A very nice reviewer said I needed to be a little more descriptive. So I've updated and hope it is a little better.

CHAPTER 2

Two days later AR-1 sauntered through the gate from a mission that for once went right. They were suntanned, laughing, and carrying a signed trade agreement for fresh fruit, grains, and vegetables. They strolled down to the infirmary for a very fast post op check up surprising Dr. Beckett with their lack of injuries. They grinned and joked their way through debrief. Nobody threw dirty looks at McKay for saying the wrong things and he didn't make any snarky comments about anyone's behavior toward female villagers.

And then they asked about AR-4's mission to Tapeca and the good mood evaporated like fog when hit by the sun.

"First of all P94-274 is called Elui not Tapeca and the inhabitants are…..different." Dr. Weir told them with a guarded look on her face. She had had a hard time believing the report that AR-4 gave her and would have seriously doubted several of the facts if Radek hadn't been bobbing his head in agreement with everything they said.

"Different how?" Sheppard asked concerned noticing that the rest of his team was suddenly alert as well since 'different' usually meant 'bad'.

"Well, their physiology is interesting and apparently they are friendly and willing to negotiate, but from what Lt. Simmons reports they weren't 'seeded' by the Ancients they were already here. In fact, they say they remember the Atlanteans arriving in the galaxy. It all sounds unbelievable; you'll just need to read the report." Dr. Weir looked around the table trying to decipher the various looks on her best team. They varied. Sheppard – wary; McKay – mystified and worried; Teyla – curious; Ronon – bored and unconcerned, but she knew that beneath all the different facades four very intelligent minds were chewing on the vague information she was giving them wondering why she didn't just tell them what was in the report.

"Simmons told them we were on Atlantis?" Sheppard finally asked incredulously going from laid back flyboy to military commander simply by shifting his posture. No longer was he draped bonelessly in the chair, but was sitting straight up arms on the table as he stared at Elizabeth. He had thought Lt. Simmons had better sense than that!

"No," Elizabeth steepled her hands and looked around the table. "They already knew." She glanced down at the folder in front of her and then back up at AR-1. "The Eluians said they discovered us here about a week ago. They say they were allies of the Atlanteans in the fight against the Wraith."

"What?" McKay asked startled, his eyes widening. "If that was the case," he continued in a rush, "there would be mention of them in the database." His hands twitched nervously on the table. "What were they called? Afusians? I need to start searching…" He started to stand up, but was stopped by Elizabeth's raised hand.

"Eluians and Radek has been searching since he came back without much success. If they are in the database, they are hidden just like Tapeca was. The good news is they know where Tapeca is and if negotiations go well they will be willing to let us peruse the facility."

The team traded knowing looks. Negotiations very seldom went 'well' and 'peruse' didn't mean 'get to use'. Dr. Weir grinned wryly. "Here, take a copy of their mission reports with you. Be sure and read them tonight because I want you all to accompany Lt. Simmons team tomorrow for the second round of talks."

"Ha! Knew we should have gone in the first place." McKay gloated and received a smirking nod of agreement from Sheppard and two little nods from Teyla and Ronon. Oh yes, McKay may be the only one that acted like a Prima Dona, but they all knew they were the best.

"Read the reports." Dr. Weir said with a little grin, placing her hands on the table and standing up. She left without another word refusing to acknowledge that AR-1 should have been assigned this one from the beginning.

It was understood that as each member finished reading the report and was ready to discuss the details they would meet in the small mess. McKay flipped through the report.

The inhabitants of P94-274 call themselves Eluians. They have the amazing ability to shape-shift from a physical humanoid form to what appears to be an electrical sphere. They possess various mental abilities of various degrees ranging from telepathy and teleportation to abilities we don't have names for. They seem at first meeting to be friendly. They have advanced technology, not Ancient, that they have incorporated into their society for those without 'abilities' this being some of their own with very minor talents and the various peoples of the 'Protectorate Worlds".

He skipped the parts about food products for trade. They had plenty right now and as long as it ended up in the mess as something edible he wasn't concerned about agricultural items. He stopped briefly at the paragraph about how friendly they were.

The Eluians are…freer…in their pleasures than we are accustomed to. Every evening there is a communal gathering to eat and 'celebrate life'. There is an exorbitant selection of food and beverages, music, dancing, games, and …well….'pairing off'. That is as explicit as it gets folks. Apparently, the only criteria for 'pairing off'' is that both parties are in agreement. The only ones that refrain are the couples that are in permanent relationships.

Electrical spheres, mental abilities, Protectorate Worlds? Blah, blah, blah. He'd go directly to Zalenka and get the facts. "Radek!" He yelled as he entered the lab waving the report around. "What is this? Mental supermen and wonder women?"

"Ah, Rodney, nice tan." Radek glanced up and then returned his attention to the device he was working on. "First one?"

"Yes, yes, yes…for once they didn't try to kill us. Skin cancer - that's another matter and for your information I've tanned before. I just have to be careful." He sounded offended. "What about P94-274?" he asked snappily.

"The women – very pretty, very accommodating." Radek grinned dreamily.

"I so do not want to hear the details of whatever tête-à-tête you had with the alien wonder women! Anything useful – like Tapeca's location?"

"You read report? It is all there." Radek shrugged and turned back to his work station.

"Report? This collection of fantasy?" McKay waved the paper around again. "And who told any of you to stop working?" He snarled at the other lab techs that had stopped working and were listening to his and Radek's conversation. He glared at them until they all spun back around and began to apply themselves once more to their respective projects. Really, if he didn't keep on top of them they would waste their entire day on pointless conversation or trying to blow up the city through inattention or incompetence.

Radek shook his head. "Not fantasy. I was there. They are able to shift from human form to an electrical sphere they call Tana. Most fascinating, actually." He continued to tinker with the device as he spoke grinning when it began to hum. "As a people they have telepathy, empathy, healing abilities, telekinesis, teleportation, and other abilities." He looked at his laptop screen and typed in a few commands. "Thankfully not everyone has every ability or even very strong abilities. They apparently are the hub of several planets in that sector and have taken the role of protectors, but they are the only ones with mental abilities."

McKay just stared at him stunned and trying to absorb the idea of a whole race of people with that kind of mental ability. Then with a mental leap he put two separate facts together. "Radek, they told Simmons they've know about us for about a week. That was about the time the flying balls of light were seen."

Radek looked at him startled just then remembering the jokes about "UFO's" even in the Pegasus Galaxy. "Yes, that is exactly what they look like." He shook himself. "I have been researching. All I have been able to discover is that the Ancients did not want to leave a lot of technology just lying around Atlantis so they stored it at Tapeca. Where Tapeca is located is not mentioned except for the gate address that took us to Elui, but there is no trace of Ancient technology on their world. And that is the only reference I have found to Elui."

"Hmmm…yes, well," Rodney frowned in aggravation. "We now know that not all information in the database is cross-referenced, don't we." He sat down all a lab stool. "Sometimes I wish the Ancients would return just so we could strangle them. I mean, could they be any more vague and convoluted?" He glanced at the readouts on Radek's screen and at the device on the counter. "What is that anyway?"

Radek grinned. "Found yesterday by AR-2 on M43-235. It is supposed to recalibrate crystals so they can be used for different purpose."

"What!" Rodney jumped off his stool knocking it over in his haste. "And you were going to tell me when?" He snapped furiously.

"When I made it work. Which I think is now." Radek said unmoved by Rodney's outburst. You can only work with Rodney McKay for so long before becoming somewhat immune to his temper.

McKay glared at him. If it had been anyone but Radek, who really was almost as brilliant as he was, Rodney would be tearing strips out of his hide for not telling him before he began tinkering with it. Radek just grinned slightly and went about his business of checking the diagnostics on the laptop and searching for crystals to try recalibrating.

"You go arrange trade with glowing spheres and I will recalibrate crystals."

"Fine. Please try and not destroy the few crystals we have left." McKay retorted as he left the lab.

A couple of hours later Shepard's team were all gathered in the mess. Teyla and Sheppard were nursing a hot cup of tea and a cup of coffee respectively while they both watched Ronon and McKay make inroads into their second supper of the day.

"Simmons says they seem friendly. Answering any question, very outgoing, very jovial, very 'touchy-feely' until you mention Tapeca then they kind of get reserved and redirect the conversation. They don't deny its existence; they're just reluctant to disclose its location." Sheppard relayed the information in his usual laid-back fashion waiting to see what his team thought about the facts before he input his impressions.

"People that open and friendly usually…" Teyla began.

"…Are hiding something." Ronon finished for her in between bites of pseudo-mashed potatoes and Pegasus chicken.

"And if they are that friendly," McKay added, holding up a finger to emphasize his point, "why didn't they say 'hi'," he waved his hand, "when they were here a week ago?" He started scooping blue jell-o out of its container with relish.

"What?" "They were here?" "How do you know that?"

McKay looked oh so smug. "Put the facts together people." He waved his spoon around. "Electrical spheres? Glowing balls of light seen a week ago? They've known about us for about a week?"

The team traded looks. The Genii had been friendly until their secret was discovered and the Asurans were friendly until they decided the team had information they wanted. This mission would definitely be more like their normal disastrous missions. Hopefully it wouldn't involve painful brain scans or other inventive means of torture.

"I'm bringing my knives." Ronon rumbled leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms.

"You always bring your knives." Sheppard pointed out.

"Not all of them."

"Oh."