Disclaimer: I don't Stargate Atlantis or anything related to it.

A/N: My first attempt at a longer SGA fic, hope it works out okay. I plan to have it all posted in the next two to three weeks. Major Greene is my original character, well, as far as I know she is anyway. Thanks to all who review!

'Colonel Sheppard, Dr. McKay, you remember Major Alex Greene from the Daedalus,' Dr. Elizabeth Weir, Atlantis expedition leader, addressed half of Atlantis' main off world team. 'She's been reassigned to Atlantis for awhile. I trust you'll make her feel at home.'

Sheppard nodded and said, 'Good to have you around, Major.'

'Thank you, Colonel.'

McKay eyed her cautiously and asked, 'Why?' The question was directed more toward Weir than Greene.

Weir shifted her gaze to the other doctor and asked, 'Is there a problem, Rodney?'

'No, just curious,' he answered, still eyeing the major suspiciously.

Major Alexandra Greene met McKay's gaze easily. He may have a head on her height wise, but her stature was certainly no disadvantage. 'I assure you, Dr. McKay, this is not an effort to undermine authority on Atlantis, most certainly not your's, Colonel Sheppard's, or Dr. Weir's. Colonel Caldwell and Dr. Weir agree that my sustained presence would be beneficial for all involved.'

McKay scoffed loudly. 'For Caldwell maybe.'

'McKay,' Sheppard said loudly, 'be nice.'

He looked at the military man. 'I'm being honest. One of us has to be, Colonel,' he gave for way of explanation.

'Be that as it may,' Weir addressed the comment, 'I'd appreciate it if you would keep such comments to yourself in the future, Rodney.'

'Of course,' he complied half-heartedly. 'Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more important things to be doing.' McKay made his way past the rest of the group toward the lab while purposely avoiding Weir.

Sheppard nodded to them and said, 'And if you'll excuse me as well, ladies, I too have somewhere to be. I hope you make yourself at home, Major.'

'I shall attempt to do so, Colonel. Thank you.' Weir and Greene continued on their way as Sheppard left them.

: P

'Don't touch that!' Mckay yelled.

'Why not?' Greene looked at the astrophysicist. 'Looks perfectly harmless to me.'

He looked back at her. 'Harmless?' McKay's voice rose a few octaves as he said it. Clearing his throat, he continued, 'Well, maybe, but we don't actually know what it is yet, so it may be capable of blowing up the whole of Atlantis.'

Greene put down the device she was holding. 'And you're storing it here why?'

'We need to research it,' he tried lamely.

Greene shrugged.

'Major, why are you here?'

She smiled nicely at him. Weir told me to have a look around and I was curious as to why you're so quick to hate me.'

'I don't hate you. I just don't like the idea of Caldwell's team being reassigned here. It was bad enough when he took over after Sheppard contracted the retro virus that turned him into a wraith,' Rodney said quickly.

'Well, I'm not Caldwell, and I know of no plan to change anything you or anyone else on Atlantis is doing.'

'Thanks, I think,' he responded.

'No problem. I'll let you get back to work.' She no sooner said that and Weir's voice came over their headsets.

'Dr. McKay, Major Greene, you're needed in the gate room immediately.'

McKay responded, 'We're on our way.'

: P

'What is it?' Ronan asked, taking in the bulky box-like item in front of the group. Major Lorne's team had recently returned with it. McKay was running tests to try and ascertain its contents, but so far had come up blank. Finally, he noticed a slightly familiar rounded indentation.

'Radek,' he addressed the other scientist, 'Can you bring me that ball-like thing from the lab, the one Major Greene was playing with earlier?'

'I'll be right back,' the Czech scientist responded.

While they waited for Zelenka's return, Weir asked, 'Rodney, what do you think this is?'

'Well,' he started, thinking as he spoke, 'it looks like ancient technology, but beyond that I don't know. But I do believe the item we found on our last mission may be related. If you look here,' he pointed to the location he referred to, 'it appears that it would fit. Presumably it's some sort of lock and key mechanism.' He looked as if he was about to start speaking again, but Weir stopped him.

'That's enough, Rodney. We get the idea.'

'Right,' McKay said as Zelenka came running back into the gate room. 'Oh, good. You're back.'

Out of breath, he replied, 'You try running to the lab from here and back.' He handed the round object to McKay who then put it into the appropriate place. Nothing happened at first. Several moments passed in silence as the group waited for something, anything to happen. Several minutes later, McKay spoke.

'Well, that was anticlimactic.'

'Gee, you think?' Sheppard asked sarcastically.

'Well, there's no need for sarcasm, Colonel,' came the response.

'And there's no need for yours either, Doctor.'

'Gentleman, please,' Weir interjected. 'Ronan, John, have this thing transported to the lab so McKay and Zelenka can try and figure out what it does.'

'Yes, Ma'am,' Sheppard replied. 'Major Greene, Teyla, care to help?'

'Of course,' answered the Athosian who had become a vital part of the team.

Greene smiled wryly at Sheppard. 'I'd be delighted, Colonel.'

'Now I know you've been spending too much time with McKay,' he responded jokingly and received a glare from the man in question to which he smiled.

Once the object was deposited in the lab, McKay and Zelenka used every instrument available to try and figure out what it was. Several hours passed and neither had found out anything. Zelenka sat down heavily in a nearby chair and sighed. McKay pushed on doggedly for several more minutes, but, after coming up empty once again, joined Zelenka. The Czech handed him a Power Bar. McKay took it and ripped into it hungrily.

'It's not good to skip dinner like this, Rodney,' Zelenka stated matter-of-factly.

'Yes, well, it's not good to be at a complete loss as to what that does either. Besides, I can get something to eat later. Right now my concern is that this device could be an ancient bomb or something that could blow us all up in the middle of the night. I'll stick to the Power Bars for now, thank you,' he rattled off in response. 'Let's go over what we know.'

Zelenka groaned. In a tired tone of voice he said, 'Rodney, we've been at this all day. Like you said, we don't even know what it's for or what it does. I say we get some sleep and look at it in the morning.'

Rodney bristled slightly at the suggestion. 'Radek, you an got to bed if you want. I'm staying here.'

'All I'm saying is that you'll be thinking clearer with some sleep.'

Sarcastically, he replied, 'Yes, thank you, Mother.' Zelenka shrugged and left McKay who was muttering to himself something about the device.

: P

It was well past midnight and still Dr. Rodney McKay was pouring over the data from the object Major Lorne's team had found. He had taken a short break to raid the kitchen and his empty plate sat on the table beside him.

'You're up late, Dr. McKay,' a distinctly female voice said from behind him.

McKay turned around, startled by the voice. The plate crashed to the ground and shattered; both flinched at the loud noise.

'Sorry.'

'Major Greene, what, why are you . . .' he asked, flustered.

She pulled up a chair opposite him and sat. 'Couldn't sleep. I'm so used to the Daedalus that it's weird being off the ship.'

'And you're in my lab why?' he asked, getting his wits about him.

Greene shrugged. 'The light was on, so I thought I'd check it out.'

'Um,' Rodney said, picking up the remnants of the plate. 'Thanks. I'm fine. Now if you wouldn't mind leaving . . .'

'And miss the opportunity to watch the great Rodney McKay in action?'

'Major, I'm in the middle of some very important research. I'd prefer to work in silence.'

'I won't talk. In fact, I'll be as quiet as a mouse,' she replied.

'Let me rephrase that,' he said. 'I'd prefer to work alone.'

'Fine,' Major Greene said, standing and walking over to the device. She lightly dropped her fingers over it and turned to leave. 'Good night, Dr. McKay,' she addressed him as she left.

Rodney had turned back to his work and waved briefly over his shoulder. Just as Greene left, a bright flash engulfed the room for a second. McKay looked over to find the device glowing. 'Um, Major,' he called out, 'could you come back in her please?' He stood transfixed. Greene wandered back in, brow furrowed as she took in the site before her.

'It wasn't doing that before.'

'No it certainly was not. What did you do?' he asked in an accusing tone.

She looked at him sternly for a moment. Dr. McKay, I merely brushed it with my fingers, nothing more.'

'You're sure?'

'Positive, and I'd appreciate you not taking that tone with me.'

McKay did not respond, but instead turned back toward the box. The ball shaped thing he thought was a key was rotating slowly. Ancient script appeared and disappeared all across the top. Rodney inched closer to translate what he saw. Several minutes passed. Finally, he asked, 'Major, how do you feel?'

'I feel fine, why?'

'It's just, um, the Ancient text translate roughly to 'She who touches this box will be inhabited by the soul of Sha'ell.'

'What's the Soul of Sha'ell?" Major Greene and Dr. McKay looked at each other perplexed. 'Great, you don't know do you?'

He tried to steel his features and look less confused, but it did not work as well as he hoped. 'I don't know,' he said and added, 'yet,' to try and provide a little piece of mind for her.

Greene looked between McKay and the box several times before saying, 'Well, you work on that.' She yawned widely. 'I, on the other hand, am going to try and get some sleep. Colonel Sheppard wants me to start training with Teyla in the morning. I'm told I'd best be well rested for it. Besides, I think I'd know if something funny was going on.' She turned and left giving a quick 'Good night' as she did so.

'Good night,' he said weakly. McKay stared at the scrolling text on the box for awhile. Finally, his eyelids began to sag and he yawned loudly. Taking in the quietness of Atlantis, he decided a little sleep would be good. Zelenka had made a good point that he would get a fresh look at the box in the morning. Maybe something would come to him in his sleep.

End Chapter 1