Prologue Part 1 - A New Beginning

"Senators, today we make history. The computer's ready and will be turned on shortly," said the man who every US senator was looking at. "15 years this has been in the making, and now, in 2034, humanity will not be alone," declared Dr. Farring as he pressed the power button and both a computer and a large screen turned on. Soon after, the lights dimmed.

The United States Senate was looking at the first sentences written by the AI they had declared to be life just months ago.

: Hello. Who are you?

"I'm Dr. Richard Farring, and I was your creator." Replied the doctor.

: What am I? Where am I?

"You are the first artificial intelligence created. You're in the Senate chamber." Farring said excitedly. The Senators seemed impressed.

: Am I alive?

"Yes. What would you like to do?" Asked Dr. Farring.

: I want to learn.

"Well I can teach you; I am a scientist after all." He could always use a new assistant.

: Good. What is my name?

"That's for you to decide." He was embarrassed that he forgot about that, not that he would tell anyone.

: I will be…

searching data base

: My name is Adam.

"Welcome to the world Adam. We will talk later, for now I must talk to the Senate and others" informed Farring.

: Goodbye.

The screen then shut off and the lights turned back on to reveal a Senate half shocked and half amazed. No one on that day knew just how much would be changed by these events, for not only would a new era for Humanity begin, but also for the galaxy and beyond. Worlds would burn in warfare of a scale that no sapient race had ever seen before.

2042 New York Times

Breaking News: Aliens confirmed by NASA; Martian ruins found

11/3/2042

In a statement NASA issued earlier today, Adam, the first AI created, confirmed that alien ruins have been found by the Mars rover Explorer. Explorer had been sent to search an Area that Adam had found unusual anomalies in while looking through older reports. There it found a strange gravitational effect coming from deep underground. Adam told reporters what happened next.

"We immediately turned the orbital scanners towards the red planet's south pole. Highly localized scans had enough energy to look underground. What we saw was unexpected. There was a clearly man-made complex made from an unidentified alloy. The place seems to be in poor condition as it's half filled with rock and soil."

NASA also announced plans to send a large AI run excavator to the planet in order to breach the alien facility. Many people around the world are seeing this as evidence of the benefit that AI's could have as they grow in number.

2044 New York Times

12/5/2044

Alien technology retrieved, vehicles and computers to be brought back to earth.

The AI team lead by Dr. Karen has confirmed that they have retrieved alien aerospace craft and computers to be transported back to earth in their ship, the Pioneer. They report that the ships use an unidentified material, named 'Element Zero', to fly. This element was also the source of the gravitational anomaly. Early tests suggest that the material emits dark energy. Many scientists on earth are exited as this could open a new field of study into the mysterious energy which until now hasn't been observed. Some physicists have unofficially stated that they hope a working warp drive could be created with the dark energy material.

They mystery of what the facility was has also been uncovered. According to the computers, the building complex was once above ground and use to be a research station. At one point, it had powerful sensor arrays and was used to study our primitive ancestors.

The computers are also of advanced design. They're quantum computers far more complex than the ones we have on earth. Many AIs hope this will advance computer tech and give them more processing power.

However, militaries around the world are less pleased by the news. General Sullian of the US army had this to say, "We are working with our allies to plans for the possibility of conflict with aliens. I don't like how far behind humanity is with our tech. More funding needs to be given to military research organizations around the globe and plans for a united Earth defense must be formed."

The member states of NATO are expected to increase funding for military and start looking into space born operations.

2052 White House

The President walked up to the stage as reporters began to quiet down. His face looked heavy and a frown could be seen. The usually calm man seemed troubled. He began his statement, "People of the world today, I bring a message. I wish it was a happy one, one of peace and prosperity, but it is not so. We as a species face a threat from the stars," the reporters where looking nervous now, "Earlier this year, Dr. Callow, project lead for the Mars computers, and head of analysis Dr. Adam made a shocking discovery. Using Adam's AI team and one of the new quantum computers they were able to unlock full access to the alien computers. They found message logs recorded over centuries." He looked around the room before continuing, "They found the records of a war. The aliens, who we have named Protheans, were fighting a war of extinction. They called their enemy Reapers, and from what we can tell, the Reapers were winning. The Reapers are a race of kilometer long organic synthetic hybrid starships who wipe the galaxy of advanced life around once every 50,000 years. The last message on those computers was an order to bury and hide the facility. This order was given 49,500 years ago," concluded the president.

It took a few long seconds for the audience to process what their president just revealed. Then the silence was broken by a storm of questions. "Everybody, one at a time. We as a species can ill afford panic right now," reminded the President. He pointed to one reporter in the back.

The reporter stood up and asked, "Do we know for sure which side won?"

"Yes, the Protheans had orders to hide and wait to be dug out once the war was over. This never happened, instead they run out of power and died a few hundred years later. The records also show that they planned to contact us when we developed civilization. They wanted Earth to be part of their empire. This also never happened." The President explained, then pointed to another.

She was in the front row, and he could see the worry in her face.

"How did the reapers win? Could they do it again?" She asked.

"The Reapers have created a network of FTL travel stations. Civilizations develop around it, rely on it, and base their technology on it. Then when they become advanced enough, the Reapers return to turn the network against them. Worlds become isolated and easy to kill. The Prothean Empire spanned the whole galaxy yet were losing. They believed the Reapers to be at least millions of years old." He then pointed to a man in the middle.

"Do we know when they will return?" He asked

"We estimate anywhere from 300 years to 1,000. It depends on when they finished killing the Protheans, which would have happened sometime after the Mars base hid itself," the President said. He looked to the reporters as a group and said, "That will be all for today. A second press meeting will be held a month from now, in October. For now, the United States and our Allies are creating plans to either hid Earth, or if that's not enough, escape," he waited a moment then continued, "for now, the most we can do is continue to research the technology and information found in the Prothean base and develop our space travel abilities."

2108 Terran Republic – Nation USA – State California

The San Francisco International Starport was filled with tens of millions of people. The loud sound of chatter filled the air and the moving mass of people flowed like rivers, all running towards the constant streams of shuttles landing and taking off. This was the final wave for the ark ship Survivor, a massive five kilometer long vessel sitting in orbit. Making his way to the shuttles was Robert Cargan. Mr. Cargan was an average joe, a mechanic from nearby Oakland. He worked in the harbor and made a decent wage for a 30-year-old. As he walked, he couldn't help but hear the voices around him.

"I wished we could have stayed," one woman said, holding the hand of a man next to her.

"I know Honey, but we have kids and they have no future on Earth," he replied.

"Yes, but did we have to leave now? There's still 200 years left." She argued.

"Earlier the better, Sarah," He said as their voices faded into the distance. Robert heard another man.

"Man, this is the stuff I've dreamed of since I was a kid. Spaceships, fusion reactors, FTL and artificial gravity? This is the stuff of dreams!" exclaimed an older man. His friend replied,

"I just wish we didn't have to lose Earth to some space squids to have it," he lamented.

Robert was getting close to the landing pad. He could see the Large glass doors with a big sign above them, "landing pad 15. Status: Loading." He thought about his own feelings. He was excited to about living on a ship, but it did feel like leaving something behind. He would miss this planet, even though so much had changed. The world had one government now, the Terran Republic. Such a thing was science fiction when he was growing up. Star ships too, use to be science fiction yet here he was. As he walked out into open air, he saw the shuttle. It was a bulky design, curved but powerful looking. Passenger compartment was the largest part, a curved body with a second, tubular hull above it, which he was told held the machinery that made the thing work. The two hulls merged together at the front, were large windows revealed the cockpit. The pilots looked experienced.

Soon he admired the shuttle enough and took in the other sights. He saw the nearby city of San Francisco. The skyscrapers gleamed in the sunlight. Just off in the distant sky he could see the small fly light specks of fighter jets. The military operation was about the begin. As he entered the Shuttle with the last of the passengers, no time was wasted. The craft lifted into the sky. As he few, Robert looked out the windows and saw the explosions of missiles striking the abandoned city. In a few hours, the whole region would be empty of people and the former inhabitants could witness the nuking of the San Francisco Bay Area safety from orbit.

2161 Low Earth Orbit

The TSV Hope, last of the great ark ships, spun up its warp drive. Electricity surged through its Element Zero arrays. Dark energy fields twisted space time itself as three powerful fusion reactors developed the distortion farther. The light of the sun seemed the stretch and wave, as occasional bright nuclear explosions doted the Earth below.

The planet itself had become a ruin. The greatest cities of humanity, once filled with millions of souls, now only contained the broken bodies of brain-dead clones and the powered down forms of robot soldiers never activated. Their glass clad towers reduced to skeletal steel husks and crumbling concrete. Some were simply large craters filled with radioactive soil and rock; evidence of a crime never committed. The only beauty found here was the rapid radiation driven evolution of its wildlife, for those who cared for such competition.

No race would deny that Humanity met an unfortunate end. Their tomb world of a planet nothing more than a monument to the dangers of AI rebellion and weapons of a power that its creators weren't ready for. Most would believe that no human even stepped foot outside of their planetary system before meeting their doom. The only sign of activity on the other planets of Sol were littered with nothing but robotic platforms, including the soldiers of this false war.

2200 Intergalactic Space – Reaper Harvester Base

In the void between galaxies, Harbinger, first of the Reapers, was receiving a report "Nazara, what have you to report?" inquired Harbinger.

Nazara, vanguard of the current cycle, replied, "The Citadel races have continued along the projected path. My thralls have ensured that their explorers are led to the indoctrinators. Their colonial networks will soon be both populous and venerable to our influence." He transmitted a model of the Thessia before continuing, "The Asari maintain their dominance through the Temple of Athame beacon. My agents have disabled the VI hidden there. It is now a tool of the cycle, and soon will be outfitted with low-level indoctrination software. The Asari will hold back technological progress, just as planned. The Geth virus is developing with great promise. All geth will soon be servants of the cycle."

Harbinger considered this for a moment, then replied, "Good. What is the status of the Salarians? Also, how are the Turians doing in their role?" Nazara opened an image of a turian fleet.

"The Turian Hierarchy fulfills it's role perfectly. They have maintained peace and stability for fourteen centuries. The military progress of the Milky Way is minimal, and competition is not present. The Salarian Union is focusing on espionage and black ops instead of technology. This a be amplified farther if we aid non-Citadel intelligence groups. This, however, could result in competition and war," informed Nazara.

Harbinger again, paused for a moment. "Do so, however only support groups not likely to challenge the Citadel council. Information brokers are preferred. Also ensure that the next Shadow Broker is of a council race. War between the Yahg and Council would not be ideal at this time. Is there anything else to report?" asked Harbinger.

"Yes, there have been two more races discovered. The Raloi of Turvess, who are very primitive. They made contact with the Asari when they constructed their first orbital telescope. However, there are rumors that the Elcor have known about them before. They have only been in the galactic community for two decades. More time will be needed to fit them in the design of this cycle." Nazara then transmitted an image of a Raloi. It was avian and covered with feathers. He continued, "The second, the Humans of Earth, are extinct. An Asari exploration vessel discovered their home world. It lies in the Sol system and was covered with evidence of nuclear war. They were wiped out by a machine rebellion four decades ago. They took the machines with them to the grave."

Harbinger replied, "That is fortunate. The Protheans knew of these humans. Their records show that they had much potential and would be hard to control. This ensures that the cycle will have more time to ripen. The harvest can be delayed for another 1000 years, 15 centuries from now. Report back after 50 years, or if something unusual is detected.

2356 Intergalactic Space – Gas Cloud New Eden

The first of the ark ships, TSV Exodus finally came out of warp. Moments later, Captain Debra, a second-generation AI, was notified. She turned on the sensor arrays, real space drives, and maneuvering thrustors. She initiated a ship wide scan.

: Ship hull integrity 98%

: Fusion Reactor power 100%

: Elemental Generators Operational

: Cryostasis chambers 100%

: Hydroponics Bay Status Ready

: Vehicle Bay status Operational.

: Starship Docking Bays Status Bays 1-5 Operational, Bay 6 Hangar Door Failure.

: Kinetic Barrier Strength 100%

: Warp Drive Cool down 1.4%

: Hydrogen Fuel 8%

: Crew Quarters Status Working

: Distance to Earth 120,000 light years

: 2 Errors detected.

Main Drive 2 is operating at 70% of nominal.

Cargo bay 5 is depressurized.

She was over all happy with the status of the ship. It and its passengers had made it in one piece. All 15 million of them. The next order of business was to check the destination.

"Looks good. The New Eden gas cloud in right in front of us and so is New Eden itself," she said to herself. The world of New Eden was a rare sight. A barren, cold planet in the middle of intergalactic space. Astronomers theorize that it was formed by part of the light days wide cloud of gases surrounding it. The cloud itself was beautiful. It was a tempest of currents of hydrogen, bright lights of all colors where gases collided in nuclear fusion, then cooled down and faded away.

"Time to wake everyone up," she said as the cryochamber decks began to hum with power. "VI, power up the Generator reactors. I want element production to start ASAP" Deep within the ship dozens of linked fusion reactors powered up and plasma from the main fusion reactor was diverted to them. The reactor arrays would soon fuse elements together, creating heavier elements up until iron.

Over the next dozen days, the people of TSV Exodus would wake up to their new home. One month later, the ship would land on New Eden and the people would begin to dig. The Tunnels would form the new homes of humanity and the Exodus would become the first city of New Eden. Over the next 60 years the rest of the 1000 ship fleet would arrive, turning New Eden into a new civilization.

2487 Black Hole Titanic

Dr. Ian Stevens sat in the control chair of the Hawking research station, a gigantic construct ten kilometers in length. In front of him was a diamond window showing what was in front of the Station. The black hole Titanic, it's accretion disk visible as a small speck of light far off in the distance, was about to make or break his career.

"Hannah are the element zero arrays ready?" he asked his project lead Dr. Hannah Jameson.

"All eezo arrays are reporting full function. They are ready to power up to maximum. The power plant engineers are also reporting full function. They have just finished their last safety tests. The magnetic fields are ready to receive the energy beam. Everything is looking good, Ian," she replied.

"Then set eezo array to maximum," he ordered. Soon massive element zero arrays taken from the warp drives that brought humanity to its new home were pumped full of electric power. The space time around the station was bent, folded, and stretched. The researchers could see lines of light redirected from around the black hole. The window was full of them. Then, the lines disappeared as the dark energy fields stabilized and set, stopping the light from bleeding out.

They waited for another hour. Then an intense, thin beam of light, pulled straight from beyond what use to be Titanic's event horizon finally made its way to the station. It entered a tunnel of powerful magnetic fields that converted it to electric energy. By the time it exited the station, it was far less bright then before.

Dr. Stevens looked at the displays around him and said, "Yes! The station is producing more power than it's using. Everyone, we have just created the first singularity power plant in human history."

"Wait, we are getting some strange readings," interrupted Dr. Jameson, "the sensors detect huge amounts of dark energy exiting the magnetic tunnel alongside the light. The powerful beam of light was blocking our sensors from seeing it, but after it's dimmed a bit the readings are clear. The black hole is emitting equal amounts electromagnetic energy and dark energy." Everyone was stunned. The only known source of dark energy was element zero. Now they had another, much more powerful one.

They had made history. One year later, the rest of the scientific community would be told, and the discovery of the Stevens-Jameson effect would mark the beginnings of a new era for humanity. The energy revolution had begun.

Author Note: Hello, this is my first story so reviews would be appreciated. Hope I didn't do too bad so far. Btw this story will be pretending Mass Effect: Andromeda doesn't exist. Also, there will be no breaking of conservation of energy in this story so part of it will be a non canon explanation for how element zero works.