Mali awoke to the shrill beat of the heartbeat monitor. It cut through the fog in her brain and was gradually waking her up, she thought it sounded annoying, she wanted someone to turn it off. Her eyes felt crusty and dry, and her tongue felt swollen to twice its size. She groaned and turned her face away from the bright light above her, she had a mental flashback to her jail cell, in which she had awoken in a similar manner.
She opened her eyes and gasped; she was in a hospital room—the anapestic smell clogging her nostrils. The white walls hurt her eyes, the simple room felt like it was closing in on her, suffocating her. The heartbeat monitor's beeping rapidly increased; Mali started hyperventilating, she looked for Officer Clair, but then she remembered. Hot tears swelled her eyes as panic gripped her; somehow the hospital was bringing back terrible feelings, like half-lived shadows of memories long forgotten. A nurse rushed into the room, a dark purple asari in a white dress and apron, coming to the call of the monitor.
By this time Mali—despite the pain from her middle—has sat up in her bed and was lurching with pain, her eyes roaming the room restlessly for threats. The nurse turned her back to Mali, then came with a syringe filled with clear liquid in her gloved hand. In a panic, Mali slapped the syringe from the nurses' hands, it cracked down on the linoleum floor and the liquid splattered in a small puddle. Mali had to get out of the hospital, now. The nurse tried to hold her down on the bed, but Mali overpowered her and knocked her onto the ground.
She twisted out of the bed, and her bare feet connected with the white tile. She wore a thin, white cybernetic gown that read her vitals, thick gauze was wrapped around her middle, and Mali could see a thin spot of blood through it where her exertions had partially ripped open her wound. She hopped over the unconscious asari, and rushed through the door of her room, glad to be out. As she entered the hall, shouts of alarm filled the hallway as doctors and other nurses—human and asari alike—noticed the escapee. Mali dashed passed them all, hopping into an elevator before anyone could react; finding and pressing the lobby button once she was in.
The doors opened and Mali rushed out into the busy mayhem. People were being carried in on stretchers, or being pushed in wheelchairs. Doctors, nurses and civilians alike scurried through the terminal going one way or another and bumping into everyone else. Through the stairwell window, Mali could see security guards running down the stairs. She pushed into the large crowd and headed for the giant double glass doors that were the entrance; the noise overwhelmed her ears. She had to get out!
As she cleared the exit, she was caught up in the wonderful abundance of green vegetation that grew outside—in fact all around—the Thessian hospital. A brief panorama reviled that the plants and tress continued as far as the eye could see, lining the walkways and filling every nook and cranny that wasn't occupied with something else. She turned away from the hospital, and ran down the wide walk away from it. She really didn't have a plan, but she needed to know what had happened to the ship—and her friends. She painfully made her way to the ICT Councilmen building. She followed the signs that had the recognizable seal of the ICT plastered to their surface, and eventually she found it, after much backtracking and getting lost. It was surprisingly close to the hospital; it rose about twenty-three stories high—relatively short compared to the other buildings—and was white alienite on the outside.
The huge emblem of the ICT hung above the door, a circle with a phoenix engulfed in its own flame spreading its wings inside, the wing tips touching the edge of the circle. Inside, the air was cool, a relief from the sweltering heat outside, and it was quite fancy for an office building. Old fashioned brass light holders lit the room, adding a charming glow to the golden tile and engraved walls. All the furniture was polished wood, of what tree Mali couldn't say, but it was dark in color.
She ran to the elevator that was past a reception desk, ignoring the shocked asari behind it. She punched the button next to the label: 'Council Room,' hoping it was the right one and that people would be there. The doors swiftly opened after a pause, and she stepped out into a quiet hallway. Down the hall to the right, were two, huge, oaken doors engraved with swirls and designs Mali couldn't distinguish. She walked up to it, her bare feet making soft slapping noises on the tile; the doors towered above her, intimidating her. Taking a deep breath, she pushed through, and into the council room.
The first thing that hit her was the noise. A large circular table, hollow in the middle, sat in the middle of the round room, glossy smooth from being polished. Around it sat many adults, maybe thirty or forty, all dressed in Alliance blue. It was a council of mostly humans, but a few asari, turians, and one salarian mixed in as well. Some were standing up and shouting, while others sat and brooded in their chairs. At the loud creek of the opening doors, all their heads turned and glanced her way; but then their gazes stayed trained on her as they saw her. She held her chin high as she walked forward, suddenly aware of her hospital dress and crazy hair. She resisted the urge to touch her face, to check the condition of her eye make-up. A spot of blood had worked its way past the gauze, slightly staining a bit of her dress red.
She stopped when she was close enough, and looked all of them in their stern faces. One asari caught her eye, the woman was not like the others, despite being part of the council, Mali could tell that she was not like them—less calculating and cold—more worried, or angry, by the blaze in her eyes. "I was on the Nova." Mali plainly stated, "I want to know what happened to the ship." There was a shocked silence in the group of people—they weren't used to being treated this way. Mali tried again: "What was the fate of my ship?" She asked. Finally, a human woman answered her with a sneer.
"Who are you to treat us this way? You cannot barge your way in, then expect to gain answers!" The lady had brown hair tightly forced back into a bun, pulling her forehead way back from its natural position. Mali cringed as she looked at the strained hair follicles, she felt sorry for this woman's hair. She had a beaked nose, and brown eyes, accompanied by very pale skin. Mali felt anger rise within her, she was tired of not having answers.
"I demand to know!" She commanded. "My name is Somali Avon; you are the people that dragged me across the galaxy to get me here to this planet, only to be attacked by a reaper—whatever that is. So I think I deserve some explanations, people!" She looked them all in their faces, some did not meet her eyes. A man stood up from where he had been sitting. By the way the others moved, like getting out of his was so he could speak, told Mali that he was the one in charge. He had short grey hair, and a big nose. Bushy eyebrows over hanged, small sparkling eyes. They were clear and friendly, unlike most of the eyes she had seen in this room. It was a welcome sight to Mali.
"My name is Admiral Henry Dickens, I am in charge of ITC academy her on Thessia. Please, sit down before you hurt yourself again." Mali looked at a vacant seat in front of her, but it did not look as appealing as standing, no matter how it hurt.
"I think I'll stand." She retorted. A few chuckles rippled through the forty odd adults.
"Very well." Dickens amended, he sat back down, along with all the others. It was quite unnerving for Mali, standing in an almost see-through dress while forty strangers stared at her. "Your ship, and most of its crew were saved, mostly impart to you." He said. Mali paid the complement no mind, everyone on board would have done the same thing as her.
"And my two fr—companions?" Mali amended that statement. She braced for the worst, but when it came it was like a punch to the stomach.
"Taken captive aboard the enemy ship, I'm afraid." The commander didn't sugar-coat things, it wasn't his style. Mali's face twisted in pain as her heart was clutched by an icy hand, she pressed a hand to her chest, trying to relive the pain.
"Oh," was all she could get out. The company looked uncomfortably around the room, averting their gazes as a single tear trickled down her cheek, unused to seeing others mourn—except the asari. The anger had disappeared from her eyes, replaced by pity. Mali stood straight when she saw the pity, her pride getting the better of her. She would not let them see her cry.
"I don't want to burden you with any more information right now, in your weakened state, what you need is rest." Dickens said.
"No!" Mali accused, "finish what you have to say!" She stood defiantly ignoring the growing pain of her abdomen.
"You were attacked by a reaper destroyer. It is a smaller vessel than an actual reaper, but still a formidable threat. When we engaged it with our ships, it escaped via FTL speeds and we lost it."
"What is a reaper, exactly?" Mali asked, confused.
"They are a force older than the protheans, and were responsible for wiping them out. They are half-mechanical-half-organic beings that used to reside on the outskirts of dark space, the spaces between galaxies. Their bodies are like the ship you saw, that's where the mechanical part comes in, but they are fully thinking, fully feeling entities bent on destroying all galaxy life. They were supposed to have been all killed when they came to destroy us, but apparently we were wrong, because one showed up a week ago chasing you."
"A week ago?" Mali asked.
"Yes, you've been in and out of critical care for a week. You had lost so much blood that we thought you weren't going to make it, but you did, and then we kept you out while you were recuperating—that is—until you decided to get up and ruin all of that." Mali was starting to feel a bit weak, the chair was starting to look like a good option now. She sank gratefully into its embrace. "Can you tell us exactly what happened on the ship?" He asked.
"I woke up to the ship rocking and shaking that morning, and the alarms flashing and blaring," She recalled. "Me and Officer Clair, the peacekeeper of New Chicago, ran to the bridge to see what was going on. That's when I saw the reaper ship; it was huge! It had six tentacles and two huge red eyes that stared right into me." She shuddered, around the table, the mood fell into freezing temperatures. "Captain Reid said our only hope was if we could contact Thessia, but Officer Thompson had died, and no one else knew how to work the transitions, except me because he had taught me. So Officer Clair, Niles, an N7 solider, and I took the elevator to the cargo bay, where the transmission room was. On the way there, I was shot by a yargh with a shotgun." An audible gasp sounded from the adults around the table, inside, Mali felt slightly pleased at their evident awe. The only one who didn't show any emotion was the asari woman, and that horrid bun lady whom the plaque in front of her desk read "Abbara Finch".
"They slapped some medi-gel on me, and we continued on, but while I was rewiring the hard drive, both of them were taken by some invading yargh." Mali's throat caught, and she had to stop for a second to regain her composure. "I found an open transmission in one of your offices, and hoping for the best, I connected and radioed in. Thankfully someone answered and I got the message through, but while I was talking, a yargh came in and dragged me from my chair. At this point I was almost blacking out, so before that happened I shot him before I lost consciousness. Then I woke up in the hospital and came here." As she had continued with her story, she became more and more dramatic with her gestures and voice, until she had the audience rapped with attention. Mentally she gave herself a pat on the back, she should tell stories for a living, she thought.
"Well," Dickens leaned back in his chair, "that is a story. Thank you." Mali nodded in return, her eyes drooped with tiredness. "I think you'd be surprised to find out the person you radioed is right in this room." Mali sat up and looked around, looking at all the faces, she hoped with all her heart that it hadn't been Ms. Finch. Now that would depressing! "It was Dr. Liara T'soni." Mali looked for the corresponding nameplate and was surprised to see the asari that had caught her attention with those angry eyes sitting behind it, a bit smugly. Mali looked her in the eyes; light blue meeting light blue.
"Thanks." Was all she said; T'soni nodded in return.
"Now we will return to the matter of you breaking out of the hospital." Dickens brought up. "I'm getting a lot of notifications on my omni just about now, and I have a feeling they are about you." He slightly smiled. These people aren't half-bad, when you get to know them, Mali thought, they are all just military personal. The teen smiled, embarrassed about her behavior, but also panic started to run its course through her stomach.
"I don't know what came over me. I just couldn't stand it in there, please don't send me back." Mali responded. "Besides, they tried to subdue me, and anyone who knows me knows that I don't like being caged in." Dickens stroked the stubble on his beard, and thought for a moment.
"Well, since you and Dr. T'soni have already been acquainted with one another, you will stay with her for the weekend; until we can get you settled in the dorms for your pre N7 training." The doctor opened her mouth to protest but Admiral Dickens raised his hand, "There is nowhere else for her to stay." He said.
"What about my friends?! They are being held captive!" Mali demanded, her naturally suspicious attitude of people coming into play. "Or have you already forgotten about them?" Her voice broke with pain and accusation. Ms. Finch raised her voice over Mali's, sneering at Mali's hopelessness.
"Until we know where it is, we can do nothing to help those operatives. They will just have to sit tight and endure any mistreatment until we can locate them. And even then, we might not engage the target, this provides a valuable research opportunity." Mali's mouth hung open in shock, offended.
"Don't you have any feelings or compassion?" Mali spat into her face, "Those operatives are my friends! If you think I'm just going to sit tight while they are in danger, well, you've got another thing coming." She stood up, cringing as her wound was stretched in two different directions, and slapped her hands on the table. "They've saved my life many a time, I will not disrespect that. They wouldn't sit here like a bunch of fat people if I was in danger." The adults rustled with agitation at her insult; some murmuring to their neighbors darkly. Mali felt like she was on a role, she continued; "I bet none of you even know what I'm talking about—honor—because you are all backstabbing power-hungry politicians. I come in here, and you are arguing about the next election, when there is a reaper threat just outside your door! You are dishonoring your own academy by your frivolous activity; I am no expert, but I would say you guys are just a bunch of useless cr—"Dickens slammed his palm onto the polished table top, making Mali start with surprise.
"That is enough! This council is dismissed. Somali, you will stay after." His brow was creased with fury, his eyes were dark and unreadable. Mali felt a twinge of fear for this massive man; he was easily three times as big as her. As the council members save Dr. T'soni and Dickens filed out of the room, Mali played out her defense plan in her head, waiting for the commander to make the first move. The doctor quietly sat where she was, leaned back and swiveling back in forth in her chair, as she observed the commander. When the room was finally clear of all the others, he began. Mali sat in her chair, defiantly staring into his eyes, refusing to look down. For the longest time he said nothing; but Mali could tell he was sizing her up.
"That was the worst act of insubordinance I have ever seen." He said.
"I'm sorry," Mali fake apologized, "but I'm not one of your soldiers, and am not bound by the rules that they are." Dickens's eyes grew dark again with anger, Mali noticed that his nostrils flared when he was angry.
"I'm sorry," He mimicked her, "but I seem to remember that us 'fat people' are responsible for saving your butt back on Earth." Mali didn't have a comeback for this, so when she didn't answer, he continued. "What you deserve is a good spanking, because that's what you're acting like—a spoiled brat. NONE of us ever get what we want, but you're the only one that makes a fuss about it. Niles is my nephew! Do you think that I want to leave him on a reaper ship?! Because I don't, but right now we don't have a choice." Mali was silent in shock; Admiral Dickens looked at her face—straight into her eyes. "I don't think that an orphan like you could understand the connections between family members." That comment stung Mali's heart; far deeper than the commander had intended it to go. It burned a little black hole deep through her, like a small ember still red-hot. "I expect to never again see that kind of attitude ever displayed in that manner; understood?"
Mali gritted her teeth in defiance, at that moment she hated him more than anyone else in the world. "I take your silence as affirmation,' he said, "You are dismissed." Mali's temper was roaring like a furnace as she followed the doctor from the room. In the elevator down to the lobby; it was deathly quiet between them, Mali seething with anger, and the doctor deep in thought. She followed the blue asari out into the bright sunshine, and trailed behind her as they walked. Gradually, Mali calmed down; although she was still angry; and became aware of their surroundings. The doctor had led them back to the hospital, and they were currently walking down the path up to its front double doors.
Mali stopped in her tracks like a stubborn mule; and started shaking her head when the asari looked back. "I'm not going in there!" She said. Dr. T'soni could see how Mali's legs had started to slightly shake, and nodded her head.
"I will just be a second, I'm going in to sign you out and get your things." She started to again walk to the hospital's doors, but then turned back around. "Don't go anywhere." She added. Then she turned and disappeared into the throng of people inside. Mali got as far away from the hospital as she could, while still being considered "close by." As she looked around, a bright pink flower caught her attention. It stood at about waist height close to the edge of the stone path, with a thick bright green stem, and a bell shape to its seven delicate petals. Mali stepped up to it, mesmerized by its beauty.
With the tips of her fingers Mali brushed the closest petal, it felt soft and pliable, yet sturdy and waxy at the same time; it was a mystery beyond her understanding. She leaned in and inhaled its heavy fragrance. A joy she had no name for sprung up inside her as she admired the beauties of the fauna, it flit through her, alighting a path through the mountains of pain and dark she kept inside. Someone cleared their throat and she turned to see Ms. Finch standing behind her. Mali's happiness melted away, and she swore that the flower behind her slightly withered at the severe woman's presence.
"Quite a display you gave in the council room, Somali." The woman scorned and laughed, her laugh was high pitched and whimsical, positively annoying to Mali's ears. She just wanted to punch the woman right in the face, then and there; but a hand was placed on her shoulder, restraining her. "Careful," Ms. Finch waved a finger as she noticed her tightening fist, "we wouldn't want to do that, now would we?" She sneered.
"If I was you, Ms. Finch, I would be the careful one." Dr. T'soni's voice rang out clear and strong, "Pushing this girl over the edge might not be the wisest decision." Ms. Finch looked at the asari standing next to, and slightly behind Mali. Her mouth curled in distaste at the alien, and she turned and walked away, sneering at them over her shoulder. Mali hid a laugh and smile as the doctor showed her up.
"Wow," Mali said, "you certainly showed her!" They started walking back the way they had come, over her shoulder, the asari slung Mali's backpack.
"Defending you does not mean that I disagreed with Abbara. I do not think that your outburst at the council was a wise decision." She said. Mali watched the doctor with interest, it wasn't very often she got to trade conversation with an alien. Dr. Liara T'soni's skin was mostly light blue in color, her lips were a dull grey. Mali noticed that around her eyes, the doctor had a strange pattern of a few dots, almost like freckles, that were scattered underneath her eyes. She wanted to know what they were, but she thought it might be rude. Mali had to take one and a half steps for every one of the doctors.
On Thessia there wasn't any smog, as far as Mali could see. That's why, when the sun started to set, Mali stood and stared. To her it looked like the blue sky was on fire, the blue scourged by the red. The sun was like a bursting bomb, lighting everything it touched with a red gleam. The sidewalk under her feet turned a rosy color, her white hospital gown became tinged with red as well. The sunlight painted her face with golden streams, making her eyes glow from the light. Above the far reaches of the sun's rays, the sky was a deep purple, the stars already peeking through the daylight. It was the most beautiful thing Mali had ever seen. Her eye became huge, trying to take it all in at once, she breathed deep, tasting the sunlight on her tongue, it was warm and sweet—like honey.
When Dr. T'soni realized Mali was not following her anymore, she turned to chide her, but stopped when she saw her face; in it, was pure happiness and peace. In the few hours she had known this kid, she had seen, and sensed, many emotions from her, but none as complete or whole as what she was seeing now. It was like she was lit from within, a warm smile gracing her lips. The doctor let Mali enjoy the sunset for a few moments longer, and then they continued on their way. As they climbed into her white hover car, the doctor gave Mali a weird look. "Back there," She paused, "it was like you'd never seen a sunset before." Mali gazed out the window at the fiery display as T'soni piloted the craft away from the parking hangar, skimming low above the roofs of buildings.
"I haven't." Mali said honestly. "Where I lived, there was smog so thick that sometimes you couldn't see your hand in front of your face even if you were touching your nose."
"Oh," the doctor shook her head disbelievingly. "And you lived in New Chicago?" Something in her voice made Mali turn to look at her, but the woman's expression gave nothing away. At the name of her city a pang went through Mali's body, and her mouth tightened distastefully.
"Yah, but I don't want to talk about it." She looked back out the window and tried to change the subject. "Where do you live?" They were approaching the edge of the city by now. "What city is this anyway?" Mali asked.
"This is the city Kaprithian. It's a slightly smaller town, home to only four thousand people, but I like that. However, it is a big port city for trade and commerce and home to many of the planets finest museums. It was founded by Kaprith in…." Mali zoned out as the doctor continued her history lesson, not wanting to interrupt or be rude. She watched the pacing scenery as the glided above the thick treetop canopy, only broken once and awhile by a homestead. She saw that they were traveling toward a sea, which stretched out in front of them. It was so vast that Mali had to gasp and lean in for a closer look. Her exclamation drew the asari's attention away from her own story. "My house is right on a cliff's edge, overlooking the ocean." Mali could see that the trees were starting to thin out.
"Isn't that a little unsafe?" She asked, concerned.
"No, or I wouldn't have bought it!" the asari laughed. They set down on a landing pad of a moderately sized house that was shaped in a circle with a landing pad. There were two levels, both made of sturdy alienite; the main part mostly resting on the land before the cliffs edge, but the smaller second level held a balcony and pool, from what Mali could see, and jutted out into the wide open expanse over the crashing waves. They hopped out and the asari threw Mali her backpack, which she carried in one hand. The asari led her down a brief flight of stairs from the landing pad to the inside.
"Welcome to my home." The asari said. Inside, it was mostly white and glass: white walls, white tile and carpet, white counters and furniture, and lots and lots of huge windows letting in what was left of the sunset. She led her past the kitchen, which by itself was bigger than the entire room Mali and Yane had rented. They walked past the kitchen and down a couple steps to a large spacious living room. Past the living room were sliding glass doors that led to the balcony and pool. A small hallway led off the main room from the living room, and this is what the doctor turned down. There were four rooms, an office, which by just a peek showed Mali a very cluttered room full of old artifacts and shelves of old manuscripts. Then there was the bathroom, and then two doors opposite each other. The asari showed her into the right one.
Inside was a wide, simple bed that hosted two pillows and a white thick blanket. A wide window directly across from the door showed an excellent view of the ocean, and a small door off to the side led into a small walk-in closet. Besides this there was a small white couch and a small coffee table, but scarcely anything else. "This will be your room, if I'd have known I was going to have a guest when I went to work this morning I would have made it more comfortable."
"It's fine." Mali reassured. "Thanks." The asari awkwardly stood there for a little bit, and then clapped her hands in front of her.
"Ok then, you get settled and I'll make some dinner." Mali nodded and the asari exited, leaving her alone in the room. Mali collapsed onto the bed, her feet hanging in mid-air.
"This feels so good." Mali said to herself. It felt like she was laying on a bed of clouds, it was so different from her old mattress at home, which was hard and lumpy. She got up and explored the room further, but all together it was uninteresting and void of any character. She sat down on the couch and placed her pack in her lap, thinking about Alexandra for a second. A lump formed in her throat and she felt her eyes watering, but she forced her emotions back down, she didn't want the asari to see her crying. She opened it and pulled out her ripped, bloodstained clothes, which had been pushed into it carelessly. She tossed them aside and rooted around till she found her omni-tool; which she strapped onto her arm.
Silently, she got up and closed the door, than went and sat back down, powering it on. Like usual it's silvery light casting shadows across her face. "Somali, I was starting to get worried that you had forgotten me." Came Vic's voice, the blue light blinking as usual.
"Is that a joke from you Vic?" Mali's voice broke with relief over hearing her.
"Where are we? My scanning's are picking up vast quantities of eezo in the ground and also the planet's life."
"Excuse me, eezo?" Mali asked.
"Element Zero, atomic number zero on the periodic table, Ez, nicknamed "eezo" by humans. An extremely rare and powerful element. Responsible for biotic powers in responsive species." Vic rattled off a list of facts.
"Oh," Mali said, "we're on Thessia."
"My scan of the constellations and gravitational pull of the sun confirm your statement." Victoria answered. "How did we get here?" she asked.
"Well, while I was unconscious you were taken and shut down. Then I was almost executed but three N7 officers saved me and took me aboard their ship along with the peacekeeper. I activated you briefly on the flight over but the peacekeeper tried to hack you so I had to turn you off. Then a reaper attacked our ship and I was almost killed again; but we averted that by contacting Thessia, but in the process my friends, an N7 named Niles and the peacekeeper Captain Alexandra Clair were captured. I was in a hospital for a week recuperating from a shotgun wound and then I woke up and now we are here at some woman's house waiting for training to start this Monday."
"Wow. I don't think that a VI could be surprised, but I think I am computing the closest thing to it." She reported.
"Is there any instruction from Yane?" Mali was eager to know.
"As far as I can tell, Yane was the one who sent your application to the ICT office. So from the facts I think he wanted you to be trained as an N7, even though the stakes are high. The point of him recording messages was not to rob you of your free will, Mali, but to prepare you for certain situations you might get yourself into because of your free will." Victoria said.
"I know." Mali said lamely.
"What is of interest to me is—," Mali had to shut of her omni-tool as the asari knocked on her door.
"Where you talking to someone?" She poked her head around the corner.
"Nooo." Mali said, trying to sound nonchalant.
"Oh, well dinner is ready." She said. Mali got up and followed her to the kitchen. On the counter were bowls of steaming rice—like stuff, with strange vegetables much like broccoli and carrots mixed in. A few sauces sat in glass containers off to the side for extra taste, and a big pitcher full of ice water with two glasses were sitting there as well.
"Thanks." Mali said. Years on the streets had taught her not to be a picky eater and to be grateful for what she got, not that this was unappetizing. The asari motioned her forward and she took a bowl and started to investigate the sauces; the asari took hers and went and sat at the small table for four that was between the kitchen and living room. Mali smelled the top of one sauce that was bright red, it gave a spicy yet sweet smell that Mali found enticing. She poured some over her "rice" and sat down across from the doctor.
She had her first forkful in her mouth when the asari suddenly gasped and made a lunge at her hand. With quick reflexes Mali jumped out of the way and stood behind her chair, brandishing her fork at the crazy woman and swallowing her food to clear her air pipe.
"Whoa! What the—"
"Did you swallow that?" the woman interrupted, now standing and slowly approaching the tense Mali, holding her hands out palms forward.
"What are you talking about? Why did you just try to kill me?" Mali breathed hard, adrenaline rushing through her system.
"That sauce you put on your food, it wasn't filtered. It still has eezo in it, which could kill you at any second." She tried to step closer but Mali held up her fork threateningly.
"Don't come any closer!" She warned. The asari rolled her eyes.
"We don't have time for this! Your life could be in danger!" She said, exasperated. Suddenly blue biotic power sprang from her fingertips and held Mali's limbs frozen in its hold; the asari's eyes flashed silver.
"Hey! What are you doing? Let me go!" She said, but the asari ignored her and picked her up, slinging her slim body over her shoulder, dropping her on a couch in the living room. Mali landed on her back, her arms and legs still constrained. No matter how she fought and strained her muscles, the biotics around her kept her limbs in place. The asari bent over her, checking her pulse with her wrist, looking at her eyes. At one point she bent her head down till the side of her face was pressed down on her chest, Mali sucked in her breath. "Hey! Don't do that! You're in my comfort zone!" Mali uselessly pleaded.
After a time, with no apparent violent reaction, the asari let her go, a puzzled look on her face. She kneeled next to the sofa, deep in thought with her hands on her thighs; Mali sat up and frowned. "Why did you do that?" She asked. When the asari didn't respond she waved her hand in front of her face, which got her attention. Startled out of thought, she shook her head.
"I am sorry, but you could have died; I don't know why you didn't."
"Died? From teriyaki sauce?!" Mali asked with a smirk. "We all know that's a deadly killer." She said with sarcasm. The asari smiled faintly; and Mali felt a slight satisfaction at having hit her sense of humor.
"Let me explain." She scooted a bit closer till their legs were almost touching. "There is a lot of Element Zero on this planet; so much in fact that it gets into our food and our systems—and has been in it for millennia. That's why almost every asari is sensitive to biotics, because we have been exposed since we were in our mother's wombs, and our mothers before us and so on. But humans, you haven't. That's why there is usually eezo filtered food for travelers or tourists. But here at my house, well I forgot and set that sauce out, out of habit. Even a small amount exposed to you without proper screening could kill you. But you didn't, you didn't even show any signs of discomfort. Have you been treated to accept it before?" She asked.
"I didn't even know what it was till five minutes ago." Mali said. "So no."
"Then it's nothing short of a miracle." The doctor said.
"Well, those happen a lot around me…can I eat my food now?" Mali's stomach grumbled.
"I guess, but be careful." She warned. Together they got back up and sat back down. While they ate, Mali kept going back to her use of biotics. It fascinated her; she didn't know much about them, only that it was powerful. Finally Mali couldn't stand it any longer and her curiosity got the better of her.
"What are biotics? How do they work?" She said in a rush; scared the asari would laugh at her for not knowing. The asari looked at her curiously, tilting her head slightly to the side, but she didn't laugh.
"Biotics are a power that some have that generate mass effect fields using Element Zero nodules imbedded in their skin. You can put up protective barriers, restrain or knock around enemies or obstacles, and if you so choose, you can tear them apart. Although I am not inclined to oppress the latter choice."
"Wow!" Mali was awed. "And you can do all of that?"
"Yes." The asari said, smiling a little bit.
"Could humans have biotic powers? Well—I mean—any other race besides asari?" Mali asked.
"Well yes. But it doesn't come naturally to you and the others as it does for asari—control—I mean. You have to be exposed to lots of eezo at a young age, and then get a chip implanted in your head at puberty so you can access your powers. Even then you have to train really hard to control and advance in skill, and you'll likely never be as strong as an asari biotic, but yes; other races can have biotics."
"Wow!" Mali said again, her eyes drifting to the ceiling, imagining that blue fire swirling around her as she lifted someone into the air. "That's really cool!" She said.
Later that evening, the asari gave her some pajamas of hers to wear, a white t-shirt and baggy pants which were a little too big and bunched around her wrists and feet. "May I see your clothes?" the woman asked. Mali brought out her tattered shirt and pants and handed them to her; Dr. T'soni clicked her tongue as she examined the almost unrecognizable bundle. "This is all you have?" Mali nodded, confused. "These won't do," she said. "I'll have to make you some." Getting up, she disappeared in to her room only to reappear with a couple of shirts and pants.
"No, you don't have to do that. I used to wearing worn clothing." Mali said.
"It won't do," she repeated herself, "you need some good clothes." She answered. Ignoring her further arguments Dr. T'soni took her measurements and then set to work cutting and sewing her old clothes, making them smaller for the fifteen year old. After a while Mali gave up trying to sway her to give up and settled down onto the opposite couch, watching with interest. After a time her eyes started to droop and her mouth opened wide with a big yawn; her hand holding her head up wearily. "Why don't you go to bed?" the asari suggested, careful not to tell her what to do; she had noticed that the young girl didn't like that. Mali nodded and sleepily dragged herself off the couch, but at the hallway entrance she turned around and the asari looked up from her stitching.
"Thanks for letting me stay here." Mali said.
"It is no problem." The asari smiled. Then, slightly tottering side to side, Mali made her way down the hall and collapsed onto the bed, not even bothering to close the door. Later, as the doctor walked by to her room, she peeked through the open doorway. Mali lay sprawled on top of her sheets, one of the pillows almost falling off the bed and the other tucked under her arm, snoring quietly. Softly the asari came into the room and slowly lifted the girl a few inches above her mattress with her biotics. Then she pulled back the covers and situated the pillows, and put her back down, tucking the covers under her chin. Then she quietly exited and shut the door softly behind her; in her sleep, Mali unconsciously smiled.