Unascended

Chapter Five

Teyla came to see Daniel that afternoon in his makeshift office, where he had installed his books and computer. There was no shortage of space in Atlantis, which was such a change from Cheyenne Mountain that he had installed himself in a spacious corner room with two glass walls that let the sun stream in. He caught himself actually feeling guilty about the profligate use of space, and deliberately spread his books out a bit more.

Teyla had brought him coffee, which was nice of her even if Atlantis coffee managed to be even worse than Cheyenne Mountain coffee, which he wouldn’t have thought possible. He took a sip and tried to avoid grimacing. “I suppose a Starbucks franchise is out of the question,” he said.

Teyla looked amused. “It is a frequently made request,” she said. “Mr. Woolsey says he has suggested it would improve morale, but he doubts the IOA will see it that way.”

“I doubt they will, too,” Daniel said. “I don’t think the IOA believes in morale. I’m surprised that Woolsey does.”

“He has been a good leader for Atlantis,” Teyla said.

“I know, I know. People change. Maybe here especially. It’s just a little hard for me to remember that.”

“Was he so unpleasant when you knew him?”

“He was… determined to do things by the book. Let’s put it that way. Maybe that’s why Atlantis has been good for him. There’s not really a book that covers a lot of the things you see here.”

“Mr. Woolsey and I have contacted a number of our allies,” Teyla said. From her tone he could tell she wasn’t here with wonderful news.

“No luck, I take it.”

“We have not heard back from the Travelers yet. Of the rest of our allies, most have heard nothing of the Asgard. It is true that on a few worlds, there were very old legends of mysterious beings that appeared and led humans away, only to return them much later or not at all.”

“We have those, too,” Daniel said. “Probably because aliens kept showing up and messing around with various human cultures. Between the Asgard, the Ancients, and the Goa’uld, it’s a wonder anybody has any remaining doubt about whether people really get kidnapped by aliens, or faeries, or the gods, or whatever they were pretending to be at any given time.”

“Most people believe those legends speak of the Ancestors, or that they are merely better ways of explaining what had happened to people who were taken by the Wraith. We have nothing as specific as your people’s stories of gray aliens.”

“I think our Asgard got careless after a while,” Daniel said. “Or figured that gray aliens in spaceships was more believable than gods riding in chariots, or more culturally appropriate, or something. It’s hard to be sure why they did what they did, now that Thor isn’t around to ask. Not that he was the world’s best cultural informant anyway. Heimdall was actually better about answering questions without making cryptic pronouncements.”

“They were your friends?”

“Our allies. And friends in a weird kind of way. Thor always got along best with Jack, for whatever reason.”

“Is that surprising?”

“Well, Jack always says that he’s completely average and uninteresting, but since that’s almost entirely untrue, no, it isn’t. And apparently his genes are an excellent example of human potential to evolve into a higher form, if you look for that kind of thing. Really I think they just liked each other. I know Jack misses having the Asgard around, although he’d never admit it.” He shook his head. “Sometimes I miss them too.”

“Was there no way for their species to survive?” Teyla asked.

Daniel shook his head. “They didn’t think so. They were suffering from genetic damage caused by repeated cloning over hundreds of generations. In the current generation, it was causing a degenerative illness they couldn’t cure. As far as I can tell, they really believed their situation was hopeless. All that they ended up able do was choose how their lives ended and what happened to their technology afterwards.”

Teyla shook her head. “I am not sure it is a choice that I can imagine making for myself or my people. Any chance of life seems better than none at all. Even if you can see no solution to a problem, there is always some slim hope.”

“I think you’re right,” Daniel said. He shook his head. “But you were telling us about what you’d heard from our allies. It sounds like basically we struck out.”

“Not entirely,” Teyla said. “None of our human allies appear to have anything more than old legends to share with us, but we were able to make contact with our allies among the Wraith as well. Queen Alabaster says she may have information of interest to us.”

“Okay,” Daniel said after a momentary pause. “Tell me how bad an idea that is.”

“Alabaster was our ally in the war against Queen Death,” Teyla said. “She has been faithful to the treaty we agreed to after the end of that war.”

“The treaty that the IOA hasn’t actually agreed to yet.”

“The Wraith have so far been willing to accept our own provisionary agreement to the treaty, as long as none of our warships venture into their territory.”

“Have we actually told them that we don’t have any authority to promise that, because Earth’s battle cruisers don’t actually belong to the Atlantis expedition?”

Teyla put her head to one side. “Do you believe that would be a wise negotiating tactic?”

“No, I’m not arguing with everybody acting like we have a treaty, I’m just trying to figure out where we stand. So, we have a treaty, but actually the only ones on our side who’ve actually agreed to the treaty are the Atlantis expedition. Our battle cruisers report up the chain of the command, which means in practice they report to Jack, who’s not going to break the treaty unless he has a good reason to. And the Wraith say they’re keeping the treaty, but actually we don’t really know what they’re doing.”

“We have had some reports that the Wraith have offered the retrovirus on several worlds in their territory,” Teyla said. “And there have been no recent reports of cullings on the worlds that they have agreed to leave alone.”

“So that’s something. What’s your feeling about Alabaster?”

“I think she will continue to hold to the treaty at least until she has experimented more widely with the retrovirus. She would like to find a way for the Wraith to feed repeatedly on humans without killing them.”

“More immediately, do you think she’s really willing to meet with us, or do you think it’s some kind of trap?”

“We should be cautious,” Teyla said. “But Alabaster is a sensible person. I don’t believe either she or Guide would betray us without a good reason.”

“That’s comforting, I guess. Is Dr. Keller still travelling with their hive?”

“So Alabaster says. It would be good to see her, and to make sure that she is all right.”

“You don’t have to convince me,” Daniel said. “I’m up for meeting with Alabaster if Woolsey will go for it.”

“Many people hesitate to meet with the Wraith,” Teyla said.

Daniel shrugged. “I’ve been to a meeting of Goa’uld system lords. That was worse. Besides, I figure it’ll be interesting.”

“I expect it will,” Teyla said.

On his way into the dining hall for lunch, Daniel ran into John dumping his tray on the way out. He could see the rest of John’s team still eating. Torren was on Teyla’s lap, reaching for French fries off Rodney’s plate; Rodney scooted the tray back as an evasive maneuver, with a tolerant smile that seemed entirely uncharacteristic. Ronon took the opportunity to steal a French fry from the other side of Rodney’s plate, handing it to Torren, and Teyla shook her head at them both.

“Did Teyla tell you we heard from the Wraith?” John said.

“Yep.”

“We’re trying to set something up. I take it you want to come with us.”

“I’m the archaeologist, so, yes.”

“I figured you’d say that. In which case, officially I can’t recommend that you get Carson to give you the retrovirus before we go, because it’s an untested experimental drug. You only get it if you ask for it personally and then sign a stack of waivers saying that it’s probably a bad idea and also not guaranteed to work.”

“But… ”

“But we’re going to visit the Wraith, so think about it. Personally anything that makes it less likely that I’m going to die like that makes me feel better.”

“Your team has taken the drug?”

“Me and Teyla,” John said. “Rodney was thinking about it, but Carson said no, he’s not doing anything to mess with Rodney’s genes now that he’s got him back to normal again. More or less normal.”

“I’ll talk to Beckett about it,” Daniel said. “But I’m basically in favor of not dying, given a choice.”

John glanced back at the table, where Torren was now clambering over Ronon’s shoulder. “Some people would say it’s preferable to the alternative. If you’ve taken the drug and someone sticks you in a feeding cell, you’re going to be there for a long time.”

“I’d rather have the chance,” Daniel said immediately. “There’s always some way out.”

John shrugged, unsmiling. “Then talk to Carson,” he said.

The Traveler ship Durant made planetfall on Dhalo at midmorning local time, though a thick cloud layer covered the landing site until the last moment. Elizabeth assumed they were landing based on instrument readings, since from the windows of the dining room she could see nothing but gray clouds.

Suddenly the clouds thinned, Durant making a wide circle toward their landing point. Beneath was a land of dark green and brown, heavy vegetation along a wide, placid river in the rain. Huge, twisted trees spread massive leaves to the sky, and the ship’s course led it over a town partially built out over the river, small boats moored at fragile-looking long docks, while the shore was built up with buildings in white and red, a few on the highest ground of stone with elaborate carvings. It was strange and beautiful and fascinating.

Ahead there was a cleared field marked out in banners like yellow windsocks, and Durant settled onto it, sinking heavily into the soggy ground. A rainy season, Elizabeth wondered. Or just a particularly wet day?

The Durant’s lower hatch opened. Across the field there were figures moving in the heavy rain, a welcome party or a trader party. The comm unit crackled to life. “OK, folks. Going out to get permission to trade. Get your things together if you have independent trades. I’ll leave the comm on so you can hear terms.”

As they grew closer Elizabeth frowned, trying to get a better look through the rain streaked window. There were twenty or thirty men all wearing bright colors, mostly bright pink and red silks that clung to their bodies in the rain, long black hair pulled back from their faces beneath steel caps. Perhaps that was just a ceremonial uniform, but the bows they carried weren’t. They stopped in a semicircle three ranks deep facing the ship.

“This does not look good,” Elizabeth said to herself.

The captain came down the ramp smiling. “Hi folks! How’s everybody doing? Prince Raiuna! How are you?”

The man at the center of the semicircle took a step forward. His silks were soaked with rain, which also dripped off his neatly trimmed black beard. He was tall, and his bow was still slung at his back. He wore what looked like a sword at his belt. “Begone!” he said. “You’re not welcome here.”

The captain spread open hands. “Why? What in the world? How have I offended you?”

“It is not you who have offended,” the Prince said. “But your people. We will not trade with the Travelers again. Go!” He raised his hand and at the same moment all the men around him nocked arrows to their bows, every tip rising to point at the captain’s chest.

The captain took a step back, raising his hands over his head. “I don’t understand. We’ve traded here for years. Will you at least tell me what happened?”

“One of your vessels called here and a party of men asked to stay. We saw no reason to gainsay them. We said they might remain as friends and either leave through the Ring of the Ancestors or wait for another of your ships.”

“Did they commit some crime?” the captain asked. “If so, you have my deepest apologies. But they were not even from my ship!”

“It was just before the Time of Tribute, when Queen Death’s men came to collect our Tribute, ten men and ten women from all of the Cities of Dhalo,” the Prince said. “So it has been for many lives of men. Every six years they come and we pay them Tribute, and they go away again for six years.”

Elizabeth took a breath.

“The men of your people had no part in the lottery, as they were strangers. The Tribute was chosen properly and the day awaited. When it came, what do you think happened?” The Prince’s voice was harsh with anger.

The captain said nothing.

“One of the men was the one you call Wolf. When Queen Death’s men arrived they attacked the envoys. All of them were slain. The Wolf and his men danced on their bodies. And then they went away through the gate. Do you suppose all was well?”

Elizabeth could guess what came next, and she put her hand to the window.

“Queen Death’s men returned in force, a full hive ship in orbit above our world. And they put this to us — either we would return the tribute hundredfold, or they would take every human being on this planet and level it to the ground.” His voice broke, proud as he was. “And so we paid. A thousand men and a thousand women of Dhalo, chosen by lots. Including both of my sons.” His face twisted. “There is weeping in every house. There is no man, woman or child who has not lost someone. And it is the fault of the Hunter Wolf who is of your people. Now go! Go and never return!”

The captain backed slowly up the ramp, his face white.

There was a sound behind her, and Elizabeth turned to see Dekaas watching as well. “Tribute,” she said.

He nodded. “That’s the way it’s done on many worlds. A certain number in tribute from time to time, rather than the uncertainty.”

“A devil’s bargain,” Elizabeth said.

Dekaas shook his head. “A lot of things in life are a devil’s bargain.”

There was the sound of the ramp rising. A new voice came over the comm. “Prepare for lift. We’re leaving Dhalo.”

Elizabeth looked sideways at Dekaas. “Do you really think there can be peace between humans and the Wraith?”

His face was sober. “I think there must be, or one of the other of us will be driven to extinction.”