"Listen," I grabbed Chaya's arm and made her stop. The girl shot me a look full of pain and anger. "I repeat, I'm sorry for your people. But that doesn't mean after a bath you should dive headfirst into someone else's ice hole."
"I don't understand what you mean..."
"I mean that idiots can cut an ice hole near the shore, and instead of plunging into water, you could end up impersonating a mole and digging a tunnel with your whole body!"
"Still..."
"You lost your people, I understand. You want to help me find out what happened to Earth. But let's set aside emotions for a moment and think about what could go wrong?" I suggested.
"It sounds like you don't want to return to your home planet and help your countrymen," Sar said warily.
"Chaya, emotions are speaking in you," I said. "My home, if the Ascended are to be believed, is in another universe."
"If they can be believed," she said in a faltering voice.
Well, if I had quite reasonable doubts, they could appear in her too.
I think we both realized that the coincidences were too coincidental — her return to human form and the almost instantaneous annihilation of the Proculus people by the Wraiths.
I could still understand the Wraith attack on her world in the events I knew. Then she was Ascended, came to Atlantis, and Proculus was attacked by Wraiths, forcing her to return and defend the planet.
Then the Wraiths across the galaxy had been awakened. But now, when the Wraiths were sleeping... Or were they no longer sleeping, because they had discovered my ship and collectively decided that the old, tasty Lantian lasagna had returned?
Either way, only the second day had passed since I returned to Atlantis from Sudaria. Too fast for a Wraith ship to reach Proculus. Too many coincidences.
"Then I think you understand me," I said. "If what happened on your planet was really set up by them... If you're right, and they planned to use me to provide the city with new energy supplies at the cost of my life, then the whole story starts to smell bad."
"What do you mean?" Chaya asked.
"Ganos Lal and Melia spoke with me," I admitted. The Proculucian woman's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "According to them, an expedition from Earth was supposed to arrive in the city. But it never happened. Something occurred in the Milky Way that altered the causal connection. And also killed or neutralized all the Ascended in that galaxy. And those who went there to investigate. Whatever it was, it's expanding and someday, in the foreseeable future, it will reach the Pegasus galaxy."
"A weapon against the Ascended?" Sar asked in surprise. "Is that even possible? They're pure energy."
I rummaged through my memory, searching for the key explanation.
"Energy inevitably has a specific charge. Imagine another charge appearing that can neutralize the existing one? Like two waves that cancel each other out upon collision."
"You have a very strange understanding of what Ascension is," Chaya pulled her hand from my grip.
"Sorry, but no one left me instructions or manuals. I'm working with what I've got in my head," I said spreading my hands. "But that doesn't change the heart of the matter. 'The Others lie.' That's what you wrote, for yourself. What was that note about?"
"I don't know."
"It means they can't be trusted. Most likely — not a single word they say. Their very actions suggest that their stories about fearing some unknown weapon don't match reality. One of them has already broken the rules: I'm here. They're threatened by an unknown weapon, yet they do nothing to save themselves. What's more, I exist, but they decided it would be better to kill me and keep protecting Atlantis. Why? If I can help them, it would be more logical not to hinder those who want to join me as allies. Especially since you neither helped nor hindered their little club of non-interventionists."
"That sounds right, but I don't see where you're going with this."
"What if the Others are lying to us about not knowing what happened in the Milky Way?" I asked. "In my memory, Earth was on the verge of total destruction at least twenty times, but it was always saved by a miracle. What if the Ascended know about the danger of the passage to Earth? Consider this — there could be anything there. A black hole, an exploded planet, a dead planet, an occupied one, and so on. If the Ascended want to get rid of us, why not try sending us straight into the fire? We'd have to go through to the other side for reconnaissance. And believe me, there's no ZPM on Earth to open the gate to Atlantis."
"Because otherwise they would have done it already."
A snap of my fingers happened on its own.
"Exactly. See, we understand each other. So what do we do? Risk getting into trouble, or put it off for now?"
"What are you suggesting?" Chaya asked.
"First, I want to remind you that neither your descendants nor friends nor mine are on Earth. So there's no rush. There are only two of us in the city. A malfunctioning city, full of laboratories with all sorts of dangerous inventions. We have almost no food, except for those wretched ration bars. We have no engines — we can't get far if things go really bad. It's just the two of us against an entire galaxy swarming with Wraiths. I don't think we should rush headlong to carry out the Ascended's orders."
"What, sorry?" the girl was taken aback. "You... You yourself said they gave you a task."
"Yes, and thanks to you I know they tried to drown me for the sake of whatever plans they have," I reminded her. "Do you think that makes me any more eager to complete their task?"
"But... The threat, you said it yourself."
"The threat is for the Ascended, not for us," I reminded her. "At least I hope so. So, when we get stronger, fix the city, or maybe find some Ancient spaceships, like the Aurora or something similar, then we'll undoubtedly head to the Milky Way. And try to see how bad things are there. Or, on the contrary, how good. But not now, when we don't even have the means to leave this planet. Don't you think it would be pretty stupid to go to another galaxy just the two of us, without any resources or guarantee of return?"
Sar looked a bit flustered.
"Yes, you're probably right," she said. "I... I grew up in a time when the Lantians' orders were not questioned. And... The destruction of my people affected me more than I thought. I wanted to complete the Ascended's mission you mentioned as quickly as possible, so... Perhaps..."
"You thought they might help save your people?" I clarified.
"Yes," the girl said, embarrassed. "I guess I think too highly of them. After everything that happened..."
She didn't finish, but it was clear she had skeletons in her closet. Though, who doesn't?
"A perfectly understandable desire," I said. "It's easier for me in that regard. This isn't my universe, I have nothing to hold onto here except what I have here and now. As it happens, Atlantis has become my home. A beautiful, desired home. But I don't really want to risk it for some random events that might happen because of haste and a desire to please the Ancients. No offense, guys," I raised my head, as if hoping the ceiling of the control room would part and the Ascended, floating on clouds, would listen to my words with interest, "but I have a whole load of knowledge and bitter experience with rushed affairs. I'll definitely visit the neighboring galaxy, but later. Wait a couple... mmm... years, maybe centuries. And I'll definitely solve your problems. Don't worry, I won't ditch you, the way you ditched me."
Chaya watched what I was doing with curiosity, and then couldn't help but laugh.
"Do you really think they're invisibly present here, eavesdropping on us?" she asked.
"You never know," I shrugged. "In any case," I spread my arms, "as you can see, lightning didn't strike me, I didn't turn into photoplasma, I didn't disintegrate into atoms..."
An awkward silence hung in the air.
To be honest, I wasn't sure the Ascended of Pegasus wouldn't react, but... They have a policy of direct non-intervention, don't they?
Nothing happened.
Just as I'd hoped.
I think if I'd outright refused to do what they wanted, there would have been volunteers, or "fall guys," who would have come into the human world and made it abundantly clear that I was wrong. And those explanations would most likely have been lethal.
But, we have what we have.
If the Ancients decided they could play with me, why shouldn't I do the same?
Really, I have no claim on the local Earth, but I have no reverent awe for it either. Yes, the heroes of the series that introduced me to this universe live there (maybe). But... So what? Should I prostrate myself on the deck before them right now? For what exactly? They're nobody to me. They didn't save my life. I'm not their friend, their brother, or their kin. So I'm certainly not going to throw myself into helping Earth without being prepared for the possibility that everything in the Milky Way is very bad. Especially when the word of the Ascended shouldn't be trusted.
And Chaya herself, for that matter.
I need to stay vigilant, but not let my paranoia make decisions for me.
Either way, either the Ancients will give me a good thrashing for such defiance, or they'll be satisfied that I promised to fulfill my promise someday and find out what happened.
I don't want to rush the latter, if only because... If some anomaly happened that brought me here, say, a time loop or something similar, then... Why would I want to fix it? So I don't end up here? No thanks, I like it here. I risked my life to bring this city back to life, so, no offense, but this is my city. And I'll decide how to live here and what to do. In the latter case, preferably doing as little stupid stuff as possible to avoid making enemies.
Though I suspect they'll appear naturally regardless.
"Well," Chaya, apparently also expecting a reaction from the Ancients, seemed satisfied by its absence. "Since you're demonstrating leadership, so be it. You seem to have more knowledge about this time than I do. For my part, I promise to help you with everything I can. I have a decent understanding of Lantean technology, so... I'll be of some use."
"More than you think," I smiled. I couldn't help glancing at her figure. Of average height, slender, with not particularly prominent 'front and back ninety.'
Not that I was ogling her... Who am I kidding, I was. A nice girl. Yes, she's older than I've been alive since my conception, but...
The past is over. I won't return to my universe, I can't bring Marina here...
What a fool! I could have at least asked the Voice to do that! But it never even crossed my mind. I guess Marina was right when she called me a complete egoist during our arguments, adapting only to circumstances that benefit me. It never even occurred to me to bring her along... Why? Who knows...
For now, Chaya Sar is the only female representative in my company. So why not show the girl some attention and make her feel good? Within reason, of course.
I think a little extra attention from a person wouldn't hurt her. Support was and is not my strongest trait, but... We work with what we've got.
Chaya looked at me with suspicion and distrust. My gaze must have been too lingering.
"Don't worry," I assured her. "Office romances aren't my thing."
"Nor mine," she said quickly. "I think we should get back to work."
"Completely agree," I nodded. "And I have something in mind."
"Like what?" she asked.
"I know a planet where there's a soldier who really doesn't like the Wraiths," I smiled. "And the locals are very, very friendly to the Ancients."
"I'm not sure after all this that you and I can be considered Ancients," Chaya shook her head.
"Who's going to stop us?" I spread my hands. "We're not sending them to war, we just want to make acquaintances. Only... We need to find what we can offer the natives in exchange for food... Ideally not something that would give away Lantean technology the first time the Athosians are captured by the Wraiths."
"That's quite the challenge," Chaya furrowed her brow.
* * *
"I'll do the talking. Otherwise, I'm afraid the locals won't be able to take you seriously."
"What makes you say that?"
"Your outfit..."
"This is a light armored infantry suit, an experimental prototype that never went into production," the girl explained. "It's designed to disperse impact energy without harming the wearer. What's wrong with it?"
"Let's just say it makes people look anywhere but in your eyes."
Chaya, walking beside me, nearly tripped over a fallen log. Only by grabbing her waist and pulling her close did I keep the Proculucian woman from imprinting her face on the autumn leaves and rain-soaked path.
The girl gave me a dark look.
"I don't understand your sarcasm, Mikhail."
"And I understand where Anubis got the technology for the Kull Warrior armor," I sighed.
"Excuse me?"
"Granted," I smiled.
"Actually, you're wearing the same armored suit..." The girl squinted but decided not to finish the sentence, continuing along the path. "You're joking. Trying to distract me from thoughts of my people?"
"Doing everything I can," I had to admit. In truth, I was trying my best not to stare at her. As it happened, there were only two suits, and I definitely wouldn't have fit into the one she took — it was even a bit small on Chaya. Mine, on the other hand, was quite comfortable.
But unlike Chaya, besides the Ancient blaster, I also had a personal shield attached under the glossy-plastic-like plates of my breastplate.
And in my backpack...
I... remembered something.
Anubis's Kull Warrior. A frame from the series.
The Kull Warriors were the creation of a not-quite-ascended Goa'uld named Anubis. Thanks to a mistake by Oma Desala, an Ascended being, he gained access to most of the knowledge of the Ancients and the Ascended. And he applied it successfully. The Kull Warriors were the result of an experiment meant to create the elite of his army.
Mutants clad in impenetrable armor caused a lot of damage in known events. And I always wondered where Anubis got the technology to create such wonderful armor that protected against any damage. It turns out — a Lantean development.
Though... Honestly, comparing Chaya's outfit to a Kull Warrior's, I had doubts about which was more decent. Anubis at least made sure the under-armor was cloth, not glossy latex. Honestly, I'm torn between wanting to ask Sar which army surplus sex shop she found that outfit in and not wanting to know...
Chaya's experimental light armored suit. And yes, that's a still from Blade 2. I'm shocked myself that actress Leonor Varela (Chaya Sar) wore it in that.
I think it's time to start exploring Atlantis's labs. Surely they have more than just dangerously lethal stuff in there. Though... I recall a couple of inventions there and... I really don't want to encounter various nanoviruses that kill everyone except Ancient gene carriers, various energy entities that feed on electricity, including human electricity... And all sorts of other things...
We reached Athos without the slightest trouble, meeting no one at the gate. The Jumper, shrouded in an invisibility field, rose into the sky to assess the situation. We found the locals' settlement without much difficulty. We had to spend some time finding a parking spot. About halfway from the gate to the settlement, there was a decent clearing where our ship could wait for our return under invisibility. No need to let just anyone see a Lantean ship here.
The Athosian settlement reminded me most of a nomadic camp. Something between tents and yurts on wooden frames. And quite a lot of them.
On the streets — cooking fires, men and women sitting by their dwellings, going about their business. And while I mostly didn't care, Chaya examined the Athosians with great interest.
And they stared at us with all their eyes.
I think our appearance set us apart from their usual visitors.
"Good day to you," I stopped at the entrance to the largest yurt in the middle of a trampled clearing turned into something resembling a square and looked around. The locals had gathered around us. They weren't pointing, but they were whispering. "A few days ago, a man named Alvar arrived here. I'd like to meet with him — he promised to stay for three days, and the time hasn't run out yet."
"And who are you?" a voice came from the crowd. "What's your name?"
"I'm not called; I come on my own."
Time to diversify the phraseological dictionary of the Pegasus galaxy.
The locals, unlike Chaya, liked the joke. The Proculucian wasn't particularly smiley. But emotions sometimes burst out of her, so I suspect her 'iron lady' image is just a front. Just as I'm 'sizing her up,' she isn't wasting time either.
"We don't mean any harm to anyone here," she said. "We're just looking for a friend."
The flap of the main yurt was thrown back, and a familiar sentient appeared.
"I wouldn't say Mikhail and I are friends," Alvar declared. "But we did chase off some Wraiths together."
"And I also made your life easier," I had to remind him. Knowing how fugitives are treated in the galaxy — sometimes pitied, sometimes killed or, at best, sent away — I decided not to publicize that fact. "And I promised to come and talk."
"Yeah," Jensen chuckled. "Going to introduce me to your friend?"
He nodded toward Chaya.
I returned the gesture toward the chestnut-haired young woman standing next to the fugitive, whom I knew well from the series.
"First, introduce me to your friend. Something tells me she can speak for everyone here."
"I am Teyla Emmagan, daughter of Tagan," the Athosian leader stepped forward, examining us without hesitation.
Teyla Emmagan.
"Mikhail," I introduced myself and gestured to my companion. "And this lovely lady is Chaya."
"Mikhail?" Jensen was surprised. "So 'Misha' is a diminutive? Or a made-up name?"
"That's a secret name you only tell your friends," I said mysteriously. "After all, we fought the Wraiths together. That counts for something. I hope you didn't blab my secret name to everyone around? Otherwise I'll have to befriend everyone at once. That would be awkward."
Laughter rippled through the Athosians.
Well, well — my jokes land perfectly here.
"Fighting the Wraiths side by side counts for a lot," Teyla said, making an inviting gesture inside. "Alvar told us about you. Although," she gave Chaya a careful look, "he said you'd be coming alone."
"Well, I couldn't leave such a lovely girl without a walk in the fresh air in the company of good people," the smile on my face drew a reciprocal one from Teyla, a smirk from Jensen, and a flustered-annoyed expression from Chaya. "Besides, I heard you have an amazing tea — both in taste and invigoration."
"Yes, but we drink it before dawn," Teyla exchanged a glance with Alvar. "And it's already noon."
"On the other hand, you can always move the hour hand, can't you?" the former fugitive said, eyeing my companion.
"I don't like him," Sar whispered.
"You don't have to," I replied. "He's a soldier, a pilot, an enemy of the Wraiths, not a fashion model."
"These people don't seem developed enough to master advanced technology either," Chaya whispered as we reached the entrance.
"Oh, believe me, they have ways to surprise you," I smirked.
Either way, we went inside the main yurt. In the center stood a large wooden table with food and aromatic contents in simple mugs. Teyla, having politely introduced us to the Athosians inside, gestured for us to take seats beside her.
On her left, a bit further from the fugitive who sat right there. He seemed to have some influence among the locals, since by simple civilization customs, he sat so close to the leader.
Well, time to get acquainted with the locals.