Consciousness returned with a jolt.
The survivor's eyes snapped open, but before he could realize where he was, the wraith commander was already on his feet. And only now did he realize that he was no longer on the planet where he had spent many years. Moreover, all his protection had been removed, leaving him only in a leather suit for everyday wear. And the multiple rents and holes in the chest area suggested the reason he had lost consciousness in that battle.
He was not on the small Lantian ship he had seen either – the room he was in was too spacious. And it had a very characteristic interior, so that one could think of something else.
He was in a Lantian-designed cell. A spacious cube with metal bars and energy barriers between them was located in a large room, the perimeter of which was sunk in darkness, creating a oppressive impression.
"Ah," a voice came from the darkness dominating the corners of the spacious dungeon. "You're finally awake."
The survivor cast a swift glance at the man who had emerged from the shadows.
"You!" the survivor's hoarse bass roared when he saw the young man he knew well, who had lured him into a trap on the desert planet. "I'll kill you and suck your life dry!"
"Yeah," the man grinned crookedly, pacing around the cage. In his hands, he held some red fruit, cutting small slices from it with a small knife. "We've tried that already. As a result, I'm here," he pointed to the space outside the dungeon, "and you're there. My name is Mikhail, by the way."
The survivor bared his teeth as the man casually pointed out that the wraith was a prisoner. Concentrating, the commander directed all his mental power at the man's mind.
It was time for the young Lantian to experience fear of his future killer! Now he would scream in fear, paranodically looking around, bringing the survivor pleasure from human panic and horror.
A magnificent entertainment for wraiths… Only, for some reason, nothing happened. The man remained relaxed, did not react to the extraneous rustles, sounds, semi-transparent shadows projected into his mind, attacking from the darkness… Nothing at all!
This is discouraging.
"Come on," the man winced. "I've already seen a couple of times how wraiths inflict hallucinations on their victims. Impressive, but not so effective the second time."
"You wouldn't survive even one encounter with a wraith!" the survivor didn't believe it.
"Koschei," the Lantian looked at the prisoner with sympathy. "You yourself saw what our meeting turned into. And the first time, I made a hole in the wraith the size of a Teletubby's head."
"How?!"
"Lantian pulse blaster," the man turned so the prisoner could see the familiar weapon on his hip. "Timeless classic. No matter how much regeneration a wraith has, you can't regrow half its body. Especially if you shoot it in the head."
"What do you want, human?!" the survivor asked. "Why are you keeping me prisoner?"
"We're moving straight to the negotiation stage?" the man feigned surprise. "What about anger, denial, and all that?"
"Why are you stalling?" the wraith asked.
"I'm just messing with your head," the man shrugged. "Have you heard anything about establishing personal contact?"
"Your tactic won't work on me," the survivor declared proudly.
"Well, I have plenty of time," the man shrugged. "Koschei… By the way, tell me – do you perhaps have a real name?"
"I don't care what you call me, human," the survivor said irritably.
"Then I name you Koschei," the Lantian announced. "You have something in common. You can't die, and you have an egg with you. Only our Koschei had a needle in his egg, and yours explodes."
With these words, the man pulled an oval object made of dull material from his pocket.
"Recognize it?" the Lantian inquired. "Found it during the search of your crew's remains on the crashed ship. Thank you, by the way. A good sample of technology. It can be used as both a grenade and a mine. It will be useful to us. We found a dozen or so, but how long will it take to replicate? Especially since it's entirely mechanical, not organic, as is customary for your people. Remnants of past glory, eh, Koschei?"
Wraith grenade.
"I don't negotiate with food!"
"In vain," the man wagged his finger. "I negotiated with this apple," he showed the fruit, "that it would be tasty and nutritious. And the apple helped me as much as it could. Well, to be honest, not me, but our trading partners. But that's not the point. I think you understood what I mean."
"I understood," the survivor squinted. "You want to persuade me to cooperate."
"Better cooperation than on your knees, believe me," the man stated. "Moreover, in the latter case, that position will precede a subsequent colonoscopy. You see, we have enough samples of your blood, but internal organs – yes, that would be useful to study."
The survivor, named Koschei, glanced at his limbs. He found the mark of the injection on his right arm almost immediately.
"Why do you need my blood, human?!" he asked slowly, with suspicion in his voice. Biological material can be used in hundreds of ways – and not all of them may be beneficial. Especially in relation to a mortal enemy.
"Oh, I see you've found a path to constructive dialogue," the man chuckled. "Shall we play question and answer? First I ask, you answer, then you can ask. Perhaps, if I like your cooperation, you'll get an answer too."
"I will not reveal the secrets of my race!" Koschei declared.
"We already know a hundred of your secrets," the man shrugged. "After all, we had ten thousand years to figure out your race's technology."
Koschei froze, processing the information.
"Ten thousand years?" he asked cautiously.
"Plus or minus," the man admitted. "It depends on which planets' orbits to take as a reference point. But I think you got the point: you slept for a very long time. And no one from your race gave a damn about you. I'm sure they saw your ship crash on Lantea-2."
"What is Lantea-2?" Koschei asked. He guessed which planet was being referred to, but was stalling for time to process the information in his mind.
"There are only two planets in the Lantian system," the man enlightened him. As if the wraith didn't know that! "We are now at the bottom of Lantea, the first planet from the local star. And the desert planet where you crashed, in my opinion, deserves the name Lantea-2. What do you think?"
"Not inventive," the wraith replied.
"Well, I wasn't chasing uniqueness," the man admitted. "But it's simpler than 'a desert planet where a transport ship with a loser commander crashed in full view of the entire fleet, and no one even sent rescuers for him.' Apparently, your own people didn't like you much…"
"You're talking about what you don't know, human," Koschei laughed. "My ship was shot down far from the fleet. We thought we had destroyed all the Lantian combat satellites. But one survived and caught my transport. I almost destroyed it, but didn't have time."
"By the way, yes," the man seemed to recall something. "We initially thought your fighters did it. But when we examined the ship, we saw that it only had small weapons, like on the 'arrows.' And your story immediately clarified a number of gaps: why no one came for you, why the satellite wasn't completely destroyed, and why no one picked up your distress beacon. Thank you, you've clarified the mystery of history."
"Is that all you want from me, human?" the wraith asked. He decided not to mention that he had managed to assemble the distress beacon from various parts and connect it only after years of his stay on Lantea-2.
"Just the beginning, Koschei," the Lantian admitted. "As you can see, you are the first wraith in ten thousand years to end up in Atlantis…"
"So that's where we are," Koschei understood.
The wraith continued to remain silent. He had already guessed that the man wanted something from him. Otherwise, Koschei would already be dead.
"You may have defeated the Lantians, but it didn't lead to final victory," Mikhail continued. "As you can see, we are here, we survived, we fly around our home star system at our leisure. While your people didn't particularly care about your disappearance."
"They will come as soon as they find out that you crawled out from under the ocean," Koschei stated confidently. "And then nothing will stop them from finishing what they started! This time they will be ready for all surprises! And they will know how you defend yourselves, what resources you have… You will not win! Surrender to my mercy and I will spare the most useful of you!"
"Wow!" Mikhail laughed. "You're not lacking in self-importance, little Koschei. But your offer is shit, I don't like it, and I won't participate in it. But," the man raised his index finger. "I have a counter-offer. Have you heard of the two-chair option?"
"No," the wraith admitted.
"And you probably don't have a mother either," the Lantian nodded to his thoughts. "And with such regeneration, it doesn't matter to you whether it's spears or… another option. Well, never mind," he looked into the survivor's eyes without fear. "Option one. We keep you here and slowly take you apart. You will serve the science of studying the physiology and capabilities of wraiths. Not voluntarily, of course, but…"
"You can't force me!" the wraith declared confidently.
"Before making such statements, I would think about how we managed to transport you from Lantea-2 to Atlantis without you even waking up," Mikhail said in a honeyed voice. "Hint – the wraith stunner has nothing to do with it."
Koschei ignored the taunt. And it was difficult for him to do so. Even though he understood that the man was deliberately provoking him, that Koschei had let something slip, the wraith could hardly control his temper.
"The second chair," Mikhail continued. "You cooperate with us voluntarily. When asked something – you answer. When asked to do something – you do it."
"And why should I?" the wraith wondered. "Torture is nothing to me. I will endure any pain. And when my brethren come, they will give me the right to take your life."
"Even if they come, it won't save you," the man said. "They couldn't break through our defenses ten years ago. And they won't now."
"You can comfort yourself with that hope!" the wraith laughed. "When I'm free…"
"You can only leave here in one case," Mikhail interrupted him, "if I deem you trustworthy and you pose no danger to us. In all other cases, my dear life-sucker, the most you can hope for is to leave this cell as a dead man. Or go for experiments."
"That's what you think!"
"I know it," Mikhail assured him. "I'm sure you're counting on your mental tricks. Moreover, you've probably sensed the presence of a wraith among us…"
Koschei bared his teeth.
"I hasten to disappoint you," the man feigned concern. "It's not a wraith. Just a woman with your DNA."
"That's impossible! Abomination!" Koschei grimaced.
"Your kin thought the same when they found out that one of you decided to graft wraith genes onto humans," the Lantian informed him. "He decided that humans would taste better that way. They didn't taste better, but other wraiths got angry at the apostate and destroyed him. Some of those he experimented on survived. And now they can sense wraiths. It won't be long before we train our friend so she can maintain mental contact with you. And then, what's stored in your skull will be in our possession. And you won't be needed anymore."
"It will take you hundreds of years for something like this!" Koschei declared. But he wasn't sure of the truth of his words.
"Really?" Mikhail smiled. "Let me remind you, little Koschei. We built stargates. We created flying cities. We had a hand in your appearance. And now, after ten thousand years, we have no particular pity for wraiths. If you interfere, and you will, we will simply destroy you!"
"I wonder how you'll manage that, human?" Koschei rapidly approached the bars, opposite which Mikhail stood. But his actions did not cause the human any fear. He didn't even move. "There used to be thousands of you. Dozens of races served you. Hundreds of ships fought against us. And we won! And now," he looked triumphantly at his interlocutor, "there are less than ten of you in the entire city! Six people! Three of them females! Your forces are simply laughable! One cruiser would be enough to capture you!"
"Are you sure about that? That there are only six of us. We are screening a significant part of the city."
"It's impossible to hide from the power of our minds!" the wraith declared. "No shields will help you! I know how many of you there are! And I know that as soon as my brethren come here, I will tell them everything I've learned about you. Even if you kill me, the wraith who feeds on you will know that I did it for my people! Atlantis will fall!"
For a while, they looked at each other, after which the man smiled.
"Well, you're already cooperating," he stated.
"What are you talking about?" the wraith wondered.
"Your race can maintain mental contact at a distance," Mikhail reminded him. "At a significant distance. But there's no one near you. Not a single wraith. Which means we're safe."
"You only think so."
"Just like you think you have a choice," the man declared in an icy tone. "Tell me, little Koschei, by boasting about your mental abilities, did you foolishly tell me that there are only six of us, or did you just want to show off?"
The wraith growled, but remained silent.
"And so, my friend, we've discovered another small peculiarity of your race," Mikhail said with a smile. "You can't sense those who are in stasis. Moreover, it doesn't matter at all whose stasis technology it is: Lantian or wraith."
"You're talking nonsense, human!" Koschei said confidently. "We are strong and feel everything!"
"Then why didn't you, 'all-powerful,' sense our prisoners in the stasis chambers?" Mikhail inquired. "Or, for example, a wraith on the same planet as you?"
"I sensed your woman with wraith genes!"
"And I'm not talking about her," the Lantian clarified. "You see, you're not the only wraith who crashed your ship within this star system. There is another one. More precisely, a queen of the great wraith union who led the attack on Atlantis."
"Queen of Death?" the wraith commander was stunned. "You're lying! She died at the very beginning of the siege!"
"You can believe that assumption as much as you want," the man assured him. "But I'm telling the truth. I feel your brain melting. You have a strict hierarchy in your society. Commanders obey queens. And you obeyed. And right next to you, your queen is stored, one of the first wraiths in the galaxy. And you, pathetic and useless, are unable to reach her. It must be hard to realize you're unnecessary and worthless?"
"I'll kill you, human!" the wraith roared. He didn't waste time on threats and limited himself to short answers. He needed strength to send mental search queries into space. If the queen is nearby, as this animal says, they will contact each other mentally. And together they will devise a plan…
His mind felt like it was doused with ice water.
The wraith shuddered, blinked, shook his head. Something had happened. His mental abilities suddenly encountered a barrier that he could not overcome. No matter how hard he tried, his hot mind was surrounded by an icy wall. He couldn't even sense anyone outside this cell.
"And how do you like it?" Mikhail inquired. "Judging by the confused expression on your little face, I see that our device worked."
"What kind of device?!" Koschei roared the question.
"The very one that managed to recognize your brain waves and block your mental abilities," the man explained willingly. "Now you can't do anything at all, our 'all-powerful' one. Share your feelings – what's it like to be in a prison for both body and mind?"
"Come into my cell and you'll find out," the wraith rumbled. "I promise that before I suck your life out, I'll tell you everything I know. I'll help your science."
"And you haven't figured it out yet?" the Lantian wondered. Koschei looked at him suspiciously. "Well, your 'all-powerful' race has messed up again. You're already serving our science. Whether you want to or not, we will get everything we want from you."
"Then why did you offer me a choice?" the wraith wondered.
"To begin with – I was just stalling for time so the equipment could tune into your brain waves," the man explained. "This will allow us to deprive you of your mental tricks with the human mind. And it's also a demonstration that we can uncover your secrets ourselves."
"Then why are you trying to persuade me to cooperate?" Koschei wondered.
"Haven't you understood?" the man wondered. "All this will take some time. And if you cooperate, you'll have a chance not to die on the dissection table as a test subject."
"What is a rabbit?"
"A small animal," the Lantian explained. "Specially bred by our scientists to test various drugs, vaccines, and so on on it. A useful thing. But it's not a wraith, and we can't test various types of biological weapons against your race on it… But you – that's another matter."
"Are you trying to scare me?" Koschei squinted.
"I'm outlining the prospects," Mikhail clarified. "You yourself understand that almost any wraith will do for our purposes. Even a wraith soldier. Even if he's dumb, we don't need a genius here."
"But you don't have a wraith soldier," Koschei reminded him. "Besides, he needs to be controlled!"
"Isn't it great that we have our own person with wraith DNA?" Mikhail rejoiced. "And scanning your mind during mental work helped us identify the brain areas that need to be developed in her."
"Wraiths and humans are not alike!"
"You're mistaken, my ancient hungry friend. You originated from an iratus beetle that fed on a human. We have much more in common than you'd like to admit. So, we will learn to control wraith soldiers and deprive you of your mental tricks. For starters. And then, we'll find a way to turn off all the gates in the galaxy and launch the 'Aterro' device. Shall I remind you what will happen to your hyperdrives?"
Koschei roared deafeningly, hitting the barrier in impotent rage.
"This device destabilizes the operating frequencies of our hyperdrives!" he barked. "Any of our starships that enter a hyperspace window will be destroyed."
"Exactly," Mikhail nodded. "The Ancients launched it, tested it, but deactivated it because its operation also affects the operation of stargates. They explode when activated while the 'Aterro' device is running. And they destroy planets. What a disaster… But imagine how easy it will be for us to slaughter you all if we can neutralize the negative consequences. The gates will survive, your ships will either explode or be unable to use hyperdrives. And our ships will only need to track you down one by one and destroy you. And such extermination can be carried out for years. After all, you won't be able to escape us either through the gates or on ships."
"Because our organic hyperdrives simply cannot have another operating frequency," Koschei concluded. "Ruthless."
"And that's what I'm saying," Mikhail nodded. "As you can see, our tactics have changed over ten thousand years. If you cooperate, I will spare your life. Moreover, who knows, we might become allies. You will lead some hive that will be the chief among the others. Together we will destroy the excess wraiths, and your hive will have enough humans for feeding in any situation. Of course, if you even look at us crookedly, we'll deal with you properly."
"Since when do Lantians make deals with wraiths?" Koschei asked suspiciously. "You offer me cooperation, my own hive, you're even willing to provide humans for feeding… There are only six of you, what can you achieve?!"
"For example, to study your physiology, to find out what specific circumstances contribute to feeding and correct them," the human said. "And then, while the other wraiths are in hibernation, which is where they are now, we will spread the medicine throughout all your feeding grounds. And when the wraiths come for food, it will be unappetizing for them. Possibly even poisonous. You will die one by one."
"We will sooner exterminate those planets where the food will be infected!" the surviving wraith laughed. "We will destroy tens of peoples, but the rest will be our feeding base. Everything will fall into place. The weak will die, the strong will become even stronger."
"Yes, that will work," the human smirked. "If only a few planets receive the vaccine. But what if all of them do?"
Koschei grinned.
"The wraiths will sleep for another fifty years," the human estimated. "During this time, the vaccinated will give birth to one or two, or even more generations. And all of them will inherit the feeding medicine. And we, being here in safety, will simply watch you die of hunger. But you can stop my plans for your extermination. Just give me what I need."
"Are you suggesting I help you, revealing the secrets of my race to destroy us more effectively and not waste time getting information from me unwillingly?" Koschei figured out, noticing how the Lantian took a scanner from his pocket and turned something on. In the far corner of the cell, some lights flickered on and off.
Now he had no doubts. The cell was dimly lit to hide the equipment the humans had installed from his perception. While Mikhail is stalling, they are scanning and studying him. Getting all the data they can.
If this continues, he will become completely useless to them. And then they will kill him.
Or, they are offering him to become a traitor, to cooperate in order to kill his race more properly. If other wraiths find out about this, he will become their number one target. Cooperation with humans, helping them fight against their own brothers... This is a crime of the highest order.
If he agrees, there will be no turning back. The first wraith commander or queen who finds out what he has done will kill him.
There are not many options – either refuse and die after he is no longer needed, or help and study them, look for ways to escape. If he can also take valuable knowledge with him.
"Mmm," Mikhail's voice sounded. "What fascinating information is coming from you, dear friend."
"What are you talking about?!"
"I already said we're scanning you, right?"
"You did."
"So, we've figured out," the Lantian clicked on the display of his device, "that when feeding, wraiths inject humans with a special enzyme that makes them strong for a certain time."
* * *
A little about wraith physiology.
Koschei instinctively hissed a threat through his slightly opened jaws. What else have these humans managed to learn from him?! Koschei casually turned his right hand to look at the place where the enzyme bag was located under his skin. Yes, there was a prick there too. They also took a sample of his enzyme used for feeding.
And this is just the beginning!
"And I became curious, why do you need to strengthen us during feeding?" Mikhail mused, pacing around the cell. "Helping your food during the feeding process, giving it strength... It doesn't smell like altruism from your side, of course. I think there's something else here... Come on, Koschei, don't pull the wraith by the feeding suction cup, help with the brainstorming. You yourself are already starting to understand – you either have to hang yourself right now, or later report to your own people that you helped us understand the wraiths and find a way to destroy them. They killed your comrade, who tried to make humans 'tastier,' without the slightest hesitation."
"What guarantees do I have that by helping you, I won't give you a weapon against my people?" the wraith asked.
"My word."
"A human's word," the wraith burst out laughing. "And what is it supposed to mean?"
"Exactly as much as yours," Mikhail cooled his ardor. "In fact, I only need you for a few experiments, nothing more. Help me – I'll help you. Refuse – I'll break you down into DNA strands and stabilize the weapon that will destroy you all."
"Stabilize?" Koschei's throat let out a gurgling roar. "You said you were planning to create it. So you already have it?"
"There's a prototype with a race living in Pegasus," the human replied. "You understand that I won't tell you its name or the coordinates of its world. But I can visit them and help refine it. With our technologies... By the way, you understand that tests will be required. Ready to volunteer?"
"R-a-a-a!!" the wraith roared, backing away from the cage. "Don't think you've cornered me, human! Cooperation with you is death for me!"
"Of course," Mikhail chuckled. "And refusal of it is even more so death. But, as I've already said – with cooperation, you have a great chance to get rid of all those who can harm you."
"You want to destroy a large part, if not all, of my race and you think I'll help you?" Koschei roared.
"I think you didn't drink the life out of humans on your ship, kill your own crew, just to die on a laboratory table," Mikhail said insinuatingly. "You want to live. Like all of us. I'm offering you a chance to survive and become stronger. Imagine that dealing with competing hives won't be your job, but our ships'? You'll eliminate other contenders for feeding grounds and become the strongest wraith in the galaxy."
"A wraith whose life and position will depend on whether you reveal the secret of our cooperation," Koschei smirked. "The prospect is not very pleasant. I don't believe you'll even let my hive continue to feed on humans! They are your descendants! It's inhumane from your point of view!"
"Yes," Mikhail didn't bat an eye. "But, imagine – we also have enemies among humans. And, as you noticed, there are few of us. What do you say if I give you coordinates of planets where my enemies are settled? You can feed on them without any problems. And our ships won't fly into orbit and spank your regenerating ass. How's that for a deal?"
"One day the enemies will run out," the wraith noted. "There aren't that many humans in the galaxy. And the Pegasus galaxy isn't that big."
"Enemies will never run out," Mikhail retorted. "But, don't plan too far into the future, my friend. After all, you can always create new humans."
"We destroyed the device with which the Ancients populated the galaxy," Koschei recalled. "And we don't have millions of years for you to build a new one and plant new life."
"And why do we need new ones?" the human clarified. "There are plenty of ways to increase the number of humans. Or, by studying your physiology, we can give humans vaccinations not so that you die during feeding, but so that they don't die from it. And then the key reason for humans to hate wraiths will disappear, don't you think?"
"Utopia," Koschei snapped back. "We tried to do something similar, but we couldn't."
"Or simply didn't have time, because the Lantians, who wanted to destroy you, were following your tracks," Mikhail reminded. "If we agree, we'll do it together. We'll solve a common problem. And then humans and wraiths will go their separate ways. You won't have to risk searching for new food, and we won't invent new ways to destroy you. The deal can be adjusted as new opportunities arise. After all, we have the full might of Lantian science on our side. And that's a lot of information."
Koschei didn't take his eyes off the human. Thoughts swarmed in his head, one more insidious than the other. At the moment, the human had him cornered. Either cooperation – and possible death later. Or refusal – and death in the immediate future. His offers, of course, are tempting... but too optimistic. If what he proposed to eliminate the enmity between humans and wraiths is indeed feasible, then only in the distant future.
And until then, so much can happen... Alliances are made and alliances are broken. The strong change sides with the weak. But this will not happen if he dies on the laboratory table.
"The enzyme is injected into the animal's body so that the painful sensations during feeding do not kill it before we take all its life force," Koschei said.
"Yes, I'm aware," Mikhail nodded.
"Then why did you ask me that?" Koschei wondered.
"I was testing you for honesty," the Lantian admitted. "I think you're already thinking about how to deceive me and use the deal for your own benefit."
The wraith grinned.
"As if you're not thinking about how to use me to your maximum advantage," he smirked.
"Believe me – I need less from you than you need from me," Mikhail assured him. "The offer of future help is just bait so that we can exist peacefully. If you don't want that, well, then we'll fight. With everything we have. And this time, cloning facilities won't help you."
Koschei looked closely at his interlocutor. Wraith cloning facilities were used during the war with the Lantians to quickly increase the number of wraiths and gain an advantage over the enemy. But they required a huge amount of energy. And wraiths could not produce it themselves. Only the Lantian energy sources, captured during the war, allowed them to do this and much more.
"You know a lot about my race, human."
"I warned you."
"And it's even more doubtful that you really need my help," Koschei narrowed his eyes.
"I'm just saving time," Mikhail spread his hands.
"But my help will have its price," the wraith warned. "I need to feed. And you'll give me another dwelling, not this cell!"
"As for the latter – first you show your usefulness in one matter, and then we'll see how to solve your housing problem."
"And you have no objections about feeding?" Koschei wondered.
"As I said – I have enemies," Mikhail smiled. And he did it the way wraiths do. "I've saved a couple for you to snack on. Specifically for you."
"Then bring them here!" Koschei demanded. "I will taste their lives, and then we will talk!"
The human shook his head negatively.
"First, you will tell me about the feeding process, Koschei," the Lantian said in a tone that did not tolerate objections. "I want to know everything about it. And also about whether you can not only take life, but also give it. And yes, I know you can. I'm interested in how effectively this can be applied to humans who have spent a very long time in stasis."
The wraith looked at his interlocutor with curiosity. It seemed that Mikhail's words about knowing many of the wraiths' secrets were not empty bravado. Reverse feeding is one of the greatest secrets of Koschei's race.
"Agreed, human," the wraith said. "I'll tell you something about reverse feeding. And then you'll give me food. And only after that will I finish my story."
"Sounds like a plan," Mikhail approved. "So, is aging in stasis reversible?"
"Yes," Koschei admitted reluctantly. "Like any other. We can restore strength and youth to weak bodies. And we did it for our spies among humans many years ago..."