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Post by Nord Ronnoc on Nov 27, 2016 21:50:33 GMT 1
Mass Foundations: A New Day
Chapter One: Arrival Year: 2016 Location: Bangkok, ThailandThe harsh June sun settled over Bangkok like a wet blanket. Even as the sun had set, a never-ending stream of taxis, delivery trucks, motorcycles, and bikes filled the streets. A gray Nissan SUV passed over a speed bump and into the sea of cars before it. In it, 19-year-old Eric Grimes, short and thin, looked out the window to a tall obelisk among the traffic: The Victory Monument. Staring back at him was his faint reflection in the window—a small beige face with small hazel eyes and short black hair. He sat quietly, pressing his rounded nose against the glass, fascinated by the chaos ruling Thailand’s streets. Compared to Boston—with its outdated streets and aggressive drivers—the traffic here was insane. “Eric? Mi hijo? Are you okay?” his mother, Felicia, called out from the driver’s seat after their car had stopped at a red traffic light. Her brown eyes were focused on the mirror facing toward him. “You’ve been rather quiet lately.” “Um… yeah, Mamá,” he answered, glancing at her before looking back toward the window. “Thanks for asking.” His mother looked on as the traffic light turned green and drove forward. “Sure you are, Eric. Sure you are,” his 22-year-old brother, Alfonso, replied sarcastically. Eric turned to his brother, who sat to his left. So he had paid attention, he noticed. Alfonso had his nose buried in his 3DS with the games he got for Christmas. It was easy to forget that Alfonso was a near-spitting image of their father. Alfonso had his medium height, his hazel eyes, and his chiseled nose. The differences were the skin tone like Eric’s, his black hair reaching down to his neck, and worst of all, a large scar on his chin he got from a nasty fight back in school. Eric sighed. “I’m fine, Al. Just drop it, okay?” Alfonso scoffed and rolled his eyes before going back to playing on his 3DS. Eric hadn’t talked and neither did the rest of his family, as they were all occupied with what caught their attention. His 24-year-old, Garcia, was taking pictures of the city with her phone. Most of the pictures she took were of buildings and monuments. She gasped before leaning in and toward Eric. Her brown eyes, same as their mother’s, met his as her beige face lit up with excitement. “Oh, I think I got a good picture. Wanna see?” she asked, breaking the silence. Eric considered for a moment, tempted, only for him to shake his head. “Nah. Maybe later, though?” “Okay,” Garcia replied, crestfallen as she leaned back into her seat. Eventually, the SUV pulled up and parked at the hotel they would stay in for the week. The hotel was tall and oval-shaped, with another building tucked next to it. It was like any other building in any metropolis city except for a garden that surrounded it with elephant statues and thin trees. “Should we get out and meet up with Grandma and Grandpa, Mamá?” Garcia adjusted her dark, braided ponytail. “They should be here any—” His mother’s phone rang suddenly, and she picked it up. Eric held his breath for a second, hoping that his father called to see if they were all okay. Another second and his heart sank in disappointment when he heard the next words that came out of her mouth. “Hey, Papá. You just called us right as we parked. The taxi brought you here? Okay. I’ll let the kids know. I love you. Bye.” Eric looked over at his mother as she hung up. “Okay, your grandparents are waiting for us inside,” she called out as she pocketed her phone. “Great!” said Garcia, more than relieved. The family all got out of their rented SUV and grabbed their bags from the trunk and went inside. It was a good thing they all dressed for the weather. Shorts and t-shirts (or a tank top in the case of Garcia) for all of them, with Garcia and his mother’s clothes being somewhat plain while Alfonso’s was one of those game-inspired shirts. Eric himself wore a pair of brown sandals. The wooden walls inside surrounding him and the black-and-white striped tiles on the floor gave away a gorgeous environment, combining the luxuries of hotels like the ones in New York City and the southeastern Asian cultures. It didn’t take long for them to find his grandparents in the lobby, as they sat on two of the chairs that surrounded a tall, thin plant, with two suitcases sitting by them. Especially his grandfather Arturo since he wore a colorful Hawaiian t-shirt to go with his khaki cargo shorts. Eric’s grandmother, Carol, sat next to him. Her graying, wavy hair reached down to the top of her neck, not even touching the wooly collar of her sweater. Eric was sure she had lighter clothes in her suitcase. After all, she was considerate of herself and others. “Felicia! It’s so great to see you!” His grandmother stood up and gave his mother a hearty hug. His mother smiled. “Good to see you too, Mamá.” His grandmother hugged his brother with her thin arms, who looked like he would rather be somewhere else right now. His grandfather let out a toothy smile with his puffy lips and gently patted Eric on the shoulder. “Hey hey, Eric! How was the trip? Found any cute guys on the way?” Eric shook his head. “No, I didn’t hook up with a complete stranger.” “So how are you holding up? You seemed pretty nervous back on the plane.” Eric looked away from his grandfather. “I don’t know,” he stuttered. “I, uh… I guess it has to do with MIT.” “And what is it you wanted to study there?” his grandfather asked. “Um, I wasn’t so sure what to pick at first, but my Physics teacher helped me out,” he answered. “And what did he do?” “He said that if calculus was the language of God, then quantum mechanics was His canvas. Pretty sure he quoted that.” Eric fell silent for a moment. “I mean, sure, I’m a bit skeptical at first, but I guess it was enough for me to pick classes into quantum mechanics and stuff.” His grandfather smiled. “That’s good, Eric. I know you had a rough time recently, but you did well. You’re going to MIT, one of the best universities out there. I’m sure you’re gonna do something incredible and amazing. I’m proud of you for that.” Eric exhaled and looked back at his grandfather. “Yeah. Thanks for the talk.” Satisfied with how it turned out, his grandfather turned his attention to his mother. “Have you checked us in?” After consulting with the receptionist, they got their cards for their rooms. They settled for three rooms on the sixth floor. One was for his grandparents, one for his mother and sister, and the other for himself and his brother. Eric and Alfonso entered their room and turned on the light inside. It was a large room with two king-sized beds, a TV in front, and a bathroom by the exit. A large window at one end showed the entire city. Alfonso landed on the bed farthest away from the window after dropping his bag. He let out a relieved sigh. “Dios mío, this is so comfy!” Eric dropped his suitcase on an empty bed and opened it. He grabbed a toothbrush and a half-filled tube of toothpaste after going through his clothes, placing them in the sink in the bathroom. When he got out, his brother had already stuck his nose in his 3DS. “Hey, want something from the lobby?” Eric asked. “Nah, I’m good. I ate on the plane. Wait…” Alfonso curled his lips. “I want a candy bar. Got your card?” Eric nodded. “Should work here.” Before he stepped out, Alfonso spoke again. “Hey, so you’re looking into quantum mechanics and stuff, right?” He stopped and turned. “Yeah. Why?” Alfonso shrugged. “I dunno. I just find it funny that A Link Between Worlds deals with parallel worlds. You’re gonna deal with something similar in your class. The many-worlds theory or something.” Eric cocked his eyebrows. Quantum mechanics, as far as he knew, covered a bunch of topics like transport processes, string theory, dynamics and waves, physical chemistry, nanomechanics, and biomaterials. “That’s not the only game to use parallel universes as a plot point. It’s not even the only Zelda game to have done that. Bioshock Infinite has done it, too. Some of it was based on actual theories.” Eric wasn’t into video games as much as his brother, but he was in a mood for conversation. “I know that,” Alfonso replied. “Hey, remember when Final Fantasy X was remastered. Kinda weird you have to look for single-letter dictionaries.” “So you don’t mind finding anything useful? At all?” Eric asked. “One of the most advanced technologies we ever found from ancient civilization was a battery jar.” Alfonso paused his game and gave Eric a dirty look. “You’re such a downer, you know that? If they found some abstract cave art and shadow theaters last year, think they can find more?” “Anything’s possible,” Eric answered. “I’ll ask the others and see if they want anything. See you later.” “See ya,” Alfonso replied just as Eric left and shut the door behind him.
The next two days were spent touring the city, seeing many monuments, and trying out Thailand’s delicacies. It was clear everyone enjoyed it except for Alfonso and the dancing shrimps one time. It didn’t work out much for Eric as his thoughts drifted on about the relics he saw at a museum. He was looking forward to visiting Angkor Wat. On Wednesday morning, they went off to the temple. For most of the four-hour trip, there was nothing but wetlands, even after passing through customs at the border to Cambodia with little difficulty. They arrived at the temple, parking at a café nearby. Even from here, the massive, ornate temple was magnificent. The structure had outlasted the empire that built it and countless wars. Some believed Angkor Wat should be called the Eighth Wonder of the World. Eric would agree. As they got out of the car, his grandmother basked in the fresh yet humid air. “Y’know, I’m half-expecting Al to make a joke about those head-shooting monsters,” Garcia remarked. “I was about to. Don’t forget about the death traps and stuff,” Alfonso quipped, kicking the dirt around his feet like he was a bored child. Eric’s mother turned to his grandmother. “Did it help, Mamá? I know the city has been rough on you.” Eric’s grandmother was a chain smoker when she was around his age, which caused many health problems. The worst of which was lung cancer that, thankfully, her doctor took care of at an early stage. “Very much, Felicia. Thank you for asking.” His grandmother smiled. His grandfather stepped forward and gently gave her a hug from behind. “We’ll make it work. Right?” She nodded. “How about we all take a picture together? How does that sound?” his grandfather asked. “That would be very nice,” his grandmother answered. As they parted, he pulled his digital camera out of his fanny pack. “We’ll take one of those selfies in front of the temple,” he said as he gestured to the others. “Well, by the bridge, to be exact.” Alfonso rolled his eyes as they stood in front of the bridge. “Y’know, Abuelo, we do that with smartphones.” “And you know I can’t figure these things out for the life of me. Call me old fashioned. Besides…” With a smirk, his grandfather flipped the camera’s screen out. “This camera takes high-quality pictures, so it’s not cheap.” “He has a point there, y’know,” Garcia remarked. “Yeah. Sure.” Alfonso shrugged dismissively. As they all gathered and, as Eric took a deep breath to calm his nerves, squeezed together in one spot, his grandfather reached out, the camera facing them. “Okay, is everybody smiling?” he asked before he turned and frowned at Alfonso. Everybody else turned their eyes on his older brother. Eric, his face scrunched in annoyance, also turned behind him, whose hand had suddenly dropped. “What?” Alfonso asked, defensive. “What’d I do?” He’s at it again with the bunny ears. “Please stop it.” “Stop what?” “Alfonso, look, we all saw it,” his mother replied. “Would you please don’t do that? This is important.” Alfonso pouted, now caught in that little scheme of his. “Fine.” They all turned back to the camera. Right as they were to pose and say “cheese” or some other equivalent, his grandfather curled his lips. Eric looked over him to find a red battery icon flashing at the upper-right corner of the screen. His grandfather sighed as he began to dig into his fanny pack. “Guess I forgot to change the batteries.” “I got it,” Eric interjected when he pulled out his smartphone and looked at his grandfather smugly. Once again, the young people reign supreme. “You were saying?” His grandfather chuckled and shook his head in shame. “Okay, I guess you win this one.” Satisfied, Eric raised his phone, the screen facing toward him and his family. “So, uh… what’s a good word, then?” “Familia,” Garcia suggested. “Family.” “Sounds nice, Garcia,” his mother replied. “We should go with that.” Eric took a deep breath before looking back at his smartphone, the screen facing toward them. He smiled when everybody else did. “Alright everybody, say ‘Familia!’” “Familia!” everybody said in unison right as Eric took the picture. He parted from the others and looked at the photo. The lighting was good, the angle was also good, and everybody was in the frame with a smile on each of their faces. He returned to the others and showed the picture to each of them. “You know, you should take up photography sometime,” said Garcia. “Nah, I don’t think so. I was lucky with that shot, anyway,” Eric replied. “Got it saved?” “Yeah, on the SD card.” Eric sighed as his smile faded. “What’s wrong?” Garcia asked. “I wish Papá came with us instead of working.” She nodded sullenly. “Yeah, I know. After, well…” Eric looked at her. “Look, I don’t want to talk about it. Let’s just go to the temple, okay?” “Okay.” Eric and his sister caught up with the rest of their family as they crossed the bridge to the temple. They entered inside, and Eric noticed how much more imposing it was up close. Many tourists climbed the stairs up to the smaller towers, his siblings among them. On the walls of the passageway, its white paint had faded from centuries’ worth of wear and tear, decorated with carvings that detailed large-scale battles like the Battle of Lanka, according to the information on his smartphone, and aspects of Hindu mythology. Eric was so entrenched by the level of detail and the stories of people and powerful deities long past unraveling before him that he lost track of time. Somehow, he found himself in a small, circular room. It was empty save for a plain pedestal mounted in the middle. The pedestal seemed to reach up to his chest and on top of it was a transparent orb. When Eric thought it shone on its own, he looked up and found the ceiling had openings in it. Some of them were man-made while others resulted from erosion. Rays of sunlight pierced through and illuminated the otherwise dark room that reflected off the orb’s surface. “Huh. Kinda cool,” he commented. The placement was convenient. At first, he couldn’t help but compare this place to an item room in a Zelda or a Mega Man game. He sighed and lowered his head. Why did he make that comparison to what seemed like a priceless artifact made long ago? He looked around and noticed markings on the floor. They were faint, arranged in concentric order, and paralleled perfectly with each opening carved in the ceiling. He guessed the room might have been an observatory that tracked lunar cycles. He tried to leave but stopped and turned. Something bothered him about that orb. Were the glassblowers able to make something that perfectly round? How did a piece of something as fragile as glass survive all these years inside, through several wars and a revolution? Could it have been replaced many times over the years? Judging by the fresh smell of sandstone, this room could have been built recently. Not only that but the markings had numbers, as if they were equations that would be far too advanced for a time long ago. He pulled out his phone, took pictures of the markings and the orb, and sent it to his sister. Knowing her, she spent her time studying Thailand and Cambodia. He waited for his phone to send the message only to find it didn’t have a signal. He grunted in frustration and pocketed his phone. With nothing else to do, he walked closer, hoping to see what these equations were. Maybe he would find something that would elaborate on the orb’s history, like an inscription the authorities could have put up. Up close, the orb grew brighter, taking on a blue hue as if it reflected off the skyline. He looked back at it again, and he wanted to touch its cold and smooth surface, but he thought better of it. No use in disrespecting whatever tradition it was a part of, he thought as he turned away. I better find Garcia and the others.A hum vibrated in his teeth, but he didn’t look back. He circled the room’s perimeter before realizing there wasn’t an exit. Somehow, he ended up here without a visible entry point of any time. A wave of panic struck him as he pounded on the wall. It was useless, but he didn’t know what else to go on. He fell off his feet and crawled to the wall behind him. The entire room lit up so bright there wasn’t even a trace of a shadow on the wall he faced. The small symbols in the stone seemed to glow on their own, but the illumination came from the orb. If he looked at it now, he could go blind or worse. The hums and the vibrations reached fever pitch, and he couldn’t hear anything, not even his screams. He closed his eyes despite facing away from the source. He collapsed in pain as a jolt of electricity coursed through his body. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a black void. For a moment, he thought he died, thinking his soul would move onto the afterlife. And for a moment, he expected something like a light at the end of a dark tunnel. But he still had his body and his clothes. He was floating and he could hear his heart beating, though harder and faster than normal. Without warning, a wave of nausea hit him, followed by a headache so agonizing and so head-splitting that he wished someone would cut his head off. An unseen force then yanked out of that void like a fish being pulled out of its pond. All the while, Eric screamed at the top of his lungs. “Hoooooollllllllllyyyy shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittt!” he exclaimed, his voice trailing along as he went higher and higher. Somehow, he flew past Angkor Wat until the ancient temple became a small dot on the globe. “This isn’t real! It can’t be real! It’s impossible!” He flew out of the Earth’s atmosphere, his body swinging forward, round and round. He stopped, and he found himself in outer space. How did he not suffocate from the lack of oxygen here, let alone freeze and boil at the same time? None of this made any sense. “What the fu—?” Just when he least expected it, he was yanked yet again and whisked around the Earth. And yet again, he screamed at the top of his lungs. Within seconds, time and space turned and bent around him, forming into a circular tunnel full of blinking lights and changing colors. With his body straightening out, he could only let out a whimpering cry. The last thing he saw was a body of water going closer and closer before a flash of white hit him. When he came to, he felt something pressing against his chest, then something on his mouth in a pattern and air flew into his chest. He gasped hard and his eyes fluttered open as he looked at the bright, cloudy sky. With some difficulty from the pain in his chest, he turned his head to someone looking over him. His vision cleared up even more and the figure was a woman, seemingly in her twenties or so. “Hey, what’s your name? Can you remember your name?” the woman asked. “Eric,” he croaked. “Eric Grimes.” “Okay, Eric.” She let out a relieved sigh. “Help’s on the way. Stay still and you’ll be fine.” Eric would be more than happy to follow that advice. In fact, he really should rest up. He was starting to feel light-headed, anyway. His eyes rolled back as his body began to relax. “Hey! Stay with me!” he heard the woman before losing consciousness again.
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Post by Nord Ronnoc on Dec 5, 2016 9:28:12 GMT 1
Chapter Two: Awakening Eric gasped and launched himself up, his eyes shot wide open. He was laying on a comfortable bed with a breathing mask on his face, the tube attached to something nearby. The clean, white-washed ceiling and walls around him told him he was in a hospital, albeit a fancy one somewhere in Cambodia or Thailand. He must have done something stupid to end up here, and he would receive a scolding from his mother, his grandparents, and even a harsher one from his father. He wasn’t looking forward to it. But he couldn’t help but wonder how his parents would be able to afford such a place. Everything was blurry, and he could make out what was on him. A tube was connected to his wrist, and there were a whole bunch of patches on his chest. Another thing he looked at was the cardiac monitor, beeping steadily as it portrayed all his vital readings, and more, some entirely unknown to him. His vision cleared out and at first, he saw two figures in white garbs pushing the bed down a corridor, only to stop and look at him in surprise. The one to his left was indigo and the one at his right was some strange mix of gray and brown. These two people do not look human at all. The indigo woman looked human enough, except for the oddly shaped cranial structure in the form of tentacles instead of hair. The other, not so much. He looked too alien, having a thin and narrow face with large, black eyes, two cranial horns on top of his head, and a chest that curved inwards. The monitor beeped rapidly, and the world began to spin around him. His breathing became rapid and shallow, and his heart banged wildly against his chest. He couldn’t lie down and think any longer. If there was anything different, he needed to hear it now, from anybody who would answer him. “I… I...” he uttered out. “What is…?” The woman shushed him like how a mother would do to her child. “You’re in shock. It’s just a natural reaction to almost drowning,” she told him, a deeply concerned look appearing on her face. “Get off me!” he shouted. He swatted the indigo woman’s hand off his arm. “Don’t touch me! Please!” He began removing his mask and ripping the medical patches off his chest as he attempted to crawl away. The cardiac monitor was beeping urgently now and flashing warnings and the strange beings called out to him, but he didn’t care. Suddenly, the remaining patches injected him with something, and he started to feel light-headed. He only had enough time to glance at the monitor to see a “ Patient containment!” notification on it before he passed out for the third time. Eric found himself floating in darkness, disembodied and formless. He couldn’t move like something was forcing him not to. There was a sharp ring to his ear, and a chill ran up his spine. At first, it was wetlands. He flew across the wetlands, speeding up in seconds.
The wetlands turned into a tropical forest, and Eric saw Angkor Wat. Instead of being smashed into the tower, he phased through the wall. Everything spiraled out of control. Sculptures deformed, and wall carvings became nothing but gibberish.
He couldn’t help but find it all… off, impossible to be real, but the lizard part of his brain told him: Just go along for the ride!
A wave of fear crept over him as he saw a small, transparent sphere resting on a plain pillar at the center of a small, circular room. Much to his amazement, everything was intact.
He saw his siblings. His brother was entranced by the sphere, his hand hovering over it, wondering if he should touch it or not. His sister was studying the strange inscriptions on the floor and wall. Eric struggled to reach out and call out to them, but he couldn’t speak. Alfonso’s eyes widened in surprise as he made a run for the exit. Right as he squeezed through, the door had sealed off its own accord, crushing every bone in his body. There was a sickening snap, like breaking celery in two. There wasn’t a trace of blood staining on the walls.
Alfonso’s death was quick and painless, though that didn’t help at all. His brother died in front of his sister, and all she could do was sob incoherently. She composed herself and climbed on the walls to escape. The pitch became so loud Eric couldn’t hear anything while everything became blindingly bright.
Eric screamed, but no sound came out of his mouth.
His eyes shot wide open, blinking several times to clear his vision. He found himself back on the bed. The first thing he saw was the whitewashed ceiling, telling him he was still in a hospital. The next thing he saw was a breathing mask over his mouth. His old clothes were gone, replaced with gray, featureless scrubs. It’s a dream, he told himself. It has to be a dream.He removed the mask to think straight. He turned around and he couldn’t believe what he saw with wide eyes and a slack jaw. An indigo woman sat on a chair nearby, her bored eyes fixed on an orange light enveloping her left forearm. One thought played on repeat in his mind as he grasped his head: This is not Mass Effect. This is just a doctor or maybe a nurse cosplaying as an asari with perfect makeup effects. He let go of his head and looked through a window to his right. Outside, a river had filled a large lake, the blue water gleaming in the sunlight. On one side of a lake, there were a bunch of tall, white buildings, all connected and arranged with simple yet elegant efficiency. They were far too expensive for any country to maintain. Eric gasped as he glanced at the sidewalk below. Many people were not human. Some had a lanky body structure with disproportionately huge eyes. Others were female but in various shades of blue and purple with similarly shaped cranial structures. He even noticed a pink jellyfish-like creature floating on the ground, or however its method of perambulation would be called. As he tried to process all of this, a flying car passed by quickly in proud defiance of most engineers and physicists. Upon noticing that he was awake, the asari deactivated the light and assumed a professionally concerned expression. “Glad to see you’re awake,” she said. “We were a bit worried about you after yesterday's incident. How are you feeling?” “I don’t know,” he answered after taking a deep breath. “Who saved me?” “Natalie Clay. She brought you here yesterday.” He relaxed his shoulders. This was his first conversation here, but he didn’t have to do any more talking. He could just make a run for it and find a way back home. However, he can’t do this from a hospital bed. He had to know as much as possible if it would help him get back home. “So… where am I? What’s the date?” The asari gave him a strange look. “You’re at the Presidium Hospital on the Citadel. According to your species’ calendar, today’s June 20 th, 2182.” This confirmed it. Nuclear war didn’t happen; nothing would be this clean otherwise. Meteorites hadn’t stuck humanity down like dinosaurs. Global warming didn’t drown everyone, and Skynet doesn’t exist… yet. He really was in the Mass Effect universe, not on Earth but on the Citadel, the space station that served as a capital for the Council’s member species. He couldn’t imagine how his family would react to him disappearing suddenly. He remembered one time when Alfonso was late home from school for several hours, his phone turned off. It wasn’t easy for his brother, being the middle child of the family. A loved one missing was often harder for the family than death. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder what made that sphere bring him here. Was it a wormhole that sent him here? “Are you okay?” “I'm fine now. Thank you.” He hated that he had to lie, but it seemed convincing enough to her. The asari nurse nodded. The metal door at the end of the room opened, and a woman in a blue-and-black uniform entered, her hair tied in a short, dark-brown ponytail. She had dark-colored eyes and bronze skin, a rounded jaw, and a sharply defined nose. “Hi, Natalie. I take it you’re here to see the patient?” the asari asked. “Yeah,” the woman answered. “Dr. Oron gave me clearance. Mind if you leave us alone for a minute?” “Of course.” The nurse sat up and left, the door closing automatically behind her. Eric tensed at having to talk to someone from a fictional universe. However, she saved his life, no matter how awkward he felt about it. He had to wonder: did she exist in the games or was she a member of the faceless masses that Shepard ignored? Eric looked down at his bed, finding it difficult to maintain eye contact. “You’re Natalie Clay, right? You’re the one who rescued me?” The woman nodded. “How did you find me?” “You were drowning in the lake. My husband and I happened to pass by before we saw you,” Natalie answered. “Thank you for saving my life.” “I’m just doing my job as a C-Sec officer,” Natalie answered and sat down on a chair next to his bed. He noticed she was carrying a small, gray crate. “Let’s get this moving forward. I got your stuff from HQ.” The box made a quiet hissing sound when she opened it. Inside was his phone and wallet, along with a stack of plastic cards next to the phone. Without thinking, he quickly grabbed his phone and pressed the power button on the side. It didn’t turn on. He sighed and gently put his phone back in the crate. One of his few connections to his old life was gone. He could not get the pictures he took. The sphere, his family… He couldn’t do that without extracting the SD card out and finding something compatible with this universe’s technology. Natalie noticed this, her eyes dropping before she regained her professional composure. “I take it that’s yours?” She handed Eric a card from the stack. Eric looked at it and recognized it as his Massachusetts state ID card. It had everything he expected to be on it, including his signature, his ID number, his birth date (June 6 th, 1997), and a picture of him taken shortly before graduation. “Yeah, that’s me. But I’m not—” “The analysts back at HQ weren’t sure what to make of you,” Natalie stated. “Anyone not human wouldn't recognize what these things are and—” She swallowed as she stopped herself, having trouble finding the words. “Can you tell me how you got here to the Presidium?” she asked, seeking a different approach. “It might clear things up.” Eric looked down at his bed again and pinched his brow. “I-I don’t know. If I tell you the truth, you’ll probably think I’m crazy!” Natalie leaned in and let out a gentle smile, something his mother would do to cheer him up. “Eric, I don’t think you’re insane. Hell, you appeared out of the lake.” None of this made sense to him. He wasn’t sure how to put it in a way she could understand. He had to leave the part about Mass Effect being a game series back at home. No one would believe their entire existence and surroundings came from the imaginations of hundreds of developers, writers, and artists. The best way to put it was to think about the many-worlds theorem his brother mentioned. He had to accept that there were too many variables involved in his predicament. “I…” he answered after long deliberation. “I came from a different time, maybe even a different universe.” Natalie let out a small chuckle. “Okay. Wow, that was weird. So how exactly did you get here?” Eric shrugged. “I was on vacation with my mom, my brother and sister, and my grandparents. We spent a few days in Bangkok in Thailand, and we crossed borders to Angkor Wat. And then I was in a small room with this weird orb thing. I couldn't get out. It got so bright I had to cover my eyes. The next thing I knew, it brought me here. That’s all I can remember.” He hoped the temple existed in this universe though it might have been destroyed in a war or demolished some time ago. Still, he had to hope for the best. He continued. “I think that orb generated a wormhole. Know what they are?” Natalie nodded. “It’s like a tunnel with two ends, a shortcut in space-time. It requires exotic material with negative density, much like a mass relay using element zero to transport ships from one point to another in almost an instant.” “That’s… wow, that’s amazing,” Eric chuckled, playing along. “But that orb you described… was it reflective by any chance?” “Eh, transparent, more like. Why’d you ask?” “If it is, it might be Prothean. But a device that transports people through time and space and multiple universes? Sounds pretty far-fetched.” “Uh, the what now?” He knew what the Protheans were, but he figured he’ll continue playing along. Natalie raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Oh, right! I’ve gotten ahead of myself here.” She chuckled a little. “The Protheans are an ancient race 50,000 years ago that created the mass relays, spanning the entire galaxy. Then one day, they all disappeared, leaving behind relics of their civilization. We have no idea how or why they disappeared; all we know that they just did.” Eric stayed quiet. He knew the Reapers were responsible for the eradication of the Protheans. They were created by the Catalyst, an artificial intelligence built by the Leviathans in a horrifically failed attempt to address the conflicts between organic and synthetic beings. They were the ones who built the mass relays and the Citadel to purge galactic civilization over and over. “I’m not sure how the others would take your story, but for what it's worth, I believe you.” Natalie sat up with the now-closed box and approached the door. It opened of its own accord as a green light disappeared. “So what’s gonna happen next?” Eric asked with slight disbelief. “I’ll file a report about your case,” Natalie answered. “After that, well… you just have to hope for the best. Don’t worry, you won’t be locked up in a mental institute. Your complete lack of background documents is a problem, but not an impossible one. There are hundreds of colony and spacer kids, even duct rats that were never registered at birth. If you can apply, yours wouldn’t be any different. Maybe you can make a good reputation.” Eric looked up at the C-Sec woman with genuine confusion. “What’s a duct rat?” It had been a while since he had played any of the games. “Duct rat,” she repeated. “They’re kids that wound up on the streets. They go into vents and try to find whatever means to live. Most of ‘em die horribly. A few of them were never found.” She stopped herself, horrified. “I’ll spare you the details.” “I can imagine how bad it sounds,” Eric replied. He wanted to change the subject. It was evident from Natalie’s expression on her face and her tone of voice she did not want to dwell on it. His frown turned upside down to a smile, his expression hopeful. “Anyway, thanks for listening to me.” “No problem, but don’t hold your breath,” Natalie replied. “It’s a complicated process, and the bureaucracy seems to be getting worse with each year. I have to go back to HQ to file a progress report. Wish you luck.” “Bye.” With that, Natalie left the room, leaving Eric alone. All signs of joy faded from his face as he brought his knees up to his face. He wanted to go home; he wanted to cry. His eyes welled up with tears. Deep down, he knew it wouldn’t be easy, let alone possible. For the first time in his life, he was alone. Instead of school and family, he would get war, death, and destruction. The in-game events took on a terrifying new meaning for him. He would be capable of dying like everyone else when the Reapers would come four years from now to begin their harvest. Eric snuffed and rubbed his eyes. Slowly and unwillingly, he got off the bed and put on a pair of hospital-issued slippers nearby. His stomach soon growled as he stood up. By the lighting through the window, it was late in the morning. The door opened, and the same nurse from before entered the room, carrying a tray of waffles and some scrambled eggs. By the plate was a cup of orange juice. His stomach growled again as the asari placed the food on the counter. Snatching the tray, he sat on the bad and ravenously ate through the meal. He savored the moment. He had never tasted something so good in his life. Perhaps this was on the upside of living in this universe. “You’re hungry, I can tell,” the nurse remarked, almost chuckling as Eric finished the meal. “I stopped by the cafeteria and got you something to eat while Natalie was around.” Eric thanked her and wiped his mouth with the napkin. He considered himself to have good table manners. “So what’s your name?” “Oh,” the asari smiled. “I’m Alynea Tani. And you’re Eric Grimes?” “Yeah. Did Natalie tell you?” “We’re friends, actually. Is there something else I could do for you?” Eric had to think about what to do next. The hospital could have a broad range of services available, but knowledge was crucial if he had to form up a plan. He resisted asking Alynea to mind-meld with him to exchange information. She wouldn't take the revelation she was part of a fictional universe well. That and asking a stranger for consent wouldn't go so well. “Is there somewhere I can go online?” “Yeah. We have an Extranet cafe here,” Alynea answered. “So… like a beefed-up Internet?” Alynea furrowed her brow. “Something like that,” she answered hesitantly. Eric’s hope went up and he jolted from his bed. Maybe he could find a way to earn a living here or a way to get back to Earth. “Great! Can you take me there?” “Sure. It’s down the hallway.” The asari nurse approached the door as it opened, prompting them to leave the room. Walking down the hallway, Eric found the place humming with activity, occupied by dozens of species, including humans. To his right, as he and Alynea took a left from his room, a window that covered the entire wall showed the other side of the lake. One doctor, whom he recognized, was the same amphibian-like creature from yesterday as a salarian. He was looking at some diagnostic tests on a holographic screen floating nearby before turning his attention away from his two colleagues to Eric. “Hello, Eric Grimes,” the salarian doctor spoke, though almost speaking at a quick pace. “Dr. Nasurn Glato Aegohr Nao Lalis Oron. But you can call me Dr. Oron for short.” “Wh-what?” Eric forgot how complex the salarian names could be. Not only were they smart, but they also loved to be thorough. He wished Alfonso was around to help him. The doctor caught himself almost laughing and coughed, regaining his professional composure. “Ah. Allow me to explain. Our names include—in order—our homeworld, nation, city, district, clan, and then our given name at birth.” Eric blinked, shaking off the confusion. “Right, duh. Sorry.” He had to hold off his chuckle as he scratched the back of his head. “But I have to ask you something: are you okay?” The concerned tone and the expression on the salarian’s face were sincere. Eric nodded again. “Uh, look, I’m sorry for my outburst yesterday.” “Don’t be. It’s just a reaction to almost drowning,” the salarian replied. “Amazing how adaptive the human race can be…” “Uh… look, I gotta get going.” Eric pointed behind him. “Your asari friend is bringing me to an Extranet café. I don’t want to keep her waiting.” The salarian nodded. “Yes, of course. Of course.” He turned to meet his colleagues once more. With that over, Eric had caught up with Alynea and continued onto the cafe. He couldn’t help but feel shocked yet fascinated at the same time. His brief conversation with Dr. Oron, a salarian, and witnessing some of the technologies here gave him a different perspective on the games. He knew the game wouldn't be able to show everything because of technological limitations but playing them was nothing compared to experiencing them in the flesh. However, something bothered him since talking to Alynea and Dr. Oron. “Can I ask you something?” “Yeah?” Alynea replied. “How come I understand you and Dr. Oron?” Eric asked. She laughed. “Besides medicine, Dr. Oron and I have been trained in speaking several human languages. Many of our patients and several of our staff here are human but some people stick with digital translators.” “Digital translators? What’d you mean by that?” “They go into things like jewelry, earpieces, PDAs, and even neural implants. To be honest, I’m surprised you asked that, of all things.” “Sorry. I guess I’m out of the loop here.” They arrived at a medium-sized, white room filled with a dozen rows of desks. On top of them were the orange screens like the one on Alynea’s forearm earlier. Like the rest of the hospital, it smelled clean, and the walls were spotless and pristine. One of the few occupants here had scaly, silver skin, two-toed feet, and a pair of mandibles over his plated mouth. Eric recognized the occupant as a turian. “Here’s the extranet cafe,” said Alynea. “If you need anything else, don’t be afraid to ask me or any other staff member.” And for that, Eric thanked her. After Alynea had left, he sat down at the nearest unoccupied terminal available. Looking at it, he drew a blank. How would he be able to use this thing? His hands hovered over the keyboard and pressed a key. He expected not to perceive anything when he placed his fingers on the holographic keys, but it felt like a real keyboard. He looked at the screen and found a prompt popping up on the desktop, asking for what language did the user, meaning him, speak in. Naturally, he picked ‘English’ after scrolling through a long list of other languages, both human and alien. With that done, he tapped on the screen, bringing up an extranet browser and typed in ‘Mass Effect’ on the browser’s search bar. The result was a series of articles on the mass effect field as a scientific phenomenon. He looked through an encyclopedic article of sorts, and to his surprise, it appeared to be entirely self-consistent. Some key variables had to be different, but so far, he hadn’t found any glaring deviations. He shrugged. At least the rules of this universe were consistent. But right now, he had to know his family had ever existed in this universe. With a new goal in mind, he went back to the search page. Eric GrimesMost of the results had an athlete sharing his name. The image section didn’t show any pictures of him, much to his annoyance. In fact, it shouldn’t be possible. There should be some version of him somewhere, however plausible that would be. Garcia GrimesThe results showed many people, but almost all of them had Garcia as their middle name. Grimes was a common surname, and there were trillions of people in the galaxy. But he was getting worried Alfonso GrimesIt was the same result as before, even after putting it in quotes. Arturo Lorenzo
Carol Lorenzo
Felicia Grimes
Tomas GrimesFrustrated, he typed in Grimes family tree. He hoped anything useful would show up. Spotting a site of a database for family trees, he clicked on the link. He typed his grandfather’s name into the keyword box and altered the filters to his liking. Nothing. No records of any sort. Eric was alone, a person out of place who should have never existed here. “No…” Eric covered his mouth. “Oh no no no no. You gotta be kidding me.” Even though none of them would be alive, he hoped he might find his family’s descendants. He didn’t want to be alone. He wanted the closure from visiting their burial sites and validation that he was real and once had a family. But there wasn’t anything to connect him with anyone in this universe. The turian broke away from his terminal, noticing Eric freaking out as he let out a gasp. Rather than words, the words the turian spoke sounded… off, like he had a thick accent that made it impossible for Eric to understand what he was trying to say. Eric sat up and left the room. Finding a spot in the maze of hallways where he could be by himself, he leaned against the gray wall and dropped onto the floor, breaking down into tears. He had no idea what to do now.
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Post by Nord Ronnoc on Dec 11, 2016 16:23:32 GMT 1
Chapter Three: I’ll Carry You Home Tonight Year: 2182 Location: The CitadelIt had been days since Eric arrived at the Citadel and into a new universe. Though to be more precise, a few Earth days. Time worked somewhat differently on the Citadel, using a form of the Decimal Time system. There were 20 hours in a day, a hundred minutes in an hour, and a hundred seconds in a minute. That was before dividing the number of seconds by half. The total amount of Earth seconds was an additional 13,600, which was about four hours. With his current state of mind, it was difficult for Eric to get off the Citadel. The lack of research regarding multiple universes did not help. The most relevant information he could find was this strange Extranet article. It was about a scientist’s theory about how long ago, just after the Big Bang, this universe collided with another. The theory had some merit, but his data analysis wasn’t complete enough to prove it. Ever since coming here, he couldn’t help how this universe’s version of BioWare fared. He typed in ‘Mass Effect Bioware’ on the search bar and hit enter on the omni-tool Natalie gave him. The first result on the page was an article about BioWare. According to the article, it was around for 28 years, from its founding in 1995 to its closing in 2023. He looked at the list of games they made, including their collaborations with Obsidian Entertainment: Shattered Steel, MDK 2, Baldur’s Gate 1 and 2, and Neverwinter Nights 1 and 2. He was thrown off by the discrepancy when he noticed Baldur’s Gate 3: The Black Hound among the list but quickly went along with it. He looked through the list again. In this universe, BioWare extended both of their Dungeons and Dragons franchises and went in a different direction with their properties. Dragon Age was in development at one point, but it ended up costing too much to make. Meanwhile, Jade Empire received a sequel on the Xbox 360, which starred a different protagonist. Obviously, the Mass Effect series was never made. Instead, there was the SFX franchise, built on similar premises to Mass Effect. BioWare had also collaborated with Obsidian on a modern spy RPG called Everything or Nothing. Eric nodded. To him, it made sense in a roundabout way. He hit the back button on the browser and was about to search for something else before a small news headline caught his attention. Local game club celebrates its 15th anniversary with an influx of new members. Its founder, Mark Bren, claimed a connection between the Gears of War series and modern military tactics.Eric chuckled and clicked on the link. He had to see if this was as ridiculous as it sounded. And he was right. According to the article, Mark Bren, a librarian at the Arcturus Library, also claimed the game’s creator had predicted the future and devoted his life to proving the connection. While few believed him, the uncanny similarity between the once-popular series’ gameplay and the way current combat operations play out rekindled interest. Eric gently palmed his face as he laughed in silence. He couldn’t believe someone would make that leap of logic. Alfonso told him, out of spite if he remembered right, a while ago that the Mass Effect series’ gameplay, especially with the latter two games, shared many similarities to Gears of War. However, all that mirth disappeared when Natalie came into the living room with her face that read that she had some bad news for him. “Sorry to say this, but C-Sec’s putting you under surveillance for a while. If they find anything they think was suspicious about you, they’ll use it against you once you apply for your documents.” “What? But why?! All I’m doing is just finding a way back home! Is there anything wrong with that?!” Eric exclaimed. Natalie sighed, standing by him as he sat on the couch in the living room. She barely had time to get out of her C-Sec uniform. “I know it sucks, but you’ll just have to bear with it, okay?” Eric growled. Of course Natalie would say that. She meant well, but that doesn’t mean it was right. The thought of being watched reminded him of Edward Snowden’s NSA leak. He wondered if anyone had really learned from that revelation. But at least she let him stay at her place. It was a studio house, the roof slanting to the left if you go out front. The house was on the Bachjret Ward, one of the Citadel’s five wards. “Bachjret’s a nice place. Peaceful and quiet for the most part,” Natalie told him when she picked him up from the hospital. Natalie pitied him and asked him if he wanted to stay at her place, which he was more than happy to accept. “There are residential areas all over the station, but this ward had the most. Anyway, I’m sure you’ll like Luke. Sweetest guy all ‘round.” Luke was Natalie’s husband. He was part of Special Forces of the 103 rd Division, one of the largest groups in the Alliance. He and Natalie met up in San Francisco while he was on shore leave. They talked, hung out, and fell in love. He served and went on for five years before marrying Natalie last year. After that, he started running a restaurant on the Citadel. From what Eric heard, the food was great. He would love to try it out for himself if he was in a better mood.
Natalie decided it was enough to leave Eric alone. She walked down the hallway, leaving the young man alone. The kitchen was moderately sized, filled with the usual appliances: the fridge, the double-sink across from the refrigerator, the oven next to it, and the stove on top of the oven. The dark counters were smooth and spotless, shiny enough for someone to see their reflection on it. The tiles, the black-and-white checkerboard pattern, looked like someone had been cleaning them 24/7. Luke straightened his well-toned back after cleaning the countertop with a dishrag, the sleeves of his black t-shirt from washing the dishes earlier. How he managed to get his khaki shorts wet as well was beyond her. He looked up, his dark eyes meeting hers. “Hey, sweetie,” he smiled. “How’s work?” Natalie walked around the counter and kissed Luke. “Nothing out of the ordinary, thankfully. You?” Luke sighed, placing his hands on his hips. “Not well. I had to ask a favor from a friend.” “One of your old war buddies?” Natalie asked. “Something like that. He can help me get some credits to pay for our house and the restaurant. He expects something from me in return.” “What does he want?” Luke shrugged. “I pressed the matter, but he said he’ll come up with something.” He noticed she looked away with a concerned expression on her face. “Was it something I did? About the favor?” Natalie’s eyes lit up. “Oh, no! I’m pretty sure your friend won’t ask you to do something illegal. That’s not what I’m worried about now.” Luke turned around to face his wife and rested his right arm on the counter. “Is it about Eric?” “Yeah,” Natalie nodded and turned to see Eric in the living room, still lounging around on the sofa with his omni-tool. “He’s having a rough time. Imagine being separated from your family, your friends, and your parents and there’s no way to reach out to them. They’ll have no idea what happens to you, let alone know where you are.” Luke hugged Natalie from behind, his arms wrapped around her chest. She always loved having that five o’clock shadow of his rubbing on her shoulder. Especially when she can rub her hand through his brown, curly hair like that whenever they had their alone time. “Sounds crazy. But do you know what would help?” he asked, whispering in her left ear. “Lemme guess… a date?” Luke parted from her with a toothy smile. “Yeah, a blind date!” he said excitedly. “But doesn’t he want to get back home?” Natalie asked. Luke scoffed. “Not a chance. I don’t know how he’s gonna pull that off without inventing some new technology. Or pulling off a miracle, maybe.” He snapped his fingers to gather his thoughts together. “Anyway, quick question: who’s he attracted to? A man, woman, or any other variation? Is he into, well…” He shrugged. “Human? Turian? Salarian? Asari?” He chuckled at the last word. Natalie gave Luke the stink-eye. “You’re married to me, you know,” she pointed out. “Yeah, I know,” Luke rubbed the back of his neck. Natalie fell into a thoughtful silence afterward. “I suppose you have a point about him finding a way back home. He told me he went to Angkor Wat before arriving here. Maybe we can arrange a trip ahead of time?” “We’ll see. Money’s tight as it is,” Luke said. “So… who’s he into?” “He told me he’s into men. Human. He’s still not used to aliens.” Luke rolled his eyes at his ignorance. “Right. I know someone who could help.” Natalie smirked as she placed her arm on Luke. “Another friend of yours?” “Yeah.” Luke brought up his omni-tool, followed by a paper-thin screen floating above his wrist, and about as wide. “Emilie Pitt. She’s still in the Alliance as a Service Chief. She has a son around Eric’s age. Give or take.” A voice came out of the screen, the line in the middle suddenly vibrating in response. “Hey, Luke. What’s up?” “Hey, Emilie,” Luke replied. “Listen, can you do something for us?”
At the Zakera Ward on the Citadel, there was an Italian restaurant with al fresco dining. The view was beautiful, showing much of the buildings below. The aroma wafted about in the air and the soft lighting hanging around the foundations of the patio made the place more appealing. Luke and Natalie said it was a nice place for a date. While most of the restaurant’s customers were human, as it was human-owned, there were asari on occasion and rarely turian, due to a lack of dextro-amino foods. Eric sat at a table on the balcony. Not only was he waiting for his date, whoever he would be, he was also waiting for his order. He was in some good clothes: a pink collared shirt, black pants, and a pair of fancy shoes. He frowned, more than a little impatient. He’s late. To pass the time, he took upon himself to browse the Extranet on his omni-tool. Reading online articles, watching funny videos, the works. “Hey hey, look who has hit the jackpot!” a man called out. Eric turned his attention away from his omni-tool’s screen, surprised. There was a stocky, fair-skinned man, standing about half a foot taller than him. His cropped auburn hair went along nicely with his square face and blue eyes. Wearing a pair of white shoes and dark space-age cargo pants, he swaggered in like no one’s business. If he didn’t know any better, Eric might have encountered the man of his dreams. “So am I late or am I late?” The young man sat down at the small square table across Eric. “More like showing off,” Eric shot back. He turned off his omni-tool and rested his elbows on the table. “What took you so long?” “Bad traffic. Sorry,” his date answered with his hands in front of him. He looked at the datapad containing the menu and tapped on it before turning his gaze to Eric. “Oh! I’m rushing a bit ahead of myself. My name’s Garrett Pitt. You Eric Grimes? Mom mentioned you after her friends called her.” Eric nodded. “Yeah. It took a bit to convince me, but all in all, I’m just glad Luke and Nat set this up. They’re paying for dinner and stuff if you’re wondering.” “Awesome,” Garrett grinned. “First time dating?” “Uh… no, actually. This is my second or third time.” Garrett placed the pad down on the table. “Okay, that’s good to hear.” He nodded along with raised eyebrows. “That’ll make things easier.” “Yeah, I’ll bet,” Eric smiled, his cheeks blushing red. “At least I get to talk to someone else.” “Don’t mention it,” Garrett replied. “Looks like you’ve never been around other people.” Eric nodded. That was part of it. He wasn’t the outgoing type unless he was around his family. He didn’t have a whole lot of friends, to be honest. Another part was that despite the progress his world had made, there were always some people who didn’t like whatever change was brought upon them. So far, it seemed like humanity and the other species in this universe don’t mind. He lived in Boston in his universe up to that point in his life, so perhaps he should consider himself lucky. “By the way, are you from Boston? There was a bit of an accent. A…” Garrett tilted his right hand. “…twang in your voice. Know what I mean?” “Yeah, I get what you mean. I was born and raised there.” “Oh, cool. Longways away, if you ask me. So, what brings you to the Citadel?” Eric hesitated, almost stuttering in his words as he bit his lips to shut himself up and lowered his head. He knew something like this would happen. Outside of Luke, Natalie, and maybe a couple other people at C-Sec, no one else knew where he came from. He didn’t want to lie, make something up for everyone’s convenience. Should he? “I, uh, wanted to get out of Boston,” Eric answered, not looking at Garrett. His guts twisted in knots. “I was a street kid, you know. I never knew my parents. Even though I went to school, it was pretty rough there. So I went to the Citadel to start up a new life and set my own course. I used up all my funds, so I’m stuck here. I’m volunteering at the Presidium Hospital now until I can… I uh, can…” He was beginning to lose his train of thought, but he hoped it was enough. “Put yourself back on track?” Garrett guessed. “Yeah!” Eric nodded his head fanatically, widening his eyes. “Something like that.” Garrett gritted his teeth together. “Ouch, that’s rough. I’m so sorry to hear that.” “Not your fault, but… thanks,” Eric insisted. “Okay, my turn.” He took a deep breath. “Where’re you from?” “Benning, in the Euler System. It’s a garden world with its own automated agricultural system and everything. It’s pretty nice, and it’s nothing out of the ordinary, far as I can tell.” “Anything you can tell me about your parents?” Garrett paused for a moment, curling his lips. “My mom’s alright. She served in the Alliance, like my grandfather before her. Hell, my grandpa was there during the First Contact War.” If Eric remembered this right, then the First Contact War occurred in 2157, when the turians attacked a human ship en route to an inactive mass relay. The turians believed at the time what that ship would do was reckless, violating Citadel regulations after the rachni was unleashed over millennia ago. The war lasted for three months, after an orbital strike on a human colony and the turian occupation of said colony. It ended when the Council stepped in to negotiate a peace treaty before it could escalate into a full-out war. “Okay, um…” Eric blinked, thinking up what to say. “That’s great. At this point, it seems like everyone’s grandparents were there. Humans and turians, I mean.” “For a three-month war?” Garrett chuckled. “Yeah, probably. And don’t forget our parents. We’ll have to suffer for their sins.” He bobbed his body left and right at the thought. Eric laughed heartily. “What about your dad, then? Well, if you had a dad, that is.” His date exhaled as all mirth disappeared from his face. “Look, about my dad… I never knew him, alright? He died in an eezo accident when I was three.” Eric nodded. He rubbed the temples of his head as a headache began to settle in. Anxiety was creeping up at the back of his head, and he couldn’t take it any longer. “Listen, mind if I take a walk inside? The atmosphere’s a bit thin here.” Before Garrett could say a single word, Eric sat up and paced around. Garrett also sat up. “You sure it’s the atmosphere?” he asked, somewhat suspicious. “It’s breathable up to seven meters, and we’re not even halfway up.” He approached Eric from behind. “So what’s eating you?” Eric looked over his shoulder to Garrett. “Nothing. It’s—” He rubbed his brow as he turned to Garrett. “You’re anxious.” Garrett placed his hand on his hip. “I can tell just by looking at you. Is it because of our date?” “Wait, what?” Eric was at first flabbergasted, but the more the thought about it, the more it made sense. “Oh. Oh!” He nodded wearily. “I get what you mean. I’m not sure if we could make this work.” Garrett curled his lips and rolled his eyes incredulously. “It’s called a blind date for a reason. It’s awkward. Really, really awkward. Besides…” He gently grabbed Eric’s hands and held them up to his chest. “I don’t know how this would turn out, but we’re gonna make this work. You get me? We’re gonna make it work.” Eric looked up at him. “You sure?” ‘Yeah, I’m sure. In fact, I’m absolutely positive!” Eric nodded. “Okay.” There was a warm feeling inside his chest. For once, he was awestruck not by the technology here, not the aliens, but another person caring for him. “Thank you. I think I needed that.” Garrett let out a small chuckle. “Don’t mention it.” “So, um…” Eric smacked his lips together. “Is this the part where we kiss for the first time, like in the movies?” Eric couldn’t believe he asked that stupid question. He should feel rather embarrassed. Garrett was caught off-guard, though he brushed it off with an awkward laugh. “Well, we’ll just have to wait and see. You never kissed anyone outside of your family before?” “Nah. I get nervous.” Their conversation was interrupted when one of the restaurant’s waiters walked up to the table and placed two plates, two cups full of soda, a small cup of red sauce, and a basket of breadsticks on the table. “Your orders are here.” The waiter had a slight accent. “Let me or anyone of us know if you need anything else.” Both Eric and Garrett thanked the waiter, and he set off. One plate was full of ravioli while the other had a lasagna fritta. And with that, Eric and Garrett sat at their places. As they began eating, they decided to talk about other things. Maybe this would work out just fine.
Several weeks had passed since Eric arrived on the Citadel. It was funny how time would just slip by when falling in love. The red and blue lights washed over the dance floor. Loud techno music, the current trend recently, boomed out of the wall-mounted speakers all over the room. People of many known sentient species danced to the beat as if tomorrow would never come. Eric sat alone at one of the tables in a corner. He wasn’t a fan of loud noises or parties in general. He could drink alcoholic beverages here at the Dark Star Lounge, being 19 years old, but it wouldn’t feel right to him, being raised in America. He also wasn’t in the mood for gambling. He only just had to bear it for a little more… “Excuse me,” a woman called out with an accent. If Eric had to guess, the woman was Scottish. He looked up from his omni-tool to a light-brown-skinned woman with short reddish hair, a square face, and bright green, rounded eyes. Her red-and-white garbs told him she was either a scientist or a doctor of some sort. She carried a glass full of purple juice in her hand. “Yeah?” Eric asked. While the woman’s lips moved, he had difficulty hearing what she said, no thanks to the music. “Sorry, could you repeat that?” “Is it okay if I sit here for a minute?” she asked, a little louder this time. Eric pursed his lips. His first instinct told him to say no, but he remembered Garrett not minding him hanging out with other people if they don’t start kissing. Plus, Eric explicitly recalled Garrett not taking a spot. “Go ahead.” Eric turned off his omni-tool and rested his arms on the table, his attention focused on the woman. A broad smile appeared on the Scot’s face. “Oh, thank you so much!” She sat across from him and relaxed, her drink on the table. “My name’s Dr. Suvi Anwar. What’s yours?” “Eric Grimes. What kind of doctor are you?” “A scientist, actually,” Suvi grinned. “I studied all sorts of things. Astrophysics and molecular biology are my specialties, so I look at things like planetary scans and various soil samples.” Someone let out a loud bellow. Suvi looked around for the cause, only to find Garrett across the room, surrounded by people. With a shit-eating grin and his arms high above his head, he danced around like he owned the place. “Is that…?” “My boyfriend,” Eric finished, not bothering to take a gander himself. He rolled his eyes in a mix of bemusement and annoyance. “He insisted on being here before we go off to the movie theater. Anyway, that’s pretty cool. That kinda makes the universe wonderful, huh?” Suvi sipped her drink. “Indeed. Not just Prothean sites, but all of it. Every day, we find something new and alien, and yet the Milky Way’s a tiny part of the universe. It’s like… it’s a constant reminder that divine intelligence is behind all of creation.” Eric raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Do you believe in a god?” “Yes! I believe in a higher power. I know it’s a little odd in this day and age,” Suvi said. “But I am a scientist because science brings us all closer to something greater than ourselves.” Eric smiled. “I kinda think the same thing, too. It’s a long story.” He shrugged. “Still, it’s not every day I get to meet someone like you.” “Same here! I had to justify myself so often as if my search for truth would invalidate my beliefs.” “Nah. It doesn’t. Not really,” Eric reassured her. “But out of curiosity, when did you start believing in God?” He hoped it wasn’t intrusive of him. “My parents were both scientists,” Suvi answered. “My home was ruled by rationality. So when I grew up…” She paused. “…let’s just say that while other kids listen to batarian music, I found God.” Eric did his best to hold back his laughter, but it began to crack through his now-forming smile. He put his hand over his mouth to hide that fact. “Wait, hold on. Did you say batarian music? I mean… that’s really a thing, right?” Suvi laughed as well. “Oh goodness, yes! It was rare outside the batarian territories. I tried it one time and, well… it was a miracle I didn’t get tinnitus.” Eric leaned back, craning his neck back after laughing for several seconds. In his blissfulness, he thought about what Suvi said. “If calculus was the language of God, then quantum mechanics was His canvas,” he recited. The scientist gasped, her hand on her chest. “Wow, that’s poetic.” Eric shook his head as he leaned forward. “It’s something a friend of mine came up with, really.” Something beeped from Suvi’s omni-tool. “I have to go. My colleagues need me to wrap up a project,” she said after glancing at her omni-tool on her left arm. She stood up. “Maybe we can talk later?” “Got anything we can contact each other on?” “Yes,” said Suvi. “I’ll give you my extranet address.” She flicked a quick command before turning the omni-tool off. “There. It’s great to meet you.” “Yeah. See you later,” Eric replied, waving. And with that, Suvi walked down and left the bar. Garrett passed by soon after with drinks in hand. He eyed the scot before sitting down at the table. “Made a friend?” Garrett asked. Eric smiled warmly. “Guess you can say that.”
Garrett and Eric emerged from a movie theater in the Zakera Ward, the humongous post above showing an athletic man wearing a form-fitting, white-and-yellow costume leaping in a combat stance. In each of his hands were daggers, split in the middle. In the background was an intense fight going on, probably something out of a space-fantasy movie. The two parted from the crowd leaving the theater. There was a smile on Eric’s face. “So how does it feel to be right about the movie?” Garrett asked as they turned left. Garrett would have to admit he was wrong about the film. At their right, past the railing and below, skycars zipped by, past the neon signs and almost monolithic buildings. “Feels good,” Eric answered. “You bet. It’s better than I expected. Not really into that superhero stuff, mind you.” Eric turned around as his hands in his pockets and started walking backward. He was wearing a new set of clothes. A green-collared shirt to go with a pair of black pants and white sneakers. The way Garrett wore that skin-tight T-shirt, which showed off his abs, made it hard to avert his eyes. Some of the passersby would agree, either just as distracted or confused. “Oh, bet you’ll like it. The superhero-y stuff. Fighting evil, saving the world. That sort of thing.” Eric turned back around. They stopped when they were a few meters away from a sickly-green bug-like creature to their left, across from the railing. It stood as tall as a child with an orange flap hanging around its neck like a lifesaver jacket. That thing was a keeper, first discovered by the asari when they arrived on the Citadel. Docile and harmless, this species was believed to be created by the Protheans to watch over the station. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Garrett asked. Eric raised his eyebrows, suspicious. “What?” “I want you…” Garrett said as he pointed at the green creature. “…to poke that keeper over there.” Eric’s jaw hit the ground. “What?! Are you out of your mind?” He gave his boyfriend an incredulous look. Garrett shrugged. “Don’t look at me. You made me do something I didn’t want to do. Now it’s my turn. Besides, kids used to do that stuff. Kinda like a game of ‘let’s poke the keeper’!” “We are kids! Hell, we’re barely even adults!” Eric insisted. Garrett scoffed. “Keeper. Poke it.” His eyes widened with excitement. “I dare ya!” Eric shook his head. “No way in hell! Unlike you, I’ve read accident reports on what happened when someone decided it was a good idea to mess around with a keeper.” Garrett folded his arms in front of his chest and leaned against the railing behind him. “Oh yeah?” “Yeah.” “Alright. Prove it.” Eric huffed. “Uh… let me think.” He snapped his fingers together, trying to come up with the right words. It was hard to think it through, being in a rather awkward and stressful, stressful situation. “Uh… when you interfere with a keeper, it sets off a self-destruct sequence. It melts into a puddle of acid. I didn’t get to sleep that night.” “And?” “There’s Avina.” Eric pointed his thumb at a purple holographic figure of an asari, who was standing by the keeper. “Please do not disturb the keeper,” Avina, the Citadel’s VI, warned Garrett politely. There was no other intonation in her voice, nor did her face show any expression. VI was short for virtual intelligence. Eric knew that virtual intelligence was not the same thing as artificial intelligence, as they lacked the program needed to achieve self-awareness. Instead, they were sophisticated applications, able to assist its users in a variety of ways. Garrett could only pout in annoyance. “Okay, you’re right. Again. I was joking, anyway. But…” He walked forward and pressed his lips against Eric’s, catching him off guard. But he didn’t mind so much if it wasn’t so unexpected. It had lasted for several seconds before they parted. “That was for the movie. You owe me another thing for making me look stupid.” “So what is it?” “Dunno. I’ll come up with something,” Garrett answered. “Anyway, gotta go. See ya! Love you.” With that, he parted in the opposite direction from where Eric was heading. Alone, Eric turned around and went to a terminal, planted on a stand. It was a rapid transit, doing what the name implied. Next to the transit was a small, red shuttle with the windshield encasing the front half of the roof. When he approached the vehicle, the roof opened of its own accord. Inside were four seats, two at each row. He hopped inside, on the driver’s seat. The windshield closed, and the skycar levitated as he placed his hands on a haptic screen. He then issued a command, telling the skycar’s VI to go to his destination: Natalie’s house. Bachjret Ward. His skycar took off and joined with the rest of the traffic, which led from the Zakera Ward to the Bachjret Ward. Traffic was heavy there, with a bunch of liners and other skycars lined up in all directions. His thoughts turned to his encounter with the keeper, and everything relating to the Reapers. It was one thing to know the truth. To him, it was a painful thing, not being able to do a damn thing about it. Soon, he managed to get out of traffic and onto a series of houses and apartment complexes. They were varied: some had multiple floors—at least two—while others had decks at the back. It looked more like a city than a neighborhood with a lack of vegetation, not even some grass. He landed in front of Natalie’s house. Soon as he stepped out, the skycar took off on its own accord. What wasn’t there before was a blue cab parked by where he stood, right in front of the studio house. At first, he thought Natalie was home after a long day at work. However, he realized that meant she would be here early. She would never leave the skycar like that. Did something happen? Eric pressed his thumb on a touchscreen by the front door. It scanned and beeped soon after. “Fingerprint confirmed. Welcome home, Eric,” a female and monotone voice spoke from the speaker below the screen. The door opened, and he stepped inside, overhearing a conversation from the dining room, which was next to the kitchen ahead. It was the room with an oak table, fitted for eight people. A huge window covered an entire side of the room, showing a good view of the ward. He went there, finding Luke and a female turian with distinctive black tattoos covering her face sitting at the table. She was wearing the turian form of a blue-and-black C-Sec uniform, though it looked to be more like armor than anything. “Wait! Take it slow! He’s not used to—” Luke protested, reaching out as he almost sat up but stopped when the turian looked over her shoulder and raised her hand. “Are you Eric Grimes?” the turian asked. She stood up from her chair. Eric gasped, taken aback by her towering over him. She stood more than a foot taller than him. Eric nodded, still intimidated by the turian’s height. “Vanea Surtius,” the female turian stated. “I’m with C-Sec. I’m here to bring you in for questioning.” Aside from appearing in this universe without any scientific explanation, he can’t imagine what else they wanted from him. What could he have done wrong?
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Post by Nord Ronnoc on Dec 19, 2016 4:30:27 GMT 1
Chapter Four: The Little Things Year: 2012 Location: Boston, MassachusettsThe spring air was fresh after a day’s worth of April showers. The sun showed itself through the parting clouds, revealing the sky above. The long grass swayed and parted in the wind, the drops of water falling off each blade. It was a special day for Eric, and he wasn’t alone in the park. It had been less than a week since his father returned from his recent tour in Afghanistan. While his job as an intelligence analyst kept him safe from the war zone, the whole family was glad to see him alive and well. On the surface, Tomas Grimes looked pretty much the same before he went to Afghanistan. He was a pale, middle-aged man of medium height, clean-shaven with short, dark hair. His eyes were hazel, rimmed by dark lashes. On the outside, only his physical build had changed. He had lost weight, and his face bore the signs of both age and weariness. Inside was a whole different story. At home, he would tell them about the other analysts he worked with, and the military personnel he came to know, the stories they shared, and the jokes they told. He said little about what he did—some of it because it was classified, but they suspected there was more he wasn’t willing to say. None of them want to push him further. They rejoiced in his return since they knew their time with him was short; soon he would deploy again. “It’s good to be back home,” Tomas told his son. Eric nodded as they walked down the narrow path together. “Maybe we should go out more often.” Eric agreed. “What about the movie theater? The Avengers is coming out next month.” His father smiled. “All of you loved the time we’ve spent together. And you turned out well. Your sister’s off to college and met a nice bloke, and you’re a straight-A student. Alfonso, well… I wonder if we missed something with him.” “I appreciate it, Dad. But why are we talking about this? What’s the point?” “The point?” Tomas chuckled. “I thought philosophers do that, not scientists. You think about how things work, not why they happen. But it’s pretty easy to connect the two, eh?” He paused. “I was your brother’s age when I joined the US Army; it was about doing the right thing, setting the right goals for us. Freedom, liberty, security—stuff like that. But as the months went on with no progress in sight, we focused on the little things. We assisted in this operation for a week, protecting these two villages for another month. Then we provided intelligence to guide this convoy back in place and get everyone home safe. The little things are the ones that matter. They’re part of the big picture. They gave us purpose even when our commanding officers couldn’t.” The once gentle wind intensified in its strength. Eric looked at the sky. The clouds seemed to be gathering again… Year: 2182 Location: The CitadelEric was at the C-Sec headquarters with Vanea Surtius. As they walked down the archway of a hallway, Eric stopped when he overheard a conversation coming from an office nearby. One of the voices sounded familiar, so he took a quick look inside. “…what’s going on? This is the first time I’ve heard about it.” It was a young male turian, his face covered in plain navy-blue tattoos. His question was directed at a bright-blue skinned asari, sitting at her desk. Eric couldn’t put his finger on it, but the turian sounded pretty familiar… The asari officer exhaled sharply and rubbed her temples together. “Look, you were kind of busy, so I’ll keep it short: one of our own wanted to keep this… case confidential. She said it would cause trouble or something.” “I… what?” The turian blinked and shook his head as he planted his talons on the desk. “That doesn’t explain the commotion I’ve heard about. What are you talking about?” “Honestly? Other than Pallin wanting to bring the human in for questioning? No idea why.” The asari shrugged. “If you want to know more, he’s right here.” She pointed at Eric, and the turian noticed Eric just standing there. “Uh… hi.” Eric waved slowly and awkwardly. The turian approached him. Like Vanea, he stood about a foot taller than Eric did. Granted, Shepard was rather tall regardless of gender. Hey.” The turian was rather hesitant, but it was obvious he was trying to be friendly. “You’re Eric Grimes?” Eric answered with a simple “Yes.” “Garrus Vakarian,” the turian introduced himself. “I take it you’re the one everybody’s talking about all the sudden?” That explained a lot. Garrus Vakarian was one of Commander Shepard’s squadmates in all three games. Garrus was a C-Sec investigator, willing to help others in need but had authority issues, contrasting most other turians’ belief in military discipline and obedience. “Yeah,” Eric answered. “Look, if it means anything, I haven’t done anything wrong.” Garrus huffed bitterly. “I’ll take your word for it. I just hope whatever you’re going through would be over quickly.” Before Eric could reply, a talon tapped his shoulder. He turned at his turian escort. “Let’s go,” the female turian said, more than a little impatient. “Guess I shouldn’t keep you waiting. Good luck,” said Garrus. Eric followed her to a brightly lit room with plain white walls surrounding him and a large, two-way mirror at his right, the kind he saw on cop shows. He knew that while an officer was interviewing the suspect, at least two others would observe, unseen, on the other side of the mirror. Seeing the setup of the room, he knew what was coming. A pale man with high cheekbones and a crew cut for his blond hair sat at the table in the middle of the room. He wore the same blue-and-black uniform as everyone else working at C-Sec. Judging by his appearance and his occupation, the man could be in his mid-twenties. But knowing the medical advances in this universe, he might be older than he looked. The man looked up at Eric from his datapad with a smile. “Hey, you’re Eric Grimes?” He stood up and offered his hand. There was a sense of warmth in his English voice. Eric shrugged and took the offer, shaking the man’s hand. It wouldn’t hurt to be friendly, especially if it could help move his case forward. “Yeah. You?” “Edwin Ross, at your service,” the man answered. “This is my first year at C-Sec and my first time questioning someone like you.” Edwin chuckled. “Right then. Why don’t you take a seat over there?” He gestured to an empty seat at the other end of the table. “Okay.” Eric nodded, and both men sat down. Nervous, he broke out in sweat and looked down at the table. Eric took a deep breath to calm himself down. Like with Natalie, he had to bend the truth to make the story believable. He didn’t want to lie about his predicament, but it was that or having the cops decide he was nuts and lock him up. His stomach churned, leaving a rather bitter taste in his mouth. Edwin noticed his discomfort. “You okay?” he asked. Eric looked up and shook his head. “No. I… I just want to go home.” The officer sighed, looked down at the datapad, and back up at Eric. “Look, I know you’re in a tight spot. From a law enforcement standpoint, I see nothing wrong with you, but I can understand why the brass is interested in your case. It’s not every day someone just drops out of the blue into the Presidium.” Edwin chuckled at the thought. “Anyway, let’s try to get this over with.” “Thanks,” Eric sighed, relieved. “Don’t mention it. It’s part of the job. You know: protect the people, maintain law and order, and ensure justice. All the good stuff we’re all supposed to do.” Edwin smiled and looked back down at his datapad once again. “Okay…” He tapped on the screen a few times. “I’ll be asking you some questions, short and sweet. It will be recorded. You okay with that?” “I guess,” Eric shrugged, worried yet willing to go along. “Okay, then. Was the information you provided accurate?” It looked like Edwin was reading out loud from the datapad. Either he was new to this whole thing, using the datapad as a guide, or just following procedure. Or maybe both. “Yeah,” Eric answered. “Good. And…” Edwin squinted at his datapad. He shot his head back up and back down in quick succession. “Huh?” Eric arched an eyebrow. “What’s wrong?” Edwin shook his head and placed the datapad on the table. “Nah, it’s that orb you’ve told Mrs. Clay about.” He breathed in and out, almost in rhythm, as his hands had sealed his mouth. “Okay, about that…” Eric raised his hands in protest. He hoped Edwin wouldn’t see him as insane. “Look, I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true.” “I’m not saying I don’t believe you at all, it’s just that—” “That it’s nothing like anyone has ever encountered before,” Eric finished, nodding somberly. “Yeah. I get that.” Edwin sat silent after entering a few commands on the datapad. After that, he stood up and went to the door that just opened. “I’ll be right back.” He left the room, leaving Eric alone. The silence alone was uneasy enough for Eric, and it made him feel paranoid. He twiddled his thumbs together and bit his tongue, fighting off the thought that C-Sec was after him for some obscure reason. Finally, the door slid open, and Edwin entered, a smile appearing on his face as if he received some good news. “Well? W-what’s the word?” His hands trembling on the armchair, Eric was about ready to stand up and head on out. “You’re free to go, Eric,” Edwin answered. “Mrs. Clay is waiting out front.” “Just like that? You guys are not gonna arrest me?” “Nope.” At that moment, Eric jumped up and went to shake the officer’s hand very hard. He was extremely excited to be out of his room. It was claustrophobic in here. “Gracias, gracias! Thank you very much!” “Hey, no problem. Just doing my job here.” Eric left the interrogation room in a hurry, ignoring a bald, brown-skinned man who was taking notes from the conversation earlier. After making his way to the hallway, he saw a bronze-skinned female human resting against the wall nearby. Her long, brown hair was tied in a ponytail as she wore a red T-shirt and tan pants, along with a pair of white sneakers. “Hey, Natalie,” Eric approached the woman, recognizing her. The woman looked at him and stood up from the wall. “Hey, yourself. Sounds like my buddies let you go pretty early.” “That guy, Edwin Ross, was pretty quick.” “He’s the rookie, right?” “Yeah, I think so. I just wish I wasn’t treated as a criminal, y’know,” Eric whined. “I’m a person. I’m human.” “I know, I know. We had no idea how to deal with a case like yours, so we’re taking precautions here,” Natalie answered. “Right,” Eric scoffed. Natalie set out for the exit, with Eric following behind. “By the way, I just finished my latest report, so I’m free for tonight.” “What was your report?” Natalie exhaled, struggling to keep herself from laughing. “Okay, you’re not gonna believe this, but this one’s an elcor serial killer.” Eric snickered, staring at the C-Sec officer in disbelief. “Oh, Dios. You’re kidding, right? An elcor? The one species that use prefixes to express their emotions?” Natalie shrugged. “That’s the same reaction I got when Ian Shaw brought him in. I don’t know how he managed to capture him but he just… did.” The academy was populated with the Citadel’s denizens, as well as the officers and investigators making the station a safe place, or at least trying to. Through the white, square corridor from the exit, Eric and Natalie made it to one of the wards on the Citadel. Walking up the stairs to their right, Eric saw four of the station’s five arms reaching out into outer space. The marketplace was crowded, brimming with activities and vibrant with high-tech gadgetry. Some of them were exotic, such as the advertisements pestering Eric about state-of-the-art omni-tools from holographic pillars. He approached the railing and imagined having complete silence around him. He never found it old to watch the faraway sounds of starships flying by, beyond the station and among the stars. “Enjoying the sites?” Eric snapped out of his thoughts and spun around to an inquisitive Natalie, who was standing right next to him. “Uh, yeah. I just got distracted. I’ve been thinking of something.” “What’s up?” “…Wasn’t your husband nicknamed Jolly Rogers because of a tattoo? I think you told me.” Natalie shook her head and laughed. “No, I didn’t. Even if I asked him, I couldn’t get a straight answer. Now come on, we need to get going.” “Okay.” Eric nodded and started following her again. When Natalie tapped in a command on a terminal near a med clinic, nothing happened for a moment. As they waited for their ride, Eric turned around to see a green light appearing on the door, telling him that the clinic was open. An engine hummed behind him. He turned to a white shuttle with a windshield encasing half of the roof. The windshield opened of its own accord which showed four seats, two in each row. Eric and Natalie hopped in, with Eric sitting next to her, and put their seatbelts on. The windshield closed, and the car levitated as Natalie placed her hands on a haptic screen. She issued a series of commands, telling the car’s VI of their destination: her house. Their skycar took off, joining in the rest of the traffic as it went from one ward to another. Because of the still heavy traffic, Natalie started asking Eric about his family to pass the time. “Huh?” he blinked in confusion, not paying attention the first time. “I asked if you have any relatives who served in the military. You don’t talk a lot about them,” she clarified. “Oh. Well, uh…” Eric pressed his lips together. “Before my papa got a job as an IT analyst, he served and went to Afghanistan a couple times. He was an analyst. It’s kinda his thing, analyzing information and stuff.” “What branch did he serve in?” A pregnant pause. “I think he was in the US Army.” “You two get along fine before, well…?” Eric hesitated, letting out a rattled and slow breath. By the look on Natalie’s face, it was clear she was regretful. “Not well, I take it? I’m sorry…” Eric shook his head, insistent. “No no, you’re fine. I’m glad you asked.” “Was your dad like that because you’re gay?” He shook his head in almost an instant. “Not like that, no. He seems okay with who I love. It’s just that… it’s one of the things that changed him.” They landed in front of Natalie’s house. As Eric and Natalie exited the vehicle, it lifted off by itself and took off. They approached the front door, and Natalie pressed her thumb against the touchscreen. “Fingerprint confirmed. Welcome home, Natalie,” the voice from the touchscreen spoke. They stepped inside the living room. To their right was a window large enough to cover most of the front side. Two black leather couches lay next to each other at a 90-degree angle. Across from the coffee table and the couches were an ultra-thin TV resting above a fireplace. “Luke, we’re home! Is dinner ready yet?” Natalie asked. “Nah, not yet,” Luke yelled out from the kitchen down the hallway. “I just put the pizza in the oven, so it’s gonna be a bit. When it’s ready, you’ll have to eat in the dining room. I had a hard time cleaning the mess in the living room the other day.” “Okay,” Natalie replied. Almost immediately after, she collapsed on the couch. Eric walked down the hallway next to the front room. A small, yellow orb, a holographic drone programmed to assist Natalie and Luke around the house, was responsible for cleaning up the place. Luke stood by the oven in the kitchen. His beard had just started growing. His clothes seemed rather mundane: a pair of black jeans and an orange shirt, the sleeves having been cut off at the elbows. He spun around to Eric with a grin on his face. “Hey, man. How did it go?” Eric shrugged. He was just about done with talking about that interrogation. “Pretty quick.” Luke’s eyes widen. “Really? That’s, uh, unusual. Usually, that kind of thing would last for hours.” “Did Natalie tell you?” “I’ve been asked about this stupid guy back last year. He jacked up on a lot of stims, yelling about god-knows-what.” Eric dropped his jaw so hard it was like it had hit the ground. He tried to keep himself from laughing but failed. “That’s just horrible!” Luke laughed. “You kidding me? I could barely hold myself together during that whole case! The guy’s fine, far as I know.” Eric felt a little awkward. “Oh. Sorry.” “Nothing to be worried about,” Luke insisted. “Hey, Eric!” Natalie called out from the living room, interrupting the conversation. “Could you come here for a minute?” Eric turned to see Luke again. “We’ll talk later, okay?” “Yeah, sure.” Luke nodded, now occupied by the drone. Eric went to the living room, finding Natalie on the couch. She was playing a game of some sort. From the gleam of excitement in her eyes, she was building herself up for a pretty intense moment. In her hands was a controller. It looked like someone had mashed together the shape of an Xbox One controller with a PlayStation 4 controller button layout and called it a day. He turned to the screen. On it was a person in plate armor, black as obsidian. He couldn’t find any features that could tell who he or she was, being covered from head to toe. However, the person was humanoid, being athletically built. In the warrior’s hands was a two-handed sword, though it was too big to be called a sword. It was massive, thick, heavy, and far too rough. Indeed, it was a heap of iron. The armored warrior then lifted their weapon at Natalie’s command and spun quickly, causing the blade to be covered in fire. Eric was confident it was so fast it burned up. And somehow, the warrior didn’t break their arms, if not their entire body. In a single stroke, one of the dragon’s heads on-screen was cut off. The decapitated head let out an ear-piercing scream as the fires turned it to ash. Eric let out a quick breath, startled by the scene before him. “What’s this game?” he wondered as he turned back to her. Natalie paused the game and turned to Eric. “It’s an action-oriented RPG called Redeemer. It’s set in a world called Rurath, borrowing a lot from Slavic mythology.” “Like that two-headed dragon you were fighting?” Natalie nodded. “Yep.” “Who’re you playing as?” “Her name’s Casmira, a knight who has a symbiotic bond with a demon. The game doesn’t explain what kind of demon she had,” Natalie explained, waving her hand without moving her forearm. “She’s a tank-type class with some fire-based attacks.” “Okay.” Eric plopped down next to Natalie. “Anyway, I’ve been thinking… you talked a lot about your dad lately. What about the rest of your family? Friends, maybe someone you love?” Eric stroked his chin, considering the question. “Hm… yeah. I have two siblings—a brother and a sister. Both of them are older than me. My sister worked at a local news channel as a meteorologist and my brother, well… he was in college. Assuming he didn’t goof off.” He sighed. "I miss them. I miss my mom, too. She was always there for me, helping whenever she could." He fell into a thoughtful silence. Eric missed his sister and her enthusiasm for their destination in Bangkok and Angkor Wat. He also missed his brother’s eccentric personality, which was a common sign of someone diagnosed with ADHD. He sure missed his mother’s loving smiles. He even missed his father and his attempts to reconnect with them all. Their vacation together was supposed to be that time to relax, to recover from whatever hardships they went through the year. Instead, that goddamn orb ruined his whole life by bringing him here. Wasn’t it Garcia’s idea to go to Thailand in the first place? He knew it wasn’t her fault, not like she ever planned that to happen. He was just about to cry but stopped when he saw the pity on Natalie’s face. “I don’t know if I said it back at the hospital, but I’m sorry for your loss.” Eric shook his head, insistent. “No no no, it’s not your fault but thanks.” The oven in the kitchen let out an electronic ding. From this spot, they could barely hear it, but it was there. “Well, that was quick.” Luke opened the oven and got the pizza out. “Dinner’s ready!” Eric and Natalie sat up and went to the kitchen. Soon as they arrived, Luke had gotten out the pizza as well as the assortment of plates and cups. The familiar smell of dinner whiffed about as Eric grabbed a slice. It had many layers, with cheese, pepperonis, black olives, and green peppers on top. The sausage was synthetic, as Luke had told him of the various chemical compounds, stem cells, and proteins that make the meat taste like actual meat. He turned to the large window behind him when he sat down at the oak table. Out there, he had a good view of another house. Two turians were sitting on a bench in a backyard. One of them a male adult and the other his son, judging by the turian child’s small size. From what Eric understood of the turians’ heavily militaristic culture, the turian was teaching his son about discipline. Of course, they could just be talking about school instead. Who was he to judge how another species act? “So what have you been up to lately?” Eric looked back at Natalie. She was sitting across from him, taking a kiss on the cheek by Luke. Blushing, she smiled as Luke sat down next to her, his plate filled with two slices of pizza. “Well, I’ve done some voluntary work at the hospital,” Eric answered, a little nervous about talking. He rested his head against his hand as he took a bite off his slice. “And I’ve been looking for a way back home.” He scoffed. “No such luck.” “What about Garrett? How’s he doing? He treating you right?” Eric let out a small smile, feeling a little warm inside. “Yeah, he’s great. You know that one movie Garrett and I saw earlier today?” “Which one? There are a surprisingly lot of superhero movies these days,” Natalie quipped. “Wild Dagger,” Eric answered. “Nice.” Luke took a bite out of his pizza. “So you were planning on going to MIT, right?” “Yeah.” “So what’d you want to study?” “Quantum mechanics, with a minor in computer science,” Eric answered. “It was my physics teacher’s idea of quantum mechanics. I used to go to church, so he convinced me on that front.” He shrugged. "I was raised Catholic by my parents.” “Yeah?” Luke asked. “I’ve read about what life was like nearly two centuries ago, but I want to hear it from you.” “I…” Eric paused. He wanted to say that after he came out of the closet to his parents, the others found out, including his peers at school and church. He wanted to say several members of his church don’t approve of his sexuality, despite Massachusetts being one of the most progressive states. That was why he and his family left. Instead, he said, “No, I don’t want to talk about it.” “Ah.” Luke looked a little disappointed, but he continued eating. His mouth was half-full of pizza before swallowing. “Speaking of quantum mechanics, the Alliance is working on a quantum entanglement communicator. It’s where a pair of particles interact with each other, transferring information in an instant. It can’t be intercepted as easy as a comm buoy, that’s for sure. Damn useful for the Alliance.” He sighed and shook his head. “Everyone goes for the damn comm buoys.” “What’s the catch?” Eric asked. “It doesn’t have infinite energy, for one,” Luke explained. “Law of Conversion. You can’t make anything from nothing. It’ll likely have limited bandwidth. Plus, we don’t know the exact momentum of the particles. Doesn’t help that it’s fragile. It’s gonna be a while until we get a good, durable model.” Eric ate the rest of his pizza as the rest continued eating in silence. The huge slice made him feel nourished for the night. Natalie spoke out. “So what do you want?” “What do you mean?” Eric asked. “I mean, what do you want to do next with your life?” Natalie asked. Eric closed his eyes for a moment. “I… To be honest, I don’t know. I was on summer break before I wound up here. I don’t have much of a plan besides going off to college.” He opened his eyes, wistful. “I’ve heard about the Jon Grissom Academy. The way I hear it, it’s like MIT, but in space.” Natalie stifled a laugh while Luke leaned forward with a friendly gesture. “Or maybe you could, y’know… join the Alliance Navy.” Eric found himself taken aback, giving Luke a double-take. Him joining the military? He wanted to protest, claim he wouldn’t last long, that he would rather do something else with his life than standing around patrol and possibly kill people. Instead, all he could mutter out was, “I’m sorry, what?” Luke curled his mouth, thinking up something. “It wouldn’t hurt to try,” he responded. “The Alliance can put you in basic training for 16 weeks and several months of specialized training. I think, anyway, depending on whether they’ve updated their training protocol or not.” “No, no,” Eric shook his head in protest. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Just because my dad was in the military doesn’t mean I have to. What makes you think that’s a good idea?” “So what do you wanna do? If you signed up and served a tour or two, it’ll be an easy way for you to get a scholarship. They have an education program that’ll help you.” Eric was annoyed. “And be faced with constant death and violence?” “Most Marines don’t face that kind of thing while on duty.” “I’ll have a better shot at Grissom Academy. Maybe C-Sec or some other job.” “None of us can afford to take you to the Academy or at MIT. Do you know how expensive the tuition is, right? Good god. And I don’t think things would work out between you and C-Sec,” Luke replied. Natalie rolled her eyes and let out an annoyed grunt. “Err… no offense, honey.” “I’m just messin’ with ya!” Natalie replied and elbowed him gently in the chest. Luke turned back to Eric, an awkward look appearing on his face. “A lot of people already filled up the positions in C-Sec and, well, everywhere else. Most of them are not human because we don’t have an official position on the Council. We’ve only been in the galactic community for almost three decades.” “Besides,” Natalie butted in, “the Alliance would appreciate someone with your talents. The best part is that you can get to the Academy with their blessing. But it’s your choice, Eric. Not like we’re not pushing you or anything.” Eric closed his eyes for a moment, realizing that Luke and Natalie may have a point. He had no degree, no job, and no money to support him. He might as well hear them out. “So if I say yes, then where do I sign up?”
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Post by Nord Ronnoc on Jan 9, 2017 12:57:09 GMT 1
Chapter Five: Welcome to the Alliance Year: 2011 Location: Boston, MassachusettsThe clock struck about a quarter after 2 PM, and the bell rang. Almost everyone in the classroom rushed to the exit. Eric sat at his desk and waited. He wasn’t a big fan of crowds. Crowds smell and as the name would imply, they were crowded, having little space to move around in. Soon as everybody else left, he gathered his textbooks and papers, said goodbye to his Chemistry teacher, and left the classroom. He walked down the hallways at East Boston High School and made his way to his locker. Opening it, he grabbed his blue-lined backpack and stuffed it with his books and papers. He put his backpack on and closed the locker. Eric went to the front of the school. He didn’t want to keep his siblings waiting for him. Soon as he reached for the door, he froze in fear when a voice he didn’t want to be familiar with called his name. He turned around, meeting face to face with two white guys. One of them was muscular, wearing a black T-shirt with a rock band logo on it. The other was chubby and bald, also wearing something like his muscular friend wore. Here, they made up a minority of the school’s demographics with half of the students being Hispanic. “Uh… hi, Brock. Hi, Damien. What’s going on?” Eric asked, nervous. He had his back up against the wall as the two ganged up on him. “Just thought you would miss us. We sure did.” Brock, the one with muscles, pulled off a gleeful smile. “What do you want?” Eric asked. “What do you think?” Damien the fat man snapped. “You believe that we deserve that detention? Maybe you should learn a lesson in ‘why you shouldn’t fuck with us.'” Eric could easily leave with them none the wiser. He would tell his family what happened and spur them into action like last time, sending these two jackasses back to detention. But would these two ever learn even if the hint was right up to their faces? He could make a stand here. There were a couple of other people here; some of them were watching and wondering what the hell was going on. Would they be able to carry out with reporting them to the principal? The best bet would be to make a run for it. His mom knew what to do. He slipped by without saying another word and went through the door. He had gotten outside, greeting the hot and humid mid-May air before him. Just as he thought it was over, the doors had burst open, and out came a furious Brock. “Get the fuck over here, you little bitch!” Eric’s heart skipped a beat, and he started running on the sidewalk. Brock was catching him quickly. A heavy grunt and a thud caused him to stop running. Panting, he turned around to find his brother had tackled Brock to the ground. Damien wasn’t far behind. He charged in and grabbed Alfonso by his hair. Alfonso yelled and elbowed Damien in the stomach. Damien groaned in pain and dropped Alfonso. Brock rose and gave Alfonso a black eye with a right hook. Eric spun around and called out for help. The fight caught the school guard’s attention. Middle-aged with peachy skin and a crew cut, the guard’s silver badge gleamed on his dark-blue shirt. Damien whipped out a pocketknife. Eric gasped, now terrified for his life. He couldn’t move. Damien lunged at Eric, only for Alfonso to step in and take the hit. Blood trailed down his chin as he fell on the grass. A flash of dark skin and a student caught Damien by the waist and wrestled him to the ground. Brock knelt and raised his hands in the air. Meanwhile, Eric helped his brother get up, letting him sit down to get his bearings. Alfonso was pale; there was a deep gash on his chin, and one of his eyes had swollen shut. Eric froze. “Holy shit, are you okay?” he asked, distraught. “Of course, I’m okay! See?” Alfonso responded. The ambulance arrived after someone called 911 and took Alfonso to the hospital, where he received several stitches on his chin while being treated for the rest of his injuries. The next day, Damien and Brock were sent to juvenile hall. Year: 2182 Location: The Citadel“Natalie,” Eric said, entering the office. It had been a week since he made up his mind. “Remember I finished that application a few days ago?” “I remember. Did it get through?” Natalie was working on the terminal. The office was about the size of the kitchen, the window covering the entire wall to Eric’s left. The L-shaped desk was at the corner, the top of it cluttered with said terminal and a cup of tea with it. “Yeah, it did. And it was approved. All that’s left is a physical check-up, but I have to do it at the Presidium.” He let out a deep breath, nervous and uncertain. “I’m not sure I’m up for it. This whole Alliance military thing. I mean, I feel fine physically but—” “Apart from almost drowning, you’re perfectly healthy for a 19-year-old kid. Skinny but healthy. You’ll be fine.” Eric tilted his head. “Maybe. I guess. Think you can order a transit from here?” Natalie raised an eyebrow. “Figured Luke would take you there. Is he at work?” “Yeah. You were probably asleep when he left. He wished me good luck, by the way.” She puffed her cheeks. It was almost like she had caught herself laughing. “Oh right. Serves me right for staying up all night on yet another case. Let me see what I can do.” Eric nodded and let Natalie do her thing on the terminal. He had to admit, he was pretty impressed she took less than a minute to order a transit here. Back in Boston in his world, he would have to wait at a bus stop. Considering the traffic, it took him a while to wait. “There.” Natalie turned to Eric. “The transit should be here in half an hour. In the meantime, you should pick some things you need. Also…” And before he knew it, Natalie gave him a rather gentle hug. He smiled. “Thanks, Natalie. I appreciate it.” “No problem,” Natalie replied. “Now you better get ready, then. You know how automated taxis work.” “I know, Nat. I remember what happened the last time.” Natalie chuckled. “I didn’t expect you to call me Nat.” “Hey, that was a slip of the tongue. Besides, your husband started it,” Eric insisted. “I know. See you later. Hope it goes well for you.” And with that, Eric went to his bedroom. There wasn’t much to it, in fact. Just a dresser with some clothes in it and a simple bed placed at the side. The room wasn’t small, but it wasn’t big like the office. He heard Natalie was expecting a child in several months. He understood why. When Eric did his duty to the Alliance, maybe he could study at a university and get a degree. Maybe he could get married to the man he loved. And he thought of Garrett. But his mind turned to what would lie ahead in a few years. The geth attack on Eden Prime and the Citadel, the Collector abducting human colonies, and the Reapers arriving at the galaxy to harvest civilization. When that happened, if he did get enlisted, he would have to serve on the frontlines and probably die for the cause. And there was not a thing he could do about it. No. It’s a new day for you, Eric, his thoughts told him. Thinking that way would only let you down. Focus on the small things, just like Papá said. That’s what matters now. You’re stuck here for the rest of your life, so make use of what you got.He got what little he had, grabbed his omni-tool and a blue Alliance uniform folded neatly on his dresser, and left the room.
“Enlist today!” the sign above the entrance to the white, monolithic building flashed these words. The words were bold, white, and in all-caps. Above the tagline was a human clad in full blue armor from head to toe, saluting with a curve-shaped file in hand. In the background of the holographic picture was an upside-down, V-shaped form enveloping over and around Earth. “Now arriving at the Systems Alliance Navy Recruitment Center, Presidium,” the skycar’s VI announced with a cheery voice. “Enjoy your stay!” The skycar’s roof slid open, and Eric stepped out onto a balcony several floors up above the lake. There was a tree not far from the rapid transit, the branches reaching around almost all around. It probably was planted here not long ago, and it came from Earth, judging by the pink flora growing out of each branch, maybe a country like Japan. Then Eric started to feel… off. A wave of nausea hit him hard like a ton of bricks as the whole world spun around him. If it weren't for a bulky arm wrapping around his belly, he would’ve stumbled around and landed on the floor with a hard thud. He turned around and recognized the man as his boyfriend, Garrett Pit. Eric smiled as Garrett helped him up to his feet. His cheeks flushed red at the sight of his boyfriend. Sorry. Not to, err… sorry, sudden changes in gravity. I guess I’m not used to it yet.” “You gonna be alright?” Garrett asked, concerned. “Yeah, I’m okay. I'm alright.” Eric looked around, his eyes meeting with the pristine white floor before locking them at Garrett’s gaze. “Um, by the way, that’s an excellent grip you got there. Strong, firm. Oh, and your eyes are gorgeous. Blue like the sea. Or the sky, I suppose…” Garrett chuckled. “You said that before.” Eric raised an eyebrow, a little surprised. “I did?” “Yeah. Several times. And your rhyming’s atrocious, by the way. Really terrible, in fact.” Eric stammered in his words before letting out a sigh. “Okay, yeah. Guess you have a point there. Let’s, uh… forget this little thing happened. So what’re you doing here, anyway?” Garrett could only scoff and roll his eyes in, both in amusement and in exasperation. “My mom was in the Alliance Navy, remember?” Eric pressed his lips together, feeling more than a little ashamed. He should know better than forgetting something that simple. Was it that simple, he wondered? “Oh. Duh. So you’re here to enlist, then?” “Yep. You too?” Eric shrugged. “Luke and Natalie figured me enlisting would be easier for me to get to college. Part of an education program, they said.” Garrett clenched his teeth as he cringed. “Oh, peer pressure. Ouch. Well, we better get inside. If we stand here looking fabulous like in the movies, we’ll miss that opportunity. C’mon.” Eric nodded, more than a little nervous, and stopped for a moment before catching up. There were two things on his mind. First, he noticed they were the only ones at the entrance. Either the others were inside, or there weren’t a lot of people signing up. Maybe it could be both. The second and third options would be more likely; about three percent of the human population enlisted in the Alliance Navy. He clutched Garrett’s hand tightly. “Something wrong?” a confused Garrett asked. Eric exhaled deeply. “Crowds,” he answered. “I hate crowds.” That was the second thing. “They smell, and there’s little space to move in, and it’s easy to get lost. That’s why I hate crowds.” “Sounds like you have ochlophobia. That right?” Eric said nothing as they stopped right next to the entrance. Garrett turned sharply toward him. The glare on his face was stern yet understanding. He grabbed Eric’s hands and held onto them gently. “Eric, don’t worry,” Garrett stated, and Eric’s eyes lit up, having his full attention. “We’ll stick together and hold hands. Maybe that’ll help.” Eric nodded, relieved. “Yeah.” His mother held his hand whenever he went through moments like this. “And uh…” Garrett glanced aside before continuing. “No matter what happens, I’ll be with you, yeah?” “Well, what if either or both of us dies?” Eric asked. “What would happen if we don’t love each other anymore?” Garrett shook his head. “No. No. don’t think like that. Think positive at this moment. I love you, y’know.” He grinned showing his clean, pristine teeth. “How ‘bout a kiss? You know, for good luck.” Eric smiled, eager for a kiss. “Depends. Is it a quick one or are we making out like in the movies?” Garrett tilted his left hand. “Eh, could go either way but I think we have enough time for a quick one. We good?” He leaned down toward Eric and pressed his lips against Eric’s. It was like he promised: a quick peck, but it was warm and sweet. “Have you been brushing lately?” Eric smiled as the two parted. “Yeah.” Garrett smiled again and pointed at his teeth. “Miniaturized mass effect fields. They break up plaque and massage the gums quite nicely. Worth every credit.” “How much did it cost you exactly?” “6,000. Birthday present from my aunt. Honest!” “Sure you are,” Eric chuckled and threw a weak punch on Garrett’s shoulder. “Anyway, we spent more than enough time out here. Shall we?” They went inside, entering a square-shaped, light gray room. There were about a dozen or so young men and women, lined up by a desk at the end. The attendant was there, typing in information on his terminal. At the corner of the room, on Eric’s left, was a keeper prying on a machine design for its four arms. He let out a sigh, letting go of Garrett’s hand as he activated his omni-tool. Maybe a quick game of Alliance Corsair would keep his mind off his anxieties. “Hey,” Garrett whispered in Eric’s ear. “You might wanna pay attention to the line here.” “I can multitask,” Eric shot back. He moved forward with the rest. His boyfriend was right behind him. A flash of tawny skin and a young woman in skinny jeans walked by, mumbling about not being able to sign up due to a heart condition. The line started moving forward again. After several minutes and a quick playthrough, Eric finally got to the front of the desk. The receptionist, a blue-eyed man with peachy skin and a dark buzz cut, looked up at him from his terminal. “Your name?” the receptionist asked. “Eric. Eric Grimes.” “Alright…” the receptionist tapped in Eric’s name on the holographic keyboard. Shapes and letters formed up on the screen, and Eric could swear he saw a picture of himself a few weeks ago. He made sure to get himself a haircut back then. A clean cut, to be exact. “Okay, you’re ready to go,” the receptionist announced. “Just head to the infirmary on my left.” Eric nodded and entered another room, just as pristine as the last. There were medical machines all around. After several minutes of physical examinations by the doctors, they told him he was in good health and sent him out. Garrett was next, of course, and had the same outcome. He was even in better shape than Eric. They told two to go to the docks, where a passenger liner would take him to the Recruit Training Depot in Brazil on Earth. Earth. Eric had to admit, it was kind of weird going to a parallel version of his homeworld. Imagine finding a house much like your own. Same building and even the same layout of the street. However, it was in a different neighborhood, perhaps even in a different city or country altogether. The more he thought about it, the more he missed his home. At the port, there were dozens and dozens of ships of various design and origin, each connected to an airlock. Eric and Garrett looked for the right ship, one made by human hands. Eventually, they found one. It was as described by the receptionist from earlier: a large ship, shaped like an early-21 st-century military jet. There was no one else standing by the bridge to the airlock, save for a single Alliance soldier clad in blue padded armor, like the figure from the poster. Eric and Garrett approached the Alliance soldier. “Hey, excuse me,” said Eric, catching the soldier’s attention. “Does that ship take us to Macapá, Brazil? The Recruit Training thingy?” “You mean the Depot?” the marine asked. “You two recruits?” “Yeah. We just passed our physical exams,” Garrett answered. “Then head on through.” Eric thanked her. He and Garrett then went inside the ship’s airlock. The room was rather small, about the size of a bedroom or a kitchen. He thought they were the only ones here until a swarm of people packed in. Eric mentally counted about three dozen people here. It was unbelievable that so many people managed to squeeze in a small amount of space. You’d think the Alliance would give the recruits more room here so no one would be crushed to death. A wall of light appeared and slowly swept over the room, passing through everyone as if they were nothing. Eric blinked, expecting to be blind for a second. “Equalizing exterior atmosphere with interior atmosphere.” Its voice was feminine and stoic. The air hissed, and the ventilation shafts covering the walls began their work. The wall of light disappeared soon as the atmosphere inside had equalized. The door in front of the crowd slid open, and everyone converged inside. Eric wasn’t really surprised about the layout. It was like he had imagined what it would be like inside. It was similar to a civilian airplane from the 21 st century, save for the floor being made of the same metal as the walls and ceiling. The recruits sat in their seats as Eric and Garrett sat next to each other by a window at the back. “So out of curiosity: ever traveled faster-than-light?” Garrett asked with a smile. Eric arched a brow. “By using element zero to decrease a starship’s mass, increasing its velocity? And that it blue-shifts?” “Yep. Why’d you ask?” Eric grinned, shifting his position. “Oh, nothing. Just looking forward to it.” The liner’s thrusters roared to life as the airlock released the ship. It slowly ascended and turned away from the port before taking off. It zipped past hundreds of warfighters, freighters, and dreadnoughts in the pink space cloud, defending the Citadel station. The others that either wasn't defending it or were not part of any military force went to some other destination. Eric was awed, his mouth gaping open, as he was looking to his right to the window and spotted one dreadnought that practically dwarfed the rest, including the liner. The smooth, coral-shaped giant of a ship was the Destiny Ascension. Not only was it the pride of the asari, but it was also the Citadel’s flagship. He knew it was huge, having enough firepower to take out a whole fleet. He wouldn’t imagine it would be humongous up close! That ship and the asari’s use of their influence in a way a horny teenager could understand reminded him why they were one of the most influential species in the galaxy. The liner took a swift turn, and he faced a massive metallic object, a mass relay, just floating out there by itself, its arms reaching out. At the center were two rings, shifting around a core of element zero. The flagship and the Citadel became tiny dots in the pink cloud. Outside the ship, arcs of lightning enveloped around the ship. One moment, the ship was covered in a blue aura. The next thing Eric knew, there was a booming sound, and suddenly, they were in a different part of the galaxy. As he looked out the window once more, there was nothing but distant stars and forms of clouds and dust crashing into each other. Two of the clouds, one red and the other blue, mashed together to create a bright-purple cloud. There were far more stars than he could count. He swore he saw galaxies as well, out there in the distance. “We have arrived at the Horsehead Nebula,” one of the liner’s pilots spoke through the PA. “Please remain seated as we will be making two more jumps ‘till we reach the Sol system.” “Try not to squeal like last time,” Garrett spoke in a somewhat annoyed tone. Eric scoffed and smiled as he looked at his boyfriend. He wiggled around in his seat, having a bit of trouble containing his excitement. “I know. I just can’t help myself. Good god, I’m such a nerd!” “That you are, Eric. That you are.” Eric was just so happy to be on something that traveled at speeds faster than light, laughing in the face of what he knew about physics. It wouldn’t have been out of the ordinary for anyone in this day and age, but not to him. If Einstein were alive, he would eat his heart out. He couldn’t help but compare how space travel worked to the Alcubierre drive. From what he read an article online, an Alcubierre drive could alter the space around the object, allowing said object to arrive at its destination faster than the speed of light. It relied on an exotic matter to configure its density field to negative mass, much like how element zero worked, preventing time dilation. Yet he kept his excitement to himself. Another jump and soon after, the liner passed by the dwarf planet Pluto, then past the gas planets Neptune and Uranus. It flew over Saturn’s rings, which stretched out for thousands and thousands of miles. Eric knew Saturn would be massive—about 72,000 miles in its diameter—but Jupiter was even ginormous! Each of these gas giants dominated the view, and Eric could see the red storm raging near Jupiter’s equator. Eric found himself slack-jawed. He thought the trips between each relay was long, but the sheer size of these planets sure took the cake! As the ship left the asteroid belt, Mars was in sight. There was a whole fleet of Alliance frigates patrolling the area. Lacking FTL sensors, they have to scout ahead to find any enemy ships jumping in. Soon after passing by the red planet, what was at first a pale blue dot turned out to be Earth. The ship entered its atmosphere, the hull protecting the starship from heat upon entry along with any space junk nearby. The sun was fading behind the planet, and a large city by the coastline came into view. The pristine, newer skyscrapers had towered over the older, more worn out smaller buildings. Both Eric and Garrett sat up with the rest of the passengers as the ship landed. They went to the airlock and waited as the atmosphere equalized. With that done, they left the ship. Soon, Eric was greeted with the hot and humid climate of the city. They all entered a large, rectangular building with a dome-shaped sphere in the center. Eric wondered what to expect.
Eric sat at one of the tables, all by himself as he nibbled on his soft taco. The cafeteria had many tables, much like high school. It was vast and rectangular, the arching walls light-gray while the ceiling and the floor a darker shade. It was crowded with officers and recruits alike, all in different shapes, sizes, skin colors, and genders. He zoned out the noise and the indistinct chatter in the cafeteria. Still, the scent of food from the kitchen wafted about. He didn’t touch his sliced pineapples. Like many other recruits here, he was instructed to wait here until he was assigned to a bunker. Surveying the room, he didn’t find Garrett anywhere. Garrett promised to meet him here at this spot. Maybe he got lost in the line somewhere, getting something good to eat. He couldn’t call out to Garrett, so he decided to turn on his omni-tool instead. Maybe a message should get his attention. Username CosmosWiz (Eric Grimes)
Username: RockyPlace2 (Garrett Pitt)
EG: [LOGIN][ONLINE]
GP: [LOGIN][ONLINE]
20:16 EG: Are you here, Garrett? I can’t find you anywhere.
20:16 GP: Yeah just getting my meal. Lotta folks here
20:17 EG: Kay. I’ll keep an eye out. Do you remember where we’re sitting?
20:17 GP: Yeah
20:17 EG: I’ll wave when I see you.
20:18 GP: kkWith that, Eric turned off his omni-tool and continued eating. He was almost done, only a bite or two away from finishing and his cup of fruit punch was half-full. He then heard someone sitting next to him. At first, Eric thought it was Garrett, but much to his astonishment, it was someone else. To his left was sitting a fair-skinned man with curly blond hair and a slender, hawkish face. “Uh… you’re not Garrett,” said Eric. “Obviously not.” The man with an Australian accent placed his tray on the table. It had a bowl of spaghetti with chopped-up ground beef and a cup of orange juice at the side. “Name’s Arthur Mallon. You?” Eric was beginning to feel uncomfortable when Arthur jabbed him at the side with his elbow, so he scooted to his right. But Arthur was persistent, following him. “What’s th’ matter? Am I botherin’ you?” Arthur sneered. “Yes. You're annoying.” Eric didn’t even glance at Arthur. “Am I?” It was obvious Arthur’s gasp was fake. “I am so, so sorry, I—What’s that on your face?” He wiggled his finger at that question. Before Eric knew it, Arthur lunged and smacked his face. He snatched his plate and raised it high above his head as he stood up. “C’mon! You know the drill an’ all!” When I tell ya to jump, you say ‘how high?’” Eric frowned, unamused, as he slowly stood up. “I’m almost done with my lunch, jackass.” His calm tone betrayed the look on his face. “Maybe you should eat a little faster, Shortstuff.” “Shortstuff? Seriously? I’ve been called worse.” With that said, Eric snatched the rest of his meal and sat back down on one motion. He let out a smug grin, feeling victorious. If only Arthur could see his face right now… “Hey!” Arthur sighed, dropping his shoulders as he put aside Eric’s tray. “Nobody could take a joke.” He was ready to turn around and leave Eric alone, then bumped into a man much larger than him. Arthur gasped and jolted, for real this time, as he came face-to-face with Garrett, who was carrying a tray with a piece of steak and some vegetables on a plate. “Hey, Garrett. Fancy meeting you here,” Arthur stuttered. Eric arched an eyebrow upon hearing Arthur saying his friend’s name. Several bystanders were observing nearby. “You bothering my boyfriend?” Garrett asked, suspicious. “No, I—” Arthur looked around and stopped to turn at an entourage of four, watching from another table nearby. He turned back at Garrett incredulously after calming himself down. “Boyfriend?” He smiled. “You have a boyfriend here? This is the military, not high school.” Garrett laughed. “Funny. I could say the same thing, with you harassing him.” “But I…” Garrett leaned in closer to Arthur, his expression turning ugly. “Beat it. Now.” Arthur nodded frantically with fear in his eyes. “Okay. Yeah. Whate’er you say!” He grabbed his tray and set out to meet up with the four at the nearby table. He was obviously embarrassed if not humiliated. “Asshole,” Garrett muttered an angry aside to Arthur. He sat beside Eric, who was more than happy to see him. “Hey there.” Eric just finished his taco. “Sorry ‘bout that.” Garrett began cutting into his steak with a fork and a knife. “Again, took me a bit to find a good meal.” “Not your fault,” Eric replied. He paused before correcting himself. “Okay, it kinda was. By the way, Arthur seemed to recognize you. You knew him?” Garrett continued eating. “Him? Yeah, I knew him,” he answered after taking another bite. “He’s been a pain in the ass since junior high.” “I thought you said you came from Benning.” “I was born there,” said Garrett. “I never said I live there all my life.” Eric nodded, now getting the message. Garrett noticed the bundle of sliced pineapples on a small plate. “You gonna eat that?” Eric waved him off and scoffed. “I’m getting to that, thanks.” Garrett stopped and rested his arms on the table. He looked at Eric, straight in the eye, and said, “Look, I’ve noticed you haven’t been eating much lately. If he bothers you again, I’ll back you up. Okay?” Eric nodded again, looking back with a genuine smile. “Yeah, I appreciate that.” The PA mounted at a corner of the room beeped and crackled with sound. “Eric Grimes,” a man’s voice spoke from the speaker. “Eric Grimes, you’ve been assigned to Bunker Seven. Follow the green lights in the hallway.” Eric sighed, curling his lips in exasperation. “Y’know what? You can have my pineapple slices.” He sat up with his now empty tray after chugging down his drink. “I better get going.” His boyfriend blinked in confusion. “Okay, sure. See ya.” After placing his tray in the trash bin nearby, he followed a trail of green lights on the floor in the hallway, flickering in a direction, pointing him to where he needed to go. He couldn’t help but think back to the time he saw the Ender’s Game movie. As he walked down the hallway, passing by the first two rooms before a large window caught his eye. Outside, the sky was growing a darker shade of blue over the city of Macapá. The lights from the buildings and skyscrapers hide the stars in the heavens. He continued walking in the light-gray hallway and found a blue seven painted next to the door. This must be Bunker Seven unless he stumbled onto a different room with a number slapped on it somehow. But now this would be his new home for a while. The green light sounded, and the door slipped open. Eric entered inside. The bunker had no windows, with bright artificial lights mounted in lines on the ceiling. As the name would imply, there were eight bunk beds with steel frames, four at each side of the room. The beddings look simple yet comfortable: a dark-gray blanket with a white pillow. He was not the only occupant here. There were six other people in the room, wearing the same blue Alliance uniform as he was. One of the three other men sat up and noticed Eric entering, the door closing behind him. He was pale, tall, and lean with short red hair, small beady eyes, and a square face. “So, you’re our new bunkmate?” he asked with a Scottish accent. “What’s your name, fella?” “It’s Eric.” Eric was hesitant as he sat on the nearest bed. “Eric Grimes.” “Well. Name’s Elijah Brodie,” the Scottish young man answered. Eric waved. “Who are the others here?” “Ami Kato.” The Japanese woman was standing next to Elijah. Her dark hair went down at the top of her neck. Her round facial features and large eyes gave her a boyish look. “It’s nice to meet you.” “I’m Alban Adler.” A dusky-skinned man lay down on the top bed at the corner, playing a game of Solitaire on his omni-tool. His voice was brass and deep, having an Egyptian accent. “Pleasure to make an acquaintance.” A short, well-built man with tawny-beige skin and reddish-brown eyes turned away from a footlocker by the middlemost bed. “Hi! Name’s Bristol Piers,” he said with a rather enthusiastic British accent. Despite the offer to shake Eric’s hand, he refused. “Though fair warning: don’t talk to me about Harry Potter. I never get to hear the end o’ it.” Two more women were leaning on a wall at Eric’s right. The peach-skinned one with broad shoulders and thick biceps was gazing at a Mongolian woman with a loving smile on her face. The Mongolian woman had Turkish features: her skin mellow-brown, dark brown eyes, and short, wavy black hair. “Oh, uh…” The heavily muscled woman had a Russian accent. She looked away from the other woman in embarrassment, her cheeks flushed red. “I’m Vera Alkaev, and this is—” “Melek Sadik. Or Mel for short,” the Mongolian-Turkish woman finished. “I apologize for our behavior. We…” “You women should get some privacy!” Alban called out. Melek stared daggers at the Egyptian man before meeting her eyes with Vera’s. “Yes. We are in love. Also, I’m here because she and I have nowhere else to turn to.” Eric blinked at the statement. “I can relate.” Elijah's forearm suddenly glowed orange as he raised his arm to his chest. He smiled like a devil. “Anyone up for a game of Alliance Corsair? Bet none of you can beat me in a deathmatch.” “Oh hell, I’m in!” Alban bolted and jumped down from his bed with a flashy smile on his face. “Challenge accepted!” Vera came in with her omni-tool on. “Why not celebrate? We will have all night before orientation, no?” Eric was zoning out despite the others finding fun and relating. He stared at a wall in front of him with a blank look on his face. He didn’t even react to anything until Ami sat next to him. “Are you okay, Eric?” Eric gasped. “Yeah, I’m…” he sighed and lowered his head to the floor. “Not sure I should be thrilled about this. Just second thoughts.” “Likewise,” said Ami, her hands resting on her knees. “But we’ll all get through this, yeah?” “Then what?” “I have no idea. Ku areba raku ari.” Eric tilted his head toward Ami, perplexed. “Huh? I think my translator just glitched.” “It means there are hardships and there are delights,” Ami answered. Eric gestured. “And…?” “My aunt told me that, whenever I do chores for her. I don’t like them when I was a child, but I do them anyways. And do you know what I get in return?” “What?” “I get respect. With it, the freedom to do what I want with my life, and the responsibility that follows.” Eric said nothing. He reached down and opened the footlocker, grabbing a pair of pajamas. “You mind? I had a rough day.” Ami sat up, curling her mouth in a concerned fashion. “What happened?” ”Some asshole tried to take my food. But it’s done. Over. I just want to sleep, okay?” Eric’s voice was coarse. Ami frowned but slightly bowed in respect before joining with the other bunkmates. With no one eyeing him, Eric changed into his pajamas. He fitted and folded his uniform inside the footlocker and landed on the bottom bed with a thud. Wrapping the blanket around him, his eyelids grew heavy. Time slipped by. Indistinct chatter was followed by everyone else going to their bunks for the night. The mattress above him creaked. The light darkened, and soon everyone fell asleep. Should I send Natalie a message? Eric thought before drifting off to sleep. It was a city, dull and featureless. It had no billboards plastered with advertisements, no graffiti covering the walls, and no trains trailing on the rails as the boxcars would rattle left and right. There weren’t any doors or windows for any of the monolithic buildings. In fact, there weren’t any power plants churning out smog or solar panels or windmills laid about. The air was stale and quiet.
Both the sky and the ground were a white void. It was a miracle Eric managed to stand on his own two feet. Those were not the only things that threw him off balance. The people were blank. Faceless. No eyes, mouth, ears, or nose. They were naked, yet they had nothing to expose them. They were all the same size and shape as if they came off a bathroom sign.
The footsteps around Eric were quiet, and everyone, including him, was traveling down a winding path, twisting and turning in impossible directions. He became sick in his stomach when he found himself upside down like he was on a roller coaster slowly grinding forward. As soon as he stepped on the flat ground, more of these ‘people’ came in, and everything became crowded.
He couldn’t breathe. The air was still stale.
The crowd continued to grow, stretching out for miles upon miles as they closed in on their destination: a large, circular tunnel not unlike the ones leading to the subway stations in New York City. Yet it was foreboding somehow, and he didn’t like it.
Suddenly, he heard voices in his head and with it came an unbearable headache. Falling to his knees, he grunted as he held his head to fight off the pain. The voices—the whispers—were incomprehensible, all speaking at once. Everyone else ignored him.
Then the pain received along with the whispers. They were becoming familiar to him.
Eric turned to his right, a random direction. Surely enough, his heart leaped with joy as he met his brother. Long dark hair and hazel eyes, a scar on his chin, and a video game-inspired T-shirt and black shorts.
“Al!” Eric’s voice echoed as he stood up and bolted to his brother, only for him to ignore Eric as he passed by with the others. Alfonso didn’t even glance at him. And just like that, he was gone. Eric’s heart sank.
Someone bumped into him. He turned and gazed at Natalie passing by without a word. His mother also walked by, then his grandfather, and then his boyfriend. Finally, his father marched in like a soldier would, wearing his tan-and-gray military uniform. His face still bore the signs of age and weariness. Like everyone else, he disappeared into the crowd.
A large shadow loomed over him. Eric found himself standing at the entrance to the tunnel. The featureless crowd went down into the darkness, never to be seen again.
There were large security cameras mounted on the tunnel’s walls, watching everyone’s moves. They swung their outstretched necks on every individual, including him. There was a crimson flash on each of their spectacles.
As the cameras focused on him, Eric couldn’t bring himself to act. He wasn’t afraid or shocked. He felt nothing. Something forced him to move, one step after another into the tunnel.
Blackness engulfed him.
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Post by Nord Ronnoc on May 4, 2017 4:50:28 GMT 1
Chapter Six: Life in Transition The first dayBreakfast was, for the most part, uneventful. Eric ate some cereal—Honey Nut Flakes—while his bunkmates in the cafeteria chatted about what they did before enlisting here and why they joined. Come to think of it, Eric noticed he hadn’t seen Arthur anywhere. Eric was thankful for it, sure, but he couldn’t help but wonder if Arthur was just too scared to confront him after yesterday’s incident. He hoped that was the case. As if on cue, he was called to the infirmary. It was the same procedure as before: follow the green light on the floor. As if he had anything better to do. Inside the whitewashed room, the floor, the ceiling and the walls surrounding him were a bunch of empty seats and beds. There were health monitors at each bed whereas the seats strongly resembled the ones at Red Cross facilities. Upon making that comparison, Eric winced and recalled the time he passed out when he donated blood for the first time. There was a man with dark-brown hair in a white lab coat standing by a desk, his skin a warm beige. He turned away from an orange screen mounted on the desk, showing an angular face with a crooked mouth and a thin nose. His ears were rather floppy and wide. “Hey, mornin’.” The man smiled and waved. “Dr. Bales. I presume you’re Eric Grimes?” Eric nodded in response. With that, he stood up and looked over at a machine by a nearby chair. “Here for your gene enhancement? Hope it’s not as humiliating as your haircut. You had a haircut, right?” “My hair’s pretty short enough as it is." Eric curled his mouth. “Anyways, so what needs to be done?” Back home, the ethics behind the use of gene enhancement was heavily debated, exploring the potential for good for humanity. It would eradicate diseases, make people healthier, get rid of genetic defects, and slow down or even stop aging altogether. On the other hand, enhancements could be exploited, either the rich keeping it for themselves or by totalitarian regimes to create super soldiers. But here, as far as he knew, genetic enhancement was a non-issue. The use of it was widespread, too, mainly for modifying and enhancing genes, as the name would imply. But not to add new effects. “It involves epigenetics.” Dr. Bales placed a syringe in one of the seat’s machinery. “Do you know what it is?” “Um…” Eric squinted his eyes as he snapped his fingers together. “It’s something to the effect of hacking our genetic code. That right?” “That’s the tip of the iceberg,” said the doctor, nodding along. “It’s also where individual genes can be turned off or on. This shot I just installed…” he tapped at the syringe in the machine’s blocky arm. “…will enhance your genes responsible for things like your hand-eye coordination. Your body can also take in greater amounts of protein, which means that your muscle mass can develop at a faster rate. On the downside, you’ll have to eat more often because of higher metabolism.” Eric winced again. Always the damn syringes. “Okay, how much would my metabolism burn?” he asked, hoping to stay focused. Dr. Bales curled his lips, thinking. “About 3,000 calories for the average soldier. As for biotics, they tend to consume around a thousand or so more.” Then he noticed Eric’s nervousness by how he was looking away and how his hands were fidgeting. He sighed. “Eric, I understand you’re not really thrilled about it. Every patient I’ve talked to, they’re not thrilled about it either, but they go through with it. You know what happens after you take this shot?” Eric nodded. “A sore arm,” he remarked. “It’ll hurt like hell, though.” “Pretty much.” The Alliance doctor shrugged off with a hearty chuckle. “Okay, so… just relax, and everything will be okay. It’s not like you’re getting shot. By someone with a gun.” Eric gave the doctor a dirty look. “That’s not helping, y’know.” “Sorry.” Eric sat and laid back in the comfy leather chair. More than comfortable, with small vibrations traveling down his back. Dr. Bales inputted a command on the machine’s screen. The arm whirred to life and plunged the syringe into Eric’s left shoulder. For a moment, it hurt like hell, as the needle was burrowed into his muscles like an ant digging a hole. After a few long seconds, it was over. The machine drew the syringe away, and the good doctor applied a tiny amount of medi-gel to seal the wound. Aside from his arm being sore, he didn’t feel any different. Like vaccines, the effects of the gene enhancement would develop over time. “And done. Was that so bad?” Eric sat up from the chair with a sigh of relief. “Thanks.” He shook Dr. Bales’s hand and went to the exit. “Don’t forget that Basic Training starts tomorrow.” Eric turned and looked back at him as the door parted open. “Yeah, I know.” He nodded almost bitterly. He wasn’t looking forward to it, but he’ll have to grit his teeth and bear with it. The first week…Eric’s heart raced. He could hear his blood come rushing in as he stepped into the firing range. He wasn’t looking forward to screwing up in front of people. The walls around him were clean and whitewashed, the floor a metallic shade of gray. The bright lights on the ceiling and the walls gave him the idea the Alliance had ripped Apple off. He and a few dozen other recruits as their brunette, tawny-beige-skinned instructor lecturing them about how to handle a gun. Specifically, a pistol. “This here is a Kessler pistol, made by Hadre-Kedar.” The instructor had an accent, though Eric couldn’t point what exactly. It sounded Asian. The compact, black-and-gray pistol rested in her palms as she circled the room, showing it to each of the recruits. Some of them oohed as they leaned in closer. “It takes about eighteen shots, give or take, before it overheats,” she continued. “The Kessler pistol is a fairly accurate and reliable sidearm. It’s an ideal weapon for any military personnel, ranging from your common soldier to a techie to even a biotic. Anyone who happens to be a biotic, please raise your hands, and then the person standing next to you with the power of your mind.” A few of them laughed. “Allow me to demonstrate how to use it.” The instructor walked to one of the firing range spots and pressed a flashing green button on the side. A short distance away, a tile from the ceiling slid open, and a target descended. It was a typical silhouette with white circles on its chest and a red dot at the center. The instructor gripped the pistol in both hands, her finger alongside the trigger. Her left foot was in front with her right foot back, her elbows slightly bent, and her back was straight. She fired one shot, which hit the target close to the center. Then she shot four more times in rapid succession, each one close to the center. With that finished, she placed the pistol on a nearby table and turned around to them. “Anybody wanna volunteer?” No one uttered a word or even moved. “Anyone?” She shrugged a little, surprised. Eric sighed and rolled his eyes. Apparently, he had to do it. He stepped forward. The instructor pressed the button again, replacing the bullet-ridden target with a fresh one. She handed the pistol over to him. “Now, before you do something stupid—” A shot rang out as the gun slipped out of Eric’s hand. It clattered on the floor. Eric grunted in pain as he rubbed his wrist. The shot only hit the target in the groin area. “Nice shootin’, Tex!” someone commented. Some of them stifled their laughs, not wanting to incur the instructor’s wrath upon them. All he could do was look around and give out a little smirk. “My finger slipped,” he admitted. The instructor crossed her arms with a frown on her face, unamused by the notion. “I joke as much as anyone else, but do you all think this is a laughing matter?” The instructor faced the group and the ones laughing stopped. Even the smirk on Eric’s face went away as he stood up straight. “N-no, ma’am!” Eric answered. “I meant no disrespect!” The instructor turned towards him. “Good. If you can’t handle a gun properly, you might as well get killed on the battlefield. Understand?” Eric gulped, nodding. His hands shook, his wrist still hurting from the gun’s recoil. At least the pain was slowly receding. What would Papá think of me, here in the military screwing up? He lowered his head in shame. He had to remind himself of his family again… “Um… can I go to the restroom?” he asked. The instructor curled her lips before nodding. “Thirty minutes.” Eric wasted no time getting out of the room, zipping past the instructor and the other recruits. He passed by anyone despite their posts of him running in the hallway, making a beeline for the nearest restroom. Once inside the recently cleaned room. He looked around. No one stood at the urinals, no one inside the stalls. It was silent here. No water dripping in the sink, no pipes tapping inside the walls. He was all alone here. He looked at the time on his omni-tool. “Twenty minutes,” he muttered. He walked over to one of the sinks, as if in a daze, and stared at the mirror mounted on the dark-gray wall. Instead of dark hair reaching past his ears, it was a crew cut, a few days fresh. That wasn’t the only thing different about him. Upon pulling his lower eyelid down, he noticed a red line developing in the middle of his right eye. Even on a good day, Eric had difficulty sleeping. Not since he got separated from his family. He lowered his head, his hands planted on the edges of the sink, thinking over the instructor’s words. “ If you can’t handle a gun, you might as well get killed on the battlefield.” His arms began to shake. “Dios mío, I’m not cut out for military stuff,” he said to his reflection, his voice was starting to break. “I’m not sure if I’m good at anything, really.” He paused before looking up in the mirror. “I only got good grades in high school because I got lucky. I screw up a lot, and me slipping up on using a pistol cemented that. I could’ve gotten myself, or anyone hurt. Maybe killed. I got chewed out for it.” He shrugged. “Guess I deserved it.” He slowly wheeled his head around like a barrel. “I couldn’t find a way back home. Hell, I’m not even sure if that orb’s there, at Angkor Wat.” He sniffed, holding back tears. He leaned forward, his eyes now welling up as his cheeks turned pink. “Please, God... You created my universe—maybe this one, too.” He locked his fingers together and rested them against his forehead. “Would it hurt to help out someone as small and insignificant as me?” He hated getting desperate like this. Nothing. He threw his arms back, scoffing. “Figures.” Something chimed from his omni-tool. The sound continued as he turned his omni-tool on. A line going across the middle of a screen above his forearm vibrated in response to a voice coming from the other end. “Hey, hey, Eric!” It was from Luke. Eric cursed, startled. “Look this is a bad time.” “What’s goin’ on?” Luke asked, concerned. “First off, I’m in a restroom. Second—” “Shit, sorry.” Eric heard Luke puffing his cheeks and sighing. “Want me to call you back later?” Eric paused, staring off at a wall to his right with a sullen look. “I just…” He sighed. “I just had a shitty start of a day.” “Everybody has a bad day now and then,” Luke replied. “Hell, I have some myself. Some worse than others. Some of it was funny in hindsight.” “Yeah?” “Yeah,” Luke responded. “It’s pretty obvious you’re still having it rough at the academy. The first few weeks of training were hell for me, believe me. Yet, I persisted.” He paused before continuing. “Lemme guess, is that what you’re going through right now?” “You could say that,” Eric answered, hesitant. “Look, not everybody succeeds on their first try,” Luke said. “You’ll make it through this, no matter what. You got your boyfriend with you, y’know. It was my idea and all. And he would hate to see you like this.” Eric scoffed. “Oh c’mon, he wasn’t with me right now,” he shot back. Luke let out a small chuckle. “Well, still. You know what I mean, man. Just take care of yourself, okay? I don’t want to see you all burned out.” “Yeah, okay. And thanks for the talk,” Eric responded. “Anytime.” There was some other noise. It was somewhat inaudible, but after a bit, it was clear it was Natalie saying something. “Crap, gotta go!” With that, Eric said goodbye and ended the link. He checked the time on his omni-tool, only for his eyes to widen. “Dios mío! Five minutes?!” He muttered and made a beeline back to the shooting range. When he made it back, he found most of the other recruits were already firing at their targets. He should consider himself fortunate these firearms weren’t as loud as the guns back in his own universe, now he thought about it. The instructor was waiting by an empty booth, her arms crossed with a look nothing short of serious. “You barely made it on time,” she warned as Eric approached the booth. “Better get a move on with your break next time, soldier.” “Yes, ma’am!” Eric whipped up a salute. “Won’t be a problem.” Before Eric could grab the gun, the instructor asked, “Do you understand why I was so harsh on you?” He didn’t answer. Her expression remained unchanged. “Because what I’m trying to teach you is important. I’m trying to help you. It’s not like we’re a game where you die and respawn or reload from an earlier save, or a movie where the good guy does something stupid and lives to tell the tale. You’re not a cowboy. You’re becoming a soldier. It’s best to act like it. Understand?” Her tone was less harsh than before. “Yes. I understand,” Eric acknowledged. He lifted the gun and aimed down the sight. His arms went straight in front of him, his footing even. The instructor noticed this and corrected his stance to match her from earlier, except his right foot was in front, as he was right-handed. The way she did it reminded him of his father showing him how to hold a gun at a firing range not far from home. “This is the modified Weaver stance. We’ve been using it for centuries, to reduce the recoil of each shot. No reason to change it, in my opinion. Call me old-fashioned.” Eric steadied his aim as he exhaled sharply. “Think I’m ready, ma’am?” “You look ready,” the instructor said with a nod. With a confident look, he fired the pistol three times. One hit the left shoulder, the second below the neck and closer to the center, and the third in the head. It was then his smile faded, and he was about ready to drop his head in disappointment. “Don’t beat yourself up over it,” she said, “despite what happened with that screw-up of yours. Not everyone nails it on the first few tries. With enough practice, you’ll go far. Everybody does.” She turned back to the other recruits as Eric continued firing, abet slowly to make sure got it right this time. The first month…A right hook had left Eric’s face exposed, and a fist collided with it, sending him backward toward the edge of the platform as his head twisted to the left. His brain rattled from the impact he stumbled, dazed. It was hand-to-hand-combat training, and Eric thought he had it rough when he struggled through the obstacle course the other day. Many of the cadets here were placed into groups of pairs. Unfortunately for Eric, he happened to be paired with Arthur Mallon. He stood back up, his fists up and his left foot upfront. His face twisted into a scowl as Arthur looked back with a shit-eating grin on his face. “C’mon, I dare ya!” Arthur beckoned. It was almost tempting to wipe that smile off the bastard’s face. For weeks, Eric had to endure with Arthur’s behavior. Annoying pranks like being slapped after being misdirected, witnessing Arthur’s disruptive attitudes, and shoving round in the hallway between training sessions. Every time Arthur was seemingly disciplined by his superiors, he always happened to bounce back. And here Arthur said this was a military training facility, not high school. Eric took a deep breath; he had to focus. He put up an attempt at a defensive stance, both of his wrist blocking his view. If he struck first again, Arthur would easily deflect that blow as well. All mirth faded away from Arthur’s face as he readied his combat stance. “Fine, your funeral.” Unlike Eric’s, he put his left palm close to his face, his right arm stretching forward. He charged, and Eric found himself overwhelmed by the barrage of punches and kicks. Every time he blocked or deflected Arthur’s strike, his arms hurt and ache more and more. He nearly stumbled twice when he was once again near the edge of the platform, skirting by the ropes. Was he here to show what he learned, or did he sign up for a boxing match? Out of nowhere, something heavy slammed against Eric’s side. He let out a gasp, his eyes becoming wide as his lungs tried to suck the air back in. He grabbed one of the ropes to maintain his balance and gazed at Arthur’s risen leg. “Told ya,” he grinned and approached Eric. “You left your tummy open.” Eric blinked and heaved. Was it just him or did Arthur grew half a foot all a sudden? Never mind that, he told himself and leaped at Arthur. He ducked a right hook and wrapped his arm around Arthur’s shoulders from behind. His opponent grunted and struggled, grabbing Eric’s arms but it was too late for him. Eric dragged him to the ground face down. In a swift motion, Eric twisted his right arm, keeping him in place. Even Eric surprised himself. He couldn’t believe he could pin a man bigger than him down, let alone anyone, really. He was breathing hard, covered in sweat like a blanket around him, and his entire body shook. He wanted this done. “Ready to give up?” Eric asked through clenched teeth. Arthur grumbled and nodded, now seeing defeat. One of the instructors nearby tapped his omni-tool and approached the ring. “Alright, you two. That’s enough.” The instructor’s Middle Eastern accent was clear. He climbed up and prompted Eric to let Arthur go. With that done, Arthur crawled up to his knees and turned, his bruised face fuming red. “Need help?” Eric bent down and offered a hand. As much as he hated the prick, he couldn’t bring himself to stripe Arthur more of his dignity. He didn’t see himself as that kind of person. That moment of sympathy was in vain, as Arthur swept away his hand and went up to his feet. He marched past them, leaving the ring without saying a word. “Wha… what was that for?” Eric asked, confused. The instructor stopped him. “That was pretty rough. You should check up at the medbay.” “What about him?!” Eric protested as he watched Arthur ready to leave. “If he could so kindly explain to me what his beef with me is, that’ll be nice!” Arthur came to an abrupt stop and looked over his shoulder, frowning. “Piss off. I’m not telling you squat!” Eric could only drop his jaw to the floor as Arthur and the others left the room, stomping all the while. He muttered a Spanish curse, also leaving the ring as he shook his head. “So what’ll happen next?” he asked the instructor. “I’ll notify your superiors, see if they can get this mess sorted out,” the instructor answered. Eric nodded without looking back. It wasn’t like Arthur would stop being an asshole anytime soon, but it should be worth a try. Three months later…Eric’s eyes fluttered open, his head resting on the left window. He straightened up, the smudge from his breath vanishing in an instant. “Rise and shine, handsome,” Garrett smiled, looking at him with a warm smile, suitable for the weather. He had squeezed in the back, sitting to the right of Eric with Luke and Natalie upfront. Over Garrett’s casual overalls was a black jacket with a fluffy hood. Eric yawned and rubbed his eyes. “Huh? How long did I sleep for?” “Not that long.” “Really? Weird. Dios, it felt like forever since I slept that well.” Luke laughed as he turned to face Eric. “That must’ve been a hell of a nap you got there!” “I’ll bet,” Eric agreed. The engine hummed softly as the skycar flew above the snowy wetlands. The sky above was spotty with thick clouds all about, like anyone would see a pattern on a cheetah or a Dalmatian. Eric wasn’t wrapped on the current events in Cambodia, he wasn’t certain if his universe’s counterpart went down a similar path. As far as he knew, there were a series of riots and wars revolving around its integration with the Chinese People’s Federation. “Lucky for you, you slept through most of the trip,” Natalie said, driving the skycar. “We’re almost to the temple.” Not long before completing his basic training, Eric learned why the conversation short three months ago was cut short because Natalie was pregnant. With twins, in fact; they were due in June next year. A card wouldn’t be a bad idea. It’ll be a nice thing to do, Eric considered at the time. He should make a mental note of it. He looked outside and spotted a series of structures just out in the distance, larger than any monument of the ancient world he had ever seen. The closer the vehicle went, the more imposing those structures became, especially with the sandstone towers from the center casting a great shadow from the south. Eric noticed several additional buildings surrounding the temple. They weren’t there the last time he had been to the temple. The newer ones shared that same slick, monolithic design from the Citadel, the older ones blocky and egalitarian. What was more was the additional people below, likely going about their business. A few of them were even members of other species, mainly turians. The temple had outlasted the empire that built it along with countless wars that followed. With numerous restoration teams at work over many years, they ensured it would endure for many more years to come. Incredible how things remain the same, no matter what changed, Eric mused to himself. Too bad that’ll likely be wiped away by the Reapers.People argued that Angkor Wat should be the eighth wonder of Earth. After all these years, Eric would still agree. The vehicle landed at a café. Eric stepped out with the others, only to stop when his head wheeled in dizzying motion. A wave of memories and the emotions that came with them flooded into his mind. His brother kicking in the dirt, exchanging quips and jokes with his sister. Family photos were taken by the bridge to the temple. Exploring the temple, seeing the sights. And the orb. Bright lights emitting from the translucent object. Eric screaming as a jolt of electricity coursed through his body. He could do it, echoing in his mind. His heart ached, his head throbbing. He missed his family. Their hopes and dreams crushed with him gone. No moments of them being proud of him at MIT. Nothing to show off his education and knowledge. Why did Natalie and Luke bring him here? He told himself he could handle it after months of grueling exercises and training at an Alliance facility. “Eric? Eric!” A hand on his shoulder. Eric came to and gasped, turning at Natalie with a blank look. “You were just standin’ around, staring at that temple,” Garrett said, the worry in his voice palpable. “Is something the matter?” Eric breathed, steadying his heart rate. He realized he had experienced an episode of déjà vu. He should be ashamed of himself. He thought he could get over it, as time could heal all wounds. “Yeah. Yeah.” He blinked a few times, his lips pressing together. “Let’s just get something to eat for lunch. Or breakfast. Time zones, right?” He paced past the others and entered the café at a moment’s notice, ignoring the scent of grease lingering in the air. He slumped on the nearest unoccupied seat available and waited. He whipped out a set of earpieces and turned on some music from his omni-tool, drowning out the chatter around him. Electric guitar riffs. David Bowie singing. I, I will be king
And you, you will be queen
Though nothing, will drive them away
We can beat them, just for one day
We can be heroes, just for one day“Oh yeah, that’s the stuff,” Eric muttered to no one and smiled. At the corner of his eye, he saw a waiter with a screen from his omni-tool on hand. He mouthed off something, probably asking him for his order. He said nothing, nodding slowly as if in tune. The waiter sighed, irritated at the lack of response, and walked away. He relaxed, slumped backward, and closed his eyes with a deep sigh. His mind began to drift away as if it wanted to get away from a bad place. The music helped him a little. A hand tapped on his shoulder. He turned around and saw a rather worried Luke by his spot, flanked by Garrett and Natalie. Luke gestured to Eric to remove some imaginary object out of his ear. It took him a few seconds to realize Luke was referring to his earbuds. He paused his music and removed said earbuds as Luke and Natalie sat down across from Eric. Natalie was closer to the window. “Um…” Garrett stood around rather awkwardly, pressing his lips together. “Oh! Sorry, Garrett,” Eric replied and scooted closer to the window. With that, Garrett sat down next to Eric. “But c’mon, man. What’s wrong? You can talk to me about anything.” Eric stayed quiet, even as he stared right into Garrett’s blue eyes. He wanted to tell his boyfriend the truth. Where he came from, how he got here, and the fact that this very universe they all reside in was originally one created by the collaborations of other people from his world. It would get so much off his chest it wasn’t even funny. Still, no words came out. He couldn’t bring himself to do it, as some part of his conscience reminded him it would be a cruel thing to do, however insane that would be. “He had some pretty bad memories here, Garrett,” Natalie said. “I don’t think any of us know they would resurface.” “I…” Eric finally spoke. He sighed. He should thank Natalie later. “It’s alright, Natalie. I don’t want to talk about it, okay?” What was he thinking? He didn’t have déjà vu as he first thought. Rather, it was likely he had PTSD. He should go see a therapist soon if only to confirm his self-diagnosis. Garrett exhaled. “Okay, cool. I understand. Privacy and all, right?” “I guess,” Eric replied. It was then Garrett gently grasped his hand and stared straight into his eyes. “Eric, you remember what I said back four months ago at the recruitment center?” Eric smiled. If only he could see the blush on his face. ‘Yeah, I do. No matter what, you’re with me. I love you.” He took a deep breath. It was like a great weight had fallen off his chest. “Something like that. And I love you, too.” “Yep, and there are me and Nat you have to deal with,” Luke interjected. Natalie gave him an approving look. “You’re not alone here. And besides, I heard you did pretty good in basic training.” “I did?” Eric asked as he gently escaped his boyfriend’s grip. He had to admit, he was surprised. He feared he wasn’t cut out for the military. “Well, I… thanks and all. I think I need to hear that.” “I saw you messing around with your omni-tool,” Natalie commented as he leaned forward. “Ever thought about enlisting under the Engineer AIT?” “You mean advanced training?” Eric asked. Natalie nodded, and he turned to Luke. “Hey Luke, how long does advanced training take again?” “Um…” Luke rubbed his chin before counting his own fingers. “Several months, I think. But some courses are exclusive to biotics—” “You know I’m not a biotic,” Eric chuckled. Luke puffed his cheeks. “Right. My mouth went ahead of my brain, sorry about that.” A brief pause. “So Engineering for me, right?” Eric asked. “That’s right,” Luke confirmed. “You seemed like a good fit. What about you, Garrett?” “You’re kidding, right?” Garrett scoffed. “I’m big and loud.” He palmed his chest as if to prove a point. “Soldier, then.” “That’s kinda redundant, but okay. What next?” “Well, you two might be going to separate facilities, so you’re not gonna see each other for a while,” Luke explained. “It’s a bummer, I know.” Eric’s heart dropped like a bag of rocks, a sullen look appearing on his face. “But what about using comm channels? Taking breaks?” “Yeah, something like that. Silver lining, huh?” Garrett and Eric exchanged looks. For a moment, it felt like an eternity. “So… another kiss for luck?” Garrett asked. “I don’t think we’ll get another chance.” Eric nodded, and his lips pressed against Garrett’s. It was longer than usual. Sweet and a little wet. He could taste a bit of mint lingering in Garrett’s breath. “Brushed your teeth again?” Eric asked as they parted. “Yeah. Miniaturized mass effect fields as usual. And toothpaste,” Garrett answered with a smile. Eric smiled back. “I didn’t know you could do that.” “You do now, love.” Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all, visiting Angkor Wat, Eric thought. A shiver went down his spine, the fear of seeing the orb again lingering in his mind, but it was small enough for him to ignore and put aside for now. I mean, a meal and going to the temple. That’s pretty cool. What’s the worst that could happen?
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Post by Nord Ronnoc on Aug 14, 2019 22:08:26 GMT 1
Chapter Seven: Boston Year: 2012 Location: Boston, MassachusettsChristmas Day; that time of the year again. Instead of Eric and his family going over to New York upstate to visit his uncle Seth, many of his relatives on both sides of his family came over to his place instead. To his disappointment, he couldn't find his father anywhere. He knew his dad was redeployed, but he couldn't help but have this sense of incompleteness, with his mother taking up most of the slack on taking everyone here. Deep down, he feared it was going to be some sort of clash or something, where some idiot would get drunk and rowdy, leading to a brawl, and someone would call the police. Much to his relief, none of that happened. Maybe he was in a pretty bad mood lately. With all the gift-exchanging and the constant chatter and the like, it started to wear him down a little. "Why don't you say hi, Eric? Hi, Eric! This is your new cousin, Juan!" his aunt Lila cooed rather excitedly at one moment, waving the newborn's delicate arm. "Wow, I beat you? That's a first," Garcia remarked while playing a game of Mario Party on the Wii. "Hey, Eric! Did I give you that smartphone already?" Seth called out another point. Now it was too much for him to bear. Right now, he'd rather watch through the window behind the couch, hoping to see some snowfall. That would be entertaining. Come to think of it, did he get anyone a gift for this year? "Eric? Why aren't you playing Mario with your cousins?" Eric jolted a little. He turned to his left, seeing his grandmother Carol sitting next to him. Like every time he saw her, she always wore a fluffy sweater, this time a green and red-rimmed one with a Christmas tree in the middle. "Oh… hey, Abuela," Eric sighed and settled on the couch, looking at the TV mounted on an old, brown leather stand as his cousins continued playing Mario Party. The screen showed a part of a large, colorful, and crowded board, with Mario skipping across each large blue dot before stepping on a pink dot. "I think they're good. They already got enough people to play as it is. They seemed happy enough." "They take turns, your sister included," she pointed out. Eric said nothing, only rolling his eyes as he groaned in disgust. It was then his grandmother noticed something about him, judging by the concerned look on her face. "Are you okay, Eric?" she asked, her hand on his. "I'm okay, Abuela," he insisted, looking away from her. Her face made more wrinkles when she frowned, all mirth disappearing. "But aren't you having a good time?" "Well…" "Well, that's just rude!" she retorted with wide eyes. "It's Christmas, for goodness sake! I doubt you'll get another chance to spend time in person for a while, aren't you?" Eric doesn't want to argue with her. She was her grandmother, and it was Christmas day. Why would he ruin it for everyone else? He hung his head forward with his hands together. "You know what?" He puffed his cheeks before pressing his lips together. "You're right. I'll do my best for your sake." His grandmother's frown turned upside down, a warm smile traveling across her face. She seemed pleased with Eric's answer. "That's the spirit!" she said, giving Eric a small and brief hug. "Thank you, Abuela." He smiled in return, but he couldn't help but notice her arms were shaking. His grandmother sat up. "Now, I need to go outside for a bit for a smoke." "Wait, that stuff…" he tried to protest. He wanted to. Her head dropped in shame. "I know, Eric. I'm trying. I'm doing my best for your madre's sake." With that, she sauntered out of the living room and onto the porch outside, closing the front door behind her. Eric looked back at the window and saw it was nighttime already. Time sure passed by quickly. His mother walked out of the kitchen and stopped in between the dining area and the living room. "Okay, everyone!" She clapped her hands together to get everyone's attention. "Dinner's ready!" In a span of a minute, many gathered in the dining area. There were two tables, one taller than the other. The taller and longer one, made of oak, had several empty plates surrounding a stuffed turkey. Near the edge of the room, by the rather large window looking out to the neighborhood, was the short plastic table with plastic chairs, suitable for small children. "Did we get everyone, Felicia?" Eric's grandfather, Arturo, asked. He wore the same sweater as his grandmother. Also, he sat down next to Eric after the latter gathered a plateful of sliced turkey and black olives. Eric's mother looked around at a hurried pace before her face fell into a scowl. Eric looked around as well. Realization dawned on Eric that he hadn't seen his brother since earlier today when he gave his brother Halo 4. With his birthday money, no doubt. "Dios mío, ¿dónde está ese muchacho idiota?" His mother rolled her eyes before turning toward him. "Eric, could you go out and get your brother? Tell him dinner's ready." Eric nodded. He didn't like being around that many people, anyway. He squeezed out of his chair in haste and sauntered out of the kitchen, leaving his dinner untouched. He went up the stairs by the living room, the woodwork creaking after each step. Soft and quiet, he passed by each framed picture after he flipped the lights on. A sense of nostalgia filled the air as he slowed his pace. Some either depicted him, his relatives, or both, like the one where his two-year-old self and his mother at the time played around in the kiddie pool. Another was showing his sister from ten years ago, showing her blue Tamogatchi in broad daylight. Other pictures were old, some with faded colors while others black and white. On the tenth step, he stopped when he saw a picture of his father wearing his military uniform before he went out on his first tour. The picture had him standing straight, a blank expression on his face. Eric knew why he left earlier this year, but he lowered his head and looked away, frowning. Every time he called his father, sent him a message on Facebook, emailed him, and even tried doing a voice chat on Skype, his father always said he was busy. At the top of the stairs was where a cross would be, with dust gathering around its spot. Eric looked away, a mixed feeling of embarrassment and disgust lingering in him. He didn't want to be reminded of what happened years ago. He blinked, shaking off his thoughts as the sounds of Alfonso playing a video game grew louder as he approached a door across the room from the stairs. Judging by the simulated gunfire, Alfonso was playing Halo 4. He knocked on the door. "Hey, it's Eric. Mamá sent me to get you. Dinner's ready." "I'm in the middle of something!" Alfonso replied behind the door. Eric frowned. "Want me to bring Garcia? You know having dinner with family is more important than playing that game I got you." "I'm playing Mass Effect right now!" Eric frowned. "What?" He did not just hear his brother say that. "Hey, don't freak out like that! I'll get to Halo eventually." "Look, quit messing around and—" Eric stopped himself as he barged in, the door swung open. The room was small and an absolute mess at that. It was well-lit by a lamp on the desk to his right. The carpet floor was littered with garbage, most of them candy wrappings and chip bags. The bed was a mess, and a pile of clothes had squashed up next to Alfonso. On the desk was a copy of Halo 4, still wrapped in plastic. Across from the desk was a small TV on top of a drawer, with the Xbox 360 standing next to it. And there was his brother, sitting on the bed with the controller on his lap. "What the hell, man?" he called out, giving him a dirty look. Eric crossed his arms. He eyed the unwrapped game before gazing at Al's TV, showing the Xbox blue-and-white interface, the picture behind it darkened. A dark-haired man in blue armor stood next to a large glowing terminal, his hand over a flashing red button with a red star appearing at the corner of the screen. "So that's Mass Effect?" he asked, unfolding his arms. Alfonso nodded. "Yep. Third game in the series. That's the Omega DLC, by the way." "What about Halo? You were pretty excited about that," Eric pointed out, all his frustration receding. His brother rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but I have to catch up. I didn't even look up some spoilers online." "But… why?" Alfonso smirked. "What do you think?" Eric knew a little about the series, but since his brother wouldn't shut up about it, he lost interest. Right now, he had more pressing concerns like not pissing his mother off. "You know what?" Alfonso asked as he sat up with a grunt. "I'm starvin'. We better get downstairs before Mom kills us. Or lecture us in front of everyone." "Just like that?" Eric asked, surprised at the sudden turn of events. "Just like that. C'mon," Alfonso replied. Eric nodded and followed his brother as they left the room. Now he thought about it, the series had some interesting concepts like an exotic material that released dark energy in addition to pursuing a romance with a character of the same sex. If only he hadn't had so much homework to do… "Wait, about Mass Effect…" he started. "Yeah?" Alfonso asked as he looked back at Eric. "So when can I try them out?" "Oh, so now you're interested?" Alfonso asked while going down the stairs. "Maybe after dinner, okay? I'll let you play in my room, but you'll have to start playing games with me like you promised, and that includes the one you're not into. And if you want the full experience, start with the first game. Deal?" Eric considered Alfonso's offer before smiling. What was the worse could have happened, anyway? "It's a deal." Year: 2182 Location: Angkor Wat, EarthOn the walls of the passageway, the white paint had faded from centuries worth of wear and tear, more so than his last visit. They were decorated with carvings, detailing large-scale battles like the Battle of Lanka and various aspects of Hindu mythology. Once again, Eric was so entrenched by the level of detail and the stories of people and powerful beings that he lost track of time. But he stopped and gathered his bearings. Wasn't that what led him to the orb in the first place? He walked past the bystanders. Most ignored him while a few of them he bumped into were polite enough to either apologize or say, "excuse me." At least the temple wasn't crowded. He wandered around aimlessly and saw a few daring teenagers climb up the steep stairs of the smaller towers as his siblings had done beforehand. He wondered how things would have been different if his father had bothered to come with them to Thailand. Maybe he would've told himself to be mindful. Maybe he would've been a bit more grateful for his son. Eric sighed deeply, unclenching his fists as he shivered a little. He saw his breath coming out of his mouth only to disappear a second later. It was a good thing he was wearing a hat and a jacket. It was freezing out here! He returned to his thoughts and realized anger was welling up inside him. He knew it was probably more complicated than that. It wasn't like anyone, not even his father, would see him whisked away to another universe. His father loved him, but looking back, his military service wasn't the only thing that changed him. Year: 2013 Location: Boston, MassachusettsEric tapped his mechanical pencil on his desk. He was in the middle of doing his homework, but he found himself drawing a blank. His nostrils flared up, irritated that somehow, he lost his train of thought on an essay question from his AP Physics textbook downloaded on his laptop. It was supposed to be an easy question for him, but did he forget something? He rubbed his temples to fight against the throbbing pain in his head. He had been looking at the screen for too long. He scrolled back up a few pages to re-read a section. A minute later, he had the answer. Just as he started to write down the answer on the notepad, he looked up to the window in front of him. It was the afternoon, though rather cold according to the weatherman. It was rather sunny, the sunlight giving his small room plenty of light. Outside were rows and rows of houses and apartments lying by a large body of water he could barely see. Given the weather and the time of day, there were plenty of birds in the sky and he could hear the roar of an airplane overhead. He sighed. His brother and father went to the Marathon. Alfonso wanted to join in the race, but his father objected. Eric wished he would've come along, but he had homework to do. He looked up and stared out the window. It would have been nothing out of the ordinary, if not for a trial of smoke rising southwest from his home. With widening eyes, Eric gasped. His father and brother were there, at Copley Square. Boylston Street. That was where the Marathon took place. His mind swam in a never-ending stream of thoughts and questions. What happened? Was there a fire over there? Was anyone okay? He sat in his chair, doing nothing, saying nothing. Seconds stretched on, turning into an eternity. He wasn't sure what to do, how to react to this, or anything, really. A faint boom and another trial of smoke rose near the same spot. This was never a fire. Footsteps came rushing to his room, and the door swung open behind him. Eric jolted up and turned around, seeing his sister. Her hand on the handle, her eyes were wide with the same kind of terror he had. "Garcia, what's going on?" he asked. "You need to see what's on the news right now," his sister answered. Eric sat up and rushed out of his room and down the stairs with her. "What about Al? And Papá?" "Couldn't get a hold of either of them," Garcia answered quickly. They entered the living room. The TV showed police officers and soldiers in uniform urging people to get to safety. It was hard to make out what was going on, with smoke concealing much of the scene and the camera shaking every several seconds. He stared silently, his welling eyes glued to the screen as he approached and sank to the couch. "Let me see if I can try getting a hold of them again," Garcia spoke, and she went back upstairs. Sirens wailed outside, getting louder while passing by the house. It was the ambulance, he theorized. His heart sank as the implications began to set in. He could hope, perhaps even pray, that his brother and father would be alright, along with everyone else in the city. He looked up to see his mother sitting next to him. A mix of worry and horror was marked all over her face. Her hands were over her mouth. "Hey…" Eric croaked. His mother said nothing, her eyes focused on the TV as a correspondent talked and recapped what was going on. "I…" he began. He was at a loss for words. "Someone left a bomb at... Why would someone do that?" "I don't know." Her voice began to crack. "I don't know how to answer that. I'm not God. I can't read people's thoughts." She paused for a moment. "Maybe there's… there's something wrong going on in their head. Maybe they just want to hurt others and make them suffer for it." "That's a pretty messed up view of the world," Eric replied. "Yeah," his mother agreed. Neither of them said anything else, even with more breaking news unfolding. "Can I tell you something?" he asked. "Anything," her mother answered. "I want to help out." It was then his mother shot him that look, all grave and disapproving. "I'm sorry, but no." "Wha…?" Eric found himself confused. "But…" "No," she repeated. Her tone was harsh. To be honest, it was surprising to see her like that, let alone hear her like that. Eric sat up and turned to see her. With narrowed eyebrows, he crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Don't you start…" she frowned. "Why not?" "Because it's too dangerous out there," she answered, not breaking her eye contact with her son. "For all we know, whoever has set up these bombs could still be out there. I don't want you getting hurt!" "I still want to come," he insisted. "You're a nurse. You're supposed to help people. Besides, it's not that far from Copley Square. I'll be safe with other people. Hell, I can even get there on foot." "No. It'll take too long to get there." "Well, I can take the car and—" "You are not taking the car," she shot back, her voice beginning to rise. Despite this, she never showed any other signs of anger. Eric frowned, unfolding his arms as his nostrils flared up. "Look, I'm not that worried about myself. I'm more worried about the others, okay?" He pointed at the TV showing a bunch of people carrying another person on a stretcher to an ambulance, blood staining his clothes. "Everyone's out there trying to help! Maybe even risking their lives doing so?" His arm lowered. "What about Al? What about Papá? Huh? How would you feel if either of them gets hurt? What about both?!" "So am I, mi hijo. I know you want to help," his mother replied, her voice lowering. "But I pray to God it'll be taken care of. The authorities will be looking for whoever has done this, and I'm sure your hermano and papá will be safe and sound. They'll be home soon. I know it." Eric wanted to speak out. He wanted to do something and make a difference, no matter how small that might be. He didn't want anyone else to suffer. He wanted to be a good person for once. Hell, he could just walk out of here. But he stopped and wondered to himself, would he really do that to his mother, making her worry like Alfonso did when he was late home from school? He would get a scolding from her, and a worse one from his father. He wasn't ready for it. Not yet. No one wanted to have their child hurt or worse. "I don't think there's anything you can do now, Eric," she continued, doleful. "What about later?" "I don't know." His mother grabbed the remote and turned the TV off. At least Eric was thankful for that; they had enough of this bullshit. "Please, just… just stay here. It's for your own good." She said nothing else as she sat up and left the living room, and Eric stood there all by himself in the living room. With slumped shoulders and a lowered head, he left the living room as well. It's for your own good. That hit him right in the gut like a bulldozer had gone through the wall and ran him over for good measure as he walked up the stairs. Sure, she was his mother and she truly cared for and loved him. With his father always busy with work, she had to double her efforts and pick up the slack he left behind. But to Eric, it was nothing short of condescension, no matter how she spun it. When he reached the top of the stairs, his pacing slowed as he passed by the door to his sister's bedroom. He leaned against the door, and he could tell she was inside, judging by the soft sobs. He knocked on the door. He waited. The sobs went silent. "Garcia?" Eric called out. There was no answer. Eric knocked on the door again. "Hey, it's Eric. You don't sound so good." Again, no answer came from inside her room. Slowly and cautiously, Eric creaked the door open enough for him to peek inside. The room was slightly larger than his. Her golden-yellow bed with a willow frame and lily pillows was packed in a corner by his left, the walls painted a bright red. His sister was on the bed, all curled up in a fetal position. Her back had turned against the wall. He hesitated. Maybe I shouldn't barge in if she didn't answer.He was about to leave and go to his room, but she shifted and tossed around, seeing him just as he stepped out. "Eric?" Eric stopped and looked back. "Oh. Hey, Garcia. I thought I should check up on you. Doing alright?" She sat up before shaking her head. Dried tears trailed down her cheeks, her face was red with sadness. "No. I'm not doing so good." "Me neither." Eric stepped into the room nervously. "Um, mind if I—" "It's fine. Go ahead." Eric said nothing as he sat down in her office chair by her bed. "I couldn't help it either." He lowered his head. He curled his lips. "So, about Papá and Al…" "No. I still couldn't get a hold of either of them," Garcia answered. "I left them some texts and voicemails. I hope that'll work out." "Yeah, me too." He sighed and looked up at her. He wanted to try something different so they could take their minds from what seemed like the end of the world. "Hey, you remember the time Al dared you to eat one of those Naga Viper peppers? You were on the floor at Simon's place, screaming like crazy." He nearly broke into a chuckle. "Like, your face was all red and stuff." Garcia puffed her cheeks to stop herself from smiling. "Oh, fuck off, Eric! At least he ate one himself. Serves him right if you ask me." "Yeah," he smiled. "He was happy about it." "Well, let's see…" Garcia fell into deep thought for a moment, trying to remember another thing they could reminisce about. "What about the time Papá managed to beat you and Al in Super Smash Bros.? He never played a video game before." "Hey! I was six! And Al was nine!" Eric shot back playfully. "You can't blame both of us for that!" "You and Al have been playing games a lot longer than he has," she pointed out, finally breaking into a smile. "Can't argue with that." Come to think of it, he realized he hadn't played much before playing the Mass Effect series. Maybe he should catch up. He did promise to Al that he would play with him. "It'll be nice for Papá to, uh, take a break." Garcia rolled her eyes and rested her hands on the mattress. "Don't think that's likely." "I know. I just wanted to say it." Eric pressed his lips together. "And… I kinda wish Mamá would let me out of the house." This made his sister confused. "What for?" she asked with arched eyebrows. "She says it's for my own good." Eric clenched his knees, anger and frustration welling up inside him as his nostrils flared up. "I just want to help and maybe find Al and Papá as well." "Same. I'm planning on volunteering. A lot of people got hurt, and they need help. They need blood donations, medical supplies, stuff like that. It's not gonna die down anytime soon." Eric nodded. He wished he could donate blood as well. "That's nice. But it doesn't explain why Mamá treated me that way." Garcia let out a deep sigh as she closed her eyes for a moment. The struggle to find the words to say was palpable on her face. "She's taking it pretty badly, you know. She didn't want you hurt or missing or worse." "I know." "But it's not right for her to treat you like that." She paused thoughtfully before continuing. "Have you heard of the Serenity Prayer?" Eric heard about it before. God granted me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. That was how he remembered it. But he didn't want to accept that this would be a part of his life, and at the same time, he never felt so powerless in his life. He said nothing. Footsteps came up the stairs, then to the hallway, louder as they went closer to Garcia's room. The sudden noise brought their attention to their mother stopping at the door. There was that overjoyed and, more importantly, relieved look on his mother's face. "It's your hermano. He just called. Your hermano and papá are alright!"
It was dusk, the sun setting behind the many buildings in Copley Square. Someone placed a handheld radio near the fountain with the two obelisks. The stranger inserted a CD into the radio and hit the play button. People started to gather around the site to memorialize the victims of the attack. Three people perished, and hundreds were injured. In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
'Neath the halo of a streetlamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silenceThe crowd continued singing in unison as more gathered to join in, some to bring lit candles, pictures of loved ones, well-wishing cards, and other small objects. All of them gathered around a large, decorated poster that read, BOSTON STRONG in green marker Eric was among many others. He only brought a bag of flowers his mother bought. Even as people sang, he only stood silent. He couldn't bring himself to go along with the others. Neither could his brother. It had been days since the bombing. The authorities, the FBI, and a few police departments were on the lookout for the suspects involved. It was a terrorist attack, they said. They told the public to keep out and report any suspicious activities. People started up efforts to aid the victims, helping them provide a speedy recovery. Various organizations and companies set up ways to find any missing persons. That was how Alfonso and his father were found. A sharp tap on his shoulder brought Eric's attention to his brother. On the surface. Alfonso looked fine. He wore an anime-themed t-shirt to go along with his khaki pants and gray sneakers. His hair had been growing ever since late last year. Inside, however, was a whole different story. Eric noticed him shiver if only just a little. "C'mon, let's get out of here," his brother urged him. "This place is starting to feel like a ghost town." He blinked in confusion. It took him a moment to realize his brother and his father were close to the site of the bombing. That could shake anyone to the core, literally in this case. "Okay," he nodded and followed closely behind his brother as they left the park behind, sauntering past the others in the crowd as they all chanted, "Boston Strong!" Their car wasn't far away; it was down Boylston Street at a large yet unassuming parking lot. Neither Eric nor Alfonso said anything, even as they arrived at the parking lot. There were a lot more cars after they parked. The silence made Eric more than a little uncomfortable. He wanted to say something, but he wasn't sure about what words he should pick. Should he comfort his brother? Ask about how he was doing? What about their father? The mere thought of his father spending time in the hospital troubled him. On one hand, it was the plan to give him a visit after stopping at Copley Square. On the other hand, he was hardly a fan of hospitals. It took them a few minutes before they finally found it: a blue Honda car parked near the center. "How are you holding up, Al?" Eric asked, breaking the silence. Alfonso let out a confident smirk. He dug the keys out of his pocket, with a press of a button on the keychain, unlocked the door. "You know me. Getting by, as usual," he answered. "The doctors said I'm fine for the most part. Physically healthy and all that. No concussions, continuing ringing in my head, nor any signs of any internal injury." "What about Papá?" Eric asked. Alfonso opened the door. "I'm not sure," he answered, pausing before entering the car after Eric sat in the front passenger's seat. "I mean, is he going to be alright?" Eric buckled up and made himself comfortable. For a moment, his brother said nothing as he started the car and, with a few motions, carefully drove the vehicle out of the parking lot. He looked at him just before to make sure he wouldn't hit anything. "Al?" Eric looked at him, concerned. "You know how well I was even after the blast?" Alfonso finally asked as he drove the car down the road, joining with a stream of trucks and other cars. Eric said nothing, his eyes on the road. "Papá wasn't as lucky as I am. Getting a concussive blast can sure mess up your body. I mean, it rattles your organs and bursts your eardrums…" Eric frowned and gave his brother a dirty look. "Quit being a dick, Al. That's not funny." He knew Alfonso was trying to light up a dark situation, but it didn't help. His brother sighed. "Sorry. The doctors called Mamá earlier. She told me he's going to be alright, so I'm sure his ears haven't ruptured or something. He just needed to spend a little bit of time in the hospital." Eric let out a relieved sigh. That was what he wanted to hear. "It's just… I can't really get this stuff out of my mind any more than to forget that this car is en coche," He knew it wouldn't be enough for him. Alfonso smirked. "Doesn't make sense but took you long enough to see that." He sure was proud of his superior Spanish skills. "I've studied Spanish back in junior high. I wanna make Mamá proud. You can't blame me for being a little rusty," Eric shot back. "Yeah right." "I'm serious." "Sure you are." Eric's nostrils flared up as he turned to his brother. "What about you? I don't see you speaking in Spanish." "I don't know what you're talking about," Alfonso smirked. "You know what I'm talking about." His brother chuckled. The car slowed and stopped at a stoplight. He turned to Eric, his smirk turning into a warm, happy grin. "Hey. Boston Strong, man." Eric nodded. "Yeah. Boston Strong," he repeated. Year: 2182 Location: Angkor Wat, EarthEric remembered his father was fine. It took him several days to recover. While physical injuries can heal with time, the trauma his father experienced would remain. For how long, he doesn't know. It was tempting to apologize to his father for the crap he gave him, but would he do it since his father had laid a hand over his mother? Especially over his behavior? He sat on the floor, leaning against the wall, and staring pensively at the other end of the room. His earbuds played the song he heard back last year. Last year in his universe, anyway. Sighing, he rubbed down his face to fight against the tears welling up in his eyes. He couldn't help it. The room was small and circular, empty save for him and him alone. The ceiling above him had no openings, no signs of erosion, and the walls were made of sandstone. That fresh smell of recent restoration efforts lingered in the air. The only source of light was the light lights hanging from the ceiling. He remembered, back at the hospital on the Citadel, that he wanted to just make a run for it and find a way back home. Now he was here, what was he supposed to do next? Stick around and have the orb pop out of nowhere and take him away, bring him back to his home universe? Or take him someplace else, he realized. Not only that, but wormholes tend to consume a lot of energy and annihilate the temple and anyone unlucky enough to be near it. If it was a wormhole, in theory. He also realized he really didn't think things through. "Eric!" The voice of his boyfriend called out, echoing in the hallways outside. Eric stopped the music and removed the earbuds. He wiped away his tears and stood up, exiting the room behind him. Garrett was waiting for him, standing in the middle of the corridor. He was more than relieved to see him. Behind Garrett were Luke and Natalie, their worried expressions also turned into relief mixed with confusion. "You made us worried, Eric. You just… wandered off on us," said Natalie, letting out a sigh through her nostrils. "Is everything alright?" A humming sound rang in his ears. He looked back to that small, circular room. For a second, he saw what seemed like something taking on a blue hue, just out of the corner of his eye. He blinked, and it vanished. Was that his imagination, or did he miss his chance with the orb? "Eric?" Luke asked. It took quite a bit of willpower to turn his head around, however slowly, to see Luke. It took some more for him to come up with something to say, betraying the blank look on his face." Yeah?" "The temple's about to close up for the night. You sure you want to get in trouble?" "What?" Eric tilted his head, a mixture of surprise and confusion palpable on his face. He peeked out and saw the sky was a darker shade of blue. It was also getting colder, the mist escaping his mouth intensifying. "Oh… I'm sorry. It won't happen again." With that, he and the others joined the crowd, following down another corridor and heading out for the exit. "Hey, Eric? You look like you had a lot on your mind. What's up?" Garrett asked. "Just some old habits, Garrett," Eric answered. "Really?" Garrett's eyebrows furrowed after looking around for no reason. "Yeah. Nothing bad about it." The rest of the conversation carried on like nothing strange had happened. Garrett was on about a game tie-in to Wild Dagger, while Natalie and Luke were talking about preparing for their kids' birth. Things to buy, a baby shower for Natalie, the works. Eric's mind wandered for a moment, drowning out the chatter. It was crazy for him to be here with people he wouldn't think to be with. He assumed he would have no one to connect to and no way to get back home. But now? He knew what would happen next. The war against Cerberus and the Reapers would happen and it would claim the lives of billions. He would be as capable of dying as everyone else. He reminded himself there were still the geth and the Collector invasions. These hung over him like a dark cloud. But his old life, his universe? It was time for him to move on. Back a couple years ago, 4Ferelden and I were working on the fic's plotline. When I suggested this plot point, he was against the idea since it was fresh on everybody's minds at the time. I can understand that. Well, time heals all wounds as they say, and I feel it was appropriate to write this event from Eric’s perspective.
I intend to portray this as one story among many, exploring the personal impact the Boston Marathon Bombing would have on someone like Eric and his family. I believe this would be the best approach to it.
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Post by Nord Ronnoc on Sept 2, 2019 5:19:00 GMT 1
Chapter Eight: The Few and the Brave Username CosmosWiz (Eric Grimes) Username: CoppaCop (Natalie Clay)
EG: [LOGIN][ONLINE] NC: [LOGIN][ONLINE]
10:31 EG: Hey, Nat.
10:36 EG: You there? Did you get my message?
10:36 NC: Yeah. Sorry about that. Long meeting.
10:37 EG: Oh good. I didn’t want to reiterate.
10:37 NC: You were a little vague in the email you sent. Something up?
10:38 EG: Not at all! Just figured you might need a break, away from the Citadel.
10:38 EG: Got something in mind?
10:38 NC: Well…
10:41 NC: I always want to visit India. It’s where I grew up. My parents would be more than happy to see me again. My father, especially.
10:41 EG: Sounds good. I suggested avoiding taking a vacation on the Citadel. Too expensive IIRC
10:41 EG: What’s he like, if you don’t mind me asking?
10:42 NC: Like any other dad, really. He wanted to leave behind a better world for his child.
10:45 EG: Sounds better than *my* dad.
10:45 NC: Eric, don’t sell yourself short.
10:45 EG: Geez, sorry!
10:45 NC: So why don’t you come with us?
10:46 EG: Gonna be assigned to a post, remember?
10:46 NC: Oh! Well, in that case: stay safe, okay?
10:46 EG: You too. Dangerous galaxy out there.
10:46 NC: lol
10:47 NC: Don’t get paranoid! I’ll be fine.
10:47 EG: Right.
10:47 EG: welp gotta go instructor incoming! D:
10:48 NC: Be seeing you. Year: 2183 Location: Rhode Island, EarthSeveral months passed by, and Eric had just completed his training as a combat engineer. It was hard, and it was frustrating, but it was worth it. Even with all the training he received, he still had a little bit of trouble seeing himself serving in the Alliance Navy. Luke did say being an engineer would be more his style, and his superiors often remarked he had high marks in his proficiency in omni-tools and understanding of Vis in comparison to his handling of firearms, but still. After his little holiday break, Eric was sent off to Aeternitas Station, where would-be engineers like him at the time go to train. With being instructed by people he didn’t know and training with peers he didn’t recognize on a station in outer space, it was a lonely experience. Missing out on seeing Natalie’s newborn twins Florina and Helene and not being able to get in touch with Garrett, as he was at a separate station, did not help. But at least Garrett was with him now, having completed his training. However, he couldn’t help but have this sense of dread hanging over him. He knew the Reaper, Sovereign, would come knocking on the Citadel’s door with a fleet of geth behind it and Saren as his avatar. It could happen at any moment, he realized, but at least he was there. These reassurances didn’t put his mind at ease. He could only hope Natalie heeded Eric’s advice about going away from the Citadel for a vacation. He couldn't help himself imagining serving under Shepard's command, playing a role in saving the galaxy, but he also found the prospect terrifying. Life-and-death situations at every turn and killing scores of people just to reach the objective? Maybe fixing comm relays in far-out colonies would be more appealing to him. But right now. All he could do was wait and hope for the best. Perhaps it would be best to spend some quality time with Garrett. He mentioned a party going on in the facility. “Hey, do they have that one weird series up and running?” Eric asked. “Which one?” Garrett replied, a little confused. “There’s, like, thousands of those online.” “The one with the quarian spiders and vorcha bats. That one!” Eric answered, gesturing with his arms in a comedic fashion. “And for the life of me, I could not remember the name of that show.” Garrett’s lips broke into a smile. “And thank God for that. I got some weird dreams from that show.” “Yeah, I got them, too. No thanks to you.” “How weird are we talking about here?” “Like… weirder than yours. Weird-weird. So, do they have that show on?” Garrett answered that with a shake of his head, which brought a little bit of relief to Eric. They were walking down the hallway in the military facility and reached the end, meeting up with a closed door. Playing a pleasing sound, the door parted opened and they stepped inside. The room was large and circular, with the window being the entire wall. The floor they stood on was a gray carpet, blue-rimmed by the window. At the center of the room were four TVs set next to each other into a square, blue couches circling them. Outside, it was late in the afternoon and the sun was ready to set behind the buildings for the night. The other graduates looked to spend some time having fun before being deployed to places elsewhere. Some were chatting with their peers and friends, and others were eating and drinking their merry way. A couple of them were playing a game, and Eric recognized these three were his old bunkmates back in Brazil. Vera had her head leaned against Melek’s, and Alban Alder was quite into the game. The game they were currently playing was a sequel to Redeemer, judging by the UI and the graphics. As Eric approached the three on the couch, Alban turned around to see him with a warm, friendly smile on his face. The game had paused by then. “Hey, Eric!” he said after giving Eric a fist bump. “Been over a year! How’s it been?” “It’s, uh… it’s going,” Eric answered. “What about you?” Melek shrugged. “Same here.” “Anyway, Eric, want to play with us?” Alban asked. “It won’t be as fun with just the three of us.” Eric considered passing up on this opportunity for a moment, but he relented. “Okay,” he said and joined him, sitting on the couch with a fourth controller in hand. Melek was the first player, being Casmira the demon knight from the first game, while Alban and Vera were Rosta the exiled priest and Zita the psychic outlander respectively. Eric chose to play as Goran, a monster hunter specializing in alchemy and combat magic. It was a good time he had, as the four traversed through an abandoned city, fighting off wave after wave of werewolves and vampires, who according to the narration, made an unusual alliance for reasons that were not specified. It didn’t take much for Eric to be taken out of the experience when someone placed a hand on his shoulder. Melek had paused the game as Eric turned around to, much to his surprise, see Arthur Mallon. Everything about him was the same. Same curly blond hair, same hawkish face. What was different about him, however, was his demeanor. He was sullen like he had something on his mind. “’Ey, Eric,” he spoke. “Can we talk? Just the two of us?” “Err, sure,” Eric replied hesitantly. Garrett was just walking by and stopped as soon as he saw Arthur, eyeing him with suspicion while his former bunkmates looked on, not sure of what could happen next. “You’re not… gonna make fun of me, right?” “If you’re gonna bother him over some stupid bullshit…” Garrett warned Arthur. Arthur sighed as he rolled his eyes at Garrett. “I know, I know. You don’t trust me anymore, I get it. But it’s nothing like that.” Garrett crossed his arms out of skepticism. “Sure. Do what you have to do, but if I find you laying a hand on Eric…” “Yeah. Got it,” Arthur acknowledged. Eric stood up and set aside the controller. He still wasn’t sure if it was a good idea, but he figured it couldn’t hurt. Hopefully. “Hey, think you can put me on AFK for a bit?” “Sure,” Melek replied and did just that. With that, Arthur and Eric sauntered out of the lobby, just stopping at the entrance. Eric leaned against the wall behind him, skepticism and a little bit of impatience palpable on his face. “So what’s going on?” Arthur looked down at the floor, his hands tenting between his fingers. There was an uncomfortable silence that befell them. He pressed his lips together as he took a sharp intake of breath. It was clear he had trouble finding the words. “Why is this so damn hard?” he asked, almost to himself. “You’d think disciplinary action and my parents calling me out would make this easier…” “What’s going on?” “Yeah, okay…” he said to himself. He took another sharp intake. “I’m sorry for being such an ass to you, Eric. Remember when Garrett came up to me last month and I was a wreck? Well, he was my friend. Over the past several months, he wouldn’t shut up about you. I thought you took him away from me at the time.” He pursed his lips. “Maybe someday I can make it up to you. Don’t know how, though.” By the look on his face and the tone of his voice, he probably meant it. Eric nodded with a small and appreciative smile. “The apology’s enough, thanks,” he said with a casual gesture of his hand. Arthur’s eyes lit up as he looked back at Eric. “Really?” “Yeah, really.” “That’s… good to hear.” Arthur nodded along. “It sure does,” Eric agreed. Their conversation ended abruptly as the door parted open, and Garrett quickly stepped in with them. Eric couldn’t help but notice the sudden nervous look on his boyfriend’s face. “Garrett? What’s going on?” he asked. A dreadful feeling took hold of him. Something must have gone wrong. Something he wasn’t looking forward to the moment he came to this universe. “You need to get in here,” Garrett exclaimed. It was difficult for him to find the words he was looking for. Or trying to wrap around whatever situation was going on. “It’s all on the news. The Citadel’s under attack by the geth.” Eric’s heart dropped. He had to bring himself into following Garrett and Arthur back to the room. Everyone had gathered around the screens, all showing images of a space battle between two fleets. One had ships of varying sizes and shapes, most of them the sharp, angular turian vessels with the Destiny Ascension towering them. The other fleet had ships that were insect-like in appearance with tiny appendages at the front. Among them was a massive cuttlefish-like ship leading the charge, encased in a material made of dark metal. That was a Reaper. Sovereign. He could see why the Council and everyone else would dismiss the Reaper as a geth ship. The Citadel itself had closed off as the Reaper flew in, undeterred by the opposition before it. It was clear the Citadel forces were losing badly to the geth. Although it would be obvious Shepard would arrive on the Citadel, open it, and bring in Alliance reinforcements to turn the tide, it wasn’t what made Eric worried. The scenery had cut to a woman with predominant Asian features backing away from the crossfire between the geth and C-Sec forces, the camera following her. The woman, credited as Emily Wong, looked scared despite her efforts to stay calm. She talked about the rising casualties in wake of the attack and that C-Sec had urged the denizens to evacuate the station. Eric tapped on his omni-tool. Natalie, this is Eric. Are you off the station? I’m worried about you, he typed. He pressed the send button, only for his omni-tool to display: ERROR! CONNECTION LOST.Eric cursed under his breath. Of course communications would be down. That would be the first thing everybody would go after in times of war. And soon enough, the “Please Stand By” message was on the screens with the rainbow background behind it. Nobody said anything. Some could only look up in horror while others silently wept. Eric could only remember the terror he felt when he hadn’t heard from his brother and father at the time of the Boston Marathon bombing until much later in the day. He could feel that terror, that feeling of powerlessness wash over him. If only he could… A sudden realization came upon him as his eyes lit up. He could make a difference. He could save lives, just like his father had done. And no one would be here to stop him like his mother. He clenched his fist and turned around, sauntering past the crowd and made his way out of the room. He could only walk a few steps in the hallway before someone called out, “Hey, where do you think you’re going?” He turned around as Garrett stood with his arms crossed in front of him. The door slid shut behind him, and a glance told Eric several people noticed him walking out. “The Citadel,” Eric answered hesitantly, grasping his arm as if in shame. “So you want to be a hero, then?” “I just…” It was then, much to his surprise, several other people emerged from the room. Arthur, Melek, Vera, Bristol, and Ami and Alban were all here. “What’s goin’ on here?” Bristol wondered. Garrett turned toward Bristol. “Eric wants to be the hero.” “So… you’re all here to stop me, then?” Eric asked, his voice cracking a little. “Is that it?” “Why not?” Vera asked, leaning against the wall to her right. By the tone of her voice, it was clear her question was not condescending but rather curious. “Because…” Eric exhaled sharply. “Because as cliché as it is, it’s the right thing to do.” Arthur pinched his nose and stopped himself from laughing. “Oh, right. Sorry ‘bout that. Go on.” Eric paused. “It’s something my f… friend told me. It’s about doing the right thing, setting the right goals. Even if things would drag on with no progress in sight, we focus on the little things. They’re the ones that matter, making up the big picture. They can give us purpose even when our superiors couldn’t.” He sighed, tears welling up in his eyes. “And, well… my friends, Luke and Natalie, are probably at the Citadel. They have two daughters born not long ago. I couldn’t get a hold of them since communications were down. I know it’s dangerous going to the Citadel and stuff, but I can’t—” “You’re not the only one, you know,” Ami butted in. “Do you have that sense of uncertainty you have, whether or not someone you care about would make it through this?” “Yeah.” “I got that feeling too. My mother is on that station.” “So are my aunt and uncle and my cousins,” Vera added. “And more of my friends,” Alban said. Eric didn’t know what to make of this. “So what are you saying, then? You want me to sit on my ass and do nothing while the galaxy’s coming to an end?” “No, we’re not.” Garrett made that cheeky smile on his face. “We’re all here to help. That speech of yours sure helped.” There was a lump in Eric’s throat. He did not see this one coming, but he knew deep down he wanted this. “A-are you sure?” “Yeah. We’ll get in trouble, that’s for sure,” Vera replied. “A lot of trouble. We’ve ordered to stay put. Including the graduates,” Melek added and she received a look nothing short of serious from Vera. “But it’ll be so worth it.” “So what’s this plan of yours, exactly?” Arthur wondered. “Got something in mind for us?” That was when Eric hesitated for a mere second. He expected to find a ship, jump through two relays, fly to the Citadel, and hope for the best. But a plan? He’ll be more likely to get them all killed. “I’ll explain on the way. If you don’t wanna go, I’m not stopping you.” “Okay.” Garrett nodded. “Well, I’m here for you. Till the end of the line.” Eric smiled. “Thanks, guys.” With that, Garrett nodded and followed Eric. Alban and the others trailed behind them. “Certainty of death. Small chance of success. What’re we waitin’ for?” Arthur grinned to himself before catching up.
They all arrived at the hanger bay, clad in Alliance standard-issue, camo-blue, armor and weaponry. Even with a bit of muscle Eric gained over the past year, it still felt like there was a ten-pound object weighing him down. His armor was the lightest of them all, and he only had a pistol to his name. “Don’t worry; we don’t have to fight anything,” Garrett reassured him. “Yeah, I hope so,” Eric replied. It was risky for them to defy orders to stay put, but snatching weapons and armor from the armory? That would earn the ire of their superiors, to say the least. Should the worst come to pass, and Eric hoped it wouldn’t, he doesn’t think some missing equipment would matter when compared to the end of galactic civilization. Garrett went back to inspecting each of the shuttles by the walkway they stood on by hand. Not only did he have the heaviest armor of the bunch, but he also had an assault rifle and a shotgun attached to his back, both standard-issue equipment. Garrett always said he wanted to be Tanky the Tank when he was a child. Somebody spent way too much time playing D&D, Eric thought in amusement. He did hear many weapons and armor manufacturers consider diversifying and overhauling their weaponry considering recent geth attacks, streamlining armor designs, and upgrading said shield systems. The wonders of advancements in technology never cease to amaze him. Aside from Eric and the other recruits, it didn’t look like there was any other soul in this well-lit hanger. There was even that fresh car smell wafting about, so that meant these things were commissioned there recently. Bristol folded his arms in front of him, his mouth wrinkled into a frown. “Does anyone know how to fly this thing?” An awkward silence fell among the group. Arthur brought his balled hand up to his mouth and coughed; Ami darted her eyes left and right, not uttering a word in hopes of not making it even more awkward. “Uh, no?” Melek answered, meek and nervous. Ami broke away from her patrolling and joined the rest. “Don’t you have a plan in mind, Eric, or do you have any idea what we’re about to do?” “Well, yeah, but—” “Hey!” someone called out. Everybody turned to a man with a shaved head approaching them, his icy blue eyes making his gaze even more piercing and noticing. “What are you all doing here?” the man in a crewman’s outfit asked, somewhat demanding. Eric couldn’t help but recognize his appearance and his voice. Had he forgotten that much? Garrett crossed his arms and stepped toward the crewman, trying to come off as authoritative. That would end well for him. “Mind telling us who you are?” “2 nd Lieutenant Steve Cortez,” the man simply stated. Eric nearly gasped, and he could have sworn that Steve and the others have noticed his reaction. Steve Cortez was in the third game, being the Normandy’s shuttle pilot as well as a romance option for male Shepards. Eric really took a liking to him during his playthrough of the game. Dios, I’m dumb. Garrett immediately saluted, as did Ami, Alban, Bristol, Melek, and Arthur for a moment. “Are you okay?” Steve asked Eric. Eric nodded profusely. He followed along and saluted as well. Raised eyebrows, wide, darting eyes, and constantly flaring nostrils. Yep, he was screwed big time. “Y-yeah! Just… wasn’t expecting someone of higher rank to be here. We, we uh…” Oh fuck! Shit! What to do, what to do, what to do, what am I gonna do…? Fuck me sideways.“Sir, we’re defying orders to stay put! We intend to take a shuttle and pull an improve rescue op on the Citadel!” Garrett barked at the top of his voice, neither flinching nor squirming. “It was Eric’s idea and we complied with him, sir!” “Eric?” Steve inquired with an arched eyebrow. “Which one of you is Eric?” “That would be me, sir.” Eric turned his head to his boyfriend with a seething look. “What the hell?” “Sorry! Bit of a habit I have lately,” Garrett admitted, not looking back at Eric. “Your plan sucks,” Arthur chided. “Oh, shut up,” Eric snapped, taking a glance at Arthur. “So… what happens now, sir?” Ami asked nervously. “Are we in trouble?” Cortez sighed deeply and leaned against the railing to his right. “A good friend of mine, Robert, on the Citadel. I couldn’t get a hold of him, nor alone anyone else for that matter.” A small chuckle escaped his lips. “I’m sure you all friends and relatives there.” His voice trailed off as he fell silent. “Yeah. We all do,” Eric sympathized. Cortez stood up straight. “But I’m not here to turn you in. I’m here to help. Does anyone else know how to fly a shuttle?” At first, the group didn’t know what to think of the lieutenant’s offer. They exchanged looks before most of them struggled to come up with an answer. “No, I don’t think so,” Eric admitted sheepishly. “Alban?” “Only one training course, in fact,” Alban answered. “Not sure that counts.” “So you’re looking for a pilot?” Steve asked, stepping forward before crossing his arms in front of him with a confident smile. “Well, I’m your man.” “Okay, so why would you want to help us?” Eric asked, confused and curious at the same time. “You need a pilot,” Cortez explained. “And before you got here, I thought there isn’t anything I could do. Maybe you’ve heard the Alliance is moving out to Citadel space.” “Oh, really?” Eric’s eyes lit up. So Shepard had taken back control of the Citadel from Sovereign after all. Maybe there was hope after all. “Yeah, heard it from the official channels.” “Okay, yeah! Cool! That makes sense!” Eric exclaimed after taking a sharp intake. “Permission to steal a shuttle and fly to the Citadel with you?” Cortez nodded. “Permission granted. You’re not here to fight the geth, are you?” Almost immediately, Eric shook his head. “We’re not doing that! No, we’re not. I know all of us are armed, but it’s only for those just-in-case situations, you know. We’re here to save people.” It only took a second for Eric to freeze in his place as the rest of the group, Steve included, opened the shuttle and stepped inside. He had to wonder: what if they accidentally get in the crossfire between the geth and the other fleets? Would they have to avoid the gunfire from practically everybody? Accidents happen, and he’d rather not have everyone, including him, pay with their lives. “Oi, you coming or what?” Bristol called out, his head poking out of the shuttle door. “This is your stupid idea, after all!” This snapped Eric out of his thoughts. “Oh yeah, sorry!” With that, he was the last to step inside. Username CosmosWiz (Eric Grimes) Username: CoppaCop (Natalie Clay)
EG: [LOGIN][ONLINE] NC: [OFFLINE]
17:38 EG: If you’re still at the Citadel, my friends and I are coming to help.
17:38 EG: We got someone to fly a shuttle for us. We’re getting there ASAP.
17:39 EG: Stay safe, okay?
MESSAGE RECEIVED
As the shuttle moved closer to the relay, many of the Alliance ships converged and made the jump, one after another. Eric approached the cockpit and leaned forward in anticipation as Steve piloted the ship towards the relay. The others were in the back of the shuttle, some sitting down while others were standing about, weapons at the ready. The shuttle was the last to make the jump. An arc of lightning enveloped the tiny ship and it zipped from the Sol system to another area in the galaxy. They found themselves in the Horsehead Nebula, and Eric stared at the clash of clouds and dust. He smirked. That sight would never get old for him. Cortez noticed his reaction. “It’s beautiful, you know. Wish Robert would’ve been here to see it,” he said. “Sounds like you two are a perfect match,” Eric replied. Steve looked at Eric, a little surprised and a little confused. “I mean, well…” He caught himself chuckling. “I’m not so sure myself.” “Did you ask?” “Haven’t got the chance.” There was a sad, wistful look in Cortez’s eyes. He sighed. “Maybe. Sounds pretty crazy, though. If he makes it through this…” “Hey, don’t knock it till you try it,” Eric said. Cortez chuckled a little. “Guess you can say that. No harm, no foul, right?” Eric nodded, and they turned their attention back to the front view. He smirked, if only a little. He couldn’t believe it himself; he made the idea for Steve and his future husband, Robert, to be a couple. All mirth faded from his face, his heart dropping like a bag of rocks. Cortez would lose Robert about two years from now at the hands of the Collectors. Would Cortez blame him for the idea in the first place, getting them together like that? Or would he say Eric wouldn’t know, predict the future and all? He wouldn’t exactly find comfort in either scenario. The massive fleet was well ahead of them, barely visible to the naked eye. If the shuttle would get any closer, it would be detected by any of the Alliance’s scanners. Eric had to admit, it was nerve-wracking, catching up to the fleet as they all quickly moved from one relay to the next. The fleet reached another relay and jumped through it, the shuttle following suit. Beyond the fleet, the dots in the pink cloud slowly became the flagship and the Citadel, its arms slowly opening. Among them were two fleets exchanging vast, rapid firepower, one run by the geth, the other the turian vessels guarding the Destiny Ascension. Ami’s eyes lit up as she and the others gathered around Eric, all in awe at what they saw. The fleet had gathered behind one frigate. “Is that the Normandy?” Garrett asked, looking at the frigate with awe. “Yeah.” Arthur had the same look on his face as Garrett’s. The transmission cracked and pinged. “Alliance ships move in! Save the Destiny Ascension!” a man’s voice, old and grainy, came out of one of the haptic interfaces. “Hey, that’s Admiral Hackett!” Ami exclaimed. “Sounds like he’s leading the charge,” Malek replied. Eric let out a deep, relieved breath. Looks like the Citadel had opened. Shepard did it. I knew she would.Any sign of relief on his face soon faded as the Alliance fleet and the geth soon opened fire on each other—and they would be in the crossfire sure enough. By the look on Cortez’s face, he kept his cool as his arms moved about, going from one haptic interface to another. The shuttle swayed in random directions, somehow avoiding the gunfire. Despite everything spinning around outside the shuttle, Eric and the others didn’t land on the ceiling when it happened. Eric had to remind himself the shuttle, as well as any starship, had inertial dampeners for a reason. He looked back and saw some of his friends weren’t taking it as well as he hoped. “Oh God, we’re all gonna die here!” Arthur yelled out, his eyes filled with panic and distraught. “Shut up! Shut the fuck up, man! We’re not gonna die here, you hear?” Melek shot back. “Do we need this right now!?” The panic in Arthur’s voice grew worse. “It’s his fuckin’ fault, y’know!” he cried out, pointing at Eric. A feeling of dread swept over Eric. He had brought his boyfriend and others to a situation where anyone could die, either abruptly, horribly, or both. It wasn’t a pleasant thing, taking responsibility for the lives of others. At that moment, Eric wished he hadn’t brought them along. At least it would be him doing something stupid and suicidal. Ignoring the increasing bickering among his comrades, Eric turned back to the front view. They were close to the Citadel, its arms now wide open as ships of all shapes and sizes swooped in, bringing the battle closer to home. A stray ship flew close by, smoke and fire trailing behind it. Eric’s heart almost leaped out of his throat as Steve turned the shuttle away, dodging the spiraling ship like a fly against a wrapped-up newspaper. “Dios!” Eric exclaimed. “How soon can we find something to land on?” “We should be at a landing zone at C-Sec Headquarters! It’s the closest one we got!” Steve answered. A series of heavy grunts and thuds made Eric turn back around. What he didn’t expect was Arthur coming at him, his arms stretched in front of him with hysteria in his now widened eyes. All the others came to pin him down as he was mere inches away from Eric’s throat. Startled, Eric stumbled back and bumped into the controls, surprising Steve. Frantically, their pilot tried to get the shuttle to stabilize, his hands tapping on every spot of the interface. Worse yet, the shuttle shook once again, this time violently. Alarms blared out of every system as the lights turned a harsh, hellish red. That could only mean one thing to him: something had hit the shuttle. But what hit it? Was it some geth ship that got a lucky hit? Stray shots from some other ship? Eric took deep breaths, in and out, in and out. That didn’t stop his heart from beating so hard it became desperate enough to break free from his ribcage. No, he can’t panic. Not yet. Stay calm and it will be alright.He peered out once more and saw Sovereign clinging onto a monolith at the center of the Citadel’s inner ring. It raised one of its tentacles as a beam of hot-red plasma cut through several fighters engaging it like a hot knife through butter. Little remained of these ships. Maybe he should count himself lucky that Reaper didn’t seem interested in them. “This is going to be a rough landing! Hang on!” Cortez called out. The shuttle swooped onto a hanger. The impact from the landing as it skirted along the edges, caused everyone besides the shuttle pilot to lose their balance. Eric had the worst of it. He stumbled in his steps and slipped. Cortez was dazed for a second before taking several sharp breaths. “Is everyone okay?” he asked the others. Eric struggled to get up, using a nearby seat as support. “Yeah. I think so,” he said between heavy breaths. “Didn’t feel anything break on me. Garrett? You okay?” Garrett looked unscathed aside from a shocked look on his face, rising to his feet with no problem. Eric let out a small smile, relieved to see his boyfriend on his feet. “Wow. You are okay.” “You’re one tough son of a bitch, I’ll give you that,” Bristol commented. Everyone else seemed to turn out unscathed as well. Everyone else except for Arthur. The impact of the landing knocked him out cold, a dark bruise forming on his forehead. “Oh no. Oooooh shit, this isn’t good,” Ami gasped, her anxious eyes widened as her hand covered her mouth. Eric stood up. He had to stay calm, help the others. He had to for everyone’s sake. “Does the shuttle have an ice pack or something?” “Should be one in the medkit along with some medi-gel and other stuff.” Cortez stood up from the pilot’s seat and opened a red-and-white cabinet with a glowing red cross on a screen. It hissed, cold mist emerging, as it showed a bag of ice, thick as his wrist, along with other first aid equipment. Eric approached Arthur’s unconscious body and lifted one of his legs. Somehow, Arthur felt heavier than he looked. It must have been the armor. “Hey, guys. Think you can help me out? He needs to lay on something comfortable.” Garrett, Vera, and Melek joined in and grabbed the rest of his arms and legs. “Okay, ready?” Eric took a sharp intake. Okay, remember your training, Eric, and you shouldn’t screw up. “One… two… three!” Slowly and carefully, the four lifted him off the floor and carried him to the seats. Garrett sat down next to Arthur’s head and watched Eric catching the ice pack that Cortez had tossed. His lips curled. “Hey, how come you never told me you got first aid training?” Eric looked up at his boyfriend with a cocked eyebrow. “Didn’t I send you a message?” he asked, blinking in confusion. “I swear I did…” It was then Cortez placed a medi-gel container along with a clear, full bottle of pills by the seat. “I’ll see if I could find anyone outside.” Eric looked at Cortez with a nod. “Yeah, sounds like a good idea. You do that.” “I can help you with that,” Bristol insisted, stepping in. “Worth looking for my folks.” “Same.” Alban looked back at Ami, who had little trouble standing up. “Ami, wanna come?” “Yeah,” Ami answered. Cortez, Ami, Alban, and Bristol gathered at the door as it parted open. When they left, Eric had knelt and pressed the ice pack gently against Arthur’s forehead. It didn’t take long for Arthur’s eyebrows to start twitching as his eyes opened. Arthur groaned and tried to sit up, only for a firm grip from Garrett to keep him down. “Hey, take it easy, Arthur! You might have a concussion, so try to lay down, okay?” Eric told Arthur. Arthur groaned and placed his hand on the ice pack. Eric and Garrett stepped away from him, clear that Arthur had no intention of getting up. “Fuck my life,” Arthur complained. “Fuck your life and fuck everyone else’s.” Eric’s nostrils flared out, and he did his best to resist the urge to smile. Thinking about it, Arthur had no idea how true he would make it out. Then again, if the end was indeed coming, then helping people should matter more than ever. “How’re you feeling right now?” “Like I was in a pinball machine or something,” Arthur replied, not looking at him. Eric sighed. “Look, just… try not to fall asleep or move, okay?” Arthur nodded. Exhaling a strong sigh of relief, Eric stood and moved to another seat. He flopped down on it and laid back, relaxing his posture. “Can you guys keep an eye on him? Y’know…” He waved his arm. “…make sure he’s alright and stuff.” “You got it,” Vera replied. Eric checked his omni-tool. No messages from Natalie or Luke. He started to get worried. Where are you guys?The door opened, and Cortez and the others were accompanied by a middle-aged man in a C-Sec uniform, sporting a bright buzzcut that complemented his square-jawed face well. “Is everyone alright?” the officer asked. There was a twang to his voice if Eric could call it that. Something clicked in his mind, and he realized it was that one guy whom Shepard met in 2 and 3. What was his name again? “There’s one who might have a concussion,” said Cortez. “Eric did the best he could, but he needs further medical treatment as soon as possible.” “Okay. We’ll make sure to bring him to a hospital ASAP. Alban here told me about Eric Grimes.” “That’s me,” Eric answered. “Who are you?” “Sergeant Bailey. You’re the one who brought them all here, then?” “Yeah,” Eric replied. He was a sergeant back then? “I… came up with the idea to be here. We’re all here to help.” “Uh-huh.” The sergeant crossed his arms and focused his gaze on Eric. “Explains why you had brought a bunch of guns here. And that big fella with you.” He directed his head toward Garrett. Garrett took a deep breath. “We’re not here to kill any geth,” he said. “We’re here to find our friends and relatives. Do you know Natalie Clay? Is she okay?” “Natalie?” Bailey replied. He curled his lips for a second before nodding once. “Yeah, I know her. We’ve met a couple of times while off duty. Smart woman. Last I checked, she opted to stay behind coordinating rescue efforts in the Zakera Ward while her husband and kids went on vacation on Earth.” Eric exhaled in relief. “Oh, that’s good to hear!” “I’ll bet Natalie will be glad to see you. Anyway, I gotta take care of your friend here.” Bailey knelt beside Arthur. “Son, I need you to look at this.” His omni-tool emitted a flashlight and focused it on Arthur’s eyes. Arthur obeyed and looked back at the captain, his eyes still groggy. “Right, look here.” Arthur’s eyes followed as he moved it to another spot in his peripheral vision. “And here.” The process was repeated several times before Bailey turned off the light with a nod. “Alright. His eyes are dilating, and he seems to follow instructions pretty well,” he said as he approached the rest of the team and placed two of his fingers on his earpiece. “Hey, I got someone with a concussion here. Human, male, wears an Alliance standard armor. Best send him to a hospital, you hear?” After getting a response that Eric and the others didn’t hear, Bailey lowered his hand. “They’ll come around, don’t worry. Anyway, we’ll take any help we can get.” Just moments after they all left, Eric saw two more C-Sec officers, one an asari and the other a male turian, enter the crashed shuttle with a stretcher in hand. A few moments later, they emerged with Arthur lying on the stretcher. His gaze followed the officers as they passed by, and Arthur gave Eric a weak, shaky thumbs-up before laying back down. That gave Eric some reassurance, that he didn’t screw this up and everyone would be alright. His omni-tool pinged, and his heart skipped a beat. He turned his device on to find a notification on the display. It was a message, a reply from Natalie. He opened his private message thread. NC: [LOGIN][ONLINE]
18:15 NC: I’m safe, Eric. Thank you for checking in on me.
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Post by Nord Ronnoc on Oct 30, 2019 22:52:47 GMT 1
I would like to thank unholystagepresence (on Tumblr) for providing me permission to use their characters from Good Morning Zakera Ward, a fanmade podcast set during the events of ME1. You can find it on sites like Soundcloud and YouTube. I recommend it!
Chapter Nine: Who Dares, Wins News of the Reaper’s destruction had spread like wildfire. While the Alliance managed to save the Council as well, much of their fleet was decimated by Shepard’s order to save the Destiny Ascension at any cost. The geth faced a devastating defeat, yet remnants of their forces remained on the Citadel. And that was where Eric and the others would step in. Bailey had assigned them in pairs, with Eric and Garrett being one such. Unlike the others, though, they were informed that someone would be joining them at Zakera Ward. “His name’s Liam Kosta,” Bailey told them earlier. “Don’t know much about him, but the group he’s a part of, Heavy Urban Search and Crisis Response, is run by good people. You’re gonna be in good hands.” Wait at the marketplace for further instructions. That was their mission so far. The Zakera Ward looked nice before the geth invaded, with holographic signs and advertisements everywhere. The streets would be filled with crows and busy shops, skycars zipping along in traffic. Now, like many other places on the Citadel, it was marred by rubble, some crashed cars that had burst into flames, and some crumbled buildings elsewhere. It was not something that Eric wanted to be at. Even with his fear of crowds, having it be devoid of life was the last thing he wanted. Some of the denizens managed to evacuate the station before the wings closed, trapping the rest inside before Shepard interfered in the Reapers’ plans. It was like a lifetime ago when Eric and Garrett went to the movies in this ward. He knew the Citadel would bounce back eventually, the respite being brief, before the Reapers invaded. To pass the time, Eric sat down on some rubble while Garrett paced around nearby, his eyes out for Liam. He turned on his omni-tool and looked through the list of casualties tolled by C-Sec and contributed by everyone on the Citadel. Eric was lucky enough to learn Natalie and her family were fine. He couldn’t say the same for everyone else. Garrett’s mother was off on another world, thankfully. Ami’s father was alive when C-Sec found him in a convenience store, though the same couldn’t be said for her mother. Not all of Alban’s friends made it. Some of them were converted into husks by the dragon’s teeth, the name given to these spikes by Alliance marines out in the field. Everybody else at C-Sec was still searching for Vera’s and Bristol’s families. Eric’s heart dropped every time he read through the list. He couldn’t imagine how much pain they were going through… He snapped out of his thoughts when Garrett tapped him on the shoulder. “Hey, here he is,” said Garrett when Eric looked up at him. Eric nodded. He turned off his omni-tool and stood up. Ahead of him was a man in a navy blue and gray, asymmetrical jacket with matching cargo pants running up to him. His short and dark bushy hair, sepia skin tone, and wide nose and mouth reminded Eric of Childish Gambino for some reason. Well, except for the man’s lighter eye color, but he still found it weird. “Hey, are you the two Sergeant Bailey sent?” the man asked between breaths. It sounded like he had an accent like Garrett’s. “Yeah, that’s us,” Eric answered. “Are you Liam Kosta?” “Yeah. A couple of my buddies went missing,” Liam explained as he paced a few steps around. “They were looking for people that hunkered down at the Good Morning Zakera Ward radio station. The others were sent to other locations and weren’t able to respond in time, so I’m the only one available and, well…” “Wait, hold on,” Garrett interrupted and gestured at Liam. “Did you just say Good Morning Zakera Ward?” Liam stopped and looked at Garrett. “Damn. Are you a fan, too?” “Shit yeah. Huge fan of ‘em, in fact!” Garrett grinned while Eric looked on in confusion. This is new, Eric noted. “Sorry, what?” He looked at Garrett, then at Liam, and then back at Garrett. “What are you talking about? How come—how come no one told me about this ‘till now?” “Uh, because you didn’t ask. Maybe?” Liam replied. “Anyway, you guys in? Sooner we get over there, the better.” Garrett nodded in agreement, then looked at the guy hanging at Liam’s side. “Nice gun you got there. Looks like an SMG.” “Yeah. That’s an M-9 Tempest. You guys heard about our weapons being installed with thermal clips?” “Yeah. We’re carrying the latest model,” Eric answered. “But we’re getting off-track here. Do you know where the station is at?” “Yeah, I got the coordinates in my omni-tool. Shouldn’t be too far from here,” Liam answered before setting off. “Let’s go.” With that, Eric and Garrett quickly caught up to him and followed behind closely.
“There it is!” Liam pointed to what looked like a typical building on the Citadel. If it wasn’t for Liam’s coordinates, it would be quite easy to miss. The yellow holographic sign next to the door read: GM ZE 31.4 EM ZW For a moment, the sign shifted to: GOOD MORNING ZAKERA WARD! However, they saw several gray figures gaining upon the entrance before two of them started banging on the door. Another one started climbing on the wall as if its fingers had managed to stick to the wall. “Shit! Husks!” Garrett called out as he got out his assault rifle, the weapon taking form and adjusting itself to his size. Eric reflexively looked away for a moment. It was already unsettling when he saw them in the games themselves. It was worse by how lifelike they looked. Now aware of their presence, the husks turned and groaned. They all left the door alone and charged at the group, wailing all the while. His omni-tool covering his arms, Liam charged at the husks. Once he got close enough, he leaped into the air and slammed his fists into the ground. The strike created a burst of discharged energy, with enough force to knock two of the zombies off their feet, their legs torn off like leaves in a branch. However, one of them lunged at him at the front. Taken by surprise, Liam held back against it, and a struggle ensued. “Hey! Little help over here!” Liam called out, gritting through his teeth. He elbowed another husk that tried to grab him in its face. “On it!” Eric reached for his pistol and aimed it at the husk on Liam. “Eric, heads up!” Garrett called out while firing at the husks charging at him. Before Eric could do anything, he glanced to his left and his heart skipped a beat. Two husks, their skeletal faces and their glowing blue cybernetic eyes staring right at him, were coming at him. He let out a high-pitched yep as one of them tackled him to the ground. “Help! Someone help!” he screamed, the husk swiping at him with its arms. It started to tear through his armor as gunfire landed on the other husk that was about to join in. That one froze for a second before it landed with a thud. Still gripping his pistol, Eric pulled his arm in, pressed the barrel against the thing’s chest, and fired. He fired as many times as he could, screaming at the top of his lungs. Each bullet pierced through the husk, sickly green blood splattering behind it. Thankfully, it was enough to kill the damn thing, its eyes and the glowing lines all over its body going dark and dull as its body landed on top of him. Eric’s eyes were wide with shock and his breathing rapid and shallow. It was one brush of death he would rather not deal with. With a little help from someone, he pushed the husk’s corpse aside and looked up to see Garrett standing over him. Garrett then helped him up to his feet, and Eric looked around, seeing all the husks were on the ground, dead. Well, dead again. “Dios mios! Thank you so much!” Eric smiled, out of breath as he said it. His body could not stop shaking. Garrett stared at him with a worrying look. “You don’t look so good, man.” All mirth faced from Eric’s face. That remark had hit him like a bag of rocks. “Huh? What are you—” A sudden daze hit him as he looked down at himself. “Ow.” Some of the plates on his armor were ripped out, and he was bleeding with red scratches all over his chest and shoulders. “Okay. Lemme…” His legs collapsed under him, and Liam was too late as he ran over to him. “Lemme use some medi-gel real quick. Think you can help, Liam?” “Yeah.” Liam nodded and he took off what remained of Eric’s breastplate. Eric turned on his omni-tool. With a quick command, he sprayed enough medi-gel to stop the bleeding and sealed the wounds. That was enough to give Eric a burst of energy, and he hopped up to his feet. He quickly put his armor back on. Garrett sighed with a smile, relieved that it turned out well. He placed a hand on Eric’s shoulders, which was enough to stop his body from shaking any further. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m fine now. Thanks,” said Eric. “I’ve seen my fair share of pretty nasty things,” Liam remarked. “But I’ve seen what the geth has done to people. The adults were bad enough. But the kids?” He paused, a sullen yet angry look on his face as he curled his mouth. “You don’t ever get used to that. Not while you’re sane.” Garret tried putting up a brave, stoic face, but the way his lips curled said otherwise. What Liam told them sent a chill down Eric’s spine. He knew these geth the galaxy knew so far were called heretics by the rest of the geth. Still, it wasn’t good to hear about children being harmed or killed. They approached the door. Eric took a look at it and frowned, seeing a red light next to it. “Oh great.” He sighed. “I don’t wanna find out how good their security is.” Placing his hands on his hips, he looked over his shoulder to Garrett and Liam. “Hey, does anybody have some, um, omni-gel?” The way Garrett looked whenever he was embarrassed was nothing short of amusing to him. Garrett’s face squirmed before he brought his hand up to his face. “Shit, I knew we forgot something,” he groaned. “Me neither. Not like any of us saw it coming.” Liam shrugged. Eric glared at Liam. “Seriously? “Maybe I can try contacting anyone inside, maybe to some of my buddies if they’re still around,” Liam suggested. “You guys synced in?” “Should be,” Garrett answered. Eric nodded after a moment of thinking. “Yeah. Worth a try.” “Alright, then.” Liam tapped his earpiece. “Hello? Does anybody read me?” At first, there was no response. Were they too late? Was anybody still around? Fortunately, the ping in both Eric’s and Garrett’s earpieces answered those questions. “L-loud and clear. Thank god you’re here!” a female voice responded on her end. It sounded like she was shaken up. She wouldn’t be the only one on the Citadel. “This is Suraya. Did C-Sec send you?” “Uh, yeah. Sort of,” Liam answered, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. “I’m with Heavy Urban Search and Crisis Response. These two are with the Alliance.” “The Alliance? The other guy said that before he killed some of your guys,” Suraya replied. Eric’s head jolted as his eyes went wide with fear. Did he hear that right? She did not just say that. Garrett and Liam were just as surprised by the response. “I’m sorry, what did you mean? What are you talking about?” Liam asked. “A-are you safe?” “I mean that some nutbag, who probably got his weapons and armor off of a marine’s corpse, and shot up the place,” Suraya answered. The panic in her voice was becoming more palpable. “But yeah. We’re safe for now. Jorik, Matriarch Asar, and Mr. Rak are with me. We’re all in the storage room.” Garrett’s nostrils flared up, an angry look forming on his face as he tightened his grip on his gun. It was obvious he wanted to go in, guns blazing, and save lives. Eric got that. He really did. That was why he came up with this improv operation in the first place. And he knew what he signed up for. He knew they were here to help. He knew that the most they culd do would be long and tedious, but someone had to do it. But he was sure as hell he should have expected to fight off those cyber zombies. But a rampaging gunman? This might be way above any of their pay grades. “Goddammit. Fuck!” Liam walked a few steps away from Eric and Garrett and slammed his fist against the wall to his left. As he retracted his fist, he didn’t leave a dent or a scratch on the wall. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves before coming back. “What does this person look like?” “I think Jorik got a good look at him before we hid,” said Suraya. “Jorik? Can you help them?” The three heard footsteps through their earpieces. “Right, uh…” a male turian said. This must be Jorik. “His skin’s pale with what you call dark brown hair and a… shaven chin, I think? He is fairly lanky.” “Yeah. That’s what we humans call that,” Garrett said. “Anyway, the man has several guns on his person. If you’re coming in to get us, don’t let him get you,” the turian warned. There was a heavy wheeze, a telltale sign of a volus. As a species, the volus had to wear pressure suits and breathers outside of their high-pressure planet so they could easily adapt to other environments. “Please hurry!” the volus cried out. “I’m not sure how long we would be safe here. Not with that crazy human or those freaks out there waiting to tear us apart.” “I’ll get Bailey on the line. We need help.” Eric tapped on his earpiece. “Bailey, you there? We got someone posing as an Alliance marine at the Good Morning Zakera Ward station. And he’s armed to the teeth. Think you can give us backup?” “Armed and dangerous? Ah hell. I’m sending several of my men to your location,” Bailey answered through their earpieces. “Just be careful. Don’t do anything stupid. Stay out of sight and we’ll take care of it.” “You hear that?” Eric asked Suraya. “Yes, but I’m not sure if C-Sec can make it time,” Suraya answered, sounding even more terrified. “That guy is inside the station, looking for us.” “Any idea why?” Liam asked. “No. I… I don’t know why. Jorik?” A slight pause from Suraya’s end. “If I have to hazard a guess, perhaps we’re just a convenient target for that human,” Jorik answered. “This isn’t the first time someone has attacked our station.” “Yes. The hanar terrorist who has taken Mr. Rak and us hostage earlier this year,” a different female voice spoke out. That must be Matriarch Asar. “But this man definitely has some form of military training.” Garrett sighed and shook his head. “Fuck it. Suraya’s right. We’re going in.” Eric jolted and turned to his boyfriend, his face aghast at what he just heard. “What? Are you… are you out of your mind?” he called out. “Like you bringing us here is any different,” Garrett retorted, his voice rising. “Sure, we can wait out here for C-Sec to come, but that asshole’s gonna find them and kill them all. But if we go in there, make take him out, maybe distract him long enough for C-Sec to take him away or whatever, that won’t happen.” “Or we can all get killed by him,” Eric replied. “This isn’t what we—” “Signed up for?” Garrett finished. He scoffed. “C’mon, man! You said it yourself. We’re here to save lives, yeah? Can you trust me on this?” Eric looked down for a moment and sighed, closing his eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He could not believe this. The only form of combat experience hand Garrett had been from taking out some husks just now. Liam had more experience than either of them combined. But he wasn’t certain if that was enough. “I can help with that,” Asar offered. “I’m a matriarch, a powerful biotic. Perhaps that could even the odds in our favor.” A matriarch? Things didn’t seem so daunting now. Eric looked back up and nodded finally. “I do.” Garrett grinned, letting out a sigh. “Okay. Good.” He tapped his earpiece. “Hey, Suraya. Think you can open the door from your position?” “What? Where do you think I am? It’s not like any of this stuff here could do that,” Suraya replied sarcastically. “Guess we’ll just have to do this the old-fashioned way, then,” Liam remarked. “Ready, Eric?” “I’ll meet you three in the recording area,” said Asar. “Be careful, Asar,” Jorik replied. “I will. Thank you. Heading out now,” said Asar. “Keep us posted. Over and out,” Eric said, and their earpieces pinged once more. It was time for him to get to work. He turned to the locked door again and turned on his omni-tool. He issued a command, connected it to the door, thanks to a new hacking program given to the Alliance and other organizations. A screen flashed over the orange light enveloping his arm. On it was a pattern of a circuit board. Just like the second game, he thought. He looked at a bright green bar at the upper-right of the screen, which was emptying itself tick by tick. The door’s security protocol started to fight back, and he didn’t have time on his side. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves. You can do this. The others watched as Eric moved the cursor around with his finger. The cursor highlighted one of the nodes, revealing a symbol in the shape of a top. He followed along the line, hoping he would find a node that would match this one. Much to his relief, the other node had the same symbol. As he connected them, the bar continued to tick down. “Okay, one down. Three to go,” Eric stated. He repeated the same process. As he found another node and connected it, the bar was hallway empty. Connected, the third one had the bar at three-quarters of the way. He swiped the cursor on the last node and connected it. The door beeped, the light next to it now green. Eric sighed as he dropped his shoulders for a moment. “Hey, nice job!” Liam exclaimed. “Thanks,” Eric replied, glancing over his shoulder at Liam before he opened the door. The room they entered was a typical lobby area. Cushion chairs had been laid at the side, the secretary’s desk at the other end of the room, with a flat TV hanging on a wall nearby. The walls were rather bare, though, which made it rather stale. Whoever owned this place either couldn’t afford the decorations or was too much of a miser. Why did Eric’s stomach churn, like it had tied into knots? He saw so many disaster and zombie movies and shows. He knew the rising tension, which was followed by a jump scare. He hated those. Some part of him still believed that going up against that gunman would not end well. Their weapons still out, the three made cautious steps toward the hallway next to the desk. They made sure, Garrett especially, to walk slowly to dampen the noise on the marble floor. In the hallway, Eric backtracked as they walked past one opened door and looked inside for a moment. The office was rather cushy. Behind a rather fancy and decorated desk was a cushioned red chair with a booster on it. Knocked down on the desk was a picture of a volus posing for the camera. “Whose office is that?” Eric asked after pinging his earpiece while catching up with the others. “That would be Mr. Rak’s,” Jorik answered to their earpieces. “He’s the volus who’s here with us. He’s also our boss.” Eric heard a heavy wheeze on his earpiece. “Yes yes, and don’t you dare take anything in there.” Mr. Rak wheezed again. “ Especially my daughter’s picture.” “Huh?” Liam asked, confused. Eric frowned. Someone had to jump to conclusions here. “I’m not gonna steal anything. Jesus!” Eric replied to Mr. Rak. “Though you might wanna—” Gunshots rang throughout the hallway. “Shit, we better hurry!” Garrett exclaimed. “Move! Now!” Liam barked. This prompted the three to quicken their pace until they reached another door. With little time to spare, Garrett bashed the button and they slipped inside. The room was large enough to fit them and a few more at a time. With all the buttons, the haptic interface, and the two microphones on a wide and plain desk with two chairs, this must be the recording room. They see two other occupants there. One was an asari that had dark markings and makeup decorating her blue face. Her one hand clutched on a wound hidden by her purple dress while her other hand was holding up a biotic barrier from floor to ceiling. At the other end of the room was a man in Alliance armor. Several metallic blocks latched onto his back, him aiming a large and blocky assault rifle at the asari. His facial features matched what Jorik had described to them. His narrow face had a wicked scowl, with malicious intent in his brown eyes. The man in Alliance armor turned his eyes toward them. “So they’ve brought more of you.” The gunman pointed his gun at them. “More bodies to the count, wouldn’t you say?” “You’re outnumbered. Four against one,” Garrett growled as his mouth curling into a frown. “Doesn’t matter. It’s all gonna end sooner or later.” The man chuckled. A toothy smile appeared on his face as he looked at his gun. “Now… the question is: where am I gonna spend all that ammo?” Liam aimed his submachine gun and fired. The man ducked in time, the gunfire meeting with the wall above the desk, leaving behind several holes. Asar stood up, raising her hand in front of her as her biotic barrier dissipated. A dark-blue aura surrounded her body as she hurled a biotic projectile at the shooter. Upon impact, the man stumbled back with a grunt. Unable to keep on standing around for much longer, the matriarch collapsed behind one of the fallen bookshelves. “I’m goin’ in!” Garrett let out a battle cry as he charged in, hailing a spray of gunfire at the gunman to keep him occupied. The gunman fired back in retaliation, shredding much of Garrett’s shields in a short amount of time. “Alright. I’ll cover you.” Liam lifted the desk and ducked behind it. The devices flew off and landed with a clank. “Eric, help the matriarch!” “Got it.” Eric nodded. He rushed in and help the asari matriarch. “You’re gonna be okay. Hold on,” he said. He applied some medi-gel to Asar’s wounds, closing and disinfecting it, and gave her a dose of painkillers. “Thank you,” said the asari. The amount of blood she lost and the shock from her wounds had left her in no condition to fight. She would need proper medical treatment after this and soon. “I apologize I won’t be of much use.” Eric breathed in and out as he stood up. His boyfriend tried to get out of the way of the bullets fired by their assailant. Garrett yelped in surprise as a blue aura bRake down around him like glass. He had to do something. It was a good thing Eric was trained for messing around with electronics, kinetic barriers included, as much as he hated it. He pointed his omni-tool at the gunman and launched a disk. The expression on the gunman’s face faded, replaced with a surprised look. Before he could react, the disk detonated, sending a blue pulse that lingered on his armor and disabled his shields. Liam recovered and fired at the assailant. Blood spurted from the gunman’s body as the bullets landed on him. He stumbled around, his arms quaking as he struggled to even lift his rifle. He blinked several times, his breathing ragged as he tried to stay conscious. Looking at him made Eric cringe. Seeing the man bleeding out all over and mangled up like hamburger meat did not prepare him for this, even after seeing gruesome pictures of injuries back during training. Garrett recovered finally and stood up. He approached the gunman and shoved his gun aside easily enough. His face had been ruined when he had introduced himself to Garrett’s fist, as evidenced by his broken and bloody nose. The man slumped down, blood trailing on the wall behind him. “Fuck you,” he groaned, giving each of them a defiant gaze. “To be fair, man, you brought this on yourself,” Garrett seethed. Eric shook his head. “Look, you’re not gonna make it,” he told the gunman. “You need help.” He knelt beside the man. Just as he was about to apply some medi-gel on the man’s wounds, only for him to swat his hand. “I don’t need it.” The gunman scoffed before letting out a dark chuckle. “What difference would that make?” The man rolled his eyes back a little as he let out a long sigh. He dropped his shoulders as his breathing slowed, then stopped. He closed his eyes and his head slumped forward. Eric hesitated at first, but he placed his fingers on the man’s neck. There was no pulse and the body started to get cold. Eric quickly stood up and stepped back. For a moment, he half-expected the man to come back to life somehow, despite knowing how impossible it was. He looked on, haunted by what had transpired, struggling to ignore the wave of nausea washing over him. He couldn’t believe it. He helped kill someone. “It’s over. Thank god,” Liam remarked as he stood up. “But… we killed someone…” Eric muttered, as if in a daze. His eyes welled up with tears. He wanted to throw up. The queasy feeling in his stomach did not help him one bit. “We’re here to save lives, aren’t we? Tell me we are.” “Not everyone can be saved. Ultimately, the choice is theirs to make,” Asar said as she struggled to stand up on her feet. Garrett went over to her and offered to help, which she accepted. She wrapped her arm around his shoulder. “But above all else, take solace in the fact that you have saved our lives here.” She looked at them with a knowing smile. “You should be proud of yourself.” Eric nodded. “Yeah. Silver lining,” he said softly. Once they left the station, they all waited before a few skycars with C-Secs’ insignia mounted at the side landed. The lights on the roofs of the skycars flashed red and blue. Two C-Sec officers, one human, and the other a turian, got out of one of the cars and entered the building with a stretcher. Three more people exited through the same door and met with the others by the ambulance. One of them was a female human with light skin and a brown ponytail, an exhausted look on her face. Another was a male turian with blue markings etched on his face, seemingly no worse for wear. And the third was your typical volus, short and stout with glowing eyes from his white gasmask and brown hardsuit. “You. You there,” the volus spoke, followed by a wheeze from his gas mask, which repeated after every sentence he spoke. This must be Mr. Rak. “You have a lot to answer for.” He pointed accusingly at Eric and Garrett. “Do you have any idea how much maintaining this damn studio cost?!” Eric looked down at the volus, with his eyes bloodshot. Garrett glared silently back at the ungrateful volus while another officer placed Asar on another stretcher. “I’m quite certain you can afford it. After all, we did have a lot of sponsors for our program,” the turian, Jorik, responded. The woman, Suraya, was just fuming, her face red with anger. She stomped as she turned around and stared at the volus in the eyes. “You know what, Mr. Rak? Why don’t you try to be grateful for once in your fucking life?!” Mr. Rak scoffed with a dismissive wave. “Bah. Maybe I’ll thank you when I’m in a better mood. I’ll take my leave, then.” The volus parted ways, ranting and wheezing all the while as he searched for a rapid transit. Jorik looked at Eric and the others, a slight twitch in his mandibles. “Oh, I want to say thank you for saving our lives. If you haven’t gotten here in time…” “Hey, don’t mention it.” Liam smiled. “Maybe we can share a beer sometime, no?” “Or getting a spot on your show as a guest,” Garrett added. The turian laughed, and Suraya joined in. “We’ll see how that goes.” His and Suraya’s eyes meet. “Look, I better get going. I’ll talk to the officers about what happened. Stay safe.” “Likewise,” Asar replied. “You too, Jorik,” Suraya added. “Hope your apartment is in one piece.” With that, the turian walked away and met with the other officers. Suraya placed her hand on her chin and leaned against the ambulance. She rubbed her eyes to fight off any signs of exhaustion. “You know, I can’t help but wonder if that hanar was right about the keepers.” “What do you mean?” Garrett asked. “I mean, I wonder if the geth attacking us has anything to do with what that jellyfish is rambling about.” She turned and looked at Eric. “You’re Eric, right?” He nodded. “What do you think?” “Well, um…” Eric took a deep breath. Was she into something here? It would be safe to play it dumb for now. “I don’t know. Um… Crazier things have happened, I guess.” He saw the two officers were back out, this time the gunman’s body laid on the stretcher and stuffed in a body bag. “Well, thanks for helping me out. I gotta report back to my superiors,” Liam spoke as he sat up. He took a few steps forward before looking back. “Hey, Suraya. Mind if I drop you off at your place?” “I’d appreciate it, thanks,” Suraya replied. As Liam and Suraya walked off, both of Eric’s and Garrett’s earpieces pinged. This time it came from a different source. “Ami here. They’ve found out about your plan, Eric.” Eric breathed heavily before pressing his earpiece and taking a few steps away from the ambulance. “Who are they?” He knew the answer. He knew this would come to this point one way or another, but he certainly wasn’t looking forward to it. Not one bit. “Alliance brass. You two better hurry. They’re already mad at us as it is. I’m sorry.” “No. It’s…” Eric sighed, his heart sinking like a bag of rocks underwater. “It’s my fault for coming up with this stupid idea.” He paused for a moment, not sure of what to say next. “Gotcha. We’ll be on our way ASAP,” Garrett replied to Ami. Their earpieces pinged again, and the line ended. Garrett took a step forward and, as Eric tried to speak out, dragged him into a gentle hug from behind. Eric blushed, his cheeks turning rose-red. He had to admit, it was nice. “Don’t worry, man. Likely, they’ll just transfer us all to some boring outpost in the middle of ass-end nowhere.” Garrett rubbed against the back of his neck. “But what will happen to us? What if they separate us?” Eric asked. “We’ll just leave it up to luck, yeah.” “I hope so,” Eric nodded. “And, well, I love you.” “Love ya, too.” It was then that Eric turned around and his lips had pressed against Garrett’s. The kiss was always the one he was looking forward to.
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Post by Nord Ronnoc on Nov 1, 2019 18:04:12 GMT 1
Chapter Ten: Bravo Squad Year: 2016 Location: Boston, MassachusettsEric landed on his bed, exhausted after working for most of the day. Laying on his back, he stared at the ceiling. The afternoon sunlight traveled through the windows in his bedroom, casting on the tan carpet floor. Although he graduated with high honors, the prospect of going to MIT made his chest well up with anxiety. Suddenly, noises came from downstairs. His parents were arguing, he guessed. Again. Their heated discussions had been going up and down for the last several months. Sighing, Eric stood up from his bed and left his bedroom. As soon as he stepped out, he saw his brother tiptoeing down the stairs with his sister just behind him. "That bad?" Eric asked, concerned. A resigned Alfonso nodded. As he and his siblings reached the bottom of the stairs, they saw their father sitting on the couch, their mother standing nearby with her hands on her hips, frowning. "Oh, what am I going to do?" their mother asked after rubbing her forehead. His father sighed and looked down at the floor as if in shame. Eric squeezed through his siblings. "Hey, wha—" Alfonso called out, and Garcia grunted as Eric gently shoved her aside. "Mamá, Papá, what's going on?" Eric asked when he stepped into the living room. His father turned his head at him. "Your father's not going," her mother answered for him. Eric's heart dropped. Alfonso and Garcia stepped in as well, just as aghast as he was. "Is it because of—" Garcia tried to speak out. "My work, yes," their father finished with a small gesture of his hand. "You need a break, Papá," Alfonso pointed out. "That shit's not healthy. It's gonna burn you out." "I'm doing this to help our family, help you—" their father replied. "Oh, bullshit," Alfonso called out, raising his voice. "That's just an excuse and you know it. Sure, it helps us financially, but Garcia and I have jobs too, and we still make time. Even Mamá has a job at the hospital." He scoffed. "Don't say it," their mother spoke. Alfonso glared at her. "Say what? That he should get some therapy instead of wallowing in his work? That he would rather run away from his problems from the military and at the marathon few years ago instead." Their father fell silent, taking a deep breath. With a furrowed brow and flaring nostrils, he stood up and gave Alfonso an intense look, like there were daggers in his eyes. If looks could kill… "Marido, espera!" their mother protested. "I'll talk to him for the way he talks back, but he's worried about you." Without looking, their father raised his index finger in front of their mother. "I will handle it." He lowered his hand, still looking at Alfonso, who was taken aback. Eric was not looking forward to this. "What I'm going through right now is nothing compared to what you went through. Look at you, bouncing right back after nearly getting blown up by a lunatic. I cope on my own terms. Do you hear me, son?" he snarled, almost yelling with furious fire in his eyes. Alfonso said nothing. "Do you?!" Everybody was left stunned. It took a moment for their father to register what he had done, and the look on his face shifted from anger to shock, as if the weight of his actions came down on him. "I… I didn't mean to..." he said breathlessly before shaking his head. "Just… just go." He sank back into the couch and dug his head into his hands. Their mother sat by him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulders. "C'mon, guys. Let's go to CambridgeSide for a bit. Give him some space," Garcia suggested. Alfonso sighed. "Yeah. Coming, Eric?" Eric nodded sullenly, and he and his siblings left the living room. As they left through the back door, Eric thought he heard sobbing.
I]Year: 2183 Location: SSV Perugia, 63 rd Scout Flotilla, near the Citadel[/I] Eric, Garrett, Cortez, and his colleagues stood in an office on the cruiser. All of them were out of their armor and into their uniforms. A window had encompassed the wall in front of them, showing the Citadel and several ships out there. A man in Alliance blues sat behind his desk rubbing his temples together with one hand. He sighed, and his lime-green eyes looked up to the large ensemble of misfits. Well, at least that was what Bristol would call themselves, Eric noted. "Insubordination, stealing Alliance property…" the man, Rear Admiral Mikhailovich, stated. "You do realize these are serious offenses, don't you?" Eric had a chill running down his spine, even as he kept a straight face with his hands crossed behind his back like the others standing alongside him. "We are well aware, sir," Ami replied. "And may I ask why all of you chose to disobey orders?" There was a hint of anger in the rear admiral's voice, despite the unreadable expression on his face. "Sir, we couldn't afford to sit by and watch while our friends and folks were in danger," Cortez replied. "That I understand clearly, Lieutenant. That is part of our job—hell, our main job depending on who you ask. We made these orders and carried them out to keep some hotheads like you all from doing something reckless. Something dangerous. Now…" The rear admiral leaned forward with his hands tented together on his desk as he eyed every one of them. "I know all of you have done your fair share of heroics, but who came up with that idea in the first place?" All eyes fell on Eric. He had to remind himself to fight off that uneasy feeling every few seconds. Along with the feeling of stage fright, of course. Finally, he took a step forward. "It was, uh…" He paused suddenly, trying to settle his nerves by clearing his throat as he blinked rapidly. "It was me, sir. If there should be any blame, put it all on me. I'll take responsibility." Garrett turned toward him with surprise palpable in his eyes. "You sure about this, man?" he asked. "Going by his response, I say he is quite certain." Mikhailovich looked at the rest of the group and leaned back in his chair, his hands still tented together. "And you did this despite the consequences?" Eric nodded. "Yes, sir. We are aware of the dangers of going to the Citadel. We weren't there to kill geth. We were there to help people. What's wrong with that?" The rear admiral's nostrils flared as his glare at Eric felt like daggers piercing into his body. "What's wrong was that you could have gotten killed as far as anybody would know! You're damn lucky you only got one of your own to a hospital with a concussion," the rear admiral retorted. He closed his eyes and fell silent for a moment, his index fingers placed on the bridge of his nose. "So… what will happen next?" Alban asked, uncertain. "Normally, the brass would dishonorably discharge you, but…" The admiral's lips curled as if trying to comprehend what he was about to say next. "These are unusual times, and Commander Shepard did defy the Council's orders to stay put. I can't say it would be consistent of us to punish you for your… actions. You did save lives, I must admit." This had taken Eric by surprise, and he wasn't the only one who did not see this coming. "Wait, what?" Melek asked. "You heard me," Rear Admiral Mikhailovich replied as he stood up. "The Alliance is gonna reward you. Promotions, maybe some medals for your efforts." "Wow. So why are you talking to us instead of the admirals?" Bristol pointed out. "Sounds like they're busy or somethin'. Dealing with any geth stragglers and cleaning up the mess at the Citadel." "That is correct," Mikhailovich responded. "Though you're still a private, you're 1 st class now. All of you, save for Cortez, have all been promoted to private 1 st class. As for you, Cortez…" He turned at the lieutenant as the pilot stood straight, his hands at his side. "Looks like you're also promoted, Lieutenant Cortez. 1 st class as well." He approached Cortez and shook his hand. "Congratulations." "Thank you, sir," Cortez replied. "I'll make you proud." "I'm sure you will. Just… don't do anything reckless again." Rear Admiral Mikhailovich straightened his posture, his hands crossed behind his back. "As for all of you, you will be assigned to separate teams…" Location: Alliance Main Operating Base, Zakera Ward, CitadelBravo Squad. Eric and Garrett would be assigned to that attachment, replacing its previous members. The others were assigned to different detachments. Arthur was expected to follow suit as soon as he made a full recovery. Cortez would be assigned to one of the colonies, and Eric realized he would wound up at Horizon, eventually at least. He would have found some way for Cortez's then-boyfriend to survive the Collectors' attack two years from now. Still, Eric couldn't wrap his head around the fact that the Alliance rewarded them for their insubordination. Then again, perhaps being warned not to pull it off again was punishment enough. He sighed and fell quiet, reading and rereading the datapad that had dossiers of each of the remaining members of Bravo Squad. Aside from him, Garrett was in the shuttle, sitting next to him, as it flew past the pillars at the Citadel. First on the list was Staff Lieutenant Roy Brandon, an N7 and a biotic, someone with the ability to manipulate dark matter at a whim. If he remembered his lessons correctly, N7 was a vocational code in the Alliance military, special forces that essentially represented the best of the best in the Alliance. Their training was said to be grueling and tough. Next to all the information available on Roy was a portrait of him, a bald man with sepia brown skin and a jawline with a 5 o'clock shadow. Underneath his right gray eye was a series of small scars. Given how red they were, Eric couldn't help but assume the scars were a recent addition. Next on the list was Gunnery Chief Talia Bert. While she had biotic capabilities, she also had some aptitude for technology, something that was uncommon in the Alliance. Her portrait showed a wide face and short dark hair, copper skin, and narrow eyes that made her look angry, with a birthmark next to her right eye. Last was Operations Chief Zoey Lugo, a sniper with high marks in marksmanship, infiltration, and recon. Her psychological profile indicated she had a bit of a cocky attitude. Eric supposed it would be something he had to see for himself. The portrait of her had her peachy-fair skin, blue circular eyes, narrow nose and lips, and brown hair that had tied into a ponytail. Or at least he thought it tied into a ponytail. According to the datapad, there were two previous members of the squad. One was Alan Cain, a heavy weapons specialist who had left the team recently. The other, Manon Fulmer, was killed in action, and Eric was her replacement. That information alone had weighed him down somewhat as if it became some albatross hanging around his neck. "Hey, you okay?" Garrett asked, finally breaking the silence as he leaned over Eric's shoulder. Eric glanced up to see his boyfriend. "Yeah. It's, uh… it's been a hell of a day, isn't it?" "You can say that, love. Could've been worse if you ask me." Despite his best attempt at resistance, Garrett smirked teasingly. Eric's face scrunched up in embarrassment. If only he could lean back even further. "Uh, please don't say that. You're going to jinx it. I just know it." Garrett scoffed and shook his head without another word. "If something bad happens, I'm blaming you," Eric quipped. Garrett let out a hearty giggle. Eric would never expect that from someone so burly and so manly. "Are you now?" he squeaked a little. Eric tried to come up with a retort he figured would be witty, but their fun little talk ended abruptly when the shuttle landed at their destination, the engines letting out a rumbling sigh. The Alliance pilot at the front end of the shuttle, a bronze-skinned woman with orange-red hair tied in a bun, stood up and faced toward the two. "Alright, we've arrived at the FOB," she announced with what Eric assumed to be an Australian accent. "Best of luck to ya." "Appreciate it, ma'am," Garrett replied as they stood up. "Same," Eric added. They grabbed their duffle bags, each the equivalent of a footlocker, as the wall to their right parted and opened. Stepping out of the shuttle and onto the platform, Eric looked up and down at the facility and around, as they weren't the only ones here. Mechanics were performing some maintenance on the machinery while soldiers looked on, vigilant for any funny business. The door closed and the shuttle took off, flying back to the rest of the Alliance fleet outside the station as it went out of their sight. The two were by themselves, save for random residents passing by the hangar filled with small starships and shuttles. The base itself was an assortment of small buildings surrounded by a solid metal wall. As Eric looked around, of their discretion. There was also a man matching Roy's description from the datapad leaning against the railing nearby, wearing a black hoodie and a pair of cargo pants. Immediately, he snapped his head towards them and stood straight, unfolding his arms that were in front of his chest. "Hey. Welcome to the main operating base," the man said as he approached the two. The one thing Eric noticed was the white N7 designation on his chest along with a red stripe running down on his right sleeve. Garrett gasped when he noticed the N7 insignia as well, saluting in a heartbeat while Eric looked on with wide eyes in confusion. Garrett's face scrunched as if he was trying his best not to smile in excitement. "Sir!" he exclaimed. "Relax, Garrett. We're not doing any formalities. Nor are we on a mission for that matter." The N7 officer offered his hand and, in an instant, Garret took it, shaking it rather quickly. "Staff Lieutenant Roy Brandon and you should just relax, big guy! Sheesh!" Garrett had let go of Roy's hand as he finally smiled, nervous and overwhelmed with excitement. "Sorry, sir! It's just that, well… you're an N7, and they're a bunch of badasses," he squealed, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves. "So we are," Roy chuckled, his hands on his hips. "Though speaking of formalities, welcome to Bravo Squad." "So, uh… any idea where your place is at?" Eric asked. "We're at that building over there." The N7 officer pointed his thumb toward one building down southward, an apartment-like building not unlike the others Eric had seen on the Citadel, this one with the electronic sign saying 'Bravo'. "If you follow me, it'll be harder to miss." "Yeah, thanks," Garrett nodded. "Right away, sir." The lieutenant turned around and began walking, the two graduates sauntering close behind. Though Eric wasn't quite close, he couldn't help but feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing.
Eric was alone in the dorms, occupying his time with the virtual, floating orange ball known as a drone, the program given to him by the brass before he and Garrett set off for Bravo Squad. Garrett was off at the cafeteria and the rest of the squad joined him. The room was spacious enough to fit ten beds, five on each side. It was also spacious enough to test the drone's IFF and guidance systems without him bumping into anything even if he wasn't paying attention. While pacing around, the drone followed him close by, though he swore it had glitched when it stood there one time for a few seconds. That aside, it worked like a charm. Modifications that would dispense medi-gel to any of his squadmates injured in its vicinity aside, he wondered if he should give it a name like Tali did for hers. "Hey, Eric!" someone called out. He turned around, seeing a woman matching the picture in Zoey Lugo's dossier. The sniper entered the room, carrying around a small package. "Got something for ya," she said. "What's that?" Eric asked. Zoey glanced at the label on the package. "Looks like it's from your friend," she answered. "Natalie Clay, right?" "Yeah. I'll take it, thanks," he replied, and Zoey handed him the package over. As she was about to turn and leave, she stopped and looked at Eric's drone. "Hey, did you give it a name yet? These things always look cute… before they zap you to death or something." Eric snickered while his drone let out a random chirp. "Not on top of my head yet. Got any good ones?" Zoey shrugged. "Nope. Sorry," she answered. "By the way, you should spend some time with us in the cafeteria." "I'm good, thanks." "Suit yourself." The door closed as Zoey left the room. With a tap on his omni-tool, the drone vanished. He sat down on a bed nearby and appraised the package. What he saw in his hands was an envelope made of paper. Real, white paper like in his universe. These days, everybody has switched to datapads and other forms of electronics. He never thought he would miss the texture of paper. He slid it open. He gasped, his hands shaking. He couldn't believe it. In the box was a small stack of pictures he took on his phone. The one placed at the top was the one he took of his family last year at Angkor Wat. The other pictures were that of happier times, one of which from a few years ago, back when he walked at the park with his father. He stopped when he came upon the picture he took of the orb and the plain pedestal it stood on. The lizard part of his brain wanted him to tear it down and forget about it. But where would that leave him? His omni-tool suddenly chimed. As he placed the package with the pictures back inside underneath the bed, he summoned a paper-thin screen above his leveled arm. The screen showed Natalie sitting in her living room while carrying one of her twin daughters, whom he recognized as Florina. Florina was the one that had Natalie's hair color while Helene had lighter hair. Eric couldn't help but wonder if he should get the twins a Christmas present. "Hey, Nat!" he said with a smile. "Thank you for sending me this. It…" He hesitated. He didn't know what else to say. "Thank you. Thank you so much for this." "Least I could do." Natalie smiled. "I hired a quarian a couple weeks ago. Your birthday's in June, right?" "Yeah." "Like a late birthday gift. Or a graduation gift." She smiled. "Well, that one was held up by the geth attacking the station. Either way, better late than never." "It works," Eric replied. "So anyway, he's good—like really good—at using old tech. Turian, human, salarian, asari, you name it." "Did he look at them?" Eric asked, worried. "No. I asked him not to. Told him they were private, so he assembled an old-fashioned printer for the pictures to automate the process." "Oh. Okay." He sighed, relieved. "Again, thank you." He leaned his head in a little closer. "Huh. Looks like the house is untouched." The baby cooed as she glanced at her mother. He wasn't quite certain if she had responded to him. But Natalie gently shook her baby with her knee. "Yeah. The others weren't so lucky. Luke and I volunteered in the reconstruction of the Wards." "Got yourself a babysitter, then?" Natalie nodded. "Yeah. Remember Alynea from the hospital? She's the babysitter." Eric knew what she was talking about. Alynea Tani was the asari nurse who took care of him when he entered this universe. Aside from his emotional meltdowns, he had a decent time there. "Yeah, that's kinda cool," he answered. "I see Florina's doing alright. How's Helene? Hi, Florina!" He waved with a smile. "Hola!" Natalie looked at her daughter. "Say hello to Eric, sweetie. Say hi!" The baby cooed as her mother held her right arm and waved it at the screen. Yet she smiled. "Helene's fine. She's been fine," Natalie answered. "Isn't that right, Florina? Huh, sweetie?" "How's Luke, then? Still busy?" Eric asked. Natalie looked up at Eric. "Yeah. I guess you can say that." Eric couldn't help but notice the somewhat forlorn look on her face. "Something wrong?" Before he could say more, he heard someone calling out behind him. "Eric, Roy wants us in the command room. He says it's urgent." The woman's accent was mostly Eastern European. Which country, he couldn't pinpoint without looking it up. He turned around, seeing a woman matching the picture in Talia Bert's profile standing at the exit of the room. She rested her shoulder against the door. "How urgent?" "Enough to start a briefing," Talia deadpanned. "Are you coming?" "Y-yeah! Tell the others I'm on my way," Eric replied and turned back toward his screen. "Hey listen, I gotta go. You probably heard what the woman said." "Yeah. Sounds pretty serious," said Natalie. "Won't take more of your time, then. Talk to you soon?" "Hopefully," Eric answered, almost letting out a bitter sigh. "See ya." He then closed the screen and turned his omni-tool off. He turned around, only to find Talia had just left the room, not wanting to waste more time waiting for him. "Shit, coming!" he called out, having also left the room as he caught up to the biotic tech. It's a brand new day for you, Eric, his thoughts reassured him. Hope you can focus on the small things, just like Papa has taught you. The quarian in question is Dar'Nara vas Rayya, who is owned by, well… DarNara. He has given me permission to have him be mentioned here and appear in Eric's next story. Hey, I got my username from a D&D character. I don't see anything wrong with naming yourself online after a character you came up with.
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Post by Nord Ronnoc on Nov 2, 2019 1:02:51 GMT 1
Epilogue: Implications Year: 2183 Location: Minuteman StationIt had been more than a week since the attack on the Citadel, and the galactic community was still licking its wounds. Many tried to understand how it could have happened; others were focusing on making sure it wouldn’t happen again. That was her job. She was supposed to look into Commander Shepard and her crew of the SSV Normandy. She wasn’t happy, no doubt about it. Some of them were either walking PTSD cases or aliens. But what other choice did she have? When the Illusive Man assigned her to investigate Eric Grimes, she wasn’t sure about it at first. But the more she read through this dossier on the service, the more she understood why. All of this was rather convenient, too, like someone did a thorough job setting it all up for him. The door by her beeped as it slid open. She turned away from the terminal on her desk to a man with Asian facial features and a dark mop of hair stepped inside the room. “Rasa? The briefing’s about to start,” he told you. “You don’t want to miss it like last time.” She sighed before pinching the bridge of her nose for a moment. “Right, sorry. Lost track of time again. Thanks, Leng.” “Whatever.” Kai Leng curled his mouth. “That dossier you’re reading… that bad like the others?” “Not as much, I think. But he has potential,” Rasa answered, standing up from her chair. “Potential?” Kai Leng scoffed, twisting his mouth. “How? I’ve looked at his file too, Rasa. No parents or any other relatives, no formal education to speak of. He’s a nobody from nowhere.” “You’re right. By all accounts, he is,” she replied as she arms crossed in front of her. “Yet a human C-Sec officer gave him a chance to start a new life. He passed aptitude tests with high marks, defied Alliance orders, hijacked a shuttle, survived a trip to the Citadel against all odds, and saved lives. And that was all just after he finished his training. He stood for something, Leng. Believed in something.” “Doubt he believed in our cause,” he remarked. Kai Leng was a difficult man to work with, Rasa noted, but he had never been this testy lately. Had he woken up on the wrong side of his bed? Did an alien somehow piss in his coffee cup this morning? “Look, I stand by my case. Imagine how much more he could accomplish, even if his beliefs would be at odds with ours.” The Cerberus assassin chuckled as he shook his head, his hands on his hips. “Remind you of anyone?” She smirked. “Yes.” “Delighted to hear it.” His enigmatic smile and tone of his told her he wasn’t convinced. “We got something more important to do than caring about some brat and his bleeding heart. Like our briefing we’re supposed to attend.” She nodded. As they left her room with the door slid closed behind her, she wished she would look more into his first mission in the Anoat system. After this briefing, perhaps… It's about time I've finished it, eh? Originally, I plan to add in more chapters that depicted Eric's time with Bravo Squad. However, not only do I have other stories to work on, I also find that these chapters might be more suitable for a sequel.
Also, Rasa is Maya Brooks from the Mass Effect 3 Citadel DLC. She goes by Rasa in the Foundation comics (no relation to how my fic series was named).
I'd like to thank my friends and family for the support and help along the way. I don't think I would go so far with you all.
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Post by Nord Ronnoc on Dec 29, 2019 10:22:46 GMT 1
Persons of Note Eric Grimes Eric Grimes was a recent high school graduate well on his way to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Born in 1997 in Boston, Massachusetts, he was the youngest of three children in a biracial family—his brother Alfonso and his sister Garcia. His father was an Irish immigrant while his mother was a second-generation Dominican, though she was born in Puerto Rico.
He lived in the shadows of his father and sister and was bullied and harassed at school constantly for one reason or another.
After his father took multiple tours in Afghanistan as an intelligence analyst, he took up a job as an IT manager and worked relentlessly, so his mother and sister took up the responsibility of running the house. His brother demonstrated poor behavior such as going past curfew, not bothering to tell anyone when he would come back. He introduced Eric to the Mass Effect series during a family gathering at Christmas. For several months, Eric became immersed in the games. However, he had to stop when his homework assignments took too much of his time.
Luke and Natalie Clay Luke Clay was born in 2157 in Salvador, Brazil to an American couple. At age 18, he enlisted in the Alliance and eventually was transferred to the 103rd Division. He went on multiple tours, exploring multiple planets and serving with distinction alongside many people of diverse backgrounds. In 2180, he had a chance encounter with Natalie Patel at San Francisco while on shore leave.
Natalie Patel was born in 2155 in Mumbai, India. While growing up she dreamed of serving the law and following in her father’s footsteps. She achieved her dream when she graduated from the police academy with top marks at the age of 21. She brought her knowledge to multiple stations across Earth, eventually meeting Luke at San Francisco.
Late in 2181, they were married and settled in the Bachret Ward on the Citadel with a luxurious house. Luke completed his enlistment by then and set up a local restaurant. Natalie applied as an investigation officer in C-Sec. However, humans were uncommon in C-Sec and Natalie found herself paid less compared to her alien colleagues. Meanwhile, Luke’s restaurant had received fewer customers as of late, and the couple had started to fall on economic hard times.
Garrett Pitt Garrett Pitt was born in 2164 in Benning, a garden world with a thriving human colony. The only child to a military family, his father died to an eezo mining incident on a planet in the Attican Traverse. Despite the hardships he and his mother had faced, they had comfortable lives in the farmlands, and Garrett was able to make some friends.
Right after he graduated from high school, he signed up to enlist in the Systems Alliance, following in his mother’s footsteps. At that time, he was brought on a blind date with Eric Grimes, set up by his mother and her friend, Luke Clay. In the weeks that followed, his relationship with Eric grew into something more. He hoped it would bore fruit, unlike his past relationships during high school.
While Garrett was impulsive, he was a passionate and intelligent young man, willing to stand up for others. His sarcastic quips often get him into trouble. However, he grew to despise batarians, as his aunt and uncle were killed by batarian slavers on Mindoir. He never recovered from the trauma when he received the news soon after the attack.
Galactic Government Bravo Squad Known as Bravo Squad, the 2nd Brigade, 9th Infantry Regiment was a small unit, specializing in skirmishes, recon, extraction and rescue ops. It was a relatively new unit, only established in the year 2177 when Roy Brandon, an N7 with biotic potential, led an evacuation at Dubai in the wake of the damage left by a devastating sandstorm on the city. It was a daunting task, even with backup, handling rations and morale and dealing with the local insurgency, but few civilian lives were lost, and the extraction was considered a success. He and his team were awarded for their courageous actions, and Roy was given the honors of promotion.
Turnout of the squad was at a steady pace, as members were transferred from one detachment to another or left after their tours were complete. Rarely, the team suffered casualties, as they were not used for direct combat. Currently, the rest of the unit consisted of three members: Zoey Lugo, a sniper and infiltrator; and Talia Bert, a biotic with a knack for tech. Alan Cain, a heavy weapons specialist, left the team after the attack on the Citadel, seeing the Alliance as being too soft. The previous tech specialist, Loraine Theresa, had perished in the line of duty during a scouting mission.
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