Okay so this is my first ever Stargate Atlantis fic and I've written it more so I can have the chance to learn how to write the characters and get in some practice. Constructive criticism is very welcome so let me know what you think.

Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate Atlantis or any of its characters.

Perception of Reality

Chapter 1

The sound of the alarm clock woke Colonel John Sheppard from his sleep. It was still dark outside when he rose from his bed and headed toward the bathroom. His years in the military meant he was able to get out of bed when his alarm clock told him to but that didn't mean he had to like it.

The hot water in the shower washed away most of the sleep he was still feeling but it wasn't until he stepped out of the shower and into the cool air that he felt completely awake. He dressed quickly into his military uniform before he walked out of his bedroom and through to his kitchen to find something he could eat.

It was still only dawn when he left his apartment and got into his car, ready for his long drive to Cheyenne Mountain. This morning he would be going over the new fighter plane designs again. He had already been over it a dozen times and he was pretty sure that the stuff he needed to know, in order to fly the thing was burnt into his brain.

The lead scientist on the project was becoming rather stressed as the day of the first test flight approached. He had been the biggest contributor to the new fighter's two most important features. Not only could it cloak itself but it could go faster than anything John had ever flown. John was lucky enough to have been picked out to do the flying.

He arrived on base and headed to the briefing room where he found the lead scientist sat waiting impatiently for him.

"Hello Rodney," John said as he took his seat.

"Sheppard," Rodney greeted in a tone that let the air force soldier know he wasn't happy with him being five minutes late. "Let's get started shall we?"

"Yes, lets."

- - -

"Elizabeth." Dr Elizabeth Weir turned around and searched for the source of the voice through the crowd of the airport.

"Hello Ann," Elizabeth said as the young woman approached her. "How are you?"

"As well as can be expected, given the circumstances."

"I'm sorry about your mother."

"Well I'll admit it was quite a shock when the hospital called me and told me she'd had a heart attack and died. She was always so healthy and full of life, I flew here from New York yesterday with Jake and the kids. It's awful but we've had to rush the funeral preparations, Jake has an anthropology conference in France to attend tomorrow and he can't let all those students down, I know mom wouldn't have wanted him to."

"You're right she wouldn't."

"We have a few hours before the funeral. Why don't we get you settled in at your hotel and I'll show you around Colorado Springs."

Elizabeth smiled at the woman who had been one of her closest friends since childhood. "That's sounds like a great idea."

- - -

Teyla Emmagan was new to this job, she had spent most of her life trying to find where she fit in and she was hoping this was it. Somehow she felt that she didn't belong to this world. Teaching martial arts seemed to come naturally to her though and she was hoping it would stay that way.

She hadn't met most of the other people working at the fitness centre yet but so far she had been able to get along with everyone. Her morning class left the room noisily and her colleague who had been observing walked up to her.

"You're very good, one of the best I've ever seen."

"Thank you Claire."

"I think you should meet someone, he just started working here too. Don't expect much though; he's not a very social guy."

Claire walked out of the room and headed toward another of the teaching halls as she continued to talk.

"He does spar with the other instructors though, kicks all our butts without even trying. You I reckon could give him a run for his money. He should have finished his morning class too."

They walked into another of the large teaching halls to find a man putting some stuff in his kit bag. He turned to face them when they entered the room and nodded his head in silent acknowledgement of their presence.

"Teyla this is Ronan Dex, Ronan this is Teyla Emmagan our new instructor, she's as good as you."

"Doubt it, but it's nice to meet you."

"You as well, would you care to test this theory?"

"Why not?"

"This should be interesting," Claire said, moving out of the way as the two new instructors took their positions.

- - -

John looked out of the window of the briefing room into the large room below him. It was merely a storage room but as he stared down into it he got the feeling something else was suppose to be there.

TBC