The panel on the side of the door, already familiar and even a bit tiresome from its frequent appearances, glowed with a steady white light. All the same three vertically arranged crystals… Funny. In my past life, door locks and handles didn't annoy me. But here and now… Perhaps it's just my nerves. I think if I had to open dozens of them in my past life, knowing that I could die in a very unpleasant way at any moment, I would also be annoyed by the sight of damned locks and handles.
It's good that I don't have to carry a bunch of keys for them… The Ancients made it simpler—just wave your hand, and the sym-sym opens.
With a quiet melodious sound, the door leaves parted to the sides, inviting me to enter a small room. Shaped like a prism with a truncated pyramid at its base, it somewhat resembled a well-known elevator.
Except that there was no elevator shaft at all. And it's not even that the floor underfoot is impenetrable to the eye, and the wall around the cabin looks like monolithic stone.
This "elevator" has no shaft at all.
Because it is, albeit a transport system, but of a different order.
Atlantis Transporter.
In the center of the wall opposite the entrance to the transporter, there was a screen that lit up welcomingly upon my appearance. A simple contour plan of the ship-city caught my eye, with red dots already marked, scattered, it seemed, in a chaotic order throughout the city.
In reality, it's not like that.
Tapping the one in the very center of the structure—in the Central Spire—I heard the doors close behind me. Instinctively, I squeezed my eyes shut…
A flash of white light pierced through my eyelids, making me "catch sunspots" for a moment. A wave of barely perceptible cold ran through my body. But the feeling of disorientation quickly passed.
Stepping out of the transporter cabin, I grinned, seeing a completely different interior compared to what I had seen just a minute ago.
Logically, considering that I had moved hundreds of meters both "horizontally" and "vertically" in just a few seconds. And instead of one of the piers on the outskirts, I was now in the very center of the Ancients' pride.
The transporter is a local network of teleportation cabins scattered throughout the city. Thanks to them, you don't have to waste time walking through dozens of floors throughout the complex, but can arrive from "Point A" to "Point B" in the blink of an eye.
Yes, such a device requires energy to operate, which is already scarce. But, estimating how much time and energy I would spend trudging through the empty corridors and floors of the city to get here on foot, I decided that the savings would be significant. At least in terms of time.
A spacious hall, with several comfortable-looking sofas. Funny… I thought the expedition members brought their own furniture from the series. And the "local" ones seem familiar. I definitely saw a chair like this in the series!
So, the Ancients not only built cities that withstand millennia without falling apart, but their leather upholstery on soft furniture doesn't crack at all. They knew how to build!
Numerous decorative columns, inside which there were decorative reservoirs with water, through which numerous bubbles ran from bottom to top, had a calming effect. And I was also very thirsty. The temptation arose to break the glass on the column and drink my fill… But something told me not to do it. At least out of fear that in a city that had lain for ten thousand years at the bottom of the ocean in a dwarf galaxy of the local Milky Way group, it would be unlikely to find fresh water. And I didn't really want to drink water rich in the salts of another galaxy.
Nothing, I'll manage. I'll leave that decision as a last resort.
I don't know exactly how long I've been in the city, but the anxiety and excitement of the first few minutes have passed. The brain of a rationalizer has kicked in at full throttle. Half with the notorious toad.
The idea of leaving the city and avoiding drowning gnawed at my temples. The self-preservation instinct is reliably embedded in the subconscious, there's nothing you can do about it.
And in my chest, the voice of nostalgia and pragmatism ached, assuring me that I had to do everything to save this beautiful city from destruction. At least for the reason that it is, damn it, a flying spaceship! With very advanced technologies! With its own device that allows travel to all corners of this and other galaxies.
All I need to do is apply my intellect correctly to find a way out of the current situation. The energy for the city is provided by three ZPMs—Zero Point Modules. But, in the series, the team usually managed with one "battery." And, moreover, in this galaxy, there are planets where almost complete, charged ZPMs lie. Which can solve all my problems…
But I still have to find them.
There are no spare ZPMs in the city. It just so happened that they weren't found in the series. And I'm a bit reluctant to search Atlantis with genuine marauding feelings.
Engrossed in these thoughts, I finally reached the treasury of the Central Spire of Atlantis.
The technology of the stargate runs like a red thread through this universe. In essence, it is a device created by the Ancients millions of years ago. It allows, when entering the address of another gate, to cross thousands of parsecs in a short time. Travel from one point in the galaxy to another without spending on tickets, luggage, and so on.
The device is made in the form of a large ring, through which a large number of people can pass simultaneously. Or special ships of suitable dimensions can fly through. And, I think, equipment can also pass through—at least some types of robots or wheeled transporters handled this task "excellently."
If I remember correctly, at the moment of activation, the gate creates a wormhole connecting to a gate on the other side of the galaxy. High technology and all that.
The energy allocated for the gate's operation is generated by the gates themselves due to the specific design of the installation. And it's truly magnificent! Because assembling a system that consumes colossal amounts of energy, which then generates that energy itself, even millions of years after its creation, regardless of whether it was used all this time or remained inactive, is priceless.
The key thing to remember about this technology is that by using it for its intended purpose, along with a dialing device resembling a giant mushroom, one can avoid a lot of problems. Or at least dematerialize on one planet and materialize on another without harm to health.
In most worlds, the gates are installed on stepped pedestals along with the dialing device – a panel used to specify the destination point. In Atlantis, however, the gates are located in a special room – the notorious gate chamber, which itself also serves as the control center for the entire city.
The Stargates in Atlantis. Their copies throughout the Pegasus galaxy have the same design.
Unlike most planets in the universe, where the dialing device is "standard issue" next to the gate installation, in Atlantis it is located in the city's control center. And it has its own unique design.
But there will be time to figure that out later. For now, I simply allowed myself a few seconds to admire the Atlantis gate chamber.
The gate chamber. View from the "office" to the "left" half.
This chamber is a two-tiered room connected by a wide staircase. The lower level houses the gates themselves, as well as a platform for arriving beings and cargo. Directly opposite the gates is a staircase, and at the end of each step, there are inscriptions in the Ancient language. I've never even tried to find out what they say.
From the first tier, there are passages to other rooms of the Central Spire – and it was through one of these that I came.
On the second level, the chamber is divided into two halves: right and left, if you stand with your back to the gates and face the stairs.
To the left, behind massive doors with square blue glass panes that rotate on their axes, is something like a conference room where any issues can be discussed. In fact, that's how it happened in the series. I'm afraid to even imagine what the Ancients used the room for.
The "right" half of the gate chamber.
In the opposite part of the gate chamber on the second level, the builders placed the control point. Numerous consoles of various purposes provide access to both dialing the gate address and controlling most of Atlantis's systems. I don't know why the Ancients placed a small balcony opposite the control point, but it looks quite organic.
To my surprise, I discovered another staircase between the lower and upper levels in the "right" half. Racking my memory, I recalled that yes, there was one in the "series version." And the heroes often used it to get to the hangar with ships that flew through the gates. It's built above the gate chamber, but I wasn't planning on going there yet.
In the corner of the "right" half, flush with the outer wall of the Spire, was a small office with large windows – from floor to ceiling. I remember it was used as the workspace for the expedition leader. And there was also a personal transporter there.
It's strange that I couldn't appear from it... But what does it matter now?
My PDA helpfully showed me a plan of this room. But it didn't distinguish between the levels of the same room. I remember it could be reconfigured for such subtleties, but I don't have time for that now.
A plan of the gate chamber from an English-language forum. "Carter's office" is that very "office."
Looking around and finding no traces of anyone's presence (except for dried, but not decayed over the years, plants in massive tubs), I went through one of the side passages on the lower level of the gate chamber and headed to the lower floors of the tower.
There was no slightest evidence of the expedition's arrival anywhere. No people, no equipment... It's hard to say right away whether that's good or bad.
There is no longer any doubt – there isn't a soul left in the city.
As is known, undiscovered land belongs to the one who discovered it. And since I was the first to arrive here, and there's no sign of any expedition – then Atlantis is mine. And even if Earthlings arrive here – they'll get nothing but a slap in the face, not MY city. I probably could have come to an agreement with my compatriots, but in the series, Americans traditionally handled everything...
True, their "affairs" often followed the simple equation of "find/create a problem – heroically solve the problem." But then, who doesn't make mistakes? Everyone has their flaws.
However, this didn't change the complexity of what was happening. Passing by the windows, I looked again at the dead city. And winced again, seeing the familiar picture of flashes and air bubbles.
I should hurry. Because the city is on its last legs. If the energy runs out – it's all over. It won't matter who rules the flooded city.
That flash and air bubbles I saw upon waking – clear confirmation of this. The city is sacrificing its periphery to save its central parts. This means a huge number of rooms on the lower floors and in the outer part of the city are now flooded with ocean water.
And that's not good.
Atlantis is not just a city, a ship, a flying capital of the Ancients in the Pegasus galaxy. But it is also a laboratory – a testing ground for the solitary scientific research of humanity's ancestors and the laws of the universe. The city hides very dangerous secrets: a nanovirus, a creature that feeds on energy, a device that accelerates evolution, a device that turns people into living bombs, and so on.
The expedition, even with their skills in handling Ancient technology and their language, managed to mess things up so badly that they couldn't sort it out even in five years of the mission.
I have neither the one nor the other. Neither knowledge of languages nor a team of specialists. All by myself, all by myself... But I doubt the city will appreciate my "English with a dictionary."
There are two places I would like to see first. And in my plan, their visit is scheduled immediately after finding the gate chamber.
Not finding the first in the direction I initially went, I returned to the gate room. I probably need to search the floors in another part of the tower.
But, since I have time...
I ran up the side staircase to the second level of the gate chamber. From there – another floor up.
And I entered a dimly lit room, where light from the illuminating lamps barely penetrated.
After standing for a few seconds, allowing the lighting to dispel the darkness to a semi-darkness, I finally saw the jumper hangar in all its glory.
The jumper/jumper/puddle jumper bay/hangar in Atlantis.
Built in the traditional angular style of Atlantis's creators, the hangar housed a good dozen vehicles capable of traveling through the gates. "Jumpers," as the expedition nicknamed them. I don't know the Ancients' self-name.
A jumper.
Each of these ships is the size of a KAMAZ truck, and there's no comparison in terms of comfort. A spaceship capable of flying through the gates, in space, functioning as a submarine, and also armed with homing missiles – drones. A good thing.
And my goal was to inspect each of them to clarify one point for myself...
After about thirty minutes of inspecting the aft compartments of each of the transports in the hangar, I came to a disappointing conclusion.
I am in the time when the expedition from Earth, which arrived on the planet, drowned. The city did not surface.
And direct proof of this is the massive installation in the aft compartment of one of the jumpers. The interior of the jumper is divided into a cockpit and a cargo-passenger compartment.
Alas, how I hoped not to see what I saw...
The thing is, in the events of the series, the system that raised the city to the surface when the shield was in danger of failing only worked because of time travel. And it was powered by that very thing, resembling an oval piano, which I found in one of the ships.
According to the plot of the series, after the time jump, the surviving expedition leader was transported ten thousand years into the past, to a time when the city was still inhabited by its native population. Who strongly disliked the tampering with the space-time continuum. They dismantled the time machine.
But this inspired one of the Ancients named Janus to help his distant descendants. He programmed the city to surface.
And, since the machine is here, it means there was no time jump. And the knowledge of how to raise Atlantis from the bottom... Well, it took the series' heroes five seasons to understand this process. Or four... Or three...
It doesn't matter – I don't have that much time.
But, on the other hand, I have a time machine, which I also don't know how to operate. And I have no desire to be a pioneer. The butterfly effect has not been canceled. The fact that the series' heroes managed to jump in time completely by accident – and as always, successfully – did not inspire me to experiment either.
It seems my lucky streak ended with the discovery of personal belongings.
For a few minutes, I sat on the floor in the hangar, contemplating everything I had seen. I frankly disliked the situation. Absolutely disliked it.
"To hell with it," I squeezed out, getting to my feet. "I need answers."
And I knew who I could get them from.
* * *
I found the room I needed after another hour of searching. The expedition managed it almost instantly. However, there were several hundred curious companions.
I crossed the threshold, gazing with bated breath at the round room, the walls of which, like most of the city's interior, were made of material of varying shades of brown, with admixtures of blue and green veins.
A small pedestal in the center of the room, and on it – a tiny control panel compared to the ones I had seen in the control room. Transparent glass, over which – numerous switches, awaiting the user.
The trapezoidal keyboard flashed with a pleasant blue backlight, and a hologram of a young woman in white robes, as if woven from light, appeared before me...
"Greetings," she rewarded me with a meaningless smile. "Allow me to tell you our story..."
A frame from the pilot episode of the series. The action takes place in the holographic hall.
"Stop!" I commanded.
"...we came to this galaxy..."
"Pause!"
"...many millions of years ago..."
"Stop the hologram!" I barked. However, it didn't work. Annoyed, I stepped away from the console, and the hologram dissolved in an instant.
Oh, these conventions. It's infuriating when, instead of answering direct questions, the Ancients invent a whole host of riddles, puzzles, and enigmas, and then scatter them across dozens of planets.
But, unfortunately, there's nothing I can do about it.
To my great regret, I am very dependent on whether I get answers here and now. Or if I'm left empty-handed.
It seems the recording must be listened to. Regardless of who I am and by what supernatural means I got here.
The light-radiating image of an Ancient continued its unusually short story about how the Ancients arrived in Pegasus, populated it with life, and began their usual business.
"...hoping to sow life in a hitherto lifeless galaxy," the hologram proclaimed familiar words. Looking at her emotionless face, I thought, isn't it strange that she and I are speaking Russian? Although... On the other hand, in the series, everyone – from the Ancients to the ugliest creatures – understood American English. And it was fine, the brain boiled, but accepted the information. And how is our great and mighty language worse? "Soon, new life strengthened and flourished..."
Uh-huh. We know these good guys.
The hologram spoke for a few seconds about how the Ancients observed the development of civilizations, guiding them on the right path. And I, once again, asked myself: why did civilizations of brilliant scientists, who millions of years ago could transcend mortality, turning into pure energy, need to do all this over and over again? A new galaxy, the appearance of human life in it, help and support... I believe in altruism, but... The Ancients at that time had more problems than they could carry. They had just survived the plague. And now, again...
"...so that young civilizations exchange knowledge. Life appeared on thousands of worlds. But one day we found a dark world, where terrible creatures waited in hibernation..."
An interactive map of the Pegasus galaxy was already being fully displayed under the ceiling of the holographic hall. I'd seen it many times in the series, but in person... Beautiful!
And again, frames from the series.
"We had not encountered such creatures before," the hologram continued its historical excursion. I was tempted to ask her – were these "terrible creatures" created by you? After all, you claim to have given rise to all living things in Pegasus? Or not all, and the "terrible creatures" were here before you? If so, then perhaps not only them? But I remained silent, understanding that the recording would not answer my questions. But someone else...
"We were overly self-confident and unprepared for battle. They overwhelmed us with numbers. The enemies devoured the people inhabiting thousands of worlds," the multi-colored specks of light under the ceiling, demonstrating planets throughout the galaxy, began to turn red. "Only Atlantis survived. The city's shield held under their attacks. But we were besieged here for many years. And, trying to save the last representatives of our race, we submerged the city in the ocean. The Atlantis Stargate remained the only way to Earth from this galaxy..."
Such was the Ancients' journey.
They appeared in a distant galaxy, but there they didn't get along with another part of their own people. So they went wandering the universe. First, they found the Milky Way galaxy, which they also populated with life and lived there for some time. After that, a plague broke out among their people, from which the survivors and the healthy fled Atlantis to Pegasus. And they started all over again, but encountered "terrible creatures."
It was naive to think that the hologram would tell about the horrific experiments the Ancients conducted. And what they led to.
However... They were dreamers and scientists. If I were in their place, with their philosophy that everyone is free to do what they want and bear responsibility for it, would I have acted differently?
Ah-ha-ha... Give me some polonium in my food! I'm in their place now!
"...with their help, the survivors returned to the world that was once our home. There, the last Atlanteans spent the rest of their days. This city fell asleep..."
At this, the hologram gave me a short nod and froze. It seemed to be waiting for some instructions from me.
Well, it's time to get answers. At least try to. The circumstances indicate that I won't get answers simply because I'm such a good isekai protagonist.
Shedding my backpack, I addressed the hologram again.
"Who is your image based on?"
"The prototype for this hologram is Melia, a member of the Atlantis High Council," the figure of light particles came to life. Wow. So, there are other "named" characters in the universe besides "plot characters." Or I was that attentive when watching series and movies about "Stargate." "Would you like to know anything else?"
"I could use some water," I said, contemplating my next step. I had hoped to see a different woman here. Well, let's start the "game." And perhaps it's worth forgetting that the operation of this hall consumes energy, which is already scarce. "I want to change the holographic avatar. Is that possible?"
"As you wish," Melia nodded almost imperceptibly. "You can specify a specific name, and the training hologram will be updated."
"Now that's what I call a user-friendly interface," I said, cracking my stiff neck.
"Let Morgan replace your hologram."
"I'm sorry," the hologram replied in the same indifferent, polite voice. "But no one with a similar name was found in the database."
What do you mean, not found?!
"Fairy Morgan! Morgan le Fay!" I tried.
"I'm sorry..."
Your low gear... Right, that's not her real name. She entered Earth's history and the history of several other planets under that name when she performed her "especially necessary mission" in the Milky Way.
But what was her name...
"Lalos Gal!"
"I'm sorry..."
"Pagos Tal!"
"I'm sorry..."
Come on! I remember it was something like that. But... How exactly... Something related to the persecution of lolex... That's it!
"Ganos Lal!"
"Request received," the figure of light smiled. "Replacing hologram."
The projection melted away like the galaxy map overhead, but in the next second, a similar one appeared before me. Only her expression was more... aged, perhaps.
Right before me, a figure of a comely middle-aged woman in snow-white robes appeared. Woven from light, the hologram smiled at me perfunctorily, simultaneously looking directly into my eyes and as if through me. A strange feeling, especially when you know what you're dealing with.
Ganos Lal. Also known as Morgan le Fay. Also known as Fairy Morgan.
The holographic hall where I came held many secrets. And now, before me, perhaps the most important of them opened.
"Hello!" The hologram of Ganos Lal, like an echo of the past, broke the silence of the room. "You can enter your request verbally or in writing."
"Verbally, if possible," I quipped. Alright, have it your way – the show goes on.
"Of course," she nodded. "A written request requires more system operations."
Oh, so that's how it is? Alright, let's see who's who.
"Tell me," I asked, licking my dry lips. "What is the appearance of a person from a universe where everything that happens in this city is just events from a TV series in Atlantis?"
A brief blink of her eyes, a vacant stare.
Well, alright. Let's be frank.
"Is this too complex a question for a training hologram?" I asked, taking a step to the side. A tiny one, just shifting my weight, nothing more.
"Conducting this type of research requires considerable time and energy expenditure," the hologram stated impassively. "Calculations are in progress..."
"Abort operation," I commanded, running a hand over my face. I couldn't get rid of the tension. My nerves continued to fray, and it manifested in me tapping a certain rhythm with my foot.
"Are there any other people in the city?" I asked, turning slightly to the side. Just a little. Almost imperceptibly from the side.
"A full-scale scan of the city for life signs requires additional resources and energy," I received the answer.
"What needs to be done to raise the city to the surface?" I inquired, shifting slightly again. Just a little. Even unnoticeably from the side.
"A complex set of measures is required to launch the sub-light engines," the hologram informed me. "I'm sorry, but my functionality is limited. Please contact the city's control center."
"I've already been there. Only emptiness and the dead with scythes stand there," I chuckled, looking at the extinguished backlight on the holographic room's control console. Shifting my gaze to the figure of pure light, I laughed quietly.
Ganos Lal continued to stare at the wall, looking past me.
"Have you realized you're caught, or not?" I asked.
"Enter your request verbally or in writing," she recited.
"Verbally," I said. "Compare the energy consumption used by this room in the last five minutes with the data on the same consumption in the last ten seconds. Approximately that much time has passed since I stepped away from the control panel, and the system shut down. And last time, Melia's hologram disappeared at the same moment..."
The figure of light twitched almost imperceptibly. Did I imagine it, or did she blink?
"You're caught, Morgan," I said. The hologram's head turned slightly towards me. "I know perfectly well that you are not a training program. But just fooling other Ascended beings in this simple and audacious way. So, shall we talk, or will we continue to play innocent?"