Fic: Pier Suite (G, City Exploration Challenge)
Title: Pier Suite (City Exploration Challenge
Author: kyrdwyn
Rating: G
Pairing: None - Gen story
Summary: John shares part of Atlantis with Carson
Notes: No beta, all mistakes mine.
"Pier Suite"
Carson looked around the quiet hallways of Atlantis, curious about the message he'd gotten to meet Major Sheppard in base of the eastern tower before dawn. Following the map on the note, Carson refused to let himself think about why Major Sheppard would want him at this early hour. It wasn't a medical emergency, which would have summoned him with screams over the radios, instead of notes left on his desk. While the Major's team had been exploring this area of the city a few weeks ago, there hadn't been anything other than a few more labs and living quarters. Carson was beginning to think the Ancients had no grasp of the concept of fun.
Rounding a corner, he found Major Sheppard leaning against a wall, his arms crossed over his chest, head bowed. As he got closer, Carson saw that the major's eyes were closed.
"Major?" he asked quietly, not wanting to disturb the man. Rodney had woken the major too quickly once when off-world, and had come back with a black eye for his efforts.
Sheppard's eyes opened, and he grinned when he saw Carson standing nearby. "Good, you're just in time." He pushed himself away from the wall, and gestured toward the nearby door. "After you."
"What's going on?" Carson asked, not moving. He'd been asked to test too many odd things since discovering he had the ATA gene, and he wouldn't put it past Rodney to have bribed Sheppard into summoning him here.
"We found this place when we explored this area, but I didn't realize what it was until a few days later. I thought you'd appreciate seeing it," Sheppard said, heading toward the door. It opened in front of him, revealing a pier which held -- it couldn't be.
"Yeah, that's what I thought," Sheppard said, amusement evident in his tone. "But when you think about it, guess it's not so far-fetched after all."
Carson moved past Sheppard, taking in the sight before him. Against all imagining, there, on the pier, was a near-replica of Stonehenge, or at least what it must have looked like when it had been first constructed. Three massive trilithons were inside a ring of uprights and lintels. It wasn't stone, not that Carson could tell. Might be the same materials the city itself was made out of, gleaming in the pre-dawn light.
Inside the ring, instead of an altar, were two throne-like chairs. Unlike the control chairs, they were smooth, no circuitry or wiring or even panels that Carson could see.
"I've been over this place a few times in the past week. There's nothing here that lights up or anything," Sheppard said quietly. "But something does happen."
"What?" Carson asked just as quietly.
Sheppard moved forward, beckoning Carson to follow. Carson did, watching as Sheppard sat down in one of the chairs. He gestured for Carson to take the other one. "Trust me, it's not like the control chair, you don't have to do anything," Sheppard said with a small smile.
Carson sat, noticing that the chair really wasn't all that comfortable. He fidgeted a bit, wondering what was supposed to happen. After a moment, he turned to Sheppard, who had his eyes closed. Before Carson could ask a question, he heard why Sheppard had called him out here.
Atlantis was singing.
As the sun rose over the water, the trilithons, uprights, and lintels were somehow singing, and the walls of the city were singing back in counterpoint. It was a melody Carson didn't recognize, no words inside the music, but it was undoubtedly singing, and it was beautiful. Carson closed his eyes, letting the music wash over him, feeling the emotions it evoked - loss and sorrow and joy and love.
The song continued until the sun had completely cleared the horizon, ending on what sounded like a benediction. Carson kept his eyes closed until the last note had faded to nothing, unwilling to let the experience end.
Finally opening his eyes, he looked across at Sheppard. He couldn't think of anything to say. Sheppard merely nodded, seeming to understand what Carson couldn't say.
Atlantis had been singing to her lost children, expressing her joy at having them home again.
Author: kyrdwyn
Rating: G
Pairing: None - Gen story
Summary: John shares part of Atlantis with Carson
Notes: No beta, all mistakes mine.
"Pier Suite"
Carson looked around the quiet hallways of Atlantis, curious about the message he'd gotten to meet Major Sheppard in base of the eastern tower before dawn. Following the map on the note, Carson refused to let himself think about why Major Sheppard would want him at this early hour. It wasn't a medical emergency, which would have summoned him with screams over the radios, instead of notes left on his desk. While the Major's team had been exploring this area of the city a few weeks ago, there hadn't been anything other than a few more labs and living quarters. Carson was beginning to think the Ancients had no grasp of the concept of fun.
Rounding a corner, he found Major Sheppard leaning against a wall, his arms crossed over his chest, head bowed. As he got closer, Carson saw that the major's eyes were closed.
"Major?" he asked quietly, not wanting to disturb the man. Rodney had woken the major too quickly once when off-world, and had come back with a black eye for his efforts.
Sheppard's eyes opened, and he grinned when he saw Carson standing nearby. "Good, you're just in time." He pushed himself away from the wall, and gestured toward the nearby door. "After you."
"What's going on?" Carson asked, not moving. He'd been asked to test too many odd things since discovering he had the ATA gene, and he wouldn't put it past Rodney to have bribed Sheppard into summoning him here.
"We found this place when we explored this area, but I didn't realize what it was until a few days later. I thought you'd appreciate seeing it," Sheppard said, heading toward the door. It opened in front of him, revealing a pier which held -- it couldn't be.
"Yeah, that's what I thought," Sheppard said, amusement evident in his tone. "But when you think about it, guess it's not so far-fetched after all."
Carson moved past Sheppard, taking in the sight before him. Against all imagining, there, on the pier, was a near-replica of Stonehenge, or at least what it must have looked like when it had been first constructed. Three massive trilithons were inside a ring of uprights and lintels. It wasn't stone, not that Carson could tell. Might be the same materials the city itself was made out of, gleaming in the pre-dawn light.
Inside the ring, instead of an altar, were two throne-like chairs. Unlike the control chairs, they were smooth, no circuitry or wiring or even panels that Carson could see.
"I've been over this place a few times in the past week. There's nothing here that lights up or anything," Sheppard said quietly. "But something does happen."
"What?" Carson asked just as quietly.
Sheppard moved forward, beckoning Carson to follow. Carson did, watching as Sheppard sat down in one of the chairs. He gestured for Carson to take the other one. "Trust me, it's not like the control chair, you don't have to do anything," Sheppard said with a small smile.
Carson sat, noticing that the chair really wasn't all that comfortable. He fidgeted a bit, wondering what was supposed to happen. After a moment, he turned to Sheppard, who had his eyes closed. Before Carson could ask a question, he heard why Sheppard had called him out here.
Atlantis was singing.
As the sun rose over the water, the trilithons, uprights, and lintels were somehow singing, and the walls of the city were singing back in counterpoint. It was a melody Carson didn't recognize, no words inside the music, but it was undoubtedly singing, and it was beautiful. Carson closed his eyes, letting the music wash over him, feeling the emotions it evoked - loss and sorrow and joy and love.
The song continued until the sun had completely cleared the horizon, ending on what sounded like a benediction. Carson kept his eyes closed until the last note had faded to nothing, unwilling to let the experience end.
Finally opening his eyes, he looked across at Sheppard. He couldn't think of anything to say. Sheppard merely nodded, seeming to understand what Carson couldn't say.
Atlantis had been singing to her lost children, expressing her joy at having them home again.