I looked at floor but expected rusty rails didn't find. Nor traces of their installation.
"What's up?" Alvar asked seeing my interests.
"Thought you had metro here," I explained.
"What's that?"
"Something like trains running in such tunnels underground," I explained.
"No, we didn't have that. And ancestors seems not either."
"So let's agree," I suggested. "Too much confusion with your 'ancestors.' Too much you generalize, making strain hard."
"Don't understand."
"When you say 'ancestors,' I can't understand if you mean your distant relatives from past or Ancients. This sometimes really annoys, you know. I even hoped to see Lantean design here."
And instead—horror version of Moscow Metro. Eh, lay tiles everywhere...
One of tunnels under Ermen Capital.
"Well, sorry disappointed," Alvar shrugged. "So we go?"
"Far?"
"Couple kilometers," the military estimated. "There weapon, gear, medicaments storage and all needed for one district. Others I inspected previous times, empty there. Seems some infantrymen cracked them during fight with Wraith."
"And you didn't decide to find out reason?" I inquired.
"I'm pilot, not infantryman," Jensen reminded. "When invasion started, my fighter shot down. Went forced, then couple days broke through to Capital. And when arrived, Wraith already rampaged here. Couple days fought them commando style, but in end stunned and taken to hive ship. Released on another planet, and when returned here, no living left. As that Wraith who made me Runner said. Since then didn't find single kin, though left signs, messages when came here for supply replenishment."
"Think on way back can search someone from orbit," I suggested. "Maybe someone survived in forests, mountains and so on."
"If not idiots, long gone from here," Jensen objected. "Anyway, what'll I tell them on meeting? 'Hi, let's restore our civilization?'"
"And why not?" I was surprised. "For this galaxy not first time people start anew."
"And what, let all my kin to Atlantis?" Alvar laughed, stopping at several tunnels fork. Orienting, waved hand to one right from us.
"Chaya and I not against helpers, but not freeloaders," I said. Walking last, by habit kept personal shield active. Yes, as Proculian established, experimental tech, gluttonous for energy, but irreplaceable in my view. Though she agreed. Only didn't know if she can repeat it. For that needed to disassemble existing sample and properly research. Or by trial and error develop similar based on data in lab where I found it. Problem however in shield manufacturing, like similar Ancient techs, required rare earth elements. Of which we not that many. Starting to understand why in series expedition preferred not repair serious key system damages but bypass such places with backup systems.
"Sure?" Alvar inquired. "Something between you not smooth lately."
"Why do you think so?"
"Then why she and Teyla not with us?"
"They have business in Atlantis," I shrugged.
"Aha," Alvar smirked. "One scrubs ancient vats for food, second pretends you don't exist."
"And can't guess who's who in your comparison," I returned the joke. "Chaya has something to do—she wants to send second recon drone to combat satellite to timely learn what damages it has and if can repair with available means."
"Exactly from that satellite everything started," Jensen noted. "Somewhere you offended Chaya."
"Don't remember psychother course included in weapon haul trip."
"Don't know what happened between you," Jensen continued as if nothing, "but you wrong with her. Good woman, kind and smart. Such need to cherish and pamper, not drive to tears."
"And who drove?"
"You. Teyla told Chaya ran from her lab in tears after that talk. Wrong."
However. I knew nothing similar. And didn't notice. Though... Attention to neighbors not my strong side. I noticed Marina's health problems too late.
Such my nature—if dive into something headfirst, notice nothing around. Priority distribution—important do as fast as possible, rest not so requires attention now. Concentrate all efforts on one task, in my view, most optimal way to solve existing problems.
"Don't think it's about me. Rather about what I said."
"And isn't that the same?" Jensen stopped at wide corridor threshold where on both sides visible covered in brown substance metal doors. Floor had dust traces, dirt, here and there water dripped from ceiling from not first freshness pipes.
"Turns out not," I concluded. "Presume you not just so show attention to Chaya?"
"She did much for me," the former Runner didn't deny. "You though disabled transmitter, but she removed it. Safer so. Helped get used to Atlantis wonders. Even tried make me like you and her."
"Yes, I know about gene implant attempt to you. Pity nothing came out. Lack pilots."
"Agree," the man said. "Say half Atlantis residents can pilot 'Jumpers'—proud. But that only four of us—so-so. By the way, arrived. This door."
Approaching indicated opening, noted door partially skewed. But had traces on stone floor witnessing jamming on opening.
"Can you shoot door with your blaster?" Jensen inquired, shifting from foot to foot.
"And behind... Armory? With rifles, cartridges, grenades and so on list. Right?"
"Naturally," Alvar waved hands around room. "This operational depot for recruits or mobilized population. Arm and provide them all necessary, our duty."
"Yes, but door I won't shoot," had to warn. "It's flimsy for such weapon. Afraid our untouchable reserve detonates. And it, as you know..."
"Know," Jensen cut me. "Fine, help open door. Not forever stand here⁉"
Door, unlike reinforced concrete, not light was. Took couple minutes to fling wide open—otherwise hauling weapons problematic. Jensen flashed flashlight over numerous constructions inside, then approached strange view switchboard with wires coming from device. Grabbing wheel handle on front part, began energetically turning it.
Quite recognizable dynamo whines sounded.
Dim light flashed under ceiling, and in front part of numerous rectangular constructions noticed earlier. Jensen turned couple more minutes until snow-white light from something like luminescent lamps dispersed darkness.
Futurism storage didn't differ, but at same time didn't look depressing. About hundred-one hundred fifty square meters room abounded in numerous crates-racks. In some could notice even rows of firearms—pistols, submachine guns and rifles. In others lay even rows of ribbed and smooth cylinders equipped with safety pin and narrow trigger lever. Presume local grenade analog. Only... Why store grenades assembled? Simple rule exists—shirt with content separate, detonator separate. Need use—screw in and work.
Yes, in some circumstances when fights don't stop, really no need to have grenades at hand prepared for long-term storage. During combat yes, grenades should be armed, for never know when needed.
But here, clear, no battles. Long-term storage. Here should be other rules. And look closer, and here you go: hundreds magazines and clips loaded with cartridges, armed grenades, mines... Yes, convenient—enter and take, don't waste time. But not done so! Springs can fatigue and then no cartridge feed to mechanism possible. Either these guys more advanced and not fear metal corrosion, or not aware what such carelessness can lead to.
Somehow lost desire to touch their grenades—any moment explode in hands. Or during transport.
Ammo storage under Capital.
"On how many fighters this storage calculated?" I inquired. Some weapon cabinets already cracked. Presume Runner took with him maximum he could carry.
"Specifically this can arm battalion of soldiers," Alvar, not wasting time, approached one massive cabinet and began scooping out loaded magazines with cartridges, belts with threaded grenades. "Those doors you saw—behind each storage for medicaments, canned food, uniforms and gear. In tunnels many similar with all necessary for waging war in enemy rear. Or for quick evacuation with what useful in escape case. But this—central storage. First after base place best guarded. In other storages, smaller this, reserves much less—maximum company."
"Something didn't notice special guard problem."
"Because I disabled it on first return," Jensen said. "And couldn't turn back on."
"Inspected others?" I inquired, examining excellently prepared for long-term storage ammo, weapons. Though not lie in oiled packages, doesn't mean no preservative solution on them: visible on close look, something like solidol but only in consistency.
Curious.
"Not up to excursions for me," Alvar admitted. "Entered, took needed and left as fast as possible while Wraith didn't understand I'm underground and how enter here."
"Yes, with underground communications scanning they have problems," I agreed.
Presence of large reserves made fulfilling promise to Athosians much simpler. If only in this storage weapons and gear for battalion of fighters, already enough to arm small army. And there are other, though small storages!
No need to produce anything with Atlantis forces. At least first time. Not to mention can acquire own arsenal and much else.
However, something didn't give me peace.
"Brilliantly you thought everything here," I praised. "But questions from this less not became."
"Come," Alvar waved hand toward exit. "There's another storage. There you'll understand everything."
Other storage turned out neighboring door. In corridor also brighter became. And what more interesting, on metal doors had code lock. Probably Alvar on last leaving didn't lock storage with it.
"When no power, these locks—pure punishment," he explained. "Had to resort to tricks to open and get weapons."
"Presume trick somehow connected with external power source?" I asked.
"Yes," Jensen applied efforts to open new door. And it turned out minimum three times thicker previous. Didn't escape me numerous cylindrical locking bolts. Only from seen by me end five of them, each—thickness of my leg. "I somewhat savvy in how arrange short circuit and blow lock with directed explosion. Good that access to weapon storage weaker than to memory storage."
"Memory storage?" I repeated. Jensen made inviting gesture with hand.
Inside all repeated—dynamo, blinking light, unknown constructions...
Only instead of weapon pyramids masses and ammo storages, before me appeared likenesses of server cabinets known from past life. Massive, three meters high, located in two ranks of five units each. Flashing multicolored lights and filling room with working mechanisms noise, they ignited in me unprecedented interest.
"Let me guess," I said seeing Alvar headed toward far room corner where several work tables and carts with diverse equipment located. "Besides tunnel network you discovered also servers left by your ancestors. Right?"
"Memory storages," Alvar confirmed. "Ancestors quite smart, cared to preserve their knowledge for future generations. Understand our planet in past repeatedly tried to destroy and after Wraith raids everything started from beginning. However in this storage there's something not relating to our technologies. It generally not similar to all we saw from ancestors' heritage. Therefore I asked Chaya to fly with me—suddenly she'd recognize this item."
"Ancient technologies quite specific and have characteristic design," I smirked. "So..."
I fell silent when saw what Jensen rolled toward me on small cart.
Similar to artillery rocket shell, equipped with six short ribbed planes in middle part, object stirred in my memory something from low-info pages of history of events known to me.
"Ancestors' language somewhat differs from ours," Jensen explained. "But command said by chronicles ancestors indicated exactly with help of this object which they called 'Sekkari legacy' they achieved peaks of their development. We managed to figure only what they left us on these servers," he pointed to glowing cabinets. "But with this thing—no. Maybe Chaya understands what this device for..."
"I can tell you without her what it is," I looked around for something like hologram or managed vision. No, nothing. Scanner showed object emits no radiation at all, as no energy traces. If it ever worked, definitely not in last few years.
"And?"
"This probe with all information and technical achievements of Sekkari race," I said. "Seems your ancestors hit jackpot."
Sekkari race probe.
***
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