I remember, rules are written in blood.
"Trust but verify" — one of those.
To acquire for oneself, even if conditional, but still an ally from the race of the Ancients, familiar with their technologies, language, worldview and, most likely, involved in some projects of the past, is of course wonderful.
However, Chaya didn't even think to hint to me about the reasons that prompted her to intervene in the process of my death. I believe in compassion, however… Something is not quite right here.
According to her words, she remembered arriving on Atlantis as an Ascended. And only thanks to that, she managed to activate the drainage system pumps, which drained the city. After which she went to the ZPM room and breathed life back into me.
She carried me to the infirmary, after which she became human. And prepared theses for herself.
She clearly remembered herself as Ascended here, on Atlantis. She remembered how she encountered streams of light in the control room, after leaving me under the supervision of medical apparatuses.
And then a gap in memory.
How she ended up near the medical center, she didn't remember. And she came to herself only after I hit my head on the scanner.
In her memory, there is everything (or she thinks everything) about her past life, up to the moment of collision with the snow-white flash. I think the last one is precisely the Ascended who (or those who) deprived her of all privileges. But why leave the part of memory connected with Atlantis?
Why would an Ancient, moreover one under the "pencil" of the Ascended, take such a risk as saving my life? Sar herself spread her hands and said that knowledge of her motives is unknown to her.
As well as everything that happened to her after Ascension. And that means, the last ten thousand years for her are like in a fog. I, as I could, hinted that the knowledge is most likely not destroyed, but blocked, as it was in the series with Dr. Jackson. The Milky Way Replicators managed to detect and use them.
And the Milky Way Ascended did not intervene to stop them.
The Ascended in principle behave quite strangely. I formed the opinion that they are so indifferent to what is happening that in their mass they don't even intend to fix anything. Then, having thought, I figured that in the events known to me, there were quite a few Ancients who ignored the rules and still helped people. With one or another success.
Orlin, Oma Desala, Merlin, also Myrddin, also Moros, Ganos Lal… Few, of course. Unknown how many Ascended there are in general to conclude that these rebels are not just a statistical error in what is happening.
During the conversation with Ganos Lal, I almost spoke out on the topic that in fact the Ascended still actively interfere in what is happening in the galaxies. Not directly, naturally, that is supposedly forbidden to them. But there are exceptions in the rules, so the Ascended try to act with others' hands. There they throw the needed plaque, there they leave a repository of knowledge, in the third place they scatter a trail of bread crumbs… From the conversation with Lal and Melia, I understood that what is happening has long been calculated and predetermined — because they knew about the expedition that did not come. So they are quite capable of helping their chosen ones.
So, for example, it seems to me that in the events known to me, the Ascended still actively "rooted" for the Earthlings in the person of certain personalities. Whether it was predetermined that way, or the composition of the first squad of the Stargate project earned the respect of the Ancients so much that they decided to find loopholes in their rules, I don't know.
But fact remains fact.
As soon as the Earthlings found themselves in the unspeakable depths of galactic problems, sooner or later they completely accidentally found answers to all the questions interesting them.
It seems to me that someone is very hypocritical…
Or perhaps I'm simply gnawed by resentment that my agreement with the Ascended is no more than their trick, with the help of which they intended to kill me and extend the existence of their city. Of course, they could try to eliminate some paradox from my intervention this way, but…
Something is not clean here. I can't recall a single case when the Ascended acted exclusively against Earthlings. Maybe I am still dramatizing and what happened is no more than an adventure that was calculated by them, as well as my rescue?
What if somewhere there, up high, they decided that I myself wouldn't cope and it was necessary to help me. Who is not a pity? The Ascended Outcast, of course. To her, for example, they could offer to help me get on my feet in exchange for forgiveness.
Sitting on the floor in one of the remote laboratories of the Ancients, chewing a nutritious bar whose taste I no longer even felt, I pondered that most likely I have paranoia.
"Others lie."
Yeah, much can fall under this definition, actually. Interpret as you wish. I think, for this reason, the laptop was not destroyed by the Ascended — there are no direct answers or advice in it.
Only the riddles they love so much.
"So here you are," a voice sounded from the side of the entrance door. "I finished conducting the works on assessing the city's damage. In the control center, there is a full list of malfunctions…"
"How bad is everything?" I asked, continuing to look straight ahead.
"The damage is substantial, but not critical," Chaya approached closer, but hesitated to sit down. "The hyperdrive is damaged, sublights need maintenance and repair, almost forty percent of the premises turned out to be underwater and they need to be personally examined, eliminating damage on site. There are wiring ruptures, hull depressurization, in the lower part of the city significant damage affecting the functionality of some premises."
"Like the lower Jumpers hangar?" I asked. I remember, in the series there were problems with it, as it was completely flooded with water.
"Jump…" The girl frowned. "Interesting name for small Lantean ships."
"And how did you call them?" I asked.
"Small Lantean ship," the girl shrugged her shoulders. "Sometimes — 'shuttle.'"
"Tasteless," I sighed, nodding towards the console in the shape of a horseshoe standing a couple of meters in front of me. On the wall in front of it there was a non-standard monitor, along which multiple symbols of the Lantean language were running.
"Laboratory equipment," she determined immediately. "Judging by the records… Most of the read relates to human physiology. Evolutionary changes comparison is ongoing. It seems that in this laboratory they studied directed genetic mutations."
"As far as I know, here they tried to artificially bring a human closer to Ascension," I said. In the known events, one of the expedition members activated the device. His metabolism strengthened, as well as hearing, and also synaptic connections in the brain. After which abilities for telekinesis, telepathy, healing by laying hands on the patient appeared. And also the affected became so smart that he managed to invent a hyperdrive for the Jumper. I think it's not worth repeating that such is not provided in the "standard" configuration.
"Oh," Chaya only exclaimed. "I suppose this is one of the numerous laboratories."
"What do you mean by that?"
"As far as I know, the Lanteans fanatically researched the possibilities of their own body and tried to understand Ascension from a scientific point of view," said Chaya. "By rumors, hundreds of scientific teams worked on this."
"Understood," I briefly retold her what I remembered about this device. "You know, I appreciate that you explain everything to me and teach me the Lantean language, but… You are a scientist, aren't you?"
"All those whom you called Ancients, in one or another field are scientists," said Sar. "I also have something. I think I guess what you want."
"And your opinion?"
"I would trust the last records in the laboratory journal," The Ancient pointed to the monitor. "Here it is indicated that the chance of successful mutation is one case out of a thousand. Oh, excuse me, ten thousand."
"And what will happen to those who are not that very one?"
"Destruction of cell membranes, decomposition of organs, excessive growth or burnout of nerve tissue, decay of brain cells…" The girl listed. "The result closest to Ascension — this is turning into photoplasma. With subsequent decay of the structure."
"So there won't be an easy way?"
"Unfortunately," said Sar. "If this machine worked as needed, then it is unlikely that the Lanteans would have gone to Earth, as you say."
"Yes, they would have used it," I agreed. "But, you understand yourself, to pull you for every reason, to figure out what is written on the display…"
"It's not difficult for me to help you, Mikhail," said Chaya, once again emphasizing that we haven't switched to "ty." "After all, I am here precisely for this. In addition, I understood how difficult it is for you with the Lantean language."
"Really?" I smirked.
"Yes," she answered, ignoring my sarcasm. "I reconfigured the central computer so that, where possible, the inscriptions are in your native language."
"This is not a joke?" I asked.
"No," she answered. "Since I am the only person in the city who can understand the Lantean language, your stay in the city is difficult. I tried to fix this."
"Hm… Thank you," I rose to my feet and extended my hand to the girl for a handshake. "Really, you did a lot for me. Now it will be simpler."
"I hope," she answered. "I must say that many laboratories of the city are disconnected from the central computer. Like," she surveyed with a glance the compartment in which we were, "for example, this laboratory. It won't be possible to load updates into its computer from the data core, since it is isolated from the others. So this can be done only in manual mode."
"It's not worth approaching this thing," I said, pointing to the exit. "We hardly need mutations that will make us less attractive."
Chaya looked at me attentively but remained silent.
"I wrote a program for analyzing the source language and translation to your native one," already in the corridor, on the way to the transporter, she pronounced, taking out from a small inconspicuous bag that dangled on her belt, the well-known hand scanner. "Therefore, I recorded it on your multifunctional scanner. Now, to understand what is written, you need simply to connect to the console and run the program — it will automatically translate everything that is unclear to you. This concerns practically all languages that you may encounter. At least all that were in the Atlantis database."
"Including the dialects of the Ancients?"
"Including them."
"And from the Wraith language it will also translate?"
"That's what I said," Chaya extended to me the already familiar scanner. "And yes, that apparatus which you barbarically broke, I also repaired. And returned it to the standard place on the shuttle."
Hm… And it's convenient when in your team there is a living Ancient. Already can appreciate how useful she is.
However, let this tangible drop and did not fill the bucket of my trust, but at least the gesture I appreciated.
Taking in hands the scanner which she remade for me, I almost whistled — but restrained in time. Really, the entire interface, console commands, reference information, root catalog of operating modes — everything is translated into the great and mighty!
How many problems now solved! I can't wait to climb into the city database and study everything there! Time still allowed — a little less than a day passed after returning from the sortie.
"You are simply a miracle!" unable to restrain myself, I hugged the girl by the waist, lifted and spun. "I don't even know how to thank you!"
"It's enough simply to put me on the floor," on her face not a single emotion was reflected except confusion. Strange, I know that she is not a complete phlegmatic.
"As you say," I fulfilled the girl's request. Or she herself is such a prude, or my company is unpleasant to her.
However… Would it be pleasant to me if some Cro-Magnon hugged me?
"Time will be required so that the program copies, translates and parallels the city database," pronounced Chaya, smoothing the folds of her dress.
"Sorry, what? You said only about translation."
"Precisely so," said that one. "But your language is still insufficiently developed to understand, for example, the laws of hyperspace or constants that affect the stretching of time in black holes. Therefore, part of the text will still remain in the Lantean language. In the second version of the database. The original copy will remain in the initial language. It's easier for me to work with it this way."
"This… of course, good, but… Do we have enough free space on the server or wherever the information is stored?" I asked.
"Yes, without any doubt," answered Chaya. "The free volume is sufficient for copying the database several thousand times."
Several.
Thousand.
Times.
***
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