Twisted Shorts August Fic-a-Day Challenge - Day 6
Title: Too Weak to Start Up
Author:
hermione2be Rating: PG/FR13/K+
Crossover: BtVS/SG:A
Disclaimer: I do not own any of BtVS/Angel or Stargate people, places, or ideas. This fiction is done simply for pleasure and I receive no profit.
Summary: Boredom is broken by a bug.
Notes: Part 6 of Faith Sheppard -
Links PageSeasons: Post-series/Season 1
Word Count: 2350
Faith sighed.
“Stop it, lass,” Carson said from his desk.
“I want to be able to do something here,” she told him.
“Do what?” he asked.
Well, there was the problem. Since she was seventeen, between becoming the Slayer and traveling to California and killing the deputy mayor…she never thought her life would be her own. She had completed her GED in prison, knowing if she ever got released it would be needed. But she didn’t know what she actually wanted to do.
“I want to be able to go through the Stargate,” she told him. “I fight, I still want to fight.”
Carson set his tablet down and looked at her. “You know how to fight, but it’s not like the military does.”
“Teyla learned.”
He couldn’t argue with that. Teyla was part of Sheppard’s team.
“Doctor Beckett, report to the control room,” came through the coms.
Faith and Carson jumped up, running up the tower to Stargate control. Klaxons were blaring. The Stargate was open but no one was coming through.
“Where’s my patient?” Carson demanded, looking for what had caused him to be called.
“There’s been a problem,” Weir said. “Conference room.” She looked at the control tech and ordered, “Keep a channel open with them at all times. And turn off that damn alarm off!”
The klaxon ceased as they headed to the conference room. Several scientists and engineers were gathered.
“You’ve all been briefed,” Weir said. “We have less than half an hour. Where’s Doctor Zelenka?”
“He’s working up a simulation in Puddle Jumper Two,” Kavanagh informed her. “He went straight there.”
“That’s good.”
“If there was time, it would be.”
“Let’s not admit defeat just yet, Doctor. There’s six people on that ship.”
“I’m just a medical doctor here,” Carson said, “so forgive me if this is stupid question. If they just stepped through the event horizon, wouldn’t they come through with the front part of the ship when she gate shuts down?”
“The front half won’t re-materialize on this side,” Kavanagh explained.
“Objects only come through in one piece,” Faith said, remembering reading it in one of the tech manuals about the Stargate. “It’s an all or nothing scenario.”
One of the scientists nodded. “In essence, she’s right.”
“Doctor Beckett,” someone said from the doorway. “The Jumper is requesting you.”
Carson left the conference room. Faith debated a moment before following him.
“This mic is open,” a tech informed Carson.
“This is Doctor Beckett. How’s our patient?”
“This is Ford,” came the radio. “Major Sheppard’s conscious, but the creature’s still latched onto him.”
“How do you feel about house calls, Doc?” Sheppard teased through the radio.
“Would if I could, Major Sheppard, but you’ll have to settle for long distance. I’m told you have something of a cling-on.”
The response was a breathy laugh. “That’s funny. It’s the ugliest tick you’ve ever seen.”
“How did it attach itself?”
“I walked into its web.”
“Can you describe it to me?”
Faith grabbed a marker from a bag nearby and went to the clear glass in front of the controls. She drew what Ford described including the way in which was attached to Sheppard. The forelegs around his neck, with two pinchers embedded near the carotid, and long thin tail wrapped around his bicep.
Sheppard described his symptoms, Faith listed them off to the side. As well as all the methods they had already tried to kill or detach it.
“I believe the creature is related in some way to the Wraith,” Teyla informed them.
“Really?” Rodney said in surprise.
“How so?” Carson asked.
“It healed itself after each attempt to remove it…” Teyla explained, “By sapping life from Major Sheppard, just as a Wraith would.”
“I suppose the Wraith had to evolve from something,” Rodney noted. “It’s probably some sort of prehistoric cousin.”
“Listen, Doc,” Ford said, “the Major’s getting worse. We gotta do something right now.”
“Teyla,” Faith said. “Do Wraith feed on the dead?”
“No, there is no point.”
“Neither do vampires,” she said softly to Carson.
“Are you suggesting we kill him?!” Rodney said in disgust.
“All the Jumpers have AEDs, right?” Faith asked.
“Lass, that’s extreme.”
“Bugs hate electricity,” she told him. “Their exoskeletons can act as a conductor.”
“There are other things to try first.”
“If the paralysis reaches his heart, it may be too weak to start up again.”
“She’s right,” Sheppard said. “It’s already spreading.”
“I don’t understand,” Teyla said.
“Help me lay him down,” Ford said as he grunted, moving Sheppard into position.
“You ever done this?” Sheppard asked.
“Been electrocuted?” Faith thought about it a moment. “A few times. Three or four times they had to restart my heart when I was in a coma. I got a jolt a few months ago trying to exterminate some large roaches.”
“So you’re suggesting this since you survived it?” Sheppard said.
“I’m suggesting it since you can still make a choice.”
“So once the bug is off, just shock him again?” Ford verified.
“Yes. If it doesn’t work send him through the Stargate, it’ll be as good as deep freeze,” Carson said. He looked at a nearby officer. “Tell them to prepare for a code blue in the Jumper Bay.”
The officer nodded and tapped his radio as he started moving.
“If this doesn’t work…” Sheppard said.
“None of that, John,” Weir cut him off.
It was several tense moments, with three gunshots. Then Ford spoke to them. “This is Lieutenant Ford. The creature has been successfully removed from Major Sheppard, but we were unable to revive him. Both he and Teyla are now on the other side of the event horizon.”
“Good,” Weir said.
“What happened to the bug?” Faith asked.
“It’s dead,” Ford replied.
“It’s a regenerating bug that may be the basis of the Wraith’s ability to live for ten thousand years,” she pointed out. “Unless you’ve pulled off the head, chances are it’s regenerating right now.”
“I really rather not.”
“I do not have time to get that thing attached to me or get it off you,” Rodney snapped.
Ford sighed. “What do you want me to do?”
Faith walked over to her drawing. “You said the head was retractable, but armored.”
“Yes.”
“First, get an empty case to throw it in when you’re done. Can’t be too safe.”
“Got it.”
“Good. You’ll need a knife. You need to wedge it in the retracting area and cut the pincher part off from the rest. Then stick it in the case and seal it.”
Ford took several deep breaths. “Okay. Here goes.” There was a few minutes of silence then he reported. “It’s done. The bug’s head is severed and the entire thing is locked in a case.”
Faith sighed. “Nicely done.”
“Good call,” he said. “It was regenerating.”
“May still, but at least this way, there is a chance it’s well and truly dead.”
“I don’t need to be thinking about that,” Rodney told her.
“Twenty-two minutes,” Weir reported. “Zelenka is sending a set of schematics.”
88888888
Faith was with Carson when the Jumper landed in the bay. She grabbed Ford around the waist and untangled his arm from the cargo netting he had used to secure himself when they had to blow the rear hatch to propel the Jumper through the Stargate.
Carson ran through with Clare and Marie, working quickly on Sheppard.
Another doctor held out a gurney for Ford and secured oxygen to him.
“Good call,” Ford said as she dropped him onto the gurney. “The bug had started rattling around in the case.”
“Where is it?”
“Vacuum of space.”
Faith did not reply as they both watched the commotion in the Jumper. Sheppard was shocked again.
Carson sighed. “We’ve got a pulse.”
88888888
Faith sat at Carson’s desk considering the last few days.
“What are doing here, lass?” Carson asked as he came over.
“Is he okay?”
“A nasty wound that should heal. He’s tired but in a few days he’ll be fine.”
She exhaled slowly.
“It’s okay to worry about him.”
“It’s not my place,” she told him.
Carson watched as she stood and walked towards the recovery room. He sat down at his desk and focused on finishing an official request he had started the week before.
“Hey,” Sheppard said as he sensed someone come in.
“Hey,” Faith replied.
“Doc says I’m going to be fine. Ford and McKay said that you were the reason they didn’t get attacked by the…thing after it was off me.”
She shrugged. “Monsters, easily predictable.”
“Beckett said you heal faster than anyone he’s ever seen. Teyla praises your skills, she likes sparring with you.”
She frowned at him.
“Even McKay seems to like how you think - which is saying something.”
“Save someone from a monster and they’ll think well of you for a while.”
“Ford does seem to appreciate that you knew what to do.”
“And you?”
“Electricity hurts. But it’s better than…it.” He gestured to his neck in disgust.
“I want to go out in the field,” she told him. “I am a fighter and sitting around waiting is a waste of my skills.”
“I’ll think about it.” John considered her. “Do you know how to use a gun?”
“Yes, but I have much more practice in swords and bows.”
“We’ll see about that.”
88888888
Faith smirked as she took off the ear protection.
“Damn,” Ford said. “Is that a perfect score?” he asked the Marine overseeing her gun qualifying test.
“Yes,” the Marine replied. “Well done. I’ll get this to Major Sheppard within in the hour.”
“Thank you.”
“That was impressive,” Ford said as he followed Faith off the pier.
“Really, Ford, it’s not that big a deal.”
“My name’s Aiden,” he told her. “And you aren’t very excited about qualifying with a perfect score.”
“Guns aren’t exactly my weapons of choice,” she told him.
“Really? What do you prefer?”
“Knives.”
“That’s a little short range,” he told her.
“I know. That’s why I went through with qualifying.”
88888888
Faith dove sideways to avoid the Wraith weapons’ fire. She was ahead of the team. She dialed up Atlantis, then dropped to one knee and took out Wraith foot soldiers that came into view.
John was yelling into his comm, letting Atlantis know they were coming in hot. His team passed her. She heard a shot come from behind her as she ran through the event horizon. She ran straight through the Stargate and tackled the person in her path. McKay went down hard under her weight. The Wraith stunner went right past them.
“What the hell?” Bates demanded as he came running in on the scene.
Faith shifted back onto her heels.
“You okay?”
McKay nodded. “You saved me.”
“Wraith stunners don’t kill,” she told him as she jumped to her feet and pulled him up.
“How can you know that?”
“I talked to the Athosians…”
“Oh…right.”
She grinned.
“You two okay?” Aiden asked.
“None the worse for wear,” Faith replied. “So much for a nice walk off-base for my first mission.”
88888888
Weir and Bates entered the conference room.
“All right,” Weir said as she sat. “Let’s get started.”
Aiden frowned. “Shouldn’t we wait for Teyla and Faith?”
“They were not invited.”
“Teyla is a member of my team,” John said, a hard edge to his voice. “And Faith did well out there today.”
“Teyla is an Athosian, sir,” Bates replied. “And Miss Lehane is an unknown element.”
“So?”
“If we’ve been compromised, and every indication suggests that we have, it’s almost certain that one of the Athosians is responsible.”
“We’re talking about Teyla,” John nearly yelled.
“I don’t like it either, Major,” Weir assured him.
“Good, then get her in here-”
“But,” she cut him off, “the safety of this base and its personnel are my main concern right now, as it should be yours. The Wraith have shown up on five of the last nine planets your team has visited, and given that two of those worlds were unpopulated, we can pretty much assume that they’re being alerted to your mission by someone on this base.”
“If someone on this base was communicating with the Wraiths, then why hasn’t Atlantis been attacked?” McKay asked.
“Good point,” John leapt at the logical argument.
“Maybe we should just stop using the Stargate indefinitely,” Bates suggested.
“We can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because we need ZPMs to power this place.”
Bates shrugged. “They seem to be running fine right now.”
“Okay. When the Wraith do show up, and they will, how do we defend ourselves?”
“Or for that matter,” McKay said, “how do we get back to Earth?”
“This is the only Stargate in the Pegasus galaxy that can even reach Earth,” Weir reminded them, “and if it comes to that, we’re going to have to use a self-destruct before the Wraith take the city.”
“Bottom line, we need to use the gate,” John said.
“Then we’ve got to find out who’s responsible A.S.A.P.,” Bates decided. “I suggest we start by confining all non-base personnel to the south side of the complex.”
“Are you kidding?”
“That’s the absolute minimum we should do.”
“Does that include Faith?” Aiden asked, cutting into the argument.
“No,” Weir said at the same time Bates said, “Absolutely.”
“We’re not going to start treating anyone like prisoners,” Weir told them all.
“Well, that’s good,” John snapped.
“That said…steps should be taken to safeguard the more sensitive areas of this facility. It’s only reasonable.”
He swallowed uncomfortably. So there may have been some steps he had avoided taking in the last few weeks. Ones he probably should have.
“I recommend no-go zones start with Stargate operations, the labs, power generation, and the Jumper bay.”
“I’d like to meet with every Athosian on this base,” Weir said. “I mean, they’ve been here three months. I only know a handful of them by name.”
“I could start setting up interviews as soon as we’re done here,” Bates volunteered.
“And in the meantime, all gate travel is suspended until further notice.”