Title: MIA
Author: Lorr
Genre/Rating: General
Character: Weir, Sheppard, Beckett, McKay, Ford, Teyla, Ronon, Caldwell
Disclaimer: The characters and universe do not belong to me. I'm just playing here, and it's been fun.
Spoilers: I don't think so, but apologize if there is.
Background: This follows on from Voices, which is posted on this site. Since that was written in script form, and is a little difficult to read because of formatting problems, I'll give you a brief background to set up MIA. I think it is worth the effort, but that's up to you. A device was turned on in Atlantis that interfered with certain vital crystals. As a result, the City slowly shut down, including the Stargate, shield and Jumpers. Also, everyone with the Ancient gene becomes ill. It is determined that the gene is producing large amounts of damaged protein that is essentially poisoning them. If you want to know more or read the resolution, you'll have to read the script.
They sat around the conference room table, looking anywhere but at each other. Each was dirty and exhausted. None of them could look at Elizabeth Weir when she entered with Maj. Lorne. They started to stand, but she motioned for them to remain seated. Elizabeth and the Major walked around the table and sat down as the door closed. Almost immediately, the door opened again and Rodney McKay burst in.
"What the hell happened?" McKay demanded as he glared at Ford, Teyla, Ronon and the two Marines sitting at the table.
Elizabeth cleared her throat. "Dr. McKay if you are going to stay, sit down and be quiet." She turned to Ford. "Lieutenant?"
McKay nodded and dropped into a chair as the door closed. Lt. Ford finally looked at the faces around the table. He and Teyla were ashen. Ronon and the two Marines were stony faced, focusing on the wall opposite. Ford swallowed hard before he spoke.
"He's gone, Ma'am. He was on the Wraith hive ship. We searched after it lifted off, but couldn't find him…" His voice trailed off.
Elizabeth bowed her head a fraction. "From the beginning, Lieutenant."
He swallowed again. "The hive ship was there, about five miles from the Gate, just like the intel said. Everything seemed quiet, so we scouted around for any activity and a way in."
Teyla looked at Elizabeth for the first time. "It appeared as if the Wraith were still asleep."
Ford glanced at her. "We located a point of ingress and observed it for a while. There was no activity at all, so Col. Sheppard said he was going to take the device in. He ordered us to stay outside and..."
"He what?" Elizabeth asked quietly.
"Is he insane?" McKay asked loudly as he held up one hand and looked at the ceiling in supplication.
"He said it would be easier for one person to get in and out undetected. The Colonel said he knew where the device should be planted and it would be better to do it alone. He wanted us to take up positions to cover him if he needed it on the way out."
"Col. Sheppard has been on hive ships before. I believe it would be easier for a single person to get in and out unseen." Teyla glanced around the table.
"She's right. We did try to talk him out of it, but if the device was going to go onto the ship, it was the right way to do it." Ford paused momentarily. "We heard no alarm."
McKay persisted. "Well, why did the Colonel have to be the one to plant it?"
"Sir, he said it shouldn't be activated until it was onboard the ship…"
"So that the energy signature wouldn't be detected." McKay finished. "We don't know if the Wraith would be able to detect it or not."
"Are you sure he got inside?" Elizabeth spoke softly.
"Yes, Ma'am. We moved to take up covering positions where we could each see the entrance." Ford looked straight at Elizabeth. "About thirty minutes after he went in, we heard a low, kind of whining, noise. We realized it was the ship's engines coming online. It happened so fast. Within minutes, the ship started to move. I had to scramble to get out of the way of falling debris."
"So, no-one saw if he got out or not?" Elizabeth asked.
Ronon spoke for the first time. "I had a clear line of sight and watched the whole time. I did not see the Colonel leave the ship."
"We hoped he may have gotten out a different way so we searched the perimeter of the ship's landing area twice to see if we could find him. There was no sign anywhere. We came back only because it got too dark to do more." Ford was clearly drained.
"We have to go back. He could still be there and he might be injured." McKay stood up.
"There is no moon, so it is quite dark. The terrain is very rough and dangerous. If he is there, it would be quite easy to miss him even though he might be close by." Teyla looked down at the table. "It will be light in about nine hours."
Elizabeth noticed. "Teyla, what is it?"
The young woman raised her eyes and took a deep breath. "I do not think Col. Sheppard made it off the ship."
"I do not believe so, either." Ronon agreed.
"Why not?" Lorne spoke for the first time.
"The hive ships are very large. He would not have had time to reach any other exit. Ronon was able to see the point where Col. Sheppard should have exited the whole time. Even if he did get out unseen, we were able to search that area almost immediately after the ship lifted off." Teyla looked around at them.
McKay spoke up. "Wait, Lt. Ford said debris fell from ship. Could the Colonel have been buried under some of it as he got out?"
"No, Sir. We thought of that." Ford shook his head. "That area of the ship wasn't very overgrown, so there was wasn't much debris but I think we need to continue to search, just in case he did find another way out."
"I agree. Maj. Lorne, please organize as many search parties as possible to set out when it is light on P6R473." Elizabeth stood up suddenly. The others scrambled to their feet. "The Daedalus is due back tomorrow afternoon. As soon as it arrives, I'll ask Col. Caldwell to send more teams to assist. Now, all of you go to the infirmary for a check-up and then get some rest."
Eight hours later the Gate room began to fill with personnel. Teyla, Ronon and Maj. Lorne divided up three teams each of six heavily armed men and women. Each team included at least two members holding life signs detectors. Dr. McKay, Lt. Ford, Dr. Beckett and two more Marines stood nearby with Elizabeth Weir. Beckett clutched a medical kit. A couple of dozen other people, both military and civilian stood around, watching anxiously as the search teams prepared to leave.
"Elizabeth, we'll search from the air. When we find him, we can bring him back through the Gate faster. Carson should be there in case he's injured." McKay explained. He frowned. "We can also watch the sensors for any approaching Wraith ships.
"Yes, Rodney. I wish I could send more, but with the two teams already off-world, we can't. It isn't as if I don't have enough volunteers." Elizabeth said as Teyla, Ronon and Lorne approached. "Everything ready? Why aren't more of you going by Jumper?"
"Yes, Ma'am. The Jumper will drop Teyla and her team near the site. We could miss the Colonel from the air if he's under any debris or brush. Ronon and I are going to spread out and start the search from the Gate back to the ship's site. If he's there, Col. Sheppard may have tried to get back to the Gate." Lorne checked his watch. "We think it should be dawn there any time now. Do we have your permission to embark?"
"Yes." She turned to McKay. "Rodney, Carson, you and Teyla should get up to Jumper bay."
As Teyla and McKay, and their teams, headed to the Jumper bay, Dr. Weir walked up the stairs to the Gate operations level. The teams gathered on the Gate room floor stepped back to clear the area for the wormhole to open. She nodded at the technician, who dialed the address. She then moved to the rail as the teams walked through. Moments later, the Jumper descended from the bay and slowly followed the teams.
Elizabeth murmured as the event horizon dissolved. "Please find him and come back safe."
Each morning, the search teams went through the wormhole to P6R473 with the hope of finding their missing comrade. Col. Caldwell was able to add four more teams of six men and women to the search upon the Daedalus' return to Atlantis. Now that the big ship was in orbit, a second Jumper was added as well.
The search pattern was expanded to a point far beyond what would be reasonable for even a healthy man to wander. Each evening, they returned empty-handed and dispirited, and with the occasional injury. Two sprained ankles, a broken arm and many scrapes and bruises went through the infirmary.
People not normally seen in the vicinity of the Gate room loitered in nearby corridors in hopes of hearing news. Each time the search teams returned, those waiting would watch closely for signs of Sheppard. Each time, they would disperse with disappointment written on their faces. The mood of the entire city became more and more subdued as the days passed.
Elizabeth Weir spent most of the time in her office. When she ventured elsewhere in the City, she was not surprised to see the concern. John Sheppard was not only the commanding military officer on Atlantis, he was well thought of by everyone. Except maybe Kavanagh, who did not like anyone.
On the evening of the fourth day, Dr. Weir, Dr. McKay, Maj. Lorne, Lt. Ford, Teyla and Ronon sat in the conference room with Col. Caldwell. The Colonel's face was set firm while the others could not hide their disappointment and despair.
Caldwell looked at each of them before he spoke. "You said yourself that you don't believe Col. Sheppard could have gotten off that ship. We have made a thorough search of an area much larger than warranted in the circumstances. He must be on the Wraith ship. There is nothing more we can do."
McKay, Ford and Teyla began to speak at once. Elizabeth interrupted. Her voice was flat. "I understand, Colonel."
"Elizabeth!" McKay was shocked. "We can continue searching after the Daedalus leaves tomorrow!"
Her eyes remained on Caldwell. "The Colonel is right, Rodney. Col. Sheppard is resourceful enough to have made sure we could find him or get back to the Gate on his own. We must assume he is still on the ship."
"Thank you, Doctor. It's true, the Daedalus is due to leave at 1100 tomorrow. But, if there was any real possibility Col. Sheppard was still on that planet, I would stay as long as it took to find him." Caldwell's voice softened. "Look, I wish it were otherwise. The Colonel is a good man. I know he is a friend of yours and a valuable member of this expedition, but he's just not there."
No one spoke for a long time so Caldwell finally broke the silence. "We'll need to let the SGC know during the briefing tomorrow morning. He'll be officially listed as missing in action."
"I would like to make an announcement to the people on Atlantis first, if that is okay with you." Elizabeth requested in a strained voice. "Even though John Sheppard is military, he has been, as you said, part of the expedition team and knows everyone here."
Caldwell nodded. "Of course. When?"
"Thank you. Tomorrow morning, before we contact the SGC. Say 0900?"
"That's fine."
The Colonel stood up. Only Elizabeth Weir's eyes followed him. Ford, Teyla and McKay stared at the table in front of them, feelings of disbelief and resignation mingling on their faces. Even Ronon's face was dark with anger and frustration as he glanced up at Caldwell.
"I am sorry." Caldwell turned and left.
"He could still be alive, couldn't he?" McKay asked hopefully.
Ford brightened slightly. "If anyone could get out alive, it would be Col. Sheppard"
"I wish that were so, but the Wraith can smell humans. It is not likely that the Colonel would be able to remain hidden for more than a few hours before being discovered." Teyla slowly shook her head twice. Her face was bleak. "The Wraith on that ship have been in hibernation for a long time. They would be hungry and looking for food."
"She is right." Ronon nodded. "He could not have evaded the Wraith for long."
"But the device. Wouldn't that help?" Ford asked anxiously.
McKay was dejected. "No. The device wouldn't work fast enough to help him."
Ford stood abruptly. "Col. Sheppard didn't give up on me. How can I give up on him?"
Elizabeth stood as well. "I'm not giving up, Lieutenant. I just don't know what more we can do."
Late that night, Elizabeth was back in her office. She was staring out through the glass towards the Gate room floor. They had lost so many since their arrival more than a year ago. Each loss had been a blow to all of the expedition members. But this one, this one would be hard for many. John had had such an impact on so many here, everyone. She felt a weight pressing down on her. It was so heavy, she thought it would crush her.
"It's not going to be the same, is it?" McKay's voice at the door made her jump. "Sorry. Do you mind some company?"
She smiled sadly and nodded at a chair opposite the desk. He handed her a steaming cup of coffee as he sat. "Thank you. No, it isn't going to be the same. Nothing will."
"For one thing, no-one else can use the Ancient technology as well as he does. It's gonna be harder to work a lot of the stuff around here." McKay did not see Elizabeth's frown. "And, he's very handy in a tight situation. He's…he's…Oh, who am I kidding? John's one of the two or three people I know that puts up with me."
One corner of her mouth turned up a little. "I noticed he seemed to have your number quite quickly."
"Yeah. Smart, too." McKay looked at her. "Who'd think that a pilot could be so, so…"
"Intelligent ?" Elizabeth offered.
"Did you know he was invited to join Mensa?"
"No. How did you find out?"
"He told me. The final riddle that led us to the ZPM of the Brotherhood of Fifteen on Dagan was on a Mensa test. John figured it out." McKay set his coffee mug down on her desk. "Come to think of it, he figured out a lot of things. He learned how to fly the Jumpers way too fast. And, how was he able to use the chair weapon without any kind of instruction? Sure, General O'Neill could, but he had the Ancient technology downloaded into his brain at the time. John made every single one of the drones count. And…"
"Rodney." Elizabeth tried to stop his rambling.
"Did you notice he doesn't always touch the Ancient technology to use it? At least, Ford and I have seen him just pass his hand above the controls and they come on." He passed a hand a few inches over his cup, wiggling his fingers. "Sometimes, he only has to walk into the room for the controls to light up."
"Rodney."
"He was giving me the solutions to problems, too. He'd always give me just enough and I was a fool to think that the ideas were mine. Damn." McKay sat back, a mild look of disgust on his face. "He's just so…so…"
"Rodney." She said gently now that he stopped talking.
McKay shook his head slowly then looked up at her. "What? Did you realize what was going on?"
Elizabeth tried not to roll her eyes. "Rodney, where are you going with this?"
"Well, I'm not really sure." McKay frowned and thought for a moment. "I don't know. It's just John Sheppard is too much of a mystery. I don't know anything about him, where he came from, his family, nothing. What do you know about his background?"
"He never really talked about it. I know only what is in his file and it doesn't say much except about his military service." Elizabeth smiled. "You know, he's a pilot, Rodney. They are supposed to be fairly intelligent and need to be quick thinkers. There is no law saying they have to be two dimensional."
"Yeah, I know, but there's more to it than that. He's just too…I don't know." He picked up his cup and sipped from it then sat forward. "You know, now that we have a ZPM, we can use the bio-sensor in the control room more. I may be able to calibrate it to study the people with the gene. We might be able to measure what happens when people with the gene use the Ancient technology. It'd be interesting to see the differences between those that need to use more or less effort. I can't wait to see what John would…"
McKay stopped and set down the cup again. He rubbed his forehead with one hand.
"I know, Rodney. It's going to be very difficult."
McKay's voice was bleak as he looked through the glass. "Elizabeth, he was more than the commanding military officer. He's been a good friend. Just by doing what he does, John made me a better man. I never got to thank him for that."
"None of us got to thank him for a lot of things." Her eyes followed McKay's to the Gate Room.