After a couple of days, Bobby returned to studying, but the rest didn't help. The basic scans he had run the first couple of days had shown just the normal radiation and particles that he would have expected. He periodically re-ran these checks but the results were always within an acceptable error tolerance. Bobby occasionally thought about people he knew who could help him if he had a way to reach them.
At times, usually when he was most frustrated at the lack of progress he was making, he wondered why Shepard had stopped putting any effort into finding a way out. She spent most her time in a routine: exercise; play the piano; and work around the house. If she gave any thought to how they might get out of this, what? Bubble? Yes, for lack of any better term it was like a bubble. They couldn't go up or down far enough to test that but it seemed to work for north, south, and east and all points in between. Both felt that if they could go west across the water they'd find the same thing.
But he was wrong. While Shepard was doing her daily routine she often thought about how and why they were there. Reading the books, she knew, wouldn't help her much. If she was going to help it would be by using her biotics. She wished now that she had spent more time talking to Liara and other biotics about how they controlled their biotics. For her, she would feel the way the energy wanted to flow and open those paths. Different paths meant different effects, like a singularity or a warp. Then, to get the most out of the energy, it took concentration and timing. Push too soon and the power was not focused; push too late and the power was weak.
Shepard couldn't remember exactly what happened after she had set off the crucible, but she was increasingly convinced that she had done something with here biotics. The crucible had opened a channel that she did not previously have access to and she had instinctively used it. Or at least she thought she had; she couldn't be sure. So, when she ran she was often attempting to sense that channel and to see if she could tap into it again. If she could find it, assuming it existed, then perhaps she could use it to get them back.
As for the why question, Shepard considered that far more than Bobby did. For Bobby, the why didn't matter. They were here and the question was how to get out. She felt that understanding why might provide a vital clue to solving the how to get out of the bubble. She had become convinced that one of them had somehow created this place. How and why the other had been drawn in as well was not clear, but they obviously had.
Early on she was convinced this was Bobby's place, as he was the one familiar with houses and beaches. He had told her the house reminded him of his parents' house on the family farm. But there was that half-memory that she had done something, and she was the one with the biotic powers. It was unlikely that Bobby's tech could have done this but her powers might have been able to tap energy from the Crucible. The more she thought about it the more she was convinced that it was the combination of her powers and the energy from the Crucible that had created this place. But that didn't explain was why Bobby was here. Had he simply been caught up in what she had done because he was so close?
Shepard thought about these things as she played the piano. As she got better, she found she could lose herself in the music and would look for the channel, sometimes feeling like it was just out of reach. There was the question of whether she would be able to activate it even if she could find it. The question was whether the energy from the Crucible had cut a permanent path that she could use or if, once the energy was gone, the path had closed.
But Shepard kept looking even though she suspected that, without the energy from the Crucible, the channel would be shut off to her. She had become willing to face the possibility that, to this point, Bobby could not; that they might have to live out their lives here. She had, after all, expected to die when she set off the Crucible. If she had to live out her life here, that seemed like a small price to pay for beating the Reapers. Shepard missed her friends, but she had come to enjoy the time she spent with Bobby, even though she knew he was sometimes frustrated with her.
"You seem distracted this evening," Bobby commented as they sat at the table eating.
"I know you don't think I'm helping find a way out, Bobby, but I haven't stopped looking and thinking about our situation," Shepard responded.
"Well, so far I'm not helping at finding a way out either. For all the research I've done, I don't feel like I've made any progress towards a solution. If you've got any ideas I'd be happy to hear them."
"I think it was me, Bobby, or more specifically my biotics interacting with the energy of the Crucible." Shepard explained to him her theory about the combination poking a hole to here, or maybe even creating this place, and that somehow, he got pulled in as well. Bobby was surprised. He had taken her lack of visible activity for resignation, but she hadn't given up; she had just taken a different approach to looking at the problem.
"So, you think if you could find that path with your biotics you could get us out?" Bobby asked.
"Maybe. It depends on whether the Crucible cut a permanent path or not. If it's closed then we'd need another Crucible sized event to re-open it; something we're not likely to get. But I'm going to keep looking."
They ate silently for a few minutes before Shepard spoke again, "I'm sorry, Bobby. If I'm right then this is my fault. I tried to find a way to blame you but everything points to me."
"Shepard, there's no blame to be laid here except on the Reapers. It's not like you intentionally put either of us here. Likely if we were not here we'd both be dead now. You had to fire the Crucible even though no one was sure exactly what it would do. If it had killed us, it would have been worth it to take out the Reapers. I should be thanking you, first for killing the Reapers then for saving me."
Shepard smiled gratefully at him and said, "Well, if I did, then you're welcome. But it's still just a theory." Bobby had the sense he'd gotten the first day, that she was taking her measure of him; only this time, it was not a warrior sizing up an opponent. After a moment, they broke eye contact. They finished the meal while discussing the development of her biotics and her general approach to using them. Reflecting on the discussion that night as he waited for sleep to come, Bobby convinced himself that he had misread the situation and that she was just lost in thought.
Still, over the next few weeks he encouraged Shepard to spend more time running. There were a couple of benefits to this. First, running seemed to help her clear her head. "Running clears my mind and playing the piano helps me focus," she told him during one run. Secondly, it meant spending more time with her. Bobby would gradually realize that the former was an excuse and the latter was the real reason.
When they first met, he saw what everyone else saw, and talked about. She was confident, compassionate, and strong, both physically and mentally. But over time, he saw she was more than that. She had a sense of humor that allowed her to laugh at herself. She readily admitted that everyone on original ground team hated riding with her in the Mako; they made fun of her dancing; and she wasn't great at ending conversations. He had smiled and said, "I should go."
She laughed and said, "I try not to say that anymore, but apparently I've not been successful."
"To be fair, you've been thinking about more important things," Bobby said.
When she talked about past missions he realized it wasn't that she was fearless. She had worried about what would happen at the Collector base and she had doubts about curing the genophage. But she was courageous and did what she thought was right despite her doubts and fears.
It was also obvious that her relationship with Kaidan had hurt her, even before the end. Shepard had told Bobby that leaving Anderson behind and not staying to fight was the hardest thing she had ever done. But she did it, only to be immediately challenged by Vega. That had hurt, but Vega didn't really know her and hadn't served with her. When Kaidan had followed that up by questioning her loyalty on Mars, it had wounded her deeply. Kaidan had known her, served with her, and more. Yet still he questioned her motives. Shepard hadn't laid things out this nicely, but part of what made Bobby good at his job was putting pieces together to get the big picture.
They were sitting on the back porch after dinner watching the sun set. They had opened a bottle of port and were enjoying the cool evening breeze coming in across the water. The weather had been temperate for most of their time here but the last few days had been warmer than normal. Nothing that alarmed them but a noticeable increase.
"I'd be more concerned if it was getting colder," Shepard had told Bobby. "That might indicate that the energy sustaining this place was running out. Still, it's worth monitoring the changes and seeing if there is a pattern."
She hadn't needed to say anything. Bobby had SAI regularly updating him on readings from the sensors, everything from normal weather checks like temperature, humidity, and air pressure to radiation levels and toxins in the air. Sitting there sipping the wine Bobby reviewed the data SAI had collected, which did show a shift, "but we just don't have enough data to draw a conclusion. It's likely that this is just what passes for seasonal variation here."
They sat watching the sun set over the water. As it was most nights, it was a spectacular display of color. They might have appreciated it more if the place didn't feel like an upscale prison. The sunset was a reminder that another day had passed and they were no closer to finding a way back home.
"It's starting to look like we're stuck here."
"Maybe we are, Shepard, but I'm not ready to give up yet," Bobby said.
"I'm not giving up, but I think we need to be realistic. I figure the longer we are here, the less likely we are to get back home. We've gotten into a routine but that routine hasn't produced any results. Maybe we should try something else."
"I hadn't thought of that. Did you have anything in mind?" Bobby asked her.
Shepard paused, then said, "I'm still puzzled by why you're here. It could just be that you were in close enough proximity, but that doesn't feel right to me. I'm wondering if there was some connection that we're missing. If so, maybe if we did more together. Running hasn't seemed to work, but you have a guitar."
He let out a little laugh. "I've sat and listened to you play piano and you're a lot better musician than I am. Strumming folk songs for my own enjoyment is a lot different than sitting down to play with someone else. But I think I see what you're getting at. You're saying something like a resonance might have occurred between us. If so, then maybe proximity is why it happened. I was the closest living organic to you."
"Resonance might be a good way to think about it. But if not the guitar then what?" Shepard asked.
"How about dancing?" As with the running, Bobby had his excuse, readily supplied by Shepard, and he had his reason.
Her look said she doubted what she had heard, and she asked, "Dancing?"
"I haven't told you about this?" Bobby asked and Shepard shook her head. "I was an awkward child, socially and otherwise."
"I never would have guessed," Shepard said with a grin.
"Anyway," he said with a fake glare, "Jill was a social butterfly, and my parents were worried that I wasn't fitting in as well. For my thirteenth birthday, I asked for the guitar and lessons. My parents didn't like the guitar idea because they thought I'd spend all my time in my room alone practicing, which I did. So, they made a deal with me that I would get the guitar and lessons if I also took a dance class at the local civic center. I was tall for my age but still didn't fit in well with the adults in the class. Plus, being able to ballroom dance doesn't scream 'cool kid' to the other thirteen-year olds."
By this point Shepard's grin was a full-blown smile. "Okay, what's so funny?" Bobby asked.
"I'm trying to picture a smaller version of you attempting to do some fancy dance at a school function with other kids around. Your sister must have been so embarrassed." Shepard said.
"Not because of my dancing, she wasn't, because I never did it at a school function. I wasn't that dumb. The only dances I went to were the ones my parents made me attend and even then, I would just hang out with the other science nerds."
Shepard was still smiling. "I've told you everyone makes fun of my dancing, but we've got time so we'll try both and see which works best. I'm guessing it will be guitar and piano since you have at least some skill with the guitar."
"Maybe. But I find it hard to believe you're a poor dancer; you glide like a gazelle when you run. If I can learn to dance with my lack of coordination, I'm guessing you'll learn faster than you think."
Tina wondered just how much attention Bobby had been paying to her when they ran, and perhaps other times. He was right about his own movements. He was not slow by any means; faster than you would expect based on his gait, in fact. This, she had decided, was due to the strength of his legs. His endurance had also improved significantly as he had been running more consistently.
She realized he was looking at her, smiling. "So, what planet were you visiting?"
"Sorry, just lost in thought for a moment. I have the same concern about dancing you do with the guitar, timing. When I run I set my own pace; whatever feels comfortable to me. Dancing is about coordinating your movements with a timing that someone else has set. I know I can do it. I coordinate with my squad every time we go into battle. The tempo has to account for how soon the other members will ready to throw a warp or pop off a concussive shot. That takes coordination. But dancing? We'll see."