Time Effect ( A Mass Effect Fanfiction)

When they arrived on Earth, the first thing Samael and the crew did was visit the LD headquarters. After all, the majority of the people they wanted to meet were there or at least close to it.

Truth be told, individuals like Wrex and Javik didn't necessarily need to accompany the Phoenix to Earth, but they chose to join anyway, thinking wisely that this might be one of their last chances for free time in a while. After this, it would all be war preparations.

Not only would LD be busy, but so would the Krogan, training other species, while the Protheans helped with projects around the galaxy.

It was Solana and Garrus's first time on Earth, and they were truly shocked when they saw how grand LD was. Sure, they had heard about the company and knew its reputation, but seeing it in person was a different experience.

Not only was the building the best she had ever seen, but the city itself was even better than Thessia's capital, which many considered the best place in the galaxy before the Reaper attack.

Solana could only say, "Amazing," after she saw the building and its surroundings.

To enter, you had to go through a series of processes to ensure you were not 'compromised,' among other things. The most important process is the Indoctrination test.

Yes, the Vigil program that identified indoctrinated individuals had already spread throughout the galaxy, but for now, not many indoctrinated people had been caught. Still, it was better to have the program than not, and it is used by many species, in secret or in the open.

LD is one of them, and at least for now, not a single Indoctrinated individual was found.

"Come on, it's not time to be surprised yet," Samael said as he and the rest of the crew passed through all the checkpoints.

Garrus, who was also shocked but recovered faster than Solana, said to her as he saw they were being left behind, "Let's go."

Solana regained her composure after that and entered the building together with the rest.

They moved through the lobby, where all the employees greeted the crew. They were celebrities, after all, having taken down a Reaper and were the face of LD as a whole.

None of the crew displayed any airs about their accomplishments, knowing that if others had been in their position, they would have done the same. Their achievements were a team effort, not individual ones.

Veronica, noticing Solana and Garrus trailing behind while admiring the inside of the building, moved closer to them and began speaking. "You see, at the beginning, it wasn't anything like this."

"Sorry?" Solana was distracted and didn't understand what Veronica was saying.

Veronica realized she had overstepped but continued after a fake cough, "I was here at the beginning when it was literally just Samael in charge."

Garrus and Solana could see the respect Veronica had for Samael just from that statement.

"He fought tooth and nail to build LD, all so that the galaxy had a better chance against the Reapers. Of course, at the beginning, I had no idea about any of that, but now that we do, it's even more surprising, don't you think?"

Solana and Garrus could only nod. As history goes, Samael had encountered a Prothean Beacon of some kind on Earth as a child, learned about the Reapers, and did his best to prepare. That alone was impressive, but considering he was just a child made it even more incredible.

"Anyway, this is something you are both now part of, so be proud of it. If you have any troubles here on Earth, just come looking for me. You might not believe it, but I'm pretty high up in the LD hierarchy."

It was true; Veronica was only below Samael and Miranda in the LD hierarchy.

Solana smiled and nodded at Veronica. "I'll remember that."

Garrus did the same, and just then, the group reached the elevator. It was big enough to fit everyone, so they all stepped in.

Samael pressed the button for the top floor, where Miranda was, but then changed his mind and decided to give a small tour. After all, Solana, Garrus, and a few others, like Samara and the new recruits, had never had the chance to visit the building.

Samael pressed other floors, prompting curious looks from the others. "We will do a small tour."

At his words, the others nodded and said nothing more. The first stop was the eighth floor, where they kept all the projects that the public was aware of. The more secretive projects, like Grunt and the larger MECHs, were still being researched in Samael's private facility with the best scientists on Earth.

However, just because it wasn't that place didn't diminish what this floor had accomplished or was researching. Everyone in LD was impressive in their own right, so their projects were years ahead of others.

"This is where we research the things we want to build. For example, here." Samael showed the others, some of whom were unaware of its existence, a new weapon. "This weapon is something we reverse-engineered from the Geth. We call it the Geth Rifle 2.0."

Many LD personnel were on the floor, but everyone knew Samael, so they let him be while looking out for opportunities to assist him.

The moment still hadn't arrived yet, as the crew gazed at the Geth Rifle in awe.

"What are the specs?" Garrus asked eagerly, his eyes shining with enthusiasm for the firearm.

One of the scientists took it upon himself to answer, "It has 25% more armor-piercing capabilities, the thermal clips are stronger and more durable, and the recoil has been considerably diminished."

As the researcher continued explaining what the weapon was capable of, Wrex was increasingly surprised. So much so that he nudged Javik, "Hey, why haven't your people done something like that, huh?"

Javik also looked quite shocked by how advanced LD was, but it was still considered normal. After all, they were on the shoulders of giants. "Every cycle has a species that surprises common sense. It seems humans are the ones in this one."

Wrex could only nod in agreement. While they were talking, the conversation about the gun specifications finally came to an end.

Garrus immediately asked, "When will it be released to the public?"

This time, it was Samael who answered, "Soon. Not only this weapon but many others will be released to the public. The war is approaching, and we will use the many advantages we may have."

At what Samael said, Solana caught onto something, "Many?"

Samael smiled, "You didn't think this was the only weapon LD has researched, did you?"

The researchers smiled at the bewildered crew and showed them the rest of the things they were working on.

Weapons, armor, vehicles—whatever you name it, they were researching it. And they were at least 5 to 10 years ahead of its time.

The worst part was that even with all this technology, at best they had only a 40% chance of winning against the Reapers. But there was no need to say that out loud.

---

After the tour of that floor ended,and everyone was left surprised once more by how advanced LD was, they continued upwards, passing through other floors while Samael explained what they were doing there.

"This is the floor where we monitor suspicious activities near the Perseus Veil. If anything unusual comes up, we will alert everyone."

The Perseus Veil was home to the Geth and one of the many places where the Reapers come from, so they would know immediately if they appeared. An entire floor was dedicated just for that.

On another floor, another group of people was monitoring other locations. "This floor monitors all known places where, in history, the Reapers have first appeared. This way, we can respond appropriately."

There were many floors like that, focusing on various research topics. LD was created just for that, so it made sense that the purpose of them was to monitor the Reapers.

Soon, however, the tour ended when they finished visiting the last floor before the CEO's office.

"What do you guys think?" Samael asked the still-most-shocked crew. Sure, everyone there was from LD, but not many were aware of what was truly happening in the company. Only Veronica, Tali, and Liara knew about all this beforehand, so it was safe to say the rest were shocked by these revelations.

"You have built something amazing," Javik said sincerely. "Not even in my cycles had things been so thoroughly prepared."

"Thanks. But now, let's meet Miranda and Jack, they were eager to meet us again and the newcomers too."

Jack and Miranda had been with the crew from the beginning, so by now only the newbies didn't know them personally. Everyone in the crew was looking forward to meeting them too.

Soon, the elevator arrived at the CEO's office, and Samael knocked on the door. Not many seconds later, Jack, smirking and dressed like a secretary, said, "Welcome. The CEO is waiting for you."

Everyone who knew her recognized that she was enjoying this roleplay a lot, so they did the smart thing and ignored her.

They entered the office and noticed Miranda was with a child beside her while looking over some files.

"Hey, wasn't she pregnant? How come there's a baby already?!" Wrex asked. While he wasn't 100% aware of how human pregnancy worked, he knew there was no way a baby could be born that soon. Heck, that was fast even by Krogan standards.

Javik was also taken aback but remained calmer than his friend. "There must be some kind of explanation... I'm sure."

While he said he was sure, he wasn't entirely convinced.

Soon, however, the answer came to them in the form of Samael. He knelt down close to the young girl and introduced himself, "Hello there. I'm assuming you're Oriana, right?"

Although he was the one who tipped Miranda off about her existence in the story he presented, he didn't know the child, so it made sense that he was saying that, as it was their first meeting.

Oriana was taken aback by how many people were in the office but soon regained her composure thanks to her childlike energy. With vigor, she nodded at Samael's question, "Yes, my name is Oriana. What's yours, mister?"

"My name is Samael, and I work with your sister."

Wrex and Javik exchanged glances and nodded. The story now made sense, and since Jack and Miranda still had some bumps in their bellies, they were still pregnant.

"Oh? Then you are one of the good people!" Oriana exclaimed.

"You could say that," Samael replied. He was great with kids, though he sometimes wished he had one of his own due to the time loop.

"Mister, mister, what are you going to talk about today? Can I join the conversation?" Oriana asked eagerly. She was only 10, but she was brighter than most kids. Don't let her youth fool you; she was smarter than most people in that room.

Samael could see through her, but he didn't mind. "Sure, join us."

At this point, everyone had already greeted Miranda and Jack, and the reunion was underway, with everyone sharing their stories.

Samael smiled from the sidelines, watching the scene. He knew that sometimes the best thing to do is simply observe, and now was one of those times.

Oriana joined in, eager to learn more about everyone. Minutes passed, then hours. As darkness approached, Samael felt it was time to intervene.

Clearing his throat, he gathered everyone's attention. "Guys, you can go now. I need to talk with Miranda privately for a bit."

Everyone nodded, understanding that what he wanted to discuss was confidential, and they left. They had homes in San Francisco, so they had where to sleep, even the newbies like Solana and Garrus.

Soon after, only Miranda and Samael remained in the room, and a conversation was about to take place.