a guardian or a sentinel of the battlefield, able to withstand far longer than most anything."
"I can think of a few occasions when something like this would have been welcomed." The way Irissa said it, Sara knew what the Protheantologist meant. The Matriarch was obviously remembering times when danger was at its greatest, and an added layer of protection would have saved the life or lives of her fellow Sister Commandos. The Human woman slipped her hand into the Dean's, giving it a gentle squeeze as the Asari looked at her as Sara gave her a smile.
"If we aren't trying to be better or do better, then they would have given their lives for nothing." Ryder said, remember something that her father had once told her. "I mean, look at you now! You're a Dean at one of the most advanced and illustrious Universities in the entire galaxy, delving into a field that will advance us towards even greater heights. I bet every single one of them would be proud of you, Irissa."
"Thank you." The words were whispered, but the weight behind them was great as the Matriarch slowly pulled Sara closer to her, and Ryder felt her breath catching in her throat slightly as the Asari's arms slid around her into an embrace, holding her. Sara slipped her hands around Irissa's hourglass waist, letting her sink into the embrace as she leaned her head upon the taller beings' shoulder, closing her eyes and losing herself in the pleasantness of it.
"I… I do like this. Feels like I could stay here forever." She felt comfortable in the Asari's arm, the warmth shared by the Thessian's body lulling her into a more relaxed state. At this very moment, Sara was content.
"I would not mind that at all, fair one." The Professor replied softly, nuzzling her softly as Sara lifted her head and felt soft lips introducing themselves onto her own, the tingling sensation that she had experienced before buzzing through her nerves as she gave off a pleased moan, slipping her hands around Irissa into a more binding embrace, holding onto her tightly. She was leaned back slightly as Irissa took command of the situation, slipping into a dominate role as the Petty Officer felt her resolve melting from underneath her. Lord, much more and she would be pulling the Asari onto her. She was lost in that wonderful moment, so ready to give into the passion and pleasure, the small spikes of nervousness and fear in her heart of the normal variety; she didn't want to get used or hurt. It was then that she realized that she truly was willing to try, to let herself be swept off her feet by this Asari Matriarch. If her worries were of the same that she might have with a Human male she were interested in, then she knew that the other fears were simply just excess. It was as her father said; no one got anywhere without being a little bit brave.
And Sara let herself be swept away.
An alarm woke her up, and set Petty Officer Sara Ryder cursing.
"Shit!" The Corpsman swore as she bolted up from the examination table, seeing her Aldrin Labs' Bluewire OmniTool light up on her left arm with her morning alarm. Fuck, Morning PT would be starting in thirty minutes, and she was in the Clinic, not in the Barracks. She would have to hustle back to the Barracks, change into PT's and join the Marines with nobody hopefully noticing that she hadn't slept in her bunk the previous night. A look to her right showed her the reason why.
Professor Irissa T'vara laid right next to her, awake and looking at her.
"I'm going to be late for work." She might have been a Non-Commissioned Officer, but punctuality was a requirement. Especially since Red Platoon was deployed to a location that had absolutely nowhere to go. It wasn't like she was going to be running late due to traffic anytime soon. Sara tossed off the cheap medical blanket that had been used to cover themselves up, wincing at the fact that she would have to fully get dressed. She wasn't exactly sure where all of her clothes were. 'Scattered' was a good first guess, though. Her bare feet hit the warm metal of the transportation container that was the Clinic, grateful that there was enough light in the Clinic for her to see in, the main lights having been shut off after a night of pleasurable discovery and exploration. She found her panties draped over the bio-vitals monitoring equipment, and her sports bra hanging off of the IV tree. "You're not going to be late, are you?" Sara asked the Asari, who was still laying on the examination table, laying on her side to watch her as Sara shimmied her panties up her legs and over her hips.
"No, I will not be late, fair one." There was a smile on those cerulean lips, and those cyan eyes watched her as Sara got dressed, slipping her arms through the holes of her sports bra before sliding it down and pulling the elastic band below her breasts. "Are you well about last night?"
"Without trying to sound like some savage, rutting beast?" Sara smiled back at the Protheantologist as she found her socks, laying under the examination table. She was pretty sure her Alliance Blue top had been tossed halfway across the Clinic by none other than herself. "Last night was… mind-blowing. Evidently I've been missing out." That had an amused grin on the Asari's face as Sara slipped on her socks, still looking at her… lover? Paramour? Irissa wasn't some fuckbuddy or friend-with-benefits, that was for sure. Sara enjoyed spending time with her, and had been touched when the Asari had seen her Tech Armor Project and actually studied it, adding insight to it. "It's new to me still, that's for sure. But I very much enjoyed being with you, Irissa. If I didn't have twenty-seven minutes to get dressed, make my way back to the Barracks, and then get changed into PT's, and would love to spend time listening to you while cuddling you. You… you make me feel wanted, for more than just sex."
"That is because I do want you, Sara Ryder." The Dean of Prothean Research and Studies replied. "I enjoy your company, listening to you talk, and watching you listen. I value your presence, and I enjoy spending time with you, fair one." Sara felt like blushing a little as she pulled on her Alliance Blues cargo pants, still trying to find her Underarmor shirt. There it was, right with her blouse. "I would like it if we could spend more time together, but not to where you will be in trouble."
"Yeah, that was my fault." The Corpsman replied honestly, shrugging. "I'll have to work something out. I don't think you visiting the Barracks with three dozen Marines will be something you'd prefer." Actually, it would be Ryder who wouldn't prefer it, and the Professor understood it, thankfully. "Without trying to sound trampy or trashy, I'd rather not have my Marines know about this."
"I do understand. I knew that would likely be the case that first night." The Asari replied, and Sara was more than a little relieved that the issue wouldn't be one filled with drama or explanations. "I would not want you getting into trouble with your species or command structure, fair one. I have no issues with discretion, Chief, as you will need to practice a little yourself. There are those who would like to see me brought low."
"There are always haters." The Petty Officer nodded knowingly, thinking of Doctor Lysana M'ala, the first Asari whom she had met upon visiting Dig Site Alpha. The Matriarch had made her displeasure of Sara's presence quite obvious, sneering at her visibly whenever Ryder was conducting her rounds. Most of the Expeditionary Team seemed to have no issues with the Systems Alliance Navy Corpsman, many greeting her pleasantly whenever she arrived, talking to her amicably and answering her questions. She actually had more issues with the Human members from Oxford University, many of the academic members acting stuffy or smug towards her while the Human laborers were more interested in leering at her. No propriety whatsoever. Sara slipped on her Underarmor shirt before tugging on her blouse, sealing the front magnetically. "Now where are my boots… there they are!" Somehow, they had ended up kicked off, and had landed in opposite corners of the Clinic. She retrieved them, sitting on a nearby chair to pull them on and seal the straps after blousing her pant legs. Now fully dressed, she grabbed her blue beret that had been laid upon her terminal table, slipping it on correctly with the 3/7 MAR crest positioned at the center of her left eye, and the excess pulled over her right ear. "So how do I look?"
"Like a Fleet Marine Corpsman should, Chief." Irissa smiled at her, and Sara found herself quite liking that smile. "Also… late."
"Fuck."
Petty Officer Sara Ryder had, thankfully, not been late to Morning PT. In fact, no one seemed to have noticed that she hadn't been in the Barracks at all the previous night. Thank the Lord for a partitioned wall and her own 'room', unlike the other Marines in the opened bay area. She was standing with the Day Shift in her blue Navy-monogrammed PT's, the Marines alongside her wearing a darker shade of Blue with the word 'MARINES' monogrammed in black across their chest as oppose to her white 'NAVY'. PT ended up being oriented towards legs and back exercises, and Sara tried not to make a comment tat she had quite a good bit of exercise involving those very same muscle groups several hours before. The last thing she needed was the boys thinking that she had a Deployment Husband or something. Which would be better than the truth.
She didn't need half of them fistbumping her for 'going Blue' and asking a great deal of awkward questions. That was the best-case scenario.
PT and her own workout was finished when Sara entered the showers to wash the sweat and grime off of her as she took a nice, relaxing shower. Her muscles were pleasantly sore from both the workout and the previous night, and she hoped that she wasn't glowing. Lord, she… she had sex with an alien last night, and it had been absolutely amazing. A deep part of her had to admit that it had been better than anything she had ever experienced. She showered quickly, going back to her bunk and getting dressed into a clean pair of Alliance Blues Battle Duty Uniform, pushing thoughts of the previous night aside as she prepared for the oncoming day.
Twenty-seven plus hour day, and Sara was wishing that she had gotten a little bit more sleep.
The Petty Officer conducted her day like all the others; having breakfast with the Marines, spending time in the TOC, and conducting her rounds with the SOG. Afterwards, she opened up the Clinic, doing a last minute check to see if anything needed tidying up from the previous night before going to the Dig Site. As was her custom, she went through the Dig Site, meeting with various researchers and laborers, inquiring about needs and any potential injuries. She ended up talking to a few of the Humans from Oxford University, finding out that, like the Marines, one or two somehow managed to catch a gastrointestinal parasite. She asked for the Department Head of the Oxford Team to identify those who were sick so that she could administer to their needs, and to inform herself and anyone that might get sick later on that the Clinic was open and available. Doctor Richard Sanders of Oxford nodded in agreement, and promised to send the two laborers who had gotten ill.
Lunch was done in the Clinic after Sara had seen both of the Human laborers, giving them a regimen of anti-diarrhea and anti-nausea pills while telling them to increase their fluid intake and giving them some medical orders for three days' no duty. She updated both workers' medical records with the illness and the prescriptions, and then doing an inventory of her medications to see how long the medications would last if she ended up with an influx of patients. Sara briefly wondered if there had been any prior illnesses before her arrival, and then winced at a thought that hadn't occurred to her before; possible drug use. It was a concern in the Military, but regular urinalysis tests usually caught those using quickly. With civilians? That would be something to bring up with Professor T'vara later on.
She thought about the previous night, and Sara needed to talk to someone about it.
Sara opened her Chirper account on her Bluewire OmniTool and logged onto it. She clicked onto her 'friends' setting and found Jannie's link, clicking on it and sending a private chirp request to her Auntie. She knew it might be a while before Jannie might answer, depending on the time of day and what was going on, but Sara needed to talk to someone she knew and trusted. And she always went to Jannie for that.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
Auntie, U there? Need 2 talk, something personal came up. 1 of 'those' talks -.- :-S
Much to Sara's surprise, her OmniTool pinged with a message, and she saw that she had gotten a response in just a few moments. Obviously, Auntie was up and not particularly busy. She opened up her OmniTools' holographic screen and opened the message box to see that she had been chirped back.
JaneShepard
LionElysium
Course, kiddo. Got urself in a pickle, did we? Does it involve a boy? O:-D
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
Yes, a pickle. No, it doesn't involve a 'boy'. Something… else.
JaneShepard
LionElysium
? O.o ? Something curvier?
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
*facepalm* Yes.
JaneShepard
LionElysium
Joined the Dark Side and went and got urself some cookies, I see. -.o
JaneShepard
LionElysium
At least U were smart enough not to let it B 1 of ur Marines.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
#SoNotTalkingToYou I guess I'm just glad ur mind didn't immediately jump into the gutter.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
Oh wait, it did.
JaneShepard
LionElysium
Duh, #SANavy. So… U like her?
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
It's a lil more complex than that. Ok, lot more complex *facepalm*
JaneShepard
LionElysium
She married?
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
No. I don't think so? I didn't ask. *facepalm* Didn't think about that, but I don't think so.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
She… isn't Human, Auntie.
The next response took several moments, and that had Sara more than a little nervous. She knew Jannie's attitude towards non-Humans in general. It could be that her Auntie was interrupted, or… something else.
JaneShepard
LionElysium
Blue?
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
Yes.
JaneShepard
LionElysium
R we talking nice conversations over miner light dinners in respectable dresses, or bar-sari Maiden?
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
#SoNotTalkingToYou Bar-sari? That's terrible. Where'd u hear that? O.o
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
And no. Not a skanky credit slot. #ThatsJustEww
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
She's the expedition leader to the dig site, Auntie.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
700+. Dean of Protheantology. At #UniSerrice.
There was another pause before the reply came in.
JaneShepard
LionElysium
R we talking 'talking', or R we talking 'action'? ;-)
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
Both. I… think I was seduced. I don't know what 2 think or feel sometimes. o.o,
JaneShepard
LionElysium
She hurt you?
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
No no no! Complete consent. And… it was nice, Auntie. Talking, dinner, feeling sought out for more than just hormones.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
Don't get me wrong. Very enjoyable. Certainly not platonic.
JaneShepard
LionElysium
U had ur 1st romantic affair? #ThatsMyGirl
That certainly wasn't the response Sara had been expecting out of her Auntie. Her Auntie, who would never trust a Turian because she would never, ever know her father due to his death during the First Contact War. Her Auntie, whose disgust towards Batarians was almost palatable due to Elysium, hiring mercenaries, pirates, and slavers to bolster their numbers to hurt Humanity's expansion and sense of security. Her Auntie, who really wasn't comfortable with the others for a garden variety of reasons that really weren't too different from the rest of Mankind. Sara went to Auntie because she was better than admitting it to her brother (who would likely expect pics and high-fives) or her father (who didn't need to think or know that his little girl was having sex with aliens).
Sara knew enough about the Asari to know that what had happened the previous night was merely a 'first date' kind of mate-melding; nothing really invasive or deep, more like a… version of interpersonal touching and feeling. It was difficult to explain being non-Asari, but Sara knew that there were many levels and layers of melding and bonding, and it was customary for a first-time meld with a non-Asari that had never been with an Asari before to be light and gentle, so to speak. Irissa had been very considerate concerning Sara's nervousness, sweeping away her stammering and eased her into a position where Sara found herself practically at the Professor's tender mercy. And… God, it had been so glorious. It hadn't been the hormone-fueled fumbling of some young man who was more interested in his goal of getting laid, but that of someone who was interested in her both professionally and personally. Irissa talked to her about her passions and joys, and had in turned listened to Sara's. It was like a meeting of equals, and it had been… amazing, honestly.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
Certainly wasn't expecting an 'attaboy' out of U. Considering. O.o
JaneShepard
LionElysium
That's my opinion. Not urs.
JaneShepard
LionElysium
And U wouldn't B chirping me if this were something U weren't interested in or about.
JaneShepard
LionElysium
You like her? Honestly?
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
Too early 2 tell. I do like her. But just started, 2.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
She swept me off my feet. And it felt so amazing.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
Every girl should be swept off her feet. It felt so… like caving in but without being worried or concerned or afraid.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
There was mutuality and respect in it, both ways. Not like my brother picking up another bimbo #ThatsJustEww
JaneShepard
LionElysium
I think U like her. At least enough that U probably have a stupid grin on ur face right now.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
Let me check. Yep. It's there.
JaneShepard
LionElysium
Honestly? I'm happy 4 U. Srsly.
Sara felt a little speechless at that, reading the chirp. Her Auntie was… okay with her potentially being in a relationship with an alien? While Jannie wasn't exactly a 'racist' racist, she certainly wasn't defending non-Humans or making compromises in their favor, either. At best, Jane Catherine Shepard was Human-centric, looking out for Humanity first, along with about ninety percent of Mankind. She didn't go out of her way to hate or hurt aliens, but she certainly wasn't rushing out to like or aid them, either. Sara, growing up on the Citadel instead of an Alliance ship like her Auntie, had a different outlook. She had a hundred times more experience with non-Humans than Jannie did, and so she grew up with a completely different set of insights and point of views than Jannie did. So Jannie giving her a sort of seal of approval was certainly surprisingly.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
Ok. I'm shocked. What gives?
There was a most definite pause.
JaneShepard
LionElysium
I know U know what I think and feel. But I grew up Alliance.
JaneShepard
LionElysium
Ur literally the first Human born on the Cit. It was always around U, ur gonna think different.
JaneShepard
LionElysium
100% agree? No.
JaneShepard
LionElysium
100% support? Yes.
Sara was honestly shocked by that. But that's what she wanted. That support, that rapport. Jannie had always been the one she had gone to during little hiccups and road bumps, or whenever she faced a problem and needed someone to talk it out with so she could understand why she felt the way she did. Sara needed that sounding board at times, sometimes just a need to speak the words out loud so she could determine if they were smart or not. And Jannie always listened. She wasn't the judgmental type. When the publicity and hype of Elysium had Sara frazzled, feeling bombarded by the requests of interviews, pics, autographs, and other popularity-related situations, she wanted nothing to do with it. Sara had just wanted to be a normal young teenaged girl, but she had unknowingly pushed herself into the spotlight.
She had gone to Jannie, voicing her concerns and fears, having difficulties in school and even inheriting stalker paparazzi and others that she was afraid were even worse. Sara hadn't wanted that kind of life, and she was scared. Somehow, the message had gotten sent quietly and effectively, and within a week or so, the tag-a-longs and credit-store cameramen all but vanished. Evidently, the Systems Alliance Military Public Affairs Office had a nice quiet word with many of the news mogul businesses to stay away from the young teenager, probably with threats of incarceration and allegations of child endangerment. By the end of the month, life had slowly slipped to semi-normal. Thanks to Jannie. Jannie had always been here for her.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
TY Auntie. I needed that.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
Humans can B jerks, and it's on my mind. I just needed the assurance I am doing the right thing the right way.
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
I worry. I am a woman, after all.
JaneShepard
LionElysium
Begs 2 question. Who wears the pants? O.o
SaraRyder
AngelIllyeria
#SoNotTalkingToYou
"I have something to show you."
Petty Officer Sara Ryder was looking at Professor Irissa T'vara with a smile as the Dean of Prothean Research and Studies of the University of Serrice held what appeared to be a normal-looking Asari-manufactured datapad in her hand as she entered into the Clinic. It was getting close to her time in where she would do the rounds with the SOG to check up on her Marines when Irissa messaged her for a quick meet. Sara had been working on some of her military correspondence courses, reading up on a leadership training module when the Asari Professor had Chirped her.
"Something good or something funny?" Sara asked, a smile coming to her lips at the sight of the Asari, who looked rather pleased with herself.
"Perhaps a bit of both." The Matriarch took a rolling stool and brought it over by where Sara sat at her terminal, sitting on its cushion. "I was excavating my own property earlier when I came across this precious gem. I have not looked upon this in some time, and when I found it, I thought of you." Irissa activated the datapad with a touch and Sara saw that the device turned on quickly to show a still. The Professor handed it over, and Ryder found herself looking at a picture of five armored Asari standing on what appeared to be a battlefield, shoulder to shoulder with weapons in hand and jubilant smiles upon their faces. Of the five of them, four of them had at least two centuries worth of centurymarks upon their faces, purple on three of them and white on another. One Asari had barely a century's worth of yellow marks upon her cheeks. The youngest of the five, yet standing in the middle, holding what appeared to be a submachine gun or perhaps a small carbine rifle. The older Asarikin all had their arms around the youngest, and upon the neck of the yellow-marked Asari was… was that the Grace of Athame?
"That's you and your Commando Sisters." Sara said, having realized who the Asari was with the yellow colonial markings upon her cheeks. "You were awarded the Grace of Athame?" The Grace of Athame was the Asari Republic of City-States' version of the Star of Terra, their highest award, with around the same requirements as the Star of Terra; service well above-and-beyond the call of duty. Auntie had won her Star of Terra holding off over a hundred raiders and slavers from taking thousands of school-aged children. Sara had a feeling she was about to learn the story of the Professor's Grace of Athame.
"Yes, I was." The Asari nodded her head, a sad smile upon her face. "This was during one of the border disputes between the Republics and the Independent Commonwealth of Planets in the Attican Traverse. The Independents had kidnapped a Republic Matriarch Mother and her family, holding them hostage as ransom for some petty demands. My Sisters and I were sent upon a rescue mission to return the Matriarch Mother and her family alive." Ryder could see that Irissa was most certainly remembering those times. "We went undercover in a tramp vessel posing as freelance mercenaries hired to bolster Independent forces. We were allowed to land, and were even invited into their stronghold."
"Whoops."
"Indeed." The smile grew. Sara had no idea who the Independent Commonwealth of Planets were, having never heard of them. Considering that Professor T'vara of today had seven centuries worth of centurymarks upon her cheeks and brow, and Sister T'vara barely cleared a century's worth in the pic, Ryder could guess why she had never heard of the ICP; ancient history for a Human Being. "We infiltrated the stronghold and located the Matriarch Mother and her family as well. Unfortunately, despite that the time for the ransom had yet to elapse, they had been torturing the Matriarch and her daughters. It was… quite barbaric." There was no kind reminiscence with that as Irissa took the trip down memory lane. "Most of it was psychological, which is not to say that it is not traumatizing, but having a daughter listen to her mothers' screams from another room while the Matriarch was force-melded against her will was quite effective."
"That is barbaric." Sara only had the barest idea what a force-meld was; it was akin to rape amongst the Asari, some sort of psychic cerebral violation that any perpetrator found guilty of was given over to the Asari Justicars for capital punishment. She was pretty certain she didn't want to know. "What happened?"
"I happened." The Professor wasn't smiling. "I saw this young Daughter, barely four decades old, behind alloy bars, kept caged like some sort of… animal! Listening to her mother scream, begging mercy for her mother. She… she was offering herself to give her mother respite. Such courage in a child." Irissa shook her head. "A decades' worth of training mattered not in that moment. I felt my blood boil and my Biotics surge, and I simply fell like a Krogan in a bloodrage." Sara reached over and held Professor T'vara's hand, gripping it for comfort. "There were ten Independent warriors in that cruel chamber, and I killed them all without compunction, without quarter, and without mercy."
"Good." Sara didn't doubt she would have done the very same thing. One didn't torture people, and certainly harming women and children was just as cruel and unforgiving. "Single-handedly?"
"My Sisters were in another portion of their stronghold, keeping their forces at bay as I rescued the family, carrying the Matriarch Mother over my shoulder and leading her two daughters to safety. I was wounded twice during the rescue operation, both times protecting the younglings. We fought our way out and boarded our tramp freighter, having set demolition charges to destroy the stronghold. We eradicated that cell of savages without a single tear shed. They were responsible for kidnappings, disfigurements, force-melds, slavery, and BlackTech smuggling. Ending them made the galaxy that much safer." The smile was there, one of pride and honor. "For my actions, I was awarded the Grace of Athame while my Sisters were awarded with White Tides, our second-most illustrious award." Sara looked back upon the picture, seeing the Commandos together, Sisters bound in honor and friendship. One of their own draped with their species' highest award, standing together. "It hurts to admit that I am the only one still alive from my unit. When you spoke of being better, of them being proud of me for my efforts and accomplishments, I thought of this still. And they would have been quite proud of me, fair one, in that you are correct."
"I… here." Sara opened up her terminal, and opened up a folder on the GUI homepage, simply marked 'pics'. She tapped the folder with a finger and brought up a picture that always made her smile. It was a still of the day she left for Boot Camp, leaving the Cit for the first time in her life. She wasn't the only subject on the still. "This was only a couple of years ago," Sara admitted, "but I remember it like it was yesterday. Just graduated the Academy with honors, and I went and joined the SA Navy. My first time leaving the Citadel, and my Dad took this pic right before I took a transport for Earth."
"The young man?"
"My twin brother, Scott." Sara replied, looking upon her twin, seeing the two of them with their arms around one another, a final embrace. "I left first, my transport leaving a few hours before his. Scott enlisted for the Marines, and… that was going to be the first time we were ever truly separated. God, I bawled like a baby walking up that transport ramp, being without Scottie. We were together every day of our lives, before we even drew breath." Sara felt her own hand squeezed, and she looked to Irissa. "For weeks, I felt… hollow, like someone went and plucked half my soul away, or having to do everything left-handed. I realistically knew that the day would come, but when that day actually came? I cried so hard. I just wanted my Silver Medal back."
"Silver Medal? Ah! Second place." That had Sara snort and smile as the Protheantologist got it. "I guess that confirms which one was first."
"And I never let him forget it." Sara smiled, but the smile slipped. "I haven't seen him in two years. Whenever I think about it? It hurts. I remember slipping into his bed when I was little whenever I was afraid the Keepers would come in and rearrange my room while I was asleep. If I saw him today? I think I'd hold onto him for an hour and never let go."
"There is nothing wrong with that, fair one. If I saw one of my Sisters today, I doubt I would ever let them out of my sight again." Irissa smiled as she leaned over and gave Sara a gentle kiss upon her brow. "Thank you for sharing with me, Sara. It felt good to remember."
"I agree." Sara returned the kiss, planting it upon her blue cheek. "I need to do my rounds and check on my Marines. Thank you for showing this to me, Irissa." Sara handed the datapad back to the Asari. "Next time, I'll tell you about my Auntie. You might get a kick out of that."
"I shall hold you to that, fair one."
Author's Note: Chirper is actually the semi-canon Mass Effect version of Twitter. Due to the fact that the ExtraNet bands can only process so much data, and Council, government, and military take the priority, civilian traffic gets what's left. A Chirp is a low-data text message that can easily be sent to a receiver without having to wait for connection due to low bandwidth availability. I believe you can look it up on the Cerberus Daily News wikia page.
I'm not big on social network anything. I seriously had to look up what a Tweet looked like! #CaptainCaveman. Thanks to my eleven year old daughter for social-lingo and tweenitude for Sara's texting flavors. Thankfully, boys are still gross.
I involved texting/tweeting in this, but the file doesn't support a Right Alignment like texts and tweets have for the other person's messages. :p It would also not support the at/address sign, and hashtags/octothorps only if underlined. For a giggle, look up the histories of these electronic/typing symbols and why they were created! The hashtag is indeed called a octothorp, and the at symbol is the address sign, created specifically for e-mail addresses back in the early 70's for ARPANet.
I do mention Sara idea about 'submitting' to a more dominating personality, and how women are geared towards that. I'm not talking sexual harassment, assault, or even forcing. Women generally like men who are 'men'; in charge, assertive, that kind of thing. Irissa T'vara represents the dominant person in the relationship, while Sara seeks to be the dependent person, much like Sam was with her relationship with Jane Shepard in Where The Law Stands Tall and A Fox Amongst The Wolves. I'm not suggesting anything wrong, derogatory, or deviant.
This chapter really was more of what a normal deployment day can be like in a portion of a country that isn't actively trying to kill you. Rounds, TOC duties, police calls, checking up on the tower guards, eating bad chow. I forwent the grab ass, dick jokes, pranks, and normal bitchiness.
Chirping, texting, social networking, and the like will be used pretty extensively through this story, as it is quite prevalent in our society (well, okay, American society). It will actually help drive the story, make it feel like texting, and will have uses later on, like at the end of Chapter 5.
More Auntie. More teasing. What the Lion of Elysium did was never explained, save that Shepard was awarded the Star of Terra. It is very rare to get a Medal of Honor, usually requiring a feat of sacrifice or an utter miracle, plus a rather large body count (one or both sides). I made the Assault of Elysium a raider/slaver run, in which Jane Shepard holds off over a hundred raiders from kidnapping teenagers to sell on the slave markets. That would likely do it outside of an actual war. So Jannie is a shipborn war hero. More to follow.
I really didn't delve too much into what 'melding' is, considering the game really didn't explain it that much. Did ReeRee Peebee even talk about it at all? I figured it was emotional bonding, but added force-melding as a sex crime, which I tapped into during Mass Effect vs. Aliens: The Siege of Hadley's Hope when Jannie Shepard gets in a fistfight with an Ardat-Yakshi in Chapter 13: Semper Fidelis, Motherfucker.
Biotic Copulation - Considering Biotics have a 'higher' bioelectrical field due to their mutation, two Biotics might have a positive feedback. This is what Asari can do with another Biotic, and a reason why they might seek their own kind... or a Biotic from another species. I don't think anyone else has come up with this kind of idea yet, though I know some have entertained the use of Biotics for sex (which... scary? I don't think I want anyone trying to warp my junk, no matter how low-powered #ThatsJustEww)
Sara and Scott were born on the Cit, and I made Sara Firstborn. It occurred to me that the Keepers were everywhere, and the first game did mention how the Keepers would go and rearrange things, like furniture in an office for no real reason. I wondered… would they do that to someone's home? How would a kid feel about some insectoid alien in their room at night? So Sara has a bit of a fear of Keepers because of this. Seems realistic. Hell, I hated German Shepards for a long time because I wanted to watch The Thing when I was five or six and the dog in the movie ended up being a cannibalistic shape-changing alien. Don't get me started on facehuggers. #ThatsJustEww.