CHAPTER 1-You Know Me
I never can get over the feeling of seeing the old city rising from underneath the ocean, the feeling of pure joy rushing through your body like a tidal wave, of finding something totally new and different. Well that's how I felt, and about everybody else within the city, when Atlantis rose from its watery sleep and headed towards the surface.
My name is Lieutenant-Scientist Caterreana Firers Russean, I am part Canadian and part Japanese, though I can't speak Japanese I do love watching shows of it and writing in it. I am one of the leading scientist here at Atlantis and one of the commanding officers despite that the LtCol is now in charge I still don't take orders from him unless it is from Weir. I am also a doctor and believe very strongly in not hurting other beings, no matter what race they are from.
That includes the Wraith.
So imagine my surprise when the Lt. Colonel's team bring in another one and sent the poor soul, who had been knocked out senseless, to the dungeons. I was called down to get some blood samples before the thing woke-up, thing is what the LtCol calls it, I took my kit and went down there and I watched as they put the being into the cell and dropped him on the floor, hard, I ran in despite the John yelling at me to stop and checked the Wraith for any wounds or bumps made from the drop or fighting that seemed to have happened on the planet they had been on.
"When I tell you to stop I damn well mean it!" John hissed angrily, wanting to grab her and throw her out the cell.
"I don't take orders from you, John." I said calmly, not looking up at him.
He growled and left the cell to let me do my work, I carefully undid the Wraith's wrist band and rolled up the sleeve of his trench coat. His skin was a pale green color and was remarkable soft even for an alien. I ran my fingers along his arm, searching for a vein and being careful as to not wake him up quite yet.
I stopped with what I was doing and looked up. "Beckett, do you have any of that numbing injection that I made a few days ago?"
Dr. Beckett, who had been whispering to John, turned and looked at her. "Yes, I bring it with me."
"Bring it in here; I need to use it so I can get his blood without him having me as a snack." I told him.
"I wouldn't mind that." John whispered to himself.
Beckett heard him but decided not to let him know, he knew of the Lt. Colonel dislike towards Russean but never knew why he disliked her so much and every time he asked Caterreana about it she would skip it and talk about something else.
Beckett went into the cell and handed her the vial of smokey blue liquid and a needle, she took it and pulled the Wraith's hair back from his neck and injected it.
And that caused the Wraith to wake-up.
"GET OUT BECKETT!" I yelled as the Wraith sprung up in sitting position, I grabbed him by the neck and pushed him down, hard, onto the floor. My knee on his chest keeping him down as I struck the needle into the side of his neck and let the liquid go into him.
Sheppard watch the whole thing in awe, he never knew that she had that much strength in her or even strength enough to bully a Wraith back down onto the floor. Beckett was outside the cell, breathing heavily like he just ran a mile.
I pulled the needle away from the Wraith's neck, brushing his hair back into place I begun to work on getting the blood samples from his arm. Pushing the needle in carefully I filled three vials of the Wraith's blood, dark liquid like the color black spilled into the glass bottles and I was amazed that it didn't burn right through it for it almost looked like acid.
The Wraith watched the female as she took his blood from him, whatever she had stuck into his neck made him unable to move his body so all he could do was watch her through his eyes and wonder how a female could overpower him the way she did.
I pulled the needle out and placed the vials into a container, standing up I opened the cell door and handed them to Beckett then went back over to the Wraith and begun to do my own work on him now that I got what John wanted.
"Take that up to your lab." John order never taking his eyes off of her.
"You don't need to babysit me John, I can take care of myself ya know." I said as I took a pair of nail clippers and begun clipping off some of the Wraith's nails. I placed them in a small bag and took out of my pocket a pair of pliers.
"Yes I know that. But I am not taking any chances." John replied curtly.
I smirked at John's comment. I placed my hand underneath the Wraith's chin and held the pliers in my other hand. "Forgive me." I whispered.
The Wraith's eyes widen and I opened his mouth and begun to pull one of his teeth out. The Wraith screamed at the pain and I could only close my eyes as the tooth came out, bloodied and its holder now bleeding. I placed it in a tiny bag and put it in my tray where the nail clippings.
John was smiling. "That made him scream like a baby."
"Shut up." I ordered.
John's smile disappeared and he gave an angry growl.
I looked at him over my shoulder and gave him an icy glare then I went back to my work, I took out a blue cloth and held it to the Wraith's mouth to stop the bleeding of his vacant tooth. When the bleeding stop the blue cloth was blood red, I put it away in another bag and begun to clear my equipment up. I closed my mini suitcase of supplies and got up only to have my arm grabbed by what I thought was an in mobile Wraith.
"REANA!" John yelled rushing into the cell.
The Wraith pulled me down so my face was close to his, his brown cat eyes staring into my sliver-green eyes, his breath was cold and chilled my face but that wasn't what made my eyes open wide in shock and surprise. It was his voice, inside my head, telling me something I never expected to hear.
"Release me from this hellish pit! Free me!" His voice commanded his eyes boring into hers.
"I can't! Not with the Colonel standing over us with a gun pointed to your head! Do you have a death wish?" I asked him, saying what I was thinking and praying he could read it.
The Wraith titled his head, he had gotten her thoughts and it seemed to amuse him in some way. He let go of her arm and I quickly stood up to push John away from him so he wouldn't shoot the poor guy just out of spite.
"John stop it! I'm fine really, he was probably just trying to read my mind or something but it failed as you can see so put down that damn gun before I have to kick you!" I declared holding his arm with more force then was needed.
"Don't you dare order me around woman! He was only brought here so you can get your samples and nothing else. He has outlived his usefulness," Sheppard said coldly, his eyes like hard-washed stones.
"Then let him go, please! He may be evil and want to kill us but we have seen that some of the Wraith are good and letting this one go isn't going to ruin you John." I told him pleadingly. "You know what I have against killing so please for damnit sake's! Let him go!"
John was breathing heavily and his muscles clenched; he turned his stone-cold eyes away from the Wraith and stared at her. Her sliver-green eyes told him things that he didn't want to know, mostly he refused to know, but he couldn't say no to her no matter how much he hated her.
"Fine!" He breathed, lowering his gun.
"Thank you." I whispered with relief.
He snapped his head right back to her. "But he doesn't leave until you have finished with the blood samples and have tested every damn thing to see what kills them the fastest. Understand!"
I thought of a 1000 pound weight smashing itself onto Sheppard's head right about now but instead said. "Yes...sir."
Sheppard smiled, but it wasn't kind. "Good, I will see you in my quarters in about two hours. Don't be late." He turned around and walked out of the cell and the room.
I glared at his retreating back and when he had left I slammed my hand, palm first, on the cell's walls. It hurt like a son-of-a-bitch but it got my angry out. Going back over to the Wraith I knelt down and put my hands underneath his shoulders and lifted him up into a sitting position and took a needle out of my pocket and injected it into his neck once more. The Wraith would soon be able to use his limbs in about a few minutes so I went over and grabbed my case and went over to the cell door but stopped when a voice spoke.
"Why do you help me human?"
I stopped and looked over my shoulder. "Because it is in my nature." Was all I said before walking out of the cell.
I walked upstairs and went to the Medical Lab that I shared with Carson Beckett, a sweet of a fellow despite a little nervous at times but sweet all the same. I walked in and saw him talking to Ronon Dex, the newcomer of Atlantis and one of the most aggressive men I have ever known, looks like Beckett was examining him per-request by and Sheppard to make sure he didn't have any nice little sicknesses to give us after his running years from being chased after by the Wraith. Ronon looked up as I entered and caught my eye, a strange smile played upon his rough features but I decided to ignore it and went over to my desk.
"Ah! Caterreana your here, good! I was able to start on those blood samples you got; I worked on one and started testing it with different elements to see what harms the Wraith more or less." Beckett begun to say.
"You didn't use the other two right?" I asked, pushing the question in before he went on any further.
"No I left those two for you, and I still ain't done with the one I have. Though so far the blood doesn't seem to like fire at all which might I say is really, really good." He said finishing his findings to her and going back to talking to Ronon.
I smiled. 'Fire eh? Mans best friend and Wraith's mortal enemy. Oh Beckett you are indeed my hero.' I thought smiling dreamily as I watched him as he continue talking to Ronon who by now was just nodding his head and wanting to get out of there and away from the Doctor as quick as possible. Which I thought was very funny.
"Carson your going to talk the poor man to death..." I said stopping him from boring Ronon anymore then he already had. " you may leave now and if I may suggest, ran quickly."
Ronon nodded gratefully, getting up off the table he left the room at a very fast-paced walk.
Carson turned around and looked at me with mock anger. "Kitten, now why ya had to go and do that?"
"Because you were going to bore that helpless man into a coma that's why." I told him, looking over my glasses and smiling. "And stop calling me kitten, you know I don't like it."
"Yes, but I can't start calling you Cat now can I?" Carson pointed out."So kitten will have to do."
I looked up at him from my writing and sighed. "Sometimes I wish I had McKay in here instead of you."
Carson spun around and looked hurt by her saying. A puppy pout crossing his features.
"Oh don't give me that look boy! I'll throw you out the window and you can find your own way home." I told him seriously.
Carson still pouted and I gave up, getting off the stool I walk up to him and gave him a light peck on the cheek. The cheered him right up.
"Oh how I love you!" Carson said happily, his eyes just a twinkling.
"Yeah, yeah, don't let it go to your head." I told him, waving my hand as I went back to my work.
As I went back to my writing I felt a little sad for I knew for a fact that Carson didn't really love me, he only liked saying that to prove he was very fond of me. When I came here on this mission I made a promise to myself not to have any serious relationships while here because I didn't know how long we would all be together and when it ended I didn't want to be left with a broken heart and a sore head. Wait a sec...I get a sore head anyway from Rodney McKay! Oooo that man! I would love to kick him in the nuts sometimes but then that would mean me getting a yelling at by Doctor Weir. And that I didn't want.
An hour had passed, and I was finished my report what I had done downstairs to the Wraith. I decided to go and handed it in to before Sheppard got to her and told her something that wasn't going to make her happy.
"Carson, I am going to hand in my report to Weir. I'll be back in a bit." I told him getting off the stool and heading out the door.
"Don't get lost!" He called out. I could only smile.
I went at a skipping pace to Doctor Weir's office, I didn't have to worry about anyone seeing me so I sang a tune that was in my head quietly and kept on skipping. I had gotten to the Gate Room in 10 minutes and rounded a corner only to bump face-first into someone's chest and landed on my poor behind. And my papers went flying everywhere!
"Oh by all that is holy!" I whined, grabbing all of the sheets and trying to put them in order by the little number that I had marked at each corner of the page.
"Here, let me help you." said a deep and all male voice that almost made me jump right up to the ceiling.
I looked up and stared into dark brown eyes as deep and strange as any void could be. I felt a shiver go down my back and carefully avoided my hands away from his. Though I wish I didn't have to.
"Hello Ronon, can you back away a bit?" I asked the man who I only saw a hour ago.
He smiled that strange smile that he always wore when he was around me, and quite frankly it worried me a little. Standing up I brushed past him and headed to Weir's office.
Radek looked up when he heard the voice of speaking to , the young woman seem to be showing a report that she had finished on the Wraith prisoner that was downstairs in the lower levels, something about blood samples but he couldn't hear more cause he was interrupted by McKay coming up to talk to him. A Life aider she was called and a sweet one for that matter, though he was warned never to get in the crossfire between her and Rodney McKay when those two were in a room together. A Hell Pit was what most called it after going in a room where those two had been.
And by the looks of it...that was about to happen once again.
"Ahh what brings you up here to us lowly human beings? Still working on those silly reports about how the Wraith cares about life and such?" Rodney asked when he noticed her.
I spun around to glare hatefully at McKay. "Those silly reports Rodney are actually worth my time and as a matter of fact Beckett and I are doing tests on three of the blood samples that I gathered from the Wraith that had been brung in here earlier. Did you know that by adding fire to their wounds they cannot fully heal themselves and are thus quicker to kill instead of wasting bullets all the time, hmmm?" I asked him crossing my arms and standing proudly before them all.
Rodney glared at her with daggers shooting from his eyes. "All living things are hurtful to fire; it's the way of life and thus proves my point of what you do is a waste of time."
I hissed at him and if it wasn't for Dr. Weir standing behind me I would of flung myself at him. I turned towards her office where we could talk without Rodney bothering me.
"Why do you do that Rodney? What has that woman ever done to you?" Radek asked before walking away in disgust by his behavior.
Rodney didn't care about the snipe remark; he only continued to smile in victory.
"You mustn't let him get you like this Reana, I know I can't really do much but you got to control your anger towards him."She told the young woman who was slowly ripping apart a tissue and probably imaging it was Rodney's head.
I turned my head and just looked at her with a 'yeah-right' look.
"Can't I just throw him out the window? He's not that important around here and nobody will miss him, well I won't at least." I told her truthfully through grated teeth.
Weir sighed and shook her head."No you may not throw him out the window. But you can go and get some rest because I know for a fact you haven't slept in six days for no longer then a half an hour."
It was my turn to sigh. "I need coffee!"
"No, no more coffee until you had a good-night's sleep and if I even see you wondering around the hallways I'll be the one tossing you out the window!"Dr. Weir declared, leveling with her. "Now go to your quarters and get some rest."
"Yes mom." I said, mocking Weir's order.
I walked to my quarters without anyone bothering me, which was a very good thing considering that if I saw Rodney I would've thrown him out the window no matter what. It took me twenty minutes to reach the level where my room was and almost half-way there I bumped into someone and landed butt first again on the floor.
Something about this day just kept getting worse!
"Oh damn...I'm sorry doc."
Rewind! It just got great!
I looked up into the cutest face in this whole galaxy, despite that he only came from Earth three months ago and I only knew him from the daily check-ups that Dr. Beckett did on him.
"Michael!" I breathed, shocked to see him and happy too.
Michael smiled at her, his boyish charm showing off his dimples. "I'm on my way to for my check-up, where you going?"
He pulled me up to standing position and I brushed my pant legs and looked up at him, sighing. "Dr. Weir has ordered me to go get some sleep for I haven't slept very much in the last six days."
Michael whistled at that. "Well little lady I think I need to take you to bed."
I stared at him with opened-eyed surprise and he looked like he wanted to sink into the floor. Patting him lightly on the shoulder I walked by him and headed towards my room.
"Wait! That's not what I meant!" He called out, running after her.
I turned around and waited for him to catch up. "I know what you meant Michael, just be careful with your words next time dear."
He nodded though he was still blushing. "But I'm still walking you to your room so even I will know you're getting some sleep."
Now it was my turn to blush, putting my hands behind my back I grinned at him. "You'll have to catch me first boy!" And I turned and ran.
"OH YOU'LL ON SWEETHEART!" He yelled running after her.
I ran straight for the lower levels, where the puddle jumpers were, he wouldn't be able to find me in one of the ships! I ran past guards and other doctors all wondering what the heck was going on.
"COME ON MICHAEL! ARE YA THAT SLOW?" I yelled behind me.
"I'M ONLY GETTING WARMED UP!" He yelled back.
I laughed and headed down the steps that lead into the puddle jumper bay.
Michael came into the launch bay and looked around, ten puddle jumpers, 30,000 ways to hide. Well...time to get started.
I was hiding in puddle jumper sixth, underneath the control panel, and trying very hard not to laugh as Michael kept calling out my name and kept bumping into things on the ships.
"I'm going to find you ya know, then I'm going to carry you off to your room and lock you in there like the bad little girl you are." Michael called out, going through puddle jumper two and finding nothing.
'Damn she's good at this.' He thought, going to another jumper.
The idea of Michael carrying me off to my room left me feeling warm all over, but that train of feeling quickly disappeared when I started hearing footsteps coming to the jumper.
"Oh shit!" I whispered, crawling carefully out from underneath the panel and heading towards the ramp, if I could sneak out and hide in another one that he already searched. He wouldn't be able to find me for a while!
The footsteps stopped, I waited for a moment then quietly snuck off the jumper and headed towards one across the room, going as fast and as quietly as I could. I got inside puddle jumper four when suddenly I was jumped.
"Got ya!" Michael called, running out of the ship and flying onto her. They fell to the ground and he immediately begun to tackle her, her arms to the floor and smile proudly at her defeat.
I pouted at being fooled like this, trying to buck him off my waist I sighed and glared at him in jealousy.
"Damn your silent feet! I wanted to win!" I whined, giving him my best I'm-going-to-kick-your-ass-later look but failed horribly.
Michael grinned widely, lowering his head he whispered. "Your suppose to be in bed little girl, not playing around."
"Ok, move your face before I decide to bonk it." I ordered him; his breath smelled like candies and made me want to do something I wasn't ready for.
"Yes Malady." He said his voice liquid smooth like black stone, getting up off of her and pulling her to her feet then spinning her around and leading her towards the exit.
I turned my head and stared at him in disbelief. "What are you? A mother hen?! Stop pushing!"
"Dr. Weir ordered you to go to bed and that's where I am taking you." He replied, still pulling her towards her room like a five year old.
"I know that and I am fully capable of doing such an order." I replied back, trying to free my hand from his grasp then bumped into his chest when he stopped and turned around.
"Really? Then why play this game we only finished a moment ago? If you are so capable of doing an order then you should've went right to your room." He pointed out, his hands on her shoulders and holding her to him.
I stared up into his face and into his brown eyes. "Why are you the voice of reason when it's not required?"
He grinned once more. "Just plain lucky."
I sighed and nodded at him. "Take me to my room if you must."
He let go of her shoulder and took her hand once more. "Gladly." And lead her down the hallway.
Sheppard walked around the cell of the Wraith named Fred and wondered what the thing was doing, cause for the past hour he has been sitting on the floor in crossed-leg position and kept whispering words he did not understand. If this was what Wraith called meditation he begun to understand theory just a tad.
If only a tad.
What John didn't know was that the Wraith was trying to locate someone on the base, the female who had early tended to him. He was letting his mind wander like a spirit and search through the halls of Atlantis to find the female, something about the human disturbed him in a way that wasn't comforting.
He searched down the halls until he came upon two humans, a male and female, both talking. The female alone made him stop.
"Here you go Doctor, and by my order I am commanding you to go in there and sleep." Spoke the male's voice.
The female walked to the door, it opened, and she turned around and looked at him. "Thank you for some of your time today Michael, I know your always busy and today was actually the first time I get to somewhat know you."
The one named Michael smiled at her. "Well I only really get to see you in the infirmary and you always have your nose in papers, guess today was just lucky for me bumping into you."
The female smiled. "Lucky indeed, now go to Carson! He'll be wondering if you decided to go and play hooky on him."
The male named Michael took a hold of her hand and placed his lips on it. "Just get some rest." He said before turning away from her and leaving.
The female stood there inside the door to her room and watched him leave, sighing she turned away and went in, the door closing behind her. He followed.
The female was alone now in what must be her quarters, she didn't sense him, she begun to head towards another door on the other side of the room, it opened and she went in. He continued to follow.
I turned away from the door and begun to head for the bathroom that was within my room, I needed a shower before I decided to go to bed for I hadn't exactly washed in four days. The bathroom door closed behind me and I began to take off my clothing. I unbuttoned my black jeans and tossed them on the chair within the bathroom then I pulled my t-shirt off and took my watch off, the air in the bathroom was a little chilly so I stepped into the shower stall and turned the water on full blast, the hot water warmed me up and pushed back the chilly air.
The shower felt good on my skin and I just relaxed for a while by sitting on the floor and holding my legs to my chest, just letting the water pour on me. Though I had to make sure I kept my eyes opened otherwise I would've fallen asleep in the shower and wouldn't that be hard to explain if someone came in.
He watched the female as she settled upon the floor, the water pouring on her like rain, her long black hair hid her arms and back, her face he could see clearly though the steam. Sliver-green eyes that mirrored what the humans called emotions and hers seem to be hidden beneath something he could not detect, this female was putting emotions, strange unknown feelings and thoughts into him that was unwraith like for his kind. He decided to study it further, he moved closer to the human.
My head snapped up, I looked around the shower stall my eyes trying to find the source of this odd feeling as though I wasn't alone, it was very unsettling and it felt as though something cold was trying to get inside me, something so cold that it could...
"AHHHHRUGGHHHH!" I screamed, the pain felt like nails and searing pricks all over my body, I tired to grab something, to pull myself up but I couldn't see behind the blackness that was forming behind my eyes.
My skull felt like it was getting beated to a pulp, my hands and feet were becoming numb and I couldn't see anything but dots, my skin felt like it was on fire and it was hurting so badly. I had to get out of the shower and get to my com, I forced my eyes to focus and pulled myself up off the floor by grabbing onto the railing and opening the door before falling out and smacking my knees on the rising and slamming my elbows on the floor. My com was still attached to my jeans all I had to do was get to it.
The female was strong; her mind was filled with interesting thoughts, images and knowledge. Her will was even stronger and she fought against him as she tried to reach her com, he could hear her thoughts and feel her lips move as she tried to speak, the pain that ran through her body from him was pleasurable and he enjoyed it greatly.
I grabbed my jeans and ripped them from the chair, reaching out I took a hold of the com, pressing the button on it I screamed into it for I couldn't speak normally even if I could fight against the pain.
"Someone help me! Oh god someone..." I coughed up blood that was coming into my throat. "It's killing me! It's me...its Reana...help..." I tried to stay focus but the blood and pain overwhelmed me and I passed out from it.
The Wraith opened his eyes and looked around for a moment; he was still in the cell and with no one around him. He smiled for he had learned of what he wanted to know of the female and left her body before she could die.
"Such a pretty little female." He whispered, remembering her screams and how it brought great pleasure to him.