บท 15: 12 – A Path to Andromeda (2)

It didn't take long for Alec to arrive. He was out of breath, meaning he was rushing home.

Sara and Scott were a little taken aback but hugged their dad and said, '' Nice to see you, Dad. ''

Alec kissed both their foreheads and said, '' I'm home. Are both of you ok?''

Both nodded and Sara continued talking. '' This man came here to talk with you.''

Samael then introduces himself professionally, ''My name is Samael.''

Sara then said, '' He knocked on our door, saying he wanted to talk about AI's related business. So I called you, and the rest is history.''

Alec had now recovered his breath and was looking at Samael with caution in his eyes. It was unexpected, as very few people knew he was working with AI, all to save his wife from her illness. So he was doubting Samael's intention.

Samael noted that and said, '' I'm not working with the government, so don't worry. I came here simply to talk business.''

Alec once again looked at Samael, and he really did not look like a government agent. If it were a normal day, Alec would never trust Samael, but he was getting desperate as his research on AI was hitting a wall and he was running out of time.

After making Sara and Scott go to their room, Alec said, ''What kind of business?''

Samael used his omni tool to pass a few blueprints to Alec, ''One that will change history.''

When Alec read the name of the project, he was a little surprised by the name, 'Project Andromeda.' Then he started to read, and he was getting more and more shocked.

Samael had taken into consideration that Alec right now still hadn't been fired from his job for researching AI, so he might not want to leave the galaxy. But he was making a bet that he would accept, as they would not be leaving now anyway.

After a few minutes of Alec reading in silence, he suddenly turned off his omni tool, his face somber as he looked at Samael and asked, '' Why me?''

He knew just by reading this that it was a project of gigantic magnitude. He was talking about exploring a whole uncharted galaxy, so he didn't understand why the man in front of him chose him.

Samael said, '' I read your files before deciding on you. You were part of the First Contact War, one of the first people who found the Mass Relays, and a few other things. You are, by default, an amazing explorer, but it seems lady luck follows you regarding exploration. So, I chose you based on that.''

'' My luck didn't help my wife.''

Samael didn't miss the opportunity. '' That's where the AI and the traveling to another galaxy enter the fray. While you will be traveling for years while in cryosleep, the AI will be running tests to find a cure for your wife's condition.''

Alec calmed down his excitement over that. '' But how can I trust you? I mean, you showed up at my house to talk about AI, then suddenly turned into an intergalactic journey, then to cure my wife. I'm sorry, but it's all too weird for me.''

Samael just smiled. ''So what?''

Alec paused, ''... Excuse me?''

'' So what if all of this is weird? It is the truth. I'm a person who worries about the future and wants to give every species in this galaxy a chance to survive if things go wrong, while you're a man who can guide us there. The bonus is that I can help you with your problems. That's all there is to it.'' Samael wasn't going to try to convince the man in front of him of his motives. He knew he didn't have to, as the man was almost accepting the offer.

Alec stayed in silence for a while. ''Do you have the funds to make those ships?''

Samael showed one of his accounts, with more than enough money to build one, based on Alec's knowledge.

After staying silent for a while, Alec eventually said, '' How about the AI? As you know, the galaxy forbids people from studying and making them. So how are you going to fix that?''

If Samael's response wasn't to his liking, Alec would end the conversation right now, as the AI was the most important part of this 'negotiation', as only it could help with his wife's condition.

Samael smirked at that. ''Just because people say we can't make something does not mean we have to follow their rules. Right, RR?''

From Alec's Omni Tool, a robotic voice sounded, ''Yes.''

Alec jumped from his seat and examined his omni-tool. After looking at it for a while, he looked at Samael with a feverish gaze and asked, ''Is that...?''

'' Yes. I made it a few years ago.''

After Samael said that, Alec immediately said, '' I'm in.''

They had a conversation for a few hours after that, making some arrangements. Then it was time for Samael to leave.

''You are the main lead of this project, I'll give you the funds, and a few suggestions along the way, but it will be your project.''

''I'll leave it to you to find the crews and the participants willing to partake in this adventure. The funds will be sent to you the moment you ask. And, if you have any questions, feel free to call me anytime. Goodbye.''

Samael then left the house and went directly to San Francisco, saying, 'Another thing put in motion. I hope things go the right way.'

While Samael was leaving, Sara and Scott went to see their father. '' Dad, what happened? Did you accept the job?''

Alec nodded. '' I did.'' He looked at his kids and said in a serious tone, '' The conversation about AI can't leave this room, otherwise things could go wrong.''

He saw the faces of his children harden but they nodded, indicating they understood the magnitude of the problem. Or so Alec hoped.

But, he didn't want to leave them in this heavy mood, so he decided to share one information they would like, ''...This is the best chance we have to save your mom.''

'' Really?!'' Sara and Scott were ecstatic, as almost every doctor had given up on their mom, as her diagnosis was terminal.

'' Really. I had to make some sacrifices, which I will tell you about in the future, but it will be worth it if we can save your mother.''

Alec then turned his gaze to his omni-tool, where the blueprints for the ships and materials to make an AI.

'Andromeda...'

----

Samael returned home the very same day. He spent the night with Valery, as this would be the last week he would see her for a long while. So, he was extra affectionate today, and Valery noticed that.

After dinner, Valery asked,'' What do you want to talk about?''

Samael sighed. '' It seems I didn't hide it that well, huh.''

'' Son, I'm your mother. If I didn't notice something wrong with you, who would?'' As Valery only had Samael as family, she focused all her being on him, so she knew he wanted to say something that must be important.

''Right.'' Samael hesitated for a moment before saying, ''I'm leaving Earth in a few days.'' While he did have this conversation in the other cycles, other circumstances were involved, so he was apprehensive.

But his worries were for nothing, and as Valery just smiled, '' I knew it.''

'' You did?''

'' Well, Veronica isn't exactly a good secret keeper.''

Samael's eyebrows twitched as Valery continued talking. '' But also, I knew that, for a long time, Earth, or even where we live, couldn't contain you. You are destined for greatness, as proven by the fact that you created a whole new Med-Gel while you were a teenager, alongside a multibillion-dollar company. There must be other things you wouldn't tell me about, but I trust you. And I couldn't be more proud of what you became.''

''... Thank you.''

Valery wiped a few tears. '' Remember, if you ever want to come back, this is still your house forever. You can come back anytime you want.''

'' I will. Also, I'll leave more money for you. And if you ever encounter any trouble, please call this number, and they will resolve it for you.''

The number Samael gave his mom was Tarzan's. He doubts anyone in San Francisco would attack his mother, as it would mean a death sentence, but it's better to be safe than sorry, even more so after the fact LD was growing more and more.

Eventually, people would find out about him, the real owner of LD, as he wasn't trying to hide it that hard, so people would also find out about Valery. Of course, it wasn't only Tarzan who would protect his mom, there were also several other things to that task.

Valery didn't ask who it was, as it didn't matter to her, only that her son trusted the person. ''Thanks. ''

After that, both continued talking through the night, remembering the old days.'' By the way, how's Amanda?''

Amanda was the doctor who helped them earlier on, with money and a few other things. Samael never checked on her in other cycles, but this time, he was curious about his mother's friend.

Valery replied, '' I'm still in contact with her. She had a daughter and is happily married now.''

'' Good to know.''

Soon after, both went to their rooms. Samael sat on the bed, then opened his omni-toll. There, he checked when his ship would arrive.

The ship was something he asked to be made for him and his future crew.

It cost billions, as it was the best in the galaxy at the moment. But the most important thing about it was that it accepted more upgrades than normal, and those upgrades are where the true value of the ship would come in handy.

He bought a specialized company to make the ship and brought it under LD wings. He patented the blueprint, a degraded version of course, of the ship to make money, as he wanted to make the industry progress faster than before by allowing others to use the blueprint so the galaxy could be better prepared against the reapers. Of course, he would make more money along the way, but that is secondary.

But the upgrades to the ship that he would make himself. If other people saw what the upgrades could do, the galaxy would be in an uproar. He would eventually release those in the market too, but only in the future.

After making sure everything was in order in that regard, he looked at a picture of a young Jack and Miranda.

Both were companions he had from the games and his past cycles, and both had a complicated past. Jack was tortured to be one of the best human biotics that exists, while Miranda was loyal to the wrong man and committed a few wrong things throughout her time at Cerberus, even if unknowingly.

He could intervene on their behalf right now, but Jack has already been kidnapped on Eden Prime by Cerberus to be experimented on some time ago while Miranda was still here on Earth. So, he wanted to get her loyalty, as she was one of the most loyal people he ever met.

She only betrayed the Illusive Man in the Mass Effect games because she discovered the atrocities Cerberus commited under his command. And while Samael wasn't exactly a saint, he was at least better than the Illusive Man.

Also, she is what we could call a superior human, as her 'father' created her to be the best human possible, and he succeeded. He is also a crazy man with a lot of money (sounds familiar) who used his genome to create Miranda. She was excellent in all aspects, be it biology, looks, aim, etc.

By the way, Samael wasn't going to follow the plot of the game, as he had already done so for 4 cycles, and it didn't change much. For the others cycles, he did his things, and while he didn't interfere with the plot of the game that much, he changed a few things here and there, and those things sometimes went okay and others didn't. As this was his real last cycle, he was going to make 100% sure everyone he loved was okay.

He could've saved Jack earlier, but in the cycle he saved her, she ultimately died an unfortunate death, as she didn't have the strength she gained with the experiments. So, while it sucks to be tortured, it sucks even more to be dead.

He even had a hypothetical conversation with Jack, in the cycle after she died an unfortunate death because she didn't have the powers she gained through experimentation, asking about this exact situation. The reply she gave was that she wanted to live, so he was also following that wish.

' I'll go get Miranda, save Javik , then save Jack. After that, I'll probably put some other plans into motion and wait. I only have a few years until the Reapers appear, and I'm far from ready to face them right now.'

While he did some things here and there, on the scale of it all, it changed nothing regarding his fighting chances against the Reapers. While he won in the other cycles, he had sacrificed a lot of things to defeat the machines, so this time he wanted to make sure everyone he loved was okay, and that was going to be difficult. But now, as he was going off Earth, he was free to change a lot of things that could help him in the future.

'Now, let's see where Miranda is.'

As mentioned before, Samael asked RR to keep an eye on some individuals, mainly his companions from past cycles, and Miranda was one of them.

Her situation was more complicated, as based on the last reports from RR, she had been on the run from her father for some time now. You might think that she's a 'perfect' human being, but that comes with a cost. Her father didn't let her have friends; she only existed to follow his demands, so she rebelled a few years ago and has been on the run since then.

Her father didn't let that go and used all his money to track her, and it seems she finally decided to seek help, as it seemed she was going to meet a Cerberus agent in London. She was there to get protection from the group in exchange for her loyalty. 'It seems I have to travel once more and finally meet Cerberus personally in this cycle. I'll take Veronica with me.'

Samael never forgot about Cerberus, he even knew they sent people to investigate LD. He, unfortunately, had to let them exist, as he has a plan for them, but he did fuck up their business on Earth quite a lot.

Compared with the other cycles, Cerberus was way weaker, but still had a lot of power. He would eventually punish them for the lives they destroyed in this cycle and others, but not now.

But when he does so, he would kill them in the most painful way possible.

THE NEXT DAY

As soon as it was morning, Samael and Veronica departed from San Francisco for London to recruit Miranda.