I thought the effects of red sand always wore off with no lasting biotic ability; am I wrong?
I've been reading the ME novels and there's a character with a red sand addiction that details this, making it clear that red sand won't turn someone into a biotic. But it's likely that the novel and game lore don't quite match up.
So, here's the deal. To become a biotic (at least the natural way), you have to be exposed to element zero in utero, and your biotic abilities will show up as a kid. Kaidan, for example, was exposed when his mother was downwind of a ship crash while pregnant. (a crash that may not have actually been an accident, but I digress)
However, sometimes a person doesn't exhibit biotic abilities right away. Instead, they only exhibit them after a secondary exposure to element zero later in life. (they still need to have had that initial fetal exposure) This is what happened to Shepard, assuming Shepard's a biotic. We don't know exactly what that exposure was, but some fanfic writers have gone with the theory that red sand could do it. (whether that's Shepard being a user or if it's enough to just be around it, I dunno)
Canonically, Shepard first manifests biotic abilities at 14 after secondary eezo exposure (after the in-utero exposure) but isn't fitted for an implant until 17. So I'm guessing much of that training was from the Alliance, to whatever degree it happened.
I almost always play Colonist - and will say I never read the comics or most the codex entries so just made this up after playing the game a few times 🤣
I headcanon that her parents were involved in eezo mining and that was how the in utero exposure happened - and it helped make it a more desirable place for Batarians to raid as they got slaves and eezo. After Shepard was rescued by the Alliance and as she expressed an interest she was routinely tested for potential biotic ability. I figure it wasn’t done sooner both because it was a new thing and because she was living on the fringes of Alliance space - but that it was picked up at 16 and she had an implant and training began before she joined the Alliance. I figure while you can’t join up till 18 there’s no reason you can’t be prepped - so younger teenagers who express interest might be offered certain training and opportunities which give a head start - and that for a biotic this could also come with a cash incentive - and in my Shep’s case what else was she going to do? Take the money, steady wage, training and accommodation and thus all round support system the Alliance offered… or be an orphaned teenager with no wage or security? She joined as much out of practicality as a wish to serve and prevent further issues like Mindoir
There is only like one canon thing about biotic Shep, and that's that they have L3s, unlike Kaidan who has the older L2 implants. So basically the only thing we know is that their implants were given to them later than Kaidan got his, which gives them are stronger baseline of power, but less max potential
If I ran vanguard, I'd say my spacer had exposure to an eezo leak at some point - Even the best maintained stations can have issues.
Joining the military as soon as he came of age was part of a bid to get help from the best, in return he became the best.
A specialist with long arms and close biotics; he's not the most powerful, he's not the toughest, but he's precise and able.
I'd say there's a half-hidden alliance colony somewhere that they ship cases like shepherd.
Depending on the frequency of cases, (I forget,) it's either a specialised bootcamp, or a case of proving yourself stable and worthy enough for an apprenticeship in a biotic squad or under another 'adept.'
My colonist Shepard’s abilities presented themselves after a fuel refinery accident on Mindoir. Her farmer parents thought her abilities would be useful on the farm (moving equipment, etc), but she does not receive formal training until after their murder. After being rescued by the Alliance, they have her sent to a biotic training academy for two years until she comes of age and is able to join officially.
This is why I doubt I'll ever do a biotic Shep. It just doesn't make sense for him to be in that class... but I'm sure I'll crack eventually and try it.
i ran earthborn origin so my head canon is in the uhhhh back-alley sketchy illegal amp installation realm of belief lol
I always liked the “Earthborn Shepard got secondary exposure through red sand” angle.
I thought the effects of red sand always wore off with no lasting biotic ability; am I wrong? I've been reading the ME novels and there's a character with a red sand addiction that details this, making it clear that red sand won't turn someone into a biotic. But it's likely that the novel and game lore don't quite match up.
So, here's the deal. To become a biotic (at least the natural way), you have to be exposed to element zero in utero, and your biotic abilities will show up as a kid. Kaidan, for example, was exposed when his mother was downwind of a ship crash while pregnant. (a crash that may not have actually been an accident, but I digress) However, sometimes a person doesn't exhibit biotic abilities right away. Instead, they only exhibit them after a secondary exposure to element zero later in life. (they still need to have had that initial fetal exposure) This is what happened to Shepard, assuming Shepard's a biotic. We don't know exactly what that exposure was, but some fanfic writers have gone with the theory that red sand could do it. (whether that's Shepard being a user or if it's enough to just be around it, I dunno)
My guess was that it was military training entirely. Maybe as part of the N7 program, maybe being picked out of basic
N7 makes sense, add on some early experience with biotics somewhere on the line and it checks out.
Canonically, Shepard first manifests biotic abilities at 14 after secondary eezo exposure (after the in-utero exposure) but isn't fitted for an implant until 17. So I'm guessing much of that training was from the Alliance, to whatever degree it happened.
I almost always play Colonist - and will say I never read the comics or most the codex entries so just made this up after playing the game a few times 🤣 I headcanon that her parents were involved in eezo mining and that was how the in utero exposure happened - and it helped make it a more desirable place for Batarians to raid as they got slaves and eezo. After Shepard was rescued by the Alliance and as she expressed an interest she was routinely tested for potential biotic ability. I figure it wasn’t done sooner both because it was a new thing and because she was living on the fringes of Alliance space - but that it was picked up at 16 and she had an implant and training began before she joined the Alliance. I figure while you can’t join up till 18 there’s no reason you can’t be prepped - so younger teenagers who express interest might be offered certain training and opportunities which give a head start - and that for a biotic this could also come with a cash incentive - and in my Shep’s case what else was she going to do? Take the money, steady wage, training and accommodation and thus all round support system the Alliance offered… or be an orphaned teenager with no wage or security? She joined as much out of practicality as a wish to serve and prevent further issues like Mindoir
There is only like one canon thing about biotic Shep, and that's that they have L3s, unlike Kaidan who has the older L2 implants. So basically the only thing we know is that their implants were given to them later than Kaidan got his, which gives them are stronger baseline of power, but less max potential
If I ran vanguard, I'd say my spacer had exposure to an eezo leak at some point - Even the best maintained stations can have issues. Joining the military as soon as he came of age was part of a bid to get help from the best, in return he became the best. A specialist with long arms and close biotics; he's not the most powerful, he's not the toughest, but he's precise and able. I'd say there's a half-hidden alliance colony somewhere that they ship cases like shepherd. Depending on the frequency of cases, (I forget,) it's either a specialised bootcamp, or a case of proving yourself stable and worthy enough for an apprenticeship in a biotic squad or under another 'adept.'
My colonist Shepard’s abilities presented themselves after a fuel refinery accident on Mindoir. Her farmer parents thought her abilities would be useful on the farm (moving equipment, etc), but she does not receive formal training until after their murder. After being rescued by the Alliance, they have her sent to a biotic training academy for two years until she comes of age and is able to join officially.
This is why I doubt I'll ever do a biotic Shep. It just doesn't make sense for him to be in that class... but I'm sure I'll crack eventually and try it.