Crow's next few days on the Normandy weren't nearly as exciting or stressful as the first one. Shepard assigned him his meal shifts, and when he pressed the issue about not pulling his weight on a spaceship, she conceded to having him help Dr. Chakwas keep the med bay organized. As a result, he spent a majority of his time trying to memorize where everything belonged, what it did, how to store it, and in what situations might call for them.
It was a lot to take in, but he discovered himself taking actual interest in it all. He found himself asking questions along the lines of 'why clean Garrus' burns with this instead of that', or 'how will drinking this chalky stuff help me'. The doctor had him drinking strange-tasting supplement drinks regularly, in edition to having him eat outside of his assigned schedule. Since his stomach wasn't used to large, regular meals, he had to eat more frequently in smaller amounts.
Dr. Chakwas, though somewhat bossy, was also kind; something that took getting used to, compared to the unfriendly individuals whose command Spider usually place him under. She was uncommonly assertive about the crew(mainly him, and apparently Joker) maintaining their health, often ambushing individuals to remind them to take their medications, or to spend less time on the extranet before they slept.
Speaking of the extranet, it really was a marvel. Any question he had about this reality, he could usually find the answer there. As he grew more comfortable around Chakwas, he often asked her to confirm the things he found out; if the Shore had taught him one thing, it was that everybody had a narrative. The same seemed to hold true in this reality, especially when he tried to find out more about the Reapers and Collectors.
There was almost nothing to be found of either. Any article that mentioned Reapers, usually mentioned Commander Shepard as well, typically in a less than flattering light. They suggested that the Commander had been duped, or was unstable, and in his opinion she didn't seem to be either of those. When he asked Chakwas about it, she had let out a tired sigh and set down the medical omni-tool she had been re-calibrating.
Apparently, it had all started when Eden Prime-ironically, the colony the Hive had just used as a front to try to force their way through to this reality-was attacked after monorail workers found tech left behind by the protheans, an advanced and long-extinct race of which there were only traces and ruins left. A Reaper called Sovereign had directed one of it's agents, Saren, to attack the colony and steal the information hidden in the tech, which had turned out to be an old communication device whose last recorded message was still viable; a warning about the Reapers themselves, and directions to a hidden sanctuary that any survivors could shelter in if they were present.
Shepard had wound up too close to the 'beacon', and it had begun a quest not only to piece together what the fragmented message meant, but to apprehend Saren for his criminal acts as well. It had ended when they found the sanctuary-Illos-, spoken to an old prothean VI, used the equivalent of a very long-ranged transmat to jump to the Citadel(the center of galactic civilization in this reality), killed Saren, and prevented Sovereign from opening the dark space relay.
After the dust had settled, the Council had tried to cover up the 'Reaper' situation, but the whole galaxy had seen Sovereign and what it could do, and it sparked an arms race. Whether someone believed in the Reapers or that Sovereign had been a hyper-advanced Geth dreadnaught, all the races were huddling up by themselves and preparing for the worst. Humanity's space navy, the Alliance, was stretched too thin to protect it's outer colonies, and was scrambling to rebuild the ships it had lost to Sovereign.
This was where the Collectors, apparently, came into play. With the Alliance too far-spread or busy to send anything but the occasional patrol to colonies in the 'Traverse' or 'Terminus Systems', the insectoid aliens had set themselves to work, deploying seeker swarms to freeze thousands before sweeping the population up and spiriting them away to who-knew-where. All evidence pointed to them working for the Reapers, from their technology to their disturbing origins as protheans.
Then in came Shepard-who had apparently been brought back from the dead by Cerberus via two years of tech and surgery, like some sort of messed-up rez-,showing up in Cerberus armor. At this point, Chakwas' voice grew quiet, and she explained all the horrific things they'd tied back to Cerberus during the hunt for Saren. That they were classified as a terrorist organization, and that the only reason Shepard, Joker, Garrus, Tali, or herself was working with them was because they, at this point, had no choice.
Almost as soon as possible, Cerberus had leaked footage of Shepard 'working' for them, meaning she couldn't return to the Alliance, where her true loyalties laid. Faced with the impossible choice of 'work with terrorists and save whole colonies' and 'return home for months of hearings and possible incarceration while the Reapers did what they wanted', the Commander had chosen the former.
So, here they were, planning a suicide mission against the Collectors, picking up the best 'experts' Cerberus could find along the way. It was a lot for Crow to wrap his head around, but he could get the basic gist of things. He also now had a healthy suspicion of Cerberus, Miranda Lawson in particular.
Lawson was the perfect woman. Literally. Genetically. She also had an attitude that set both him and Glint on edge. He knew her type from the Shore; she had to be in charge, she had to be in control, of everything and everyone. Apparently, she had wanted to install some kind of mind-control failsafe in Shepard's head while she was being revived, and that little fact was all Crow needed in order to label her as 'Spider in a catsuit; dangerous, avoid'.
The rest of his time, he spent familiarizing himself with the Normandy, and getting used to the amount people on board. The aliens, in particular, most of whom were friendly, which was certainly a change from home. Well, 'friendly' as in 'not threatening him right off the bat'. Tali'Zorah was standoffish, mostly because of his neural bond with Glint; apparently, AI were taboo in this reality, and the technicalities that a Ghost fell under the category of an SEC(Sentient Energy Construct) wasn't enough to placate most.
Thane remained the calmest, most... well, general chill individual he'd ever met(given he didn't know many people with even an ounce of chill, it was a low bar, but still). When two crewmen started a fight over a girl during one particular lunch time, all Thane did was casually dodge the flying food, and kept on eating until Shepard showed up to break up the fight. The way he lived, though, confused Crow when he plucked up the courage to ask about it.
If the contractors chose to hire him, and wielded him as a thoughtless weapon, rendering him inculpable for his actions(in his eyes), but he had been the one to chose to go back into the assassination business, didn't that choice render him culpable for every life he had taken since, as he had made himself available as a means to kill?
When Crow dared to point this out, the drell got very quiet, for a suspicious amount of time, and the Awoken had wondered if he needed to run. Before he could give in to that particular instinct, Thane had shaken his head, as if trying to banish mental cobwebs, and told him he had a skill for triggering introspection. Crow couldn't fathom what that meant, whether it was good or bad, and decided to keep his more... philosophical thoughts to himself from now on. Thane was chill. Others were not.
Samara was a level of terrifying that he didn't want to think about. Or interact with. At all. Why did all the women in this reality dress so... reavealing-ly, anyway? Was it a distraction tactic? Didn't they realize the clear target they made for a serious injury? A bullet to the chest could kill you fast enough that nobody could help, slow enough to feel all the panic and pain that came with collapsing lungs filling with blood.
Grunt was one part teenager two parts 'massive reptile that acts purely on violent instinct'. There wasn't much going on with him that one wouldn't expect, but he did tell Crow that Shepard said he had 'to be nice to you'. He informed him that he wouldn't kill him. Unless he asked.
He was free to ask.
Mordin Solus was the weirdest kind of scary he'd ever met. Joker hadn't been kidding about the 'mad scientist' thing. He spoke so fast and so strangely, Crow thought his brain might explode. It just got worse when Glint asked him to slow down; he was thinking out loud about Crow in general, with the both of them right in front of him. Things about brain chemistry, evolution, symbiotic relationships, things Crow couldn't remember or pronounce if he tried.
Joker had saved him from that one, thankfully. He was starting to really appreciate the Normandy's pilot; he was helpful in a sarcastic, 'duh, that's how it works' kind of way, and though his tongue was sharp, he wasn't particularly cruel(mostly). He and Thane sometimes seemed like lone islands of mental stability in a sea of insanity, though it was less that they were sane, and just because they seemed to be the least insane, and the most friendly.
Even the humans on the ground team seemed a little... off. Kasumi Goto was a stalker kleptomaniac, Zaeed Massani was a foul-mouthed, jaded old warrior who didn't seem to care about anything, and Jacob Taylor was... actually, he was okay. A little standoffish around Thane and Massani, but okay. Then there was Commander Shepard herself; Miranda Lawson was supposed to be the XO, handling many of the tasks aboard the ship, but Shepard's distrust of Cerberus had led her to taking up these shipside duties along with her ground-pounding ones. She never seemed to be without a strained smile or bags under her eyes.
He had hoped to get a better read on Garrus, but his third day aboard the Normandy saw an erratic and violent shift in the turian's behavior. He was on the outs with Shepard, apparently, after some sort of personal mission involving revenge. Revenge that Shepard had talked him out of, somehow, but he certainly wasn't thanking her for it. He locked himself in the main battery for several days.
Crow only saw him when he came into the med bay to have his burns redressed. On day two of this behavior, Chakwas worked quietly, and Crow observed closely. The tension was thick as butter, nobody wanted to speak, for fear of starting something.
"Maybe something should start." Glint suggested through their link. Crow's eyebrows pinched. What do you mean? I don't want to be caught in the middle of this.
"You could tell Garrus he should talk to Dr. Chakwas before Cra-Kelly Chambers comes to him. He can't hide from her forever, and he seems to trust Chakwas infinitely more than anyone trusts Kelly." An interesting point, but... Chakwas is his doctor, of course he trusts her; she's putting his face back together!
"The whole ship is out of sorts with him and Shepard on the outs, we've been here only a week and it's obvious a balance has been upset." his Ghost pointed out. "And honestly, if what Joker says is true, it really is Chakwas or Chambers. Dr. Chakwas is far more... trustworthy. If it was me, I'd rather have her hearing my problems."
You want me to tell Garrus he needs therapy?
"He kind of does."
From Dr. Chakwas?
"Chakwas or Chambers."
He'll kill me!
"No he won't, he doesn't seem the type."
He does, remember how this thing started? I'd rather not risk it.
"Crow, at some point you're going to have to risk these kinds of things. Someone has to address the problem sooner or later, it doesn't have to be you, but you have to learn how to address these kinds of things. Helping people isn't always about shooting the bad guys."
"You look as though you're having a fascinating conversation." Crow jumped as Dr. Chakwas cut in to their mental back-and-forth. Garrus was looking at him oddly. Dammit, Glint, now I can't stop thinking about it!
"You don't have to, but if you're going to, don't think, just go for it! Practice can come later!" His Ghost encouraged.
"You need to talk to someoneaboutyourShepardproblembeforeChambers!" he blurted out, before shooting to his feet and dashing out of the med bay, heart pounding. I can't believe I did that! He punched in a destination for the elevator frantically; he could imagine the hounds of war lose on his heels. As soon as the doors closed, he pressed his forehead against them. "Why did I do that?"
"If not you, it would have been somebody else." Glint popped in over his shoulder. "You have to get used to going out of your comfort zone, Crow. That was a... okay start, but at least now, the problem might get addressed."
"I feel stupid." he admitted. That had felt like the stupidest, cringiest thing he'd ever done, and if he'd nosed about someone's business like that on the Shore, he'd be dead at least once. Garrus had proved his penchant for retribution, and what happened when he didn't get it. I'll take it when it comes. He rubbed his chest; he could already feel the bullet. Glint, sensing where his mind was going, nudged him.
"He won't kill you. Remember, it's one of Commander Shepard's rules." his Ghost reminded him. The doors opened to the CIC. Crow took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and let it out again. He'd forgotten about that rule, in his dread. Now he just had to dare to hope it would hold up.
"Thanks, Glint." he stepped out onto the deck, and Glint phased out of sight. He hadn't been on this deck much, but he certainly wasn't going to engineering, where everyone was passive-aggressive, hostile, or Grunt(Grunt was in his own little category of potential violence, Crow hadn't quite figured it out yet). He was tempted to just play with the galaxy map, but he was certain that wouldn't be received well.
In their reality, they couldn't leave Sol easily, and the few that did rarely came back sane. In this reality? The entire galaxy was open to humanity. He'd been further than any Hunter before him had ever gone, and it was a thought that sent a thrill of excitement through him. A Hunter's home was the wilds, and now he had an entire galaxy as a potential stomping ground if he wanted it.
It was so big, and there was so much to it. So many stars, so little time, so many planets and asteroids, so many clusters and nebulas.
"This is a shipwide announcement:" Crow jumped when Joker's voice echoed through the deck. To his confusion, the pilot started beat-boxing, and all Crow could do was stand near the map, entirely confused. The sentiment seemed to be shared by everyone else. A few people shrugged and continued their tasks. The elevator dinged behind him, and he turned to watch a perplexed-looking Shepard step off.
"You're welcome. Crow, Crazy has you locked in her sights, I repeat, Crazy is approaching. That will be all." He couldn't help the short laugh that escaped. Shepard let out a snort of amusement, and made her way up the helm; other people rolled their eyes, a few faint chuckles could be heard. Sure enough, he saw Kelly Chambers exiting the tech lab moments later, look around, spot him, and shoot him a blazing smile clearly intending to make her way to him. Thanks, Joker!
He turned tail and practically ran into the armory; he would need to learn about this reality's weapons sooner or later, and if he was brave enough(somehow) to do what he'd done in med bay, he was brave enough to try his hand at initiating socialization. Jacob had seemed, much like Thane, to be one of 'the sane-ish ones'. Where better to start trying?
"So, what was that all about?" Shepard inquired as she approached the helm.
"Disagreement over what qualifies as 'appropriate' use of the intercom." The Normandy's pilot told her, not taking his eyes off the side terminal displaying the CIC's footage. He closed it as Crow beat a hasty retreat into the armory.
"Giving Crow an 'incoming Kelly alert' doesn't not qualify as grounds for a ship wide announcement." EDI said. Shepard raised a brow.
"I though I put a stop to all that 'Crazy Kelly' nonsense weeks ago." She crossed her arms. Was Chambers definitely an evil mastermind in disguise? Maybe. Did she immediately inform Garrus he may have to get a restraining order on her after hearing what she had to sat about him? Well, that was between the two of them. Did she condone weirdly catchy name-calling because of this? No.
"Hey, it stuck after what they overheard her say about Thane. It's better than 'Creepy Kelly', which h she totally got about Crow." He shuddered a little, making a face, and Shepard suppressed a groan, burning her face in one hand, as he turned his voice high-pitched. "'He's so tragic and broken, there's clearly psychological trauma from dying so often, but his glowing skin is so beautiful, don't you think? Like light reflecting off of water-'"
"Okay, stop." She interrupted. She was equal parts exasperated and close to laughing. "I get enough Chambers from Chambers."
"You know, he's managed to avoid her 'Welcome to the Cult' check in longer than anyone else. It's too damn good to let him fall now." He reached under the console for something, and Shepard checked the time as she spoke; she was getting hungry, she knew she shouldn't have used her biotics for something as stupid as entertaining Fred(granted, he had enjoyed the floating climbables)
"She has to psych eval everyone, that's just-"she cut off when Joker chucked a granola bar over his shoulder, and she caught it with the reflexes expected of an N7. -"protocol. Lose something?"
How did he know? He swiveled his chair around, ripping the wrapper on a bar of his own and taking a bite. A few small crumbs tumble into his beard. "No."
"Enjoy the lack of regs while they last, Joker." She sighed, shaking her head, and he gave her a thumbs up. "By the way, I've seen you two hang out a couple times now. What do you think of him?"
Even if he was rough about it, she could always trust Joker for an honest opinion. For someone who wasn't a people person, he was deceptively perceptive, especially when it came to the little things. And Crow was... hard, to get a read on, to say the least. Everyone else she asked, aside from Thane and Garrus, usually only made comments about the surface level of the man they saw; though Chakwas cited doctor-patient confidentiality when she asked for her two cents. Maybe it was because the three of them had been groundside with him, or because they had an idea of what might have been going on with the awoken before he came through to their end.
Joker held up one finger, signaling to wait wait until he swallowed. Must be important, if he can't say it while chewing. She mused. The pilot cleared his throat and leaned forward slightly, eyes serious.
"Nervous. Wreck." Oh, boy. A few people had expressed that he seemed skittish, but hadn't really caught on to the bundle of nerves she, Garrus, and Thane saw. "Like, what the hell Commander? You poke him and he leaves his skin behind, you come up behind him, he disappears- he literally turns invisible-and-and, get this; he- nevermind, just nevermind. At first I thought he was just jumpy, but I think someone fucked him up or something."
"That an opinion?" Shepard asked, even though she already knew the answer. She'd never seen him this upset over another person-at least, another person who was still alive. Joker tended to keep those kinds of feelings to himself, but Crow's behavior must've been eating at him enough that he was willing to air them.
"Uh, no." He scoffed. "My opinion? He might actually be a liability on the ground, Commander. Guy's got more trust issues than a politician."
"Noted." She let out a deep breath. "And... don't bug Crow about whatever happened to him. No jokes about what's going on with him either, he's under enough pressure and we don't want to scare him off."
"No shit." Joker scowled. "And you don't need to tell me to keep it on the DL, I'm not that insensitive. And the guy is way too nice to make fun off. I'd make fun of that, but..."
"You already make fun of Jacob for that." Shepard concluded.
"Exactly! Never use the same material for different people. Most polite nervous wreck I've ever met." She fought the urge to roll her eyes.
"I think most of it is him not wanting to start shit with anybody." She shrugged. Crow was shy, but he was rather polite.
"Pfft, Jack'll do that for him. You know he hasn't asked what's wrong with me yet?" He leaned sideways and chucked his granola wrapper in the bin. "That's usually the first question next to 'where's the Fornax hidden'?"
"Uh, better mention it. I'd hate for you to have an accident because he doesn't know." Shepard told him. Whether he disliked contact or not, there was a credible threat for an accident if someone on the ship didn't know about Joker or take his condition seriously. He was too valuable to lose, and more than that, he was a friend.
"Yeah, yeah, I'll read him the usual memo next time I see him." The pilot turned his attention back to his ship, irritation flickering across his face. He never did like it when people reminded him of his problem. "By the way, you really aught to solve that Garrus problem. I hear turians like full-contact cage fighting for letting of steam, you could get Tali to referee!"
I swear this guy writes himself. I have nothing to do with it. The scene kept dragging itself out, and I had to force myself to find a good cutoff point, and I'm still not satisfied. I honestly think ME didn't use Joker enough, he was one of the more intuitive characters; which is why he would totally notice something is up with Crow easily. He also racks up a higher kill count in one space battle with the Collectors than any one squad mate, and that's just the one on-screen fight we've seen him in. Garrus may calibrate the gun, he may even aim it(the exact details on operating a ships main gun is surprisingly undetailed), but if we take the Collector fight at face value, the buck stops with Joker. This dude has to pass a psych eval; 'subject can end hundreds of careers by pressing q button and continue his job right afterwards'. Joker is low-key overpowered.
I would apologize to the Kelly Chambers fans, but I found her unsettling in 2010, and her creepy stalker lines haven't aged well at all. Kelly is just... creepy.
Guest: Yeah there will definitely be some drama when that particular cat gets out of the bag.
Ebuc: Throughout the lore there have been rare instances where certain ontological weapons can bring true harm or even kill Guardians, without necessarily going for the Ghost. Particularly Ascendant Swords of the Hive, as depicted by the Battle of Burning Lake and the Great Disaster, possibly Weapons of Sorrow, and Devourer Rounds, of which we have only seen one. The fact that Pirrha switches his targets when Cayde let's Sundance out implys that going for the Ghost is still preferable to hitting the Guardian themselves, even with an ontological weapon/bullet. The cost of what it took to get this single bullet implys that things capable of harming or killing Lightbearers can make a lot of money, and if there's money involved, Spider probably has a toe in the pond. If he had an enslaved Lightbearer he could use to 'prove' the validity of his product, he would totally use it. A dangerous, shady business that would get him AK'd faster than Oryx if the Vanguard ever found out, but hey, what's risky business without the risk?
edboy4926: Glad to hear.
It should not have taken as long as it did to leave Crow's first day aboard the Normandy, you guys let me know if the timeskip/summary went well or not. I just couldn't justify spending ten or so chapters on Crow's first few days, it would have gotten stagnant fast, and boring to write.
Fare Thee Well!