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A Dream Within a Dream

Part 1

Chapter 6


The Normandy

When Shepard opened her eyes, she was back within the white void of the Codex. Her stomach churned as she remembered her first visit to the strange loading program, but she shoved the thoughts away as she set her shoulders.

If she was stuck aboard the Normandy, if this was going to be her life now, then she was going to adapt. One way or another.

"As Anderson explained, this is the Codex." Shepard spun to see Garrus standing behind her, and she stared as she took in his altered appearance.

He stood at his ease, his hands in his pockets as he watched her, his head tilted casually. His vivid, blue facial markings popped, bright and colorful against his pale facial plates, which glinted in the otherworldly light, unmarred by the scars she knew should adorn his face and neck. His clothes were simple but finely made, consisting of a dark jacket that hung open to reveal a collared shirt beneath, and a snug pair of pants held by a belt that accentuated his narrow waist. Even his boots added to the ensemble, made of dark leather and done up with a number of buckles. Over his left eye, he wore the same glowing blue visor she'd seen him wearing in the Citadel when they'd first met.

Shepard blinked as took him in. He looked altogether unlike the man she had just been speaking to moments before. Though she didn't really have much experience or knowledge about turians in general, he looked good. And he looked confident as he strode closer, his step slow and even, like a man in his element. It was hard to equate the sleek person before her with the roughly dressed and slightly awkward one aboard the Normandy.

Shepard glanced down at herself. She wore exactly what she'd worn the first time she'd entered the Codex—her favorite old sweatshirt, a pair of simple pants, and her old boots. Her hair was back at its old length and the ports that were scattered across her body were gone. But besides that, she felt no different.

"I think maybe I'm underdressed," she muttered as she looked back up at Garrus, and his mandibles flared. Perhaps she was starting to get better at reading him because he looked amused. It was hard to say, though. Turians were still something of an enigma to her.

"Sorry, I should have mentioned that before we entered. When you're about to upload into the Codex, hold the image of how you'd prefer to appear in your mind. That will give you more control over your appearance. Liara can set preload outfits for you, eventually."

"So I can wear anything I want? Just by imagining it?"

"Yes, and no. When we hack into the Citadel, you want to be able to blend in to some extent. You'd stand out if you wore a full set of armor in a place where only C-Sec officers wear combat gear," Garrus explained while Shepard nodded. She almost pointed out that people as well dressed as them in the lower wards were hardly surreptitious, but she held her tongue.

"Okay, first things first," he continued. "When we need equipment, either to bring into the Citadel with us, or something beyond what exists within the simulation we're about to enter, we can ask the operator for assistance." He brought a finger up to his ear as he tilted his head a fraction. "Liara, can we get some human fashion magazines, please?"

Liara must have responded, because Garrus nodded. "Nothing too fancy, just from the upper wards markets."

A moment later, a small table flicked into existence, and arrayed atop it was a selection of magazines. Shepard stared at it for a moment before approaching and slowly picking one up. She turned it around in her hands as she marveled at the feel of it.

It felt solid in her hands, and as she lifted it to her face, she could smell the paper and the ink. She thumbed the pages, and she could hear the fluttering as they splayed out before her.

"A paper magazine?" She looked up at Garrus in bewilderment. "I've never seen a paper magazine, only the digital ones you could download."

"Well, you can program just about anything here. I like the physical feel of these better than flicking through a digital copy. But all the outfits you'll find there are from things you can see in the Citadel, so feel free to take a peek later when you have time. You can get some ideas for outfits for yourself if you feel like it."

Shepard looked back down at the magazines, but it wasn't the pictures that interested her. It felt just like objects had in the Citadel. She could feel and interact with it, and yet something deep inside her knew it wasn't real. The sensation had driven her near to insanity within the Citadel, but now that she understood it, it felt more curious than terrifying. It was as though her mind could feel the object as much as her fingers could.

She put the magazine back down and looked up at Garrus. "So we can ask for anything?"

"Just about. If Liara isn't available to help, there are other ways to get what you need." He brought up his wrist, and an omni-tool appeared above it. He began flicking through the holo-screen, and soon a floor-length mirror appeared nearby. "You can use your omni-tool to load just about anything while within the Codex. Objects, information, simulation programs, whatever you need."

Shepard brought her wrist up, but noticed that it was still bare, no wrist strap in sight. "So do I just ask Liara to load an omni-tool for me?" Garrus looked at her closely, his eyes darting across her face as he stared intently. She was about to ask what he was doing when he suddenly looked away and put his finger to his ear.

"Liara, can we get a visor for Shepard? Sentry interface model, I think." There was a pause, "Yes, please."

A moment later, a small device popped into existence on the table before her. She carefully picked it up and held it before her as she examined it. "What is this?"

"Come here." Garrus moved toward the mirror, and Shepard joined him. Together, they stood before it, and he held his hand out for the device. She handed it to him, and he carefully affixed it over her right ear. Once it was firmly attached, Garrus hit a small button on its surface, and the world went blue.

Shepard looked into the mirror and gasped. Spanning across her face was a thin blue visor, exactly like the one Anderson had worn when they'd first arrived at the warehouse in the Citadel.

"Your vision will adapt and things will look less blue in a few minutes," Garrus explained as he crossed his arms and looked at her reflection in the mirror. "I think this model suits you, though. What do you think?"

"I, uh-" Shepard hesitated as she looked around, slightly dizzy. "What is this?"

"These are a special invention of the Migrant Fleet, something of a hack. A cheat code. They allow us some unique abilities within the Citadel and the simulators. I'm sure you noticed when I hacked the skycar while we were running from Saren?" She nodded as her eyes widened at the memory. "A normal omni-tool wouldn't allow something like that. But thanks to my visor, it's within my ability."

"That's incredible." Shepard marveled as her fingers ran across the device. Could such a small thing really be capable of so much?

"Yeah, it's rather useful. They allow us to communicate while within the Citadel, as well as contact Liara at any time. Give it a try. Lift a finger or two up right beside your ear, doesn't matter which ear, and say something. It's the gesture that matters." Slowly, she lifted two fingers up to hover right beside her ear.

"Liara? Can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, Shepard! Well done! How does it fit?" Shepard drew back, surprised as Liara's voice came through as clearly as though she were standing right before her.

"Perfect, thank you."

"The visors can display a variety of important information depending on what you're interested in," Garrus explained. "I often choose to display people's vitals, but you can set yours however you want. It will take some time to get used to the double vision required to see the readout properly, so I'm not going to teach you how to set that yet."

"Okay, seems like a good idea not to throw too much at me at once," Shepard agreed, and she brought a finger up to feel for the small button she knew to be on the side of the device. Finding it, she pressed once, and the blue visor vanished.

"The visors also enable the use of your omni-tool. Bring your wrist up like usual, and it should appear," Garrus instructed, and Shepard brought her hand up. To her surprise, an omni-tool sprang up around her wrist, despite there being no physical strap there. "Now pull up the upload menu." Garrus leaned across as he looked over her shoulder and pointed to a place on the holo-display. Shepard tapped it. "Now select 'Sim Program'. Good, now select 'Environments'. Okay, scroll until…"

Shepard scrolled her finger through her omni-tool's holo-display until Garrus held his hand up. "That one. Tap it."

"London? What's London?" She looked up at him as he took a step back.

"You'll see."

She tapped it, and the world evaporated around them.


The sudden onset of sensations from the world around her was instantly overwhelming. Shepard stumbled back, bumping into Garrus' steady form as she gasped.

They stood in the middle of a bustling city center. People swarmed about and buildings dotted a large open square around them. Magnificent stone buildings, a material she had only ever seen used for construction in photos and vids. They were beautifully adorned with enormous columns, statues, ornaments, and tarnished, green domes. Their windows stretched upwards, catching the evening glow of the sunset.

Shepard took in a sharp breath of air, her eyes traveling upwards in awe.

The sky.

Her knees felt weak as she gazed upward with widening eyes. The sky stretched out before her, the reds, oranges, and purples of a glorious sunset dappled with wisps of vivid pink clouds. It was gorgeous, everything she'd ever dreamt it to be and more.

"Garrus…" she whispered as her heart beat a staccato in her chest. "This is…"

"It's Earth," he murmured as he raised a hand to her arm to steady her, "as it was in what you humans refer to as the '1960s'. This is a computer generated recreation of what we believe it was like just before the Reapers arrived. It's based on photographs and videos we've salvaged."

Slowly, she turned, her mouth falling open as she took in the building fronts across the crowded intersection. They were covered top to bottom in bright, illuminated advertisements, wrapping around the building as they continued down the road. Words assaulted her, products and companies she'd never heard of jumping out at her—Coca-Cola, Volkswagen, BP World Wide, Cinzano, Skol, Wrigley's… It was all meaningless nonsense to her, but the colors danced in her eyes as she drank it all in thirstily.

In the road, fancy looking old cars fought for road space with huge, double decker red buses, the occasional blast of a horn blaring above the cacophony of city noises. Between them and the busy intersection stood a memorial square ringed with huge street lights, each one flicking alight as the sunset threatened to spill into darkness. In the center of the square stood a beautiful ornamental fountain made of age darkened bronze. It stretched up into the sky, and atop it stood the statue of a winged man with a bow, perched precariously as though about to take flight.

"I'd seen pictures, but it was nothing like this," Shepard breathed as she spun round over and over, her eyes roaming the sights as she took it all in.

"Well, remember that what you saw was a fabrication of what the Reapers wanted us to believe," he pointed out, and it was an instantly sobering thought. "Come on, let's walk." Garrus started down the sidewalk, and after a moment, she hurried to catch up.

"Where are we going?"

"To see the sights." They joined the throngs of people walking down the road, and Shepard's eyebrows rose as she registered their appearances. Gone were the slick asari fashions of the Citadel. In their place were bright colors and bold patterns, sharp collars and high-waisted pants. Breath-taking afros, and gravity defying updos teased with what must have been an entire can of hairspray.

Shepard felt every bit the tourist as she gaped. Her eyes darted from one sight to the next, from bizarre round topped cars to flower printed blouses to strange, stringed instruments she'd never seen the like of before.

"I don't know what to say," Shepard muttered as they waited to cross the street. Nearby, an artist had set up a stall where he was selling paintings, clearly ones he had painted himself with an honest to goodness paintbrush. Next to him was a table where a woman was selling beautiful bouquets of flowers. The smell wafted on the breeze, their delicate fragrance the sweetest thing Shepard had ever smelled. The pale imitations she'd seen sold in the Citadel had been nothing in comparison.

"It's a lot to take in. I felt the same way when Anderson first brought me to the Cipritine program." There was finally a break in the cars, and the mass of people pressed onwards across the street. They left the advertisements behind as they passed by an endless array of shops and restaurants selling any number of thing.

There was a gap in the buildings, and Shepard marveled as they came across a small park with trees that reached up into the sky. The space was so green, it put the Presidium's perfectly manicured 'lawns' to shame. She looked up into the branches as they rustled in the breeze, catching pink vestiges of sunlight.

On they walked, the computer generated crowd parting around them like water around a rock without ever noticing the strangeness of a turian in their midst, as though aliens were an everyday phenomenon. Garrus led her down a treelined road, stepping aside as a high-pitched bell rang out, and a boy peddled past on a strange two-wheeled machine Shepard didn't even know the name of. They passed by a giant, ancient looking building that appeared to be some sort of museum, then between two flowing fountains and past a tall pillar, atop which stood another beautifully carved statue. Shepard marveled at it all like a child in a candy shop for the very first time.

"I have to admit, you humans were a pretty artistic species once upon a time," Garrus chuckled as they crossed another complicated intersection and down a road adorned with more bright street lamps. "It truly is a shame."

They walked through an open station and out onto a bridge, once again causing Shepard to stop and gape. Before them lay an enormous river, the likes of which she'd only seen in pictures. The small ponds and water features of the Presidium, which had once seemed so grand, now paled in comparison. She carefully stepped up toward the edge of the bridge and leaned over, her grip tight as she saw the churning waters down below.

"Come on, we're almost there." Garrus continued down the bridge at a quick pace, and after a moment, Shepard turned to follow after. Night was quick approaching, and the bridge was lit with beautiful wrought iron street lamps that cast everything in a warm golden glow. The bridge ended, and they turned onto a path that followed the river, a number of artists and vendors starting to pack away their wares for the night. A few food stalls remained, and the variety of scents that tickled her nose made her mouth water as they walked.

The huge, full trees above them rustled in the evening breeze as couples strolled hand in hand along the waterfront, and finally Garrus came to a stop as he gestured across the river. There stood the most magnificent clock tower, its round, white face glowing brilliantly in the last rays of twilight. It stood tall and proud amongst the spindles and chimneys of the surrounding buildings, and beside it lay a massive complex, perhaps some sort of castle or palace, stretching onward as Shepard stared in wonder.

They stood together in silence beneath a string of small, round bistro lights as they leaned against the railing, soaking in the sights, sounds, and smells of the surrounding city. The last beams of sunlight died on the horizon, leaving nothing behind in the sky but dusky velvet and the glow of the city lights.

"It's so beautiful," Shepard murmured quietly as she turned to Garrus, the lights glinting along his visor and catching in his eyes as he turned to look at her. The wonder began to wilt away as cold, hard reality slid down her throat like ice. "And it's all gone now, isn't it?"

Garrus nodded as his eyes flicked down and away. Shepard's throat tightened, but she fought the urge building in her chest. Shaking her head, she pushed back from the railing.

"Okay, then where to next?" He turned back to look at her in surprise at the sudden question. "What other programs can you show me?" His surprise turned to amusement with a flick of his mandibles.

"What would you like to see?" He asked, and Shepard paused at the question. She had no idea how many environment programs they had, and she didn't even know where to begin.

"What do you recommend?" She finally replied, and Garrus' smile widened as he crossed his arms.

"Hmm, let's see." Looking up, he pondered for a moment before looking back at her, a peculiar expression on his face that she couldn't read. Their eyes met, and she refused to look away from his piercing blue gaze. "Let's try this," He finally said as he pulled up his omni-tool. Flicking through options, he finally found the one he was looking for.

He tapped it, and the city melted around them.


Shepard breathed the wet air in and opened her eyes. Gone were the city sounds, the lights, and the people. In their place were towering trees, a deep forest of tall pines that breached the gray heavens above. In the distance, she could hear the undulations of waves crashing mercilessly against the shore, and a chorus of birds in the canopy above fluttered and sang quiet songs. Mist curled up around them, vanishing back into the depths of the forest, giving the area an ethereal glow.

She took a step and looked down at the soft, spongy floor, taking in the carpet of moss that covered the ground, creeping up the trunks of the trees around them. Rocks broke through the ground in places, but they, too, were speckled with green moss and lichen, as were the old logs that lay strewn about in various stages of decay. Mushrooms and ferns dotted the ground in patches, and for a moment, she almost expected a fairy to flit past.

"Where-" She cut off as she registered the wetness on her skin. Looking up, she watched as it fell from the sky, landing on her face and running through her hair. Her intake of breath was long and reverent as she realized what it was. "Rain?"

She looked down at her outstretched hand, seeing the droplets conjoining to run in rivulets down her arm. She shivered and brought her other hand up to catch the drips as they rained down upon her.

Her body quivered as she looked back up into the light gray sky, watching the raindrops land on the pine needles high above. A single huffed chuckle escaped her lips like a prayer, followed by another as it bubbled up unbidden.

"It's rain!" Shepard exclaimed as a wide smile stretched across her face, and she laughed as joy suffused her entire being. She thrust her arms out as she spun, her feet carrying her across the soft ground. She marveled at every drop that hit her skin, the feel of it running down her face and neck was absolutely magical.

Sure, she'd seen trees, she'd heard birds. But even though she knew this was a simulation, nothing on the Citadel had ever felt this vivid, this all-encompassing. The sounds, the sights, the scents, the feel of it, all of it! It was unlike anything she'd ever experienced in her life.

She breathed in long and deep, the salty tang of crisp ocean air curling through her nose as she stopped spinning and turned to grin at Garrus. The smile felt rusty on her face, as though it had been far too long since she'd last used those muscles, but it felt good. Her heart soared, and she laughed again.

"This is the most beautiful place I ever could have imagined!" She wiped the water from her face and tucked a damp lock of hair behind her ear as she breathed in again, something tight in her chest finally beginning to unwind. "This is wonderful."

Garrus stood transfixed as he watched her, his eyes wide but his face otherwise blank. He looked utterly out of place in his stylish outfit amongst the greenery as rain trailed down his plates and soaked into his clothing. He stared at her, his mouth open to speak, but no words leaving him as the rain beat down upon him.

Her smile softened as her eyes crinkled, her radiant joy diffusing into a warmth that curled in her belly. "Thank you, Garrus. For showing me this. I'd never seen rain before."

"I-" Garrus coughed as he ripped his eyes away, gazing out over the forest as he crossed his arms. "Of course. It's a popular one. I figured you might like it."

Shepard turned around again to gaze out over the otherworldly forest. "Where is this?"

"It's Earth still. Somewhere Anderson referred to as 'Maine', but I have no idea where that is. He claims to have been here himself in person."

"Really?" Shepard asked as she closed her eyes and turned her face back up towards the sky, reveling in the feeling of the rain on her skin. "I'm glad the Reapers didn't ruin everything, then." It also made her stop and consider Anderson with no small amount of awe. What sort of life experiences led a man to a place such as this?

"Yeah." Garrus' reply was quiet, almost thoughtful, as though he were somewhere else entirely. Her eyes remained closed as she focused in on the sounds around her. Rain drops pitter-patting on the needles and the moss around her, birds singing in the tallest branches, some small critter skittering along a log, the swell and crash of waves.

She paused, focusing on the sound as anticipation mounted in her chest. She'd seen pictures, but…

"Is that the ocean I hear?" Shepard looked back at Garrus, who nodded mutely. Turning toward the source of the sound, she set off through the trees without another word, registering the soft sounds of him trailing after her. The tall pines around her reached upwards into the canopy, giving the forest the feel of a cathedral, grand and glorious in its reverence to something divine.

Their passage through the forest was nearly silent until the mists parted and the trees thinned to reveal a rocky shore. They stepped out onto an outcropping as a wave crashed into it, sending sea spray into the air. There was something primal about the choppy waters as they churned and splashed, and beyond lay the vast open ocean. It disappeared out into infinity, the horizon waiting beyond as it stretched out before them. The sky held the promise of eventual relief from the elements, with small cracks in the cloud cover that let single beams of light filter through occasionally, lighting up the sky like the ephemeral fingers of a higher being.

In that moment, she felt all the weight of the Reapers' crime against organic life. To deny the right to witness such a thing as the vast beauty before her seemed utterly unconscionable. A small seed of hatred burrowed down into her core, nurtured by the thought that if Saren had succeeded in his plans to kill her, she never would have had the chance to witness this, simulation or not.

They stood there in silence as they took in the raw beauty of it all. Shepard couldn't have put words to it if she'd wanted to, but she enjoyed companionship as they gazed out over the water, shoulder to shoulder. She couldn't tell how much time had passed when she felt the lessening of the rain, eventually becoming a mere mist before finally dying out altogether. The waves quieted, and the sun finally began peeking through the clouds when she turned back to Garrus.

"What's your favorite environment program?" She asked in a voice just above a whisper, as though afraid that speaking too loudly would break the spell. Garrus turned to her with the smallest smile as the sunlight caught his eyes, the blue sparkling with his pleasure in the moment.

Without a word, he brought up his omni-tool, and all at once, the world dissolved.


The gentle sound of waves made it difficult to discern if the program had shifted at all. But there was something different about the sound now, a measured softness that lacked the wild fury of the ocean only moments before. There was a chirping of crickets and other insects in the distance, and the soft rustling of palm fronds overhead when Shepard finally opened her eyes.

They stood on a wide, sandy beach that stretched out in either direction, eventually curling around to create a large bay. The sun here had set many hours before, and there was no evidence of clouds in the crystal clear sky above them. Instead, it sparkled like diamonds with stars that were scattered across the heavens, strewn about like the freckles upon her own face. Reaching across the sky was a giant strip of stars, clustered together like a vast, distant ocean all their own.

The sand was pristine, so completely perfect that at first it didn't seem real. Shepard couldn't stop the ironic twist of her lips when she realized that it was, in fact, not real at all. She could see small rocks and shells in the sand as the waves washed up against the shore in a gentle, rhythmic motion, the sound soothing and hypnotic.

She heard the rustle of clothing beside her, and she turned to see Garrus removing his boots. He then rolled up the cuffs of his pants as best he could before stepping out toward the rolling waves. He left behind strange, three-toed footsteps in the sand as he walked, a reminder of just how alien he was. But the water quickly washed away all evidence of them as if they'd never been.

When he was ankle deep, he stopped, letting the water flow around his feet as he slipped his hands into his pockets and gazed up toward the heavens above. Without a word, Shepard pulled off her boots and rolled her pants up before following after him. The water was warm, unexpectedly so after the chill of the forest minutes before. Blinking, she noticed that her clothing and hair were completely dry, as if they hadn't stood for ages, letting the rain soak them to the bone.

She came to stand beside Garrus, who glanced down at her quickly before returning his attention to the stars. The water lapped at her ankles, sand tickling her skin as it was carried in and out by the waves. There was a peace in the air unlike anything she'd ever experienced. It lacked the magical quality of the forest, and yet she could see why Garrus liked it here.

"Where is this?" She whispered in awe, and Garrus paused for a moment before replying.

"I'm not sure if it's intended to somewhere in particular, but it's supposed to be on Palaven." She nodded before letting it drop.

Shepard turned to watch him, hoping her attention was more subtle than it probably was. She'd never had much in the way of friends in the Citadel. It had been hard to connect with anyone when she'd felt so adrift and anxious. But now, even after the trauma of her awakening, she was beginning to feel as though she might be able to achieve a stable footing, like she understood herself and her life for the very first time. The thought was astonishing, given what she'd learned since waking up on the Normandy and everything she'd gone through to get to that point.

There was power in knowing the truth. It gave her strength and comfort and purpose. Before she'd felt untethered, as though she'd been floating through her life, more a ghost than a person. Now she felt real. She felt whole. She felt connected.

And she wasn't alone. This turian was quickly becoming the closest thing she had to a friend. He'd shown her kindness and compassion from the very beginning of their acquaintance, and he'd been the first person to make her feel as though she weren't losing her mind. And now he was standing here with her, guiding her through this incredibly complex and confusing transition.

"I'm sorry." Garrus' low rasp of a voice broke the silence, and Shepard blinked as she was pulled from her reverie. He turned to look at her, and their eyes met.

"For what?" Her voice was low to match his, barely enough to be caught over the rolling waves against the beach behind them.

"I know the transition from the Citadel was difficult for you. I remember how terrifying it was when I went through it. I wish I could have warned you or explained things better." He looked back over the water toward the inky horizon with a frown, frustration written across his features. Shepard remembered screaming at him and smashing her fists into the glass of the tube as it had filled with water. A strange twinge of guilt curled in her belly.

After a moment, he shook his head with a huff. "But we can't warn people before the unplugging. Their mind fights it and it often leads to them going into shock when they wake up in the farm. We've lost people before when that happens, and I didn't want to see it happen to you." She watched him for another few seconds before looking away again.

"It's okay. I'm thankful that you guys freed me. That's all that matters now," she replied eventually, and he nodded his thanks. The silence stretched on, but just as it had been before, it was comfortable in a way that Shepard savored. Finally, a question occurred to her. "So, can I just visit these sorts of programs whenever I want? Just 'cause?"

"Yeah, pretty much. It's not a good idea to dwell in simulations too often and forget to live your life in the real world, but there's nothing wrong with coming to these programs when you need a break now and then." She turned to him with an amused smile and a raised brow.

"Is this what you do for fun, then?" She asked, feeling uncharacteristically playful, and he turned to her with a smile of his own. "Just come here and go for a little swim?" He snorted as he shook his head.

"You obviously haven't seen turians swim. It's a lot of flailing and splashing, interrupted by occasional bouts of drowning," he replied dryly, and Shepard couldn't contain a snort of laughter. When she looked back up at him with a smile, she noticed a small blue flush up his neck as he looked away quickly.

"So, um," he began as he turned back toward the beach abruptly, "I think that's enough for today. I'm going to unplug and turn in for the night. You're welcome to stay for a bit longer if you want. Just let Liara know when you're ready to unplug as well."

With that, he took a few steps back up the beach and brought up his wrist to activate his omni-tool. He looked back at her with an expression she couldn't read before tapping a command, and then he vanished, dissolving into thin air. A wave washed up on the sand, and then even his footsteps were gone.

Shepard turned back to gaze up at the stars above and took a deep breath, reveling in the salty tang of the air. The crickets chirped, and a breeze sent the palm trees ruffling. She fixed the sensations in her mind before bringing two fingers up to her ear.

"Liara, I think I'm ready to leave."

"Okay, Shepard."

There was a jerking sensation at the base of her skull, and the world around her became attenuated, eventually fading away altogether.


(AN: I'm very excited to announce that I should be able to share a work of art inspired by this story sometime this week! It looks amazing so far!)