Nexus Effect

Ch.90

“I can’t believe you fucked the Ice Queen.” Jack huffed while she scratched Ghost’s ears as he laid in her lap in beast form when the team finished gathering in the meeting room. Said Ice Queen was looking a mixture of confused and satisfied where she stood at the hologram console. “So, when are we heading to the site where they tortured me? I kinda forgot about it myself since, y’know, this crew is fucking tits, but I want to blow it the fuck up before we go.”

“Don’t worry, Jack, we’re doing that and pursuing Samara’s target before we go through the Omega 4 Relay since Zaeed’s vendetta was fulfilled on accident.” Penny said with a look to either side of where she sat between Nora and Yola, the twins clearly different now, but in their matching casual tops and shorts, even with Nora’s glowing eyes and metal forelimbs, they were still nearly identical. They nodded in confirmation at the news of Vido Santiago’s death.

“Thanks again for verifying that the bastard is dead. I’m disappointed it wasn’t by my hand, but the galaxy is better off without that mad dog.” Zaeed said from his place leaning in the corner of the room. He didn’t get to do much with all the hands on deck, but Zaeed and HK hit it off well considering HK has an almost hard-coded dismissiveness for organics.

“Then I guess Samara’s target is last. We’re heading to Mnemosyne in the Thorne system. The derelict Reaper is in a static position just inside of the first layer of the brown dwarf. We’re going to go in, tear through it, then…” Penny looked at Nora who stood up and sprouted her tentacle legs.

“I’m going to...assimilate it.” Penny spoke to Nora about it before this meeting. If she could get this much power from assimilating two large partitions of Harbinger, then assimilating a whole Reaper, derelict and damaged or not, could only make her more powerful and able to fight Harbinger. “I may even consume the whole thing when I start, so after we reach the core, I’m going to need anyone on the team with me to evacuate ASAP.”

“So you’ll become a proper Reaper. At least you won’t be harvesting anyone.” Jacob commented and everyone nodded in agreement. “That said, the team should be composed of people who can get out quickly or don’t have to worry so much.”

“Keen Observation: I would be suitable for this team, for I do not tire and if I do not make it out, my chances of survival are significantly higher than anyone else here aside from Commander Shepard.” HK-62 stated and everyone nodded in agreement, even Jack and Grunt who were both annoyed at not getting much fighting done lately.

“I have six legs, you all have two. I’m the fastest.” Martra declared and nobody could contest the last-minute addition to their team. The Cat-Kut could possibly outpace anything aside from a high-mobility vehicle like the Hammerhead, which everyone was idly annoyed that hasn’t left the hangar once this whole adventure.

“Alright then. We have our team. Everyone, the moment we have the IFF, we’re going to Pragia to blow up an old Cerberus base and then to Omega to hunt an Ardat-Yakshi.” Penny announced only for Liara to hold up her hand.

“Don’t forget to drop me off there so I can get a ride back to Illium.” Liara reminded us and Penny sheepishly scratched the back of her head. “I know, it’s like old times. I nearly forgot I had a job to get back to in...a few days. This has been a fun vacation.”

Penny smiled at Liara’s statement with a shake of her head. “Right, well-”

“Hey uh, Commander? There’s this 747 meter long weird ship that just dropped out of hyperspace and DOVE into the star Tikkun. It hasn’t come back out, but the local military is waiting for it.” Joker informed the crew as EDI projected a hologram over the table.

“Why should that matter to us?” Grunt asked as an image of the ship came up and Nora’s jaw dropped.

“That ship isn’t from this Galaxy or Andromeda! It most likely traveled over a dozen galaxies with hyperdrives far ahead of anything we have.” Nora declared in shock and awe.

“How would you know that?” Miranda asked Nora in curiosity rather than suspicion. Penny approved, it would seem being severed from Cerberus may be good for the woman.

“Well, it's a reference in science-fantasy fiction from where Hermais recruited me and I’m broadcasting to it. It’s mostly running on autopilot.” Nora explained as she looked towards the alien ship with her brow creased. “I’m getting a first contact data package detailing its creators. They seemed to have left the ship on automatic flight 16 galaxies roughly...Galactic East.”

“Well then, it ended up in the perfect place. Tikkun is the most technologically advanced system in the Milky way.” Mordin commented before the ship emerged from the star and then vanished into hyperspace once more, continuing onward, Galactic East. “That was most peculiar, is it merely a scout sent onward to map out potential colonization and greeting the neighbors?”

“I received a complex data package similar to the one Star Swirl gave me for the Geth when all of this started for me. Ugh, now I have to deliver it to Rannoch, I’ll be right back.” Nora sighed and went directly to the nearest airlock. Shortly, her mini-Reaper form was flying towards Rannoch at a pace most ships wish they could achieve.

[1001100 01101001 01101110 01100101]

“I swear mom, it’s always something.” Chrys sighed as I finished uploading the massive data dump I got from the automated greeting of that ship. “Why don’t you drop by just to say hello?”

“I would, except you’re always busy unless I have something important like this to pull you away.” I pouted at my smartest and most enterprising synth-changeling daughter.

“What? So you fall nose-first into important stuff to give you an excuse to see me?” Chrys asked with an amused grin and I snorted.

“Sure~! I fish around for the best stuff to keep you even more busy and unavailable to even consider slowing down. Maybe indulge in a hobby like reading or writing something that isn’t science related.” I teased my brainy daughter, who pouted back in reply before she began pouring over the data I’d just offloaded. “So, aside from the people who sent the ship being praying mantis-like folks named the Lateans, what did it have?”

“Universal coordinates with accounts for drift according to time measured in centuries, diagrams and blueprints for technology we can’t even imagine with our current capabilities right now and a standing offer of peaceful coexistence: Please don’t shoot us if we ever get to come visit.” Chrys informed me and I snorted at the idea of giant mantis-men putting their blades in the air as some scrawny human aims a pistol at them.

“Okay, um, any idea how long it’s been traveling?” I asked my daughter in curiosity.

“Roughly 32 weeks.” Chrys replied promptly, causing me to gawk.

“What?! Then why was it giving estimates in centuries of galactic drift?!” That kind of data would normally be for the event that the origin is so far away it’s unfathomable.

“Because that ship is the Forerunner. It is dedicated entirely to heading Universal East towards the Center of the Universe according to the Lanteans. It is pinging off of stars roughly on the path, sending back a snapshot of each star system back to them for review of potential ‘Stargate’ locations along with any aliens it comes across and keeps going. It isn’t going to stop until it is destroyed, runs out of power or reaches the Center.” Chrys shrugged. “Cool beans.”

“Oh, so we’re just fairly close to their galaxy then or at least the one the Forerunner was launched from.” I was a mixture of nervous and excited at the prospect of another overpowered galaxy coming to ours. I mean, the Lanteans made gates to other universes too, gates that could be walked through.

“Well, this new data is cool and all, but now I have to go deal with Daro. Whatever Aunt Hermais did to her, she’s become so damn cheerful that Van, Rael and Shala want me to see if she’s been brainwashed or if she’s just had her mental illness cleared up.” Chrys pulled me into a hug and I gladly returned the affection. “Now go and become an even more giant space cuttlefish mom. Aunt Hermais gave me your specs and...well…”

“What is it, sweetie?” I asked in concern, not really for myself. I think I’m okay with my fate as a giant space cuttlefish if I can morph back down to size.

“Mom, you know I can’t say…” Chrys didn’t release the hug, so I kept squeezing her back. “I just...I want to hold you for a while.”

“Shh, it’s okay baby. I don’t need to leave yet.” I kissed her pony-like chitinous ear and rocked her back and forth as she shivered, clearly trying not to cry. “Whatever it is, I’ll be back. Someday.”

“Don’t make promises you might not keep…”

[1001100 01101001 01101110 01100101]

“You did what?” Urta snarled at her niece with such wrath, that it was only her wife seated in the throne next to her clutching her clenched fist that kept her from leaping for Hermais’ throat and choking the foolish girl! “Repeat that. Slowly.”

“I temporarily appropriated the Allspark from the nearest Transformers universe, as well as the Size-Changing Belt and the Triple-Change Cog. Along with the most powerful Navel Pearl my children could make. I then made a deal with Primus and presented-.”

“A sacrifice! You sacrificed that beautiful woman’s destiny, her fate, to create a-!” Urta stopped when her wife clenched her shoulder tightly enough to crush her slime and she hissed before she reformed her shoulder and took steadying breaths. “You, you have-I can’t look at you right now! Guards! Take her to a cell!” Urta demanded and the two Legionnaires flanking Hermais grabbed her biceps and she did not resist being dragged away.

“Urta. I know you’re upset, but please calm down.” Luna implored her wife and kissed her cheek. “I know that she committed one of the gravest sins of our people, but you know that Hermais would not do this if it wasn’t necessary.”

“Ripping someone’s very essence apart to suit a need is something that is never necessary!” Urta abruptly stood and paced in front of her throne in the Royal Court in the Royal Palace of Equus. “It’s one thing to do it as a capital punishment for the sake of redeeming the damned, it’s quite another to fucking rewrite a person for your needs!”

“To be quite fair dear, Nora doesn’t have any problems with it and she seems rather excited for this latest turn from what I’ve heard.” Bryan, in a rare instance, tried to calm their firebrand of a wife. He was upset with Hermais for her actions, understanding her reasoning if Eris is involved, but still hated it. Also, the recordings from Hunter were damning enough evidence that Nora was thriving with her new form of existence already.

“How can they be sure she isn’t conditioned to like it?!” Urta demanded as she pointed at him and kept pacing, her tail flicking harshly. Bryan felt his annoyance with his wife spike, but was matched with arousal. He loved her because she was so strong-willed and prone to violence like he was. It made for epic make-up sex later. Still, he was going to need to remind her that hijacking Penny’s body was not kosher.

“Hermais already reported that she picked Nora because she already suited the role, she just needed some adjustments to make sure it wouldn’t destroy her. Besides, how are you innocent when it comes to Penny?” Luna brought up for him much to Bryan’s nodding gratitude and Urta flinched.

“Some adjustments I could understand. Penny already wanted what was going on, but she needed a little help adjusting to her new fate faster. As for Nora? Turning her into the all-mother of Transformers for this universe I cannot abide! She was not given a choice! Naturally progressing towards divinity or accepting it once obtained is one thing, being pushed into it is another!” Urta kicked her throne, sending the golden ornate chair flying up into the vacated second floor of seats for representatives. Unf~! Fuck, she’s so sexy when she’s angry...

“I know. That’s what I thought when it happened to us.” Berserker, or Bryan in present company without outsiders, said in regards to himself and his siblings. None of them wanted to be deities, it just happened in spite of their feelings on the matter. Urta was similar, but being tied to the hip with Wiatr made that inevitable.

“Sometimes greatness is thrust upon us rather than chosen by us. It is the ones who do not want it who tend to be the most worthy. Hasn’t Nora frequently denied any desire for divinity?” Luna rhetorically asked, getting nods from her two mates of War. “Then perhaps she is the best suited, if she fits the role, is strong enough for it, yet is likely not to abuse-.”

“I gave birth to a ship child!” Harmonia cheered as she barged into the throne room with a droid holding one of her branches so she could project her avatar.

“Congratulations.” Bryan huffed in a mixture of sarcasm and envy. Harmonia is the third most bountiful when it comes to procreation, but unlike the top two being his wives Urta and Wiatr, she didn’t have an Aspect relevant for it. She simply loved creating life so much and wouldn’t stop sexing her husband, Andre, the god of Crafts. Those two had the most rock-solid relationship he’d ever come across. “But I have to go. Runner wants to talk about some personal stuff.” He changed into his human form and left the throne room through a portal.

“Okay, bye Bryan. Urta, my little sapling is like a Juraian tree from Washu’s universe. He’ll grow up so big and strong and-.” Urta held up a hand and Harmonia blinked in surprise.

“Harmonia. Normally, I’d be really happy, but right now, I’m wondering why Velka isn’t-.”

“Present!” Velka cheered from next to Luna, having risen from the Goddess of Dark’s shadow, which itself was a portal to Ash, the home of the mad. “Hermais has already paid her sins forward.”

“What? You’re okay with this?!” Urta demanded in shock at the goddess besides her wife Wiatr who was most closely associated with her Aspects.

“She already paid it forward with little acts of kindness across the galaxy that actually outweigh the sin, so she’s good. In fact, you’re causing her to build interest in her karma by willingly being detained, so if you really want to punish her, release her with no punishment.” Velka informed her friend and occasional fuckbuddy with a shrug.

“I-you-but-gah, fine!” Urta snarled and crossed her arms under her sultry heft with an angry snarl off to the side.

“By the way; pay up. I managed to snag all five of them in bed and have their clutches~.” Velka sang as she rubbed it in Urta’s face by allowing her belly to swell to rub said fecund orb.

“Oh, can I mention how my baby can act as a mobile portal for fleet deployment? Though He’ll need a super conductor and a-”

“Not now Harmonia! I just lost a centuries-long bet!” Urta shouted in dismay. No~! She still hasn’t had any of Pillar’s babies since the bet started~! She lost to fucking Velka~! Wiatr was going to tease her forever over this!

“Aw…”

[1001100 01101001 01101110 01100101]

“I feel like I want to choke someone with their own intestines and I’m kinda scared about it.” Penny suddenly said, pausing in eating her fried fish fillet and causing Garrus, Jack and Jacob who were sitting closest to move down a seat.

“You don’t want to know how true that is right now.” Pillar told her as he drank his black tea.

“I mean, I’ve never felt so murderously furious before. It’s also kinda scary how detached it is too. What has Urta so pissed?” Penny asked worriedly as she accidentally crushed the table with her hands.

“Again, you don’t want to know.” Pillar sighed, knowing that telling her the truth would set her off. Mostly because the real reason was so preposterous that Penny might act out of frustration. Also, because he may have used Penny as an outlet for avoiding fucking Urta for a few hundred years so Velka would have something to hold over Urta’s head, for once. He wouldn’t want to have Lady Death explain to the others why Penny ripped his head off with her bare hands.

“Just do what I do when I’m impossibly angry, Penny. Envision the anger as a big, stupid idiot you really hate and mentally start stabbing them in the eyes. It’s a surprisingly good way to vent your anger without actually resorting to murder.” Jack suggested to her girlfriend and Mordin shook his head while muttering about unhealthy mental processes.

“I don’t think that will work right now.” Penny gulped and looked away from everyone. “I-I need to destroy something. See you guys later.” Penny stood up and hurried away, her tail whipping against the floor with every other step. Thank goodness it’s fluffy right now and not goopy or it’d leave dents.

“I hope she doesn’t break anything important…” Yola muttered uneasily and I nodded in agreement before I took a bite of delicious, sinful levo fish with malt vinegar. When I told the canteen lady where she could shove that tube of dextro paste and demanded real food, I felt so satisfied before I even tasted it.

“So what should we expect at this Reaper corpse?” Martra asked as she kept pouring over her omni-tool. She was a last-second add-on, so she had a lot to be brought up to speed about.

“It’s likely full of Cerberus drones, husks, maybe a Geth scout, but the last is unlikely.” I lamented that Legion would never exist, but at the same time my actions meant there wouldn’t be a need for a Geth like Legion to sacrifice themselves. “Either way, get me to the core, I’ll deal with the rest.”

“I wish you weren’t so willing to throw yourself into the fire. What happened to your cautious nature?” Tali asked me and I blinked in bemusement.

“I don’t know.” I hummed and wondered when I became so headstrong, so determined. Was it before or after Primus adopted me? I know I was never so sexually dominant to the point of public fornication, that’s one thing, but to suddenly go from being cautious and tactical to wanting to charge in and smash through the opposition like some krogan? I should be careful.

“Well, I like it. For such a Battle Maiden, you have been way more reclusive than I expected.” Grunt commented and I squeezed my breasts, my B-ball boobs molding around my fingers.

“Back then, I wasn’t a mother. I didn’t have anyone waiting for me at home. I had me, myself and Yola before she even finished becoming a full person. Sorry if I want to live to see my children grow up, live their lives, have their own kids. They may be effectively ageless, same with me, but we can still die.” I huffed and let go of my clothed breasts before looking over at my little grandson nomming on his food adorably.

“Hm? Yes Granny?” Ghost asked with his tail wagging behind him. He was anthro right now because he was told if he wanted to eat at the table, he had to have hands. The silvery shirt and shorts I made for him just made him even cuter~!

“Just looking at my precious grandson.” I reached over and scratched his scalp, making him squeal and giggle. He may look 7 years old, but he wasn’t even half a year in age.

“Hey! You’re his Great-grandma! I’m his granny, mom!” EDI protested and I giggled at the semantics of the fact that Ghost was the offspring of a limited animalistic LI based on EDI.

“Yeah! You’re so great as a grandma!” Ghost gushed, not understanding, causing me to laugh and pull my munchkin pup into a hug.

“Damn you’re beautiful with a kid around, Nora.” Ashley softly smiled at me and I smiled back.

“What can I say? I guess I just...click with the children.” I nuzzled my great grandson and my Spark warmed up, feeling like it could outgrow my Spark Chamber with the love I felt for my great grandson. It was a feeling I relished greatly.