Excerpt of Rising's novelization
In mckay_sheppard, danamaree asked some opinions about the Atlantis book, and I said I'll get the McShep moments in Rising, it's behind the cut.
Rising’s novelization by Sally Malcolm. Based on the original teleplay, some scenes were changed when filming.
P.40 (John’s POV)
“Who is this?” a slight, dark-haired woman asked. Under other circumstances he might have considered her attractive, but right now she just looked pissed.
“I thought I told you not to touch anything!” O’Neill snapped.
Sheppard felt obliged to defend himself, even if he dared not moving a muscle. “I just sat down.” It sounded lame, even to his own ears.
And then someone else was talking to him in clipped, staccato words. This guy didn’t seem to have a lot of patience. “Major,” he said abruptly, “think of where we are in the solar system.”
P.55
He’d been here a week already, but still John Sheppard was in awe. And not just of the technology; there were some scarily smart people around here, and he’d gradually begun to get to know some of them. McKay, the guy who’d told him to think about the solar system, seemed to be the head smart-ass. He knew his stuff alright, but was as prickly as a porcupine on a bad day. Then again, McKay spoke his mind and Sheppard admired that. Charm he could live without, honesty, he couldn’t.
[…]
Last time he’d seen McKay, the guy had been fiddling with the ZPM and just about ripping out what was left of his hair. He hadn’t been too amused when Sheppard had cautioned him about that either…
Sheppard grinned at the memory, and stepped into the gate room.
P.65
McKay had given him a long-winded description, the gist of which had been that every molecule in his body would be torn apart, flung across the galaxy, and then reassembled at the other end.
It sounded painful. He hadn’t asked McKay about that because, well, frankly that wasn’t the sort of thing majors in the USAF asked civilian scientists.
P.67
“The lights are coming on by themselves,” he said quietly. The only person listening was Rodney McKay, who’d appeared out of nowhere and was blatantly ignoring Sumner’s order to stay put while the security teams investigated. Sheppard decided to keep an eye on McKay, and together they crept u the stairs into what looked like the Atlantis equivalent of the SGC’s control room.
P.69 (Weir’s POV)
Elizabeth Weir tried to take it all in as she slowly climbed the stairs to the mezzanine level. She could see Sheppard and McKay already up there, their voices mingling with the constant chatter that drifted through the vast chamber and the stream of static and awe voices that came over her radio.
[…]
At the top of the stairs she realized what was fascinating McKay and Sheppard. They’d discovered what had to be a control room. McKay looked like a kid in a toy store, whipping off dust sheets and dashing from one bank of instruments to the next while muttering under his breath.[…] Sheppard on the other hand was more cautious, the center of calm to McKay’s whirlwind of activity.
P.79 (Rodney POV)
“No way near enough power to open a wormhole back to earth!”
“Somewhere in this galaxy then?” Surprisingly, the suggestion was Sheppard’s.
“That’s relatively easy,” McKay admitted. He cast half a glance at the major, wondering if he needed to reassess the jarhead label. “The power requirement to travel within a galaxy is a fraction of what is required to gate between two galaxies.”
Sheppard gave a lopsided smile. “Can gate anywhere in Pegasus, can’t gate back to Earth.”
“Yes, I said yes,” McKay muttered.
[…]
But McKay didn’t miss the dismissive look the Colonel flung at Sheppard as he left, or the way the major hung back and didn’t follow.[…] “I’d like you to go along, Major,” Weir said.
He looked awkward. “I wasn’t invited.”
“I give the orders here.”
And hallelujah for that.
Sheppard paused, just for a moment, and that almost smile was back.
P.82 (John’s POV)
… “and no immediate signs of activity around the Stargate, but it’s pitch black.”
Figures. McKay couldn’t have chosen a planet with daylight?
P.122 (Rodney’s POV)
“We’re on the surface, “Weir breathed, almost as if she barely dared to believe it.
Sheppard’s grin grew wider. “That we are,” he agreed, glancing at McKay. “How did you know?”
If only he had… “I didn’t.”
P.124 (John’s POV)
The control room was already flooded, so to speak, with geeks poring over the computers, looking for answers, while McKay - chief geek - was lecturing the rest of them about their situation.
[…] “…the planet’s atmosphere is breathable, notwithstanding the inevitable allergens.”
Notwithstanding? Who used words like that…?
“Can our generators supply enough power to the shield for defensive purposes?” Weir asked, getting straight to the point. Sheppard liked that about her.
“Not even close,” McKay replied, arms folded. The guy almost looked smug, as if he’d managed to prove that the world really was out to get him.
“On the surface without that shield, we’re target practice,” Sheppard noted.
“I’m acutely aware of that, Major. Thanks you for reinforcing it.”
Sarcasm. Nice. What did they called it, the lowest form of wit? Ignoring McKay’s barb, he said, “When can you tell me where the Wraith took Colonel Sumner and the others?”[…]
McKay made a show of condescending patience.
“Even with the six symbols Lieutenant Ford provided, there are still hundreds of permutations---”
“Seven hundred and twenty,” Sheppard told him. Who did that guy think he was dealing with? The paper boy?
McKay raised an eyebrow, impressed and clearly unwilling to show it. “I knew that, of course,” he retorted. “I’m just surprised you do.”
The smug son of a---“Take away the coordinates you can’t get a lock on. That’ll leave you with the right one.” Sheppard made it an order. “When you find it, send a MALP.” Time McKay began to appreciate who was in charge around here.
To Sheppard’s surprise the scientist didn’t protest as he headed over the DHD. He took that as a sign of progress…
P.134 (Rodney’s POV)
Crazy as it was -as he was, in all probability - the man actually wanted to go out there and get his friends back. Sheppard was admirable, McKay supposed. Insane, but admirable.[…] Praying he wasn’t going to regret it, he said, “come with me, Major.”
It didn’t take them long to get there, and McKay adamantly refused to answer any of Sheppard’s irritating questions on the way down. Part of him enjoyed the chance to sense of power and part of him enjoyed the chance to say ‘Ta da!’ When they got to their destination McKay stopped outside the doors and grinned before waving Sheppard ahead of him.
With one last, sceptical look, the Major walked past him and through a set of double doors that hissed open as they approached. “McKay,” he growled, “I swear, if this is---“He stopped, eyes going wide and a smile of pure delight cracking his face. […]
Sheppard looked like a kid on Christmas morning, and McKay practically had to tug on his sleeve to get him moving. “Come on, we can go inside of one.”
[…]So he watched with interest - and not a little jealousy -- as Sheppard slid into the pilot’s chair as if he’d been born to sit there. […]
“Think you can fly it?” McKay asked.
Sheppard threw him a grin. “What say we find out?”
P.138 (Weir’s POV)
…and sitting in the cockpit was one very amused Major John Sheppard, who lifted his hand in a cocky wave.
McKay harrumphed, his thunder pretty well stolen, and Weir just stared.
{In the tv version, Rodney just wave back, stunned.}
P.139 (John’s POV)
Sheppard didn’t know Rodney McKay very well, but the guy had the look of a gossip.
P.140 (Ford’s POV)
“Gateship One.”
“A little puddle jumper like this?” Sheppard laughed.
“Dr. McKay thought it was cool.”
From the cockeyed smile, Ford guessed that McKay’s approval didn’t carry a lot of weight with the Major.
[…]
“Ah, it’s Flight. I thought we were going with Gateship.”
Sheppard rolled his eyes. “Negative, flight.”
[…]
“Puddle Jumper, you’re clear for launch.”
Sheppard’s grin said ‘about time’.
There are some nice moments, like Rodney wanting to call his sister, but too scared of what she’ll think, he prefer give his cat to his neighbour, and call her when he’ll be back from Pegasus, John stopping himself to shout ‘let’s do it again’ the first time he goes through the Stargate, and thinking it’s almost like if they were expected when he sees the dust sheets.
But I didn’t like how it was written that John was more worried for Teyla than his men when they were took by the Wraiths.
Little cameo of Zelenka: “A little guy in glasses dashed past cursing in something that sounded vaguely Eastern European."
The scene of Weir leaving Simon are longer, first a dinner with their friends to celebrate her leaving, then in private when he give her the little necklace we see her wearing in the show.
We just see her and Rodney preparing to leave, no Ford, Carson, John scenes.
Some people may not like the many changes of POV, but it’s nice to know what they think.
Rising’s novelization by Sally Malcolm. Based on the original teleplay, some scenes were changed when filming.
P.40 (John’s POV)
“Who is this?” a slight, dark-haired woman asked. Under other circumstances he might have considered her attractive, but right now she just looked pissed.
“I thought I told you not to touch anything!” O’Neill snapped.
Sheppard felt obliged to defend himself, even if he dared not moving a muscle. “I just sat down.” It sounded lame, even to his own ears.
And then someone else was talking to him in clipped, staccato words. This guy didn’t seem to have a lot of patience. “Major,” he said abruptly, “think of where we are in the solar system.”
P.55
He’d been here a week already, but still John Sheppard was in awe. And not just of the technology; there were some scarily smart people around here, and he’d gradually begun to get to know some of them. McKay, the guy who’d told him to think about the solar system, seemed to be the head smart-ass. He knew his stuff alright, but was as prickly as a porcupine on a bad day. Then again, McKay spoke his mind and Sheppard admired that. Charm he could live without, honesty, he couldn’t.
[…]
Last time he’d seen McKay, the guy had been fiddling with the ZPM and just about ripping out what was left of his hair. He hadn’t been too amused when Sheppard had cautioned him about that either…
Sheppard grinned at the memory, and stepped into the gate room.
P.65
McKay had given him a long-winded description, the gist of which had been that every molecule in his body would be torn apart, flung across the galaxy, and then reassembled at the other end.
It sounded painful. He hadn’t asked McKay about that because, well, frankly that wasn’t the sort of thing majors in the USAF asked civilian scientists.
P.67
“The lights are coming on by themselves,” he said quietly. The only person listening was Rodney McKay, who’d appeared out of nowhere and was blatantly ignoring Sumner’s order to stay put while the security teams investigated. Sheppard decided to keep an eye on McKay, and together they crept u the stairs into what looked like the Atlantis equivalent of the SGC’s control room.
P.69 (Weir’s POV)
Elizabeth Weir tried to take it all in as she slowly climbed the stairs to the mezzanine level. She could see Sheppard and McKay already up there, their voices mingling with the constant chatter that drifted through the vast chamber and the stream of static and awe voices that came over her radio.
[…]
At the top of the stairs she realized what was fascinating McKay and Sheppard. They’d discovered what had to be a control room. McKay looked like a kid in a toy store, whipping off dust sheets and dashing from one bank of instruments to the next while muttering under his breath.[…] Sheppard on the other hand was more cautious, the center of calm to McKay’s whirlwind of activity.
P.79 (Rodney POV)
“No way near enough power to open a wormhole back to earth!”
“Somewhere in this galaxy then?” Surprisingly, the suggestion was Sheppard’s.
“That’s relatively easy,” McKay admitted. He cast half a glance at the major, wondering if he needed to reassess the jarhead label. “The power requirement to travel within a galaxy is a fraction of what is required to gate between two galaxies.”
Sheppard gave a lopsided smile. “Can gate anywhere in Pegasus, can’t gate back to Earth.”
“Yes, I said yes,” McKay muttered.
[…]
But McKay didn’t miss the dismissive look the Colonel flung at Sheppard as he left, or the way the major hung back and didn’t follow.[…] “I’d like you to go along, Major,” Weir said.
He looked awkward. “I wasn’t invited.”
“I give the orders here.”
And hallelujah for that.
Sheppard paused, just for a moment, and that almost smile was back.
P.82 (John’s POV)
… “and no immediate signs of activity around the Stargate, but it’s pitch black.”
Figures. McKay couldn’t have chosen a planet with daylight?
P.122 (Rodney’s POV)
“We’re on the surface, “Weir breathed, almost as if she barely dared to believe it.
Sheppard’s grin grew wider. “That we are,” he agreed, glancing at McKay. “How did you know?”
If only he had… “I didn’t.”
P.124 (John’s POV)
The control room was already flooded, so to speak, with geeks poring over the computers, looking for answers, while McKay - chief geek - was lecturing the rest of them about their situation.
[…] “…the planet’s atmosphere is breathable, notwithstanding the inevitable allergens.”
Notwithstanding? Who used words like that…?
“Can our generators supply enough power to the shield for defensive purposes?” Weir asked, getting straight to the point. Sheppard liked that about her.
“Not even close,” McKay replied, arms folded. The guy almost looked smug, as if he’d managed to prove that the world really was out to get him.
“On the surface without that shield, we’re target practice,” Sheppard noted.
“I’m acutely aware of that, Major. Thanks you for reinforcing it.”
Sarcasm. Nice. What did they called it, the lowest form of wit? Ignoring McKay’s barb, he said, “When can you tell me where the Wraith took Colonel Sumner and the others?”[…]
McKay made a show of condescending patience.
“Even with the six symbols Lieutenant Ford provided, there are still hundreds of permutations---”
“Seven hundred and twenty,” Sheppard told him. Who did that guy think he was dealing with? The paper boy?
McKay raised an eyebrow, impressed and clearly unwilling to show it. “I knew that, of course,” he retorted. “I’m just surprised you do.”
The smug son of a---“Take away the coordinates you can’t get a lock on. That’ll leave you with the right one.” Sheppard made it an order. “When you find it, send a MALP.” Time McKay began to appreciate who was in charge around here.
To Sheppard’s surprise the scientist didn’t protest as he headed over the DHD. He took that as a sign of progress…
P.134 (Rodney’s POV)
Crazy as it was -as he was, in all probability - the man actually wanted to go out there and get his friends back. Sheppard was admirable, McKay supposed. Insane, but admirable.[…] Praying he wasn’t going to regret it, he said, “come with me, Major.”
It didn’t take them long to get there, and McKay adamantly refused to answer any of Sheppard’s irritating questions on the way down. Part of him enjoyed the chance to sense of power and part of him enjoyed the chance to say ‘Ta da!’ When they got to their destination McKay stopped outside the doors and grinned before waving Sheppard ahead of him.
With one last, sceptical look, the Major walked past him and through a set of double doors that hissed open as they approached. “McKay,” he growled, “I swear, if this is---“He stopped, eyes going wide and a smile of pure delight cracking his face. […]
Sheppard looked like a kid on Christmas morning, and McKay practically had to tug on his sleeve to get him moving. “Come on, we can go inside of one.”
[…]So he watched with interest - and not a little jealousy -- as Sheppard slid into the pilot’s chair as if he’d been born to sit there. […]
“Think you can fly it?” McKay asked.
Sheppard threw him a grin. “What say we find out?”
P.138 (Weir’s POV)
…and sitting in the cockpit was one very amused Major John Sheppard, who lifted his hand in a cocky wave.
McKay harrumphed, his thunder pretty well stolen, and Weir just stared.
{In the tv version, Rodney just wave back, stunned.}
P.139 (John’s POV)
Sheppard didn’t know Rodney McKay very well, but the guy had the look of a gossip.
P.140 (Ford’s POV)
“Gateship One.”
“A little puddle jumper like this?” Sheppard laughed.
“Dr. McKay thought it was cool.”
From the cockeyed smile, Ford guessed that McKay’s approval didn’t carry a lot of weight with the Major.
[…]
“Ah, it’s Flight. I thought we were going with Gateship.”
Sheppard rolled his eyes. “Negative, flight.”
[…]
“Puddle Jumper, you’re clear for launch.”
Sheppard’s grin said ‘about time’.
There are some nice moments, like Rodney wanting to call his sister, but too scared of what she’ll think, he prefer give his cat to his neighbour, and call her when he’ll be back from Pegasus, John stopping himself to shout ‘let’s do it again’ the first time he goes through the Stargate, and thinking it’s almost like if they were expected when he sees the dust sheets.
But I didn’t like how it was written that John was more worried for Teyla than his men when they were took by the Wraiths.
Little cameo of Zelenka: “A little guy in glasses dashed past cursing in something that sounded vaguely Eastern European."
The scene of Weir leaving Simon are longer, first a dinner with their friends to celebrate her leaving, then in private when he give her the little necklace we see her wearing in the show.
We just see her and Rodney preparing to leave, no Ford, Carson, John scenes.
Some people may not like the many changes of POV, but it’s nice to know what they think.