Chapter Four: Origin
Monday, 10th May 1999.
The hologram paused as it processed the best place to begin such a telling. There were many possible entry points, but given the lack of overall knowledge of the brown-haired one they called Hermione, he may need to retread previously covered material.
"Wait!" Luna shouted as she turned about and vanished back into their canvas lodgings.
A moment later the computer began a new analysis subroutine as it tried to analyse what the sensors were now picking up. A large fabric-covered object that appeared to be some form of furniture exited the opening in the canvas and the girl stepped out behind it, her arm raised, a wand in her hand. The presence of magic wasn't new to the computer, but the fact that this object could definitely not have fit within the confines of the lodging it had been pulled from was.
"If it's going to be a long story, it might as well be comfortable." The girl said as she placed the item on the ground in front of the stairs to the platform and pushed Hermione into the middle. The two with the knowledge sat on either side of her and the three shuffled together and faced him once more, attentively.
"Very well. The beginning it is." He offered. "Countless centuries ago, my race evolved on a planet called Celestis. In fact, the place of our birth became a 'holy city' itself named Celestis. We grew and evolved for millennia as any race does until a division of belief split our peoples in two. My faction called themselves the Altera after our trust in science and rationality as a way to develop. The opposing faction called themselves the Ori, which in a very old dialect of my people means…"
"True," Harry stated, drawing the eyes of the other two for a moment.
"Indeed. They believed that we were created by the universe on Celestis because we were special and meant to rule. A belief that at one time was innocent and pure, but became twisted as all ideals do when they provide power to those with weak hearts. They held this belief with religious fervour. Something I learned during my many years is rather incompatible with a desire to learn and achieve, oft resulting in stagnation and suppression rather than striving. For many years after the split, we continued to live in peace. The Ori made their home in the Plains of Celestis, our birthplace, while the Altera moved to a nearby large natural formation they called Ortus Infinitus.
"However, the Ori soon came to view the Alteran ways as blasphemous and a war erupted between the two. The Ori were able to convince the other intelligent species of our world of the righteousness of their cause. Faced with an unending war of attrition on many fronts, greatly outnumbered and unwilling to resort to genocide or worse in order to win the war, the Altera decided to leave. They gathered together in Ortus Infinitus and built a great vessel to contain all their kind and knowledge and they burst forth from the mountain on the day of the Ori's final push to destroy them."
Merlin paused and noted that all three of the others were enraptured by his tale. One that had only just begun for his creator's people. "That was the last the Altera knew of the Ori for a very long time. They travelled the stars for many many years, and the distance they travelled is so great I am unable to accurately calculate it. The stars of their home galaxy are so remote that you cannot view them unaided from this one."
The brown-haired one looked at him with disbelief. "Are you serious? The journey must have taken…"
"Hundreds if not thousands of years. The length of time is not truly recorded in my database. But the Altera continued their learning ways as they journeyed, as generations came and went. None who began the journey lived to see its end. They developed several new technologies including faster than light travel and the Astria Porta. They seeded a few small locales on their journey with these devices but none felt safe in their proximity to the Ori galaxy, they now referred to as Origin. Both for the appropriateness of its meaning as the true place of their beginning and for the religion that now dominated it to the point of their exile.
"Utilising the new faster than light technology they had upgraded their vessel with, they accelerated their journey, stretching further away from their former home. Eventually, while resting the engines in the vast emptiness between galaxies, they discovered a great belt of stars that they called Avalon. Realizing how far this new technology had brought them, they finally believed themselves safe and chose to make this Avalon their home.
"They found a world with a single moon. A verdant landscape filled with plant life of many kinds, but seemingly devoid of animal life. They named the world Dakara, which in the old dialects meant hope, and settled on it. It was here that they began the process of rebuilding. From there, they spread across this galaxy and developed many new technologies, but it wasn't until they travelled to and from another galaxy they called Pegasus that the fate of their former brethren became clear."
"Wait, that's it? They landed and spread out?" Hermione asked.
"As I said, my information on the Alteran time in this galaxy is limited. Moros was born and lived almost his entire life in another galaxy. While Atlantis had extensive archives, he wasn't what you might call a history buff. This facility was built for a specific purpose and as such has knowledge mostly related to that topic."
"But…" She muttered, looking to the others for help.
"I think you'll find a more detailed retelling in the book. It seems much older than some of the others we found." Harry offered.
"Indeed. It is likely that it's having being contained within the beaming buffer is the only reason those tomes have survived as long as they have. Shall I continue?"
"Yes, please." The blonde instructed.
"The return from Atlantis showed the Altera that the galaxy had moved on in their absence. Their return to Terra showed a new race of humans now populated it, but they were far too primitive for them to integrate with or to hope to rebuild their civilization here. Some sought other worlds to attempt some form of rebirth, but my records show all of those attempts failed. Most chose a life of seclusion either here on Terra, or other secluded planets, and they completed the journey they had discovered possible in Pegasus. They had learned that once the mind became sufficiently developed and enlightened, they could shed their physical form and ascend to a higher plane of existence."
"This is what you meant before. Arthur actually ascended like this?"
"He did, with Myrddin's assistance. As Myrddin was once one of these ascended beings. He first set foot on Terra as Moros, High Chair of the Lantean Council. It was he who gave the final order to abandon Pegasus and return to Avalon. He chose to seclude himself in this region where he interacted little with its peoples as he reached the final stages of the process and joined his kin in ascension.
"While ascended, he gained knowledge that frightened even his advanced mind. The Ori still lived and they too had achieved this ascension. But they had become even more fervent in their beliefs. Not only had they achieved the great power that comes with ascension, but they had also discovered that if they convince lower beings to worship them, they can draw power from that worship. They had converted the peoples of the Origin galaxy to this religion and used it to enslave them in the most pointless sort of life imaginable. One lived with no attempt to seek personal enlightenment."
"How so?" Hermione asked.
"The religion tells that those who follow the path of Origin, the name they gave this religion, would achieve ascension upon their death. However, without conscious effort to attain an enlightened state by the individual, it cannot be achieved. An ascended being can guide them and provide advice on how to do so, but they cannot simply make a soul ascend. Therefore, these people were wasting their existence as nothing more than fuel for the Ori's greed.
"Now, the ascended Altera managed to shield the existence of this galaxy from the Ori, but they are aware of the Altera on their plane. As such, the Ori still seek to wipe out the Altera and they have taken to creating new lifeforms in their galaxy in the effort to achieve a large enough advantage with which to attack. On our side, the Altera believe absolutely in free will and non-interference in the lower planes, specifically to avoid the temptation to do exactly as the Ori themselves are doing."
"So how did Moros plan to stop the Ori if he was bound by those rules?" Harry asked.
"By utilising a loophole in the rule. An ascended being can revert to a lower form of existence. Doing so usually results in them retaking their pre-ascended form. Moros, however, took the most advanced human form it was possible to achieve, utilizing his knowledge of the higher plane, and took the name Myrddin. This allowed him to retain almost all of his knowledge and wield considerable power. These are the abilities that likely led to your culture's stories of the magician Merlin.
"Along with a trusted group that would come to be known as King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, he gathered the required knowledge and supplies. He built this and other labs and technology with which to conceal his experiments from the Altera. Using knowledge he gained from some of their number while on the higher plane even. While their rules should have forbidden them to stop him, as he was technically a being on the lower plane, he worried that they might consider his advanced state and knowledge to be exempt from that rule.
"The final new entry in my database indicates that he completed the weapon, but that the Altera interfered. The weapon was destroyed and his current state is unknown to me. The Knights and their trusted descendants returned to this cavern several times since, but it has been a very long time since anyone entered before you arrived. This leads me to the conclusion that the Ori are still out there, still a threat and that the mission is yet to be completed."
The computer assessed the three sitting before him, their faces a mixture of amazement and disbelief.
"So… you want us to complete the mission?"
"That was the purpose of the repository. To furnish a new race with the required knowledge to complete the task should the Altera or Ori interfere in the Sangraal's creation and utilisation. Should the Ori learn of the beings in this galaxy, they would seek to convert them to Origin. And the population of a galaxy of this size would likely furnish them with all the necessary power to begin their campaign against the Ascended Altera."
"And by their own rules, the Ascended Altera will not stop the Ori from doing so?" Luna questioned.
"What they do now to shield your existence from the Ori is all that they will do. It was Myrddin's hope that if he was stopped, the systems he left behind would allow a lower form being to complete the Sangraal, and being native of the lower planes, the Altera's own non-interference rules would prevent them from stopping the completion a second time."
"Ok, so the stuff we need to build this device is all here then?" Hermione asked.
"No. The Sangraal required substances that are not found on this world. Myrddin and the Knights travelled to many worlds in search of the required material. It is in the labs on one of these other worlds that he constructed the device."
"Then how the hell do you expect us to do it?" Harry growled in disbelief.
"Via the Astria Porta."
"What is that? It translates too… er, Stellar Transporter." Luna queried. "Stargate?"
The computer calculated for a moment. "Yes, that would be a suitable English translation. It is a ring formed of a superconductive element that allows instantaneous transmission of matter between two Porta. Using the clavis, one enters the destination into the pad and the Porta opens a bridge through the universe to the receiver."
"You mean… the thing we put our tent in is an interplanetary transportation device?" Hermione asked.
The computer analysed the location and responded. "No. The Porta Mundas are of similar technology, but it is used for localised transport within a much shorter range. Usually that of a single planetary body or its nearest satellites. Not between star systems. This device uses the rings as a field container and then utilises a very early version of the beaming technology to relocate to a receiver by sweeping an energy field down over the contents, transporting and reconstituting it slice by slice, in less than a fraction of a second. In this way, they mirror the Astria Porta in function."
"And where is the Astria Porta, if not here?"
"According to my records, it should still reside a short distance from the lower pole of Terra. When Atlantis left this world, they left behind the first of this galaxy's generation of Porta in order to ensure they could return."
"This generation?" Harry said.
"There have been several generations of the technology. The full extent of that is not within my memory banks. Though it is likely present in the databanks of the Fundamenta."
"Fundamenta? The Foundation. An outpost that is in Antarctica?"
The computer analysed the information it had attained from the boy so far. "That seems to be the name your kind furnishes the lands of the location."
"And it was built millions of years ago? Near the southern pole of the planet."
"Correct."
"Shit." Harry sighed before he glanced at the two girls. "Know any good warming charms, Hermione?" Harry asked sarcastically.
ϟ
Wednesday, 19th May 1999.
"You're sure?" Harry asked, standing behind Hermione as she stared forwards, her shoulders stiff.
"As I'll ever be. Merlin has explained it as much as I think I could understand. You and Luna have both tried as well. And I'm sick of having to get one of you to check my work. If you're both going to check out Fundamenta, I need to be able to read it myself and be sure of my work."
"You don't have to do it, Hermione. We understand why you don't like it." Luna said, stepping up beside her.
Hermione turned and smiled at the blonde girl. "I know, and that's one of the reasons why I think I'm ok with it now. You're both still the wonderful people I've known for years. It's been days since Harry used it and beyond the language and science benefits he's shown no negative drawbacks."
The trio glanced at the mirror device, as they considered it, despite the hologram, as they now knew it to be, naming it a repository.
"Just," Hermione paused, "make sure I don't fall over. Neither of you looked comfortable."
"You have our word." They both replied after a moment in flat unison, drawing a laugh from Hermione at the implication they were both mind-controlled robots.
She stepped forward and braced her hands on either side of the device, placing her face over the opening and preparing her body. Harry could see her eyes flick open and the lights began to shine against her pale skin as the device triggered once more, uploading the knowledge Hermione sought while taking additional information from her in return. Harry was curious to talk with the hologram once it had time to process the incredible knowledge that Hermione held of magic and their lives.
After several moments, Hermione's eyes flickered and her body began to fall backwards. Harry and Luna immediately halted her fall and Harry tucked her into his arms firmly. "I've got her."
Luna smiled at him and led the way back to the cavern. Harry approached the couch which they had not returned to the tent, preferring to have a comfortable piece of furniture in the cavern itself to relax on when they needed. He laid Hermione down gently, Luna tucking a soft pillow under her head as she stared blankly up at the rocky ceiling. He wondered if her mind would process the download faster than his own had. He was fairly certain that Luna had recovered faster.
"She decided to use the repository?" Merlin asked from the platform.
"Yes. She doesn't want to go somewhere as cold as Antarctica, so she will be staying here while we check its condition. Dobby will be returning today to keep her company as well. And he might even be bringing a friend. So she won't be alone." Luna explained.
"Very well. What little external sensors I have do not detect the output I'd expect from the facility. The records indicate that when last my people were there, the icy landscape was encroaching on it heavily and there was already some damage to the facility. It is likely that its power reserves have been drained attempting to forestall the approach of the ice. Of all the things my people learned in their extremely long history, the most absolute of all is that nature always wins."
Harry tucked a blanket around Hermione and stood, turning towards the hologram.
"It seems fortuitous that one of the last actions of Myrddin when he stood within this facility before his quest was to trigger the creation of this."
As Harry approached the plinth, a hatch that had been invisible against the stone surface opened outwards and a small compartment was revealed within. "While they are tremendously powerful, the Potentia require extremely precise design, and thus take a long time to grow without the right tools. They have to be grown carefully so that the crystal structure can form correctly as it absorbs energy from subspace. With the limited power I have access to, and the limited materials, this one took almost one hundred years to complete. Also, without someone to remove it, I had no room to forge a second."
Harry bent down and looked into the compartment. Inside was a crystalline item about a foot or so in length. It appeared to be made up of a series of mostly yellow crystal with spots of red and green throughout, but Harry could find no seams between the colours. Over the exterior of the item were black veins that appeared random in arrangement. The item glowed from within with a potent light and the hair on Harry's arms stood on end as he grasped it firmly in hand.
"Please be careful in your handling of it. If the facility has lost power, it will take me a very long time to grow a replacement should you damage this Potentia."
"It's a power source then?" Luna questioned, stepping up beside Harry.
"Indeed. The general design of the structure was in the repository so the location of the socket and how to affix it should be in your minds. Seek out the control chair. It should be in a room very close to the Porta Mundas. If the old Potentia is not outputting any light, it has reached maximum entropy and will need replacing."
Luna closed her eyes for several moments before she nodded. "I can see the location well enough. I believe I'll be able to replace it should it be necessary. Do you want to borrow Hermione's bag for the trip, to keep it safe?" She asked as she held the beaded bag aloft.
Harry considered the idea. "Might be prudent. We can use it to store a little extra food for the trip as well. No telling how long we might be stuck down there." He said as he opened the bag and pushed the Potentia inside.
"Fascinating. The Altera experimented with spatial adjustment, but my records show no cases where they achieved it. I have been unable to calculate how your magic is able to do so."
Harry smiled. "It's beyond me. Hermione's the one you need to talk to. She made this herself. Her knowledge will give you a lot of the information I lacked when it comes to magic. I tended to be focused more on staying alive and having fun when we were at Hogwarts."
Harry blushed as he recalled all the times he had allowed himself and Ron to slack off, despite the near-constant danger he had been in during his school years.
"Restoring power should allow the system to awaken. Once it does, you'll need to find a terminal and connect this device into the interface." Merlin paused as a small device beamed into place on the top of the plinth. "I should be able to detect it and create a link between the two computers. I doubt I will be able to fully download the database from there to here, but it might fill in some of the blanks we have right now."
"We know how to find Fundamenta once we're close enough. Apparating in shouldn't be any harder than it was here. But how are we actually going to get within range?" Harry asked, thinking aloud.
"I'll take care of that," Luna replied simply. "In fact, I might go and do that now. Give me a few hours."
She gave Harry a firm hug and walked over to the couch, brushing Hermione's hair from her face and gently kissing the insensate woman's forehead. "I'll be back soon, Hermione." With a loud crack, she disappeared leaving the others behind in the cavern.
Harry glanced at Merlin for a moment before he headed over to where Hermione was laid on the couch. He lifted her legs aside and tucked himself underneath, happy to wait here with her until she awoke or Luna returned.
ϟ
Dobby arrived with a pop in the cavern and looked around in surprise. A great deal had changed in the short time he had spent with his own people at Hogwarts. What had previously been wide open space was now filled with treasures of various sorts. His eyes crinkled as he smiled though when he saw the couch by the platform with the sword. Two of his favourite people in the world tucked up together on its surface beneath a blanket, slumbering quietly.
He turned to his own companion and gestured for quiet as he approached the pair and tucked them in once more, as the blanket had begun to fall loose. He was confused when he noted that Hermione's eyes were wide open, though she otherwise appeared to be sleeping.
"Strange. They must have lost track of time being down here, sleeping at this hour." He whispered as his fellow elf stepped up beside him.
"Has they been down here long?" Winky asked, looking over the two silent humans.
"Since I came to visit." Dobby's reply ended abruptly as the image of the old wizard reappeared behind the plinth. He stepped forward and noticed something was different about the image as well. Not only had the wizard appeared without his staff or hat, but the eyes now tracked his movement. "Odd."
"You've no idea." The image replied, looking at him with surprise. "Might I ask what your people call itself?"
"We are house-elves, sir," Winky explained as Dobby climbed the plinth to be at eye height with the figure.
"House-elves. Curious. My sensors detect slightly familiar bio-patterns. But you do not fit any of the records precisely. I can not quantify why. How long does your kind's history reach back?"
"We have no history of our own," Dobby replied. "We serve the wizards in exchange for homes and food. Over time this agreement became our bond. At least, this is what Miss Grangy tells Dobby from her research. Elves do not track our own past, not that Dobby knows of."
Winky jumped backwards as Hermione sat up suddenly, dislodging Harry from the couch entirely with a shout. Dobby turned to look at the girl as she gazed about wildly for a moment.
"Well, that was fascinating. And a rush. I can still feel it unfurling."
Harry sat up on the hard stone floor and glanced up at her. "Glad you're feeling better. Ow." He groaned as he stood and stretched out his sore muscles. "Dobby! You're back."
"Yes, Harry Potter. Dobby has returned. And he brought Winky with him. She was happy to get away for a few days."
"Do not lie to them. You won a bet, that is all." Winky corrected, standing by the couch.
Dobby smiled openly as Harry helped him down from the plinth. "Bet or not, Winky is always welcome in our home," Harry explained. "Even when our home is not at home."
"Speaking of, where is Luna?" Hermione asked, standing and stretching herself.
"She left to arrange our transit to Antarctica. Though how she plans to do that I have no idea."
"By having connections, Harry Potter." Luna's voice came from the opening to the tent and all four physical beings swung to see her step out of the opening.
"Luna. When did you get back?" Harry asked.
"Half an hour ago. You and Hermione looked too cute to disturb." The pair blushed at the comment and Luna gestured the group inside. "I prepared dinner, as it might be a few days before we can have a meal as a family again."
"That sounds lovely, Luna." Hermione hugged the girl as she passed and the odd group sat down to their meal.
Winky still looked uncomfortable joining them at the table, but Dobby's presence and Hermione's months of conversation with the female elf had seen a significant change in her behaviour. Seeing her people rewarded for their aid in the battle of Hogwarts had led to a change in many of the elves.
"So, are you going to share the details on how we're getting to our destination, or is it meant to remain a secret?" Harry asked Luna as they ate.
"No, it's not a secret. Daddy and I have travelled with a few muggle groups in our journeys looking for strange phenomena and creatures. Daddy once saved the life of a man who just so happens to be heading an excursion to the south pole. I was able to convince him to allow us passage. Conveniently enough, they leave tonight."
"Tonight?" Hermione baulked.
"That's correct. In three hours actually. Plenty of time for us to finish dinner and take a portkey to Christchurch."
"New Zealand?"
"That's the one. Most Antarctic expeditions leave from New Zealand and Australia. They are well-positioned to do so."
"But, tonight… that's so soon."
Luna sidled closer to Hermione and rested her head on the elder girl's shoulder. "Yes, it is. But we'll be back before you know it. And with fluency in Alteran, I'm sure you will be busy translating all these books while we're gone."
Hermione tucked her arm around the wee blonde and Dobby smiled to himself. It had taken years since Harry had freed him from his vile former owners, but as he glanced about the table, he relished in the new family he had built for himself. One he was happy to be a part of.
ϟ
Thursday, 3rd June 1999.
Harry stared out over the blank icy darkness of the landscape before them. The journey on the boat had taken many days as the research vessel made multiple stops on its journey to the southern continent, but had been almost comfortable compared to the current leg of their trip.
The dusky darkness that settled over the whole desolate empty landscape carried on forever, the horizon not visible to his eyes, even with the enchantments Hermione had prepared them with. And the cold antarctic winds bit hard through three layers of thermal wear and the extra powerful warming charm. While this land was as beautiful as any he'd set foot on before, it was beyond inhospitable to the unwary.
He glanced back over his shoulder at the bulging ice-covered form of Mt Erebus and the now no longer visible McMurdo Station at which the ship had landed. It had taken a liberal use of his family's cloak to get both himself and Luna away from the station without anyone noticing. And doing so without leaving footprints behind had been even harder. Apparating in the middle of a manned research station in the near silence of the morning being deemed too great a risk due to the sound it would surely make, given the difficulty of concentrating in the extreme cold.
"We're close, Harry Potter." Luna chittered softly beside him.
Harry eyed her closely and pulled his wand, casting a renewed warming charm over her slight form. "Maybe we should have taken our time with this bit. Come a little more prepared."
"You don't think it's nice this time of year?" Luna joked, pulling a small device from her coat pocket. "It's a balmy negative fifteen degrees. We could work on our tans if you'd like."
Harry blushed at her teasing and renewed his own charms, "It's a little dark out for that, don't you think?" He replied, hoping that they found the landmark they needed soon. The structure was somewhere in the lowlands of the Transantarctic Mountains and they were surely getting close now.
Luna shivered heavily beside him and Harry turned to face her directly. "I think we might be better off to risk it. A combined hop is probably safest." Luna nodded her agreement and wrapped Harry tightly in her bulked up arms. "I'll provide the juice, you have the destination in mind?"
"Yes," Luna stuttered through chattering teeth.
"On three then. One, two, three."
Harry focused on letting his magic swirl into and out of both bodies and he felt the telltale squeeze as Luna directed the energy. The pair vanished from the desolate tundra and with a loud echoing crack, they reappeared in an even darker icy cave. Harry immediately pulled his wand and lit the tip, casting a blue light over the already slightly blue walls. Several swipes and jabs had the air in the space warming up considerably compared to outside.
"Nice job, Luna. That's way better. Next time, we come in the warmer months."
"June is winter in the southern hemisphere. Being cold is to be expected." Luna smiled as she relaxed in the slightly warmer space. She twirled around as she looked for signs they'd reached their intended destination. "The walls are completely iced over. If this is Fundamenta, I think it's safe to assume the potentia is dead."
"Agreed." Harry stepped over to one of the nearest walls and used his wand to melt the ice on its surface. He paid close attention to the oddly coloured wall beneath as the ice melted away. He gradually walked to his right as he worked and it still took several minutes before an obvious seam appeared from beneath the ice. "Here. I think this is the doorway."
Luna soon joined him and the pair made quick work of the remaining ice over the exit from the small room. They stepped out to find a much larger cavern, still as poorly lit as the first. The pair cast several remote lighting charms, casting an eerie glow over the space and revealing far more detail. In the centre of the space was a small tiered hexagonal platform with a large chair on its upper surface.
"Perfect." Luna smiled as she danced forwards, running her fingers over the odd chair. She circled it slowly before she paused by its right-hand side. "It should be here."
She knelt down at the point of the upper of the two hexagonal platforms and waved her hand over the very tip of the raised corner. A small metal plate raised up, lifted by a second large crystal object, this one dark as Merlin had theorized. Harry stepped up beside her and withdrew the glowing column from the bag slung over his shoulder and placed it in Luna's outstretched hand.
"Gently now…" She whispered as she inserted the glowing potentia in place of the inert unit, clicking it into place and immediately the platform lit up with an ethereal blue glow. She replaced the cap over the socket and stepped over to the chair.
"Go ahead." Harry gestured.
Luna smiled at him and jumped into the chair with a pleased shout. The chair lit up in the same manner as the platform and began to circle slowly in place. Harry turned away as the lights in the walls and ceiling began to come on. He took one step from the platform before a hand grabbed his arm and pulled him towards one of the side exits to the large room.
"We have a problem," Luna told him as she guided him quickly along the passageway.
"What's wrong?"
She waved her hand over a panel on the wall and after a moment of resistance, the mechanical force of the now powered door won out against the ice. The doorway opened to show what used to be a large open space, but now led almost immediately to a solid wall of ice.
"That's wrong. The Astria Porta should be in this room here, the Conscensa."
"Right, so that's not good. Let's get this place powered back up and warm and we can hopefully use its sensors to track the movement of the ice, provided the ice hasn't taken them away too. You take the chair and I'll try and find a terminal to hook up the link."
Luna smiled at him again and danced back up the passageway. Harry grinned at her endless optimism and enthusiasm as he waved the door closed once more. By the time he had made his way back to the main chamber, Luna was on the chair slowly circling below a hologram of information as sounds of long-dead systems coming back to life filled the space. Her fingers moved over two wide soft pads of glowing light at the tips of the arms of the chair as she worked the system for the first time in who knew how long.
Moments later a stream of warm air began to circulate through the space and Harry breathed a sigh of relief from the biting cold of the southern continent. He passed walls that slowly emerged from the melting ice on their surfaces as he searched the rooms immediately off the large chamber. The first few contained nothing of obvious use beneath their icy coverings, but the fourth looked promising.
Several terminals were spread through the room and the far wall seemed to be a large viewing port window that presently looked out on nothing but the infinite white ice stretching up beyond its view. He directed his wand over the terminals, melting the ice with more blasts of hot air and hoped that the technology was waterproof as the residue dripped off its angled surface. It was soon clear of most of the water and he vanished the remainder as he stepped up to look at it.
It was made of a dark dull grey coloured material covered almost from top to bottom in clear crystals arranged in patterns that made no sense to Harry. At the closest edge of the panel was a keyboard of Alteran lettering with a circular symbol where the escape key might be on a normal human computer.
He tapped the circle and the panel lit up, a screen being projected into the air above the top edge showed a rapid series of messages that passed too quickly for him to read. A moment later, the system hummed and the screen faded to a pale blue with a cursor in the upper corner.
"Ok, then. Training really didn't cover you…" He glanced about the panel, looking for a dock or interface that looked like it could accept the small dongle that Merlin had instructed him to bring.
Even when he pried open some frozen panels on the underside he could find no such interface and he began to wonder if the design had been changed since Merlin's records were last updated. He checked the three other panels with similar results and was about to give up when he noticed a small wall-mounted panel to the right of the entryway. It had melted clean as Luna triggered the built-in life-support systems of the facility, revealing it to him.
In the centre of the panel was the exact interface he was searching for and he breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped up to the panel. He inserted the dongle and a chime sounded through the room. A moment later the air in the centre of the room shimmered and Merlin appeared before him, looking a lot less corporeal than in the Tor lab, leaving Harry to assume the technology didn't like the cold any more than he did.
"Well done, young one. My word, this place has seen better days."
"Yeah, most of it is iced over. Luna's bringing what she can back online from the chair. I was going to try using a terminal to help, but…"
"We have not yet covered this interface. Well, no time like the present. Shall we?" Merlin asked, gesturing to the panel Harry had first attempted to use and Harry stepped forward, eager to learn.