Stargate Atlantis: Shepherd's Hook
"John, are you sure about this? John?"
Carson Beckett's Scottish voice sounded nervous as the doctor reclined in the Ancient Chair that had once graced the sister city of Tir na nOg and was now ensconced in Atlantis. Power was flaring as his ATA gene activated the Chair's controls and the strange interface of man and machine was beginning.
John Sheppard was reclining in the other Chair. He relaxed, allowing the power to flow as he guided it almost effortlessly. "Just follow my lead, Carson, and relax. We are going to fire Drones on that fugly ship and give the Daedalus some breathing room." He looked over a striking brunette woman clad in a white lab coat over her Atlantis blue BDUs. "Doctor Porter, if you see that Carson is in any distress get him out of the Chair ASAP."
"Of course, colonel," Alison Porter agreed. She was curious as to why the military commander had been so insistent she be on hand, but she hadn't questioned him. Her medical kit was in eash reach. "And we will do the same for you."
"I'll be fine. I've got my back-up." He glanced to his right. Moira O'Meara stood near, worriedly watching him, hands thrust into her own white lab coat. He smiled to reassure the biologist, shaking his head that just a few minutes ago he had proposed to her on the spur of the moment. Now he was once more saving the day.
It was just another day in Atlantis.
"On three. Both are hooked up and will act in concert," Rodney assured, moving from his knees off the floor. He stepped carefully over the cables and crystals connecting the two Chairs to the mainframe of the city and the weapons.
John settled back and closed his eyes, flexing his hands over the armpads of the Chair. "Follow my lead, Carson. Okay, ladies, here we go."
"Is he talking to us?" Alison asked.
"No. He's talking to the city, to the cities," Moira replied. "At least he better be."
John smiled.
"I'll be monitoring from the control room. We can track the ships in real time now. I'll be in constant radio contact," Rodney assured. He glanced at the two men in the Chairs, at the two women watching over them then quickly left.
"Here we go, baby…let's get these guys and get 'em where it hurts." John concentrated. He could feel Carson with him, a dim presence to his left, like seeing someone out of the corner of your eye. Both men were controlling the Chairs and connecting to the city.
A star map appeared in the air above them, charting the position of the two ships and the dire battle being waged between them. Alison and Moira stared at it, fascinated as pinpoints of color flew between each blip. A swarm of Drones joined the picture. Looking like yellow squids the weapons hurled towards the larger of the two ships. Explosions were bursts of red in the simulacrum of the star chart.
"First squad is away! Good shooting, Carson!"
"I just aimed for the big one," the doctor modestly said, but he smiled. Oddly enough he was enjoying this.
"That's what they all say," John jested. "Prepping the next round. Rodney, status?"
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Rodney was swerving from monitor to monitor, from screen to screen. He tapped his earpiece. "Fugly One has been hit but their shield is holding! They are still firing on the Daedalus and she's taking evasive measures. Concentrate on the underbelly, John, near the hangar bay! That's the weak spot!"
Radek Zelenka wiped his glasses, returned them to his face. "Daedalus, do you copy? We are rendering assistance. Follow this course trajectory." The Czech relayed the data burst with a press of a button. "Copy?"
"This is Daedalus, copy that and thanks!" Steven Caldwell's voice was intercut with static.
"Is there still only the one ship?" Richard Woolsey asked, eying the screens.
"So far. That other one is still on the other side of us but is heading for us," Radek stated.
"John, I'm transmitting the interference signal now! Give it ten and then attack on the vector I gave you! We should render Fugly One inoperable…temporarily."
"How long is temporarily?" Richard asked.
Rodney shrugged. "I haven't a clue."
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"Understood and acknowledged," John assured. He frowned. "Fugly One? What did I tell you about naming things?" he sighed.
"Carson, are you all right?" Alison stepped to the doctor and touched his wrist. His pulse was quickening. A line of sweat was beading on his forehead.
"Fine, love…it's like running a marathon. Next round, colonel?"
"Yes, Carson. Don't push it. Let me take the lead."
"Are you all right, John?" Moira asked, stepping closer and touching his arm. He appeared to be in no distress.
"Fine, Moy, don't you worry now. This part is pretty easy. Here we go, baby," he muttered, addressing the city. "Ya know, Moy, you never gave me an answer."
"What?" she asked, startled. She glanced at Carson and Alison then looked back at John.
"I don't consider huh as an answer," he said with a smirk. "Here we go, Carson. Let's try multiple rounds at this trajectory."
"Like taking candy from a baby, John," Carson said confidently.
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"Is it working?" Richard was moving all around the control room, unable to keep still. It was like trying to monitor a video game, except this was no game. This was real life and a real battle was being fought in space near Atlantis.
"So far…" Rodney's gaze darted from screen to screen to screen. "The jamming frequencies are on now! John, go for it! They can't fire!"
"Daedalus, do you copy? The enemy craft has been rendered inoperable! Fire at will!" Radek instructed. He glanced at Rodney. "How long?"
"It's hard to say…so far so good." Rodney pointed to the screen. "I'm reading multiple hits on Fugly One! Their shield strength is weakening! John, do it now!"
"If we can take out one of these ships—"
"We can take out another," Rodney finished Richard's thought. "As long as we don't run out of Drones, that is, or overload the ZPMs or have any energy surges or—"
"We're doing fine!" Radek interrupted. "Power levels are holding, ZPMs are online."
"Then why is that flashing?"
At Richard's question all looked at the neural transmitter. It was glowing red and flashing in a sequence that was matching the power fluctuations on one screen.
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"Easy does it, Carson…we're good to go. Rodney, acknowledged. Okay, baby, let's give 'em hell and back again. Follow my lead." John's voice was slightly strained as he moved a little in the Chair, as if he was in the cockpit of a fighter jet. His fingers flexed on the controls and he melded with the city to activate the Drones and head them towards his target.
Carson was struggling, becoming weary as the connection was draining. This Chair felt different from the Atlantis one, and the doctor briefly felt a wave of resentment that John had taken the lead chair for himself without any discussion. It rankled, this air of superiority and Carson directed his Drones with a vengeance that was normally foreign to him.
Moira gasped as the star chart above their heads was filling with yellow squids. "John? John, should you be firing so many? John?" She gently shook his arm.
"Huh? What the…crap! Damn it, Carson, not that many! We can't afford to deplete our supply!" John warned, quickly taking an inventory even as he drove his own squads of Drones towards the enemy ship. The city's Shield crackled with the impact of hundreds of Drones leaving it, but held intact and secure.
"I'll take the lead on this one, thank you very much, colonel," Carson snapped, flexing his hands on the control pads. "She told me."
"What?"
"She told me what you did to her, you bastard."
"What?" John briefly lost contact as he opened his eyes, baffled.
A moment's distraction was all that it took.
"She told me what you did to her, raping her and taking from her what she needed. You said you were going to save her but instead you butchered her!"
"The city? You must mean Turnog! No, Carson, don't listen to her! She's not real!"
"Carson?" Alison quickly checked the doctor's pulse. Blood was trickling from his nose. "His heart is racing! Carson, get out of there now! I am going to pull you out!"
"You did! All to save your precious city! You used her, tossed her onto the side of the road all to save your precious, precious Atlantis! I won't let you get away with this, I won't let you—"
"Carson!" Alison cried as the doctor began to convulse.
"Get him outta there!" John ordered, shutting his eyes and forcing calm onto himself he didn't feel. He recalled what had happened to the last man who had tried to co-pilot the Drones with him in that Chair. That man had died.
"John, hold on…John…" Moira's voice was calm as she slid her hand down his arm to his hand.
John grabbed onto that calm and let it guide him, as he suddenly found himself deeply in the city's systems and guiding twice as many Drones. It was almost too much to handle as Carson's control fell away, leaving the unwieldy weapons to John's solo direction.
"Moira! Help me get him out of this damn thing!" Alison called. She was trying to move the doctor out of the Chair.
"Go. I'll be fine, Moy," John assured in a low voice.
Moira's hand tightened on his a moment. "I'll be right back, John, I promise."
They were the last words John heard as he was absorbed into the city.