Cleaning Up After The Ancients - Chapter 174

Chapter 174 - Over Performing Errors - Part 4

“And now if they manage to convert enough of the humans in the Avalon galaxy they'll gain the power needed to wipe out the other Ascended and nothing will be left to stop them acting directly against the rest of the universe.” Eventus finished his retelling, idly wondering if it would be too much to ask if they'd be willing to get him a glass of water or something in that vein.

Oberoth glanced over the other Asurans, seeming to take note of how the majority appeared to be contemplating Eventus's word before scowling and focusing his gaze back on the Lantean.. “Even assuming the truth of your words, you can't know that these Ori will even care about us.” His eyes flicked over to Niam and his scowl transitioned into an almost mocking smirk. “After all, we are not human. And contrary to the belief of some, lack the capability to Ascend. So also lack the ability to ever become a threat.”

“The Asgard would probably be more than happy to explain to you how little that first actually matters.” Eventus pointed out dryly. “While the only thing holding your people back from eventually ascending is the fact that you haven't figured out how to draw the necessary higher dimensional energy to fuel the transformation.”

With the conversation he'd had with Niam on their walk over, it hadn't been particularly difficult to figure out that the information the Asurans had on ascension had originated from one of the general Lantean guides towards it. Which would have been all well and good if they were humans, but the general guides involved several basic assumptions of biological and metaphysical capability that the Asurans just didn't possess.

“Really, all you'd have to do is engineer into your bodies some kind of higher dimension energy tap,” Which he knew was possible since the Sangraal basically did that in the opposite direction. “Or transfer yourselves into partially or fully organic bodies that were grown using genetic information already containing that capability.”

“Enough with the digression.” Oberoth snapped in annoyance. “We will not be helping you with your war. And no words you may speak will change that.”

Eventus frowned, he had never been an expert on nanite programing, nonetheless he had read up enough on the Asuran project to know that a moderate self preservation and risk assessment drive had been included in their base code. So even assuming Oberoth himself was intractable, learning about the Ori should have been enough to trigger at least a portion of them to want to actually investigate how accurate his words were.

“And that’s how all your people feel?” He asked, glancing across the other mostly unconcerned seeming Asuran faces as a worrying possibility began creeping up on him.

“None of what you spoke of leads to certainty." The tall Asuran man with short cropped dark hair stated calmly. “If you lose your fight, if enough humans remain in Avalon after your loss to give the Ori the power they need to defeat the other Ascended, if enough Ori survive that fight to matter, if they come to our galaxy after it, if they consider us a threat.”

“And if I could provide you with evidence to change at least some of those ifs to certainties?" Eventus pressed.

“If you had evidence you would have already provided it.” Oberoth countered.

Raising a single eyebrow, Eventus reached into his vest pocket and pulled out the data crystal he had been saving for a suitably dramatic moment. “This contains a full recording of my recent encounter with one of the Ori's servants, a full recording of the Asgard's recent encounter with one of the Ori's servants, a full copy of their religious scripture, and all the historical information I have uncovered that the former high council hid away about the Ori.”

Oberoth stared at the crystal for a moment, and it was clear to Eventus that the Asuran leader wanted nothing more than to tell the Lantean to shove it someplace dark and uncomfortable. However it was also clear from the various looks the other Asuran's were now exchanging that such a demand would be one step too far.

“We will look at your evidence.” He finally growled out.

Giving a nod, Eventus stepped forward and set the crystal down on the desk in front of the Asuran leader before returning to his previous position in the room.

“You know, I really didn't have anything to do with what happened to you?” He put forward as Oberoth's glare continued to bore into him. “None of the Lanteans I know of that are still alive did. The crew of the Aurora was in stasis when it happened. The oldest member of the Tria's crew would have been twelve. And Janus, for all his many many faults, openly came out in support of your request to strip the attack command out of your base coding.”

Which probably hadn't done the idea any favors, but it was more the point of the matter.

“Janus still lives?” Oberoth asked in a cautious tone.

Eventus nodded. “He's the old member of the high councilor that I mentioned when we first talked.”

Oberoth smiled as if Eventus had just handed him the perfect gift. “You wish me to at least consider your words, well I have decided the price for that is that we be allowed to bring the last member of the former high council to justice.”

Eventus blinked, absolutely not having expected that given their base code induced restrictions involving his people.

“All right.” He agreed.

That seemed to take Oberoth aback. “What?”

“I recovered him from a secret moon base above a habitable world fitted with boobytrapped potentia that were set to dump their energy if plugged in anywhere else into an explosive detonation large enough to wipe out all life on a planet, in a long term stasis unit that he used to inflict brain damage on himself in hopes of preventing a race of parasitic aliens from learning about his work creating a superhuman cybernetic slave race, after he got bored of traveling through time doing who knows what and building illegal psionic amplifiers for his relatives.” Eventus slowly listed out, shuddering slightly at the thought of just what else the man might have gotten up to during his millenia of unchecked scientific wandering.

He took a breath before letting it out in a disdainful scoff. “I truly do not think you understand just how little care I have for what happens to the man so long as it involves him being locked away somewhere far from any ability to unleash more chaos onto the rest of the universe.”

Sure it would mean he’d need to actually heal the scientist before handing him over, but Eventus had only been refusing to do that in the first place as an excuse to keep him in stasis for as long as possible.

“So if that’s what it takes for you to begin moving past things, I’m more than happy to do so.”

Oberoth looked distinctly like he’d bit into a lemon, clearly not having expected Eventus to be willing to actually hand the man over to him. But they both knew it was too late for him to retract the offer now without coming off as a giant hypocrite to the rest of the Asuran council.

“Very well,” The Asuran leader growled. “Return to your ship, you have a day to return with Janus tow.”

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Author’s Notes: I originally had a bit of a different direction planned for this, but I realized mid writing that I’d fallen into the trap of having Eventus be all “look at this super simple and obvious solution that somehow nobody ever thought of before”. And that’s really opposite of the general level of “the low hanging fruit has been plucked by competent people who came before” that I like running with for my stories.

So instead we’re getting Janus put on trial by the Asurans.  Which of course involves actually waking Janus up.