Totally Losing It
First Contact
1.1
-.-.-
Cold. Dark.
Dead. I had to be dead.
The whistling in my ears was gone. My wings were torn. The feeling had faded from my everywhere. I didn't even know if I was still clutching on to Chevvie's sword.
Why couldn't it just
end already.
//It won't//
I'd done it. I'd… I'd saved them. Saved
her. Killed Scion and then - then… then…
That fog was coming back. That fog of not remembering a single goddamn thing.
//Wake Up, Little Owl//
But… there was… something. Something I -
I -
I wasn't done.
There was… another. As I was falling. Another one, coming in like a fucking
vulture and picking clean Eden's corpse and Scion's remains.
//Oh yeah, Abaddon. We need to go kill him//
And now this… buzz, in the back of my head. Garbled with static and - and -
I think it was
me.
There was… still so much to do. I should - I wish I could open my
eyes -
-.-.-
I was floating. That's… all I could tell. Floating. Peacefully in the abyss - oh fuck, can't breathe -
Opened my eyes - water, blue, stinging - fish? - lungs burning -
I kicked for the surface and spat out water, heaving in great big gulps of air. Coughing like my lungs had a deathwish. It was so fucking
bright - and that was another thing.
WHY DID THE AFTERLIFE START WITH DROWNING.
Blinking lots, treading water - drat, I'd dropped the sword at some point - everything came into focus and… and…
I was
not expecting heaven to look like something right out of a Sci-Fi movie.
Hovercars overhead, spaaaaaaaaace off in the distance, people,
ALIENS, people,
MORE ALIENS!!! - and some of them were looking at me. Even complete with that shiny white metal stuff that was everywhere in scifi and now only reminded me of
fucking Mannequin.
And the fucking
lens flares.
I scowled. Save the world, get killed in the middle of it, no heaven for you. You get
Star Trek. The reflarening. Though that might just be the water in my eyes.
There was a lot of shouting and pointing as well. A floating jellyfish alien was waving its tentacles and burbling, some sort of turtle-rhino-lizard was barking away and a bunch of cat-bird-lizards were running towards me.
I guess… people weren't allowed to swim in the afterlife? I shrugged and wiped my eyes. Better… hop out then. Swimming towards shore wasn't as easy as it sounded. My limbs felt like
lead - or a really heavy stone. I never actually got a chance to hold a chunk of lead.
And I felt kinda tired. And my clothes were waterlogged.
Wasn't heaven supposed to be the place of angels and happiness and yadda yadda never worry about anything ever again?
They were still… yelling at me. All the aliens. The big stupid tentacle-jellyfish was glowing a lot, too. Flashy. Like a rave.
"Holy shit, is she okay?" One of the humans. Her companion turned to her and said something in - French? Spanish? The bird aliens crowded them away, along with a horned thing with a weird curvy tummy.
I finally reached the shore - was it really a shore? - climbed up and over the lip of the… garden thing, my costume dripping streams of water, and flopped down in the grass. Just… breathing. And trying not to fall asleep because I was just… that damn exhausted. Everything felt wet, and cold. Colder than it should be, unless that was ice water down there. But there was… sunlight? And fountains, and a statue, and more yelling…
I felt like I should say something.
Glowing orange hands. Weird curvy alien was running it over me and making clicking noises with its tongue. And then, another glowing orange forearm was - making handcuffs on me? The bird-aliens were chirruping away.
I thought this was the afterlife. Why do I get arrested in the afterlife. Like… seriously.
I didn't really fight as they bundled me up and pushed me into a hover-car-thing. The seats left a lot to be desired but I was feeling tired… and it was as good a place to rest my head as any...
-.-.-
I woke up slowly. Like I usually seem to do when exhausted as fuck and don't dream. I groaned and tried to scratch my nose - …
I blinked my eyes open and looked around. Well, looked
down.
"Fucking deja vu…" I groaned, flopping down. Hospital bed? Check. Handcuffed to it? Check. Being frisked? Well that cat-bird-lizard at the end of the bed looked like he was just about to - or was just
done doing that.
They chirruped at me. Waved their hands and chirruped more. Did they have very small boobs under that weird blue and black armour?
"So uh… your name wouldn't happen to be Miss Militia would it?" I tried, giving… it… her? An awkward smile. Damn my back was itchy.
It looked like I was actually in a hospital. Or… an apartment. The room was… fairly spacious, there was a bookcase behind me, a fancy monitory thingy over there, holograms all over the place, fancy window - oh holy shit I was on a space-station.
…
Maybe this
wasn't the afterlife after all?
The bird alien was frowning, or at least its eyes had narrowed inside it's weird bone-face-mask thing. It chirruped again. She chirruped again? Ooh, she only had three fingers. Inside weird… rubber glove things. Those did not look comfy.
I tilted my head to the side a little. "Uhmm…" I looked down the handcuff and tried pulling on it again - yup. Very firm. "Does anybody around here speak english? I heard someone speaking english before…"
Both hands were handcuffed to the bed. Dangit my nose was really in need of - fuckit I'll just rub it on my shoulder and GODDAMNIT THEY TOOK MY COSTUME - oh wait nevermind it was just… hanging there, on the other side of the room.
The bird thing made some more noises, then its forearm glowed again. Carefully it spoke into it - the chirrups, now she'd slowed down a bit, were weirdly dual-toned -
"Do you not have an omnitool?"
What.
It sounded like her forearm had spoken to me.
I looked at the glowy thing suspiciously. "What's an omnitool?"
She chirruped and a few seconds again in the same mechanical voice her arm spoke. "This. Did you - hit your head when you decided to go swimming on the Presidium?"
"Not as far as I know…" I shrugged. "But then again the last thing I remember was falling to my death after getting some…" I coughed, "
Ahem, 'injuries', so…" I shrugged again. "No idea. It looks
neat though, can I have one?" I perked up. Loot was
always good.
"No. You're under arrest for swimming in the fountains and disturbing the peace." She muttered something else, which I don't think I was meant to pick up on since it was, "Bloody humans, always causing trouble."
"So you would have preferred it if I'd just let myself drown." I nodded, completely straight-faced. "Duly noted."
"That's - " She gave something like a sigh. "What would be preferred is if you didn't dive in and pollute the source of the majority of the water on the Citadel."
"I didn't dive in though." I frowned. "And what do you mean pollute?! I had a shower yesterday." I tried to fold my arms and huff - but that didn't work so I just settled for looking sulky. "I don't even know how I got in there. One moment I'm falling to my death and the next I'm waking up drowning. And last time I checked there wasn't a FUCKING SPACE STATION under me when I got into that fight. I'm actually fairly sure it was over a farm, actually. Maybe that memorial by the hills?" I shrugged. "So yeah… what are you, anyways? There's too many of… whatever you are to be Case 53's since they're always unique…"
"... I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Yeah, I get that a lot. Surprisingly." I shrugged. "So uhm… when can I get out here? I'd… kinda really like to go home and -" Oh.
Fuck. "I need to get home to Taylor, fuck -" I sat up and tried not to panic -
"Listen, kid. Sit back down. We're still trying to work out what caused those injuries on your back and shoulders, and what the hell is wrong with your blood. On top of that, there's the matter of the fine, and the fact that Pitne For wants to sue you for ruining his business."
"
What business?!" I shouted, throwing my hands out - well as far as I could anyway - and curling into a ball. Taylor - had to get home to Taylor but I was on a fucking space station in the middle of nowhere - probably space - and the heart monitor was beeping loudly and obnoxiously and I wish it would just
shut up and - and -
"Money lending. You scared away a number of his clients. It's stupid, but you still have to stand trial. Where do you live, kid? Which Ward? Or - " She sighed again. "Are you a duct rat?"
"I don't -" I tried to calm my breathing cos hyperventilating wasn't gonna do me any good here - "I - 27… Shannock Road, Brockton Bay, somewhere in the US…" I tried to remember where Taylor's house was. I'd… sent a postcard there once. On accident. Monarch butterfly...
The thing blinked, then she tapped furiously at her forearm.
"...you're saying you're from
Earth?! How did you end up here?"
"IF I KNEW I WOULD QUITE HAPPILY FUCK OFF BACK HOME." I said to her, very loudly, in complete monotone. "IT'S NOT LIKE I
WANT TO BE HERE. I MEAN SPACE IS TOTALLY AWESOME AND ALL BUT I'M NOT READY FOR THAT YET."
I glared at the heart monitor, which was finally calming down. I guess that means yelling was good for me.
"But - we're tens of relay jumps away from Earth. How can you just - this is - " She sighed. "This is so far above my pay grade. Stay
here. I'll get - no, not him, uh… shit, I'll talk to the Executor. He'll figure something out."
I rattled the holo-handcuffs and gave her this blank
look.
She gave me what I expect was the equivalent to an eye-roll and hurried out the door. Leaving me alone. With this
fucking heart monitor.
I wonder if there were any locks to pick on these things. Not like it mattered since I couldn't even get my hands close to each other. My wings… I missed them. I felt… like I wasn't me, without them. It'd taken a while to click, that they were gone. I
had mentioned injuries before and all but… it was just… odd. I could… semi-comfortably lie on my back. I really didn't like that to be perfectly honest. I'd rather lie on my side. Or sit up. I wish I could wrap them around me again.
Something - anything to remind me of a good time. With Taylor. With anyone. Sleeping in the Wards Hub, taking a nap in the corner with my cocoon wrapped snugly around me.
Hugging my knees to my chest, I took a look out the window. Space. The final fuck off to humanity. Or, anyone, really. No air, no functional gravity… no
floors. It was just a mess. And then there was radiation, and debris, and black holes, aaand that was a spaceship. An actual, honest-to-god spaceship.
And then it was gone again. Leaving the coldness of space… and a giant purple god-fart. Because honestly I needed a giggle right now and something
that childish…
I sighed and looked down at my feet. I wanted my life back. My
real life, not this -
Clicking. It was one of the curvy people. Aliens. In a white uniform. Waving his glowing forearm at me - that made me feel uncomfortable.
I hid my face in my knees. And the soft white hospital gown. I stayed like this for a moment before raising my head - "Do you speak english?"
"Study it in free time." He burbled. "You no omnitool, yes?"
"... yeah. I don't have one." I cocked my head to the side. "I actually have no idea what this place is. Or… anything that's going on right now."
"Huerta Memorial. Human funded health building care place. Your injuries - very peculiar, yes?" The alien tapped away at its forearm. "No heartbeat. Blood dense. You subject test genetic?"
"No heartbeat?" I frowned, looking over at the monitor. Steadily beeping away. "Is that mine then?"
"Permaybehaps? No, wrong. Maybe? You pulse but not heart from. Yes? Odd."
I stared at him blankly. "... okay, don't get me wrong, it's nice to find someone who can speak english, and I hope this isn't rude, but I'd recommend looking into grammar and sentence structure next time you study." I took a deep breath. Okay, so… no heart. "I uhh… had wings. This asshole tore them out so… here I am." I shrugged helplessly. Because what else was I meant to do? Break out and become a space fugitive? My chances of seeing Taytay again were already
literally astronomically low.
Oh how the world just
loved to fuck me over…
"Wings." The thing blinked. "What."
I blinked right back at him. "What, you expected spider legs to come out of my back?" I tried to wiggle my wings - owfuckowfuckowfuck no no no not doing that again that
hurt. The monitor picked up my distress as my breathing quickened and I tried not to writhe too much in pain.
Over on the other wall - there were pictures. X-rays, by the looks of them. The first was just white - but the
second one showed… a bone structure. Of some kind. I wasn't even sure it
could be mine. Other pictures, of… surgery. Me, lying there shirtless on an operating table, four massive holes in my back. Empty sockets, pooling with blood - with my blood. I - I wasn't human. Not… entirely.
But it still - hit hard. Seeing my wings just
gone like that - I wanted them back. I wanted Taylor back. I -
"Wings… not normal. Humans - no wings.
Most species, no wings. Wings inefficient. You - not human. Or different enough genetically - what you are?" It began stroking its chin. "This - good challenge. New species. Healing new species. Could write paper. Dalatrass would be pleased."
"I hate to break it to you but I'm fairly sure I'm unique." I sighed. "I'm guessing this place…
doesn't have c- parahumans." They wouldn't understand what Capes were. They'd probably think of a cape. Not a Cape. Why did Earth Bet have to pick such silly slang?
"... parahuman. Beside. Adjacent. Secret second evolution? Why reveal like this? Hmm. Intriguing."
I gave him a long,
long look. "Whatever you're thinking parahumans are, I can confirm you're wrong." I told him, completely deadpan.
Angels? Nope, I was unique there. Wings? Not
totally unique but I was the only one with my exact layout of them. There were a couple of changers out there at some point that could change to
look like me, but they were shapeshifters and didn't really count. Right?
"Mm. Yes, yes. Will need to top up medigel supply keeping your body sealed as flesh regeneration fields not working."
Medigel… why was that name familiar? I sighed and curled up tighter. The chance of this being anywhere
near Earth Bet was
extremely small. And getting worse by the minute. "I guess I'll just take a nap and wait for C-Sec to come back."
I tried to roll over - oh, right, cuffs.
I looked back at the alien and jangled said cuffs a little. "Is it possible to… I dunno, extend the chains on these things or something so I can roll over?" I really,
really wanted to just sleep right now. And dream of home. And hope I'd done enough to -
It blinked again, then waved its hand. "Sure. Do not escape." Forearm glowing again and I had - just a little slack. "There. Need to scan much."
"Knock yourself out." I shrugged, rolling over and looking out the window.
Space…
Big. Empty. Untraversable.
And wouldn't you know it, the only thing standing between me and anything I recognised.
-.-.-
My sleep was disrupted by this godawful obnoxious shrieking - I grumbled and reached for my chest - but something was stopping me, so I pulled harder - something snapped and my hand was free at last - started scratching around, looking for the little dot…
No, no, no - ah-hah! Gotcha you little -
ahem, anyways, pulling that off, shrieking stopped, time to… go back to sleep…
-.-.-
Executor Venari Pallin was having a
day. An Elcor had come in to bother him about the Consort leaking secrets, with no evidence or worthwhile information to back it up. One of the Spectres had demanded files - also with no explanation. Detective Vakarian had had
another gunfight, this time with a biotic Elcor serial killer of all the damn things - spirits, it sounded like a bad movie - and the antique shop he'd shot up wanted C-Sec as a
whole to pay damages.
Oh and there was the genetic abomination of a human who'd washed up on the Presidium and insisted they were from Earth.
"From
Earth," he repeated, levelling an unamused look at Detective Panka. "Obviously they're lying."
"Well, of
course. They gave no biological indicators though so they're very practiced at lying. But… the whole damn thing gives me tooth-ache. There's something odd about it. No omnitool, seemingly no knowledge of the Citadel or memory, and that physiology… "
"You think we're looking at a science experiment."
She nodded. "Yes sir. By who I'm not sure. There don't seem to be any indicators - "
"Which normally means the bug-eyed goons."
"Sir!"
"What? We're in private. I don't have to censor myself. Damn aliens." Spirits, he wanted some fucking chewing bones right now, something to take the edge off this day. He shouldn't have said that in front of a junior detective. Fuck. Fuck. "Maybe you have a point. It's just - been a stressful day. No excuse for unprofessionalism. I'll write myself up later."
"Sir, there's no - I wouldn't report - "
"I wouldn't think you would, Panka. But I failed my own code." He rolled his neck. "What about that human group. Cerberus. They've done some stuff like this in the past."
"It's… possible I suppose." Panka looked down at her datapad. "I'll check through the leads, talk to her again. See if I can find anything."
"Good. Do it
fast. I've got the spirits-damned ambassador breathing down my neck about this. Keeps insisting I hand her into Alliance custody. Which might mean she's government sanctioned, which would break all
sorts of laws. We might finally be able to take the humans down a peg or two. So work quickly and
carefully. This has to be by the book, Detective."
"Yes, sir." Panka nodded and excused herself quickly.
Pallin tapped his claw on the desk impatiently. Tic-tic-tic-tic. There was something
off about this entire incident. He brought up the security footage again.
The girl rose up, her head breaking the surface. Clearing her lungs and treading water. Bleeding profusely - a worthwhile thing to note. At that rate, from that depth, any entrance should be easily visible. A quick fast-forward through the hour of footage beforehand showed nothing out of the ordinary.
No diving from above. That would have made a splash and left a trail of tainted crimson water. The possibility of diving equipment below the water wasn't something he could simply discard - although the results, and getting arrested by C-Sec - discarding her gear and then injuring herself?
It made no sense. Even if he could figure out the
how there were no indications on the
why. Escaping confinement? There was nowhere on the Presidium she could
be confined. It was routinely searched inside and out, so unless a lab had somehow been set up in the last six hours...
Maybe somewhere further up, in one of the pipes. If she had fallen into the sewage system then - yes, and it might explain the injuries too. The purification blades in the straining system had caused similar damage before from old reports - before the damned asari gave up on understanding the Citadel. Morons.
He sent a request to one of the janitorial teams to ask if there had been any apparent irregularities in waterflow over the past few days. Then he groaned as he saw he had another message from that clanless idiot Udina. He skimmed through it. Something something allegations, treating humanity unfairly, release this innocent girl, blah, blah, blah. Spirits. He wished he could simply assign it to the spam filter.
Another message - no, a call. Marked urgent, from Panka. One tap on the console, "Pallin. What is it, Panka?"
"There have been some… developments." Panka started. "One of the salarian doctors speaks her language and had a conversation with her. Apparently, she had wings, and is a 'parahuman', or something."
"She had
what."
"Wings, sir. I wouldn't take what she said on face value, though. She also mentioned wanting to 'take a nap' before C-Sec returned."
"So. She does know
some things. Lying for certain then. Interrogate her
thoroughly."
"Sir - she also broke the bed."
"... get an escort. Which Detectives are free… "
"Garrus Vakarian, sir. There's more though - she's still here, and according to the supervisor, her heart monitor flatlined, prompting her to remove the tab. When she couldn't reach it, she tried again and broke the bed. That's what I've been told, at least. According to the doctors, medigel and flesh regeneration fields aren't working."
"Vakarian. Is he - the only option?" Please let there be someone else. Even that fringeless waste Chellick, or
someone.
"I'm afraid so, sir. Unless someone new is on the roster."
"... take him with you then." Spirits damn it.
Executor Pallin was having a
day.
-.-.-
