literature

Mass Effect: Entrada Chapter 1

Deviation Actions

maqeurious's avatar
By
Published:
2.1K Views

Literature Text

Title: Mass Effect: Entrada
Author: Maqeurious
Game: Dragon Age: Origins / Mass Effect
Characters: Neria Surana/Cerberus







Arrival




When Neria awoke that morning, she had the gnawing feeling today would be her last. In fact, she knew it would be. She'd had the dreams. Felt the pain they brought. She'd heard the archdemon clearly each and every time it invaded her subconscious. It's goading. It's taunts. It wanted her to challenge it. It wanted her to try. In the Old God's eyes, she was more than worthy to go toe-to-toe with the massive beast, and who was she to disappoint?

The dreams came frequently in the beginning, starting right after she took the chalice to her lips and drank of the cursed blood. Her first vision of the archdemon had shaken the mage to her core so much so, that for days afterwards she constantly wondered what madness she'd signed up for. Not even Alistair's calming words and gentle, awkward smile could calm the raging fear that had taken hold of her. She knew she had to become stronger if she was going to face the threat that loomed over not just Ferelden, but if left unchecked, the entirety of Thedas. She couldn't be that scared, sheltered mage anymore. She couldn't hide behind her fancy robes and elven origins. If she was going to be a hero, even a reluctant one, she had to become stronger.

And as events started to snowball: from the troubles in Redcliffe, to acquiring aid from the old warden treaties; Neria slowly but surely felt herself begin to change. By her own sheer force of will she said goodbye to the courteous young girl that once called the tower her home. She said goodbye to the shy apprentice who fell so passionately in love with her own templar keeper.

Neria. Timid little Neria Surana was lost in time and all that was left was the Warden.

But there was strength to be had in the changes she made and she'd lost people just as much as she'd gained allies. She was kind and compassionate just as much as she was merciless. People trusted her and believed in her. Some even feared her. It was what drove her forward each and every day.

But that road had to end sometime. For her at least.

"Neria! Run!"

Alistair's shrill voice was screaming at her now, forcing the old memories swirling in her mind to quickly snap shut. The moment she turned her head, a volley of arrows drilled through the air towards her, giving her just enough time to duck down behind the ballista. The rhythmic thudding of iron-tipped bolts dotted the hard wood barely an inch from her face. She allowed herself a quick glance down onto the rooftop clearing. The darkspawn had broken through the gate now, pouring through the archways and rampaging across the parapets. Their ugly, skeletal faces were twisted and burning with rage as they plucked their bows and swung their heavy swords. Eamon led his men towards the horde, corralling them between his soldiers and the oncoming throng of templar knights. Gritting his teeth, the Arl threw his sword arm in the air, yelling out loud to rally the men.

"Hold them back! Push them to the wall!" he shouted. "Leave the dragon to the Wardens!"

The effect his call had on the soldiers was instant. With bloodied armor and weapons, they pressed their attack forward to meet steel with steel, finally pushing them back enough to breech the enemy line. Eamon struck out with his sword, slashing it through the stomach of one of the creatures before pulling back to thrust out his shield, cleaving the darkspawn's head from it's shoulders. The soldiers next to him followed his example, each grunting and cursing as they cut through the horde. The templars at their flanks caught the archers and emissaries as they tried in vain to retreat to a higher advantage only to find themselves carefully and tactfully herded against the fort's thick concrete walls to meet their demise. The attack left Neria free and clear to crawl out from behind the trebuchet. It took a moment for her to pick out Alistair and Zevran across the rooftop. They were hunkered down under the bulk of the archdemon, hacking and slashing at it's less than armored stomach. The soon-to-be King was covered in blood, the golden colored breastplate that once belonged to his half-brother barely visible through the gore.

Swallowing hard, she charged across the clearing. Ducking and dodging as best as she could around the stray balls of spirit energy that rained down all around them, Neria pulled up hard beside Wynne. The older mage hung limply against her staff, worn and almost completely depleted of power. Without a second thought, Neria reached up and grabbed her by the shoulder, dragging her backwards towards the safety of the parapet wall.

"Stay here!" she shouted, her voice barely audible over the constant screeching of the archdemon. "I'll take it from here!"

Wynne stared at her as if she'd gone mad. "I'm fine, I can still go on! I can still help!" Although Wynne's healing prowess far exceeded her own, the constant need for it was clearly overwhelming. The best thing she could do now was to be there for the others when the archdemon was finally dead.

Neria gave her a pressing look and shook her head. "No Wynne, I want you to stay here. It's going to be OK. I promise." She thought about giving the senior mage a final hug, but the warden had already decided she would give no goodbyes. Instead, she placed her hand on Wynne's shoulder and squeezed lightly. "There are people here that will need your skills when this is all over. I need you to be here for them."

A moment of understanding passed between them before she finally relented. "If this is what you must do." she said sadly. "Let's just get this over with."

With a tight nod, Neria turned and marched back into the fray. Her stave began to glow as she ran; emitting a warm ember pulse that flowed down its length and up through her arm, making her fingers tingle and sizzle. The archdemon was growing tired from the constant attacks, thrashing its giant head back and forth trying to swat the intruders scrambling underneath it. Zevran was forced off his feet as the dragon lashed out with one of its legs. He went skidding across the stones, the skin on his thighs scraping red raw. Alistair was quickly at his side, using his shield to protect them as best as he could when Neria lifted her stave and unleashed an inferno of flames. The swirling vortex was impressive. Even to her. It blazed with a heat so intense that Alistair had to shift his position, shoving his shield into Zevran's hands so he could pull the injured elf out of harm's way.

"To me!" he heard Neria shout from behind him.

The archdemon began screeching and flapping its wings hard as the magical fire swirled and burned it's shiny black scales. The fire spread down it's back, igniting the scarred and jagged flesh on the underside of the creatures tail, turning it into an enormous flailing torch. Alistair had to drag Zevran quickly across the stones, parrying desperately every time the dragon would slam the roaring appendage to the ground and stomp its feet in anger.

Neria finally came within reach and helped pull Zevran to his feet. The elf was bleary eyed and on the brim of unconsciousness, muttering incoherently under his breath. Putting his arm around her neck, they carried him back towards the wall and dumped him on the ground just as a wave of distorted energy rippled through the air.

"Neria! This is it, this is our chance!" Alistair was practically screaming in her face. He readjusted his shield and gripped his sword tightly in his hand. "I know you said you wanted to make the final strike, but let me. I want to do it!"

But she grabbed him by the elbow and pulled him backwards, stopping him from charging head first into the rampaging beasts line of fire. "I'm sorry Alistair, but I can't let you do that."

"But I-"

"You're too important!" she yelled, cutting him off. "The people of Ferelden will need you once this is over. They'll need someone to look up to. To rule."

"NO! I have to do this because I'm the King." He looked at her, his expression pained. "I'm not going to let you throw your life away for me."

Neria couldn't help but smile faintly. Morrigan's offer came back to her then. What if she had accepted? Could she have actually let the witch seduce Alistair while she sat back and did nothing? Sure it was a way out. They'd both live. But at what cost? And the child? What role would it play? How would that come back to haunt them? No, she couldn't allow anything to compromise his throne. The answer was clear, much to Morrigan's disappointment. Neria loved him too much to let her possibly threaten his future, much less allow her into his bed. And if that meant she would never see him again, then so be it.

She leaned in close to him, putting a hand on his shoulder so they could meet eye to eye. "Listen to me." she pleaded. "I'm a Grey Warden Alistair, as are you. It's our duty to end the blight. But once the archdemon is dead, Ferelden will need a King to lead them. This is where I'm supposed to be, and this..." she said, pointing to the dragon, "..this is what I'm supposed to do. If being a warden has taught me anything, it's knowing my place in the world. Just as you know, being the King is your place. I'm not throwing my life away. I'm using it to give you and everyone else a chance to go on." She reached down and took his gloved hand in hers, squeezing tightly. "It ends here Alistair, and I'm OK with that."

He started to object, but once again Neria offered him a faint smile. "You're going to be a great King." She put a hand on his cheek, staring at him for the last time. Then she kissed him on the lips softly, letting herself have a few moments where the only things that mattered where the two of them. She felt the tension leave him, finally giving in.

"I'll never forget you," he said as he drew back, his voice cracking. "I'll make damn sure you're never, ever forgotten. I promise."

She nodded slowly. Somehow, she didn't doubt it.

And with that, she was on the move again.

The archdemon was staggering, seemingly confused as to how it had been so utterly wounded. Amongst the dead bodies she spied a sword and hitching her stave on her back, Neria charged forward. She caught the sword in her hand as she ran, ignoring the deep red blood and the sticky, squelching sound it made as it was yanked from the soldier's torso.

The dragon saw her coming and swung its enormous head towards her, its black eyes devoid of everything but pure hatred. Gnashing it's jaws, the creature lunged it's head down, trying to scoop the warden up in its mouth. But Neria was too quick, and as the dragon got closer she was able to slide underneath its heavy bulk. With great effort she jammed the sword up into its throat and ran the blade down the length of its long neck. Blood surged from the gash, its muscles quivering around the torn flesh and scales. The dragon threw its head back, shrieking in fury so loudly that Neria thought her ears would burst. Then as if in slow motion, it plummeted to the ground, slamming with such a force it rocked the foundations under her feet. The dragon convulsed violently, blood oozing from its eyes and mouth. Every time it tried to get back up, the charred remnants of its wings would give out and send the beast floundering on the stones again. Slowly, Neria limped to the creatures side, dragging the hulking sword with her. Looking down at it she felt the corners of her mouth curl into a smile.

Don't look back Neria. Don't look back.

Do your duty.

No goodbyes.


Screaming in rage, she raised the sword high above her head and with all of her strength brought the blade down – burying it in the archdemon's head. As the steel easily cut through bone and tissue, the dragon uttered a final resigned cry before the world around them seemed to turn inside out.

A pulse of light penetrated the sky, illuminating the fort and everything around it in a cold thrumming glow so intense the glare blinded Neria momentarily. She screwed her eyes shut, the force of the energy so strong it almost blew her off her feet. She gripped tighter around the sword embedded in the dragons skull to ground herself as the wind picked up and whooshed around her like a tempest, whipping her stark-white platinum hair around her face.

Somewhere below she heard screaming. Crying. The unmistakeable wailing of her dog. Her name called, over and over again. And Alistair. His voice was almost completely drowned out by the wind echoing in her ears, but she heard her name clearly on his lips. She smiled sadly.

Then the beam of piercing light began to slow and draw back in on itself. Her eyes flew open and she watched as the sky seemed to bare down upon her, the crushing force squeezing precious air from her lungs and blurring her vision. Trying to keep her wits about her was proving difficult, but within the madness, she could have sworn she saw something that didn't belong. A gleam of metal maybe? A structure of sorts? Definitely faces and a man wearing some kind of eye wear. Neria felt her heart begin to race. Was this the Fade? Was this the Maker's Kingdom?

But her questions would never be answered. As quick as the visions appeared, they melted away as a sharp high-pitched keening screech filled the air and the archdemon at her feet exploded into a dazzling pillar of light and sound. She was caught in the blast, just as she knew she would be. She'd taken the final strike, and sacrificed herself in the process.

Neria thought everything would go black. But it didn't.

After the shockwave subsided, Alistair crawled to his feet. It was eerily still. Quiet. In the distance he made out the scorch marks where the archdemon had been killed and sucked in a much needed breath before running towards it. The dragon's body was a bloody mess. At least, what was left of it was. Beside him, his companions and any surviving templars or soldiers had come to investigate. Alistair didn't care about them. He didn't care about the dragons remains. He only had one thing on his mind.

But no matter how much he searched: no matter how many pieces of the desiccated creature he over turned; the results were still the same. Neria's body was gone.

o.O.o



"How long until we can reset? The Illusive Man wants an update as soon as possible." Dr. Dieter Janson pushed his thick rimmed glasses back up on his nose in frustration. "The last thing I want to do is tell him we failed again." He shuddered just thinking about it. Disappointing the head of Cerberus was never a good idea, and if Dieter wanted to prove his newest theory, he had to stay on The Illusive Man's good side and deliver results. Results were everything to the Illusive Man, and if you didn't deliver; you were expendable.

He slumped into his chair and brought up the figures from the last test on his computer. Everything looked as it should. There was nothing wrong with his equations that he could see, and yet no matter what they did, the singularity wouldn't stabilize. They'd tried everything from increasing output parameters to changing algorithms: even exhausting numerous biotic subjects in the process; but still the ignition remained tentatively out of arm's reach. It was frustrating to say the least.

Dieter rubbed his temples, fighting against the headache that had been threatening him since they started earlier that morning. He could feel his assistant standing behind him, her eyes boring into his back while her high-heeled foot tapped impatiently on the floor. Dieter knew that if he turned around now she'd most likely have that ungodly smirk on her otherwise pretty face.

"Relax Dieter," her voice chimed as she dangled her datapad in front of his face. "Don't get your knickers in a knot. We're inputting the new numbers now so everything should work fine."

Focusing his bleary eyes, Dieter caught the pad in his hand. He skimmed over the new information, and sighed. The small team of scientists under his command were among the best Cerberus had to offer. A literal melting pot of physicists, cosmologists and mathematicians, and yet none of them could come up with a single collective answer. Biotics created singularities all the time. Hell, he'd even been a part of the Ascension program in his younger days, before being poached by Cerberus. So why couldn't he create one now without the use of biotics? It was all a matter of physics. And if Dieter knew anything, it was physics.

No. It wasn't that the calculations were off. He knew exactly what they needed.

"The problem isn't with the numbers, Marian." he grumbled, pushing his glasses back up on his nose again. "We need to increase the power yield."

Marian scoffed, swirling Dieter around in his swivel chair to face her. "Are you kidding me? The last test almost brought the ceiling down on us, and you want more power?"

He was able to see that famous scowl now. Marian was at least ten years younger then himself, though he couldn't really be sure about that. The advances humankind had made in delaying the effects of aging where astounding, and he often found himself off by years when it came to guessing anyone's age. Marian looked young though, with her small, petite body and milky white skin that could only have been achieved by skin pigmentation surgery. Her hair fell in long, loose brown curls down to her elbows and her eyes were an intense green. Marian looked to be in her twenties, but for all Dieter knew, she could have been forty. It gave a whole new meaning to mutton dressed up as lamb. That wasn't to say he didn't enjoy sleeping with her though.

"I know it's problematic," he agreed, not wanting to argue and aggravate his headache even more. "But we're not trying to create a normal singularity here. We're trying to create a gateway. Increasing the power is the only way to ensure quantum entanglement."

Marian stared open mouthed at Dieter, no doubt wanting to reprimand him for putting their lives at risk for the second time today. But she pursed her lips and nodded instead, turning her attention to the mini mass relay behind the inches thick safety glass. "We can't contain the power you're asking for in this small scale experiment. If we could just go ahead and use what we know on the deactivated mass relay -"

"Don't be a fool." Dieter blustered, cutting her off. "The Illusive Man won't let us experiment with it until we know exactly how to open a connection into dark space. To do that we need the small scale to work meticulously." Pushing himself out of his chair, he came up beside Marian and eyed the relay. It was an almost perfect man-made replica of the relay monument located on the Citadel, but with one enormous flaw. Within its rotating rings, the element zero core sat silently; refusing to engage completely. In the past few tests they'd managed to generate enough power to start the sequence, but every time they got close to a singularity, the device would cough, splutter and eventually shut down. The last test almost blew a hole in the containment field. But if they wanted to cross into dark space: the home of the Reapers of all things; they needed more power.

Marian turned to him with a smirk on her pretty pink lips. "Wow," she snorted, "The Mans really got you riled, hasn't he? What? Are you afraid he'll take away your new shiny toys? Maybe assign Dr. Harley in your place."

Dieter choked on his own reaction, insulted by the mere thought. "Dr. Harley couldn't possibly comprehend the intricate details of my work."

"He's a quantum physicist!"

"He's a glorified college physics professor Marian, and a complete novice when it comes to the delicacies of what we're doing here. He has no business in my lab." Dieter threw up his hands and shot her a hard look, effectively cutting off any more mention of the man. James Harley was the bane of his existence in more ways then one. He'd sooner lose his funding and position to failure then to the man who kowtowed his way into the lab across from his.

Marian raised her hands defensively and rolled her eyes at him. "Alright, alright. What ever you say boss."

"We're ready to begin."

The male voice came from behind Marian and they both turned to see one of the few technicians furiously tapping at his holographic keyboard.

"The figures have been updated to include a larger power output, but..."

The young man hesitated briefly. Dieter noticed the uncertainty on his face, but prodded him anyway. "But what?"

"With these parameters," the technician continued slowly, "if we have another failure on the scale of our last test, it will be..."

He hesitated again and this time Dieter saw him swallow hard, the lump in his own throat mimicking the young scientists.

"Be what, boy?" he demanded. "Out with it."

"Well, catastrophic... sir. With this amount of energy, if we lose control and can't contain it..."

"Then this facility will be wiped off the map." Marian finished for him, obviously flustered. "See! What did I tell you! It's much too dangerous."

Dieter didn't even flinch. "Do it." he said, his voice firm. Commanding.

Marian shot him a horrified look. "DIETER! Are you insane?"

"This is our last chance," he countered, "do you really think The Illusive Man will give us another opportunity after this? This isn't just about reaching dark space anymore. This isn't just about the reapers. If we can make a connection outside of our own galaxy – just think of the possibilities!"

Marian couldn't believe what she was hearing. She'd already escaped a near explosion only an hour ago, and possibilities or not – this time the destruction would be worse. "And what if it fails?" she said, not bothering to hide the fear she felt. "You'll kill us all."

"And what if it doesn't?" he countered again. "As a scientist – no – as a human, aren't you curious at all?"

Who in their right mind would, or wouldn't be? She closed her eyes and exhaled. When it came down to it, no matter how hard she tried to dispute what Dieter was thinking, in the end he had the last say. "You're willing to possibly kill everyone here for curiosity's sake? How can you be so certain?"

Dieter arose from his seat and took hold of Marian by her shoulders. He could feel her shaking slightly under his grasp. "Nothing is ever certain Marian, but I'm not afraid to find out. This will work. Our lives will never be the same. Trust me." He tried to smile and settle her nerves, but she shook herself free before he had the chance. She took a step back and cast a quick glance in the direction of the replica mass relay. "I can – will – do this without you," he continued, "but I'd rather do it together."

Marian scowled at him. Playing on her pride was his forte, and it bothered her greatly that he could always win her over this way. If there was even the slightest chance that this could work, the rewards would be incomprehensible. The Illusive Man would see to that. The funding they could acquire. The recognition. Her name forever attached to the greatest discovery since the ruins on Mars. It was every scientist's dream.

She let the scowl slip from her face, defeated. "I swear. I better not..."

A large smile spread on Dieter's face. "You won't regret it, Marian. I promise you." Full of impatience he resumed his place at his terminal and brought up the final numbers on his screen.

"Yeah well, it's hard to regret anything when you're dead." Marian mumbled to herself quietly as she found an empty seat beside him. Whether he heard or not, she couldn't care less.

Dieter felt his insides begin to squirm with excitement. He pushed his glasses back up on his nose and eyed the starting sequence algorithm then ordered his crew of technicians to initiate the startup. Almost immediately there was a high pitched whir as the powerful machines that fed the relay began to activate. In the center of the lab, the large bank of computer terminals revved into life, cranking the complicated equations needed to set the relay into overdrive and get the concentric rings moving.

He watched with amazement as inside the testing area, the relay spluttered to life. His eyes widened as the rings started to spin smoothly, generating a harmonic hum that grew louder and louder as they continued to pick up speed.

"We're at 30%." one of the technicians informed him. "35%... 40. The energy is increasing steadily."

Dieter kept his attention on the relay, waiting for the inevitable moment that the element zero core would be ready to activate. To his left, Marian was scouring the streaming data on her datapad for any signs of trouble. Every now and then he heard her sigh in relief and guessed that with each increase of energy the risk stayed minimal. Or as close as they would get, anyway.

"50%. 55..."

The roar of the rapidly rotating rings filled the room as the relay entered the next stage. Dieter's hands went to his ears in a vain attempt to protect them, but they popped anyway due to the increasing pressure. Around them, he noticed the air began to change.

"Can you feel that?" he screamed to Marian who also had her ears covered. "The vibrations?"

She nodded. "It's the rings!" she shouted back. "The pressure is much stronger then our previous tests! I hope the safety glass holds!" Dieter just grinned back, almost maniacally.

"60% and climbing. All systems nominal."

"Mechanics?"

"We're green across the board sir. Countdown is ready for eezo initiation on your mark. 70%"

Dieter winced as he uncovered his ears, subjecting them to the intense noise and brought up the program on his screen. The words were large and proud. ACTIVATE CORE. His finger hovered over it.

"80%... 85%."

"Are you sure about this Dieter?" Marian screamed. "Once you do this, there's no turning back."

He nodded his head, transfixed on the relay. Even if he wanted to, he wouldn't pull the plug now. His years of research and sleepless nights all came down to the next few minutes. If this worked, he'd never have to want for anything again. And if it didn't? Well, what better way to go.

"90..95... 100%. Relay at maximum output. Ready for core ignition."

This is it, Dieter thought giddily. This is it!

His finger lowered and he pressed the button.

Dieter's stomach flip-flopped as he stared at the relay, watching the rings gain momentum. It seemed like an eternity before the eezo core started to ripple and shimmer. The tell-tale glow in the center began to spread outwards, splitting, enlarging then splitting again like a giant pulsing heart. The hum of the device increased dramatically, forcing all those in the lab to cover their ears and back away from the safety glass. The air fizzled with electricity, making the hair on Dieter's arms stand on end as the vibrations became stronger. Louder. Thrumming with every turn of the solid metal rings.

A sudden flash of intense light almost blinded him as the core throbbed and the ground beneath their feet began to shake violently. Marian reached out and grabbed him from behind, her hand clutching his lab coat to steady herself when Dieter lost his footing and fell, dragging Marian with him. She was screaming in his ear now but he couldn't make out any words. The whole room was filled with such an ungodly noise he thought his ear drums were about to burst.

Above them the ceiling started to crack as clumps of plaster and concrete rained down on them, smashing a few of the computers in the process. The other technicians were cowering under any shelter they could find with their heads buried in their laps and hands over their ears.

Somewhere over the commotion Dieter could make out an alarm screeching, and pulling Marian closer towards him he snatched the datapad out of her hand. He flipped through the screens until he came to the source of the trouble. All of the readings were either in the red or off the charts. The power output had been more then he expected, meaning the relay structure wouldn't be able to handle anymore stress. If it kept going on like this, the replica was going to explode. He felt his heart sink. There was no abort function.

The sounds of cracking and metal grinding brought him out of his daze in time to watch the safety glass burst outwards, showering everyone with mesh and laminate. The roaring of the relay and the sense of acceleration was tremendous, the immense pressure almost making Dieter vomit or faint. Or both.

In the testing area the relay shuddered violently as another burst of fantastic light emanated from it, sending the entire laboratory ablaze in a luminous blue glow. Dieter screwed his eyes shut against the invading brightness when the room became deathly silent in an instant.

It took a few moments for Dieter to realize the change in environment. When he noticed the pressure on him had disappeared he slowly slid his eyes open once again, and gasped. His mouth hung open as he looked upon the replica relay, and if he wasn't mistaken those were tears wet on his cheeks.

The sight was... amazing.

The support structure that had been holding the relay was crumbled in a million pieces on the floor, but the relay was now hovering in place on its own. The rings also were now just a blur of movement, spinning freely of their own accord around the massively intense blue-white core. But to his surprise, it looked... stable.

Jesus Christ! It was stable!

Dieter rose to his feet, mesmerized. He'd done it! He'd actually done it. He groped around until he found Marian cowering at his feet and pulled her up to join him. He heard her gasp as she took in the relay for the first time.

"My God Dieter," she cried, her voice just above a whisper, "it worked. It actually worked!"

Dieter had no words. As much as he wanted to speak, nothing worthy would come out. He managed a step forward and reached out his hand, desperately wanting to touch the machine, but knowing he shouldn't. All of his senses told him to retreat, that this wasn't over yet – but he was so captivated by the beauty of the core he didn't notice when the relay started to vibrate again.

A deep rumbling shook the ground, the reverberation sending shockwaves throughout the lab. Marian screamed at Dieter, but it was as if he was in another world. He took another step forward and reached past the broken safety window. He felt completely drawn to the light, wanting to touch it even for a moment. The luminous blue glow pulsed again. The light so dazzling it was brighter then the brightest day.

Then the room exploded in a piercing, keening shriek. Marian screamed as the sound invaded her ears, making her head throb violently. She watched as Dieter fell backwards, only just managing to catch him before he hit the ground again. She pulled him under the computer terminal and they huddled together as the sound seemed to get louder and louder until it was a deafening, cacophonous howl. No matter how tightly they covered their ears, the sound made their ears pop painfully.

Out of the corner of his eye, Dieter watched in horror as the relay rings strained to contain the now growing eezo core. Every time the core pulsed, it would crack and crumble the resilient rings until finally it became too much.

In one last horrendous pulse, the sphere mushroomed out and became a maelstrom of intense noise and brightness before retracting and imploding in a blinding flash of tumultuous light. A split second later the replica relay was blown to pieces. Chunks of hot metal were tossed through the air as the shockwave spread out to envelop the entire laboratory. The once dazzling core was now reduced to a pile of dull, gray rubble.

Slowly, the light dissipated and the ear piercing sounds died out, leaving the laboratory in a state of ruin. Dust and smoke hung heavily in the air, choking Dieter with every breath he struggled to take. He was covered in a film of gray ash and soot, the dusty grime thick in his mouth and caked on his teeth. He spat out a wad of black phlegm and shook the dirt from his hair when he noticed Marian lying absolutely still beside him with a large chunk of the relay now embedded in her chest. Rolling her towards himself, Dieter checked for a pulse. At first he thought he was doing it wrong when he couldn't find one. His heart started racing when he realized she was actually dead, and he turned from her just in time to vomit on the floor behind him.

Pulling himself together, he crept out from his hiding place and moved further into the destroyed laboratory. His legs had gone wobbly, his first few steps more a stagger then a walk. But then desperation and panic filled him, giving his legs much needed strength. He rounded the central hub of terminals, kicking aside loose scraps of metal and wires and found members of his research staff still cowering under their desks. Alive, but badly shaken.

Somewhat maudlin at this turn of events, he returned his attention back to the testing area. How the hell was he going to explain the destruction of the relay to The Illusive Man? And not just the relay, but the entire facility that now lay in ruins. Or Marian! She was dead! Dead! How was he going to explain that? He could just see it now. His entire career would be over and he'd be in debt up to his eyeballs for the rest of his life. That was if The Illusive Man didn't kill him first!

Careful of the debris as he walked, Dieter crept closer to a destroyed portion of the safety window and poked his head inside. It took a moment for the bulk of the smoke and dust to settle, but through the hazy gloom he could swear he saw something that didn't belong. He thought he was seeing things at first, that the numerous bumps to his head had taken their toll and made him hallucinate. No matter how many times he squeezed his eyes shut or shook his head, the image didn't disappear. Amidst the tangled mess of the relay, he could make out the silhouette of a person, doubled over and unmoving. Stepping through the opening he waved his hand in the air to scan the body with his omni-tool. Whoever it was, they'd somehow managed to survive the blast and was still alive.

"Hey! Are you hurt?" he asked the stranger, inching closer and closer. As he neared he could make out strands of dirty white hair that covered an equally dirtied but slender face. The features were soft and angled, with clumps of ash caked on the longest eyelashes he had ever seen. It was a female, there was no doubt. He repeated the question again when she didn't respond and knelt down beside her. She was wearing the oddest clothing which looked more like armor and was smeared with so much blood he was surprised she was alive at all. Strapped to her back he saw what he thought was a singed and splintered tree branch adorned with a shining red gemstone that was tied securely in place with twines of rope and vines.

His gaze then shifted to behind the girl's unconscious body and his eyes widened in disbelief. Half hidden under a broken strut was the smoking remains of what he hoped momentarily was an animal, with a large ancient looking sword sticking out of the top of it. The creature's mouth was open and spewing a sticky, tar colored liquid from it. He leaned in closer to get a better look, pushing the strut to the side and came face to face with what looked like a... dragon's head. It was mangled and charred; it's flesh still smoldering, but Dieter had seen enough pictures and artwork of mythological beasts to recognize it.

What the hell? How is this possible?

"Guys, get in here," he called to his team, "there's... something here. Bring medigel and a medium sized containment unit." He was already moving, trying to dig the head out from under the rubble when one of his scientists stepped in beside him with a first aid kit. As he tried to lift the bloodied remains, his attention went down to the girl below him... and he froze. Her eyes were wide open and she was staring at him. She wore a look of horror; her mouth formed in a petite 'O', her gaze steely but afraid. She didn't blink or move, even when Dieter asked her again if she was hurt. Without thinking, he reached down to wipe the blood smeared on the girls cheek and she suddenly screamed in terror, kicking herself backwards violently and out of his way until she hit the wall and tried curling into a ball to protect herself. Surprised by her outburst, Dieter soon forgot all about the dragon's head, and focused solely on the mysterious girl. She was pretty under all of that dirt and blood, and he could only imagine how she'd look all cleaned up.

"Don't be afraid," he said quietly, trying not to scare her again. "I won't hurt you." He moved an inch towards her slowly. At his side, the scientist from earlier nudged him and slipped something into his hand. He looked down and saw he was now holding a syringe.

"It's a sedative," the young man said under his breath, "It should relax her enough for us to tend to her."

Dieter gripped the syringe and moved another inch towards the girl. "It's alright. Don't be afraid." He reached out his hand and moved closer, trying to keep his voice calm and even. "I won't hurt you, just take my hand and I can help you." He took another step closer. She was looking at him again, her gray eyes regarding him with suspicion making him feel nervous all of a sudden. Then she spied the item in his hand, and the girl shot him a look of panic.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he said again. He moved in front of her, barring any chance for escape. "This isn't anything bad," he assured her, showing the frightened girl the syringe. "It's just something to help you relax. It won't hurt, I promise."

Dieter closed the gap and lunged towards her.

He didn't even get within a foot of the frightened girl when he felt the air around him pop and spark, smelt the unmistakeable aroma of something burning, and the flash of light and heat on his skin. Through sheer reflexes, Dieter managed to cover his face with his arms just as he was thrown across the room by an invisible force before the destroyed testing area erupted in a mass of churning flames. But when he dared to peek through his now burned and red raw fingers, he came to realize that the strange young girl was actually controlling the fire.

Mesmerized, Dieter smiled. A plan was already beginning to form.

He would find his salvation yet.
3 People. 3 Destinies. 3 lives changed forever.



Neria Surana made the ultimate sacrifice for kith and kin. She slew the archdemon and saved Ferelden from the blight. She was supposed to die and be welcomed into the Makers Kingdom. But fate had other plans for the apostate Warden.

Dr Dieter Janson has only one chance to prove himself as a productive member of Cerberus by opening a gateway into dark space. But when his experiment goes awry, Dieter finds himself in possession of a young girl with strange biotic powers. Can he absolve himself of his failures by harnessing the power of the girl for Cerberus, even against The Illusive Man's wishes?

Kolyat Krios is struggling to find his place in C-Sec. His days are filled with petty criminals, paperwork and an empty apartment. Then while making a routine delivery to Dr Chloe Michel, he witnesses an escape attempt by a patient who seems to control fire and ice. Just who or what is she? And why does he feel the need to rescue her?

Mass Effect: Entrada is the story of a once revered Grey Warden forced into a life of the unknown. Hunted mercilessly by Cerberus for her ability to possess magic, her only hope of survival is at the hands of a young C-Sec agent. But what happens when even he is out of his depth? Where does an escaped fugitive and an AWOL soldier go?

To family, of course.



Chapter 1: You are here
Chapter 2: [link]

After months and months of procrastinating, it is finally here. Read and enjoy. Comments welcome :D
© 2012 - 2024 maqeurious
Comments13
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
AlaskanHighlander's avatar
when's chaprter two?