"I have only one question," I warned right away, barely crossing the threshold of the spacious room cluttered with all sorts of consoles. About the number of monitors—both built-in and suspended I even fear to speak.
"Only one?" the entering after Jensen smirked.
Chaya and Teyla exchanged glances.
"I'm listening," the Ancient said.
"Don't you have other clothes besides this dress?" I inquired, approaching the girl closer.
"And do you have something besides Lantean armed forces uniform?" Chaya asked, looking reproachfully at me.
Y-yeee, joke for tension relief didn't pass.
"One-one," I admitted, unbuttoning the jacket collar. While trying not to avert gaze from the penetrating gaze of the beautiful Ancient.
Frame from the series.
"Wait," Alvar intervened in our visual standoff. "You saying this," he poked at my snow-white suit, "is military uniform?"
"She's the judge," I nodded at Chaya. "I had options—either naked, or..."
"Acceptable alternative," Teyla agreed hastily.
"I'm starting to doubt the wisdom of ancestors," the former Runner said skeptically. "How can you build all this," he waved hands around the lab, "but not know about camouflage?"
"We had cloaking devices," Chaya switched her attention.
"And for people?" he clarified.
The girl, thinking, shrugged barely noticeably.
"I think you both should listen to Chaya," Teyla spoke up. "She has a very interesting proposal."
"That's why we're here," I assured. "So?"
"Here," Chaya pointed to schemes that appeared on one of the thin screens. "This is a multifunctional scout drone. I found several in storage. Badly damaged, but think I can repair a few."
Ancient reconnaissance drone. In the series used by Pegasus replicators, Asurans. Hence the concept.
"And what do we need it for?" Jensen asked.
Spry guy. Just a few days in the team, and already "us." Though Teyla got used just as fast. And not due to their natural naivety—Pegasus people mostly trust each other when one trouble. Enemies can become friends for a time, part peacefully to later with new force grab each other's throats.
"We're only four," oh, glad the Ancient doesn't look at me alone like a fool.
"Twice as many as you were," the former Runner shone with erudition.
"If necessary my people will come to help," Teyla assured. Then, embarrassed, added:
"If they have weapons."
No, not blackmail. She's just stating that without promised firearms, Athosians can at most beat with sticks, plug with stakes. But otherwise they're for any events except Wraith feeding.
"Exactly about that I thought when stumbled on them," Chaya said. "We promised your people weapons. Alvar said his planet suffered total destruction during Wraith raid. A specific hive hunted him. And in Sudaria orbit Mikhail and Alvar saw two hive ships and three cruisers."
"But after the second disappeared," I reminded. "It could have been destroyed in battle."
"Or just fled," Jensen suggested. "Wraith don't fight to the last. If cornered and chance to slip away, they'll get far. Then sit in some dark corner, come up with revenge plan and all over again."
"Either way, I decided since Atlantis database outdated by ten thousand years, we'll have to visit planets to understand if useful resources there," Chaya explained. "So far couldn't bypass or rewrite the simultaneous shuttles charging program, so better minimize their use. At least in cases when not necessary."
"Reasonable," I agreed. "But still don't catch the point."
"Oh," Chaya made "scary eyes." If she were in that combat suit with blaster in hands, would be really scary. But so... Cute girl with coffee-colored skin, pleasant appearance, and in turquoise dress... What to fear her? "So not only I don't quite understand where others lead."
Thin hint at thick circumstances.
"Sorry?" Teyla spoke up. "What are you talking about?"
Chaya looked me in the eyes, I her. Presumably she thought I'd start sharing my knowledge of the future right now.
Easy for her to say—Ancients used to everything. But worth telling locals I from another universe and know what'll happen in Pegasus in five years, problems aplenty.
Some (read—almost all) secrets should be given cautiously and in time. Now not time for revelations.
But Chaya seems decided otherwise.
Probably she still feels betrayed by Ancients and unjustly deprived of Ascension because of a human who can find Ancient help and knows much she doesn't even guess.
"Maybe we should leave and you coo here?" Alvar suggested.
"Joke not in place," I looked at him, smiling sourly. "Believe me, I already identify such things by smell."
"Smell, exactly," the former Runner snorted. "You should wash, or something."
"In what sense?" I was taken aback, glancing at Emmagan. Seems only the diplomatic Athosian today on my side. Or at least neutral.
"How to put it mildly..." Teyla wrinkled her nose.
"You stink of sweat and dirty body," Jensen tore the truth-mother.
"First, sounded offensive," I admitted. "A bit of patience for boss's slips wouldn't hurt. Second, in my apartment some problem with shower—it doesn't work."
"Pressed the blue pattern on the wall?" the piranha-looking man asked.
"Why? Chaya said it turns on automatically, and if not, the whole system crashed, need a week for repair..." by the end of the sentence I understood what. "Minute-joke, huh?"
The lady in turquoise smiled sweetly, showing pearly white teeth.
"Teyla and Alvar by end of day after settling asked me about everything in their rooms," by the tan it's clear she's barely holding back laughter. "I kept waiting when you'd muster courage..."
"And he only gathered stench!" Alvar exploded in laughter, covering mouth with palm and retreating a couple meters back.
Teyla blushed embarrassed, barely holding a smile.
Chaya turned away, pretending very interested in far corner of her lab. But by shaking shoulders I see she'll soon have convulsions from laughter.
"Ha. Ha. Ha," I clapped. "What good fellows, laughed at the one who decided to pull you out of problems."
"For reference," Chaya didn't turn but raised index finger over head. "My problems started exactly with you."
Jensen already hysterically roared, throwing head back and not even trying to cover the grin.
Teyla's face unchanged. Well at least someone doesn't see anything funny. Besides me, naturally.
"We gathered here to laugh or what?" I clarified.
"Right," Chaya turned to us, wiping involuntary tears from eyes. "I wanted to ask you something..."
"Don't worry, the rest of apartment functions work," I assured.
"I bet the wrinkled uniform speaks of not knowing the washing machine location," on the verge of laughter Jensen chuckled.
Your damn mother... There are washing machines too?
Looking closer at the Runner, understood he really dressed in what I first saw him, but dirt stains gone, and things not wrinkled. Uh-huh... So Chaya shows care for our lesser brothers, but to hint me—not fate.
"You wanted to ask something," I reminded the Ancient.
"Yes," she smiled, but something her smile didn't like at root. "When we talked about 'Aurora,' you said you have an untested way to help the crew."
"Right," I admitted. "Said such, yes."
"And asked me to find the last preserved Atlantis combat satellite," the Ancient continued.
"Exactly."
"I also asked you how a stationary short-range weapon and a spaceship at Pegasus galaxy borders are connected," Chaya continued retelling our dialogue. "And you replied: 'First find, then talk.' All correct, not confusing anything?"
"Absolutely. So you found?"
"Found," all fun left Chaya's voice when she called up another picture on the monitor. "According to city database records, this is a combat satellite type 'Satellite.' One of many Lanteans built in the last war stage for Wraith protection. Last defense line of Lantean star system. And," she shook head, "first too. Simply put—only one, not counting Atlantis itself."
"And... Didn't find others?" I inquired hopefully.
"If anything left of them, only too small for long-range sensors detection," the girl said, bringing up satellite data on screen. "It's completely alone there. Already ten thousand years at Lagrange point."
Lantean combat satellite.
"Which point?" I didn't understand. And not only me!
Chaya seems understood that too.
"Everyone knows what gravity is?" she asked.
"In such moments I even somewhat pity not all Ancients were chewed by Wraith," I admitted, looking at Teyla and Alvar. "Imagine what'll be when a hundred-two such smarties gather."
"Hardly wanted to offend us," Teyla said. "Just Chaya doesn't know our knowledge level."
"Everyone knows what gravity is," Jensen said hastily. "And that stars, planets, moons, even large asteroids have gravity too, everyone knows."
"Now yes," Emmagan twitched eyebrow. "Chaya, please continue."
"In the star system where Lantea is, the planet at the bottom of whose ocean we're now talking, there's one star and two planets," Chaya explained. "Lantea has one moon, the second, I understand, shattered into fragments. But not about that. In Lantean star system there are points remote from the star and planets so that star, planet and so on attractive forces equal the speed of these celestial bodies' orbital movement around the star. Side natural forces have no influence there. Accordingly, object left there will never leave its location—without outside help especially."
Rummaging in memory, shone with erudition.
"Lagrange point."
"Suspect second word is some scientist's name connected with discovering this pattern in your world."
"Seems so. But where are you leading?"
"I tried to establish subspace connection with the satellite, but nothing worked," Chaya admitted. "Now it's just a piece of scrap metal in rest state. Whether combat-ready, generator condition and can we repair it with available means—unknown. However," Chaya threw me an angry glance, "on the second planet surface I discovered something..."
And now definitely have to answer for deeds.
***
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