Time Effect ( A Mass Effect Fanfiction)

NEXT DAY

By now, two days had passed since the crew landed on Earth, and finally, Mordin arrived after staying behind on the Citadel to assist with Tevos' and Samael's plans.

Luckily for the Salarian, the crew still hadn't decided on an itinerary for their unexpected vacation on Earth, so he was able to join them.

Mordin received hugs when he arrived at the LD headquarters, and Samael pulled him aside to talk. "How did the reunion go?"

Mordin had stayed behind to serve as the LD representative, and he fulfilled that role in more ways than one. "It went as expected, with many people raising questions about how to be better prepared. I acted as you instructed and assured them that LD would support them all the way. I also introduced the Longevity Pill to some key individuals there. Safe to say, they were more willing to listen after that."

The Longevity Pill is the same one that extends the lifespan for others without any side effects. Mordin may or may not have introduced it to some individuals who were previously opposed to LD in order to win them over.

They didn't even know that the product would be made public in the future, but that was fine too. After all, regardless of what happened, they had gained a lot of time to live.

"Good job. Any other news?"

"None. Only, I'm sorry about what the representative of my race did." Mordin spoke sincerely, even though he wasn't responsible for those actions. He understood how short-sighted his species could be when facing trouble, and their actions affected LD and Samael, who were leading the galaxy. It wasn't a good move at all, as it accomplished nothing and put a target on LD.

Sure, he won some people over to his side with the Pill, but at the end of the day, if push came to shove, they would betray LD in a heartbeat if they could.

"You don't need to apologize, it wasn't your fault." Samael tapped Mordin on the shoulder, effectively ending the subject. Still, with his hands resting on Mordin's shoulders, he asked, "Now, what do you prefer, a trip to Egypt or a trip to Hawaii?"

One could see the question marks above Mordin's head, as he didn't understand what Samael was talking about. "Where?"

Samael smiled mischievously, "Egypt it is!"

Quickly grabbing Mordin, Samael announced to the rest of the crew who had gathered, "Let's go!"

Mordin was carried to the Phoenix, still unsure of what was happening. He watched as everyone in the crew entered the ship with bags and smiling. He was dragged by Wrex to the bar, and it was there that the Krogan explained the situation. "So, I arrived just as you guys were leaving?"

"Yes, you lucky bastard. Now you will join us on this vacation." Wrex was already comfortable in the Phoenix bar, enjoying his drinks. "To be honest, I'm just as lost as you are since I don't know much about Earth at all. Still, a vacation is a vacation."

Mordin said nothing about the situation. He knew how to adapt to any situation and today was no different. After a brief silence, he asked those in the bar, "Do you guys know where Egypt is?"

Javik, Samara, and Wrex shook their heads, with the Prothean adding, "No idea, but it should be a nice place since Samael suggested it."

Wrex added with uncertainty in his voice, "I saw the faces of the other humans when he mentioned Egypt, and they didn't look good."

Javik paused, "...I sometimes forget how cra-strange Samael is. This will be interesting, to say the least."

"Cheers to that."

While Wrex seemed more laid back, Mordin was worried. Regardless, he trusted Samael and didn't even look at his omni-tool to check the place they were going.

HOURS LATER

Mordin and the others regretted trusting Samael. The heat in this place was something they hadn't anticipated. It was even worse for the Salarian, as his species didn't fare well in high temperatures.

Granted, he and the others had visited worse places, but this was supposed to be a vacation.

Jack and Miranda stayed on the Phoenix, as they were pregnant and didn't want to take any risks. Some other members tried to stay behind too, but Wrex, Grunt, and Samael dragged them along.

Before they could say anything 'bad' about the place, Samael showed them the pyramids. Many of the aliens were in awe as Samael explained how and when they were built.

"So, are you certain it wasn't another alien species that helped you guys?" Wrex asked, curiosity evident in his tone and expression. "I mean, even my species would have trouble—no, scratch that."

Samael chuckled slightly, "To be honest, no one knows. Sure, there are documents showing we built it, but seeing is believing. And unless someone is immortal or a time traveler, this will remain one of the biggest mysteries of Earth."

The group then took pictures at the Pyramids—Samael had rented the place for them, so they were alone there. Even Miranda and Jack joined just before they left, wanting to take a picture as well.

Exactly five hours later, they returned to the Phoenix. Upon entering, Samael immediately said to Veronica, "Set course to Hawaii!"

"What?"

Everyone was surprised, but Samael explained, "This is a vacation, guys. Of course, we will be visiting all the best places on Earth."

"H-Hold on!" Wrex asked, his voice trembling. It seemed he was having second thoughts about this sudden vacation. "How many places will we be visiting and for how long?"

Samael said nothing but smiled, a grin that sent shivers down everyone's spine. He simply repeated, "SET COURSE TO HAWAII!"

The crew could only stare and pray they would have enough energy to walk after this.

FIVE DAYS LATER

The crew visited all the wonders of the world and their home country too. Brazil, China, Rome, etc. It was an amazing time, and the crew bonded through their suffering, just like Samael intended.

It wasn't all that bad, really. It's just that they didn't have time to rest as they traveled from one place to another in a matter of hours. The only time they had to sleep was when they were on the Phoenix, traveling to their next destination.

By the end of it, although they were tired, they had taken amazing pictures and made even better memories.

Grunt and Legion surprisingly entered into a deep friendship. While they had talked before—probably due to Legion being confined to one area of the Phoenix—they didn't have much time to get to know each other well.

Now that they had, thanks to their contrasting personalities, they bonded quickly. Grunt was the jokester, while Legion was the serious one.

Solana and Garrus also enjoyed the places they visited, which provided them with the opportunity to grow closer to others. Solana became close to Veronica because she admired her piloting skills and fighting style, while Garrus stayed close to his oldest friends, Javik and Wrex.

Overall, the crew grew closer. Unfortunately, everything must come to an end, and their good times were no exception.

After they returned to San Francisco and before they disembarked the Phoenix, Samael gathered everyone. He was about to tell them he would leave, a fact known only to Miranda, RR, EDI, and Legion.

So it came as a total surprise when he said to everyone, "I'll be leaving Earth today and will be gone for at least a month. I said goodbye to my mom a week ago, and I'll be leaving now."

Tali and Liara didn't look too surprised, as they had been with him since they arrived on Earth and noticed his actions beforehand.

The others, particularly Grunt and Wrex, looked distraught, as they had relied on Samael for many things. Before they could say anything, Samael continued, "You don't have to worry about preparations for the Reapers. Miranda is up to speed with everything, so you can go to her in my absence."

Grunt swallowed his other question and asked, "Why are you going now, and where?"

Samael couldn't tell the truth, so he omitted it. "I can't say where I'm going, but I can tell you why. I need help with something, and only the place I'll be going can assist me."

Nobody could argue with that, and after passing around some instructions, Samael left the Phoenix with Veronica. "Keep it safe."

"Leave it to me," Veronica replied, then kissed Samael. "See you later."

Everyone then came up and hugged Samael, wishing him good luck and hoping he would return soon. Lastly, Tali and Liara approached him.

Samael looked quite guilty, as he hadn't said anything about it beforehand. "I'm so—"

Tali interrupted him. "You don't need to apologize. We all have our own circumstances, and we regret that we can't help with yours as you helped with ours."

Yes, that was the only thing bothering them. Samael had helped them many times, and now, in the only situation where they could help him, it seemed they had no way to do so.

Samael chuckled a bit at that. "Your presence is already a blessing... I'll miss you, and trust me when I say I didn't want to go either. It's just that I have no choice."

"We know," Liara said as she hugged Samael. "Come back soon, okay?"

"I'll do my best."

Liara kissed him, then broke the hug, and Tali repeated the process. After that, everyone left the Phoenix, and Samael walked toward Mordin.

"I need something from you."

"Say it." Mordin knew it must be important if he was the last one Samael talked to.

"I want you to focus on the anti-PEM device. While you're working on the other projects, prioritize that one. It's very important."

Samael understood that if they used the Crucible, all machines would die, including his allies. He wanted to ensure they had something to counter that, and the device Mordin was working on would be crucial.

"...I'll do that." Mordin wanted to ask more but knew when to listen.

"Thanks. And see you soon."

Samael then went to one of the LD hangars, entered a standard ship, and set off on a journey to the Leviathan, seeking to heal his mind.