A/N: Okay. Last time, we got a bunch of goodbyes out of the way.

This time, we advance the drama on Virmire forward. And yes, this chapter will have Wrex's fate put on full display in this chapter, as well as what happens to Art on the mission. And it will be quite something to see, I can tell you that much.

All right, so without further ado, let's get this show on the road.

Chapter 14: Virmire Part 1

Ash, Kaidan and I stare at Kirrahe in disbelief. I'm the first to cross my arms. Fuckin' bastard doesn't want to be nice? Fine. I'll spare no expense on this guy at all.

"At least they sent someone," I point out, the frown on my face prominent. "The least we could use is a 'thank you', you ingrateful son of a-"

"A-ha-hall right, then..." says Kaidan a bit quickly. "We have a few more people headed this way, Captain. They had to take down some defenses."

The salarian captain. "But still, only one ship?" he asks. "Why only one ship?"

You should be thankful you got any ships at all, you son of a bitch.

"From what we know, the transmission was unclear, Captain," replies Kaidan. Yeah, yeah, do away with the 'Captain' crap. This is ridiculous. This son of a bitch should be thankful we're here in the first place.

The salarian is quick to shake his head and close his eyes. "Oh, no..." he says.

"What does that mean for us?" asks Ash.

"I'll need more time to come up with a plan," replies the salarian.

And then I hear the approach of an engine in the distance. I look over to the side to see the Mako driving up to the salarians in the camp.

"Well, hopefully you'll have a bit more time, Captain," I say. Yeesh, I wish I didn't have to say that word... "Our commanding officer's just arrived."

As soon as I say this, Shepard and the alien company on board the Normandy gets off, all looking over to us. I feel bad for Tali and Liara; I'll bet they're burning up in their suit/clothes. Black really is a bad color for heat like this...

"Oh..." he says as Shepard approaches. "I apologize. I heard that the Council transmission was unclear."

"That it was," says our commander. "Do you need to come up with a new plan or something?"

"That would be adviseable, yes," says Kirrahe. "I will need your two officers here." He indicates Kaidan and Ash. "The rude one can stay."

Oh, that son of a bitch! "Hey!" I shout, holding my arms out. "What the-?"

"Serviceman, stand down!" commands Shepard.

Oh... Okay... I'll shut up now... But only because you say so! If I had my way, I'd have ripped this motherfucker's head off two seconds ago!

"I apologize for the behavior of my soldier, Captain," says Shepard. "He can be a little jumpy, to say the least."

"If he does not get in the way, it should be all right," replies Kirrahe as he, Shepard, Kaidan, and Ash walk off. I hear the end of their conversation as the other salarians disperse. I see the group head over to a tent where Kirrahe then turns to them.

Right. Now they're going to get a debriefing. I get the general jist of it, though. It's a cloning facility where Saren is breeding a krogan army. And Saren's also cured the genophage. At least, thats what I remember. And that's what I hope. If I see Wrex storming out of there, I'm right.

Right. Time to just stand here and admire the scenery I guess. I walk away from the Normandy and cross my arms as I look around. Yeah, this definitely looks like I could walk into Matheson Hammock in ten steps. This is pretty awesome, I've got to admit. But, of course... there's everything else looming in the horizon.

I wonder what happened to my body back there. Did I die? Did I disappear? Did I go into a coma? I'm sure that it'll be a question that'll be answered soon enough. At least, when I wake up. If I wake up in a coffin, then yes, I died and came back to life. Too bad I can't go to the Uma Thurman school of escaping a casket ten feet underground. No... If I wake up in a hospital bed, I came into a coma. If I wake up back in the practice room, I disappeared. Right, I think I can handle that.

"You know, being rude to a commanding officer is not exactly a good way to get on our good side."

Holy shit! I turn to see a reddish-brown salarian standing right there. Whoah, nelly. I didn't see you there. "Oh," I say. "Well, let me put it this way: I tend to hate it when people don't seem to appreciate even smaller things. It's just how I am. That, and if you're not grateful I tend to get pissed off easily."

"That may be so, but lashing out isn't away to go about it," replies the salarian.

I cross my arms in front of me and shrug. "May be," I say. "Either way, I'm a highly tempramental son of a bitch, so I'm still likely to go thinking about it no matter what happens."

The salarian seems to agree with this and he nods. "However you look at it," he says. "But still, it's probably not best to get on our commanding officer's bad side. It's not good for a salarian to be in your position."

I shake my head, biting my lower lip. "In a few hours, it's likely not going to be an issue anyway," I say. "But still, I see your point. If I offended your commanding officer... well... I didn't really need to lose my temper like that."

The salarian gives me a small nod. "My name is Jarel Brosca," he introduces himself. "I'm on the science team for this mission. Yours?"

"******," I reply. "My good friends call me Art. I'm a musician-turned-serviceman, if you can believe that. A pleasure, Jarel." Jarel. Hm. Well, that'll be a simple name to memorize. Good thing it's simple, since it means that my usual problem with names won't really be as bad.

He nods. "A pleasure," he says. "It's nice to see something other than a salarian and a krogan for once."

I raise my eyebrow. "Krogan?" I ask. Okay, so that definitely confirms the 'krogan army' bit. "What would krogan want with a turian?"

"Saren's breeding an army," replies Jarel. "When I infiltrated the science labs, I found data on a cure for the genophage."

Yep, everything's exactly as it was in the game. Playing along, I jolt and look over to Wrex, who's... storming over to the tent. "Oh dear," I say. "That might not sit well with our krogan friend. At all."

Jarel blinks before his attention turns back to me. "You know about krogan history?" he asks.

I nod. "Yeah," I say, turning my attention back to him. "I know a lot more than a human my age really should."

"Well, it doesn't hurt," says Jarel, crossing his arms. "I imagine making nice with a krogan is not easy."

"Probably not," I say. "But I didn't find it so hard. Of course, that's just this guy we're talking about, and he's not as bad as most."

Jarel nods. "There are exceptions to everything," he says. "But I must say; if you are tempramental as you say, you two complement each other well."

I turn to him, my head rooting violently in place as I hear this. Well, that's new... "I thought we complement each other well because we get along," I say.

"Clinical evidence proves otherwise," replies the salarian. "Your behavior seems more like a cross between a krogan and a human than anything else."

I blink. "Well, that's hardly fair," I reply, crossing my arms. "I'm sure you'll meet a lot of other humans more hot-headed than I am. If you know what I mean."

"Humans are all a strange bunch, though," he says. "You're all overly diverse, in a strange kind of way. That's what I like about humans. So unpredictable. I always find myself surprised."

Hm. I don't like where this is going. "You're treating this like a science experiment, aren't you?" I ask.

"Oh, but it's a fascinating one," replies Jarel with a strange kind of joy in his voice. "The best science experiments are always the ones that you can find outside of the lab. What you can see in people."

Hm. Well, when you put it that way... "You know..." I say, rubbing my chin in thought. "You're right. Looking at how others behave is kind of interesting in it's own right."

"Good to see we're in agreement on the issue," say Jarel. "We-"

He doesn't get to say much else before suddenly we hear yelling from Kirrahe's tent. And then we both see Wrex storm away, stalking over by the water as his body betrays something crazy. Oh, shit, something's just hit the fan.

"Yep, he definitely wasn't happy to hear it," I reply, snapping into attention. I see Shepard walk out of the tent a few seconds later as we both behold this.

"I imagine Kirrahe must have referred to the krogan badly again," says Jarel, shaking his head. "I keep telling him to watch his mouth around krogan, but he never gets it."

I blink at this. Shepard walked out of the tent, but... wait, she's not going to Wrex... Wait... She's heading to...

Oh, shit... This is serious. I don't notice that she's right in front of me until she gets my attention. I gulp and look up at her.

"Commander?" I ask, nervously.

"Art," she says. "Wrex isn't too happy about stuff."

I blink. "It's because of the genophage cure, isn't it?" I blurt out. Oh, boy, I don't like where this is heading.

"I explained it, ma'am," says Jarel. "If you were wondering."

The commander glances over to the scientist as she nods. "I see," she says. "That makes my job easier then." She turns back to me. "We're afraid he's going to turn on us. So... we need to talk him out of betraying us. So I'm sending you in to talk to him."

Oh, shit. I have to talk to Wrex? What? But... No! No! This isn't like the game at all! Shepard was supposed to go talk to him, not some kid who's only good for writing music!

Besides, I can fuck up at this part! This is insanity! I can't possibly do that! I'd mess up! And...

No. Just no. I'm telling Shepard to do it.

"Well, with all due respect, Commander, aren't you his commanding officer?" I ask. "So therefore, shouldn't you be the one to talk to him?"

"Yes, I should," replies the comander. "But as it is, you're the person he trusts more on the Normandy. I think he'll be more likely to listen to what you have to say than what I have to say."

I blink. Well, I can't argue with that, but I still don't think this is a good idea... "But... are you sure?" I ask. "I mean, no offense, Commander, but this could get bad fast."

Shepard looks out. I can see Ash getting into position. Shit... they're already planning on killing him! "If you can't talk him out, we'll have to kill him." replies Shepard after a brief pause. "Please, Art. Do this for him."

Fuck... I really don't have a way out of this, do I? I... I really don't know. I don't know if I can do this. The game had it happen either way, so I know this isn't something I can take lightly... but what makes this worse is that Wrex is my friend. I've befriended a krogan. And... And if I can't save his life... Then what kind of friend am I? I...

No. You'll never know unless you try, Art. Okay... I guess I've got no choice... if I don't try, he'll die anyway.

I nod gravely. "Very well," I say. "I'll talk to him." I turn to Jarel with a nod. "A pleasure meeting you, Jarel."

And with this, I look over to the krogan. Okay, just take a deep breath. You can do this, Art. You can do this.

All right. Let's go.

I approach Wrex, a small amount of trepidation in my step as I near the krogan. I see him looking over the small river that flows from the nearby dam. His gaze is determined, like his mind is set. And there's a tension in his arms that I never saw in there before. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Ash standing with her pistol at the ready, getting ready to fire.

I can't believe I'm the one who has to talk Wrex out of his betrayal instead of Shepard. This... fortune really couldn't resist trying to fuck with me, could she? As if I'm not doubting myself enough over the nuke, I have to deal with this now. If I fuck this up... No, no, Art, focus, you can do this. You can talk Wrex out of this. The only person I trust more on the Normandy is Tali. And from what he's said in our conversations as of late, he trusts me more than anybody in the Normandy. I helped him get his family armor back personally. I'm just the naive guy, and he's the hardened warrior. I can do this.

I approach him, and I look to the krogan. "Wrex," I say. "I heard about what you're planning on doing for Saren."

Without missing a beat, he speaks. "This isn't right," he says. "If there's a cure for the genophage, it can't be destroyed."

I blink, almost taken off guard by how direct he is. I hesitate briefly as I clench and unclench my fists. Once I start talking, I can't stop. I can't reload a save. I've got one shot to do this, and one shot only. And if I fuck up... he'll die. And I like him too much for that.

Taking a deep breath, I go for it.

"That... that may be so," I say, holding my hands in front of me. "But we both know that the guy holding it is the enemy. Be mad at him, if anything."

He turns to me, a displeased look on his face as he approaches. "Really?" he asks, his voice threatening. "Saren created a cure for my people. You and Shepard want to destroy it." He waves a hand at me. "Help me out here, Art. The lines between friend and foe are getting a little blurry from where I stand. Especially as far as you're concerned, as you told me you hoped we would find a cure. Where do you stand?"

I feel a shiver travel down my spine. Shit, I probably shouldn't have said that, looking back on it now. But I can't take it back. It'll make it harder... Fuck... My heart is racing faster than it ever has in this universe. It's racing away, almost as if it's running a marathon. It's almost as bad as The Lizard in Heavy Rain... If this is to be my last effect on the plotline... No, Art, you can do this. And you have to try.

"I... I don't think I should have to explain it, Wrex," I point out nervously.

He approaches, and his face is almost in mine. I can see the black pupils in his crimson eyes, and they are shining with more determination than I've ever seen in him. Oh, shit... He's serious.

"Indulge me," he replies. "I've been fighting by your side since we met on the Citadel. You did more for me than my family ever did. And you... I trust you. I know you're doing this for Shepard, and I'm willing to talk with you, seeing as how I trust you more than her. But if I'm going to keep on fighting with you and Shepard, I have to know I'm doing it for the right reasons."

With this, he pulls his shotgun on me. I stumble back a little bit, almost losing my composure. Fuck... I knew he did that in the game, but... I didn't think facing down a determined krogan would be like that. That barrel is pointed at me. If he fires and Ash doesn't do it on time... I'll be back home, but he'll die right after I do... Shit, this is terrifying...

I stand there, too shocked to reach for my pistol. I can't... I can't do this... I don't think I can convince him not to change sides... And he's gonna die... And it's gonna be all my-

"Why haven't you drawn your weapon?" he asks, determinedly.

Why haven't you drawn your weapon? Something about that gets me. Something...

That's it! I can do this! I've got a way to do this!

I look behind me, and take my pistol. I give it a brief glance before I drop it onto the ground. Soon after, I do the same thing to my assault rifle and my shotgun, the weapons landing on the white sand below. I look at him with a slightly more determined glance.

"I won't," I say simply, courage beginning to flow through my veins.

Wrex's grip on his shotgun falters, and he gives me a once-over. I see Ash do the same thing out of the corner of my eye. "You also said you would help stop Saren when you first boarded the Normandy," he says.

"I never said which..." Ah, damn it, there goes my horrible public speaking skills. "I didn't say... how far I would be willing to go." Okay, I think I've got my wording. "Frankly, I draw the line at raising my gun at someone I consider to be my friend."

Yeah. A friend. I would stand in front of a friend's shotgun to keep him from dying. In my past life, I would have laughed at myself for even considering doing that. But this is different. This is Urdnot Wrex, future leader of the Krogan. I know he could potentially get killed here. And frankly, I won't let that happen. Consider it my last contribution to the Mass Effect universe before I let myself die. Consider it a final act of friendship for Wrex.

"I see," he says, his grip faltering slightly. "That's a pretty ballsy move there, Art. I'll ask again: Why should I continue to trust you?"

Well, at least I got him to listen to me. "You... You have no guarantee that the krogan that are working with Saren are your people," I say. "Saren... He's using those krogan as a tool. They're slaves for him. I wouldn't want my people to be cured if it meant that they would lose their free will."

He stands there, staring me down with a pensive look on his face.

"Wrex..." I continue, my voice cracking softly. "Do you want that?"

He stands there, and I swear my eyes are alight with tears that want to dance out. Oh, please, work. Please, please, please, work...

The tension in the air is thick when he finally speaks. "No," he says simply. "We were tools for the Council once. To thank us for wiping out the rachni, they neutered us. I don't think Saren will be as generous."

With this, he stands up, fully erect as he puts away his shotgun. "All right, Art," he says. "You've made your point. I can't say I like this, but I trust you enough to listen to what you have to say. When we find Saren, you tell Shepard that I want his head."

Wait, did I just... No way... I didn't... There's no way I... Did I... Holy shit...

Fuck, I actually did it! Yes! I managed to talk him out of his fucking face heel turn! Fuck yes!

Relief washes over me as this dawns on me. Yes! I didn't fuck up with my one chance to save him! Yes! Yes yes yes yes yes!

"All right," I say, nodding as I bend down to pick up my pistol.

He stands there, and he regards me. I turn to him as I holster my pistol and move to my assault rifle and my shotgun. "Oh, and Wrex?" I say.

"Yes?" he asks, crossing his arms.

I move my jaw. I can't... I can't put how relieved I am that I was able to save his life into words. I can't. So I'll say something else. Maybe allude to the whole nuke thing. Take this time to say goodbye to Wrex.

"If something happens... And I get left on this base when it gets destroyed..." I hesitate, a lump forming in my throat. Shit, I knew saying goodbye would be hard, but... Damn, I've really become attached to them. I... Am I making the right choice here?

I swallow the lump in my throat and continue. "I want to let you know that it's been an honor working beside you," I finish. "It has."

Wrex gives me a soft krogan smile. Wait, since when did krogan smile outside of battle? What the fuck? "I don't think it'll come to that," he says. "But... I'll indulge you anyways. You've been the best friend I've made in hundreds of years. And if something happens, I'll have a tough time trying to forget you. Or wanting to."

I smile. I've said goodbye to Ash, Garrus, Liara, Shepard, Kaidan, and Wrex. Now I just have to wish Tali farewell and all will be good.

"Oh, and by the way," he says, a little louder this time so that the entire camp can hear it. "When we get back to the Normandy, we're playing the game that you always play."

Okay that-

Wait...

"Oh, Jesus Christ on a fucking pikestaff!"

Shepard immediately bursts out laughing a short distance away, and shortly after I snort as Wrex begins laughing his head off. I don't really mind the multitudes of eyes boring holes into my body as we just laugh.

Besides, I have reason to be happy. Wrex is still alive. And I managed to save him. That feeling is awesome.

Yeah, I can definitely leave the Mass Effect universe knowing that in my final minutes here I was able to step up to the plate and save Urdnot Wrex, krogan, from death.

Life is definitely good.

After I got that hurdle with Wrex over with, I thought I'd say my goodbyes to Tali. But, of course, fate has other plans for me. Ash walked up to me and told me that Kirrahe asked for my presence at his makeshift tent, where he had come up with a plan. Oh, well this is new. He actually wants to be nice.

So I went with Ash to make sure he wouldn't fall back on his word. And, lo and behold, he looks at me differently. Less critically. Yay, I think I'm getting along! Fun times abound for all!

The salarian regards me first. "To you, Serviceman… *********, was it?" he asks. "I thought I'd say that first. I didn't think anyone could talk the krogan down. I would have preferred a less confrontational approach, but it worked nonetheless. Thank you. Him turning on us could have been a major problem."

I nod. "With all due respect, captain, the krogan is my friend," I say. "I'm not about to let him die, and if he does I think he'd rather die in battle like a proud krogan instead of being shot down before entering said battle." Or that I knew he was in danger, but hush, I'm making a point.

"Very well, then," he says. "I apologize for my rude behavior earlier." With this, he turns to Shepard and the rest of us. "I have a plan," he says. "We don't have much, but with what we have I think it will work."

Okay, I already know the plan, so I can fast forward through this in my mind. Okay, so let's see if I have the details down. You're planning on nuking the place with a modified engine from your ship. However, to do so, you need to take down the defense towers so the Normandy can get to the one spot that the base can be completely destroyed from. So you're going to lead a strike team out to distract the geth while Shepard takes out the defense towers (and possibly saves some salarians and kills a bunch of krogan). After a conversation with Sovereign the Reaper, you're then going to disable the guns and bring in the nuke. All right, do I have you right Kirrahe?

"So, let me see if I have this right," says Shepard. "We need to get a nuke to a very specific spot of the base by taking out its defense towers so that Joker can fly in with a modified nuke from your ship. And meanwhile, your team is going to distract the geth?"

"Yes," says Kirrahe. "We will then rendezvous at a predetermined point, and from there we shall exit the base."

That's a bingo!

I nod as the others seem to nod in agreement. "Sounds like a plan to me," says Ash.

"Hopefully, that will be all," says Kaidan.

And here, Kirrahe shakes his head. "Unfortunately, this plan requires that I take one of your soldiers, Commander," replies the salarian. "Preferably one of your human soldiers."

All right, so road block one is set for Shepard. Ash and Kaidan look to each other, and I can already tell that something is going to go down. As for me, well… if I can get myself on Kirrahe's team, then that will be 50 percent of the way to dying…

"What?" asks Ash. "Why do you want one of us?"

"Shepard is our commander," says Kaidan. "We take orders from her."

"We'll have to set aside our differences for now," says Shepard. "With all due respect, his plan seems like a good way to destroy it."

"Why is it that when someone says 'with all due respect', they really mean 'kiss my ass'?" asks Ash.

I fight down the urge to snort as Kirrahe looks to Ash and Kaidan. "Your commanding officer is right," he says. "If I don't have one of you on my strike team, the geth may be able to overwhelm us."

Well… I guess I should speak up. "Frankly, I don't think we've got a choice," I say. "This base needs to go down at the end of the day. So whatever happens, will happen. And we should just roll with it. First step; agreeing with the guy's plan. It's as good a plan as we can get with what we have, so I say just go for it."

All eyes turn to me. Oh, boy… I'm not going to like where this is going, am I?

Kirrahe blinks before smiling broadly.

"I think we have an obvious choice for the soldier I should bring with me," says the salarian.

"Indeed," adds Shepard, looking to me. "Serviceman, you will be going with Kirrahe's team to distract the geth. I expect you to be on your best behavior, and to go above and beyond the call of duty with them. Understood?"

Oh… Well… I actually do like where that was going. That was simpler than I thought it would be. Wow… I'm already one step closer to death at Virmire. I just hope she doesn't go the completely paragon route and try to rescue me and the salarian strike teams. But still, at least I have a chance of dying now.

All right. I can do this.

"Yes, Commander," I say, nodding and standing erect.

Oh… wait, don't I have to take command of something?

Oh… Oh shit! I don't have leadership experience! What do I do now? No… This isn't…

No… I have to give it my all. They'll be counting on me. Lead by example, I guess. And when I lead by example, I should give it my all. Just do what instinct tells…

…

See, this is why I will never pursue a career in leadership! Bad things happen when I lead!

"Very well then," says Kirrahe. "We will be leaving in fifteen minutes. We will get the bomb to your ship during this time. While that is going on, the serviceman may use that time to do whatever he pleases, so long as it does not hamper our plan. I shall expect him with me when we commence our plan."

Oh, and we get time to say goodbye. Sweetness! I'm going to need it; I need to say goodbye to Tali!

"Understood, Captain," I reply.

And with this, they call the meeting to a close. Okay, the meeting's closed.

Now it's time to find Tali and say goodbye to her. She'll need it, the poor thing. Especially once I die. That will really hit her hard, I'm sure. What with being good friends and having saved her life when we first met and all. But I'm going to miss her too. Oh… I just wish I had something I could give her so that she could remember me. Well, something that won't give my identity away, but still.

Oh, well… I'll just see what she has to say, tell her that she's my best friend in the Mass Effect universe, and call it a day.

When I see Tali next, she's standing by the water, thinking. As I approach, she turns, and I feel like I can hear the smallest gasp coming from her.

"Oh, Art," she says. "I heard about… well… Kirrahe. About how you'll have to go with him when we start this plan."

I nod to confirm this. "You have that right," I say. "I imagine it's going to be quite an affair."

"I would be careful around the geth," she says, looking over to where the Normandy stands. "They're probably very dangerous in close spaces like these. Especially if you get hit by air units."

Oh, yeah. Kirrahe can die from those if Shepard doesn't help. But she's paragon, so she'll likely help us out with that. "I'll keep that in mind," I say. "What else should I be wary of?"

The quarian shrugs. "At this point, I think it'll be the same thing we've always encountered," she replies.

"Right," I say. "Thanks for the tips."

The quarian nods as she looks out over the water. "You know," she says. "I worry about you sometimes. I just… can't help it I guess. I can't help but feel something terrible might happen to you on these missions."

Hoo, boy. Yeah, this was a good call. "Well, Tali, you can't always guarantee my safety," I say. "I imagine this time will be worse…"

Tali nods. "That it can be," she says. "Do you think you'll… die here?"

Well… "Maybe, maybe not," I say. "We don't know what's going to be in the future, you know. Anything can happen." Here more than anywhere else, really. "So when we get going… we'll just have to let happen what will."

She nods at this. Wait… she's uncertain. "I don't know," she says. "I just wish there was something I could do to help you… You've been such a great friend these past few weeks that… Well… And I'm afraid of what could happen if you… well… you know…"

Hm… Well, she's certainly confused on something. Well, I guess we could do something about that if we really want.

"Tali, would you happen to know what a hug is?" I ask.

At this, the quarian stands erect, and I swear she's giving me a confused look behind her face mask. "No… No I don't," she says. "What is a hug?"

Aw, so innocent. It's really very cute. Too bad she's going to lose that in a couple of years.

"Well, Tali…" I say, approaching her. "It's a human symbol of trust between two people."

"Does it… what exactly does this mean in terms of how much a person trusts someone?" asks the quarian.

I step closer with a nod. "It means whatever you want it to mean," I say. "It's just… a sign. That you care. And the best part is, you don't have to take off that suit. If that's what you're thinking…"

Tali seems to step closer at this. "Then…" she says. "How do you do a hug?"

Oh, dear, this is something straight out of a Nicholas Sparks novel. Complete with emotionally manipulative sap. But for some reason, I just can't help it. I've really come to like Tali as a person. A lot, I should say. I don't think I'm in love with her, but she sort of reminds me of that one special person that we're always looking for in our lives… Oh, I dunno. She's just my best friend here. The person I feel most comfortable around.

I step forward and bring Tali into my arms. She's a little hesitant, but as I bring them around her I whisper into where I imagine her ear would be underneath the suit.

"Like this," I say.

She's silent for a few seconds as I let my head stand clear of her shoulders. And then, slowly, her own arms come around me. As soon as her fingers are on my back, I can feel them twitching. Wow… I'm actually hugging a video game character. I really don't have anything to say about that. Other than a select few words starting with "awesome" and ending with "sensational".

We hold this for a few seconds before Tali pulls away, looking over at me.

"You know…" she says. "It's awfully similar to a quarian gesture that means the same thing."

I raise my eyebrows. Huh, this is new. "Really?" I ask. Well… it explains her body language during that one scene on the Alarei in the sequel. Poor girl… She'll have a lot to deal with during part two…

"Yes," she says. "It's… not our most intimate gesture, though."

Oh. Yes, that is true… "I'll admit a hug is not one of our most intimate gestures, either…" I say. "But it still says a lot about what one person thinks about another."

The quarian nods. "I see… Art…" she hesitates on her next words. "Be careful out there…"

I blink… Shit, I'm getting all sentimental and mushy and all this stuff… Okay, just pull yourself together. "I'll try," I say. "But… if I don't make it out… I want you to know that it was a huge pleasure to truly get to know you."

Okay, yeah, the whole sap thing isn't working out all that well. Jeez, Art, you need to reign it in! You need to reign it in!

She nods, and… is she embarrassed or something? "Same here, Art…" she says. "I… Just… Come out alive. Please."

I nod to her. Wow… Shit… I didn't think I'd get this torn up about saying goodbye to a video game character, of all things… Wow, being in this place really has changed me. And I'll never be quite the same man again after this. Damn…

But… Oh, gain one, only to lose the other… Oh, well. I'm already heading out with Kirrahe. I might as well go with it for the rest of the time I'm here. Although now I'm doubting myself more than ever… Is this really the best choice? No, it has to be; it's cruel to let my family go about with no closure on what happened to me. At least here they'll all think I'm dead. I don't even know what happened to myself back there. So now… yes, this is probably for the best.

All right. Now it's time to seek out Kirrahe so we can head out and do stuff.

And now, I get to see Kirrahe's speech. I see the rest of the crew of the Normandy standing around as they give a speech. Really, I don't hear the speech. I'm not listening, anyhow.

It's just… I'm going to die soon… And that thought is really beginning to get to me. Well… not die… but just head to my death here. It's so surreal… thinking about my death in this way, anyhow. I'll die to them, only to come back to others. And there's no turning back.

I glance to the rest of the crew. This could be the last time I see any of these people in a real, non-pixellated form. There are some things I'll never forget about the crew of the Normandy. The way an asari's skin looks up close in real life. The contour of a krogan's scars. The exact details of a turian fringe.

All those will get lost when I return back home… I'll miss this place, that's for damn sure…

As I get a last look at the crew of the Normandy, I see Kirrahe turn to me out of the corner of my eye.

"Are you ready, Serviceman?" he asks.

I regard him for a second before grabbing my assault rifle from my back.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I say. I follow the captain as we head into the base, and we prepare the strike team. I catch sight of Jarel grabbing his weapon. I nod to him, and we move out.

All right. No turning back now. Once I go with Kirrahe, my fate is sealed. And whether it be for better or for worse, I'll see this until the bitter, bitter end.