"Hmmm..." Kyle saw that it wasn't going to be as easy as a non-computerate person like him might think.

"Printed out, even if we could find a printer, would take ages and produce a serious volume of paper we'd struggle to carry back. Even taking screenshots with a camera is going to be time-consuming, and then you'd have to transcribe the information for it to be much use."

" Yeah, someone has to stay with the computer and work it from here. "

 Lizzy watches Kyle and Jackie work on the main computer, she will watch and see if she can pick anything out, or maybe just being another pair of scientific set of eyes.

 Lizzy will say," Now that sounds like a lot of work, maybe we could go back and get some equipment that would help us get the information out?"

"Well, we've been all over this level, and I'm pretty sure there's no tarp down here," Jason adds. "Our best is the level above us. We didn't explore all those storerooms."

"Hey! There's a thought! Kyle, Carter! Any chance of you finding an inventory on the computer? If there's a tarp available, it'd be a big help knowing which room to go to."

"I don't know about anyone else, but I don't remember seeing anything like a tarp anywhere up among the Minotaurs."

"In any case, I doubt if we need the tarp to get the android to the elevator. It's a question of leverage. If we each grab a leg, we should be able to drag the android to the elevator. You can drag almost 5 times as much as you can lift."

As the exchange about the computer is relayed to him and the Colonel, he has another thought.

"It doesn't sound like there's any data in the computer that doesn't pertain to the towers. Not much point, really. If the Minotaurs develop far enough, there's probably a way for them to find that information. But the history of the Alterans isn't going to be helpful to them."

"If there are technical specs in there, those you can download. But what you should be looking for is how to fix the vats... how to restart the Minotaur culture that's been stalled for a hundred years or more. They've already forgotten a lot of knowledge... even their own history. It seems to me that they are too dependent on the computer. Maybe we should give them some books. That way, if the computer craps out again, they have a back-up system."

"Hey, Carter... do you think we could hook up a printer to their computer? I was thinking we could print out the operating manuals and make books out of them."

Kyle started rooting through the computer. Was there an operating manual for this mannikin the others had found? Then it could walk out for itself. Next he looked for an inventory to see if there was refernce to a tarpaulin or similar, and for operating manuals for the vats and other systems here in the tower. Sure, the history was far more interesting but sometimes you have to be practical.

Jackie sighs.

" I will check to see if there is some connections then see if I can make an adapter or something."

Without knowing the name of the android, it's nearly impossible for Kyle to find any reference to it. All the obvious terms produce no results.

He is able to call up an inventory control system. He does find that there is an automated system that keeps track of where every piece of equipment goes. So, while the inventory shows an optimum count of 100 tarps in inventory, there are only 96 still there. One is up on Level 7, while the other 3 are no longer in the building.

He doesn't find any 'printable' document that is an operating manual, but he finds the routines that do the same thing. One is a computer screen display while the other is a verbal version of the same. Either one could probably be printed out, but some editing would make them more useful.


There's no physical outlets for peripheral devices, but Carter does find the internal routines in the operating system for connecting to an assortment of peripherals via wireless systems.

" I should be able to connect wirelessly if I have the right wireless printers.

Although she wasn't a computer expert by any means, as a medical professional, she did know her way around the medical end of a computer.

"Lizzy, can we call up the status of the vats? I'm thinking we should start with the lowest one, keep moving up, and comparing each one with the previous one," Karen said. "Eventually, we'll get to the first one that's not working. It should have the least amount of variation from the norm. Maybe then we can figure out what's causing the change."

"Either that, or we just use the computer to analyze the top vat and see if it can come up with a way to... fix it. Add a pinch of salt or hit it with UV rays. Whatever."

 Lizzy smiles at Karen and calls to Kyle," Kyle can you bring up the Vat status here?"

Kyle doesn't have to do--either one of you can. Although there are physical screens, the images projected on them are virtual. You can just touch one screen and slide the image to whatever screen you want.

But Kyle does it for you just to show you how.

Withing a few seconds, you have the vat levels all displayed in a vertical stack on the screens in front of you. Well, 5 of them anyway.

You start calling up the data on each one, which is displayed as an overlay down the right hand side.

The first two levels are identical. It's only when you get to the third level that you begin to see differences in the numbers.

Across the bottom of each level, you get a readout of suggested course of action. Kyle has to translate it, but it includes an explanation saying that it couldn't perform the necessary actions itself because the computer was off line and it didn't have the ability to acquire the ingredients or add it to the vats.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:44, Sat 12 Dec 2020.

After hearing bits and pieces of Kyle's translations, Coleman realizes at least part of what he's saying; the computer knows how to fix the vats. It just needs ingredients and some manpower to help it. "Carter, definitely keep doing what you're doing; ideally we'd like to have enough data about these vats that the eggheads back home can piece together how to replicate their process. That way they could make those crystals. It'd also help in figuring out how to explain to the minotaurs how to maintain them, and perhaps to help rehabilitate them.

Doctor McKeon; you can read Latin too, right? Can you make enough sense of this to explain to Bjorn and I how to get started with those level 3 vats? Wouldn't hurt to get started if we have any of the necessary ingredients. If we don't, I guess we can make a wish list for when we call home with the news.

I still wonder how the specters and gremlins play into this? If it will hurt the specters int he other tower, I'm not eager to fix their vats, but I kind of suspect that they are, somehow, part of the proper functioning of the vats. If that's the case, then fixing them probably will make them happy."

It takes a bit of linguistic magic to translate the mineral that needs to be added to the vats to reverse the contamination. Lizzie and Kyle are stumped by the result until someone suggests asking the computer where the mineral can be found. It indicates a point about three miles away from the arcology. A lot of extraneous data is provided, but the gist of it is that it is a mineral deposit extruded from the planet's magma core. It's 'name' is: sodium lithium boron silicate hydroxide.

About a pound of it needs to be ground into a powder and then added to the vat. It'll take a bit more for each more polluted vat.

"Well, that is some progress! Hey Bjorn and McKeon, shall we go give the Minotaurs the good news? They'll probably know how easy or hard it will be to get to that mineral. Carter and McGuinness, once we have a plan we'll come let you know. I have a feeling we're going to want all hands on deck if we're going out to play with gremlins. For now, though, keep at it."

 Lizzy worked hard with Kyle, and then when they figured out the mineral they needed was here, she was very happy. Then Lizzy responded to Coleman," Yes Sir that sounds like a great idea, maybe they even have some of the mineral on hand." Lizzy got ready to head with him and Bjorn to talk to the Minotaurs.

Sometimes, he couldn't help it--the geek in him just came out.

"Wow! You know that's kryptonite, right?" he told the others. "No, really! That's the chemical composition of kryptonite!"

"Not real kryptonite. But that was the designation on a museum placard in one of the Superman movies. No one's really sure who came up with that, whether it was a real thing at the time or just some gag name, like wonderflonium. But then, a few years ago, that exact same mineral was found in a mine in Serbia."

"Anyway... did the computer know this was a remedy for a possible problem? Or did it formulate an answer based on its sensors' analysis of the existing problem? If the former, then there might be some stored here in the arcology. Kyle can check the inventory for that."

"I'm thinking, though, that this particular problem wasn't anticipated. It sounds more like the Alterans who built these arcologies just did a mineral survey of the surrounding area. Really, if you think about it, the Minotaurs were expected to take their own place in the galaxy at some point. Why else put a gate here?"

"As their culture began to regress, they lost the awareness of the gate's function. That indicates to me that the Minotaurs hadn't quite reached the tipping point where their culture was self-sustainable. It must have been pretty close, though."

"Unless you believe Humans were being visited by aliens--which, now that I think about it, is what we're doing to the Minotaurs--we kept evolving, inventing, exploring. That seems to be our nature. Perhaps, since the Minotaurs are a bio-engineered species--Uplifted in some SF parlance, that self-perpetuating evolution didn't get built into them. Or, like I said, they haven't quite reached that threshold yet."

"The flaw in the Alterans' plans seems to be reliance on a computer that got damaged. Remember, the Minotaurs are one of the species that the Alterans created to be poisonous to the Goa'uld. I'm not sure there's any technology here that the Goa'uld don't already have, so it certainly seems like a Goa'uld to sabotage the whole thing just for spite. 'If we can't have it, neither can you' idea."

Jackie smiles. "I sure hope it isn't real kryptonite. After all we have dealt with Kryptonians would be a severe issue."

Bjorn, McKeon and Hendricks head back up in the elevator to the ground floor of the arcology and look for Tauranchula.

"No, we don't have any of that mineral around," he answers when they find him and ask about it. "But I know the location you are talking about. We used to get some of it for the potters to use in coloring and strengthening their pottery. We stopped doing that after the Witherwind started coming, and, of course, the Degra."

By now, Lizzie and Kyle have adjusted their Latin to mesh better with that spoken by the Minotaurs. And vice versa.

"So, you wish me to lead you there. That I can do. We have about two hours before the Witherwind comes. We still have to worry about the Degra, but we have enough crystals and weapons now to handle them."

"Well, I guess we've got a two hour window. I promised Carter and Kyle that I'd let them know so they can come too. Let's do that and get going. Sounds like there could be a fight, so let's bring what we need for that but minimize the heavy stuff so we can keep up!"

Coleman tries the radio, in case having the computer system up allows that to work, but moves towards the elevator as he does so, just in case it doesn't. In whatever manner, he lets the other two know what's going on and asks if they're going to come along.

Oddly, while the SG radios still don't work through the walls and floors of arcology, vocalizing the others' names seems to activate the 'comm system' for the arcology. Coleman's words are picked up and repeated down on the engineering level so that Carter, Karen and Kyle all hear it.

"Hey, hear that - neat!" exclaimed Kyle. Not that he wanted to go, particularly. He was happy exploring here.

" Cool, yes. Interesting comm system. " She heads out as well.

"Do I need to come along?" Kyle asked Jackie.

"Not sure how much use I'd be..."

 Lizzy got all her gear ready, combat and medical.  She looked at Coleman and replied," I am ready to go Sir, hopefully the Chief has equipment to help mine this mineral as well Sir."

Kyle can stay behind and explore the arcology's internal communication system on the computer.

Carter and Karen go back up to the ground floor and meet up with Coleman, Lizzie and Jason, as well as Tauranchula. He's got one other Minotaur with him, who he introduced as Garavan.

He's got a couple of shovels and several rucksacks.

"It required a pick to get the mineral out of the cliff way back when," Tauranchula explains to them. "Over the years, the weather and mining, if you can call it that, has collapsed most of the cliff, so all it takes now is to shovel it up into the rucksacks."

"I'm bringing Garavan in case we run into any of the Degra attack. They've been getting bolder with each passing year."