Chapter 4: What can you tell me about Ascension?
Sheppard made his way to the hologram room at the end of his duty shift two days later. In the time since his brush with the ring device he'd tried to search for information about Ascension in the main database using the Earth based technology links ... without success. John was hoping that interacting directly with the database through the hologram would result in a better outcome. Rodney had assured him there was no further evidence of the memory access issues that had been present previously – hopefully that meant if the information was there he'd be able to retrieve it.
Stepping up onto the dais reminded him of the last time he'd done that ... when Colonel Everett had first arrived on Atlantis. Shaking that disturbing memory from his mind John turned his attention to the hologram.
"Hello," she said in her even businesslike tone. "You may enter your query verbally or by entering it manually on the console before you."
"What can you tell me about Ascension?" Sheppard began.
"Ascension is the process by which corporeal beings release themselves from the confines of their physical form to exist as pure energy," the hologram replied.
"Did the original inhabitants of the city research ascension before attempting to get there?" Sheppard asked curiously.
"There were two projects designed to assist the Lanteans to understand Ascension," the hologram revealed. "This system can provide you with information about each of them."
"Can you display a schematic of the city," Sheppard requested. When the map appeared John drilled down until he could point to the location of the research lab where the device was located. "There's a device in this lab – what can you tell me about it?"
"The device you speak of was called the Dequitas," the hologram replied. "It was designed to allow communication between the Ascended and non Ascended of Atlantis."
"There were Ancients who Ascended from here prior to their retreat back to the Milky Way?" Sheppard asked in surprise.
"Those whom you call the Ancients have achieved Ascension many times during their journey," the hologram revealed. "Originally they called themselves the Alterans and lived in a galaxy distance from both this and your own Milky Way. The first Alterans to Ascend did so from that galaxy."
"The Ori?" Sheppard asked for confirmation even though he'd read Daniel Jacksons reports including those on the origins of the Ori religion.
"That is what they eventually became known as," the hologram confirmed, "but only after they had been Ascended for some time when they realised that worship from lower beings provided them with power additional to what they could command as beings of pure energy. In the beginning the Ascended Alterans simply believed their advancement gave them the right to guide and mould the path of lowers - both their fellow Alterans and the other races populating their galaxy. When the remaining Alterans disagreed they were forced to seek a home in a different galaxy. They travelled in ships until they found a great belt of stars with many planets."
"Our galaxy," John nodded in understanding. "That's when they started building their Stargates?"
"The Alterans seeded many of the planets in your galaxy with life, building the Stargate network so that they might easily travel between them," the hologram explained. "And so they existed for thousands of years until the decision was made to leave the Milky Way and begin again in a new galaxy."
"Did any of those Ancients Ascend?" Sheppard asked curiously.
"Many did," the hologram replied. "Part of their reason for seeking another new home was the reduction in their numbers as more and more of them achieved that state. The rest came here to what you call the Pegasus galaxy, renaming themselves Lanteans, repeating the process of seeding life on many planets and building a network of Stargates to connect them."
"And then the Wraith evolved and became a threat," Sheppard said grimly.
"The Lanteans were tired of continually restarting their journey," the hologram revealed. "They sought to achieve Ascension en masse, leaving no one behind. To that aim they created the Dequitas device, seeking guidance from their Ancestors living as Ascended beings."
"Did it work?" Sheppard waited in anticipation of the answer.
"Not as the Lanteans had expected," the hologram admitted. "The Ascended as a group had become convinced that interfering in the affairs of those still existing in corporeal form was to be avoided at all costs. They refused to help the Lanteans in their efforts and disabled the device to cut off further communication."
"Figures," Sheppard said grimly. "So where does the nine symbol gate address come in?"
"I am unable to answer that query," the hologram intoned.
"You don't know?" Sheppard frowned in surprise. "I thought you had access to everything the Lanteans knew! Can you at least tell me what the ninth symbol is for?"
"I am unable to answer that query," the hologram repeated.
"You don't have the information or you choose not to answer?" Sheppard took issue with the carefully worded response the hologram had given.
"That information has been removed from my systems," the hologram clarified.
"By who?" Sheppard demanded.
"By the Lanteans themselves, before they returned to your home galaxy," the hologram replied.
"Why would they do that?" Sheppard asked in confusion.
"They did not record their reasoning," the hologram revealed. "Some of the Lanteans achieved Ascension prior to the withdrawal from this galaxy - despite the failure of the Dequitas device - convincing the rest that their ultimate goal was still achievable for those who wished it. Presumably some did achieve this after settling back into the Milky Way."
"According to the records Daniel Jackson found they did," Sheppard offered. "So there were the Ori Ascended, the first wave of Milky Way Ascended, the Pegasus Ascended and then a second wave of Milky Way Ascended?"
"So it would seem," the hologram agreed.
"Would it make a difference, where they Ascended from?"
"I possess insufficient information to provide an answer to that," the hologram replied.
Sheppard was about to ask another question when the hologram pulsed, flickered, and then disappeared. A second later the lights did the same thing – pulse, flicker and then darkness.
"McKay," Sheppard tapped his ear piece impatiently. "Did you just cut power to the hologram room?"
"No," Rodney replied in a grim tone of voice. "We've got serious power outages all over the city."
"How long until you can restore it?" Sheppard demanded. "I'm kinda stuck in the dark here!"
"Not for hours," Rodney admitted. "I'll send Zelenka up there with a portable power unit to get you out."
"This is getting beyond annoying Rodney," Sheppard pointed out irritably. "When are you gonna fix it?"
"We're working as fast as we can!" Rodney exclaimed in annoyance. "As it happens I do know what the problem is ... and it's not good."
"What's causing it?" Sheppard asked impatiently.
"Meet me up in the conference room when you're out of there and I'll tell you along with the others," Rodney promised.