Words: 270k+
Link: https://m.fanfiction.net/s/12630818/1/Crysis-Effect-V2
(Jason Harlow lost his life in battle, but the young Marine wasn't expecting the afterlife that greeted him. Accepting an offer from an omnipotent being, he was thrown into a new world where a whole new fight was waiting. Armed with a powerful suit and an array of skills from his journey, he will set out to help stop a cycle of extinction that threatens all life itself.)
Chapter 1: Ad Magnitudinem Destinatus
A/N: How's it going out there in cyberspace?
If anyone read my latest update on my profile then they already know. But for those that didn't, I've been talking with DemonFireX for the last week and a half, which is why I've been off the grid for a little while, and he convinced me to take on another adoption.
That's right, he convinced me to rebirth his Crysis Effect Series. The primary reason being that neither he nor I wanted to see this story die, and he passed it down to me to bring it back to its former glory and beyond.
Granted I'll be making my own changes to it at various points, but most of the main plot will be the same. I'll also be throwing in several things of my own design to make it better than it was before and even fix any errors DFX made when he first started writing it.
I know that I already have a lot out there that I've been guilty of neglecting. But DFX was the reason I became a writer on this site, and I want to honor him by keeping one his best stories going. So, if you'll bare with me, I'll make sure that no one will forget reading this. So without further ado, here is DemonFireX's brainchild...WRAITH STYLE!
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Sgt. Jason Harlow
USMC Timberwolves,2nd Platoon - Bravo Team
Three Clicks North of Chaman, Pakistan - (Just Outside Afghanistan/Pakistan Boarder)
July 28th, 2017 - 18:06 hours
Gunfire and the smell of smoke filled the air, the two combined with the pain was making it hard to focus.
Sargeant Jason Harlow leaned heavily against the crumbling wall for cover as several rounds tore past. Leaning out of cover, he fired his M4A1 at the hostiles that had him and his squad pinned down. The rifle clicked empty making him curse as he dropped back down to reload.
Reaching for a spare magazine on his vest, the 25 year old Marine saw blood oozing out from under his flak vest and uniform near his stomach. A similar wound was also seen on his right thigh, but the pain of both injuries was numbed due to adrenaline and sheer will.
It was suppose to be a routine mission. Recon the sector outside Chaman close to the Afghan boarder where a lot of suspicious activity in the area for the last two months had been reported. With ISIS cells in the local area, the Brass had several squads stationed nearby to make sure nothing happened to the local civilian popuations.
The Sargeant's squad was on patrol when one of their hummers struck a hidden IED and exploded. The survivors lept out and took cover in a small abandoned town as a large group of men with assault rifles and small arms fire began shooting at them. The ten man squad was down to six with two others wounded and being treated. And the hostiles had them boxed into a small two story house close to the town's edge.
"Overlord! This is Bravo Team, where's our damn backup!" Jason shouted into his comm as he slammed a new clip into his rifle.
'The closest Blackhawk is currently enroute to your squad's current position. ETA 10 minutes.' replied Overlord.
"10 minutes guys! Keep 'em held off!" he shouted to his squad as he started shooting again.
One of the others dropped down next to him. "Sir, your wounded!" shouted Corporal Denning seeing the blood. "I know Corporal! How are the others?" asked the Sargeant as he managed to drop two hostiles before they could fire a shot at them.
"Stable, but we need to get them outta here for better treatment!" replied Denning as he fired a few shots.
Several shots rang out, "Fuck! Richardson's down!" shouted Private Evers as he checked the downed man's vitals. "Shit he's gone!" the Private said taking the man's tags before resuming his position.
"Fuck." Jason muttered as he took down another hostile.
'Bravo Team, this his Wingman 5-2. That you out there Harlow?' The Sargeant hit his comm, "It's me 5-2, how far away are you? We got casualties and wounded down here."
'3 minutes and closing Maverick. You guys got an open space for me to land?' Jason looked at their surroundings quickly, looking out the back window from the bottom floor.
"There's a large enough backyard behind our position, we'll pop smoke."
'Roger that.' said the pilot. Jason looked over to Evers who had dropped down to reload, "Evers! Go out back and pop a smoke so we can get outta here! We'll cover you!" he shouted. The Private nodded before taking off out the backdoor while the Sargeant and his team kept the hostiles from getting closer.
"We're gonna make it, aren't we sir?" asked Corporal Denning.
Jason looked at him, the guy was two years younger than him and had hopes for going far in his military career. One he intended to make sure continued. "Yeah, yeah we are Corporal. I'll make damn sure of it." he said sternly making the younger soldier nod before resuming the fight.
'Sir! The Blackhawks here!' shouted Evers over the comm.
"Good! Get back in here and help Denning move the wounded out back, I'll cover you!" replied Jason. Denning took the que and fell back to help the two other members of their squad move to the extraction point.
When they made it out back, the Sargeant slumped harder against the wall. The pain from his wounds and the bloodloss had started to take it's toll on him. But he refused to let it effect him infront of the others. He was the only high ranked official since everything started with their Leutenant having died in the IED explosion.
He needed to keep his men together, focused on surviving and getting back.
A round struck his cover forcing the soldier back into the situation at hand. Shaking his head, he leaned out and emptied the rest of his clip as he heard the sound of chopper blades outside, followed closely by the sound of a .50cal powering up before the building that the hostiles had taken refuge in started being ripped apart by the heavier slugs.
'Sargeant, get the lead out!' called Wingman.
Staggering to his feet, Jason began limping as quickly as possible toward the back where the Blackhawk was landing in the middle of the very large backyard. The chopper touching down and two other soldiers lept out to help the wounded inside.
Denning saw the Sargeant and ran over, slinging the his left arm across his shoulders as he helped him to the chopper. "You alright sir?" he asked as they reached the Blackhawk.
"I'll live, let's get the fuck outta here!" he said over the chopper's blades. Once everyone was loaded up, they started rising into the air to head back to base.
Denning took out the medical kit and started working on Jason's injuries. "Fuck...sir the wounds are pretty bad. We gotta get you back to base ASAP." he said putting pressure on the wounds and wrapping them in gauze.
Before Jason could speak Wingman shouted, "RPG!" from the cockpit. The Blackhawk pitched to the left hard dodging the high explosive as it streaked by.
The sudden movement of the chopper caused Denning to lose his footing and tumble toward the open hatch. Jason quickly lept to the side and grabbed the Corporal's hand before he could fall out into the open air.
The wound in his stomach flared painfully from the sudden movement making him grunt. "Gotcha!" he shouted through the pain as he helped the younger man back into the chopper allowing him to grab onto the benches inside.
Another RPG shot past forcing the Blackhawk to pitch to the side again. With nothing to grab onto, The Sargeant suddently slid out of the compartment and fell out. He was vaguely aware of the others screaming his name as he tumbled through open air. The pain from his wounds long forgotten as the ground quickly rose up to meet him.
X
Jason Harlow's life had been an easy going, yet adventurous one. His mother was a nurse at the local hospital in their hometown in North Carolina. His father, a retired Vietnam veteran, worked as a drill Sargeant at Fort Lejeune.
The military had been apart of Jason' life since before he could walk. And his dad had been proud when Jason had pitched the idea of joining the army once he was out of high school.
As a teenager, he had a huge like of video games, especially those that were war related. His mom thought it a little impractical, but his dad thought it was interesting. In his time off he would sit down with Jason and play a few. On some saturdays the two would go against each other, where Jason discovered that his dad was a quick learner and used his past combat experience in tactics to give his son a real fight.
Out of everything the young man played, he had become a fan of the Halo, and Mass Effect series'. The future based combat had made Jason wonder about what the military in the future could be capable of.
Other than school, friends and gaming. Jason's dad had begun training his son for when he got out of high school and joined up. Exercise regiments, CQC training, and being taken to the shooting range at the base twice a week. He'd been on the base so frequently that a lot of people knew him. And because of all the training his dad did with him, he was a lot bigger and stronger than a lot of people in his graduating class.
Then disaster struck.
Two weeks after Jason graduated from high school, his parents had been killed in a robbery gone wrong. Leaving the teen orphaned.
When the funeral service for his parents was over, Jason was approached by his father's CO who had asked him what his plans were. Looking up from his parents' headstone with a look the higher up had seen on his father's face many times he said, 'I told my dad I was joining up...I'm going to honor that, sir.'
Once everything was taken care of, Jason joined the Marines. He went through basic training getting high marks in marksmanship and close quarters combat. His skills in leadership had impressed his superiors and was on the fast track up the ranks.
He spent the last few years being deployed to various locations throughout the Middle East. Each time showing that he went above and beyond the call of duty. Not just for the mission, but for the people that were serving with him. In one incident, Jason ran out into an open battlefield and picked up a fellow soldier who had been wounded. Dodging bullets and explosions to get the man back behind cover and safety.
His actions caused many to respect him. His superiors were proud and saw much potential in the young man.
When not on duty, Jason had himself a small one bedroom apartment in his hometown where he could relax on his down time. It didn't have much, but he did have an Xbox 360 set up with the latest war-based games, of which he was still a fan of.
He had managed to beat Mass Effect 3 (of which he was really disappointed in the ending), Crysis 2 and 3, and Halo 4 before he was redeployed to the Middle East for the third time. Dispite everything, being a soldier was the only thing that Jason had in his life anymore..
The newly appointed Sargeant had been in Pakistan a whole two weeks before his last mission went wrong. And he was added to the list of KIAs, honored for his sacrifice to his men all the way to the end.
But many have wondered...is a great warrior truely dead? Or are they selected for a much higher purpose?
X
The first thing he noticed was that there was no pain. The second was that he was laying on a smooth warm surface. And the last...was the loud hum of some kind of machinery.
Jason cracked his eyes open slowly, blurred vision slowly coming into focus as he looked around his environment.
At first he had to blink a few times. He was in what looked like a room made entirely of metal with long beacons of light running through the walls, ceiling and floor. Sitting up, he looked more closely at the room, the humming sound he had been hearing was coming from all around him.
"What the hell..." he wondered as he slowly got to his feet. He was still wearing his uniform and vest, both damaged from combat, but his wounds were completely healed.
With his mind weighed down with confusion, Jason ran a hand over his clean shaved head as his cobalt-blue eyes locked on a door...or what looked like a door.
Checking his pockets and holster he found that all of his weapons and ammo were gone. Even his combat knife was missing. "Dammit." he muttered as he tredded slowly to the door.
The section of wall seemed to sense his approach and split apart on it's own, sliding into the rest of the wall to reveal a long hallway beyond.
Stepping out cautiously, Jason saw strange machinery lining the walls. Some blinking with light. Others went up and down on their own as though some invisible force was lifting them. "Why does all of this seem familiar?" he thought to himself as he slowly began to walk down the corridor. The humming of the machinery blocking the sounds of his footsteps.
He stopped a moment to look at a machine that had a large glowing blue crystal inside of it. "What is this place?" he asked outloud.
"All will be answered soon, young one."
Jason whipped around hearing the faint voice that seemed to echo through the long hallway and his mind at the same time. "What?..." he looked left and right but didn't see anyone.
"This way. And all will be explained." the voice echoed again, this time seeming to come from the end of the long corridor.
He felt hesitant for a few moments before his feet started to lead him toward where the voice was coming from. His mind in a slight fog as he walked all the way to the end where a second door slid apart. The room beyond was twice the size of the one he woke up in, but the center was divided by a large crevice that lead downward into pitch darkness.
Looking around, Jason saw a palm sized device hovering in the air at the edge of the drop. A glowing green button in the center of the device seemed to call to him. Reaching out, the soldier pressed it...
The device closed up before vanishing in a burst of light. When it faded, a bridge made of pure light connected the two sides of the room over the dark abyss below.
Shocked, Jason looked down before looking at the bridge. "Oooookay...this is starting to get really familiar." he muttered as he leaned out with his right foot and pressed experimentally down onto the light-bridge.
His combat boot met a solid surface. Pressing a little harder, he moved his other foot out onto the bridge just to be sure.
Once he was certain that the thing wasn't going to drop him into the darkness below. The Sargeant made his way across to another door on the other side. When he stood infront of it, the parted letting blinding light into the room making Jason cover his eyes.
When the light faded a little, he looked up and felt his breath hitch.
The doorway lead to a large balcony that overlooked a massive expance of open air. Crystal clear blue skies and white clouds were everywhere, but the thing that really got his attention where the large buildings that floated in the air beyond.
Each structure had several parts that shifted on their own accord giving the hint that the buildings themselves were alive in some way.
"...I'm dead...there isn't any other explanation...I died and this is where I'm gonna be for eternity." Jason said in complete awe.
"You have died, young one. But you are not completely gone from the land of the living." Jason's focus snapped to a bright light coming from the clouds above that descended to the balcony he was standing on. When the light reached the edge it faded to reveal a being the likes of which he had never seen before.
It was clearly female and stood at 7 feet easy wearing an elegant blue and white dress with an odd crown on her head. The only thing that made her really different dispite her height was her nose which looked more serpent-like, and her eyes which seemed to glow as she gazed at the shocked Sargeant.
She smiled at Jason, "Where one journey has ended, another has revealed itself to you. Jason Harlow."
That had snapped him out of his light trans. "How do you know my name? Who are you? And where the hell are we?" he asked not taking his eyes off the woman.
"I am a being that has seen many things, in this universe and several others. I go by many names, but the one you should be familiar with, is The Librarian." said the being.
Jason's brain came to a halt. He did know that name, heard it before, but believing it was something else entierly. "W-What? T-The Librarian? How is this possible?" he stuttered out while stumbling back a step.
How could it be possible. An all knowing entity that only existed in a video game was before him, speaking to him. Jason was questioning his sanity, if any of this was even real or some kind of limbo that exists between life and death.
The Librarian raised her hands gently sensing his distress, "Calm yourself child. I assure you that this is no illusion. I truely exist, as does many other things you are not aware of."
Once he got his breathing under control, he looked at the Forerunner in understanding. "So I really did die."
"I'm afraid so young one. But it was to be, just like the path that now opens itself to you." The Librarian nodded sadly.
Jason tilted his head confused, "You've mentioned that twice now. What are you talking about?"
"You are a part of something far greater than anything ever asked of any being in this universe or any other. A destiny that has been mapped out since before you were born." said omnipotent being.
"Destiny? What kind of destiny?" asked Jason. The Librarian waved her hand motioning to the sky behind her.
"Your universe is only one of millions. Each one very different than the last. That which you think is mere fiction in your world, is very much real in another. Which is why I am before you now."
She looked back down at the young Sargeant, "After my time in my universe, I have been watching several others for specific signs. Signs that proved my belief."
Jason mulled over her words when he remembered what she had said to the Master Chief in the fourth game, "You mean watching Humanity. You believed that we could inherit the mantle of responsibility that you and the other Forerunners left behind."
The Librarian smiled, "Indeed. You truely do have knowledge of the universe I came from. And it is that knowledge and experience that will prove invaluable for what lies ahead."
"What is that exactly? And what has all of this have to do with me? I'm no one special. Just a soldier who gave his life." said Jason.
"That is where you are wrong, Jason. This has everything to do with you." said The Librarian. "You already know that when the Halo Rings fired, and I ensured that when Humanity was repopulated that specific seeds were left behind to ensure that they would be ready for what was to come."
Jason nodded, "Yes. You told the Chief that he was the culmination of thousands of lifetimes of planning."
"Precisely. However, his ultimate creation wasn't the only one I took great interest in. There were two others. Each from different universes, each with a destiny that would greatly change the course of many worlds."
Soaking in the information. Jason began to understand what The Librarian was telling him. It wasn't just the Halo universe that she had made sure was ready for what would happen, she had a hand in two others. But what did that have to do...with...him...
His eyes widened with revelation. "...No...you mean...one of those people..."
The Librarian nodded slowly. "You now see the truth, Jason. Much like the Spartan, I saw something in the Humanity from your universe. I planted the seeds, and ensured that everything was ready when the time was right."
Jason felt anger well up within him, "You mean to tell me, that my whole life has been lead to this point? That everything was 'planned' to happen?"
"Your anger is misplaced. I merely prepared you on a genetic level. The events taken place in your life were the result of your own choices and the choices of others." explained The Librarian calmly. "The so called 'games' in your universe were also my doing. I simply made sure that the ideas for such simulations were with the right people at the proper time."
Taking a deep breath, Jason calmed down, "Alright, you say my 'creation' was planned. But for what purpose exactly? My world wasn't facing anything nearly as destructive as your universe was, as far as I knew."
"That may be so. But your universe is not in danger, unlike the other two. That is your purpose. To assist in the security of one of those universes, and to ensure the survival of those who face destruction." said The Librarian.
"And how do I do that exactly? I have no knowledge of the universes that you have been talking about." said Jason crossing his arms.
The Librarian smiled as she began to hover closer to the young man. "On the contrary, young one. You know this universe a lot more than you know. And they need a warrior such as yourself to see them through the dark times ahead of them."
Jason thought on the omnipotent beings words, weighing the information carefully for a few moments before he spoke. "If I don't decided to do this...what then?"
"You will be reunited with those you have lost in the past." replied the Librarian gently. "The decision is utterly yours to make if you decided to move onto the afterlife. I am merely showing you that there is more to your existence than you realized."
The soldier nodded taking some more time to think. On the one hand, he couldn't be happier to be with family and friends again. On the other, he could still live, and keep fighting the good fight for a whole nother cause.
'What would my folks say if they were here?' he wondered to himself, looking up at the Librarian who waited patiently when he managed to finally come to a decision. "I'll do it. I know my folks would want me to keep going, and if I'm helping people elsewhere, then I know they would back my choice.
The Librarian nodded, reaching out and resting a six fingered hand on his head, Jason's mind was suddently bombarded with images and memories that were not his own.
"In order for you to be ready to face the tasks ahead, you must acquire the tools to assist you. I will help you acquire those tools, Jason." said the Librarian as darkness began to creep up around his vision.
Through the darkness, he could hear the Librarian speaking again. "I have given you the first stepping stone in your journey young one. The rest is up to you, but be warned. Your mind, your body, your heart, and your skills as a warrior will be tested in more ways than you can fathom. You must overcome, thrive, and fight for what you believe. Or...all will be lost."
X
A bright light filled his vision and slowly swam back into focus. A spot light shined over the darkened area where Jason laid face down on the wet ground. The sound of water crashing against the shore behind him as he attempted to move.
Pain burned through him making his vision lose focus. The sound of gunfire erupted in the distance as someone approached, feet pressed the wet earth with each step as they drew closer.
Jason vaguely felt someone grabbing both his arms and start to drag him across the ground toward a small cluster of buildings not far away. The pain in his body that he thought was gone coming back and increasing with each passing second as he heard the one dragging him grunt with exertion.
He heard a door being kicked open before being dragged across a concrete floor. After a moment everything stopped. The one dragging him gently rolled him onto his back where the soldier looked at his bloody reflection in a red visor. "Vitals...dropping. Have to work...fast." said a strained, deep and grave voice.
Everything faded to black as Jason felt the unknown person removing his bloodied uniform.
X
Jason slowly awoke, feeling better than he had the last time he was concious. But something felt off.
Raising a hand to his face, the soldier saw a black and silver gauntlet instead of his bare hand. Sitting up quickly, Jason looked down at his body and saw that he was encased in a suit of armor that he knew all too well.
"T-The Nano suit?" he wondered reaching up to touch his face. The feeling of a smooth helmet that covered his whole head. "What is all this? How did I get here?" he wondered outloud as he slowly stood up.
It was then he remembered his conversation with the Librarian, and the last words she left him with. "In order for you to be ready to face the tasks ahead, you must aquire the tools to assist you. I will help you acquire those tools, Jason."Jason looked down at his hand again, fingers flexing into a fist. "The tools to assist me?"
Something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. A body in a skin tight white suit laying behind a stack of crates. Walking over, Jason looked down at the dead man on the floor. His face was cut horribly and covered in open sores, but what stood out the most was the bullet wound to the side of his head, a large puddle of blood having aleady formed around the man's head from the exit wound.
"Prophet..." Jason said recognizing the dead man immediately. "Voice Recognition. System coming online." said a deep, synthesized voice from within the helmet of the Nano Suit. The HUD of the visor flickered before showing his vitals, compass and energy levels for the suit. "Initializing Playback." a video screen appeared on the HUD revealing an alive, but extremely wounded, Prophet looking back at him.
"Something tells me that this is only the beginning." Jason thought as Prophet began speaking.
X Several Days Later X
Within the center of New York City, Central Park itself hung in the air by a series of massive cables that all connected to the massive alien spire that had shot from the ground minute's prior.
The once beautiful landmark now a hovering cluster of broken landmass ensnared by the Ceph machine that would soon activate and bring about the beginning of the end for humanity...but one man wasn't going to let that happen.
Jason worked his way through the unstable terrain, A K-Volt gun in each hand as he stepped over the bodies of fallen Ceph that he had put down himself. The last few days since he had awoken in this world were long and wrought with danger around every corner.
Fighting off not only an alien invasion, but also a corrupt military company that made it no secret what their agenda was. In seemingly no time at all, he had pretty much mastered the Nano suit and its many functions thanks to the AI SECOND that existed within it.
Now things were coming to a head. The US governemnt was planning on nuking the island of Manhatten in order to stop the Ceph. A tactic that would prove fatal for the whole planet if he didn't reach the spire and shut it down for good.
Moving slowly through the small maze of boulders and upturned earth, Jason found himself in a small open area surrounded by cliffs. And roughly 50 meters ahead of him was the entrance to the massive machine.
"Proximity Alert." SECOND warned just before Jason was struck in the chest hard as a Ceph Guardian appeared out of thin air and hissed at him.
Swinging his fist out in retaliation, the creature vanished again before it could hit. "Track that thing." he said searching for his target.
"Scanning..." he kept both weapons up as he waited for either the AI to find it, or for it to pop out again. "Enemy Located." the air several feet to his left suddenly started sending out glowing teal fragments that moved around slowly.
"Gotcha." he said firing both K-Volts full blast. The Guardian shreaked as the electro-rounds struck it, disabling it's cloaking and burning it's flesh until it collapsed dead on the ground.
"Multiple Proximity Alert." said SECOND as two more Guardians dropped down and came at him from both sides.
He emptied both clips into the one on his right before it got too close while pulling out his knife to engage the other. "Maximum Armor." The creature's claws racked across the hardened weave on his chest before he tackled it to the ground, forcing it's head up as he drove the blade up under the armor of it's helmet.
'Jason you've gotta move now! That nuke is only two minutes out before it can't be called back!' shouted Gould over the comm as several dropships appeared around the central spire and began unloading more Ceph into the area.
The nano soldier leapt up the small clifffaces and made a made dash toward the spire. Kicking a Ceph Trooper out of the way as he entered the structure. The glowing red insides and the nanites flying around him made visibility nearly impossible. But Jason pushed forward as he felt the small machines in the air begin to rip into the nano suit.
"Warning: Suit Integrity Compromised." he ignored the AI as he kept going.
Small tears began to form along the suit the more he moved, almost too fast for it to repair itself. "Maximum Armor." he activated armor mode to assist, but the energy meter dropped like a lead weight giving him only a few moments of relief. "Energy Depleated."
Jason fell to his hands and knees and began to crawl. Each step became harder than the last, his legs felt heavy and it was becoming harder to whole body burned as though someone was dumping acid on him.
But he kept going, people were counting on him...he couldn't fail. "Multiple Suit Malfunctions Detected. Life Support Systems Failing."
He grunted, getting back to his feet and stumbling onward. Thinking back to everything he had done since the Librarian brought him here, the people he saved, all the good he had done...and now it was all coming to an end.
"Suit Integrity Critical. Life Signs Critical." the now Post-Human stood at the edge of the walkway, looking down into the spire's central chamber where the nanites were at their strongest. He gave a weak chuckle as the suit continued to burn.
"Game...Over..." he rasped out before he leaned forward and fell from the ledge. The current of nanites caught him and he hovered in place. The nano suit started to glow as it began altering the microscopic machines, changing their function as well as their targets just as the spire activated.
A loud cry or agony ripped from his throat as the nanites around him began to glow white. There was a large flash...and everything vanished.
X
Outside, the Ceph Spire launched its payload. But instead of attacking the intended Human targets, the nanites attacked the Ceph.
All over New York the alien invaders collapsed, their organic parts liquidating within their armor and leaving nothing more than metal husks in their wake. Within minutes, every Ceph was dead leaving the Human's fighting them standing in shock and awe.
Moments after the nanites were fired, the spire shook violently as a series of explosions from within rattled it to its very foundation until it started to collapse. The large cables holding up the sections of Central park falling limp and sending the chunks of earth crashing back down, dust and debris blasting into the air and scattering through the ruined streets and buildings around the site and forming a haze that no one could see through.
When the dust finally settled, extraction teams would only find ruins and dead Ceph. But no sign of the nano suit or its wearer were recovered...
Both simply vanished.
A/N: Relatively the same, but like I said there will be some changes made, and not all of them will be so subtle.
I have yet to decide the direction I'm taking with certain parts of the story, for example if I should keep the nickname 'Maverick' even though I changed the OC's real name, or if I should keep it the same. But I can guarantee that this will be a FShep/OC story, that much I intend to keep for a variety of reasons.
Regardless, if you're an old fan of this story, let me know if anything stands out that you want me to look into. You all know where to find me.Till then, send me a couple reviews and I'll get back to you ASAP.