Title: Mind Over Matter
Summary: When Sheppard returns from bereavement leave after his father's death, a discovery leads Atlantis to a new world and potentially valuable allies. But a secret from the planet's past might just wind up costing Rodney and Sheppard their lives.
Timeframe: Set directly after Outcast.
Spoilers: In this chapter, major spoilers for "Outcast," and the season one episode, "Childhood's End."
Disclaimer: It's not mine, but can I keep Sheppard anyway? Please? *looks hopeful*
A/N: Thank you to everyone who read the first chapter, and put this story on alert. :) And thank you especially to everyone who reviewed!
As always, I thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who is the source of all inspiration.
I hope you enjoy it, and please let me know what you think!
Mind Over Matter
Chapter 2
Countdown: Seven hours earlier…
Rodney had spent an hour trying to see if he could retrieve any other salvageable information from the database. His efforts hadn't turned up anything useful, unfortunately, and he'd had to devote the rest of his morning to a bizarre incident involving two of his scientists. He had much better things to do with his time than finding out if being covered in potentially hazardous slime qualified as a medical emergency, thank you.
At 1200, he'd gladly handed the two embarrassed scientists over to Zelenka, grabbed lunch in the mess hall, and made his way to the locker room to get geared up.
Fifteen minutes later, he, Ronon, Sheppard, and Lieutenant Edison, the Marine who'd been chosen to take Teyla's place on the mission, were standing in the gate room, waiting for the gate to dial. Teyla was standing on the gate room floor with them, wanting to see them off. It was still strange to go on missions without her, but Rodney knew it was too dangerous while she was pregnant.
Rodney stole a glance at Sheppard, and scowled a little. Sheppard was his usual laid-back self on the outside, but he'd barely said three sentences the whole time they'd been getting prepped. Rodney had caught Ronon and Teyla sharing a concerned look and resisted the urge to say, "I told you so." But, Sheppard either didn't notice their worry, or he was pretending not to.
The last chevron engaged, and the gate sprang to life. The MALP rolled forward, and disappeared into the gate.
It took a moment for the telemetry to come through, but soon, Chuck was calling out the all-clear: "Atmosphere appears breathable. No toxins detected, and radiation levels are acceptable. I'm not detecting any life signs around the gate, either."
Rodney glanced up just in time to see Sam nod on the balcony. "Alright, you have a go."
Sheppard turned around to give Sam a casual, two-fingered salute in acknowledgement, and walked through the event horizon.
Edison and Ronon went next, and Rodney followed behind them.
He froze as soon as he reached the other side.
Most stargates in Pegasus were in the middle of nowhere - an extra defense against the Wraith. This one seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, too, but the grass around it was neatly trimmed, and rows of carefully tended plants outlined a path leading from the gate.
"Well," Sheppard said, his eyes scanning the terrain, "this is different."
The sky was a bright, crystal blue. Green, rolling hills that all seemed to be covered in that same, neatly trimmed grass, reached as far as the eye could see. It was like walking into a giant park that was cared for by a bunch of paranoid, overworked gardeners.
Rodney just hoped he wasn't allergic.
He stuck a hand into his vest and pulled out the life signs detector. A number of small dots appeared. "I'm picking up a cluster of life signs that way," he said, pointing down the path.
Sheppard nodded. "Okay. Let's go introduce ourselves to the locals. Hopefully they're friendly."
Sheppard reached into a pocket, took out his sunglasses, and slipped them over his eyes before taking point. Rodney and Edison moved behind him, and Ronon brought up their six.
Rodney kept one eye on the life signs detector and one eye on the landscape as they walked. The flowerbeds seemed to run the entire length of the path, and almost every plant was blooming and healthy-looking, the colors alternating in a clear pattern: pink, yellow, blue, purple…pink, yellow blue, purple… Not a single flower out of place. They even seemed to be the same size. The path itself was paved with a pale, gray stone, and it was practically spotless, like somebody had been really enthusiastic about sweeping.
Everything was perfect. A little too perfect.
"Am I the only one who thinks this place is creepy?" Rodney asked.
"It's…weird, sir," Edison agreed.
"I don't like it. No trees. Not enough cover." Ronon, of course.
Sheppard - apparently - didn't have a comment to make.
"At least, if this is any indication, they seem to be a pretty advanced civilization," Rodney muttered, trying to fill the silence. "An advanced civilization with a subscription to Obsessed Gardeners Monthly, and way too much time on their hands, but advanced nonetheless."
They hiked for a few more minutes, and Rodney spent most of that time scanning for energy readings. If this world did have an EM generator like M7G-677 did, then he should be able to detect it. Besides, it wasn't like there was anything to look at. Hills, grass, flowers. More hills. More grass. More flowers.
That was probably why he almost walked into Sheppard when he stopped.
"What-" Rodney started. He blinked. "Oh."
They were standing in front of what Rodney assumed was some kind of guard station - really, it was the group of armed men surrounding it that gave it away. There was a tense moment as the two groups assessed each other. But, no one was attacking yet, so Rodney took that as a good sign.
One of the men walked forward, his hand resting on the hilt of his weapon, his other hand raised in what Rodney was coming to recognize as the universal signal for "I won't shoot if you won't."
Sheppard saw it too, and slowly lowered his P-90, nodding tentatively in greeting.
The man nodded back. "I am Jaris Marson, Perfect Varrin's Chief of Security."
"I'm Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard, and this is Dr. Rodney McKay, Ronon Dex, and Lieutenant Ryan Edison."
"How is that you come to visit us?" Jaris asked. "Few know of our people's existence, and fewer still know how to reach our world." He didn't sound accusing, but there was a definite edge to his voice.
"We found the address on a world belonging to one of our allies," Sheppard explained, obviously not wanting to reveal too much right away. "They have a device the Ancestors made that…interferes with Wraith technology. We're interested in finding out more about it, and we were kinda hoping you would have something similar. But, either way, we're always looking for new allies or trading partners."
Jaris studied Sheppard for a long moment, his gaze sharp. He reminded Rodney of Bates, the no-nonsense Marine who'd been their own security officer during the first year of the expedition. He had the same dark hair and dark eyes, and that same "don't mess with me" vibe.
Finally, apparently satisfied with whatever he'd seen, Jaris nodded again. "Very well. I will inform the Perfect that you seek an audience. Follow us, please."
Even with the "please" tacked on, his request had sounded more like an order, and unsurprisingly, Jaris didn't wait for them to respond, just turned and started down the path, his men silently taking up positions around the Atlantis team. Rodney saw Ronon bristle, and Sheppard must have seen it too. "Easy," he murmured lowly. "We came here uninvited. For all we know, they're just being cautious."
In spite of his words, Sheppard's own hand stayed close to the trigger of his P-90.
It took them another fifteen minutes to reach the city - it could only be called a city; the term "village" just didn't fit - though it certainly didn't resemble any cities on Earth either. A massive stone wall rose up around it, like a medieval castle, and those same pink, yellow, blue, and purple flowers spread out from the path to wrap around the base of the wall, flowing seamlessly from one corner to the next. The path itself widened as it came to a large, intricate metal gate, that swung open silently as they approached.
As soon as they stepped inside, the scanner lit up.
"I'm picking up an-" The screen flickered and went dark. "-energy reading," Rodney finished. "Or at least I was."
"An EM field?" Sheppard asked.
"It only registered for a couple seconds before the scanner stopped functioning, but that would be my guess." Rodney huffed in annoyance and stuck the device back in his vest. "We know that the EM generators only function over a limited distance - though I don't know why I didn't pick it up before now." He eyed the wall around the city speculatively. "Unless…" he trailed off. Maybe they had some way to mask the field from scanners until you were right on top of it? That would definitely be worth looking into.
Jaris and his men led them through the center of town, through what seemed to be the main street. They passed several people along the way, many of whom gave them curious looks, then quickly went back to whatever it was they'd been doing. They had one thing in common, though: they were all busy. Some were gardening - go figure - and some were sweeping - big surprise there, too - and everyone else was walking around like they had somewhere important to be.
Around them, the buildings filling the city seemed to all be made from some kind of brick, but the colors from the flowerbeds - thankfully a little more varied than the ones outside - kept it from being too drab. The streets themselves, though, were almost spotless, and they were flat as well, Rodney realized - with absolutely no hills or changes in incline, and they were all set at exact right angles from one another.
Like the world outside, everything was just a little too perfect, a little too controlled.
Finally, they came to the end of the main street, where a mansion stood, looking large and imposing, a sizeable garden surrounding it.
"The Perfect's residence," Jaris said formally. He led them up a long, stone walkway until they reached an ornate entryway. Two other guards met them there, and the team was quickly ushered inside.
Rodney wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but he had to admit, the house - what he could see of it, anyway - was impressive. The main hall was huge, and the floor was made from some kind of green marble, reflective enough that Rodney could see himself in it. White pillars lined each side of the corridor, and tapestries decorated the walls between them.
"Wait here," Jaris told them before striding down the corridor.
For the moment, they were left alone - or as alone as they could be with guards twenty feet away, flanking either side of the door.
"They've sure got…expensive tastes," Sheppard commented, slipping off his sun glasses and tucking them back in his vest as he looked around.
"Yeah, well, you would know," Rodney muttered under his breath.
Sheppard hadn't heard him, but Ronon obviously had and gave him a look which Rodney ignored by folding his arms and pretending to be studying the décor.
Thankfully, they didn't have to wait long for Jaris to return.
"The Perfect has agreed to see you. But you must leave your weapons here, with my men."
Ronon scowled at the ultimatum, and Edison shifted uncomfortably. Rodney didn't blame them. To be honest, he was hoping that Sheppard would say no. He preferred to have a weapon when the friendly natives turned out to be not-so-friendly, like they usually did. But, Rodney had worked with the military long enough to know that the "request" wasn't totally unreasonable. Visitors to Atlantis were always asked to relinquish their weapons as soon as they stepped through the gate.
After a moment of hesitation, Sheppard finally nodded, and unhooked his P-90 from his vest, handing it to the nearest guard before reaching for his 9mm too. Edison followed suit, and so did Rodney, but Ronon looked more reluctant about giving up his blaster.
"It probably won't work here, anyway," Rodney reminded him, thinking of the EM field. Projectile weapons were primitive enough that the EM field didn't effect them, but since Ronon's blaster used some sort of energy - Rodney wasn't sure what kind because Ronon refused to let him take a look at it - it probably wouldn't work any better than the life signs detector did.
Ronon gave an annoyed grunt, and grudgingly handed the weapon over.
"This way," Jaris told them. He motioned for them to follow, then spun crisply on his heel.
They walked down the ornate hallway and through a set of large, double doors, and into an even larger room. The same, green marble decorated the floor, and intricate mosaics covered the walls in a sea of blue and green. The color scheme reminded him a little of Atlantis. A window took up almost all of one side of the room. Elegant, white silk drapes surrounded it, and the view of the city it provided.
A regal-looking, middle-aged woman stood in the middle of the room, waiting for them, her dark hair pulled up into an elaborate style. The long dress she wore was a dark purple, and looked like it was made from some kind of satin. A thick, silver necklace, hung around her neck, and silver earrings framed her face.
"Perfect Varrin," Jaris addressed her, "May I present Colonel Sheppard and his men. Colonel Sheppard," Jaris continued, "This is Perfect Inara Varrin."
Rodney scoffed mentally. And people accused him of having an ego.
"Thank you, Chief Marson," Inara responded, giving Jaris a nod. Jaris bowed, then silently took his place next to the Perfect, obviously acting as a bodyguard.
Inara turned to look at Sheppard. "On behalf of my people, I formally welcome you to Itharia. Now, I have heard that you wish to discuss an alliance?"
"Yes, we would," Sheppard answered. He paused, obviously trying to figure out where to start. "How much did your Chief of Security tell you?" he asked at last, glancing at Jaris.
"He mentioned that you are in search of a device that effects Wraith technology."
"Yeah, about that…we were really hoping that you had one, or maybe something similar. It's not necessary for an alliance, but we'd really like to learn more about it."
Inara smiled. "We do possess such a device, Colonel, though I'm afraid that I won't feel comfortable revealing any further details until we are better acquainted."
"That's understandable," Sheppard allowed easily.
"If you wish, I could give you a tour of my residence. It would allow us the chance to get to know one another. Then, perhaps we can discuss an alliance and answer any other questions over the mid-day meal."
Sheppard nodded. "Sounds good to me."
"Excellent!" Inara clapped her hands together cheerfully, her smile growing. "Let us begin with the library…"
Apparently, when the Perfect offered you a tour, she wasn't kidding. Over then next two hours, she led them through the entire house…the very large, three story house…top to bottom. She showed them the library - with its incredibly extensive collection of reading material - the garden - it bloomed year-around and boasted several hundred varieties of flowers - the dining hall - it looked large enough to comfortably fit all of Atlantis's three-hundred personnel - the sitting room - with chairs plush enough to swallow a man Ronon's size - the homeworld art gallery - it had paintings from all the finest local artists - and the off-world art gallery - an Athosian ceremonial rug was its centerpiece…it just never stopped.
Sheppard had plastered on a polite expression and settled for nodding every few minutes. Ronon wasn't even pretending to care. Edison had looked vaguely interested for the first half-hour or so, but now he just looked like a bored Marine.
"…spared no expense," Inara was saying, as she led them through the garage. Cars, or this world's version of cars, anyway - were lined up, row after row, end to end. Rodney could almost pretend that it was a showroom on Earth, except that the cars had three wheels, and they'd all belonged to Inara's husband. Of course, it was the largest collection on the planet. Rodney rolled his eyes.
Both of Rodney's parents had been scientists who'd made a respectable living, so they'd never been poor, but they'd never been rich, either. Rodney had grown up in a middle-class neighborhood where having two cars was the epitome of luxury.
What about Sheppard? Did he have a car collection stashed away somewhere?
"And this," Inara continued, pointing at an especially sleek model, "Was my husband's favorite. He had it specially designed for our trips to our resort in the mountains. Have you ever seen anything like it?"
Maybe it was the ridiculously long tour. Maybe he was tired of listening to Inara brag. Maybe it was the fact that Rodney was still mad at Sheppard for never telling him that his family had something in common with the Rockefellers. But, for whatever reason, he just blurted it out.
"Ask Sheppard," Rodney huffed, crossing his arms. "His family is rich."
Sheppard immediately stiffened, his expression a mix of surprise and discomfort. Edison, though, perked up, looking more lively than he had in the last hour.
"Really, sir?" he asked curiously.
"It doesn't matter, Lieutenant," Sheppard answered tightly.
The Marine nodded obediently, schooling his features at Sheppard's tone, but Perfect Varrin wasn't so easily swayed.
"You must tell me more!" she insisted, delighted.
"There's really not much to tell."
"Oh, a humble man! How charming!" She looped her arm through Sheppard's like they were old friends. "Come. It's almost time for the mid-day meal. We'll discuss the alliance, and your family's holdings."
Sheppard shot Rodney a dark glare that promised they'd be discussing this little incident later, and allowed the Perfect to start dragging him down the hall towards the dining area.
The mid-day meal was terrific.
The food was wonderful, better than just about anything Rodney had had in Pegasus to date, and he'd learned more about Sheppard's family in the last half an hour than he had in all the years he'd known him.
The Sheppards apparently had a beach house in Malibu - Malibu - a cabin in the Rockies, a mansion up in Maine, plus the Ranch that Ronon had seen…
Rodney was eagerly listening to all the details, and he didn't felt guilty at all. Nope. Not at all.
Really.
Well…okay, maybe just a little.
Alright…a lot.
Fine, so he felt like the scum of the Earth. Well-fed scum, yes, but still…scum. Rodney sighed and picked at the remains of the food on his plate. Good as it was, he just wasn't very hungry. He wanted to say that it was because he'd already had lunch back on Atlantis, but he knew that wasn't it.
Sheppard was still talking, answering all of Perfect Inara's incessant questions in a resigned tone. Given that Sheppard's dad had just died, his family was probably the last thing he wanted to talk about now.
Was there something lower than scum?
Even worse, Rodney knew Sheppard was only answering the Perfect's questions because of the EM generator. Inara had said that her people had one. Keeping her happy meant that she'd be more likely to share any information they had on it.
And she certainly seemed happy now.
"Your family estate sounds spectacular!"
Sheppard gave a strained, insincere smile in return, and cleared his throat. "Yes, well, that's enough about me, right? You said we could discuss an alliance…?"
The hopeful edge in Sheppard's voice was impossible to miss.
"Of course," Inara nodded. Suddenly much more business-like, the Perfect leaned back in her seat and studied them with shrewd eyes. She was silent for a long moment. "I do believe that an alliance between our two people would be beneficial," she said at last. "But you must understand, Colonel, that only our most trusted allies know how to reach our world. Your arrival here is somewhat unprecedented, but nonetheless, we expect that any information about our homeworld will remain…strictly confidential."
"That won't be a problem," Sheppard assured. "We won't share the address or discuss your people with anyone else, unless we have your permission."
"Excellent. Now, I'm aware that you have many questions. What is it you wish to know?"
"Well, about that…anti-Wraith device," Sheppard prompted carefully. "You said you have one?"
Inara inclined her head. "Indeed, we do, Colonel. It is the reason our people are so prosperous. We are thankful that the Ancestors felt we were advanced enough to be entrusted with such technology."
Rodney hated to burst their bubble, but advancement probably had nothing to do with it. The kids on M7G-677 weren't exactly on the cutting edge…Rodney stopped suddenly. "Wait a minute. You mean you always knew what it was? You never thought you had to perform any…rituals or something, to get it to work?"
The look the Perfect gave him told him just what she thought of that particular question. "Of course not, Dr. McKay."
"So, the uh…Ancestors actually told you what it would do?" That would certainly be a first.
"Yes, they did." Perfect Varrin lifted her chin. "You see, generations ago, our people were nearly wiped out by the Wraith. Our cities were destroyed, and the few remaining survivors were scattered. Our world was in chaos. But, when the Ancestors came, and brought the device with them, our people began to rebuild. When the Ancestors left once more, they entrusted us with a great deal of information about the device's purpose and use. The-"
"They left information?" Rodney demanded immediately, interrupting her. "How? Oral tradition? A database? Are there technical specs, or-"
"Rodney." Sheppard's warning cut his excited questioning short.
"Uh, right." Rodney grimaced. "Sorry. You were saying?"
Perfect Varrin arched an elegant eyebrow at him, clearly not amused, but thankfully, she continued. "The brightest minds among our people immediately began studying the device, and we have continued to do so for generations." She gave Rodney a pointed look. "We have kept very detailed written records, Dr. McKay. Those records, and the data the Ancestors entrusted to us, are stored in our archives."
Rodney's mind immediately started racing with the possibilities. The only chance they'd had to really study the device on M7G-677 was when it was malfunctioning, and that hadn't left them much time since they'd always needed to get it back online as soon as possible, and, once online, their equipment was essentially reduced to a collection of very expensive paperweights. What they really needed was the chance to study the device in-depth, and if the Perfect was telling the truth about them having studied the device for generations, it could mean a veritable treasure-trove for Atlantis.
Sheppard was obviously thinking the same thing. "Would it be possible for us to get access to your archives, and talk to any experts you have? I'm sure we can think of something to trade in exchange. I'll need to get final approval from my superiors on any agreements we make, but we can talk about your terms."
Inara considered that for a moment. "I believe that could be arranged, but I will need to speak with the High Council first. The archives are considered to be the property of all Itharians, and any such requests must be put to a vote." She paused. "If you are willing to wait, I can ask the Council to assemble within the hour. That way you could have a formal proposal to present when you return to your world."
Sheppard nodded. "We'd appreciate that. If you don't mind, we need to head back to the stargate - the Ring of the Ancestors - to check-in with our people, and update them on the situation."
"That will be acceptable, Colonel," the Perfect returned. She smiled and bowed her head formally. "I will see you again in one hour."
Jaris stepped forward as soon as the Perfect stood. The Security officer had shadowed them during the tour, then taken up position inside the dining hall for the mid-day meal. "Should I send my men to escort them to the Ring and back, Perfect?" he asked.
The Perfect shook her head. "Thank you, but that won't be necessary. I'm sure our guests can find their way alone."
The Chief of Security didn't look happy, but he obediently moved aside, watching as Sheppard stood up as well and started for the exit, his team following behind him. They walked back through the marble-floored hallways and to the main entrance, where the waiting guards returned the weapons they'd surrendered earlier, and smoothly opened the doors to the garden.
Sheppard rounded on Rodney the minute they were outside and alone. "What was that back there?" he demanded. His whole body was tense, his eyes dark, all traces of the usually laid-back fly-boy gone.
Rodney had been about to start elaborating on just how much he could accomplish if the Perfect turned out to be telling the truth about those archives, but the words died on his tongue.
Sheppard was still angry about earlier. Obviously.
Alright, fine. Yes, he shouldn't have told almost total strangers about Sheppard's family being rich, and okay, yes, he still felt guilty about it. But, if Sheppard had just told him about being rich in the first place, Rodney wouldn't have been annoyed enough to blurt it out - so really, it was all Sheppard's fault anyway.
Rodney folded his arms across his chest, refusing to give in. "What was what?"
For a second, Sheppard looked ready to deck him. "Is there a reason you thought it was a good idea to give personal intel to someone we just met?" he ground out.
Rodney considered telling Sheppard his thoughts from a minute ago, but decided against it. The man had no appreciation for higher reasoning. "Well, it's not like the fact that your family's rich is a State secret," he said instead. "Oh, that's right, I forgot. Apparently, it is."
Sheppard frowned, confusion flitting over his features. "What…?" he started, "How do you even…?" He cut himself off, closing his eyes briefly, and deliberately drawing a deep breath. "You know what? Never mind. We'll talk about this later."
Sheppard turned and stalked off towards the garden gate. There was a moment of awkward silence as Rodney was left with Ronon - who'd been absolutely no help whatsoever, Rodney thought, annoyed - and Edison, who was busy trying to look like he hadn't heard every word when he so obviously had.
Ronon, though, was staring at him.
"What?" Rodney demanded finally.
The Satedan just shook his head, rolling his eyes a little, and moved to follow Sheppard.
Rodney glared at his back as he started after him.
That was the last thing he remembered before he heard a warning shout from Edison, and the world disappeared in a flash of light.
TBC…
A/N: Again, the next part should be up in a few days.
I hope you enjoyed it, and please let me know what you think!
Take care and God bless!
Ani-maniac494 :)