By the time first officer approached Styx, commander already thrown aside from self withered corpse feeder.
Wrapped in flabby skin skeleton collapsed to floor, scattering part of fog carpeting floor. First officer impassively stepped over human remains and froze, waiting till sated commander turn attention to him.
Boy in chair invited by Wraith to feed. But didn't know main lunch dish—he himself.
"Speak," Styx ordered.
"I started work on data scouts got from DHD on that planet," first officer reported.
"When you can provide me planet addresses they could go?" hive commander asked subordinate.
"DHD saved fifty last dialed addresses," subordinate reminded. "Each address seven symbols..."
"Six if remove departure point address," Styx irritably said. "From six remaining address symbols can compose seven hundred twenty variants."
"And such addresses fifty, commander," first officer reminded. "Means already three thousand six hundred variants."
"Discard addresses leading nowhere or undialable," Styx angered. "Separately highlight those leading to other Wraith planets. Wherever they went, that world free of our people. Such planets shouldn't be many."
"Commander, I just want say such work needs much time," first officer backed down.
"In that case, why waste it standing before me and justifying?" Styx asked, noting couple Wraith soldiers arrived. Picking up withered human, they dragged remains away.
"I'll start work immediately," first officer assured, stepping back toward exit.
"Stop," Styx said. "You figured out that bomb humans tried blow on my board?"
"It poses no danger," subordinate assured him.
"I know that myself," Styx bared teeth. "I want know who built second part of device."
Creators of detonating mechanism he already erased from galaxy face. One Runner left...
"We working on this issue, commander," first officer assured, retreating away.
Styx grinned seeing new human delivered to his quarters by soldiers. Cowardly, pathetic piece of meat...
"Approach," enhancing pressure on puny mind, Styx ordered.
But human lacked strength to come to Wraith himself. Instead soldiers dragged him to throne occupied by their commander and threw at foot.
"Seems your people custom shake hands in acquaintance sign," pressing on mind remnants, Wraith whose age nearly eleven thousand years fully destroyed his food's mind and turned into obedient puppet. "Give your hand, human..."
Broken toy in which no hint of former Ancients greatness left obediently extended right palm.
And Styx, following old Wraith joke, responded to handshake, clutching his right palm to victim's similar limb. Feeding organ pierced victim's limb, injecting enzyme...
Already seconds later he hissed from pleasure, drawing from rapidly aging human remnants of his life.
*
Like any self-respecting city, Atlantis had prison. Well yes, why not make such in capital of race reached enlightenment⁈ Stupid question, of course.
But Teyla still asked it.
"You see," not taking eyes from action thanks to which air filled with pain cries and sounds of hammered with hammer meat, "on path to Ascension, turning into pure energy," I explained to girl, "many temptations. Available drugs, loose women, secret knowledge, moonshine, forbidden experiments, sodomy... All this hindered Ancients reach enlightenment. So most unruly locked in such cells."
Cells... Actually whole damn compartment in city, area of football field. And inside several (lost count at ten) cells with half-meter thick walls. Inside each such bunker, right in middle, was fairly large cage with horizontal bars and powerful force field stretched on sides. This field doesn't let material through and deactivates (from opening side) only when cell opens.
Put bed, bench, laptop there—so direct motel room. Only construction quality failed. Like built in haste.
"You thinking same as me?" Teyla asked.
"If you also tormented by question what idiot thought call prison in city-ship of space civilization 'brig' in honor of sailing ship brig, then yes," I answered. "In that case we think alike."
Brig of Atlantis.
"No, such thoughts not occupy me," Teyla said.
"And in vain," I said, watching scene through locked cell door. Inside, as always needed for Universe balance, were two. And been here solid hour already.
"Mikhail," girl looked at me frowning. "On Athos not customary treat captives so."
"Good we're not on Athos, right," I gifted her expressive glance. "Though," my hand itself pointed at people in cell, "can peek there. And tell both you don't approve beating captives. Even if they pulled nails, broke three ribs, radius and ulna bones, right cheekbone, beat and nearly disfigured our common acquaintance. Sure all glad you show mercy to Genii."
"You forgot about self," she said modestly. "Seems you better..."
"Oh, if not painkillers, I wouldn't stand here," had to assure Athosian.
"Sorry," she lowered eyes. "Just... Doesn't fit in head. I knew Tyrus and his daughter Sora as farmers. Knew all Genii as peaceful farmers friendly and welcoming. They sometimes bargain hard, but always honest..."
"Remind how many times they told you about their bunker under fields?" I asked.
"But they had no reason trust me," Emmagan parried. "If Athosians as developed as them, perhaps..."
"Remind about Chaya again?" I asked. "Just in case remind half day passed, and even with regenerating radiation of Ancient apparatus her second eye barely opening. Here's example of Genii meeting with representative of developed race..."
"Perhaps better build relations not mutilating Tyrus," Teyla looked at cell where Alvar now breaking Genii last finger. On leg. Stopped beating minutes five ago when Tyrus stopped moving. But went wonderful remedy from so caringly collected by enemy supplies. Again and again adrenaline brought man-Genii to senses. "Perhaps should exchange him and..."
"Only thing I can do with Tyrus—gift him quick death," I cut off. "And believe, I myself approached recently, but... What managed hear... No need worry about them. Even if drop couple-three nuclear superbombs on their planet, believe innocents unharmed."
"Misha," called me from cell. Alvar head to toe in sweat and drops of foreign blood. Military breathed often, out of breath guy. And Tyrus... Well, what left of Tyrus now lay in blood puddle on cell floor. With light hiss and blinking deactivating force barriers, cell door opened and Jensen exited. "I injected him small cocktail of drugs," ex-Runner threw interrogation drug bag not far from cell. "Last day or so. If you need him..."
"Don't worry, care for him," I assured. "Learned what wanted?"
"Learned," soldier's face twisted in disgust spasm. "Even what didn't want."
"As bring self in order, come to conference room," I suggested. "Would like discuss..."
"Nothing discuss here," Ermenian snapped. "Give me weapon, ammo crate and deliver to their planet. I'll avenge my people..."
Judging by his face expression, ex-military not joking. At all not joking. Direct no hint.
He really intends go alone to Genii and kill as many as can. Judging by what I saw on Sudaria, maybe really many. And this Terminator in Vladimir Mashkov guise needed here, not with shot head amid couple thousand dead Genii.
"And do it not alone," I assured him. "At minimum I'll be nearby. But now need develop strategy and understand how bad all."
"All very bad, Misha," Alvar in anger wiped drying blood drops from face but only turned face into horrible bloody god mask. "They have atomic weapon. And intend use against Wraith. Even that they shit own pants on tests not stops them. Soon whole galaxy swarm with Wraith! If not already..."
Teyla grabbed Alvar by arm and attracted his attention to self.
"You need calm down," looking in eyes Athosian said. "Hot head—bad advisor."
Ermenian if wanted say something in response, restrained, silent. Throwing glance to cell where Tyrus started moving, he left room quick step.
"I'll talk to him," Teyla stated her plans.
"No need," I objected, approaching cell door and closing it. "He needs be alone with thoughts. For now, let's unload 'Jumpers', feel they'll soon be needed."
Clanged electromagnetic locks and between flat grates flashed energy barriers. Cell again became insurmountable obstacle for anyone not knowing deactivation code.
"You can not hurry," Sora's father croaked, rolling to side and looking at me blood-filled eyes. "Nothing help you from Genii wrath."
"Yes, but you rot here," I cooled his ardor.
"I'm almost dead already," he nervously laughed but immediately clutched beaten ribs. "I said what know. More not needed."
"You're wrong," I assured Genii. "Were you bit more educated, would know xenomorph—not only strong chitin and great acid, but fun double jaw too."
"Don't understand," Genii said thinking couple seconds.
"That's your people's trouble," I enlightened. "Your race name from word 'geniuses'. But you, to shake hands only Wraith, never geniuses."
Groaning some curse, man grunting rolled to other side.
***
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