Hello Darkness, My Old Friend

Green.

The little light blinked. It was a tiny emerald beacon on a long, cluttered console. Almost lost amid the other blinking lights. Swirling data on screens. A minuscule knob among various switches and buttons. Controls all vying for attention, recognition. The little green light was neglected. A thin layer of dust shrouded it, made it nearly invisible until now. Now that it had been activated. Now that it was alert. A green flash demanding attention.

The technician almost missed it. A green light lost among all of the others. Only singled out by its unique color. The only green in a sea of reds and ambers. Because it hadn't blinked in months. In years. He stared stupidly at it, uncomprehending. As his mind assured him it was real. Not a hallucination or yet another glitch in the system. As his brain processed the information and realized exactly what it meant. The origin of the signal.

Yet he still stared at it. Unmoving. Hands frozen over his keyboard. Until finally he gulped. Swallowed. Realizing the significance. The import. Especially to one man. He gulped again. "Sir?" His voice was lost in the cacophony of noises surrounding him. Voices clattering, arguing. Machines running loudly. Power surges creating sparks until they whined down to nothing. "Sir! Incoming transmission, sir! Section...sector nine."

The identification halted all the cacophony. Even the machines quieted at the words. Into the expectant, shocked hush one man's footsteps echoed on the floor. A steady, strong gait. Pausing behind the technician.

The hapless man swallowed again. "Incoming, sir," he repeated needlessly. He could feel a line of sweat beading his brow.

"Yes," the man replied. "I can see that."

A hand on his shoulder made the technician flinch. It took all of his self-control not to yelp. "Shall I, should I receive, sir?" He waited. Eyes glued to the little green light. Blinking steadily, oblivious to the commotion it had caused. The hand on the technician's shoulder tightened. Muscles clenching as if to pounce.

"Designation," the man stated.

The technician's fingers flew over the keyboard. "Anomaly two eight six, sir. Static burst of three point two seconds. A data burst only. Shall I receive, sir?"

"Two eight six," the man repeated quietly. His voice softening over the numbers as if to caress them, to savor them.

"Sir?"

"Yes. Receive," he ordered.

The technician hit the button. The little green light flared brightly, briefly. Then faded. Its work done it could return to its slumber. A stream of encrypted data sparked on the monitor. A wavering line that resolved itself into words. But the technician stared, dumbfounded. "Sir? What is that?"

"Gaelic. I'll be damned..." he muttered.

"Sir? I don't understand."

"You're not supposed to understand. It's from...it's from Atlantis."

"Sir? That's impossible! The city is under the ocean!"

"I know that. This is from the other Atlantis," John Sheppard clarified.

And smiled.

Two days earlier...

Claxons were screaming. Lights flickered on and off. Monitors hummed, whined. Power surging and draining, unpredictable. Erratic. An odd staccato of sounds, of motion. "Where?" John Sheppard shouted, running into the control room. "We just recovered Section H!"

Rodney McKay stared at a console, deciphering the erratic scrolling data. It vanished from time to time. "Section C! Level three now! Just like the last time! A breech of some sort. I should be able to isolate it before the city takes over and locks it down!"

"Should be?" John asked. A jolt hit. "What the hell was..."

"System failure! Section E! It's flooding! But that's impossible! We can't adjust for the fluctuating..." Rodney broke off as the room seemed to tilt, as if caught on a wave, then righted itself.

"Section E? Crap!"

"John? John!" Rodney called, but John was gone. Whirling and racing out of the control room.

Another violent jolt sent Rodney to the floor. He leapt to his feet, grabbing the console. "Evacuate all lower levels! Section E is compromised!"

"What's going on?" Richard Woolsey asked, joining him. "I thought we had that area clear?"

Rodney met his concerned gaze. "Section D! Section C is contained but I can't control Section E! We're losing power to vital areas while the city tries to preserve itself! Richard...it's increasing at a rate I can't predict nor hinder. We're sinking! The city is sinking!"

Johnny Sheppard glanced at his mother. She was engrossed in a data screen, talking quietly to another woman. He looked round the laboratory. Bio Three was humming with life. Like a giant aquarium the walls bubbled with water. Harmonious shades of blues and greens made it soothing. The quiet hum of machines was a constant background sound. But something was very wrong. The city was sick. He could feel it. The lights flickered. "Mommy." He looked down. Stared incredulously at the pool of water forming under his sneakers. "Mommy?" He watched the trickles of liquid, followed their course and found his gaze moving to the door at the back of the lab. Water was seeping under it. "Mommy!"

Moira Sheppard turned. "Johnny? What is–" Alarms blared, cutting off her question. Moira rushed to her son as the main door to the lab slid shut. Lights flashed. She gathered the little boy in her arms. "What the?" She stared at the water.

"Moira! Moira!" John's voice sounded in her ear. His frantic tone clear through the earpiece.

"John! John, we're–"

"On my way! Get out of there now!"

Moira led her son to the main door, away from the water. "Roslyn! Come on!" She waved her hand over the panel. Nothing happened. She repeated it. "John? We're in lock down! The door won't open." The floor seemed to tilt and she caught herself.

"Mommy! Look!"

She turned. Johnny was pointing at the opposite door. Water was beginning to pour through it. "Crap," she muttered.

"Rodney! Override the lock down in Section E!" John ordered, running.

Rodney started at the voice in his ear. "Trying! We have significant breeches in that entire section, on all lower levels! I can't–"

"You can! You'll have a significant breech in your own system if you don't get those doors open!" John threatened. "Moira and Johnny are in there!"

"What? On it! John, you need to get them out of there now!"

"You think? Crap!" he swore, racing towards a bulkhead as it was closing. About to cut him off from his family. He leapt through, swerving sideways to fit. Just made it as the doors slammed shut. He spun on his boots, kept running. "Override the lock down! Pull the fucking ZPM if you have to!"

The citywide PA blared to life. Richard's voice was calm. "Attention all Atlantis personnel. We are in Evac Two. Repeat, Evac Two. All teams begin evacuation of Levels Three and Four."

"John! I can't pull the ZPM! It's the only thing keeping us stable!"

"Stable? You call this stable?" he snapped, as the floor tilted under him. He rounded the corner, hit the wall. Kept moving.

"You know what I mean! The central core of the city!"

"Moira! Status!"

"Daddy! Daddy, we wet!"

John smiled at his son's voice. Sounding excited, not scared. "I'm coming, junior. Help mommy open the door. Override the system, son."

"Can't daddy! City sick. Water's cold!" He giggled.

"I'm coming, son!" He skidded into a transporter. Only to find it inoperable. Swearing he ran out of it, rushed for the stairs. Lights flickered on and off.

Moira was on her knees, opening another access panel. "I don't know which ones? Anything?"

Roslyn Winters shrugged, pushing buttons. "Nothing here. The...oh shit." The swear word sounded humorous in her proper British accent. The computers died. All whined, and went dark at once.

"Wonderful," Moira muttered. "Johnny, here. Help me." She pried at the crystals. The little boy moved to her, did the same. Touching the panel.

"City sick, mommy. It won't answer."

"Wonderful," she repeated. Looked down to see water seeping along the floor. Soaking her knees, her son's feet. She looked over her shoulder. "Roslyn, leave that! It's no use!"

The older woman was hunched over a data pad. "Not yet! I can at least back up these files while the system is in doze mode! There's just enough power left!"

Moira stood. The water was covering her feet as well now. She lifted her son to her arms. "It's all right, Johnny. Daddy will get us out of here. Roslyn, leave that!" She moved to the door. "John! John, we have a problem here. John?"

John flew down the stairs, down the hallways. Rushed and leapt between two more closing doors. Almost being crushed in the process. He fell to the floor, slid along a layer of cold water. "Crap! Rodney! Anything?"

"Negative!" came the irascible voice. "The city is in its self-protect mode again! Automated systems even I can't access! John, we're sinking! Not just that section but the whole city! The only option is to jettison that area, and I'm afraid the city will do it!"

"Damn it!" A jolt sent him into a wall. But he didn't stop. Kept running. Water sloshed over his boots now. Then the lights blinked. Were gone. He was plunged into darkness. "Crap."

"Is there any way to stabilize that section?" Richard asked.

Rodney shook his head, working on two consoles at once. "No! Only a temporary fix but I can't stop the city from defending itself!"

"Temporary is all John needs. Do what you can." Richard touched Rodney's shoulder, moved to another console. "Try re-routing the power to that section, but only for a few moments. Maybe the city won't notice."

Rodney glanced at him. "Yeah, right, the city won't notice if you...hey...that might work!" But he paused. "If we do that we could lose Section H."

"Fine. That section is completely evacuated. Do it!" Richard ordered.

"Doing it! Here we go. Nice and easy, now. John, John! I'm transferring a bit of power to your area. It might give you enough time to get through and get them out!"

"It had better! Do it!" John stated. He had been forced to slow down, shining his P90 light to see in the bitter darkness of the lower levels. Water sloshed up to his shins now. He saw some doors closing. Began to rush, fearing he would not make it in time, but the doors slowed. Stopped. He hastened through them, down the hallway. "It worked Rodney! Keep doing that! Rodney?"

"Oh my God..."

At the soft exclamation Rodney looked up from the console. A crowd was standing across the room. Had filtered out onto the balcony. Curious he followed. Pushed through to stand next to Richard. "What? We don't have time to gawk out here when...oh my God..."

A far section of the city was tilted wildly. Iron spires awkwardly rocking, heaving with the force of the waves. Of the invasive water taking over. Explosions rippled. As the city disentangled itself from its dying limb. Desperate to save itself. The section floated free, rocking wildly. Then crashed. An explosion sent waves into the air. Sent the rest of the city wheeling. Many fell. Rodney grabbed the railing, staring aghast as the once elegant spires bent under the pressure. As the section collapsed in on itself. And sank beneath the heaving waves.

"John! John!" Moira hefted her son higher. The water was lapping at her thighs now. Freezing cold. Numbing her feet. "We can't open the door! John!" The lights flickered. Blinked out all at once, leaving them in darkness. "Oh no. Roslyn, get over here now!"

A weird groaning sound rent the air. Moira watched in horror as the second set of doors bucked. Bent. As if they were made of rubber. Then blew apart as a wave of water hit. Inundating the consoles. The equipment sparked wildly. Electricity fizzled. Roslyn was thrown backwards by the force of the water, smashed up against a wall like a rag doll. Moira turned away, cuddling her son to her so he wouldn't see. She was pressed against the door. As the waves crested over the consoles. Heading straight for them. "John..."

"Moira! Moira, no, no!" John could hear the rushing waters, the crashes of equipment. He felt the violent vibration under his boots. Water sluiced around him now. He was running through knee-high waters in the dark when a tremendous crash resounded. The doors burst open. A tide of water rushed out towards him. Moira and Johnny rode out on it. Were gently deposited at his feet as the wave subsided.

Johnny was locked in his mother's arms. Looked up at his father. "Hi daddy!"

John grinned at his son. Hoisted him to his arms. "Hey, junior. Moy?"

Moira grabbed his arm, hauled herself to her feet. "John! Let's go!" She glanced behind her. Roslyn's body floated into the hallway. Moira met John's gaze.

John glanced there. "Let's go," he said gently. Guided her in front of him, up the hallway. More water was rushing, filling the room, then the halls as if chasing after them. "Rodney, got them!

Let the city shut it down!"

"Thank God! Here we go!"

Power fluctuated. Doors began to slam shut, trying to contain the flooding. John led Moira up the stairs, down another hallway, up more stairs. Paused to turn to see the waters running like a river below them. Doors slamming shut. Alarms blaring. Lights flickering on again. Johnny clung to his father, watching as well. "Daddy, city sick."

"Yeah, buddy, I know. But you're safe now. We're safe now." He glanced at Moira. She was soaking wet. Her clothes clinging to every curve. Hair straggling messily.

Moira hugged herself as chills coursed along her back, her skin. She met John's gaze. "What?"

He smiled. "Just another day in Atlantis."

"Hilarious, John. Let's get out of here!"

"As ordered, sweetheart."

"Daddy, daddy, city sick," the little boy repeated.

"I know, buddy. Don't you worry. Uncle Rodney will fix it."