As soon as the doors leading to the compartment opened, I pushed Trebal inside.
"What the hell did you do on the bridge?" I growled at the bitch, almost in her face.
"Cute," she replied, looking around. "For some reason, I didn't doubt for a second that you would take the captain's cabin for yourself."
"And I have fewer and fewer doubts that you'll be sent to the brig soon," I shared my feelings.
"There's only one brig on the ship, and a Wraith is already sitting there," she said carelessly, proceeding to my bed without permission. Sitting on the edge, she crossed her legs. "So, we need to talk. Frankly."
"And couldn't you have approached me with such a request half an hour ago?" I asked.
"And were you going to tell me that you possess data that could change our lives?" Trebal asked.
"I'm not thrilled that the captain told you about what I shared with him," the admission was accompanied by my grimace. "And I think you yourself understand perfectly well that sharing such information with someone who shot you twice is utter foolishness."
"You weren't frank with your own people either," Trebal reminded me. "And that gave me a lot of questions."
"Oh, really?"
"The very fact that you're cooperating with Chaya Sar reduces trust in you tenfold!" Trebal replied sarcastically. "You hid who you really are from your people. And the Ascended know what else you're hiding! With such prerequisites, how was I supposed to help you and entrust you with the crew I'm responsible for?"
Her words are quite reasonable.
"Do you think they started trusting me more after that performance on the bridge?" I asked. "I doubt it."
"And you're wrong," Trebal stated. "It doesn't make much difference to them who you are. You've only done good for them – and that's why they are loyal to you. The attempted mutiny showed that."
"In my world, they executed people for attempting mutiny on a ship."
"Well, kill me for giving you full power over your crew," Trebal chuckled. After a second's thought, she added: "At least over most of them."
"What are you talking about?"
"The lesser races lived and developed because the Lantians shared their technology and knowledge with them," Trebal said. "This is what my crew would expect from you. Your legend of 'a descendant of Lantians who fled to Earth' would not stand up to scrutiny the moment you showed your inadequacy even in basic understanding of science and technology. This would cause unrest among the crew members. At least among those who believe you are another Lantian deceiving them. Or perhaps a swindler posing as one. And now," she squinted, "imagine what would have happened if their discontent had manifested on Atlantis? Where they could, under various pretexts, gain access to Lantians' technologies, experiments, and weapons?"
I calculated... I didn't like it. No, not the thought itself, but what my mind conjured.
"And how will your rebellion help me?" I asked.
"He asked me to help you," Trebal winced slightly and grew sad. "He told me everything you told him. To say I was shocked would be an understatement."
"Get to the point, Trebal," I flicked my weapon in front of her, demonstrating that my patience was running out.
"Honesty is a virtue," she smirked. "It's an undeniable truth. Just as it is that you didn't start a shootout but told me the general points. That's enough for the crew to believe you. Iha'ar, of course, exaggerates his importance and cannot speak for the entire crew. Moreover, about thirty percent will definitely refuse to work with you – they worship Lantians and will never help someone who isn't one of them."
"And you, you helped me?"
"For starters, I know who it will be," Trebal replied. "And, believe me, you will not like it very much if the ship's security service turns against you. They have a short fuse, and their faith in Lantians is almost religious. Only some of them will follow you. Reviving the rest will be a waste of energy."
Or she might try to slip her supporters in to repeat the mutiny, but more successfully.
"Continue," I said.
"Knowledge of the future is dangerous because it is made up of many factors, part of which no one, ever, under any circumstances, can possess," Trebal said. "This knowledge borders on a prohibition of time travel."
"Because changing something in the past will change the future?"
"As well as possible anomalies, the consequences of which are difficult to predict," Trebal said. "But for most crew members, what you know about the future will be equivalent to what you could represent as a Lantian."
"Why?"
"Because Lantians could calculate their actions many years in advance," the girl said. "The fact that you mentioned the expedition that was supposed to arrive only confirms this."
"But there are no Earthlings."
"And that's a demonstration of the imperfection of the dominant race," Trebal spread her hands. "And so, we have an alternative – a human whose consciousness was brought from another universe by one of the most respected heroes of the entire nation of the Ancients, who granted him a perfect body. As well as his knowledge of the future, saving our lives where we would all have perished... This puts you in a better light. Therefore, most of the crew will follow you. At least because they know that your information about the future can be applied correctly. Even by you."
"Insulting me again?"
"Don't be so sensitive," Trebal winced. "Assess your capabilities realistically. Genetics alone won't help you. However," her eyes sparkled, "I already understood that you intend to fill the void in your head."
This time I held back.
"And you're going to do it in a damn dangerous way!" Trebal's face darkened. "Even if you manage to reconfigure the chair's reverse communication channel with the city, all of Atlantis's database will flood into your mind! I won't venture to say I even know the number equal to the memory volume that would be required for this."
"Lantian brain," I tapped my temple.
"And human thinking," Trebal shook her head. "Even the most advanced Lantians couldn't afford it. An organic brain cannot handle such a volume of data without harm!"
Something doesn't add up.
"In the Milky Way, there are installations that uploaded all the knowledge of the Ancients directly into the brains of their descendants," I reminded her. "Even humans managed to do it a couple of times."
"And how quickly did they die?" Trebal asked.
"They didn't die," my answer made her eyebrows shoot up. "They received some help from the Asgardians and saved their brains."
"Asgardians?" Trebal frowned. "I've only read about this race in legends... Are they still alive?"
"Yes."
"An alliance with them could help us destroy the Wraiths," Trebal's eyes lit up. "According to the chronicles, when the Alterans were colonizing the Milky Way, they managed to find several races that were at roughly the same stage of development as themselves."
"An alliance of four races, I'm aware of that. The Ancients, Asgardians, Nox, and Ferlings. The latter, by the way, no one has ever met."
"How could you have met them if they were destroyed?" Trebal was surprised. "They perished at the hands of self-replicating machines even before the Lantians left for the Pegasus galaxy..."
Oops. Well, now it's clear why the Ferlings were never shown in movies and series about this universe.
It seems like the Milky Way replicators got them. But this information needed to be verified.
"Let's get back to the main topic of conversation," I reminded her. "Why the attempted rebellion?"
"How else was I supposed to make you show that you are truly more than an empty shell who knows how to press buttons?" Trebal asked. "And please, don't insult my intelligence with phrases about how we should have talked beforehand, discussed everything, and so on. We've already established that you wouldn't have done that. I had to act tough to fulfill the captain's request. So, thanks to me, you have about two hundred specialists qualified in handling the Ancients' technology, who believe that you know what you're doing. Don't thank me."
"You know," I smiled. "It looks more like someone tried to seize power, but realized during the process that it wouldn't work, and is now trying to save themselves from solitary confinement for the rest of their days."
"Or a date with a Wraith," Trebal suggested. "As an alternative. If I really intended to start a rebellion, it's better to kill me than to keep me captive."
"You think?"
"It's logical. If I intend to depose you as head of Atlantis, I won't rest and will wait for an opportunity," Trebal shrugged. "After all, the only thing that distinguishes me from the others is that I know only slightly more about Lantians' technologies than Iha'ar. And yes, I'm an excellent pilot. And the only career military officer you have at your disposal. You can see for yourself, without an army I'm not needed, a pilot can be trained, and as for the difference in knowledge... Iha'ar and others will level it out as soon as they get access to Atlantis's database. I need to be killed for your own safety."
Hmm...
"Are you sure you're fighting for your life?" I asked.
"Yes."
"The arguments in your favor... sound dubious."
"They aren't in my favor," Trebal smirked. "The only thing that hasn't made you kill me yet is my appearance. I'm sorry, but in our society, we quickly learned to understand body language and interpret signs of attention. Even now, you're looking at me, but thinking about something else... Knowing you, I don't think such things should be spoken aloud. In our society, improprieties are not advertised. Or thought about. Honestly, in your company, I feel like I'm being undressed every five minutes and touched in the most indecent places. Yes, and you're thinking about it right now... At least look at my décolletage less intently, maintain at least a semblance of your impregnability..."
"If I shoot her now, will the charge penetrate the hull?" I mused. Logically, it would. And since the cabin borders on vacuum, that's a pretty lousy solution.
"Alright," I said.
"Somewhere around this point, the logical chain was lost," Trebal sighed. "And what exactly is 'alright'?"
"You will live," I announced.
"Primates," Trebal shook her head. "Mikhail, I'm trying to convey to you the wisdom we only understood after decades of bloody battles: you can't leave enemies behind! Even if they are pleasant in appearance and..."
I interrupted her with a gesture.
"I completely agree with you, Trebal," I admitted. "But there's a nuance. You are not my enemy."
"Oh, really?" she raised an eyebrow. "It seems I've told and described everything to you quite clearly."
"Extremely," I agreed, putting my weapon back in its holster. I walked over to a small metal cabinet bolted to the wall, leaned on it, and looked intently at Trebal. "So clearly that there's no doubt – you need to be killed. And the sooner, the better."
The girl looked at me, her mouth slightly open. I think she already understood that there would be no execution.
But she hardly realized that I had figured her out.
"I don't understand, primate," she shook her head. "You're making a big mistake..."
"You know, I've always been amazed by actors," I admitted. "Mostly bad ones."
"Actors?"
"Performers," I chose a synonym. "You know, those who don't live their own lives, showing real or fictional scenes for the amusement of others..."
"I know about theater," Trebal said coldly. "How is this related to the fact that you need to kill me to secure your power?"
"Actors have a technique called a 'monologue'," I continued, ignoring her words. "They talk about something for a long time, reason, and so on."
"I still don't understand..."
"And this is an overused cliché," I yawned. "You've been insulting me and my friends, calling us primitive, staging this ridiculous scene... Did you really think I'd kill you because you're such a bitch?"
Trebal stared at me in silence.
"There's such a thing as character," I explained. "A core that supports us in difficult moments when the skeleton can no longer cope. And, no matter what, you won't change yourself. Therefore, it's very difficult to imagine that a hardened bitch, who was ready to kill half my crew and myself, decided to teach me a lesson that traitors are killed."
"I don't see anything in that that contradicts logic and..."
"Enough already," I sighed. "We both understand that the commander of the 'Aurora' was more than a commander to you. He imposed a mission on you to help me, and sacrificed himself. I know the reasons for his actions, but... It would be wrong to voice them. I'll just say that it wasn't to prevent the Wraiths from capturing their ship that he did it."
Trebal glared at me with a prickly gaze.
"Realizing that you couldn't get him back, you helped us break away from the Wraiths and escape the explosion. Then you decided to check if you were helping the right person? Maybe the captain was wrong, or I fooled him. I think I didn't pass the chair test... I suspect it's because of my desire to load the Atlantis database into my mind. This idea scares you, and therefore you decided that enough is enough – it's time to change the führer."
The girl was silent, but her pursed lips spoke for her.
"There was no test," I sighed. "You decided to seize power when I put an end to your and Iha'ar's old habits of deciding things without me. That's why you blurted out what you knew – you wanted my people to defect to your side. But it didn't work out, Fortune turned away from you. And what you told me here – it came to you only at the very end. Therefore, you decided – since you couldn't save a loved one, since the rebellion didn't work out, then there's nothing for you to do next to this primate. You quickly framed your actions to sound logical and objective, gave me a quick masterclass that you shouldn't trust Iha'ar in his bravado. And decided that the best way to get rid of the torment of choice, conscience, and Vietnam flashbacks at night is to put a bullet in your head. Which you are so tearfully begging me for."
Trebal winced.
"Correct me if I'm wrong somewhere," I offered.
"From your lips, it sounds like a weak plan," she grumbled.
"Well, it's Plan 'G'," I shrugged.
"And why is it called that?"
"Because it's bad," I explained. "No matter how brave you are, no matter how much you act like a bitch, your transition from the state of 'hysterical woman next to the 'Aurora's' onboard computer' to the state of 'obediently helping and broadcasting' was too abrupt not to notice. No offense, but I've seen better hysterics than the one tormenting you."
"I'm in pain just thinking that the commander sacrificed himself for such a nobody!" Trebal exploded. "I'd rather die than see you try to pretend you understand what you're doing! If it weren't for me, you would have turned into a human vegetable after loading Atlantis's databases! You can't feel safe with such a commander!"
"But you just said how wonderful it is that I possess knowledge of the future..."
"I'm sure nothing like that happened in the events you know!" Trebal snorted.
"Agreed, I thought of that possibility myself."
"Don't do what's beyond your evolutionary development," Trebal winced. "Brain activity is not your forte."
"Ah, now the insults... I was starting to worry you'd forgotten how to provoke me."
"I don't understand you," the Ancient admitted. "How can you be calm in such a situation? You are a clear violation of the Ascended's rules, which means they will strive to correct their oversight. You've decided to control a city whose mechanisms and knowledge you understand nothing about. The galaxy is teeming with Wraiths, and you have no fleet or army to oppose them. They learned about the survival of the Ancients and will not rest until they destroy us. To the last person. Not to mention that the danger in the Milky Way, as you call that galaxy, is frightening. If only because of its unknown nature!"
"And what, in your opinion, should I do? Tear my hair out because I wasn't given everything on a silver platter? Or stare at the ceiling because life is hard and I can't fix everything with a snap of my fingers?"
"You tell me," Trebal suggested. "Because for me, this situation seems like a dead end. There's no way out."
"Perhaps," I shrugged. "But giving up without doing anything is not my style. Yes, there's no army or fleet, but there's an opportunity to establish my life, to find what's left of the Ancients. To put all this to my service and fight."
"Against the Wraiths? Or against that unknown threat that even the Ascended couldn't handle?"
"To fight for my place in the sun," I clarified. "You yourself said – General Hippaphoralkus was a hero among the Lantians. And he took such actions. He couldn't have not known what other Ascended would do, and therefore his decision cannot go unanswered. He gave me a second chance, and in return, I intend to solve the problem of the Ascended."
"It doesn't seem like you're striving for that with all your might..."
"I have no desire to jump into an unknown brawl in an alley without a weapon. You never know what the opponent has – a bat, a knife, a pistol, or a nuclear bomb."
"It's unwise to start a fight without knowing the enemy," Trebal nodded in agreement.
"And it's even more unwise to solve problems in another galaxy without a reliable rear in Pegasus," I added. "You, of course, may disagree with my point of view..."
"On the contrary," Trebal interrupted me. "I agree with it. Whatever forced the Ascended to worry, it's clearly not an ordinary problem. Now I understand," she nodded. "It looks like an idiotic use of your knowledge of the future, but in reality – a semblance of a plan to prepare for battle."
"And delaying the actual participation in this battle as long as possible," I added.
"Then you must understand the reason why I won't kill you for such a foolish act," I explained. "The commander of the 'Aurora' helped me. He gave me the answers I needed. He couldn't return to Atlantis, because then the Ascended would have hunted him and us. So he sacrificed himself. And asked me to take care of you. It's not my style to refuse a request from such people. Although I don't really want to, I will still give you a second chance. For the captain's sake."
"Well, at least not out of pity," she snorted.
"Last chance," I clarified. "What you did on the bridge nullified the captain's request. Now, if you pull something like that again, disobey me, or plot a conspiracy – I'll kill you. Is that clear?"
"If you think I wanted you to kill me, then why do you think I won't try it again?" she asked.
"Because I believe – even though you act like a bitch, it would be foolish of you to repeat it. Especially now that you know he could have survived, but doomed us all to huge problems. But he sacrificed himself so that we could live. Including you. You'll be a complete fool if, after my words, you don't get your act together and use this second chance wisely."
In reality, I feel sorry for her. The attempt to show how smart and developed she is, a cunning strategist and leader, in reality turned out to be nothing more than another act of hysteria from someone who lost a loved one.
I'm sure the commander of the 'Aurora' had several assumptions about the problems I would face. And therefore, he asked me to look after his sweetheart. And she, in turn, to help me with her authority and brains.
I wouldn't be surprised if he even had hypotheses about what was happening in the Milky Way.
One way or another, the credit of trust is exhausted. I am immensely grateful to the Lantian for his help, for his explanations, for the conversation. But this does not outweigh the patience from Trebal's antics. I made that clear to her. No more warnings.
"They won't understand you if you just forgive me for attempting a rebellion," Trebal said. "And even if you didn't believe my story about helping you in this way, others won't either."
Ignoring the sarcasm, I chuckled:
"So, we'll have to come up with a plan that fits this into the overall picture of what's happening," I shrugged. "I don't think I need to point out that you should remain silent about the fact that the captain's sacrifice wasn't dictated solely by well-known circumstances?"
"No need," Trebal said. "Only a few knew that he was a free-thinker and disagreed with the majority of Lantians."
"Do you know... what exactly they disagreed on?"
"No," the girl shook her head. "No matter how much I asked him, he didn't say anything..."
Or perhaps she simply didn't understand his hints.
We are walking on very thin ice, but... There's no other way.
"Well, then we shouldn't dwell on this," I said. "We have a few days to calculate everything properly. I mean the final part of the flight. You will be in charge of this. You will remain under arrest in your cabin for now."
"I'd rather stay in this one," Trebal said quickly. "The less I'm seen, the fewer questions might arise. A perfect execution of the braking maneuver could be precisely the reason you grant me 'forgiveness'. Or at least, it could serve as a reason to spare my life and earn trust."
So, she doesn't want to die that much after all. That's motivation. If she had known all the nuances in advance... She might not have caused this mess.
"We'll figure it out," I replied, getting off the cabinet. "Do you need anything for the calculations?"
"No," she replied, taking an Ancient scanner from her pants pocket. "This is quite enough. I know all the variables, including the gravitational peculiarities of Atlantis, so..."
"We're not flying to Atlantis," I corrected the girl.
She looked at me with surprise, then nodded understandingly.
"You didn't just transfer energy between systems, but also changed the final destination," she said. "Clever."
"That's how we operate."
"And where are we actually going?"
"An outpost on the planet Taranis. There have never been Wraiths there, the outpost is powered by geothermal energy and has a dry dock. It is under our control, and it is guarded by Athosians. The workshops will help us get the ship operational faster."
The girl looked at me for a moment, then said:
"I think I understand which planet you're talking about. But then I'll need updated data on it."
"I'll provide it. Anything else?"
"Just one thing. How did you know that transferring energy from one system to another wouldn't harm the ship?"
"Lantian genetics allows for a wide range of interaction with their technologies," I explained. "You just need to give a mental command, and the onboard computer will calculate everything itself, do everything itself. In case of danger, it had my order to switch to the engine systems. But the circuits held."
"Smart move," Trebal assessed. "I underestimated you."
"Because you didn't know it could be done without the control chair," I explained. "For me, it was clear since the first piloting of the 'jumper' – even without the control chair, Lantian technology can be controlled mentally by me. So there was no risk, only calculation."
Lantians made technology for themselves. But at the same time, why would they need control panels if they could give commands mentally? That's for the lesser races – so they are useful.
But there was something I wasn't going to tell Trebal – precisely that before, I could only do this on the 'jumper', but not with the 'Hippaphoralkus' systems. I don't know if I became stronger, or if it became possible due to her actions of connecting the control chair to all the ship's systems, but the fact remains. Upon returning, I need to ask Chaya to look into this matter.
And also apologize to her for many things.
"I repeat, a very smart move to outplay me where I considered myself an expert," Trebal said. "Perhaps this is the potential that the commander saw in you. And I only saw it after... In short, you understand what I mean."
"No, I don't understand," I admitted.
The girl flashed her eyes and pursed her lips.
"I don't say this often, so it's difficult for me..."
"And whose problem is that?" I asked. "If you want to say something, say it. Can't? Well, then that's how it is..."
"I... " Trebal averted her gaze, licked her lips, and then looked at me again. "I apologize for what I did. It was... Inappropriate."
"And deadly if you try to repeat it," I reminded her of my warning.
"I'll remember," the girl promised. "I promise I won't cause any more trouble."
Usually, it's right after such words that trouble begins.
"Well," I decided, after thinking, to stay in the cabin. "Since we've found each other, perhaps we should do something to strengthen our relationship? To, so to speak, elevate it to a more trusting level?"
The girl looked at me intently, then her gaze shifted to the bed where she had been sitting all this time. Hmm... why did she get so flustered, as if I were hinting at something unnatural?
"A very common scenario for less developed races," she sighed, touching the top magnetic clasp on her vest-jacket with her hand. "Besides, it will be an extra chance to explain..."
"Hold it right there!" I exclaimed, realizing I was looking at parts of her body that had previously been hidden by the vest. "Cover them up immediately!"
The girl, mouth agape in surprise, still obeyed.
"If not intimacy, then... What do you want from me?" she asked, bewildered.
"Let's talk about Chaya Sar," I explained my interest. "About everything you know about her... Including rumors."
Never before had she felt so humiliated.
But now, looking up at the man, she wanted only one thing – to tear him to pieces. Now that he had gotten everything he desired from her, his true intentions were not difficult to understand.
"Submissiveness suits you," he rumbled, smiling. Approaching the woman, he ran his hand over her face. Then, grabbing her by the jaw, he pushed her, forcing her to fall onto her back. "At my feet – that's the place you rightfully deserve to occupy!"
"You'll pay for this, Scavenger!" hissed the Cunning Blade. "My allies..."
"Will forget about your existence as soon as it becomes known that you lost your cruisers, most of the wraiths who obeyed you," Styx stated. "And your hive ship, when it's repaired, will be a beautiful addition to my growing faction. As will your lands, Cunning Blade."
"Very soon, other Keepers will learn what you've done," the queen assured him. "And they will come for you!"
Styx, grabbing her neck with one hand, yanked the queen into the air:
"Let them come," he laughed. "I have something to meet them with. And you will help me with that!"