Well, I must admit I am a bit surprised over the low attention to the poll so far. Still, there is time yet... more specifically a lot in fact. So, could you please go visit the poll? I've finished the intro-stories for all the options, so just go ahead. and remember to send the PM if you choose "another person", otherwise, I'll be forced to choose the second most popular one.
Alright, there has been some guesses as to who the Admiral is, and oddly enough, none of them were right. I know this is actually because I pretty much just conjured her up, but I did find it prett amusing what people guessed for. Some of you guys actually got pretty close.
Alright, here is a chapter that will most likely result in people shouting 'WTF?' and 'You can't just do that!', but... yeah, just read it. Afterwards you can tear me to shreds.
"There are no stupid people, except for fanatics of all kinds"
"Ehm… Admiral, ma'am… you wanted to speak to me?" I say, stepping through the door leading to a smaller side-office.
"Yes. Close the door please." She says. The admiral is standing with her back to me, looking through a big window overlooking the Presidium lakes. The rest of the office is pretty much a big square, white walls adorned with the symbol of the Alliance, a couple of desks as well as a chair at both desks, and a couch next to the widow with an adjacent coffee table next to it. All in all, a cozy little place, not too pompous, not too spartan. I press the controls, leaving Ash, Nic, John and Tali outside. Udina and Anderson left some minutes ago, having spoken with John and Jane, adding her to the Normandy's paybook. I can't even begin to imagine how she must be feeling, meeting her old friends with none of them recognizing her. It would be like me returning home to… to have no one there recognize me.
"Corporal, I'm sure you must be wondering a bit as to why I wanted to speak to you?" She says, turning to face me. Her facial scars are almost radiating, not as the Mass Effect two scars Shepard would have, but more like they could be from yesterday, and not be Talos-knows how many years old.
"Eh, I have a few guesses, but… would it be okay, if I just hear it from you ma'am?" I say, not really sure how to handle the situation. To be honest, I have no idea whatsoever could have caused her to ask me in here, so I'm not exactly calm about it.
"I guess that's fair. I have been following you for some time, more specifically since the Normandy enlisted you and Chief Williams. It struck me as being odd that no record existed of you before the ship the USS Malcolm was mentioned having dropped you off. Oddly enough, there is no mention of a ship with that name in any of the navy's records, neither in overall council space. Now, can you tell me, why is that?" Wh- wha… oh SHIT!
"I… I don't know… I was just told that the Malcolm had dropped me off… then I had gotten drunk and Williams found me under the monorail."
"Uh huh? Well, the Normandy is the most important ship in the navy, hell it cost more to build than my own dreadnaught. We can't afford liabilities and shifty people on board. Or, people who might not be what they appear to." What the fuck? Is she… does she know?
"Most unlikely. Keep to the story, no need to reveal anything before we meet Valern."
"Ma'am… I'm not quite sure I follow…"
"Well, never mind. It is not really important."
"If… you say so?" I say, not being able to stop my eyes from pacing across the room, scanning for escape routes or a makeshift weapon should anything go to shit. Man, this is messed up. Or, I am not sure. I don't know if she knows my secret, but it definitely sounded like it for a moment.
"Now, what I did want to discuss with you had to be done without Udina sneaking around. Never trusted that political weasel. I hope that doesn't offend you."
"Not really ma'am. I have a bit of respect for how he has managed to stay alive for this long on a station ruled by anti-humans, but other than that, he can go smoke a- I mean… I don't like him beyond that… Ma'am."
"Good… also, there is a reason I could not allow your crewmates in here for this discussion. I… hope you understand."
"Yes Ma'am…" I say, not fully understanding why, but I guess she's got her reasons.
"Oh please, cut out the 'Ma'am', it makes me feel old." She says, pinching the bridge on her nose with a pair of fingers.
"Then… what do I call you?" The name is still way too fucked up. I mean, there is no way it can be true. It can't be her…
"How about Anna?" She says, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall. Her green eyes are locked with mine, drilling into me. Her words might as well have been a sledgehammer to my body. Re- remain calm! It's just a coincidence, she died when she was four, this isn't her!
"That this would be… is just… I would actually call it insane."
"You- you and me both."
"A- a-a… why could… I'm not sure…" I stutter, ending up with just standing there, opening and closing my mouth with no sound coming out.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you but, well… yeah… I wasn't really sure until now. You must understand, I only found out when I received the dossier for the Normandy's crew a week ago… at first I was as surprised as you no doubt is now, but I spent some time with it, contemplated it… I considered visiting you when I heard that you had been wounded on Feros, but it wasn't my place. I hardly know you, and you hardly ever knew me… besides, people would have wondered why an admiral visited a lowly private, even one that was due for the Purple Heart. So… in the end I decided to have it so that I would be the one to present the medal and stitches to you, so that we could meet… you okay?"
"How… how…" Is all I manage to utter before the ground jumps up to greet me again.
…
It was rather bright, like in a room made of light. He couldn't really see, at first, only feel the fabric that held his arms strapped tightly to his body. A strap jacket? Of course… he thought to himself. Suicide attempts often led to one being suspected of insanity, or perhaps something else. For reasons he did not know, he had been deemed the former. Perhaps it had been Tara who had made them believe he was insane, or maybe it was those who had caught him. Maybe he had rattled of names from the Normandy, names he should not know, spilled military secrets, said things that had reached the ears of the wrong people, caused them to have him stown away. For fucks sake, my head is killing me… He thought, gripping for his forehead, only to be reminded that his hands were strapped alongside his body.
"Um… Erh… Nurse? He… he is waking up, I think… should I stay here or…?" He could hear the voice of a woman. She sounded nervous. She sounded… synthetic.
"Ngggghhhh… my fucking head… Tara, is that… you?" He could hear his own voice, but the words tasted sour, as if he had been force-fed something he didn't like. Perhaps painkillers or sedatives. He could hear another person answer her, but he couldn't make out the words. Looking to his right, he could make out a fuzzy image of a person with colors of different shades of green.
"Magnus… will you… will you tell me now, what… are you okay?" She asked. The fuzzy image slowly became sharper, revealing his Quarian friend on a chair next to him. He was also lying in a bed with overly-soft pillows and thick madras. The whole place smelled of antiseptics.
Hmpf… hospital…figures.
"Yeah… yeah I'm… I think I'm fine…"
"Keelah, I'm glad to hear that. You have no idea how scared I was when I found out that… what?" She stopped talking in response to the look Magnus was sending her. It wasn't a look that said 'Shut up', it was more a look that said 'I need to tell you something'. And it scared her.
Magnus sighed before he started, knowing that what he was going to say would require him to be as gentle as possible, use all the right words and avoid the subject of his life before he met Jane;
"Tara… I'm going to… tell you something… it's kind of… can you shut the door or something?" He said, looking towards the white door that led to some kind of hallway. Nodding, Tara got up and closed the door, locking it for safety's sake. When she got back on her chair, neither said a word until Magnus breathed in heavily, almost looking ashamed. But what he felt, was fear. Fear and anxiousness. What if she would not believe him, think him insane? He had certainly given her ground to think so, what with his attempted suicide and all. At least, she wouldn't think he was lying, as no one would kill themselves for a lie. So, it was either that she believed him, and then whatever insanity would come from that, or that she believed him crazy, and either fled, or took it upon herself to get him relocated. Neither was a prospect he was looking forward to.
"Okay… okay…Tara… do Quarians believe in re-incarnation?" He asked, throwing out his question as casually as humanly possible.
"In… in re- in re-incarnation? I'm not sure I know what that is."
"Oh dear…" He said, biting his lips. Bragi, give me the words… don't let me fuck this up.
"Well… re-incarnation is the concept of a person being reborn in a new body when the vessel of his soul decays. It is from human Buddhism and Hindu, but Christianity, Paganism and Islam has it as well."
"Oh… no, I don't think we do, not in that sense. When someone dies, they become one with the ancestors, watching over my people. I think humans have this as well, no?"
"Yeah, they are called Angels… the guys and girls who join the ancestors. But… that is not what I wanted to talk about."
"What then? You know I won't be mad if it's because you've committed some kind of crime before we met. I won't judge you because of that."
"No it's… it is not that. Well, some things I've done over the years may be considered war crimes, minor ones, but still… oh please don't look at me like that, I didn't butcher a village like… like Jane did… I shot a prisoner. Humans consider that a war crime when it is a prisoner of war… sorry, I…" He could see that Tara had been taken aback by his words, as if she had done something wrong.
"It's okay… I suspected something like that all along… well, after you told me about Jane."
"Right… now I don't know how to continue… I never even told her what I am going to tell you… and I knew Jane for more than five years…" He said, looking at his hands, noticing that the handicapped hand had been applied new bandages, tubes and other stuff he didn't recognize.
"Why don't you just say it out loud? I'm sure I've heard more terrible things than what you could tell me." She said, a bit of confidence in her voice. Whether it was real or forced, he could not tell.
Should I just say it? Just spill it to her?
"I really doubt that Tara." He said, actually gaining a slight smirk on his lips. He cursed himself for it. now was not a time to smile. He was about to seal his own fate.
"Try me." She said, now more determined than confident. Magnus inwardly groaned, smacking himself for even having brought it up. If he could just take all the words back, think up some other reason he had tried jumping. All of this could have been avoided. But of course he had to tease her, so to speak. He just had to make her interested in his story. Now, she would have to learn it all, or hate him for it. In a way, he didn't really care. It wouldn't matter much, as long as he could find a way to get off world. But then again, what would he do then? Jane was gone, his life was gone. So, in the end it would be best if Tara believed him, and didn't hate him for it, neither for having kept it a secret for her all this time.
"Alright… if you really thinks so: I'm dead." He said, managing to get it out without stuttering as he had feared he would. The ridiculousness of the words didn't sink in until after a few second.
"Eh… I think my translator just glitched… it sounded like you said you were dead?" Tara said, sounding insecure again.
"No… you heard right. I have been exposed to what people call re-incarnation. I… I think I should start at the beginning. About two or so months ago, I was walking the Citadel with Jane."
"Y-yes, I know. You told me, and then she was killed, right?" Tara said, sounding like she didn't understand what the purpose of this was, why he was saying that he had been re-incarnated.
"No… I was the one who was killed. When I was bleeding out, Jane was hunched over me, crying her eyes out. It was the only time other than after the Batarian colony I have seen her cry. When I slipped away, I… I entered a void, like if you were sucked into outer space, only I could breathe there, I could speak there… and I wasn't alone. There was a person there, if you would call him…it that. Humans know him as the Grim Reaper, I think, but all races identify him with death. I think so at least… Next thing I know, I'm lying on a toilet here on Illium, dressed in that weird coat, and… well, that's pretty much it. I spent the next two months making a living by playing security on Eternity, beating up or chasing off people looking for trouble. I… was always wanted to ask people if they knew anything about Jane, about Shepard. But each time I was about to ask, I lost my nerve, fearing I would get the response I received from you… that it wasn't her… so… that's pretty much it… now you know about me, about my past… I know there is no way to prove it, no way to convince you that I'm telling the truth… but that's really it… at first I thought I had just been revived in the same universe, but now I know that Jane isn't Commander Shepard, that… that she… doesn't even exist here." He said, finally lifting his eyes from the sheets covering his body waist down. He wasn't too surprised to see Tara shaking, probably having just been confirmed in her suspicion that he was insane.
Great… just fucking great… there goes my only friend here… and my ride to wherever the hell I would wanna go to die… of course, it just had to happen right? I just had to tell her, didn't I? Whenever I say to myself that this can't get worse, the universe just fucking loves proving me wrong, doesn't it? Sigh… here I thought she would ac-
"Is that why you tried jumping?" A voice suddenly cut him off, causing him to snap back to reality. Looking at Tara, he noticed she had stopped shaking, instead now wringing her wrist at a pace that would put Tali to shame. At first, he didn't fully believe what he was hearing. She had just asked him a question in a way that implied that she didn't consider him a liar or insane. The insane part was still possible, so he didn't hold his breath. She had probably just pressed a button for the nurses and was now just making sure he didn't try something stupid.
Can't bite my tongue when I'm talking, can I?
He didn't quite know how to respond, so he simply nodded slowly, averting her eyes with the last movement. He could feel a lump pressing its way upwards in his throat.
Fuck… not now… I… Jane, I need you…
"I… I can't say that I fully believe you… but no one would try and… kill themselves over… a lie, I guess… I don't suppose there is any way at all you can prove it? Anything?" She said.
"I… don't know. I used to work on… on the Normandy… I can describe the crew if… fuck, there isn't even a guarantee it's the same people. For all I know they might all be Quarians, or Anderson hasn't even stepped down anyway…" He said, feeling his mood drop even lower than before, realizing that anything he knew about the others, could just as well be found on the extranet.
"Well… I… if-when you were there… was there at least one Quarian?" Tara asked, gripping the railing on his bed.
"We… I… yes. Yes there was." Was all he managed to say. For some reason, the lump in his throat wouldn't allow him to speak properly.
"What was his name?" She said, looking Magnus straight in the eye… he assumed.
"I… his? I don't… the only Quarian on board was a girl named Tali… I knew it had been changed…" He muttered the last sentence, but it still appeared that she heard it.
"This 'Tali'… what was she like?" Tara said, gaining a more interrogating tone.
"Like? As in her personality? Well… for starters she constantly defends your people's actions in the war against the geth. Don't get me wrong, I hate those robot-bastards myself… and…she hated the elevators… God, that reminds me of once where she and Garrus were in an elevator together, and he started going off about how it was the Quarians own fault that they… you, had been exiled, and Tali just ended the conversation with four words: 'I have a shotgun'… who the fuck would have thought those two would end up toge- I mean… She was also eager to share your people's history, which is pretty much how I know all I do about you and the fleet, Kar'Danna included. I know what she looks like, purple realk and otherwise dark colors besides a white sort of line going over her chest… she wears a combat knife in her boot, and… she had this adorable habit of wringing her hands and jumping on her heels when she became nervous… She doesn't have the best relationship with her father, to say the least and… I'm… not sure how much else I know, only knew her for about four months before the… incident." He said, exhaling a breath he hadn't been aware of having held in.
"I… I'm not quite sure what to say, to be honest… I mean, this is… wait, is that also why you defended me that night, with the turians? Because I reminded you of her?"
"I… I guess… reminded me of how I met her… " He said, not quite sure why Tara was asking, but he would answer anything she wanted if it meant she wouldn't think him insane.
"How was that?"
"In a back-alley, believe it or not… she was being assaulted by a group of assholes not unlike those turians who tried their luck with you… difference just was, I was armed back then, armored too. Walking around in armor tends to give you a boost to ones confidence, so I took them on. I just hadn't expected Tali to knock them down with a grenade first… I was pretty impressed, and asked Jane if we couldn't have her on the Normandy. Especially because of the evidence she had against Saren for…" He said, but stopped himself dead in it. He could somewhat prove that he really did know Tali, but how was he going to prove shit about the Reapers? Short answer: he couldn't.
"For what?"
"Just for working with the geth… and other stuff…"
"Kazuat… I heard about that. Apparently, Shepard got him ejected from the Spectres. It was pretty big news."
"Let me guess: He himself was then made a Spectre, and this annoying-as-hell bitch named Khalisa ben Sinai al something then gave him a shitty interview?"
"Uhm… no. They said something about the Quarian race not being ready for it, and as for the 'bitch'? I've never heard of her… then again, I don't have a TV, or a screen… or a proper extra-net connection."
"No shit? I noticed that earlier… but… does that mean you don't think I'm insane?" He asked, hope starting to mingle with the fear in his gut.
"Well… not completely. You did try to kill yourself , so all sane I wouldn't call you… still, I don't think you're lying… and… well, I guess I just need some time to… take it all in…"
"I understand… I don't suppose you still want me anywhere near you, and that is understandable. I've kept secrets, lied sort of, been violent and intolerant towards others… not exactly the best friend, no?"
"Well… I… I didn't say that. I mean, sure you may have avoided telling me, lied a bit… but if it's true what you've just told me… I think I would have lied as well… were it me."
"So… you're not going to kick me out?" He said, disbelief in his voice. The situation had just changed from shit to somewhat good.
"I don't think so Magnus. I'm not letting a friend go once I've found one… besides, I can't fix the Ashantí all by myself."
"Thanks Tara… seriously thank you." He said, not being able to hide a small smile.
"It's okay." She said, turning around to face someone entering the room. A human woman looked at the pair, frowning slightly but otherwise didn't say anything;
"We… I think we're ready to leave. Would you mind letting him out?"
…
Fuck man, my head is pretty much killing me right now. I had this insane dream that I was promoted and then I was given a medal and taken to speak to the admiral that gave it to me, and then she turned out to be… oh, right that actually happened.
I sit up on what I notice is a lounge chair, a red one. I'm still in the office where An- where the admiral gave me one hell of a surprise. Speaking of the devil, the woman sits right next to me on one of the normal office-chairs. Hands folded under her chin, she has a slightly worried look in her older green eyes. She doesn't say a word, apparently content with simply looking at me, maybe attempting to find out something about me from what she can see.
God, how old was I back then? Seven? Eight?
"I believe you were actually nine years old. Quite a traumatizing experience."
"Crap… you're right…. And that could perhaps explain some of her scars… though they look much fresher… and how the fu- wait, she can't be my dead little sister… that would mean she has been here for more than twenty years, at least! It… it doesn't work like that, does it?"
"Hmm, in theory it could. I sent you to a specific date, and therefore you have been here for one two months and six days. If she somehow was sent to a much earlier date, it should explain how she has surpassed her older brother in age."
"Damn…"
"Hey Thomas, you alright?" She says. Okay, she used my first name… I don't think no one even used Shepards first name… so, she must be meaning something with… though, I call John by his first name… crap, I can't figure this out.
"Well… aside from the fact that an elderly admiral claims to be… or, who do you claim to be… Anna?"
"Hmm, I guess I hadn't expected you to believe me… after all, you yourself must be pretty confused about ending up here."
"Not as much as you might think… just a few questions, if that's okay."
"That's acceptable. Fire away." She says, leaning back to the back of the chair. Alright, time to try and find out just what is going on here. A few questions… I think I saw this in a movie once, questions that only the other person can answer… okay, let's see…
"So… just to be clear: you claim to be my deceased sister, am I right?"
"That's the jest of it, yeah. I didn't expect you to just buy it right away-"
"Which I don't. Until I'm convinced otherwise, my little sister died in a car accident when she was four."
"Which is true. I did. But come on, ask your questions." If this should turn out to be a prank, I'm not sure what I'll do.
"Alright… in what city were you born, and on which hospital?"
"I can't remember the hospital, I was only four. But the city was called Aarhus. We… I remember spending some of my childhood in a house made of yellow bricks. I… I remember having a small bike, one of those with three wheels, a red one… I think." I guess that is acceptable. I remember that it was Skejby, but then again, I was alive for more than four years.
"Hmm… would you subject to a DNA-scan? To see if there is a match?" I say, not knowing what else to ask.
"If it will help you, then of course… by the way, you should be more careful with your personal information Thomas, it could easily end up with someone on the crew learning your secret." She says, a worried look on her face. I imagine she hasn't told anyone about her origin, if it really is her.
"A bit too late for that. I told them after our mission on Therum… as you might imagine, they were… surprised… to say the least."
"YOU WHAT?!" She almost shouts at me, flying from her chair. I can't help but flinch at her outburst.
"What the hell is the problem?"
"Wha- do you have any idea what the consequences of that could be? A time-traveler from another dimension? If people know that, there WILL be consequences. How could you be so… so careless?"
"Hey, everything went fine. They accepted it, and I'm actually in a relationship now. So please, cut down on the shouting, my head hurts like hell."
"Well… that sounds… so, they just accepted you, no strings attached?"
"Well… there was some screaming involved, but a friend of mine helped dissolve the situation and explain it all." I say, scratching my oddly barren head. I'm not mentioning Roku more than that unless I'm hundred percent that she's speaking the truth.
"Alright, excuse me for a moment, there's someone I need to call." She says, and before I can even respond, she has gotten up and activated some kind of console;
"Yes, Admiral Anna Vestergaard Cologne Fisher here. Who am I speaking to?... good, send up equipment for blood samples, it's important. Yes, I know that means transporting the thing halfway across the Presidium, but we don't exactly have it in the Omni-tools, now do we? Sorry, just a bit stressed out… no, I don't need… yes, how soon can it be here? Good, I'll be waiting…" She says, pressing the console again. I'm not sure what to say. She just… ordered a small hospital up here?
"Not really, just equipment for taking a blood sample and checking the DNA."
"That was fast…"
"Speaks for her, I guess…just a question: if she turns out to actually be your sister, can I speak to her?"
"Sure, go ahead… spray your thunder-like voice all over the human embassy… no one will notice I'm sure."
"I'll take that as a no then…"
Twenty minutes later, a sample of blood has been taken from both me and Anna, and the doc is running it through the gel-plate. Ash is standing next to me, having been let in on what's going on. it would be quite hard to hide it when the machine was rolled through the room outside. The process reminds me of something we used to do back in High-school, but this seems like it is a bit more complicated. After some minutes, the machine hooked to the gel gives a small ping. Well… here we go I guess…
"Well… the results show that there is a match of 99.87 percent between the samples… so, medicinally speaking you are related." The doc says, showing us a picture of the different strands. I don't really get what this is, what I'm looking at. I mean, I know that it is a pic that shows the DNA, but I have no idea how to read it.
"So… you spoke the truth ma'am?" Ash says, looking at Anna with a look that can only be described as utter confusion and surprise. I can't say I'm much better. There is just one thing left:
"Roku… this is the only time I'll ask you this, but… take a look inside Anna's head. Check her past from birth to now."
"That might take some time…"
"How soon can it be do-"
"Done…. I checked. Anna was killed in a car accident on May twelfth, 2004… she re-emerged onboard the SSV Atrian, where she was found and adopted by Alexander Cologne and his Sarah Cologne… as far as I can see, she always retained memories from her first four years, vaguely remembering her real family. She apparently never told anyone of her past, probably because she over time became uncertain of whether or not it had been real… for reasons unknown, she regained all her memories about her childhood. It could be that it was caused by your appearance here, but I'm not sure."
"Wow… that was fast… so, she is the real deal?"
"I believe so… for some reason, you do not seem thát startled anymore."
"Yeah… I guess that dying twice, mind-melding with an Asari, seeing Xenomorphs, two different Shepards, people from other dimensions and, oh yeah, meeting a divine being interested in human TV… all that can make you look at life differently. Honestly, I doubt anything can surprise me anymore."
"Yes I did Williams. I still do not understand how, but your boyfriend here is my big brother… though I should probably say kid brother now…"
"You know, if this had been two months ago, I would probably have gone crazy now… and wait… how did you know that Thomas and…"
"Oh please, I could see it in my own daughter when she looked like that at a boy, so I could recognize it anywhere." Oh dear… wait, daughter? She… well, given her age, I guess I shouldn't be that surprised to know it, but… scratch what I said before, I can still be surprised…
"Well… that was probably the last thing I expected to hear… so… you're a mother? That's kinda cool. How old are you by the way?"
"My Thomas, is that something you ask a woman? Williams, you need to keep him reined in." Anna says, chuckling. She then continues;
"Well… I'm 62 by now, and since I don't expect you to still remember my birthday, I'll just tell you now. It's June, the 1st actually. You owe me for fifty-eight years of birthday presents Thomas, better get a move on."
"Well, I… I…"
"Oh for Christ sake, I was joking. Did you lose your sense of humor when you got here? By the way, how did you get here?" Anna asks, looking at me with curious old eyes. I still can't get over how much she resembles Jane. An old version that is.
"Well… long story short, same as you did. I was hit by a train and sent here by Roku." I say, ignoring the look of horror on Anna's face. Or, trying to. fuck…
"Dear God… mum and dad must have been… Oh God…"
"Yeah…"I say, looking at the floor; "I've been told they didn't handle it that well."
"For fucks sake… the universe just hates our family huh?" Anna says, gripping the arm on her chair hard enough to leave a mark in the rubber.
"I guess… but if you have a daughter now… that at least means that you have a new family, right?"
"Yes, but believe me, there isn't a day where I don't wish for our parents to be able to have seen their granddaughter. Don't get me wrong though, I cherish and love my foster parents, they brought me up, fed me, educated me… they will always be in my thoughts… but I never told them about my past either. Unless you count the crying for my mum and dad back then for telling… well, let's move on from these moody topics, shall we? Find amusement in the fact that you're and uncle, and that your niece is older than you. That's probably a rare thing." She says, smiling. This is insane… less than ten years ago, I lost my four year old little sister… now, I'm meeting her again, as a grown woman with kids… is there really no border for the insanity of this place? I wonder if this would be a good time to start considering that deal between the Alliance and the Quarians
"Yes… but, there is actually something I would like to talk to you about…"
"Well, I'm not doing anything the next two hours, so… shoot." Alright, this is gonna take some skill to pull off;
"Ash, can you contact Kaidan? He's got the schematics on his Omni-tool. Can you get him to send them to your tool?" I say, turning to face Ashley next to me. She looks like she is a bit surprised over suddenly being pulled back into action;
"Sure, just give me a sec." Buuuuut, she doesn't seem to mind it anyway;
"Hey Kaidan… yeah it's me. Listen, Thomas asked if you could send me some kind of schematics and such that he said you had… I don't know… probably… guns and a gunship? Okay… yeah, they are received. Thanks, see you back on the ship." She says, ending the conversation.
"Well? I'm curious now, what is it?" Anna says, eying Ash's now glowing Omni-tool. Ash looks up, meeting the my sisters gaze. Sister… Divines, it has been a while since I used those words…
"Well don't look at me, I've no idea. Apparently this is Kaidan's and Thomas's little secret." She sends me an annoyed look as she speaks, letting me know that she's probably not too happy about not having been told. I just smile, trying to soften her up. Sighing, she opens the file Kaidan sent her, causing a hologram to appear.
For a few seconds, no one speaks. Even I am baffled. What the fuck? I never told Kasumi to get that! Or that! And… where the hell did she find that?
What we're looking at is no longer just a collection of guns and a single dropship from Tequila's original universe… it's… I'm not even sure if I ever mentioned any of this to anyone else… That… that's a… I lean in closer to be absolutely sure. Holy Divines and Daedra! Where the fuck did she get the plans for the USCM Marlow? And… that looks like… Kasumi, I swear if it wasn't because I was taken, I would kiss you when I see you the next time!
In front of me, just next to the Cheyenne-Gunship, a picture, complete with blueprints, descriptions and everything, hovers in the air over Ash's arm.
An LA/AT Gunship. Fuck! Don't faint now! Holy fucking hell this is awesome!
"Ahem…" The older woman says, finally cutting through the silence; "What are we looking at here?" She says, examining each picture and schematic closely.
"A lot of these designs I've never even seen before… actually, scratch that… I've never seen any of this before. Thomas, just what is this?" Anna says, looking at me with confusion in her eyes.
"I'm pretty damn curious too… none of this looks like Alliance designs… or Turian or well, anything…"
"Well… my, ehm… supplier, has access to… a lot of unusual stuff… I'm not sure if all of this is solid, but I can guarantee there is some tech in some f these that will, to put it mildly, kick the weapons market in the balls." I say, not really knowing if I should tell Anna about Kasumi. Hey cut me some slack here, I wasn't prepared to present all of this now… hell, and if someone had told me I would be presenting it to my sister of all people, I would probably have kicked him in the balls for making fun of my dead sister.
"You know, I think it's going pretty well so far… and why should I cut you some slack? Am I demanding too much?"
"Well… no, it's just a way of speaking… I think. Anyway, I just haven't prepared a sales speech, so I'm pretty much fucked if she won't buy it first time."
"Considering the LA/AT alone, I wouldn't be worried about that. You should be more worried about making the Alliance set up a deal with the Migrant Fleet, and how you are supposed to get the Salarians to join, I simply don't know…"
"Well, that surely helps my confidence…"
"I aim to please."
Mara...Does he ever get tired of doing that? Seriously, he is supposed to be an ancient divine being, and he never stops trying to get under my skin… well, more than he actually already is.
"Well, still I would like to know what… this… is." Anna says, enlarging the Cheyenne gunship; "It looks quite… old-fashioned, yet rather new… what is this 'Cheyenne-gunship'? I don't see anywhere in the schematics where the Eezo core is located… don't tell me it doesn't even have one?"
"Well, not exactly. It's jet propelled and capable of long range support missions, as well as orbital drops. The design just hasn't changed much since there was no need for it."
"I can imagine it must use quite a bit of fuel then… it doesn't say here, what's the armament?" She says, reading through the files; "Ah, found it… hmm… quite interesting… yes, I think we can use this… top-speed is at a nice 350kph… and… wait, where's the shielding on this thing?" She says, looking up from the screen. Oh boy… I knew this would come up.
"Well… it doesn't have any. The gunship relies on armor, speed and lethality, but it should be relatively simple to fit shield generators on it."
"Hmm, that could be done, of course… I'll have to take it to command to check if they want to use it… what else have you got?"
"Well… besides from a line of weapons that in theory should ignore shields, though barriers still seem to stop them. Found that out on Therum" Fucking Krogan… Hmpf, 'Space turtle'… good one Tequila…
"Ignores shields? Let me see that." Anna says, enlarging the image and description of the Pulse rifle. I'd wager, that if she hadn't know that the clones have some even more high-tech weapons, her eyes would by now be out of her head;
"This thing fires… actual ammunition? Who would want that over heat sinks? Still… if it gets the job done… I don't know about this one, but… do you have something similar for long-range firefights?"
"Yeah, but that too fires shells." I say, pointing out the picture of the M2A4 Sniper Rifle. This thing could be the perfect birthday present for Garrus, if Turians even have birthdays that is.
"Looks a bit… simple, doesn't it?" Ash says, looking in on the gun since she is actually the one projecting it.
"Looks, but isn't. It fires anti-material ammunition, making it a living hell for anyone out there, armored up or no. other than that, it's got a neat passive motion detector, enabling the shooter to find targets cloaked or otherwise hidden. It also comes with an in-built IFF-detector, so you can pick out the bad guys in a crowd of good guys in a blizzard."
"That seems… useful. What's the effective range?"
"As far as I know, in good conditions it's 2.9 kilometers."
"Well, that's considerably more than the Mantis-rifle. If nothing else, we can replace the ammunition with heat-sinks and replace the Mantis with this one. Anything else you would like to show me?"
"Sure, but I think I'll keep the bigger toys for after I've been with the Salarian Councilor."
"Why? What are you going there for?" Oh… my big fucking mouth!
"Well, I may have said some bad things about one of the councilors, and…" I start, but am cut off from an unexpected angel;
"Christ Thom, she's your sister. All the councilors are probably going to know as soon as you've been at Valern anyway. Just tell her already, will you?" Okay, see that was not what I expected. Ash was the last person I expected wanting Roku out and play, especially after her reactions the last time she heard him. And what happened the last time.
"Ash? Are you… I mean, there are other people nearby, they could hear us."
"I doubt it. If the room was bugged, I bet either Roku or Tali would have picked it up from long away."
"But…"
"She makes a good point you know. There are no bugs in this room, neither are there in the one where Shepard vas Normandy nar Rayya and Tali are waiting with Jane… we're in the clear, so to speak."
"Well, then please try and keep it down, will you?"
"You're letting me speak to her?"
"Only if she asks. Otherwise stay silent. I don't know if she's prone to heart attacks… she's an old lady now."
"Fine… but do try and steer the conversation towards it. I love to watch people's reactions when I pop out."
"That's… that's pretty sick Roku."
"What can I say? Your brain, your influence."
"Fine… but you can't tell anyone, not even Anderson about this, okay?" I say, looking at the door to make sure it's locked. The windows are as well, and the one that isn't, I quickly shut;
"Jesus little brother, why the secrecy?" Little brother? I guess physically I am…
"Well… you see, when I got here, it was because I died, right?"
"Yes, and this 'Roku' sent you here, right?"
"Right… well, when I died, I found myself in a void, like a biiiig dark room, with no body. Then, there was this voice that spoke to me, offering me three choices. One was being brought back to life on Earth ano 2011… but in a shape that would cause Stephen Hawking to smile. The other was Heaven, I said fuck no. well, not 'fuck' no, but just no. Anyway, the last option was then re-incarnation, which brought me to Eden Prime. You probably know the rest of my service record from there, but all along, I wasn't alone. Well, besides the rest of the crew that is."
"Meaning?" Anna says, looking at me with a raised brow.
"Well, the voice from the void followed me. He has been in my head all along. He gives me advice, tips and such… and he kept me alive more than once."
"Plus…" Ash says, causing us both to look at her; "He helped you spill the beans to us. Damn was I scared when he popped out and started talking." Ash says, looking like she is close to a chuckle.
"Told you. It's gold to watch for the reactions."
"Shut it. It's still pretty creepy."
"Well… I would… be surprised, I guess, if it were anyone but you… maybe. But… can I, you know, can he pop out and talk like right now? Can he hear us?"
"Yes I can certainly hear you Miss Fisher." For the love of…
"I didn't ask you to come out!"
"No, but she did." I am about to retaliate when I notice Anna's face. Unlike pretty much everyone else, she isn't covering in fear or dropping her jaw at the sound of Roku's speech;
"Well… this is definitely interesting. I suppose you must be Roku?"
"You are correct in that assumption… and may I add that you are the first not to freak out when hearing me for the first time? I'm rather impressed."
"Yeah well, when you've been in the Alliance Military for as long as I have, it takes a bit more than ghosts to freak me out."
"I beg your pardon? Ghost? I am no such thing young lady. I am a being of divine magnitude, capable of sending people across the barriers of reality, taking control of their bodies and so much more."
"I'm not exactly young… and what other powers do you have then?"
"You are all young compared to me. I have always existed, and will till the day my master ends me. My powers stretches far beyond what you can even comprehend."
"Again, such as?" Anna says. This is actually turning out to be pretty interesting. Anna and Roku are battling wits it seems, and if I didn't know any better, I'd say Anna is gaining the upper hand;
"I can control humans no matter where they are. I can break through any system faster than an A.I. I can keep the dead walking, and go beyond reality itself. I think that matches whatever you might be able to do."
"Quite so… still, it is difficult to apply those skills to a large scale… and I don't know if I feel safe knowing that you can break whatever firewall you encounter. Not even the geth can do that." Anna says, looking at me. Okay, this is getting on my nerves. Not to mention that the headache is growing in strength.
"Can the two of you cut it out please? My head is killing me whenever he pops out."
"Right, apologies for that, but I simply could not resist the opportunity of having an intelligent conversation for once."
"What's that supposed to mean?" I say, forgetting for a moment that he is in my head. That way I could simply think my words. But no, of course I had to keep the conversation going.
"Well, you are not exactly the very definition of a genius, even though you do have your occasional glimpse of brightness."
Sigh…
"Now, that Roku will no longer be disturbing our meeting, can we get back to the last of the weapons, or do we call it a day?" I say, looking at the two women. Now, there is the look of sheer confusion and shock I was hoping for from Anna;
"How can you just go back to that? Like nothing happened? I mean, this is the opportunity of a lifetime, or even the century. If we could conduct a bit of surgery on your brain, I'm sure we could-"
"No. I am NOT going there again. I swear each time I go to the hospital, people want to check my brain. Face it, you can't find him in there. The closest you'll come is to find that his influence causes me to be autistic of appearance. That is all there is to it."
"Fine… I should have guessed. From what I heard from Emhart, you are piss-scared of needles. So sedating you would probably go the wrong way anyway…"
"Thank you, thank you…"
"Now… can we get on with the weapons or what?" Ash suddenly says.
"I never imagined you would be in such a hurry Ash." I say, smiling. Her left arm is shaking.
"Do you have any idea how hard it is to have kept my arm up all the time? I can't fucking feel it anymore." She says, a light sneer in her voice.
"Well, I think we still have some weapons to go over, don't you too Ash?" I know, I'm a douche bag, but I simply can't resist pissing her off a bit. I mean, it's all friendly. She's probably going to retaliate later anyway.
"Oh, you are so going to meet the mat when we get back Thom." What did I tell you?
"Me?"
"Mara… give me strength…"
"Also…" I say, remembering the deal; "There is something I would like to talk to you about Anna."
…
"You two sure took you time in there. What did the admiral want?" Tali says, getting up from the chair she looked suspiciously comfortable in. somehow I doubt she minded the waiting. Nic is sitting in a chair opposite from Tali's, spreading his arms and legs like a dressed up starfish.
"Well, I'm not sure how to begin, so I'll just put it on the table as it is… she is my sister." I say. I swear, if Quarians could mope… well, they can, but you can't see it because of the mask;
"Okay, I'm pretty sure my translator just fucked up… you said she is your sister?" John says, disbelief in his voice. I just nod.
"But… but she must be at least fifty!"
"Sixty-two actually." I say, rubbing my eyes with my right hand. I don't trust the new one near my eyes yet.
"And, not to shoot you down, but didn't you arrive in… well, here, on your own?"
"I did. Anna just arrived fifty-eight years ago."
"Thomas… even from you, that is a lot to believe." John says, crossing his arms.
"Well, then hear it from me Shepard vas Normandy. Anna Fisher was killed at the age of four, ended up here without my knowing, and was adopted. Since then she has been serving in the Alliance military and navy, riding through the ranks till she reached Admiral. She took notice of Thomas's being here about two months ago. I would not be surprised if she herself had made it so that she would be the one to be here today."Oh, my fucking head!
"Please Roku… please not that loud… my head is killing me as it is, and you popping out again isn't helping."
"Sorry."
"Well, after all I've seen, I'm not that surprised. Hell, I wouldn't even jump if my parents had ended up here as well. All dead people seem to do so apparently." Jane says, emerging from wherever she had been standing right before.
"Yeah, it kinda gives a new meaning to the old phrase 'I see dead People', doesn't it?" I say, grinning. Apparently, I'm the only one who gets the joke, as the others simply sigh.
"What? I thought it suited the situation." I say, throwing my arms out. Ash just shakes her head.
"Thom… so far I've observed only two things you can't do: Tell Jokes and keep conscious around your idols. Actually, I guess I should consider that a compliment to myself, seeing as how you reacted on Eden Prime." Ash remarks, causing me to grin;
"Well, be glad you haven't seen me drunk or dance yet."
"See, now I'm scared." She says, punching me on the shoulder. I flinch in fake pain, something that always causes me to smile when it works;
"Ow Chief, at least wait with the beatings till we're actually sparring."
"No promises honey. I might get violent all of a sudden." She says, flashing a devilish grin.
"Great… now I have to be on my toes on and of missions… what the fuck is R&R?" I grumble, nudging my head. The little scene Roku just made didn't help… and great, now the buzzing and humming is back. God, my brain must hate me. Or, it's trying to kill itself. Whatever works.
"Now, if the talks with the admi- your sister is done, can we have the meeting with Valern done? I think Nihlus is waiting for us."
"Wait, Nihlus is waiting for us? How long has he been doing that?" Nic asks from the chair, apparently not willing to give up his new throne.
"Since I messaged him five minutes ago. He is waiting by the elevators to the Presidium. And I'm sorry Nicolai, but this will be a closed meeting. Meaning you, Tali, Ashley and Jane won't be attending. You'll have some free time to go shopping if you still need anything, otherwise expect us at the ship in two hours. Ashley, can you message the rest of the crew on shore leave, tell them that they have to be back on the ship by 22:00 Citadel time. Dismissed."
"Oh well… see you back at the ship guys." Nic says, reluctantly getting out of his chair. That's when I notice a few shoe-marks on the cushioning on it. Man, Udina is going to have a stroke when he sees what Nic has done to the chair. I can't help but smile when thinking about it. Oh, I'm a bad person…
…
"Good to see you up and around again Fisher. I have to admit, the shore leave was a bit dull without you to mess up something or cause a minor riot." Nihlus says as we step into the elevator. I just shrug;
"Hey, be glad Sparatus isn't at this meeting, then I could give you a riot." I say, grinning at the Spectre.
"Spirits… Sometimes I have to wonder if Williams sees a companion in you, or a child…" He says, massaging his faceplates with a talon. If I should guess, then I'd say the guy looks tired. Deadbeat is more like it actually.
"Tough day?" I ask, noticing a small smear in the face painting under his right eye.
"Let's just say Fisher, that if I ever were to push you forward as a candidate for the Spectres, Spirits forbid it, it would be more of a punishment than a reward."
"That bad huh?" John asks, joining the conversation.
"Shepard, be glad the council will most likely refuse every attempt at having you made a Spectre. I swear the paperwork alone equals the Human Hell. The mission to Therum alone took more than five hours to write a report on, and I'm not even going into details on how much a pain in the ass the report on Feros was. I feel like my talons are ready to come right of."
"Damn… if it wasn't for the indoctrination, then now I would understand why Saren left with a flipped middle finger… if turians have that." I say, feeling a bit sorry for Nihlus.
"Oh yes… I have been on the verge of a shootout myself a few times. But, a few cups of coffee, and I last the entire night… well, awake that is. Doesn't help on the headache though…"
"You as well?" I say, scratching my head.
"Yes… take a piece of advice from an experienced Spectre: Getting… whatever you'll call it, by a giant plant… that headache takes more than a few weeks to go away, and the images… makes me wonder if it was something similar you experienced…" I very much doubt that Nihlus… still…
"Perhaps… it's starting to fade at least. The hallucinations I mean." Only they are not. I can still see Liara in front of me, ready to snap open her own neck to spit her own stomach-contents at me, or John, face torn and eyes like fucking flashlights… Man, where the fuck is Kelly when you need her?
"Good. We need to be fit for duty when the Council gives us our next mission… besides… ah, we're here." Nihlus says, noticing the green light above the door. Showtime… you ready?
"Am I the materialization of the Fire Nation's Avatar?"
"Ehm… not the answer I expected, but… I guess I'll take that as a yes." I think, stepping out of the elevator. The council-floor still looks exactly like in the game, except for the now real trees and better graphics.
"So, are we going to stand in front of Valern while Roku just goes for it?" I ask, looking at Nihlus while we walk around the large ring that makes up a hole in the floor. Funny, I could have sworn there used to be water here…
"No, Valern has set aside his own office for the meeting. The podium would not be that discreet, so he is taking some precautions. Just to be safe." John says, shooting what I guess is a sour glance at one of the Turians standing by the wall. Looks like he is in a conversation with a volus, though they don't seem to be saying anything. Or, it could just be that I can't see them speak. I don't know.
"Sure, so… lead the way." I say, gesturing at Nihlus to take point.
Instead of going for the Podium, where all the normal meetings are, Nihlus leads us into the side-offices under the arcs stretching out above us. I don't think I've ever seen this place, not even in the LP's. As Nihlus approaches the door closest to us, he palms a panel, causing the door to light up. It opens, and we all go inside, Nihlus first.
The inside of the office looks like it's inspired by Japanese art and style, consisting of few pieces of furniture, decorations in the form of several vases, all of them white with blue patterns. A single fireplace is cozying up the place, giving it an almost manor-like atmosphere. A big window at the back provides a great view over the Citadel and the purple galactic mist or nebular. In front of the window, a big metal desk is placed, kinda cutting away from the otherwise eastern theme. Behind the desk, I can make out the head of a Salarian, turned towards the window on a big chair. Hmpf, just like in a movie. And then we turn him around and find him dead or something… oh well, let's get this over with. I think as Nihlus announces our arrival. There is no response. John moves to turn the councilor around, probably being pissed over being ignored.
"Dear Dofrat! Get out of-"
"Hey Valern, I'm talking to… BOSH'TED!" John shouts, jumping back from the chair. It whips around when he does so, revealing the councilor with a thin line of green seeping from a gash on his throat. Talos!
"What in the name of… what's that in his lap?" Nihlus refrains from shouting, noticing what looks like a small thermo-can in Valern's lap. Moving in closer, I can see that it almost looks like a…
"Run you idiot!"
"What?!"
"It's a bomb!"
Fuck! I almost jump away from the chair. Turning towards the two aliens, I grab each of them, pulling them towards the door;
"We have to get out of here, there's a-"
The entire room is engulfed in flames when the bomb goes off, completely destroying it and everything in it.
…
Elsewhere.
Same time
The artificial eyes gave a blue glow before closing, the man savoring his cigarette. For the most wanted man in the Galaxy next to Saren Arterius, he did not suffer any of the inconveniences that the words 'being on the run and hiding from everyone' normally entailed. Exhaling, he drew a long trail of smoke through the room, visible in the light from the dying star.
Puffing on the cigarette, he mashed it into the ashtray on his chair, picking up a small glass of whiskey instead. Swirling the drink, he noticed the sound of footsteps from behind him.
"Sir, you wanted to see me?" The woman said, stopping few feet behind the chair.
"Yes…" he said, slowly turning around in his chair to get a better look at the woman; "I would like to know how Project Protégée is coming up. Any updates?" He said, letting his cold blue eyes glide over the raven-haired woman in front of him.
He had never disapproved of her choice of uniform, merely wondered. The skintight suit didn't do much to hide her forms, neither was it the point. She was supposedly the perfect human woman, spotless and beautiful to the artificial point. He knew this was a sore point to her, that she indeed was artificial. Nevertheless, she had one of the best brains he had ever met, and possessed a sometimes outright inhuman sharp wit and mind. He knew she had achieved the nickname, the 'Ice queen', as she had a single flaw. Being infertile had left her desperate, he knew. It was not something they discussed, not even when in the best of moods. Due to her desperation, the woman had had multiple short-lived affairs with different men, none of them for love or companionship. From what his sources had told him, the latest experiment from her side had been one of his top operatives, a man named Kai Leng. Each day, he wondered why he had taken the young man in. granted, he was an exceptional assassin, probably one of the very best there was, but he had some rather radical viewpoints. Cerberus was dedicated to protect and advance humankind, but Leng had an almost brutal approach to it, carelessly eliminating anyone in his way. Especially if they were aliens. Taking another sip of his beverage, he nodded to Miranda, the Cerberus officer in front of him;
"Well, we have had some… complications." She said, sounding somewhat insecure.
"Please, elaborate." He said in a calm voice. A voice that never betrayed his emotions.
"After the subject escaped eleven months ago, we have had difficulty tracking it. We suspect it is mainly due to him staying out of public light and spaces."
"Until a few months back?" He said, more a statement than a question.
"Yes. Subject Shepard being appointed captain of the cutting-edge frigate the Normandy was, to be frank, quite a hurdle in our way."
"Yes I know… reclaiming him would mean removing one of the few threats to Arterius, leaving him free to attack more of our colonies."
"So… we give up on him? Sir, he is vital to the project."
"I know, but for the moment we don't have someone capable of replacing him… so we wait."
"Yes sir… also, I have received news from operative Leng." She said, shifting her stance.
"I'm listening." He said, inhaling the scent of his priceless Bourbon.
"The hit was a success." She said, frowning. She might approve of removing threats to Cerberus, but from what she had been informed, Valern had not had Cerberus on his top-agenda. The assassination of a councilor could also bring chaos to the galactic community, putting negative focus on humanity, the newcomers.
"Good… any witnesses?"
"None for the act itself, but three were engulfed in the explosion."
"Did they survive?"
"Leng didn't stay around to check." She said, remembering the description of the group: a human, a Turian and a Quarian. She had immediately recognized the turian by description. It had to be the Turian Spectre Nihlus Kryik. He had caused enough trouble for Cerberus for her to know him in an instant.
"Hmm… that was sloppy of him. When he returns, send him to me. I'll have a small chat with him." He said, savoring the last droplets of whiskey before he put down the glass.
"Yes sir." She said, leaving the room.