"Listen," I grabbed Chaya by the hand and made her stop. The girl threw me a look full of pain and anger. "I'll repeat, I'm sorry about your people. But that doesn't mean that after the bath you should immediately dive headfirst into someone else's ice hole."
"I don't understand what you're talking about..."
"About the fact that idiots can cut an ice hole not far from the shore and instead of immersing in water, you can replace a mole in digging holes with your whole body!"
"Still..."
"You lost your people, I understand. You want to help me figure out what's going on with Earth. But let's for a moment set emotions aside and think about what could go wrong?" I suggested.
"It sounds like you don't want to return to your home planet and help your fellow Earthlings," Sar tensed up.
"Chaya, emotions are speaking in you," I said. "My home, if the Ascended are to be believed, is in another universe."
"If they can be believed," she said in a trembling voice.
Well, if I had perfectly reasonable doubts, they could arise in her too.
I think we both understood that the coincidences in the form of her return to human form and the almost instantaneous destruction of the people of the planet Proculus by the Wraith were too coincidental.
I can still understand the Wraith attack on her world in the events known to me. Then she was Ascended, came to Atlantis, and Proculus was attacked by the Wraith, which forced the girl to return and defend the planet.
Then the Wraith throughout the galaxy were awakened. But now, when the Wraith are sleeping... Or no longer sleeping, because they discovered my ship and unanimously decided that the old tasty Lantean lasagna has returned?
Either way, but only the second day had passed since my return to Atlantis from Sudaria. Too fast for a Wraith ship to reach Proculus. Too many coincidences.
"Then, I think, you understand me," I said. "If what happened on your planet was really set up by them... If you're right, and I was going to be used to provide the city with new energy supplies at the cost of my life, then the whole story starts to smell bad."
"What are you talking about?" Chaya asked.
"Ganos Lal and Melia communicated with me," I confessed. The Proculian's eyebrows arched in surprise. "According to them, an expedition from Earth was supposed to arrive in the city. But that didn't happen. Something happened in the Milky Way that changed the cause-and-effect relationship. And also killed or neutralized all the Ascended in that galaxy. And those who went there on reconnaissance. Whatever it was, it's expanding and someday, in the foreseeable future, it will come to the Pegasus galaxy."
"A weapon against the Ascended?" Sar was surprised. "Is that even possible? They're pure energy after all."
I rummaged through my memory, looking for the cherished explanation.
"Energy necessarily has a certain charge. Imagine another discharge appears that can extinguish the existing one? Like two waves that neutralize each other upon collision."
"You have a very strange understanding of what Ascension is," Chaya pulled her hand out of my grip.
"Sorry, but no one left me instructions or manuals, I use what's in my head," I spread my arms. "But that doesn't change the essence of the matter. 'The Others lie.' That's what you wrote yourself and for yourself. What is this entry about?"
"I don't know."
"About the fact that they can't be trusted. Most likely—not a single word of theirs. Their own actions indicate that stories about how they fear the unknown weapon don't match reality. One of them already violated the rules: I'm here. An unknown weapon threatens them, but they do nothing to save themselves. Moreover, there is me, but they decided it would be better to kill me and continue to keep Atlantis. Why? If I can help them, it would be more logical not to interfere with those who intend to enlist as my allies. Especially since you weren't helping or hindering their gang of non-interveners."
"It sounds right, but I don't understand where you're leading."
"What if the Others are lying to us about not knowing what happened in the Milky Way?" I asked. "In my memory, Earth could have been completely destroyed twenty times, but it was always saved by a miracle. What if the Ascended know about the danger of passage to Earth? Notice, there could be anything there—a black hole, a blown-up planet, a dead planet, an occupied one, and so on. If the Ascended want to get rid of us, why not try sending us into the thick of it? After all, for reconnaissance, we'll have to go to the other side. And believe me, there's no ZPM on Earth to open the gate to Atlantis."
"Because otherwise they would have done it already."
A snap of fingers happened on its own.
"Right. See, we understand each other. So what are we going to do? Risk getting into trouble, or put it off for now?"
"What do you suggest?" Chaya asked.
"For starters, I want to remind you that neither your descendants nor mine or friends are on Earth. So there's no rush for us. There are just two of us in the city. In a malfunctioning city full of laboratories with all sorts of dangerous inventions. We have almost no food except for the stale bars. We have no engines, we won't be able to get away if things get really bad. The two of us against a whole galaxy teeming with Wraith. I don't think we should rush headlong to carry out the Ascended's errands."
"What, sorry?" the girl was stunned. "You... You yourself said they gave you a task."
"Yes, and thanks to you I know they tried to drown me for the sake of some of their plans," I reminded her. "What do you think, does that make me want to complete their task as soon as possible?"
"But... The threat, you said it yourself."
"The threat is coming for the Ascended, but not for you and me," I reminded her. "At least I hope so. And so, when we become stronger, repair the city or, perhaps, find Ancient spaceships like the 'Aurora' or something similar, then undoubtedly we'll go to the Milky Way. And try to understand how bad everything is there. Or, conversely, how good. But not now, when we don't even have the ability to leave this planet. Don't you think it would be pretty stupid to go to another galaxy just the two of us when we have no resources or guarantee of return?"
Sar was a bit embarrassed.
"Yes, most likely you're right," she said. "I... I grew up in times when Lantean orders were not discussed. And... The destruction of my people affected me more than I thought. I wanted to complete the Ascended's mission you talked about as soon as possible, so that... Perhaps..."
"You thought they would help save your people?" I clarified.
"Yes," the girl said, embarrassed. "Probably, I think too well of them. After everything that happened..."
She didn't finish, but it became clear that in her past she had her own skeletons in the closet. Well, who doesn't?
"A perfectly understandable desire," I said. "I'm easier in this regard. This isn't my universe, I have nothing to hold on to here except what's here and now. It so happened that Atlantis became my home. A beautiful, desirable home. But I don't want to risk it for the sake of some coincidences that could happen because of haste and the desire to please the Ancients. No offense, guys," I looked up, as if hoping the control room ceiling would part and the Ascended, hovering on clouds, would listen to my words with interest, "but I have a whole baggage of knowledge and sad experience in matters that happen in a hurry. I will undoubtedly visit the neighboring galaxy, but later. Wait there a couple... mmm, years, maybe centuries. And I'll definitely solve your issues. Don't worry, I won't ditch you like you did me."
Chaya looked curiously at what I was doing, then, unable to hold back, laughed.
"Do you really think they're invisibly present here and eavesdropping on us?" she asked.
"You never know," I shrugged. "In any case," I spread my arms, "as you see, no lightning struck me, I didn't turn into photoplasma, didn't disintegrate into atoms..."
An awkward silence hung.
Honestly, I wasn't sure the Pegasus Ascended wouldn't react, but... They have a policy of direct non-interference, right?
Nothing happened.
Exactly as I hoped.
I think if I had outright refused to do what they want, there would be those willing, or 'extremists,' who would come to the human world and make me understand properly that I'm wrong. Most likely those explanations would be lethal.
But we have what we have.
If the Ancients decided they can play with me, why can't I do the same?
Really, I have no claims to the local Earth, but no reverent awe either. Yes, the heroes of the series that introduced me to this universe live there (possibly). But... So what? Should I dissolve into primary broth on the deck right now, falling prostrate before them? For what treats? They mean nothing to me. They didn't save my life. I'm no friend, matchmaker, or brother to them. Therefore, I have no intention of rushing to Earth's aid without preparing for the fact that everything is very bad in the Milky Way. Especially when the words of the Ascended can't be trusted.
Specifically, like Chaya herself.
***
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