M-Angel: Hey everybody, sorry for the long wait. I got to a computer, momentarily, but I won't be making frequent updates like I use to due to the fact that Knight and I have gone sepparate ways a bit sooner than we thought. He's really busy with work, school, and his own two stories. So until I find myself another co-author/beta-reader, this will be the last update for awhile...maybe? So while I may be having problems with posting a new chapter, it doesn't mean you can't enjoy this one. So, enjoy!
Chapter 20: Surprise!
"System's check!" Ann yelled out as the shipe stablized. "I wanna know what the hell happened!"
"Yes Comander!" came the resounding yells from the crew.
Ann turned and saw Garrus slowly standing. A head gash on his forehead causing him to bleed. She cursed and grabbed his arm to help him stand. "You okay?" she asked as she sat him down in a chair on the CIC.
"Yes." he groaned as he held his hand up to touch his head. She'd already grabbed a first kit and began wiping and cleaning his head. "Next time, I choose the honeymoon spot." he joked, causing her to shake her head. "What happened any way?"
"EDI?" Ann asked, the AI appeared in her newer humanoid form, her brown hair came to her chin and she wore an Alliance Flight Tech Uniform. "What happened?"
"Unsure." she said. "A large reading of energy, both biotic and kenetic, surged through the ship. I had to shut down some equipment to stop us from having a power surge; which could've destroyed many instraments, including the AI Core." Ann raised an eyebrow. "I am still trying to figure what happened, however I have been able to pinpoint our current possition."
"You mean we're not near Ilos?" Garrus inquired.
"No." was her reply. "We are in the Kepler Verge. I have scanned the area and have found one ship nearby, the MSV Fedele."
"Wait, what?" Shepard's eyes widened. "That's improssible. That ship was destroyed back when we were chasing Saren!"
"The ship is registered to a..." she paused. "Doctor Heart?" the avatar looked at the Commander.
"Shit." she cursed. "What the hell is going-"
"Commander!" came Jokers voice. "I know you love me driving but I have to take breaks once-in-a-while." he smirked.
"How the hell doesn't he have a scratches?" Garrus asked.
"Lucky for me Krios caught me before I fell." he said as Koylet came up behind the pilot.
Ann shook her head. "Moreau, get to your station. Krios, how are things in the main battery's?"
"The crew is okay Shepard." he paused. "I am more worried about engineering."
She nodded before pressing her omi-tool. "Tali, how are things down there?"
"Things could be better, thankfully the core is stable." came the quarians voice. "Is Kal okay?"
"The marines haven't checked in yet." she replied before cutting her connection with engineering and opened one to armory. "Jacob? Kal? Are either of you there?"
"This is Kal'Reeger checking in." came a male quarians voice. "We are good. Just bumps and bruises. Nothing serious. Were we attacked?"
"No." she sighed as she cut the connection and turned toward the Galactic Map.
"Uh, Commander?" camed Joker's voice. "You may want to check this out." he said as the Galactic Map turned into a galactic news channel.
"In other news, new Specter, Commander John Shepard, has been rumored to have been recently at Noveria where he fought off several hundreds of Geth, and durig his confrontation with Benzinia and was forced to kill her when she opened fire upon him." the reporter said. "Matriarch Benzinia was well known throughout the galacy as a kind woman who had an open mind about others and believed in second chances. Surviving her is her only daughter Liara T'soni, who was rumored to be there when her mother was killed. This is a Emily Wong reporting for Citidel News, back to you Jeffery." the image vanished and was replaced by the galactic map.
"Anybody have a guess as to what happened now?" came Jeff's voice. Everybody looked towards Ann for answers to their questions. The very same questions that were running through her mind.
I slowly opened my eyes and saw darkness above me. I turned my head and saw that half the crew beds were filled with the night shift, which meant it was morning. (i) Morning on a ship, gah, it's always so hard to tell whether it's day or night out here. I need to feel my feet on the ground.(ei) I sighed. (i) I've been stuffed in the ship for what, two weeks? Yeah, it's time for me to be on the ground team.(ei) With that, I sat up and went to the shower room, bathed and then dressed.
As I made my way down the hall to the mess hall, I spotted Ian and Garrus talking to each other. They both looked up ad smiled. "Morning." Ian said, his british accent was heavy today.
"Morning." I said with a smile. "Did Ash fix your armor?"
"Yep, Tali gave it a steath generator upgrade and kenetic barrier upgrades as well." He said smiling.
"Cool." I picked up a glass of juice and a morning meal pack. I looked down at it and made a face. "Eggs?" I asked him.
"Tastes like shit to me." came his reply as he sat down across from me. "So..." he began. "What are you going to do about Cerberus?"
I paused. "I don't know." I whispered with sadness in my voice. I plopped the egg in my mouth and made a face. "Ya know, if real eggs tasted this bad, I'd never eat 'em."
He chuckled. "Yeah, I think that's why meals are bad." he said with a smile. "The Alliance doesn't want their people to get fat."
I chuckled. "True." I winked at him. "Can't go chasin' the bad guys if you're overweight."
"Hey Serena!" I looked up to see Angie coming towards me with a smile on her face. "I heard what happened. Are you goin' to take 'em up on their offer?"
"No." was my only reply.
"What if they come after you?" she asked looking genuinely worried for me.
"If they do, they'll have an army of people coming after 'em." I said. "Beside's I'm not scared. I've got my friends who have my back."
"Damn right." Ian said as he finished his juice.
"But, what if-" she began
"ATTENTION CREW!" came John's voice over the comm system. "The Counsil has asked us to go and assist Captain Kihrea(sp) and his soldiers on Virmire. I want Wrex, Chief Williams, Leiutenant Alenko, Medic Chief Lavargus, Detectives Shaw and Vakarian all at the airlock and be ready to hit the dirt."
"Shit." both myself and Ian cursed at the same time.
"Let's go." Ian mumbled as I scarffed down both my meal and drink quickly and took off to the armory.
Getting to Captain Kirrahe had been a hard little journey. With Geth attacking the Mako whenever it stopped to make a turn and that wasn't even half the problem. Half the problem was getting into the Mako with everybody in armor and having a dam-n Krogen take up half the back room. It was hell, though I was just glad I wasn't Ian. The poor guy had his head pinned by Wrex's arm. I'm not gonna ask about that experiance. Either he's passed out because of the oder or he's doing a good job at pretending to be asleep. Either way, he was dead quiet. Lucky for Kaiden he was up front with the Commander navigating his way to the salarian captain. So both Ash, Garrus and I were pinned together in one small area. It was the most uncomfortable ride of my life.
So when we finally got to the salarians position everybody practically fell over everybody else to get out. "Not bad Shepard." was Wrex's comment. "Maybe you should stuff this thing like that again and you'll have a better time navagating."
"Funny Wrex."Kaiden muttered. "Very funny."
John chuckled. "It's suppose to hold ten people." he defended the Mako.
"Commander, you have to remember there is a fully grown krogan and a fully grown turian in our group." I said. "They both take up room."
"Hey!" Garrus yelled. "I don't take up any more room than you or Ash." This cause us both to raise our eyebrows. "Okay, maybe a little more room, but not by much." This cause us both to roll our eyes and follow the commander.
I didn't pay much attention as to what the Captain and Commander were talking about because I had injured salarians to care for. They all looked so tired and ready to pass out. Their food reserves were extremely low, even worse was that they didn't have any kind of medical kits left. I had broken arms, legs, gun wounds and broken horns to take care of. So when I heard an angry krogen roar, that got my attention. I looked up from a patient and saw John walk over to Wrex, I didn't know what he said, but whatever it was; it worked. Wrex seemed more focused afterwards. They then walked back up to Kirrahe. The Captain had mission that needed to be completed. They had to take out the cure for the genophage and the krogan army that Saren was creating. They were going to split up and detonate a bomb that would take care of everything. Joy. Then I heard the most chilling words in my life. "I'll take her." I looked up once again to see Kirrahe pointing at me.
Ann walked into her quarters and saw Garrus sitting at a terminal. "The extrant still works." he muttered as he continued to read over what was happening. "Turns out you don't exist in this...reality, was that what Mordin calls it?"
"Yes." she replied as she sat down on the couch and poured her a cup of wine. "He says that he believes that the Ilos S.O.S. was indeed a Reaper trap and that in order to get rid of us they sent us to another dimenssion or reality." she sighed as she took a sip of her drink. "He says that its all quantum physics. I don't know much of anything on that part."
"Hmm..." was his only reply.
"You find something?" she asked as she stood and walked over to him.
"Yes." he mumbled. "This." he pointed at an article with a picture of a woman standing next to a man. "Look familiar to you?"
"Serena?" she asked as she leaned forward and looked at the picture closely.
"According to this, she appeared on the SSV Normandy while it was in space." he said raising an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?" she inquired.
"She appeared while they were about to jump the relay to the Citidel." he said. "Out of nowhere." he then tapped another article. "Nihlus is still alive. Says that Miss Lavargus warned him that Saren would kill him and he took her advice. Only got shot in the shoulder." he brought up another article. "The Alliance has commissioned that 2 new Normandy-class ships to be built. The Counsil and both Spectre Blasto and Spectre Nihlus have forked over a large amount of money. They are SR-2 designs." He pointed at the designs.
"Aren't these Confidential?" she asked.
"EDI got me into the network." he smiled. "That's not all. Lavargus came up with these plans."
"You think this girl is..." she began
"I believe so." They both looked at each other for a moment before Ann opened her omi-tool up. "What are you doing?"
"Getting into contact with her." she said. "She may be our only hope to getting home."
M-Angel: So there's another cliffy to leave you guys hanging. Also, to those who don't know yet, I do have a story poll on my profile. So don't forget to go vote after you've all reviewed. Love you all and thanks for being such wonderful reviewers!
*hugs to all*