Mass Effect: The Forgotten Soul

Chapter Fifteen: Revelations

They spent the day fleeing the Capital, stopping at a small town some three-hundred miles away. The only room the town would give them was small, barely large enough for one person, let alone two. The small twin-size bed took up most of the living space, forcing them to share. Luckily enough, they were able to get back into their former room and grab their clothes before fleeing. The bulky armor would have made sleeping impossible.

They had hoped the distance they traveled would give them time to think over their predicament and a reprieve.

Velpia scooted herself into the wall and wrapped herself in the blankets. There wasn't a lot of space left, so they were forced to get close to each other. Martin closed his eyes; as awkward as this was for him, he wanted this day to end. Although he would never admit to the awkwardness. Velpia, on the other hand, immensely enjoyed having him close. She didn't understand it completely; before she had met him, she had been alone for a long time, too long.

The following morning, Martin woke early to shake off the awkward sleep. The sun hadn't yet risen as he stretched his stiff muscles. He sat in the chair in the room's cramped corner beside the bed, trying to piece everything together. The red sand, the gang, Sören and Dallas, the Spectre, and the dead VIPs. He could connect a few dots, but not everything seemed connected. These thoughts overtook his mind until his concentration faded, and he stared off to the other side of the room. The silence was peaceful, and he let his body relax. It wasn't often that he was given these moments of rest. Back on Earth, he used to meditate as often as he could as he had gotten older, and during the war, those moments were few and growing fewer still.

Everything was so different back then. He wasn't sure if his past self would even recognize him. Martin felt he had abandoned or lost much of what he was. He stopped praying to his Gods, stopped devoting time to meditation and prayer, and stopped hoping for a better tomorrow.

"Am I that horrible to sleep with?" Velpia complained, still groggy from her sleep. Her tired eyes passed over him, and attempted to focus. Martin smiled from his dark corner while shaking his head.

"Just trying to wrap my head around everything. Nothing seems to make any sense." He slouched in his chair to rest his head on the wall.

"When has that ever happened?" She replied. "Ever since I've met you, we have been chased by the Blue Suns, Cerberus, and now a Spectre; and involved in whatever you'd call this whole mess." Martin laughed quietly, "Yeah, it's been fun."

"You're insane." She chuckled back. The room grew quiet as the room was beginning to be lit by a soft blue light from outside. The sun was slowly rising, as the two were hesitant to move.

"So, you come up with any bright ideas?" She asked while sitting up in bed. She wrapped herself in the comforter to trap the warmth she had created while sleeping. Only her head could be seen from the top of this mountain-shaped pile of cloth.

"Other than wandering around aimlessly, hoping we run into something, no." He replied, slouching down in the chair further.

"Why don't we make a call to the constable? Maybe he's got something for us?" She suggested. Martin stood, stretched his arms out over his head, and arched his back. Velpia watched this display, eyes fixated on his movements.

"Beats the hell out of my idea." He brought his arms down and straightened his body. Velpia watched him head to the small bathroom to prepare for the day.

The two donned their armor and left the room. They climbed into their buggy and headed back toward the city's outskirts. They figured they had to return to the city anyway, so why not get a head start.

Martin pulled up his Omni-tool to make his call. After a few minutes, the constable picked up.

"Martin, what the hell have you two been doing out there? You were supposed to keep your shenanigans out of the city, and I'm getting reports of gun fights and a bar fight in Illyria?"