Hours, absolute hours, went towards trying to find places for everything in the lab. 3 days in and my desk layout had changed seven times with no end in sight. MY fingers stroked my chin, a grumble rumbling in my chest as the books slid into the holder, now on the short side of the desk near the door. With crates of unknown contents hogged the entire right corner of the room, my space management had to be precise. What tool up the most space for me was the hologram strips for the massive computer board. It would hold my geological maps and allow me to draw and do everything required. To be honest, the technology had advanced. Advanced to the point checks were placed to ensure the algorithms hadn't screwed up a rock bed or broken the laws of stratigraphy.
The desk behind me was set for chemical experimentation, covered in beakers and strange bottles of coloured liquids. It restricted my choice of desk, but plenty of bad experiences of chemistry experiments gone wrong during high school gave me pause. If you didn't know what you were dealing with, leave it. My leg crossed the other, hands tugging at the jumpsuit collar. The normal alliance uniforms looked more comfortable, but as a scientist, such luxuries were not mine, they needed the extra comfort and manoeuvrability of the soldiers on board. My omni-tool lighting the omni-tool on my arm. The alien interface would take me months to get used to, or longer if it was impossible to rearrange it. My eyes skimmed over the email messages, linking me to my orders. Most of the waiting messages were just welcomes and information for logging into their information systems. The more troublesome one was from an Arnold Keplar, stating that to test my abilities, we had to throw me into the field. That included a lovely trip to a planet named 'Trebin'.
So, because of the strange new planet, a new spacesuit waited for me down in the cargo hold. As it turns out, the armour was also the spacesuits. That meant that on top of not dying in a foreign atmosphere, there was a layer of protection between me and whatever wanted to kill me. The technology that allowed spacesuits to be armoured was a relief. In the privacy of the labs, my hands yanked the science jumpsuit off, pulling the black under-armour that covered everything but my head. The boots pulled on without a fuss as my journey to the cargo hold began, shuffling through the medical bay. It was time to get suited up, whether I liked it or not. Down in the cargo hold, the team gearing up for the mission ahead. Garrus, Wrex, Ashley and Tali were all required for this trip because Shepard needed a team to deal with a missing survey team. The armour lockers on the left side of the ship called me. Ashley approached as the random pieces of armour stared back out of the locker.
"You've never put on armour before, have you?" she asked. The blush glowed, my throat unclogged with a cough. I shook my head. Ashley sighed, holding her hands up. "Ah dear, right, let's get you dressed,"
Ashley snapped the plates over my body, but the first few snaps sent my skin crawling. Pinched skin was forefront of my mind. Once suited up, Ashley yanked the helmet over my head. Instincts threw me away, stumbling away from her grip, clutching the helmet. Ashley scowled as my hands yanked it off, shaking my head. Her glare didn't fill me with confidence as my hands secured my hair, then eased the helmet over my head after that.
"Alright, boys and girls, are we ready?" Shepard called as he strutted from the elevator.
"Aye, aye, just need to check Dell's suit pressure," Ashley said.
"Yeah, you don't want that to pop, all the weird stuff gets in and makes you go crazy," Shepard chuckled. My jaw dropped. Tali tutted as she reached for my suit.
"Ignore him, he's just teasing," she assured. "Trebin is safe enough. As safe as any uncharted world," My teeth nipped my lip, weight shuffling as my gaze found the massive 6 wheeled tank beside me. The Mako tank towered above me and that cannon didn't fill me with confidence. My suit hissed, jolting me awake. Tali patted my back.
"Everything is good. Got your gear?" she asked.
"Y-Yeah, everything I need is here," I said, opening the omni-tool to double check.
"Alright people, let's move out!" Shepard clapped his hands.
We moved towards the door at the back of the Mako. Climbing the ramp and ducking under the hatch revealed about 8 seats with harnesses above them. Shepard sat in the cockpit, everyone else yanked a harness over his or her heads. I sat down next to Tali, reaching up to secure the harness around me. It clicked between my legs with a snap. My hands held onto the harness, my knees losing feeling. The Mako trembled as it rolled towards the cargo door. The radio chatter picked up in the cockpit.
We fell then, my stomach rose to my throat, my body lifting in the seat. My teeth gnashed, hands clenching the harness until my knuckles turned white. My jaw ached in seconds. Resistance pushed us up, lessening the effects of the freefall. Seconds later, impact. My held breath erupted free as the whole tank shook and bounced. The only thing stopping me from screaming was the shaking cutting my voice off in my throat. It rattled everything. The tank bounced twice before it settled on the ground. Sweat coated me, claustrophobia afflicting my thought processes. Air stagnated in my lungs until it forced free, pushing the sensation away. The Mako trundled along, aiming for our drop off point.
"You sure you don't want me to take you to the top?" Shepard called.
"We're sure," Ashley said. "The last thing we need if you jumping off cliffs again,"
"Aw c'mon, this thing is a tank, it can take it," he laughed. A quiet whine stood no chance in the rattling tank. "Fine, fine, I'll take you halfway up, party poopers," he grumbled.
The Mako heaved its way up a mountain, rounding a ridge until it found an area of flat ground to release the ground crew. With the Mako at a stop, the clamps holding the harnesses could release… if you knew how. My gaze flailed around to Tali as she and Ashley pushed the harnesses over their heads. Tali reached over and pushed a button on the back of my harness clip, freeing it. It shoved free, my attention turning to the open door Ashley had already vacated from. Tali fell in behind, me behind her.
"Alright, ladies, remember this is a science mission so don't bring down the mountain. We'll be in radio contact," Shepard called over the radio.
"Roger than, have fun on the mountains, nobody die now," Ashley said. Shepard laughed as the door to the Mako shut and the tank rumbled onwards, leaping off the edge of the nearby cliff with some boosters and dropping from sight. My jaw slackened.
"Is… Is that normal?" I asked.
"For Shepard, yes," Tali sighed. "Alright, Dell, where do you need to go?"
"A-According to Keplar…" My finger pointed to the mountain top before us. "Up there,"
"Let's get moving then," Ashley ordered, striding out towards a natural path to the peak. With little else to say, we fell in behind her, me in the middle.
Trebin was a desolate, brown rock. It spread out for miles. The roughed mountains would have reminded of Earth had they had snow or trees or something, some form of life. As my untrained legs forced me up the mountain, the sound of my breathing echoed in the helmet. To distract myself, my omni-tool blinked nearby to follow the coordinates. The map on the orange hued screen before me highlighted the place that needed investigated. My eyes scanned the upcoming terrain. In the distance, a low boom rocked the air. Ashley grumbled about Shepard over-using the main cannon and quickened her step.
Near the location, the air shifted. The hairs on the back on my neck pricked, my muscles twitched as waves fluttered down my spine. My breathing snagged, eyes flying around the landscape. Something tripped my instincts and it sent my heart skittering away like a beetle. The air hummed, then the strangest sounds emanated from the air. A low drone, moderate it pitch, slithered through the air. Seconds later, a higher pitched squeal. My feet froze, spinning to strange sounds radiating through the air. My heart sank as Ashley drew the assault rifle, scanning the area with a critical gaze. Did she know what this was? Or… was she as just as confused? My legs powered past her, praying my location was not here. Tali cried my name as hands and feet scrambled up the small cliff face before me. My mouth dried, the sharp rocks ignored as they rubbed through the clothes. The strength of 1000 men flew through me, and with it, I heaved myself up and sprinted onwards.
As the distances grew, the sound of whatever creature lurked in the area faded. Either that or they had spotted me and were not in the process of stalking me. My heart pounded against my chest, threatening to break a rib. The vibrations shook my arms, making me scream in surprise, losing my footing and dropping to the rock below. My heart stopped, eyes flying over the rugged terrain. A hand raised, ready to smack whatever had latched onto me. Nothing, although a small flashing icon hovered over my omni-tool. My hand trembled as it touched it. A map opened before me, a blinking icon highlighting an area about 30m away from me. Air flowed back into my lungs, rolling onto my knees to clamber to my feet.
"Dell! Goddam it, wait there!" Ashley barked. Startled, my arms clamped around my chest as the human stomped towards me, Tali struggling up the cliff behind her. "What the fuck?"
"Y-You didn't hear-?" I said.
"I heard it," she growled. "But how can we protect you if you run off like a maniac! There could have been monsters up here!"
"I-I'm sorry, I-I-" I stammered. Ashley sighed, hands on her hips.
"This is why I hate greenhorns," she grumbled. My knees trembled. "Where are we going?"
"J-Just over there," I pointed. Ashley grumbled before marching onwards. My eyes skimmed past Tali as she jogged to catch up to us. We followed the enraged soldier with reluctance.
30m away, we located my quarry. The instructions said remote sensing had detected possible exposed minerals, then to map and estimate the path of the rock bed, assuming everything was in situ. Before me, a pile of brown rock with weathered crystalline bands danced through it. My mind switched from survival to work mode. A clicking from my omni-tool froze me mid-step. Was… Was that a Geiger counter? My eyes bulged. My arm raised, opening my omni-tool. A Geiger counter option appeared before me. I waved the omni-tool near to the rock. The whole thing squealed. Oh fuck, they sent me out to look for radioactive ores?!
"Are t-these suits leaded?" I asked.
"Leaded?" Tali blinked.
"Y-yeah, to minimise the effects of radiation. T-This is uranium or something," I said. Ashley moaned.
"The suits are designed for radiation protection. They are spacesuits," she grumbled. A flush rose, teeth biting my lip.
"J-Just making sure," I said, turning back to the rock pile before me.
Tali and Ashley patrolled the area while I got down to work recording the site. The ore deposit was in situ, and from the Geiger counter, there was plenty more of this stuff here. But the portable geochemical tools in the omni-tool indicated plutonium, although Uranium presented itself in vast quantities. The previous geological data from the area was sparse and disconnected. But if my calculations were correct, some of the rock should rise to the surface just further down the slope to the ease. If it didn't, either it thinned out, the rock faulted, it folded or it weathered away. Still, if it weathered, evidence for it would remain. My knees pushed me up, heading east.
It pushed us back down the mountain, but the incline was shallower. I followed the dip of the bed. As predicted traces of the mineral lined the way. Erosion scoured the land, so maybe some mining near the base of the mountain would prove valuable. As the map formed under my commands, the bed continued down. As it crossed the ridge, a large bowl shaped valley spreading out before me appeared. Helpless, my gaze stared at the massive mountains behind it. Even though this place was brown and desolate, there still held magic here. This was another planet, not on Earth. It was not so dissimilar once you got over the disappointment. In the valley, a group of people – scavengers or mercenaries, Ashley theorised – as they strode towards something in the distance. The ridge dropped to the valley below, but from here, faint traces of the darkened rock with fresh faces of green crystals marred the cliff. Wait, fresh faces? Had there been a landslide or rock fall-
The ground quaked, quivering my knees to the point of collapse. The rock on the ridge below rattled, caving out to tumble down. My footing failed, flailing for grip as I slipped onto the ridge slope. My fingers clung to a hand hold just before the cliff dropped out beneath me. I made the mistake of turning down to see the fall. The height distracted me, it was what had just erupted from the ground. A massive worm like creature screeched, the brilliant cyan tongue reaching for the people on the ground. The screams died under the roar. The beast charged for the people. Their bodies flew across the dirt. My hand hold looked unsteady now, knowing what awaited me if I survived the fall. The adrenaline that had flooded my system earlier did not saving me here, there was no strength to pull myself up even by a few centimetres.
"Shit, Thresher Maw!" Ashley called.
"Commander, we've got a problem! Thresher maw!" Tali called over the radio while she grabbed my wrist to pull me up as Ashley rained bullets down on the 30m high monster below. It only alerted it to our position and piss it off more than it already was. It roared, a sea of spit flying to our position. Ashley grabbed Tali, pulling back hard. She dragged Tali and me away from the edge and just out of reach of the spit. The rock where the spit touched melted. My blood ran to my toes.
"Move! Move! Move!" Ashley roared, dragging my frozen ass off the rock as another hail of spit rose to meet us. She dragged me over the ridge, out of sight of the maw.
"W-What is that thing?" I stammered.
"Thresher maw," Tali panted.
"What the fuck is a thresher maw!?" I squeaked.
"That thing!" Ashley snapped, pointing to the worm over the ridge. The whole mountain quivered. "Shit, shit, shit,"
"Why did you shoot it?!" I sobbed, crawling back onto my feet.
"To scare it off," Ashley growled.
"It's a thresher maw, you need tanks to kill these things. How are a few bullets going to scare it?" Tali asked.
Ashley grit her teeth as the mountain quivered. The maw punched through the mountain ridge, surfacing on a flatter segment of the steep valley between the ridge and the original mineral deposit. A scream ripped free as my shambling legs followed Ashley and Tali further up the mountain, back on the other side of the ridge, trying to climb higher. It disappeared again, the earth quaking. My brain sent one message to my legs; lose your balance and we die. The cliff was too close. The maw rose once more, an ear bleeding screech deafening me. I scrambled for safety. The maw pounced to tremble the earth again as we tried to mount the ridge once more.
An air shattering bang caused the beast to scream, crashing into the mountain without burrowing. I wheeled around just as the Mako soared over a plateau to the north. It landed hand, a machine gun covering the space between tank and maw. The thresher picked itself up, screeching at the new foe on the field. It burrowed underground. The Mako swerved, engines to the max. The maw surfaced nearby, raining acidic spit towards the tank. Shepard steered the Mako out of reach, the main cannon roaring in between bursts of machine gun fire. The maw roared, diving into the ground when the cannon shot the brilliant blue tongue. When it rose once more, the Mako skimmed free by the skin of their teeth. My breath stilled as the turret spin around, blasting it point blank. The maw let loose one mighty roar before it collapsed on the ground.
The Mako drove around the maw in a lap of honour, my radio alive with cheers from the men inside. We sighs of relief. We picked ourselves up, trudging down the edge of the ridge until it widened out, lowering us towards flatter fields. The Mako wheeled around, trundling over the corpse for good measure – and getting stuck for about 5 minutes in the process – before charging towards us. When it bounced to a halt nearby, the door burst open. Shepard evacuated, roaring in triumph with fists in the air.
"We need to bring you out more often! Holy shit, did you see that thing splat? I was amazing!" Shepard cheered. A moan creaked in my throat.
"Easy for you to say, you're in a tank. This one was falling off a cliff," Ashley pointed to me.
"Alright, alright, I got it. Right, Dell, very important lesson here ok? Cliffs are bad. I know base jumping is amazing fun but you're not trained to use your landers yet. Not a good time to test them out," he gave me a thumbs up with a grin. My face heated under the helmet. "But we have a thresher magnet! This is awesome!"
"Actually, Shepard, some scavengers set it off. They're dead now," Tali shook her head. Shepard's arms sagged. He cursed, kicking the dust. The crew chuckled as their commander sulked. While Shepard composed himself, my hand rubbed my arm.
"Everyone is alright though?" Garrus asked.
"Aye, we're alright. Did you finish everything?" Ashley turned to me. I jumped, clamping my hands behind my back and squeezing them.
"A-Ah, n-nearly. T-The maw k-kinda distracted us," I said, trying to shrug, but my shoulders locked and refused to drop.
"Alright team, let's go do us some science!" Shepard cheered.
"It isn't as interesting as you think, Commander," Tali laughed. Shepard frowned, flicking his eyes between Tali and me. We piled back into the Mako. The tank wheeling around to return us to the base of the cliff where we had been hanging over earlier.
The Galaxy Map has been updated for this chapter. Please see profile for link to Archive.