Postcards from… Alchera
February 7th, 2010 Posted in Postcards from...
Spoiler Alert: I have become well and truly immersed in the Mass Effect universe once more, so it should be little surprise that BioWare’s space opera serves as the inspiration for my latest Postcards from…. Given that the key selling point of the game is the story, I recognise that fans who have yet to play it (hurry up!) will not appreciate plot spoilers.
Therefore I’ve focused this entry on the an incident that occurs at the very beginning on, but if you still don’t want the first hour or so to be spoiled for you, don’t click the jump. Seriously, don’t touch it.
Commander Shepard, Alchera - Armada System - Omega Nebula [Mass Effect 2]
As I wander the decks of the SR2, I sometimes fool myself that I’m still on the original Normandy. I appreciate Joker’s sentiments in renaming our new vessel, but in my mind and in my heart, it will never be the Normandy. The ship and its crew earned a place in history and cannot be replaced so easily.
The crash site on Alchera is a testament to that. For years to come, citizens of Citadel space can honour the memories of the brave men and women who served on the Normandy, but for them it will be just some tourist attraction. For myself, I can’t describe how harrowing it is to walk around the wreckage of that once maginificant vessel.
The weather is not the only thing that makes me feel cold here. Seeing every snapped girder, every crumpled sheet of metal, every shattered screen and ripped cable - this was a ship that withstood direct attacks from a Reaper, and now it has been reduced to scrap metal. If I ever find whoever did this to my ship…
But it’s not just the damage to the ship that chills me to the bone. A ship can be rebuilt - the SR2 is a worryingly poinant reminder of that fact. It’s the reminders of the people I lost that truly cause the most pain. Empty chairs, unattended and now inoperable computer consoles. This ship used to have a crew that worked like a well-oiled machine, another crucial system to the Normandy. Now that system is dead, with fewer remains than those of the mechanicals ones.
All that remains are the dog tags of fallen soldiers, their bodies either cleared away by the Council representatives preparing the monument site or lost in the vaccuum of space. Where I was. Where I should be. This crash site isn’t just a monument to their deaths - it’s also a reminder of mine. Cerberus may have brought me back, but I may as well have died two years ago as far as my old crew and the Council are concerned.
Ultimately, that is the most painful memory that wandering the snowy wastes of Alchera conjurs up. Not the knowledge of those I lost to death, but those I lost to life. Ash, Garrus, Tali, Wrex… Liara. They’ve moved on without me. They have new lives, new missions and I have no idea if I’ll see them again, if I can explain where I’ve been. It’s a big galaxy, and I doubt I’d ever have the time to track them down. Not if the Illusive Man has his way.
And now I’m replacing my squad with convicts, vigilantes, bounty hunters - the sort of people I’m supposed to be bringing to justice. On Alchera, I found a datapad containing the personal logs of Navigator Pressley. It was both warming and heart-breaking to read how he overcame his indifference to the aliens I recruited in my mission against Saren.
The Normandy was more his ship than it was mine. He served on her far longer than I did. How would he feel about the scumbags now boarding a false Normandy?
2 Responses to “Postcards from… Alchera”
By John Cranston on Feb 9, 2010
Great article James.
Playing this downloadable mission it really hits home just how devestating the loss of your ship and crew is. Sure Joker and Dr Chakwas are back, and the Normandy mark 2 is in fact a much better equipped ship, but the emotional attachment to that original ragtag outfit that saved the galaxy from Sovereign meant that my Shepard was thirsting for revenge. I relished the idea of recruiting the badasses of the galaxy and unleashing them onto my foes for the greater good. It reminded me in part of Seven Samurai, only in glorious technicolor!
By James on Feb 9, 2010
Agreed. Easily one of the most emotional sections of the game, if not gaming in general. Interestingly, it’s not because of the DLC itself, but because of the set up at the beginning of the game. Alchera wouldn’t pull at the heart strings in the same way if the attack on the Normandy and your recruitment by Cerberus hadn’t been so well handled.
Sadly, my Shepard is still intent on doing things the right way and not going out for revenge. He’s a full paragon (i.e. a complete wimp).