Rebirth The Mass Effect is old

"Give me an hour's notice before you leave."

"OK."

I finished my meal and set the container aside.

"Garrus, now..."

"Now you go and get some sleep." The Turian snapped. "Have you seen yourself in the mirror?"

"I saw it. I shrugged my shoulders. — You have to pay for everything. I'll rest on the Citadel.

In response, there are two skeptical glances.

"There's not much time.

"It's always not enough." Nihlus replied softly. "Don't make us turn to Karin for help. She's had a tranquilizer gun ready since yesterday. And so they were barely dissuaded from the idea of trying it out."

A tranquilizer? Quite possibly. Moreover, Karin has been looking at me for the past day with equal parts concern and discontent. Apparently, Nihlus persuaded the doctor not to use extreme measures.

"Rin, upon arrival at the Citadel, you will have to report to the Council. You shouldn't go to them in this state."

"A couple of hours won't solve anything, since you're a week short." Garrus added.

And you're right...

— Okay. I raised my hands.

The Turians escorted me to my cabin under the curious gazes of the crew and dumped me.

I couldn't sleep at all. I was lying in bed and staring at the ceiling, and thoughts were crowding in my head, reminding me of the problems. Small and not so big. Benezia, who cannot be released from the ship, ten Asari marines sleeping in capsules, the Rachni queen, the crew, the Alliance, my former leadership, the Council, Saren, Nazara... I was sorting through my memory of the canon, and the more I studied it, the more I realized what kind of outright bullshit it was... hmm... Well, fuck him, the canon. But what should I do with the Lord? He won't miss the Normandy in any way. Not that level. Send the ship out of the system? Where and how far? How to intercept Saren in the lab and not bring the matter to a cannonball fight? I will deal with his condition when I can capture him. Not just the mental one. If my sclerosis doesn't let me down, his body has been plowed over a lot... I hope it didn't come to implants. What to do with the Reaper? Questions, questions...

My thoughts turned smoothly to the Normandy and, most importantly, to her crew. And here the problem arises in all its unsightly glory. Until now, I hadn't done anything that might interest my superiors, but during this flight, I felt close attention more than once. I know perfectly well that someone from the crew is tapping the Alliance's Air Force about all my actions. If earlier it was even to my advantage to some extent, now I don't need excessive awareness. And what should I do?

I rolled over onto my side, wrapping the blanket up to my eyes. Damn it! Cold... Not physically: the temperature in the cabin is quite comfortable. The cold comes from an excessive loss of vital energy. Mentalism is energy-intensive. Moreover, such a delicate and painstaking job. I will recover the losses only after two days, if there are no loads and with plenty of food. There is, of course, another way to quickly replenish losses, but it is not yet available to me. No. Not like that. Available, of course. But... It's better not to rush. There is a time for everything.

The doors began to move, allowing Nihlus to enter the cabin. I'm wondering how he convinced the ship's VEE to let him into the captain's cabin without my permission. Okay, everyone has their own secrets, but still... He's usually more sensitive about my personal space. And now... Did you really come to check if I was asleep or not?

I didn't even have to dive into his mind, it was enough to count the top images. Yes, I came. That's exactly what to check. Worried. My appearance caused quite reasonable concerns: pale, almost transparent skin, on which blue veins stand out vividly, dark circles under my eyes, twitchy movements, and low body temperature. And Karin compounded these fears with a report on the exhaustion of the body.

"You're not sleeping." — a quiet vibrating voice with a barely noticeable reproach.

A simple statement of fact.

"I can't." I replied softly, turning my head.

The Turian came over and squatted by the bed.

"You can." You're a mentalist, and you can do anything with your mind. I told you so myself.

"She did." I obediently agreed, shivering slightly from the cold. "But you shouldn't force yourself to sleep."

The green eyes narrowed. Who would have doubted that he would notice... A hot palm touched my forehead, physically radiating the energy I needed so much.

"Are you cold?"

A well-posed question.

"yes."

A short pause and another correct question:

Is it cold?

"no."

It didn't take him long to put one and one together.

"The reasons?"

I sighed.

"Everything requires energy. And mentalism, too. It's not critical. The body will recover in a day or two."

"And you're going to be cold all the time?" "What is it?" he asked skeptically.

"I will."

Nihlus fell silent, staring intently at my face. I could literally physically feel his presence: in this state, my body acquired all the features of an energy vampire, absorbing unattended energy from others, and now the only living being in the cabin was a Turian.

Any healthy organism always radiates vital energy into the surrounding space if it cannot direct it to its own needs or if it produces more than it needs to. Gradually, these surpluses form a peculiar aura. That's the feeling of a "lived-in" place. It doesn't matter if it's a house or a ship. That is why it is so unpleasant for any living person to be in burial sites, in abandoned houses or cities, on dead planets and ships. They completely lack this aura, and sometimes ancient buildings acquire the properties of a vampire. Burial grounds and necropolises are especially guilty of this.

The Normandy is a relatively new ship, it has not yet been properly inhabited, the feeling of home has not yet grown to it, and the vital aura has just begun to take shape. A year will pass, and it will acquire all the properties of a residential building. With an active life aura, wounds heal faster, the body rests and nourishes better, the psyche is more stable, and the intelligent are less susceptible to stress. Right now, Jeff is feeding the aura the most, having already managed to sincerely love this ship. But the harder it will be for him to part with it The Normandy is a relatively new ship, it has not yet been properly inhabited, the feeling of home has not yet grown to it, and the vital aura has just begun to take shape. A year will pass, and it will acquire all the properties of a residential building. With an active life aura, wounds heal faster, the body rests and nourishes better, the psyche is more stable, and the intelligent are less susceptible to stress. Right now, Jeff is feeding the aura the most, having already managed to sincerely love this ship. But the harder it will be for him to part with it. I perfectly understand why the Joker was so stubborn in the canon, couldn't bring himself to leave Normandy, and tried to save her until the very end. This is normal. He is her Core. He is the center of the formation of the vital aura, he is attached to the ship as a living being. Moreover, a sincerely adored being. It's a pity that this "Normandy" will die without becoming a full-fledged home for us.

Nihlus took his hand away, and I shuddered involunta

"Can I help you?"

I shrugged my shoulders.

"You can."

Nihlus chuckled.

"Which question is the answer?" There was a hint of sad irony in his voice. "Rin, you know perfectly well what can help you now. I don't think this is your first time experiencing energy exhaustion. Am I right?"

I grimaced and nodded. Of course I do! Not that it's not the first time, but I'm in it with depressing regularity as soon as the problems start! And my life and my problems are synonymous.

"I'm listening to you carefully."

A veiled, but nevertheless tough order. Right now, he won't accept a rejection or a streamlined response. The question was asked with a clear and sincere desire to help. Nihlus is REALLY ready to do everything in his power. And he knows perfectly well that I feel it. He knows and uses it. Trust breeds trust... A mental mirror in all its dubious glory.

Yes, I can block the sensitivity and do it... some kind of decent stupidity, in a mild way, to send the Turian away... but why ? Why should I offend one of the few reasonable people who truly treat me with all their hearts? He genuinely cares about me. Without any subtext or ulterior motives. If I send him away with this concern now, it's like spitting in the soul. Such... He doesn't say goodbye. Never. At the level of instincts and subconsciousness. I know better...

"Mentalism, especially since it is so deep, consumes a lot of vital energy. I finally decided to answer." Any living being produces more of it than is required to meet the needs of its own body. This is a defense mechanism that allows you to compensate for unexpected expenses. The excess is poured into the surrounding space and forms a comfortable aura for life. The Norma has not yet managed to form its life aura completely: the core and main contours have just been born, because the ship is not yet perceived as a home. With a critical drop in vital energy, my body begins to pull it from the external environment, just like any other. Except that it's much more active. But there's nothing to delay here yet. So I'm freezing until my body covers the shortage on its own.

Nihlus silently rubbed his palm, looking questioningly into my eyes.

"Yes, with direct physical contact, you can delay much more and faster. Such a kind of energetic vampirism. It stops when the level necessary for normal functioning is restored, and then the shortage is covered by natural production."

"What is the barrier?"

"Some types of metals, inorganic compounds, or thick obstacles larger than sixteen centimeters. All animal or vegetable components such as wood, leather or natural fabrics are not a screen due to their origin."

"How much exhaustion do you have?"

"Not critical."

"Rin!"

I sighed.

"Half as much as is necessary for normal functioning. That's why it looks like this."

"How fast does your body absorb energy?"

"Depends on the source. Slightly more than the natural release of excess, but no more than one and a half values."

Apparently, Nihlus found out what he wanted. He got up, easily picked me up in his arms, wrapped me in a blanket, sat on the bed with his back against the wall, and sat me on his knees, hugging me tightly to his chest. And almost instantly I felt the deathly permafrost pass, my body was filled with warmth, and the reserve was rapidly replenished.

"Sleep." a calm, vibrant voice sounded above his head.

"Will you keep it that way?"

A quiet chuckle and an ironic question:

"Do you mind?"

"No. Just keep in mind... I can feel you."

"I'll get over it. Go to sleep."

I warmed up and quickly fell asleep. And for the first time since Eden Prime, I didn't have the bloody nightmares of a dying civilization...

Chapter 24: Surprises

The speakers clicked, and Jeff's voice said:

"Rin, it's an hour until the tunnel exits."

"Understood." I replied, barely able to open my eyes.

That's right... How did it pass me by?! I blinked, but reality didn't change. Bright light blue eyes looked at me with interest. Is that when Garrus showed up in my cabin?

Someone fidgeted nearby, and there was a muffled curse, uttered in a familiar, low, vibrating voice. Oh my... And Nihlus is here...

"How are you feeling?" Garrus asked, helping me sit up.

How's that? Yes, it's good! It's one thing to rob one person, but it's quite another to rob two.

"Great."

The sleepy face of Nihlus came into view.

"What did I miss?"

Garrus answered my question by telling me the following. About four hours later, after Nihlus came to check on my condition and didn't come back, Garrus decided to ask where he was. Found out. On what basis it was launched VI is a mystery shrouded in darkness, but I seriously suspect that our inquisitive pilot is involved. Anyway, I came and saw this picture: Nihlus, who was thoroughly frozen, unconscious, and I, who was not far from the deceased in terms of body temperature. Garrus was visibly scared, but then Nihlus came to his senses and dedicated our precious sniper to the essence of the problem. After that, I unloaded me to him, and he curled up into a compact ball and fell asleep. By the way, it is quite a normal reaction of the body to such losses: to sleep off and warm up. Garrus himself was only slightly frozen: my reserve was already almost full, and I didn't need much energy. True, he was already being robbed by Nihlus, but very weakly and almost imperceptibly.

The most interesting thing is that Garrus told all this with a bit of humor and considerable irony, not forgetting to hint a couple of times that such consequences should be reported before it was too late. There was a simple answer to my attempt to thank you:

"That's what... friends are for."

We had cleaned up and eaten in an hour, and now we were lazing around. I checked on the matriarch: Lady Benezia was still in a state of deep sleep, the cords that had been sharpened yesterday had disintegrated, but the drill was still sitting tight, although not as much as before. Really, three days of work, and it can be safely deleted. Leaving the Lady in the infirmary under Karin's care, I ran all over the ship. I checked the queen: rahni was sleeping peacefully in her box and didn't cause any problems. Rex dug himself into the arsenal and, at my request, compiled a list of what we could use to get from the large arsenals of the Special Corps at the first opportunity. At the same time, he handed over a list of spare parts for our Mako, compiled by Garrus, who repaired the all-terrain vehicle for nothing. Tali and Adams were discussing some technical issues. Liara ran off to the infirmary to her mother. Peace and grace...

And then the most unpleasant part began: checking the crew. I walked slowly around the ship, talking to people, surreptitiously scanning their minds.

I hate this kind of scan... For the sake of a single piece of information, you have to shake up a lot of thoughts and emotions. Anyone who thinks it's interesting can dig in the trash. It feels very similar.

People don't even understand what's really going on in their head. Conscious thoughts are just a tiny tip of a huge iceberg, the results of the work of a whole layer of thoughts, instincts and reactions of the body. For example, a guy named Robert, who is currently checking navigation systems, thinks about his colleague Elena, who is sitting at the next terminal. A conscious thought is quite decent: the guy thinks that the girl is very beautiful. But here is the foundation hiding under this idea... There's a lot here. The natural reaction of a young man's body: reaction to the smell, to the appearance, to the motor skills and plasticity of the movements of the object of lust. This is followed by unconscious instincts and images in which the subconscious very clearly shows exactly what it wants to do with this young lady: desire and lust. Conclusions that are practically conscious of the mind: it is suitable for procreation. The result of reflection is an attractive girl. A separate stream is the analysis of her personality: spiritual qualities, mind, character. And all this entails a simple statement of the fact that the girl is beautiful... But there is also a third layer — these are emotions, an analysis of the environment... I'm just ecstatic about it all! And, most importantly, do not filter out all this stuff! I'm already silent about the fragmentation and confusion of thinking, which makes the hair stand on end all over the body.