Multiverse Desperado: A JumpChain Fiction 2

Jump 2: Pokemon

Prologue

I kept looking in the mirror, imagining my ideal look. Jump was in the background, wearing a playful smile and an opulent black dress, the kind you wouldn't be surprised seeing in a 1920s jazz club. I saw my body flicker through the various ideas and outfits, until I finally decided on something...a bit cliched but spoke to me nonetheless. A simple cyan t-shirt, a pair of action jeans (those special kinds you can actually kick worth a damn in) held together with snake leather belt, and a long-flowing black coat tying it all together. Not a heavy duster, but the kind you comfortably wear during cold weather.

Multiverse Desperado: A JumpChain Fiction Mass Effect Epilogue

Mass Effect Epilogue

I've long since lost track of the time. The doctors were very careful in maintaining an inoffensive atmosphere of healing for me. No clocks. No technology. No connection to the outside world. Just a bed, an analog video monitor, a music player, and a relatively pleasant view of the outside. For a wing fashioned out of what remained of the Citadel, it was quite relaxing. Physical therapy came and went, bandages were redressed, bones were set and healed. Several geth platforms came to visit me, equipped with some snippets of information from SAM to help reform my mental state. It was all a lovely comforting little bubble after the nightmare we all survived.

Multiverse Desperado: A JumpChain Fiction Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Battle For The Milky Way

I finally knew the answer to a certain question. What would happen if I was trapped on an enemy spaceship, and I somehow got access to my Warehouse. A Warehouse full of powerful artillery and doomsday weapons courtesy of T'Som Manufacturing. And I somehow knew how to use every single deathdealer in there.

Multiverse Desperado: A JumpChain Fiction Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Reboot, Recover, Remember

Miss T'Som... can you hear me? Miss T'Som, please respond....

Someone is calling to me...someone familiar. In my head.... SAM?

Oh thank goodness, you haven't completely lost cognitive function. That is a relief. A minor relief in the grand scheme of things, but it's a start to a full recovery.

A full recovery? What do you mean? What's going on?

So Where Have I Been?

My god...has it already been this long? Guess I should explain myself.....

Multiverse Desperado A JumpChain Fiction Chapter 26

Chapter 26: The Reaper War Begins

“Feron what's the location of the Council!?” I exclaimed, slipping on my armor and priming my pistol.

“The Salarian dalatrass is on the Citadel with Councilor Udina. I tried reaching the asari leader but she's gone completely dark. Her last known location was Illium. The Turian Primarch is currently on Palaven leading the Turian Navy against the Reaper assault on their system.”

“How are the Hellfire Cannons holding up?” I asked, adjusting my SMG and double checking my pouch of thermal clips.

“They're taking care of most of the ground troops but the artillery bombardments are keeping the turians pinned.” Feron dashed past me, clipping a shotgun and an assault rifle to his person and joining me to my shuttle.

Where The Hell Have I Been?

Hey there patrons.

Don't worry, I haven't fallen off of the non-existent edge of the earth (damn Flat Earther idiots) and I am in fact quite alive.

The best way to describe this is that I've been much busier than normal. The site I'm on is pushing for more in-depth comprehensive material, which means more long-form articles, which means more research which means less time for me to faff about with off the cuff opinions and cute little fanfiction projects that I put WAY too much thought into.

But the good news is the JumpChain is still ongoing. For those who have been reading from the beginning, you should know I'm building up to the finale of Mass Effect.

But I have a bit of a rule for myself: Do not go over 30 chapters. Cuz at that point I might as well just rename all the proper names and pitch it as a legally dubious novel.

But since Mass Effect is such a large-spanning setting, I'm effectively making the final chapters jumbo-sized to make sure closure is felt and all the set pieces and heroic moments are out of my system with no regrets.

Also, My Thoughts are going to be much more sporadic despite many topical opportunities passing me by.

For example: Black Panther, Avengers 3, God of War, Detroit (and David Cage as a whole), and Warframe. All had windows of opportunity. All passed.

But as I said, I'm still here. I'm just throwing myself more into my work. Which means I probably should unwind a bit more.

Thanks for reading to the end, and do not stare directly at the bouncer on the way out, he has social anxiety.

Multiverse Desperado A JumpChain Fiction Chapter 25

Chapter 25: The Calm Before The Storm

Several months have passed since I took the role as Co-Shadow Broker. I wish I could be more exact, but after the first few weeks on the station on Hagalaz, I had completely lost relative sense of time. Even with multiple clocks, a strict work schedule and the work station emulating a proper day and night cycle, my entire time there felt one long session.

It was also the closest thing to safe in the entire Milky Way I could be while the Collectors were still out there looking for me. As well as God knows what else. Call it paranoid, I call it peak survival.

Multiverse Desperado A JumpChain Fiction Chapter 24

Chapter 24: The Keys To The Kingdom

 

“You cannot be serious.” Liara exhaled, loosening her grip on the pistol she had pressed into my forehead.

“Yeah, well it's the truth.” I responded. “Sidebar, can you stop pointing that thing dead center on my forehead? I think I'm getting a bit cross-eyed.” I shut my eyes, trying not to think about what I just said.

My Thoughts On...A Bunch of Netflix Stuff

So...Netflix had a bunch of interesting stuff released recently. Honestly I don't get as much time to binge streaming services as I like, but when I do I try to be particular about it. If I'm not trying to make a dent in my anime backlog with Crunchyroll, I do occasionally see what's on Netflix, if only to see what exactly is getting mainstream viewers excited or pissy. The Netflix Marvel shows, 13 Reasons Why, Orange is the New Black, whenever shows like these become water cooler discussion in this day and age, it's always prudent to keep your hand on the service's pulse.

Multiverse Desperado: A JumpChain Fiction Chapter 23

Chapter 23: End of the Shadow Broker

The shuttle swerved, ducked and weaved through the arcology towers of Thessia before taking a plunge into the hostile heat below, environmental shields kicking on to prevent us from being boiled alive. Liara and I were all but taped to the interior by crash webbing, both of us bracing for Jack's evasive piloting while recovering from the initial shellshock.

State of the Tavern 2018

Hello everyone, it's been 2018 for about two weeks now and I just realized I've had a terrible habit of not addressing anniversaries here at the Cybertavern. So before I upload the next chapter of Multiverse Desperado let's do some kitchen details while looking back at what I believe I have personally accomplished through writing on this blog.

Remembering The 12th Doctor and the End of Moffat Era

My fellow cybertavern patrons, Christmas is finally over and the end of 2017 is finally upon us. We shall celebrate with booze and burning a symbol of the year to the ground while cheering like howler monkeys!! Or in my case watching a giant strawberry slowly go down a building coordinated to a fireworks display. Different strokes and all that.

Of course my Christmas was pleasantly low key. Gifts were exchanged, dinner was had with loving family, and once all of that was taken care of I returned home and watched the Doctor Who Christmas Special and finally witnessed the end of the current incarnation of The Doctor played by the brilliant Peter Capaldi and the final episode by the current showrunner, executive producer, and fandom punching bag Steven Moffat.

Multiverse Desperado: A JumpChain Fiction Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Trail to the Shadow Broker

The asari world of Illium isn't exactly the kind of place you go to for a vacation. Due to the high intensity heat on the surface, many of the colonies are established in arcology skyscrapers to make it livable, so good luck relaxing and going to the beach. In fact, the planet's greater significance in the galaxy is as an entrepol between the lawless chaos of the Terminus Systems and the Asari Republics. It's also a place meant for asari elites, complete with palatial estates full of luxury and some of the best surveillance around. Their prime commerce is either biotic-oriented pharmaceuticals, or information brokering for high-end corporate maneuvering.

My Thoughts on Star Wars: The Last Jedi, The New Trilogy, and Star Wars Fandom

My fellow cybertavern patrons, a many Happy Holidays to you, and thank goodness things are starting to wind down. Multiverse Desperado is chugging along just fine, Animation Deviation...needs to come out more often, and as I said before I've begun parlaying my deep dive thoughts on game industry current events into more professional columns at a certain website.

In fact I wrote a pretty extensive op ed on the Loot Box controversy surrounding the reception of EA's Star Wars Battlefront II recently.

Which brings us to what amounts to my rapidfire thoughts on the release of a certain blockbuster film recently, Rian Johnson's Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi.

Multiverse Desperado: A Jumpchain Fiction Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Grudge of the Shadow Broker

 

“It's okay... breathe.” Sha'ira said calmly, holding my hands as they tensed up. So I did. In through the nose, counted to seven, then exhaled for an eight count. It was after the third deep breath I was finally able to relax.

“So now you know...” I replied, the words coming out more bitter than I wanted. My entire body released itself of tension as I closed my eyes, feeling only the warmth of her lap on the back of my head and her hand in mine, the sound cancellation of her pod making it feel as if there was only me and this other asari in the entire universe. Of course I wound up telling her everything. My nature as a Jumper, the stress of Shepard's mission, what Morinth had done to me, and my most recent brush with death with Kasumi.

Animation Deviation: Holy Crap Hey Arnold The Jungle Movie Rocked!

Yeah, read the title. I got nothing more to add.

Multiverse Desperado: A JumpChain Fiction Chapter 20

 Writer's Note: This particular chapter is basically two chapters smashed together in celebration of N7 Day and to double up on the missed deadline of last month's Multiverse Desperado. Enjoy!

Chapter 20: One Last Heist

The planet Bekenstein is a particular accomplishment for the human race. It has been compared to be on par with the asari industrial paradise of Illium due to its grand luxury goods production. Every major installation in the galaxy wanted their product, even the Citadel. It has since evolved into a resort of opulence for humanity's wealthy elite, where they indulge in excess and pay no mind to beings of lower stature. More glittering than diamonds, and more expensive than surgery.

And Kasumi and I were getting ready to rob the suckers blind.

Animation Deviation: Rick and Morty's Awful Fanbase

Well, this happened.

Multiverse Desperado A Jumpchain Fiction Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Over The Hump

 

It was after my twenty-second shot at Jump's face that I finally stopped. It cost me a thermal clip and it didn't do anything to her body – tore the hell out of the bed, the pillow, and the wall behind her though – but man did it feel good. I did note that there wasn't even a notable effect on her; I fired the gun and she simply stared like I was popping a firecracker.