"The input request is incorrect. Please try again."
"And that is all you want to tell me?" I inquired.
"The input request is incorrect. Please try again," Ganos Lal repeated.
"Well, alright," I sighed, stepping off the pedestal and sitting down by the wall. I did not even bother to pay attention to the fact that the "hologram" had not disappeared. "How about I tell you a story?"
"Shall I activate the recording mode for a new file?" the Ascended one clarified, continuing her strange game.
"As you wish," I shrugged, taking another plasticine-like hematogen bar out of the backpack. "So. Once upon a time, there lived the Ancients. That is what their descendants from Earth called them. In their home galaxy, this race was called the Alterans. In the Milky Way—the Others or the Ancients. In Pegasus—Lanteans. And so, the Lanteans, having suffered grief in the Pegasus galaxy, left for Earth. The whole lot of them. They lived there, developing their descendants. And then, one of them, named Moros..." At this, the corner of the woman of light's left eye twitched slightly. "He had the idea that the ancient enemies of this civilization, kinsmen of the Alterans calling themselves the Ori, would decide to kill all the Ancients. Other Ancients, already Ascended by that time, did not believe in his ideas. And so Moros—he is also Merlin, also Myrddin—decided to create a weapon to fight the Ori. And since all the Ori without exception had Ascended, the weapon was dangerous for the Ascended Ancients as well. Therefore, they sent one of their own to observe Merlin's experiments. To stop him. And when the weapon, which received the name Sangraal, was created, the observer destroyed it. Is that an entertaining enough story?" I bit off a larger piece, working my jaws vigorously.
"An interesting story," the Ancient agreed.
"It will become even more interesting when I tell what actually happened to the creator of the weapon." I poked my fingers toward the ceiling, hinting at the Ascended. "I am sure those guys would be extremely interested to know exactly how you fooled them. Of course, they will not interfere; that is not in your rules. But you will no longer be able to play your game, pretending to be a hologram you created yourself to teach children. And you will not be able to suggest the names of planets at a key moment in history, which would influence the search for the weapon against the Ori..."
The "hologram," poorly hiding her interest in what I had said, looked at me without concealment. It seemed that, as I had hoped, the tale had piqued her interest.
First and foremost, it was because her plan might be revealed. The Ascended, of course, would not destroy what she had prepared for the Earthlings' future search, but there was a nuance—for the search to proceed in the right direction, Ganos Lal herself was needed. Here, on Atlantis. And not in the form of a hologram, but under the very same guise under which she was currently present.
An Ascended being passing herself off as a hologram.
"Well, so?" I asked. "Will you deign to enlighten me, or had I better start talking about your cunning so that the others might listen?"
And again, only silence in response. The lady clearly knew her worth and was weighing the options and consequences of various actions.
What can I say? I was once again convinced that even in a moment of serious danger, the Ascended would not interfere. Even if the fate of the heritage they so adored depended on it. Including the people they had created on numerous planets across various galaxies.
"Something is definitely happening here." I finished my snack and began pacing around the room. "Let us reason logically while we have time. Among the Ascended, there are do-gooders ready to violate their own rules and intervene directly in a crisis to rescue those fighting for a good cause. We will not discuss how 'good' it is. The main thing is that when it concerns your interests, you find a way to adjust events with the help of one person or another. Visions, hints, riddles, puzzles, and so on... All for the sake of achieving your goals. And then, I appear on Atlantis. Let us not insult each other's intelligence and pretend that the Stargate universe includes the version of Earth where I lived. Consequently, one of yours..." I pointed to the ceiling again. "One of the Ascended was so horrified by what is happening in your universe that he decided to turn to another universe for help. And he chose not the alternative heroes known for their deeds, but me. A person who, in principle, knows and can do very little regarding this universe. You gave me a young and strong body, likely even inoculated me with your ATA Gene. And you stuck me not in some backwater, but on Atlantis, in the Pegasus galaxy. Why not on Earth, in the Milky Way?"
The "hologram" remained silent.
She stood in her former place, eyes closed. I suspected she was conducting mental negotiations with her associates on the higher planes of existence to receive either a prohibition or approval to converse with me.
"I suspect the problem lies in the fact that the trouble is precisely in the Pegasus galaxy," I continued my brainstorming. "Something happened. Or did not happen. Because of which one of you panicked and did what he did. A pity for that do-gooder, of course. But he knew what he was getting into. So, let us use the method of exclusion. You are not worried about the Wraith and the fact that they hunt humans—otherwise, you would have intervened sooner. You are not worried about the other problems of this galaxy—for the same reason. This means something extraordinary has occurred... Something that has completely shattered your plans for the future. Correct me if I am wrong. I suspect that everything happening is by no means accidental. I have a thought that these interventions are part of a plan and..."
"Stop."
From the unexpectedness of it, I froze in place, hearing the voice of the Ascended Ancient. At first, I rejoiced that she had made contact. And then, I realized: she had done it so that I would not voice my theory regarding the predestination of all events.
She did not want me to say that.
Because other Ascended would hear. And they would take measures. After all, that was exactly what I was blackmailing her with—revealing to her kin Ganos Lal's secret plan to help the people of Earth in their war with their ancient Alteran relatives, the Ori. And I had counted on her interrupting me so that the others would not hear... Because the rest of the Ascended would offer resistance.
Is it already time to put on a tinfoil hat and think that the Ascended will strongly dislike me if they find out what I think about them and their plans? I do not know, I do not know... But such secrets are usually taken to the grave.
"So, have you matured for a frank conversation?" I clarified.
"Within the limits of what is permitted by the rules of Ascension," she said indifferently.
"And might I take a look at the manual so that I can properly formulate my questions?" I inquired.
"You will learn all those rules if you ever become Ascended," she replied.
"I could use a spiritual mentor to shorten the path. Could you give me Oma Desala's address? She is a specialist in such things."
Another silence, accompanied by the blinking of virtual eyelids.
Well, of course.
Ascension is a complex spiritual-mutational process. Both the body and world-perception change, becoming entirely alien to human nature and logic. One can traverse this path independently, or one can cheat, receiving "brotherly help" from someone already Ascended. In a literal sense—seeing a worthy candidate for Ascension, an Ascended being could help them become the same. It seems this does not even violate the rules and is widely practiced by certain Ancients.
Oma Desala is exactly one of those "do-gooders." True, the others do not like her. Because once, she helped almost Ascend precisely the wrong person.
Not a kind and inquisitive mind of a researcher at all.
But a parasite seizing the bodies of sentient species, including humans. The Goa'uld are like that. And parasitism in their case is not even the greatest sin. I would even say it is the least of them. Mass murder, genocide, enslavement, the destruction of planets and stars, and so on—here is a more expanded list of why one might dislike those guys.
Oma made a mistake and helped one of them almost become Ascended. She stopped in time, but the process can no longer be reversed.
"You had questions," she reminded me. "I am ready to hear them."
"But not to answer, right?" I smiled.
"I have no right to interfere in the lives and events of mortals," the Ancient voiced one of the most important rules of the Ascended.
"But conversation does not count," I noted.
"Up to a certain point," she answered after some thought.
Digging through my memories, I suggested:
"Correct me if I am wrong. It is forbidden to give direct instructions or apply the powers, knowledge, and technology of the Ascended to help humans? Но no one forbids us from discussing general matters, right?"
"Simplified, but correct," she said.
Alright, we will deal with that later.
"I am not from this universe, right?" In principle, the Voice had spoken of this, but knowing the Ancients, they could have messed up seriously. Especially since the Voice's plan could have been disrupted by other Ascended...
"Yes," she replied.
Not bad. It means I am doing quite well with logical thinking. Let us continue gathering information. Especially since it does not particularly affect the situation as a whole. Energy is not being consumed, which means the catastrophe is not approaching at a gallop.
"Who sent me here?" I inquired.
"I am not permitted to disclose that information," she said.
Interesting. And how can a single name influence what might happen? Likely it is someone very, very powerful, authoritative, and well-known. And his name alone might set me on a specific path.
On a path the Ascended do not want.
"What am I supposed to do?"
A direct question. And I was certain I would not get an answer.
"That I cannot tell you either," she admitted.
Nothing else was expected.
"Perhaps then, you will tell me what kind of problem occurred that required such a violation of the rules?" I asked. "You could have turned to any of the Earthlings for help. General O'Neill, Samantha Carter, Dr. Jackson, Colonel Sheppard, Dr. McKay, and a good hundred others, more experienced and capable..."
They could have... if they could. But what if they could not? What if the expedition to Atlantis I spoke of never arrives? And if that is the case, then something happened on Earth that caused the chain of events to be broken?!
An interesting guess.
Ganos Lal looked at me indifferently. Demonstratively indifferently. But it seemed to me that she did not want to play the silence game. True, she knew what the consequences would be. "Wanting it but fearing the sting" in all its glory.
"You already have the answer to that question," she pronounced, carefully choosing her words. "I suggest you proceed from it."
Oho...
It seems I am right after all. And wrong at the same time.
A problem exists. One so gargantuan that one of the Ascended decided to spit on the rules and seek help beyond the known "habitats." He went to another universe... But why exactly mine? Where Stargate is merely a television-literary universe, not reality. And why did the choice fall on me? I am not the greatest expert on this universe, and I do not have a fanatical obsession. I cannot read, write, or calculate in the language of the Ancients, and I do not understand their technologies or sciences. Only on a basic level.
Or... Is it because I agreed without conditions that the Voice could not fulfill without violating the rules very severely? Whoever he was, he was clearly playing on a knife's edge until he "cut himself."
The Ancients allowed him to penetrate another universe, to pluck me from there... my consciousness? My soul? In short, he took something that makes me me. The Voice gave me a body better than the one I had at the moment of death. I do not think he did this out of gratitude or because he had free time. During our conversation, he was in a hurry, as if he did not have much time. Likely, there is a reason for that.
For example, the Ascended had already set out after him to call him to account for violating the rules.
"Do you know why the Voice pulled me here?" I inquired. I doubted Morgana would lie to my face.
The answer to this question would allow me to learn much.
"Yes," she looked slightly to the side.
"And you cannot tell me about it?"
"Yes."
"Cannot, or do not want to?" I blurted out.
Ganos Lal closed her eyes, and for a moment a grimace of irritation distorted her face. It happens when a persistent little ant, before the boot descends upon it, frays the nerves of the shoe's owner for a long time.
But no answer followed. Which meant she did not want to answer. To both questions.
"As you wish." I stopped beside my backpack and swung it onto my back. "I was glad to chat. Do not think ill of me. When everything here is flooded with water and Atlantis becomes unusable, please do not forget that you are precisely the one to blame for my departure. *Alaverdi*!"
A provocateur, of course, is worse than most representatives of sexual deviations, but there are moments when there is simply no other way.
She would not have made contact with me if there had been no need for it. And that means not just she, but all the Ascended need my help. I think that after they heard Ganos Lal had been fooling them for thousands of years, they might "pull" her out of here for a private chat with the "security officers."
"You are leaving?" the surprised voice of the Ascended one sounded at my back.
"Yes," I replied simply.
"But... why?" Confusion reigned on the Ascended one's face.
"Because I have legs, and I know how to use them." My shrug forced her to portray a heavy sigh of irritation. "I asked you for a conversation, agreed that I would not hear the most important part. Но you decided that I should not hear anything concrete at all. So why should I waste time playing guessing games with you?"
"Because you asked for it yourself," she said.
"Oh, do not get on my nerves, Morgana," I smiled. "The Ancients, and especially the Ascended, are not altruists to respond to requests. Before even hinting at an answer, you test a person so that they demonstrate their true self. Well, perhaps I failed the test, but thanks to you, I know for certain—you have very big problems. So big that one of your brotherhood went to another universe and began searching for someone who would dare to get involved in this business. And I was not the first he turned to. But the only one who agreed. And that means you have no alternative."
"What makes you think that?" the Ascended one's eyes flashed. "We can replace you at any moment..."
"Well," I spread my arms wide. "Go ahead. Go on, replace me. Or let someone else among the Ascended take responsibility for direct interference in my fate. It seems you get punished for that. And I doubt they just put you in the corner."
"Insolent," she practically spat out the words.
"I do not like being led by the nose," I admitted. "You communicate with me as if I am a non-entity. Logically, in response, I treat you the same way. And unlike you, I can go to the hangar, take any of the ships, and get out of this city. Remind me, how much time does it have left before flooding? Hours? Days? Is the gate blocked from dialing any incoming wormholes except from Earth? Will anyone come here to save the city? Will they make it, or perish along with all your knowledge?"
"You will not receive an answer to any of the questions you just voiced," Ganos Lal cut me off. "Your conceit has blinded you."
"Or," I smiled, "I am taking advantage of the situation and getting what I need. Did you not think of that?"
"I do not understand what you are trying to say."
"That if you had the opportunity to replace me with someone more obedient, you would have done so. Had your problem not been so gargantuan, you would not have sent me to Atlantis. In this galaxy, there are still plenty of ruins of your civilization. Any of those planets would have sufficed. Но no, the Voice incarnated me in the capital of your fallen state. In a place where there are thousands of laboratories with projects ranging from the most harmless, like communicating with local whales, to the immoral, like social experiments in controlling human settlements across the galaxy. Or, for instance, shall we recall the nanovirus that causes fatal hallucinations in everyone who does not have the ATA Gene? Including the very humans you created. I can list examples as long as I like. But you have already caught the gist—you are clutching at a straw. And that is quite curious. It required dragging a person from another universe, even though you could have easily taken any other person in this galaxy—since the Milky Way is inaccessible—inoculated them with the ATA Gene, taught them to use your technologies, and sent them to fulfill the task. So..."
"Enough!" Ganos Lal cut off my monologue in a quiet but commanding tone, barely restraining her rage. "Get out of here!"
"With pleasure!" I promised. "Right now, I will take Janus's time machine and experiment with it. Likely not at once, but I will definitely reach Atlantis after your departure and live comfortably for the rest of my days. And there will still be nine thousand years left before the catastrophe... A good plan, eh, Morgana?"
The figure of the Ascended one glowed as if someone had suddenly added a few hundred lumens per square meter. It became painful to look at her...
"I will not tolerate this!" she cried out, throwing up her hands, which clutched something resembling snow-white spheres. "He was mistaken, and I will correct that mistake! Now!"
To be honest, everything inside me clenched. Numb, I watched as the Ascended being—who, essentially, could destroy a planet with a snap of her fingers—prepared to unleash her wrath upon me.
But she did not have time.
Her figure became blurred with haze, as if something invisible but unstoppable was pulling her back and up...
"No-o-o!" Ganos Lal screamed.
Her silhouette blurred and began to multiply. But each of its copies became smaller and smaller than the original...
With a soft pop and a flash of light, the "hologram" of Morgan le Fay vanished from the holographic room.
Something like that.
Left alone, I felt the pangs of conscience. My character is not sugar, but life has taught me not to let anyone sit on my neck. And especially—to not let them use me in the dark.
And Ganos Lal had intended to do precisely that.
Which is strange. From the series, I remembered her as a fairly peace-loving, sympathetic woman who cared for the cause of the Earthlings. She had risked much and violated the rules of Ascension more than once to help in a moment of need. Even if she knew for certain that she would not like the consequences.
I had counted on exactly that kind of attitude.
But we clearly could not find common ground. With every cell of my body, I felt that it was unpleasant for her to converse with me. As if I were standing before her in filth and soiling the sunlight with my presence.
Of course, I might be exaggerating, but...
Alright, it was worth trying to get answers. It did not work.
That meant there was not much choice—time to leave the city before...
The podium over which Ganos Lal had just vanished suddenly lit up. In the center of the room appeared a shapeless, snow-white something, very similar to the Voice.
And just as I rejoiced that an Ancient familiar to me had arrived, the "cloud" took on the already familiar outlines of a hologram.
"I offer my apologies for the actions of my compatriot," said... Melia, a slight smile touching only her lips. "We started on the wrong foot, Mikhail. I think there is no need for introductions?"
I think... something extraordinary is happening here. Taking a deep breath, I turned my head toward the snow-white figure of the Ascended one standing nearby.
"Tell me this is a joke."
"Unfortunately," sorrow appeared on Melia's face. "It is not. The very threat to the existence of all living things... is no cause for jokes."
I could not help but agree.
What the Ancient had told me... was making my brain boil.
"That does not explain why your Hippocrates summoned me from another universe," I muttered.
"Hippaforalkus," Melia corrected me. An interesting woman. Calm, kind, non-confrontational. I would have classified her as a seasoned phlegmatic if not for the emotions showing on her face. I could not bring myself to say they were fake. "His name is Hippaforalkus. He was a general of our army during the war with the Wraith..."
Something in her, in the way she held herself, how she spoke, how she behaved, made me trust her. Compared to the unexpectedly prim Ganos Lal, the former member of the High Council of Atlantis made an exclusively positive impression.
I had thought Morgana would behave that way, but...
"I understand your confusion, Mikhail," the Ancient said. "Our community was also shocked by the general's act. Ganos Lal... they were close. And his act, which contradicted everything we fought for, everything we believe in... it upset many."
"How can a desperate plea for help upset anyone?" I asked. "You told me that all the Ascended in the Milky Way have been destroyed. You do not know what is happening in a gargantuan galaxy. The expedition of Earthlings to Atlantis that you foresaw was supposed to happen several months ago, but nothing changed. And your most illustrious commander decided that someone should be brought in to help. Since none of you dared to become human again..."
"The process of Ascension is not a yo-yo game," the Ancient countered. Seeing the surprise on my face, she smiled modestly. "I beg your pardon. I unintentionally sensed your thoughts..."
"It is alright," I waved it off, continuing to pace around the Ascended one. "That is the least of my worries right now."
"Usually, people guard their thoughts from outsiders," the Ancient noted. "However... now I understand why the general turned specifically to you for help."
"Because he could motivate me," I shrugged. "I needed what he could do. And he needed someone who would agree. And who, apparently, has at least some idea of the conditions in which they will have to act."
"And also, he saw in you an inquisitive, inventive mind, courage, and a desire to go to the end," Melia listed. "That and much more. Perhaps you reminded him of himself in his younger years."
"Wouldn't it be easier to ask him?" I inquired. "You punished him in some sophisticated way, but so that he is always in sight..."
Hearing no answer, I looked the Ancient in the face.
A mask of despair and slight panic was frozen upon it.
Not that I give a damn, but...
"You did not punish him," I whispered.
The Ascended one portrayed a sad smile. She was smiling suspiciously much during our conversation. I remember that a smile is an attempt to win trust and dispose someone toward oneself.
"The rules of Ascension were written long before us," the Ancient said. "And the punishments for violating them... are also great. Interference in the affairs of the living is only a minor crime in the eyes of the community. But time travel, influence on the space-time continuum... We watch over the universe in which we live. And it is not in our interest to allow it to be turned into a dead wasteland," Melia assured me. "Influence on space and time almost always triggers a harsh reaction from the Ascended."
Now it was clear why, when the expedition from Earth first arrived at Atlantis and perished almost in its entirety but was able to use the time machine of an Ancient named Janus, that fact—a guest from the future—had triggered anger and condemnation from the other Lanteans. It was not mere grumbling. They were afraid that those who had Ascended before them would punish the remnants of the civilization.
A strange society they had.
"And even more so—crossing the boundaries of universes..." Melia continued. "Little could be worse than that. Such acts require more serious sanctions. Otherwise, there will be no discipline."
Wait a minute... what did they do to the Voice?! I mean, to Hippaforalkus?!
"What did you do to him?!" Clenching my fists, I stepped toward the Ancient.
"Mikhail, I ask you to calm down. We both understand that this is by no means what interests you," the Ascended one said. "The general fulfilled his part of the deal before he took you from your universe. You need not worry about that."
"Thanks for that, at least. So, what did you do to him?"
There remained a chance that I could find the guy and ask him a couple of questions. Sooner or later.
"I am afraid I cannot answer that question." A mournful expression appeared on Melia's face.
Understandable. The answer would influence my future actions too directly. Telling me the truth would be essentially the same as sending me to him, if Hippaforalkus survived.
"Alright, suppose so," I said. "Though I doubt he pulled this off in secret from everyone..."
"He had like-minded associates," Melia said. "They helped him punch breaches between universes and accomplish what was intended."
"And they..."
"Are dead. The general completely exhausted their energy. No, it was not murder—according to our information, they took such a step voluntarily. A sacrifice in the name of the higher good."
"Well, yes, of course. Too convoluted a combination," I admitted. "I repeat—it would have been much simpler to find a helper here, in Pegasus. I am sure there are your descendants with the ATA Gene here."
"You know perfectly well that they are here," Melia said. "Just as you know that they are hardly developed enough to accept the fact of Atlantis's existence and the technologies contained within it at the proper level. And we, unfortunately, have no time to engage in their training. Furthermore, the general acted tactically correctly. Violations of the space-time continuum of such a level have not occurred since the beginning of time... He knew that the Community would not react immediately to such an intervention. And he anticipated the fact that the appearance on Atlantis of well-known and prepared people from other realities would attract our attention sooner than placing a consciousness from another universe into a body created on Atlantis."
"Why?"
"The displacement of objects and organisms between universes is detrimental to the receiving universe," the Ancient explained. "Realities vibrate at a specific frequency. Moving a part of one reality into another leads to significant distortions. The longer this continues, the more terrible the consequences."
Processing her words in my head, I clarified:
"You answered because you know I will not be able to use this knowledge, right?"
"We will stop you if you try to cross the boundaries of universes," Melia promised. "I assure you, we will not limit ourselves to simple suggestion. It is in our interest to stop such violations."
"Why?"
"If we do not do it, others will," the Ascended one said.
Well, yes, well, yes... But for the heroes of the series, everything somehow happened without the edification of the Ascended. Perhaps because some are "allowed" and others are "forbidden"? Because the former must do what is planned so the universe gets the necessary nudge. While the actions of others will only lead to negativity... Melia looked into my eyes and smiled.
"You understand," she stated. "That is good. I think you will agree to help us."
"You?" I was surprised.
"Despite the fact that the general no longer exis..." She fell silent, catching herself mid-word. "The general will no longer be able to influence reality, but that for which he did what he did will not resolve itself."
"I suppose it would be inappropriate to suggest that you yourselves go to the Milky Way galaxy and find out everything there?"
"When the anomaly first manifested, we did exactly that," the Ancient assured me. "None of the scouts returned. As far as we understand, whatever is killing the Ascended in the Milky Way operates on a regular basis."
"Merlin's device?" I suggested.
Moros, also known as Merlin, had created the Sangraal—a mechanism that destroyed the Ascended. But Ganos Lal had destroyed the device. True, she had preserved the life of the one who created it.
"We do not know," Melia admitted. "That is why we are asking you to discover the nature of the threat. And to eliminate it."
"In other words, to save your lives," I said.
"Exactly so," the woman nodded. "The anomaly is slowly expanding. It will not be long before it reaches Pegasus."
"How long?"
"I am afraid we do not know."
"How can that be?" I was surprised. "Isn't there a pattern of expansion?"
"There is." Another guilty smile.
"But I have to figure it out myself, right?" I squinted.
"I am afraid so," she grew somber. "These are not our whims. These are the rules of the Ascended."
"Which you are not going to violate even to save yourselves?" I wondered.
"Yes."
"I think your survival instinct is malfunctioning a bit," I muttered. "Any living creature, if it is sound of mind, worries about its survival. Even if you are more advanced than ordinary humans, it does not mean..."
"I am afraid it does," Melia said. "To become Ascended means to renounce earthly attachments, obligations, and laws. The release of spiritual energy for the transition to a new level of being."
"Uh-huh... And I am hearing this because Ascension is not in the cards for me? Right?"
"The probability of that... is minimal."
"But it exists!"
"The magnitude of the probability is such that it is customary to call it a margin of error." Melia tilted her head slightly. "I think you understand why."
Oh, I understood.
"Because my character does not allow me to run from problems for good," I said. "To fight while there is a chance. The general would not have called for help from someone who would step aside at the first convenient opportunity."
"You are a wise man, Mikhail. At least regarding life philosophy."
Could that be considered a prim mockery? I think not.
"How much longer will the shield hold?" I asked.
"I cannot answer that question."
Too many questions. And a categorical understanding that I would not receive answers.
Gloomy.
"I could use some help, any at all," I said. "Without knowledge of your language, an understanding of the technology... the search for the problem could drag on for years. It could cost you your lives."
"We are willing to take the risk," the Ascended one pronounced. "I understand your motives for wanting to make life easier for yourself. But to go further than Hippaforalkus went... we simply have no right. That would be interference. But I am certain you will find a way out of the current situation. You are lucky as it is..." She spread her arms wide. "You are on Atlantis. In our home, in the repository of our knowledge. What help could be greater than that?"
"At least a slightly charged ZPM would be worthwhile help," I admitted.
Melia gave me a sympathetic look. That is how one looks at a child saying such heresy to their parents' faces... While both the child and the parents understand the truth, but the performance must play out in full.
"I see," I sighed. "The rescue of a drowning man is the work of the drowning man himself."
"In this case, that expression can be taken literally," Melia assured me. "Believe me, Mikhail, I am sorry that neither I nor my comrades can help you with anything more."
I would have liked to respond in the words of Stanislavski, but the mood for joking had vanished.
Not only did clarifying the situation only add depressive moments, but I had received no direct help—not even hints had been voiced. Only "you'll manage on your own, soldier! Here is an assault rifle without ammo, over there is the enemy army—stab them all with your bayonet!"
"If several months have passed since the Earth expedition was supposed to arrive, then how do you explain the fact that I saw the city flooding? Exactly like in the series. Shouldn't it have happened sooner?"
"A misconception," Melia stated. "The expedition consisted of several hundred people. And immediately upon arrival, they dispersed over a large area of the city, forcing its systems to awaken urgently to provide proper living conditions for a large contingent of sentient beings. Not to mention..." She looked at the deactivated hologram control terminal. "This device, the stasis pods, and a number of other systems used in the events you know when the expedition appeared, consume a large amount of energy. The cascading launch of some systems led to the activation of others—and so throughout the city. You have managed to avoid this—for now. But luck is merely a byproduct of the design, is it not?"
I understood what she was talking about.
In the series, the expedition played back Melia's fascinating holographic recording at least twice to understand the situation. Plus, a stasis pod was used to maintain the life of that very first head of the expedition, who in the original events had traveled into the past. And I think that is just the tip of the iceberg of examples of wasting precious energy.
"The Atlantis computer, to compensate for the loss of energy used to power all the systems when the expedition arrived, reduced the size of the shield covering the city, right?" I asked.
"Correct. In your case, this happened due to the activation of the collection device," the Ascended one pronounced. "So, the energy consumption indicators in your case are even lower than in the events you know. Thus, right now, the city's power levels are the same as they were after the expedition's arrival. With the only difference being that you have activated fewer city systems, and consequently, you have a bit more time before total exhaustion than the Earthlings had at their disposal."
"At least some pluses," I grumbled. Then I clarified: "So, right now we are exactly in that window of time when the expedition was supposed to arrive for the first time and drown in its entirety?"
"Yes."
The guess about Janus's machine and the "primacy" of the expedition turned out to be correct. As did everything it entailed: the absence of a city rescue system upon the ZPM's depletion. Or "batteries," as Melia called them.
"So, what is next?"
"I cannot answer that question."
"Then let us just reason," I suggested. "If Atlantis does not fall into the hands of the Earthlings, they will not improve their position in the war, will not find a weapon against their enemies, and so on. This will lead to defeat, right?"
"If humanity in the Milky Way is still alive," Melia corrected me. "But we know absolutely nothing about that."
Curious. And yet, some of her answers were not so "vague." It seemed the Ancient was walking on the edge after all and sharing the information she had.
"Which did not help you defeat even a more understandable enemy, the Wraith," I sighed. "And that was ten thousand years ago. But now, the city's *potency* is not at all..."
"You simply do not see the *potential* benefit of preserving Atlantis," Melia stated. "You are afraid of the *potential* problems you will face."
"What 'potential benefit' are you talking about?" I was surprised. "Is it really so hard to speak in my native language?"
"No," she cut me off. "I did not make a mistake. You are simply incapable of understanding all of your and the city's *potential*..."
There was a lot of "potentiality" in her speech. And "potentia" too, although that is not even a Russian word, but...
I froze, shifting a bewildered gaze to Melia hovering before me.
How did she say it? "Potentially the city can be saved"? "Potential benefit from preserving Atlantis"?
When hints became insufficient, she switched almost to blatant clues.
"Potential, you say?" Squinting, I asked. "I do not deny the city has potential. And I am worth something, too. But if I were not alone here—if, say, I had an entire *potential* brotherhood ready to guard my secrets and capabilities even at the cost of their lives... This castle would stand for another ten thousand years."
Melia opened her mouth to say something in response but stopped. After blinking a few times, the Ascended one smiled timidly and gave me a barely perceptible nod. She showed that she understood that I had understood her hints.
These were potential answers, not hints.
The hint was more than transparent, and if not for my thoughts circling around energy problems and ZPMs, I never would have understood it. It seemed the Lantean realized this and had given as many hints as she could. And then, seeing that I still did not understand, she purposefully distorted the word to trigger an associative chain.
"You understood everything correctly," she said. "Save Atlantis, and any of your undertakings will be successful. The city..."
"...possesses great *potential*," I finished for her, smiling from ear to ear. Well, of course, what an idiot I am.
There was a chance to save the city. And the answer had been lying practically on the surface. If I had not been so busy with self-reflection, I would have thought of it long ago.
"You are thinking correctly," as if reading my thoughts, the Ancient pronounced. "I am glad you have understood the full significance of our heritage and the threat emanating from the unknown enemy in the Milky Way. I hope you agree to fulfill the mission you have taken upon yourself?"
Something told me the time for bargaining had passed.
But the time for ultimatums had not.
"I agree," I assured her. "But there are a few conditions."
The smile vanished from Melia's face as soon as she heard the first of them.
But she and her comrades simply had no opportunity to refuse.