Sparkly

As far as Cora was concerned, Sara Ryder had lost it. Whatever "it" was.

In her experience, "it" varied from species to species, or at least what constituted "it." To turians, "it" might be civic duty. To krogan, "it" might be the ability to knock someone out with a headbutt without suffering any blowback. For salarians, "it" might be scientific know-how, while for elcor…well, she couldn't be sure. Likewise, what constituted "it" for humans seemed to vary. But whatever the case, she was pretty sure that "it" didn't constitute rock climbing on Eos after "the sparkly thing."

"Need any help Ryder?" she called out.

"Nah, I'm good."

"You sure? You said that five minutes ago."

"See? I'm still good. Got endurance."

"Right. Of course." Cora leant against the Nomad, turned around from the cliff face and cast her gaze out on the desolate plains of Eos. Toying with the idea of going out there and finding a place to die. Because while dying from dehydration was nearly as unpleasant as crushing someone's throat with a biotic grip (and she'd seen both), the cessation of bodily functions was getting more tempting by the second. But since suicide wasn't on her to do list, she instead turned to the man beside her.

"Liam."

A man whose attention was focused on someone else entirely.

"Liam."

Looking up the cliff face, as if in worship. Like something out a of a movie before first contact was made. Something about close encounters of a certain kind.

"Liam!" Cora hissed.

"Huh?" He looked at her, and away from the person currently engaged in rock climbing. "What?"

Cora sighed. "You know this is bullshit right?"

"What is?"

"Us. This. Standing around while Ryder does rock climbing." She stepped aside as some rocks tumbled down by her.

"Oh. Yeah. Terrible." Liam looked away from her, and returned his gaze to the Pathfinder. "Absolutely terrible."

"Liam, are you paying attention?"

"Hey, just keeping my eye on Ryder."

"Yeah, one particular part of Ryder."

"Well, just keeping my eye on her behind." He blinked, before looking at Cora again. "Um, I mean, sticking behind her. Or is that staying behind her? Or…"

Cora sighed. "Keep trying Liam, you'll get there eventually."

More rocks came down and Cora stepped aside again. Under her breath, she let out a word that she'd learnt with her old commando unit. One that was from an asari fringe language that her sisters had deemed "unfit for mortal ears." Of course, even asari were mortal, even if they didn't seem that way, but whatever. The word existed. Her frustrations existed. They'd existed ever since arriving in this damn galaxy, with magic space dust, floating rocks, thunderstorms, little green men (or big, technically), and how chain of command apparently counted for two things out here – jack, and shit. Which was why Sara Ryder was in charge after Alec's death, not her. Which was why she was sitting here, boiling in the sun, hoping her suit would do its job. Which was why, when Ryder had pulled over and gone rock climbing to find "the sparkly thing," she and Liam were forced to get out and wait. To watch as Sara Ryder used her jetpack to get a boost, and rock climb all the way up.

Was she mad? Maybe. She knew that Ryder was in contact with SAM via an implant, and that was uncharted territory for humanity, or heck, any other species. Coupled with losing her father, plus losing consciousness on Habitat 7, along with the burden of command, it could cause anyone to crack. Maybe yelling about "shiny things" and pulling over the Nomad to climb for them was part and parcel. But if that was the case…

We're doomed.

Should she pull a coup? Maintain chain of command as it was originally intended? The Tempest crew was a group of unknowns, and she knew she couldn't count on Liam. He looked at Ryder like a w'tas looked at an asari – a runt of an animal originating on Thessia that bonded with its asari owner for life through a form of mind melding. She'd have said a puppy in a different life, but that didn't do it justice. A puppy might get the hint that it would never work out, but w'tasses bonded with their owners for life.

"Whoo," Ryder called out. "Made it."

"Yay," Cora murmured, while Liam gave out a far more enthusiastic response. "Found your shiny thing?"

"Oh yeah, it's right here," Ryder called out. She gestured to what appeared to Cora as thin air. "Guys still can't see it?"

Cora forced a smile. "'Fraid not." She looked at Liam, who remained silent. He at least had enough dignity left to not believe in nonsense for the sake of wooing his commander. And having endured Habitat 7, and a litany of one liners that involved bullets, kett, and faces, Cora was glad that he'd kept his lips shut.

"Right," Ryder said. "Well, anyway, just going to get the…thing…"

"You do that," Cora murmured.

She didn't care that Ryder's right hand had stopped as it had reached out, before both of her hands grasped her head. Instead, she was thinking of her brother. Still in a coma, blissfully unaware that his father was dead, and the golden worlds weren't so golden. That they weren't even bronze. Sighing, he wondered if the Olympics were still held. If the Olympic Committee had decided whether aliens could compete yet, and whether there'd be limitations on certain species in certain events. Also wondering how Scott would do in them…that chiselled jaw, that bulky chest, those nice long legs…maybe the sprint, or the long jump, or-

Oh Goddess.

She'd gone there. She'd actually, honest to God, or Athame, or whatever deity, bloody gone there. Sara Ryder, shiny things, and w'tasses had bloody driven her into fantasising about Alec Ryder's comatose son. No doubt it was Liam's fault. Or the ship's. Even asari weren't immune to certain…complications in tight spaces. Space that Eos wasn't lacking, but even so, when Ryder jumped down from above, she let out a yelp, dashing aside as the Pathfinder landed right beside her.

"Damn it Ryder. You trying to kill us?"

"Ah, come on Cora," Liam said. "You know the Pathfinder only kills kett." He smiled like a w'tas. "Quite a lot of kett."

Cora glared at him. Suck up. She looked at Ryder, and for a moment, her complexion softened. "You alright?"

Ryder nodded. "Yeah. Just…" She put a hand to her forehead. "Just…seeing things."

"What, like shiny things?"

"More like dad-memory-flashback-tech things. Stuff that SAM says I need to be back on the Hyperion for." She must have seen Cora's look of dread, at the notion of travelling light years to reach the ark to do all that, so Ryder added, "but that can wait. Eos comes first."

Cora grunted, turning her gaze away from Ryder and casting it out over the wastes. "Or last," she murmured.

They didn't say anything else as they got back in the Nomad. They didn't even argue when, being Liam's turn to choose the track, that he chose quarrian music. Music that had basically been in a grunge phase for 300 years due to losing their homeworld. Like Eos, it was sad, depressing, and lonely. It made Cora wonder if the quarians had ever retaken Rannoch, or if they were still drifting through space, looking for a new home back in the Milky Way.

She didn't know. But she could hope.

Just like she hoped that, as the Nomad rolled off again, Sara Ryder didn't find any more "shiny things" to give her headaches.

A/N

So, um, anyone know why triggers for Alec Ryder's memories are scattered around on planets he never visited? 0_0