At the same time, my stomach quietly rumbling reminded of itself. Like, master, solving the Ancients' problems is of course good. But don't forget about yourself.
Well. This damn planet won't go anywhere from me. At least for those half an hour that I intended to spend on eating. Because I didn't even plan to leave the control center.
My limited supply of provisions suffered again. Which, after five days of my stay in Atlantis, already pretty bored. And if at first I identified it more with hematogen, now it seemed exclusively similar to plasticine. Starting to understand Melia.
Time dragged on monotonously.
Day after day I studied one entry in the database after another. Some city sensors worked, so news that half the city is already flooded reached me.
But I didn't advance in my research. Good thing I really used the minimum consumers in the city, so the shield holds so far. I didn't believe a bit that this could happen due to positive intervention of the Ancients.
The jumper was ready, stuffed to capacity with everything I could find in my small habitat. A couple of scanners, several trinkets, some crystals with information in Lantean language...
Interesting, but I even found a personal protective shield of the Ancients.
In the series it was shown several times. Small, resembling a tiny green coffin crystal. Activating, it protected its wearer from any damage: firearms, energy weapons, falling from great height and so on...
Lantean personal shield.
The device activate
d quite simply — in the presence of the ATA Gene, it just needed to be stuck on the body or clothes. It enveloped the person in an almost invisible energy veil.
Useful thing without doubt.
Especially in that it tuned only to one owner and no one could remove it — only at the owner's wish the shield turned off. In the series for such it took to bring one of the expedition members to hungry fit so that the smart device turned off. Turns out it has a protective mechanism — not letting through itself neither food nor water, only air (I think some other gases too), the shield turned off when the owner considered himself in mortal danger because of using the device.
After long exercises in its use, in four days I learned to turn it off by the power of thought, just thinking that I'll die if it doesn't turn off itself. The main thing is to believe in it very-very strongly.
Sure there's a more adequate "switch," but I couldn't find it. So far.
For the days spent studying the gate database, I even somehow got used to the constantly blinking with various symbols and explanations images on the Ancient monitors in the control center.
The latter, by the way, also turn out to be of different types. There are those that look like rectangular pieces of murky green glass suspended from the ceiling. There are simple ones built into the wall. There are no those familiar to me.
Though, I have to admit, in the pursuit of "ultra-thinness" of frameless monitors local manufacturers bypassed my earthlings. Actually, as in much else.
The city computer, apparently realizing that the only inhabitant of Atlantis is a bit not a genius, demonstrated to me the city scheme, marking flooded areas with red colors. The laboratory where "I was born!" is also under water. A little more, and the ocean will swallow the whole city.
Having chewed the disgusting bar, I returned to sifting addresses.
Another few hours of work, I realized that my brains are boiling. Together with irritation. Now I would smoke a couple of cigarettes...
But such good wasn't available in the city.
But from the control center you could get to the open balcony from which opened a wonderful view of the dying city. In moments when everything finally got to me and I wanted to run away from here, I went out "to breathe air."
If I had at least one sufficiently charged ZPM, I could admire not black bulks of distant skyscrapers, but buildings shining with internal lights. And so... Half the city is flooded, half is only preparing for this.
Brilliant "isekai," nothing to say...
I thought that if I got into that version of events when Janus helped save the city, it would be easier... But after two-three "smoke breaks," I came to the conclusion that no, it wouldn't.
The expedition had their own energy sources with which they supported the city's functioning all the time until they got ZPM. I had no such generators. And couldn't create them without knowledge or materials.
Consequently, Atlantis, if on the surface, would remain without energy. Defenseless and lonely. Yes, I could use the gate with the help of the jumper — if dialing the gate address from them, the city doesn't spend energy from ZPM for activating the "ringlet."
But all this is such conditionals... Into which you slide only when hopelessness comes... Yeah. Sir, forgive me, but for the role of savior of a great civilization you clearly don't fit.
Gazing at how another city skyscraper released air from itself, filling with water, I absently thought that the parts of the city damaged by flooding can be repaired.
Eh, why doesn't the gate database work on the same principle as the jumper control? In the series it was said that it reads thoughts as if... And honestly — so it is. The ship reacts to mental commands as effectively as to key presses.
Essentially, you can say that the instrument panel and steering wheel on the ship — this is a duplicating jumper control system. The main one — is mental control. But, for example, you can't dial the address mentally... Though, I didn't try to do this so many times. Only a dozen. But none of the dialing keys lit up in the jumper. And the dialing sound didn't sound. As well as additional keyboard backlight...
"Sir, this job is not for you," I said to myself.
Funny. Despite the fact that it's quite cool on the balcony — after all the city is hundreds of meters below the ocean surface — and the mess in my head already starts to burn. Calling myself sir.
Maybe worth calling someone of the Ancients for a conversation, Melia for example? Et, better Ganos Lal. And drive her to white heat with endless appeals like "gracious lady," "young lady," "madam"...
There will be laughter.
Sir laughs at madam... And in general, did the Lanteans have some special address to girls and women? Well, like well-known mademoiselle and madame, miss and mrs... Interesting, and did the Ancients carry a handkerchief in their jacket pocket to give it to a lady at the right moment?
There must be some address, but clearly not "madam," because such address appeared only... in relatively recent history of my world... On Earth... In this universe, seems not customary to rename... planets...
Stop!
From realizing my mistake, I felt thrown into heat. Despite the cold around.
Though, this is already unimportant — I ran back into the control center.
Why the hell did I decide that in the Ancients' database the planet is called exactly Dagan? After all the ancient language gave rise to Latin, and "Dagan" somehow doesn't look like something named from this language! Exactly! I remembered!
The planet in the Ancients' times was called completely different!
Madam... Damn, Sudaria!
Yes, exactly!
That's where these thoughts come from!
Sudaria! The planet was called exactly so in antiquity, and not Dagan, Dogan or whatever it is there!
From Latin translated as "handkerchief" or even "nose handkerchief." I couldn't remember this, but distracted from stupid enumeration of addresses, the brains "rebooted," and unconsciously I turned to my memories. The associative chain lined up, and here's! The planet name surfaced in my head by itself!
Standing at the terminal responsible for the gate database work and the gates themselves, I mentally thanked the city creators for the fact that this panel doesn't work directly with the city central computer. For so many days, if I accessed the most advanced computer in this galaxy, I would definitely drain much more energy!
Having made a couple of mistakes, on the third time I entered the correct name and... got the result!
Damn your mother!
Sudaria really exists!
The planet was even in the list of addresses I was viewing and reading their pale descriptions! Under number one thousand eight hundred forty-seven! That is somewhere after a thousand addresses from where I stopped at this moment.
I wanted to scream with joy seeing in front of me the cherished six symbols of the planet address. But the triumph didn't go into any comparison with the realization of how aimlessly and stupidly I spent so much time.
All, no more delay.
With a hand trembling from excitement of my first major victory, I dialed on the city panel the combination. With a characteristic hum seven blue crystals on the outer rim of the gate lit up. As well as seven images of the dialed address coordinates on the inner part of the ring.
With a noise that made me flinch from fright and triumph, from the inner void of the gate a whirl of blue energy burst out.
The process of Stargate activation. The moment is connected with the activation of gate on the earthlings' base in the Milky Way galaxy — exactly there crystals of red-orange color. Milky Way and Pegasus gate differ not only in design, but also in functionality. Because the "Pegasus" ones are newer. By 5–10 million years or so.
The energy whirl, which I knew was able to destroy everything in its path, with a loud slurp pulled inward. Now the inner circle of the gate was filled with "water." It even swayed as if a breeze ruffled its surface.
But this is just an illusion.
There is no wind, no water.
This is an energy structure only remotely similar to the analogies that the mind draws. It seems that in the center of this "puddle" a distant but powerful light glows... But this is also an effect.
Active Atlantis gate.
The white-blue glow generated by the gate dispelled the twilight in the room.
Several seconds I looked at this wonder of technology. Simply because... Yeah how else⁈ This is fucking working Stargate! I just activated them! Myself, damn it! Without doctoral degrees and Ancient knowledge in my head!
Bite it, cheaters!
"Admired — and enough," I said. "Time to save the city."
I decided to use the same jumper that became my home and warehouse from the moment the Ascended left. Let it be uncomfortable, but I still slept in it on the side seats, closing the rear hatch, which is also the ramp. The ship is hermetic and can be used as a submarine. So if I got "flooded" at night, there was a chance to wake up and get out of the trouble.
Having sat in the pilot's chair, I put my hands on the steering wheel made of transparent material similar to plastic. Short mental command to start engines... And the ship rises above the floor on an antigravity cushion. Excellent, works!
I had some fears that the city might suffer a little if I suddenly don't cope with control. Slowly reached the center of the hangar room, and the seeming monolithic floor parted to the sides, opening to me the view of the Gate Room.
Oh, how not to blow everything up here.
But as it turned out, the Ancients provided for such a variant. It was enough to direct the jumper a little forward and down, and it switched to automatic piloting.
The jumper slowly descended into the Gate Room, turned around its axis with the cabin to the gate.
Another few seconds of reverent awe and experiences from which my hands, armpits sweated... I hope on the other side there won't be some shield or protection on which I'll smear upon materialization.
In the events known to me there wasn't...
And in fact... And I shouldn't be here. Most likely.
Having slightly touched the steering wheel, I felt how it presses me into the back of the chair, and the blue-blue "puddle" filled everything the gaze touched.
*
On the distant continent of the planet Lantea, the maternal world of the ancient city Atlantis, peace reigned.
Night entered its rights, but on the shore of a steep cliff it was light.
Several figures emitting blindingly bright light stood next to each other, looking straight ahead. Any other being of human origin, species to which these intelligent related, couldn't boast of such eyesight acuity.
After all they looked far beyond the horizon, through a multi-meter thickness of the water surface.
"I think we should think about how to leave this galaxy," pronounced the snow-white figure with Ganos Lal's face. "This person... is not a savior. Hippaforalkus found such an eccentric, inflexible, straightforward person as he was himself. Mind without cunning and..."
"Enough," another Ascended interrupted her. "Your opinion is noted. As well as your attitude to what was done."
"We can't entrust our fates to him," Ganos protested. "I believe in people, believe in their path and self-improvement, but... This Mikhail! He's not capable of solving even the simplest task! Melia almost directly told him everything! But he didn't even understand this right away!"
"I said — enough!" repeated the same emotionless voice Ascended. The rest besides these two continued to observe silence. "It would be irrational not to use this chance."
"This is a mistake," Lal stated. "We should have intervened and eliminated the rule violation."
"And violate them again?" a glow arose in the air and another Ascended appeared next to the arguers. "I'm afraid, Ganos, you're projecting your personal thoughts and emotions regarding this person's ancestors too strongly."
"My emotions are in order, Melia," Morgana stated. "And this has nothing to do with his ancestors!"
"But this has to do with our survival," the man reminded. "The rules are already violated. We can only neutralize the consequences. Which we are doing."
"This person will destroy Atlantis!" Ganos Lal said. "Cause-and-effect will be violated."
"Maybe so," the man said. "But the rule violation will be eliminated."
"At the cost of our legacy?" Morgana was horrified.
"This is not the first and not the last city in the Pegasus galaxy," Melia reminded. "Sooner or later others will be discovered too."
"But by that moment we may no longer be," Lal pointed towards the resting at the bottom Atlantis. "This person is like a mockery of our general plan!"
"Possibly so," the second Ascended pretended to believe what was said. "But I draw attention to the fact that before we showed more patience to people and their actions."
"Because before our descendants acted," another light figure appeared nearby. But unlike the rest, this woman had a more memorable appearance. "Ganos Lal is nervous because the actions of general Hippaforalkus can lead to irreversible change of the future. And strengthening of that branch of our descendants about which we prefer to forget."
"Oh," a meaningless smile appeared on Melia's face. "Chaya Sar. I thought you were already dead."
"You know that under normal circumstances this is impossible," the dark-skinned woman who joined the other Ascended last replied coldly.
"Who called the exile to this meeting?" Ganos Lal irritably inquired. She didn't even intend to demonstrate her disgust at the sight of the newcomer to their gathering.
"I have the right to be among you," Chaya Sar said. "I'm an Ascended just like you."
"You were exiled and punished," their leader of the Ascended reminded her. "You are forbidden to leave the planet."
"I know. But you lack energy to..."
"We don't need your help," the leader of the Ancients in the Pegasus galaxy cut off. "You disobeyed your sentence. And your punishment will last another hundred thousand years."
"Certified," the other Ascended repeated in chorus.
"Another hundred thousand years for coming to help you?" Chaya Sar looked at the other Ancients in confusion.
"You violated the terms of your punishment," Ganos Lal said. "The sanctions for this were known to you in advance."
"You just don't want me to participate in all this," Sar pronounced.
"You're right," Melia confirmed. "Your 'help' usually ends in disaster. In current circumstances this can't be allowed."
"I suppose I won't get forgiveness even if the Ori convert all without exception of our descendants in the Universe to their faith?" Chaya clarified.
"Don't aggravate your guilt," the Ancients' leader said. "Return where you should be. And don't appear among us anymore."
Melia, continuing to hold a meaningless smile on her face, demonstratively waved her palm to the guest.
"I hope you succeed," with poorly hidden pain in her voice Chaya pronounced. "If I am needed..."
"You won't be needed," Ganos Lal said sharply. "Get where you belong!"
Silently listening to the insult, the dark-skinned Ascended dissolved in the air.
"Never liked her," Lal said contemptuously. "After what she did to show up to us with innocence on her face... She's mocking all of us!"
"Or you should just calm down," Melia said, throwing a glance towards Atlantis. "I would like to say that I'm sorry for Atlantis and Mikhail, but..."
"At least half of this will be a lie," Ganos Lal snorted.
"Exactly," Melia depicted another of her empty smile. "I think the break is over and it's time to plan the next step since this person failed..."
***
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