Chapter Text
“Sleep.” Kaidan said kissing Rhylee’s forehead. “And if the bad dreams come back, I’ll fight them for you.”
With a muffled sob, Rhylee hid in the crook of Kaidan’s neck. Kissing the top of her head, Kaidan slowly rocked the pair of them back and forth until her delicate snores resonated against his chest. Closing his eyes, a single tear rolled silently down his cheek, as the weight of their situation took its toll in his mind. The Amokura was missing, The Orizaba and her crew, lost. Hannah gone and not no longer being part of their life. Kaidan shook his head, and snuffled into Rhylee’s hair. He fought his thoughts for an hour or so before he succumbed to his exhaustion and fell into a fitful sleep.
The blue light started flashing before the audible sound woke Kaidan from his sleep. He turned over and hit the intercom, “Yes?”
“Admiral... sorry to wake you. But we... we have an issue up here in the cockpit.” Joker said hesitantly.
“Joker? What’s wrong?” Kaidan asked, rubbing his face to wake himself up. “Joker... talk to me.” Kaidan could hear his pulse racing in his ears as the seconds ticked by. “We’ve encountered an issue, EDI is reluctant to...” Joker faded out as Kaidan pulled on his trousers, flicking on his omnitool Kaidan fell back onto the bed, just missing Rhylee as she turned over in her sleep. Unfazed she continued muttering to herself about stupid codes and runes. Kaidan frowned for a bit and then quietly left their quarters and jogged down to the cockpit.
“Do you want to explain why I’m up at 2:30 in the morning. Instead of in my bed.” He stared at Joker and EDI expectantly. “I’m waiting Joker and I’m getting too old for this. Why am I here?”
Joker shuffled awkwardly and nudged EDI. “Admiral, I’ve been looking into the phenomenon Javik mentioned, the Ala we encountered on Zanethu. I think he was right. From the data collected by the Major, I ran a simulation. It is a conduit, like the mass relays. But...” EDI hesitated.
“But what?” Kaidan asked keen for the answer. “But... I can not explain it, but time is not linear within it. It’s an Einstein-Rosen bridge. We can’t find the Amokura, because it’s not in this time any more.”
Kaidan stared at EDI for along while, his knowledge of quantum physics and his understanding of relativity did not get him through BAAT training. “I...” he frowned as he tried to comprehend the data. “But... you mean a wormhole. They’re theoretical EDI, and you can only go back in time. Not forward.”
“Yes Admiral, But this is a stable Space Time anomaly. Where they exited, I do not know.” EDI stood silently waiting a response. “So what you are saying, is all souls, all 3679 of them are lost.” EDI shook her head, “No, not quite. Lost to us, yes. Dead, no.” She responded.
Kaidan looked between EDI and Joker, who seemed as bewildered as he was. “So...” Kaidan rubbed his face again as he tried to resolve the facts. “The Amokura got caught in an ala. Which is in fact a Einstein-Rosen bridge and has been transported through time and space to who knows where.”
EDI looked at him and nodded. “Yes Admiral, that appears to be the best conclusion based on the data available.” Kaidan took in a deep breath and sighed. “But why call me, and wake me up with this at 2:30 in the morning?”
Joker shrugged and indicated EDI. She opened the HUD of footage from James’s head cam of Rhylee pointing at the ala. “Because Admiral of that!” She pointed at the display as a dark figure travelled across the screen apparently trailing Rhylee and rest the mission crew.
“What? The fuck! Is that?” Kaidan asked peering in closer for a more detailed look. “I don’t know Sir. There is nothing to reference it anywhere in any database. All I can confirm is that there is an entity there and it appears to be in full control of its actions.”