Mass Effect: The Forgotten Soul

Chapter Three: Finding Calm

"If a man knows not which port he sails, no wind is favorable."

Martin moved from the mid-section of the shuttle to a seat in the front of the ship. He took the only chair in the cockpit. Inside, the shuttle was very dim. Only illuminated by the few small lights spread around the ship. The interior was spartan, very utilitarian, with various hues of gray, metallic silvers, and browns.  The hum of the ship faded slightly as he sat down, looking out of the front window. 

Martin sat there staring out into the darkness, feeling awkward. He debated within himself whether or not to attempt conversation.  She wasn't human, and he wasn't sure if she could even be completely trusted. 

 "I never got your name," he asked while looking over at her.  She kept looking forward, then down at the screens in front of her. "Velpia Palitis," She quietly replied. "Martin Winters," he responded.   The two looked ahead; Martin was amazed and somewhat terrified at what he saw. He wasn't sure if he was feeling excitement or slight horror. The pitch-black background dotted with tiny white specks made the small hairs on his body stand at attention.  Or, it could have been the fact he was talking to an alien. 

"I have never seen so many stars before," Martin said quietly. Velpia chuckled, "You've never been off-world before?"

He smirked slightly; unsure how he should respond. "No, can't say that I have." He began thinking about everything that had happened and tried to put the pieces together, but his thoughts and memories weren't adding up.

"So.... where are you from?" Velpia asked.

"A planet called Earth."

"Oh yeah? Never been there myself. Not that Turians are very welcome on Earth." she commented with an inflection as if he should know this information. Martin adjusted himself in the chair, leaned back, and propped his left leg on his right knee. "They have heard of Earth?" He thought to himself.

"Why do you say that?" She stopped and looked at him, keeping her head tilted.

"Were you razed in a cave?" Martin turned his head towards her and raised an eyebrow. "I swear some of you Humans were raised under a rock."  She stopped to judge his reaction and leaned toward him a bit. "Do you know what year it is?" Martin remained silent and thought about the question. He never actually gave it any thought beforehand. 

Velpia slowly reached out and grabbed his arm, and took his Omni tool. His first reaction was to pull away from her grip, but instead, he allowed her; he didn't sense any harm. She fiddled with it for a while and gave it back. "Here," She started it up for him, and the orange hologram appeared, covering the top of his arm and hand. A screen unfolded from the part of the hologram that was on his arm for him to look at.

It read "July 6th, 2182." Martin's eyes widened, and his heart started to beat rapidly. He stared at the calendar for some time. At first, he didn't know what to make of this information, but his subconscious did.  After a few moments, he closed the Omni tool, hunched forward with his elbows on his thighs, his face into his hands. His mind was rushed with dread; what happened? Was his entire life before just a dream, or was this all just a cruel joke? Was he even himself?

"Are you alright?" She asked with sincere concern in her voice. Martin stood up, his dread turning to a burning sensation in his chest; it didn't make any sense. He had to be dreaming! He headed towards the ship's rear, which housed a pile of small supply crates stacked in the back, and other supplies and some weapons. His thoughts began to run away from him. Flashes of a life spent and seemingly gone within moments without so much explanation. He needed to prove he wasn't just hallucinating or dreaming. He clenched his fist and violently punched a crate across the ship.