TITLE: Andrew's Chance to Save The World
AUTHOR: Muse
PROMPT:Answer to challenge at Buffy & Sarah Connor Crossovers
DISCLAIMERS: No profit here.
NOTE(S): This is part of a series that is written with dharkcharlotte. It can be read independantly.
Growing up on a Hellmouth, one was constantly exposed to the various machinations of the supernatural underbelly. Some of it was blatant, usually in the form of trying to eat your face off; some of it was more subtle, wherein it was trying to steal your soul via the game of cards you were playing, either quite literally or figuratively. The one thing that all of the methods had in common, however, was the underlying stink of otherworldly manipulations that most people could recognize by the age of five and quickly developed the good sense to steer clear of. It is therefore vitally important to note that when Andrew offered the man sitting across from him some water to drink, he made sure the stranger was able to consume the holy water with no ill effects before agreeing to discuss the monetary side of the business arrangement wherein the gentleman agreed to pay a very handsome fee for one Andrew Wells' computer expertise.
One could hardly blame the young man for being blinded by the visions of all the Star Wars and Star Trek paraphernalia that he could purchase with the extravagant amount of money being offered and as such, completely unable to summon forth the effort it took to consider future ramifications in turning over the technical specifications, or blueprints if you will, of one Buffybot for the resounding sum of 550,000.00 US dollars.
Yes. Judgment Day started its forward motion from one starry eyed computer geek fantasizing about Yoda figurines and not paying attention to the stranger with the odd computer in his hands until it was too late to do anything about it.
Andrew was more nervous now than he had ever been before. If he thought really, really hard about it, he was probably more nervous about this meeting than he had been when he attended his first science fiction convention and got to meet the lead characters from his favorite TV shows. And considering that he had almost wet his pants then, one could only begin to imagine how nervous he was now. He wasn't going to let a case of nerves stop him from attending this meeting, however. When the man had contacted him regarding the blueprints for the Buffybot, he couldn't believe it. Someone out there actually knew about it?! How had that happened?
But Andrew wasn't a total fool. He knew, from growing up in Sunnydale, that there were always things out there working against those that fought on the good side. He knew that most things were not as they seemed and that on a good day, he was probably not going to be able to fight against the worst of them. He did, however, have a few tricks up his sleeve and wouldn't hesitate to use them if the situation called for it. Which was why he always kept bottles of holy water on hand, a few crucifixes strategically placed where he could always reach one and he had Buffy's and Faith's phone numbers programmed into his cell phone, speed dials 1 and 2. Willow was number 3. One never knew when a good Wiccan was going to be needed…
As he sat in the coffee shop and waited for this fellow, foreign by the sound of his name, he fidgeted in his seat. He had never been very good at waiting, which is what usually led to him getting in so much trouble and in over his head. One would think that after all the confrontations, battles, wars and scrapes and bumps his impatience had caused, he'd learn to just sit quietly.
Alas, no. That was not the case.
Sighing and checking, once again, that the technical specs were still in his backpack, he almost jumped out of his seat when he glanced up and saw a man standing at his table. He was an older gentleman, dark hair, solidly built; but his eyes unnerved Andrew. They were cold, calculating… distant.
"You have the package?" the man quietly asked him.
Andrew nodded.
"Give it to me." The man demanded.
Andrew was just about to do as he was told when something dawned on him.
"No." he stated firmly, shaking his head.
The man looked dumbfounded for a moment. "Why not?"
"Because."
The man stared at Andrew, gauging the young man that was seated before him. "Because…?"
Andrew could tell that there was a question in that repeated word. "Because…" he trailed off. What if he was wrong? Oh well, he had started it, now he had to see it through. "Because. You're not Sarkissian."
If Andrew hadn't been watching him like a mouse would watch a cobra, he would have never seen the sudden shock of surprise that crossed the man's face before it was quickly wiped away. "I'm not?"
"No." Andrew shook his head. "You're not."
"How do you know?"
Andrew just looked at the man as if he had lost his mind. "Because the name Sarkissian is Armenian. You…" he trailed off and looked the man up and down. "You are not Armenian."
The man stood there for a moment and then chuckled quietly, shaking his head. "You are a quick one, yes?"
Andrew shrugged.
The man narrowed his eyes and nodded. He reached in his jacket and pulled out a cell phone, flipping it open and quickly dialing a number, his eyes never really leaving Andrew. Andrew was fighting his flight response for all he was worth, but he was finding it harder and harder to sit still and not just hightail it out of the coffee shop. He listened as a rapid fire exchange of conversation took place in a language that he could not understand, but that he presumed was Armenian. As quickly as it started, the call was over and the big man snapped his cell phone shut and pulled out the chair across from Andrew, settling down into it and staring at Andrew with a contemplative look on his face.
"He is coming to meet with you." The man stated.
Andrew felt like he was lost at sea. "Huh?"
"Mr. Sarkissian. He wishes to meet with you. He will be here shortly."
For a reason Andrew didn't want to explore too closely, that statement sent a shiver of dread through him. "Why didn't he come to start with?"
"I handle all of his outside business dealings." The answer was short and allowed no room for elaboration. Andrew took the hint.
Sighing and fidgeting, Andrew was about to call the whole thing off after waiting for another thirty minutes when the man in the chair across from him suddenly stood up and almost seemed like he stood at attention. Turning around in his seat, he saw a tall, lean man, with blonde hair and a set face walk in and head directly over to their table. He was carrying what appeared to be a laptop case in one hand. He had an aura of power surrounding him and carried himself as if he were used to being in command everyone doing exactly as he said. Andrew wanted to run and hide. He suddenly had a feeling that nothing good was going to come of this meeting.
Striding to his table, the man, Sarkissian Andrew assumed, nodded once to the man who was still standing like a stone statue and then took the chair that he had vacated. The man, looking at Andrew and letting a wealth of threats and silent promises come through in that gaze, eased his stance and took several steps back, allowing for privacy but staying close enough that he could react should any sign of danger towards his boss be shown.
"Now, then…" the man began, "I believe you have something that I'm interested in?"
Andrew nodded. "I have the specs you wanted… But I have to ask, how do you even know about them?"
The man just gazed at him for a moment and then smirked. "Well, that would be bad business to tell you my sources."
Andrew nodded. Made sense.
"I'd like to see the specs before I have my associate here hand over your money."
Andrew nodded and reached for his backpack. He pulled it onto his lap and dug into it, looking for the notebook that held the plans for how to build another Buffybot. As he did so, he noticed that Sarkissian had opened his laptop case and pulled out the computer that was within it.
But it looked nothing like any laptop he had ever seen.
It was thick, heavily built and had a ton of modifications done to it. Just glancing at it set off his geek sensors and he couldn't contain his curiosity.
"What kind of laptop is that?" he asked.
Sarkissian looked over the top of the monitor cover of the laptop and glanced at Andrew again before looking back down at the computer. "It's going to be the face of the future and change how computers are built from now on."
Andrew's eyes narrowed. There it was again… that sense of… something wrong. He looked down at the notebook he held in his hands and then at the laptop and had the distinct feeling of a life changing moment taking place. Sarkissian looked over at him and saw the notebook.
"Are those the plans?"
Andrew distractedly nodded again. "Hey, I just… I need to know… you don't have to tell me who, but just where did you find me from?"
Sarkissian looked into Andrew's eyes and then sat back in his seat. He narrowed his gaze and frowned as if in deep thought. Honestly, Andrew knew that if the guy wanted the plans, he could get them from him. He was a nerd, not a soldier. Something in his face must have shown that because Sarkissian suddenly allowed a small smile to show. "I have contacts everywhere, Mr. Wells. Your name came through some old military channels."
That time, Andrew couldn't stop the small shiver from running through him. Military channels, huh?
Sarkissian held out a hand for the notebook and Andrew numbly handed it over, watching as the man flipped through the book. After a moment, Sarkissian glanced up at the man who had been patiently waiting behind them and nodded. The man left them momentarily but soon returned carrying another case.
"Your money, Mr. Wells." The man stated.
Andrew looked at it and then at the computer the man had in front of him and the notebook that he now held in his hands. Feeling a deep sense of inevitability, Andrew stood up and took the case from the man. "550,000.00, as agreed."
Andrew opened his mouth, about to refuse the offer, when Sarkissian quietly spoke.
"You would do well to take the offer, Mr. Wells. Take it and then forget about it."
Andrew nodded and slung his backpack over his shoulder and hefted the case, feeling his dread building with every second. A horrible feeling of having made a terrible mistake was overwhelming him. Military channels… Andrew turned and walked out of the coffee shop, dreading what he had to do next.
As he walked down the block, he opened his cell phone and hit the speed dial number he had hoped he wouldn't have to call. Listening to the ringing on the other end, he half prayed that no one would answer, but felt his heart leap when they did.
"Willow? It's Andrew. I… I think I just made a big mistake… and I think the Initiative is involved."