"Kevin! Where'd you go, man?"

"Kevin! Wait up!"

I heard my friends call from further down the trail. Adjusting the straps on my backpack, I turned back to head back down.

City-slickers, I thought. We'll never get to the falls at this rate.

The trail curved back sharply to right. As I came around the corner, I saw my beleaguered companions collapsed wearily on the sides of the trail. They were panting hard, and drinking from their various canteens and water bottles.

"Come on, you guys! We've only got a quarter mile to go!" I told them as I came up to the group.

"And how do you know that?" John (the most rotund of the group) asked in an exasperated tone of voice.

"Well, John," I replied, "Because I took basic orientation in Scouts, and I can read a topographical map to determine our exact location. And also…" I raised my arm to point at a wooden sign attached to a tree about five feet from the group.

Cavern Overlook: .25 miles

"…I can read."

A groan went up from the group, with a few chuckles mixed in.

"Now come on," I said with a smile. "Let's get up there while we've got daylight! Unless there be some here who just love setting up tents in the dark."

"Look!" Max pointed towards the horizon. We all paused to follow his gaze.

"Wow…"

DARK clouds were rolling in. Fast. The low rumble of distant thunder reached our ears, along with the first cool gust of wind.

Right, no time to lose.

"Storm coming, guys! Get up, get up! We've got to get the cave! NOW!"

I ran from one friend to another adjusting straps, helping them to their feet. With the added motivation of potentially being caught in a driving rainstorm, we set off up the trail at an invigorated jog.

"JAMES! I…thought…the weather… was supposed…to be clear!" John was complaining between pants.

"It WAS! The weather radar doesn't show any of this!" James said, looking at his iPhone app, as we were jogging.

"That's technology for ya!" I yelled over my shoulder, out-pacing my companions. "Come on, you guys, it's just up around the corner!"

I came around the bend, and saw the picnic tables set up in the clearing. Beyond that I could just make out the cave entrance. It was huge; plenty of room for all of us to take shelter from this freak storm. I waved my friends on, shouting encouragement as my friends slowly came into view.

As they made their way to the cave, I walked to the overlook. The wind was billowing around me, now, and the sky was getting darker and darker. But I could still see the whole valley laid out before me. It looked like a green and orange ocean, with the tops of the trees far below blowing in the wind, reminiscent of waves against the shore. I loved storms. I loved the thunder and the rain. Nature's raw power, in concrete form. I imagined Olympian duels above the clouds causing all of this weather for us mortals.

My imagination was interrupted by the first few raindrops trickling down, hitting my face with that stinging feeling that really hard rain delivers. I turned to join my friends in the cave, when something caught my eye.

A pillar had been erected beside the overlook, and it appeared to be glowing.

That's cool, they've added lighting to the dedication…or whatever this is, I thought, and I moved to investigate.

The closer I got, the more it didn't look like any memorial or dedication pillar I had ever seen. First off, it was really tall. And secondly, the green light ran up the whole side, with a weird script I had never seen before fading in and out along the base and sides.

Wtf?

And then suddenly it hit me. I HAD seen script like this. EXACTLY like this.

This was a Prothean beacon from Mass Effect!

Oh MAN! That is so COOL! Don't know exactly WHY someone would pay to build one of these in a National Park, but I don't really care! That is AWESOME!

I had played Mass Effect dozens of times (earning the occasional joshing from my friends) but I loved it. Yeah, ME3's ending was rubbish, but the gameplay was why I kept coming back. The customization, the personalization of the squad, the conversations, Paragon/Renegade, the whole works was incomparable. Except for maybe Dragon Age, but I loved that game, too. The expansion packs, the DLCs, I got them all.

I can't believe somebody build such a realistic prop to put it on the top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere.

I reached out a hand to touch the base, trying to see if they had used LED lights or just florescent bulbs to light the beacon.

The second my hand touched it, I know it wasn't just a replica.

With a sudden and violent jerk upwards, I was lifted off the ground and floated four feet above the ground.

FUCK FUCK

FUCK

FUCK

FUCK

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

Suddenly, I saw images and shapes appear before me. I recognized them all as identical to the beacon message Shepard saw on Eden Prime.

Except this time, instead of looking at them on the screen (which was creepy enough the first time I played the game) they were being BURNED DIRECTLY INTO MY BRAIN.

It would not be until later that I realized the blood-curdling screaming I heard was actually my own voice.

It hurt.

That's all I'm gonna say about that.

FUCKING OW.

Ok, I'm done.

When the message came to the part where the city is burning (the one that shows the Prothean being turned into a collector in the foreground) I saw something I didn't recognize: Dark silhouettes walking towards me. At first, I thought it was a Reaper and a Collector. However, as they drew closer, I recognized them as a Leviathan and a Prothean.

What the hell is going on? My subconscious was screaming over and over.

They walked until they were right in front of me. The Leviathan was HUGE. I never got a real sense of how enormous these guys were from the games. The Prothean, strode up to me and stood directly in front of me. Still suspended in the air, I found I couldn't move.

WE SEE YOU, ORDAINED ONE, A thundering voice reverberated through my cerebral cortex. I say 'voice', it was more like a thousand voices speaking perfectly in unison. I tried to reply, but found I couldn't speak.

DO NOT FIGHT THE CALL OF THE VOID, ORDAINED. COME TO THE EMBRACE OF ETERNITY!

Embrace Eternity? Seriously?

Even in my pain, I wanted to crack an Asari sex joke. That should give the more attentive of you a brief glimpse into the funny way my brain works. In dire situations, I tend to cope with inappropriate humor or a classless one-liner. Except now I had one minor problem: I found I couldn't breathe.

Those of you who have ever been choked out by someone can sympathize with my situation. If you've never been choked out by someone, take my advice: Don't.

A dark tunnel consumed my vision little by little as I thrashed wildly against my invisible bonds, and struggled to catch one more breath against the invisible hand collapsing my windpipe.

The Prothean stretched out a three-fingered hand and touched my forehead. And then oblivion took me.

Ohgodthisisit

I'mdeadI'mdeadI'mdead.

I opened my eyes. I was standing on what appeared to be a mirror. White was all around me, above me, everywhere.

"Well, if this is Limbo, it's not so bad," I said aloud.

Great, now I'm talking to myself.

I heard footsteps behind me. I whirled around to see James standing there, staring at me.

Relief washed over me as I ran towards him.

"James! Oh my god, did you get pulled in, too?"

WELCOME, ORDAINED ONE, James said.

I stopped, feeling like I had taken a sucker punch to the stomach.

It's not James, I told myself over and over. It's just like Leviathan, just his image projected into my mind.

CORRECT. IMPRESSIVE… THAT WAS QUICKER THAN THE OTHERS.

They can hear my thoughts? I felt a wave of panic washing over me.

WE ARE IN YOUR MIND, ORDAINED. OF COURSE WE CAN READ IT.

I subconsciously kicked myself.

Of course we are.

Wait a minute, 'the others'?

OF COURSE. YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ORDAINED. IN ALL PROBABILITY, YOU WILL NOT BE THE LAST.

The wave of panic was now on the verge of overwhelming me.

THE OTHERS NORMALLY USED THIS TIME TO MENTALLY PROCESS THEIR SELECTION AND TRANSITION. I BELIEVE THEY USUALLY REFER TO IT AS "FREAKING OUT." YOU MAY DO SO NOW, IF YOU WISH. IT IS COMPLETELY UNDERSTANDABLE.

For some reason, that struck me as funny. I could picture the "freaking out" that most fan boys and fan girls would have my situation. Chuckling at that mental picture now firmly in my head, the feeling of crippling panic ebbed somewhat. I closed my eyes, and clenched my fists. The feeling faded a little more. It was still there, of course, but at least I could concentrate.

Ok, Kevin. Focus: what is the next step? Ask for directions!

"Where. Am. I?" I said, slowly and evenly forcing out the words so they wouldn't be panicked screams. When I opened my eyes, John was now the one speaking.

THIS IS THE TIME BETWEEN TIMES. THE WORLD BETWEEN WORLDS.

Like the Multiverse?

I could swear the damn thing chuckled in response to my thoughts.

THAT IS PROBABLY THE CLOSEST YOUR FINITE MIND WILL COME TO GRASPING THE CONCEPT.

"Why. Am. I. Here?"

Max was now walking past me.

YOU ARE OUR INSTRUMENT. YOU WILL INTERVENE IN THE COURSE OF EVENTS YOU PERCIEVE AS FICTION IN YOUR REALM.

They're sending me to the world of Mass Effect?

THAT IS CORRECT.

I mentally slapped myself again.

I've gotta have to get used to talking to psychic beings.

"You said there are others. Should I meet up with them?"

THEY ARE DEAD. THEIR TEMPORAL INTERVENTIONS BECAME CORRUPTED AND RESULTED IN FAILURE.

Why did they fail?

MYRIAD REASONS. IDENTICAL RESULT: THE HARVEST WAS SUCCESSFUL, AND CYCLE CONTINUED.

Why do you need to insert me at all? Didn't Shepard WIN in the 3rd game?

THE CATALYST PROVED INEFFECTIVE SOLUTION. SYNTHESIS RESULTED ONLY IN REAPERS' ASSIMLATION OF GALAXY. CONTROL RESULTED ONLY IN SHEPARD'S INDOCTRINATION. DESTROY RESULTED IN GALACTIC-WIDE EXTINCTION EVENT.

Damn. Ok then.

"Why do you think I will succeed where so many others have failed?"

WE DO NOT KNOW.

The fuck?

YOU ARE AUTONOMOUS. YOU ARE OUTSIDE THE PREDICTED OUTCOME. YOUR DESTINY IS YOUR OWN.

I took a deep breath to try and process all this. Nope, the panic came flooding back. I forced it all back down, like the last bite of the nasty spinach casserole that Mom made me eat when I was a kid.

Oh my god, Mom!

"What of my family in MY timeline? What of my friends? Am I missing? Will they know what happened to me?"

YOU WERE KILLED BY A LIGHTNING STRIKE. YOUR BODY HAS ALREADY BEEN LAID TO REST. YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS MOURN YOUR PASSING, BUT THEY WILL ADAPT. THEY WILL BECOME STRONGER THROUGH THEIR GRIEF.

Grief washed over my body. I feel to my knees, suddenly feeling very sick.

My mom. My dad. Vicki, my girlfriend! Oh, my god, what have I done? What have THEY done?

Anger and rage filled my veins, driving out grief and sorrow. I turned to scream, to strike, I didn't know what, but then was stopped dead in my tracks.

My mom stood in front of me. In her usual floral skirt and white blouse. Then she held up her hand and spoke.

UNDERSTAND, ORDAINED. YOUR EMOTIONS WOULD BE JUSTIFIED, HAD WE CAUSED THESE EVENTS TO TRANSPIRE. HOWEVER, YOU WERE ALREADY DEAD. WE INTERVENED IN YOUR TIMELINE TO BRING YOU HERE.

A picture unfolded. I saw myself on the cliff face, just as I had been…what, seconds ago? Minutes? I couldn't tell. Only this time there was no glowing obelisk on the overlook.

I watched myself turn from the cliff and jog towards the mouth of the cave. However, when I got to the center of the clearing, there was a flash of lightening and a roaring CRACK! of thunder.

One instant I had been jogging towards my friends. The next I was a blackened, charred corpse in the middle of a burning circle of grass.

My stomach rebelled against the sight, and I turned away to vomit, but nothing came. I dry heaved for a long while, trying to get the sight of my own burning body out of my head.

A hand touched my shoulder. I turned and saw my Dad standing above me.

WE WOULD NEVER TAKE A LIFE, ORDAINED. THAT WOULD MAKE US NO BETTER THAN THE CONSTRUCTS WE SEEK TO DEFEAT. WE GIVE LIFE. A SECOND LIFE, WITH LIMITLESS POTENTIAL.

My breathing slowed to a normal rate, and the feeling of overwhelming dread in the pit of my stomach eased somewhat.

Ok, I was dead in my old world. No going back there. No use crying over spilled milk, Kevin. Ok, maybe I will cry, but not now. Now…I need a plan.

"Where will I start? On Eden Prime? Or before that? Shepard's origins, perhaps?"

THAT WILL BE YOUR DECISION. WE WILL GIVE WHAT AID WE CAN. WE CANNOT TELL YOU WHAT PATH TO TAKE, ORDAINED. WE CAN ONLY TELL YOU WHAT OTHER ORDAINED HAVE TRIED BEFORE YOU AND FAILED.

Ok then. That's a start.

Levi (I didn't know what else to call him, and neither did he, it seemed) and I spoke for I don't know how long, going back and forth with ideas and strategies. Basically, the main lesson from all of the previous attempts was DON'T TELL SHEPARD ABOUT THE VIDEO GAME. Every time someone did, something always went VERY wrong (as in, spend-the-rest-of-the-cycle-in -some -loony-bin -or -science -lab, wrong). I was going to have to be careful about my omniscience. And anyway, once I started intervening, my foreknowledge would quickly be rendered moot (another common mistake, it seemed).

Finally, we arrived at what I thought at least had the potential to be a decent plan. But then, you what they say about "the best-laid-plans-of-mice-and-men."

Levi, wearing James' form again, turned back to me.

ARE YOU READY, ORDAINED? ONCE WE SET THE STAGE FOR YOUR ARRIVAL, IT WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE FOR US TO INTERVENE IN THE TIMELINE AGAIN. YOUR DECISIONS, AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES, WILL BE YOUR OWN.

I took a deep breath. The plan was…ok. I wasn't kidding myself: I fully expected it to go to hell once everything kicked off. But it was probably the best one I could come up with.

"I'm ready. And anyway, my failure will only arm the next ordained with more information, right?"

I swear, Levi seemed to chuckle again.

WELL SPOKEN. YOU HAVE A BETTER GRASP OF TIMELESS-NESS THAN OTHER ORDAINED SEEMED TO HAVE, MY FRIEND.

"My friend?" Wow, I took that as a huge compliment coming from –

TEMPORAL SHIFT ENGAGED.

fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucKKKKKKKKK

Pain and oblivion once again took me. Except this time there was also the horrible sensation of falling.

Well, here goes nothing…