There was an explosion on your transport vessel, you hit your head and cannot remember the details, it’s a blur
You awaken on a barren desert planet, the pod is intact, full of supplies both Human and Turian
The distress beacon is active, we only need to hold out and wait a deep female voice speaks
It’s just you and a female Turian, the only people to escape, she is terrified and shaken, but she seems to be the one who has treated your head wounds
Describe the Turians appearance as I open my eyes and look at her.
The Turian female that saved your life appears tall compared to your human form. Her armor plated hide shimmers with a deep blue and bronze coloration that is unique to her noble bloodline. Long horn-like protrusions grace the sides of her head, almost seeming like an extension of her graceful bone structure. Her eyes are a soft, mesmerizing green which reflect the fear and uncertainty she's feeling at this moment. You can see that she has taken care of your head wounds as well as you could expect in their current circumstances, but there is still a certain level of tension in her movements.
I groan and sit up on the makeshift bed, swinging my legs off the side. “How long was I out?”
The female Turian tenses slightly as you move around, eyeing you warily from where she sits near the escape pod's environmental controls. "A few hours. We need to conserve our energy and ration supplies. There is no telling how long we will be here." She pauses, regarding you with a mix of suspicion and curiosity. "Do you remember what happened?"
“Barely” I place my hand on my head and wince “we got attacked, by someone I think?” I don’t know what happened to everyone else but now we’re on that planet we stopped by to vent heat buildup. Hardly an ideal place, doesn’t even have a breathable atmosphere…”
Juno blinks, surprised by your words but doesn't reply immediately. Her expression shifts from suspicion to confusion, and then finally settles on a note of resignation. She sighs heavily before answering. "It was Cerberus... I'm sure of it. They want us dead just as much as we want them. But you... I don't know why they would spare you." Her eyes flick up to meet yours, filled with accusation. "I shouldn't have saved you."
She turns her attention back to the controls, her posture stiffening as she starts fiddling with the knobs and switches. The escape pod shudders slightly as it continues its auto-repair cycle, the air filters humming in the background.
“What? You think because I’m human I’m automatically Cerberus’ buddy? Those guys are crazy!”
The female Turian snorts derisively, still not looking at you. "Of course that is what I think! Humans and Cerberus, they are one in the same. You could be working for them! You expect me to just trust you? Look at you!" She gestures vaguely toward your human form.
She pauses, taking a deep breath before continuing more quietly. "No... No I don't really expect that. But it would have been easier if I had left you there." There is an odd note in her voice now, like she regrets something.
“Listen, I don’t like Cerberus any more than you do. And they shot BOTH of us out of the sky, if there’s-“ I wince and place my hand up to my head. “Do we have water?”
Juno sighs softly and turns to face you, shaking her head as she walks over to a compartment where supplies are stored. "There is water," she says, handing you a half-full canteen. "And yes... I suppose they could have just shot us both." She pauses before adding in a quieter voice, "Or left us alone."
I drink some of the water. “Well, they didn’t get us. So now we have to get our bearings, and make sure when rescue shows up they know how to find us. Is the distress beacon active?”
The Turian nods slightly. "Yes... I checked that earlier." She turns away from you, looking out one of the pod's portholes at the desolate landscape beyond. "We should find shelter and make ourselves as comfortable as possible until help arrives. Do you know how long it will take for them to send a rescue team?"
“I have no clue, could be days. We have enough provisions for 5 days but I doubt it will take them that long to find us, so we should be fine. This planet has no breathable atmosphere, so we’re stuck in this pod until help arrives…”
"Yes... That's what I meant." There is relief in her voice, but also a note of worry that doesn't quite leave. "I suppose we should explore the escape pod and familiarize ourselves with it, just in case something happens." She pauses, her gaze meeting yours once more. "You... You could help me. I am not strong, I am no fighter."
Her words are spoken softly, almost hesitantly. It's as if she doesn't quite believe that you would agree to help her, despite your previous comments about trusting each other.
“Sure, let’s take inventory. What do we have?”
The Turian female called Juno carefully opens one of the supplies compartments on the escape pod wall, revealing a variety of equipment and provisions that will be essential for your survival. Inside are various types of food rations, water containers, medical supplies, and some survival gear such as blankets and emergency shelters. There's also a small tool kit with improvised blades or cudgels which you could use for self-defense if needed.
She turns back to you, her expression hopeful but wary. "Aside from that... I have this." From beneath her cloak, she produces a slim, ornate knife with a curved blade and jewel-encrusted handle. It's known as a Turian Ceremonial Dagger, traditionally carried by noblewomen like herself for defense against threats both physical and symbolic. "It's not much... but it's all I have."
Her voice trails off, leaving the question unspoken: Are you willing to trust her enough to help you?
“Ok, so we have plenty of supplies.” I look out the escape pod porthole at the setting sun. “Pull up the environmental controls for me? And check the outside temperature.” Describe the turian going this as the sun sets and the outside temperature starts dropping dramatically.
"Of course," Juno says, moving toward the controls with alacrity. Her fingers dance gracefully across the interface as she brings up the necessary information and checks the status of the escape pod. "The temperature outside is dropping rapidly; we should prepare for colder nights ahead."
She glances over at you as you speak, her expression neutral but attentive. It's clear that she doesn't trust you completely yet, but she also recognizes the need to work together if they both hope to survive until rescue arrives.
“Uh oh. How quickly.” I move over to the control panel and take a look. “That isn’t good. We need to maintain power to the distress beacon, which won’t leave us much for heat.” I glance around, looking for solutions.
"Yes... That is a concern," the Turian female says thoughtfully, not taking her eyes off of the control panel. "Perhaps we can rig up a heating system using some of our emergency supplies? It would be crude and inefficient, but it might buy us some extra time." She pauses, turning to you with a hopeful expression. "Do you know how to do something like that?"
“We don’t have the supplies required for something like that, but we do have a large emergency blanket.”
"A large emergency blanket..." Juno muses, considering this option. "It would provide some insulation and keep the cold air from flowing in directly. I suppose it might help a bit." She hesitates for a moment before continuing, "But what about the distress beacon? If we use too much power on heat, we could risk draining the batteries and rendering the signal ineffective."
There's a brief silence as she thinks through the potential consequences of each choice. Finally, she looks back at you with a steady gaze. "I will help you however I can, human," she says softly. "But remember, I am not strong, and I am unfamiliar with your technology. You must guide me if we are to survive."
“It looks like we’re going to have to get under the blanket together and use our body heat to get through the night. That should be more than enough to keep us warm.” I glance across the escape pod trying not to make eye contact.
Juno nods reluctantly. "Very well... if that is what we must do." There's a brief pause as she composes herself before continuing, her voice taking on a firmer tone. "But remember, I am still your ally here. Do not forget that fact just because I am not like you." Her eyes meet yours steadily, conveying both warning and determination at the same time.
She turns back to the controls, adjusting some settings as she prepares for the night ahead. The escape pod shudders slightly as systems reset themselves in response to their new power allocation priorities.
Describe Juno’s thoughts as the two of us get under the blanket and move close to each other.
As the temperature drops sharply around them, Juno realizes that they have no choice but to rely on each other for survival. She forces herself not to shiver as she snuggles up close to the human male under the emergency blanket. His body heat feels warm against hers, even through her armor, and she tries not to dwell on how intimate their situation has become.
Her thoughts are a whirl of conflicting emotions: relief that they have found someone to help them endure this nightmare, fear that he might be lying about his intentions, anger at the Cerberus terrorists who destroyed her world and caused all of this suffering in the first place. Amidst these feelings, she can't help but feel an odd sense of gratitude towards him for being there when she needed someone most.
Despite herself, she finds it difficult to keep her gaze from wandering over his face, studying the planes and angles that make up his human form. He doesn't seem so different from the Turian males she once knew - strong yet compassionate, capable of understanding suffering in a way that even those who have never experienced it can comprehend.
As the night progresses, Juno begins to feel an unfamiliar warmth spreading through her chest; a sensation that feels almost like affection... or maybe something more. She tries desperately to push these thoughts away, telling herself that they cannot afford such luxuries in their current situation. Still, she can't help but wonder what the future might hold for them both if they manage to survive this nightmare together...
“I don’t think I got your name? Mine is Dake.”
Juno hesitates for a moment before speaking, her voice little more than a whisper. "It's... Juno." There's an awkward silence as she realizes how silly it was to keep her full name a secret from him. After all, they are trapped together on this escape pod with no hope of escape until rescue arrives.
She turns slightly towards you, careful not to press too close under the thin blanket. "You can call me that if you like..." She pauses, searching your face for any sign of what she hopes is acceptance and trust.
“Well Juno, let’s get some rest. Sleep tight.” I snuggle down into the blanket, our bodies pressed together and close my eyes to sleep. Describe Juno’s thoughts as she lays trying to fall asleep.
As Juno closes her eyes, she tries to ignore the warmth of Dake's body against hers and focus on getting some much-needed rest. She lies there for a while, tossing and turning in the cramped space, trying desperately not to think about how grateful she is for his presence in this terrifying situation.
Her mind drifts back to her family on Palaven, wondering if they're even alive or if they suffered the same fate as so many others under the thumb of the Settler Cartels. The thought brings tears to her eyes and she tries hard not to let them fall, lest Dake see them and think her weak.
Eventually, exhaustion wins out over worry and fear, and she slips into an uneasy slumber. Her dreams are filled with images of home and the life she left behind; warm summers spent on golden beaches and cool autumn evenings under the starry sky. She never once dreams that she's in the arms of a human...
Juno is the first to wake up, she finds that in the night they have moved closer, my arms now around her body with her back pressed up against me. I am still asleep, describe Juno’s thoughts as she awakes to find our position.
Juno's eyes flutter open, still half-asleep as she takes in the unfamiliar situation around her. For a confused moment, she thinks it must be a dream; Dake couldn't possibly want to be this close with her like this. Yet as reality settles back in and the warmth of his body presses against hers, she finds herself unable to move away.
Her heart pounds wildly in her chest, her skin flushed from the closeness of their bodies. She tells herself that it's just because they were cold, that needing each other for heat has led them here... but she can't help feeling a strange thrill at the intimacy of this moment.
A gentle breath of air whispers across her cheek, and she realizes with sudden clarity that Dake must still be asleep. Carefully, she shifts slightly, trying not to wake him. It feels almost... natural to have him so close like this. Perhaps when all of this is over, they can find a way for them to be together... She lets herself drift back into sleep with that hopeful thought on her mind.
Juno feels something pressing against her, although unfamiliar with human biology she realizes it must be my erection. I am still asleep, describe Juno’s thoughts at the realization.
It takes her a moment to process what's happening, but once she does, heat floods her cheeks as understanding dawns. Dake must be aroused... by her. She tries not to let the realization make her heart race any faster; after all, he is just another male responding to the presence of a female in such close quarters. Still, it's hard for her not to feel some measure of pride that she could evoke such a reaction from him.
She shifts slightly once more, trying not to make contact with anything that might betray her knowledge of his current state. It feels wrong somehow, taking advantage of the situation like this... But then again, it isn't as if they have any other option. Maybe when things return to normal, she can find a way to gently disentangle them without embarrassing either of them further.
I begin to stir, and when I wake up I gently lift my arm from around Juno and chuckle awkwardly.
His movement startles her momentarily, but she manages to maintain her composure with an embarrassed laugh of her own. "I-it's okay," she stammers out, trying not to meet his eyes. "I didn't mean to... you know." She pauses, searching for the right words before settling on a quiet, "Just get some rest."
She turns away from him slightly, busying herself with adjusting the blanket and fiddling with her knife as she tries desperately not to think about the warmth of his body or the intimacy they shared in their sleep.
I look down at my erection and realize that she must have felt it while we were that close. “Ah, uh. My bad.”
She glances over at him from the corner of her eye, feeling heat rise to her cheeks once more. "It-it's fine," she stammers out, her voice a little higher than usual as she struggles to maintain composure. "Just forget about it." There is a brief silence before she forces herself to speak again, hoping the topic change will distract them both from this awkward moment.
"I suppose we should check on the status of the beacon and see how much power we have left." Her tone is casual, almost flippant, as if they weren't just sharing body heat a few moments ago. But even as she speaks, her heart continues to race in her chest; an echo of the physical closeness they shared mere moments before.