Oooo the hot tub feels so oh good! The heated water momentarily burns my skin in a pleasant sort of way which orders my muscles to release the day's residual tensions who happily obey. I wish there was a pool though. I like to switch back and forth every ten minutes or so. I miss swimming. The Reaper war shut down the waterparks. "For emergency reserves" they claim. But water parks don't have a super adorable quarian girl sitting right behind you. I lay my head back to rest against her thighs. Best pillow in the multiverse.

Tali gently plays with my hair "Your eyelids are falling. You must be very relaxed."

"I love huttubing and I luub you." I slur my words.

"I didn't know you were a fucking lightweight" Wrex said to me as he enters the sacred water space. His bigger than average volume displaces the water nearly causing it to overflow.

Garrus and Ashley wait for the waterline to lower before they get in. Garrus wears a dull blue speedo which might be his underwear. Turians aren't buoyant nor are they the rest and relaxation type. Ashley is wearing a simple two-piece black bikini. I accidentally looked too long which causes Tali to adjust her legs, knocking my head the other direction.

"I'm not a lightweight. I'm just so relaxed and happy and don't care about pronunciation. The warm water is helping to clear out my chest. When Liara and Shepard finish examining the pistol, I'll have to ask Liara for a five-minute session."

Ashley asks "I thought you don't drink."

Wrex says to her "He down a glass of rynecol when he was living with my clan. I'm surprised he survived."

I somehow manage to life my head up to address my hydration companions "I'll drink occasionally but it doesn't really affect me."

Ashley asks "is that a side effect of your powers?"

"Shush. Keep it down. I don't want Brooks to know. Nah it never really affected me before. I think it's genetics. My parents weren't really affected either because I rarely saw them drink. When I had my first beer with my dad, it tasted so awful. I can't believe people put in so much time and effort to make that crap."

Tali asks "you didn't feel anything at all?"

"I only had one glass. For a while I tried different kinds of drinks. Wine, champagne, and some drinks made by someone at my workplace happy hour. I never felt anything and hated the taste."

Wrex says "sucks to be you."

"Nah it feels awesome being my right now. Sitting in an oversized bath with my quarian pillow of love. I wish you could be in with us Tali."

Tali lightly tugs my left ear "I want to but I can't. The water will mess with my suit."

I cheer her up "I'll set up a hot tub wherever we decide to live."

Tali says "I'm not even sure if I'll like it. The shower I had felt strange. I can't imagine being in a bath."

Ashley assures her "You're going to love it. Especially with a good book, light music, scented candles, some rose petals."

Wrex gets up from the hot tub. "This is getting too girly for me." I wouldn't be surprised if a literal gallon of water clung to his body. His footprints leave a trail of puddles whose collected column could fill the Suez canal.

NO! The waterline is lowering meaning less skin nerves sending happy signals "Bud you're leaving? You're making my soul's vibes lower."

Ashley looks at me confused "hang on. Aren't you Buddhist? I thought they don't believe in souls."

"I don't consider myself a Buddhist, but Buddhism is a large foundation for me. Not exactly. They don't believe in a permanent self. They call it a mind stream. You know how every 5 years all the atoms in your body turn over leaving you with completely new ones? It is like that. My energy gets replaced eventually and is not me."

Ashley then asks "Then what makes us… us?"

I look up to think but come up empty "I don't really understand it either to be honest."

Ashley replies "huh. I guess that makes sense."

Garrus asks "********* what are those circles on your chest?"

I raise my head from my purple pillow, searching for what he means. "I don't see any circles."

Garrus points "Those two pink ones. What are they?"

I forgot turians don't have these "Oh. Those are called nipples."

The intrigued turian asks "What are they for?"

Ashley explains "that is where milk comes out to feed our newborn babies. I'm guessing turian girls don't have them?"

I answer "No. They are topless at waterparks I went to. There is nothing there."

Garrus says "That is so weird. ********* can milk come out of them right now?"

Ashley answers "No. Only when we have babies."

Garrus asks "Do you guys take turns feeding the babies?"

I ask "why so many questions? Don't asari have them to? Have they never explained it?"

Garrus responds, "I imagine it's similar, but I never actually seen them."

Ashley says "Only females can nurse our babies. Men just have them."

Garrus asks "Is that why you are covering yours Ashley? To protect them?"

Ashley says "Uh… no. Garrus I understand you're just curious but those are special areas for humans. Do you understand?"

Garrus's pauses then his jaw drops "OH! Spirits I shouldn't have said anything!"

I splash some water on him "Garrus, it's fine. Nothing wrong with wanting some answers."

Garrus cheeks are blushing "I didn't mean to make things awkward."

Ashley comments "We get shot at nearly every week. I think we can handle a weird conversation."

Garrus asks "If yours doesn't do anything, why do you have them?"

I answer "Something about how the genes that make embryos develop to males doesn't get turned on until after the nipples have already formed."

Javik pokes his head out of the hallway "What is this? Are you trying to turn yourselves into soups?"

Ashley says "It is a hot tub. It relaxes us and has health benefits. You should come and try it."

Javik asks "how do I prepare myself?"

I manifest a pair of swim trunks and throw them to Javik "go into the other room, put these on and then you can come sit with us." The intrigued prothean does so. We wait until he can no longer hear us.

Ashley says "I can't believe his people didn't have hot tubs."

I argue "they might have. Maybe he was too young to remember them when the Reapers attacked his home."

Garrus asks "Can you time travel and find out for us?"

I yawn for a good twenty seconds and reply "Out of all the possible questions I could answer with time travel, you want that?"

Ashley gets an idea "Oh! Why were the pyramids built?"

Garrus sits up "those hug tan ones? Humans always asks aliens about those."

I yawn again "The real reason was the pharaohs were so paranoid their subjects would revolt so he developed this massive decades long project solely to wear them out. Can't really stage a revolution when you're exhausted moving blocks all day. It also stimulated the economy back then which the money really went back into his pocket. While he was at it, he figured he'd throw in some other stuff to justify moving two-ton blocks for so long. When it was done, it was beautiful. The sides were a reflective marble painted with hieroglyphs. The reflected sunlight helped merchants find the capital in the sandstorms, there was a gold cap to show off wealth, the stuff about aligning to the stars, math ratios, chambers, and vents inside was an afterthought really."

Ashley "Did they use magic to lift the blocks up? Antigravity?"

I said "No, that would defeat the point. They had a lot of manpower, tied ropes around the blocks, and some special sleds when combined with wetting the sand in front to reduced friction, they were able to move the block."

Ashley says "That's kind of underwhelming."

I reply "Most things are."

My body is getting very relaxed and oh so heavy. As if the flesh attached to my bones was replaced with lead. My head falls deeper into Tali's legs. I feel so good and happy. I wish this moment could last for ever. I take a slow deep breath in and completely relax along with the inhale. The only tight muscles now are the ones smiling.

Before I even know it, I feel like I'm on a rocket blasting into out of space. Everything feels like a magnitude 10.0 earthquake. I'm not in my body. A spontaneous out-of-body-experience? I had enough trouble learning how to do it and now I just randomly fly high like Bob Ross's kite. Where am I?

"Why are you back?" The Source asks.

"Huh? What happened? Did you bring me here?"

The Source asks "Not my doing. Did you not intend to arrive here?"

"No. I was relaxing in a hot tube with my girlfriend and feeling very happy and relaxed and here I am."

The Source replies "I should have told you. Your treatments with Liara are improving your nerves and allowing your vibrations to change much easier. You'll be able to access high vibrations much more easily than before. You're going to have to pay closer attention and control them."

"That makes sense. Hey while I am here… would you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

The Source says "Yes. Now that your body is nearly completely healed, you'll be able to travel to and from universes without having to worry about losing your place and no longer have to strive to match that universe's vibrational pattern."

That is game changing "Wait Seriously?! I wasn't going to ask that. You mean I can go the dragon ball universe, say hi to the orange hillbilly, quickly recharge my energy after alone time with Tali and come back?"

The Source says "Yes. You could do that. That is not what you wanted to ask?"

I reply "No. While we are on the subject, how come when I switched my species, I still had the same problem?"

The Source answers "The contaminates along your nerves have been there for so long, your subconscious unknowingly brought them along in whatever body you chose to have."

"SWEET! I actually wanted to ask about something else. I don't know when I'll see you again."

The Source says "You can visit whenever you like. Would any information I give you honestly make you happier?"

I reply "Probably not but it's like those questions are a thorn in my brain and I would like to know. Please? When else will I have the opportunity to get information from the source? See what I did there?"

The Source, unenthused replies "Yes, very amusing. What would you like to know?"

I remind him "The first time we met, you told me some things. Why everything exists. But what is the point now? You know. God's plan? Your plan?"

The Source replies "That? I or gods beneath me tell people that to get through difficult moments and restore their motivation. Then when people die, they usually say 'that was crazy. Let's do it again.' There is no point anymore except to experience and learn if you chose."

I ask "Really? There is no purpose to anything anymore?"

The Source explains "The return of my essence, incorporating their experience to my own, allows me to experience things again as if it was brand new which keeps me from getting bored. Sometimes I like to fantasize about one day finding another being like me, however I existed for so long, I do not think it will happen. It is quite alright. I learned to be content with just myself."

I ask "There aren't others of you? No one?"

The Source says "There are universes that have smaller versions of myself, but they too will one day return to me."

I ask "Should we be returning to you as soon as possible?"

The Source says "This is not a race. You are too goal oriented."

I respond "Well to me it seems incredibly sad that some souls have to wait billions of years to find you. Not being able to feel that bliss. I'm not even close to you and I feel better than ever. Only thing that comes close is when I'm with Tali."

The Source replies "It is fine. The longer they are away, the more information they collect for me to download. Remember not all souls like, want, or can tolerate this energy. You yourself saw how love burns some. Figuratively speaking."

I remember a particular group. "I understand now."

I confess "I feel guilty for having this opportunity. I am eternally grateful for your help, but it doesn't sit right with me having these powers."

The Source asks "Why? You're not really doing anything other souls haven't had the opportunity to do."

I shout "I have all the superpowers!"

The Source replies "Yeah because you trained to get them. Most souls in that phase hate being overpowered and intentionally limit themselves. Restricting their abilities prevents analysis paralysis in a fight while you normally punch or shoot something. Besides, you barely use them. Playing by the rules of universe X like everyone else. You just have an out if you end up really hating while most people are willing to stick it out."

"I got to know what happens after death!"

"You are not the only one. It just happened earlier than it normally does. Even then some do not want to know, and others would throw a tantrum finding out the whole truth. I didn't think you would behave that way and the knowledge of what would occur to you helped settle your soul."

"I never really thought of it that way. What would you like me to do?"

The Source says "be happy!"

I nod my head. "I will. I am already so happy with Tali and know much more awaits."

The Source says "That is what I like to hear."

I ask "Are the souls of my family in there with you or in the Apogee?"

The Source says "With the amount of jumping back and forth the past and future souls do, I'll think I'll let you figure that one out on your own."

That is a relief. I think I'll try going to the Apogee first before trying to contact the future versions of my family in there. I hate creating paradoxes. "Last question. Is there freewill or is everything fate?"

The Source answers "Usually freewill. Relax, you have that. I have sent myself into universes with unbreakable fate in order to experience that. In some situations, it is hard to judge. Life scripts for example."

I ask "What are those?"

The Source explains "Some groups of friends or soul families plan out their lives in advance to experience certain moments. I'll show you" In front of me, a window to a group of average looking humans, two males and one female, are sitting on a couch, writing something down on a coffee table."

Person one asks "What should we do this time?"

Person two says "I want to be spiderman."

Person three replies "again? This is like the hundredth time. Can't we reincarnate as someone new?"

Person two says "It's my turn to choose, but this time, let's make Aunt May become the Green Goblin."

Person one excitedly says "I'll do that!"

Person three asks "Should we make Uncle Ben become Doc Ock? You know they get married in the comics."

Person two is confused "how did Ben and Doc Ock get hitched?"

Person three clarifies "I mean Aunt May married Doc Ock. It was weird."

I ask myself "Did that happen?"

The Source says "Not in your original universe."

I rub my temples "This is so weird."

The Source requests "I would refrain from judging as you will probably do this yourself one day. Whether it be in a lifetime or a million. It is up to you. I think it is time for you to go. The temptations of the physical realms are calling you back."

"Temptations of the physical?" I snap out of my trance, vacuumed back into my body, and find Shepard shaking my shoulder.

The Spectre wears a smile on his face with a supremely fancy black and white suit. "Hey get up sleepy head. ********* want to go gambling?"