Ben was sitting alone in his room trying to go over what had happened on the last mission. He had been trying to get over the shock that he was in space ever since he had gotten here, wherever here was. Nothing worked though, he kept thinking of home. Thoughts of his squad came up, thoughts of his brothers, his Ma and Pa. Had he failed them? Had he failed his fellow gears? He couldn't help but feel that he needed to return home...he wished he had some way to do it.
He had removed his chest armor and was going through it on his work bench. His armor had taken quite a few hits in the last engagement. He was also running low on ammunition. He would have to go to the armory and pick up the new ammo from Mr. Taylor. He was looking over his longshot rifle, checking every inch of it for any detrimental damage. It had many scratches and nicks, but so far he had yet to damage the high powered rifle.
He placed the rifle on the bench, looking at his helmet. It had been delivered while he was away with Shepard on Purgatory. It was still burnt and had several scorch marks around the optics, but the optics themselves and the inside padding had been refurbished. He slid the helmet on, hearing it hiss as it sealed onto his body suit. Unlike most gears, he kept the body glove on.
They body glove was a simple enough concept. It was a spandex jumpsuit that sealed air tight onto your skin. It covered your arms, legs and torso. Your gloves, boots and helmet finished the seal that made it airtight. It had been tested temporarily in space when they were putting a satellite up for the hammer of dawn array. While the suits they used in space had been heavily modified, he should 'technically' be able to add oxygen recycling tanks inside his armors compartments to be able to breathe if he had to go into a zero g environment.
He felt comfort in seeing his familiar blue tinted optics light up. The helmets audio receptors amplified the noises around him. He could hear distant whispers. The engineers outside were talking about engine repairs and maintenance. He could also here someone cursing...a lot. That was most likely that woman Jack. She had quite a mouth on here if he had to say so himself. He and his brothers rarely used curse-words, their mother would usually beat them with a wooden spoon if they did.
Something about her had been unusual, but he had decided that it was just his imagination. Him being the youngest of his brothers at the age of eighteen, he had never really been around girls. His Ma always said he was a shy boy who wouldn't see a brick unless it hit him. He was sure it just meant he couldn't understand women.
That being said, Ben really missed home. He was even starting to miss the constant threat of the Locust. Out here, on this ship, he just felt like he was being lazy. He wasn't constantly drilling or moving to the next mission location like back home. Home...he really missed his family. He even missed Anthony.
Ben started to clean his gear, wiping a cloth over it to clean off the grime that was building up. He wiped his chest plate in slow, careful circles. The blue hue of the armor started to shine again. He liked his gear, it was a comfortable fit.
One thing Ben couldn't figure out was how he was so tall here, but at home he was a runt compared to his brothers and other Gears. He towered over everyone here and he was just a kid. Everyone here was just smaller for some reason, like they were miniature. Not that he minded being the big guy for once, but it was bothering him a little.
He would probably need food soon. He hadn't really eaten anything since he had gotten back from the mission. That was a couple hours ago, so he could probably kill some time by going up to the Galley and getting some grub.
He decided to strap his armor back on. He pulled the heavy metal chest piece on over his head, sliding his arms into the sleeves and strapping the gauntlets tightly to his wrists. He felt comfortable wearing the heavy armor, it reassured him and helped him believe that he would be safe.
Standing up and backing away from the table, he decided no time was better than now to go get that grub that he needed. He walked to his door, sliding his hand over the holographic switch on the right side of the door. He watched as the door slid to the right, allowing him access to the bay. He walked through the door, turning around and closing it as he did.
The engineering bay was empty at the moment, Ken and Gabby must have went to their quarters for some rest. He enjoyed talking with them, they reminded him of some of his classmates when he was in school. They always made him smile a little bit.
Ben walked to the door, it automatically opening for him. It reminded him of the doors at the supermarket in a way. He passed through and noticed the ships newest crew member walking out the opposite door. He hadn't really gotten a chance to talk to her, maybe they could talk for a bit?
He jogged up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder when they passed through the doorway. He was getting ready to say hello when she freaked out.
" Get the fuck off me!" She yelled as she spun around and slammed her fist into his face. He staggered back a bit and held up his hands in defense. He hadn't meant to startle her.
" Hey, calm down! I just wanted to talk a little, okay?" Ben said hurriedly said as Jack prepared another strike. She stopped, the energy covering her fist fading away. She was breathing hard, obviously still angry.
" Don't touch me, you little shit. I don't care how big and tough you are, I will kill you." She looked him dead in his eyes, or at least his optics. She was mad, furious even, but Ben could see that look in her eyes. It was an act. His brother had went through a phase like this once and his father set him straight. Something bad had happened to her though, he could tell.
" What happened?" He asked. She looked at him confused. She didn't really know what he was asking.
" What the fuck do you mean, 'What happened'? You came up behind me and grabbed me!" She yelled, getting in his face, her fists once again becoming surrounded by that bluish black energy. Ben just kept starting into her eyes, seeing that fear behind the anger. This was obviously not the best time, maybe another day he would bring it up. Instead, he just sighed.
" I'm sorry for grabbing you. I just thought maybe we could talk a little bit before I headed up to get some food. If you want, you could even join me. What do you say?" Ben asked, just trying to be friendly. She just huffed and mumbled as she walked back through the door and down the stairs. Had he really been that bad?
Deciding to do something else rather than just sit around, Ben walked up to the elevator and walked in. This time, an older man came up and stood beside him inside the elevator. He wore some roughed up looking armor. He also had a scar around his right eye, the eye itself a milky white color that was common with blindness. He looked to Ben, nodding and reaching his hand out in a gesture of a handshake.
" Hey there, names Zaeed Massani. You must be the guy we picked up on Omega. Your name is?" He had an accent that reminded him of the men of the southeast seas on Sera, they were a rough bunch. Ben grasped his extended right hand with his own, shaking it once in a firm fashion.
" Benjamin Carmine, pleasure to meet you." The older man laughed a little, a smile coming to his face. He watched the doors close and turned back to look at Benjamin.
" You must be young, manners like that get lost after you start to age. How old are you anyways? Twenty, twenty-five?" Zaeed asked, purely curious as to Ben's age. Surely a man of that insane height and build couldn't be any younger.
" I just turned eighteen a few months ago actually. Thanks for the compliment though." Ben said. Zaeed just looked at him, his jaw a little slack from shock. He quickly regained his composure though and chuckled a bit.
" Damn, wish we got all got as big as you. Probably wouldn't get pushed around as much, ha! That would have taught those Turians back when we made first contact. You look like you could rip one in half, no offense." He chuckled when Ben just shrugged. He was used to that. Gears were always a lot bigger than any non-military personnel. They were trained for battle and as a result of genetic modifications and supplements they grew far larger than other men of Sera.
" In all honesty, where I'm from I'm smaller than most. I'll get a few inches taller in the next few years. I hope to be as tall as my brother Clayton when I get to be his age." These words from Ben made Zaeed laugh even more.
" Where are you from anyways, never heard of men your size anywhere in during my time. Are you from the Traverse or a colony outside Citadel space?" Zaeed asked. He was certainly curious as to where this soldier came from. Judging by the gleaming titanium revolver on his hip, he was from a primitive world. Probably a self funded colony in the Terminus somewhere that didn't have a lot of money.
" You could say we're a well kept secret. Maybe you can visit sometime and share stories when the war is over." Ben told him. He wished that he would be able to return home. He wanted to tell everyone about all he had seen. To tell them they didn't have to fight the locust or the Lambent anymore. They could fall back to another planet and regroup and maybe even make peace.
That was a dream he rather liked. Making peace so no one had to die anymore. His Pa always told him, 'Benjamin Carnelian Carmine, everything deserves the chance to live. No one should take pride or joy in taking life. What you take pride in is defending those you love. That, and one hell of a good fight.' They were words that he remembered fondly. Few Carmines loved killing, more likely the guns, explosions and fights are what made them fight for the COG.
" A war, eh? I'm sorry bout that mate, war is never a fun thing." Zaeed sympathized with Ben. He had seen a lot of fighting in his time. He just wanted paid for it. The elevator stopped and opened on the third deck. The two men stepped out of the small metal box. They both walked to the mess, getting in line to get some food from Mess Sgt. Gardner. Ben's stomach kept grumbling and it was starting to bother him. He grabbed a tray and slid it down the counter, Zaeed following just behind him. Gardner was currently serving breakfast, Ben's favorite part of the day.
" Benjamin! What do you want today? I've got scrambled eggs, bacon and toast with a serving of orange juice. Sound alright for ya?" Gardner was proudly displaying the food on large serving trays. He was especially proud that he had made it from the basic ingredients he had been given. Ben was practically drooling when he saw the massive pile of bacon, noticeably less eaten than the eggs or toast. Gardner noticed him so focused on the bacon and immediately started piling it on his tray along with a slice of toast and three scoops of eggs.
" Whoa, are you sure?" Ben asked, dumbfounded at the amount of bacon on his tray. It must have been two pounds easy. He was hoping that Gardner wasn't joking. Gardner smiled and nodded.
" Trust me, it's yours..." He turned his head to the right and yelled to the table filled with people eating, " Nobody else here seems to eat meat anyways!" He then turned back to Ben and smiled once more. Apparently everyone on here didn't believe in the magic that came with bacon. Ben just stared at the bacon as he grabbed a juice to drink. He had never been given so much bacon before.
Ben walked over to the tables, taking a seat at the end of the table closer to the medical bay. The crew looked at him momentarily then went back to eating their food and talking. Been slid off his helmet, the snap-hiss that came with unsealing and then he could see without the blue tone of the helmets optics. He smelled the bacon and it made him so hungry. He started to drool a bit and then reached for it, admiring the crispy brown pieces of meat, when something broke his concentration.
" Whoa there big guy, what's with those tats and scars?" The voice was very playful and feminine. Ben looked up from his bacon to see where the voice had come from. In front of him was a...ninja. That's what he thought anyways. The woman was hooded and seemed to be wearing a body suit. From what he could see she had very pale skin, pale full lips and a light purple stripe that went from her bottom lip to the middle of her chin. Her eyes were a dark brown from what he could she, with a joyful glimmer that he remembered seeing in a pickpocket he had met when he was younger.
" ...What?" Ben said, still thinking of the bacon that he held in his right hand. He had to hunch over the table and his elbows were resting on the surface of the table. He hadn't really heard what she had been saying. Something about tats and scars? Could she be talking about his face?
" Your tribal and those intertwining scars on your face beg fella. Where did you get your scars and what does the tattoo represent?" She seemed genuinely curious and also very nice in Ben's opinion. He smiled at her, his canines showing slightly as he did, making his look a bit feral with his unruly brown hair, but still gentle and kind.
" Well, it'd be easier if I start with the Tattoo's. I'm warning you, it's going to take quite a while to explain it all. You sure about this miss..?" She nodded and smiled more when he agreed to tell the information.
" I'm sure. My name is Kasumi Goto and you are Private Benjamin Carmine. Shepard filled me in." She smiled, excited to get to hear what was bound to be an amazing story.
Leave reviews. Next, the tale of Ben's Tattoos! Sorry it's taken so long to get this out. I also apologize for skipping between first and third person the first seven chapters. I'm going full 3rd person from now on. Please enjoy and again, review. I'll read them I promise