Remember, rules are written in blood.
"Trust but verify"—one of such.
Getting an ally, even conditional, but still from the Ancient race, familiar with their technologies, language, worldview and likely involved in some past projects, of course wonderful.
However, Chaya didn't even think to hint at the reasons that prompted her to interfere in my death process. I believe in compassion, however... Something's not right here.
By her words, she remembered coming to Atlantis as Ascended. And only thanks to that managed to launch the drainage pumps that drained the city. After which she went to the ZPM room and breathed life back into me.
Carried to the infirmary, after which became human. And prepared theses for herself.
She clearly remembered herself Ascended here, in Atlantis. Remembered colliding with light streams in the control room after leaving me under medical apparatus supervision.
Then memory gap.
How she ended up near the medical center, she didn't remember. And came to only after I hit my head on the scanner.
In her memory there's all (or she thinks all) of past life up to the moment of collision with white flash. I think the last is the Ascended who (or which) deprived her of all privileges. But why leave part of memory related to Atlantis?
Why should an Ancient, especially one "on pencil" with the Ascended, take such risk as saving my life? Sar herself shrugged and said knowledge of her motives unknown to her.
As well as all that happened to her after Ascension. And means the last ten thousand years for her like in fog. I, as could, hinted that knowledge most likely not destroyed but blocked, like in the series with Dr. Jackson. Milky Way Replicators managed to detect and use them.
And Milky Way Ascended didn't intervene to stop them.
Ascended in general behave quite strangely. I formed opinion they're so indifferent to what's happening that in their mass they even don't intend to fix anything. Then, thinking, I estimated that in known events there were quite a few Ancients who spat on rules and still helped people. With this or that success.
Orlin, Oma Desala, Merlin aka Myrddin aka Moros, Ganos Lal... Few, of course. Unknown how many Ascended there are total to conclude if these rebels are just statistical error in what's happening.
During conversation with Ganos Lal I almost voiced that actually the Ascended still actively interfere in what's happening in galaxies. Not directly, naturally, supposedly forbidden. But rules have exceptions, so Ascended try to act by others' hands. There throw the right tablet, there leave knowledge storage, in third place scatter breadcrumb trail... From conversation with Lal and Melia I understood that what's happening long ago calculated and predetermined—for they knew of the expedition that didn't come. Means quite capable to help their chosen.
So, for example, seems to me that in known events the Ascended still actively "rooted" for Earthlings in persons of certain individuals. Predetermined so, or the first Stargate project team composition earned Ancients' respect so much that they decided to find loopholes in their rules, I don't know.
But fact remains fact.
As soon as Earthlings found themselves in unspeakable depths of galactic problems, somehow they completely accidentally found answers to all interesting questions.
Seems to me someone's very hypocritical...
Or maybe I'm just gnawed by resentment that my agreement with the Ascended is no more than their trick with which they intended to kill me and prolong their city's existence. Of course they could try to eliminate some paradox from my interference this way, but...
Something's not clean here. Can't recall a single case when Ascended acted exclusively against Earthlings. Maybe I'm dramatizing and what happened is no more than adventure calculated by them, like my salvation?
What if somewhere up there they decided I can't cope alone and should help. Whom not to spare? The Exiled Ascended, of course. They could offer her to help me get on feet in exchange for forgiveness.
Sitting on the floor in one of the distant Ancient laboratories, chewing a nutritious bar whose taste I no longer sensed, pondered that most likely I have paranoia.
"Others lie."
Yeah, much can fall under this definition, actually. Interpret as you like. I think that's why the laptop wasn't destroyed by Ascended—there's no direct answers or advice in it.
Only riddles they love so much.
"There you are," a voice sounded from the entry door side. "I finished assessing city damage. In the control room there's a full list of malfunctions..."
"How bad is it?" I asked, continuing to stare straight ahead.
"Damage substantial but not critical," Chaya approached closer but hesitated to sit. "Hyperdrive damaged, sublight need maintenance and repair, almost forty percent of rooms were underwater and need personal inspection, eliminating damage on site. Wiring breaks, hull depressurization, significant damage in lower city part affecting some rooms' functionality."
"Like the lower Puddle Jumper bay?" I asked. Remember in series it had problems as fully flooded.
"Pud... "—The girl frowned. "Interesting name for Lantean small ships."
"And how did you call them?" I asked.
"Small Lantean ship," the girl shrugged. "Sometimes—"shuttle.""
"Tasteless," I sighed, nodding toward the horseshoe-shaped console standing a couple meters before me. On the wall before it was a non-standard monitor with multiple Lantean language symbols running across.
"Laboratory equipment," she determined immediately. "Judging by records... Most of read relates to human physiology. Evolutionary changes comparison ongoing. Looks like in this laboratory they studied directed genetic mutations."
"As far as I know, here they tried artificially approach human to Ascension," I said. In known events one expedition member activated the device. His metabolism strengthened, as well as hearing, and synaptic brain connections. After which abilities to telekinesis, telepathy, healing by laying hands on sick appeared. And the victim became so smart he invented hyperdrive for Jumper. I think no need to repeat that's not in "standard" kit.
"Oh," Chaya only exclaimed. "Must be one of numerous laboratories."
"What do you mean?"
"As far as I know, Lanteans fanatically researched own body possibilities and tried to understand Ascension scientifically," Chaya said. "By rumors, hundreds of science teams worked on this."
"Clear," I briefly retold her what I remembered about this device. "You know, I appreciate you explaining everything and teaching Lantean, but... You're a scientist, right?"
"All you call Ancients are scientists in this or that field," Sar said. "I have something too. I think I guess what you want."
"And your opinion?"
"I'd trust the last entries in the lab record log," the Ancient pointed to the monitor. "Here it states chance of successful mutation is one case out of thousand. Oh, pardon, ten thousand."
"And what happens to those not that one?"
"Destruction of cell membranes, organ decay, excessive growth or nerve tissue burnout, brain cell disintegration..." the girl listed. "Closest to Ascension result is turning into photoplasma. With subsequent structure decay."
"So no easy way?"
"Unfortunately," Sar said. "If this machine worked as needed, unlikely Lanteans would go to Earth, as you say."
"Yes, they'd use it," I agreed. "But you understand, pulling you for every occasion to parse what's on display..."
"It's no trouble helping you, Mikhail," Chaya said, again emphasizing we didn't switch to "you." "After all I'm here exactly for that. Besides, I understood how hard Lantean language is for you."
"Really?" I smirked.
"Yes," she replied, ignoring my sarcasm. "I reconfigured the central computer so where possible, inscriptions are in your native language."
"Not a joke?" I asked.
"No," she replied. "Since I'm the only person in the city who can understand Lantean language, your stay in the city is difficult. I tried to fix that."
"Hm... Thanks," I rose and extended hand to the girl for handshake. "Really you did much for me. Now it'll be easier."
"I hope," she replied. "Should say many city laboratories disconnected from central computer. Like," she surveyed the compartment we were in, "for example this laboratory. Can't load updates from data core into its computer since isolated from others. So can only do manually."
"No need to approach that thing," I said, pointing to the exit. "Unlikely we need mutations making us less attractive."
Chaya looked at me intently but stayed silent.
"I wrote a program for source language analysis and translation to your native," already in the corridor on way to transporter, she said, pulling from small inconspicuous bag dangling on her belt the well-known handheld. "Therefore recorded it on your multifunctional scanner. Now to understand written, just connect to console and run program—it'll automatically translate all unclear to you. This concerns almost all languages you may encounter. At least all in Atlantis database."
"Including Ancient dialects?"
"Including them."
"And will it translate from Wraith language too?"
"I said so," Chaya extended the already familiar scanner. "And yes, that device you barbarically broke, I fixed too. And returned to standard place on the shuttle."
Hm... And it's convenient when you have a live Ancient on your team. Already can appreciate how useful she is.
However, let this tangible drop not fill the bucket of my trust, but at minimum I appreciated the gesture.
Taking the scanner she remade for me, I almost whistled—but held back in time. Really, whole interface, console commands, reference info, root catalog of operating modes—all translated to great and mighty!
How many problems solved now! Can't wait to dive into city database and study everything! Time still allowed—less than a day passed since return from the sortie.
"You're a miracle!" unable to hold back, I hugged the girl by waist, lifted and spun. "Don't even know how to thank you!"
"Enough just put me down," no emotion reflected on her face except confusion. Strange, I know she's not a complete phlegmatic.
"As you say," I fulfilled the girl's request. Or she's such a prude herself, or my company unpleasant.
However... Would I like if some Cro-Magnon hugged me?
"Will take time for program to copy, translate and parallel the city database," Chaya said, smoothing her dress skirts.
"Sorry, what? You said only about translation."
"Exactly so," she said. "But your language still insufficiently developed to understand, for example, hyperspace laws or constants affecting time stretch in black holes. Therefore part of text will remain in Lantean. In second database version. Original copy remains in initial language. Easier for me to work with it that way."
"This... of course good, but... Do we even have enough space on server or wherever info stored?" I asked.
"Yes, without doubt," Chaya replied. "Free volume sufficient for copying database several thousand times."
Several.
Thousand.
Times.
***
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