"The entered request is incorrect. Please try again."
"And that's all you have to say?" I asked.
"The entered request is incorrect. Please try again," Ganos Lal repeated.
"Well, alright," I sighed, stepping off the pedestal and sitting down by the wall. I didn't even pay attention to the fact that the "hologram" hadn't disappeared. "How about I tell you a story?"
"Should I activate the recording mode for a new file?" the Ascended being clarified, continuing her strange game.
"As you wish," I shrugged, taking another plasticine hematogen from my backpack. "So. Once upon a time, there were the Ancients. That's what their descendants from Earth called them. In their home galaxy, this race was called Alterans. In the Milky Way – Others or Ancients. In Pegasus – Lantians. And so, the Lantians, having had their fill of hardship in the Pegasus galaxy, leave for Earth. All of them. They live there, develop their descendants. And then, one of them, named Moros – the corner of the woman of light's left eye twitched slightly – gets the idea that the ancient enemies of this civilization, fellow Alterans, who call themselves the Orai, will decide to kill all the Ancients. Other Ancients, who had already Ascended by then, did not believe his idea. And when Moros, also known as Merlin, also known as Myrddin, decided to create a weapon to fight the Orai. And, since all Orai without exception had Ascended, the weapon was also dangerous for the Ascended Ancients. Therefore, they sent one of their own to observe Merlin's experiments. To stop him. And when the weapon, named Sangraal, was created, the observer destroyed the weapon. An interesting enough story?" I took a larger bite, chewing vigorously.
"An interesting story," the Ancient agreed.
"It will become more interesting when I tell you what actually happened to the creator of the weapon," I poked the ceiling with my fingers, hinting at the Ascended beings. "I'm sure these guys will be extremely interested to know how exactly you tricked them. Of course, they won't interfere, it's not in your rules. But you won't be able to play your game anymore, pretending to be the hologram you created yourself to train children. And you won't be able to, at a crucial moment in history, suggest the names of planets that will affect the search for a weapon against the Orai..."
"Hologram," she said, poorly concealing her interest in what I had told her, looking at me without pretense. It seemed, as I had hoped, that my story had piqued her interest.
Primarily because her plan might be exposed. The Ascended, of course, would not destroy what she had prepared for future searches by Earthlings, but there was a nuance: for the searches to go in the right direction, Ganoss Lal herself was needed. Here, on Atlantis. And not in the form of a hologram, but under the same guise under which she herself was present.
An Ascended being who was posing as a hologram.
"Well, so what?" I asked. "Will you deign to enlighten me, or would I be better off starting to talk about your treachery so that others will listen?"
And again, only silence in response. The lady clearly knew her worth and was considering the consequences of various actions.
Well, I am once again convinced that even in a moment of serious danger, the Ascended will not intervene. Even if the fate of their beloved legacy depends on it. Including the people they created on many planets in various galaxies.
"Something is definitely happening here," I finished my snack and started pacing the room. "Let's think logically while we have time. Among the Ascended, there are good guys who are willing to break their own rules and directly intervene in a crisis to help fighters for a good cause. How good it is, we won't discuss. The main thing is that when it comes to your interests, you find a way to adjust events with the help of one person or another. Visions, hints, riddles, puzzles, and so on... All for the sake of achieving your goals. And then, I appear on Atlantis. Let's not insult each other's intelligence and pretend that the universe of 'Stargate' includes the version of Earth where I lived. Therefore, someone from your side," I pointed to the ceiling again, "from the Ascended, was so horrified by what was happening in your universe that they decided to seek help in another universe. And they chose not alternative heroes known for their deeds, but me. A person who, in principle, can do and knows little about this universe. You gave me a young and strong body, probably even instilled your Ancient Gene. And you threw me not somewhere in the backwoods, but on Atlantis, in the Pegasus galaxy. Why not to Earth, in the Milky Way?"
The "hologram" remained silent.
She stood in the same place, her eyes closed. I suspect she was having mental negotiations with her companions in the higher planes of existence to get either a ban or approval to talk to me.
"I suspect the problem lies in the fact that the trouble is precisely in the Pegasus galaxy," I continued my brainstorming. "Something happened. Or didn't happen. Because of which one of you panicked and did what he did. It's a pity for this good guy, of course. But he knew what he was getting into. So, let's go by elimination. You are not bothered by the Wraith and the fact that they hunt people – otherwise, you would have intervened earlier. You are not bothered by the other problems of this galaxy – for the same reason. So, something extraordinary happened... Something that completely destroyed your plans for the future. Correct me if I'm wrong. I suspect that everything that is happening is not accidental at all. I have a thought that the interventions are part of the plan and..."
"Stop."
To my surprise, I froze on the spot, hearing the voice of the Ascended Ancient. First, I was glad that she had made contact. And then, I realized: she did it so that I wouldn't voice my theory of the predetermination of all events.
She didn't want me to say that.
Because other Ascended beings would hear. And take measures. After all, this is precisely what I was blackmailing her with – to reveal to her kin the secret plan of Ganoss Lal to help people from Earth in the war with the ancient alien relatives, the Orai. And I was counting on her interrupting me so that the others wouldn't hear... Because the other Ascended beings would oppose it.
Is it time to put on a tinfoil hat and think that the Ascended will not like me very much if they find out what I think about them and their plans? I don't know, I don't know... But such secrets are usually taken to the grave.
"So, have you ripened for an honest conversation?" I clarified.
"Within the limits permitted by the rules of Ascension," she said indifferently.
"Can I see the manual so I can form the questions correctly?" I asked.
"You will learn all these rules if you ever become Ascended," she said.
"I could use a spiritual mentor to shorten the path. Can you give me the address of Oma Desala? She's a specialist in this."
Another silence, accompanied by the blinking of virtual eyelids.
Well, of course.
Ascension is a complex spiritual and mutational process. Both the body and worldview change, becoming completely alien to human nature and logic. One can overcome this path independently, or one can cheat by receiving "brotherly help" from an already Ascended being.
In a literal sense, seeing a worthy candidate for Ascension, an Ascended being could help him become the same. It seems this does not violate the rules and is widely practiced by some Ancients.
Oma Desala is one of the latter "good guys." However, the others dislike her. Because once she helped a completely wrong person almost Ascend.
Not a good and inquisitive researcher's mind.
But a parasite that takes over the bodies of intelligent species, including humans. The Goa'uld, they are like that. And parasitism in their case is not even their biggest sin. I would even say – the smallest of them. Mass murders, genocide, enslavement, destruction of planets, stars, and so on – this is a more extensive list of reasons why you might dislike these guys.
Oma made a mistake and helped one of them almost become Ascended. She stopped in time, but the process could no longer be reversed.
"You had questions," she reminded me. "I am ready to listen to them."
"But not to answer, right?" I smiled.
"I have no right to interfere in the lives and events of mortals," the Ancient voiced one of the most important rules of the Ascended.
"But a conversation doesn't count," I pointed out.
"Up to a certain point," she replied after thinking.
Rummaging through my memories, I assumed:
"Correct me if I'm wrong. We can't give direct instructions or use the powers, knowledge, or technologies of the Ascended to help people? But no one forbids us to talk about general matters, right?"
"Simplified, but correct," she said.
Okay, we'll deal with that later.
"I'm not from this universe, am I?" In principle, the Voice had said this, but knowing the Ancients, they could mess up seriously. Especially since the Voice's plan could have been disrupted by other Ascended beings...
"Yes," she replied.
Not bad. So my logical thinking is pretty good. Let's continue gathering information. Especially since it doesn't really affect the overall situation. No energy is being spent, so the catastrophe is not approaching at seven-league strides.
"Who sent me here?" I asked.
"I have no right to disclose this information," she said.
Interesting. And how can one name affect what might happen? It's probably someone very, very powerful, authoritative, and well-known. And his name alone could set me on a certain path.
On a path the Ascended do not desire.
"What do I have to do?"
A direct question. And I'm sure I won't get an answer.
"I can't tell you that either," she admitted.
Nothing else was expected.
"Maybe then, you'll tell me what problem happened that required such a violation of the rules?" I asked. "You could have asked for help from any of the Earthlings. General O'Neill, Samantha Carter, Dr. Jackson, Colonel Sheppard, Dr. McKay, and a good hundred other more experienced and skilled ones..."
They could have... If they could have. But what if they couldn't? What if the expedition to Atlantis, which I mentioned, never arrives? And, if so, something happened on Earth that broke the chain of events?!
An interesting guess.
Ganoss Lal looked at me indifferently. Demonstratively indifferently. But something told me that she didn't want to play silent. She just knew what the consequences would be. "Wanting and being afraid" in its full glory.
"You already have the answer to this question," she said, carefully choosing her words. "I advise you to proceed from it."
Oh-ho...
It seems I'm right and wrong at the same time.
There is a problem. So gigantic that someone from the Ascended decided to disregard the rules and seek help outside the known "habitats." Went to another universe... But why specifically mine? Where "Stargate" is just a television-literary universe, not a reality. And why was I chosen? I'm not the best connoisseur of this universe, nor do I have fanatical obsession. I can't read, write, or count in the language of the Ancients, I don't understand technology or science. Only on a household level.
Or... Is it because I agreed without conditions that the Voice could not fulfill without seriously violating the rules? Whoever he was, he was clearly playing on the edge until he "slipped."
The Ancients allowed him to penetrate another universe, pull me out of there... my consciousness? My soul? In short, he took something that makes me me. The Voice gave me a body, better than the one I had at the moment of death. I don't think he did it out of gratitude or because he had free time. During our conversation, he was in a hurry, as if he didn't have much time. There is probably some reason for this.
For example, the Ascended are already coming for him to hold him accountable for breaking the rules.
"Do you know why the Voice pulled me here?" I asked. I doubt Morgana would lie to my face.
The answer to this question will allow me to learn a lot.
"Yes," she looked away slightly.
"And you can't tell me about it?"
"Yes."
"You can't, or you don't want to?" I blurted out.
Ganoss Lal closed her eyes, and her face contorted for a moment with a grimace of irritation. It happens when a persistent ant, before the owner of the shoe steps on it, bothers the owner's nerves for a long time.
But no answer came. Which means she doesn't want to answer. To both questions.
"As you wish," I stopped next to my backpack and threw it over my shoulder. "It was a pleasure talking to you. Don't hold grudges. When everything here is flooded, and Atlantis becomes unusable, please don't forget that you are the one to blame for my departure. Alaverdi!"
A provocateur, of course, is worse than most representatives of sexual deviations, but there are moments when it's simply impossible otherwise.
She wouldn't have contacted me if it wasn't necessary. And that means not only she, but all the Ascended need my help. I think, as soon as they heard that Ganoss Lal had been deceiving them for thousands of years, they could have "pulled" her out of here for a private conversation with the "major."
"You're leaving?" her surprised voice sounded behind me.
"Yes," I answered simply.
"But... Why?" confusion reigned on the Ascended's face.
"Because I have legs, and I know how to use them," my shrug made her heave a heavy sigh of irritation. "I asked you for a conversation, agreed that I wouldn't hear the most important thing. But you decided that I shouldn't hear anything specific at all. So why should I waste time playing charades with you?"
"Because you asked for it yourself," she said.
"Oh, don't get on my nerves, Morgana," I smiled. "The Ancients, and even more so the Ascended, are not altruists to respond to requests. Before even hinting at an answer, you test a person to show their true selves. Well, maybe I failed the test, but thanks to you, I know for sure – you have very big problems. So big that someone from your brethren went to another universe and started looking for someone who would dare to get involved. And I wasn't the first he approached. But the only one who agreed. Which means you have no alternative."
"What makes you think that?" the Ascended's eyes flashed. "We can change you at any moment..."
"Well," I spread my hands, "go ahead. Come on, change me. Or let someone else from the Ascended take responsibility for directly interfering in my fate. It seems you are punished for that. And not just put in the corner."
"Insolent," she spat out the words as if.
"I don't like it when people try to trick me," I admitted. "You're talking to me as if I'm an empty space. Logically, I'm showing you the same in return. And, unlike you, I can go to the hangar, take any of the ships, and get out of this city. Remind me, how much time is left until it's flooded? Hours? Days? Are the gates blocked from receiving any other incoming wormholes except from Earth? Will anyone come here to save the city? Will they make it in time or perish with all your knowledge?"
"You will not get an answer to any of the questions you just asked," Ganoss Lal cut off. "Your self-importance has blinded you."
"Or," I smiled, "I'm taking advantage of the situation and getting what I need. Didn't you think of that?"
"I don't understand what you mean."
"That if you had the opportunity to replace me with someone more obedient, you would have done it. If you had a problem that wasn't so massive, you wouldn't have sent me to Atlantis. There are still many ruins of your civilization in this galaxy. Any of these planets would have been suitable. But no, the Voice embodied me in the capital of your lost state. In a place where there are thousands of laboratories with projects ranging from the most harmless, like communicating with local whales, to immoral, like social experiments to control human settlements throughout the galaxy. Or, for example, remember the nano-virus that causes deadly hallucinations in everyone who doesn't have the Ancient Gene? Including humans, whom you created. I can list examples indefinitely. But you've already grasped the essence – you're grasping at straws. And this is very curious. It was necessary to drag a person from another universe, although you could easily have taken any other person in this galaxy, since the Milky Way is inaccessible, instilled him with the Ancient Gene, taught him to use your technologies, and sent him to perform the task. So..."
"Enough!" Ganoss Lal interrupted my monologue in a quiet but commanding tone, barely suppressing her anger. "Get out of here!"
"With pleasure!" I promised. "Right now, I'll take Janus's time machine, experiment with it. Most likely not immediately, but I'll definitely end up on Atlantis after you leave and live happily ever after until the end of my days. And there will still be nine thousand years left until the catastrophe... A good plan, huh, Morgana?"
The Ascended's figure began to glow as if someone had suddenly added a couple of hundred lumens per square meter to her. It became painful to look at her...
"I will not tolerate this!" she shouted, raising her hands, in which she clutched something resembling snow-white spheres. "He made a mistake, and I will correct this mistake! Now!"
Honestly, everything inside me clenched. Frozen, I watched as the Ascended, who, in essence, could destroy a planet with a snap of her fingers, intended to unleash her wrath upon me.
But she didn't have time.
Her figure shimmered as if something invisible but unstoppable had pulled her back and up...
"No-o-o!" Ganoss Lal screamed.
Her silhouette blurred, began to multiply. But each of its copies became smaller and smaller than the original...
With a slight pop and a flash of light, the "hologram" of Morgan le Fay disappeared from the holographic hall.
It was something like this.
Left alone, I felt a pang of conscience. My character is not the sweetest, but life has taught me not to let anyone walk all over me. And even more so – to use me in the dark.
And Ganoss Lal intended to do just that.
Which is strange. From the TV series, I remembered her as a rather peaceful woman, sympathetic to the cause of Earthlings. She had repeatedly risked and broken the rules of Ascension to help in a difficult moment. Even if she knew for sure that the consequences would not please her.
I was counting on exactly this kind of attitude.
But we clearly couldn't find common ground. With every cell of my body, I felt that she was unpleasant to communicate with me. As if I were standing before her in the mud and soiling the sunlight with myself.
Of course, maybe I'm just exaggerating, but...
Okay, it was worth trying to get answers. It didn't work out.
So there's no choice – it's time to leave the city before...
The podium, above which Ganoss Lal had just disappeared, suddenly lit up. In the center of the room, a shapeless snow-white entity appeared, very similar to the Voice.
And just as I rejoiced that a familiar Ancient had arrived, the "cloud" took on the familiar outline of a hologram.
"I apologize for the actions of my compatriot," she said, smiling slightly with only her lips... Melia. "We didn't start off right, Mikhail. I don't think I need to introduce myself?"
I think... Something extraordinary is happening here.
* * *
Taking a deep breath, I turned my head towards the white figure of the Ascended standing next to me.
"Say it's a joke."
"Unfortunately," sorrow appeared on Melia's face. "It's not. The very threat to the existence of all living things... It's not a reason for jokes."
I can't disagree.
What the Ancient told me... Made my brain boil.
"That doesn't explain why your Hippocrates summoned me from another universe," I muttered.
"Hippaphoralkus," Melia corrected me. An interesting woman. Calm, kind, non-confrontational. I would classify her as a seasoned phlegmatic if not for the emotions showing on her face. I couldn't bring myself to say they were fake. "His name is Hippaphoralkus. He was a general in our army during the war with the Wraith...
Something about her, the way she carried herself, the way she spoke, the way she behaved, made me trust her. Compared to the unexpectedly prim Ganoss Lal, the former member of the Atlantis Council made an exclusively positive impression.
I thought Morgana would behave like this, but...
"I understand your confusion, Mikhail," the Ancient said. "Our community was also shocked by the general's actions. Ganoss Lal... They were close. And his actions, contrary to everything we fought for, everything we believe in... It upset many."
"How can a desperate plea for help be upsetting?" I asked. "You told me that all the Ascended in the Milky Way are destroyed. You don't know what's happening in this vast galaxy. The foreseen expedition of Earthlings to Atlantis should have happened a few months ago, but nothing has changed. And your most renowned commander decided that someone should be brought in for help. Since none of you dared to become human again..."
"The process of Ascension is not a yo-yo game," the Ancient objected. Seeing the surprise on my face, she smiled modestly. "I apologize. I involuntarily felt your thoughts..."
"It's okay," I waved it off, continuing to pace around the Ascended. "That's the least of my worries right now."
"Usually, people guard their thoughts from outsiders," the Ancient remarked. "However... Now I understand why the general turned to you for help."
"Because he could motivate me," I shrugged. "I needed something he could do. And he needed someone who would agree. And, judging by everything, he has some idea of the conditions under which he will have to act."
"And he also saw in you a curious inventive mind, bravery, a desire to go to the end," Melia listed. "And much more. Perhaps you reminded him of himself in his younger years."
"Isn't it easier to ask him?" I asked. "You punished him in some ingenious way, but so that he would always be in plain sight..."
Not hearing an answer, I looked into the Ancient's face.
And a mask of despair and slight panic was frozen on it.
Not that I care, but...
"You didn't punish him," I whispered.
The Ascended put on a sad smile. She smiles suspiciously often during our conversation. I recall that a smile is an attempt to gain trust and win someone over.
"The rules of Ascension were written long before us," the Ancient said. "And the punishments for their violations... are also great. Interference in the affairs of living beings is only a minor crime in the eyes of the community. But time travel, influencing the space-time continuum... We watch over the universe we live in. And it is not in our interest to let it turn into a dead wasteland," Melia assured. "Influence on space and time almost always entails a harsh reaction from the Ascended."
Now it's clear why, when the expedition from Earth arrived on Atlantis for the first time, it perished almost in its entirety, but managed to use the time machine of an Ancient named Janus, this fact – a guest from the future – caused anger and condemnation from the other Lantians. It wasn't grumbling. They were afraid that those who had Ascended before them would punish the remnants of civilization.
They have a strange society.
"And even more so – crossing the boundaries of universes..." Melia continued. "Little can be worse than this. Such actions require more serious sanctions. Otherwise, there will be no discipline."
Wait a minute... what did they do to the Voice?! Ugh, to Hippaphoralkus?!
"What did you do to him?!" clenching my fists, I approached the Ancient.
"Mikhail, I ask you to calm down. We both understand that you are not interested in that at all," the Ascended said. "The general fulfilled his part of the deal before he took you from your universe. You don't have to worry about that."
"And thank you for that. So, what did you do to him?"
There was still a chance that I could find this guy and ask him a couple of questions. Sooner or later.
"I'm afraid I can't answer that question," a sorrowful look appeared on Melia's face.
Understood. The answer would directly influence my future actions. Telling me the truth would be the same as sending me to him, if Hippaphoralkus survived.
"Okay, let's assume," I said. "Although I doubt he pulled this off without anyone knowing..."
"He had like-minded people," Melia said. "They helped him break through the gaps between universes and carry out his plan."
"And they..."
"Are dead. The general completely exhausted their energy. No, it's not murder – according to our information, they took this step voluntarily. A sacrifice for the greater good."
"Well, yes, of course. Too complicated a combination," I admitted. "I repeat – it would have been much easier to find an assistant here, in Pegasus. I'm sure you have descendants with the Ancient Gene here."
"You know perfectly well that they are here," Melia said. "Just as you know that they are hardly developed enough to accept the existence of Atlantis and the technologies contained within it at the proper level. And we, unfortunately, do not have time to train them. Besides, the General acted tactically correctly. There have been no spatial-temporal continuum violations of this magnitude since the beginning of time... He knew that the Geth Consensus would not immediately react to such an intervention. And he foresaw the fact that the appearance of familiar and trained people from other realities in Atlantis would attract our attention sooner than placing a consciousness from another universe into a body created in Atlantis."
"Why?"
"The transfer of objects and organisms between universes is detrimental to the receiving universe," the Ancient said. "Realities vibrate at a certain frequency. The transfer of a part of one reality into another causes significant distortions. The longer this happens, the more terrible the consequences."
Running her words through my head, I clarified: "You answered because you know that I won't be able to use this knowledge, right?"
"We will stop you if you try to cross the boundaries of universes," Melia promised. "I assure you, we will not limit ourselves to simple persuasion. It is in our interest to stop such violations."
"Why?"
"If we don't do it, others will," the Ascended said.
Well, yes, yes... And the heroes of the series somehow managed without the admonition of the Ascended. Perhaps because some are "allowed" and others are "not allowed"? Because the former must do what is planned so that the universe gets the necessary push. And the actions of others will only lead to negativity?
Melia looked me in the eyes and smiled.
"You understand," she stated. "That's good. I think you'll agree to help us."
"Us?" I was surprised.
"Despite the fact that the General is no longer a being..." she fell silent, catching herself mid-sentence. "The General will no longer be able to influence reality, but what he did what he did for will not resolve itself."
"It seems to me that it would be out of place to suggest that you yourselves go to the Milky Way galaxy and find everything out there?"
"When the anomaly first manifested itself, we did just that," the Ancient assured me. "None of the scouts returned. As far as we understand, whatever is killing the Ascended in the Milky Way operates on a regular basis."
"Merlin's device?" I guessed.
Moros, also known as Merlin, created the Sangraal – a mechanism that destroyed the Ascended. But Ganos Lal destroyed the device. True, she saved the life of the one who created it.
"We don't know," Melia admitted. "That's why we're asking you to find out the nature of the threat. And eliminate it."
"That is, to save your lives," I said.
"Precisely," the woman nodded. "The anomaly is slowly expanding. Not much time will pass before it reaches Pegasus."
"How much?"
"I'm afraid we don't know that."
"How so?" I was surprised. "Isn't there a pattern to its expansion?"
"There is," a guilty smile again.
"But I have to figure it out myself, don't I?" I squinted.
"I'm afraid so," she said sadly. "These are not our whims. These are the rules of the Ascended."
"Which you are not going to break even to save yourselves?" I was surprised.
"Yes."
"It seems your self-preservation instinct is a bit faulty," I muttered. "Any living creature, if it's sane, worries about its survival. Even if you are more developed than ordinary people, that doesn't mean..."
"I'm afraid it does," Melia said. "To become Ascended is to renounce earthly attachments, obligations, and laws. To release spiritual energy to transition to a new level of being."
"Uh-huh... And I heard this because Ascension is not threatened for me? Right?"
"The probability of that... is minimal."
"But it exists!"
"The magnitude of the probability is such that it is conventionally called an error margin," Melia tilted her head slightly. "I think you understand why."
Oh, I understood.
"Because my character doesn't allow me to run away from problems completely," I said. "To fight as long as there is an opportunity. The General would not have called for help from someone who would go aside at the first convenient opportunity."
"You are an intelligent man, Mikhail. At least in terms of life philosophy."
Can this be considered stuffy mockery? I don't think so.
"How much longer will the shield hold?" I asked.
"I cannot answer that question."
Too many questions. And a categorical understanding that I would not get answers.
Sad.
"I could use some help," I said. "Without knowing your language, understanding the technology... The search for the problem could drag on for years. It could cost you your lives."
"We agree to take the risk," the Ascended said. "I understand your motives to make your life easier. But to go further than Hippaphoralkus did... We simply have no right. It would be interference. But I am sure that you will find a way out of the current situation. You are lucky as it is," she spread her hands, "you are in Atlantis. Our home, in the vault of our knowledge. What greater help could there be than this?"
"At least a slightly charged ZPM would be valuable help," I admitted.
Melia gave me a sympathetic look. That's how they look at a child who tells his parents such heresy... While both he and his parents understand the truth, the spectacle must be fully realized.
"I understand," I sighed. "Saving a drowning person is the drowning person's own doing."
"In this case, the expression can be taken literally," Melia assured me. "Believe me, Mikhail, I am sorry that neither I nor my comrades can help you any further."
I would have liked to answer with Stanislavski's words, but the mood for joking had disappeared.
Not only did clarifying the situation add more depressive moments, but I didn't even get a hint of direct help – only "you can do it yourself, soldier! Here's your rifle without bullets, there's the enemy army – stab them all with bayonets!"
"If several months have passed since the expedition from Earth was supposed to arrive, how do you explain the fact that I saw the city flood? Exactly like in the series. Shouldn't it have happened earlier?"
"A misconception," Melia stated. "The expedition consisted of several hundred people. And immediately after arrival, they dispersed throughout the large area of the city, forcing its systems to awaken urgently to provide adequate conditions for the existence of a large contingent of intelligent beings. Not to mention," she looked at the turned-off hologram control terminal, "that this device, the stasis chamber, and several other systems that were used in the events you know of when the expedition appeared, consume a large amount of energy. The cascading launch of some systems led to the activation of others – and so on throughout the city. You managed to avoid this – for now. But luck is just a remnant of the project, isn't it?"
I understand what she's talking about.
In the series, the expedition played Melia's engaging voice message to understand the situation at least twice. Plus, the stasis chamber was used to maintain the life of the very first chapter of the expedition that went into the past in the original events. And, I think, this is just the tip of the iceberg of examples of wasting scarce energy.
"The Atlantis computer, to compensate for the energy loss to power all systems upon the expedition's arrival, reduced the size of the shield covering the city, right?" I asked.
"Correct. In your case, this happened due to the activation of the assembly device," the Ascended said. "So, the energy consumption levels in your case are even lower than in the events you know of. So, now the city's battery energy levels are the same as they were after the expedition's arrival. With the only difference being that you activated fewer city systems, and therefore, you have slightly more time until complete depletion than the Earthlings had at their disposal."
"At least some advantages," I grumbled. Then, I clarified. "So, right now we are in the very period when the expedition was supposed to arrive for the first time and drown in full force?"
"Yes."
The guess about Janus's machine and the "primacy" of the expedition turned out to be correct. As well as everything it caused: the absence of a city rescue system when the ZPMs discharged. Or "batteries," as Melia called them.
"So, what's next?"
"I cannot answer that question."
"Then let's just discuss it," I suggested. "If Atlantis doesn't fall into the hands of Earthlings, they won't improve their position in the war, won't find weapons against their enemies, and so on. This will lead to defeat, right?"
"If humanity in the Milky Way is still alive," Melia corrected me. "But we know absolutely nothing about that."
Curious. And yet, some of her answers are not so "vague." It seems that the Ancient is still walking on the edge and sharing the information she has.
"Hmm... I wouldn't say that the fact that the expedition didn't interfere with the wraiths' hibernation saddens me," I admitted. "Maybe the locals will live in peace for another fifty years."
"Only if the anomaly doesn't reach Pegasus sooner," Melia noted.
What a soulful woman, huh? Doesn't let me forget the ultimate goal.
"And what will you do if I just pack up and leave here?" I asked. "If I don't fulfill the obligations I've taken on."
"Nothing," Melia answered calmly. "We do not interfere in the affairs of living beings."
"You don't interfere directly," I clarified. "And, therefore, if you accidentally bump into a brick somewhere, you're not to blame for me passing underneath just as it falls on my head. Right?"
The Ascended offered a simple smile.
Somehow, I stopped liking her facial expressions.
"Well," I said dryly. "I understand that I can't expect any more help from you. However, thank you for the conversation. If you get bored, drop by. We'll have some tea, eat this," I took a bar out of my backpack and twirled it between my fingers. "Whatever it is."
"I never liked them," Melia admitted. "Potentially, they were supposed to solve the problem of our limited food resources. But... their taste is very... specific."
"So you made them from bad ingredients," I shrugged.
"When you're under siege, even whale blubber doesn't seem disgusting," the Ancient assured me.
And for some reason, I lost my appetite. Perhaps because I remembered that the Lantians taught the local whales to communicate with them. And then they ate them.
I sighed resignedly.
"Friendship is magic," I muttered the hackneyed phrase, putting the bar back in my backpack. "And magic, as you know, is heresy..."
Melia smiled a little wider.
"That's exactly how Moros characterized the proposal to install drinking fountains in every corridor at the time," she said, for no apparent reason. "He was a conservative Lantian. But, although he reduced the number of installations, he still considered the idea of quantitatively expanding devices that dispense desalinated water into public areas of the city to be worthwhile."
"If you suddenly feel nostalgic for the past, you're welcome," I hospitably gestured towards the exit of the holographic hall. "I won't refuse your company. And, I dare say, I come from an educated family, so I won't pester you."
Melia looked at me intently with a surprised look. Her smile became unnatural. This happens when you realize that your interlocutor has said something rare nonsense, but you don't want to offend him.
"Thank you for the offer," she said. "I'm afraid I must refuse. My mortal path is complete. Potentially, of course, it's a good offer, but... Only potentially."
"Why?" I asked.
"I'm afraid I can't answer that question..."
"There are few of you," it dawned on me. "There weren't that many Ancients living in Pegasus, and then you returned to the Milky Way. And already there you ascended... And then the anomaly happened..."
Melia stopped smiling.
"Your intellect potentially frightens me," she said. "Was that a guess, or a conclusion?"
"Something in between," I muttered, digging into my memory. "Ascended beings don't smoke incense at their level of being, do they?"
"I'm not sure I understand..."
"The reason you overlooked Hippaphoralkus's actions," I snapped my fingers. "If you weren't doing anything, you would have seen that he was plotting something. But you were busy. And what can beings of pure energy be busy with when nothing mortal interests them anymore?"
Melia looked at me without a trace of a smile.
"In the series, the Ascended of the Ori told one of the heroes that the Ancients were busy hiding the galaxy inhabited by their descendants from the gaze of the Ori," I said, looking her in the eyes. "You didn't let them see people they could convert to their faith. That's why you weren't all in the Milky Way when the anomaly began. Someone was covering for them, someone for Pegasus. That's why you are not omnipresent and omniscient. That's why rule violations occur – there are too few of you to keep track of everything even within one tiny galaxy like Pegasus. Hiding galaxies consumes a lot of your energy..."
Can a being made of light turn pale?
It turned out it could.
"You don't have to answer, Melia," I said. "Everything is clear now."
Not absolutely everything, but... Now I know: the Ascended will not be able to react to my actions instantly. Some of them will have to "go off duty" to stop me.
And that opens up room for maneuver. Very large room in case I don't want to help them.
"It seems we underestimated you," Melia said in a voice devoid of any emotion. "Your intuition is well-developed."
"And I don't complain about my brain," I nodded, watching her close her eyes for a few seconds. "Did you warn your kin that I learned too much?"
"A lot, but not enough to make a decision about your elimination and violation of the rules," the woman said. "We simply took some measures so that you wouldn't worsen the situation."
"And what measures?"
"I'm sorry, but you have one less ship."
And you can't tell from her face that she's sorry.
"Janus's time machine," I guessed. "You deprived me of the opportunity to leave, slamming the door shut."
"Rather, we prevented irreversible violations of the spatial-temporal continuum and changes in the timeline," she stated. "Potentially, this is much more dangerous than if you simply leave Atlantis, saving yourself, not the city. It's a pity if you act exactly like that."
Well, of course.
Because I hoped to eventually figure out this thing and improve my situation by taking things from the past that I needed now. For example, the discharged ZPMs of this time, which held a charge in deep antiquity. Supplies of ammunition, ships, to find some technologies before they fall into the hands of enemies.
"It's just a pity for yourselves, not for me, isn't it?" I asked. "Because if I leave, you'll have to get your hands dirty to try to fix the situation again, won't you?"
Melia remained silent. And her answer was not needed – everything was clear.
"You are afraid," I continued to voice my guesses. "You are still afraid of death from the anomaly. But you don't want to, or have convinced yourselves that you cannot leave your post as Ascended. Therefore, you act through mortals. After all, all you need is not to get burned by manipulating cause and effect..."
"Now you know," she said.
"I know," I echoed. "You are helpless. Practically. Which means that if I do face punishment for my actions, it will be significantly later than when I do something you don't like... For example, if I leave the dying city, you won't kill me with lightning on the spot."
"Potentially, the city can still be saved!" she almost shouted. "Its potential is enormous! I ask you to reconsider! If Atlantis survives, you will have at your disposal not even a potential, but a real advanced scientific and military base."
"Which didn't help you defeat even a more understandable enemy, the wraiths," I sighed. "And that was ten thousand years ago. And now, the city's potential is not at all like..."
"You simply don't see the potential benefit of preserving Atlantis," Melia stated. "You fear the potential problems you will face."
"What other 'potential benefit'?" I was surprised. "Is it really so difficult to speak in my native language?"
"No," she cut off. "I made no mistake. You simply are not capable of understanding your full potential and the city's potential..."
Somehow, there's a lot of potentiality in her speech. And "potentium" too, although it's not even a Russian word, but...
I stopped dead in my tracks, turning a bewildered gaze at Melia, who was hovering before me.
How did she say it? "Potentially, the city can be saved"? "Potential benefit from preserving Atlantis"?
When hints were not enough, she moved on to almost explicit suggestions.
"Potential, you say?" I asked, squinting. "I don't argue, the city has potential. And I'm worth something too. But if I weren't alone here, but, say, had a whole potential brotherhood ready to keep my secrets and abilities even at the cost of their lives... This castle would have stood for ten thousand years."
Melia opened her mouth to say something in response, but froze. Blinking a couple of times, the Ascended smiled shyly and nodded at me almost imperceptibly. She showed that she understood what I understood from her hints.
These are potential answers, not hints.
A more than transparent hint, and if not for my thoughts swirling around energy and ZPM issues, I would never have understood it. It seems the Lantian understood this and hinted as much as she could. And then, seeing that I didn't understand, she deliberately distorted the word to trigger an associative row.
"You understood everything correctly," she said. "Save Atlantis, and any endeavor of yours will be successful. The city..."
"...has great potential," I finished for her, smiling from ear to ear. Well, of course, what an idiot I am.
There is a chance to save the city. And the answer lay almost on the surface. And if I hadn't been so busy reflecting, I would have thought of it long ago.
"You are thinking correctly," the Ancient said, as if reading my thoughts. "I am glad that you have understood the full significance of our heritage, and the threat that comes from an unknown enemy in the Milky Way. I hope you agree to fulfill the mission you have taken upon yourself?"
Something tells me that the time for bargaining has passed.
But the time for ultimatums has not passed.
"I agree," I assured her. "But there are a few conditions."
The smile disappeared from Melia's face as soon as she heard the first one.
But she and her comrades simply had no opportunity to refuse.