A/N: This is the first of a 'season' involving an original character. It takes place in a slightly AU version of season 5. What you need to know is that Carter's in charge, Beckett's back, but McKay and Dr. Keller are not dating. If you have any questions please ask! And if you find it all entertaining, please review!! Reviews are like a lifesource :)
Episode 1. Settling.
"Last chance to back out."
Sophie glanced over her shoulder at the woman who had spoken. She was standing behind the ramp with an overly enthusiastic smile, which was clearly meant to be encouraging. Sophie, however, took little encouragement from the smile, and rather felt like running, but there was nowhere to go. Pulling up all the confidence she could muster at the moment, she shook my head.
"Thanks Colonel, but I think it's too late for that. I've come this far, and all my bags have already been sent through and everything." Sophie adjusted her cropped gray blazer and straightened out the matching pencil skirt. "I'll be fine."
"We'll be in touch," the Colonel assured her. "Have fun."
Sophie focused ahead, staring hard at the brilliant blue circle in front of her. She took a deep breath and walked forward through the stargate, bracing herself for anything. What she hadn't braced herself for was nothing. Going through the stargate felt like nothing. She had a sensation of complete absence, nothingness, not even breathing, but it was over almost instantly. Sophie soon found herself on the other side of the stargate, catching her breath and fighting dizziness; she silently cursed herself for wearing stilettos. The glowing blue vanished from the stargate, and she found herself in a bright spacious room, not unlike the control room she had just left at the midway station, though this one was clearly much more sophisticated.
"Welcome to Atlantis, Miss Marlowe." A tall woman with short blonde hair approached with her hand outstretched. "I'm Colonel Samantha Carter."
"Right, you're in charge," Sophie remembered the brief rundown she had been given before leaving earth. "It's good to meet you," she shook Colonel Carter's hand. "Is it normal for me to be feeling a little…unbalanced right now?"
"Yes, the first time through the stargate can be unsettling," Colonel Carter said, "but you'll get used to it. The first time I went through, I almost got sick." She smiled. "All your bags have been brought to your quarters."
"Thank you."
"Now, I assume you'd like to be shown around, get a feel for the place so you'll feel more comfortable."
"Yes, please."
Before they had a chance to move, the gate activated again. A man up behind the glass beckoned to the colonel.
"It's Colonel Shepherd's IDC," he announced.
"Good, open the gate," Colonel Carter commanded. She stepped aside and motioned for Sophie to do the same.
Sophie watched the gate flicker on again, and decided she had no desire to ever pass through it again. Her dizziness hadn't faded yet. A man suddenly dove through the gate, aiming his gun back towards the gate. He landed on his back and slid across the floor. Not a moment passed before another man hurried through the gate, also aiming his gun. This man's entrance, however, was accompanied by gunfire from the other side. Bullets flew through the gate along with a form of laser beams, which Sophie assumed were an advanced alien form of weaponry. She darted out of the way as yet another man barreled through the gate; like the first he too slid across the floor. She didn't move far enough, however, and though partially hidden behind a short wall, one of the laser beams grazed her arm. Pain seared through her arm instantly, and she wanted to scream, but bit her lip to fight it.
"Everyone's through, seal the gate!"
Sophie didn't know which direction Colonel Carter's command had come from, but the next moment the gate shut off and the gunfire ceased.
"Colonel Shepherd, explain yourself."
The first man who had entered the gate stood and holstered his weapon. "Sorry Colonel, but it was safe when we dialed. They came out of nowhere and we didn't have time to warn you."
"Well, this time you were lucky," Colonel Carter approached him. "Make sure you don't take that risk again."
"Umm, Colonel…" Sophie stood, but the combined effect of the dizziness and the pain in her arm made her lose balance quickly and she stumbled.
"Not so lucky it would seem." Colonel Shepherd approached her cautiously, "who's this?"
Colonel Carter came to Sophie's side quickly. "Miss Marlowe, I'm so sorry! This doesn't usually happen…"
"It's fine. I'm okay."
"You don't look okay."
Sophie looked to the other man who had spoken—the second one to go sliding across the floor—and felt briefly alarmed by his appearance. Everyone she had met so far seemed so clean and professional, but this man looked like an only slightly reformed version of Tarzan, but he did look genuinely concerned, and his bright eyes were mesmerizing.
"It's just a graze," she told him. "I've had worse."
"It's a bit more than just a graze," Colonel Shepherd decided. "I know how those rays burn. You're brave, but you should get to the infirmary." He glanced at Colonel Carter. "That is assuming she's someone we're on friendly terms with?" He lowered his voice. "Again I say: who the hell is she?" Sophie's dizziness won out, and she stumbled forward, but Colonel Shepherd caught her instantly.
"Colonel, this is the newest member of your team," Colonel Carter explained.
"Damn, that was happening today?"
"Clearly."
"I forgot," he said, "I thought she was coming tomorrow." He looked apologetic. "I should have been here to greet you."
"It's fine," she assured him. Sophie still wasn't exactly sure who he was or what position he would have in her new career.
"Save the apologies," Colonel Carter demanded. "Help me get her down to infirmary, and we can make proper introductions there."
"Yea, sure thing," Colonel Shepherd agreed. He hesitated for a moment, seeming to consider the best option and finally decided to lift her into his arms and carry her.
"This isn't necessary," Sophie argued. "I can walk." She didn't want to be a burden on her first day. "Put me down."
"You can't even stand," the wild man pointed out.
"Yes I can," Sophie persisted. "Please put me down."
"Don't argue," Colonel Shepherd demanded. "It's my fault you got shot, the least I can do is get you safely to the infirmary."
"It's just my arm. There's nothing wrong with my legs," she pointed out. "Please let me walk."
He set Sophie back on her feet, but stayed closer than was necessary as Colonel Carter led the way down to the infirmary. The wild man, and one other followed. As they walked, Colonel Carter used her earpiece to inform the infirmary of their approach and a young woman, clearly the doctor, greeted them at the door.
"Shepherd, what did you do?"
"It wasn't me," he protested. "Well, sort of, but only accidentally."
The doctor turned to Sophie and smiled. "Hi, I'm Dr. Keller. It didn't take long for you to be initiated, did it?"
"Initiated?"
"Being shot at," she explained. "It's like a right of passage here on Atlantis."
"Oh," Sophie nodded, "then I guess I'm flattered."
The doctor shook her head, "don't be. It'll get old fast."
The idea of being shot at frequently had not been mentioned when Sophie took the job. There had been mention of risk, of course, but this wasn't what she had been expecting. She hoped the insecurity didn't show on her face.
"Come and sit down," Dr. Keller instructed. "I need to have a look at your arm and probably give you stitches."
"Stitches?" Sophie grimaced.
"Yea," she smiled, "depending on how deep the wound is."
"It's just a graze," she repeated. "It really feels fine."
"It might feel fine, but that doesn't necessarily mean it is fine. Sometimes the wounds that feel the best are actually the worst." She motioned Sophie onto an examination table and she hopped up obediently. "Can you remove your jacket for me, please?"
Sophie reached to unfasten the buttons, but her arm burned suddenly and she winced.
"Fine, huh?" Dr. Keller shook her head.
"No, really," Sophie insisted. "It's just when I move suddenly…it's a little sore."
"Sore how?" she asked.
"Umm," she hesitated and tried to think how to describe it properly. "It sort of burns. Like the inside of my arm is on fire."
"And yet you feel fine?"
"Well…"
"Yea right," she smiled a little patronizingly. "I'm going to remove your jacket now and get you stitched up."
Sophie glanced around at the others, wishing they weren't all just standing there, staring at her like she was a helpless child they needed to protect. None of them seemed likely to leave though. Then she noticed that one of the guys who had followed them was bleeding from a cut in his forehead.
"What about him?" Sophie asked quickly. "He's hurt too. His injury is probably much more serious than mine."
Dr. Keller glanced at the man in question and rolled her eyes. "Major Lorne, didn't I just patch you up yesterday?"
"It's been three days at least," Major Lorne argued.
"Sit on that table," she instructed, "and I'll have someone take care of you." She beckoned to one of the other doctors that had been hanging out in the background. Sophie didn't need anyone to tell her that Dr. Keller was the doctor in charge.
"It's not as bad as it looks." Major Lorne reached up to touch the wound, but pulled his fingers away with fresh blood.
"Like I said, sit down." Dr. Keller briefly glanced around the rest of the group. "Anyone else need attention?"
"I think we're all good," Colonel Shepherd answered. "Just get her taken care of."
"Do you guys think you can give me some space to work?" Dr. Keller requested of the team as she finished unfastening the buttons on Sophie's jacket. "It's not that bad, but definitely more than just a graze, and you standing around isn't going to get it done any faster." She set he jacket aside and began inspecting the wound on Sophie's arm. None of the others moved though.
"Colonel Shepherd still hasn't been introduced," Colonel Carter explained. "We came to the infirmary in a rush."
"Colonel, I respect formalities, but I think introductions should wait until after I've stitched her up."
"Actually," Sophie interrupted, "if it's all right with you, I wouldn't mind them staying."
"Really?" Dr. Keller looked uncertain.
"I could use the distraction," she explained.
"Distraction?"
Sophie felt her cheeks growing warm. She hated that their first impression was of her being so weak. "I don't do well with needles."
The wild man smirked. "You were ready to completely ignore the gunshot wound, but needles you can't handle?"
Sophie shook her head. "It's definitely not easy."
"Good," Colonel Shepherd spoke up, "it's decided then. We'll stay and get acquainted."
"Fine," Dr. Keller accepted their presence and started cleaning the wound.
"Miss Marlowe," Colonel Carter nodded to Colonel Shepherd, "Colonel Shepherd."
"Colonel John Shepherd," he reintroduced himself and then motioned to the wild man. "This is Ronon Dex, one of my team. You'll meet Teyla later. She wasn't on mission today because she's spending time with her baby."
"Baby?" Sophie repeated. "You guys have time for babies here?"
"It isn't exactly recommended," Colonel Carter explained. "Of course if anyone chooses to, however, we won't stand in their way. Teyla's baby has been a great joy for all of us here."
"And that's Major Lorne," Colonel Shepherd motioned to the guy being stitched up on the table next to her. "He's not a part of my team exactly, but he's one of my men just the same. He leads his own team though. You'll also meet Rodney later. He's off world on another assignment right now."
"It's good to meet you all." Sophie kept her eyes focused on Colonel Shepherd so she wouldn't see what Dr. Keller was doing with the needle. "Umm, can I ask though…what exactly do you mean by teams?"
"Sorry, Miss Marlowe, it's military terminology," he explained.
"Yea, I mean, I got that part, but I'm confused as to why I will be a part of your team. From what I can see, you seem to be pretty military-focused."
Ronon and Colonel Shepherd exchanged glances.
"How do I fit in?"
Colonel Carter stepped up to explain: "You will be part of Colonel Shepherd's team any time they venture off world for research or socializing. Naturally you won't be part of their combat missions," she smiled.
"Oh," Sophie nodded, "okay."
"What exactly do you do?" Ronon asked.
Colonel Shepherd glared at him. "Ronon…"
"Miss Marlowe is an anthropologic writer," Colonel Carter explained.
"A what?"
"She writes about people—cultures. She will be studying and documenting all the experiences we have with people from other worlds."
"Don't we already do that?"
"Not to the extent that Miss Marlowe will be doing. Command thinks we've been neglecting the details of the people and focusing too much on how Atlantis can benefit from them. Miss Marlowe will be researching the people and understanding how their cultures function differently from our own."
"That's really cool," Major Lorne spoke up. "I'm sure there's a lot to know about all these people that we haven't learned yet."
"Exactly."
"Hmph." Ronon shrugged. "Sounds boring."
"Ronon!" Colonel Shepherd swatted his arm, but Sophie laughed.
"I'm sure a lot of people would agree with you," she told him. "It's more interesting than it sounds though, I promise. Perhaps when I start my work, I can explain it to you better and you'll find it less boring."
He looked doubtful.
"Regardless of your interest level, Miss Marlowe will be joining our team, and we are pleased to have you," Colonel Shepherd assured her.
"Thank you," Sophie tried to sound as confident as he did, but Ronon's skepticism hadn't helped much. She still wasn't sure how she would fit in exactly. Sophie glanced down at my arm and grimaced as Dr. Keller pulled the needle through her skin. "Almost done?"
"Just about," she promised. "Only a couple more."
"Before you guys showed up, I was going to have someone show Miss Marlowe around and help her get situated," Colonel Carter told them. "Since you're back now though, maybe you'd like to show her around yourself. It would give you a chance to become better acquainted."
"Absolutely," Colonel Shepherd agreed. "That is if you're up to walking around a bit, Miss Marlowe…"
"Of course," she agreed, "but you really do have to stop calling me 'Miss.' My name's Sophie. 'Miss' sounds strange."
"Sophie," he repeated, "works for me."
"There," Dr. Keller finished the stitches, "all done. Now just let me cover it."
Sophie let out a breath as Dr. Keller set aside the sharp instruments. "You're very good. I barely felt it."
"I'm glad." She carefully placed a gauze bandage over the two-inch wound and secured it in place with surgical tape. "Now, I put some ointment on it to reduce the burning sensation, but if it persists, make sure to let me know."
"I will," Sophie promised.
She helped Sophie put her jacket back on gently, trying to move her arm as little as possible. "I'm sorry about your jacket."
Sophie glanced at the substantial tear in the sleeve. "It's not important," she lied. She decided not to mention that it was new and had taken hours to choose, wanting to have the perfect outfit for her first day.
Dr. Keller finished refastening the buttons and stepped back. "You're good to go."
"Thank you." Sophie slipped off the table, landing unsteadily on her stilettos.
"All right," Colonel Carter nodded, "I'm going to leave you in capable hands here, and return to my duties." She offered Sophie a final smile. "It's good to have you on board, Miss Marlowe."
"Thanks," she returned the smile, and the colonel left.
"Okay, so tour?" Colonel Shepherd motioned for Sophie to step ahead of him. "Ronon, you coming?"
He looked uninterested, but followed them out of the infirmary and down the corridor.
"Do you know anything about Atlantis yet, Miss Marlowe?"
"Please, I told you it's Sophie," she reminded him," and yes, I know some. All I could learn from the files. I know the history of the ancients and I have some grasp on their language, and…"
"You know the language?" Colonel Shepherd interrupted.
"Not fluently," she explained, "but I've been studying it, and I have an understanding of the basics."
"Wow," he stared at her, "that's impressive."
"Languages are one of my specialties," Sophie told him. "Well, sort of. I find studying languages to be very beneficial to my anthropologic research."
"Good for you." His tone suggested that he had little patience for that field of study. "So, do you know anything of the layout of the city?"
"I've glanced over the schematics," she answered, "but they were hard to follow."
"Yea, it's a bit of a mess in here, but you'll get the hang of it eventually." He pointed to a metal door directly ahead of them. "I'll show you the most necessary parts of this place, starting with transport."
"Okay…"
On the wall beside the door was a narrow row of three crystals, which glowed blue like the stargate. "These are the locks," he waved his hand over them and the door parted. "It's that simple." The door opened on a room no larger than a small closet. "This is a transporter," he explained. "You can think of it like an elevator, but the science is much more complex, and it is much more efficient." He stepped inside, and Ronon and Sophie followed, then the heavy doors snapped shut. "This map shows the entire city and the red spots show where the other transporters are located. You select the one closest to where you want to go, and you're transported there instantly."
"Instantly?" Sophie repeated.
"Yep," he nodded, "it's pretty damn instant."
"Where're we going?" Ronon asked.
Colonel Shepherd glanced at the map and touched a red spot on the screen. "Let's show her the mess hall. It's pretty essential."
A moment later the doors opened on a completely different corridor, though strikingly similar in appearance. The group exited the transporter and Colonel Shepherd led the way down the hall.
"Are we gonna eat?" Ronon asked.
"I wasn't planning on it," Colonel Shepherd responded. "You hungry?"
"I could eat," he replied.
"If you two are hungry, please don't let me stand in your way," Sophie spoke up quickly.
Colonel Shepherd seemed to consider it for a moment before shaking his head. "No, we should continue with your tour. Get you comfortable."
"It's fine," Sophie assured him, "really. If you're hungry, please eat. I don't need a tour."
"Yea you do," Colonel Shepherd insisted. "Like I said, this place is a maze. If you aren't shown the way around, you'll get lost every time you leave your room."
Sophie noticed Ronon looking towards the mess hall longingly. "Are you sure?" She asked them.
"Absolutely," Colonel Shepherd elbowed Ronon in the stomach. "We'll finish the tour, and then we'll all come and eat dinner here together."
"Thank you," Sophie smiled.
"Let's see, you've been to the medical bay, unfortunately," he grimaced, "and the gateroom…"
"Gym," Ronon suggested.
"Right, the gym," Colonel Shepherd nodded. "Let's go there."
They took the transporter to what Shepherd labeled the "east pier" and then led the way down the new corridor to a stairwell. He headed downward and the others followed.
"There are stairways like this at the end of almost every corridor," Colonel Shepherd explained as he descended. "Not as good as transporters when you've got a long way to go, but convenient for short distances."
Only a few steps away from the bottom, Sophie's heel wobbled and she slipped down the remaining steps. Ronon automatically reached out and lifted her up from beneath her arms, placing her back on her feet effortlessly.
"You okay?" Colonel Shepherd had turned around to help her, but Ronon had reacted first. "What happened?"
Sophie sighed, "nothing. I just slipped."
"Are you dizzy? Is it your arm?"
"No," she assured them, "I'm fine."
"You're sure?"
"Positive." Sophie smiled up at Ronon. "Thank you for the help."
He shrugged.
"Okay, no more stairs," Colonel Shepherd frowned. "Flat surfaces only."
Sophie blushed, feeling immensely stupid for exhibiting her habitual klutziness in front of her new coworkers. She followed Colonel Shepherd down the hall silently, watching her steps carefully so she wouldn't trip. Ronan, she noticed, was staying closer to her than before, and she feared what he was thinking of her stability. At the end of the corridor, Colonel Shepherd stopped and waved his hand in front of another row of crystals to open another door.
"This is the gym," he explained.
Sophie peeked into the room to survey the equipment. From a glance, it proved to be very complete with all desired gym equipment, including a selection of free weights and mats. "Impressive," she mused.
"We also have a training gym," Colonel Shepherd told her.
"A training gym?"
Ronon stepped across the hall to a door directly opposite and opened it. "Combat training," he explained.
Sophie followed him and peered into the other room. This was an empty, circular room, supplied with mats and a variety of weapons mounted on the walls, clearly meant for sparring. "Cool," she pursed her lips together and pretended to be interested.
"Okay, next." Colonel Shepherd beckoned with his head and Ronon motioned for Sophie to follow. "What else do you want to see?"
"Umm, I'm not sure," Sophie shrugged. "What else should I see?"
"Don't know. A lot of it you'll discover for yourself. As long as you know where the closest transports are to the main locations, and the safe places to be in case there is any kind of emergency…"
"Which are?"
"Somewhere in the center tower," he decided. "Most likely. It'll depend on the emergency."
"Yea, this isn't helping very much."
Ronon smirked. "Don't they have a welcoming committee for this sort of thing?"
Colonel Shepherd looked momentarily reproachful, but then shrugged. "They really should. I'm good at action—not explanation."
"That's fine," Sophie told him. "Why don't you show me where I'll be staying? From there I can figure out what else I need to know."
"Not a bad idea," Colonel Shepherd agreed. "We mostly live in the towers closest to the central tower. It saves energy. You're in the south tower, level four."
"Same as me," Ronon told her.
"Right, same as Ronon," Colonel Shepherd confirmed, "so if you have any questions you can go to him for help." Ronon didn't seem quite as eager to offer the same assistance, but he shrugged and didn't argue. "The most direct way to that tower would be to take the stairs back up to the third level, where the transporter is, and then take that to the south tower." Sophie nodded, trying to memorize everything he was saying, but he was speaking quickly. "From there you can take the stairs to the appropriate level."
"Okay, so the stairs are back this way…" Sophie started heading in the correct direction, wanting to find the way all on her own. The guys followed her, letting her lead the way back up the stairs. At the top of the steps, she paused. "Umm…" there were three direction options, and Sophie couldn't remember which was correct. She took a guess and turned left, but a hand on her arm pulled her back.
"Other way," Colonel Shepherd told her.
"Oh, right," she turned right instead and the guys followed her down the corridor.
"I know it's hard at first," Colonel Shepherd said. "They all look the same."
Sophie was silent until they found the transporter, wanting to make sure she didn't make any more mistakes, but there were no turnoffs and she managed to find the way there easily. Glancing at the crystals on the wall, Sophie held out her hand and hesitated only a moment before waving her hand across them as she had seen Colonel Shepherd and Ronon do. The metal door parted and she stepped in proudly. The guys followed her in and waited for her to make the next move. The map appeared on the screen, and Sophie contemplated it carefully.
"Okay, so this is the control tower—the central tower," she pointed on the map, "and if we want the south tower, it must be this one here…"
"No," Ronon muttered.
"Oh," Sophie pulled her finger back before selecting the incorrect transporter location. "Then, this one…"
"No."
Sophie pursed her lips together and hesitated with her finger hovering above the screen. Ronon grunted and pushed her hand aside, selecting the correct location himself.
"Oh," Sophie nodded, "that one." The doors snapped shut and they were beamed to the appropriate location.
When the doors opened again, Sophie stepped back and allowed the colonel to take the lead again. He led the way down the corridor to another flight of stairs and this time headed up. Sophie started following and suddenly felt a hand on her elbow. Glancing down, she realized Ronon had taken hold of her. She frowned.
"In case you slip," he explained simply.
"I'm not going to trip again," she insisted.
He released her, but didn't look at all convinced, and they followed Colonel Shepherd up four flights of steps. At the top of the steps, they stepped into a slightly wider corridor, though similarly monotone. They encountered a few more people in this corridor, and Sophie felt as though they were all staring at her, evaluating her. She kept her head held high and hoped she appeared intimidating enough to quell any doubts they may have been forming of her.
The hall dead-ended at a glass door that led out onto a balcony. Two metal doors faced each other on either side of the glass door, but Sophie ignored them both and stepped directly up to the glass door. She let out a breath and her nose bumped against the glass gently.
"Come on," Colonel Shepherd opened the glass door, and she lost balance briefly. "You should see the view."
Sophie followed him outside eagerly.
"There are better views," Ronon told her as he brought up the rear.
"I haven't seen the outside yet at all," Sophie explained, "so any view is amazing."
Colonel Shepherd motioned her up to the railing and she leaned out over it. "It is pretty amazing," he agreed.
"It's incredible!"
"Wait until night," he grinned. "Then it'll really take your breath away."
"I can't wait," Sophie took a deep breath, taking in as much of the refreshing sea air as possible, before abandoning the view and following the guys back inside. She was delighted to find that her room was the door directly to the right of the balcony.
Colonel Shepherd opened the door and motioned her inside. "It's not much, but hopefully it'll be everything you need."
"It's great," she decided as she wandered the room.
It was larger than she had anticipated, much larger than an average dorm room, which was what she had been expecting. It was shaped like an "L" and there was a large window on the outside wall, revealing almost as great a view as the balcony. There was a sizeable bed against the back wall, with a small table beside it and shelves above. Against the left wall, there was a desk, with a tall bookshelf beside it. Around the corner, Sophie found a large closet built into the wall, as well as plenty of drawers, more shelves, and a floor-length mirror. The room wasn't at all cramped, and she could imagine it being quite comfortable with a few personal touches.
"I'm sure you'll want to unpack and get settled in," Colonel Shepherd pointed to her luggage that had been set in one corner of the room. "Do you want some help?"
"No," she shook her head, "I can take care of it."
"Okay," he nodded, "then we'll leave you to it." He stepped back towards the door. "Think you can find your way back to the mess hall on your own?"
Sophie nodded, "I think so."
"Good, then we'll meet you there at five," he glanced at his wristwatch. "That gives you about two hours to settle in."
"All right," she smiled, "sounds good."
Colonel Shepherd nudged Ronon and they left. The door shut and Sophie collapsed on the bed, grateful to have a moment alone to process everything she had just seen. Thanks to Dr. Keller's treatment, Sophie no longer felt the burn in her arm, and her dizziness had faded completely. She now felt strangely energized, despite the fact that she had barely slept in almost 36 hours due to anxiety. She was eager to unpack though and make herself at home; she wanted to become adjusted as quickly as possible. So, nearly two hours later, Sophie was still busily unpacking when she glanced at the clock mounted on the wall above her desk and realized she only had five minutes to make it to the mess hall. While unpacking, Sophie had removed her jacket for better mobility, and instead of redressing in the torn jacket she chose a plain black shirt from the dresser where she had completed unpacking her clothes. Due to all the vigorous organizing, her long hair had begun falling from the pins, which had been securing it, so Sophie tried shoving a few back into place as she hurried down the corridor to the staircase at the end of the hall.
She descended the steps, counting carefully to make certain she wouldn't miss the floor where the transporter was located. When she reached the correct level, she hurried down the corridor towards the transporter at the opposite end. She waved her hand over the crystals, smiling to herself when the doors parted, and stepped in to analyze the map. Sophie started losing confidence the longer she had to puzzle over the various possibilities—none of them looked familiar. Realizing how much time she was wasting, Sophie decided to pick one at random, but before she chose, she changed her mind and continued to debate the location. Before she could choose again, a hand slipped around her shoulder and selected one of the transporters.
"You don't have much sense of direction, do you?"
Sophie glanced over her shoulder to find Ronon leaning against the wall of the transporter, smirking. She frowned and didn't answer. When the doors opened again, she stepped out first and headed confidently to the right.
"Hey…"
Sophie grimaced at the tone in his voice. She knew exactly what he would say, so she turned around without a word and headed back in the opposite direction. He followed closely and she could hear him snickering.
"It's my first day, all right?" Sophie snapped at him.
"I didn't say anything," he defended himself.
"You didn't have to."
"It's easy to get turned around in this place," he told her. "That's why I was waiting for you."
"You were waiting for me?" She stopped walking suddenly and turned to him. "Really?"
He shrugged and kept walking. "Didn't want you getting lost."
Sophie felt instantly remorseful for her quick fierceness, and she apologized. He seemed indifferent to her apology and her snippy behavior. She followed him to the mess hall silently and at the door he walked through first.
"Sophie," Colonel Shepherd quickly made up for Ronon's silence, "were you able to find us okay?"
She shook her head and glanced at Ronon. "Not without help."
"I'm sorry, I should have come to get you," he decided. "Going over directions once is never enough here."
"It's fine," she assured him, "Ronon came for me."
He looked to Ronon, a little surprised. "Good…that's good." Turning his attention back to Sophie, he motioned her towards the long buffet table set up at the end of the mess hall. "Did you get settled in?"
"Not completely," she told him, "but it's a start."
"If you need anything else, like furniture, let me know. There's a lot of stored stuff you can use."
"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."
At the buffet table, Colonel Shepherd handed a tray to Sophie and then took one for himself. "You help yourself," he explained. "Take what sounds good." He began loading food onto his own tray.
Sophie inspected the food curiously and was relieved to see it was all recognizable—no different than food from earth. She took a small sampling of a few different items and followed Colonel Shepherd over to a table against the glass wall that completely enclosed the mess hall on one side. He motioned for her to take the seat by the window, and he sat beside her. A moment later Ronon took the seat across from her with his tray fully loaded, mostly with meat.
"Ah, Rodney!" Colonel Shepherd waved, and Sophie looked to see to whom he was calling. A man headed their direction, carrying his own fully loaded tray. He sat down in the empty chair and started speedily eating and talking at the same time.
"You should have seen this place we just came from," he said. "The trees were as tall as our central tower!" He shoveled a large bite of potatoes into his mouth. "And the sky…oh!" He sighed and took another bite. "The sky!"
"What about the sky, Rodney?" Colonel Shepherd pressed.
Ronon was eating silently, but he caught Sophie's eye and grinned, nodding in Rodney's direction. She returned the smile, and ate as she continued listening to Rodney's enthusiastic one-sided conversation.
"There were two suns," he announced, "but their radiation is clearly not as great as ours, because there was no harm caused to the planet. And there were two moons." He smiled at the memory and shoved another large forkful of food into his mouth. "But the sky…" he said again.
"What about the sky?" Colonel Shepherd repeated.
"It was the most incredible blue I've ever seen. It was so deep, it was almost purple!"
"Purple sky?" Sophie couldn't keep silent any longer.
Rodney looked at her quickly and frowned. "Umm, hello there."
"I wondered when you would notice her," Colonel Shepherd grinned. "Rodney, meet Sophie Marlowe, the newest member of our team."
He analyzed her very briefly and then put out his hand. "Dr. Rodney McKay," he introduced.
"It's good to meet you," she shook his hand.
"You too," he said. "You're an anthropologist correct? Our new culture expert."
Sophie wasn't too certain of the term 'expert,' but in order to build up their confidence in her, she simply smiled and nodded.
"You must be excited by this opportunity!"
She nodded, "being here is a once in a lifetime experience!"
"If you require any assistance of any kind, I'm sure I will be able to help you. I am a wealth of information, as I'm sure anyone here would tell you."
"Thank you," Sophie smiled at his pompous offer, "I'm sure I'll take you up on that sometime."
He nodded, smiling to himself and continued eating. "Good food tonight."
"You always like the food," Ronon mentioned. Rodney glanced at him, somewhat spitefully, but continued eating without argument.
"So, this planet you just came from, does Carter think it will be a viable possibility?"
"Possibility for what?" Sophie asked.
"We've begun searching for planets that we could use in case anything ever goes wrong with Atlantis and we have relocate."
"Is that likely to happen?"
"There have been instances in the past where we came close to needing to evacuate the city, and we haven't had anywhere safe to go," Rodney explained, "so we just want to make certain that if the time ever comes again, we'll have somewhere to go."
"I see," Sophie took a sip from her glass of water. "What do you think the chances are of this relocating having to happen?"
"We like to prepare for the worse," Colonel Shepherd told her.
"Good to know."
"So this world with the purple sky," Colonel Shepherd returned the focus, "is it a possibility?"
"Hmm, unfortunately not," Rodney answered. "Unless we don't mind cohabitating with a bunch of deadly bugs the size of a large baby."
"Yea, that doesn't sound very pleasant," Colonel Shepherd decided.
"Not so much," Sophie agreed.
"Exactly," Rodney continued eating.
"Teyla!" Colonel Shepherd grinned and waved, and Sophie looked up to see the woman approaching. She was carrying baby in her arms, and Colonel Shepherd quickly retrieved another chair for her to join them. "This is Sophie."
Teyla smiled warmly at the newcomer. "It is very good to meet you." She rocked the baby in her arms as she took her seat. "This is Torren, my son." She tilted his little body so Sophie could see his face. "When he wakes, I'm certain he will make a better impression."
Sophie nodded. "He's very sweet."
Teyla's eyes caught the bandage peeking out beneath the short sleeves of Sophie's shirt. "Have you been wounded?"
"Oh," Sophie tugged at the edge of her sleeve to cover more. "Yea…but I'm fine."
"It was my fault," Colonel Shepherd admitted. "I should have been more careful when were dialing in. We were taken by surprise and came in hot. Sophie got caught in the crossfire."
"Really?" Rodney frowned. "Hmm, that's unfortunate."
Sophie smiled at his indifference. "I'm fine," she told them. "Dr. Keller fixed me."
"We missed you today," Colonel Shepherd told Teyla. "Did you have a nice day off?"
She looked hesitant. "I did enjoy my time with Torren."
"But?"
"It was a complicated day," she told him.
"Complicated how?"
"Kanaan and I have been discussing some difficult matters," she explained, "concerning our futures." Colonel Shepherd continued to wait in silence, and so she continued. "It is becoming more difficult for us to be apart. He wants to see more of Torren and myself."
"It's only natural for a father to want to see more of his son."
"Yes, but with Kanaan on the mainland and me here, it is impossible."
Colonel Shepherd was clearly trying to decipher Teyla's expression. "He's asked you to move to the mainland, hasn't he?"
Teyla nodded.
"You're not going to though, are you?"
She shook her head. "After Torren was born you gave me the opportunity to choose, and I did. I have no regrets about my decision to remain here as part of your team. Torren means everything to me, but the mission is my priority. Kanaan must understand that."
"Has he thought anymore about coming here?"
She nodded. "That is a difficult choice though as well. For him, leaving the mainland would feel like abandoning his people. We both have responsibilities. It is simply unfortunate that they keep us separate from one another at this time."
"Teyla, if you need to take time off, just say the word."
"No, John…"
"I'm serious," he interrupted. "After the whole thing with Michael, you never really got maternity leave. If you want it now, you can take it. Take Torren to the mainland and spend some time with Kanaan."
She fell silent.
"You want to, don't you?"
"The offer is very tempting," she told him, "but at this time I believe it would be best for me to remain here."
"Glad to hear it," he assured her. "If you change your mind though…"
"I will inform you." Sophie yawned suddenly and Teyla smiled at her. "You must be tired after the day you have had."
Sophie nodded, "I am."
"You should go to bed," Colonel Shepherd instructed. "You're going to have a busy day tomorrow too."
"Want me to walk you?" Ronon offered.
Sophie contemplated it briefly. She wanted to refuse the offer and insist upon being able to find her way back safely, but she was tired and her arm had started tingling again. She nodded, and Ronon stood immediately.
"You coming back?" Shepherd asked him.
Ronon shook his head. "I think I'll turn in now."
"See you in the morning then." He smiled up at Sophie, "sleep well."
Ronon and Sophie left, and Rodney immediate started in on his concerns.
"She's the new team member?" He groaned. "She's just a kid."
"I do not believe her to be as young as you think," Teyla argued.
"She's too young to be a part of this team. That's for sure."
Shepherd shrugged. "I felt the same way when I met her. I talked to Carter about it even."
"Was Colonel Carter concerned?" Teyla questioned.
"Nope," he shook his head. "She's young, but Carter claims she's more than qualified. She has the degrees to prove it supposedly."
"Degrees?" Rodney scoffed. "She's barely old enough to have started school."
"She's twenty-four."
"Twenty-four?" Rodney laughed. "Like I said, a kid."
"I would think you had seen enough to realize that age does not always coincide with capability," Teyla rebuked him. "I was not yet twenty when I became leader of my people."
"Yea, but your culture's different."
"May she not be as capable as I? Perhaps you are making false assumptions."
"And perhaps I'm assuming correctly."
"Did you not assume something similar of Dr. Keller when you first met her?"
"Well, maybe a little but…"
"And has she not proven herself repeatedly?"
"Well, of course, but…"
"Then might not Sophie prove herself capable if given time?"
Rodney fell silent, and Colonel Shepherd snickered.
"Now, I think it is very important for us to show our faith in her. If she believes we doubt her, she will doubt herself."
Colonel Shepherd nodded. "I agree."
Rodney mumbled under his breath.
"Rodney," Shepherd nearly growled.
"All right," he surrendered. "I'll give her a chance."
"Good," Shepherd stood. "Then I'm calling it a night." He left the table, waving over his shoulder as he left."
The next morning, Sophie was up and dressed with the sunrise. She wasn't sure what sort of schedule the city was on, but she didn't want to be late for anything. She again fastened her hair back; she thought she looked older and more sophisticated when her hair wasn't hanging down. When she opened the door she found Ronon leaning against the doorframe.
"Morning," he greeted.
After recovering from the shock of his massive figure waiting for her, she managed a smile. "Good morning."
"Hungry?"
She nodded. "I wasn't sure what time it was…"
"It's time," he told her as they headed towards the transporter.
Ronon was quiet for the whole walk up to the mess hall. Sophie didn't like the silence, but she wasn't sure what to say to him. She was relieved when they reached their destination and found Shepherd and Teyla waiting at a table. Ronon and Sophie filled their trays and joined the others.
"Did you sleep well?" Teyla asked.
"Pretty well, considering."
"Considering?"
"Oh you know," Sophie waved her hand around, "strange place, lots of thoughts going through my head…"
"Of course," Teyla smiled. "I remember my first nights here. It was a while before I could sleep with perfect peace."
Shepherd and Ronon glanced at each other and shrugged, clearly unfamiliar with restless nights.
"Colonel Shepherd," Sophie looked to him, "you mentioned some items I could look through for my room…do you think I could find an extra bookshelf?"
Shepherd nodded. "I'm sure that could be arranged."
"Good," she smiled.
"Don't you already have one?" Ronon asked.
"Yes, but I packed more books than I realized," she shrugged. "Reading is a large part of my work."
"We'll take care of that as soon as we return from our mission." Shepherd sipped his coffee and sat back in his chair. He suddenly sat up though and touched his earpiece. "What's going on?" Sophie watched him curiously, wondering when she would get her own earpiece. Shepherd frowned and sat up straighter. "Copy that." He clicked off from the headset and finished the rest of his coffee in one large gulp. "Control room," he motioned to the others to follow.
"All of us?" Sophie asked.
He noted she hadn't finished her breakfast yet, but he nodded. "Yea, you should come too."
"Okay," Sophie stood, but picked up her coffee cup. "I can skip breakfast, but you do not want to see me without coffee in the morning."
"Fair enough," Shepherd nodded.
The group headed out of the mess hall towards the transporter. It was a bit snug, but the four of them stepped in together and beamed to the transporter at the central tower. Sophie wasn't becoming any less impressed with how smooth the transportation occurred. There wasn't even a ripple in her coffee.
"Colonel, what can you tell me about this planet we're heading to today?" Sophie asked as they headed up to the control center.
"We've never been there before," Shepherd told her, "so, I can't tell you anything other than the coordinates. Teyla?"
"I'm sorry, but this is a planet I have never been to," she apologized.
"Then I guess we'll all just have to be surprised," Shepherd decided.
They reached the bridge and descended the short flight into the main control room, where they found Colonel Carter and Rodney waiting.
"Good you're here," Colonel Carter greeted them quickly. "Colonel Shepherd, we've got a problem."
"We usually do," Shepherd sighed. "What's happening?"
"Major Lorne's team has missed their check-in."
"How late?"
"Two hours."
"Okay, I want two teams up in the jumper bay right away. Teyla, Ronon, gear up," Shepherd took charge immediately. "Rodney, send the gate address to Jumper 1." He glanced at Sophie as he headed back up the steps. "I'm sorry, but we're going to have to postpone our excursion until tomorrow."
"Of course," she nodded. "Good luck."
He set his jaw and nodded as he passed her. "Carter, if you don't hear from us in three hours, assume we aren't coming back. Don't send another team."
Colonel Carter tightened her lips, but she nodded her confirmation. When Shepherd, Teyla, and Ronon had left, Colonel Carter turned to Sophie. "I'm sorry your first days have been so eventful, but in all the wrong ways."
"It's fine," Sophie assured her. "It's helping me get used to life in the city."
"Very true," she smiled. "I appreciate your positive perspective."
"Here they come," Rodney announced, pointing up towards the ceiling. It opened and Jumper 1 descended. Shepherd saluted from the driver's seat and reversed out of the active Stargate. Two more jumpers followed, and then the gate closed.
"All right," Colonel Carter nodded. "Three hours."
"Will they be all right?" Sophie asked.
Rodney and Colonel Carter exchanged glances that showed they felt this concern often, but neither of them answered right away. Finally Colonel Carter sighed. "There are always risks, but Colonel Shepherd and his team are very good at what they do."
"Right," Sophie decided to hope for the best, which seemed to be all anyone could do.
"Now, since you'll be stuck here for the day, I assume you'll want to just continue looking around."
Sophie nodded.
"If you would like a guide, we can arrange something…"
"No," Sophie refused, "that won't be necessary. Colonel Shepherd showed me how to work the transporters. I can find my way around."
"Okay," Carter nodded. "Enjoy yourself, but be safe."
Sophie left the control room and chose to take the stairs down rather than the nearest transporter. She wanted to get to know every inch of the city; she thought it would help her feel more comfortable. Perhaps it was an unfortunate trait, but Sophie's curiosity was insatiable. Though sometimes it led to problems, it did make her good at her job. She never left a stone unturned. Right now, she was curious about Atlantis.
Following the steps down, she stopped off at each landing to look around. Most of the floors held an assortment of research offices, and some were mostly vacant. At the lowest level, she took a transport to another section of the city, selecting one at random. Here she found the Botany lab and was given a brief tour by one of the young, enthusiastic botanists named Travis. After getting her fill of exotic plant life, Sophie took the transporter to the opposite pier, where she found the main science department. She could only tolerate a few minutes of a lecture by Dr. Zelenka before fleeing to a different area. She accidentally found her way back the medical department and ran into Dr. Keller.
"Good," she smiled, "I was hoping you'd come back on your own."
"It was sort of an accident," Sophie admitted.
"Well, it was a lucky accident then," she said. "I need to check your stitches and change the bandage. Has it been bothering you at all?"
"Not really," Sophie told her. "It started tingling a little last night, but it didn't feel too serious, so I just ignored it."
"You should never ignore pain, or tingling," Dr. Keller reprimanded. "The littlest things can become very serious, very quickly."
"You sound like my brother." Sophie winced as Dr. Keller cleansed the wound.
"Sorry," Dr. Keller tried to be gentler. "Your brother?"
"He's a doctor too," she explained, "a surgeon actually. He's always worrying about me."
"What did he think of you coming here?"
"Well, he doesn't know where I am, of course, but he knows I'm working with the government, which made him very uneasy."
"Are you two close?"
Sophie nodded. "He's the only family I have. It was very difficult leaving him," she sighed. "He wasn't happy with my decision to leave." Sophie stopped herself and smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I didn't mean to get into all that…"
Dr. Keller shook her head. "You don't have to apologize. I remember how difficult it was for me to leave my dad." She covered Sophie's wound with fresh ointment and bandage. "If you ever need to talk about it…"
"Thanks," Sophie cut her off promptly. She didn't have much experience with girlfriends, and she didn't think she was ready to establish a new one. Her only close female relationship had been in junior high school—Carly, her partner in crime. Their relationship had been founded less on the value of conversation and confidentiality, and more on an affinity for skipping school and making out with older guys. That friendship had ended when they parted ways for high school, and after that point Sophie had found more comfort in her male relationships.
"Okay, you're good to go," Dr. Keller smiled, "but remember, even tingling should be checked out."
"Yes ma'am," Sophie slid off the table and resumed her exploration.
She chose another location at random on the transporter map and ended up in a corridor she hadn't been to yet. When the transporter doors opened, the corridor ahead of her was well lit, and she followed it to the end without seeing anybody, though doors on both sides of the corridor indicated more potential offices and labs. At the end of the hall, Sophie found a large door, which piqued her curiosity enough for her to pass through. When the doors parted, however, the corridor behind it was completely dark. Sophie hesitated for a moment, but as soon as she stepped through the doors, the power activated and lights flickered alive on both sides of the corridor. With the encouragement of lights, Sophie ventured further down the corridor, peering into the various rooms she passed along the way. She met nobody in the passage and though the rooms weren't empty, they clearly were not in use.
At the end of the corridor, she found the largest room, which was like the others, empty, but full of interesting objects. In the center of the room was what reminded her of a large computer, and she assumed it was a database of some form. Around the outside walls of the room there were multiple smaller computers, and on one wall a large window. Sophie crossed to the window and peered through it curiously. The room on the other side of the window was dark, but she could discern the vague outlines of what looked like cages.
Unable to refrain her curiosity, Sophie ran her fingers over the screen of the central computer; it flickered to life at her touch. She recognized some of the Ancient words and symbols on the screen, but not enough to interpret it in a moment. She studied it carefully for a moment, trying to decipher enough to understand the laboratory she was in, but she was interrupted.
"Don't move!"
Sophie felt her hear pounding as she heard the command from the doorway behind where she stood.
"Turn around with your hands where we can see them."
She did as she was told and turned to find a group of men surrounding her with guns aimed.
"Hold it!" Rodney stepped forward through the men. "Never mind," he shook his head, "she's fine. It's the new girl." The men lowered their weapons and Sophie started to breathe again.
"I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I didn't know there were places that were off-limits."
Rodney came towards her. "There aren't really, but this corridor isn't active. How did you activate it?"
"What do you mean?"
"How did you turn the power on here?"
"I didn't," she insisted. "I just came in."
"And?"
"And everything turned on like every other place."
Rodney frowned. "You didn't do anything?"
"No."
He sighed and beckoned to one of the military men. "Take her to Dr. Keller. Have here tested for the gene."
"The gene?" Sophie hesitated. "The ancient gene?" She shook her head. "I heard about that, but how could I have the gene?"
"Just go…" He waved her away and the armed man guided her back to the transporter.
"I don't have the gene," Sophie argued as they headed up.
The military man shrugged. "Not really my area."
They stepped off the transport and entered the infirmary. Dr. Keller frowned when she saw them. "You're not hurt again, are you?"
"No," Sophie assured her. "Dr. McKay sent me."
"He wants here tested for the gene," the military man explained.
"The gene?" Dr. Keller seemed uncertain, but motioned Sophie onto a table. "I thought the might have tested you before you came."
"If they thought it was important, I'm sure they would have," Sophie agreed. "So, clearly this is irrelevant."
Dr. Keller smiled. "I know you aren't fond of needles, but if McKay thinks you should be tested…"
"Fine," Sophie resigned herself to the blood test and put out her arm. "Let's get it over with."
"Thank you for bringing her, but you don't have to stay," Dr. Keller dismissed the military man and he left with a curt nod.
"Do you have the gene?" Sophie asked as Dr. Keller began prepping the test tube and syringe.
"Nope," she shrugged. "I never took the gene therapy."
"How many people have the gene without the therapy?"
"Not many," Dr. Keller admitted. "No more than half a dozen."
Sophie frowned. "I don't know why I would have it."
"Why does McKay think you do?"
"No clue," she confessed.
"Miss Marlowe…" The girls looked up as Colonel Carter entered the infirmary. "I apologize for the overreaction. I hope we didn't frighten you too much."
Sophie shook her head, "just a little."
"You have to understand how alarmed we were to see that part of the city activating. We've been trying for weeks to get it turned on, but nothing we have tried has worked," she explained. "We had no way of knowing it was you down there, and our paranoia naturally kicked into high gear."
"Of course," Sophie nodded. "It's understandable."
Carter shifted her weight and watched quietly as Dr. Keller drew Sophie's blood. Sophie winced and again kept her eyes carefully averted from what the doctor was doing. When she had finished, she transferred the blood to the test tube, labeled it, and handed it off to an assistant to run the appropriate tests. A small drop of blood had oozed from the spot on Sophie's arm where the needle had been inserted, and Dr. Keller quickly covered it with a cotton ball.
"Put pressure here," she instructed. Glancing over her shoulder at Carter, Dr. Keller shook her head. "Is there anything else you need?"
She shook her head. "I just want to make sure she's all right."
"I took a lot of blood," Dr. Keller told her. "Sophie will probably be a little dizzy for a while, but other than that she's going to be fine."
Sophie nodded, and though she knew Carter was referring to the incident with the armed men, and not to her blood being drawn, she decided not to mention it any further. She would rather not be reminded of the incident, it was both embarrassing and a little frightening.
"All right, then I'm going to go and check up on Rodney. I'm sure he's already diverted a large team to the new area you have unlocked, and I'm eager to see what he's discovered." Colonel Carter glanced at Dr. Keller, "let me know what you find out."
"As soon as I have the results," she confirmed.
"Good," Colonel Carter smiled at Sophie and left.
"How long will the results take?" Sophie asked, still holding the cotton over her arm.
"A little while," Dr. Keller told her, "but you don't have to wait."
"Good," Sophie slid off the table and took a moment to control her dizziness. "I'll see you later, then."
"Hopefully not back here," Dr. Keller laughed.
Sophie didn't find the joke quite as humorous, knowing how klutzy she was by nature. Her brother had spent too many hours patching up her scrapes and broken bones. She waved to the doctor and left, deciding to return to her own room. Once there, Sophie resumed the unpacking, which she hadn't finished the night before. She had brought everything she thought she would need to feel at home, as she had been instructed, and so her room was coming together nicely. The shelves were full of books as well as framed pictures of her and her brother, and she had put up a few pieces of framed art on the walls, mostly an assortment of Salvador Dali and Roy Lichtenstein. Her deep crimson and gold duvet and decorative pillows had transformed the boring bed, and the floor had been covered with an exotic rug she had picked up on a trip to India the previous summer. Even the tiny adjacent bathroom felt more comfortable once she had hung up her favorite fluffy black towels and unloaded her toiletries into the mirror-covered cupboard.
Sophie completely lost track of time after mostly completing the unpacking process and curling up with one of her favorite novels in one of the two armchairs, which were tucked up against the window. It took her a moment to pull out of the story after hearing a hard, brisk knock on the door.
"Come in!"
The doors parted, and Shepherd, Ronon, and Teyla stood in the doorway.
"You're back!" Sophie stood quickly, dropping her book in the chair. "Did everything go okay? Did you find Lorne's team?"
"There were some minor complications, but everyone's back safe and sound," Shepherd explained. "We heard you had quite the day though."
"Umm, yea, I guess." They were still lingering in the doorway, so Sophie waved them inside, motioning to the armchairs, while she sat down on her bed. Teyla and Shepherd sat, while Ronon leaned up against the wall, arms crossed.
"I hear I'm not so special anymore," Shepherd smirked.
"Special?"
"The ancient gene," he explained, "you and I are a couple of the only ones who have it naturally."
Sophie pursued her lips. "Does that mean Dr. Keller and McKay have finished my blood testing?"
Shepherd nodded. "Carter thought we might like to tell you."
"Thanks." She hesitated. "I didn't hurt anything in that lab, did I?"
"I don't think so. I'm sure you'd have heard from Rodney by now if you had."
Sophie didn't know what else to say, so she sat quietly for a moment, fidgeting with the edge of her skirt.
"How long have you been hiding in here?" Ronon asked.
"I'm not hiding," Sophie protested.
Ronon looked skeptical.
"I just think it might not be a good idea for me to wander around anymore," Sophie told them.
"No one minds you exploring," Shepherd assured her.
She shrugged. "A dozen armed men make me feel differently."
"They sent armed men after you?" Shepherd asked.
"They were concerned," Sophie explained. "It's understandable…"
"Maybe so," Shepherd agreed, "but I'm sorry that happened to you. If it makes you feel better, they probably had their weapons set to stun."
"Strangely, it doesn't make much of a difference," Sophie told him.
"Sorry." He looked around the room. "Looks like you're pretty settled."
"I'm getting there," Sophie agreed.
"Still want to look through the storage?"
"Absolutely."
"Good, but let's have dinner first."
Sophie followed Shepherd and the others to the mess hall and they sat together to have their meal. Sophie could foresee many nights of group dinners such as this, and she liked the idea. She liked listening to them share stories of previous missions and describe people she had yet to meet. Halfway through the meal, Rodney joined them. He seemed clearly anxious, perhaps even agitated.
"Hi Rodney," Shepherd greeted him dubiously. "What's wrong with you?"
"What? Nothing. Why do you think something's wrong?"
"You're not eating," Shepherd observed.
"And you're sweating," Teyla added.
He ran his hand over his forehead, "am I?"
Sophie noticed him glance at her, and she started feeling anxious. "It's about me, isn't it?" She asked. "This is about me having the gene."
"Is she right?" Shepherd asked.
Rodney finally began to eat so he wouldn't have to respond.
"What's so strange about her having the gene? It's nothing new here anymore."
He mumbled something, but it was inaudible with the food in his mouth.
"Dr. McKay, what's wrong with me?"
"Sam told you that we've been trying to activate that area for a while now, right?"
"Colonel Carter?"
"Yes, Sam, Colonel Carter," Rodney waved his hand, "the point is, nothing has worked. We've tried overriding the system, using the gene…everything."
"And?"
"And you walk in today and it just turns on."
"Yea, sorry again," she stared down at her plate.
"Don't apologize," Shepherd interrupted.
"You didn't do anything wrong," Rodney agreed, "but there's a reason you were able to activate the area when no one else could."
"Which is what?"
"The trace of ancient gene in your DNA is stronger than any I've ever seen before."
"What does that mean?"
"I don't know how to put it in any other words," he told her. "It's just what it is. You have more of the gene than anyone I've ever met. That must be why the room activated for you," he explained. "It recognized more Ancient in you."
"I'm more Ancient?" Sophie repeated.
"Apparently."
She analyzed Rodney's expression and hesitated. "Why do I feel like there's more coming…"
"Yes, now that we understand why you were able to activate that lab, there are a few other things I would like you to try…"
"Cool," Shepherd grinned, "I'm off the top of the list."
"The top of the list?"
"The go-to guy for Ancient activated stuff," he explained. "There's a ranking order." He patted her on the shoulder. "You've just been promoted." Sophie wasn't sure whether she should be complimented or terrified, but Rodney quickly began listing the things he would need her for. "Welcome to the team," Shepherd grinned, and Sophie groaned.