I need to be on guard, but not let my paranoia decide for me.
Either way, either the Ancients will give me a good thrashing for this kind of willfulness, or they'll be satisfied that I promised to fulfill the given promise someday and find out what happened.
I don't want to rush with the latter at least because... If some anomaly happened because of which I'm here and appeared, say, a time loop or something similar, then... Why should I fix it? So as not to appear here? No thank you, I like it here. I risked my life to bring this city back to life, so no offense, but this is my city. And I'll decide how to live here and what to do. In the latter case, preferably do as little crap as possible so as not to breed enemies for myself.
I suspect they'll appear naturally anyway.
"Well," Chaya, apparently, also expected a reaction from the Ancients and was satisfied with its absence. "Since you're demonstrating the leader's position in every way, let it be so. You seem to have more knowledge about this time than I do. From my side, I promise to help you with whatever I can. I'm quite good at Lantean technologies, so... There will be some use from me."
"Even more than you think," I smiled. Unable to hold back, I glanced over her figure. Medium height, slim, with not very prominent "front and back ninety."
Not that I was staring at her... Who am I kidding, I was staring. A cute girl. Yes, she's older than I've lived since maturing inside my father, but...
The past is over. I won't return to my universe, Marina can't be brought here...
What a fool! I could have at least asked the Voice to do it! But I didn't even think of it. Probably Marina was right when during quarrels she called me a hopeless egoist, adapting to circumstances that are beneficial only to me. I didn't even have the thought of bringing her with me... Why? God knows...
At the moment, Chaya Sar is the only representative of the female sex in my society. So why not make the girl happy by showing signs of attention? Within reason, of course.
I think she wouldn't mind a little more attention from a human. Support has never been my strongest trait, but... What we have.
Chaya looked at me with suspicion and distrust. Apparently my gaze was too clingy.
"Don't worry," I assured her. "Office romances are not my thing."
"And not mine," she said quickly. "I think we need to get back to work."
"Absolutely agree," I nodded. "And I have something in mind."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"I know a little planet where a little soldier is bored, who really doesn't like the Wraith," I smiled. "And the locals are quite friendly to the Ancients."
"I'm not sure that after everything you and I can consider ourselves Ancients," Chaya shook her head.
"And who will forbid us?" I spread my arms. "We're not sending them to war, we just want to make acquaintances. Only... We should look for what we can offer the natives in exchange for food... Preferably not something that will reveal Lantean technology at the first capture of Athosians by the Wraith."
"A task, however," Chaya wrinkled her forehead.
*
"I'll talk to them. Otherwise, I'm afraid the locals won't be able to take you seriously."
"Why do you think that?"
"Your outfit..."
"This is a light armored suit for infantry, an experimental development that didn't go into series," the girl explained. "It's designed to dissipate the energy of impacts without harming the wearer. What's wrong with it?"
"Let's say it makes you look anywhere but in the eyes."
Chaya, walking next to me, almost stumbled crossing a fallen log. Only by grabbing the girl by the waist and pressing her to me did I save the Proculian from leaving an imprint of her face on the autumn foliage and the path softened by rains.
The girl gave me an unkind look.
"I don't understand your sarcasm, Mikhail."
"And I understand where Anubis got the technology to create Kull warrior armor," I sighed.
"Sorry?"
"I forgive you," I smiled.
"Actually, you're wearing the same armored suit..." The girl narrowed her eyes but decided not to finish the sentence, continuing along the path. "You're always joking. Trying to distract me from thoughts about my people?"
"Doing everything in my power," I had to admit. In fact, I was trying to look as little as possible after her. It so happened that there were only two suits, and the one she took I definitely wouldn't fit into—it was even a bit small for Chaya. And mine was comfortable enough.
Only, unlike Chaya, besides the Ancient blaster I also had a personal shield attached under the glossy plastic-like plates of the chest plate.
And in the backpack behind my back not
I... remembered something.
Anubis's Kull warrior. A frame from the series.
Kull warriors were the development of the unascended Goa'uld named Anubis. Due to Oma Desala's blunder, the Ascended one, he gained access to most of the knowledge of the Ancients and Ascended. And successfully applied it in practice. The Kull warriors were the fruit of an experiment that was supposed to become the elite of his army.
Mutants clad in impenetrable armor caused quite a bit of harm in the known events. And I always wondered where Anubis got the technology to create such excellent armor that protected from any damage. Turns out—Lantean development.
True... Honestly, comparing Chaya's outfit to the Kull warrior's, I had doubts about which one was more decent. Anubis at least cared to make the under-armor fabric, not shiny latex. Honestly, I both want to and it's prickly to ask Sar in what army sex-shop she found this outfit...
Chaya's experimental light armored suit. And yes, it's a frame from "Blade 2." I'm shocked myself that actress Leonor Varela (Chaya Sar) played in it.
I think it's time to start exploring Atlantis labs. Surely there's not only something deadly out of line there. Although... remembering a couple of inventions there and... Somehow I really don't want to encounter all sorts of nanoviruses that kill everyone except carriers of the Ancient Gene, various energy entities that feed on electricity, including human... And so on, and so forth...
We reached Athos without any problems, meeting no one at the gate. The "Jumper," surrounding itself with an invisibility field, soared into the skies to assess the situation. We found the locals' settlement without much trouble. It took some fiddling to find a place to "park." Halfway from the gate to the settlement there was a good clearing where our ship could easily wait for our return under invisibility. No need for everyone to see a Lantean ship here.
The Athosians' settlement reminded me most of a nomadic camp. Something in between camping tents and yurts on wooden bases. And a significant number at that.
On the streets, hearths for cooking, men and women sitting by their homes doing their things. And if I mostly didn't care about it, Chaya examined the Athosians with great interest.
And they stared at us with wide eyes.
I think our appearance strongly distinguished us from their usual visitors.
"Good day to you," stopping at the entrance to the largest "yurt" in the middle of a trampled section of the clearing turned into something like a square, I looked around. The locals gathered around us, not pointing fingers but quietly discussing. "A few days ago a man named Alvar arrived here. I'd like to meet him—he promised to stay with you for three days and the time hasn't expired yet."
"And who are you?" a voice came from the crowd. "What's your name?"
"No one calls me, I come myself."
Time to diversify the dictionary of idioms in Pegasus galaxy society.
The locals, unlike Chaya, liked the joke. The Proculian generally isn't very smiley. But emotions sometimes burst out of her like a fountain, so I suspect her "iron lady" image is just put on. Just as I "take a look" at her, she doesn't waste time either.
"We mean no harm to any of you," she said. "We're just looking for a friend."
The flap of the main yurt was thrown back and a familiar rational appeared.
"I wouldn't say Misha and I are friends," Alvar stated. "But we chased the Wraith together."
"And I also made your life easier," I had to remind him. Knowing how Runners are treated in the galaxy—some pity them, others try to finish them off or, at best, drive them away, I decided not to advertise this fact. "And I promised to come, talk."
"Yeah," Jensen smirked. "Introduce me to your girlfriend?"
He nodded toward Chaya.
I responded with the same gesture, but toward the chestnut-haired young woman standing next to the Runner, perfectly known to me from the series.
"First introduce me to your acquaintance. Something tells me she can speak for all those present here."
"I am Teyla Emmagan, daughter of Tagan," the Athosian leader stepped forward, unabashedly examining us.
Teyla Emmagan.
"Mikhail," I introduced myself and pointed to my companion. "And this beautiful lady is Chaya."
"Mikhail?" Jensen was surprised. "I suppose 'Misha' is a diminutive name? Or made up?"
"It's a secret name given only to friends," I put on the fog. "After all, we fought together against the Wraith. That's worth something. I hope you didn't blab my secret name to everyone around? Otherwise I'll have to befriend everyone at once. Otherwise it'll be awkward."
Laughter sounded among the Athosians.
Well, who would have thought, my jokes go over great here.
"Fighting the Wraith side by side is worth a lot," Teyla said, making an inviting gesture inside. "Alvar told us about you. Though," she measured Chaya with a careful gaze, "he said you'd come alone."
"Well, I couldn't leave a beautiful girl without a walk in the fresh air in the company of good people," the smile on my face elicited a reciprocal one from Teyla, a smirk from Jensen, and a confused-angry expression from Chaya. "Especially since, as I heard, you have amazing tea in taste and invigorating."
"Yes, but we drink it before dawn," Teyla glanced at Alvar. "And it's noon now."
"On the other hand, we can always adjust the clock hand, right?" the former Runner said, eyeing my companion.
"I don't like him," Sar whispered.
"Well, he's not supposed to," I replied. "He's a soldier, pilot, opponent of the Wraith, not a supermodel."
"These people also don't give the impression of being developed enough to master advanced technologies," Chaya said in a whisper when we were already at the entrance.
"Oh, believe me, they'll have something to surprise you with," I smirked.
Either way, we entered the main yurt. In the center stood a large wooden table with food and the aromatic contents of simple mugs. Teyla, reservedly introducing us to the Athosians inside, indicated to take seats next to her.
On her left hand, a bit further from the Runner who sat there too. Apparently he has some influence among the locals, sitting so close to the chief by the rules of simple civilizations.
Well, let's start getting to know the locals.
***
If you wish to unlock full volumes of my crafts and read far ahead of public releases, support me on Patreon—currently there are 30+ chapters in advance:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Granulan