Author'snote: Thanks for putting up with the lack of story and for the positive response the story has had so far. I had a severe case of writer's block but i'm back on track now :) Don't forget to put forward any suggestions etc, and fav/follow if you enjoy!
I was lying awake in my bunk that night.
The ship was eerily quiet, usually there was a subtle hum from the over-sized engine in the back of the ship, but everything was completely silent now. Not even the engineers were moving around, their gentle clanking usually lofting up from the lower deck at all hours of the day. But not now. I couldn't tell how long I spent lying there as the silence echoed around me and the only light came from the low-level emergency lighting on the floor of the ship.
I had been asleep far too long, and I had woken up in a cold sweat, damp clinging to my skin as I had startled myself awake with thoughts of my old life. What would I give to go back there? I had no idea. But I thought to myself about what I would give if I were there, to come here: almost anything. To be a part of the most dangerous, the most exhilarating journey of not a single man, but of a team… my head rang with thoughts – memories mostly, but none of them pleasant. I shattered the stillness on the Normandy with the quiet clang as I heaved myself from my bunk onto the metal flooring and padded my way through to the kitchen.
"I need a drink." I was muttering to myself. Not the best thing, but I was my company at this unearthly hour, so it would do. As I walked into the kitchen area, it was totally empty, worse than the collector attack empty as at least everything was still lit and there were a few people moving around…
After pouring myself a glass of cold water, which I immediately chugged down, only to fill it up again. Sitting at one of the empty tables, I checked my omni-tool. I had several unread messages and it was two thirty in the morning. Great, just what I needed; to be up when no one else was, to be stuck with thoughts of 'home' and to be on a ship as silent as this was. I checked the first message – it was from Anderson.
'14.22.2183
From: Admiral Anderson
To: Greg
Greg,
Info from Admiral Kohaku says that his men were nearly led into a trap by a distress beacon placed on a Thresher Maw's nest. Your Intel got to them just in time it seems. I've been hearing good things about you from Shepard, but I need to take you away from the Normandy for now. Next time you're on the Citadel, come and find me.
Anderson.'
What could he possibly want? I've told him everything I could, everything I remembered from that distant past. I suppose I would find out eventually, but sometimes it's difficult to wait for something, you begin to worry, anxiety sets in and next thing you know you're having migraines. But I wouldn't think about that. I was just going to take everything as it came, even if I did know the story of the next three years.
Time passes quickly when you're thinking. I'd read all of my messages – mostly upgrades from Alliance HQ and Anderson's message, there was one from someone else though, someone I didn't recognise from my time here.
'14.22.2183
From: J_Harper
To: Greg
We know.'
I was stuck with that one for now. It could have just been a mistake, a spam message maybe. But something told me that whoever it was, and whatever they knew… They wouldn't be friendly. My eyes snapped up as the first pair of boots came round the corner. It was Garrus; up early to calibrate, I suppose.
"Hey Garrus. Sleep Well?" Even though I couldn't see his skin under the plates on his face, somehow he still had dark circles under his eyes. He hadn't noticed me sitting at the table and he was taken by surprise when I called to him. I was only asking in case his night had fared better than mine though somehow it didn't look as though it had.
"Oh Greg, it's you. I didn't see you there, and no. I only managed to get thirty minutes of uninterrupted sleep. I've been put into a crew quarters with Wrex and Tali and Wrex snores SO loudly. I imagine his night was wonderful."
The idea of Wrex snoring made me chuckle slightly. "What about Tali? Isn't she complaining?"
"Well at first she turned off her audio receivers, and then she found the silence disturbing. So to answer that, she sleeps better because of it… Which doesn't help me at all, but I've got some calibrations to do now – who knows maybe I'll even get some proper sleep in the main battery?" His face glowed with optimism at the thought of sleep.
"Well, I wouldn't bet on it, we should be nearing Therum any minute now, Liara will be there and I'm sure Shepard will want you there. There'll be Geth and I think two Krogan, so nothing your rifle or the mako can't handle."
He looked at me oddly, as though I was speaking a strange language. Despite that the differences were obvious (not only was he an alien, but he was already in full armour, while I was just in a pair of loose shorts), it felt as though we had established a strong sense of camaraderie, if not friendship. I only hoped that it would get stronger with time.
"You know Greg, I would like to call your knowledge a gift, but sometimes it just freaks me out how you know so much stuff." He had turned away to the fridge as he spoke.
"You know what though Garrus? I don't know anything anymore. My path has changed, as well as everyone who's on the Normandy. And that scares me." It was nice to have found somebody I might be able to call a true friend in Garrus. After all, I had spent a lot of time making sure that he had survived all the way through the series – he lived longer than Shepard did then, but hopefully that wouldn't be necessary.
Garrus leant into the fridge and pulled out what looked like a tube of puree and got himself a glass of water. "Is that nutrient-paste stuff and good?" he stopped and looked at the tube he was holding.
"No, but at least it means I'm not going to die of hunger." A bleak statement and the conversation had died. Garrus just took his meal over to the battery controls and began to eat with the tube in his mouth, the water on the floor. As more and more people started to file into the mess hall, I left.
I went back to my shared quarters and started to get dressed into my armour. Better get ready now, just in case I was needed later. Besides, I wasn't even in a hardsuit. It was an odd hybrid – although my armour did remind me of the kit from something like Ghost Recon, but now it was made from different materials, stronger and far lighter, as well as being more flexible. It was a shame I didn't have the tactical cloak installed into it though, it would come in handy.
As I was checking my visor, I heard the door open and I looked up slowly to see who it was. Shepard. "Greg, I have to wonder… How're you holding up?"
"I'm fine. I didn't sleep last night but other than that I'm alright."
"Yeah Garrus said something about you being in the mess before he came up, alone. Do you want to talk about it?"
"Well, I was just thinking of my old life. Dreaming would probably be a better way to put it. And then I woke up and went to get a drink. That was at two thirty."
"Two thirty? What were you thinking about? You've told us so much about ourselves, but we don't know anything about you." That was true, as much as I had told them about this world, all I had said about me was a vague description of how I had ended up floating I space, a million miles from Earth.
I shifted uncomfortably. "Shepard, I'm very introvert… But… Well I miss my family, my friends and all that. This is… It's just… It might be too much for me. You know? I mean come one… I'm still at school for fucks sake. At least I was anyway… I just need time to think, to sort out my life, my priorities. I don't have any family now. And the only people I know are on this ship or will be in the next two years."
"I understand where you're coming from Greg. I don't have any family either." I looked at Shepard shocked. I always thought he would be a Spacer in real life… "There were four of us. My parents, myself and my little sister. I'm sure you've heard of it… but Terra Firma is a group of extreme xenophobes." He paused as I nodded my confirmation. "I was six when they were taken from me." Another slight pause. "We lived in Seattle and there was an Asari singer who'd come to do a tour of Earth. My Dad worked in politics, and managed to get us all seats. From what I remember it was a great show… But then a group from Terra Firma came and detonated a bomb outside the concert hall. It was bloody. Two hundred humans dead, countless injured. And for What? The Asari was barely injured." He shook his head disapprovingly. "Damned idiots."
I was slightly in shock, but also felt some comfort that the greatest humanity had to offer was in a similar position to me… If he could do it, then then the least I could is try. I left to leave the room, but turned as I neared the exit.
"Thanks Shepard, I'll think about things. I've got to leave you after we get Liara, so when I get back, I'll be ready."
Geth were everywhere. There silver bodies were tinted red from the volcanic lakes and rivers that covered the planet. Liara would be inside the mines, trapped in a Prothean stasis field. Garrus held his sniper rifle to his eye and the bullet went through the glowing eye of one Geth and took out a lot of circuitry from another standing several feet behind it.
"Shot Garrus! Now, let's see what I can do with… this!" It was a cluster arrow that Anderson had prototyped with the bow. There were enough Geth grouped together to try it out effectively. Garrus looked slyly at me out of the corner of his eye as I raised the bow, drew the string and let my visor take care of the aiming. I released the tension and the arrow flew out, the wind whispering in my ears. In half a second, a group of twelve Geth had been punctured multiple times by the tiny tungsten spikes that lived inside the arrow head. It took a moment but the all fell to the floor, the glow fading from their eyes.
"You aliens and your cowardly weapons! This is how you take out more than one enemy!" Wrex's deep booming voice tore across the battlefield and I looked up in time to see his enormous form charging through across the dusty cliff top as three Geth crumpled under his weight before he brought up his shotgun and blasted two more before grabbing a final one by the 'throat' and ripping its innards out, sparks flying everywhere.
I looked at Garrus and we shared a look that confirmed Wrex's craziness. In perfect time, his maniacal laughter rang across the planet surface as the last Geth fell to its knees.
Shepard called us all in now. We were in front of the mine entrance. Garrus, Wrex, Tali, Ashley Kaidan and I were grouped around Shepard as he went through tactics. Wrex and Kaidan were going into the mine with him, so me Tali, Ashley and Garrus would be outside on watch. That was fine by me; it gives me a moment to rest, to relax in a hostile environment.
Apparently though, Ashley wasn't comfortable with me around. "Shepard, don't you want to take the new kid with you? He does know everything."
"Hey fuck you Ashley, at least –" I was cut off by Shepard.
"Enough! Both of you be quiet. Ashley, at least try and get along with him. You remember what you said earlier?" She looked down and nodded. I stalked off to stand away from the group, nearer to the edge of a nearby lava lake.
I had no idea what her problem was with me. I hadn't done anything to her… Maybe she was just jealous that Shepard was giving me attention because I didn't belong here as such, and she desperately wanted Shepard to love her.
I sat down on a dusty rock nearby, staring at the swirling patterns of light and dark of the molten lake and watching the rising heat waves distort the air above it. I was there for only a couple of minutes when I heard footsteps coming up behind me. I realised I had been idly playing with some stones, so I chucked them into the lake with a pleasing sizzling effect. It reminded me of meat on a barbeque…
I was brought away from my reverie by Garrus who'd set his rifle down on the rock and sat next to me. "Greg, I don't… normally do this, but, Do you want to talk?"
"Sure ok, what did you have in mind?" I was hoping that he didn't want to talk about what had just happened, but if that's what he wanted I had to try and make a long-lasting friend out of somebody on the Normandy.
Fortunately he didn't. "You know you said Shepard died the other day… and that I go to Omega?" I nodded in reply, my eyes looking at the floor. "Well… What happens? Exactly?"
"Ok. So, after Shepard died, well, you go after a drug dealer – Kishpaugh is his name – and then you rescue an elderly human couple from a Vorcha thug… They start the Archangel nickname by the way." He nodded, listening intently. "So, you know… You get stuff done on your own for a short while, then, you find Sidonis – another Turian. You save him and he joins you, eventually you have a squad of I think twelve? Sidonis gets caught however, and betrays you and your men. You go to a specified location while the Blue Suns kill your squad. Then they team up with the Blood Pack and Eclipse merc groups to take you out. That's when Shepard arrives."
It was a while before he spoke again. "Is it really that bleak?" I looked at him sideways. His mandibles were hanging loosely, drooping and his plates looked sunken.
"Come on Garrus. You're the most badass Turian in this universe, and you're worrying about what would've happened?" He looked at me in shock. "You go to Omega to try and make it better. You're a good person, and you may not know it, but you inspire others along the way. I know your father doesn't believe it, but you are a good Turian Garrus. You really are."
"How do you know about my… Never mind." Just then the ground grumbled and began to shake.
"We need to get back – Now." We ran back to the mine entrance, Tali and Ashley had been chatting until we arrived, then Ashley gave me a sour look which I didn't bother to reply. "Have you contacted Shepard?" They looked at me blankly. Great.
I pulled up my omni tool and set it to Shepard's a frequency Shepard would receive. "Shepard, do you read?" A crackled response came through. I tried to clear the static from the connection manually, and after a minute of tweaking, it was clean. "Shepard, was that the mining laser or have you got Liara out yet?"
There was a second's delay. "Greg, we're coming out of the mine now, Liara is with us. Your Intel was solid. Joker should be bringing the Normandy in now." There was a simultaneous roar from as the ground shook from the building pressure, and the air cracked as the Normandy came overhead. At that moment, the door to the mine shaft opened and the four of them poured out.
"Come on!" Shepard's voice called as the large group made its way to the gaping hangar doors of the Normandy. Once we were all on board Shepard told Joker to get us off-world, and he managed to do so just before the lake we had been standing by minutes before erupted in a haze of bright yellows and oranges. Shepard's voice rang out once again. Triumphant. "Mission Accomplished!"
It was back in sight now. The familiar behemoth of the Citadel, visible through the nebula it was situated in. I was next to Joker in the cockpit watching the blue shifted light bounce off the hull as we approached. He started the docking procedures and I turned around. Better get ready.
I walked to my locker and started putting on my armour, grabbing my weapons. Better to empty it out in case I needed something that was on the ship later. I fitted my sniper and my AR to the magnetic slots on my back and holstered my Carnifex handgun to my hip before fitting my bow onto my back. I must've looked weird. Armed to the teeth, and without a known uniform… People were giving me looks on the Normandy; I wondered how people would react when they saw me on the Citadel.
Ten minutes later and we'd pulled in to dock. Shepard had ordered everyone to take a day's shore leave, so everybody but the maintenance crew had left the ship by the time I resurfaced to the CIC and walked calmly out of the airlock, and onto the Citadel. Anderson was waiting for me there, Shepard standing next to him.
"Greg, Shepard tells me you've been an invaluable asset to his team. I'm sorry I have to take you away for a while, so if you want to tell Shepard anything now…" He looked questioningly at me, and I nodded, my eyes meeting Shepard's. "Very well, I'll give you ten minutes. Come meet me in Udina's office when you're done." He turned and walked away. It was odd seeing him in civvies. He just didn't suit them somehow. It was as though he was made for Military gear.
"Shepard, where do you think you're heading next? Feros or Noveria?" I looked at him patiently, yet expectantly.
"Well, I was going to ask you actually. I wasn't sure what the best course of action was."
I sighed quietly. "Ok, well normally I go for Feros first, because you get two birds with one stone on that mission – you save the colony and you can get Tali some Geth data for her pilgrimage. Noveria is slightly harder because of the Rachni."
"Ok then." He looked around quickly. "What happens on Feros?"
"So as soon as you arrive a man is blasted by a rocket Geth – you could probably save him if you're quick. Then, you follow the pathways until you get to the colony Zhu's Hope. There will be a frigate in the centre. Talk to everyone – you'll need to restart things like water and electricity but it's not difficult; it's only a few Geth blocking the way. After that, take a mako and head to the ExoGeni building. You should pass some refugees on the way – knock out the employee, otherwise somebody ends up shooting him. Speak to all of them before moving on, there is a mother there who asks you to find her daughter and somebody needs some computer data recovered from the building, there are loads of Varren and Geth inside the building." He nodded occasionally and his eyes flitted around every few seconds, but he remained attentive, eager to learn more about what was to come.
"So what happens next? Where's Tali's data?"
"You need to remove the Geth ship from the building by finding the faulty shutter – it's guarded by more Geth and Tali's data is on a console in that room. Then you need to deal with the Thorian. It's over fifty thousand years old and has indoctrination capabilities – I'm sure I told you about it though didn't I?" He nodded gently, his eyes unfocused as he remembered.
"Right. Thanks Greg. I'll let you go now – stay in touch, let me know if you're having trouble or anything like that." He smiled broadly at me and I couldn't refuse to smile back. I turned and left him outside the Normandy's airlock, a smile plastered on my face.
It was only moments later that I found myself in Udina's office, Anderson and the 'Ambassador' waiting patiently for my arrival. As soon as I arrived Udina snorted quietly. I hated this guy, not only is he so snobbish but his voice grates my nerves, and I feel as though I want to punch his stupid nose flat against his face with a biotic fist. I scowled at Udina as he turned and went to sit behind his desk. Anderson beckoned me over and I obliged, happy to turn my back on Udina.
"What's this about Anderson?" My query was not unexpected, yet it still made Anderson lost for words.
"Listen carefully. We're going to let events play out, to keep them as close as possible to the story line you know. That way, we know what's coming." I understood his reasoning, but… why? Shepard DIES. "Now before you say anything, I know Shepard dies, but he has agreed to let things go as they are. He believes it's the best course of action – and I'm inclined to agree."
I was devastated. "But how long will we follow events? I know – YOU know what's coming. We need to prepare, if not against the Reapers, then against the Collectors at least. You've heard the saying 'power is knowledge'? Well right now, we might just be the most powerful people in the galaxy. It is our duty to do something with that power."
"I know how you feel Greg, but this wasn't up to me. The board wanted to know what's coming their way in the next few years so they can begin preparations. It doesn't sound right, but it's only after Sovereign is destroyed that we as a race get targeted. So for now, we're safe - if only just."
I couldn't believe this. It was wrong. All wrong. Nothing was changed; Shepard would still die at the hands of the Collectors and be fixed by Cerberus. Even after all I'd said they weren't listening properly. "Well now I know how Shepard feels." He looked at me quizzically for a moment before nodding in understanding.
Udina spoke next, out of turn. He wasn't welcome in this conversation. "Besides… Greg." He spoke my name in disgust, as though he thought I was somehow beneath him, despite his short, weedy stature. "You're here to be integrated properly into society. It's imperative that you do so, so you can see how things are run around here…" He took a moment to look down his nose at me, before I turned back to face Anderson.
"So… what do you want me to do exactly? Start living a normal life?" Udina nodded in approval. "I… I can't do that anymore. Maybe before all of this, but now… I can't go back. There's no point if in three or four years I'll be twenty, maybe twenty one and I'll be back in the Alliance helping the war effort against the Reapers on Earth. You can't stop me Udina." He scowled at me, but I didn't care. Hopefully he wasn't aware that all the people on the right side knew he would try and betray the council to Cerberus, but when he did, I wanted to be the one.
"No, he can't Greg. But you need to do this. At least for a week, just to see how things go." I was defeated. Sent away from where I wanted to be, from where I thought I belonged. "You can use my apartment," He looked slyly at me "You know your way around it already." He chuckled gently.
I sighed heavily, the air rushing out of me. "Fine. I've got all my stuff, let's go."
It was gorgeous, it was lavish, it was… distracting. I didn't want to be here, and yet I was enjoying myself. I was surrounded by the crimson décor of the apartment, at least I was sleeping properly now. My mind was far from my old life, even though it was still there, like a small scratch in the back of my mind.
It was a few days since leaving the Normandy, and I hadn't heard anything from Shepard yet. I decided to right him a message.
'Shepard,
I hope everything is going well on the Normandy. I'm missing out on the action, but Anderson has a really nice apartment here, right in the middle of the wards.
Let me know when you're next on the Citadel, so I can rejoin you guys.
G'
I stared out the window briefly and remembered what Garrus and Zaeed had been saying… Too open, hard to defend… The window was too big. I chuckled under my breath as I leant over the balcony railing. Who in their right mind would attack an apartment in the middle of a ward? Maybe some mercs who'd been paid handsomely or an assassin. But I wasn't exactly likely to get either of those after me just yet.
I ambled my way into the kitchen area and started pulling out ingredients for lunch, then I heard glass shatter. I peered round the open fridge door, curious, when I saw soldier's dressed in white, a familiar logo on their armour. Of course…
