Post by Akren Garkos on Jan 9, 2006 21:34:33 GMT -5
N.B.:[/i] This post mostly takes place between ¡¥Intruder¡¦ & ¡¥Runner¡¦.
Olaf looked about him as he stepped through the Stargate, emerging from the event horizon of the wormhole; marvelling at the Ancient construction as he made his way to one side of the gateroom in order to allow the other personelle behind him through the gate as the re-enforcements from Earth arrived to aide their fellows in their time of need.
¡§So this is Atlantis?¡¨ He asked aloud, almost to himself, looking about like a wide-eyed child; having heard much of the fabled Lost City of the Ancients, scarcely able to believe he was actually standing in the perhaps the greatest Ancient construct ever built. ¡§It doesn¡¦t look as big as the schematics say it should be¡¨
¡§Wait until you go outside, explore a bit¡¨ Came a voice off to his left, as one of the base¡¦s scientists emerged from a nearby hallway, nodding to Olaf as he watched the military personelle emerge through the Stargate from Earth, & not a moment too soon to help defend Atlantis from the current Wraith siege. ¡§It¡¦s a lot bigger than you would first think. Of course, you might want to wait until the Wraith stop attacking us - that is, if we survive at all¡¨
¡§Have faith¡¨ Olaf replied, smiling a tight, knowing smile. ¡§We have come to help defend Atlantis. This Ancient city has survived for over 10,0000 years. It shall stand for 10,000 more¡¨
¡§I hope you¡¦re right¡¨ The scientist replied, before running off to complete whatever duties assigned him, as Olaf attended to his.
Checking the scientific equipment, nukes & naqaudia generators they had brought with them from Earth; Olaf set about his assigned tasks as the city prepared for the second wave of Wraith attacks; hoping against hope to hold out until the Daedalus arrived. After all the ensuing commotion was done & the Wraith dealt with; Olaf could finally settle into his real work : scientific research & technical support.
Two days after the end of the siege, Olaf went & formally introduced himself to Dr. Weir, Major Sheppard & his team. As usual, Colonel Everett was in attendance at this meeting; brash & full of pomp & military bluster as any Human from Earth¡¦s defense forces he had seen. Looking around the table, he nodded once to each of the assembled personelle : Dr. Weir, leading base scientist Rodney McKay, Major John Sheppard, Dr. Carson Beckett & the Athosian leader, the woman known as Teyla Emmagon.
¡§Thankyou for seeing me, Dr. Weir, I appreciate your time; given recent circumstances I know how busy we all are helping rebuild from this unfortunate series of events¡¨ Olaf stated his most polite & ¡¥offical¡¦-sounding voice.
¡§You¡¦re welcome¡¨ Dr. Weir replied smiling; ¡§Please, take a seat¡¨
¡§I would prefer to stand, thankyou doctor¡¨ Olaf replied, smiling a small smile to show his gratitude (besides, he was used to standing a lot anyhows); before continuing on with his speech :
¡§As some of you may or may not known, I am Olaf, Tollan engineer & technical expert in advanced sciences; specifically, equilibrium physics. It is my wish that I can help further the understanding & knowledge gained of this remarkable city & it¡¦s Ancient technology; for the future benefit of both our peoples; & to the eventual downfall of the Wraith¡¨
¡§Can¡¦t argue with that!¡¨ Dr. Beckett piped out, everyone around the table wholeheartedly agreeing with Olaf in that statement.
¡§So Olaf, obviously not all your people where wiped out by the Goa¡¦uuld?¡¨ Dr. Weir asked, looking at Olaf as he stared into space, before hanging his head for a moment in silence. ¡§Olaf, if I offended you in any way, I deeply apolo - ¡¨
¡§You caused no offense, Dr. Weir¡¨ Olaf said, as he raised his head once more, his eyes glowing, his voice completely different to what it once was; resonating with the deep, metallic sounds consistent with symbiote possession. ¡§Olaf assures me you have good intentions, & you could not of known if any Tollan survived Anubis¡¦ massacre of Tollana at the hands of his servant, Tanith¡¨
¡§You¡¦re a Tok¡¦Ra!¡¨ McKay cried, jumping up out of his chair in excitement, pointing an accusing finger like a child trying to assign guilt for an act done ingorence. ¡§I should of known!¡¨
¡§Dr McKay, please take a seat¡¨ Colonel Everett asked - or rather, ordered - McKay complying with his request; only because the symbiote in Olaf has resumed speaking & he wanted to pay attention to what it had to say :
¡§I am Verak, covert operative of the Tok¡¦Ra. I was spawned recently in the last few years by Egeria, our Queen Mother. I blended with my host, Olaf, when he & his people sought sanctuary with the Tok¡¦Ra until Tollana was considered safe to re-inhabit. Where the rest of the Tollan decided to return to rebuild their world, Olaf stayed, & became my new host¡¨
¡§Forgive my ignorance, but what is a Tok¡¦Ra?¡¨ Teyla asked, curious as to this interesting new change of events. ¡§I have never been to your galaxy, so I have never met one of your kind until now¡¨
¡§And why does he speak funny like that for?¡¨ Major Sheppard asked.
McKay gave Sheppard a disapproving look & explained, more for Tayla¡¦s benefit than for Major Sheppard¡¦s bluntness :
¡§The Tok¡¦Ra are a race of symbiotic creatures, similar in appearance to worms, or snakes, whom take other creatures as hosts. They¡¦re an offshoot of the Goa¡¦uuld, but unlike the Gould, they co-exist in harmony with their hosts, living a truly symbiotic relationship; rather than dominating their hosts like the Goa¡¦uuld are known to do¡¨
¡§Were known to do, doctor¡¨ Verak replied proudly, smiling from ear to ear, ¡§I am happy to report that the Goa¡¦uuld have since been defeated by the Replicators. The Tok¡¦Ra are hunting the remaining Goa¡¦uuld down as we speak¡¨
¡§That¡¦s good news¡¨ Dr. Weir replied, smiling. ¡§At least something is going right for a change¡¨
¡§Indeed¡¨ Verak replied. ¡§In fact, following this fortunate turn of events, I have since been re-assigned to conduct research into Ancient technology & report back to the Tok¡¦Ra High Council on the dealings conducted in this galaxy; specifically those concerning the Wraith¡¨
¡§In other words, you¡¦re going to use us for what knowledge you can get out of us before running back to the Milkyway Galaxy with information for the Tok¡¦Ra¡¨ McKay replied bitterly, not liking what he was hearing.
¡§Dr McKay!¡¨ Colonel Everett retorted sharply, everyone - even Tayla - giving Rodney the evil eye, ¡§Verak & his host Olaf represent both the Tollan & Tok¡¦Ra interest in Atlantis, & are to be treated as diplomats during their tenure here¡¨
¡§I assure you Dr. McKay, our intentions here are honourable¡¨ Verak replied, ¡§The potential benefits which can be gained from studying the Ancient technology here - not to mention the valuable insight into the threat posed by the Wraith - far outweighs the risks & politics involved. Besides, both I & my host possess superior technical knowledge to anyone else here, including yourself, Dr. McKay. We are willing to help put that knowledge to use & trade such as we know & learn with the people of Earth. We do have an alliance between our three great cultures, do we not?¡¨
¡§And what happened to the Tollan policy of not sharing technology with less advanced cultures, huh?¡¨ McKay asked in is most arrogant, annoying voice, chaffed at having been called an inferior scientist - even if Verak & Olaf between them did have a greater technical understanding of how a lot of the Ancient technology in Atlantis might work.
Verak closed his eyes, relenting control of his body back to his host.
¡§The people of Earth have come quite far since the Tollan & the Tau¡¦ri last met¡¨ Olaf said by way of explanation, ¡§Your alliance with other species - particularly the Asgard - have proved quite fruitful, & the Curia as a whole has decided that your people have advanced far enough for us to begin sharing some of our technical knowledge with you¡¨
¡§How generous¡¨ McKay chortled, not quite low enough to keep it to himself.
¡§There¡¦s more, isn¡¦t there?¡¨ Sheppard asked.
¡§You are correct, Major Sheppard. Since the Great Massacre, when Anubis¡¦ forces ravaged our world & decimated our population, those few Tollan whom were lucky enough to survive or whom were off-world at the time of the disaster returned to Tollana - actually, it is called New Tollana now, in memory of our recent dead - to help rebuild our civilization. We vowed to never again be left so vulnerable or underestimate a potential threat to our people & our way of life again; & vowed to seek out new ways & means by which to protect our culture from such reoccurrences in the future. Re-establishing contact with the people of Earth, joining your growing intergalactic alliance, & coming to Atlantis to study the Ancient technology left here seemed to be the most logical step in that direction¡¨
¡§And both the Tollan & the Tok¡¦Ra chose you to be their representative here because you could simultaneously represent the interests of both parties?¡¨ Dr. Weir asked.
¡§You are correct, Dr. Weir¡¨ Olaf replied. ¡§If Dr. McKay does not mind, & with your permission¡¨ - at that he looked at both Dr. Weir & Colonel Everett - I would like to join Dr. McKay¡¦s research team in order to get both Verak & I up-to-speed on the scientific discoveries you had made thusfar, & to help continue the vital research into Ancient technology & knowledge¡¨
¡§Rodney?¡¨ Dr. Weir asked, looking at her brilliant yet arrogant college, raising an eyebrow; everyone turning their attention to Atlantis¡¦ resident expert on Ancient systems & technology.
¡§I guess if he is here representing the Tollan & the Tok¡¦Ra, I don¡¦t have much of a choice¡¨ McKay replied by way of affirmation, begrudgingly acknowledging the valuable fresh, new insight Verak & his host could bring to their continued research into Atlantis¡¦ technology. ¡§Besides, I wouldn¡¦t mind Olaf & Verak sharing their knowledge of Tollan & Tok¡¦Ra technology with us?¡¨
¡§Of course¡¨ Olaf replied, nodding, ¡§In time, once we have come to trust one another more & have learnt enough to warrant further trade between our peoples; I not see why we could not share some of our advanced knowledge & technology with the people of Earth; in the benefit of us all learning more of Atlantis & the knowledge left behind by the Ancients¡¨
¡§I knew there was a catch. . .¡¨ McKay groaned, again he was anything but discrete.
¡§Since when has any culture or political body not acted solely in it¡¦s own interest Dr. McKay?¡¨ Olaf replied, Dr. Weir nodding her agreement, her former expertise as an international negotiator back on Earth having proved Olaf¡¦s statement many a time over. ¡§Besides, both the Tollan Curia & the Tok¡¦Ra High Council have authorized me to use & share any of my knowledge necessary in the completion of my role here in Atlantis¡¨
¡§Well, I feel so much better now that you¡¦ve said that¡¨ McKay replied, his voice dripping sarcasm.
¡§Like it or not Dr. McKay, we will be working together¡¨ Olaf replied sincerely, ¡§It is my hope that we can learn to get along & use our combined knowledge & expertise to further our understanding of Atlantis & Ancient technology; for the benefit of our allies & all the peaceful peoples of the universe¡¨
¡§Olaf & Verak do not come empty-handed¡¨ Colonel Everett, ¡§Both the Tollan & the Tok¡¦Ra have sent along technology of their own as a peace-offering; to speed along the good relations between us¡¨
¡§And what, exactly, did you bring?¡¨ McKay asked sceptically.
¡§A Tollan energy generator & a healing device¡¨ Olaf replied, smiling, putting both the Tollan fusion generator & the Goa¡¦uuld handheld healing device on the table in front of him.
¡§That pint-sized thing is a generator?¡¨ Sheppard asked, poking at the thing on the table before him; not quite sure what to make of it.
¡§It has the capacity to generate near-constant power at optimum output for a considerable amount of time, & I think you will find it is far superior to your naqaudia generators, & requires far less maintenance - it also has the added benefit of not requiring the addition of such a rare mineral as naquadah in order to function : it is completely self-contained & self-maintaining in virtually every aspect¡¨
¡§Can we not prod the advanced Tollan generator?¡¨ McKay asked, giving Sheppard one of his ¡¥you¡¦re not a scientist, do not touch stuff you wouldn¡¦t understand¡¦ looks.
¡§Sorry¡¨ Sheppard proffered, before Dr. Beckett butted in :
¡§Don¡¦t get me wrong, we appreciate your gifts, Olaf; & I know Rodney can put your generator to good use & all; but how does your bringing a Goa¡¦uuld healing device here help me & my medical staff; you know full well that they can only be used by someone whom is currently a host to a symbiote or whom has been a host to one in the past¡¨
Olaf nodded, closing his eyes, signalling that Verak was about to speak - & speak he did :
¡§Dr. Beckett, whilst I understand your reservations about our bringing you these gifts; please do not try to lessen the value of what we are offering you. Whilst it is true that only I, or my host, may use the healing device - as I currently know of no one else here at Atlantis capable of using Goa¡¦uuld & Tok¡¦Ra technology - it can still be used to help alleviate some of your patient¡¦s more basic medical needs; & you are welcome to study the technology employed in it¡¦s use & reverse-engineer it for your own use & benefit¡¨
¡§In that case, I accept¡¨ Dr. Beckett said, picking up the healing device & taking a good look at it.
¡§If there is nothing more, I am anxious to be given a tour of this facility; particularly the defensive capabilities past & present. I known my host, Olaf, is quite interested to learn all he can about the city & the technology & knowledge left behind here by the Ancients¡¨
¡§Agreed¡¨ Dr. Weir said, looking at Colonel Everett, whom also gave a nod; sealing the approval given to Olaf / Verak¡¦s request.
Verak closed his eyes, & the next moment, Olaf was back.
¡§Verak & I would like to take this opportunity to thankyou on behalf the Tollan & Tok¡¦Ra peoples¡¨ Olaf smiled, ¡§Now, if you will excuse us; there is much we have to learn, & I for one wish to get started as soon as possible¡¨
¡§Thankyou Olaf, & Verak, too¡¨ Dr. Weir replied, smiling back.
¡§I am gonna take this down to the lab & take a look at it¡¨ Dr. Beckett said, excusing himself as he made his way back to the main laboratory which was serving as Atlantis¡¦ primary medical ward.
¡§I am going to see what we can do with Olaf¡¦s Tollan generator, maybe we can use it to power the Control Chair¡¨ McKay said, picking up the Tollan generator & exiting the conference room; leaving Teyla, Sheppard, Weir & Everett to their business.
Following the return of the Daedalus from Earth just over 18 days later, Olaf found himself considerably more up-to-speed with Atlantis & what little Ancient technology the expedition had deciphered thusfar. As a matter of course, both Olaf & Verak had taken time out to learn more about the X-303 fighter program, the Prometheus, & the new Daedalus-class battle cruiser line (named, apparently, after the first ship in the line constructed, which had been assigned to this very base-of-operations); as well as other Earth-based technologies the Tau¡¦ri had developed in recent years, such as the rail guns currently scattered across the city from the recent Wraith seige, & the like.
Thus, when Dr. Rodney McKay entered into the science lab to check how he was fairing, he could answer in all honesty that he was, in fact, doing rather well.
¡§Did you manage to get the generator I gave you interfaced & working properly with the Control Chair you found?¡¨ Olaf asked as McKay made himself comfortable.
¡§Yes, it was a bit different trying to interface the Tollan generator you brought with you than it was with the Mark II naqaudah generator; but we managed it. It¡¦s not quite a ZPM, but it will do in the interim. We¡¦re looking at putting the chair to use in a variety of different ways, such as tying the Jumpers into them - which we couldn¡¦t do last time because the mark II died on us - but if that doesn¡¦t work, I am sure we can put your generator to good use elsewhere¡¨ McKay replied, ¡§Now that we have a ZPM, we can find out more about the city as new systems power up & dial home to Earth if we need to; but your Tollan generator, when combined with our current naqaudah generators & the mark II brought from Earth, should help supply us with a lot more power & help ease the strain on the ZPM¡¨
¡§Let us hope you find more Zero Point Modules¡¨ Olaf replied, ¡§I should like to see Atlantis returned to it¡¦s former glory; & learn everything I can about this amazing place, this galaxy & it¡¦s people¡¨
¡§Well, not everything; the Wraith are still a threat you know¡¨ McKay replied dryly.
¡§Yes, we know. Believe or not Dr. McKay, but Verak & I are acutely aware of the dangers presented by the Wraith. Whereas the Goa¡¦uuld only wished to use species such as ours as hosts & slaves to extract labour & worship from; the Wraith are like a plague, a scourge. They feast upon the very life essence of a person, draining their souls - for lack of a better term - from their bodies; literally sucking the life out of all whom they encounter. We are lucky in that all we have had to deal with thusfar in the Milkyway Galaxy is the Goa¡¦uuld & their ilk. The Wraith can not be allowed to make it to the Milkyway Galaxy. Once they find out about the myriad worlds populated in our home galaxy, they will do the same thing to the Milkyway Galaxy as they have done here in Pegasus. The recent siege here has shown, in spite of the advances your people - & mine - have made over the course of our histories, the technology & understanding we currently possess is still pitiful & woefully inadequate to go up against the likes of the Wraith; so please, do not try & lecture us about the ¡¥immanent threat¡¦ the Wraith pose, because we know¡¨
¡§OK, moving right along. . .¡¨ McKay said, walking around Olaf & changing the topic.
Olaf looked at McKay & rolled his eyes in a very Human expression - one he had picked up from Earth Humans since his blending with Verak - & grinned. He guessed he & McKay were going to do OK; & that in itself, made up his mind. In spite of his missing his people, of not knowing the latest goings-on of the Tok¡¦Ra & the Tollan, he was glad he had come to Atlantis. He just hoped he would be able to make a difference, especially with the threat of the Wraith always hovering nearby & now the Orii making their presence felt in the Milkyway Galaxy; they were all going to need all the help they could get. . . .
Olaf looked about him as he stepped through the Stargate, emerging from the event horizon of the wormhole; marvelling at the Ancient construction as he made his way to one side of the gateroom in order to allow the other personelle behind him through the gate as the re-enforcements from Earth arrived to aide their fellows in their time of need.
¡§So this is Atlantis?¡¨ He asked aloud, almost to himself, looking about like a wide-eyed child; having heard much of the fabled Lost City of the Ancients, scarcely able to believe he was actually standing in the perhaps the greatest Ancient construct ever built. ¡§It doesn¡¦t look as big as the schematics say it should be¡¨
¡§Wait until you go outside, explore a bit¡¨ Came a voice off to his left, as one of the base¡¦s scientists emerged from a nearby hallway, nodding to Olaf as he watched the military personelle emerge through the Stargate from Earth, & not a moment too soon to help defend Atlantis from the current Wraith siege. ¡§It¡¦s a lot bigger than you would first think. Of course, you might want to wait until the Wraith stop attacking us - that is, if we survive at all¡¨
¡§Have faith¡¨ Olaf replied, smiling a tight, knowing smile. ¡§We have come to help defend Atlantis. This Ancient city has survived for over 10,0000 years. It shall stand for 10,000 more¡¨
¡§I hope you¡¦re right¡¨ The scientist replied, before running off to complete whatever duties assigned him, as Olaf attended to his.
Checking the scientific equipment, nukes & naqaudia generators they had brought with them from Earth; Olaf set about his assigned tasks as the city prepared for the second wave of Wraith attacks; hoping against hope to hold out until the Daedalus arrived. After all the ensuing commotion was done & the Wraith dealt with; Olaf could finally settle into his real work : scientific research & technical support.
Two days after the end of the siege, Olaf went & formally introduced himself to Dr. Weir, Major Sheppard & his team. As usual, Colonel Everett was in attendance at this meeting; brash & full of pomp & military bluster as any Human from Earth¡¦s defense forces he had seen. Looking around the table, he nodded once to each of the assembled personelle : Dr. Weir, leading base scientist Rodney McKay, Major John Sheppard, Dr. Carson Beckett & the Athosian leader, the woman known as Teyla Emmagon.
¡§Thankyou for seeing me, Dr. Weir, I appreciate your time; given recent circumstances I know how busy we all are helping rebuild from this unfortunate series of events¡¨ Olaf stated his most polite & ¡¥offical¡¦-sounding voice.
¡§You¡¦re welcome¡¨ Dr. Weir replied smiling; ¡§Please, take a seat¡¨
¡§I would prefer to stand, thankyou doctor¡¨ Olaf replied, smiling a small smile to show his gratitude (besides, he was used to standing a lot anyhows); before continuing on with his speech :
¡§As some of you may or may not known, I am Olaf, Tollan engineer & technical expert in advanced sciences; specifically, equilibrium physics. It is my wish that I can help further the understanding & knowledge gained of this remarkable city & it¡¦s Ancient technology; for the future benefit of both our peoples; & to the eventual downfall of the Wraith¡¨
¡§Can¡¦t argue with that!¡¨ Dr. Beckett piped out, everyone around the table wholeheartedly agreeing with Olaf in that statement.
¡§So Olaf, obviously not all your people where wiped out by the Goa¡¦uuld?¡¨ Dr. Weir asked, looking at Olaf as he stared into space, before hanging his head for a moment in silence. ¡§Olaf, if I offended you in any way, I deeply apolo - ¡¨
¡§You caused no offense, Dr. Weir¡¨ Olaf said, as he raised his head once more, his eyes glowing, his voice completely different to what it once was; resonating with the deep, metallic sounds consistent with symbiote possession. ¡§Olaf assures me you have good intentions, & you could not of known if any Tollan survived Anubis¡¦ massacre of Tollana at the hands of his servant, Tanith¡¨
¡§You¡¦re a Tok¡¦Ra!¡¨ McKay cried, jumping up out of his chair in excitement, pointing an accusing finger like a child trying to assign guilt for an act done ingorence. ¡§I should of known!¡¨
¡§Dr McKay, please take a seat¡¨ Colonel Everett asked - or rather, ordered - McKay complying with his request; only because the symbiote in Olaf has resumed speaking & he wanted to pay attention to what it had to say :
¡§I am Verak, covert operative of the Tok¡¦Ra. I was spawned recently in the last few years by Egeria, our Queen Mother. I blended with my host, Olaf, when he & his people sought sanctuary with the Tok¡¦Ra until Tollana was considered safe to re-inhabit. Where the rest of the Tollan decided to return to rebuild their world, Olaf stayed, & became my new host¡¨
¡§Forgive my ignorance, but what is a Tok¡¦Ra?¡¨ Teyla asked, curious as to this interesting new change of events. ¡§I have never been to your galaxy, so I have never met one of your kind until now¡¨
¡§And why does he speak funny like that for?¡¨ Major Sheppard asked.
McKay gave Sheppard a disapproving look & explained, more for Tayla¡¦s benefit than for Major Sheppard¡¦s bluntness :
¡§The Tok¡¦Ra are a race of symbiotic creatures, similar in appearance to worms, or snakes, whom take other creatures as hosts. They¡¦re an offshoot of the Goa¡¦uuld, but unlike the Gould, they co-exist in harmony with their hosts, living a truly symbiotic relationship; rather than dominating their hosts like the Goa¡¦uuld are known to do¡¨
¡§Were known to do, doctor¡¨ Verak replied proudly, smiling from ear to ear, ¡§I am happy to report that the Goa¡¦uuld have since been defeated by the Replicators. The Tok¡¦Ra are hunting the remaining Goa¡¦uuld down as we speak¡¨
¡§That¡¦s good news¡¨ Dr. Weir replied, smiling. ¡§At least something is going right for a change¡¨
¡§Indeed¡¨ Verak replied. ¡§In fact, following this fortunate turn of events, I have since been re-assigned to conduct research into Ancient technology & report back to the Tok¡¦Ra High Council on the dealings conducted in this galaxy; specifically those concerning the Wraith¡¨
¡§In other words, you¡¦re going to use us for what knowledge you can get out of us before running back to the Milkyway Galaxy with information for the Tok¡¦Ra¡¨ McKay replied bitterly, not liking what he was hearing.
¡§Dr McKay!¡¨ Colonel Everett retorted sharply, everyone - even Tayla - giving Rodney the evil eye, ¡§Verak & his host Olaf represent both the Tollan & Tok¡¦Ra interest in Atlantis, & are to be treated as diplomats during their tenure here¡¨
¡§I assure you Dr. McKay, our intentions here are honourable¡¨ Verak replied, ¡§The potential benefits which can be gained from studying the Ancient technology here - not to mention the valuable insight into the threat posed by the Wraith - far outweighs the risks & politics involved. Besides, both I & my host possess superior technical knowledge to anyone else here, including yourself, Dr. McKay. We are willing to help put that knowledge to use & trade such as we know & learn with the people of Earth. We do have an alliance between our three great cultures, do we not?¡¨
¡§And what happened to the Tollan policy of not sharing technology with less advanced cultures, huh?¡¨ McKay asked in is most arrogant, annoying voice, chaffed at having been called an inferior scientist - even if Verak & Olaf between them did have a greater technical understanding of how a lot of the Ancient technology in Atlantis might work.
Verak closed his eyes, relenting control of his body back to his host.
¡§The people of Earth have come quite far since the Tollan & the Tau¡¦ri last met¡¨ Olaf said by way of explanation, ¡§Your alliance with other species - particularly the Asgard - have proved quite fruitful, & the Curia as a whole has decided that your people have advanced far enough for us to begin sharing some of our technical knowledge with you¡¨
¡§How generous¡¨ McKay chortled, not quite low enough to keep it to himself.
¡§There¡¦s more, isn¡¦t there?¡¨ Sheppard asked.
¡§You are correct, Major Sheppard. Since the Great Massacre, when Anubis¡¦ forces ravaged our world & decimated our population, those few Tollan whom were lucky enough to survive or whom were off-world at the time of the disaster returned to Tollana - actually, it is called New Tollana now, in memory of our recent dead - to help rebuild our civilization. We vowed to never again be left so vulnerable or underestimate a potential threat to our people & our way of life again; & vowed to seek out new ways & means by which to protect our culture from such reoccurrences in the future. Re-establishing contact with the people of Earth, joining your growing intergalactic alliance, & coming to Atlantis to study the Ancient technology left here seemed to be the most logical step in that direction¡¨
¡§And both the Tollan & the Tok¡¦Ra chose you to be their representative here because you could simultaneously represent the interests of both parties?¡¨ Dr. Weir asked.
¡§You are correct, Dr. Weir¡¨ Olaf replied. ¡§If Dr. McKay does not mind, & with your permission¡¨ - at that he looked at both Dr. Weir & Colonel Everett - I would like to join Dr. McKay¡¦s research team in order to get both Verak & I up-to-speed on the scientific discoveries you had made thusfar, & to help continue the vital research into Ancient technology & knowledge¡¨
¡§Rodney?¡¨ Dr. Weir asked, looking at her brilliant yet arrogant college, raising an eyebrow; everyone turning their attention to Atlantis¡¦ resident expert on Ancient systems & technology.
¡§I guess if he is here representing the Tollan & the Tok¡¦Ra, I don¡¦t have much of a choice¡¨ McKay replied by way of affirmation, begrudgingly acknowledging the valuable fresh, new insight Verak & his host could bring to their continued research into Atlantis¡¦ technology. ¡§Besides, I wouldn¡¦t mind Olaf & Verak sharing their knowledge of Tollan & Tok¡¦Ra technology with us?¡¨
¡§Of course¡¨ Olaf replied, nodding, ¡§In time, once we have come to trust one another more & have learnt enough to warrant further trade between our peoples; I not see why we could not share some of our advanced knowledge & technology with the people of Earth; in the benefit of us all learning more of Atlantis & the knowledge left behind by the Ancients¡¨
¡§I knew there was a catch. . .¡¨ McKay groaned, again he was anything but discrete.
¡§Since when has any culture or political body not acted solely in it¡¦s own interest Dr. McKay?¡¨ Olaf replied, Dr. Weir nodding her agreement, her former expertise as an international negotiator back on Earth having proved Olaf¡¦s statement many a time over. ¡§Besides, both the Tollan Curia & the Tok¡¦Ra High Council have authorized me to use & share any of my knowledge necessary in the completion of my role here in Atlantis¡¨
¡§Well, I feel so much better now that you¡¦ve said that¡¨ McKay replied, his voice dripping sarcasm.
¡§Like it or not Dr. McKay, we will be working together¡¨ Olaf replied sincerely, ¡§It is my hope that we can learn to get along & use our combined knowledge & expertise to further our understanding of Atlantis & Ancient technology; for the benefit of our allies & all the peaceful peoples of the universe¡¨
¡§Olaf & Verak do not come empty-handed¡¨ Colonel Everett, ¡§Both the Tollan & the Tok¡¦Ra have sent along technology of their own as a peace-offering; to speed along the good relations between us¡¨
¡§And what, exactly, did you bring?¡¨ McKay asked sceptically.
¡§A Tollan energy generator & a healing device¡¨ Olaf replied, smiling, putting both the Tollan fusion generator & the Goa¡¦uuld handheld healing device on the table in front of him.
¡§That pint-sized thing is a generator?¡¨ Sheppard asked, poking at the thing on the table before him; not quite sure what to make of it.
¡§It has the capacity to generate near-constant power at optimum output for a considerable amount of time, & I think you will find it is far superior to your naqaudia generators, & requires far less maintenance - it also has the added benefit of not requiring the addition of such a rare mineral as naquadah in order to function : it is completely self-contained & self-maintaining in virtually every aspect¡¨
¡§Can we not prod the advanced Tollan generator?¡¨ McKay asked, giving Sheppard one of his ¡¥you¡¦re not a scientist, do not touch stuff you wouldn¡¦t understand¡¦ looks.
¡§Sorry¡¨ Sheppard proffered, before Dr. Beckett butted in :
¡§Don¡¦t get me wrong, we appreciate your gifts, Olaf; & I know Rodney can put your generator to good use & all; but how does your bringing a Goa¡¦uuld healing device here help me & my medical staff; you know full well that they can only be used by someone whom is currently a host to a symbiote or whom has been a host to one in the past¡¨
Olaf nodded, closing his eyes, signalling that Verak was about to speak - & speak he did :
¡§Dr. Beckett, whilst I understand your reservations about our bringing you these gifts; please do not try to lessen the value of what we are offering you. Whilst it is true that only I, or my host, may use the healing device - as I currently know of no one else here at Atlantis capable of using Goa¡¦uuld & Tok¡¦Ra technology - it can still be used to help alleviate some of your patient¡¦s more basic medical needs; & you are welcome to study the technology employed in it¡¦s use & reverse-engineer it for your own use & benefit¡¨
¡§In that case, I accept¡¨ Dr. Beckett said, picking up the healing device & taking a good look at it.
¡§If there is nothing more, I am anxious to be given a tour of this facility; particularly the defensive capabilities past & present. I known my host, Olaf, is quite interested to learn all he can about the city & the technology & knowledge left behind here by the Ancients¡¨
¡§Agreed¡¨ Dr. Weir said, looking at Colonel Everett, whom also gave a nod; sealing the approval given to Olaf / Verak¡¦s request.
Verak closed his eyes, & the next moment, Olaf was back.
¡§Verak & I would like to take this opportunity to thankyou on behalf the Tollan & Tok¡¦Ra peoples¡¨ Olaf smiled, ¡§Now, if you will excuse us; there is much we have to learn, & I for one wish to get started as soon as possible¡¨
¡§Thankyou Olaf, & Verak, too¡¨ Dr. Weir replied, smiling back.
¡§I am gonna take this down to the lab & take a look at it¡¨ Dr. Beckett said, excusing himself as he made his way back to the main laboratory which was serving as Atlantis¡¦ primary medical ward.
¡§I am going to see what we can do with Olaf¡¦s Tollan generator, maybe we can use it to power the Control Chair¡¨ McKay said, picking up the Tollan generator & exiting the conference room; leaving Teyla, Sheppard, Weir & Everett to their business.
Following the return of the Daedalus from Earth just over 18 days later, Olaf found himself considerably more up-to-speed with Atlantis & what little Ancient technology the expedition had deciphered thusfar. As a matter of course, both Olaf & Verak had taken time out to learn more about the X-303 fighter program, the Prometheus, & the new Daedalus-class battle cruiser line (named, apparently, after the first ship in the line constructed, which had been assigned to this very base-of-operations); as well as other Earth-based technologies the Tau¡¦ri had developed in recent years, such as the rail guns currently scattered across the city from the recent Wraith seige, & the like.
Thus, when Dr. Rodney McKay entered into the science lab to check how he was fairing, he could answer in all honesty that he was, in fact, doing rather well.
¡§Did you manage to get the generator I gave you interfaced & working properly with the Control Chair you found?¡¨ Olaf asked as McKay made himself comfortable.
¡§Yes, it was a bit different trying to interface the Tollan generator you brought with you than it was with the Mark II naqaudah generator; but we managed it. It¡¦s not quite a ZPM, but it will do in the interim. We¡¦re looking at putting the chair to use in a variety of different ways, such as tying the Jumpers into them - which we couldn¡¦t do last time because the mark II died on us - but if that doesn¡¦t work, I am sure we can put your generator to good use elsewhere¡¨ McKay replied, ¡§Now that we have a ZPM, we can find out more about the city as new systems power up & dial home to Earth if we need to; but your Tollan generator, when combined with our current naqaudah generators & the mark II brought from Earth, should help supply us with a lot more power & help ease the strain on the ZPM¡¨
¡§Let us hope you find more Zero Point Modules¡¨ Olaf replied, ¡§I should like to see Atlantis returned to it¡¦s former glory; & learn everything I can about this amazing place, this galaxy & it¡¦s people¡¨
¡§Well, not everything; the Wraith are still a threat you know¡¨ McKay replied dryly.
¡§Yes, we know. Believe or not Dr. McKay, but Verak & I are acutely aware of the dangers presented by the Wraith. Whereas the Goa¡¦uuld only wished to use species such as ours as hosts & slaves to extract labour & worship from; the Wraith are like a plague, a scourge. They feast upon the very life essence of a person, draining their souls - for lack of a better term - from their bodies; literally sucking the life out of all whom they encounter. We are lucky in that all we have had to deal with thusfar in the Milkyway Galaxy is the Goa¡¦uuld & their ilk. The Wraith can not be allowed to make it to the Milkyway Galaxy. Once they find out about the myriad worlds populated in our home galaxy, they will do the same thing to the Milkyway Galaxy as they have done here in Pegasus. The recent siege here has shown, in spite of the advances your people - & mine - have made over the course of our histories, the technology & understanding we currently possess is still pitiful & woefully inadequate to go up against the likes of the Wraith; so please, do not try & lecture us about the ¡¥immanent threat¡¦ the Wraith pose, because we know¡¨
¡§OK, moving right along. . .¡¨ McKay said, walking around Olaf & changing the topic.
Olaf looked at McKay & rolled his eyes in a very Human expression - one he had picked up from Earth Humans since his blending with Verak - & grinned. He guessed he & McKay were going to do OK; & that in itself, made up his mind. In spite of his missing his people, of not knowing the latest goings-on of the Tok¡¦Ra & the Tollan, he was glad he had come to Atlantis. He just hoped he would be able to make a difference, especially with the threat of the Wraith always hovering nearby & now the Orii making their presence felt in the Milkyway Galaxy; they were all going to need all the help they could get. . . .
