Carson looked pleased at the prospect. "Thank you," he replied, easing off his pack. "I wouldn't mind a cup of tea."
"Yes, and I wouldn't mind knowing how you get your water," McKay added, making a beeline for the bookshelves along one wall.
"Give them a chance to at least say hello, Rodney," John rebuked, tossing an apologetic smile at Vene while he removed his own pack.
"That's perfectly all right, Colonel," the Elder replied, pouring the beverage. The lack of servants or even aides was, to John's mind, singularly refreshing. "We understand what it is to be curious, a quality we encourage in our children. It is only by asking questions that one can gain knowledge."
Meanwhile a second Elder had lifted a large binder from a bookshelf behind her, and began filing away the papers on the table. The documents were written in Ancient, and the diagrams confirmed John's first impression that the Elders had been talking about agriculture. It made a pleasant change from meeting leaders in the midst of devising battle plans, defensive strategies, or tactics to subjugate an unhappy populace.
"Our people have always kept careful histories," Vend continued. "It is our obligation to those who have gone before and those who will follow us. When the Ancestors were here, they contributed to our histories as well."
"So you know that they were working on a project to transform the climate of this planet," Rodney said, ever direct.
John winced, wondering if these people even knew about the terraforming process, but Vend replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "We have little understanding of the mechanisms they used, but the Ancestors did explain what was to occur. One day, water would flow like sands and fall from a sky turned white with billowing moisture. The abyss below"-he nodded in what presumably was the direction of the cliff-"would be filled to the brim with oceans, and life would thrive within, while the land would become a beautiful place where plants could grow and creatures roam."
Rodney removed his pack in order to retrieve his notebook, and sat down at the table. He began scribbling notes as the Elder talked.
With a wistful smile, Vene handed Carson a cup. "I have been off-world-not often, but I have seen such things as this. As have you, no doubt"
The doctor smiled and took a sip of his tea. "This really is quite good." His eyebrows lifted approvingly. "Thank you."
Ronon, who had remained standing, accepted a cup from another Elder and downed the contents in a few gulps, while Rodney, prudent as always when it came to matters involving his personal wellbeing, elected to wait until the brew had cooled.
"You don't know the specifics," John said. "But are there any records detailing what you do know?" He, too, took a cautious sip of tea and was surprised at its sweet, fruity flavor.
In response, Vene moved to one of the many shelves lining the walls. He contemplated the array of books for a long moment before selecting a slim volume. Placing it on the table before Rodney, he sat down and explained, "It is a children's schoolbook. We can show you books and documents with more detailed accounts, of course, but I think you will find this offers the most concise explanation."
Rodney looked dubious at first, but when Vend leaned across, opened the first page, and pointed to a diagram, the scientist was immediately engrossed. "Okay, this makes sense," he said absently, turning the pages with care. "As expected, in the first stage the atmosphere was created from elements in the planet's crust. Then hundreds of technicians were brought in to assist in the second stage, the robotic mining of preexistent smaller canyons to produce hydrogen and oxygen molecules-thus, water. Experience suggested that the best way to store all the water was in the vast landmasses, where chemical leaching ensured rapid salination, until the final stage when it would be released to form oceans."
"But that hasn't happened," Ronon pointed out.
Before Rodney could get started on his usual rant about obvious statements being the root of all evil, the female Elder who'd spoken earlier answered. "Our histories tell us that after the process had begun, two Ancestors, Atlas and Ea, came with a team to Polrusso to test a new method of faster transformation. The device they brought was called an exogenesis machine"
Hope flared in Rodney's eyes. "And you've just said the magic words." He pushed the book aside.
Just once, John wished Rodney would be a little less free with information. While these people seemed a decent bunch, he saw no reason to lay all of their cards on the table.
Vend's reply held only resigned acceptance. "We have believed for some time now that their research altered the original process."
The hope in Rodney's eyes shifted into incipient panic, and John understood why. If Atlas had triggered his second machine after all, odds were that it was beyond recovery. Like the one on Atlantis.
"Whether it was deliberate or not," Vend continued, "such an action of theirs can be the only explanation for why conditions such as the caustic red sand granules still exist. The Ancestors' records are very clear about the time span of the process. Based on the terraforming procedures used on other planets, Polrusso should have been completed generations ago."
"You've known that for years, and yet you've remained here, waiting all this time for a better world that might never come?" Carson asked.
With a small smile, Vend said, "Our world is our own; it is what we have known all our lives. As difficult a place as it may seem to you, it is not so bleak in our eyes. Still, we would like to see the process completed, so that our children may live on the planet of which our forebears dreamed."
Maybe they couldn't recover Atlas's machine, but with access to an original Ancient terraforming computer John felt confident that Rodney would be able to figure out something. "If we could take a look inside the building where the process was being controlled, we might be able to help your people."
Latching on to the idea, Rodney became reanimated. He turned his attention back to the book and flicked through the pages.
"We have tried in the past to enter the Ancestors' control facility. It is surrounded by an invisible wall that none can penetrate." Then it was Vene's turn to look hopeful. "But of course! You arrived in an Ancestor's ship." He sat up straighter and examined John intently. "You would help us?"
"We could at least take a look."
The energy in the room altered abruptly, and the Elders went off on a conversational tangent exploring the possibilities. Rodney, on the other hand, had gone unnaturally still. It was so out of character that Carson's query was edged with concern. "Rodney? What is it?" He leaned across to examine the open book.
Eyebrows lifting toward his hairline, Rodney mouthed something that looked like twelve, while his finger tapped manically against the page.
"Twelve what?" Ronon asked, also stepping forward to see.
John counted it a good thing that the Elders were otherwise occupied, because the avarice radiating from Rodney was downright embarrassing. "If this is correct…" The scientist looked up and stared at John with saucer eyes. "They have twelve ZPMs, none of which is more than ten thousand years old!"
Carson almost choked on his tea. John was getting a bit of a head rush himself, but in purely a good way. If Rodney was right, their options had… well, considerably expanded.
One Elder was pulling folders from a shelf, while the others talked about priority evacuation plans. "Whoa, whoa!" John pushed his chair back and stood. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. First we need to take a look at this place."
"Yes, of course. I'll take you there immediately." Vend rushed to his feet and all but ran around the table.
"It would be wonderful if you could do this for us" The female Elder, whose name John hadn't caught, added in a more cautious voice, "We have not encountered a people willing to perform a service without payment."