Chapter Fourteen: Finsternis
"Its best not to stare into the Sun during an Eclipse" - Jeff Goldblum
A few days had passed, waiting for a reply from the Initiative. The four had been cooped up in the apartment, rarely leaving for anything more than food. They felt vulnerable here, but they were safe enough for the time being. Everyone was restless. Between sharing the small space and waiting for news, they were anxious.
"You'd think the Initiative would be quicker to respond than this," Martin complained, sitting upside down on the couch. His posture was comical and childlike. His legs hung off the back, his feet dangling in the air, and his head upside down, watching the TV.
Martin had been getting on Athria's nerves for a few days with his childish displays. Sure, they were all going a little stir-crazy, but at least the others played board games and watched Vids instead of whatever this was.
"Can you act like a normal human, barbarian?" Athria said in disgust.
Martin began to laugh; the blood rushing to his head must have made what she said funny and made him bold. "Shouldn't you be shaking your ass in a club like a normal Asari?" Martin continued laughing as Athria gritted her teeth. She was about ready to send this human flying across the room. She pictured it fully in vivid detail, his head bouncing off the wall with a satisfying thud.
"Will you two knock it off? You've been going at it for days now, back and forth, driving me crazy." Dez pounded her fist on the kitchen counter.
They both stopped themselves mid-thought, like children being scolded by their mothers. Martin rolled off the couch, stood up, and stumbled as his blood needed to equalize. "I guess I'll go lay down for a bit," he said, walking into the bedroom. "Finally," Athria hissed under her breath.
A few minutes later, Athria's hand started to blink. It was her omni-tool. The annoyance dissipated as if her prayers were answered. She stood up and opened the balcony doors, stepping outside the apartment. She quickly answered the call.
"Long time no hear." The male voice over the call greeted.
Athria sighed with heavy relief. "Oh, thank the goddess. It's you." Derek chuckled a bit, unsure why she would be so excited to hear from him.
"Things are that bad, huh?"
"Worse." She jumped on his question. He had no idea.
"Well, I've been reading your reports, and the boss has the techs trying to decrypt everything. But the data we do have has them spooked."
Athria turned around to the inside through the glass door, watching Rinn and Dez play a board game in the kitchen area, hoping they weren't hearing her conversation.
"Yeah, it's got me a bit freaked out, too," she said softly. Derek cleared his throat before she heard what she thought was him drinking something—probably from that silly duck coffee mug he always used in the office.
"The big news is that the artifact isn't exactly of Geth origin. It's something else." Athria went silent. She had hoped, more than anything, that she was wrong, and it was Geth, even though she knew better. Athria used to work for the Citadel Council until a year ago when the Initiative recruited her. But even after she left, she still had access to many top-secret files she shouldn't have. She blamed this on the bureaucratic nightmare surrounding the Citadel. Athria's curiosity peaked when files were sent to her regarding the first human Spectre and their fight against Saren and the Geth. The rumors surrounding the Geth Dreadnought being of some other origin and the Spectre's talk unsettled her.
"I'll take your silence as you already figured that out," Derek said, snapping her back to the conversation. Athria turned back to look over the skyline and leaned forward on the balcony railing. "What is it?"
Derek sighed as if frustrated, "I don't know. I was told we didn't need to know." Athria angrily gripped the railing, sharing his frustration. "-But, there is something else here. Now, before you say anything, the techs are going over all the info, but it looks like there are a few different sets of coordinates in here. But we should get some confirmation soon on exactly what they are supposed to be."
"This is all very nice-" Athria's voice turned slightly sour, "-But have we not finished our mission here? We have the data, and I'm stuck in a one-bedroom apartment with three drifters, and who knows how many mercs might be tracking us down."
"Wellllll," his elongated response felt like a shot in the head, but she let him continue. "The boss wants you and Martin on standby. They were impressed with the way you handled Omega despite everything that-"
"-Are they seriously considering? No.-" She shook her head, clearly forgetting she was trying to hide her conversation from everyone inside. "-I am not in a thousand years going on a wild Varren chase for this thing."
"Calm down. I'm sure they are just trying to get their ducks in a row. I'll call you back when we know more. I've also been told to forward Martin the funds for his side of the job and to give you a chuck out of the discretionary fund."
"You little shi-" Athira looked down at her omni-tool, realizing Derek had ended the call. "That bitch."
""""""""""""""
Martin hid in the bedroom for hours alone. He had locked the door, but he could still hear the others outside from time to time. He stretched himself diagonally across the bed, sinking into the comfy mattress as his body relaxed and released from its former cramped conditions. He had surrendered his bedroom to Athria days ago to keep the peace and had been sleeping in the recliner; the stiffness of his muscles tormented him.
He rolled over onto his stomach and flipped through his Omni-tool to occupy his time. A faint smell of roses or some other scent danced in the background, which he tried to ignore, memories of a time long past. He could almost forget everything that had happened to him from his old life. It was easier to pretend they were just from some horrible movie he had watched or a book he had read. Martin felt disconnected to this existence, his body felt more so. The changes that have happened between when he was placed in cryo and now we're immanence. If it weren't for the scars and his face, he could have fooled himself into thinking he wasn't real. He could have just thought he somehow acquired some poor saps' nightmares, and now here he was, smelling some Alien scent on what was supposed to be his.
Martin forcefully pushed the scent out of his nose, closed his Omni-tool, and stretched out on the bed. The very idea of "waiting" never sat well with him, but his only choice was to lie here, stare off at the floor, and hope something happened lest his mind begin to think too much. He crawled out of bed, wiping his eyes from sleepiness. He needed to move and do something besides just waiting here.
Martin gathered his pistols, removed his kinetic barriers from his combat suit, and slipped them under his hoodie. He opened the bedroom door. He looked over and saw Athria coming in from outside. He quickly turned his head before she made eye contact as he headed toward the front door, hoping to leave before anyone asked. Martin could feel Rinn's and Dez's gaze following him as he headed past them.
"Where are you going?" Athria barked, seemingly annoyed at something. "Out," he replied as he kept walking. "Oh, so you can break your own rules?" Martin stopped at the door as his left hand began to tingle. He flexed it a few times to shake the feeling. "I can handle myself." Athria opened her mouth as if to say something, but her words failed to produce themselves out of frustration. The door slid open, and he walked out.
As the door slid shut behind him, Martin exhaled, letting the tension of the last few days pass him over as he made his way out of the building. The cooling evening air of Illium hit his face, a sharp contrast to the atmosphere inside the apartment. He began to walk through the dimly lit streets, his mind churning with the unease he'd tried to suppress. The city's lights reflected off the polished surfaces of the buildings, casting long shadows that danced around him as he walked.
Martin wasn't sure where he was going; he only needed to get away to clear his head. The weight of his past, the confusion of the present, and the uncertainty of the future all press down on him, tightening his chest with every step. The scent of roses lingered in his nostrils, the unshakable reminder of something he'd rather let go of. A fractured memory just out of reach. These were the moments he hated. It gave his mind too much time to think.
He wandered aimlessly through the crowded streets, lost in thought, until he found himself standing at the edge of a landing pad overlooking the city. The view was breathtaking, the skyline of Illium stretching out before him, a sea of lights and towering structures. But Martin barely noticed; the silence was unbearable, broken only by the hum of distant engines and the occasional murmur of passing conversations.
He clenched his fists, feeling the familiar cold metal of his pistols under his hoodie. The weight was comforting, grounding him in a reality that still felt alien. For a moment, he considered just leaving it all behind—disappearing into the night, letting whatever was back at the apartment just fade away. But something kept him rooted to the spot, a nagging sense of unfinished business.
Martin looked out over the city, the wind ruffling his hair, and for the first time in days, he allowed himself to feel the anger bubbling beneath the surface—not just at the situation but at himself—his weakness, his fear, his inability to find his place in this new 'world.' He had always been a man of action, and the waiting and the uncertainty were eating him alive.
He pulled out his Omni-tool, checking for updates or messages, but the screen was blank. There was no new information, no orders, nothing to distract him from the thoughts that refused to let him rest. He knew he couldn't stay here, couldn't let himself drown in this spiral of self-doubt and regret.
The deep breath of the night air filled his lungs as he turned away from the view. Heading back into the light nighttime crowd. What he wanted was a drink, a strong one. Martin headed to the bar he remembered from some time ago, the one with the older Asari woman who worked the counter. He sat at the bar front; the patrons were few and far between, just as he liked it. The Asari approached him; her face was lighter blue, and she wore an orange and white skin-tight suit. "Can I get you anything, babe?" her voice was rough, almost gravelly, but not quite. Her voice always threw him off as it wasn't typical of normal Asari.
Martin took a small breath before answering, "Whiskey, neat." The Asari was quick as if she had spent hundreds of years bartending, as she passed him a glass of the whiskey he asked for. He reached out for and grasped it, only to view it for the moment. He downed the glass with one motion, placing it back down on the bar with a slight clunk. "That kinda night, huh?" she commented. Martin smiled, keeping his eyes locked on the wall behind her. "Night? More like month."
The Asari took the glass, gave him a refill, and slid the glass back to him. Martin side-eyed her for a moment before taking the glass and taking a solid gulp from it. "So, what brings you here to mope in my bar? You and that Turian finally called it quits?" Martin began coughing, trying to finish the swallowing he had started. "No." He wiped his lips with his hand, "Nothing like that; we were never a thing to begin with." He protested.
"Could have fooled me. You two were tighter than a fly on a Varren's ass." Martin shook his head, again protesting while waving his hand. "No, has nothing to do with her." The Asari stopped and placed her arm on her hip. "Then what's your problem?"
"Everything else," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. He swirled the whiskey around, watching how the light caught the liquid's surface. "Fighting bullshit in the front, getting chased by ghosts and more bullshit from the rear. And the fucking babysitting."
The Asari bartender leaned in slightly, her expression softening with genuine concern. "Ghosts, huh? You've got the look of a man haunted by more than just bad luck." She tilted her head, studying him as if trying to read the thoughts he refused to voice. Her eyes darted to his forehead and cheek.
Martin returned his eyes to his glass, trying to gather his words. He didn't want to say too much, but he wanted to say something.
"Ever been pushed into a place where you don't quite fit?"
The Asari looked down at him, and he couldn't tell if she was annoyed or had a serious look. "Babe, I'm an Asari matriarch working a bar. Not everyone is supposed to fit in. It's not how the galaxy works." Her aggressive, gravelly voice seemed to carry some weight. "You thinkIwant to be here? Things happen, it's what you do with it that counts, and bonus points if you crack some heads while doing it."
Martin smiled, thinking this was some cheesy, uplifting speech. "Oh, I've done enough of that lately," he commented.
"Well, you aren't dead, so that's a start.". He finished the rest of his drink with another solid gulp and paid his tab. "Thanks for the pep talk, boss," Martin said sarcastically as he stood up. "That's what I'm here for."
As Martin stood up, Athria, Dez, and Rinn jogged into the bar. "We need to go now!" Athria pleaded, sweating and borderline hysterical. "What the fuck is going on?" He questioned.
Athria was trying to get the words out between breaths but couldn't. Dez stepped forward, "A bunch of... mercs busted down the apartment door. We were lucky to make it out of there."
"Shit." He said, thinking about all his gear back in the apartment. "Well, where the fuck are we supposed to go?"
Athria glanced around the bar, "I don't know. I hoped you'd have a plan." Martin froze for a few moments. His mind had been too preoccupied with his own problems to think that far ahead, but he had to come up with something.
"Were the Mercs still at the apartment?" he asked. "At least a squad broke off to chase us," Rinn replied.
Martin thought deeply for a moment. He needed to go back and get his weapons and armor, maybe even figure out who these Mercs were, but leaving them alone now was a risk, one he wasn't sure he could make.
"I guess I was right. Bad luck follows you around," the Asari bartender joked as Martin tried ignoring her statement. "Alright, lets grab a skycar and buy ourselves some more time, create more distance." Athria nodded to Martin in agreement.
Martin led the group out of the bar, his mind already running through potential escape routes. The streets of Illium were busy, even at this hour, but not as dense as Omega's. He could feel eyes on them, and not just from the general foot traffic. He needed to quicken their pace if they were to get out of the area. They reached the nearest skycar terminal, and Martin quickly selected a vehicle, overriding the security locks with his Omni-tool. The sleek, black skycar hummed to life as the doors slid open. "Get in," Martin ordered, his voice tense but focused.
Athria slid into the driver's seat as Dez and Rinn squeezed into the back. Martin kept his eyes in the distance, keeping watch as they got settled. He saw a group running towards them as he jumped into the passenger seat. "We gotta go!" he ordered. Athria quickly ran her hands over the controls and got the car into the air, taking off just in time. The skycar shot up into the air, merging with the chaotic flow of Illium's sky traffic. Athria joined the dense traffic, trying to hide themselves.
"Now, what do we do?" Rinn asked in a panic. Martin didn't immediately answer, more focused on what was going on around them. "Right now, distance. Second, I need armor and weapons."
"We aren't going back to the apartment; it's too hot." Athria protested. Martin brought up his omni-tool and began running through some of his protocols. "You're right; we can't go back; luckily for me, I have some explosives in my kit back in the apartment that I can remotely detonate. I can tone them down so no one around the complex gets hurt, but take some fuckers out while we figure out a better plan." Martin pressed a button on his omni-tool as a small muffled sound of thunder was heard. Off in the distance, he saw some smoke billowing from one of the towers. "I'm definitely not getting my security deposit back."