Five Ways to the Dark Side, by Ellex
Five Ways to the Dark Side
by ellex42
Rated PG
Disclaimer: Stargate:Atlantis does not belong to me and I make no material profit from these stories.
Since I can't seem to manage to string more than about 5 sentences together at a time lately, I figured I'd try a few drabble/ficlet type thingies. Especially since once I started thinking about it, I had a bunch of interesting ideas about 'dark sides'…
Spoilers: "The Lost Boys" for number 3, "The Long Goodbye" for number 4.
O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O
The light in the palm of Zelenka's hand was almost blinding, and Rodney found himself sinking to his knees as a searing pain drove through his mind. He focused on the Czech scientist's face with difficulty. Glowing eyes met his gaze, and Zelenka smirked at him.
"That is right, McKay. I am a Goa'uld," he intoned, all trace of accent gone. The deep voice buzzed in Rodney's ears. "I have endured your insults and ego all this time, waiting for the right moment to take my rightful place as ruler of Atlantis, and I am finally ready. Sheppard and Weir have already met with a sad accident - the city can be such a dangerous place, as you know - and no one will question the brilliant Doctor McKay assuming authority of Atlantis.
"You keep boasting that you know almost everything about almost everything…you are about to learn just how little you know…"
O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O
The first thing John felt was the clammy chill in the air. The second was the cold metal underneath him, raising goosebumps on his skin.
Then awareness flooded back in a rush, and he registered that he was completely naked even as he tried to move and found it impossible. No restraints held him down, but he couldn't even wiggle a toe. He pried his eyes open, squinting against the bright white lights shining down on him.
"Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard. You are awake at last."
John recognized that smooth, high-pitched voice immediately: Hermiod. The little gray-skinned alien made him shudder every time he saw it, an atavistic reaction he couldn't explain or suppress.
"Hermiod? What the hell is going on?"
The triangular head, with its little mouth and huge blank eyes, moved into his field of vision. "I believe the Earth term for it is 'alien abduction', Colonel Sheppard. And if you are as familiar with popular Earth culture as the rest of your people seem to be, you will have no difficulty in anticipating what happens next." His long spindly fingers held up a long, smooth, metal cylinder, rounded at one end and with a handle on the other. John's eyes grew wide at the sight of the probe.
O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O
"I feel…strange," Rodney muttered, putting his MRE on the ground. He grabbed his canteen and took a long drink.
Sheppard looked across the campfire. "You are strange, Rodney…but yeah, I feel kinda funny, too. Restless, and kinda keyed up. Hey Teyla, you want to take a little run with me, see if I can work off some of this…whatever?"
The Athosian sprang to her feet. "Yes, I feel restless, too. A run would be most welcome." She paced around their small camp, rubbing her hands together. "Perhaps it is the double moons - they make the nights here almost as bright as day. Do you wish to come with us, Ronon?"
Dex shook his head. "I'll keep an eye on McKay," he said tersely.
He watched as Sheppard and Teyla sprinted into the woods, their speed making them disappear from view quickly, before moving around the fire to McKay. He studied the scientist with evident concern.
"Want me to get you some more water, McKay?"
Rodney slumped against his backpack, covering his face with trembling hands. "Yes, make yourself useful if you're going to stay here and bother me. Are you sure that the water is okay to drink?"
"Sheppard checked it twice. The water's clean."
"Fine, fine, whatever," Rodney moaned, throwing his arm over his eyes.
Ronon took Rodney's canteen, and then picked up Sheppard's and Teyla's as well, and walked over to the stream. He looked back once to check on McKay, but the man hadn't budged an inch. He pulled a small bottle filled with an amber liquid from his pocket and, after filling the canteens with water, poured a careful few drops into each canteen.
The Wraith enzyme had made Teyla and himself superior warriors before, and would do so again. The craving for it had never really left him. Now Sheppard would join them as his body slowly absorbed the enzyme. With the resources of Earth and Atlantis behind them, Ronon was absolutely certain that the key to defeating the Wraith was to steal the source of his enemy's strength.
He took a swallow of the liquid, and smiled into the darkness.
O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O
The feel of cold steel pressed against his forehead woke John Sheppard from a dream in which he was driving a tour bus full of Wraith dressed like the characters from Star Trek (the original series, that is), all merrily singing "It's a Small [Universe] After All".
His eyes flew open. Elizabeth Weir smiled down at him.
"I know you're still in there, Thalan. Did you think you could get away from me that easily? It's not over until I say it's over. And now, it's over."
O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
Lorne spun around to find Rodney McKay glaring at him.
"That's - those are my calculations for the Arcturus project. What could you possibly want with them? And how did you get past my security programs?"
"The people I work for will pay me quite well for this information, Doctor McKay. They feel that there still may be something salvageable from your work."
"'The people you work for'? How melodramatic. Who is it, the Trust?"
Lorne grinned at him, his hand on his gun.
"Oh my god, it is the Trust? What is the matter with you? No, don't answer that, I really don't want to know. The point is that I can't let you take those files. You saw what I did to Doranda, do you want some moron following in my footsteps and blowing up the Earth?"
"Who's gonna stop me, McKay? You?"
Rodney finally bought a clue and began to back away, but it was far too late. Lorne pulled out his 9mm, aimed, and squeezed the trigger.
~fin~
by ellex42
Rated PG
Disclaimer: Stargate:Atlantis does not belong to me and I make no material profit from these stories.
Since I can't seem to manage to string more than about 5 sentences together at a time lately, I figured I'd try a few drabble/ficlet type thingies. Especially since once I started thinking about it, I had a bunch of interesting ideas about 'dark sides'…
Spoilers: "The Lost Boys" for number 3, "The Long Goodbye" for number 4.
O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O
The light in the palm of Zelenka's hand was almost blinding, and Rodney found himself sinking to his knees as a searing pain drove through his mind. He focused on the Czech scientist's face with difficulty. Glowing eyes met his gaze, and Zelenka smirked at him.
"That is right, McKay. I am a Goa'uld," he intoned, all trace of accent gone. The deep voice buzzed in Rodney's ears. "I have endured your insults and ego all this time, waiting for the right moment to take my rightful place as ruler of Atlantis, and I am finally ready. Sheppard and Weir have already met with a sad accident - the city can be such a dangerous place, as you know - and no one will question the brilliant Doctor McKay assuming authority of Atlantis.
"You keep boasting that you know almost everything about almost everything…you are about to learn just how little you know…"
O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O
The first thing John felt was the clammy chill in the air. The second was the cold metal underneath him, raising goosebumps on his skin.
Then awareness flooded back in a rush, and he registered that he was completely naked even as he tried to move and found it impossible. No restraints held him down, but he couldn't even wiggle a toe. He pried his eyes open, squinting against the bright white lights shining down on him.
"Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard. You are awake at last."
John recognized that smooth, high-pitched voice immediately: Hermiod. The little gray-skinned alien made him shudder every time he saw it, an atavistic reaction he couldn't explain or suppress.
"Hermiod? What the hell is going on?"
The triangular head, with its little mouth and huge blank eyes, moved into his field of vision. "I believe the Earth term for it is 'alien abduction', Colonel Sheppard. And if you are as familiar with popular Earth culture as the rest of your people seem to be, you will have no difficulty in anticipating what happens next." His long spindly fingers held up a long, smooth, metal cylinder, rounded at one end and with a handle on the other. John's eyes grew wide at the sight of the probe.
O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O
"I feel…strange," Rodney muttered, putting his MRE on the ground. He grabbed his canteen and took a long drink.
Sheppard looked across the campfire. "You are strange, Rodney…but yeah, I feel kinda funny, too. Restless, and kinda keyed up. Hey Teyla, you want to take a little run with me, see if I can work off some of this…whatever?"
The Athosian sprang to her feet. "Yes, I feel restless, too. A run would be most welcome." She paced around their small camp, rubbing her hands together. "Perhaps it is the double moons - they make the nights here almost as bright as day. Do you wish to come with us, Ronon?"
Dex shook his head. "I'll keep an eye on McKay," he said tersely.
He watched as Sheppard and Teyla sprinted into the woods, their speed making them disappear from view quickly, before moving around the fire to McKay. He studied the scientist with evident concern.
"Want me to get you some more water, McKay?"
Rodney slumped against his backpack, covering his face with trembling hands. "Yes, make yourself useful if you're going to stay here and bother me. Are you sure that the water is okay to drink?"
"Sheppard checked it twice. The water's clean."
"Fine, fine, whatever," Rodney moaned, throwing his arm over his eyes.
Ronon took Rodney's canteen, and then picked up Sheppard's and Teyla's as well, and walked over to the stream. He looked back once to check on McKay, but the man hadn't budged an inch. He pulled a small bottle filled with an amber liquid from his pocket and, after filling the canteens with water, poured a careful few drops into each canteen.
The Wraith enzyme had made Teyla and himself superior warriors before, and would do so again. The craving for it had never really left him. Now Sheppard would join them as his body slowly absorbed the enzyme. With the resources of Earth and Atlantis behind them, Ronon was absolutely certain that the key to defeating the Wraith was to steal the source of his enemy's strength.
He took a swallow of the liquid, and smiled into the darkness.
O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O
The feel of cold steel pressed against his forehead woke John Sheppard from a dream in which he was driving a tour bus full of Wraith dressed like the characters from Star Trek (the original series, that is), all merrily singing "It's a Small [Universe] After All".
His eyes flew open. Elizabeth Weir smiled down at him.
"I know you're still in there, Thalan. Did you think you could get away from me that easily? It's not over until I say it's over. And now, it's over."
O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
Lorne spun around to find Rodney McKay glaring at him.
"That's - those are my calculations for the Arcturus project. What could you possibly want with them? And how did you get past my security programs?"
"The people I work for will pay me quite well for this information, Doctor McKay. They feel that there still may be something salvageable from your work."
"'The people you work for'? How melodramatic. Who is it, the Trust?"
Lorne grinned at him, his hand on his gun.
"Oh my god, it is the Trust? What is the matter with you? No, don't answer that, I really don't want to know. The point is that I can't let you take those files. You saw what I did to Doranda, do you want some moron following in my footsteps and blowing up the Earth?"
"Who's gonna stop me, McKay? You?"
Rodney finally bought a clue and began to back away, but it was far too late. Lorne pulled out his 9mm, aimed, and squeezed the trigger.
~fin~