AN: I am giving Arthur new clothing. Don't worry, it looks like his original clothing, just cleaner. Let's say that when he landed on the planet some nice people offered to make him new clothing. But they based it off what he was already wearing. And Arthur being who he is, didn't have the heart to complain about it.

Arthur Dent was a curious individual. Out of all the humans in the universe, of which there were currently a total of 2 including himself, he was the strangest. He seemed to always be at the wrong place at the wrong time. He had never done anyone any harm intentionally throughout his whole life. He was hardly ever rude when speaking, if anyone was paying any attention at all when he spoke of course. And he didn't have an aggressive bone in his body. And yet, despite all of this, he had been taken prisoner by some strange aliens with white skin and black coats.

It had all started when he had been left on a peaceful planet to get on with his life as he wanted. It was located in the heart of the Pegasus Galaxy and had been celebrating peace for several thousand years. This of course led everyone to assume it was safe. This was proven to be incorrect when one day, while practicing his flying, Arthur came upon some scientists in the woods. Turns out, they had been shunned by their fellows on the other side of the planet for outrageous theories about alternate universes. The scientists on the other side of the planet thought one universe was enough and had no desire to get involved with another one. After all, they had enough trouble trying to deal with their own problems, why add more.

They had captured Arthur while trying to catch a flock of birds he had been chatting with. Apparently, they liked to send living beings through a special machine to see if anything happened. As it turned out, something did. He was transported to the same planet, but in a different universe. Or so he assumed from what the scientists had said while ignoring his yelling to be let go. He was only comforted, however slightly, by the fact his towel as wrapped around his waist. Of course, his Greek olive oil was now lost forever and he had had a good five minute cry about this once he had materialized in this new universe. After that, he pulled himself together, and went exploring.

He had found absolute carnage. A small village, looking like one out of a mid-evil film he had seen once, was on fire. There were strange ships flying this way and that sounding like mosquitoes on turbo. The ships seemed to be collecting people with the use of strange beams that swept the ground. He had just decided to stay out of the whole thing when he had been captured for the second time that day by the strange aliens who seemed to be causing all the racket.

And now he was sitting alone in a dark cell in some strange alien ship that reminded him of being in something's stomach. Everything looked organic, slimy and squishy. The unnerving feeling this gave Arthur caused him to sit on the floor in the center of the cell and curl up into a little ball to try and avoid touching as much of it as possible. He had then taken his towel and draped it over his head so he wouldn't have to see where he was. He had fallen asleep like this within minutes.

His sleep didn't last long, at least he didn't think it did, before it was interrupted by loud yelling and swearing. It seemed he now had company in his cell, and not happy company by the sound of it. He decided to stay where he was and pretend to still be asleep. He was hopeful they would ignore him, but he doubted they would. He listened as for about a minute the yelling continued as well as the sound of something heavy hitting something solid, most likely someone trying to break down the door.

And slowly, the noise had stopped. In fact, even the sound of people moving had stopped. And he could feel their confused gazes on his skin like laser beams. Or at least what he assumed laser beams felt like. It was a sort of prickly burning feeling that made him want to itch every surface of his skin. And then he heard a single set of footsteps approach him and tried to stay as still as he could. Maybe they would leave him alone. He was so tense and afraid that when something suddenly touched his shoulder lightly he let out a startled scream of terror and backed up along the ground on his backside until he hit a wall. He didn't take the towel off yet, still refusing to see his situation. If he was going to die, he really didn't want to see it coming.

His reaction had apparently startled whoever was in here with him because shuffling came from the other side of the cell. The sound of people talking in loud whispers filled the air.

"What the hell was that?" asked a snarky sounding voice

"I think we scared him." Said a softer sounding voice, this one female

"No shit." said a pompous sounding voice

"Who do you think he is?" asked the first voice

"He is not from the planet that was raided. His clothing is to different." said the female voice

"Yeah, about his clothes..." said the third voice before trailing off

"What about his clothing McKay?" asked the first voice of the third

"Well, it's just, I used to have a towel like that back home. And I know I have a robe like that in my closet back at base. And he also looks like he's wearing slippers." the third voice, apparently named McKay, replied

There was a long silence after this before a fourth voice, this one rumbling through the air like a space ship's engine, asked, "Is he from Earth?"

This startled Arthur into making a slight squeaking sound he would deny until the day he died. Considering the situation, that might not be to long a time. He reached up slowly and pulled the corner of his towel away so that he could see out of his left eye while keeping the rest of his face covered. He was a bit surprised to see the people on the other side of the small cell.

There were four of them, and they were all humanoid in shape, three males and one female by the look of it. Three of them wore a strange uniform looking outfit. It was black and gray, as well as a bit form fitting. The outfit had several pockets and strange clips. It was clear that whatever they had carried had been taken from them by whatever aliens were holding them. The fourth member of the party was dressed differently. All his clothing seemed to be made of some sort of animal skin. He was also the tallest and had a head full of dark dreadlocks. His stare caused Arthur to squeak again and put the towel back to it's original position.

"I think you scared him Ronon." said the first voice with a chuckle

"Not my fault if he's a wimp." said the deep voice

"Can you blame the guy?" asked the voice that belonged to McKay, "I mean, we are being held captive by a race of space vampires."

This got a severe reaction from Arthur. As a boy, he had read Dracula at school. It had terrified him to his very core. The thought of your life being drained out of you was terrifying. So it was at hearing there were such a thing as space vampires that he flew to his feet, ripped off his towel, and yelled, "WHAT?"

This reaction seemed to startle his new cell mates because they got into some sort of defensive formation almost instantly. It was intimidating looking and Arthur tried to step back in alarm at their reaction to his reaction, but was reminded that he was already against the wall. His eyes swiveled around the room, trying to find a way out. When they found none they focused on the people across from Arthur once more and took them in. It seemed they had relaxed slightly, but not entirely.

After a few moments of tense silence Arthur cleared his throat awkwardly and gave a feeble wave with the hand holding the towel, "Um...hello there." he said softly

The four beings across from him just blinked at him for a moment. Then one of the assumed males stepped forward slightly and said, "Hey."

And awkward silence fell like a brink upon the cell once more. Arthur cleared his throat. Then he cleared it again. After a third throat clear he said, "So, this is awful isn't it?" he motioned to the room with his towel hand

This got a snort from the being he assumed was McKay, "Yeah, that is an understatement."

Arthur sighed, "Yes, I seem to have a talent for that."

"For what?" asked the first being who had spoken to him

"Understatement." Arthur replied simply, "Um, I don't mean to be rude or anything, but do you know where we are? It's just, I'm a bit new to this universe you see. And I'm not sure if this is normal."

This got another round of blinks before the one he assumed was McKay stepped forward, pushing the others aside, and strode across the cell to stand about 2 feet from Arthur. His eyes were narrowed and his face scrunched into an unattractive frown, "What do you mean new to this universe?"

"Exactly what I said." Arthur replied, "See, I was just minding my own business, flying around, when I was captured by some scientists. While I was trying to get them to let me go they started talking about an alternate universe machine. They were testing it on organic beings, and decided I would be a good test subject. Next thing I know I'm being captured by some strange alien with white skin and black clothing. Have to say, I've had stranger days, but it's still very unpleasant."

It seemed that awkward silences existed in this universe like a plague for it once more descended upon the cell. Then, the being he assumed was McKay, snorted and turned away from him and addressed the others, "He's out of his mind."

"No, I don't think so." Arthur said, "I haven't been mad since that one day I decided to be while stranded on prehistoric Earth last year." he wanted to make it very clear that he was in fact sane now

"Stuck where?" asked the female looking being

"Prehistoric Earth." Arthur answered, "Me and my friend Ford crash landed on it by accident and got stuck there for about 5 years. Then we caught a couch into the space time continuum. After that we saved the universe from the Cricket robots, but that isn't really important right now."

This caused them all to just stare at him. The first being who had spoke then drawled in such a dry voice it would have dried up an ocean, "Right, your perfectly sane."

Arthur ignored the sarcasm and nodded, "Yep." he let the 'P' pop wonderfully just for the fun of it

"Let's just ignore this idiot and find a way out of here before we're all turned into the main course at dinner." said McKay suddenly and went over to the door of the cell and started to prod at the wall for some reason

This reminded Arthur of what had caused him to panic in the first place, space vampires. He took a hesitant step forward, causing them all to look at him again. It made him uncomfortable. He was used to being ignored most of the time. He took another small step and then said, "You mentioned space vampires before. What does that mean?"

This got a shocked silence, which was a relief after the large amount of awkward ones. They were now staring at him in surprise and shock, eyes wide and unbelieving, "You do not know of the Wraith?" asked the female looking being softly, as if to assure her of what she had just heard

"Um, if those are the space vampire aliens, then no I haven't." he took in the looks on their faces, "Is that bad?"

"Not usually no." answered the first man, "But in this case I think it might be."

"Why is that?" Arthur asked

"Because you've been caught by them." he said. He squinted his eyes at Arthur and asked, "Are you really from another universe?"

"Yes. I'm pretty sure I am." Arthur said with a nod

"And in your universe, where do you come from?" Asked the female

"It's really not important. My planet was destroyed by a Vogon fleet to make way for a hyper express bypass." Arthur said simply, "Though, I don't really feel to bad about that anymore. I've met the ancestors of my people, and they were all a bunch of twats."

Once again the group blinked. It seemed they decided to ignore most of what he said and focused on his planet being destroyed, "Before your planet was destroyed, what was it called?" asked McKay, his attention no longer on the wall

"Earth." Arthur said simply, "I was one of the last two humans in the universe. Though I suppose now the only one left there is Trillian." he sighed in resignation, "They probably won't even notice I've gone. I don't think they were ever going to pick me up from where I was anyway."

"Earth was destroyed?" asked McKay with slight horror in his voice

"Yes, to make way for a hyper express bypass." Arthur said with a nod, "But like I said, it's not such a loss as far as the universe is concerned."

"Not such a...as far as the..." McKay seemed to having trouble understanding what Arthur was saying

A look at the faces of the others revealed the same mixture of horror and confusion as McKay's face. It was quit an interesting expression and Arthur fought hard not to smile. It was nice to see it on someone else for a change. He was sure his face had made that face several times over the last 7 years since Earth was destroyed

"When did this happen?" asked the female

"In my perspective or the year it happened? I've hopped around the time stream a bit so there are different answers." Arthur said seriously

"Right, of course you have." mumbled McKay in a sort of lost sounding quiet voice

"The year." the first male being said

"Oh, it's been so long now." Arthur said simply, "But I think it was nineteen eighty something."

"That is a lie." shouted McKay, a sort of victorious smile crossing his face mixed with relief, "It's 2014 right now and I went to Earth last week for a meeting."

Arthur's eyes widened in surprise. His brain tried to interpret the words he had just head, and failed spectacularly. In reaction to this, his brain shut down completely. The last thing Arthur Dent saw before his legs gave out and the world dissolved into darkness, was the slightly alarmed faces of his cell mates.

As the strange man fell to the floor in a dead faint Teyla ran forward to check on him. She turned him over slowly and checked his pulse and breathing, "He is alive and does not appear to be injured aside from a few bruises."

"Well, isn't that a relief." McKay huffed, "Wouldn't want the crazy guy to be to badly hurt."

"Oh lay off McKay." John Sheppard snapped, "He wouldn't be the first person from an alternate universe we've met. What's so hard to believe about what he said?"

"Because half of the words he used were nonsense. Vogons, Cricket robots, Prehistoric Earth, couches in the space time continuum, it's all nonsense." McKay argued

"But if this guy is crazy, how does he know about Earth in the first place? Why is he dressed in Earth clothing?" John asked

"I like him." Ronon commented. Everyone turned to look at the, until then, silent man, "He's blunt. No bullshit." Ronon said with a nod, "Even if he is a wimp."

Tayla sighed from where she was crouched next to the unconscious man, "It does not matter if he is insane or not. We can not just leave him here. If what he has said is true, then he is truly lost. He will not survive on his own, Wraith aside."

John sighed, "Yeah, I know. We'll just have to take him with us." he turned to McKay who was once again prodding at the wall, "Got anything yet McKay?"

Just then a panel on the wall opened to show glowing wires and flashing lights. McKay gave a triumphant grin, "We'll be out of here in less then a minute."

"Good." John replied, "Ronon, you can carry that guy." he gestured to the strange man laying on the floor, "We'll head for the ship bay and get back down to the surface of the planet. After that we gate home. Any arguments?" No one spoke as Ronon went across the room and hefted the unconscious man over his shoulder. The door to the cell opened with an excited yelp from McKay, "Alright everyone, move out."

When Arthur was dragged kicking and screaming into the conscious world he moaned. His face hurt and he tried to remember why. Then he remembered fainting after hearing news that Earth still existed in this universe. He moaned again at the embarrassment of the incident. All things considered, he could have taken the news better. Letting out one more moan just for good measure he slowly opened his eyes. He blinked, just to be sure his eyes were indeed open, and confirmed his first thoughts. It was dark. And not just any kind of dark, absolute dark. The kind of dark that you only get when you close your eyes and bury your head about three feet in the ground. It was also strangely silent. But not absolutely silent, just mostly silent. He couldn't hear it, it was more of a feeling really, but he was sure there was some sort of humming coming from all around him.

In the darkness he brought up a hand and touched his face. He winced, or at least he thought he did, it was hard to tell with so much dark. His face was tender and sore. But though it hurt, he was sure nothing was broken. Probably just horrible bruising. It wouldn't be the first time, this he knew. And he also knew, unfortunately, that it wouldn't be the last time. He laid there in the dark and tried to figure anything about the situation out. First, he took stock of his surroundings. Though he could see nothing, he could at least feel what he was laying on. It was soft and warm. He touched it and realized it was some sort of bed. Under his head was what he could only assume was a pillow. There was also a light blanket laid over him that came up to the middle of his torso. His arms had been placed over it in a way that reminded him of those coma patients on day time soap opera's.

The fact that he was on a bed made him feel a bit better about the situation. This was quickly overridden when he realized he didn't know where his towel was. He sat straight up in the dark and started to pat down both himself and the bed around him. His panic grew when he not only failed to locate his towel, but discovered someone had changed his clothing. He didn't know what he was wearing now, but it wasn't his robe and pajamas. It wasn't the right fabric. He wore some sort of cloth pants and shirt with short sleeves. He was sure he blushed upon realizing that he was also wearing a fresh and clean pair of underwear. Someone had changed them for him while he had been out cold. This thought caused him to shiver and curl up in the middle of the bed. The bed had become the only comfort, and island of solidity in a room of darkness. As he sat there and tried to calm down he realized he could smell something wonderfully familiar. It was the smell of soap. He wondered for a few moments where it was coming from before he realized it was coming from him. He touched his hair and skin and realized he was perfectly clean. His beard and long hair were clean and grease free. His skin was no longer covered in dirt and grime. This only added to his embarrassment and mortification that someone had done things to him while he was unconscious. He just hoped they hadn't done anything else to him. He also hoped he would get his towel back soon.

He stayed in the dark for he didn't know how long. But soon the nervousness and mortification gave way to absolute boredom. With a sigh he said quietly to himself, "I wish I could at least see where I am."

As if seeming to hear him the world around him slowly became less dark. The light was low and soft and coming from a few lights in the ceiling, which Arthur could now see. He looked around with renewed shock and curiosity at the now visible surroundings. He was in a decent sized room that reminded him a bit of a hotel room. It was open and wide with only a bed, bed side table, couch, armchair, coffee table and what looked like some sort of screen in the wall. There were a few doors around the walls that Arthur assumed were for a closet, bathroom, and exit. At the thought of a bathroom Arthur suddenly realized just how badly he needed one. He slowly put his feet on the ground, surprised when the shiny floor wasn't cold, and went to the first door. As he walked, he realized that the floor must be slightly heated somehow, and he was happy for that because his slippers were gone.

He opened the door and sighed in defeat when he was met with an empty closet. He quickly moved to the next door and let out a happy sound when he discovered the bathroom. Even better, it was a familiar type of bathroom made for humanoid creatures. He quickly made use of it and then stood in from of the mirror over the sink to look at himself. His new clothing appeared to be medical scrubs that they gave patients in hospitals. It was a light blue color that didn't really appeal to Arthur on a personal level, but at least it was something to wear. His hair, though still a bit out of control, looked much better now that it was clean. The beard however didn't look so great on him. With a curious thought Arthur began to explore the bathroom. He was elated when he found a grooming kit under the sink. It looked like some sort of standard package, everything wrapped in plastic and brand new. Either someone had forgotten it was here and not taken it away or it was left for him. Seeing as it had been at the very back of the cabinet he had found it in, he would guess the former rather then the latter.

He spent the next half hour grooming himself. By the end of it he had shaved off the beard and mustache and but his hair so it was now just above his ears. The haircut was a bit choppy, but other then that he looked alright. Well, the purple bruising around his eyes and nose was a bit off putting, but it was still an improvement. He looked down at the floor that was now covered in hair and felt a bit bad about the mess. After a few moments of thought he gathered as much of the fallen hair as he could with his bare hands and flushed it down the toilet. After that was done he returned to the main room to get a better look around. He had paused to look at the shower in the bathroom but dismissed it. He had already been cleaned. There was no point in wasting time doing it again, even if he didn't remember doing it in the first place.

It didn't take long to inspect the room itself. He had occupied himself for about a minute by making the bed. After that, there really wasn't much else to do. There was nothing in the closet, no drawers to go through, and he couldn't figure out how the screen on the wall worked. So he stood in the center of the dimly lit room and stared at the last door in the room. He was sure it was the exit. After all, what else could it be? But the thing Arthur was unsure of was what would be on the other side. Would it be the space vampires? Did they like to have their meals relaxed and unassuming before they pounced and sucked them dry? The very thought brought chills to Arthur's spine. Of course, this could also all be due to those strange beings who he had met in the cell. He wasn't sure if they were human or not. After all, they looked human and spoke of Earth. And if that McKay bloke was to be believed the Earth was fine and dandy and had never been destroyed. So it was entirely possible that he wasn't an endangered species anymore. Still, best not to get his hopes up.

In the end he decided to just stay put and wait for something to happen. It had worked just as well as going off on his own in his past experience. Either way, something was bound to happen soon. He had just started to doze off while laying on the couch when something did indeed happen. There was a sort of chiming noise that split through the quiet of the room. It was so sudden that Arthur startled. This made him lose his balance where he lay on the couch and fall to the floor with a soft thump, hitting his head lightly on the coffee table as he fell. He groaned as the sudden jolt made his face throb in pain, "Ow." he said quietly to himself as he sat up, getting into a cross-legged position as he rubbed his head where a lump was forming. The noise came again and Arthur looked around, searching for is origin.

It was only after the chime came for a third time followed by a knock on the unopened door that Arthur realized the noise must be some sort of door bell. Someone wanted to enter the room. He didn't know why they didn't just come on it, it's not like the room really belonged to him. But after a fourth chime and a more insistent knock he cleared his throat and called out weakly, "Um...come in?"

The door opened with a whoosh sound and in stepped a familiar figure. It was one of the men from the cell. As the man entered the lighting in the room became brighter and Arthur could see the man perfectly for the first time since meeting him in that dark cell. He had been right about the dark colored uniform. But there seemed to be less of it now, not as many pockets and clips. Arthur assumed this was just a different version, as the pants and boots appeared the same. His features were what Arthur could only describe as elf like, angular and smooth at the same time. His hair was black and looked like he had just gotten out of bed and forgotten to comb it. And he had a wide grin on his face that made Arthur a bit uneasy. At the sight of Arthur on the floor the smile faltered a bit and he asked, "What are you doing on the floor?"

"I fell off the sofa." Arthur answered honestly as he used the coffee table to help him to his feet. As he did so he felt something warm and sticky make it's way down his cheek. At the startled look from the man before him Arthur raised his hand to touch whatever it was. When he pulled his fingers back he frowned at the sight that met his eyes. Apparently, when he hit the coffee table on his way to the floor, he had cut the skin, "Drat." Arthur said simply

"What happened?" the man asked as eh rushed over to examine Arthur closely but gently

"Like I said, fell off the sofa. Hit the table on the way down." Arthur replied as he let the man check him out.

"Doesn't look to bad." the man said, "Let's go to the bathroom and check it out." he guided Arthur into the bathroom and sat him down on the toilet while he wet a washcloth in the sink, "I see you found something to cut and shave with." the man commented

Arthur reached under the sink, between the man's legs, and pulled out the grooming kit, "I found this." he said, "Did someone have this room before me?"

A sort of sad look came over the man's face for a second before his smile returned and he smiled. He brought the wet washcloth to Arthur's forehead and started cleaning the cut there, "Yeah, but he wasn't here very long. Nothing you need to worry about. Lucky you I guess. You look much better now."

Arthur didn't bring it up any farther, as it clearly upset the man for some reason. After several moments of silence the man pulled back and started to rinse out the rag. Before he could speak Arthur blurted out, "Arthur Dent."

The man turned back to him and raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"Arthur Dent. It's my name. That is to say, Arthur Dent is me." Arthur stuttered out nervously as he fidgeted on the toilet seat, "Thanks for cleaning that." he added awkwardly as he motioned to his head

The man's smile seemed to grown and he nodded, "It's nice to meet you Arthur. I'm Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard. And don't worry about the cut, it was nothing. Still, we should get you a band aid to cover it. But that can wait tell we get a few things sorted out." he motioned to the bathroom door, "Let's go sit down and talk for a little."

Arthur nodded, "Of course. You must have questions. I know I do."

They left the bathroom and returned to the sitting area. Arthur quickly took the armchair, thinking to himself that sofas had caused him enough trouble in his life and that he would be better off sitting in a chair for the upcoming conversation. He ignored John's raised eyebrow at his actions and set about making himself comfortable in the chair. John took a seat on the corner of the sofa closest to Arthur and began to speak.

"So, back on the Wraith ship, you said some interesting things." John said, clearly not expecting an answer. He cleared this throat, as if to make the words easier coming out, and asked, "Can you explain some of it for me?"

"Which part?" Arthur asked. He had said quite a lot up in the cell.

"The part about the Earth blowing up." John said simply

"Oh, that. I guess that would be a bit confusing seeing as it's still there in this universe. Well, it all started on a Thursday..." And Arthur told of trying to protect his house, a strange conversation in a bar, and the destruction of a planet witnessed by him from a Vogon ship. At the end of the story he looked back up at John from his lap where his eyes had shifted halfway through the story.

John looked stunned and slightly sick. Arthur wasn't sure which part of the story bothered the man but he just let John be for a few moments before asking, "Are you alright?"

John blinked and nodded, "Yeah, sorry, just got a little overwhelmed there. I mean, what kind of people do something like that to a planet with no warning?" John seemed to be speaking to himself but Arthur answered him anyway

"People wouldn't. Vogons would." He stated simply, "Now, do you have any more questions?"

John took a deep breath and nodded, "Yeah. How did you get here? I mean, it didn't sound like you came here on purpose."

"Your right, I didn't." Arthur nodded, "I was just minding my own business, flying and chatting with some birds, when this rope comes out of the sky and lassos me. There were these scientists, at least I think they were scientists. They all had on lab coats. Anyway, these scientists put me in this sort of box thing with a chair in the middle. And then they started talking about how I was the best test subject yet. How they were getting closer to solving the question of alternate universes with every test. Then they said a bunch of other things that I couldn't hear because I was banging on the door and begging to get out. Then there was this loud roar, flash of light, and I'm in the middle of a forest. Then I got caught by those Wraith things and ended up in that cell." Arthur shrugged, "Really though, it could have been worse."

John's face was one of stunned wonder. It had slowly grown that way with each word that Arthur said. If anything, he looked like he now had more questions then answers. So he nodded, took another deep breath, and asked, "Alright, I understood the last half of that. Can you explain the part at the beginning with the flying and talking to birds."

"Oh, well, that's easy." Arthur said with a smile, "I can fly and I took a year learning how to talk to birds. It's like a hobby of mine."

"The flying or the bird talking?" John asked

"Both I guess. They are both so hard to master, I'm telling you. And I had just gotten the hang of it when those scientists got me." Arthur smiled with a little pride, "It's a good thing I had my towel with me." he reached down to his waist and froze when his hand didn't find his towel. And that's when he remembered he hadn't had it since he had woken up here. He looked at John's blank face and asked desperately, "Do you have my towel? It wasn't with me when I woke up and I would really like to have it back. It's important."

This seemed to snap John out of his trance and he looked thankful to have something else to think about, "Your Towel? Oh yeah, I remember." he scratched the back of his head and looked slightly embarrassed, "When we brought you home with us you had to be decontaminated. No offense but we had no idea what kind of stuff a dirty guy like you were might be carrying around. All your stuff was taken to be sanitized and looked over."

"Well when can I get my things back?" Arthur asked anxiously

"I'm not sure really." John answered, "It might take a while. They were so filthy." he suddenly realized that this might be offensive and said quickly, "Not there's anything wrong with that."

"No, your right, filthy." Arthur agreed, "They haven't been cleaned in 7 years. It really is a wonder they haven't fallen apart by now." he sighed, "I really would feel better if I had my towel though."

John nodded with a raised eyebrow and swept off to the bathroom. He returned with a plain white bath towel, "Will this do until you get the other one back?"

Arthur shrugged, "It will have to do." and took it from John

John returned to his seat and asked, "Why do you need a towel so badly?"

"Because it's rule number two of hitchhiking across the galaxy. Always make sure you have your towel." Arthur said as he inspected the towel he had been handed as if examining a classic car for flaws

"You hitchhiked across the galaxy?" John asked in wonder

"Well, not much else to do when your planet gets blown up. Have to find a way to spend your time." Arthur explained, "Mind you, I never really did hitchhike. It was really more that I was dragged along to places no matter what I said."

"And if that's rule number two, whats rule number one?" John was really curious now

"Don't Panic." Arthur stated as he decided the towel would do for now and smiled slightly as he tied it around his waist expertly

John snorted out a laugh that came mostly from shock then any real humor, "I can't say I disagree with that." he shook his head, as if clearing away his thoughts so he could ignore them now but go back to them later when he was alone, "So, I think that's enough questions from me for now. Do you have any questions Arthur?"

Arthur thought for a moment and found he really didn't have to many questions. He thought this must be odd for someone who has just traveled to a different universe were everything was different. But really, with his life the way it was, he had learned to just go with it and everything would eventually sort itself out somehow. So he only asked the few things he thought might come in handy.

"So, the Earth is still around and it's 2014?"

"Yes." John said simply, not seeing any other way to answer such a straightforward question

"And where are we relative to the Earth?" Arthur asked

"The Pegasus Galaxy, next Galaxy over from Earth's. A small planet at the edge of the system." John replied, seeing that what Arthur really wanted right now were facts, not stories like he himself had told

"Is there a name for the planet?"

"No."

"Is there a name for where we are?"

Here, John paused. A strange look came over his face, as if he was nervous to what Arthur's reaction might be to his answer. He then said slowly, clearly, so there was no chance Arthur could misunderstand, "Atlantis."

Arthur blinked. He really hadn't been expecting that. This brought up a few more questions, "The lost city of Atlantis that you hear about on Earth?"

"Yes." John said with a slight nod and a wary look

"Alright. So Atlantis was built by aliens then?" Arthur asked

John simply nodded.

"Right." Arthur said, letting these facts take root in his brain and simply become normal. He had found this was a good way to survive. To much understanding of something often times just made it that much more confusing, "How long am I allowed to stay here before I have to leave?"

John looked confused and asked, "What do you mean leave?"

"Well, I assume you don't want me hanging around. If you just direct me to the nearest space port and give me back my things I can get out of your hair." Arthur explained

John began to look a bit like he had something stuck in his throat that wouldn't come. Then he coughed and once again tried to relax as he said, "Arthur, I don't know what it's like where you come from, but there is nothing like that anywhere in this galaxy. Most of the planets here don't even have electricity, much less intergalactic travel."

Arthur just stared at John in astonishment, "But, the Pegasus Galaxy is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Universe."

"Not here it isn't." John's voice suddenly became a little darker as he said simply, "In this universe it is all out war."

This shut Arthur up for several moments. He tried to understand what was happening. It took a great many minutes of silence for him to piece together all the information he knew so far. He opened his mouth, closed it again, and then opened it again before he said, "So, everyone is at war with those Wraith things from earlier?" John nodded, "And there are no ships for me to catch out of this galaxy?" John nodded again, "And the people of Atlantis are one of the only races in this galaxy that have the technology to make ships?"

"Well, that last one is a bit complicated." John amended, "But it's a really long story. Let's just say, the people living here now, moved in a few years ago after the original people had been gone for a long time."

Arthur thought about his for a moment before nodding again, "But you do have space ships?"

"Yeah. It's a little more complicated then that but we can cover that later." John got to his feet and said, "I think that's enough questions for the day. You must be hungry, I'll get someone to bring you something."

Arthur stood from his chair and said, "Colonel Sheppard, I have one more question for you."

John stopped at the door and turned to him, "Yes Arthur?"

"Am I a prisoner?" Arthur asked seriously, "That is, do I have to stay in this room?"

John looked a little guilty and nodded, "Just until we get everything figured out." he looked embarrassed as he opened the door and looked back at Arthur, "The guard will bring in your food when it comes." and let the door shut behind him