Post by River Havens on Jan 1, 2015 19:54:55 GMT -6
The subtle rumbling of the transport ship coming into the docking bay was what woke her up at first. But it was the kick to her ankles that really got her attention. Lowering the music playing in her headset, River opened her eyes to see a rather grumpy looking batarian staring down at her.
"We're here. Get out."
"Well, good morning to you too sunshine. You start the coffee?"
"I'm not in the mood for jokes human. Get your stuff and get off the ship."
River stretched, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "Where are we?"
"Where do you think?" said the batarian. "Omega. Now are you going to get off my fucking ship or do I need to make you?"
River saw him reaching for his sidearm, a measly Predator that looked like it couldn't fire worth a damn. She could easily disarm him and take the weapon about in front of him just to save him the embarrassment of trying to use it. Or she could just as easily show him the Predator she had stashed in her backpack. Or if she felt like it, River could just have used her biotics and reduce him to a messy little stain on the wall for the crew to clean up. But, she was hungry, tired and in desperate need of a shower. Reaching into her jacket pocket, she took out a tiny bag and handed it to the batarian. "Thanks for the ride."
"What the hell is this?"
"Happy hour, for later."
Before the batarian could ask anything else, River departed, leaving out the hanger doors just as the cargo was being unloaded. A simple tactic she learned from living on Omega. Bribe someone with just a hint of red sand and you can pretty much get anywhere. The batarian was nice enough to let her on the ship without the knowledge of his boss. It was almost a shame that she had to trick him with just a bag of red glitter. Surprising though; most people can deal the difference just on sight alone. Either the poor bastard never tried the stuff, or all four of his eyes were going bad. Either way, her lie got her to Omega.
With her pack slung over her shoulder and her music playing in her headset (a dark jazzy sound one would only hear in hole-in-the-wall coffee shops), River made her way to the elevator that would take her to the residential levels. She ignored the glances from the dock workers, mostly volus foremen shouting orders to their workers. Once on the elevator, she started thinking about her next move. Getting to Omega was the easy part. She had been ship-hopping for the better of four days, bribing whomever she could who would let her on the ship. River could just as easily could've gotten here on her own with her cruiser, but that was out of the question.
"I wonder if Dad is okay..." she thought to herself just as the elevator came to the stop. "Idiot, of course he isn't. You left without telling him anything." River had no intention of hurting her father when she first deciding to leave home. She understood that Corwin only had her best interest in mind by asking her to stay. He was protective, and he didn't want to see a repeat of what happened before with that Drell bitch. Although River wouldn't mind getting a rematch, that wasn't the reason on why she left. No, it was something more personal and more...intimate.
Walking the streets of Omega had a hint of nostalgia to her. It was all still the same; same foul recycled air and same dregs of society she ran into when she was a little girl, living in the tunnel system like a rat. Nothing changed. Aria was still Queen of the Rock. River doubted that would ever change. Taking a moment to take it all in, River wondered what would've happened to her if she had never found her father. She probably would've never left Omega, probably end up either Aria's ranks or some merc group just to survive. River would've never thought she'd come back here, but it was the best place to start for answers.
Weeks before leaving home, she approached her father on something she had always wondered about. The origins of her birth had never been a secret to her. Corwin had once explained to her the details on how she was conceived as best he could. She knew that she was a product of Cerberus, that the group had stolen his genetic information and created her for some kind of experiment involving biotic child soldiers. Cerberus had tried to cover up the project by destroying the evidence and she was the only survivor. Corwin was her father, but what she didn't know (and wanted to know) was who was her mother. In what information Corwin could provide her, no mother was ever listed or mentioned. It had been a nagging question that for years River had wanted answered.
She was under no illusion that should she ever find her mother, the woman would want anything to do with her. If she was even still alive, that is. Also, she loved her father greatly. The last thing River wanted was to make it sound as though she wanted her mother more than him. She doubted that she could ever love someone whom she never met the same way she loved her father. Still, there was the ever present nagging question that seemed to constantly plague her that she needed to have answered. If just for her own satisfaction.
Which was way she was on Omega. She had done some digging, extensive digging in fact, and found someone who might have some information to get her started. It was a long shot, and quite possibly a trap, but after so long and so many questions, she needed to risk it if just to have some peace of mind.