M-Angel: Yay, I'm back to writing on this account. Been MIA on this account for a few years...*cough*...since 2007...*cough*...
.515: What's up, guys? I'll be lending Angel a hand on this story.
M-Angel: Yeah, he's my co-author...let's get this on the road shall we?
Chapter 1: Waking Up
I sat there on a bench overlooking, well, everything. I knew for sure that I wasn't dreaming, because every few seconds I pinched myself. No dreaming. Maybe I was dead? Yeah, you died in your sleep and now your... my train of thought ended. I couldn't even think it let alone say it. Suddenly a blue, obviously alien, woman walked past me. I pinched myself again. I'm...dead and I was reborn in a...game? A reptile like creature walked past me all the while talking to a...jellyfish? I blinked. Rewind, girl, what's the last thing you remember? My eyes closed. Being home, going to bed, wanting something important in my life. Wanting a job, a car, a husband one day, and possibly children? I opened my eyes to see one of the blue women looking at me.
"You look lost." she said kindly. She didn't ask it, for it wasn't a statement. She just said it as if she knew I was lost.
"Yeah," I said looking down at my hands. I heard the soft clicking of heels as she sat down next to me.
"I remember my first time on the Citadel." She said in a whimsical voice. "I was more excited than anything else, but I got lost very easily." She paused. "Everybody gets lost, but you're in luck, you're on the Presidium, and I know where the human embassy is."
I eyed her skeptically. "What's the catch?" I asked.
"Huh?" she asked tipping her head to the side.
"What do you want in return?" I asked again.
"Nothing." She said and smiled as she stood and held out her hand.
I looked at her carefully. Her eyes didn't betray her kindness that she claimed. Follow blue alien or stay here and try and find out what kind of shit mess I've gotten myself into?
"What the heck..." I said getting up. "Not like I got anything to lose." She giggled and we began walking off.
"Please don't think I am being prying or rude… but I am curious," She began."Is it customary for female humans to walk around in public in their night clothes?"
For the first time I looked down to see what I was wearing. As always I had mid-back length blonde hair pulled back into a braid, with my smiley faced grey t-shirt (no bra) and jogging sweat pants and my blue fluffy house slippers. My face suddenly felt so hot. "No." My voice squeaked in reply, causing her to laugh.
"Don't worry." She smiled. "I'm betting somebody brought you here while you were inhibited." Well, there are worse excuses.
She smiled at me as we walked around the Presidium for what seemed like an endless walk, when we came to this large, imposing building that didn't give the people inside it, much privacy. As we walked inside, the blue alien lady walked up to a woman behind the desk. The woman looked beyond the alien and looked at me. It was then that a man walked out. He looked irritable.
"Ambassador Udina," The alien lady said. Shit! He's gonna want my background story! My eyes were wide. Okay, don't panic! I looked down at my feet, suddenly finding the interesting. I'm Serena Lavargus, which is true. I lived with my parents, who died. I'm homeless. I live in a small town in Michigan on Earth, which is partially true. Does Michigan still exist here? I suddenly heard the clicking of heels and lifted my head to see the blue alien and man walking my way.
This man looked me over a couple of times whiling my way. I took a deep breath. Ready? I thought to myself.
"Spectre Ylara says she found you looking lost on the Presidium," He said as he walked, and I followed. "Do you know how you got here?" I shook my head.
"Hmm..." He looked at Ylara. "She also said that this," He gestured at my clothes. "Was all you had… Where do you come from?" I looked up and saw that he'd led me to a room.
"I-I'm from Michigan, Earth." I said. Damn. I stuttered. I hate that I stutter when I get scared. "I've lived on the streets for awhile until a friend took me in." I lied. "I don't remember how I got here." I said. "I just found myself walking around. I only just ended up on that bench awhile ago."
"One hour, seventeen minutes ago" Ylara said. "To be exact."
She then turned to him. "It's obvious that she's one of the latest victims of Red Sand or probably another drug-"
"I don't do drugs!" I yelled at her. "I've never done them in my life and never will!"
She looked at me and smiled. "I'm sure you don't." she said with a kind smile. "But how do you explain how you got here and everything?" She asked.
"I-I don't know." I stuttered.
The Ambassador looked at me. "Well, what can you do?" he asked. "After all, you're here with no money, no clothes, and no ID." he shook his head. "Even a Quarian has those basic things,"
"You're not sending her back?" Ylara asked, sounding surprised. Udina looked at her. "She has no way of getting back." he stated. "And we don't give money away around here." he paused. "However, if you can make yourself of use and get a job and make enough credits, you'll be able to return to wherever you are from,"
Ylara looked at him. "Where will she live until then?" she sounded concerned for me. Why does she care? I silently wondered.
He shook his head. "I don't know," He said, "That's for Human Resources to worry about." With that he walked out of the room.
Ylara looked down at me. "You'll stay with me, my bond mate and our daughter until you've found yourself a job and an apartment of your own." She said… No, stated. She sounded sure that I wouldn't say no. Not like I have a choice.
"Sure." I said easily. Her eyes seemed to shine with a happiness I hadn't seen there before.
"Good." she paused in her steps out of the Human Embassy. "My name is Ylara Mori'." she said looking at me.
"I'm Serena." I said. "Just Serena,"
"Well, Serena, welcome to the Citadel." She said. Yeah, welcome indeed.
As I walked into the condo or apartment I could help but gasp. It was beautiful! Very open, but very homey. When you walked the steps took you down into what I would describe as the parlor or living room area. Sitting on the couch was a very pregnant blue alien, which I learned from the codex on my new omni-tool that Ylara had bought me, was called an Asari. She looked up and smiled when she saw us and frowned when she saw what I was wearing. Yes, I was still in my PJ's. Classy. Ylara had stated that her bondmate had plenty of clothes that would fit me. As I looked at the woman I couldn't help but smile. She seemed to have a glow about her, of course they say all pregnant women do, but whatever. "Who's this?" She asked Ylara. "My friend Serena. She's new to the Citadel." She said and gave a look that said I'll explain later.
The woman smiled. "I am Ya'isha Manori, daughter of Matriarch Manori." She said with pride. "Welcome to our home." Just then a little girl came running in, skidding to a halt in front of Ylara.
"Good evening first mother." She said politely.
"Good evening daughter." Ylara said pride shining in her eyes, she then looked at me. "Serena, this is my daughter Nala Mori'." she turned her daughter to me. "This is Serena, she's a very special friend."
Well, that's new. Nala curtsied in front of me. "Good evening Serena." She smiled.
"Uh, good evening?" I said with an uncertain look. "I'll show you where you'll stay." Ylara said as we send around a corner and up two flights of stairs. She came to a pause and opened the door. In the center of the room a big queen size redwood canopy bed with red and white curtains and sheets. The windows had red and white curtains and a waist-high dresser in front of the windows. The floor was marble with a red carpet under the bed. There was a walk in closet and off the side was the open doorway to the bathroom. She turned around to me.
"If you chose to stay here even after you get a job we'll expect you to pay a modest rent fee of two hundred credits a month." She said. "You'll be able to redecorate, if you desire, and you'll have your privacy up here," She paused. "I'm away a lot, doing the Citadel Counsel's business." She said,"And with my bondmate's condition," She looked at me and took a breath. "I need somebody to be here to take care of her. I worry often about her and fear that won't be hear when she has our daughter. I know I shouldn't ask this of you... My reasons for asking you to stay were not purely altruistic,"
I raised my hand to her shoulder. "You have shown me kindness when you didn't even know who I was. You have brought me to your home, given me a bed to sleep on, and clothes to wear." I smiled. "The least I can do is watch over your daughter and...bondmate while you are away on business." she seemed to let the breath she'd been holding out. I smiled again. "You have treated me better than I deserved. One day I will repay you for this." I said.
"Tomorrow, I'll look for a job." I then paused. "Is there place I could become a medic?" I asked. She looked thoughful for a moment. "Yes," She said, "The Alliance Medical Institute. It teaches medical officers for the military and naval ships. Then there's the C-Sec Medical Technician School." She said with a smile. "Well, after I get a job, I'll look into that afterwards." I said with a smile. "Well, I'll let you be," She said, "I'll leave some clothes in your closet and some clean night clothes in the dresser." She paused. "There are towels in the bathroom and supper will be ready within the hour," with that she left with a smile on her face. I then sat down on my new bed and looked around my new room. If I was to find a new life here I had to adapt to the way things were. I still didn't know how I got here or even why I was here. Was there even a reason? I did know that this place only existed in a game called Mass Effect. My friends had all played it. I hadn't. I'd only watched them play parts of it; I found life dull enough without rotting my brain by playing video games all day long. But if I remembered correctly there was a hero in that game called Shepard and that Shepard could either be male or female. Also there was a ship named the SSV Normandy. Which was piloted by a guy called Joker. That's about all I knew about the game. Damn it! Why didn't I pay attention? I sighed and headed towards the bathroom to soak. Yep, this was gonna be fun.
Knight: I don't know about you, but I think this is pretty impressive for a story born on a cell phone. Nice one, Angel. If you like it, let us know with a review!
M-Angel: Well, that was an interesting beginning to this story. Bet you guys can't guess how she really ended up in Mass Effect. It's gonna be a shocker! Anywho, please leave some reviews for me and also, if you're interested in another story I'm working on with another author, go check out the stories Silver, Silver: Halo, and Silver: Effect. Thanks for reading, now please review! XD