Murmurs Chapter 1 They
Title: Murmurs
Author: stella_pegasi
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: PG-13
Character/Pairing: John Sheppard, Rodney McKay, Teyla Emmagan, Ronon Dex, Evan Lorne, Anne Teldy, Original Characters
Spoilers: Post-Season Five
Warnings: Language
Het/Slash/Gen: Gen
Word count: ~25,000 Five Chapters
Disclaimer: I do not own them, I would have treated them better.
Summary:
Two members of the Atlantis Expedition are exhibiting bizarre behavior. When one of them is gravely injured, Atlantis is the only hope for rescue.
Special thanks to FanFiction reader, Hotshow who had an idea and asked me to write the story. A very special thanks to sherry57 for her beta and her guidance.
Hope you enjoy!
MURMURS
By stella_pegasi
Chapter One They
John Sheppard slipped along a darkened corridor that meandered through the underbelly of Atlantis. In the decks beneath the soaring spires that gave the city its unique skyline, the maze of corridors connected all seven sections of the city-ship. He could get lost here.
Cool air and quiet surrounded him in this deserted section of the city. What appealed to him about being on a deck, sitting below sea level, was the silence. He needed the silence, that way he could tell when they came for him.
His plan had proceeded flawlessly. Ronon and Teyla were on a mission to Evona and had agreed with his suggestion that they should gate to the planet early in the morning. The Evonans were early risers and preferred to conduct business as the sun rose. They left with Captain Stackhouse’s team at 0600 hrs.
Rodney and a science team were gating to PX5-886 to study the newest Ancient outpost found there. Captain Isaacs’ squad was assigned protection detail for McKay’s science team. Sheppard preferred Isaacs accompany McKay when he or Lorne couldn’t. The acerbic scientist didn’t easily irritate the easy-going Isaacs and, more importantly, McKay liked him. However, he wanted them to depart a bit later than Rodney had planned. He arranged for Isaacs and his team to have a spot weapon's check by Major Teldy, which would delay them until the control room day shift was on duty.
One team embarked early while Liang was on duty, and one team headed out when Chuck was on duty. Neither gate tech would realize that, while he showed up for both mission departures, he didn’t gate off base with either team. It was important that the rest of the expedition did not know where he was. They were in danger and he had to protect them. The enemy was coming for him. His friends would be harmed, if he remained with them.
John Sheppard needed to disappear.
~~oooOooo~~
His uncharacteristic agitation concerned her. It was not often that she felt nervousness or confusion from him. However, she realized that since he returned from the mission on PX7-668, his behavior had become increasingly erratic.
He was strong, stronger than anyone she had interacted with before. One of her continuing disappointments was he that didn’t yet understand the power he truly possessed. She was unable to communicate with him the way she desired. Without the power she needed, she could not assist him in learning how to utilize the skills he possessed.
For the moment, however, Atlantis was more concerned with his secretive and nervous behavior. Something was very wrong.
~~oooOooo~~
Sheppard was picking his way through piles of broken furniture, light fixtures, wall panels, and other debris that lined the corridors. The devastation resulted from the flooding that occurred before Atlantis rose from the ocean. He was a considerable distance from the center of Atlantis, beneath the northeast section. There was so much of Atlantis that they had not searched, even after six years of living there. Too many other problems interfered, and they had never taken the time to explore their own backyard. Only a few Marine squads and combat engineers had ventured into these lower levels. That was nearly five years ago when they were searching the base for Wraith during the siege.
He stopped for a moment, his heart racing; he thought he heard a noise. Ducking behind a large pile of debris, he flattened against the wall, his P-14 gripped tightly in his right hand. Thoughts were racing through his head; they couldn’t have gotten here already. He held his breath, listening, but there were no other sounds, save the slight creaking of the hull as the city-ship rolled on the ocean’s surface. After a few moments, he exhaled, convinced he was alone. He pushed away from the wall, and began to move further down the corridor. Coming to a cross corridor, he paused, pulling a pad from the rucksack he was wearing. He touched the screen and a schematic of the lower levels of the city popped up. He determined his position, and then traced the direction he wanted to go. The quicker he found the key, the better.
~~oooOooo~~
The sun was shining on PX5-886, and Captain Isaacs’ team was deployed around the five-story, square stone building that sat in the center of acres of fertile farmland. Various crops were growing in the uniform fields that radiated from the tower. A lane, wide enough for two of the large transport wagons that carried the harvest to pass each other, extended in four directions away the tower.
Isaacs leaned against the doorframe of the large entryway; relaxing in the tranquil location. As he gazed about the fertile valley, his eyes caught the stargate, perched on a rise about a mile away, the bright sun glinting off the blue crystals. He had drifted into a daydream, unaware that Sergeant Powers was speaking to him.
“Sir?”
He jumped, “Sorry; I was lost in the corn, or whatever that stuff is. What were you asking, sergeant?”
“Didn’t mean to disturb you, sir, but I was just wondering if this outpost is typical of the Ancient outpost, sir. I mean...I’ve heard stories, sir; sometimes these outposts are not what they seem.”
Isaacs smiled. Sergeant Powers was new to Atlantis, and like most newbies, he was nervous on off-world missions. He had joined the SGC after the Ori had been defeated. His exposure to danger had been considerably less than the most seasoned of them had experienced.
“You got that right, Powers. These outposts are not what they seem at times. This one, for instance, really looks like a native structure. SGA-11 noticed a faint energy reading coming from it. When they investigated, they found Ancient equipment inside; most of the floors are single labs. Looks like some kind of agriculture research station, except for the top floor; Dr. McKay believes has another purpose. Unless there is something sinister on that floor, we should be pretty safe.”
Isaacs closely observed Powers’ eyes as he spoke. The young sergeant eyes widened at the word ‘sinister’. However, he recouped quickly, nodding to his team leader. Isaacs wasn’t worried; in a short time, Powers would be taking off-world missions in stride. The captain relaxed against the doorframe once more, but jerked to attention when he heard a loud shout behind him.
“You idiot, where the hell did you get your PhD, a Cracker Jack box? Get out of my way, I’ll do this.”
Isaacs pivoted around at the sound of Dr. McKay’s voice. Breathing deeply, he walked into the cool first level and found McKay sitting at a console along the far wall, muttering to himself. A couple of agronomists, who had accompanied them, were standing a few feet away; both appeared stunned. Isaacs jerked his head to the right, indicating for the two to get lost. Sheppard had sent him with McKay for a reason, and it was now time to earn his pay.
Casually, he approached the scientist, “Hey, doc, how’s it going?”
McKay dropped his head, “How’s it going? Well, that is so very original. It’s going hunky-dory, captain. How the hell do you think it’s going with these ‘rent-a-geeks’ that the SGC passes off as scientists?”
“Well, I’m no scientist, but anything I can do for you?”
McKay’s head jerked toward the captain, his face ruddy, his mouth open to speak. Isaacs wasn’t certain whether it was the charming smile he plastered on his face, or the P-90 laying across his chest that stopped McKay. Whatever it was, McKay gave him a quick shake of the head no, turning back to the console.
One of the scientists, who had slinked away, slipped up behind Isaacs and whispered, “Captain, is he ok?”
“Yeah, why?’
“Well, he was fine, even jovial, for a while; then he started getting antsy, agitated over the small stuff.”
Isaacs grinned, cocking his head, “And your point is, doctor?”
The agronomist looked perplexed for a moment, then scoffed, “Yeah, right. It’s just that it was such an abrupt change. McKay usually boils for a while before his whistle goes off. We’ve determined how long we have before we need to run. This was different.”
Isaacs sighed, “I’ll keep an eye on him.”
~~oooOooo~~
“Colonel? Colonel, can you hear me?”
Sheppard was jogging slowly down a long corridor along the outer edge of the northeast pier, heading toward the center of the city. The dark corridor in this section was clear of debris, but he was being cautious; apparently, power was not reaching this level. He had tried to activate the recessed wall lights, but they weren’t working. He paused as he felt Atlantis reaching out for him.
“Yeah, I hear you.”
“I am puzzled, colonel. What are you searching for in this area? Perhaps, I can assist you.”
“Can’t tell you; you’d be in danger.”
“Danger, what kind of danger; what do you mean?”
“I told you; I can’t tell you. I have to do this alone; I can’t let anyone help. If anyone knows, they’d be in danger.”
Atlantis paused, processing the conversation. She rarely used his first name when speaking to him. Her programming protocol indicated that she should use terms of respect for her afflatus, her main connector among the city dwellers. However, her programming also allowed for growth of her abilities. The more she assimilated, the more she understood. The first city dwellers were passionate, intelligent humans, but their analytical minds and insatiable quest for knowledge dampened their emotions. That was not true regarding her new companions. These humans were intelligent, and analytical with the same desire to learn and explore. The difference was the new ones had not learned to sequester their emotions. Even those who hid their feelings from the others, as the colonel did, felt deep emotion. As she interacted with him, and he interacted with others, she learned. She understood and reacted to the emotions, he and the others exhibited. Now, she was sensing that he was not in control, and she needed to discover why.
“I am not in danger, John. Allow me to help you, let me know what is concerning you.”
“No, you can’t help; they will harm you, as well. Don’t talk to me, I can’t listen to you. They are coming and I have to hide to protect everyone. I have to be ready, but I have to find the key. Don’t talk to me, it’s too dangerous.”
He continued down the corridor, heading toward the staircase that led to the deepest depths of the city. He was headed toward the star drive complex.
She followed.
~~oooOooo~~
“Chuck, got a minute?”
Sergeant Chuck Campbell, senior control room technician, turned toward the console behind him, where engineering tech, Eva Mason, was monitoring the operations console. “What’s up, Eva.”
“Come look at this; I’m getting some funky reading from the northeast section.”
“What kind of ‘funk’ are we talking about?” Chuck quipped, as he joined her at her station.
She smiled back, “Weird funk, you know that sensors are intermittent at best in that area. Because of that, I keep an eye on those areas, who knows what evil lurks.” She made a scary face at Chuck. “Sometimes, someone might be in the area with a radio or a scanner or something. If so, I'll get ping back registering a power spike.”
“You just got a reading?”
“Yeah, I’ve had two really minor blips in the last hour and a half. Both in the northeast section but ways apart, do we have any teams in that area?”
“Nothing on my logs for today, let me contact Zelenka and Lorne; see if they’ve sent anyone there.”
Chuck contacted the two men and discovered neither had deployed teams into the area. He instructed Eva to continue to monitor the area and keep him updated. He then headed for Woolsey’s office to notify the director of Eva’s observations. He had learned that Woolsey didn’t like to be surprised, so he told him everything.
“So, no idea what could have caused the minute power readings?” Woolsey asked after Chuck briefed him.
“No, sir; could be anything. Many of the power conduits in those areas are damaged. Several of the lowest levels of Atlantis are compromised due to the flooding that occurred when we first arrived. Dr. Zelenka developed a repair plan a long time ago, but the city's a big place. Repairs, considering the hundreds of miles of minor power conduits, take a considerable amount of time. The Replicators had begun that work when they took the city, and the Ancients had also repaired some of it before they were killed, but there's a lot left.”
“Well, keep me informed. I have learned not to dismiss anything around here.”
Chuck grinned, “Wise move, sir; I right there with you.”
~~oooOooo~~
Captain Isaacs was beginning to share the scientists’ concerns about Dr. McKay. He couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was wrong, but something was wrong. His team had accompanied McKay on several missions, especially when Colonel Sheppard was laid up after an injury. He had gotten to know the science director pretty well, and he had grown to respect him. He was well aware that McKay was a lot braver than he appeared, braver than he thought himself to be. He didn’t rattle as easily as he used to on missions. Yet, today, this McKay was skittish as a newborn kitten, but was trying to hide it. Isaacs knew he had to figure out what the cause was before something happened.
He was lounging against an interior wall around mid-day when a group of locals arrived. They carried baskets of food for the Atlantians.
Isaacs approached the locals, wearing his most diplomatic face. A tall woman walking in front of the group spoke, “Greetings; I am Teasa Von. We have brought sustenance for those who are helping us regain the assistance of the ancient hall.”
“Thank you, ma’am; that's very kind of you. I’m Captain Isaacs, and I know the entire team will appreciate your kind gesture.” He peeked into one of the baskets, "Um, that looks good, ma'am."
She smiled, ”Our thanks, captain; may we lay out the food on the table there?” She pointed to a long narrow table against the east wall.
“Of course, please,” he motioned for Von to proceed. As she and the others began to he tapped his com and broadcast to his team and the scientists that lunch had arrived. He anticipated McKay’s reaction; the scientist would arrive quickly, excited about the food. He was wrong.
McKay had returned to the fifth floor, where the mystery lab was located. Within seconds of the message, he emerged from the transporter, rage on his face.
“What the hell are you thinking, Isaacs? We have work to do here; we don’t have time for these…these people to bother us? Get them out of here. I want my people back to work, and I want you to guard us. You’re supposed to be keeping us safe, not let these people that we don’t know come in here.”
“Dr. McKay, I…”
“Don’t ‘Dr. McKay’ me, I’m in charge here…you do what I say.”
Isaacs glanced at the villagers, who were stunned at McKay’s outburst. Taking a deep breath, he muttered, “Doctor, please, come with me.” He gently clasped the scientist’s arm and steered him away from the group. He was surprised by was the instantaneous change in McKay’s demeanor. The doctor looked apprehensive, almost frightened; his eyes darting back and forth, not focusing on anything.
“Doc, you OK?”
“Uh…yeah, I’m OK. I thought they were…I don’t know why I…uh, did you say there was food here?”
Isaacs gave him a slight smile, “Yeah; these nice folks brought food for us. Let’s go get something to eat.” While McKay inspected the food, he stepped away to speak to Von.
"Ma’am, sorry, Dr. McKay has been working very hard lately, and he’s very tired. My apologies for his outburst.”
“Please, not to worry, we are just thankful that we may have the hall working again. Our history tells us that at one time, we were given much information from this hall by the Ancestors. It was information that improved our harvest. We can withstand a little ‘difficulty’ for the assistance you are giving us. Now we will take our leave; I will send some boys to collect the dishes and baskets. If you return tomorrow, we will bring food once more.”
As the villagers left, Isaacs turned to watch Dr. McKay, who had filled his plate and was sitting at a console, quietly eating. There was definitely something wrong. He was going to watch McKay closely for the next couple of hours, then start suggesting they head back to Atlantis. He’d just have to be careful to figure out which McKay showed up. The McKay he knew, or the one that appeared minutes before.
~~oooOooo~~
“Crap; where the hell is it?”
Sheppard was standing in a puddle of shallow, stagnant water in a narrow alcove, muttering to himself. He had finally pried the cover off of the vent located mid-wall. He found nothing stored in the square metal conduit but dust and mold.
He was tired, resisting the urge to slide down the wall to the floor and rest. He had been running for nearly five hours after not sleeping well. The transmissions had been coming more frequently, and he had not slept well for several days, as the duration of the transmissions lengthened.
They were dangerous. They told him if he turned all the Ancient technology over to them, they would spare the lives of the Atlantis residents. He didn’t believe them. He knew they were planning to raid Atlantis, steal the Ancient technology, possibly killing them all. The one thing he was certain of was that they couldn’t take Atlantis; they didn’t have the gene. That was the first thing he had done. If they knew they could possibly acquire the ATA gene, then they would kill everyone. He had taken that option away from them by stealing the ATA serum therapy from the infirmary. Beckett and Keller wouldn’t miss the serum for a while, with the Daedalus not due to arrive for two weeks. They would not be inoculating anyone until the new recruits arrived. But he had to find the key. The key was the only way to defeat them.
Sloshing through the ankle deep water, Sheppard made his way toward the stardrive engine room. He was cold; this level of Atlantis sat deep in the cold ocean water. The life support controls that regulated the temperature in these unused lower levels had been shut off to conserve energy. He thought he would be warmer in the stardrive engine room. He had insisted that power not be cut to the star drive, should they need to escape the planet quickly. He entered the large chamber and spotted the auxiliary control cubicle. He silently opened the doors and slipped into the smaller room. It was a warmer and more importantly, dry inside. He found a protected spot to sit, closing his eyes for a moment, unconsciously rubbing the wound on his arm where he had removed the transponder chip. He pulled a powerbar from his vest and had eaten about half of it, when his eyes became heavy from exhaustion. He slumped against the wall and fell asleep.
She had followed him. The feeling of confusion and frustration that she had learned to sense from the Earthers, coursed through her from her connection with him. She sensed panic, which was not an emotion he often felt. Only when one he cared deeply about was in danger did panic rise in him. However, he never allowed that emotion to the surface. Now he was perilously close to just that, panic. As he slept, she kept watch over him, hoping that he rest would ease his confusion, and hers.
~~oooOooo~~
It was nearly 1600 hours, and Captain Isaacs decided to broach the subject of returning to Atlantis. Nightfall was less than three hours away, and he knew if he started pestering McKay now, they would be leaving in about an hour, perhaps two if the scientist was really immersed in his work. Only Colonel Sheppard could persuade Dr. McKay to move on his timetable; everyone else moved on McKay’s.
Isaacs hopped onto the transporter. When the door opened, he found McKay sitting at a console, scrolling through data displayed on a large monitor. He waited to see if McKay heard him; when it was apparent he didn’t, Isaacs spoke quietly.
“Doc,” he asked but McKay didn’t move, “Dr. McKay; I was wondering when you wanted to leave. I know you like to be back on Atlantis in time to get your mission data uploaded before dinner. If you want, I can get everyone ready to go now.”
McKay peered over his shoulder; his face dark and angry. “Do I look like I want to leave now? I’m just about to find out who these people are. Now, leave me alone, captain, or I’ll have Sheppard bust you to private. Go away; I’ll decide when we leave here.” He turned back to the monitor, and Isaacs knew he had been dismissed.
As he walked off the transporter on the first floor, he motioned for Sergeant Powers. “Sergeant, Atlantis is expecting us in one to two hours; head to the gate and notify them that we'll possibly be delayed. Let them know that Dr. McKay isn’t ready to leave quite yet.”
“Yes, sir; be back shortly.”
As he watched Powers head down the long road toward the stargate, Isaacs wished that Colonel Sheppard had decided to come on this mission instead of going off world with Teyla and Ronon. Something was decidedly wrong with Dr. McKay, and he feared it would only become worse. He knew he needed to keep close watch over McKay. The colonel expected that.
Two and a half hours later, after McKay had refused again to leave, he decided not to wait any longer. He ordered his team to start helping the agronomists gather their equipment for the trek back to the gate. He transported to the top floor to retrieve Dr. McKay.
When the transporter doors opened, he discovered the lab in total darkness. He flipped on the flashlight attached to his P-90 and began to sweep the room. He was advancing slowly toward the center of the room when he was knocked off his feet by McKay rushing passed him.
“Gotta get away, they know we’re here. They’re going to kill us.”
Isaacs heard the transporter doors close as he swiftly rose from the floor. He ran to the transporter and punched the call button. The transporter returned to him, and he was on the ground floor within seconds.
Lieutenant Riva called out to him, “Captain. Dr. McKay just ran out of here yelling something like, 'they are here; they are after me'.”
Rushing out side he found Corporal Danzig, “Which way did he go?” Danzig pointed behind the building, “That way, sir; he was running really fast. Sergeant Powers chased after him.”
Isaacs ran around the building with his team on his heels. They found Sergeant Powers standing along the east road, using infrared binoculars in the darkening sky to scan the area. Powers glanced around when he heard them coming.
“Sir, I thought I saw him head this way, but I lost him. He’s was running really fast, captain; scared the hell out of me when he just bolted out of door. I stopped when I realized that there was no way to tell which way McKay had gone. Tried to spot his heat signature with the night binoculars, but he’s just gone.”
Isaacs blew out a deep breath. Dusk had fallen. In the vast fields behind the building, finding McKay without more help would be impossible.
“Powers, double-time it back to the gate, tell Atlantis that Dr. McKay has been exhibiting erratic behavior and had run off into the fields saying someone is trying to kill him. Have them send jumpers. We’re going to split up and start walking down the other three roads leading from the building.”
Powers acknowledged his orders and immediately headed for the gate. Isaacs motioned to Riva and Danzig, “Move out and stay in radio contact. Dr. McKay couldn’t have gotten too far. If we find him, try not to spook him, key your radio twice; we’ll use the GPS to locate each other.”
Isaacs started walking down the road leading west from the Ancient outpost. He whispered, “Dr. McKay, where the hell are you?”
Author: stella_pegasi
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: PG-13
Character/Pairing: John Sheppard, Rodney McKay, Teyla Emmagan, Ronon Dex, Evan Lorne, Anne Teldy, Original Characters
Spoilers: Post-Season Five
Warnings: Language
Het/Slash/Gen: Gen
Word count: ~25,000 Five Chapters
Disclaimer: I do not own them, I would have treated them better.
Summary:
Two members of the Atlantis Expedition are exhibiting bizarre behavior. When one of them is gravely injured, Atlantis is the only hope for rescue.
Special thanks to FanFiction reader, Hotshow who had an idea and asked me to write the story. A very special thanks to sherry57 for her beta and her guidance.
Hope you enjoy!
MURMURS
By stella_pegasi
Chapter One They
John Sheppard slipped along a darkened corridor that meandered through the underbelly of Atlantis. In the decks beneath the soaring spires that gave the city its unique skyline, the maze of corridors connected all seven sections of the city-ship. He could get lost here.
Cool air and quiet surrounded him in this deserted section of the city. What appealed to him about being on a deck, sitting below sea level, was the silence. He needed the silence, that way he could tell when they came for him.
His plan had proceeded flawlessly. Ronon and Teyla were on a mission to Evona and had agreed with his suggestion that they should gate to the planet early in the morning. The Evonans were early risers and preferred to conduct business as the sun rose. They left with Captain Stackhouse’s team at 0600 hrs.
Rodney and a science team were gating to PX5-886 to study the newest Ancient outpost found there. Captain Isaacs’ squad was assigned protection detail for McKay’s science team. Sheppard preferred Isaacs accompany McKay when he or Lorne couldn’t. The acerbic scientist didn’t easily irritate the easy-going Isaacs and, more importantly, McKay liked him. However, he wanted them to depart a bit later than Rodney had planned. He arranged for Isaacs and his team to have a spot weapon's check by Major Teldy, which would delay them until the control room day shift was on duty.
One team embarked early while Liang was on duty, and one team headed out when Chuck was on duty. Neither gate tech would realize that, while he showed up for both mission departures, he didn’t gate off base with either team. It was important that the rest of the expedition did not know where he was. They were in danger and he had to protect them. The enemy was coming for him. His friends would be harmed, if he remained with them.
John Sheppard needed to disappear.
~~oooOooo~~
His uncharacteristic agitation concerned her. It was not often that she felt nervousness or confusion from him. However, she realized that since he returned from the mission on PX7-668, his behavior had become increasingly erratic.
He was strong, stronger than anyone she had interacted with before. One of her continuing disappointments was he that didn’t yet understand the power he truly possessed. She was unable to communicate with him the way she desired. Without the power she needed, she could not assist him in learning how to utilize the skills he possessed.
For the moment, however, Atlantis was more concerned with his secretive and nervous behavior. Something was very wrong.
~~oooOooo~~
Sheppard was picking his way through piles of broken furniture, light fixtures, wall panels, and other debris that lined the corridors. The devastation resulted from the flooding that occurred before Atlantis rose from the ocean. He was a considerable distance from the center of Atlantis, beneath the northeast section. There was so much of Atlantis that they had not searched, even after six years of living there. Too many other problems interfered, and they had never taken the time to explore their own backyard. Only a few Marine squads and combat engineers had ventured into these lower levels. That was nearly five years ago when they were searching the base for Wraith during the siege.
He stopped for a moment, his heart racing; he thought he heard a noise. Ducking behind a large pile of debris, he flattened against the wall, his P-14 gripped tightly in his right hand. Thoughts were racing through his head; they couldn’t have gotten here already. He held his breath, listening, but there were no other sounds, save the slight creaking of the hull as the city-ship rolled on the ocean’s surface. After a few moments, he exhaled, convinced he was alone. He pushed away from the wall, and began to move further down the corridor. Coming to a cross corridor, he paused, pulling a pad from the rucksack he was wearing. He touched the screen and a schematic of the lower levels of the city popped up. He determined his position, and then traced the direction he wanted to go. The quicker he found the key, the better.
~~oooOooo~~
The sun was shining on PX5-886, and Captain Isaacs’ team was deployed around the five-story, square stone building that sat in the center of acres of fertile farmland. Various crops were growing in the uniform fields that radiated from the tower. A lane, wide enough for two of the large transport wagons that carried the harvest to pass each other, extended in four directions away the tower.
Isaacs leaned against the doorframe of the large entryway; relaxing in the tranquil location. As he gazed about the fertile valley, his eyes caught the stargate, perched on a rise about a mile away, the bright sun glinting off the blue crystals. He had drifted into a daydream, unaware that Sergeant Powers was speaking to him.
“Sir?”
He jumped, “Sorry; I was lost in the corn, or whatever that stuff is. What were you asking, sergeant?”
“Didn’t mean to disturb you, sir, but I was just wondering if this outpost is typical of the Ancient outpost, sir. I mean...I’ve heard stories, sir; sometimes these outposts are not what they seem.”
Isaacs smiled. Sergeant Powers was new to Atlantis, and like most newbies, he was nervous on off-world missions. He had joined the SGC after the Ori had been defeated. His exposure to danger had been considerably less than the most seasoned of them had experienced.
“You got that right, Powers. These outposts are not what they seem at times. This one, for instance, really looks like a native structure. SGA-11 noticed a faint energy reading coming from it. When they investigated, they found Ancient equipment inside; most of the floors are single labs. Looks like some kind of agriculture research station, except for the top floor; Dr. McKay believes has another purpose. Unless there is something sinister on that floor, we should be pretty safe.”
Isaacs closely observed Powers’ eyes as he spoke. The young sergeant eyes widened at the word ‘sinister’. However, he recouped quickly, nodding to his team leader. Isaacs wasn’t worried; in a short time, Powers would be taking off-world missions in stride. The captain relaxed against the doorframe once more, but jerked to attention when he heard a loud shout behind him.
“You idiot, where the hell did you get your PhD, a Cracker Jack box? Get out of my way, I’ll do this.”
Isaacs pivoted around at the sound of Dr. McKay’s voice. Breathing deeply, he walked into the cool first level and found McKay sitting at a console along the far wall, muttering to himself. A couple of agronomists, who had accompanied them, were standing a few feet away; both appeared stunned. Isaacs jerked his head to the right, indicating for the two to get lost. Sheppard had sent him with McKay for a reason, and it was now time to earn his pay.
Casually, he approached the scientist, “Hey, doc, how’s it going?”
McKay dropped his head, “How’s it going? Well, that is so very original. It’s going hunky-dory, captain. How the hell do you think it’s going with these ‘rent-a-geeks’ that the SGC passes off as scientists?”
“Well, I’m no scientist, but anything I can do for you?”
McKay’s head jerked toward the captain, his face ruddy, his mouth open to speak. Isaacs wasn’t certain whether it was the charming smile he plastered on his face, or the P-90 laying across his chest that stopped McKay. Whatever it was, McKay gave him a quick shake of the head no, turning back to the console.
One of the scientists, who had slinked away, slipped up behind Isaacs and whispered, “Captain, is he ok?”
“Yeah, why?’
“Well, he was fine, even jovial, for a while; then he started getting antsy, agitated over the small stuff.”
Isaacs grinned, cocking his head, “And your point is, doctor?”
The agronomist looked perplexed for a moment, then scoffed, “Yeah, right. It’s just that it was such an abrupt change. McKay usually boils for a while before his whistle goes off. We’ve determined how long we have before we need to run. This was different.”
Isaacs sighed, “I’ll keep an eye on him.”
~~oooOooo~~
“Colonel? Colonel, can you hear me?”
Sheppard was jogging slowly down a long corridor along the outer edge of the northeast pier, heading toward the center of the city. The dark corridor in this section was clear of debris, but he was being cautious; apparently, power was not reaching this level. He had tried to activate the recessed wall lights, but they weren’t working. He paused as he felt Atlantis reaching out for him.
“Yeah, I hear you.”
“I am puzzled, colonel. What are you searching for in this area? Perhaps, I can assist you.”
“Can’t tell you; you’d be in danger.”
“Danger, what kind of danger; what do you mean?”
“I told you; I can’t tell you. I have to do this alone; I can’t let anyone help. If anyone knows, they’d be in danger.”
Atlantis paused, processing the conversation. She rarely used his first name when speaking to him. Her programming protocol indicated that she should use terms of respect for her afflatus, her main connector among the city dwellers. However, her programming also allowed for growth of her abilities. The more she assimilated, the more she understood. The first city dwellers were passionate, intelligent humans, but their analytical minds and insatiable quest for knowledge dampened their emotions. That was not true regarding her new companions. These humans were intelligent, and analytical with the same desire to learn and explore. The difference was the new ones had not learned to sequester their emotions. Even those who hid their feelings from the others, as the colonel did, felt deep emotion. As she interacted with him, and he interacted with others, she learned. She understood and reacted to the emotions, he and the others exhibited. Now, she was sensing that he was not in control, and she needed to discover why.
“I am not in danger, John. Allow me to help you, let me know what is concerning you.”
“No, you can’t help; they will harm you, as well. Don’t talk to me, I can’t listen to you. They are coming and I have to hide to protect everyone. I have to be ready, but I have to find the key. Don’t talk to me, it’s too dangerous.”
He continued down the corridor, heading toward the staircase that led to the deepest depths of the city. He was headed toward the star drive complex.
She followed.
~~oooOooo~~
“Chuck, got a minute?”
Sergeant Chuck Campbell, senior control room technician, turned toward the console behind him, where engineering tech, Eva Mason, was monitoring the operations console. “What’s up, Eva.”
“Come look at this; I’m getting some funky reading from the northeast section.”
“What kind of ‘funk’ are we talking about?” Chuck quipped, as he joined her at her station.
She smiled back, “Weird funk, you know that sensors are intermittent at best in that area. Because of that, I keep an eye on those areas, who knows what evil lurks.” She made a scary face at Chuck. “Sometimes, someone might be in the area with a radio or a scanner or something. If so, I'll get ping back registering a power spike.”
“You just got a reading?”
“Yeah, I’ve had two really minor blips in the last hour and a half. Both in the northeast section but ways apart, do we have any teams in that area?”
“Nothing on my logs for today, let me contact Zelenka and Lorne; see if they’ve sent anyone there.”
Chuck contacted the two men and discovered neither had deployed teams into the area. He instructed Eva to continue to monitor the area and keep him updated. He then headed for Woolsey’s office to notify the director of Eva’s observations. He had learned that Woolsey didn’t like to be surprised, so he told him everything.
“So, no idea what could have caused the minute power readings?” Woolsey asked after Chuck briefed him.
“No, sir; could be anything. Many of the power conduits in those areas are damaged. Several of the lowest levels of Atlantis are compromised due to the flooding that occurred when we first arrived. Dr. Zelenka developed a repair plan a long time ago, but the city's a big place. Repairs, considering the hundreds of miles of minor power conduits, take a considerable amount of time. The Replicators had begun that work when they took the city, and the Ancients had also repaired some of it before they were killed, but there's a lot left.”
“Well, keep me informed. I have learned not to dismiss anything around here.”
Chuck grinned, “Wise move, sir; I right there with you.”
~~oooOooo~~
Captain Isaacs was beginning to share the scientists’ concerns about Dr. McKay. He couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was wrong, but something was wrong. His team had accompanied McKay on several missions, especially when Colonel Sheppard was laid up after an injury. He had gotten to know the science director pretty well, and he had grown to respect him. He was well aware that McKay was a lot braver than he appeared, braver than he thought himself to be. He didn’t rattle as easily as he used to on missions. Yet, today, this McKay was skittish as a newborn kitten, but was trying to hide it. Isaacs knew he had to figure out what the cause was before something happened.
He was lounging against an interior wall around mid-day when a group of locals arrived. They carried baskets of food for the Atlantians.
Isaacs approached the locals, wearing his most diplomatic face. A tall woman walking in front of the group spoke, “Greetings; I am Teasa Von. We have brought sustenance for those who are helping us regain the assistance of the ancient hall.”
“Thank you, ma’am; that's very kind of you. I’m Captain Isaacs, and I know the entire team will appreciate your kind gesture.” He peeked into one of the baskets, "Um, that looks good, ma'am."
She smiled, ”Our thanks, captain; may we lay out the food on the table there?” She pointed to a long narrow table against the east wall.
“Of course, please,” he motioned for Von to proceed. As she and the others began to he tapped his com and broadcast to his team and the scientists that lunch had arrived. He anticipated McKay’s reaction; the scientist would arrive quickly, excited about the food. He was wrong.
McKay had returned to the fifth floor, where the mystery lab was located. Within seconds of the message, he emerged from the transporter, rage on his face.
“What the hell are you thinking, Isaacs? We have work to do here; we don’t have time for these…these people to bother us? Get them out of here. I want my people back to work, and I want you to guard us. You’re supposed to be keeping us safe, not let these people that we don’t know come in here.”
“Dr. McKay, I…”
“Don’t ‘Dr. McKay’ me, I’m in charge here…you do what I say.”
Isaacs glanced at the villagers, who were stunned at McKay’s outburst. Taking a deep breath, he muttered, “Doctor, please, come with me.” He gently clasped the scientist’s arm and steered him away from the group. He was surprised by was the instantaneous change in McKay’s demeanor. The doctor looked apprehensive, almost frightened; his eyes darting back and forth, not focusing on anything.
“Doc, you OK?”
“Uh…yeah, I’m OK. I thought they were…I don’t know why I…uh, did you say there was food here?”
Isaacs gave him a slight smile, “Yeah; these nice folks brought food for us. Let’s go get something to eat.” While McKay inspected the food, he stepped away to speak to Von.
"Ma’am, sorry, Dr. McKay has been working very hard lately, and he’s very tired. My apologies for his outburst.”
“Please, not to worry, we are just thankful that we may have the hall working again. Our history tells us that at one time, we were given much information from this hall by the Ancestors. It was information that improved our harvest. We can withstand a little ‘difficulty’ for the assistance you are giving us. Now we will take our leave; I will send some boys to collect the dishes and baskets. If you return tomorrow, we will bring food once more.”
As the villagers left, Isaacs turned to watch Dr. McKay, who had filled his plate and was sitting at a console, quietly eating. There was definitely something wrong. He was going to watch McKay closely for the next couple of hours, then start suggesting they head back to Atlantis. He’d just have to be careful to figure out which McKay showed up. The McKay he knew, or the one that appeared minutes before.
~~oooOooo~~
“Crap; where the hell is it?”
Sheppard was standing in a puddle of shallow, stagnant water in a narrow alcove, muttering to himself. He had finally pried the cover off of the vent located mid-wall. He found nothing stored in the square metal conduit but dust and mold.
He was tired, resisting the urge to slide down the wall to the floor and rest. He had been running for nearly five hours after not sleeping well. The transmissions had been coming more frequently, and he had not slept well for several days, as the duration of the transmissions lengthened.
They were dangerous. They told him if he turned all the Ancient technology over to them, they would spare the lives of the Atlantis residents. He didn’t believe them. He knew they were planning to raid Atlantis, steal the Ancient technology, possibly killing them all. The one thing he was certain of was that they couldn’t take Atlantis; they didn’t have the gene. That was the first thing he had done. If they knew they could possibly acquire the ATA gene, then they would kill everyone. He had taken that option away from them by stealing the ATA serum therapy from the infirmary. Beckett and Keller wouldn’t miss the serum for a while, with the Daedalus not due to arrive for two weeks. They would not be inoculating anyone until the new recruits arrived. But he had to find the key. The key was the only way to defeat them.
Sloshing through the ankle deep water, Sheppard made his way toward the stardrive engine room. He was cold; this level of Atlantis sat deep in the cold ocean water. The life support controls that regulated the temperature in these unused lower levels had been shut off to conserve energy. He thought he would be warmer in the stardrive engine room. He had insisted that power not be cut to the star drive, should they need to escape the planet quickly. He entered the large chamber and spotted the auxiliary control cubicle. He silently opened the doors and slipped into the smaller room. It was a warmer and more importantly, dry inside. He found a protected spot to sit, closing his eyes for a moment, unconsciously rubbing the wound on his arm where he had removed the transponder chip. He pulled a powerbar from his vest and had eaten about half of it, when his eyes became heavy from exhaustion. He slumped against the wall and fell asleep.
She had followed him. The feeling of confusion and frustration that she had learned to sense from the Earthers, coursed through her from her connection with him. She sensed panic, which was not an emotion he often felt. Only when one he cared deeply about was in danger did panic rise in him. However, he never allowed that emotion to the surface. Now he was perilously close to just that, panic. As he slept, she kept watch over him, hoping that he rest would ease his confusion, and hers.
~~oooOooo~~
It was nearly 1600 hours, and Captain Isaacs decided to broach the subject of returning to Atlantis. Nightfall was less than three hours away, and he knew if he started pestering McKay now, they would be leaving in about an hour, perhaps two if the scientist was really immersed in his work. Only Colonel Sheppard could persuade Dr. McKay to move on his timetable; everyone else moved on McKay’s.
Isaacs hopped onto the transporter. When the door opened, he found McKay sitting at a console, scrolling through data displayed on a large monitor. He waited to see if McKay heard him; when it was apparent he didn’t, Isaacs spoke quietly.
“Doc,” he asked but McKay didn’t move, “Dr. McKay; I was wondering when you wanted to leave. I know you like to be back on Atlantis in time to get your mission data uploaded before dinner. If you want, I can get everyone ready to go now.”
McKay peered over his shoulder; his face dark and angry. “Do I look like I want to leave now? I’m just about to find out who these people are. Now, leave me alone, captain, or I’ll have Sheppard bust you to private. Go away; I’ll decide when we leave here.” He turned back to the monitor, and Isaacs knew he had been dismissed.
As he walked off the transporter on the first floor, he motioned for Sergeant Powers. “Sergeant, Atlantis is expecting us in one to two hours; head to the gate and notify them that we'll possibly be delayed. Let them know that Dr. McKay isn’t ready to leave quite yet.”
“Yes, sir; be back shortly.”
As he watched Powers head down the long road toward the stargate, Isaacs wished that Colonel Sheppard had decided to come on this mission instead of going off world with Teyla and Ronon. Something was decidedly wrong with Dr. McKay, and he feared it would only become worse. He knew he needed to keep close watch over McKay. The colonel expected that.
Two and a half hours later, after McKay had refused again to leave, he decided not to wait any longer. He ordered his team to start helping the agronomists gather their equipment for the trek back to the gate. He transported to the top floor to retrieve Dr. McKay.
When the transporter doors opened, he discovered the lab in total darkness. He flipped on the flashlight attached to his P-90 and began to sweep the room. He was advancing slowly toward the center of the room when he was knocked off his feet by McKay rushing passed him.
“Gotta get away, they know we’re here. They’re going to kill us.”
Isaacs heard the transporter doors close as he swiftly rose from the floor. He ran to the transporter and punched the call button. The transporter returned to him, and he was on the ground floor within seconds.
Lieutenant Riva called out to him, “Captain. Dr. McKay just ran out of here yelling something like, 'they are here; they are after me'.”
Rushing out side he found Corporal Danzig, “Which way did he go?” Danzig pointed behind the building, “That way, sir; he was running really fast. Sergeant Powers chased after him.”
Isaacs ran around the building with his team on his heels. They found Sergeant Powers standing along the east road, using infrared binoculars in the darkening sky to scan the area. Powers glanced around when he heard them coming.
“Sir, I thought I saw him head this way, but I lost him. He’s was running really fast, captain; scared the hell out of me when he just bolted out of door. I stopped when I realized that there was no way to tell which way McKay had gone. Tried to spot his heat signature with the night binoculars, but he’s just gone.”
Isaacs blew out a deep breath. Dusk had fallen. In the vast fields behind the building, finding McKay without more help would be impossible.
“Powers, double-time it back to the gate, tell Atlantis that Dr. McKay has been exhibiting erratic behavior and had run off into the fields saying someone is trying to kill him. Have them send jumpers. We’re going to split up and start walking down the other three roads leading from the building.”
Powers acknowledged his orders and immediately headed for the gate. Isaacs motioned to Riva and Danzig, “Move out and stay in radio contact. Dr. McKay couldn’t have gotten too far. If we find him, try not to spook him, key your radio twice; we’ll use the GPS to locate each other.”
Isaacs started walking down the road leading west from the Ancient outpost. He whispered, “Dr. McKay, where the hell are you?”