Chaya swept her gaze across those gathered in the Council Chamber.
"Given the stories about that planet, it's strange to see such positive expressions on your faces," she remarked.
"And what else should they be, considering we found naquadah deposits, and not even deeper than a couple hundred meters from the surface?" I asked, taking a sip from my glass. Milk in the Pegasus galaxy is hardly different from what I'm used to. Except, thanks to the Lanteans' food synthesizers, fresh milk easily turns into pasteurized milk and doesn't taste like the local equivalent of cows. Also, I'm grateful to the higher powers that this isn't the galaxy where teenagers drink blue milk and then blow up battle planetoids.
"According to preliminary estimates, it will be enough to build the necessary number of super-reactors for the Hippaforalkus," a smile lingered on Trebal's lips. "And yes, don't worry — there will be enough for you too, for making generators for the Satellite, the Wraith cruiser, and a whole bunch of other things."
"Oh," Chaya smiled politely. "Thank you for your concern for me. I couldn't sleep without thinking about you caring for my professional duties."
"Always welcome," Trebal continued smiling.
Yeah, I can understand her.
At the moment, the only serious reason preventing her battlecruiser from lifting into orbit is precisely the lack of energy for a good fight. The ship's technical team managed to implement some of the modernization solutions manually, without using the chair and re-planning with its help. The modernization isn't complete and the systems aren't optimized as a whole, consuming more energy... But the discovery of naquadah is a good sign. A long-awaited silver lining.
Even if it's short (and with us, it never is otherwise), it still exists. And if there really is a lot of naquadah...
"Ihaar," Chaya addressed the senior engineer, who was practically falling asleep before her eyes. "I don't see joy on your face. Unlike most of those present."
"Well, it wasn't them who spent the whole night deciphering the Wraith scientist's log, analyzing soil samples, and calculating the production of parts for the super-reactors," Ihaar put his hand to his face, hiding a yawn. "And, by the way," he looked at Teyla. "There are certain clarifications regarding what I said in the lab."
"Am I going to turn into a Wraith?" the Athosian woman asked quietly.
Kirik and Alvar, sitting beside her, refrained from commenting. It was also hard for me to resist saying that if it did happen, she would be the only Wraith Queen who was pleasant to look at.
Looking away, I noticed that Trebal looked at me with curiosity and jealousy, then at Teyla. Next, Chaya was honored with her fleeting glance.
The Proculucian woman sighed, closed her eyes, and shook her head.
"No," Ihaar yawned again. "The genetic changes in you are so minor that it's hardly possible."
I didn't mention that the people of Earth had done that.
"Then what's it about?" I asked about the more important information instead.
"Well, for starters, it's worth noting that before the Wraith culled the humans on that planet, the Wraith scientist let some of them go through the Stargate," Ihaar said. "These were, by the way, the most capable individuals he got from the experiments. Which, by the way, he himself stopped."
"Stopped himself?" Alvar was surprised. "You said it was because of the attack."
"I did say I read the log quite superficially that time, didn't I?" the engineer clarified. "Now I've studied it more. So, the Wraith, before he met with his kind, voluntarily stopped the experiments on humans. Because he got completely the opposite of what he wanted."
"Can you be more specific?" Chaya asked.
"He wanted to make humans 'tastier' and worked on their mentality," Ihaar reminded. "So that Wraith would better feel how the victims suffered. But instead, he delved into where he shouldn't have. Namely, into the area of telepathy."
"Sorry, I don't understand," Teyla said.
"But I do," said Kirik, leaning forward. "Our friend in the basement, like all Wraith, can project various visions, sounds, and so on into the minds of their victims."
"To confuse the victim," Alvar supported. "But that wears off very quickly for those who survive their attacks a couple of times."
"And Wraith also communicate telepathically," I finally understood what the matter was. "And they can subjugate people, like they did on the drilling platform."
"Exactly," the engineer yawned. "Wraith can't eavesdrop on human thoughts, for example, if they just walk past. But if they concentrate, they can get into your head. Well, and humans, as we know, aren't developed enough yet to read even each other's thoughts. Mikhail, you can't, can you?"
"I can pick up the thoughts of someone present who wants to give you a good smack for your lengthy chatter. Oh, no, not just a slap on the wrist, they want to wring your neck."
"You're not joking, are you?" Ihaar got alarmed, looking around. "Hey, what's wrong with you all?! We're one team. And I'm giving explanations so everyone understands them."
"For which I am personally grateful to you," said Teyla.
"As am I," Alvar supported.
Kirik limited himself to a nod, as did Trebal. My comrades' gazes crossed on me.
"Oh, come on," the guys clearly didn't appreciate the joke.
"Sorry for my thoughts," Chaya unexpectedly shrank back, looking at me. "I didn't think Mikhail could do that..."
I think even if Wraith attacked us right now, we'd all still be staring at the quiet Proculucian woman. And I was just joking!
"Ahem," Ihaar coughed into his fist and even cheered up a bit. "Anyway, the Wraith stopped because his experiments led to humans learning to connect to the Wraiths' telepathic channels."
"Are you saying that Teyla can not only sense Wraith, but also connect with their minds directly?" Trebal whistled. Should I tell her that whistling in the house brings no wealth?
Oh, yeah... Where would we get money!
"We practiced enhancing her sensitivity through meditations based on the Ascension study program, but the fact that she can directly implant herself into a Wraith's mind, rather than just pick up their emotions," even Chaya was stunned. Looking at me, she asked, "Did you know this?"
"Yes," no point in dodging. "In known events, this trick has been pulled off more than once. It's just that rarely did Teyla manage to keep her thoughts to herself at first. She connected to the Wraith, and they connected to her. She took a little information from them, and they from her. It's not for nothing that I didn't voice this information — the work on Teyla's mental enhancement that Chaya is doing shouldn't make us think we can use her as a Wraith thought receiver anytime we want."
"We can and we will," Trebal said sharply. "Do you realize what an advantage that is? Knowing their plans, where they'll strike, where their bases are."
"We won't, as long as I'm in command here and Teyla isn't ready," my objection didn't sit well with Trebal. "Do you realize what a disaster it would be if they found out about Taranis, Ermen, Dorandan, and so on?"
The half-breed fell silent, then nodded in agreement.
"Yes, you're right," she agreed, looking at Teyla. "Sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound like we're using you. I'm a soldier and I'm used to thinking in those categories."
"I understand," the Athosian woman said. "I'm partly a soldier too. And I understand that such abilities could help us. But the last thing I want is to harm you all because I can't control myself. I... I'm afraid a Wraith could take control of me, like it happened with my people on the drilling platform. I don't think connecting with a Wraith's mind is a good idea."
"Not when you could give something away to it, you mean?" Kirik clarified. "Or when it could tell one of its own what it learned. Because, if for example, you could get into Koschei's head and learn everything he knows... We could shoot him and not worry about him betraying us anymore."
"It's worth a try," said Teyla, looking at me.
"We'll discuss this later," I decided. "Ihaar, do you have anything else?"
"Just a hypothesis," the senior engineer uttered. "That if those Taken that woman told Teyla about..."
"Charin," the Athosian woman prompted.
"Yes, her," Ihaar nodded. "So, what if those people aren't evil on their own? Let's assume they were the strongest products of the experiment. And, unlike Teyla, they didn't need training to connect with Wraith. Maybe they could even pick up their thoughts across many light-years..."
"Get to the point?" Trebal became interested.
"I'm leading to the fact that these people might have been evil because they could hear the Wraiths' thoughts or were under their control," the engineer said. "And, as we know, two groups of test subjects left that planet. The Wraith let one group go himself, the others escaped during the raid. Considering that Teyla can only sense Wraith, I'm no biologist, of course, but I'd hypothesize that she's either a descendant of a weakened genetic line from the first group, or from a stable line from the second. What I'm trying to say," he looked at Teyla, "is that from what I read in that lab log, there isn't a single hint that people were deliberately created as monsters, evil by nature. So, you shouldn't worry that you'll wake up one night with a feeding appendage on your right palm and want to drain the life from one of us as a midnight snack."
"Thank you," Teyla forced out. "That information... is reassuring."
Offering to bet right now that she was being disingenuous would be completely tactless. But I think everyone present already understood the score.
"Alright," said Chaya. "I think we've closed that issue, haven't we? Let's move on..."
"Not quite closed," I interrupted the Proculucian woman, looking at Teyla. "We talked about teaching Teyla to safely get into the minds of Wraith, didn't we?"
The Athosian woman shuddered.
"Yes," Trebal voiced the general confirmation. "But you yourself said... Wait, do you have another idea?"
"I do," I sighed. "For now, we need Koschei. And getting into the head of an old and experienced Wraith, who undoubtedly broke even Lanteans, is not the safest idea. Not to mention it'll be a long time before he's our prisoner and helps us bring people back to life. I don't want to offend you, Teyla, but giving him access to your mind right now would be too dangerous for our security."
"You haven't offended me," said Emmagan, and this time her words sounded sincere. "I was just thinking myself that it was a bad idea. Maybe, when he's no longer useful to us..."
She trailed off, shuddering uncontrollably. It seems like she's not at all thrilled about mental contact with a Wraith's mind. It's hard to blame her for genuinely fearing her own prospects. Considering what the Taken did, what happened on the drilling platform, and the fact that her heritage in any case comes from Wraith worshippers... She's clearly not having an easy time.
We definitely need a psychiatrist before we end up like Private Kuca, chuckling in the latrine hugging a rifle.
"I propose we start with something simpler and safer," my suggestion didn't cause a stir, but that's only for now.
"We're already planning a raid against the Wraith," reminded Kirik, who was handling the combat part of the operation. "We know the weakest Wraith are the soldiers who wear masks. They probably won't put up as much mental resistance as a commander or a queen."
"The conversation now isn't about Wraith," I countered. "It's about us."
"Excuse me?" Chaya tilted her head.
"Think about it," I suggested. "Wraith can't just read our thoughts by walking past us. They need to concentrate. And, from the looks of it, this ability doesn't work as reliably as a Kalashnikov assault rifle..."
"I wish I knew what that was," Alvar chuckled.
"Teyla has abilities similar to those of Wraith," I continued developing my thought. "Which clearly need training. Breaking a Wraith's mind is a pretty strong blow to the psyche. After all, they think in other categories and are quite far from us..."
"Let me clarify something right away," Chaya interrupted me. "The Wraith genetic code is ninety-seven percent identical to the average human DNA, if we take a simple Dorandanian technician and Teyla for comparison. So they aren't that far from us."
"Which confirms the theory of their originally human origin," Ihaar added darkly.
"And, since Wraith also have to work hard to hack into our minds, maybe, to avoid traumatizing Teyla, she could practice on us?" I voiced my thought. "It would really be easier for her to learn this craft and get used to looking into the minds of sentient beings. And it won't cause a big shock in the future. It's a matter of habit, of training. We'll prepare her that way — from simple to complex. We're humans, almost identical in DNA and brain development..."
"Someone would have been better off keeping their mouth shut at that point," Trebal chuckled. "But, actually, yes, that's a very interesting idea."
"I agree," Chaya frowned. "It's strange it didn't occur to us earlier."
"Except no one bothered to check with Teyla what she thinks," Kirik pointed out, looking at the Athosian woman. "After all, she'll be the one straining her brain. And, from the looks of it, there's hardly anyone who can guide her in this. Except the Wraith, and there's not much trust in him."
"I understand everything," said Emmagan. "The danger, and the advantages it gives us. Don't take my silence as refusal or displeasure... I don't feel that way. I would be very happy to be useful not just with a rifle and as a trade intermediary. I think I just need to sleep on this thought, so that everything I've learned about myself, about my ancestors, comes into harmony with my inner world. Give me some time, okay? Then we'll start the training."
"I think that will be the wisest course of action," Chaya concluded. "And, on that note, let's call this matter closed. As soon as Teyla is ready, we'll begin. For now, we have other business. Mikhail, you wanted to raise the issue of replenishing our combat units?"
"First of all, we've already left quite a trail in other worlds, and the Wraith could easily have taken offense at us and started searching. That's why we left Ermen," I reminded. "But, as practice shows, we need more actual soldiers. With all due respect to Teyla and her people, we can't be sure that what happened on the drilling rig won't repeat itself. Consequently, we need soldiers who follow orders and are ready to fight the Wraith the way we tell them."
I had already learned my lesson from what happened.
By betting on one 'excellent' plan, we nearly lost everything we had on that rig. And almost released the Queen of Death into the galaxy.
I need to change my approach to preparing the missions we plan. At the very least — have a couple of backup plans in case everything goes down the drain.
But right now, excluding the Athosians, all our combat strength that actually has experience fighting in the field, rather than pushing buttons aboard a ship, is me, Teyla, Kirik, Alvar, and Trebal. And, once the battlecruiser is back in service, her place will be on the bridge.
Kirik is doing well so far in securing the city and teaching the Ancients at least some self-defense skills and how to shoot firearms or Wraith weapons.
For obvious reasons, I ordered him and Alvar to stop the same lessons with the Athosians.
Considering that the team always needs a technician who can fix or break something from a scientific perspective, Ihaar is the best fit for that role.
That's how the reconnaissance team spontaneously formed...
But what will we do if we fall into an ambush? Call Kirik and a squad of half-trained Technicians again, who can't hit a target from ten meters without hitting their neighbor's target with their firearms? Simply because they know about recoil but aren't used to compensating for it...
We need more soldiers.
There's the cyborg, who should obviously be a decent death machine.
And there is...
"So what do you suggest?" Chaya asked. "I don't think you want to ally with the Genii."
"Only if we're threatened by an unstoppable deadly danger," I assured her. "No, I want you to try and work more with the Runner tracker beacon. I'm sure we can find a few guys who have nowhere to go and wouldn't mind fighting the Wraith."
"Speaking of which," Alvar piped up. "A good plan. After all, we have to understand that as soon as we get fighters or a need arises to pilot a 'Puddle Jumper,' I'm no longer useful in ground combat. I think the 'Runners' aren't a bad way to get skilled warriors."
"I'll return to New Athos and try to find good and loyal men ready to fight side by side with the Nai, despite the dreams or anything else that might confuse them," Teyla uttered.
"But first, we need to work out one fairly obvious option," I looked at Ihaar, then at Chaya.
"I've almost figured out how to create a new virtual environment," the senior engineer groaned. "But, seriously, we don't need it tomorrow, do we? Besides, we haven't fully figured out what replacement to make for it..."
"Ihaar, you, like all of us, need to rest," said Chaya, not taking her eyes off me. "Some of my projects can function without my direct involvement. I'll take care of the virtual environment for both the cyborg and the remaining crew members."
As well as overseeing the repair work, creating observation drones, combing through the database, assessing the danger of the remaining labs and shelved projects in Atlantis...
Once again, we're facing a shortage of manpower. And for now, the only way we can get it is through Koschei. And he needs bad people to feed on. To get them, in turn, we need fighters. And we can only find them if our current people switch to other things...
A vicious circle, from which I've already thrown out about two hundred side problems.
"If you don't mind, I'll take on the work of analyzing the military ships, outposts, and other military assets," Trebal volunteered. Chaya nodded gratefully to her.
A part of the burden fell from her shoulders.
A very small part, but still.
"I'll go with the naquadah mining group," Alvar volunteered. "While combat missions are on hold, I'll work as a miner. If no one objects, of course."
"I think the technicians need a break from combat training," Kirik declared. "For now, I'll take over the defense of Atlantis myself. It's not like the sensors are working, and guests can only arrive through the Stargate."
It turns out I'm the only one left without intermediate work. That's a bit awkward.
Then again, there's always something to do for whoever pilots the Jumper.
"If that's everything, then let's get back to our business," Chaya said with a hint of a smile. "And, Mikhail, could you stay behind?"
Usually, such phrases don't end well. Judging by the looks everyone except the puzzled Teyla gave me, I'm not alone in that opinion.
When the rotating doors of the Council Chamber closed behind the others, I looked at Chaya with a smile.
"Do you think it was a good idea to so straightforwardly invite me on a date?"
The Proculucian woman didn't appreciate the joke: her face remained just as stern and focused.
"Do you think it's a good idea to turn Teyla into an interrogator who can get inside the heads of our human enemies?" she asked in an icy tone, her gaze burning into me.
Damn.