"On the order of several hundred thousand times faster, yes," McKay answered, swiveling around in his seat to watch Nabu. "Which is why I wanted so many power cells."
"Is anyone going to explain exactly what's going on?" Ronon demanded.
Rodney's incipient reply was cut short when Nabu informed them, "Ea and Atlas were my grandparents."
Having been caught in the storm on the mainland, Teyla was not fully conversant with everything that had come to pass on Polrusso, and while she had some understanding of the situation, this was a most unexpected development. Apparently Rodney and Colonel Sheppard were of the same mind, for now they both stared at the Polrusson.
Nabu's fingers continued to gently work the surface of the exogenesis machine, as if he were tuning a delicate musical instrument. "I have had many lifetimes in which to understand the truth." He glanced at Teyla, his gaze suggesting that full honesty was wise. "One I suspect that you may not take comfort in hearing."
If he believed that his words might erode her faith in the virtue of the Ancestors, he had crossed her path far too late. Meeting his eyes, Teyla said, "I am not averse to the truth."
He held her gaze for a moment, and, apparently satisfied, put the exogenesis machine aside. "Then perhaps much of what I can tell you is already known to you."
"That's okay," the Colonel said, peering out into the featureless abyss. "We've got a little time, and it'd make for a better diversion than playing `I Spy "'
"As you wish." Nabu's glance skimmed over the HUD. "Atlas believed that the Wraith were an experiment gone wrong. It angered him that the Atlantean Council was quick to sanction genetic experiments in humans to foil the Wraith, and experiments on themselves to expedite Ascension, while denying his and Janus's request to test the exogenesis machine. Worse, Moros ordered Atlas and Janus to destroy their work in preparation for the return to Earth.
"Such hypocrisy greatly angered Atlas, for temporal distortion fields had been employed elsewhere in this galaxy in order for people to be given time to Ascend."
Sheppard winced. "Been there, done that, lost the six months to prove it."
After a moment's close scrutiny of him, Nabu observed, "You were given the opportunity to Ascend, yet you chose not to take it."
The pilot's expression tensed almost imperceptibly, and Teyla did not require Nabu's telepathy to discern that this was uncomfortable territory. "Yeah, well, I don't think it would have lasted long. Unlike the Ancients, I tend to err on the side of action rather than inaction. Probably would have ended up banished some place-not that that would be anything new."
Ronon brought the conversation back. "So what exactly happened on Polrusso?"
"Atlas's machine terraformed worlds by installing the same program as is currently used; except to power the process it employed the planet's internal heat rather than ZPMs. More innovative was its use of a temporal field. While a planet still required approximately ten thousand years to be terraformed, by using the machine, from an outside observer's point of view only a week would have elapsed. Those living on the planet during terraforming would also be subject to the passage of ten thousand years."
"So let me get this straight," said the Colonel. "If Atlas had used the machine on Polrusso, people there could have evolved over the required millennia, while the rest of the galaxy aged only a week or so." His look turned thoughtful. "Cool. Instant Wraith repellant-just add water. Except, you know, don't add it right away."
Nabu picked up the exogenesis machine and examined the lights within, which had now turned a brilliant aquamarine. "While the experiment to breed a group of humans with special abilities might succeed, Atlas believed that this in no way mitigated the Wraith threat. For just as humans would evolve to accommodate the toxin, so too would the Wraith ultimately evolve to accommodate these changes in their food source. Consequently, he developed the program that Ea implemented here on Atlantis. Their intent, you see, was to prove to the Council that another galaxy could be prepared for settlement within a very short space of relative time, while this galaxy could be cleansed of the threat posed by the Wraith. In Ea's words, the Wraith were a mess of their own making, one they should clean up."
"How charitable," Rodney muttered. "Let's not worry about everyone else living in the galaxy at the time."
"Do not judge Ea too harshly. Both she and Atlas believed that it was better to sever a diseased limb rather than allow it to infect the entire universe. Before they could implement this plan on Polrusso, however, the Wraith arrived through the Stargate in great numbers, cutting off their access to the laboratory. During the many days the attack lasted, hundreds were killed, including Atlas and Ea's son. Those who survived had been badly injured, but they were able to heal themselves and each other. Eventually, they fought their way back into the laboratory and fled by jumpers to an orbiting ship. Ea left with the first group, while Atlas, determined to initiate the exogenesis machine, remained. The hologram records do not show what happened next, but it is not difficult to guess. The final image shows a technician helping Atlas, barely alive, staggering into the last jumper, with only one exogenesis machine in hand. After viewing the records, I searched for the second machine, the one you see here, and located it a short distance away."
"Atlas was unable to trigger the device," Teyla deduced, "but he allowed Ea to believe otherwise."
Nabu smiled sadly. "Perhaps to give her hope."
Sheppard's expression was marked by puzzlement. "Hold on. If their son was your father, and was killed by the Wraith-"
"Unknown to either Atlas or Ea, their son had fallen in love with a human of Polrusso, who was carrying his unborn child."
Slack-jawed, Rodney stared at him. "You're ten thousand years old?"
A look of sorrow crossed the Polrusson's face. "It is, as I said, my deformity. Do not feel so encumbered by your mortality," he added, meeting Rodney's look. "It is not such a blessing to watch each generation come and go."
Jaw snapping shut, Rodney nodded once and looked away, the pain of his loss etched deeply on his features. Teyla was left to wonder what had transpired in the short time he had known Turpi.
Through the windshield, distant lights began to coalesce, drawing their attention from Nabu. "We've got company," Sheppard said.
The lights resolved themselves into a huge school of fish. Along each animal's body were glowing patches. They flashed in an organized pattern that seemed to transform the entire school into a single organism. More odd-looking creatures appeared, many shimmering in different colors, and all lighting the ocean in a way that Teyla had never dreamed possible. A bulbous translucent shape sped past, long filaments streaking out behind. More such creatures followed, and Teyla noticed that the tendrils entrapped smaller animals-or perhaps they had found refuge there from the many fanged predators. Each new denizen they encountered proved even more bizarre than the ones that had gone before, and combined they unquestionably were the strangest collection of creatures that Teyla had ever seen.
"Check out the angler fish," Sheppard observed of one small monster whose mouth was disproportionately larger than its body.
"You have such animals on Earth?" Teyla studied the collection of teeth and transparent flesh. Behind them was a school that seemed more like a herd of beasts, their massive fins flapping back and forth in a manner that resembled the ears of an Earth animal she'd seen in one of the team's DVDs-something called an elephant.
Rodney looked up and nodded absently. In what appeared to be a deliberate effort to join the conversation, he said, "Considerably stranger than that. Once we go deeper, we're likely to encounter some really unpleasant sights. When. .when this is over, remind me to show you photographs of viperfish."
"Viperfish?"
"Chauliodus sloania. I'm not really a fish person, but these things look like escapees from gothic horror nightmare. They're only about half a meter long, but they have these teeth"-he raised his hands and spread his fingers to imitate snapping jaws-"and a glowing lu
re on top of their heads."
"How big did you say they grew?" Ronon asked.
"About as long as my arm."
"Not on this planet," Sheppard commented, pointing to a creature that fit Rodney's description in all ways-except that its jaws were easily twice the length of the jumper, and it was headed straight for them.
Elizabeth adjusted her earpiece, not sure she'd heard correctly. Hermiod had a reputation for being obstinate, but this was bordering on ridiculous. "Excuse me?"
"I do not believe a total evacuation to the Alpha site to be the best course of action." The Asgard sounded as infuriatingly composed as ever, even over the radio. "You stated a time limit of approximately three hours. If I continue to work, the hyperdrive will be functional within that time."
"Daedalus will not be able to escape the atmosphere before its shields are depleted by the gray goo," Radek pointed out, typing on his laptop with one hand while steadying himself on a nearby console with the other.
"That will not be necessary. We can engage the hyperdrive within the atmosphere-or rather what remains of the atmosphere." From Hermiod's tone, he could have been discussing the lunch menu. "The resulting reaction may be enough to destroy Atlantis and the 'gate far more effectively than the self-destruct sequence."
If so, they could confine the nanites to this one planet, denying them access to the rest of the Stargate network. Elizabeth looked to Radek. "Is he right?"
"In the sense that it is plausible, yes." The scientist glanced up, obviously unconvinced. "It is also possible that the nanites will reach the Daedalus, and then be able to access the ship's systems, as well as information on other planets-including Earth."
"Unlikely." The first hint of emotion shone through Hermiod's voice, manifested as irritation at Radek's challenge. "Ea would have had no knowledge of the ship's systems. These nanites are not replicators. They do not have an adaptive agenda that can be amended in response to changing circumstances. They have been programmed only to enter Atlantis's main dialing computer. Nothing more "
"You hope," Elizabeth couldn't help adding.
She could almost hear him blink. "I theorize."
Radek met her inquiring look with a half-shrug and a nod of acquiescence. At this point, there were no clear-cut choices. They'd have to do the best they could with the information they had.
"All right. Colonel Caldwell?"
"Here," Caldwell responded. "We'll keep a skeleton crew on board to help Hermiod finish his work. A squad of Marines will be setting out soon to place C-4 charges in the critical record-keeping areas of the city, just to be on the safe side. I'll send the rest to the 'gate room for evacuation."
His phrasing didn't escape her notice, and it came as no surprise to her that he planned to stay with his ship, come what may. Still. . .no easy choices.
Within minutes, the remaining crewmembers from the Daedalus were beamed into the 'gate room and quickly dispatched to the Alpha site. No sooner had the event horizon winked out than Lome and Witner set off for Polrusso in Jumper Two. After the 'gate had shut down, it promptly engaged a third time.
"Atlantis, Polrusso here, with you on redial," Lome reported. "I'll keep my foot in the door, so to speak."
A few mumbled words of Czech brought Elizabeth's attention back to Radek. "The temporal fields are coalescing," he announced. "Instead of millions of individual fields enclosing individual nanites, they are becoming one solid mass. When it comes into contact with the city shield, the outside of the shield will be exposed to a broad, uniform temporal field."
"Meaning what?" Caldwell's voice came over the radio.
"The passage of time on that side of the shield will be approximately half a million times faster than on our side. The shield is already performing at its limits, and we have, of course, had to use the Stargate several times. This is why we will only have"-his gaze shifted briefly to the screen-"less than three hours of ZPM power."
The city gave a slow roll, a motion that might have turned Elizabeth's stomach if she'd actually eaten anything in recent memory. She watched Radek work, aware that he was tackling several problems simultaneously and trying to divide his attention accordingly.
"Colonel Caldwell, I am sending a file to the Daedalus's main computer," the scientist called. "In it you will find the most critical records interfaces throughout the city. If you would please direct your Marines to the top priority locations first and work down the list, they will be able to set the charges so that the entire database is destroyed."
"Will do. Receiving the file now," Caldwell said. "There seem to be a lot of redundancies in here, Doctor."
Radek sighed. "Unfortunately, yes. This is not a trivial task. Your men will need to work quickly." He ducked when a particularly bright lightning strike impacted the city shield. After a moment, he glanced up, and his expression turned thoughtful.
Me and my big mouth. Fortunately, this world's King Kong of viperfish turned its interest elsewhere.
Rodney had bullied his way onto this hellish ride, sure his talents would be needed throughout, and unwilling to stay behind where he could wallow in his pain. But Nabu was handling the programming of the exogenesis machine just fine by himself, leaving Rodney with nothing to distract him from his bleak thoughts.
He was certain that no one else could truly comprehend what losing Turpi meant, because no one had ever known the likes of such a ... God, what could he call her? Beyond human? Even so, it tore at his soul to realize that he still could not shake his memory of her physical deformities. The cruelest trick of...not nature, but the Ancients' self-centered game of genetic Scrabble.
If, as he suspected, some of the gods of the ancient world were not all Goa'uld but had in fact been the Ancients who had fled to Earth from Atlantis, it was little wonder that mankind had assigned them such cruel traits. Squabbling with one another, perched in their lofty abodes tossing metaphorical thunderbolts...
Of course.! How had that not occurred to him before`?
Rodney scrambled for his radio, nearly knocking his datapad off his lap. "Atlantis, Jumper One," he called.
Throwing him a startled look, Sheppard's tone was cautious as he asked, "Rodney, you okay?"
"I'm fine, dammit!" he snapped. "Radek, take the grounding stations offline. Use the lightning to power the shield!"
The response was garbled and choppy. "Rodn-" It sounded like Radek, but that was about all he could make out. "-power-"
"Yes, lots of power. There's an enormous charge differential out there, ready and waiting. I hope to hell you read my report from the last storm to end all-" All strategies vanished from his mind when he found himself staring down the throat of something surrounded by lots of teeth the length of power poles. The viperfish had returned, abruptly latching onto the shield in front of the jumper. His well-built emotional shields long since shredded, Rodney let out a scream.
Sheppard reacted intuitively, spinning the jumper in a tight circle and flinging the creature off. "Ugh."
Once the monster was gone, Rodney recovered his poise, refusing to acknowledge Ronon's soft huff of amusement behind him. "Radek, are you still there?"
This time, there was nothing, not even crackling air. "Nanites have probably penetrated deep enough to interfere with the transmission," Sheppard guessed.
Radek had said `power'. If he'd heard enough to carry out the process Rodney had outlined, Atlantis could be shielded for as long as the storm raged. Certainly long enough to finish the Daedalus repairs. But if the message hadn't gotten through... The jumper had to return to Atlantis and ensure that the shield was powered, which would allow all of them to get the hell out of this remake of Abyss.
Turning partway in his seat, Rodney eyed the exogenesis machine, the possibilities coming into focus. They could take the Daedalus back to Earth, and the machine could be studied for so many other applications.
And leave this galaxy to its fate, the way Atlas planned, the way Ea tried to do.
He started. Turpi w
as not really dead, but Ascended. And her wish was that he take care of those who remained behind. It wasn't just about his own life or death. He would not-he could not-let Ea win.
Would his conscience be speaking with Turpi's voice from here on out?
Every day of her life, she'd had the chance to transform herself, to make her appearance reflect her true beauty, and every day she'd refused because it would have separated her from the people-the children-that she loved. She'd given up everything because she cared so much for others.
For the second time that day-a new record, and one he had no desire to repeat-Rodney overrode his instincts. They had to plant the exogenesis machine and simply hope that Radek had heard him.
Glancing up from the machine, he found Nabu watching him. Unnoticed by the others, the Polrusson gave a silent nod of approval, the side of his mouth drawn upward in a small smile.
The static was every bit as chilling as the scream it had so abruptly replaced. Elizabeth sucked in a startled breath so fast her chest hurt.
"DejA vu," murmured Radek, going pale under the blue glow of the computer screen.
"Jumper One, come in." Not now, damn it, not when we've come this far Her call was greeted by silence. "It could just be the radio," she maintained.
"Indeed." Radek's voice held a note of relief. They would reinforce each other's stubborn optimism as long as they could. "I believe I know what Rodney was trying to suggest."
"From that mess of a transmission?" Elizabeth's already lofty opinion of her scientists climbed another notch. "The only word I understood was `light'."
"I heard the same. However, I had already begun to form a similar idea before the call "" Radek moved, hand over hand to maintain his balance, toward a console that monitored power levels. "During last year's great storm, Rodney was able to power the city shield using-
"Lightning!" The memory leaped into her mind, bringing with it a few choice recollections that she could have done without.
The Czech tipped his head toward the windows, indicating the furious flashes outside. "It should be enough to give the Daedalus the time she needs. With your permission, I will divert the Marines from their task with the explosives and send them to disable the grounding stations around the city"
Exogenesis Page 29
