May 2nd, 2158
30:37 Local Time
Terra Nova, Scott [Capital]
"I thank you for your support. Director Port will be pleased that he can count on you, Mr. Hallow," I said with an easygoing smile.
"No, no, no, it is my pleasure to help. The Alliance showed us their strength, what they can do. I will put my trust in Mr. Port's vision," assured Daniel Hallow.
He was a man, well past his sixties, with a rotund stomach that stretched his suit jacket. His face was slightly swollen and red, no doubt from the amount of wine he had drunk over the evening. Not even his well-kept full beard could hide that. But the reason why my smile strained more with every passing second was not his jolly and intrusive nature, no, that was even kind of endearing. It was his smell. The cologne he chose to wear filled the air around him and was biting in my nose.
I continued to smile as he recounted how he expanded his construction business to Terra Nova early on in the colonization. My gaze swept over the other guests as I only listened half-heartedly to his story. After all, I already knew how he became one of the wealthiest people on Terra Nova. He had told me not even an hour ago.
Nodding and humming at the right moments to feign listening, I continued to look around discretely. The other guests were all engaged in talking or dancing while a small band played at the side.
I had talked to many of them throughout the evening, trying either to gather support for Micheal's plans or money for Shanxi's rebuilding efforts. And a charity event where the rich and famous gathered to be seen was the perfect place for it.
Just as Hallow was about to retell how he snatched the contract for the first skyscraper on Terra Nova, my eyes widened as I saw someone I didn't expect to be here heading towards the balcony. My stained smile became a bit more genuine.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Hallow," I apologized. "But I just saw someone I have not seen for quite some time. If you would excuse me?"
A boisterous laugh was my answer.
"Of course! I was about to head to the buffet anyway. Go on, Mr. Denebren!"
I nodded politely and went towards the balcony, dodging the other guests on my way. As I passed the open bar, I grabbed two scotch for my friend and me.
The cold night air washed over me when I stepped out on the balcony. I hadn't even noticed how badly I needed some fresh air to clear my thoughts until then.
Not many people were out here, just some small groups, talking quietly with each other. It didn't take long to find the person I was looking for.
He stood alone on the far end of the balcony, close enough to the other groups to not stand out but also far enough to not be bothered.
As I got closer, my eyes wandered subconsciously over his suit. Cut in the modern fashion, from a designer on the lower end of high-class, a suit that would not garner attention. Not something most of the guests here would even have in their wardrobes.
But it fit Andrew's personality.
He didn't react as I stepped beside him but took the glass I offered him wordlessly.
No words were exchanged between us as we looked over the growing capital city of Terra Nova.
It had been just six years since the colony was founded, but over half a million people already lived here. 350.000 alone in this city and the rest spread all over the planet. And the prognosis said the number would continue to rise in the coming years.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" whispered Andrew in awe, his eyes never leaving the city.
"Just ten years ago, something like this was just a dream. Now, it's real, a human settlement on a different planet, in a system thousands of light-years away from Earth.
Our world has gotten significantly grander, and with it came new challenges. But we overcame them.
Now we stand at the edge of something even greater than our ascension to the stars, and with it will come even more challenges and problems."
"And we will overcome them, as we humans always did," I finished.
"That we will," he said with a smile finding its way onto his face.
We clinked glasses and drank. The scotch burned down my throat, but it was a pleasant burning. I saw how Andrew studied his glass with a critical eye.
"That's a good one," commented Andrew. "What kind is it?"
"Nova Terralis. Distilled here on Terra Nova, one of their very first I believe. But you didn't come here to drink. I guess you wanted to talk to me, or else I would never have noticed you."
"You don't think I've come for the company?"
I snorted. "You? Never."
A faked sigh left him, and he shook his head in played indignation before he returned to a more serious mood.
"There are a few things I wanted to talk about. I need a second opinion on a few things, and you were the closest," Andrew started.
His hand disappeared in his suit jacket for a moment and reappeared moments later with a datapad.
When he offered it to me, I took it without hesitating and started to read the open file.
It was a page of the galactic Codex, but one that I didn't remember seeing before in the Asari one.
Something that I decided to voice to Andrew.
"It's a Codex page, but not one the Asari gave us. Where did you get it from?"
"It's from a Turian omni-tool. Before you ask, they are microcomputers. You attach it to your wrist or arm and interface with it via an orange hologram. The hologram is different from the ones we use."
"How so?" I asked, even if I already knew what he meant.
"It is susceptible to touch. That is the way it's meant to be used. Since it's something new, our scientists have started to call it 'hardlight'.
Our scavenger crews collected them, but nobody knew what they were at first. They thought they were some kind of jewelry or something along those lines.
Only after a Private put one on his wrist did we learn what they were. The Private got a pat on the back for discovering it and a slap on the wrist for playing with unknown technology.
Now, we're busy pulling every speck of data from it."
"Would it all not be in the Turian's language?"
"It is," confirmed Andrew, taking another sip of his drink. "Or at least was. Our translation programs may not be as sophisticated as theirs, but with enough translated pages to cross-reference, it didn't take us long either. Luckily, there are pictures on each page. Otherwise, it would have taken longer to match the pages."
"Lucky us," I chuckled.
"Yes, lucky us. But it confirmed our guesses."
"They have left parts out, haven't they?" I stated more than asked.
"They have, but from what I saw, they didn't change the entries we have. After all, there was nothing that could be used against them.
But now we have some more information. Like the entry about the Salarian STG."
"Let me guess, spies?"
A smirk spread on Andrew's face, and his eyes gained a dangerous glint.
The more I looked, the surer I was that his smirk turned more predatory with every passing second.
"Correct. And from the reports I got, it seems they are already here, spying on us."
I wish I could say I wasn't surprised, but I was. Not because the Salarians spied on us or that they were here already. It was because we discovered them, or at least traces.
"How do you know?" I asked to satisfy my curiosity.
"We didn't, at first," he admitted. "Only after we translated the Codex entry on the STG came the clues together. Traces of eezo where no ship came through for months, signals we couldn't identify, basically the shadow in the corner of your eye.
Now that we know they are here, we can concentrate on tracking them. I'm already tightening the noose. In a week or three, we should trap them, if they don't bug out before."
Andrew's face turned in equal measure predatory and delighted.
"I can't wait until I have the necessary resources to join the game. They have centuries of a headstart, but that makes it only more exciting. I will have to use everything I know and then go beyond."
Before he could start to chuckle like a deranged madman, I cleared my throat to call him back from his happy place. His head snapped towards me, his eyes widening in surprise as if he had forgotten I was present. His predatory smile turned into one of embarrassment.
"What was that?" I asked amusedly. I knew that Andrew could be passionate, but that level was not something I had seen previously.
"Sorry," he said sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "I got too excited. The thought that I'm going to go head to head with an opponent who had a long time to prepare the board and is extremely smart is an opportunity that I can't miss. Trying to outsmart them will be a challenge that I gladly accept."
"As long as you don't start a war," I joked, but the look Andrew gave me was full of mischief.
"I won't, don't worry. Maybe just one in the shadows, nothing too serious."
"If you say so," I said skeptically.
We turned back towards the city, enjoying the view it offered us.
It was easy to see that it was still bustling with life. Scott's nightlife was like those in the bigger cities back on Earth. Hundreds of people just trying to have some fun, perhaps finding new friends or getting into a brawl. Who knew?
Andrew turned to me and opened his mouth to say something when somebody called for me.
"Oscar. Oscar, where are you?"
I turned around and immediately saw who had called for me.
It was the host of today's charity event and an old friend of mine, Rosemary Sirta.
With a raised hand, I drew her attention towards me. She almost ran in my direction with how fast she was going, but somehow she still made it look elegantly. A huge smile stretched on her face that was framed by her black curls. The shine in her ocean-blue eyes spoke of good news.
"Is everything alright, Rose? Did something happen?" I asked her when she came close.
"It's not just alright. It is great!" Rosemary exclaimed, her cheer almost infectious.
"I just talked to Dr. Martinez about how the last round of testing was going when she told me that it had already finished. They asserted that there were no grave side-effects and we should get the certificate at the end of next week."
"You're right, that is great news! Tomorrow, I'll contact some people to prepare for the production, so that we can start right away," I said happily.
Huh, it seems like her cheer is infectious.
"I told you it would pass all tests," she boasted, lifting her hands into her hip. "After all, my medi-gel will save countless lives and conquer the market as a sideshow."
I raised my hands in the universal gesture of surrender and said:" I know, I know. You told me often enough. But don't forget who paid half of the development costs."
"Don't worry, I haven't," she bristled before her anger subsided, and a small smile full of gratitude replaced it.
"Still, without you, it could have taken years, maybe even decades, to get to this moment. So, thanks, Oscar."
Rosemary closed the distance between us and gave me a quick peck on the cheek before turning around, ready to jump back into the crowd.
After taking a few steps, she turned around once more and said:" Someday, you will tell me how you got them to push the timetable for the tests forward."
"No, I won't," I called back.
As she disappeared into the crowd, she threw me one last annoyed look that I answered with a cocky smirk.
When I turned back to Andrew, he looked at me with a raised eyebrow and asked knowingly: "Pushing the timetable, heh? How would someone do this?"
"You know, the works. You talk to people, promise to finance their science projects, and not look into how their cousin got their post."
"So basically, blackmail and bribery?" Andrew asked disapprovingly, but I could see his amusement in his eyes. "Are you sure, you should admit it in front of a government official?"
"First," I began and pointed my index finger at him. "You're no government official, not yet anyway. Second, I never admitted to anything. Third, just put it on the heap of blackmail material that you keep hiding under your bed."
At that, Andrew reared back with faked shock and asked breathlessly:" How do you know about my heap? I thought I had hidden it well. Did the cleaner talk?"
We tried to stay serious for a moment before we broke into laughter. I never really understood why, it hadn't been that funny, but one thing was for sure. It felt like some of the tension I felt building over the last weeks just disappeared. For the first time in days, my shoulders felt relaxed. And I knew it was the same for Andrew. Some of his subtle stress lines smoothed out, and his posture relaxed.
"But, seriously now," said Andrew after we had stopped laughing, "I've seen the specs of this medi-gel, and it looked promising. Any plans for it?"
"Some. A dispensation grid will be integrated into the military hardsuits, so that small wounds can be patched up in the field. It won't be as effective as a combat medic, but it will do its job to keep them alive until one gets to them."
"That and everything else that is going to come out of your R&D division in the coming months, you will make some people very happy. Especially the good Admiral. I've heard that Dr. Hoshiyume has already strengthened our kinetic barriers by around three percent?"
"Three-point-eight, to be precise," I corrected automatically. "I expect him to make even greater process now that all the Turian wrecks have arrived over Reach. The last time I contacted him, he was looking over every little bit of technology that was declared safe. He sounded like a kid in a candy store."
"What about the other projects? Are they on schedule?"
"Most of them are. We just had some problems with the ODP. The testing was delayed for a week. But it's nothing to worry about."
Instead of asking another question, Andrew just hummed and looked back to the city. There was something on his mind. Probably the reason why he came here in the first place. For everything else, a message would have been sufficient. I wanted to ask him, but he was faster with his question.
"How did you meet Rosemary Sirta in the first place?"
It was clear that he wanted to redirect the conversation for the moment, and though I could press him for his reason, I let it happen.
I knew that he would tell me sooner or later, so I began recounting how I met Rosemary.
"We've met in college. At first, I didn't even know that she was the heiress to the Sirta Foundation. She was going by the name Rose Galahd. Something about standing on her own feet and not being bothered by idiots.
Her mother was already making waves with the eradication of several genetic diseases. We sat next to each other during an economic class, partnering up for some term papers and becoming friends over time. It was totally perchance that we met.
Our normal fields of study were completely different. I studied economics and starship engineering, and she studied medicine and biochemistry. The only reason we met was that she wanted to know what to expect when she took over from her mother.
After we finished college, we lost sight of each other. The only contact that we had were messages for birthdays or Christmas. That was until two years ago. She had the idea for a project that could revolutionize the medical field, but the board that allocated the funds didn't want to give her more. So she asked me if I could loan her more. I read the data, saw how promising it was, and got behind it. We stayed in contact ever since.
Does that satisfy your curiosity?"
"More than enough. I would have been satisfied if you just said you met her in college."
"Then why did you let me talk so much?" I questioned annoyedly.
"No reason," Andrew answered as his hand slipped into his jacket and returned with a datapad for the second time this evening.
He held it towards me and said:" Read it and tell me what you think."
I took it out of his hands and did as he told me. After I was halfway in, I started to realize what I was reading. It was the manifesto of Cerberus, written by The Illusive Man - Jack Harper- himself.
One thing had to be said, it was written well. Every single paragraph tried to convince you of his point of view. That an organization like Cerberus, the pre-ME3 Cerberus was necessary. Someone willing to cross the line to give humanity the edge it needed to stand against alien civilizations.
"A pro-human organization, huh," I commented trying to gauge Andrew's reaction. "I guess you already have some plans for them?"
"Maybe," he said and I couldn't find any clue what he was thinking about.
I sighed. I understood what he wanted from me but still asked to get confirmation.
"You want to know what I would do, correct?"
"That's right. I've already asked Micheal what he thinks should be done, but your thoughts interest me too," confirmed Andrew.
"I thought you didn't ask Micheal because Earth is too far away."
"I lied," he simply said and started to observe me as if he could read my thoughts. Sometimes it wouldn't surprise me if he could.
But I had more pressing things to think about than Andrew's possible mind-reading.
Cerberus.
Of course, I had thoughts about what to do with that organization. Most of them revolved around destroying them. But those were the thoughts of a younger me and concentrated on the time when the Reaper's arrival was imminent.
To nib Cerberus in the bud was an option I hadn't even considered since they were needed to bring Shepard back from the dead after his, or hers, first encounter with the Collectors.
But this line of thought was something I called the 'Game-Thinking'. Just because something happened in the games didn't mean it would happen in the universe I inhabited. My presence changed things, had already done so, and I wanted things to change, but it was so easy to believe that things would happen like in canon.
I had sworn to myself to never think that way, but from time to time it happened subconsciously. And now, I had to make a decision that could change almost everything I knew about this universe. Of course, Andrew could ignore my decision, but he wasn't the kind of person to dismiss other people's thoughts.
With effort, I stopped my descent into the rabbit hole of 'what-ifs' and tried to think about the problem as if I didn't know anything about a possible future.
At this moment, Cerberus was probably nothing more than an idea. Perhaps they had some backers, but no extensive network of spies, scientists, soldiers, or people who could fund their expensive projects.
Moreover, the rhetoric of TIM spoke to what the general public was feeling.
The average person only knew that aliens attacked Shanxi and the Alliance fought them off. He was feeling nervous, anxious, maybe even scared. If we decided to destroy Cerberus before they gained traction, it had to happen quietly. Very quietly.
Should news get out that we attacked a pro-human organization, accusations could come up that the Alliance planned to surrender humanity to alien masters, free to do whatever they wanted with us. That could lead to dire internal strife or in the worst-case scenario, civil war.
Maybe I was exaggerating, but I fully believed that the public would lose any trust in the Alliance after we crushed an organization that proclaimed to fight for them.
Another thought came to the forefront of my mind. Perhaps it had been influenced by my 'Game-Thinking', but it was the option I preferred.
As I sorted my thoughts, I turned to Andrew to signal him that I was ready to tell him what I would do.
This time, he didn't just turn his head towards me but his whole body, leaning with his side on the railing, to show me that I had his full attention.
"Either we crush them quickly and quietly before they can gain much support," I started, "or we use whatever they do to our advantage."
A shadow of a smile hushed over his face as I said that and gestured for me to continue.
"I'm no psychologist, but from what I've read, I predict that the man behind this manifesto is ready to cross any and all boundaries in the name of humanity. Boundaries that we can't or won't cross. Be they laws, treaties, or morality. At least that's the feeling I get."
"I got it as well," agreed Andrew.
"Organizations like this will always exist, so it's better to keep the one we already know. And theoretically, we can't do anything at the moment anyway because they haven't broken any law, as far as I know. So my idea is to let them be for the moment."
"You would just let them be? Nothing else?"
"No, sorry, I expressed that wrong," I corrected myself. "We let Cerberus grow but prevent it from growing too fast. In the meantime, we insert agents into it, some that feed us information and others that keep themselves hidden. The latter ones have to be absolutely loyal because they will be part of the organization for years, maybe even decades, but they would be essentially the moment we decide to shut Cerberus down for good."
"What about the information feeders?"
"They would give us information about every facility that has research or data that could be used to supplement our own. Alliance Marines would then raid these facilities and bring back everything they found. The agent would have to be extracted as well. If he believes his cover is blown.
Furthermore, to keep the Alliance safe from the backlash Cerberus will generate, there has to be neither official nor inofficial cooperation between us. Not ever. Else we could be accused of aiding them."
When I finished, I lifted my glass and drank the rest of my scotch in one go. Meanwhile, Andrew stayed quiet, still looking at me as if he was searching for something.
I guess he found what he was looking for because he nodded to himself and stopped observing me. Even his eyes changed from the cold calculation to a warmer expression.
"I've shown Micheal the exact same file, but his answer differed significantly from yours. He wanted to ignore them, not seeing the possible risks in doing so. I respect Micheal, I really do, but he can be amazingly naive. He has his ruthless side, but it only comes out when something is actively threatening him and his projects."
"But sometimes, dangers have to be contained before they can become threats," I continued his line of thought.
"Exactly!" exclaimed Andrew quietly. "Every society has groups with opinions that could be considered radical, but as long as they stay within the system, they are not that much of a danger. The problem is when they start to operate outside of it."
"They isolate themselves from others, refuse to see other opinions as equally important, and start to become violent."
"Yes, and at that point, it becomes very difficult to dismantle such an organization. Usually, before they become openly violent, their infrastructure has already integrated into others and tries its best to go unnoticed. It becomes a challenge just to find out where to start when you don't know how they are organized."
"And let me guess, you have already started to do just that."
"I have," Andrew confirmed with a firm nod. "Some of my people are already searching for the identity of the man who calls himself the Illusive Man. He is the suspected leader of Cerberus, and I want to know who I'm dealing with. Sadly, I won't be able to insert any long-term agents for now. I don't have enough people for these kinds of operations. But it's coming together slowly, now that we got the green light to create the AIS officially. In two or three years, we should be ready to insert the first agents. The long-term operators will take a bit more time. I want to vet them personally, to make sure they're up to the task."
"Do you need some help to make things go smoother?" I offered.
"Not at the moment. Creating the organizational structure is what we must do first, there's not much you can do to help. But later, for our field operations, we will..."
"Need dummy companies, to give the fake identities of your agents something substantial," I interrupted Andrew. "Furthermore, you need a way to transfer money without being noticed. I'll set up a few smaller companies over the next year. Some, where the workers have to travel a lot. Shipping, surveying, a courier service, the usual. It's better if they really exist and do real work, less suspicious that way. Makes it easier to hide money transfers anyway. And anybody who looks closer will think I set them up to avoid some taxes."
"I knew I was coming to the right person for this," grinned Andrew and clapped me on the back.
"The coming years will be something truly special, won't they?"
I couldn't help but laugh at how right he was, more than he would know, and said: "That they will be."