A/N: I know it has been along time, but no, I have not abandoned this story. Life in meatspace got hectic, depressing and a few other things. Plus, some characters are really difficult to get their manner of speech right. But without further ado, here is the next chapter.

"Remind me to just shoot the next bureaucrat who wants our help. It'll be more..." I let off a shot with my sniper rifle. "...peaceful." The geth unit that had been creeping along the ceiling fell in a shower of white fluid to the hard floor.

"You know you enjoyed being able to play cat burglar, Doc." Ash purred.

A staccato burst of fire punctuated her teasing comment.

"Do humans normally flirt during battle?" came the question from Liara.

I focused down my scope at the big geth that had hung back behind the rest of the ambush.

"Depends on a few things. Like how serious the battle is, for one." Shepard chimed in. "I'll let it slide this time."

"Oh? What's so special about this time?" The double toned drawl left no doubt that it was Garrus.

"Its already over. Now Tali!"

Tali popped up and tossed a tech mine at the remaining geth.

The mine detonated in a shower of electrical arcs. There were a few clunking noises as geth fell to the ground inert, followed by silence.

"What the Hell did you do?!"

Captain Matsuo strode up, and began arguing with Shepard.

I crept over to a fallen geth and carried it over to the group.

"Geth? You expect me to believe-"

The geth trooper collapsing at her feet cut off Captain Matsuo's protestations.

Shepard's voice was dry. "You were saying?"

Captain Matuso had departed minutes before hoping to head off an investor panic.

Tali and I were working on the Mako in the Garage, attempting to make sure that it could stand up to the journey ahead.

"Is it just me or are the geth not usually that tactically inept? I mean they definitely haven't clustered up like that before that I've seen."

Tali's accented voice was pensive. "It could be that these units were isolated from their fellows. Their effective intelligence increases with their numbers. Could be an edge we could exploit should we encounter them again while here."

I completed repairing a weather seal under the turret. "I think we are good to go here, boss."

"Good. Are the weapons functional? I don't want to be a sitting duck out there if more Geth find us."

I shrugged, but it was Tali who answered.

"It works, but not up to the standards of the Mako on the Normandy. We've made some upgrades to the turret there that we'd need specialized parts to do here. We might be able to improve on it given time with the calibration software."

Garrus spoke up in his double-toned drawl. "I'll man the turret then, I know a couple of tricks that may help that won't interfere with my readiness should we encounter hostiles."

I half raised my hand. "Then I'll volunteer to man the repair and ECM console. I'll need something to distract me from Shepard's driving..." I trailed off into a smirk as I heard some chuckles from the others and a growl from the Commander.

It had been a long while since I spared a thought for events being different from what I remembered. I remembered that there were a number of stops along the way to Peak 15, but that they were all outside in the roiling storm. I remember being annoyed that I had to keep an eye on the cold danger indicator.

Shepard had taken point, as per usual, with the rest of us arrayed behind her in a supportive formation. I idly identified it as the 'Squad Column with Fire Teams in Column' formation, even if it varied in that Shepard as the squad leader would normally have been within the formation to facilitate control. The Commander had taken each of our measure, and in return gave trust. It also helped that her biotic prowess allowed her to shift position almost at the speed of thought.

The area had been guarded on the exterior by a squad of geth, reinforced with a pair of Asari commandos. I will admit that their reputation is not just bluster. They were tough to bring down. Even so, they had been preoccupied with getting inside.

"Any idea what they were here for?" Ash, always straight to the point.

"The maps show Peak 15 as being another few clicks away. This is another separate lab, designated Abyssal Station. Like with Peak 15, no indication as to what they were researching." Tali responded.

The only sound was from our own breathing and footsteps. No chatter, no machinery noises. Silence. Not even the wind's howl could be heard through the airlock's insulation.

We moved through the vestibule and stacked up outside the door leading inwards. On Shepard's hand signal we burst into the next room. It seemed to be a simple laboratory with computer consoles radiating out from a central point. To my surprise, they were all manned. The mixed bag of sentients that were present were perfectly, almost unnaturally calm. They paid no visible heed to the heavily armed squad that had intruded on them. Not even an upward glance.

In the center of the room, hovering above a pedestal, was an orb. It was...in flux.

As far as I could tell at a glance, perfectly spherical, but the color was opalescent. Like a patina of oil on the surface of water, and shifting. The changes were subtle and fluid. I could feel a sudden pressure against my senses. Oppressive and malignant. I shook my head, trying to throw the chilling frisson.

Shepard motioned for me to check the door to the left for hostiles. As I passed the artifact, whatever it was, the eerie presence pressed inward on my mind, invadng my innermost sanctum.

Something's trying to get inside my head!

I found myself on my knees, my hands behind my head.

Wait, when did this lab get checkerboard linoleum?

The mental pressure vanished with all the immediacy of an emergency shut-off valve.

I looked up from the ground and found myself in a smallish room, with a table and chairs, a vending machine, and a small counter with a microwave and little else.

When did I walk into a corporate breakroom?

The question echoing between my ears received an immediate answer in memories.

I've hopped again...

I'm Research Assistant Dr Lucas E. Jones PhD FCAP and I work for a deep science laboratory in the American Southwest run by the US Government.

A facility known simply as Black Mesa.

The fanboy in me made another brief appearance, before I realized that I may not be alone.

I took a closer look at my surroundings.

Appliances sparking, broken glass on the ground, smoke lingering in the air, alarms silent...I'm post-Resonance Cascade events. But how far past? Has Freeman made it to Xen?

I specifically didn't look at the still form in the corner, as I knew it would likely not be fully human, if human at all, and I moved with deliberate steps to the corridor, ears straining to catch any sound of movement, eyes scanning.

Lets see, labcoat, slightly less than practical shoes, not even any shoelaces for an improvised garrotte. I suppose my tie will have to suffice. wait...what is this? Oh, yes, Daddy like.

I pulled out the (against regulations) folding knife and flicked it open with the thumb assist burr. The blade was curved and without serration, and the handle was molded to fit comfortably in the fist.

While I had been taking inventory, I had moved into the corridor, and scanned left and right.

Right is the Locker Room. There may be some supplies there I can use. wasn't there a couple of clips in there?

I heard a shuffling sound from the left and tensed

"Gallum Galla Gilla Ma"

A Vort? Crap. I don't know if they're free yet or not, or even if they could speak english yet.

I shift my feet to shoulder width apart, and raised the knife. ready to defend myself.

With slow deliberate steps, I moved to the corner, my shoulder to the wall, and did a quick recon peek.

The vortigaunt stood hunched in the hallway, unmoving.

Dang! Too far away for a charge with the knife. Wait...

I peeked again.

Huh... The vort has his hands behind his head. A submissive pose used for surrender. And given what I know of how vorts fight, less threatening than raised open hands.

I bit my lip.

"Hey, you! Around the corner. Are you alive?"

I heard the gravelly voice of a vortigaunt.

"The Traveler is wise to confirm our status before revealing himself. This one is unharmed and offers the courtesy of parley."

Wow, civil discourse. Hopefully that means they are the helpful post-Nihilanth versions.

Again came the voice. "This one furthermore offer the knowledge that the Freeman has broken the domination of the Nihilanth."

Huh...

I stepped, almost a pound of my weight at a time, around the corner. The vort only raised his head.

"I'm taking a big risk here. I've seen your people be incredibly hostile. What do you want?"

I kept my knife in my hand, though at my side.

"From a distant place, the Traveler is come, and fights the same evil that we languished under. Rising, a greater evil is. It echoes through the Vortessence. Your home and our new home it threatens. We are to offer you knowledge and assistance to vanquish the attempts at domination."

Well, if they are sincere...That would be an incredible boon.

"What kind of assistance are you referring to?

"Nothing less than imparting the secrets of my kin, of the Vortessence, to the Traveler."

My time among the Vortigaunts was very productive, though it did feel like trying to drink from a fire hose at times.

Much of what they had to share was metaphysical, and dealt with their peculiar forms of thought.

Two of the most useful things I learned was an ability to perceive the rate of time that passed in other worlds. And how to trigger and control when and where I hop to.

Oh yes, didn't I tell you? The Vorts knew about my hopping. Apparently it wasn't too different from something they themselves could accomplish. The vort I had met in Black Mesa, who seemed to have no name of his own, had described how they could project themselves into other realms of thought.

I wonder if its like when they rescued/will rescue Alex and Freeman from the top of the Citadel tower?

I broke out of my musing,

"So you and your kin seriously don't bother with names among yourselves? I can't just keep referring to you as 'The Vort', it seems disrespectful."

"To have a name given by the Traveler would be grace indeed. What would you call me?" came the formal voice of my teacher.

"Hmm, lets see,"

He's been a great help, so something short that refers to that.

"How about Ezra?"

"The Traveler honors me with this name. I will now be known as Ezra." The alien xen-master said.

I turned my thoughts to the world I had just come from.

Really? Its only been a few seconds? I've been here for hours!

"Ezra? I don't know if I'm doing this right. Has it really only been seconds since I came here?"

"Truly. It has indeed only been perhaps one of your minutes at the most in your home since the Traveler has arrived in this realm."

Wow! That means...I can stay a long time.