Title- The Chosen
Rating-T
Author-Winnie
Disclaimer-I don't own SGA, but I enjoy keeping the characters alive at least in fanfiction.
Comments-This was supposed to be part of the virtual season, but can be read on its own.
Colonel John Sheppard sat alone on the highest terrace overlooking the city that was now his home. He could smell the ocean and sometimes, when the waves were particularly high, he could feel the salty mist on his skin. He loved coming here late at night while most people were sleeping and tonight was a particularly beautiful one. The sky was filled with a myriad of twinkling lights that sparkled off the water and seemed to dance off the wet surfaces of the lower structures.
Since returning from Earth, John would often find himself here, listening to the night sounds as the water lapped at the base of the city. John continued to watch the sky and smiled when a single star seemed to leave a fiery trail in its wake before disappearing below the horizon. This was happening with more and more frequency, but the scientists had told them it was simply part of the planet's pattern as it rotated on its axis.
Sheppard turned a complete circle when a strange sound reached his ears and frowned Yet, there seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary. The sound continued to grow, and it was starting to be uncomfortable. He tapped the radio, but couldn't say anything. He dropped to his knees as the sound increased rapidly and darkness clouded his mind. He covered his ears, but it did nothing to lesson the severity of the pain that now seemed to be embedded in his skull.
John knew he had to find out what was happening, and whether someone was attacking Atlantis, but his body suddenly seemed mired in sludge and it took every ounce of strength he had just to move an inch. He cried out and pulled the radio from his ear, but the sound didn't stop. If anything, it seemed to reach a pitch so high, it could shatter his ear drums.
'Come to me, John…come be with me…I am waiting, John…'
Sheppard cried out as the words inside his head increased in tempo, escalating into a screech that robbed him of the ability to breathe. He reached for the door's sensor, hoping and praying whatever this was did not involve Atlantis, but he was unable to think past the pain. To make matters worse, the door would not open for him.
His lungs felt like they were filling with liquid and John knew he was drowning, yet he was far from the ocean. He turned onto his back and stared up at the sky, panting with the effort it took to breathe.
'Come to me, John…come be with me…I am waiting, John…'
"Who…are you?"
'I am the keeper of the deep, John, and you belong to me…I am waiting, John…'
Darkness beckoned to him, and John Sheppard could no longer fight it. His body felt leaden, and he thought he heard voices, but couldn't be sure until someone knelt beside him and the deafening sound stopped. The silence left him gasping for air as a familiar figure finally came into focus. John tried to speak, but it was as if his vocal cords were gone because no sound escaped his throat.
"Easy, Sheppard, Beckett's on the way," Ronon Dex said worriedly. He'd been unable to sleep and decided to take one of his runs through the empty corridors of the city.
"Ronon, what happened?" Beckett asked as soon as the doors opened and he helped push the stretcher out onto the terrace.
"I don't know. I found him like this," Dex explained and moved back as the CMO and two nurses began an examination of the downed man.
"Colonel, can you tell me what happened?" Beckett asked.
Sheppard tried to speak, but nothing escaped as the shrill sound pounded his senses again, and threatened to send him into the darkness wavering on the edge of his awareness. He tried to shake off the nausea and dizziness as Beckett and his staff examined him and was suddenly aware that the noise that had incapacitated him seemed to have disappeared once more without warning.
"Colonel, we're going to get you on the gurney…"
"I'm okay, Doc," Sheppard said and sat forward with a sheepish grin as Beckett placed a restraining hand on his arm.
"Let me be the judge of that, Lad," Atlantis' CMO ordered. "Can you tell me what happened?"
"Didn't you hear it?" the colonel asked.
"Hear what?" Ronon asked.
"The noise, it was worse than fingernails on a chalkboard…"
"A what?" Dex asked.
"A chalkboard…I'll explain later," Sheppard said and tried to stand, but Beckett was not ready to release him.
"Come on, Colonel," the physician ordered and motioned to the gurney.
"I can walk, Doc," Sheppard said and stood up.
"All right, but we're going straight to the Infirmary. So you heard a noise…is that what knocked you on your backside?" Beckett said and smiled when Ronon chuckled softly.
"Real funny, Doc," the colonel said as they walked toward the transport area.
SGASGASGASGASGA
John knew the physician was only doing his job, but he'd quickly grown tired of the scans and was relieved when Beckett told him he was free to go. He headed toward his quarters, but only after promising Beckett he'd return to the Infirmary if it happened again.
John entered his room and looked at his bed as exhaustion suddenly caught up to him. He crossed the short distance and lay down without removing his clothing. It wasn't long before he slept, unaware of the siren call that beckoned to him. He stood up and made his way to the door, eyes straight ahead, yet unseeing as he stepped into the hallway.
The corridor was deserted with the lights turned down, but John knew his way around Atlantis. He nodded to several people as he passed, but did not speak. He knew this was wrong, but there was no denying the incessant voice inside his head.
'Come to me, John…come be with me…I am waiting.'
The voice was soft and lilting, as if an ethereal strand connected with his mind, beckoning for him to follow and John followed as if bewitched. His eyes remained open, but he moved as if sleep walking, yet he spoke to those who were unlucky enough to be up at the early hour.
'Come to me, John…come be with me…I am waiting.'
John tried to resist the call, but the words and the tone compelled him to do as the voice wanted. He walked along familiar corridors until he reached an area of Atlantis yet to be thoroughly explored and frowned when his hands reached out to touch the wall and a small panel appeared to his right. His right hand seemed to move of its own volition and he pressed a series of symbols and numbers and stood back expectantly.
'You must not be discovered, John…come be with me…I am waiting.'
"Excuse me, what are you doing here?"
John jumped at the sound of the voice so close to him and turned to find a young woman standing behind him. He recognized her as one of the new people from the science lab and that McKay had taken an interest in her because of her IQ and other attributes. He smiled as her mouth dropped open and he knew she had recognized him.
"I'm sorry, Colonel, I didn't know it was you."
"That's okay, Dr. Leonard, I couldn't sleep so I figured I'd take a look around before you and Dr. McKay explore the area tomorrow," Sheppard told her.
"Dr. McKay asked me to check out the first lab, but I got so wrapped up in the preliminaries I totally forgot. I was in bed before I even realized my mistake," Sylvie Leonard explained.
"Go on back to bed…I'm sure McKay will understand."
"Are we talking about the same man, Colonel?" Leonard asked and placed her hand over her mouth when she remembered who she was addressing. "I'm sorry…please don't report…"
'Get rid of her, John…I am waiting…'
"I won't report you, Dr. Leonard," Sheppard said.
"Thank you, Colonel."
"You're welcome…now go get some sleep or you'll be in no shape to face McKay in the morning."
"What about you, Sir, shouldn't you get some rest?"
"I will, as soon as I finish my run," Sheppard said with a smile and the woman seemed to realize she had overstepped her bounds. He watched her leave and dropped to his knees as the debilitating noise returned. His hands went to his ears and he gasped, but there seemed to be no way of stopping whatever this was until an ethereal figure stood over him.
'You are of the chosen, John Sheppard, and must join me…I am waiting…'
"Who…who are you?"
'I am the keeper of the deep and you must join me.'
"How?"
"Go to the lowest level and follow the corridor. At the end you will find a chamber and inside there is a ship that is capable of traveling to the deepest part of the ocean. It is there that you will meet your true destiny. We will be waiting…I will be waiting…"
John felt the pain ease and he fought to breathe past the nausea churning through his gut. He crawled to the wall and used it to help him stand as the world around him seemed to shift in and out of focus. A hand on his shoulder made him jump and he turned to find Teyla Emmagan watching him worriedly.
"John, is something wrong?" Teyla asked.
"No, I'm fine…just tired," Sheppard lied.
"You look very pale. Perhaps you should see Carson."
"Carson's probably sleeping. What are you doing up so late?"
"I was helping Kate in the botanical gardens. She's managed to make something she calls a hybrid and was trying to explain it to me."
'Get rid of her, John…I am waiting and have very little patience…'
"Who was that?" Teyla asked, confusion evident in her voice.
"Who was what?" Sheppard asked.
"I thought I heard someone speaking, but the voice was strange as if it came from inside my head," Teyla said, holding her fingers to her temples in bewilderment and looked around.
"I didn't hear anything," John lied.
'She must not interfere…'
"She won't," Sheppard said and saw the frown on Teyla's face.
"What's going on, John?"
"Teyla, just go."
"John, whoever that is…"
"It's no one, Teyla."
'She must not be allowed to interfere, John Sheppard…'
"Interfere in what?" Emmagan snapped.
'You must come now, John, kill her now!'
"No!" Sheppard said as the noise returned and he watched Teyla drop to her knees.
"John, what is that?" Teyla managed.
"Leave her alone and I'll come to you!" Sheppard said.
"John?"
"Please, Teyla, just stay where you are!"
'She must not be allowed to stop you, John!'
"Stop him from doing what?" Teyla asked, moaning as she sank to the floor, her eyes rolling back in her head.
"Leave her alone!" Sheppard said as Teyla writhed on the floor as if in excruciating pain.
'She will be fine if you come to us now, John Sheppard.'
John took a deep breath and knew there was no choice as Teyla's body twisted in a macabre dance that defied description. He turned toward the nearby transport and hurried inside. His last sight of Teyla told him whatever attack had been launched at her had stopped and he prayed she would be all right until help arrived.
John touched the pad that would enable the transporter to send him to the lowest level of Atlantis and took a deep breath before exiting onto the narrow platform overlooking a deep well that had filled with sea water and helped keep the base level. He knew there were several unexplored regions below the waterline and moved to the metal staircase leading to the lower floor.
'Follow the corridor…it will take you deeper into the labyrinth beneath your city. There is a second tier that will take you through a tunnel as yet unexplored by your people. Once there, you will find what you need to bring you to us…to your destiny, John Sheppard.'
Sheppard tried to ignore the voice, but it was no use as each time the pain returned, worse than before and he knew there was no choice, but to obey. He made it down the stairs and followed the corridor, holding his breath as the dank smell of decay reached his nostrils. His stomach churned, but he fought the nausea as he continued on his journey toward the unknown.
John lost track of time as he continued on a downward slope, fighting to stay on his feet as the floor turned treacherous with silt and debris. It felt like he'd left Atlantis behind and entered a dark region that had nothing to do with the splendor of the Ancient city he now called home.
Sludge, thick and noxious, slid down the walls and pooled on the floor around his feet, but John could no longer fight whoever was beckoning him forward. He reached for the wall, but his hand slipped in the mire that continued to ooze from the wall, though he managed to stay on his feet. The stench left him gasping for air and his eyes burned as he walked deeper into the bowels of Atlantis.
TBC