Ch. 3
Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind- bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space.
Douglas Adams (1952 - 2001), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
So yeah I'm on my way to Eden Prime hopefully I wont die from the geth attack and can find someway to join Shepard's crew without leaving my new friend trapped on Eden Prime. Those thoughts fly from my during the trip I mean, it was space travel I sat in the chair behind Liana and on occasion I would move and lean around her seat to look at the outside I was like a kid in a candy store. "This is awesome," I say with a huge grin on my face. I look at Liana and she can't help but smile when she sees me. For a whole hour I was grinning like an idiot we sat in relative silence nothing, but the quiet thrum of the engines. I, despite the awesomeness of space, was growing uncomfortable in the silence. "Sooooo come here often," I say with a laugh sitting in the navigators chair.
I can almost imagine the look on her face when she says, "No."
Well we knew each others names, but it might not be so bad to get to know her better. "So I'm 17 you," I ask.
"191," she says. An uncomfortable silence ensues but I begin thinking doing math lets see 2183-191 equals 1992.
"You wouldn't happen to know the Earth month would you," I ask suddenly seriously.
"I believe it would be the 7th day of the 7th month," she says her voice sounding a little curious. Before she can ask any questions I begin laughing, I was laughing so hard I was crying. "I fail to see the humor," she says looking back towards me.
"We share a birthday," I say through my laughing fit. The exact day I think.
She doesn't get the full reason so she stares at me like a mutant. "You should get some rest,"
I go to the back, lay down in the bed and settle in for a nice sleep.
I'm walking through burning barren fields gunfire sounds in the distance the screams of the dying. I notice a squad of local soldiers under fire from a group of geth. I begin running towards the geth one turns to fire at me, and I see someone jump in front of me. I'm standing in a forest holding Liana and crying.
I wake up slowly, was it all a dream I think the owner, Liana, space travel. I slowly open my eyes then they shoot open Liana's face is inches from mine I roll away from her and thud to the floor taking the covers with me. I look up towards the bed, oh my god. She must be a heavy sleeper, wait why is that my first thought. The first thought I should have is why was she sleeping in the bed with me or holy crap hot purple woman 2 inches from my face. I calm down slowly breathing deeply and quietly, I stand and slowly start getting dressed in my armor. After I get on my armor I go to the navigators chair and sit down I wasn't sci-fi illiterate I figured she had an autopilot on. I began thinking when my mind wandered back to my dream Liana dead, too much too fast. "I'm in Mass Effect," I whisper to myself looking out the front window.
"What's Mass Effect," a Liana says as she appears around my blind spot. I visibly jump and have a sharp intake of breath, damn she's quiet.
I begin trying to blab out a plausible lie, "it's I mean, I meant, I was." Seeking a dodge "why were you in the b-bed with me."
"I was sleeping," she said, "what's Mass Effect and how are you in it."
"Nothing," I say, "just drop it please for now."
She stares at me and raises and eyebrow.
"Its personal," I say thinking back to my family.
"How much longer," I say staring out the window. Man I haven't even thought about my family since I woke up I suppose it was all due to everything that's been happening my thoughts haven't really gotten anywhere besides the present. "You have a family," I ask Liana who sits down in the pilots chair.
"Its personal," she says not turning towards me.
"I'm sorry, but there's really no chance you'd believe me," I say then another thought dawns on me, "and I'm pretty sure there are listening devices on this boat."
"I have no family," she says sadly.
"Oh," I say as awkward silence almost sets in.
She turns back to me, "Do you have a family."
I think back to my lie on the ship about the amnesia well the owner already knows and I don't like him, okay I'm gonna tell her.
"We're here," she says interrupting my train of thought and killing any chance for a conversation.
"Time to go to work," I say looking towards the planet rapidly growing in the view screen. Wait I've never been confident and I mean this is a mission on a planet but no matter how hard I try nothing, all I feel is supreme confidence. I was about to ask Liana about it when the ship begins a rapid descent through the atmosphere. I don't feel the Gs it pretty much felt like a roller coaster drop.
We slowly come down out on the edge of a settlement, "Wont they come to investigate" I say standing up.
"No," she says getting up and walking with me to the door.
"Why," I ask it was logical to assume they weren't invisible.
"You handle the scouting I'll handle the ship," she says her business face on. All of a sudden something was screaming inside my head I fall down to my knees and grit my teeth to keep from screaming. Then it was gone from out of nowhere.
"Ugh my head," I say slowly standing up I reach down to help Liana who was also affected by the noise, wait noise crippling we are on Eden Prime my mind lines up the clues Sovereign. "Are you all right," I say still holding her offered hand in one hand an helping to support her with my other it looked like we'd been dancing together. I look down at her and I blush a bit she was resting her head on my chest. I carefully bring her over to the bed and gently set her down.
Okay, gotta find a weapon or something. I move things around and strangely enough I find a pistol under Liana's pillow. I move toward the airlock I open it and stop I can't just leave Liana alone out here I should stay at least until she wakes up. I close the door and go to sit down on the floor staring at Liana, I may have only met one asari so far, but I have to admit Liana is beautiful. I began wondering about the Normandy and Shepard. I sit there for a few minutes she begins to stir I move closer and put my hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay," I say softly.
She slowly sits up, "fine," she focuses and asks "why are you still here."
Well your welcome I think, "I wouldn't feel right if you got hurt so I stayed here to protect you," I say holding her back as she tries to stand, "are you sure you should stand."
"You should be out gathering intelligence," she says, after seeing the look of worry on my face, "and I said I'm fine."
She grabs my hand and moves it off her shoulder, "but," I begin to say.
She stands and pulls me towards the airlock, "go now," she says as she practically throws me out of the ship.
I take the look of worry off my face replacing it with a grin I snap to attention "Ma'am yes ma'am." I turn and head towards the settlement through the field.
