18 – Javik (1)

''... Reapers?'' Veronica and John looked confused, while Miranda looked horrified.

'' The Reapers are real?'' She knew the 'hidden story', as the father told her the folklore about the reapers. A race/species that come to the galaxy, wipes out all intelligent life, then leaves just to repeat the cycle after 50.000 years.

Apparently, they had no reason to do it, and Miranda thought it was just right, as they didn't need a reason because they were a fairytale. But now, that worldview of hers shattered in a million pieces, as the Protheans and Samael didn't have a reason to lie to them.

Samael took this opportunity to reveal a few hidden cards. He wanted to ensure Miranda's total loyalty as well as inform his crew about the things they would have to face in the future. '' They are very real... And they are coming.''

Miranda started to tremble a little. She asked with trepidation in her voice.

''Are you sure?''

''100%. RR, tell them what we found about the Reapers.''

'' Leave it to me.'' RR then told the lie she and Samael reversal exactly for this moment, '' Many, many years ago when Samael was just a child, he ran into something like this in the middle of the place where he lived.''

RR showed a holographic photo of a Prothean beacon, the same one Shepard ran into in the first Mass Effect game, just that it was in the middle of Earth and not Eden Prime.

Miranda, through her small but precise knowledge of the Prothean race, said, '' Is that a Prothan Beacon? If so, the effects were still unknown to the galaxy.''

'' Not to me. RR, please continue.''

'' When he found it, he had an urge to touch the thing, and against his instincts, he did it. Soon afterward, he had a vision of the past and what would become the future if he didn't intervene.''

''... What did you see?'' Veronica asked with a voice filled with concern for Samael. She could not imagine what he saw at such a young age.

'That must be the reason he has been different from others since childhood. He saw something he should not have seen.'

While not intentional, Samael's lie helped him to a point he didn't know he needed.

While he had tried to say in one of the cycles, about his reincarnation and about the Reapers sooner than normal, no one believed him. So, he refrained himself, and 'studied' since then to have a convincing story when needed.

And it was working to a T.

'' Death and destruction caused by huge machines. They didn't let anyone live, no matter if it was kids, old men, or animals. Everything that stood their way was annihilated.'' Samael then looked at Javik. '' He should be the last Prothean alive, as I saw them get exterminated. Since the day I saw that, I began to prepare.''

Miranda asked the question everyone was afraid to ask. She knew the answer, but she didn't want to hear it.'' For what?''

Samael did his best to convey his true feelings. He was a little apprehensive about the war that was coming, as even though he had won more than he lost, this was his final chance to save his loved ones.

'' The Reapers, the same machines that made the Protheans, an entire race, only have one survivor, are coming.'' He looked at the trio, who didn't know that before. '' And it's our time to get 'cleaned.'''

--

The atmosphere after that was bad after learning all that. The trio wanted to believe Samuel was lying, but from what they knew about him, he rarely did lie.

''... What do we do now?''

Miranda asked in a voice with mixed emotions. Just a few minutes ago, she was excited to be one of the first people to find a Prothean alive, but now she is hit with the fact that a deadly race/species is coming to exterminate all intelligent life in the galaxy.

The worst part of it all is that, based on the folklore behind the Reapers, they would most likely be successful this time too, as they are supposed more advanced than the whole galaxy combined.

''Actually, nothing changed at all, besides the fact we found Javik.''

Samael's voice was calm, even though he 'just' found out there was going to be an attack in the galaxy.

Miranda found that odd and asked, '' Care to explain?''

'' As I said before, from the very beginning, everything I did was in preparation for them.'' Miranda now knew who 'them' were, and Samael continued talking. '' Everything that I will do in the future is also to face them. So, if you trust in me, please believe in me when I say we can stop them. It will be, though, but we can do it.''

Silence dominated the place as Veronica, Miranda, and John tried to digest everything they just learned.

But, the pieces slowly started to piece together and a lot of what Samael said made sense. It would also explain a lot of things regarding him, LD, and the products he created.

Samael knew that this was a lot for them to take in, but he knew, based on his experiences with past cycles, that it was better for people to know of this earlier, and the more people who knew and believed it, the better for him, as the Council always wanted more 'proof' about the Reapers existence.

And the longer they waited to believe him, the worse the odds of them surviving, as the galaxy would not unite on time. Besides all that, he would still need Shepard to be the spearhead of it all, while he worked on the shadows to help her.

Samael almost began to curse it out loud, remembering the ordeal he went through in others cycles to make them believe him earlier than normal, failing more times than not, but he said to the trio,'' You don't have to believe what I told, hell, even if I wish it was a lie. But at least trust me and in what I do. The future will tell you if I'm right or not.''

Of course, the first one to answer was Veronica,'' Suddenly, everything you did when you were a child makes sense now. The way you defeated an adult as a child and trained me and others are all thanks to the Prothean Beacon and what it showed you. It turns out, you were preparing us for this... As always, you can count on me forever.''

'' Thanks.'' Samael was glad about Veronica's pledge. She always had his back, and he appreciated that.

''... I have no reason to doubt you.'' John sounded a little defeated, but he asked, '' Is it thanks to the Prothean Beacon you found on earth that you found this place right?''

Another lie that was helping him, and Samael wasn't going to refuse help, ''...Yes.''

John made an 'I knew it' face. '' I'm already deep with you, so helping you against those Reapers that would also destroy Earth is no big deal.''

'' Thank you.''

For last, Miranda, who used the time the others were talking to make some calculations about what she knew about Samael and what he did in the past, arrived at the conclusion that he wasn't lying, meaning everything he did was really to stop the reapers.

Of course, he made money along the way and also dominated the Earth market, but that was also planned from the beginning. After all, while money is good, what you do with it is what counts in the end.

And based on what she knew, he used it splendidly, as now he has a lot of companies under him that could help him achieve this ... impossible goal of his.

'' I'll help you with everything that I have.''

She didn't know if Samael saving her was also thanks to that, but it didn't really matter. Now that she knew about the incoming threat, she was going to help regardless.

'' Thanks... Now, let's leave this place with our new friend and tell the rest what we found.''

The quartet plus RR carried the stasis pod where Javik was outside the base. They covered it with something just in case someone had trespassed and was filming.

Thankfully, when they got out, only their crew was there. They reacted a bit oddly when they saw them carrying something out.

''Did they find something good?''

'' Maybe some relics?''

'' Dude, look at the things they are carrying. That is clearly a pod of some sort.''

''You're right! I bet 50 credits it's an alien!''

'' 100 it's a sexy alien!''

Bets started flying around, and Samael managed to suppress his annoyance with them, as he was also part of those things in his past cycles. He said nothing because this kind of banter helps the morale and strengthens the bonds of the crew.

When the quintet got closer, Samael then issued an order immediately, ''Tidy things up here and gather at the ship, we have a lot to discuss.''

Of course, he knew the time to be serious, so the betting thing among the crew was already out of his head. The way he said that, in a grave voice, made everyone realize it was something very serious.

It worked, as this was the first time they said Samael in such a serious tone. He was always carefree, but he was serious this time. So, the crew also acted in a hurry, wanting to know what made him act that way.

While RR and the quartet put the pod into the ship, the crew cleaned up the area in a few minutes and rushed inside, leaving only the construction machines behind.

When everyone entered, they noticed a stasis pod in the middle of the ship and noticed a strange-looking humanoid inside it. The crew connected the dots and realized they might be in the presence of an ancient alien species that was forgotten in the base they dug. But no one said anything and waited for Samael to speak.

'' Is that considered a sexy alien?''

'' ... I don't know.''

Samael ignored the crew's murmur and said in a tone everyone could hear.

'' This is a Prothean, a race thought extinct since long ago. The specimen is alive.''

There were some murmurs here and there, but overall, everyone was excited by what was happening. After all, they just found a specimen of a race/species that the galaxy thought was long since extinct.

Also, the people who won the bet were happier and richer than their peers.

Samael wasn't going to talk about the Reapers to the crew right away, he would use Javik as 'evidence'.

So, for the time being, after he woke Javik up, make him tell them about the Reapers, he would order some kind of quarantine for a day or two, and then he could leave the planet with Natasha to save Jack.

'' We will wake him up in a few moments, so the whole ship will be in quarantine. RR, initiate the protocol.''

'' Affirmative.''

All entrances to the ship were sealed, and everyone was trapped inside the ship. No one reacted badly because they trusted Samael and knew it was necessary to ensure no prying eyes.

'' Now, let's go to the infirmary, wake our friend up.''