Even Millions of Light Years…
Chapter 1- Sinister Motives
2183CE
Two weeks after the Battle of the Citadel
The Illusive Man, founder and Main Operator of Cerberus, sat in his chair within the command room of Cronos Station.
To his back was a gigantic window allowing a view of the gargantuan red giant star, which illuminated the room by a small degree thanks to the black tiles making up the floor and ceiling.
The Main Operator's black hair was graying in spots and contrasted against his fair skin, glowing sickly blue eyes focused on the holographic quantum entanglement communication, often shortened to QEC, image in front of him. And he held a lit cigar between his index and middle fingers.
His choice of clothing was simple yet spoke of his position- a black suit with a white collar inclusive of matching pants, his shoes had the same inky blackness.
He tapped the cigar once on the armrest mounted ashtray to knock off some stuck ash while keeping his calculating glowing eyes focused on the hologram of the man standing in front of him. "Operator Orpheus Dunkel, I have heard...disturbing reports regarding this 'Geth Dreadnought' the council says attacked the Citadel from my operatives hidden in the Alliance and elsewhere."
Operator Orpheus stood at attention. The man's blond hair, gray eyes, and fair skin along with his white, yellow, and black Cerberus standard-issue armor were tinted blue by the holographic projection. "Sir, I am afraid those reports are correct. The Citadel Council is covering it up, saying it was all the Geth and that these 'Reapers' are just a hoax. But from my time among the Benefactors, the Reapers are a real threat, and they believe Commander Hana Shepard. And are putting even more investment into the Andromeda Initiative." He paused to breath deep and exhale. "There will be five Arks. But the Benefactors are in fact going to launch more, without the knowledge of the rest of the Andromeda Initiative."
The Illusive Man lowered his head for a moment. "Continue your mission. And ensure Humanity's survival and dominance in Andromeda. We can't allow the aliens to rule us in Andromeda if we fail to stop the Reapers here. And its not just the ones going with us we should worry about, but any potential native sentient species in the new galaxy."
Orpheus smiled. "On it. Anything to ensure Humanity survives and thrives, and stays on top; even in another galaxy." The holographic image blinked out.
The Illusive Man swiveled his chair around to face the star, and brought his cigar to his mouth and sucked on it, drawing the smoke into his lungs, held his breath for a moment, and exhaled. He once again held the cigar over the ashtray, shaking once to dislodge some more ash.
Intriguing times we live in. Ensuring Humanity's survival, strength, and power in another galaxy. A challenge I welcome.
These 'Reapers' were an immense concern. The only way to beat them may be to use their own technology against them. And these Benefactors...even my best operatives don't have as much information on them as I'd like. But with Humanity's survival on the line, chances must be taken.
2186 CE
Thirteen days before the Reapers reach Earth.
Operator Orpheus rubbed his eyes. It wasn't exhaustion, he had just felt something. A whispering he couldn't identify.
At first his paranoid mind thought it was the fact he had been near Reaper technology, but the rational part of his mind argued that he wasn't near it long enough to cause Indoctrination, and to not think on it too much.
He walked down the white halls to the QEC connecting to Cronos Station, and entered the room with the pedestal. When he stepped on it, the blue holographic 'glass' rose up around him, the surroundings of the command room appeared with the Illusive Man in his seat.
His focused eyes were on Orpheus. "I assume the Ark is prepared for departure? I hear disturbing reports. And I keep having visions, dreams. I do not know exactly what it means, but the Ark has to leave soon if we are to keep Humanity dominant in Andromeda."
Orpheus nodded once. "It is almost prepared for launch. Just a few more need to board, myself included, and we're ready to go."
The Illusive Man allowed a smile to grace his face. "Good. Make your preparations, and go at once. Make Humanity strong, keep them strong."
Orpheus grinned. "I shall." A long silence. "It was an honor serving with you, with Cerberus. And I will continue our mission in Andromeda."
The Illusive Man tapped his cigar in the ashtray. "Likewise."
Orpheus ended the QEC transmission with a command from his orange arm mounted omni-tool. He stood for a moment, before turning and walking down the halls.
As he neared the large set of double automatic sliding doors leading to the hangar bay, he heard the whispering and halted. It was louder this time, like it was right next to his ear. Again...must need sleep. Glad I am getting a six hundred and thirty something years long nap.
He entered the hangar bay, the only one on the space station in a star system not on any star charts. And looked out into the space beyond the blue energy field holding the atmosphere in.
Far beyond was the Ark, which he had named himself. The Cradle of Humanity. Home to fifty thousand Humans for the next six centuries and over thirty years. It was sleek, but wasn't flower shaped with four prongs like the five Arks that were known to the rest of the Andromeda Initiative at the start. Rather, it was more like a flying rectangle with six prongs at the rear, three at the top and bottom.
Orpheus boarded the waiting UT-47 Kodiak Drop shuttle. It was pretty much a flying brick with thrusters, mass effect fields which were critical in allowing flight; and painted in yellow, white, and black Cerberus livery. "Apologies if I kept you waiting." He headed to a nearby seat, sat down, and strapped himself in.
The female pilot, Human as well and dressed in a full Cerberus issue pilot suit inclusive of helmet with face concealing visor, answered. "No problem, I was in awe myself when I saw it first time."
The Operator looked to the waiting Ark. "Take us there now."
"On it." The Human pilot pressed some buttons, the hatch closed, and the shuttle shot out into space towards the Ark.
When they neared one of the hangar bays, the massive size of the over two kilometer long vessel; twice the size of the first Arks, became apparent.
The pilot guided the shuttle into the hangar bay and landed gently.
Orpheus undid his restraints and stood up. "Thank you."
The pilot looked back to him. "No problem."
Orpheus left the shuttle and stepped on the hangar deck.
A Human woman approached him. She was white haired with a light brown skin tone and green eyes dressed in a black and white uniform with the Cerberus insignia on the chest area. "Doctor Aoife Teague here. You are here. Good. Everyone is on board now. We're ready for departure."
Operator Orpheus nodded with a smile. "Good. Then we can get underway."
Aoife glanced at him. "Anything you need to do? Otherwise I need to prepare you for stasis."
The Operator nodded. "I need to do one more thing. In the command center." They walked to the tram and entered. One press of the 'command center' on the holographic screen at the front sent the tram along its way on the tracks to the selected destination.
When they arrived, Operator Orpheus left first, with Teague trailing behind him.
It wasn't long before they walked through the door to the command center, staffed only with Human Cerberus crew.
Orpheus turned to another man at a control console. "Have you set the wake-up for key personnel to one year before arrival in Andromeda?"
The man turned to him. He was dressed in the same uniform as Aoife with extremely pale skin, purple eyes, and artificially dyed blue hair. "I have, sir. Double checked, triple checked even."
Orpheus smiled. "Good. We can't screw up." He turned to Teague. "Let's go, I really need to take a nap before I start going crazy from lack of sleep."
Aoife nodded once, and with that she and the Operator departed for the tram, which would take them to the stasis pod bays.
Consciousness gradually returned to Operative Orpheus. Blackness followed by gradual feeling, hearing, and sight returning. Even the cold faded, he was thawed out.
When he heard the pod hatch open, his eyes followed suit. And he was greeted by not just the dim lighting of the stasis room, but by Aoife as well. "We're a year out, are we?"
Aoife nodded with a gentle smile. "Yes, we are."
"Good." Operator Orpheus climbed out of his stasis pod, and stretched. "It worked." He observed other waking crew members, all Cerberus like him. And recognized, among them, the man he had talked to over six hundred years ago, but felt like less than an hour ago.
Fifty thousand Humans slept in their pods still. And that wasn't all, hundreds of thousands of different aliens, at least twenty thousand of each known species they could acquire still slept in stasis pods. They were put in cryo-sleep elsewhere, believing they'd be transported to Ark ships to leave to another galaxy.
How wrong those foolish aliens were. He and his crew weren't saving them. No. The Humans were the ones who would sleep until they reached Andromeda, safe and sound.
Orpheus heard the whispering again, but it sounded quieter, more subtle, warm and embracing.
He grinned wickedly. The non-Humans would never reach Andromeda. "The experiments start...now."
A/N- Feedback is appreciated!