Prolog – Sacrifice in the family
They entered the cave, which was found on the other side of the pit. The big hole in the ground led downwards endlessly – at least it seemed so – but thankfully some of these dark, alien, hexagonal pillars were found within it, so that Scott and Liam could jump with their jump-jets at them and then to the other side of the pit.
The number of alien plants increased, this time not the odd yellow or weird blue ones, but the rather grass-like small ones, found on the ground, while they moved through the cave. "Check that out.", Liam said, having gone ahead once again, reaching a bigger chamber of the cave. Light shone from above, right at something which could be best described as young and still small tree, but its leaves – stretching upwards – looked still alien enough for this place.
Still it excited Scott more than the rest he has seen till now. "Now this looks more like the golden world my dad was expecting.", he exclaimed going the short cliff down into the chamber. He found even more green plants here, some of them even looking identical to things he knew from Earth.
"Then…", Liam started asking, following Ryder, "The long-range scans were right? This could've been home?", while they surrounded the tree looking up at it in awe.
"Six-hundred years ago.", Scott agreed, "And then…who knows.", before stopping at the tree.
"How's this even possible?", Liam asked confused, looking at Ryder, but meaning this tree right in the middle of this dangerous environment.
"Extreme example of microclimate, maybe?", Scott suggested, "Shielded by the cave all these years?"
"While the rest of the planet died?", Liam added sounding more dreadful.
Scott nodded. "Something nasty happened out there.", he explained, "But this means there's hope. Life as we know it can thrive in Andromeda.", right before scanning it with his Omni-tool, "If it's anything like plants back in the Milky Way, there are signs of cellular mutation.", while checking the data.
"It's lasted this long.", Liam said jokingly, "Guess that makes it the Alpha-Tree, huh?"
"Yeah.", Scott agreed more serious, "But what happened to all its friends outside?", before looking down and seeing something else in this alien-grass: a ring-shaped device. Inside it was some kind of creature, looking awfully similar to a tick, but as big as a dog. It seemed surrounded by some kind of glass, which forced it into a stasis or perhaps killed it. Ryder scanned it as well, telling the results: "Dead animal here, in some sort of trap. Pretty recent, too."
"You suppose those aliens set it?", Liam asked alarmed.
"If they did, they don't place nice with anyone.", Scott replied sounding sad.
Then they left the chamber on its other side, where a path led upwards and outside of the cave. There they moved upwards even further, so that a cliff appeared to their right side.
Suddenly both of them started to hear something in their Com, some kind scratching. "You hear that?", Liam asked, sounding curious, but also anxious.
"Yeah, radio static.", Ryder replied, before adding, "But like a pattern.", they moved on, slower than before, "That static's getting louder.", till they reached a green pipeline progressing from right to left, right into another cave leading upwards into the mountain. And the closer they came to the cave, the louder the static became.
They entered it, hands close to their pistols. Their steps were cautious, but then they heard a familiar voice: "What do you want?" – it was Greer.
"Nyro rekhet!", an alien voice replied and the two sped up, bowing their upper bodies forward and drawing their pistols.
"I don't understand you!", Greer shouted, "I'm from the Milky Way!", while the two passed many of the blue mushrooms and needed to turn left. Then they saw the situation: two aliens, rifles at the ready and Greer only a rocky wall at his back. The aliens shouted more at him, while he tried to talk with them: "We come in peace! We need help! Our ship crashed and…"
Scott and Liam got into a good position right behind the preoccupied aliens and before they could even turn around, fired at their backs – they didn't stand a chance. Afterwards they rushed to their fellow crewmate, who sounded relieved, when he said: "Thank God. I was tapping my Mic, hoping someone would notice."
"You okay?", Ryder inquired sincerely worried.
"Yeah.", Greer replied thankfully, "Where are the others?"
"You're the second we found.", Liam answered this time, "But Fisher's alive back at the crash site."
"He's got a broken leg and needs help.", Ryder added.
"I'll check around for supplies, then head back.", Greer suggested, meaning the few alien boxes standing around.
"Perhaps we should go back as well.", Ryder replied, crossing his arms, "Don't like that he is all alone out there."
"SOS on frequency 1543.", all of them suddenly heard in their radio, "Anyone there?"
"Shit, that's Hayes!", Greer exclaimed sounding relieved.
"Harper and Ryder here, we read you!", an answer followed, "What's going on?"
"That's Cora.", Scott added, listening very carefully.
"We are getting surrounded!", Hayes replied anxiously, "It's these alien guys you described."
"They seem to have the same problems as us!", Liam exclaimed, gripping his pistol harder.
"Stay put and show these bastards no mercy – they will not do it as well.", Cora replied, "We're on our way!"
We?, Scott thought, Perhaps Sara and Dad are there as well…, he looked towards the other two men, "Can we find out where they are?"
"Wait a moment…", Greer answered, working at his Omni-tool, "I have their Navpoint!"
"Send it us!", Ryder replied, activating his Omni-tool, "Liam and me go help them, you go help Fisher and bring him to this Navpoint."
"Understood.", Greer nodded and sent the Navpoint to them, "Good Luck!"
"You too!", Liam replied and the three separated again, moving out of the cave and to two directions. They needed few minutes, passing several more open parts of the terrain, but in the end as well a small canyon, before they heard the first shots. They quickly drew their weapons and ran to the position: the terrain was a mix of alien grass, rocks, Initiative stuff and the shuttle to their right, while people, as well like aliens, shot at each other. "We outflank them!", Scott suggested, pointing to the left, where the enemy was coming from a landed shuttle. They started firing, while Liam shouted to the radio: "Cora, we've got your back!"
"They're trying to pin us down!", the lieutenant replied, not really reacting to the origin of the words.
"Doing a good job of it, too!", Hayes added.
The suggested tactic of the two worked: the enemy was completely surprised being shot at from its right flank. One by one Scott and Liam could bring the enemies down, while the ones avoiding their fire got into the range of the other team members, shooting them down like dogs. Also some of these beasts with the cloaking device appeared, but they were outnumbered still.
When the last enemy went down, Liam exclaimed relieved: "Well that settled that."
"Cavalry to the rescue.", Doctor Carlyle reported in the radio, while the two left their cover and moved towards the shuttle, "Nice to see you guys."
"You too, Harry.", Ryder answered, while looking at the survivors, "How is everyone?"
"Still in one piece.", Cora replied catching her breath, "You got here just in time."
When they had come close enough another woman of the team separated from the others and came closer to Scott very quickly. Without a warning she hugged him. "I knew you live, Scott.", Sara said, sounding really relieved.
The other Ryder smirked. "Thought I forgot our bet?", he asked amused, while she let him go slowly, "Got a good story?"
"You can bet on that.", Sara replied smirking as well. She turned around, while Scott looked at Cora, asking her: "Where's our dad?"
"He went scouting ahead, while we tried to find you and repair the shuttle.", Cora replied, before noticing the fact, that Scott held only a pistol in his holster, "Ryder, there's weapons and ammo at the shuttle. Stock up."
Scott went to the shuttle, grabbing a M-23 Katana-Shotgun and some thermal clips, while asking: "Did these things try talking to you at all?"
"Barely a word, then started shooting.", Sara explained, "They killed Kirkland, while we looked for you. Did you have such a bad experience as well?"
"We tried being nice.", Scott answered, while testing the Katana, "They didn't play along."
Everyone looked up when the whirlwind sent another impulse along the way. "Oh hell…", Hayes shouted, "Enemy ship on the way!", pointing at a shuttle moving in on the other side of this terrain.
"Get to cover!", Cora ordered lifting her weapon like everyone else, "Go, go!", the shuttle started floating above the ground instead of landing, while its doors opened, "Here they come!"
"They got balls to try an airdrop!", Liam exclaimed, while the first enemies jumped down, getting shot at from the Pathfinder Team. Liam even threw a grenade at the hostile position, with horrifying result for the enemy. Scott met one enemy too close to their line of defense and mowed him down with one shot of his shotgun, before retreating behind the closest rock for cover. One moment later an explosion hit the terrain, when the hostile shuttle started shaking and falling down, into another valley on the other side of this plateau.
"Ha!", Dr. Carlyle exclaimed, "Lightning zapped their shuttle!", and his voice sounded victorious, before adding a little less enthusiastic, "I can't get a bead on those things!" Despite losing their shuttle, the number of the enemy's soldiers was still quite alarming and they tried to encircle the team.
Scott shot another enemy with his shotgun, right before two more appeared behind their fallen comrade, aiming at him. Shit…he still thought, right before a lightning hit the ground in front of them, sending the two enemies flying and burning. That was close.
Sara had her own problems on the other side of the plateau, hitting the enemies with spreading fire of her Avenger. Liam was using a shotgun close to her, while Cora held the center with the help of Hayes, Fisher and Carlyle. "Incoming!", Liam shouted, when another shuttle appeared, where the last one went down.
"There is too many of them!", Hayes exclaimed, sounding a little bit in panic, when seeing more enemies jumping down from the shuttle.
"Just keep firing!", Cora replied determined, "We can do this!"
Scott shot down one of the cloaked beasts, before switching a thermal clip of his shotgun. In the meantime he looked at the hostile's drop position, seeing the last enemy jumping down from the retreating shuttle: he was bigger than the rest, looking like pure bone-muscle and in his hands he held something like a minigun, which he fired at his enemies, forcing everyone behind cover. Shit…this becomes really dangerous…he thought, before changing to his pistol and firing from the distance at one of the approaching enemies.
Sara started firing at the big guy, because he didn't hide behind cover. The reason for this was shown quickly: he had a shield like the Pathfinder team. She fired a full barrage at the guy, before needing to throw out another thermal clip and replacing it behind cover. Then Liam threw a grenade at the enemy, who started firing with his minigun again, forcing everyone else into cover – the grenade didn't explode close to him, but still hit another enemy. When the big guy needed to reload his minigun, Sara fired at him and broke his shields. "Finally!", Liam exclaimed and fired at him till he was forced to take cover as well like his fellow comrades.
Scott used this opportunity to fire his shotgun at a nearby enemy, before switching to his pistol and firing a bullet into the head of the big guy – despite hitting, he was still standing and looked at this Ryder now. Shit, I really pissed him off…Scott thought, when the barrage of the minigun was fired at him and he needed to hide behind cover.
But luckily not for long: Sara and Liam fired at him from the other side, hitting him several times and slowly, but steadily he went down. Few more bullets in the head and they have finished him off. Then it didn't take long till the last enemy fell and the defense ended up successfully.
Liam went to the last enemy, who fell, and started shooting at him, even despite being dead. "Liam!", Cora shouted at him, "Enough!"
Liam stopped reluctantly. "Right.", he said sounding angry, "It's just…these assholes really killed Kirkland?! Damn!"
"Stay pissed.", Scott joined this conversation, feeling that Liam could use some working off now when they seem to be save instead of later, with enemies close by, "Use it."
"Will do.", Liam only answered and shot few more times at the corpse.
"Just remember.", Sara joined the conversation, much calmer, "We need that ammo."
"Strangle them if I have to.", Liam replied grudgingly.
Cora sighed and turned to Scott. "What about the others?", she asked worried.
"Fisher's wounded but sitting tight.", Scott replied, "Greer's with him…tough our shuttle's in pieces."
"Guys…", a weak voice from behind said and everyone turned around: Carlyle was holding Hayes, who seemed to have problems standing, while holding her belly. "She's been hit!", he confirmed the scene, while helping her down on the ground.
Suddenly blue sparks appeared around the two and flashes rose up. Rocks started floating like when a lightning strikes down on the ground. Oh no…Scott could still think, before shouting: "Take cover!", but the two didn't move, horror on their faces. Cora reacted quickly, running to them and standing beside them, stretching an arm up into the air – one moment before a lilac barrier appeared around all three, absorbing the power of the incoming lightning strike.
Everyone looked at her with disbelief. "I didn't know you were biotic.", Liam said what everyone was thinking.
Cora looked at him, while the others were coming back. "Don't worry.", she replied, sounding defensive all of the sudden, "It's not contagious."
"I didn't want to…imply…", Liam tried to explain himself, but failing.
"I said don't worry.", Cora repeated herself, before turning around to the two, "Are you okay?"
"Felt better.", Hayes replied first, before adding, "Before they attacked, I…", she needed to cough, "…managed to fix our Coms."
"You're a lifesaver.", Sara replied, coming closer as well, "Now just take it easy."
Scott activated his Omni-tool in the meantime, asking into the air: "SAM, are you there?"
It took a moment, but the answer came: "…QEC link established.", SAM replied with his typical monotonous voice, "Affirmative, Scott. The Pathfinder needs to speak with you.", one moment later a Holo-screen appeared above the tool, showing the helmeted face of Alec Ryder, "Good to see you in one piece.", he said with his calm voice, "What's our status?"
"Liam and I reached your shuttle.", he answered, while the others activated their tools as well to listen what was said, before Cora added, "We have wounded crew. The good news is our shuttle's been repaired. We can get back to the Ark."
The Pathfinder shook his head. "Not with these storms.", he explained, "It's too risky to fly."
"Our wounded can't wait much longer.", Sara joined the conversation, "Do you have something in mind?"
"If the storm is the problem…", Alec Ryder replied, sounding literally as if he would nod, "…then let's solve the problem."
"We're talking about weather.", Scott commented perplexed.
"And I have an idea about that.", Ryder interrupted him from further talking, "Rendezvous at my coordinates, we'll-", he stopped suddenly and turned around, "Damn it. They've spotted me.", and one moment later the connection was cut off.
"Sir?", Cora asked, first calm, then a little bit more in panic, "Sir?!", she looked at Doctor Carlyle and Hayes, as well like the others surrounding her, "Can you two manage alone?"
"I can keep her stable.", the doctor replied, before adding, "For a while."
Cora nodded, before turning to the Ryders and Liam. "Let's move.", she ordered and moved ahead, asking aloud, "SAM, do you have the Pathfinder's position?"
"Marking the navpoint on your maps.", the VI replied as always.
"Doesn't look far.", Cora looked at the map on her tool, "Let's make this quick. We have to get there before the storm hits. No detours."
"What was my dad scouting for?", Scott asked, following the lieutenant as the first one, while the other two closed the gap.
"He was trying to get readings on that tower.", Sara replied first.
"Well, the navpoint puts him near it.", Liam added.
"Exercise caution.", SAM warned them, "The storm front is already gaining intensity."
"Nice to have you back, SAM.", Scott said sounding a little bit sarcastic, "How about some good news next time?"
They moved down along a ramp, having the shape of a spiral along the mountain wall on the left, while a pit was found on the right once again. Sometimes they needed to jump down some cliffs or across some gaps as well, but thanks to the jump-jets they were no hindrance. Finally they reached a spot filled with boxes and equipment of the aliens and working lightning rods. They found something else here as well.
"Dead bodies here.", Cora informed the others, "Lightning didn't do this."
"Neither did we.", Liam added, "This is more than we took out."
"Incendiary rounds.", Scott realized after checking one of the corpses, "My dad's been busy."
"He was an N7.", Sara added, "They don't mess around.", before they reached a tunnel through the mountain to their left. They needed to use jump-jets to get up, but they did it quickly.
They stepped on plates out of the dark material, like the pillars. They were hexagonal as well, being dark beside the green-blue shining lines painted on them. Not far ahead a person was crouching down, wearing a black suit with red lines, which Cora recognized immediately: "Sir…"
He stretched his arm out backwards, without looking back, ordering them almost whispered: "Stay low.", and the four crouched down as well, before getting closer with him to a cliff, from where they could look downwards into a valley close to another pit. Inside this valley were structures, real buildings like the one Sara and Cora had found, but all of them were behind a tall, blue-transparent shield. This shield emitted from pillars in the same shape like the buildings, standing away from each other within regular intervals. Also there were more of the lightning rods and the flashes hitting into them were much stronger than any lightning seen since landing. In front of the shield, covered by these rods, were the aliens, armed and obviously on guard and patrol duty.
"Who are these guys?", Cora asked, on the one hand annoyed, on the other curious.
"Visitors.", the Pathfinder answered, surprising everyone with an actual answer, "Just like us. I don't think they're native to the planet."
"They're not.", Sara agreed, "We found an abandoned lab. Like they've been studying the place."
Alec looked back towards her, for a moment, before replying: "Good work. You actually did some scouting."
That annoyed Sara. "You didn't think I would?", she asked appropriately.
Instead of answering Alex replied with a proverb: "You never know what people are made of, not until everything goes wrong."
Scott smirked, replying: "Plenty of that on this mission.", he agreed on that.
"Sir.", Cora interrupted the family bonding, "You said you had an idea about the weather?"
The Pathfinder turned towards her. "It's the dark energy cloud the Hyperion hit.", he explained, "It's affecting the whole planet, interfering with that…", pointing right at the tower at the end of the alien building complex.
"The tower is caught in a feedback loop with the cloud.", SAM added further explanation, "Together, they're disrupting the entire climate with undirected energy."
"It would explain a cave we found.", Scott realized, "Plant life sheltered from the storm…from that tower."
"It's a good bet.", Alec replied, nodding, "And I think if we can get in there and shut the tower down…"
"The lightning goes away.", Liam finished the sentence.
"And the shuttle can get us out of here.", Ryder Senior added agreeing, "In theory. We just have to get past them…"
"We're banking on science we don't really understand.", Sara tossed in, "What if the theory's wrong?"
"The alternative is an 85% chance of death from lightning strike, capture, or worse.", SAM answered that question, while Alec started using his Omni-tool, before looking back to her, with a face telling: 'Got an answer?'
"Well, when you put it that way…", Sara said, not knowing what else to say.
"No illusions about this.", the Pathfinder continued looking back towards the goal, "It'll be a nasty fight the whole way."
"Beats getting fried by lightning.", Cora warned, "But we risk turning a skirmish with these guys into something worse."
"It's them or us.", Alec replied nodding.
"Oh it's them.", Liam assured, "Problem is we're outnumbered."
"I've been working on that.", the Pathfinder replied confidently, "We just need to change the math.", before activating his tool once again and waiting for the right timing and then he pushed a button.
Suddenly one of the rods exploded, then another and more till the lightning shield was gone. The aliens on the ground, first ready to fight an attacker, realized quickly, that their big shield was vulnerable as well and it didn't take long till the first flashes hit the barrier towers, disabling the shield. Without hesitation the Pathfinder used his jump-jet to jump down, right in between the still shocked enemy. "Works for me.", Liam commented, before following him, as well like the rest one by one.
When Scott started running across the terrain, several of the enemies were already dead, shot by his father or hit by a lightning, so that the path to the broken barrier towers was less troublesome. But after that further enemies appeared, luckily not prepared for an all-out-assault by the team – they fell quicker than finding cover in time. "Get into that building!", the Pathfinder commanded, "We don't want to get bogged down out here!", and set an example, by running an enemy over, getting on the elevated road of the aliens and shooting his way inside the first building. It looks so easy watching an N7…Scott thought partly amused, partly worried about his own skill set.
Another impulse was felt from the whirlwind above the tower, much stronger and louder than earlier ones. The remaining team members got on the elevated road as well, hiding behind the thick railings for cover, while advancing with each fallen enemy. Sara went a ramp up first, weapon at the ready, leading towards the next building's entrance, passing corpses made by her own father. "Keep the momentum up!", the pathfinder reminded the others via radio, "Don't let them get the drop on you!", while they left the second building and went another ramp up, shooting an approaching enemy, before he could fire back.
They reached the upper roads, seeing the Pathfinder hiding behind boxes on the left road, right before jumping into the next crowd of enemies with his jump-jet, surprising everyone of them. "Have to keep an eye on our flank!", Liam reminded in the radio, but the Pathfinder, having already dealt with the hostile presence negated that: "Not if we keep moving forward! Don't let them catch us!"
Scott, Sara and the others started sprinting across the left road, while Liam asked in between breathing: "How's your dad doing all this? He's like a machine!"
"No idea.", Scott replied, while a gap appeared in front of them, cutting them off from the Pathfinder, "But it's working!", one moment before jumping over it with the jet.
"Ready?", Alec Ryder asked at a closed door, "Let's get inside there.", and after some shooting, "It's not far away anymore!"
"Where are we going?", Sara asked in between breathing and firing.
"All the way up to the top!", the Pathfinder replied enthusiastically, while pushing and smashing an enemy with Biotics.
"And then what?", Scott joined the conversation after having dealt with an enemy by using the butt of his shotgun.
"We'll know when we get there!", Ryder Senior replied only and pushed forward again.
"Don't stop!", Cora added, killing an enemy by hitting the head, "If we fall behind, we're dead!"
They reached a room, where the only path led upwards – thankfully some boxes were found right there, so that the team could use them as stairs with the help of their jets. At the top a opened door to the left led to another bridge road, but a longish window to its right allowed the enemy on the bridge to shoot inside the building – but it allowed the team to shoot outside as well, after getting into cover at the lower end of the window. Not much later the first enemies were already down and the Pathfinder was on the road, pushing forward once again.
"The storm is getting worse!", Sara warned the others, trying to follow the Pathfinder.
"We'll lose our chance if we don't beat it!", Ryder Senior replied, "Come on!", and a moment later a lightning hit an enemy in their way, sending the corpse flying downwards.
"Hell yeah!", Liam yelled, "Lightning's finally on our side!"
"Until it's not!", Cora warned him, but joining him run across the road bridge anyway. They finally reached a bigger platform, right in front of the tower, which was rising up into the air to their right.
"This looks like a control center.", the Pathfinder informed them, checking some of the devices at site already, "Keep an eye out for more coming up behind."
"We made it! In one piece!", Liam exclaimed, while the team split up: Sara and Liam stayed behind to keep any incoming enemy covered coming from the way, they've come from, while Cora and Scott pushed forward to cover an identical looking bridge like the one behind them.
"Not over yet.", Ryder Senior reminded them, leaving the devices and going closer to the tower, which seemingly owned a gate like the one from the church structure, "I need to get through that door over there!", before stopping at some kind of triangular panel, looking awfully similar to the design of the tower, "I need to decipher the language."
Well nothing easier than that…Scott thought getting behind cover and looking out for enemy's approaching. And the aliens didn't let them wait for long, attacking from both sides, once successively and then together. The hostile fire was enormous, but this time the enemy needed to advance, leaving cover behind and allowing the team members to shoot them, grenade them or biotic them down.
"They mean business!", Cora shouted into the Com, "Keep them off your dad!"
"Analyzing possible inputs.", SAM informed everyone, "Twenty-five percent decrypted."
Big Guys appeared, once again being armed with shields and miniguns. Their fire always forced at least one of the two defenders for each side to hide behind cover, while the other tried to get rid of these guys. Worse than the situation at the shuttle was the fact, that this time they looked for cover as well. Bad timing to learn from your mistakes…Scott cursed mentally, shooting at the approaching enemies.
"Well?", Ryder Senior asked, impatiently.
"Fifty-percent decrypted.", SAM answered promptly, "It's an unusually complicated syntax."
"I can see that.", the Pathfinder checked the data, "Try a recursive search."
"I will need a moment to evaluate the pattern.", SAM replied.
"We only have a moment.", Ryder Senior reminded him, "Do it."
Sara was shooting down one of the beasts right now, which had tried to sneak behind her, but her shields have saved her in time. Liam threw a grenade at one of the big guys, catapulting him right forward, letting him crash close to her. His shields were destroyed luckily, and Sara aimed for the head, shooting several times till he didn't move anymore.
"Sir, any progress?", Cora asked, after pushing another enemy down with the butt of her rifle.
"Decryption is 75% complete.", SAM answered for the Pathfinder, before Ryder Senior added, "We've almost got it!"
Further enemies went down and the team realized something. "Just a little longer!", Cora shouted, seeing it as the first one, "They're falling back!"
"Could be regrouping for another push!", Liam suggested, before adding warningly, "Stay sharp."
But he ended up wrong: the enemy was really retreating right now, seemingly having lost all moral after losing so many soldiers during the fight. Still some of them fought on and the team tried to push them back at all costs.
"Decryption complete.", SAM informed the others.
"That did it!", Ryder Senior shouted happily, "It's a security override – I'll try to open the door from here!", before adding annoyed, "Ah damn – it's jammed! I need to take a look at it!", before running right at the gate. Few moments later he shouted: "Sara, I need your help over here!", because she was the closest, "We need to get this door open!"
Sara ran to her father, seeing that there was a gap in the middle of the gate and Ryder Senior tried to push it up with pure muscle power. Sara joined him at the other side and together they started pushing.
"Put your back into it!", the Pathfinder instructed and the gate slowly, but still resisting moved upwards, into the wall of the tower.
"You really think we can shut this thing down?", Sara asked, in between breathing, hearing further shots in the background – seemingly the enemy wasn't done yet.
"I don't know yet.", Alec admitted, "SAM has decoded part of the language.", while going down now to push the lower part of the gate down, "Now we'll see if I can have a conversation.", whereby he said the last part after opening the gate far enough to enter the room inside.
"Who do you plan on talking to?", Sara asked confused.
Alec turned his head towards her. "More like 'what'.", he explained, "I think it's automated.", before entering a wide, but short corridor. At the end of it, quite in the middle of the tower like it seemed, was a blue triangle floating in the air. And in the middle of the triangle was another one, shining bluish and fed by the three corners of the outer triangle, which were shining as well.
"Come on.", Alec invited Sara after stopping for a moment, "These are the moments that make it all worthwhile.", and Sara followed her father.
After reaching the floating triangles, the Pathfinder ordered: "SAM, begin translating."
"A moment.", the VI answered monotonously, while the two Ryders looked at the shining triangle in the middle, "Indexing.", its blue shining pattern seemed to vibrate and quiet noises could be heard, "Translation complete."
"Let's see what we have.", Ryder Senior said, stretching his arm with the activated tool towards the triangle and orange dots appeared around his hand, before a cloudy version of a network appeared as well. It became bigger and bigger the more time passed.
It looks like…a cluster…Sara thought looking at the appearing network, …and is this cloud…this dark energy phenomenon?
Before she could think more about that the projection of the tool disappeared and the lights at the corners of the outer triangle began shining brighter. One moment later another triangle, consisting out of light appeared around them, bigger than the first two and surrounding both of them easily. The two felt another impulse from the storm above them, but then the vibration stopped as if the technology stopped working suddenly.
Sara turned around as the first, going outside slowly. The storm was gone, as well like the remaining enemies and bright sun light was shining down on the platform of the aliens, while Alec Ryder followed his daughter. "I'll be damned…it's working!", Sara exclaimed almost, when her father reached her, "You did it."
He put his hand on her shoulder. "There's hope, at least.", he replied.
"This is more than hope.", Sara disagreed, "It's proof we weren't crazy. We can fly to a whole new galaxy and still make sense of things."
"SAM had a little something to do with it.", Alec Ryder reminded her.
"It was simply a matter of linguistics.", SAM sounded almost humbly, "Though I am pleased to have-"
Suddenly they heard something from behind and turned around: a bright white fog-wall was rushing right at them from the interior of the tower. Before one of them could even react, it hit them, throwing them backwards with such a force, that they couldn't even hold each other on the platform, falling down into the pit.
"SARA!", Scott yelled still, seeing what was happening, "DAD! NOO!", but it was too late – both of them were gone.
"Mass Effect Andromeda", all copyrights reserved for Bioware and Electronic Arts
But the changes are mine.
Author's comment:
And so the New Earth-Part ends ^^
I hope you liked it and want to review it.