Stargate Atlantis: Latitude

Chapter 18 - Planning

The room was heavy with the rich tones of mahogany and blood-red porphyry, dark shelving lining the walls and urns and sculptures creating an atmosphere of serious learning.  It reminded Rodney of various university libraries and lecture halls be had known; he thought of his informally organised, that is to say cluttered lab, with regret.

"This was my parents' study," V'stet said, leading them toward a globe on a tall, wooden stand.  She spun the globe with one hand and the planet moved ponderously on its axis.  "Here is the Stargate." She pointed to a mark on the equator.  "And here, as my parents discovered, are set other large devices of Ancient make." V'stet indicated seven other marks spaced equally around the equator, some on land, some in the sea.

"What are they, some kind of repeater stations?" said Rodney.  "Strengthening the signal?"

V'stet nodded.  "So thought my parents and their circle of scholars." She looked at the globe sadly, her fingers trailing over its smooth surface.  "Questioning of the status quo has never been encouraged.  The Priesthood direct us to accept the way things are as the will of the White-haired Angels; and so it has always been thought natural that the areas of our planet toward the cooler latitudes are more primitive and have strange speech."

"But it's the field emitted from the Gate doing that!" said Rodney.  "And these repeater stations must be reinforcing it somehow!"

"So my parents speculated!" agreed V'stet.  "But if this is true, then my planet is corrupted beyond imagining and has been for time immemorial!  The northern and southern latitudes kept in primitive slavery, the people reaped by silver flyers as if they were a sickening harvest!  And here, we are kept in subjugation by the Priesthood, forced to live as they would have us live and, in latter years, forced to regard those of us who can use Ancient devices as evil and degenerate.  This matter has set neighbour against neighbour and has even turned families against each other, even child against parent!"

V'stet turned away, her hands to her face, wiping impatiently at her tears.  Rodney and John shuffled uncomfortably.

"But you said these repeater stations were made by the Ancients," said Rodney.  He chewed his lower lip thoughtfully and spun the globe, running his finger around the equator.  He shook his head.  "No.  This is wrong.  This isn't how it's meant to be!  The Ancients may have been, well, let's say, foolish and occasionally amoral, but they weren't stupid.  This isn't how it's meant to work.  It should be protecting the planet in some way!  We've seen it before." He turned to V'stet and spoke decisively, jabbing his finger at the marks on the equator.  "This is a system designed to protect your planet from the Wraith!  And given half a chance, I don't think it's beyond the realms of possibility that I could fix it!" His blue eyes gleamed and his fingers twitched as if the tools for the job were within his reach.

V'stet visibly brightened, but John looked doubtful.

"Have you got some kind of plan to get that half chance, McKay?"

Rodney drooped slightly.  "Well, we have to get to the Gate one way or another, don't we?"

"V'stet, what do you know about the Gate?" asked John.  "Is it in a city?  Heavily guarded?"

"Come, sit," V'stet gestured to a heavy, cloth-covered wooden table and they each pulled out a chair and sat down.  "The Gate lies within the temple complex in the city of Leturu.  I have been there but once, as a child, when my parents attended the coronation of the newly elected King."

"You elect your rulers?" asked Rodney.

"Yes, although our current Queen stood unopposed."

"What does she look like, this Queen?" asked John.