(Authors Note: I went and tweaked grammar and sentence structure, nothing big.)
John Sheppard sighed while the screen in front of him continued to flicker slightly. "What are we going to do?"
"I have no idea… why'd you bring it here?" Weir asked.
"I figured it was a perfect chance to learn things about them that we'd never had a chance to." John withheld another sigh as the Wraith on the screen leaned on the back wall in the corner of his cell.
The Wraith stared at the camera and seemed to be looking right at him.
This Wraith was attired differently than any he had seen before. It had on the standard black leather-like material for its pants, but it was wearing an almost T-shirt thing. The T-shirt was black and appeared at first glance like any T-shirt found on earth, but when they had been moving the Wraith's body to the holding cell the material felt more like silk but was stronger and didn't seem to ruin as easily. It also had a strange tattoo that marked its upper bicep; a dragon curled around itself and then seemed to be clawing at a humanoid figure.
They had found the Wraith right outside the Stargate on a new planet they were about to explore. It was lying so close that it had almost been vaporized by the gate's activation. They pulled over and picked it up, gathering it up and taking it back for Dr. Beckett to look over. It had apparently been stunned with a type of stun gun, but was fine and they moved it to the cell and waited for it to awaken.
It awoke about 20 minutes ago. Jolting awake the Wraith had sat bolt right and looked around. Finding itself trapped in the medium sized cell it had paced all the way around once. Looking at the wall, ceiling, and floor. After this quick inspection apparently revealed no weakness, it had leaned back on the wall and not moved, looking all around and finding the camera almost instantly.
"And what exactly do you hope to accomplish? No one currently on base can speak Wraith and even if there were I seriously doubt that it will tell us anything important, true, or useful."
"What about what we can learn from it while it still lives? About certain drugs, behaviors, etc and after if dies I can see what starvation does to the Wraith antinomy. Steve was close but the virus tampered with everything." Dr. Beckett spoke from his stand near the back. "Let's not forget that some seem to have mastered our language, too."
"How about I see if I can get it to talk first?" John, ever optimistic and sarcastic spoke.
"No." Ronan Dex spoke, his voice pulsing through the room. "I think we should kill it like we should have done back on the planet."
"I agree with Ronan, we should kill it and now." Rodney spoke up. "What if it gets loose? It's not like the cell is secure, the previous cell being broken in the last massive attack."
"There is security on it 24-7, right outside the door, and security cameras as you can see. It isn't going to get loose." Weir stated in a flat voice. "John, I think that you should try to speak to it, try to form some kind of connection, you will be one of the few people to speak to it. You have to feed it, make sure it is clean etc."
"Oh a pet of my very own. Just what I always wanted." John groused leaving the room and heading out towards the door.
The security officers were carefully placed so that no one could neutralize them without at least one of the others being able to fire or send an alert up. John nodded to them and they braced themselves as the door hissed open.
John was struck again by how the Wraith standing across from him was different. Besides the tattoo and the clothing this one's teeth seemed slightly smaller and different, his mouth was entirely closed without any show of the rows and rows of sharp teeth, his eyes were also a bluish-green color and his skin a darker shade of green then most.
John watched as the Wraith seemed to be reevaluating the situation. Its surprise when he arrived made him pause until he realized that the Wraith probably thought either there would be more guards coming or that he was on another Wraith ship and was surprised to find itself wrong.
"Hello." John smirked at the recovering Wraith. "How are you feeling?"
The Wraith watched him for a full minute as John settled himself down on a chair out of reach of the bars and got comfortable. "My name is Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard and I will be interrogating you this evening."
The Wraith seemed to smirk at him but it didn't move nor respond.
"So what is your name?"
Nothing.
"Okay, Larry." John smiled, once again naming a prisoner with the first thing that came to mind.
No response besides a slight hiss that had to be annoyance.
"Okay Larry, what were you doing on planet 'Big Desert'?" John smiled at the name and looked down at the report. Some people had found that all the numbers were blending together and began to name them. "Big desert? Who named it that?" He laughed out loud as the name came up. "Ronan?" He continued to smile and chuckle slightly to himself before he looked up. He jumped back and almost fell backwards over the chair.
The Wraith had moved from his semi-reclined position against the wall and was crouched right next to the bars not 2 feet away, just watching.
The various papers on work John had yet to do, as well as reports his team had done on this and a few other missions scattered everywhere. Including right next to the Wraith and in its cage. The Wraith reached forward and gathered all the papers nearest him and the sarcastic Colonel could do nothing besides sputter.
It then retreated to its back wall and began to shift through all the papers. "Hey! That's not yours! Give it back!"
The Wraith smirked and then ignored him. Turning back to the papers he shuffled them and arranged them in some kind of order. Then to all appearances he began to read it.
Ronan suddenly strode into the room as John began to gather up the papers left. "Give them back you parasite." He addressed the Wraith, pointing the gun at him and threatening him with it.
The Wraith merely looked up from the papers at him, then flipped the page and continued reading.
"Ronan. Stop." Teyla enter the room at just that moment as Ronan looked very much like he was going to shoot the Wraith.
"Yeah it's no good to us dead." Rodney entered last looking distinctly uncomfortable. "You sure it's safe to be here? It can't get out?"
The Wraith didn't even look up. "No it can't. I don't even think it can understand us." John added.
"Never underestimate the sneakiness of a parasite like a Wraith. They're rats that are trying to escape extermination." Ronan jibed hoping to get a rise out of the prisoner who was ignoring them so totally it didn't even look up.
So it surprised everyone when the Wraith snorted and retorted. "And your cattle that's too stupid to realize it's not at the top of the food chain."
"It can talk!" John spoke forestalling any retort that Ronan may have made.
"I'm not stupid." The Wraith responded before going back to the reports. "Just because you're not able to learn our language doesn't mean that we haven't learned yours. Which if you've met some of us I'm sure you know."
"Course we do. But not all of you can speak it right? Why is that?" John spoke trying to keep it going. It answered him but continued to read the papers.
"Because not everyone thinks it's worth learning what humans are saying. Nor do they see the strategic advantage in knowing what the Atlantians are planning." Now it looked up. Its eyes flashing at him. "We are on Atlantis, correct?"
John replied the affirmative just as Ronan and Rodney said no.
"What are you thinking Colonel?!" Rodney snapped. "Have you lost it?"
"It already knows where it is, I don't see why we shouldn't answer such a small question. Especially if we want it to answer any of ours." John replied in a calm tone before looking at the Wraith who was watching in apparent interest.
The Wraith suddenly straightened and headed towards the congregation of humans that tensed visibly, Ronan tightening his grip on the gun, Rodney moving backwards, and Teyla spread her legs into a fighters' stance. John tensed and stared at the approaching Wraith as it stopped at the bars.
"Besides, I'm going to die anyway so what's it matter whether I know where I am or not?" It eyed the bars disdainfully before calmly passing the papers over to the Colonel. "The planet's inhabitants use to call it 'Halkim'. I think it meant Blessed in their native tongue." The Wraith said, commenting on the name they had given the planet.
"Halkim? And what happened to the people there?" Teyla asked her voice laced with the criticism that her face did not show.
The Wraith just looked at her; it stood there with a sardonic look on its face until even the slowest among them knew what happened.
"Blessed huh? Some name." Rodney said reaching the conclusion they were all dead.
Shrugging it replied. "It wasn't always a desert; it was a rich paradise once. But the Cerberus clan owned it, and they're known to be a little greedy and they never care for their," it looked at Ronan and smirked. "Herds the way they should."
Ronan had had enough. He raised his gun, but in his anger he forgot to keep a safe distance away and the Wraith's arm became a green blur as it caught the gun, twisted Ronan's hand so he reflexively let go in pain, and had it pointed at Teyla who had moved up closer as soon as it had made the comment about the herds, foreseeing Ronan's reaction.
Everyone in the room tensed and John pulled out his gun as men poured in and also aimed their guns at the Wraith.
Not losing composure the Wraith kept the gun steady and eyed it.
"Put the gun down or we will open fire and you will be exterminated." The head of the guards growled out.
The Wraith continued its inspection before lowering its arm and examining it more closely. It let out a hiss and calmly took the gun apart in seconds in front of everyone's startled eyes. Finishing and making the gun completely useless, the Wraith calmly handed the pieces back to the furious Ronan.
Ronan looked as though he was ready to explode. "You leech! You've destroyed my gun!" He shouted.
"You put it in my face first." It retorted with a slight hiss betraying its annoyance at the gun being in its face. "And maybe now you will remember that I maybe caged, but I'm not out of commission and it's dangerous to assume because I was incapacitated when you found me that I'm easily immobilized."
"He's got a point, Ronan." John replied, holstering his gun and motioning for the other soldiers to do so as well.
"Do you want us to stay, Colonel Sheppard?" The same officer as before asked saluting.
"No. I don't think we'll have any problems now. Ronan, Teyla, Rodney, leave." John ended with a glare at his teammates.
"I was leaving!" McKay said, his voice rising in hysteria. As he left you could hear him saying to Teyla. "I thought you guys said it couldn't get out!"
Sheppard waited until they left and then sat back in his chair. Not at all surprised to find that the Wraith had moved back into its reclined position. "So how about that name… or would you prefer Larry?"
The Wraith watched him again, just as John was about to set it up as a lost cause, it spoke. "Why do you care? You've all already depersonalized me. You all call me 'It' instead of 'He'."
"Because, I'm trying to personalize you." John replied reasonably. "Besides, I get confused with the whole gender thing with you guys."
The Wraith raised i… HIS eyebrows at the retort. "Jayden." He chose to ignore the second part of what he said.
"Jayden? Hmmm… interesting." John replied marking down his name.
"My turn. What is Lieutenant Colonel? I'm unfamiliar with that word." Jayden asked.
"Lieutenant Colonel is a military rank. That means I'm a commissioned officer of the fifth rank out of ten. Ten being the highest." Colonel John Sheppard answered fluently. Willing to keep the ball rolling since he wasn't giving anything up that may endanger his people. "What where you doing on planet… Halkim?"
"I was doing recon, you?"
"Recon." John replied the same. "What were you looking for?"
"Classified. You?"
"Classified as well. We aren't getting anywhere are we?" John winced as he realized that he had just wasted a question.
"Not really. How did you survive when the Minotaurs attacked? I'd heard Atlantis was destroyed."
"Classified. Who are the Minotaurs? And why is that name familiar?"
"A clan of Wraiths, allies of the Cerberus clan. I do not know enough about your culture to answer your second question. Maybe they ruled your planet once." Jayden answered, he was about to ask his next question when John interrupted him.
"We weren't and aren't ruled by any Wraiths." He snarled. "Our job is to destroy you and we do a damned good job of it."
Jayden's face-hardened and he didn't speak. Suddenly realizing he had let his temper get ahead of him John tried to think of something to take it back without taking it back per say. For once it eluded him and he walked out of the room annoyed with himself.
He met up with Weir in the room that was being confiscated for the security base for the cells and reported all he had learned to her and his team. Looking at Teyla he noticed someone was missing. "Where is Ronan?"
"He went to the training room to… work out some anger." Teyla answered.
"Oh. I'll see ya'll later." John headed toward the training room once he left the others to discuss what they were going to do with 'Jayden'.
"Ronan?" Sheppard called as he entered the room. Ronan didn't hear him over the sound of flesh pounding the punching bag. "Ronan!" He called louder.
Ronan punched one last time then caught the bag and looked at John. "Yeah?"
"You okay?"
"I'm fine." He answered and was about to continue his beating when John grabbed his hand and glared at him.
"What have I told you about wearing gloves when using the punching bag?"
"That it keeps my blood off of it so that others don't turn rabid either."
"Right, so where are your gloves?"
"Over there, Mother." Ronan laughed. "But they don't give the satisfying sound."
"So? You need to protect the others; one Ronan is enough, thank you!"
Grumbling Ronan sighed, but didn't pick up the gloves; he punched the bag once more then sat down in a collapse of bones. "I was stupid. I let my anger cloud my judgment."
"If it makes you feel any better I did too. He was talking and I let something he said piss me off. My mouth wandered off and forgot my brain and now he's not talking anymore."
"So I can kill him now?" Ronan asked his voice hopeful.
"Not my call Ronan, that's Weir's."
"We know she isn't going to order the execution of that Wraith. She's too 'humane'." He slurred the word humane in a way that told John he didn't like that word at all.
"You could be a little nicer. Elizabeth tries to do the best she can to appease all parties; technically you are the only one who doesn't see and benefit in keeping the Wraith alive."
"But I'm very vocal about it, so I count for more than one." Ronan replied but his heart wasn't in it. "Look Sheppard. I know what they're capable of. They're not worth keeping around. All it will think of is escaping and killing all of us; the second it escapes, and trust me it will escape or die before it gives you any important information, it will come after you and pray that it kills you." Looking away Ronan left.
John watched him go and restrained himself to keep from following him and trying to help him. The last time that he had Ronan had about taken his head off. One thing people seem to forget was Ronan was violent and hurt animal; he may protect you and help you now, but that was his choice and he can and will take your arm off. John wished he could fix the other man's pain but he wouldn't see it as a friendship thing, he would see it as pity. And he would despise him for it.
Ronan leaned a little ways away, his back to the wall and just let his memories wash over him. The running, the pain, everything. He didn't know how to make them go away, they were festering, and he could feel it, down in the pit of his stomach. He hadn't told anyone but he had been throwing up blood lately. Ronan knew that he had stomach holes or ulcers as the Atlantians called it.
Ronan had a feeling that the stress from his nightmares and anger was causing it; seven years of nothing but running, fearing for others' lives, had left their mark and not just the scars on his back.
He made up his mind then, he was going to find out what they wanted from the Wraith and then he was going to kill it. The thought of the nightmares he would experience now that a Wraith was less than 500 meters away from where he was sleeping was enough to make him want the coffee stuff the Atlantian's here drank, even though it made him so sick that he knew he would be sicking up all night. Better then sleeping.
Heading towards the cell monitoring room he entered and looked at Weir who was still talking to Beckett. Arguing more like it. They were in a violent argument about what they should do about giving the Wraith a physical.
Doctor Beckett wanted to just put guards up and examine him while he was awake, said they didn't know what a fully active and awake Wraith's brain patterns looked like. He was telling Weir the strategically the possible advantage of knowing this was astronomical and McKay was agreeing intellectually but saying it was too dangerous.
"Did you see how he moved earlier? He could grab you and hold you hostage and then you'd be dead, he'd be dead, and we'd have lost the best Doctor on board. It's too dangerous, we need to subdue him, stun him perhaps. Then do whatever tests are required." Elizabeth stated calmly and rationally.
"You don't understand the brain patters are different when someone is stunned then when they are awake. We need to compare his patterns with the ones from Teyla; maybe we could measure exactly how close they have to be in order for their telepathy to work. What other talents they may have etc." Beckett was getting emotional, like all the scientists he was passionate about his work, and the idea that someone, anyone, would purposely impede the discovery of something was so abhorrent to his very nature that he was looking very close to storming out like a teenager.
"I'll cover him." Ronan grumbled out. "The leech won't pull another stunt like before on me, and I've put my gun back together." He clamped down his anger at his gun being touched and buried it deep, leaving the same calm facade he always had.
"See, it's very possible." Beckett pleaded.
Weir did not look convinced. "I'm sorry Dr. Beckett; I can't endanger your life or the safety of this outpost by allowing you to do this."
Beckett's face went entirely closed. "I'm sorry Weir but I'm pulling rank on you. I'm in charge of any medical procedures that I deem necessary. I need to examine the Wraith Jayden and I wish that I had your support and approval but I do not require it." With that he marched out, looking really pissed at having to pull rank.
John had walked up behind Ronan while this was going on and had to jump out of the way as Beckett left. "Can he do that?"
"Yes." Weir said her shock plain. Even though Dr. Beckett had rank in this particular case, he had never used it.
"Where is he going?"
"To get his equipment I think." Rodney answered watching where the Scottish man had just stormed off.
"Do you want us to guard him Weir?" John asked the woman.
"Yes, we don't want to have to explain to the investigators that his death wasn't only because he went in a cell with a Wraith awake and active, but that he didn't have anyone watching his back because I'm annoyed with him."
"Gotcha." Sheppard gather his team to him then whispered. "Rodney I need you to go get some sleep so that you're fresh for all the information that is sure to come to you." McKay nodded and looked a little smug at getting to go to bed now. "Teyla I need you to be there and try and read Jayden to give us warning if he decides to get ornery. Ronan, you and I are going to cover Dr. Beckett's back. Okay guys, let's get set up; we're not going to get anyone else because we don't need any more variables."
Ronan nodded and checked his gun out of habit, and then they moved towards the Wraith's cell. Opening the door they moved to either side of the door and prepared while aware of the Wraith's blue-green eyes on them.
Jayden watched as the human Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard and the human Ronan approached his cage and pulled out their guns. So they've finally gotten around to it; at least it's better than starving.
Lifting his chin he pushed himself off the wall and stood calmly in the middle of his cage. He was faintly Surprised when another man entered with the human he assumed was called Rodney. The female from before also entered then. All the humans had something in their hands and Jayden had a bad Feeling about all of this. It didn't help any when Rodney dropped his stuff, looked at him and left quickly.
"Good evening, Jayden. My name is Dr. Beckett and I will be giving you something similar to a physical. Which means that I will be checking all your functions and such to try and determine how your health is."
Jayden eyed this man and had an instant Like for him. He had a strange accent on him and something about him reminded the Wraith of his home planet. "I believe I understand. What does each of these machines do?"
Beckett went about and pointed to each of the instruments and told him the uses of it and what it would do, as well as what it told him about a person's physical wellness. "How will this help you know how I am doing if you have never done this on a Wraith before? Have you ever done one on a Wraith before? If so, I should warn you that between the clans there are… differences." Although the humans didn't know it, Jayden had purposely shared that information with them.
"No we have never done this on a Wraith before and how is each clan different? Different like we are in race or different like species of cats and dogs?" Beckett suddenly flushed realizing that the Wraith before him may take exception to being likened to a cat or dog but the Wraith didn't show any signs of being offended just slightly confused.
"I'm sorry; I do not understand some of the phrases you used. Perhaps once you give me an example I can better answer your question." The Wraith confessed his lack of knowledge graciously. "Now to the matter at hand. Why should I submit to such a testing? The information I would give you could be used against my clan, why should I endanger their lives?"
"If you don't cooperate then we'll just learn what we can from your dead body." Ronan replied acidly with more than a hint of threat.
The Wraith turned to address him. "Yes, but then some information will be lost, I cannot help the information that you can gain with my dead body. I must focus on what I can barter with."
"What do you want?" John asked before Ronan could reply.
"A bath, I will need at least one a day, I reek. That is what I ask for in exchange for this day of tests." Jayden decided to start out small and he decided that this was definitely the one thing he could not do without at the moment.
"I don't think it's from lack of showering." Ronan mumbled but everyone chose to ignore him.
Beckett considered for a split second before speaking before Sheppard could. "Deal."
"I would like my payment up front please. It's not that I don't trust you, that doesn't come into play here, it's that I really would like a bath." Jayden certainly didn't Trust the humans he seemed to be surrounded by, but it honestly didn't matter at the moment. He needed a bath…. Now.
"Will a shower do?" John asked.
"What is a shower?"
"It's when water comes out of a faucet and 'showers' down, it's more efficient then a bath."
"If it will get me clean it does not matter."
"Now, how are we going to get you to the showers?"
"I've got an idea." Dr. Beckett spoke up. "I couldn't bring most of the supplies I needed in this trip and was planning on another trip, and doing without in some cases. He could shower using the ones in the med center and we can do all the necessary things there."
"But how to get him there without Weir blowing up and chewing our heads off." The Colonel voiced the major question at the moment.
"I didn't know humans could do that. I doubt it will help if I promise not to try anything unless you try it first…" Jayden spoke.
"Not really. I suppose if we set an armed escort, and have people guarding all the sideways off of the path we're going to take you it would be okay…" John winced at the idea of taking a Wraith in the hallways where escape was possible but turned on his com-link and made the orders while preparing to unlock the Wraith.
"Turn around and put your hands behind your back please."
The Wraith looked distinctly uncomfortable but did as he was told, tensing and looking over his shoulder as John unlocked the cell door. When John slipped the handcuffs on he could see the muscles in the Wraith's body perfectly, its shirt acting like a second skin. He felt a bit of dread as he came to the conclusion that the handcuffs were mostly going to be for show.
The Wraith remained tense as John turned him around and they began the walk towards the showers.
Jayden looked around and mentally made a map of the areas he was viewing, he would now be able to travel through this particular hallway blinded without difficulty. He ignored the Feeling of another presence, having already discerned it was the female Teyla. Adding in the faces and adding up all the men he saw he could determine a fairly good idea how many men were on Atlantis and he felt his stomach drop at the idea that even if he did manage to escape his cell that he wouldn't be able to escape to the outside world anyways. Still filing all the information he'd been gathering away he decided that he would take and work over the problem in his head when he had more time. It's not like I'll have anything else to do.
He relaxed slightly when indeed they came upon a few rooms that had curtains and to all appearances was this 'shower' place John Sheppard described. Once there John faced the problem of having to undo the handcuffs and show Jayden how everything worked, then having to leave the unrestrained Wraith to his own devises while a shower curtain hid him from view.
John had seen how the Wraith had relaxed once they reached the showers and suspected that he hadn't been certain that they would keep their word. "We kept our word. Now you keep yours and don't cause any trouble." He reminded the other male.
"I remember the deal and since you abided by your end I will do so on mine. I don't suppose that soap and clean clothes are part of the deal?" Jayden asked hopefully.
"I see no problem with that." John said, already having considered that. "Here's your soap and is your shirt dry-clean or washable? Do Wraith even have dry-cleaning?"
"Thank you, I don't understand, and how can something be cleaned and remain dry?" Jayden took the soap and disappeared behind the curtain, taking off his clothes and following John's description of how to turn on the water and relishing the hot spray that would have scalded the humans.
"Never mind." John took the clothes that were handed over the partition and held them an arms distance away. "Your right they reek! We should burn them."
"No!" Jayden snapped looking over the curtain to the humans, who still had their guns trained on him.
"Why shouldn't we? They'll never be clean again."
"They clean well. They'll be fine." Jayden briefly contemplated saying please but he figured that they wouldn't expect it from him and it would really freak them out, plus if they realized how important his clothes were to him they might use it as leverage.
Turning back to the wonderful shower he was experiencing he used the soap first on his body then on his hair. Careful to get everything and trying to decide if he still stunk. Wondering idly whether he'd actually get a shower or not after the tests were completed.
Turning of the water he decided to mention this new thing to Mother once he got back to his clan. If I get back. Ever optimistic aren't you, idiot. He hissed to himself.
A towel and a set of clothing got passed over the curtain and he dried off and dressed in what were definitely not his clothes. He exited with a sneer on his face.
"What?" John asked upon seeing his sneer while Ronan and Teyla just kept their guns trained on him.
"I'd like to know why I'm wearing a 3rd rank Artemis clan outfit?" Jayden tried to keep his disgust from his voice.
"Artemis clan? Well we don't have anything else that will fit you and your clothes aren't quiet done."
"I'd like my clothes back as soon as possible then. And I will over look the offence since you don't seem to realize the insult." Jayden paused outside the shower and tried to forget he was wearing the enemy's colors and suppress his hissing. "Thank you."
Following where they lead he entered a large white room where beds, equipment, and very nervous people awaited his arrival.
"If you'll just hop up on this table we'll get started." Beckett said turning around and getting his stethoscope ready. He jerked back to face the Wraith when he heard gasps and guns cocking and fell backwards in surprise. Jayden had apparently misunderstood the phrase 'hop up' and had literally hopped up on the table and stood standing on it eyeing the guns that were angled towards him.
"I guess I should have been more specific, my fault. Could you sit on the table for me?" Beckett said covering his embarrassment and deciding to go with it when Jayden merely folded his legs and ended up sitting Indian style on the examining table. "Okay, now I'd like you to breath in… deep… okay breath out… again… Hmmmm." Beckett repeated the procedure to both the front and the back of the Wraith's chest after getting him to remove his newly acquired shirt and jacket, leaving the leather pants on. Strangely he seemed glad to remove the clothing.
Beckett looked over to his clipboard and wrote down that the 'lungs' seem to be clean and he could hear no wheezing. "Alrightie before we go on with the normal procedure let's get you X-rayed."
Jayden eyed the machine that would be giving him an 'X-ray' and decided that it didn't look too dangerous. "What does this do?"
"It takes a picture of your insides."
"That sounds painful." Jayden said doubtfully but 'hopped up' on the table and laid down at the gesture from John Sheppard.
"No, no, no. It shouldn't hurt at all. Now take a breath and hold it in, close your eyes, and relax. This will only take a moment."
Jayden tried to keep him muscles relaxed but suspected he failed once the machine started to move and make strange sounds causing his muscles to twitch wildly. He got off the table and moved away from the X-ray machine, as soon as the test was over, pacing slightly while ignoring the guns that never wavered from him and the nervous humans behind them. "I do not think I liked that." He almost cursed as he had to repeat himself; he doubted that they could understand through his hissing.
"That's okay; you don't have to do it again. This is interesting." Beckett spoke absently and eyed the results.
"What is?" He moved forward but stopped, keeping a safe distance more do to the fact that the gun bearing humans all looked as though they were nearing their last nerve then because he was Worried about the doctor striking out at him.
"Well your organs, they are almost human in shape and nothing at all like the last Wraith I examined, all of the Wraith bodies we collected after the attack had the same organs, or at least placement. You, well. You're entirely different. The forming, the placement, the organs themselves everything is different. Do you feel alright son?"
"I'm starving and I've got a headache, aside from the itching and twitching that I'm getting from all the guns pointed at me and the nervous humans behind them? I think I'm fine. I told you that between the clans differences occur." Looking at the black and white picture he tried to see if anything was wrong or different. "I don't see anything wrong."
"Hmmmm. That is very interesting. So I guess it's more like a cat-dog thing then a human race thing. That is very interesting. Colonel Sheppard I think I'm going to need more then one day. This is amazing! Doctor Douglas look at this it's just… wow."
Dr. Douglas didn't seem to want to go anywhere near the Wraith but Jayden decided to make the human squirm as he had to enter close proximity to him in order to see the results. "Oh wow." The doctor seemed to completely forget the Wraith once he saw the X-ray. "That's just not possible."
"Maybe your machine is broken and the results are wrong?" Jayden offered.
"No, that can't be right. If it was broken then it still wouldn't give results like this… hey… what's wrong with you?"
Jayden suddenly hissed and drew back; his stomach and insides tightening. Glaring at his stomach as the wash of pain passed he looked confused. "No idea. Maybe taking a picture of my insides wasn't such a good idea… grm." He ended with a groan suddenly hitting the floor and writhing.
"What the… Crap!" John snapped rushing forward, angling his gun to the side so that it was available but not in his way. "What's going on?"
"I don't know… has he ingested anything in the last 24 hours? Anything that may cause this reaction?" Beckett asked moving next to his patient and trying to figure out what to do.
"No. Nothing that we know of. But we only got him about 10 hours ago."
"It might have been something that happened before he was captured by us, he was unconscious before." Ronan offered, speaking for the first time since he was assigned to the guard position.
"Maybe, look I don't know what to do, I don't know what's going on, the best thing we can do for him is to strap him in a bed and tie him down to keep from harming himself or others. I don't think stunning him or sedating him is a good idea as we don't know what that will do to him in his condition. He's much hotter than before, he seems to be almost sweating… I don't know what to think honestly."
"Fine, Ronan, Teyla you grab him arms, lets angle him toward the bed behind him. Keep him from struggling too much." John ordered trying to keep the writhing Wraith from kicking and clawing his team members. "Jayden hold still, we're going to help you but we can't help if you don't hold still."
Jayden didn't respond besides hissing but in a second he stopped fighting them and even stopped moving long enough for them to get him up on the bed. The next instant he was curled up in a fetal position shaking and hissing in the middle of the hospital bed.
"What do you want us to do?" John asked Beckett.
"Nothing we can do, I don't know what's going on. Didn't we just tell you that his physiology was entirely different? It'd be like telling a vet to work on a human or vice versa. I could kill him."
"Well he doesn't look so good right now either."
"Yeah well I didn't do it!" Beckett grumbled out and glared at John. "Now you can either help me and my staff strap him down or you can leave. Either way you need to be quiet!" Beckett then moved to try and calm his patient that was trying not claw the bed into tiny little bits.
John and Ronan pushed at Jayden and forced his arms out long enough to strap him down, he then began to writhe and hiss until eventually he calmed down. It took roughly 4 hours for him to stop completely and to fall asleep.
"What do we do now? Until we realize what happened to him we can't send him back to the cage."
"I guess we take up watch, once he wakes up maybe he can tell you what's the matter with him." John suggested, having sat down on a chair and relaxed completely.
"I'll watch with you, Teyla why don't you go and take a nap and then you and Rodney can take second watch." Ronan suggested and Teyla just nodded and headed off, unable to deny that she was tired.
Once she was gone Ronan watched as John slouched more into his chair and while keeping an eye on Jayden he tried not to fall asleep. Ronan found this also an illness he suffered from as his eyes also seemed to be way too heavy. They both tried to stay awake but the mission, the last 14 hours of adrenaline and everything else that's been going on with them conspired against them and they found themselves fast asleep.
Jayden awoke not knowing what was happening and he found he could not move. Looking down at his arms and legs he found they were haphazardly latched to the bed around him. He just twisted his arms and used his fingernails to finish the job of cutting himself free and undid his legs. Looking at John Sheppard and Ronan fast asleep in the chairs near the bed he suspected they were in charge of watching after him. Snorting he looked around and quickly made his way out of the room. Heading towards the showers he smiled when he found it without trouble.
"I'm hot, I'm sweaty, and I'm bleeding and sore. I'll shower until they figure out where I've gone… Ooooooooo, bath tub!" Jayden smiled in delight upon seeing that they did indeed have tubs in the bathhouse and filled it up. While that was happening he located soap, and something that was called, bath bubbles. Eyeing the directions he figured that this sounded good and following them he was pleasantly surprised at the smell and relaxing properties of these 'bath bubbles'.
"This is nice. I think I'll stay here until they find me." Jayden didn't bother looking for an escape for several reasons.
One: he didn't know where the Stargate was.
Two: he figured that by now his clan must be looking for him and they would find him better if he stayed put.
Three: even if he found the Stargate he figured they had some kind of device to keep people from traveling without permission, and the sheer number of people he'd have to face to get there was daunting.
Then there was the fact that he could never turn down a bath and it was in his right to want one every day, if a day hadn't technically passed he didn't know that, it wasn't his fault.
Last but most important he swore that he wouldn't try anything and they were keeping with their promises he would keep with his.
He judged the time to be at least an hour before he heard an alarm to go off and snorted at the fact it took them this long to figure out he was gone. These humans are very slow.
He washed the soap out of his hair and leaned back, trying to look as non-threatening as he could while waiting for the humans to show.
If John was furious at himself and Weir was worse. "I can't believe you left him alone!"
"Well technically he wasn't alone, we were just asleep." Sheppard replied but decided that it wasn't a good idea after it left his mouth.
"Just find him."
"I think we have a lock on him."
"Where?" Ronan and Sheppard asked at the same time, looking at the technician who was in turn looking at the screen.
"I don't know… what's right here?" He pointed to the screen and looked confused.
"The bathroom?" John asked even as the tech confirmed that it was indeed the bathroom where the showers were. "What do you think he's doing there?"
"I don't care; I want him back in his cell or with Beckett to figure out what is wrong with him. Okay?" Weir ordered.
"Yes ma'am." John said then ducked out, motioning for Ronan and Teyla (who had been awakened by the alarm) to follow and get their guns out.
Pulling toward the bathroom he stopped at the sight before him. Jayden was sitting in a large bathtub, bubbles surrounding him, and he looked much healthier than before.
"What the hell are you doing?" John asked.
"I'm sitting in a tub relaxing. Is that a problem?" The Wraith asked raising his eyebrows.
"It is when we don't know where you are!" John snapped.
"Well now you know, is there still a problem?"
"Yes! You need to be back in the lab where we can figure out what happened to you last night."
"It's simple, I'm going through withdrawals and I'll be dead in… 5 days maybe 6 if I'm lucky." Jayden replied ignoring the thrill of fear that went through him at the thought of death.
"What are you going into withdrawals for? Maybe we could help." Teyla asked.
"Classified sorry." Jayden replied and looked forlornly at the bubbles around him.
"Bullshit! What are you going through withdrawals for?" John snapped angry at the Wraith's reply.
Jayden didn't appreciate that and he hissed and for the first time looked like a Wraith.
Sitting up as best he could and turning his unnatural eyes on John he let his annoyance be known. "Listen human. I am a Wraith of the Ladon clan and I have been very cooperative with you. I choose what information I give out. I would tell you everything but it would violate my codes and my Honor to my clan. I would not press you were our positions reversed unless my clan was endangered. Your clan is not in danger except from the arrival from my clan seeking me. The information I withhold does not endanger your clan but it does mine. Now because of how I was raised I am sure that I am way more cooperative than any other Wraith you will meet or have met. Now if you will wait a second I will return to my clothes and my cell thank you." With that Jayden stood up, ignoring all modesty and pulled on the ill-fitting clothes from the day before, his body still wet.
Sheppard was speechless and ignored his immediate angry response but froze instead. Your clan is not in danger except from the arrival from my clan seeking me. "What do you mean 'your clan is not in danger except from the arrival from my clan seeking me'?"
Jayden sighed. "My clan looks for me even now." He saw John's surprise and snorted. "Would your clan forget about you and not look for you?"
"No, but we're…" John stopped his train of thought but he realized it was too late.
"Human?" Jayden's whole face changed and Ronan retrained his gun on him. "I think you should return me to my cage now."
"Sheppard, I think we should do what he says." Ronan remarked; his stomach heaving like it always did when he was in close proximity to a Wraith.
They escorted Jayden back to the hold cell and John suddenly understood why it was Ronan liked to pound his fists bloody on the punching bag and decided to do so. Leaving the security men to do their jobs he left and headed there. Satisfied to find it empty he began to do something he had never done before. He purposefully hurt himself.
"What are you doing?" Ronan asked from behind him.
"I'm working out my anger."
"Anger over what."
"It's stupid, we've just killed Jayden. We killed him and he's still here. It's like walking down the street and killing some random guy, then having to have him around for a week."
"Jayden is a Wraith, he'd kill you and everyone in the city without a thought and if we were around for a week he'd use it to suck the life out of us over and over again."
"That's bullshit. He had the chance to try and do just that. He chose not to, what does that tell you?"
Ronan remained silent.
"It's not like we can let him go because he knows where Atlantis is and that this is where he's being held. And that's besides the fact that he is a life-sucking Wraith and I would be releasing him on the unsuspecting populations around the galaxy, then later to haunt us. I know I can't do anything but it's nagging on me. He seems like a good guy."
"It bothers me as well." John and Ronan looked back to see Teyla standing in the doorway Rodney behind her and looking confused.
"I swear I take a nap and the world goes upside down. Were we just considering allowing a Wraith to go free?" Nobody answered him.
"What are we going to do…?" Ronan asked seeing if John had a plan.
"Nothing." Everyone looked at him for a moment before he sighed. "It's not like there is anything we can do."
"But you have an idea."
"I have one of sorts but it's too preposterous." John said and everyone looked at him and quirked an eyebrow. "We could make him swear to never tell his clan where he was and then let him free. I think he'd keep his word; he has so far, besides apparently his clan is already headed here. All we're doing is clearing our conscious…"
"I think that is perhaps the worst idea I have ever heard!" Rodney said. "You're going to put our life in the hands of a Wraith! Not only our lives but everyone else's!"
"I told you it was crazy." John dismissed it and went back to punching his bag until he heard…
"So when are we going to do it and how?" Ronan asked, hating the idea of it but realizing that John wasn't going to feel good about himself unless they attempted it.
John looked at him and smiled.
"Oh no! Oh no! Oh no! Oh no! You aren't going to seriously do this are you? This is crazy!" Rodney instantly got the point. "I can't believe we are doing this! You do realize that all this stress is going to raise my blood pressure. I already have high blood pressure; I'm going to have a stroke! I need sugar." With that he turned and left, apparently to get some sugar.
"Well, I think we can count on Rodney to help out. Now, we need to figure out a way to get some private conversation in with Jayden."
"I think that I could take a watch within the security booth. If you want Rodney entirely on board then give him some reason to trust Jayden." Teyla commented. "Give me a better excuse too." She whispered and headed in the direction on Rodney's rooms, knowing he'd be there, leaving Ronan and John a little while to work out anything they needed worked out.
"Do you want to come along or would you prefer to head to bed?" John asked.
"I think I'll head to bed and that way I'll be fresh for whenever you want to pull this off." Ronan headed toward his room but stopped down the hall and John called him back.
"Ronan, when was the last time you ate?"
"I ate once I left the Wraith's cell and then headed to the punching bag." He lied.
"Okay." John said in a slightly unconvinced voice then he turned and headed towards the cell deciding to stop on his way and grab a bite to eat.
Ronan sighed and lay down in his bed. He contemplated what he was about to do and then decided for about the thousandth time that he was crazy.
"I'm helping a Wraith escape from Atlantis so that John doesn't sleep badly at night. I am pathetic." Ronan had long ago decided that he was a strange Motherfucker and the fact he was gay had no standing on it.
"Why do I always have to pick the straight guy? Or the gay guy that is not interested in me?" He asked his ceiling and the ceiling surprisingly didn't answer back. "Well you never know with the Atlantians do you?"
It didn't take too long for him to sigh and just let his mind wander. After a little while he just fell asleep.
John entered the cell room and looked around careful to make sure that all personal were in secure locations where they couldn't possible see or hear anything. Moving towards Jayden who was what appeared to be sulking in the corner of his cell he motioned for him to come closer.
"You sure you want to do that?" Jayden asked as he moved forward. "I'm under no obligation not to suck the life out of you." He had now reached the bars but he didn't move to attack.
"I'm sure; I don't think that you'll hurt me unless forced to." John replied with confidence.
Jayden reached forward and wrapped his life sucking hand around John's neck narrowing his eyes. "You don't think I can hurt you?"
"I didn't say that, I said that I didn't think you would, unless forced too." John replied trying to remain calm when everything in him was revolting.
Jayden eyed the Colonel and formed a newfound Respect for him. He released him after a moment and stormed Furious away. "What do you want from me?!" He hissed out.
"I want to help you."
"Why would you want to do that?"
"Because I've personalized you."
"Don't like the idea of knowing the people you're killing?" Jayden asked sardonically, but he didn't require a response and suddenly he looked defeated. "I didn't like it much either. You know when you suck out someone's life force, you inherit all their memories?" He gave the information out of the blue and seemed to daze slightly.
"I can honestly say I didn't know that. But it makes sense because of something another Wraith said to me once." Jayden eyed him and made it clear he wanted some answers. "He said that the 'others would know what you have done to me'. I guess it makes more sense now." John wanted to pursue the interesting path that had been revealed but Jayden switch the focus.
"So what did you want to talk to me about? Or was the whole thing where I almost kill you, it?" Jayden asked.
"Oh yeah. We're going to set you free."
"Huh?" Jayden instantly wished he could have taken back that all too human expression but knew he couldn't.
"I and my team are going to get you out of here but first you have to promise that you won't bring your clan and try to destroy us."
Jayden suddenly realized what this meant for them to be doing this. He looked John directly in the eye and moved until they were inches apart. "I give you my word, as a Wraith of the Ladon clan and as a follower of the Mother that I will never allow Atlantis to be destroyed or overtaken by your enemies if you help me escape."
John could have said something sarcastic but instead he just nodded and left.
Jayden watched him leave and knew without a doubt that he had just gotten himself in deep deep deep trouble with his Mother. "She's going to kill me once she finds out what I just did." He whispered and hoped belatedly that the microphones didn't pick that up.
John entered the security room and nodded to Teyla before looking at Rodney who still looked a little green.
"You allowed a WRAITH to grab you by the neck with his LIFE SUCKING hand!" Rodney howled at him.
"But he didn't suck the life out of me did he?"
"Well… no! But that's besides the point!" Rodney howled again, trying to regulate his voice with an effort. He eventually settled for glaring.
"No, that is exactly the point. I need your help with this Rodney."
"I don't see where I have much choice, now do I? But don't expect any miracles! I suppose you have a plan?"
"I'm working on one. Yes."
"This is perfect. You know that Weir will kill you for this. And that you are endangering everyone in this little non-existing-as-of-yet plan."
"I'm aware of that yes."
"Okay just so that you're aware." Rodney mumbled and sat back to wait for some plan to form and his place to be made clear in it.
"Well I guess the first step is to get him somewhere with a Stargate because if we use this one then the chance of discovery is greater so unless something really drastic happens then that is a last resort."
"Sooo guess you want me to figure out how long it will take us to reach the next Stargate by puddle jumper?" Rodney asked sarcastically.
"If it's not too much trouble." John answered sarcastically.
"Fine. Fine. Fine." With that Rodney left to go find out what he could.
"What do you want me to do?" Teyla asked.
"Be ready." Teyla nodded and was about to go search out her bed when he spoke again. "Oh and Teyla? Thank you for trusting me."
She nodded her head and left. A few minutes later the next shift in guard came and Sheppard finally turned to his bed.
Ronan awoke like he always did and began to make his rounds. He had made it a habit to look in on all of his team in the night.
He passed Rodney's room where he slept on his custom-made bed, the doctor snored and after Ronan made sure all was well he left to pursue quieter quarters in the form of Teyla's.
Teyla slept lightly and Ronan always found it a challenge. If he wasn't very careful she would wake up and he would have to explain what he was doing in her room at night. He found it the perfect way to keep his skills honed.
Creeping into her room he looked at her to make sure she was asleep. Upon seeing her sleeping he checked her room and moved out. He lost focus and knocked a statue, he froze before making a grab and barely catching it. Cursing himself silently he moved it back into place and glanced at Teyla. She still slept and he made it to the door with no more incidents.
"Goodnight, Ronan." Teyla whispered.
Ronan winced but answered. "Goodnight, Teyla." He left and sighed.
She almost always catches me. Idiot.
He moved to his last stop and didn't worry about making any noise. Rodney awoke at the level most people awoke at. But John would sleep through a bomb and not realize it.
He entered the room but stopped. John's bed was slept in, as was obvious by the twisted sheets that had fallen off the side of the bed but he wasn't there and that he hadn't been sleeping well. His heart froze and his stomach went into his throat before he began to tell himself that nothing could have happened to John and he was being stupid. Glaring at the messed up bed he had a sneaky suspicion where his leader was.
Moving even further down the hall and a few hallways over. He entered the room where the security cameras were to find that the men in charge of watching over the screens were fast asleep and that they snored as much as Rodney.
He looked at the screen and was surprised at what he found. Sheppard sat down on a pillow, he had a blanket wrapped around him and was talking to the Wraith who looked very similar to him. They were talking and Ronan turned up the volume careful to keep the volume below what would wake the sleeping guards.
"What's it like where you come from?" Jayden asked.
The form of John seemed to hesitate but he shrugged. "I don't really think of it any particular way, I've lived there all my life and just recently found out that there was even such a thing like a Stargate. I guess it's mostly like everywhere else."
Jayden cocked his head. "Except that it's more crowded? Are there really millions of humans there?"
John seemed to be wearier. "More like billions."
"Wow. Billions of humans. I see why you don't want other Wraith to go there. It'd be a massacre. I'd like to see it before that happens though."
"I don't think that's the best idea. You wouldn't exactly fit in. And there will be no massacre; we'll destroy Atlantis before that happens."
"You won't have to destroy Atlantis and I know I wouldn't fit in. Sides I don't think that you people would like the idea that a life-sucking Wraith is moving among you."
"You said it not me. But other than the crowdedness it's so much more than any other planets. There are countries, governments are more advanced, technology, cars. The diversity is amazing. It's like a million worlds all mixed into one."
"How do you keep from killing each other?"
"We don't mostly, there are wars and wars and wars. There is always some part of the world that is at war. But the wars don't kill off the planet because of diplomacy."
"Ah. That I understand. I'm a diplomat…" Jayden's form seemed to wince but Ronan couldn't quiet tell since the camera's resolution wasn't that good.
"A diplomat?"
"I shouldn't have told you that. But, yeah. I'm not allowed to fight in the clan disputes. My job is to make sure that our allies know where we stand and that if they want to stay on our good side that they should follow the rules. I also make sure that our enemies fear us; that we have enough goods for everyone, food, clothing, etc." He seemed to sneer when mentioning the non-fighting part of his job, as though that was the worst thing in the world, but pride over his job and role in the community seemed to shine in the end.
"I never thought of Wraiths as diplomatic creatures."
"Well… We are. Sorta. It's complicated and…"
"Classified I get it. Why aren't you allowed to fight in clan disputes?"
"It's a family history thing. My family has a history of… unpleasantness…"
"Oh this could be interesting spill." John said and Ronan had to concur silently curious about the answer.
"Well it's not classified. But it won't help you in anyway."
"But my curiosity is peaked."
"It's hard to tell the sorry. Usually I would send mind pictures to you to go along, telling it mostly in memories passed to me by my father etc so that you have firsthand experience… I'll try to do it your way of telling, but it's not as good." Jayden frowned and was silent for so long Ronan and John almost thought he wasn't going to continue, and then he opened his mouth.
"From the time of my grandfather. This is about 11,000 years ago, shortly before the war with the Ancients." Jayden hissed evilly at the name and Ronan felt his body tense but relaxed as the Wraith stopped. "My Grandfather was just 100 years old, the Mother was around... well we don't know her age, she and already had 300 hive ships at her command."
"300 HIVE SHIPS?!" John snapped his eyes widening and he looked decidedly sick.
"Did I say something wrong?" Jayden looked confused.
"Did you just say 300 hive ships?"
"Well… yeah. You must remember that we were way more numerous before the war, and though our clan is the largest now, most didn't agree with The Mother and so while everyone fought the Ancients we were one of the smaller groups."
"How many hive ships does this Mother have at her disposal now?"
Jayden seemed to pull back. "I'm sorry, it's classified but I can tell you about the others hive ship numbers…"
"Really?"
"Sure. Let's see, there are the Cerberus clan, Minotaur clan, Artemis clan, Apollo, Hades, Charon, Poseidon, and Hera. They're our enemies and so I can share their numbers. Total there are 1,431 hive ships. And separately Cerberus has…" Jayden was cut off.
"What? How are we going to fight that many?" John seemed to despair and he cut them off. Ronan felt every nerve in his body fire and tense. The idea of that many Wraith made him sick.
"I do not know."
"We thought that there were only 80 and that was enough to make us worry. How are we going to fight 1,431 hive ships?!"
"One at a time preferably. Besides, only the Artemis clan is fully awake as of right now, and they only have 65 hive ships left. As to what can you do, I suggest that you go back home, and destroy this place. It sounds like you're in over your heads, it be different if you had allies. Do you have allies?"
"No. But we can't leave. We don't have the power; we barely have a ZPM left."
"ZPM?" Ronan didn't like that suddenly his captain and the Wraith were sharing information, classified information, with such ease.
"Zero Point Module. It's like an amber thing, it glows when it's on." John motioned, uncovering his shoulder when the blanket slipped and was forced to cover himself again.
"Hmm… I think I might know what you're talking about." Jayden seemed to be smiling.
"Really? Where did you see something like this?"
Jayden looked up at the monitor and then motioned for John to move closer. He said something to John that made him start back, but the microphones in the room weren't able to pick it up, no matter how close Ronan was to the screen.
"But how?"
"I'm sorry John; I cannot share that information. Only the Mother or those who have her express permission are able to tell you that. Besides, I would not know how anyways. I am but a simple diplomat and as I was saying before, I am not trusted."
"Oh yeah, back to the story." Ronan wanted them to stay at the line of questioning but John didn't seem to want to. Maybe he was afraid that Jayden would stop talking.
"Well back then my Grandfather was second in command. But he wasn't satisfied. The Mother was young and he felt that he could take her on. He broke apart our army in his bid for power. Those that followed him, and those that followed the Mother.
"He had many many more ships but somehow Mother won. They say that entire ships would float by, all the crew dead with no sign as to how. All of them frozen in terror. There was no way to find out how they died. For some reason The Mother spared my Grandfather. He stood before her; broken, the horrors of his war against her plaguing everyone's minds, families destroyed through this power struggle, and she spared him. By this time it was time for the war with the Ancients, my grandfather, though was not restored to his place at her side. Instead he went to war and fought for her. 9000 years later, after my father was well into this world at 6000 and I was a mere baby 140, my grandfather had worked his way back to the top.
"He was a bodyguard for the Mother. Then one night, he betrayed her again. Him and my father, my mother, and all my uncles, aunts, cousins. Everyone old enough to fight all moved on the city and the home that held the Mother. They made it all the way to the Mother, she sat serenely on her throne, and then she held out her hand.
"Everyone in the room holds testament to this momentous occasion. The assassins all started screaming, clawing at their heads. Soon their minds were gone, lost in the terrors that only they and the Mother know.
"All those of the court that survived told her to kill me; that all the hatred in my blood line would transfer to me and I to would betray her. At the time if I had had the power or strength to kill her I would have. I knew she knew this yet she did not kill me. She took me into her home and raised me to be a bodyguard, but even after almost a thousand years had passed, the councilors still watched me always, and no one trusted me. All thought that I would kill the Mother as soon as I had the chance.
"I knew that she would never deny me my place as her head of the guard, but I felt that if I stayed in such a position that she would soon be left as vulnerable as though she had no guards. No one listened to my orders unless she were around to command them to obey, and even then they were prone to 'doing their own thing'. Eventually I gave up and resigned as her head of guard, though she refused my resignation and said that only a substitute would be in place so that no matter what, if I ever wanted back at her side, I could.
"No one wished me to be a diplomat, but I need no one to follow my orders, and only the Mother to listen to me. So I became a diplomat.
"I am not trusted because of who my family was. No matter what I say or do, I must always be on the lookout for assassins that would have me removed as a threat to the Mother." Jayden finished his tale and sighed. Probably wishing he had chosen to stay with his 'Mother.'
"I'm sorry about what your family did."
"It is fine." Jayden yawned and stretched. "I'm sorry I seem to be falling asleep, maybe we could finish our discussion in the morning?"
"Sure." John got up and gathered his stuff together. "Goodnight."
Ronan moved and stood before the door, waiting for Sheppard to pass by him.
"Ronan! I didn't know you were still up…" John looked decidedly guilty.
"Where has he seen a ZPM before?" Ronan went straight to the point.
"I think you want to follow me; unless you want to go ahead and wake Rodney and Teyla and then meet me in the control room? It'd be faster that way…"
"I'll wake the others." Ronan left to do just that.
Ronan found it not at all difficult to get Teyla up and she left immediately for the control room. Rodney didn't want to wake up, the letters ZPM changed his tune and he was out the room and down the hall before he realized that he was only wearing his boxers.
He turned to head back to his room cursing himself but was saved the embarrassment by Ronan who carried a shirt with him. "I couldn't find pants…" He said apologetically, trying hard to keep his amusement out of his face.
"This is fine; I don't want to miss anything." They raced down the halls and made their way to the control room.
Teyla and Sheppard awaited them, and Dr. Weir stood looking confused but not as though she was just awoken from sleep. "Now, John tell me what is going on here."
Sheppard took a seat at the briefing table and everyone took seats as well. "I was talking with Jayden."
"You were talking to the Wraith? Was he talking back?" Weir was right in asking this question as all the other Wraiths that had stayed here had only threatened.
"Yes. Anyway, somehow our conversation turned to ZPMs. And he asked me to describe them." John paused, obviously waiting for someone to ask him what Jayden had said and the light and happiness in his eyes was enough for everyone in the room to comply.
"AND?"
"He said he believed that he had seen such things on his home planet. Apparently thousands of them. Maybe even Hundreds of thousands." John looked so pleased and Rodney looked as though he was going to pass out from shock.
"HUNDREEDS OF THOUSANDS? That's IMPOSSIBLE! How? More importantly, we could bring EVERYTHING online; imagine with all the power, we could defeat the Wraith!" Rodney's scientist was taking over and he looked as though he was just given the best Christmas present in the world.
"I'd hate to burst everyone's bubble here. But are we sure that this Wraith is telling the truth? I mean, Wraiths aren't notoriously trust worthy…" Weir had to add, though everything scientist in her was begging for this to be true.
"Elizabeth. I think he's telling us the truth. I hate to say this, but I think that he's different."
"Different how?"
"I like him. I think that he could be a valuable ally."
"How can you say that? He is a Wraith, in case you've forgotten; he sucks the life out of, and kills, humans."
"I know, but even though he was given the opportunity to do so, he didn't. He was free and moving around and he didn't do anything harmful, all he did was take a bath! He had his hand wrapped around my throat, he could have killed me then and he didn't. I think that we can trust him not to betray us. The last time we had an opportunity even similar to this, we ruined what peace Ilayna had…" John clamped his teeth down to stop the words. He hated what had happened to Ilayna and felt that they were partly responsible because they hadn't been friendlier to her.
"Are you willing to stake everyone in Atlantis's life on it? Cause I'm not. If this Wraith was able to report back to his superiors then they would bring their army down on us and kill us all, then move on earth. We barely escaped last time."
"It doesn't matter! There are thousands of Wraith hive ships out there! 1,000 and more! Once they find us again, without ZPMs we'll be defenseless. Jayden thinks that they will send a probe soon, to check for survivors, etc."
"And you believe him?"
"It does make since, Dr. Weir." Teyla spoke up. "Why wouldn't they send a probe? The Wraiths are nothing if not suspicious."
"So you think we can trust this Wraith too?" Weir asked surprised.
"I think that this Wraith is different. Perhaps he is trustworthy; he has done nothing so far to prove his dishonesty or unreliability."
"Aren't you Americans in to the innocent until proven guilty thing?" Rodney asked, sarcasm lacing his voice.
"You believe in him as well?" Weir seemed shocked.
"I believe in Sheppard. It amounts to the same in this case."
"Ronan? Please tell me someone has some brains here!" Weir snapped, looking for an ally when she suddenly seemed surrounded by crazy people.
"I apologize but I'm insane as well."
Weir looked at her most trusted team. "I can't let you endanger this base. I'm sorry but no."
"I volunteer to go, I'll make sure that he'll keep his promise, if I don't call in every hour or so then be prepared to do something. I think that the gain is worth the risk!" John pleaded. "Colonel Caldwell can take over once he gets here, which will be shortly. This could work. And the worst thing that could happen is that we speed up the inevitable. What if somehow they figure out that we're still here? There is no way that we can beat 1,000 some hive ships as we are right now. We don't have much of a choice Elizabeth."
It was somewhat surprising when everyone else said that they would like to go too. The smack in the face though was Rodney's offer to go, which held no hesitation what so ever. "Rodney, you too?"
"Don't look so surprised. Thousands of ZedPMs? The possibility is enough to make me head into a Wraith planet with no backup, or hope for escape."
"That's positive thinking Rodney." John muttered.
Before Weir could tell them that there was no possible way that this was going to happen a sleeping looking guard appeared looking very ragged. "Colonel Sheppard. It's the Wraith. He's acting weird. Something's happening."
Sheppard didn't waste any time and everyone followed swiftly behind. Upon reaching the site, John and Ronan rushed forward, quickly undoing the lock on the cage and rushing forward to pin Jayden down. They forced his nails from his stomach, where claw marks leaking blood soon made their hands slippery and wet.
"Jayden, calm down. Jayden. Jayden. Ronan get his feet better." John moved his head to the side as a knee passed where his head had been.
Jayden arched off of the floor hissing, his arms now over his head and pinned to the floor where John had his knees on them. Ronan cursed and grabbed the writhing Wraith's legs and pinned them down. It was his turn to hiss, only his hissing was at the audience and it was understandable. "One of you get Dr. Beckett in here."
"Yes, sir." The unidentified guard replied, he barely got the words out before he was gone, wanting to get something right.
Weir looked in horror at the Wraith on the floor and Teyla rushed passed her to push his chest down and Weir moved forward to help Ronan with his slipping hold on the Wraith's feet. Rodney kept glancing out the door and looking for Carson.
Dr. Beckett arrived carrying his medical kit and looking as disheveled as everyone else. "What's the emergency?" He asked before his eyes fell on Jayden. "How long has this been going on? Let me look at his stomach, Teyla keep him all the way down and hold him on his chest so I can see it." He fired off orders and questions as he moved forward grabbing Rodney by the shirt and dragging him into the open cell.
Everyone did as ordered and Beckett crouched down near the wounds. "These aren't healing… Jayden. Jayden. I need you to hold still again like you did last time. I need to look at these wounds okay?" He used a voice most people used to talk to children or cornered animals.
Jayden growled, he seemed to try, his breath caught and he stiffened every muscle in his body, but it only lasted for a second before he lurched again.
Weir watched him convulse over and over again. He never made a sound louder than a low growl when most men would be screaming to bring the roof down and no one would think of it at all. She looked at John and everyone else in his group; all of their faces were tight and strained from holding the Wraith down. Yet they did not seem afraid that Jayden would hurt them on purpose.
Dr. Beckett moved forward with a large needle in his hand. He tried to stick him with it and Jayden lurched away. "Jayden, calm down, this will help with the pain; it'll also put you to sleep for a little while. Hold still one last time and I'll make the pain go away."
Beckett stood prepared and after a few seconds Jayden stopped lurching, all his muscles tense and twitching. Carson didn't hesitate, he plunged his needle straight into the soft stomach where blood was still leaking.
The pain of the injection being delivered so quickly on top of the pain he was in finally broke his bubble of silence. He didn't scream or yell, he ROARED! Everyone within hearing distance was deafened and they covered their ears in vein. The second that Jayden was released he curled into a fetal position and stopped his roar, he whimpered in pain. It seemed like forever before Weir could hear anything at all but it couldn't have been that long because Jayden was still whimpering.
Teyla inched forward on her knees and began to rub the suffering Wraith's back.
When he didn't show any signs of feeling better, besides the whimpering stopped, John looked at Beckett. "When will this kick in Doctor?"
"I gave him enough to kill an elephant, literally. I don't know what else to do. It'll work, I know it will." Beckett didn't sound at all certain though.
Jayden just tightened his hold on himself. The blood flow from his stomach seemed to be lessening but nowhere near what it should.
"Why aren't his wounds healing?" Rodney asked no one in particular.
"He's starving. I theorize that the regenerative powers of the Wraith are directly proportional to when it last fed. The more time between the last feeding and the wound, the longer it takes to heal." Beckett said; worry coloring his voice making his accent worse. "But I don't know what happens if they haven't feed in a while. Maybe they regenerate like us, maybe not at all."
Jayden tried hard not to howl over the Pain in his middle. As his senses slowly returned he was abruptly Thrilled that the humans couldn't understand what he was saying. Just because you're dying isn't reason to say THAT to them. He snarled in his head.
He stopped his hissing and went limp as suddenly he couldn't feel anything at all. What the? Oh right, the liquid they injected into me, about time it worked! He didn't move as the hand that was rubbing his back continued and he figured that they thought he had passed out or died.
"He's stopped." That was a female. One he hadn't heard before, he considered the pros and cons of trying to roll onto his back so he could evaluate the damage better and the situation vs. laying here under the administrations of the female Teyla's comforting fingers. I think I'll stay here.
"I think that the tranquilizer and pain killers kicked in." Beckett's voice drifted over making Jayden frown.
"You think he's dead?" The voice that spoke now made Jayden's skin prickle. Ronan.
"Jayden? Are you awake?" John Sheppard's worried voice made Jayden rethink moving just to assure them that he was okay and he prepared to do just that.
"He can't possibly be conscious after the dose I gave him!" Beckett spoke and then swallowed his words as Jayden uncurled with a grunt.
"I think I'm offended that you think me that weak Dr. Beckett." He grumbled out with false bravo and no anger. Truth be told he had to suppress the need to find a corner, weave a Cocoon, and go to sleep for a few years.
"How are you feeling, son?" Beckett seemed to just realize what he said but Jayden was too flattered to allow him to take it back.
"Like I was just thrown in a cage with a Wilder and then dragged out long enough to think myself safe before going back in." Jayden blinked at what he just said. "I shouldn't have said that…. What you do to me human?" He growled the end and stumbled up glaring at Beckett and resisted the urge to grab him and shake the answers out of him.
"What do you mean?" Beckett asked in confused, an innocent look about him.
"Why can't I stop talking? Why am I fuzzy? Why am I telling you this? W…" Jayden slapped his hand over his mouth with a look of horror.
"Are you saying that you can't seem to control yourself?" The unidentified female asked.
Jayden clamped his jaws down and for once realized that he had an almost clear path out of the room, only John stood in his way. With no other thought then to run he rushed John and knocked him down escaping and dodging through instinct as a red ball whizzed by him and shoots followed. Rushing down an unfamiliar corridor he moved away from where the human smells were the strongest and went towards the smell of sea and dust.
He soon found that the very building itself was blocking him, the door closing of their own accord, and he crawled up in the pipes once he was locked into the room. He could hear the alarm and people moving about, boots clicking and he threw out his senses stretching to the farthest expanse of his ability and heard nothing but a slight reverberation that he recognized as the 'human' Teyla. Swallowing the fear that had caused him to Panic he growled at himself at his flight.
What are you planning on doing? You've probably lost any chance of being freed without the war that Mother will bring. Clumsy, idiotic, you deserve the Longing that you feel. You don't deserve to be a Seeker.
He felt towards Teyla and with a slight prayer tried to seize hold of her mind. He was surprised at the fight she gave but he was able to seize control relatively easily.
Be calm Teyla, I will not harm your people. Jayden growled to her.
'GET OUT OF MY HEAD!' Teyla responded with a clumsy grab at the controls.
You would be formidable with a bit of training human, but not enough for me, now be silent. Jayden then Tuned her out and shoved her to the corner of her own mind.
"Teyla? Can you sense him? Where is he?" John asked worried at Teyla's jerk a moment ago. When she opened her eyes John turned his Wraith blaster on her knowing that Jayden was there not her.
"Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard, if your people do not open the doors of the city and stop hindering my progress out I will be forced to kill the men I come across. This is your one warning and I give it to you only because I respect you. My promise stands even though these unfortunate circumstances should void it." Jayden looked at him and the others for a second longer. "Release me, I do not wish to kill your men!" Teyla jerked again and inhaled sharply as the Wraith let her go.
John looked at Weir. "This is up to you Dr. Weir." He hated the words that came from his mouth, he felt betrayed that Jayden had done this and he wanted nothing more than to find Jayden and shoot him, repeatedly.
"Do you think that his people will truly come for him John?" Weir asked.
"I don't know, I think so though."
"In the slight chance that they don't already know where he is, gather the teams, send them into the west wing's main living quarters, tell them to use whatever force necessary. I don't want to take any chances." John nodded at her orders and began to order his team in there when she told him that he would not be the first team that Major Nelson would go first.
Major Nelson nodded and his team saluted and headed off, their guns loaded and ready.
John watched them go and watched their progress on the life sensor monitor.
"John can I talk to you?" Weir asked hesitantly.
John looked at her, at the monitor and back to her before following.
"John, how are you doing?"
"Fine, he didn't push me hard."
"John, I know what you're thinking…"
"He betrayed us. I was stupid and I shouldn't have talked to him, that's what you're thinking and everyone else is, including me." John said, his tone resigned and slightly hurt.
"That is not what I was going to say, but he didn't betray you. I've been thinking. Why did he run?" Weir pushed on after John tried to open his mouth and cut in. "He was afraid, and even when he pushed you you said yourself that he didn't hurt you, he could have thrown you to and through the wall, I'm thinking, at least enough to knock you out. He could have attacked me or any of the others and held us hostage. After he escaped he didn't head towards the Stargate even though he probably could have overpowered the people there too; he moved to the empty hallways that would keep him from hurting others. Jayden then sent out a warning not to come after him and said he would keep his promise, something he had no reason to do." Weir withheld the question about what the promise was. "Overall, I hate to say it but I think that maybe, just maybe you might be right. I think he might be different."
"It doesn't matter anymore." John said as he heard a commotion at the life-detector and guessed that Jayden was down or dead.
"Colonel Sheppard, Dr. Weir. I think you need to see this." Private Nelson, the brother of Major Nelson, looked very sick.
John and Elizabeth moved into the other room and looked at the screen. "There is only one dot… Oh god."
