A/N: I'm sorry for the horrible delay, but I'm in summer camp, so I'm pretty caught up and stuff.
I will try not to make such long pauses, but I can't guarantee anything. So, here's the chapter I've been working on for so long, and it's also my longest chapter yet.
Enjoy!
P.S. I've never been to CERN myself, so apart from some photos off the Internet, I don't actually know what it looks like. But yeah, artistic integrity and stuff.
Chapter 5
"I take it, you've found out about the admission times? The sooner we know, the better." Says Tali'Zorah, once I close my phone and place it in my pocket. The time is 4:00 pm local time, and we have just arrived at the 'Grand-Feynman' hotel. "Yes; nearest one is tomorrow at twelve. So, we go in with the group, separate, find our way to the LHC, flip the switch, you jump in, I make out of here... right?" I ask half-heartedly. Tali shoots me a glare and asks somewhat mockingly: "You've never actually broken into anywhere, have you? We can't just barge in there and expect to find everything perfect and easy!" I admit, a little hurt: "Well, it's not exactly standard practice in your everyday Russian school..." Not like that's something to be ashamed of. I look her in the eyes, a little more confidently: "And what is your master plan, Ocean's thirteenth?" She scoffs at the missed reference, replying: "I suggest we go there first, scout ahead, find out what is where and then the next time we go, things go down, so stop playing criminal mastermind, Alex." I try to save the situation from spiraling into an argument: "You know I was only joking, right? I mean, really? We should follow that plan, and now that we have some time on our hands, we might as well do something interesting!" Her gaze softens, and becomes more curious than condescending: "Oh? And what would that be?" She tilts her head to one side. Now that we're actually talking about something other than her return to the Mass Effect universe, I'm not quite sure what to speak about... Well, how about... "So among your people, the name of the ship ship that one serves in becomes part of one's name, right? Doesn't that slow down the paperwork involved with keeping up to speed with who serves where and all that jazz?" I inquire. She thinks about it, and answers in a lecturing tone: "Well, not really. A quarian rarely changes the ship they are stationed on, apart from returning from their pilgrimage. It only happens when a ship is destroyed, the person is sent on a special assignment or the quarian places a request, which happens only once in a blue pulsar." I nod my head. I already know a lot about the Quarian people, but hearing it from Tali herself, without a set amount of ones and zeroes to regulate her behavior, was a whole different story. "So, which ship did you serve on prior to your... pilgrimage?" Her tone lightens, as she remembers her childhood: "I was born and raised on the Raaya. It's one of the largest ships in the Flotilla... Then, when I was on my pilgrimage, my captain, Commander Shepard, helped me retrieve some very important data about the... Mineral deposits... of... The Horsehead Nebula. Right. And that was my gift to the captain of the Neema. He accepted it, and so I became 'vas Neema'."
The mineral deposits of the Horsehead Nebula!? Ok Tali, stop bullshitting me. It's time to discuss the "Mass Effect" trilogy.
"You know, Tali, there once was this video game... it was a sci-fi action RPG..." Tali looks at me with distaste: "On the Flotilla, video games are considered a waste of time and energy. Vids, however, are a whole different story." I continue: "So in this game, there's one young commander in the human military, and he was stationed on a prototype space vessel. He went on a mission to save the galaxy from a rouge secret agent and his army of robots, who turned out to be just the top of the iceberg. Along the way, Commander Shepard of the SSV Normandy"-I hear Tali gasp-" met a lot of various aliens: Turian, Asari, Volus," -Tali's stance betrays shock, her eyes wide- "And a girl on her rite of passage, whose race was exiled from their homeworld by their synthetic servants. The Geth." Tali stands where she was, not saying a word. Speechless, I guess. I continue: "The game was called 'Mass Effect'. You didn't only travel back in time, Tali. You traveled across dimensions." The quarian machinist sits on the bed. She's taking this pretty well, I think. "So... How does it end? The game, I mean." Should I tell her about the last installment? Nah, that would make things a lot more complicated.
"Well, the end hasn't been released yet. The last one ends well, though... well, more or less. It depends on how you play it. Tell me, Tali, did the Council survive the attack on the Citadel, led by Saren and his Geth?" Her eyes widen once more, but she replies, her voice a little shaky: "I don't know how you know about all that, but... yes. Shepard signaled the Alliance Fleet to help the council escape, and then led the final assault on Saren. I take it, you played this game?" "Yes, I did; favorite game ever. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about this a while ago, but I hadn't the slightest clue how to do it. It's rather tricky, trying to tell someone that they are a video game character. I also know that you lied to me. Three times. Always about the Geth, too. Why?" She begins to fumble with her hands nervously: "Well, because of the Geth and the threat they present, there is much racism towards our people... I thought maybe... You would also think less of me... of my race." I look at her, but she averts her eyes. "Tali, I wouldn't be so nearsighted. But I can see why you might think so, what with all the racist crap going around in citadel space." Tali nods. She seems to be taking this in stride. "Well, I guess that means a lot less explaining on your part. You realize, however, that I can't tell you about how things will unravel, just that in the end, all will be well." She seems to understand. Wow, she's taking this all really well. I guess that once you get used to the idea that you traveled into the past, cross - dimensional travel doesn't seem that farfetched. "So since you know how this ends, I guess you know how it begins?" I nod: "Yes." And I go on to tell her in semi-high detail about how Shepard and his squad flew around the galaxy trying to save it. Tali corrects from time to time, mostly stuff such as sequence of missions, side quests and paragon/renegade decisions. It seems her Broshep was mostly paragon, slipping into paragade mode from time to time. The Rachni were spared, the council survived, and reporters were punched. He also gave Tali the Geth data, so that's good.
We discuss the events of ME1 for a while, and I'm interrupted mid-sentence by a loud rumble. Woops, looks like my stomach is protesting against the lack of lunch. I look up at the clock, my cheeks turning slightly pink under the freckles. 8:00 pm. Supper should be being served around now. "Tali, I'm gonna go downstairs and eat something. Care to join me, or do you want to stay here?" She takes out a food tube, sets it on the bedside table and gets up. "I'll come with you, I'm not that hungry anyway. I think we got an all-inclusive reservation." She says, her eyes bright. Jeez, Tali, you certainly didn't go cheap! "Where did you get the money for all this?" I ask confusedly. She tilts her head to one side: "I'm sure a few thousand people won't miss a cent or two from their banking accounts." I shake my head with a lopsided grin: "And here we were trying to disprove stereotypes about quarians..." She laughs: "Well, maybe, but their lives don't depend on those few cents. Mine does." I nod again. "True that. Well, let's go, shall we?" We head downstairs, and soon find the restaurant room. They have a large buffet of various foods: hot, cold, deserts, assortments of cheeses and sausages, ice cream and pudding. I look at Tali with wide eyes. She says nothing, so we split up; she finds us a table and I get some food. Honey-glazed chicken wings, here I come!
Well, that was filling. After a three course meal, during which Tali and I discussed off topic things because there were people around, we head back to the room, where I plop down on the couch, and I make sure that I miss the wooden divider this time. "Well, you sure took advantage of 'all inclusive', Alex." Tali chirps coyly. I pat my stomach and say: "what can I say? I love good food, and good food loves me." She looks at me with disapproval: "on the fleet, gluttony is frowned upon... but I can see that doesn't apply to humans." Oh Tali. You certainly should read more Dante. "It does, but the occasional treat is fine. Anyway, aren't you hungry yourself? The last time you ate was this morning." She looks over to the tube of nutrient paste, and comments: "The paste may not taste great, but it supplies enough nutrition and liquid for a standard galactic day. Of course, they last about 20 hours, as compared to your 24 hour cycle. But I'll be fine until tomorrow morning. When should we head out to CERN? I mean, how long should it take?" She asks. I look at my phone; if we want to get to the research center on time for the twelve o'clock excursion, we should leave by taxi about half an hour earlier. "Eleven thirty. We should be fine if we leave then. Until then, I don't really know what to do. I'll call up a cab." I take my phone from my pocket and dial the local taxi service. Meanwhile, Tali brings up her research data on dark energy and starts skimming through it.
Once that's out of the way, Tali and I discuss our plan in further detail. She'll keep her onboard recorder running the whole time we're there, and I'll try to answer any questions directed to her. We talk a little more about the plot of Mass Effect, which really gives me -a good perspective of how the course of action was through her eyes. She really came to admire the commander, whose first name was, oddly enough, James, not F#ckface, which was what I named him after seeing how ugly he came out when I first created a custom appearance. She believed he was a shining example of humanity's best and brightest, the only one capable of saving the galaxy from Saren and his Geth, which he did. He also managed to talk both Saren, and the dude from the Feros colony, into shooting themselves. Talk about being so hard to antagonize that bad guys commit suicide.
Soon, we both go to bed, each on our own item of furniture; Tali on the bed and me on the sofa. I lay there for a while, unable to fall asleep: I'm going to see CERN tomorrow! Much cool, such wow. Too bad I'll be too busy finding out important things about the place to pay any attention to the actual research and stuff they do there. I fall asleep, the exiting thought still in my mind.
Ow.
...
Ow.
...
Ow.
...
I open my eyes and see the back of the couch I was sleeping on. My head is turned at an unnatural angle, propped up against the armrest. I turn over, straightening out my neck.
Pop-pop-crack-pop.
Ow.
Note to self: before falling asleep on a couch, take a pillow. And make sure you use it, lest you want to wake up sounding louder than a jumping elephant whenever you slightly turn your head. Oh, well. I get up and stretching my legs and arms. I look over to the bed; Tali is asleep on it, spread out on it like a cat on a hot summer day. Darn, I miss my cat already. What time is it? I glance over to the clock on the wall: nine o'clock, plenty of time. Should I wake her up? ...Nah. I throw on my jacket and head downstairs for breakfast. I pick up some cereal and a few sandwiches, along with a large cup of coffee.
Twenty minutes later, I launch 'TaliTalk' on my phone, Insert the earpiece, to which my ear has already accustomed, and return to the room, where I find Tali making - or, at least, trying to make - the bed. She turns over the sheet, unsure which way it goes. I chuckle. "Need some help?" - I ask. She looks at me briefly, and returns to fumbling with the bedding. "I might not be able to feel anything outside the suit, but this was the softest bed I've ever slept on. I wanted to return the favor to the staff..." She puts the sheet down in defeat- "...but it seems that's not really happening." I walk over and pick up where she left off, finishing the work with far more experience. "So Tali, it just occurred to me, but what am I to do once you return? I mean, we should probably buy me a ticket back. I wouldn't want to be stuck here, however nice the skiing is in the Alps." She replies, bringing up her Omni-tool: "I already took care of that. Here, take a look." She gestures with her free hand to the orange holodisplay. I look, and see an E-ticket ready for printing..."Ok... 5 pm, three days from now... already paid. Great!" - I conclude. Wow, will I really be parting ways with Tali in only a few days? It's kind of hard to believe that… of course, the fact that she's even here is hardly an easily believable thing in itself. Still, I'll miss her when she leaves… these will have been some of the most fascinating days of my summer –Nay, of my life! But I digress.
Tali shuts down her Omni-tool, puts on her human clothes over the enviro-suit and consumes one of the nutrient-paste tubes, while I pack the few things I might need there into the orange duffel bag. Soon after, the Taxi service calls, and informs us that the Taxi will be arriving shortly – within the next ten minutes, in fact. Better get moving then! I take the bag, and together we descend the stairs to the lobby and exit the hotel. The taxi isn't there yet, so we just sit on a bench near the entrance, which gives us a chance to get a good view of the surrounding area, which is truly gorgeous: the resort complex is situated in a valley between two mountain ranges, both gigantically huge and long. To the other end of the valley, a glacier can be seen on the top of a particularly large mountain, still large and white in the summer. A small but noisy creek flows from the base of the nearest mountain, gurgling happily as it flows by the hotel. The surroundings create a serene and tranquil atmosphere. The calmness is interrupted by the sound of a car engine, followed soon buy its source, our cab. The driver honks once, drives up to the entrance and gets out. Tali and I rise from the bench, and walk up to the cabbie. I explain where we need to get and when, and soon enough we're on our way. The driver explains, his English tinted with a Swiss accent: "We get people from all over the place at that hotel, wanting to visit CERN. Usually, though, they are either ageing scientists or young students, not..." he waves his hand in our general direction. I ignore this jab, writing it off as just a surprising change from routine. Most of the remaining trip, the taxi driver explains the surrounding to us, occasionally pointing his finger towards something in particular: names of mountains, rivers, towns and other things.
Soon after, we turn building in a small town, and see Lake Geneva, along with a large flat plateau, spread across a wide area. Off in the distance I can see the outline of a large complex of buildings. "That's it, over there. Which building do you need?" I try to recall, but come up blank. Damn, which one was it? Oh, here's an idea! "The reception, please." He nods, and continues driving on. The complex grows larger and larger as we approach. I think I can even see a large globular building… The Globe of Science and Innovation, wasn't it? We arrive shortly after, and drive up to a large four-story bright-gray building with a large glass door and big windows. "Here we are." Concludes the cabbie, as we climb out. I pay the man, and he drives off back in the direction of Geneva. Tali and I stand by the entrance for a few moments, taking in the view. Le look at each other briefly, and then step in.