"Recon drone didn't detect Wraith ships or any other threat on the other side," I said, receiving update info on virtual display. "So it's time for us."
"Long time," Alvar said at the moment I put hands on ship control wheel.
Bluish "puddle" of gate inexorably approached when light control wheel changed position. Ship entered hyperspace tunnel.
"Well, so what's the problem?" I asked already on other side. While ended up several thousand light years from Lantea. Sometimes breath-taking—couple instants and all, Neil Armstrong can repeat his phrase about step... And go to hell. "Long ago yourself go to homeland. Though," I looked at opened landscape, "understand why you didn't hurry."
The picture before me not just depressed.
It caused sucking feeling of pity and compassion for entire world population.
Gate on Jensen's home planet installed in city center, where before was central square fenced by massive buildings. Now here... Here only long abandoned ruins.
Landscapes of Alvar Jensen's home planet.
"I see it's unfamiliar to you, but soldiers obey commanders' orders," the former Runner grumbled. "From my side it'd be extremely stupid and ungrateful to agree to cooperate with you, then act willfully. That's not how cooperate. At least—for long term."
"Sounds logical," I agreed, gaining altitude over house ruins.
Somewhere read that by destruction character can determine what weapon, at what angle and what building part shell hit was made. Don't know if applies to Wraith energy weapons, however their zeal can only envy.
"This was Ermen Capital," Alfhar said with sadness in voice. "More than fifty thousand people lived and worked here."
First almost blurted that somehow small for entire human planet capital. Then, cursing myself for levity, remembered this galaxy has its own "Spanish expedition."
"So your planet called Ermen," instead I said.
"Yes," Alvar looked straight ahead but as if didn't see flashing before windshield.
The man was silent, thinking his own. By his face clear return to roots didn't particularly please him. At least because had to see pain left after Wraith.
I raised "Jumper" higher, to half kilometer altitude, fairly deciding not to disturb the Runner yet. Without his indications I'd search what we need until second coming of Ancients.
"There," Alvar pointed toward massive crater ahead and right from our location.
"Straight to the hole?" I clarified, directing "Jumper" to indicated place.
"There was military base protecting the city," he explained. "Our people subjected to Wraith attacks many times throughout history. So under city tunnels run from base to different city parts. Discovered twenty years ago just for such case."
"You didn't build them?" I tensed.
"Our ancestors, as I understand," Jensen explained. "Several centuries Ermen not visited by Wraith. According to chronicles, in last cull they almost exterminated us all."
"Gave time to breed," I guessed.
"Right. Couple hundred years ago we were simple shepherds and farmers until due to Wraith raids our leaders decided to leave foothill plains. So few left decided to use Ancestors' Ring legends told about."
"Wanted to flee."
"Yes. Our chiefs remembered legend where to find them and on rock paintings saw several addresses. Despair drove us. But in end came to Capital ruins. Discovered Ancestors' Ring here, city ruins built before us."
"And decided to stay," I brought "Jumper" to place indicated by Runner. By eye—fifteen kilometers straight from gate to here. Alvar was on homeland several times—returned for ammo and gear. Seems to me Wraith chose worthy Runner candidate. "In your place I'd probably do same."
"Though city in ruins, could shelter there, nearby forests for hunting, fields for cultivating crops. We didn't leave. Especially when discovered catacombs."
"Don't want to interrupt, but how history excursus helps us?" I inquired. "We came for weapons, not digger's tour."
"Interesting words," Runner's mouth corner twitched. "Come, see yourself."
"Hope you won't hide tech wonder secrets," I muttered, heading to "Jumper" stern. "Because in couple hundred years from herders and farmers to civilization that by your words mastered near-planet orbit, need to try hard."
"Exactly therefore I suggested Chaya go with me," Alvar smirked. "No offense, but as techie and scientist she'll give you a head start. And yes, in tunnels there's something she might like."
"And who argues?" I asked when we exited "Jumper." Looking around, winced that every square meter around cluttered with decayed human body pieces. Bones, bones, skeleton parts... All these people died during bombardment. But no one to bury them humanely. "Only when you thought of your gallantry, did you consider how grateful she'd be for having to haul weapon crates?"
"I'd manage myself," Alvar snorted. "There."
The former Runner shouldered weapon and, knees slightly bent, headed quick step toward particularly large pile on big crater slope.
By eye, crater reached fifty meters depth, and tunnel entrance he spoke of ran a bit higher. If I remember something about explosives, detonation usually throws substance from inside out, scattering debris and fragments around.
But crater all covered with wall debris, ceilings, deformed rebar and much else.
"Presume here was large underground base," I suggested, catching up to Alvar climbing ruins.
"Complex built by our ancestors," he explained.
"And you kept silent all this time?" I was stunned. For Ancients in Pegasus galaxy among people known as Ancestors.
"And does it change anything?" the Runner was surprised. "We're here anyway. Help me move this wall piece. Behind it passage to tunnel. I covered when leaving last time. So Wraith don't find."
He pointed to uneven one and half meter high debris reaching twenty centimeters thick. Width—meter and half, so can crawl without problems.
Looking at wall edge, shook head. Reinforced concrete. If think, in my universe concrete in usual understanding invented somewhere early 1800s. Plus-minus fifty years or so.
Roman concrete yes existed long before, but here, as far as I can see, exactly notorious "Portland cement." Concrete reinforcement appeared also around XIX century. Well, plus-minus with error on my forgetfulness.
And this despite not attacked every couple hundred years by guys who easily, just from hunger feeling, could devour entire planet population. And here, as Alvar says, similar already happened. Presume preceding them civilization locals knew quite a bit.
"These debris from base?" I inquired.
"No," Yenser replied. "Base had ammo and weapon storage, powerful power sources including couple nuclear reactors. When Wraith struck base, everything exploded here, causing collapse. Debris we walk on mostly upper floors of nearby Capital buildings."
"Buildings built by you?" I clarified.
"Old we demolished to foundation," he admitted. "Otherwise couldn't build new city."
So in two hundred years shepherds learned to make spaceships, nuclear reactors and reinforced concrete. Joke-minute, or I'm missing something.
"And how did you move it alone earlier?" I inquired, feet against one pile part, hands against needed. Alvar did same. And only I prepared to strain all muscles, as wall piece easily toppled meter and bit toward crater center.
At that under us sprang part of pile. Looking closer, saw through moved debris base passes thick, my forearm thick, rebar. And its free ends lost under other debris.
Under lower edge at all visible hidden by other slabs recess allowing this "lid" to freely rotate around axis.
"First time see building material of such density and lightness," I admitted.
"Ancestors knew how to build," Jensen smirked. "We too."
"Don't doubt even."
Directing into hole, stanza dark so daytime light penetrates, Jensen, not relaxing, still in combat stance, dived down assessing situation. I, lingering moment, turned on "Jumper" scanner camouflage. Though we're alone on planet, equipment didn't detect other life signs, but better overinsure. Say problems come in moments when full of confidence in self and carelessly leave valuable tech in plain sight.
Stepping on wall and ceiling pieces forming collapse, I descended to general level. Here Alvar already waited, illuminating with tactical flashlight of his rifle almost round tunnel vaults. Sheathed in metal plates, fastened by massive rivets, they went far ahead.
***
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