Chapter 1


The camera was focused on a chair with a white backdrop. Colonel Sheppard slowly walked into the frame and took a seat.

"Right here?" he asked sitting down.

"Yeah...that's great," a voice commented from behind the camera.

Sheppard rubbed his neck for a moment and looked around awkwardly.

"Please introduce yourself..."

"Oh...ah...I'm Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard of the United States Air Force. I'm currently the military commander of the Atlantis Expedition," he cleared his voice and stared directly into the lens, "Are you sure about this? I mean I feel silly doing this..."

"No...No that was great..."

"Right..." he replied with a slight scowl, "That wasn't really what I was getting at."

"So John...is it alright if I call you John?"

"Whatever floats your boat..."

"What is it like living in a distant galaxy?"

"Honestly?" he answered, perking up a bit as he glanced to the camera, "It's pretty cool."


"So would you like introductions?" Sam asked as she returned to the line of people.

Many of them passed nervous smiles to the camera.

"Oh, no, that won't be necessary. I will get names and perhaps numbers later," Todd answered with a laugh as he moved to nudge her in the arm.

Sam stepped aside and forced smile, "Alright...how would you like to begin?"

"Everyone, just proceed as if we aren't here," he addressed the room.

"Of course..." she raised her brows as she turned to everyone else, "Well you heard the man!"

Almost immediately the group parted ways, heading off to side corridors or up the staircase. Camera shy or work to do, though it seemed likely it was probably both that drove them away. The camera jolted around as the operator struggled to figure out which way to go.

"Who am I supposed to follow?" Dean, the cameraman, whispered to the director.

"Well I guess we'll go ahead with that meeting then," Sam said as she looked to Colonel Sheppard, the only person who still remained.

After a nod they headed up the stairs. Todd motioned with his head towards them.

"I think we should go with them," he reiterated, "Now...now...now..."

The cameraman jerked forward and the mass of film crew personnel formed together. Dashing up the stairs he suddenly came to a halt. Breathing deeply the view shifted to the ground.

"What are you doing?" Todd yelled as he lifted the camera back up, "Go...go...go..."

Within a mater of minutes they reached the tiny office where Samantha Carter was sitting at her desk speaking. The door opened and she drew to a pause as the film crew crowded into the space.

"Can we have 'secret' meetings from now on?" Colonel Sheppard remarked, more to himself as he turned away from the camera.

"Um...as I was saying..." Sam started up again.

Slowly the camera zoomed in nearing her face. She stopped mid-sentence and turned to glare at the cameraman.

"I'm sorry...what is this? You can't do that to a person..." she stated as she pushed her hand on the lens to force it back.

With her personal bubble restored she continued, "I've approved the off world mission..."

"Did you hear that everyone?" Todd whispered, "New set..."

"Hey...hey...hold on there buddy," Colonel Sheppard suddenly stepped forward and the camera moved in, "No one said you get to come along."

"Actually," Sam remarked as John managed a cringe, "As part of the agreement you can't really stop them, at least not on this low risk trip."

"If they're coming along they're going to have to follow my orders," he said hoping to make something of the mater.

"I agree completely..."

"Yeah...yeah...yeah..." Todd broke in, "Can we get over the talk about us? We're not supposed to be here, remember?"

"You keep telling yourself that..." Colonel Sheppard remarked as he moved towards the door, "We're done then? I'm going to step out. It's getting too crowded in here for my tastes."

The film crew moved with him. Passing a glare he looked to Sam for backing, she merely shrugged.

"At least they're not long term," she tried to find the positive.


Sitting in the chair with arms tightly crossed he cracked his neck.

"You are?"

"Ronon..." suddenly the sound microphone conked him on the head.

Instantly reacting he pulled his weapon aiming it just above the fixed camera.

"Okay...okay...ah...help! Someone help!"

The camera turned off. Suddenly the picture returned to Ronon sitting calmly with his arms once again crossed.

"Ah...you...are?"

"Ronon Dex."

"Alright...well I think that's enough for today."