Disclaimer: This story is using the wonderful characters and places sprung from the genius minds at Bioware. This is purely written because I had to get this out of my system and in no way am I making money with this. Characters you recognize belong to Bioware (oh how I wish that Garrus was mine though!). Dani Pryde is mine. Her last name is an homage to Kitty Pryde from the X-Men. Reason why will reveal itself eventually.

What else? Hmm… Oh, Dr. Torque et famille is mine. And if you don't like adult themes (lemons, lemons and more lemons later on) then I suggest you stay far away from the later chapters!

A Beautiful Mind

Prologue

Rhyder Shepard silently watched Captain David Anderson pace in front of the desk. The desk Anderson himself used to sit at. It seemed strange, almost unnatural even. For many years their roles had been reversed. For many years, Shepard had been the one to stand at the same spot that Anderson was now so restlessly treading bare. How quickly things could change.

"Why do you want me to add her to the crew, Captain Anderson?"

Commander Rhyder Shepard eyed Anderson, his suspicion and curiosity aroused by his strange request.

"She would be a major asset to your crew, Shepard."

Okay, Shepard mused. Obviously Anderson is dancing around the truth.

"That doesn't explain why you want me to take her on."

Shepard watched Anderson intently as the man started pacing in front of the desk.

"Look, she's smart as a whip, an incredible engineer and you'd be doing me a personal favor. Can't that be enough?"

"With all due respect, Captain, the Normandy, hell, I am on loan to the Council. If you want me to take . . ."

He stopped, realizing he hadn't heard her name yet.

"Danaederia Pryde," Anderson offered.

"You've got to be kidding me, right?"

Anderson chuckled. "No one calls her that anyway. Dani will do."

"If I take her with me, you mean. And you still haven't explained the why. Look, I'm all for doing you a favor, but I need some damn good reasons to take on someone. Just batting your eyelashes at me isn't going to cut it."

The guilt of addressing his former superior in such a familiar way was short lived. He felt the burden placed on his shoulders too heavily. Now that the galaxy looked at him to save the day, proper military etiquette seemed a bit trivial.

Anderson slumped his shoulders in defeat and let out an audible sigh.

"She's . . . different," he finally offered. "She's a polymath."

Wow, talking about the mother of all anti-climactic responses! Rhyder merely raised an eyebrow in question.

"So . . . that's a bad thing?" he asked after a while when Anderson didn't explain his words further.

"What? No! It's not a bad thing. Per se."

"You said it like it is a bad thing. And saying things like 'per se' doesn't inspire much confidence either."

"A polymath is a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas, "Anderson explained. "It just means she's skilled in quite a few different subject areas. Her mind is sharp, quick. Almost like a computer but not limited by programming. She envisions things, brings imagination to the equation. Anything her mind envisions, she draws."

"That sounds anything but bad. I feel a catch coming on. Why do I feel a catch coming on?"

"Because there is, Shepard. It's basically the main reason I want her to be on your crew. Her mind sets her apart from other people. So far apart she has trouble connecting with others. She's awkward. Considered a weirdo. Socially inept. You get the drift."

Anderson paused, and in that short pause, Rhyder saw in his eyes all he really needed to know, but he let him continue anyway.

"She lives with the Torque family on Earth, even works at Torque Enterprises. They have done an admirable job in guiding her, but the reports about her are troubling. People tolerate Dani because of the work she delivers but other than that . . . She's withdrawing further from contact every day."

Anderson started pacing again. Rhyder wasn't sure, but something felt a bit off. He'd never seen Anderson this . . . It was almost like he was nervous!

"She's losing herself to herself, Shepard. Dr. Torque and I have been long talking about relocating her to a different planet, but then she'd just be the odd duck in the pond all over again, just somewhere else."

"Don't get me wrong, Captain. I can understand this must be disconcerting to you, but what does that all have to do with me? Surely a space frigate is no better environment for her than anywhere else."

"A space frigate? No, you're right about that. If that space frigate happens to be the SSV Normandy, it becomes a whole different ball game. I've read you're reports, Shepard. You've got the most mix-and-match crew in the entire galaxy and yet everyone in your crew has and knows their place.

"Humans, an asari, a turian, a quarian. Hell, even a krogan teamed up with you. And it works. Somehow, you make it work. All backgrounds and personal differences put aside for one common goal. Even an oddball like Dani might just find her place as well."

Anderson looked away; clearly not willing to show just how invested he was in this Dani.

"She's drowning, Shepard. At least with you, she has a chance," he concluded softly.

"Oh hell, you had me with Danaederia Pryde, Anderson. How could I pass on someone with a name like that?!" Rhyder smirked.

First Anderson looked shocked, then he burst out laughing and Rhyder Shepard followed suit.