Chapter 1

I have no idea how it happened. There was a blinding light, an ear-splitting scream, and the most uncomfortable feeling ever. Then nothing.

Nothing at all.

I just drifted there, floating lost in a blank world. Darkness enveloped me, though my body glowed with a ghostly white. There was no sound, or light beyond my body. The air– if there was any –held no warmth or chill. I blinked my eyes, still nothing there.

Then just as sudden as my world had vanished, a new one formed. At first only blobs and dark greys took shape. But slowly, it became more vibrant, more defined. There was the sky, slowly moving above me. By the light given it should be around midnight.

So then where were the stars? No matter how many times I searched the endless black sky, I found none. Then I noticed that I was surrounded by large buildings of shiny metal. There was a strange text hovering on it, in a language I couldn't understand; it didn't even look human to me. All sorts of weird scrawlings.

There were all these different sources of light around me, but it was all just kind of there, I couldn't figure out where it came from. Then I took notice of the ground, it was vibrating some. It was also cold and metal with trash strewn across it.

That's when the sound hit. This whole time everything was muffled and slow. But in a single moment, it all came at me. Hitting me hard.

Car honks, a low hum, water running, a loud whirring sound, gunshots, shouts, glass shatters, screams, yells, people running, people laughing, growls, moving trashcans, deep club beats; it hurt so much that I clenched my ears and screamed.

Then one single smell filled my senses. It was so horrid that I gagged, my eyes watered, and lungs tightened even more. It was like raw sewage mixed with alcohol and blood.

I lay there gagging, crying, body aching and wondering where the heck I was. My dark curled hair fell around me, longer then I remember it ever being. It was to my waist instead of my lower neck. I pulled my hands away from my ears, though they were still ringing.

That was when I noticed my fingers were longer, even my arms and legs seemed bigger, longer, leaner. All of this, and other changes led me to one solid yet crazy conclusion.

I had aged multiple years in a matter of moments.

I wondered how tall I was for a moment. I would have pondered that and more important things if a loud whirling sound hadn't suddenly come to me. I searched the dark, starless sky to find an amazing image.

A flying car.

It was a sleek, deep red shaded, car. I couldn't spot any other ones around so I simply stared at it in awe. There were no wings or wheels on it, but instead some small jets that were being adjusted on the back. The cabin was large, probably two rows of seats inside. Its windows were tinted black and I could see the pilot… or driver.

I was so focused on the car, with the door being the whole top and left side of the cabin, to really notice the driver as it stepped out. In a few seconds it had landed and was coming over. The pilot was against silhouetted against the weird lights hanging around. "Hey you alright?" The voice is gruff so it has to be a male.

He reached me, and I can somewhat pick out some details even in the dim. Such as his hair was gelled back into multiple spikes that extend off the back of his head, his shoulders are broad, torso trimmed and appendages long and muscled. He was also rather tall, but still his face was masked in darkness.

"Hey you ok?" He asked me, slightly shaking my shoulders to make sure I was awake. I'm not certain when I had moved up to lean against the cold metal wall. Maybe he did that. I honestly was certain of anything happening around me.

I try to find my voice but it's gone. Instead I make a weird squeal-like sound. "I'm gonna take that as a yes." He said and extends his left hand to me, offering help up. I gladly took it. Wow he's stong! In only a few moments, no more like less then a single moment, he has me on my feet. My head was spinning greatly.

He pulls his hand back, but why was there only three fingers? I don't a chance to think, there is another set of gunshots nearby. I jumped, squealing, and practically tackle him. With both of us on the ground, his face is in the weird light. I nearly scream at what I behold.

Scales or plates, large across the face, wide flat nose, small brown eyes surrounded by black skin. The scales are a dark chocolate brown color, the plates stop at the back of the neck revealing a slightly lighter brown layer of skin. I look at his mouth, Wait… are those mandibles? There was a row of sharp teeth shown as he grunted at the impact.

That's also when I noticed that he did not have hair. Instead it was some kind of hard fringe. Out of politeness, and maybe intelligence, I probably shouldn't have reached out and run my hand along the hard fringe. But I was just to stunned to be polite. He's an alien. He's an alien! I'm freaking out here, yet he's not… Why the heck is he not flipping out?

I lay there screaming in my head while on the outside I'm frozen. He places his three-fingered hands on my shoulders and pushes me up and off him. I sat on my knees while he gets up and dusts off the green tunic-like outfit. "Well that was unexpected." The mandibles twitch as he spoke. "Look I know you don't know me. But trust me when I say its not safe here. The gunshots testify to that! I can take you somewhere safe." He offered me his hand; I freeze again, mind whirling.

I gave him a weird look, actually thinking on his offer. The alien politely waited. Perhaps I was out of it- I mean why should I have trusted a stranger, not to mention an alien, so quickly? Even if said stranger came from wherever it was he had been before, to check on me.

I looked at his open, three-fingered hand- his kind considerate yet strikingly predatory eyes and his mandibles and the way they seemed to be pulled into a slight understanding smile. When I took notice of the white, intricate markings all across his dark chocolate face plates- they were so intriguing I just had to know more. I decided to trust him, and took his hand.

In a moment he responded, pulled me to the flying car, opened the door and we hoped in. I waited for him to start the car, but as I reached back for a seat belt one jumped out of the seat and formed rather comfortably to my body.

I squealed… again, gaining a chorus of laughter from the scaled alien. There was a moment of waiting before a light flickered on the dashboard and a holographic display appeared around the steering wheel. It took me only a moment to notice the steering wheel was adjusted for flight more then ground driving, though it retained a circular shape. Here I was, sitting in an alien's flying car, no idea where I was, how I got here, or if this stranger had other intentions.

No matter how hard I try, which would be several times, I couldn't think about anything but the alien. Where did he come from? What was his name? What did his species call themselves? Judging by his teeth was he a carnivore? If so would he eat me? Where was he taking me? Where was the thing we were in anyways? Is there more of his kind around? What will he do if there is?

I started internally freaking out but kept as calm as possible on the outside. He seemed oblivious, focused only on taking us somewhere else. I felt my spine tingle in anticipation; he was about to take us up.

It was kind of like an elevator, that sudden lurch and then subtle, relaxing sensation. Well that sudden lurch got me, I squealed… loudly, gaining yet another chorus of laughter from he scaled alien. Pretending to be insulted I pouted and lightly shed a tear or two.

That got him; he instantly begins apologizing, and tries to wipe my tears away with one of his three fingers. I have to admit, I was stunned; so stunned I stared at him, and felt a smile cross my face. I bottled up the rising feelings and tried to distract myself by searching the sky outside.

But to my wonder it was all dark again. The weird lights had been put out or turned off. The only light came from his headlights. He slowly started to move us, but then we were speeding, moving at what was to me light-speed.

He turned sharply, and then we were at a stoplight. It seemed to me that a stoplight was pointless when you can fly in the sky all to easy. I started drifting off into a daydream.

It was odd, trying to think of my past, trying to relive a memory, and not finding anything.

Then a gruff voice broke the silence. "What's your name?" He asked me. I paused and think. I actually have to think of my name.

"I… I don't know…" I finally admit. He stared at me, making my skin crawl.

But after a moment he nodded his head. "Well I'm Marco." The alien introduced himself. "And it seems your voice has returned." Marco said. I nodded, a slight smile on my face for some reason. The light turned green after the long stop and he began moving us once again, slower this time. "So if you can't remember your name or just don't have one. What would you like to be called?"

I pursed my lips in thought, my eyebrows furrowing as well. There was nothing for me to think of, no memory of things I held or hold dear. It was like there was nothing there. "I don't know... How about you name me?" My voice was scratchy and hoarse, the words taking a bit of effort to form.

Marco blinked, "Okay… How about… AJ? No? Alright… Ellen? Sarah? What are some good human names?" He scratched at one of the plates on his cheek. Marco continued to ramble off random names that don't really grab me. But then he said one that did.

"Alexis? Jasmine? Athena? Sierra-"

"Wait go back!" I cut him off.

"Sierra?" His voice is nervous at my reaction.

"No, did you say… Athena?" I asked him trying to think. Marco stared at me, then after a second he nodded his head. I felt a sharp pang in my head. The name, it sounded… familiar. I had no idea if it was my name or someone's I knew.

"Do you like it?" Marco asked me and I nodded my head energetically. Then a huge smile breaks out across his face, his mandibles pull back, his snapping portion of the mouth opens wide and his chest is racked with laughter.

It was then that we turned and I was assaulted by a large, holographic billboard. I covered my eyes at the burst of red, blue and white light that hurt. Slowly I moved my arm away, squinting and took it in.

There was a blue, with purple hues, skinned lady. She had bold and definite features, high cheekbones, no ears. There were folds of skin on the back of her neck that seemed to connect to some sort tendrils on the top of her head. The tendrils extended slightly off her head in a bun-like shape.

She had defiant, blue eyes, slightly narrowed. Covering her head were multiple dark blue tattoos. One was a rectangle running down the middle of her bottom lip to her chin. One tattoo on each of her cheeks, in intricate designs that connected on her forehead. When they crossed above her eyes they made two eyebrows of sorts. Two tiny lines that arches upward over the bridge of the nose was all that connected them.

Despite the foreign face I was starting at, I was seeing nothing short of a beautiful, and alien, amazing face. "That's Aria T'Loak." Marco says.

I turned in the seat and gave him an interested look. "What is she?" I ask with almost a need to find out.

"She's an Asari, an all female race- Wait! Why don't you know what an asari is? Do you even know what I am!" Marco has stopped the car, throwing us both forward for a brief moment.

I grimaced, and shook my head, shrugging.

"I'm a Turian. One of the four council races." He took a second before realizing what I couldn't. "You've got amnesia!" He slapped his forehead.

But I don't believe it. "I can remember-" I can't remember anything except random knowledge and a girl, not the fully-grown woman I am now. "I remember a girl… and random stuff, but that's it…" I feel another pang and stop trying to remember.

"So who is Aria T'Loak?" I ask, trying to change the topic.

"Ruler of Omega." Marco started moving us again.

"Where's that?" I've got a pretty good idea by now.

"Here… Aria T'Loak IS Omega."