Mass Effect: Reaper Dreams

Bullet In The Chamber

"There's nothing wrong with her except she's completely fucked up."

Gary Shteyngart

December 24th, 2187

Subject Zero

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Jack stared at the small box on the table. The last few days had been a blur. She hadn't left her trashed apartment for fear that she might get in trouble again. Her first visit to the bar had been a disaster. She'd nearly killed a man before Gargarin Station Security had intervened. The poor security guards nearly pissed themselves while they drew weapons on Jack and asked her to stand down. They knew who she was, knew her rep, and understood that she could have torn them apart if she wanted to, but Jack stood down, let herself get taken into custody.

They'd released her after just a few hours in the tank—no harm no foul. She was a big war hero after all. The bitch of it was that Kahlee would have heard about it by now and when she returned from vacation Jack was going to be in deep shit. Worst thing about it? She didn't fucking care. She wanted out. It was time to get out. This wasn't working, this normal life that most people have, it wasn't for her. She'd been kidding herself all along.

She was tearing apart her apartment when she'd found the box. It was in a container that held all the spices that Miranda had used for preparing the meal. If Jack hadn't looked in the container before tossing it in the trash, she wouldn't have spotted the one thing that didn't belong.

A piece of synthetic paper was attached to the box with a magnetic clip. The paper looked as if it was torn off a pad that Jack had seen Miranda write on from time to time. It was one of Miranda's little eccentricities that Jack had come to appreciate. She liked to write on paper with a stipple pen. Jack hadn't read it yet or opened the box. She was debating whether it was worth it or not.

"Fuck it," she said aloud.

She pulled the paper away and unfolded it. Several notes were scribbled on it, some were crossed out or blacked out. Jack read through the notes.

Things to say:

Xx xxxx xxx xxxx?

X xxxxx Xx xx xxxx xxxx xxx.

I want to be a bigger part of your life. (maybe, but sounds needy)

I know I'm a severe person, a bit too serious, but I think I want a normal life and for you to be a part of it. Do you think we can ever be normal, especially together? I'd like to try. I've never been good with attachments, but maybe this is a good way to start.

(not terrible, but needs improvement, perhaps more of a personal touch? Try not to make it sound like a speech.)

"What the hell is this?" Jack muttered.

Jack opened the box carefully. Within it was a platinum bracelet studded with a pattern of small rubies on the outside. Rubies were her favorite gemstone, but nobody knew this about her. It was something she had never brought up, not to anyone. How the fuck? Examining the bracelet further, she found that the inside was engraved with a single word: courage. Jack knew enough about jewelry from her years as an outlaw to recognize how expensive a gift this was.

She tried it on without thinking. It was sized perfectly for her wrist. A lot of thought and credits went into this gift. Apparently Miranda had agonized over what to say to her when she presented it. Nothing about this made sense, nothing at all. Why do all this and just leave?