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Episode One: Home (Part 1)

He had not enjoyed the serenity of sleep for almost two days and yet his mind had shown no evidence of the fatigue so evident in his physical appearance. For Doctor Rodney McKay, this project had now become a compulsion that he had resolved to defeat by any means necessary. He had been charged with solving impossible tasks before now and had always risen to the challenge. And he would be damned if his first assignment with his new research team would end in failure. Particularly one that could revolutionise the way humans view the universe and establish himself as one of the greatest minds in history. Not that he needed any external validation of that fact.

"What if we try using the Holographic interface?" chimed Zelenka, drawing Rodney out of his train of thought.

"What?"

"The Holographic interface, the Ancients designed it as the main point of access for their database"

"Oh yes, great idea. Why don't you head down there with a notepad, make a few sketches and write down everything the hologram tells you. Should only take a couple of thousand years that way." replied Rodney sarcastically.

"It will still be more productive than what we are doing now" replied Zelenka frustratedly "..look we may find that the Hologram can show us a faster way to download and decrypt the database. It's worth a shot."

Rodney considered the request for a moment. They had made astoundingly little progress in decrypting the Atlantis database since the project started almost two months ago, despite having access to the most brilliant minds on the planet. And he had to admit, he was growing as frustrated as Zelenka with the lack of headway made. And maybe Zelenka had a point, what better way to unlock the Atlantis database than by using Atlantis itself.

"Fine. We'll head down there this afternoon. That should give me enough time to sharpen all my pencils" replied Rodney, trying to conceal the fact that he had begrudgingly acquiesced to Zelenka's idea.

"You should get some sleep first Rodney...you look dreadful" Zelenka said with the merest hint of smile.

"So says Bruce Wayne himself" retorted Rodney. The truth was that both men looked completely dishevelled, a side effect of their efforts on the project. But the work was of such importance, that is was worth every strange look they received from the other researchers.

"Okay" said Zelenka, taking charge of the situation. "so we both go get some sleep and meet at the Holo room in two hours?"

"Agreed." And with that Rodney got up from the chair that had effectively been his home for two days straight, stumbling slightly as he got to his feet. He and Zelenka stepped out of the control room and into gate room itself. The Stargate had effectively been shut down ever since Atlantis returned to Earth, giving the room a strangely empty feeling. Or maybe that was the lack of familiar faces, busily going about their daily routines. Rodney sighed inwardly, missing the halcyon days in Pegasus and the companionship forged there. This project was just not the same, no matter how hard he tried to pretend it was.

As Rodney took the first few steps towards the corridor and eventually his quarters, a small tap on his shoulder stopped him in his tracks. Turning around he saw the youthful face of Doctor Jansen, one of the research assistants and the youngest member of the team. Rodney had not spent much time with him, mainly as he had so little free time but also because Jansen was unusually happy. All of the time. And that irritated Rodney.

"What is it Jansen?" enquired McKay in as polite a tone as he could muster in his current state.

"Sorry to disturb you Doctor McKay" he said apologetically before continuing "but Mr Woolsey and the IOA delegation have arrived and are requesting your presence in the conference room."

Rodney froze. The IOA status meeting. How could he have forgotten about that? Well working forty-eight hours shifts on an impossible task might have something to do with it, he thought to himself. But still, how could he tell the IOA yet again that they had failed to make any headway. That in two months, they had managed to download 15% of the Atlantis database and yet had been unable to decrypt hardly any of the information. A sense of apprehension washed over him. A cursory nod and smile dismissed Jansen but he doubted whether his charm would work so well on the IOA delegates.

"Zelenka!" he called out. The Czech scientist, who was only a few feet away from him, spun around immediately at the call of his name.

"Yes Rodney?"

"You get started on the Holographic interface this afternoon. Something else has come up"

"The IOA?" asked Zelenka knowingly

"How did you know that?"

"Your face. It had the same expression the last time they were here. Don't worry Doctor McKay, I'll get started this afternoon". With that, he turned again and headed off down the corridor. Oh how Rodney envied him, so little responsibility resting on his shoulders. McKay had to admit, he had developed a new found admiration for the likes of Sheppard and Carter over the past eight weeks in the way they dealt with the pressures of leadership. Shaking his head at that admission, he turned and headed straight for the conference room, eager to get this over and done with.

- - SGA - -

The delegates were already seated and had been served refreshments by the time Rodney had reached the conference room. He entered the room and with his usual degree of awkwardness, proceeded to exchange pleasantries with the gathered dignitaries. A small smile from Mr Woolsey helped settle Rodney's frazzled mind and allowed him to focus as the proceedings began.

Less than two hours into the meeting and the frustration was building inside Rodney, simmering just beneath and almost breaking through to the surface. With unerring ease, the IOA committee had managed to pick apart almost two months of work on the Atlantis database and were now questioning the competency of him and his team. How could anyone be a diplomat for a living? he thought to himself as the IOA members paused for a brief recess that allowed them to chat among themselves, no doubt preparing a fresh assault on the lack of progress he had made. As the chatter died down, it was Woolsey who spoke first, his calm demeanour masking his own frustrations with how this supposedly routine meeting was going.

"Doctor McKay, please be assured that no-one here is questioning your ability nor your expertise on Atlantis or the Ancients" he spoke confidently and with a hint of sympathy.

"Well you could have fooled me" Rodney retorted childishly, still seething from the criticisms of his work and his team. He had expected to be held accountable for the project, but the manner of this dressing down was difficult to contend with.

"The committee is simply concerned that the current rate of progress will be insufficient to convince their governments to continue funding this project." explained Woolsey

"Well, they can tell their governments that the best minds on the planet are assigned to this project and if we are unable to accelerate the data decryption process, then nobody can"

"We understand that..." Woolsey started before Rodney cut him off.

"No you don't Mr Woolsey. None of you do. For the past two months we've been working night and day, using all manner of algorithms and computer programmes to try to decrypt the database. Personally, I haven't slept for two days because I've been trying to think of a solution to a problem most of you probably can't even comprehend. So forgive me, but you don't understand anythi..."

As if by some curious quirk of cosmic irony, Rodney himself was cut off by a shrill and piercing alarm that seemed to echo through every room and corridor of this vast city ship. It was a sound that he had never heard before, which automatically made him feel a little uneasy. The good news was that this allowed the anger he was feeling to subside. The bad news was that it had been replaced by a sense of dread, and that was way worse. Suddenly, his earpiece crackled into life, causing him to jump slightly.

"Doctor McKay, could you please join me in the Holographic room?" said Zelenka, a slight quiver in his voice.

"What for?" replied McKay curiously, though grateful for the reprieve from all this...politicking.

"Something is wrong." replied Zelenka, the concern now even more evident in his voice. "Something is very wrong..."