"Good joke," she didn't even try to smile. "I'll remember it."
"Since I shared intimate, I'd like to hear in return the circumstances under which one Ascended, already punished for interference, decided to step on the same rake."
"So you want to know why I saved you," Chaya simplified.
"Spot on. No need to become human for that."
"Simple," she said. "I didn't intend to. My help was supposed to be launching the drainage process earlier than your brain experiences biological death. You got the battery, restored the city shield. Then you could act independently. Unfortunately, my interference was detected."
"Given how much they dislike me for being here and who I am, unlikely they'd just scold you for that."
"I thought the same when I realized there's no way out," the girl said. "Therefore I took mortal form."
"Can't win—flip the table," I uttered. "But they could not stop. After all they have no bosses, and neighbors won't peek."
"The Ascended don't know reliably if the Ancients in the Milky Way are destroyed," Sar said. "Therefore, breaking rules is unacceptable for them."
"For if other Ascended are alive, they'll properly soap their necks," I realized.
"Most likely," Chaya said absently, averting gaze aside.
"You know, something's unclear to me," I admitted. "You said the Ascended erased your knowledge of the time you were one of them. But you speak so briskly about what they did, didn't do... I smell deception, my young padawan."
Sar, predictably, didn't appreciate the green Cheburashka parody.
Just turned her computer screens toward me.
"I admit, I have eagle vision, but the letters are too small," I said.
"And you don't know Lantean language well enough to understand the written," a light smile appeared on her face.
"Spot on," I had to admit defeat.
"Seems, being Ascended, I anticipated such outcome of events, so left myself some notes," she said, pointing to the upper laptop monitor. "Here it states that you're from another universe and know little of our technologies. But possess information about possible future. This... Extremely unusual fact, because breakthrough of reality boundaries and work in alternative realities highly dangerous and forbidden by the Lantean Council. And before them, as chronicles indicate, by other state management bodies of Alterans preceding the Council."
In other words, what Hippaforalkus did is "haram" almost from the time Alterans appeared in the Milky Way millions of years ago. Scary to imagine what they did in the past, to guard such bans so carefully from generation to generation.
"As I was told, time travel is also forbidden. Allegedly one of the gravest crimes by Ascended."
"I'm not ready to say with certainty, but in my time such bans were punished by exile or confinement in stasis prisons," Chaya said, saddening. "In best case such threatened public censure. And that's a heavy burden, for then all society turns away from you."
"Offended and don't talk?"
"No. Usually no one crossed the line of simple meaningless communication. However, as soon as help or advice needed, everyone always had urgent matters. Alone in Ancient society it was hard to do anything. Resources needed, which a single society member couldn't have. Only together could we achieve significant successes."
Something this reminds me of... Something not too utopian, but progressive, strong and left its indelible glorious (and not so) mark in history.
"What about switching to "you"?" I interrupted her.
"Excuse me?" she looked at me uncomprehendingly.
"Just don't say you didn't understand. Otherwise I'll seriously disappoint in Ancient genius."
"I understood perfectly, Mikhail," she said. "But I can't imagine how, given our age difference, such frivolous communication is even possible."
"Possible, given we're only two in a city you can't walk around alive!" I exclaimed. "Looks like we're in the same boat, so should stick together. They," I jabbed finger at the ceiling, "don't like both of us. So..."
"I can't recall having problems with shuttles," she replied imperturbably.
Is this a joke, or did the Ancient really not understand?
"I mean the Ascended."
"I know," she smiled, showing she just tricked the joker. I don't recall her behaving so as Ascended in the series. Looks like Ascended Chaya and human Chaya are sky and earth.
"So," I looked her in the eyes. "We work together?"
"That'll be the most optimal option," she agreed.
"Wonderful. And now... Tell me, you didn't raise the city to surface, right?"
"That would deprive Atlantis of advantage," Chaya said. "Containing water takes much less energy than repelling surface attack. Water quenches Wraith weapon energy charges. So best for us is to stay underwater. As long as possible."
"We're already thinking alike," I laughed.
Sar looked at me curiously. And the question was readable on her face...
"Such an expression," I explained. "Of course I and an Ancient, age..."—now I needed to grace her with a gaze begging for answer. But Chaya didn't think to voice the clarification. "I meant I can't think like a more advanced human version."
"That's a fact," she said. "My species' brain is more developed than yours. But a million years of evolution, experiments and improvements can put us on one step."
"Well or we'll create another Wraith variant," I suggested.
"Wouldn't want that," Chaya said.
"Then I suggest doing what we do best," I rose, clapping hands.
"Talk?" she clarified.
Why, when I hear something like that from her, does it seem she's teasing with seeming spontaneity?
"I meant we need to understand our position and how badly the city suffered," the explanation was received by her with affirmative head nod. "And then, try to find allies. Maybe some Ancient will agree to join us and..."
"Unlikely," the girl said, pointing at her Lantean origin laptop. "At least that's what's written here."
"And what's else written there?" I became interested. "Coordinates of ZPM places? Location of battle ships? Shipyards? Drone arsenals? Secrets of reviving Ancients aged in stasis? I think you, as representative of more advanced human species, thought ahead how we should be, right?"
"Probably," Sar lowered her gaze, then gestured inviting me closer. "Actually not much written here. Probably I feared that if the Ascended see very obvious hints, they'll destroy the device. Or stop us when we familiarize with the written."
Something I don't like about all this.
Going behind the girl's back, I looked at the monitors over her shoulder.
"If you don't mind, then..."
"Yes, of course," she came to herself, pointing to a row of sentences written one under the other. Moreover, the first was the longest. "This is a row of theses meaningless without context."
"I assume this," I pointed to the first sentence, "is what you told yourself about me."
"I voiced you a literal translation," the girl said. "Repeat?"
"Oh, no need," I waved hand. "We primitive human species anyway don't remember said long."
"Partly that's why many Lanteans didn't want to build personal relations with representatives of less developed civilizations," Chaya said. "Very hard to remember faces and names when you get new ones every century."
"Not offensive at all," swallowing the lump in throat, I squeezed out a smile on face. "So what's written here?"
"Notes aren't connected," she said. "Or I don't see the connection. I think they're addressed to me, since the first mentioned you..."
I smirked.
"Did I say something funny?"
"Usually first they write things extremely important," I explained. "And since you wrote about me... Means I'm important to you?"
"This text editor writes lines in order," Chaya said. "Each written with new addition goes one line below. But though I listed you last, means you're still important."
So she wrote about me last.
"So what's indicated else?" I changed topic.
"Something personal," Chaya said quickly, deleting several text lines. Too quickly for me to remember the symbols. "And with your permission, I'll keep that to myself."
Curiosity not a vice, of course, but... I think everyone has right to their secrets.
"And the rest?"
"Sounds strange, but here it's written: 'It's already happened,' 'Jump' and... Something that worries me especially."
She pointed to the last written line.
"And what's written here?" I asked.
What can worry an Ancient who was at least ten thousand years Ascended?
"'Others lie,'" she said in whisper, as if we could be heard. Well, the Ascended definitely could if nearby. "I don't understand what that means..."
"But I do," Chaya glanced at me. "In my universe 'Others' meant the Ascended."
***
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