470…
…
The Shard, November 20th, 2211
...
Standing at the edge of the railing and staring at the city beneath me, I savored the sight as the sun began setting in the distance. Soon, it would slip beneath the mountains, turning the entire region into one large party as the night-long celebrations began, complete with a massive fireworks display across the whole city. Here on top of The Shard, there was already a party in full swing as everyone who could make it celebrated together. My mother always organized the yearly event, the Mjölnir Gathering, and it seemed to get bigger every time it was held.
I was more than privileged to get this view every year with my family and friends, and couldn't help but smile. One of my former "bosses" at UCN once tried to force me to do a news story on this exclusive party, but I quickly managed to turn the tables on him with my influence, forcing him to back off. In my line of work, I was very good at finding dirt on people, especially those who have their own skeletons in their closet and those who'd go out of their way to disrupt my family's privacy.
"I never expected to be all the way up here. This is one heck of a view." My boyfriend Liam Harper remarked, walking over next to me with two glasses of champagne. "By the way, I forgot to mention you look dazzling in that dress."
"You didn't forget to mention the dress, you forgot that you had already complimented me." I playfully corrected, smiling as he did the same.
I was wearing a variation of a black kimono dress with gold accents, designed by renowned Quarian designer Iyana'Zaar vas Tarrez. I had gotten it as a gift last year, but haven't had a good opportunity to wear it until now. Liam was dressed in something a bit more reserved, a three-piece retro-style casual suit. He was reasonably built, and it helped bring out those features in him.
"Well in that case, I'd like to doubly compliment you on your doubly dazzling dress." He joked, holding out one of the glasses for me. "Perhaps you'd like two glasses? Turn this doubly into a trifecta?"
"No, one is fine. Thanks." I replied with a smirk, struggling to stifle my own laughter as I accepted it.
"I still can't believe the caliber of guests that are here. Is that Captain Clarke over there?" He asked as he pointed to Captain Dixon Clarke and his wife, chatting with the retired Admiral Ysin'Mal by one of the party platters.
"Yep, that's "Hunter" and his wife, Morgan." I confirmed, smiling before taking a deep sip from the glass. "I think this is their first time attending one of these parties."
"And over there… Rear Admiral Lenlo'Firma?" He continued to name, managing to amuse me as I looked over at him and his own wife, sampling a tray of dextro-amino meats.
"Yep." I nodded, turning back around to look at the city below. "Looks like my book got a few people talking to each other again, even after all these years."
"That's impressive, I must admit." He complimented, turning around to face the city alongside me.
They weren't the only ones here, of course. Auntie Lydia and her husband Powell were here with their newest Human "platforms", almost completely indistinguishable from the "organics" around us at this point. She looked like she was perpetually 22 years old, while he looked older at 28 years old. The only things that outwardly betrayed their artificial nature were their glowing eyes and the trace lines along parts of their "skin". The two of them had founded the Nemo Institute on Haestrom, where their main focus is the safe growth and development of artificial intelligence. They've both remained strong advocates of A.I. rights, and have worked tirelessly to "bridge and shrink" the gap between the technological and biological ends of the spectrum, with the ultimate aim of eventually "birthing" their own artificial child, who would be a complete fusion of both worlds. It was wild stuff, and some considered it highly controversial, mainly certain parties outside of Confederation space.
Dr. Karpyshyn and his wife, Mineko, were also here on the sidelines. The two of them were modestly dressed, and it was easy to tell neither one of them really wanted to be here, only coming out of obligation. After the War, Richard used his newly-acquired CMO position at the company to quickly test and mass-produce many of the immuno-boosting implants and prosthetics developed during his years working in the Migrant Fleet, while Mineko's advanced research into gene therapy and cybernetics were also incorporated. Since then, said developments have become one of the company's cornerstones, providing the Quarians with easy access to hardened immune systems and all races with the most advanced artificial prosthetics ever developed. The two of them have had a single child recently, and it was often rumored that the pair were heavily involved with the Confederation's "non-existent" ORION Program.
Much to everyone's surprise, Dr. Sira Winters and her husband Gregory Buckell were here as well, both having been very reclusive during their time spent on Turviss. After the War, Sira had left for six years to live on Thessia and study the history of her people, briefly returning to Reach and working as a Project Lead at Mjölnir for two years before once again leaving to pursue her own personal interests. Moving to Turviss to study their refinement and use of eezo, she once again encountered Gregory Buckell, now the Alliance ambassador to the Raloi people, and entered into a relationship with him. Since then, the two had married and conceived three children. It was a strange pairing, but they seemed to be very happy, and I couldn't deny how nice it was to see a relationship like that.
As for the others, Uncle Nemo was sitting back in a chair, enjoying some quiet time to himself. He was the company CTO, leading his own hand-picked team separate from the other Project Leads. He was still somewhat reclusive, but I got along with him pretty well given his relationship with my father. He was still a bachelor. Auntie Kira and Uncle Dimi were here as well, both of them still the center of attention no matter how hard they tried to blend into the background. Both still acted as liaisons between the company and the Confederation military, mainly working from the Century Test Facility. Dr. Johnathan Sadler was also here, also still single after all these years. He was one of the top Project Leads at the company, and had apparently made quite a name for himself with some of the talent he's recruited into the company these past few years.
Liam and I silently watched the glimmer of the city below for another minute, sipping on our champagne before he turned back to me with a curious look on his face.
"So, where's your Dad been this whole time? I kinda thought he'd be here for an occasion like this." He asked, giving me a raised eyebrow as he leaned against the railing.
"Oh, my father's probably getting close to the end of his yearly marathon." I answered dismissively, drinking down more champagne. "He'll be here long before the fireworks go off."
"I'm sorry, marathon of what?" He inquired, his interest clearly piqued.
"My father's yearly tradition is to watch the entirety of Band of Brothers in the theater. It's not really my thing, but he, my brother Gary, and a handful of the company guys do it every November 20th." I explained in more detail, turning to face him. "Wanna see it?"
"Uh… sure." He immediately perked up, standing straighter. "Not much else to do, considering I don't really know anyone here."
"Follow me." I nodded, walking through the middle of the party back into the central part of the roof.
It was a short walk down a short flight of steps to reach the "company theater", a smaller scaled-down version of something you'd find below in the city where the top company guys watched things for the movie nights they organized. Every November 20th my father took it over with my brother to watch Band of Brothers, an old TV miniseries about an airborne unit in World War Two that held quite a bit of sentimental value to him. He had watched it many times with his own father years ago, and it was one of the few things capable of making my father… emotional. It was a rare thing to see.
Band of Brothers, the movie Contact from 1997, and Clair de Lune L. 32 were the only things I knew of that made my stone-faced father emotional. Well, that and when Gary and I graduated from college.
Walking through the red-bathed antichamber into the theater, I looked up to see it was in the last few minutes of the final episode where the German General is giving his last speech to his men. As Liam stared up at the screen to watch, I spotted Gary and my father sitting next to each other, both of their eyes glued to the screen. As the scene shifted from Winters and Nixon reminiscing next to the lake and to the baseball game, I watched silently as tears built up in my father's eyes, finally flowing down his face as the real Richard Winters finally spoke about the letter he had gotten, and how he hadn't been a hero in the war, but had "served with a company of heroes."
That man had died almost exactly 200 years ago.
As the screen went black and faded to credits, Gary gave our father a big hug, both of them sitting there for a moment as the rest of the theater shuffled out.
As I dedicated the moment to memory, I pondered how much of this was simple nostalgia, or if he related to it because of his own experiences in the Reaper War. It was hard to tell after so many years, but I always found the question far more interesting than any potential answer he might have for me. Everyone involved with my father had been quite humble regarding their experiences, with the exception of Auntie Lydia and her perfect recollection of certain events.
Then again, she's added many flourishes to the stories she's told me. She claimed to have taken down a Reaper "Banshee" with nothing but a knife during my father's operation on Imaneya, but I refused to believe anyone was insane enough for something like that, even her.
"Hey, it's these two again." My father pointed out, getting me to snap out of my trance. He immediately focused on Liam, narrowing his eyes as Gary smirked. "You, boyfriend! Are you still treating my daughter well?"
"Yes'sir." He immediately replied, going rigid as my Dad allowed the silence to hang in the air for a moment. After waiting an uncomfortable amount of time, he laughed, giving Liam a good pat on the back.
"Good man." He joked, turning back to me. "I'm surprised to see you down here, hon. I thought you didn't like our marathons."
"I just figured I'd check up on you. The party is about to reach its peak, and you know how Mom gets when you're late for something." I deflected, knowing the harmonics of my mom's "annoyed" voice and not wanting to hear it.
"Don't worry, I'll head up now." He agreed, turning back to Liam. "Come with me, son. There's something I want to ask you in private."
"Uh, yes'sir." He nervously agreed, following my dad out of the theater and leaving just me and my brother Gary.
Gary had inherited my father's formerly brown hair, which was neatly slicked back on his head for the occasion. He could often be a bit too goofy and vulgar for my tastes and it was easy for him to get into trouble, but I'd done my best over the years to keep him out of harm's way.
"Hey sis." He greeted with his usual, toothy smirk, crossing his arms. "How's that whole journalism thing workin' out?"
"You tell me… who's the one that traveled to Earth to receive a Pulitzer for their book?" I slowly replied, getting him to narrow his eyes even as he maintained his smirk.
"I didn't ask about the book, I asked about journalism." He immediately deflected, knowing exactly how to push my buttons. "Man, with all that digging you've been doing on that Hevkas story, I still can't tell if it's mud or the result of brown-nosing."
"God, you're such a dick." I exclaimed, putting my hands on my hips.
"See, there's that wit we've been missing around here!" He "cheered", holding both his fists up into the air as I narrowed my eyes. "Oh come on, lighten up. It's just a joke."
"Yeah yeah, whatever." I shook my head, crossing my arms as I leaned back against the wall. "How's things been inside the company? Are you still working with dad or did he finally cut you loose?"
"Oh no, I've got my own team and everything now, and we've already pulled off a massive breakthrough recently." He gushed, allowing himself to look excited as he leaned in closer. "My team's managed to finally reverse-engineer those elusive Reaper biopolymers. We've produced our own "variant" of the material using synthetic plant fibers we've grown in our lab."
"So what, you guys are melting plants instead of people?" I said, feigning disinterest as I cocked one of my eyebrows. "Are you guys building an environmentally-friendly Reaper?"
"I know you're joking, and because you're my sister I'll pretend not to be insulted." He paused, putting on an expression similar to the one I had shot him earlier. "Seriously though, it's quite an interesting material. One of our newest hires, Dr. Virid, developed a way to grow the material in strands, allowing us to produce cables that may be strong enough to construct an actual, honest-to-God space elevator."
"I'm surprised there'd be any point to having something like a space elevator these days, with all these ships and spaceports everywhere." I remarked, crossing my arms as I pondered the idea.
"While that may be true, you still have to take into account the fuel and engine power needed to descend and ascend through a planet's atmosphere, especially when ferrying supplies and materials." He went on, opening his omni-tool to show me a schematic of such a proposed elevator. "If we manage to start building these in conjunction with ground-based mass transport, it'll make building cities and shipping out raw materials as easy as breathing."
"And I suppose Mjölnir will capitalize on this to the fullest extent possible, becoming the operators of these elevators." I remarked, letting my pessimistic side briefly take over.
"At first, but ideally cities would already exist near or be built around these elevators. Once they've been established, control of the elevator itself would be given over to that municipality." He said, turning off his omni-tool and slipping his hands back into his pockets. "I imagine the Confederation would quickly designate them as protected installations, so any long-term private operation would be off-the-table anyways."
"I suppose you, Mom, and Dad make enough off the remote mining operations and military contracts that money isn't an issue anymore at that point." I joked, crossing my arms again. "Money, money, money."
"It's never been about the money, you know that." He lightly chastised, clearly not picking up on my joking demeanor.
"I know it isn't, I just like to see you squirm sometimes." I finally revealed, letting out a big smile. "Come on, you really think I'm going to turn into some kind of bleeding-heart communist?"
"No, but I still have trouble telling when you're being serious or not." He shook his head, sounding unimpressed.
"Honestly though, I do have to admit it sounds quite interesting." I remarked, letting my slightly more nerdy side take over. "Just think, with all the materials you'd be able to move in bulk to space, you'd be able to build something like a real O'Neill cylinder."
"Wow, now that's an idea…" He mused, rubbing his chin in thought much like my father. "Soil, water and plant life would be trivial to transport, but I'm not sure how practical the need for centrifugal gravity would be… wait, that would actually be more energy efficient…"
"Come on, Gary. Party now, brainstorming later." I interrupted, pulling him by his sleeve out of the theater.
"Oh, you're right." He nodded, following me without protest.
Back on the roof, the party had gone silent as everyone gathered around to listen to my father give his yearly speech with mom by his side. Not even the wind made a noise as he pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and cleared his throat.
"Thank you all for being here this evening. I can't express how happy it makes me, being able to celebrate occasions like this surrounded by my friends and family." He began, narrowing his eyes on the paper briefly. "Today marks 26 years since this Confederation was founded, one I hope will outlast all of us. Yes, even you Cheanyya."
He smiled and pointed at Cheanyya Dilis, the Asari who ran our PR department.
"I'll be happy to spend my twilight years here, Dr. Michaels." She smirked, raising her martini glass with her other arm crossed.
"That's good to hear." He nodded, looking back to his speech and pausing for a moment before rolling it up into a ball. "Honestly, I always find myself at a loss for words on days like today. It has been the greatest privilege and honor to see… this, all of this, grow over the years after surviving so much. To see the Confederation and this company go from nothing to what it is today… I wake up some days and it still feels like a dream."
He paused again, staring into space for a moment before turning back to mom and putting his arm around her waist.
"Anyway, that's enough out of me. You all didn't come here to listen to me prattle on, you came here to party!" He said with a weak smile, sounding like he was on the verge of becoming emotional before switching gears to a more energetic, positive tone.. "Please, everyone, enjoy yourselves!"
As my mother and father walked off towards the catering tables, Liam walked back over to me with a confused look on his face.
"Is that… normal?" He questioned in a lowered voice, leaning in towards me as the party music began playing in full.
"Oh, my father's speech? More or less." I shrugged, leaning against him slightly as I allowed myself to relax. "It changes a bit every year, and even though he writes a speech he always ends up improvising anyway."
I then looked back up at him, making eye contact with a cocked eyebrow.
"What did he have to say to you, anyways?" I asked, knowing how my father could be.
"He told me he was actually starting to like me." He answered, getting a genuine, shocked reaction out of me. "Yeah, my reaction was about the same."
"You're pulling my leg." I shook my head, not believing the words coming out of his mouth.
"No, I'm not. He says we're a good match, and hopes we're going to announce our engagement soon." He explained, taking a deep sigh. "He also says your mother is looking forward to having grandchildren."
"Jesus, my mother and her usual subtlety." I exclaimed, crossing my arms with a smile as I stared off into the party, not focusing on anything in particular. "I guess I can't blame them, though. I am getting pretty close to my thirties."
"I know we batted around the idea, but the decision is ultimately up to you." Liam remarked, leaning his head against my own. "Besides, I'm not gonna risk pissing off the most powerful family in the city."
"Please, if my father was really serious with you earlier, you're as good as gold." I smirked, pushing myself up on my toes and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "You're kind, patient, funny, and most of all, dependable."
"Dependable, huh?" He repeated, looking at me with a facetious expression. "Well, I guess I can live with that. Either way, I have a small surprise planned for you later."
I gave him a single raised eyebrow, wondering what that meant before deciding to keep my thoughts to myself.
I smiled as "Tales From The Vienna Woods" by Johann Strauss began playing over the loudspeakers, several couples quickly moving to the dance floor, my parents in particular. Though most did a few basic dances that mostly involved shuffling with their partner, my parents were doing the waltz.
"Heh, there they go again." I said, walking up the stairs with Liam to the balcony overlooking the dance floor.
"They've practiced this a lot, haven't they?" He asked, narrowing his eyes slightly as we leaned against the railing.
"You have no idea." I shook my head, knowing what was coming soon. "They learned to dance with each other just for occasions such as this."
"People typically dance at parties, yes." He deadpanned, maintaining a straight face for only three seconds before a smile overtook it. I couldn't help but laugh.
Before anything else could be said, the atmosphere of the party suddenly shifted as "the music" began playing. "The music" in question was "After Dark" by Tito & Tarantula. Every year my parents did a solo dance to it in front of everybody, much to their enjoyment, the crowd's approval, and my eternal embarrassment.
The fact that they practiced this dance routine each year before the party just to show off didn't make it any better. It was essentially foreplay to them, which left me and my nearby siblings appropriately grossed out.
Instead of the waltz they had been doing before, they transitioned to a routine they had devised, one that was slow, touchy, and involved a lot of shoulder and hip movement. None of it was explicitly sexual, but I knew both of them well enough to know what was really going through their heads.
As I looked away with my usual embarrassment, Liam watched them with curious eyes much like everyone else in attendance. As my father picked my mother up by the waist and held her above him around the midway point of the song, several people cheered and whistled them on.
"Christ, kill me now." I exclaimed, pinching my nose as I felt my stress levels rising.
"They're pretty good." Liam nodded, sounding impressed as I rolled my eyes. "It's unconventional, sure, but nothing to get upset over."
"You have no idea what's going to happen when they go home tonight." I groaned, several bad memories flooding back from my subconscious.
"You should just be happy they love each other so much." He argued, crossing his arms. "My parents divorced when I was three years old, so seeing a genuinely happy couple like your mom and dad makes me happy in turn. It's quite wholesome."
"It's anything but wholesome." I shot back, sighing deeply as the song began to reach its end. "Still, you might have a good point."
As Tito & Tarantula finished off, the crowd erupted into applause as mom and dad bowed, both now covered in a noticeable layer of sweat. As they raised their heads back up, they pulled each other in for a long kiss, resulting in more cheering and even whistles.
"Mom and Pop sure know how to be embarrassing." Gary spoke as he walked up behind us with a strong drink in his hand, an amused look on his face. "Isn't that right, sis?"
"Oh, screw off." I said with as much venom as I could muster without being too mean.
"Heh, I know that's exactly what they'll be doing later back at home." He pushed again, his smile turning into a grin as he turned back to Liam. "You'll have to forgive my sister and her… stressed temperament. She hasn't been quite right since she accidentally walked in on mom and dad doing it back in her elementary years."
"Drop dead, Gary." I seethed, clenching my fists tightly as I resisted the urge to punch him in front of all these people.
"Were they conceiving Anne or Mark at the time?" He pushed a final time with a chuckle, pulling himself back as I reeled my hand back and prepared to sock him.
"Whoa whoa whoa, I think that's enough!" Liam quickly interrupted, grabbing me by my shoulders while glaring back at my brother. "Come on, man. Why don't you make yourself scarce for a while?"
"Fine, fine. I'll leave you two lovebirds to your own devices." He sighed, managing to sneak one more jab in as he walked off, downing another large gulp of his drink.
"He's certainly a character." Liam shook his head, still holding me by the shoulders as I felt a slight sense of warmth build up in my face. "You gonna be alright?"
"Huh? Uh… yeah." I stammered, realizing how strong but gentle Liam's touch was. It wasn't the first time he had laid his hands on me, but in that brief moment I had actually zoned out, forgetting my anger at Gary and focusing entirely on Liam instead. "Don't worry about me, big guy. I'm cooled off now."
He cocked one of his eyebrows up, noticing my sudden loss of composure as he smiled. Before he could say anything else, the beginning of another song began playing that I, surprisingly, didn't recognize.
"Ah, it's starting! Come on!" He suddenly urged, pulling me towards the dance floor. "I got the DJ to put on "In The Waiting Line" by Zero 7!"
"What?! Oh, no no no!" I tried to deny, but it was too late. Before I knew it, we were already in the middle of the crowd, the song picking up in volume and intensity as a woman's voice could be heard singing. Despite my protests, Liam grabbed both of my hands as we began dancing to the song.
"Just follow my lead." He urged as people began to give us some space. We went into a slower dance as I began listening to the lyrics, doing my best to match his movements and not step on his toes.
"Wait in line…
'Till your time…
Ticking clock…
Everyone stop…
Everyone's saying different things to me…
Different things to me…
Everyone's saying different things to me…
Different things to me…"
As we danced, everyone stopped to watch us, the music giving the atmosphere a calm, almost retrospective feeling. Despite my initial anger, the song's slower pace allowed me to move in sync with Liam, allowing me to focus on his eyes. He allowed himself to smirk as I realized we were the only ones dancing.
"You do realize I'll have to destroy you for this, right?" I said in a softer voice, getting him to chuckle.
"You do realize you're actually pretty good at this, right?" He repeated back at me, forcing me to let out a small huff of amusement. He actually knew me well enough to tell the difference between my fake and actual anger.
"Whoa…
Do you believe…
In what you see…
There doesn't seem to be anybody else who agrees with me…
Do you believe…
In what you see…
Motionless wheel…
Nothing is real…
Wasting my time…
In the waiting line…
Do you believe in…
What you see…
Nine to five…
Living lies…
Everyday…
Stealing time…
Everyone's taking everything they can…
Everything they can…
Everyone's taking everything they can…
Everything they can…"
"You're lucky you're so cute, you bastard." I exclaimed, allowing myself to rest my head on his chest as we moved in closer to one another. I genuinely felt safe being here with him.
I couldn't deny the fact that I was actually starting to like this. I was no stranger to being the center of attention like this, but I still couldn't deny the small sense of embarrassment I felt being seen dancing like this in front of everyone with my boyfriend.
"Whoa…
Do you believe…
In what you feel…
It doesn't seem to be anybody else who agrees with me…
Do you believe…
In what you see…
Motionless wheel…
Nothing is real…
Wasting my time…
In the waiting line…
Do you believe…
In what you see…
Ah and I'll shout and I'll scream…
But I'd rather not have seen…
And I'll hide away for another day…
Do you believe…
In what you see…
Motionless wheel…
Nothing is real…
Wasting my time…
In the waiting line…
Do you believe…
In what you see…
Everyone's saying different things to me…
Different things to me…
Different things to me…
Different things to me…
Different things to me…
Everyone's taking everything they can…
Everything they can…"
As the song faded out and we stepped slightly away from one another, everyone began cheering for us the same way they'd cheered for my mother and father. I took a deep breath, keeping my eyes locked with his as my brother could be heard blowing a wolf whistle.
"PHWWWWWHHHT-PHWOOOOOOH! Go get'em sis!" He shouted as he stood next to my father, who simply shook his head and gave Gary a light smack on the back of the head. I couldn't help but laugh as the clock hit 8:00 PM, the fireworks show kicking off all around the city.
It was like something out of a romance novel as we stood there together, watching those colorful explosions go off all around The Shard. The atmosphere was like electricity, coursing through all of us as I leaned into Liam, giving him a deep kiss.
"I admit, you sure do know how to surprise a girl." I complemented, feeling that familiar sense of warmth flow through me. "Maybe my mother and father are onto something after all with their little dancing routine…"
"Is that an invitation?" He said with a dirty look on his face, looking quite pleased with himself.
"It might be." I said as seductively as I could, leaning in for another kiss.
After the party had concluded, Liam and I went back to my apartment, spending the whole night exploring each other to the fullest possible extent. Never in my life had I experienced such passion from another person, and it was then I knew I was going to spend the rest of my life with him. The next day, we officially announced we were engaged, getting married two months later on the very same rooftop in a traditional ceremony. That wonderful, faithful November night would prove to be the beginning of the next stage of my life as I gave birth to my own healthy baby son, Anthony Harper, nine months later. It had been a painful, but rewarding experience as we finally got to cradle our own newborn son in our arms, much like my mother and father had done with me when I was born.
Giving birth to my own child, I finally understood why my parents had fawned over me in my own youth. A good parent instinctively seeks to protect and enrich the lives of their children, and my mother and father had readily done that with me. They happily accepted their new roles as grandparents without a hint of hesitation, filling me and Liam with a newfound sense of collective pride. Finally, it seemed, all had come full-circle.
Even as the years ahead brought their own little hardships, nothing would ever distract us from our love for one another, but most importantly of all, our love of our son. If there was a meaning to this existence we call life, something worth fighting for, I had found it with Liam and Anthony.
…
A/N: I know I've said it before, but this really is the last time I'll update this story, I promise. I always felt like things ended on a note that was slightly dire, serious, and a little too open-ended with the epilogue, and I wanted to definitively end things on a final, happy note.
I encourage all of you to check out Chuck & Naash: Far From Any Road, which I consider a nice little short story that helps expand on the post-war world of Murphy's Law, and was just plain fun to write.
Once again, I'm thankful to all of you who followed me and my story. I think I'll be taking a long break from writing to work on other side projects, but I'll always be thankful to every single one of you for supporting me all the years it took me to finish this behemoth of a fanfic. I deeply appreciate every single one of you. This is TacoWrath, signing off.