This is my first try at sci-fi, so I hope ya'll like it. Feel free to leave commets and suggestions; they'll be appreciated!
Oh, yeah, I don't own Stargate Atlantis. (My sister really wishes she did though)
Lt. Col. John Sheppard was at the ready with his fighting sticks. Facing him was his friend, teammate, and sparring partner Teyla Emmogen. The concentration of the two was so intent it could almost be felt. Quick as lighting, Teyla suddenly struck. Sheppard blocked the first and second blow but was caught off guard by the third was struck on the leg. Just as he was about to retaliate, the voice of Dr. McKay sounded through the comm system.
"Sheppard, Teyla, Ronon, meet me in the control room." Sheppard groaned. McKay always seemed to be able to catch him in the middle of something. Grudgingly, John grabbed up his ear piece and gym bag and followed Teyla to the main control room.
There they found McKay intently studying a blueprint of a section of Atlantis with Ronon standing nearby, looking bored.
"You called, Rodney?" said Teyla.
"Yeah, yeah, give me a second."
"McKay," Sheppard groaned.
"All right, all right, we think we found something." The scientist replied.
Ronon raised an eyebrow. "You think you found something?"
"Yeah, right here." McKay pointed to the screen. A small room was flashing light blue.
"What is it?" asked Sheppard?
"I don't know, but that room wasn't showing up before." He glanced down at the control panels in front of him. "There seemed to have been a shield around the room, blocking it from the city's scanners. It also seems to be using power."
"From the ZPM?" asked the voice of Dr. Wier. They all turned to see the expedition team leader approaching. "What have you got, Rodney?" she asked.
"It seems to be a small room of some kind,that was not on our city scanners before and seems to be using power for something. Lucky for us, it seems to be using power from a source of its own." McKay replied.
"Really? Do you think it might be a hidden ZPM?" Weir wondered.
"That would be great." Said Sheppard.
"Unfortunately, I can't tell form here. I'll need to take a few people down there with me and find out." Said McKay
"Quit complaining, Rodney."
"Well, when I said 'a few people' I didn't really mean you three, Sheppard." Sheppard, McKay, Teyla, and Ronon were walking down a corridor on one of the lower levels of the city. McKay, who was navigating with the life-signs detector, had been complaining the whole way about getting stuck with the others as escorts.
"It's okay, McKay, I don't really want to be here listening to you whine, either." Said Ronon. McKay stopped and gave Ronon a looking that could have killed. He continued on a few more feet, then he stopped again, just outside of a door.
"This is it." He said, and began looking for the door control panel. When he found it, he tried to open it, but it would not open. He pried the front off and was, after a minute or two of fiddling with it, able to get the door opened.
With a soft hiss, the door slid open. As they walked in a few dim lights came on and the door hissed shut behind them. On one side of the room was what appeared to be examining table and on the other side was what looked like a stasis pod or chamber. Control stations with numerous readouts and such were beside each.
"It looks like a laboratory." Said Teyla.
"Yes, it does." Replied McKay. He quickly walked over to the instrument panel beside the pod. Sheppard, Ronon, and Teyla, having finished securing the room, gathered around the pod. The arch of glass near the top was dark.
"This is what is drawing the power," said McKay. He grinned. "It is a ZPM! I knew it!" he said excitedly.
"Do you think we could use it to power the shield?" asked Sheppard.
"Maybe, if I can find out what it is powering." He pushed few buttons. His face suddenly went blank with amazement. "It's a stasis pod." He said.
"I think we all could tell that, Rodney." Said Sheppard.
"Yeah, but this pod is drawing power; it's active." Said the sciencest excitedly.
"You mean somebody is in this thing?" asked Ronon.
"Well, I doubt it would be active if it was empty." Came the irritated reply. Suddenly, the window in the pod was lit up from within. The glass was frosted, but a vague shape could be seen inside. McKay was pushing buttons and reading the screens on the control panel once more. "This is encredible. If this thing does what it's supposed to do, it is a true stasis chamber, where aging is completely halted." McKay commented.
"Is there anything about who might in here?" asked Sheppard.
"Give me a second to pull up the files- Yes, its-"
"What?" asked Sheppard, almost afraid to find out.
"I think it's an Ancient." Came the stunned answer.
"So, you think the person inside this pod be well be an Ancient?" asked Weir. As soon as they had this out, McKay's team lost no time in telling her about their discovery and bringing her down to the small laboratory. "Do you know who it is, or why are they in here?"
"Well, it seemed to be an experiment. The Ancient scientist who built the pod was trying to improve on their current stasis technology. It seems to work on a combination of the technology used in the stasis chamber we found the other Elizabeth in, and cryonic suspension."
"That's all very interesting, Rodney, but what I really like to know is who's in there and why are they there." interrupted Sheppard.
"I'm getting to that." Rodney pushed a few buttons on his pad which was connected to the control panel. "It seems to be the scientist's daughter." He said in amazement.
Dr. Carson Beckett had been eating his lunch with a few of his co-workers when he was suddenly interrupted by Rodney McKay's voice coming over his radio ear piece.
"Yes, Rodney, what is it?" he asked in his Scottish accent.
"You have to see this! You gotta come down here, it's amazing!-" McKay's rapid-fire chatter was interrupt by Elizabeth Weir.
"Rodney's found something in one of the more remote parts of the city, and we need you take a look. You'll probably want your basic gear."
"My gear? What is it Elizabeth?"
"I believe Rodney wishes to surprise you." inserted Teyla.
"All right, I'm on my way." Replied the doctor.
"Okie-dokie then, what have you got that so urgently needs my attention?" Carson said as he entered the laboratory.
"Meet our newest discovery." Replied Rodney as he motioned toward the stasis pod. Carson took a few steps closer and peered at the now lit window. He could see a person was inside.
"Is that a person inside?"
"Yes, it is." Said a now smiling Weir. "And we think she is an Ancient."
"Really? What makes you think this?"
"According to the log, this thing has been on and running over 10,000 years, and started right around the timed the Ancients left and went to earth." Rondey explained.
"And I take it you want to open this thing and let whoever's in there out?"
"Well, duh! Would you like to talk with a living, breathing Ancient?"
"I suppose, but we have to consider what's good for the person inside," said Beckett. "What if being in this stasis chamber is the only reason they're alive? If we take them out they could die."
"That's why we called you down here," said Sheppard. "We need your expertise to tell us if it's safe to open it."
"Okay," the Scotsman shrugged. "Let me see the readings." It took him thirty minutes to read everything the computer was telling him. "Well, according to this, the patient is an eighteen year-old female. She's stable, and quite healthy for being in a stasis pod for 10,000 years.
"Didn't Rodney tell you? It's a true stasis chamber." Said Sheppard sarcastically.
"Are you serious?" Carson Beckett's eyes were wide in amazement. "that's incredible!"
"Yes it is, now, is safe to open this thing or not?"
"Well, assuming these readings are accurate, I would say yes it's safe, but I can't be 100% sure since I don't know what will happen during the waking process," relied Beckett. "Does the log say why she was in here?"
"Science." Rodney answered. "The girl's mother built the pod and want to know if and how well it worked."
"But why was she left behind?" asked Teyla.
"The log doesn't say. It doesn't give any indication as to how long she was supposed to be in there. However, by the way this room was hidden, I suspect that this scientist, who remains mysteriously unnamed, wasn't supposed to be conducting this experiment." said McKay. "So, Elizabeth, can we crack this thing or not?"
"Yes, Rodney, you can opened it." replied Weir. She was getting rather excited at the prospect of meeting a living, breathing Ancient. Rodney started working the controls and the light in the chamber turned orange, indicating that heat lamps were working. Condensation built up on the glass. Fifteen minutes later, the light went back to normal. Five minutes later, the domed cover of the pod opened and was scrolled down in to the left side of the pod, leaving the figure of a girl exposed. Immediately Beckett was checking her breathing and vital signs. He look up with a smile.
"Breathing and heart rate are normal. So far it looks like she came out just fine." He said happily. Everyone let out the breath they had been holding. She was petite, and had fair skin and straight brown hair parted over her left eye. She was wearing a full chocolate brown skirt that came to her mid-calf, and a fawn colored vest that look like it was make of suede or buckskin over a cream colored shirt with long, draping puffed sleeves. Her feet were covered by knee-length brown leather boots. Carson gently pick her up and moved her over to the examining table where there was a soft white blanket to cover her with.
"I have one question," said Ronon, who had been silent up till now. "Why is she still asleep? I thought you said that you were going to wake her up."
"According to the log, a sedative is injected just before the pod opens to keep the patient sedated until their body has recovered from the thawing process." Beckett replied. "She probably won't actually wake for several hours at least. If I may, Elizabeth, I like to move her to the infirmary so I can keep a better eye on her as soon as possible."
"Of course, Carson." Weir nodded.
Four hours later, Ronon, on a whim, decided to go down to the infirmary to see if there was any change in the girl they had released from the stasis pod that morning.
"Hello, Ronon," said Carson as the tall Setedan entered the room. "What bring you down here?" He studied the readings on the moniters and marked them down on his clipboard.
"How is she?" asked Ronon.
"Quite well, actually. To be honest, she already exceeded my wildest expectations." Replied the doctor. "All her body functions are normal; she should probably be waking up any time now." As the Scotsman reached down and pushed a strand of hair out of the girl's face, she stirred ever so slightly. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open.
"Well, hello, love." said Beckett softly. "Don't worry, we would hurt you." She looked up at him and Ronon with wide brown eyes. Fear and confusion was etched across her face.
"I get Dr. Weir and the others." said Ronon was he dashed out of the room.
A few minutes later, Weir, Sheppard, Teyla, Ronon, and McKay were all assembled a few feet away from the hospital bed.
"We haven't been able to get to say anything yet," said Carson. "Poor lass is scared to death. Maybe you can talk her, Elizabeth.
"I can give it a try." Elizabeth walked over the bed with a smile. "Hello, I'm Dr. Elizabeth Weir-"
"Are you the leader of these people?"
Elizabeth was stunned for a moment. "Uh, yes, I am."
"Why are you here and what have you done to my people?" asked the girl fiercely.
"Nothing." Answered McKay. "We didn't do anything to your people."
The girl's face went blank in shock. "What are you saying?" she breathed.
"We are explorers from the planet earth; we found the city abandoned." Explain Weir.
"Abandoned?" she cried, "Impossible! They would never leave without me!" Tears began to form in her eyes.
"I'm so sorry." Murmured Weir.
The girl took a deep breath. "If no one was here, then how did your people find Atlantis?" she asked.
"There were hints, clues hidden on our world and all over our galaxy."
"Galaxy?"
"Yes, earth is not in the Pegasus." Replied Sheppard.
"Oh, right. You'll have to forgive my cosmic geography. I was never very good at it, and I not exactly myself right now."
"Of course." Said Weir. "We should probably let you rest." The girl nodded absently as she stared down at her hands, clearly in shock over the news imparted to her.
"Poor thing," said Sheppard as they walked on the hall towards the control room, "she wakes up after 10,000 years to find everyone and everything she knows gone."
"Indeed." Said Teyla, "I do not know what I would do if I came home to find my friends and loved ones gone."
The next day, Weir went down to the infirmary to find the girl sitting up on the edge of her bed being examined by Dr. Beckett.
"You seem to be up fast." She commented as she neared. "How she doing?"
"Great." He replied. "In fact," he looked back at his patient, "You are free to go, my dear. Just do anything too strenuous yet; you are still recovering."
The girl nodded with a smile. For some reason she could not quite name, she like this man, this doctor, with a strange accent very much. She turned to Dr. Weir.
"Well," said Elizabeth, "Normally I would give a guest a tour of the city, but I'm sure you know this city better than we do." The girl smiled again and nodded.
"I suppose I should introduce myself now," she said. "My name is Aurora."
"Really? We found a battleship by that name two years ago."
"The Aurora? What do you mean you found the Aurora?"
"It showed up on the city's deep space sensors," replied Elizabeth. The girl eyes were once again wide with amazement.
"How was the crew when you found it?"
"They were in stasis pods, but it had been too long." Said Elizabeth sadly. "I'm sorry. That ship meant something to you doesn't it? You knew someone on board, didn't you?"
Aurora's head was bowed, but she nodded. "My father was on that ship. He was the captain. That why it was named the Aurora. The day it was completed was the day I was born. A name had not been decided on, and it was tradition that the captain name his ship. So, since we were both "born" on the same day, we were both called Aurora."
"I'm very sorry, Aurora." Elizabeth murmured. Aurora nodded again.
"Thank you, Dr. Weir." She took a deep breath. So much had happened since her waking, her head felt like it was whirling around somewhere in the clouds. "Since a tour of the city would be more or less pointless, perhaps I should meet the other leaders of your expedition team." She suggested, trying to sound bright, but pretty much failing.
"Of course," said Weir, "Actually that's a good idea. I know they are all eager to meet you."
"Eager to meet me? Why?"
"Well, we've been studying your culture and technology for years. To have a live Ancient here to consult with on the use and purpose of things would be a wild dream come true for our scientists."
"Oh." Aurora replied, still a little confused. As Dr. Weir led her to the "Control Room", she tried to clear her head and not think of the fact that everyone and everything she had known was either gone or changed.
Suddenly, Aurora heard a shout up ahead. "Oh, there you are Elizabeth! Has Carson said whether not she'll be up soon or not?" In his rush Dr. McKay had not noticed Aurora standing right there beside Weir. Weir just smiled. "What?"
"Why don't you take a look at who's on Elizabeth's left?" said Sheppard, who was coming up behind Weir and Aurora. The two ladies turned to face him. Smiling, he introduced himself. ". John Sheppard, ranking military officer."
"McKay, Dr. Rodney McKay." Rodney quickly introduced himself too.
"I'm pleased to met you both, gentleman." Said Aurora with a deep nod to each. "My name is Aurora."
"'Aurora'? Really?" asked Sheppard.
The young Ancient smiled bittersweetly. "Yes. Dr. Weir told me that you found my namesake."
"Your namesake?" asked Dr. McKay.
"Yes," she replied. "My father was the captain of the Aurora. He named me and it the same because the day of my birth and the day the ship first left port was the same."
By this time, they had all made it to the Control Room, and a awe-filled hush fell over everyone there as Aurora entered. She grew still as all eyes stared at her. Weir, Sheppard, and McKay immediately sensed her discomfort.
"You know, it's rude to stare," Said Sheppard pointedly. I'm sorry," he said as turn to Aurora. "You'd think they had never seen another human being before." The girl smiled as she followed Weir through the control room to her office.