Cleaning Up After The Ancients - Chapter 15

Chapter 15 - Secret Closet

The evacuation of Atlantis back to the Milky Way had been a multi-stage affair, because even his people hadn't been egotistical enough to think they could just walk back through the stargate and everything would just work out.

During that process, a significant portion of the cities excess equipment had been brought back to Earth, where it would have spread out and eventually ended up being hidden away, buried, or looted by the Goa’uld. Though of course, his people hadn’t exactly been aware of that last one given their staunch refusal to take advantage of anything even remotely involving temporal displacement events.

This was unfortunately relevant to his current circumstances because it meant the only hazard exoskeletons left in the city were the single backup each member of the maintenance corps had squirreled away over the centuries for the inevitable events that involved an inability to access the secure lockers were they were normally supposed to be stored.

Eventus had kept his hidden by the loading dock next to the city’s central control tower, which was the only one who’s location the man actually knew, since after an unfortunate prank war they’d all equally agreed it was probably for the best that they not share the storage location of their backup armor with everyone else on the team.

“Eventus.” Teyla called out as Eventus paused mere moments from activating the transport booth that would place him near the location. “I know you are busy, but could we perhaps talk?”

“Sure.” He said, motioning for the Athosian woman to join him in the transport chamber. “I'm just heading over to the central loading dock to pick up something that's hopefully still stashed away there.”

Giving him a shallow nod and light smile she stepped in. “Thank you.”

Tapping the destination point in the interface, a brief flash lit the chamber as they were transported to the other chamber, at which point he reached over and selected the seventeenth floor.

“So, what did you want to talk about?”  He asked her as the chamber's elevator function activated and began moving them up the building floors.

“I do not know how aware you might be of the way your people are currently viewed in this galaxy.” Teyla put forward in a cautious tone.

“Half a day with Allina gave me something of an idea.” Eventus admitted as the chamber came to a stop and the doors slid open. “If you're looking for answers about life the universe and everything though, I'm sorry to say we only have a couple more of those then you probably do.”

He walked out of the chamber at that, the shorter Athosian woman keeping pace next to him as he hung a quick left and passed through an open door into a small room filled with empty shelves.

“Not at the moment.” Teyla returned with an amused smile. “Though I would be interested in discussing such things with you at a later date.”

“This is more in concerns to Allina. Given the events she has lived through the past few months. I fear she may attempt to do something… Unwise.”

“Unwise how?” Eventus inquired in concern for the woman as he made his way to the rear wall of the room before reaching up and twisting one of the sconce lights ninety degrees.

“It is…” Teyla began, only to trail off in confusion as with a slight whir a portion of the wall slid down to reveal a small closet with a Mark CXLII Hazardous Environment Exoskeleton standing with its back towards them.

“What is that?” She asked as he put a hand on the suit and sent a mental command for it to open.

“Hazard Suit.” He explained as the armor plates unfolded. “We used them for work in areas that were otherwise inimical to human life.”

A full neural interface, inertial dampeners, crystalline power cells, all environment life support, anti-gravity generators, rocket boots, magnetic equipment hardpoints, physical ability enhancement, and a number of quality of life systems. All protected by twin shield generators and a neutronium alloy shell that together could in theory allow someone to survive a direct hit from the capital ship grade plasma weapons of a Wraith cruiser.

The only thing it was really missing was a psionic amplification system, but that technology was so heavily restricted that in all of his years Eventus had only ever seen High Counselor Moros with one of those devices.

“You were telling me about how Allina might do something unwise.” He prompted as he set the exoskeleton to run a full systems diagnostic.

“Yes.” Teyla said in a distracted tone as she dragged her eyes away from the holographic projections now emanating from the suit's open helmet. “I fear she is planning to offer something to you in the coming days that she will greatly regret once things reach a point of stability.”

Blinking, Eventus took a moment to work through what the Athosian woman had just told him before understanding struck. “Ah, you mean–”

“Yes.” Teyla quickly confirmed before he could actually voice it.

“I can assure you.” Eventus said, grimacing slightly at the thought. “Given Allina's circumstances I wouldn't accept such an offer if it were to be made.”

Not that Allina wasn't attractive enough, and he'd certainly enjoyed the flirting before finding out her circumstances. But no good would come from having sex with someone who had lost everything and spent the least several months building your people up in her head based on questionable religious legends.

“I did not believe you would.” Teyla demurred with a slight bow of her head that suggested at least part of that belief was rooted in him being one of the Ancestors. “However experience has taught my people that in such cases desperation can often follow. And while my people are happy to let the Daganians join us in the portion of the city set aside for us to weather out the coming Wraith attack, we cannot be sure in our success in keeping such desperation from openly manifesting.”

“So you wanted to warn me.” Eventus followed along with an idle nod as he directed the internal systems to flush out a couple dust clogged joints. “Thanks. Though I should probably tell you I’m planning to head out to Taranis early tomorrow to try and bring back the Hippaforalkus.”

Teyla tensed slightly as the suit let out a hiss of compressed air. “Doctor Weir has informed us. Which is why I wished to have this talk now.”

“Looks like everything’s good to go.” Eventus muttered half to himself as the last of the checks showed no problems. 

“I’ll make sure to keep an eye out for her sneaking into my quarters to clean.” He joked as he turned to Teyla with a grin only to see a look of confusion on the Athosian woman’s face. “Ah… I suppose that’s not one of the cultural practices that survived the past ten thousand years…”

He tilted his head slightly as he recalled where he had heard about that particular practice from. “Well… Or Dea was just messing with me.”

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Author’s Notes: Some people have secret labs, others however have to make due with secret closets.