Chapter 11: Talk about punishment
"What?" Sheppard asked in amazement. "You're gonna send us out there to face who knows what?"
"The Nahtoo will not leave until they have what they came for," Hieronymus explained.
"But you have a shield," Rodney protested, pointing to the column of green light in front of them – still flashing from the persistent attacks. "Surely you're not worried they can get in?"
"The Nahtoo breeching the shield is not our only concern," Hieronymus replied.
"We should leave," Ronon advised grimly, glancing at Sheppard with an impatient expression. "We don't need these people."
"Ronon," Teyla cautioned softly. "We have no idea what we would be facing should we step beyond the protection of the shield."
"Teyla's right," Sheppard agreed, turning back to Hieronymus. "We came here peacefully ... but we're not going anywhere. I don't understand your unwillingness to help Atlantis and I had no intention of forcing the issue. But our people are depending on us ... if we go out there unprotected we won't be able to fulfil our mission."
"Don't make me resort to force either Colonel Sheppard," Hieronymus said in a threatening tone.
"That's not exactly the right attitude for a bunch of Ascension wannabes now is it?" Sheppard quipped somewhat snidely.
"You mistake our goals," Hieronymus said faintly amused. "We have not sought Ascension since shortly after we arrived here."
"You gave up on Ascension?" Rodney almost gaped in astonishment. "Why would you do that?"
"Patentia alluded to the balance of light and dark," Teyla offered. "Was that not referring to these Nahtoo?"
"Partially," Hieronymus agreed. "We cannot accommodate you here – not without risking everything we have sacrificed for generations."
"Wait a minute!" Rodney protested suddenly. "You're all Ancients – how could the Nahtoo possibly detect us here in a city full of Ancients?!"
Before he could respond, the air in front of Rodney shimmered and opened, admitting an entity everyone except Ronon had seen before ... an Ascended being. Sheppard stepped in front of Rodney, making it clear that any form of retribution or communication with them was going through him first. The bright light from the entity surrounded them, blinding in its intensity to the point they were all forced to close their eyes.
When they opened them the scene that greeted them was completely different from the one they'd just left. They were in a large room, brightly lit, with a wooden table and chairs in the centre.
"Please, sit," the Ascended being shifted from glowy ball with swirling tentacles of light into the figure of a young, dark haired Ancient woman wearing the customary white dress.
"I think we'll stand for the moment," Sheppard decided, motioning for his team to stay where they were. Looking around suspiciously he asked "Where are we?"
"This is the Placitum," she said simply, "the place where those of my kind meet from time to time."
"And who might you be?" John asked with casual curiosity.
"I am Gratia," she introduced herself. "And you are Lt Colonel John Sheppard and Doctor Rodney McKay of Earth, Teyla Emmagen of Athos and Ronon Dex of Sateda."
"Well you're certainly well informed aren't you," Sheppard frowned at that thought. "You've been keeping an eye on us?"
"It is my task to monitor all attempts to communicate with or travel to this plane of existence," Gratia replied. "I knew of your people from the moment you first touched the Dequitas."
"Then you know what's happening back on Atlantis!" Rodney made that leap immediately. "You could help us."
"I am afraid that will not be possible Doctor McKay," Gratia denied.
"Then why did you bring us here?" Sheppard demanded somewhat angrily.
"We did not stop you from travelling here because to do so would contravene everything we believe about interacting with lower beings," Gratia said. "For this reason we cannot help you either."
"Not even to save the city you helped create?" Sheppard said harshly.
"Not even for that," Gratia agreed simply, pinning John with an intent blue gaze that showed she was not bothered by his accusations.
"Have you not already interfered by removing us from New Atlantis?" Teyla asked with a puzzled frown.
"If the Nahtoo had captured you they would have understood immediately that Atlantis is populated again," Gratia pointed out, "and by humans with genetic links to the people residing here. We were in agreement that this could not be allowed to happen."
"They'd attack Atlantis?" Ronon turned away from his inspection of the room to look at Gratia intently.
"They were the first race to achieve a state of pure energy - and have made it their sacred mission to destroy any others who attempt to ascend to this realm," Gratia explained. "The development of my people to the point where we were capable of Ascension was accompanied by real changes in our genetic code. The 'power' genes that represented our advancement beyond other races - telepathy, telekinesis, foresight - became more common. When my people first arrived here they set out to continue that journey and join the rest of their people who had already Ascended."
"And the Nahtoo stopped you?" Sheppard had a bad feeling he knew where this tale was going.
"They believe their race to be the only one worthy of attaining this state," Gratia shimmered into pure energy before shifting back to her human form. "In eliminating those with the power genes they believed they could destroy any chance for others to Ascend."
"A religious crusade," Sheppard muttered, turning away to glance worriedly back at Ronon. "Sounds familiar."
"So all those people back on New Atlantis ...," Rodney trailed off uncertainly.
"Those of us most recently Ascended banded together to protect the Lanteans until they could construct defences to protect themselves," Gratia continued the story. "They built New Atlantis and the shield you saw and then set about altering their genetic makeup to remove anything the Nahtoo could use to target them. It has been a number of generations now since the Nahtoo have detected anything to prompt an attack such as the one that took place today."
"Because we have the activation gene?" Sheppard frowned in confusion. "I'd hardly call the ability to turn on some technology a 'power'!"
"The presence of that gene within you indicates your potential to Ascend in the future," Gratia countered, "at least in the minds of the Nahtoo," she looked at John intently. "You in particular have a very strong manifestation of our genetic makeup."
"How come your people didn't just return to Atlantis?" Sheppard ignored the last part of what she'd said. "Why give up everything they were just to stay here?"
"They believed the city was lost to them and that the Wraith held dominance over the entire galaxy," Gratia insisted. "Besides, it took time to understand the full implications of living here - to understand the Nahtoo as the enemy they are."
"And to understand how being Ascended was just as negative, in its own way," Sheppard pointed out.
"Yes," Gratia agreed simply. "By then we were committed to staying here."
"I'm confused," Sheppard approached Gratia now, stopping a few steps away and staring at her intently. "You're part of the same group of Ascended Ancients we've come across before right?"
"In a manner of speaking," Gratia replied evasively.
"How come they're letting you talk to us like this?" Sheppard asked. "Don't you have some kind of group rule about that?"
"We do," Gratia agreed. "I haven't told you anything you could not have found out through other means. There are those of us who believe that giving the Nahtoo purpose outside this plane of existence would be a mistake with far reaching consequences but ... we are constrained to uphold our highest ideals."
"So it's the usual hypocritical song and dance then," Sheppard shook his head irritably. "Look at what happened with the Ori - why don't you guys just fight back for once?!"
"We did," Gratia surprised them all with that response. "The first of our race to achieve this state remained in the lower plane at first. Existence was ... unsatisfying ... to be able to observe the lives of their brethren but not be a part of it was troubling ... the temptation to interact very difficult to resist. You mentioned the Ori so you know what happened to those who chose to remain so closely linked with the lower plane. For the rest, they knew they would have to move on and in their search for something else they found this higher plane - and were confronted with the Nahtoo upon their arrival. They chose to fight rather than retreat ... resulting in many of their number locked forever in pitched battle with their foe. The Nahtoo were too strong to defeat, but not strong enough to wipe them from existence ... and so a compromise was reached. They would not interfere with the Nahtoo or the lives of any lower beings - especially in providing assistance for others to Ascend - and in return they would be left in peace."
"So they sacrificed their own people for an easier existence?" Sheppard asked incredulously.
"When the agreement was reached Atlantis was strong and our people dominant in the Pegasus Galaxy," Gratia pointed out. "They had no way of knowing how far we would fall ... or how hard it would be to watch and do nothing to help."
"Some of you did try to help?" Teyla asked compassionately.
"Of course," Gratia replied almost angrily. "And they were punished by the rest of my kind - most banished from Ascension and forced to live forever in corporeal form."
"Wait," Rodney held up a hand impatiently. "Forever? There are people in New Atlantis who've been around for more than 10,000 years?"
"Yes," Gratia admitted, her tone now filled with a deep sadness. "They have memory of what they once were but have been stripped of all their powers."
"Talk about punishment," Rodney looked over at Sheppard. "No wonder the rest of them don't want to risk stepping out of line!"
"Okay so you're not going to help us get a new power supply unit," Sheppard bounced back into action mode. "Is there anything you can do?"
"The Nahtoo have given up on their attack," Gratia reported. "I will return you to New Atlantis."
"And that's it?" Rodney asked incredulously. "That's the best you can do?"
"Rodney," Teyla admonished. "Gratia has saved us from the Nahtoo." Turning back to Gratia she added graciously "we thank you for your assistance and for sharing your story with us."
"You are most welcome," Gratia smiled, "although you and Ronon did not actually require my assistance."
"Can you just tell us if there's any point in continuing to search for a power supply unit?" Rodney almost begged.
"I cannot," Gratia replied regretfully. "In any case, would you give up if I said there was not?"
"No," Sheppard looked at Gratia thoughtfully for a few moments. "Okay gang, let's pack it up and get out of here."
"But ..." Rodney spluttered, frowning at John's apparently easy capitulation.
"I assume you'll return us back to where you picked us up?" Sheppard asked Gratia, ignoring Rodney's protests.
"I will," Gratia laid a hand on John's arm. "Good luck John Sheppard."
"Ah ... you too," Sheppard replied uncertainly.
"We still ... care," Gratia offered somewhat cryptically. Before John could question her further the room around them flashed brightly, fading back to the normal spectrum to reveal the entrance to New Atlantis.