DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN MASS EFFECT ONLY MY SELF AND THE PLOT OF THIS FIC...I AM BROKE PEOPLE!

A/n: This is a reminder that this is an A.U. Fic that takes place in the year 2012 so no flames and just read the story to get why it was in the Mass Effect section.

Mass Effect The Immortal Series pt 1.

Mass Effect: Flight of the Normandy

Chapter 6: Those Who Lurk in the Dark

WASHINGTON D.C.

Alexandria Wilcox sat at an open air restaurant enjoying the spring air and waiting for her contact to show up. While she was waiting she was going over the reports from the Challenger Deep Project. The reports were just getting interesting, when suddenly, a shadow came into view, as someone sat down in front of her. Putting down her tablet, she was greeted by the sight of her contact.

"I trust everything went well with our newest addition," he said, getting straight to the point.

"As new as it could be, considering she was a stubborn one," Alexandria replied as she pulled back her painted lips.

"I would expect as much given her profile. Such high levels of element zero is sure to raise some questions. I am surprised she has not unleashed her biotics yet." the man said as he ordered a drink.

"Patience. Remember: you can't bring down an entire excavation team down there. The pressure alone can kill a man instantly." Alexandria knew this conversation and with this man.

"Wilcox, I have yet to see some results of this mission profiles. There have been no reports on weapons systems, if it has any, and any sort of defensive technology has yet to rear its ugly head. Now, I've waited nearly fifty two years since it was first discovered to find if any of sort of technological breakthrough. So far, there have been no results!" her companion stated and Alexandria only smiled.

He was a general from the Pentagon, who demanded that the scientists on the alien vessel find clues to bring it up from the deep for further exploration. However, after years of trying to pull it out of the dirt, it was not happening. The ship, for some reason, was too heavy to move. So they left it at the bottom of the ocean and sent teams to study it, improving submersible technology to help with research into finding out what is on the ship.

It was about 1966 that an unmanned rover had uncovered the door that led into the ship itself. It was barely visible due to the rocks and debris clinging to it. But the unusual cut in the ship's side barely sticking out of the ground was enough to mark a full excavation into the Deep. They had dug into the sea bed to find more of the door into the ship. That was when they started to discover the full size of the ship itself. As they dug into the deep sea rock, and worms that grew around it, the crew encountered numerous problems. The pressure, for one, was a major factor and the freezing temperatures of the ocean itself, was a hindrance in the excavation. It took nearly two months, when it would have taken a few days if the ship was discovered on dry land. But due to the ocean conditions and the surface weather patterns, digging was difficult at best.

It was not until January of 1967, that they manged to make a breakthrough with the door. Now scientists had to discover how to open the door without destroying what was inside the ship. Deep sea sonar readings marked the ship to be quite large. Seismic readings indicated that the ship is about as large as a small vessel, others compared the size to that of a cruise ship. But still, scientists are studying the exact size of the ship.

When they created the first deep sea boarding vessel - one that could open the door to the ship - it was met with many problems. First of all, the ship's design was heavily flawed, not compensating the fact that the door to the ship might swing outwards as compared to inwards. And second, no one designed the ship to be able to withstand the intense pressure of the Challenger Deep. When they managed to finally fix the flaws to the vessel and make that first contact with the ship scientists had to compensate for the door and which direction the door opens. It took some time, but they eventually figured out the door, when one of the observers from the University of Tokyo discovered the means to open the door manually from a remote vehicle. It was doing observations of the ship's integrity when it discovered. The students onboard the vessel on the surface at the time did not know what to make of it. It was when the student who was at the controls, managed to find the button to activate the door, did they finally see how the door opened. In hindsight, it was obvious, once they discovered the markings on the ship indicating the direction of the door. And in April of 1967, a team from N.A.S.A. and their Russian Counterparts finally opened the door.

When they opened the door, however, they met another roadblock in the way of another door. This one was sealed shut with a glowing panel on the front. The scientists quickly figured out it is an airlock, but they hadn't expected it to withstand the pressure of the ocean floor. It took another few months for the scientists to finally manage to open the door, but to do that, they needed to perfect the submersible that would help get scientists onboard the vessel. A lot of preparation had to be done before going further. In November of 1967, they managed to make the first steps onboard the vessel with the first of several submersible designs that would transport people and supplies to the ship.

Several decades later, the scientists had made some astounding discoveries since they first entered the ship. They discovered better ways to communicate, improve computers and make them more portable and even better alternatives to fossil fuels. Though the latter is taking longer to convert, due to the short-term financial view of some countries and many, many corporations. Now, however, the United States and its Allies are prospering at the thought of advanced alien technology to enhance human evolution.

Major funding for the excavation of the vessel came at the discovery of improved weapons modifications. That is why the expedition is also funded by the militaries of many nations. The United Nations and NATO wanted a joint effort into finding improvements for weapons, such as making them lighter and more user friendly. It was those small weapons contributions that has the governments of the world scrambling to bring their best and brightest in for the chance to discover something new for their country. It was a gold mine of opportunities.

"I know that, Wilcox! It is just that in the recent decade, the discovery of weapons improvements have been nearly zilch! All they ever find nowadays is better ways to improve computers," he said.

"Well, that is not a totally loss considering the amount of hackers we have to deal with on a daily basis." Alexandria joked.

"Very funny! And the lack of healthy candidates to activate the alien technology to see their potential, makes my job even harder to maintain," the man said to her.

"Relax, I am sure that our newest recruit will turn up something of interest, if you know what I mean," she said.

The man could only scowl at her, "And how would you know that, Wilcox? So far, all we have is nothing!" the man said, nearly yelling.

Alexandria looked around, noting that people were not paying the slightest attention, which was good, "That girl has the highest amount of element zero to date. The reason the others did not yield enough results is because they did not have enough of it in their blood to get the computers to fully activate. This girl, so far, has not only turned on a few systems, but kept them on by standing in close proximity of those terminals. Now, eventually, she will stumble upon a weapons cache that we can sink our teeth in. Remember, it took us nearly fifty years to come up with what we got today. Tell the brass that those who are patient receive the bigger rewards." With that Alexandria stood out of her chair and walked out. She left the man to pay for the tab as she called a taxi.

Growling, the man paid the tab, before heading out to his own car. He then drove down towards the pentagon to give his report to his superiors. They are not going to like what they they are about to hear.

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA

The current government of Saudi Arabia stands as one of the most advanced in the Middle East. It was what made it to be the most influential in all of the nations. After the discovery of the Alien Vessel, it was one of the first of the Middle Eastern Nations to send scientists to study the advance technology. The National Science Building in Riyadh is home to the most brilliant scientific minds in the Middle East. It is here that the government of Saudi Arabia meets with its chief scientists on the advancements of modern technology in the Arab world. The building itself stands at the University of Arabia's Riyadh campus. Many students come and go from the building, where lectures and discoveries were made to help with the people of the Arab nation. Thanks to the Alien Vessel, new fuel technology is being discovered to help ease Arabia's dependence on crude oil. The King himself wishes to see his nation grow less dependent on oil for its economic growth.

Today marks another day where several people gather for their daily routines at the Science Building. One man in particular walked towards the building after being dropped off by a taxi. He carried with him a briefcase when he climbed up the steps towards the main entrance. His stance and his steps were hurried as he reached the building's entrance. The science building had recently been a hub for political activity. As such, the man wanted to be inside when the meeting between scientists and the government of Arabia began.

When he entered the building, he was already fully aware of the security detail entitled to protect the politicians inside. Going through rigorous security checks and screenings, he finally arrived at his destination: the Science Labs located on the third floor of the building. The area was already crowded; when he entered, his footsteps were lost to the dozens of people that walked down the noisy hallways. Soon enough, he reached his destination: the large doors were guarded by two security guards, both of whom were armed, and waited as they scanned him before allowing him inside.

Opening the door, he found a man in a business suit speaking to one of the lead scientists. This man was finely dressed and the other was clearly in the middle of an experiment when he was interrupted. The man was not too pleased and the argument was clearly not going well. The man who entered stayed to the side, waiting to see the fight's outcome. It was soon clear that the one in the business suit was losing, and the man soon stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

"That did not go very well did it," the man said to the scientist.

The other man gave a jump before holding his chest, "By Allah! Ali, don't scare me like that again!" the other man shouted, clearly not enjoying the exchange. The man, Ali, could only chuckle at his friend's predicament.

"I apologize. I didn't mean to frighten you, my friend," Ali said.

"What brings you here?" the scientists asked, raising his eyebrow in curiosity.

"It is about the latest finds on the deep sea expedition," Ali replied.

"Oh, those! Here, let me show you," the scientist said and proceeded to show Ali to a room. There, he pulled out several reports of findings that they had been recently made on the alien vessel. Handing them to Ali, he also began showing videos from some of the scientists and researchers there. They showed the new technology that was being discovered and how the scientists were trying to see how it works. Ali was fascinated by the reports of such findings. But it was only a distraction, because the scientist reached in to pull out a folder once he came back to his senses. Inside, however, were news that turned Ali's eyes grim and what he saw was not what he wanted to.

"What is this?" Ali asked

"It was made about a week ago. One of our contacts has informed us of this recent induction," he stated.

Ali read the report, not liking what he was finding. Pirates were seen just off the coast of Guam and making attacks on the recent supply shipments to the scientists. The alien tech on those ships was worth millions to buyers on the black market. Ali read about the attacks on several ships, all from different ports. The men used this as a way of making money in South East Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

"Do the other governments know about this?" Ali asked worried. He knew the price of Alien Tech was high, especially those that deal with weapons and medical supplies.

"I am pretty sure they are aware of it, sir. Saudi Arabia is just one of the first countries that is showing worry at the increase of Pirate activity," the scientist said with concern just as Ali turned towards him.

"You seemed worried. Has there been any break-ins or breaches in security lately?" he asked.

"There had been several break-ins but luckily not in this sector of the building. However, they are increasingly getting closer and it has the people here nervous. In fact, last night, there was an attempt to break into the labs upstairs. There was even a fire recently in that area." the scientist replied.

"What were they researching upstairs?" Ali asked.

"They were mostly researching Element Zero's impact on the environment and the strange substance they found in one of the hallways on the ship." the scientist replied.

"Biological research, then," Ali asked.

"Yes, and I fear they will sooner or later hit us," the scientist replied.

"I will make the arrangements, then, to increase security, has there been any terrorist attacks?" he asked.

"So far, no, but we have to be sure security is tight if we are to conduct any research here," the scientist replied.

"I will see to it that it is taken care of. Have a good day," Ali said as he shook the man's hand.

"Thank you, sir, we appreciate it very much," the scientist replied.

Ali walked out of the building. His hands were tied as he held onto the suitcase containing the documents of the research done in the Challenger Deep. As part of the Middle Eastern Science Division, it was his job to ensure that the research that was sent to them was kept safe. The recent attacks on ships out at sea, and the attacks on this building showed that people are desperate to get their hands on alien technology. He would bet his money that one of the countries vying to get their hands on some of the weapons tech was Iran, though likely rogue citizens. Saudi Arabia is one the countries who protested on sharing the knowledge of the Alien Vessel to those third world countries, who had no idea how to deal with such advance tech. He would insure that his country would take the lead in the research, far ahead of their allies. Saudi Arabia will once again become a prominent leader in advanced technology, and would protect its own secrets.

At all costs...

OFF THE COAST OF THE NORTHERN MARIANAS

A lone vessel sat waiting patiently out in the middle of the ocean. The few crew members on its deck walked around, taking care of important duties, while one served as lookout. The lookout suddenly shouted, pointing out to sea as a few smaller vessels approached. Quickly, others joined the current crew on deck, with several sporting guns. When the captain of the vessel approached, they lowered their weapons as he waved them off. He watched as the smaller vessels quickly placed themselves on either side of the larger vessel. A ladder was lowered for them to climb onboard despite the choppy seas. The captain waited as a lone man climbed onboard followed by his body guards and, as they shook hands it was clear to the rest of the crew that the Captain knew this man well.

The man in question was someone with a lot of money and he was not afraid to spend it on something that would further his goals. He was an Asian man with dark skin and equally-dark clothes. He wore army fatigues and a dark green jacket. His sunglasses reflected the bright tropical sun overhead. The sunhat he wore also warded against sunlight. He was dressed for business as well as war. His well tailored demeanor was as sure sign that he was in charge. The men that guarded him quickly fell into line as crew members quickly went back to work on their daily duties.

"What do you have for me!" he demanded as he spoke to the Captain.

The Captain is a well-built European Man. His lightly-tanned skin and dark green eyes were amused as he gestured for the Asian man to follow him. They walked down the narrow hallways into the bow of the ship. The Captain's cabin was just near the stern of the ship, away from the harsh waves. The Captain opened the door and gestured for the Asian man to come inside. When he entered, he was greeted by maps of all sorts around the room. Of course, this was a ship and a Captain needs to know where he is going. Just off to the side was a display with several files and a small laptop computer on a large desk. The desk, of course, was bolted to the floor to prevent anything from slipping and the computer was on a plate that held it in place. The Captain, sat down behind the desk and indicated for the Asian man to sit down. Reaching into his top right desk drawer he pulled something out of it.

"I have something for you," he said and presented a photograph of a ship.

"Where was this taken?" the Asian man asked.

"This was taken just off the coast of Palau. The vessel was docked in order to resupply since its normal port of harbor was hampered down due to a typhoon," the European man said.

The Asian man looked at it in awe, "That is one huge ship,"

"It is," the European man said, "This is the Ocean Odyssey, a research and supply vessel that transports people to and from the ocean floor. It is the same ship the United Nations uses to extract valuable information and research materials from the bottom. Tell me, have you heard about the alien vessel found at the bottom of the ocean?" he asked.

"I have heard stories, but I thought it was all a myth," the Asian replied.

"No, my friend, the ship is real, and this vessel is the one to harvest all the goodies that the scientists down below pick up. I want you to board that vessel and confiscate all the research on it. If possible, take the vessel itself and bring it to me at this location near the northernmost island in the Philippines." he said, showing the Asian man where he was to drop the ship off.

"How much are we talking about?" The Asian man asked.

"Billions on the black market," the European replied, and the Asian man whistled.

"That is a lot of money from one research vessel," the man said.

"We both can get an equal share of the profits, and more, with the amount of research and supplies that thing brings up on a daily basis." the European man said.

"Who is willing to buy this shit?" the Asian man asked.

"All I can tell you is that a lot of people are willing to pay billions of dollars to get that info. They are especially interested in weapons technology, anything that can give them an edge." the European man replied.

The Asian man was intrigued, "So you want me and my men to pursue and capture this vessel and meet you in the Philippines. That is a long way from here my friend," he said, somewhat skeptically.

"But it is well-thought-out. Even if the United Nations found out and pursued you, they will never be able to catch you. You will have hostages and the weapons you gain from your supply will put a hole through even the toughest armor on any navy vessel," the European Man replied.

"It will be done," the Asian man said smiling.

"It better be, I got buyers who are willing to pay billions for those items." the man said, "Oh and by the way," he looked the Asian man directly in the eye, "They also want the people on that vessel alive."

"Why is that?" the Asian man asked.

"Let's just say that those people are worth a lot of money alive," the European man replied.

"Very well, it will be done,"

With that, he got up and went to the drawers behind him, pulling out a folder, which he then handed to the Asian man, "This contains the information needed about the ship in general. Good luck; you will need it."

TBC