Prologue – Et in Arcadia Ego

Disclaimer – I own nothing but my OC.

Hello there ladies and gentlemen! So, this is a re-interpretation of a story I wrote a few years ago and with this extra time courtesy of our globally imposed isolation, I've put it to paper. Let us see how it all turns out so rate, review and enjoy!

A gentle breeze blew through the leaves of the rainforest as many species of birds took to the sky. It was peaceful to any observer, but on the balcony of a large metallic tower, a solitary figure frowned sadly as the breeze had reached him, his loose white tunic billowing slightly. The sounds of nature that emanated from the forest that grew around the giant city was disturbed by a near quiet swish of an opening door. A beautiful woman took a step out onto the balcony as well, her long white dress flowing in the soft wind.

"A far cry from the chaos of the galaxy, is it not?" The young man spoke quietly as she stood beside him.

"Quite. The calm before the storm, as it were." She agreed, leaning against the railing.

"They have yet to discover this star system. That grants me some relief." His steel grey eyes turned to face her and she smiled sadly at him. "Have we received word yet, Irina?"

"The High Council relayed its orders to Noro just now. He has called a meeting with the Senators from here as well as Novus Terra." At this, the young man sighed sadly and leaned against the railing in despair. "I believe the request to be what we fear...that we are to abandon Arcadia and Novus Terra. Amaris...the Wraith are just too many...we can not hope to fight."

"But what of our home?" He asked as she rested a hand on his shoulder.

"The time traveller to Atlantis gives me hope that our descendants may yet return. In time, maybe they could have a chance to right our wrongs here."

The conversation was interrupted by an older male who noticed the two and smiled sadly at them. They both looked at him before he beckoned them inside and they made their way to the Conference Room, finding the seats occupied save for two. Amaris and Irina took their seats as the multi-panel doors shut and the silence in the room seemed to last many hours.

"High Councillor Moros has ordered the immediate evacuation of our people to Atlantis." The older male said and the gathered Senators muttered among themselves.

"Noro...this is our home..." Amaris said softly through the din of voices.

"I know...and I agree. However, this war is lost. Our numbers are too few and our ships have either suffered a lot of damage or have been destroyed. We cannot hope to fight them. I did have the opportunity to meet the visitor from the future. Doctor Elizabeth Weir..." He said and Amaris smiled.

"A determined woman, by all accounts." Irina said, her voice amused.

"I have also spoken with Janus." At this, some of the Senators rolled their eyes. "His methods are outlandish, I will admit...but his tampering with causality reveals Atlantis will survive and be rediscovered." He successfully quietened them down. "Perhaps we could put measures in place to preserve our own history, both on Novus Terra and here. If not for us, then for our descendants."

"Our cities are exposed on the surface like this. We do not have the ability to submerge like our brethren. The shield will not hold under a sustained bombardment." Irina said and Amaris looked to be deep in thought.

"A suggestion perhaps, Amaris?" Noro asked curiously.

"I believe that we can make use of a more subtle method of protecting our heritage. We utilise cloaks on our various Gateships. Perhaps we could apply the same concept on a far larger scale and conceal both cities. As an added benefit, it would mean less strain on our energy systems...it could remain active for longer."

"Can you do that within our limited time frame?" Irina asked.

"I will not be able to build a dedicated generator, but I believe I can interface one of the Gateship generators with the shield emitters to produce the desired effect within a few hours."

"Then please begin your work. Moros has instructed that we send through evacuees in groups. You will be of the last group."

"I shall..."

Amaris felt an overwhelming sense of loss as he sent the necessary data to his brethren at Novus Terra on the makeshift cloaking generator. It was beginning to settle in that this was his final day in Arcadia, his home ever since he was born and on occasion, had fought to defend it from potential invaders. His one consolation in what he was doing was that they had prevented it from being discovered in those battles and this plan would save it for their descendants.

"Is it ready?" Noro asked as he walked into Central Control.

"Yes. I am just about to begin the shield conversion process. I have transmitted the necessary instructions to our counterparts on Novus Terra."

"Good." The head of the Senate smiled and went to walk off.

"Noro..."

"Yes?"

"I would like to be the last one through. I want to leave a message should our descendants come across us. It would serve as a warning about the Wraith."

"Very well. Please ensure that you do return to Atlantis in a timely fashion."

"I shall. Is the final group prepared to travel? I can dial the Stargate."

"I would appreciate it. Remember, Amaris...you are to return to Atlantis when you have completed your tasks here. Be safe, my friend."

"You as well, Noro. I imagine we will either meet on Atlantis or when we return to Earth." He hit the buttons on the dialling device, the Stargate connecting to their capital. Irina walked over to oversee the power levels on one of the consoles. "Irina, it is not necessary. I can see to the minute details."

"I wanted the opportunity to say farewell should we not see one another in Atlantis. Amaris...you have taken steps to preserve the Viridian culture. You have exercised caution that our brethren did not and have planted the seeds of hope for the galaxy. It is because of you that our cities will survive and our descendants will find their homes here."

"Better for it to be empty and preserved than filled only to be destroyed later. We will see one another again Irina. Whether it be on Atlantis or on Earth." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, her head resting on his shoulder. "Go, now. I will be along shortly." He smiled softly.

Releasing her from his embrace, Amaris watched her descend the steps with luggage in hand. As she reached the Stargate, she turned and looked up at him as he in turn looked down at her. With a soft smile, he gave her an encouraging nod and she walked through with a sad smile of her own. Amaris stood at the top of the steps of the empty Control Room and took in the silence of the once bustling city.

The scientist shut down all but the dialling console and covered them with silken sheets to protect them from dust. Quietly, he made his way down to a large circular room, the multi-panel doors sliding close. With but a thought, he felt the hologram scan him and he smiled softly.

"I do not know who will find this message, but I can only assume that you are of our descendants. To you I say welcome to Arcadia, city of the Viridians, or Alterans as you may know us. This message serves as a very brief history of our role in affairs of this galaxy, and hopefully as a word of caution when exploring." He began as he put his hands together in front of him.

"This planet was desolate when we first arrived. My ancestors brought many flora and fauna samples to seed our planet with life and re-create and its evolutionary path as best we could. They anchored the city to the region that best represented our ancestral homeworld, a rainforest with a rich biodiversity. In time our planet was a verdant world which we named Viridis.

"We seeded two other planets in our system and established homes there as well. However, our brethren in our capital of Atlantis discovered a dark world were a vicious enemy slumbered. They quickly gained powers that rivalled our own. Our brethren were unprepared in their overconfidence and ultimately outnumbered in the war that came. The enemy fed upon defenceless human worlds whilst I and my fellow Viridians worked to turn the tide with our technology and cautious tactics.

"We were pushed back, but our system remained undiscovered. I cloaked our cities and drydock, so that they may slumber. I have no doubt we will not return, but I know our kind would one day return in some form."

He stepped down from the pedestal when he had finished the recording. With a heavy heart, he powered it down to conserve power and went to dial the Stargate to Atlantis. Setting in commands to shut the console down, Amaris grabbed a case and headed down the steps towards the event horizon. He stopped and took a look back at Central Control, and smiled softly.

"May your rest be temporary." He murmured softly, before finally taking a step through.

Behind him the Stargate shut down and the city of Arcadia lay silent. A gentle breeze blew through the leaves and though the great city was silent, many birds sung their songs as they took to the skies, flying between the invisible spires, accepting them as an ever present part of their landscape.

And that is our prologue! With all the time I have to spare, I hope to get another chapter out pretty quickly, but in the meanwhile please rate, review and enjoy!