Chapter 2 – The revival
The funeral took place three days later. Everyone gathered up in the gate room to say goodbye to the late head of the expedition and the brilliant Czech scientist. Apart from a short speech both Sheppard and McKay gave, the room remained dead silent throughout the whole ceremony. And as they watched the two coffins leave through the Gate, they slowly started to disperse, some returning to their job, some gathering up in small groups and conversing silently.
Sheppard headed for his office, he undressed from the military jacket, threw it on the sofa and sat down next to it. He stared blankly at the opposite wall his mind however in turmoil. For three days straight he's been thinking about the strange warning message. He considered it to be a practical joke, most likely conducted by McKay. But in just a few hours it turned out to be as serious as possible.
Whoever sent that mail, was trying to warn him. Whoever it was, he saw the accident coming and wanted him to prevent it from happening. Why would he send the message to him anyway? Why just not send it to McKay or Zelenka directly? And even better, if he knew what was going to happen, why not just come and say it personally. 'If McKay re-programs the device and Zelenka tries to run it for testing purposes the device will overload and explode due to the lack of failsafe that was erased during the re-programming.' Would that really be that much of a bother?
Even though he was beating himself up over it, he decided it was not his fault. If anyone's, it was the fault of that email person not being able to forward the message properly. Or so he tried to convince himself with.
"Anyone in there?" spoke an irritating voice. McKay stood by the entrance and watched Sheppard's blank expression.
His face was the picture of boredom, but John knew it was just a mask for the mourning scientist to hide behind. He and Zelenka were mostly seen arguing nonstop about anything and everything, but despite the 'bickering old-couple' appearance, they were friends too.
He peeled his eyes off of the wall and eyed the scientist. "What you got McKay?"
Rodney nodded and moved to sit next to him. "Not much actually. After I had managed to restore the message, that you've so skillfully deleted I might add, I tried to trace it to its source."
"And?" Sheppard pried for more, ignoring Rodney's remark altogether.
"And nothing," Rodney said, still surprised at the revelation himself. "All I could figure out was that whoever sent it used a subspace transmitter, so I can safely assume that it was not sent from within Atlantis."
Sheppard frowned. "How does that help us Rodney?"
"As I said, I couldn't…look, it's not as easy as you might think. He used a transmitter I cannot trace, he was also clever enough to hack into our mainframe to set up his own anonymous account AND authorize it in my name. This guy means business, alright?"
"So I'm not wrong if I say, that this…guy is a possible treat to the city and we should probably track him down as soon as possible," Sheppard said, watching Rodney intensely.
Rodney glared back at him, not understanding what he wants him to do.
Sheppard rolled his eyes and pointed to the door. "And by 'as soon as possible' I mean…right now, so get going."
"Oh. Right," Rodney replied and exited the office, leaving Sheppard alone with his now wrinkled uniform McKay so carelessly sat on.
This time the banging on the door woke him up in the middle of the night.
"Colonel?" he heard a desperate female voice call him.
He sat up and tried to wake himself the best he could. "Just come in, doc."
The door swooshed open to reveal obviously dead tired Jennifer Keller. "What's up, doc?" Sheppard asked as he disentangled himself from the blankets.
She sighed, trying to catch her breath. "We have an outbreak in the city," she informed, still breathing heavily. "It's…it's the Hoffan plague."
"So far, we have ten people suffering from the symptoms including Colonel Lorn and…and Rodney," she looked down and waited for the Colonel to say something. They were now in her office next to the infirmary, wide awake.
"He must be freaking out," he said bemused.
"Yeah. Already written his will and managed to bring up his death in every single conversation," she tried to say jokingly, but failed.
"Sounds like Rodney." At that moment, Ronon entered the office. "Hey buddy, you got any news?"
"No ill people on Athos," he answered simply.
John nodded. Finally some good news, he thought. "What about Teyla?"
"She'll let us know if somethin' happens."
"Good. So, what's the plan?" Sheppard asked looking back at Keller.
Jennifer cleared her throat but remained silent.
"Come on, doc, you gotta have something on your mind…some sort of…master plan on how to cure them all," said Sheppard with hints of impatience but hope in his voice.
Jennifer faced him desperately. "If I had, don't you think I would be out there, distributing the miraculous cure amongst all the worlds Michael infected? There is no cure," she said, lowering her gaze to watch her hands lying limply on her desk. "I still don't even know how Michael managed to lower the fatality ratio. Once the drug is down your system and the body rejects it...all I can do is…treat the symptoms," she said, close to a whisper evading the stares of both men present.
"There must be something…we could call Beckett and…,"
"Colonel…," she stopped him, "…there's just not enough time."
He watched as the infirmary started to get crowded. More and more people got ill with every hour and somehow, he felt responsible. According to Keller, the Hoffan drug was upgraded and somehow smuggled into the food supply from one of Atlantis's off world dealers, thus affecting everyone who ate it for yesterday's lunch…which was almost everyone on the base.
Naturally there's nothing he could've done to prevent it. But he should be able to do something about it now! Knowing there is not such a possibility is what's killing him. That and Rodney terrorizing every nurse in the room with newly developed symptoms…every few minutes.
Suddenly, he was walking towards his quarters with a crazy thought in mind. Crazy, because it made no sense at all. He knew it. And yet, he was still walking.
He paused at the entrance. Just how desperate is this? He thought and against his better judgment entered the room.
This time, he was by his laptop reading the mysterious message in seconds.
If he was confused the first time, now he had a feeling somebody was indeed playing practical jokes on him. Some sort of psycho who enjoyed seeing him suffer.
Not that he was expecting anything. But a strange series of numbers was certainly not expected at all.
He sank to his chair and watched the screen, ready to lose all the hope. His finger hovered over the 'Delete' button and as he pressed it, he officially felt depressed.
He sighed. Was this always so difficult? Being the leader of Atlantis? As he thought back on the five years, it probably was. But he was the military commander for just as long. He should be used to all this…right?
Before his mind could lead him deeper into dark thoughts, the screen flashed once again with an incoming message.
Is he mocking me…whoever he is?
He was about to delete it again, thinking what a good riddance it will be. But then he noticed something different about the mail. Something, that wasn't there before. The mail had a Subject:
'Read it!'
It surprised him so much he could only blankly stare at the screen for a moment or two. When he did open the mail, he was once again met with the matrix code, as he named it, only now with a note under it:
'Show it to McKay.'
He didn't wait to be told twice…or third time, he took the laptop and sprinted for the infirmary.
"You. Are. An. Idiot." Rodney said, stressing each word. "Seriously, whoever that stalker of yours is, he clearly doesn't know how stupid you are or he would definitely NOT be sending all this to you."
"McKay!"
"Right. These," showing him the matrix code again, "…these are planet coordinates. Really Sheppard, that's like basic physics, how could you delete this so recklessly!" he scolded him.
Sheppard raised his hand in a half defensive, half warning manner. "I didn't know it could mean anything…besides you said it yourself. This guy is dangerous. Why should we believe anything he writes?"
"Ha, Colonel Oblivious! I said this guy is clever enough to hack to our mainframe and my personal account, not that he's dangerous. I mean with that ability he could do so much more, cut the power for days, overload the ZedPM, set in motion safety protocols, locking us up for weeks leaving us totally vulnerable…but no. He just sends emails. I'm telling you, if he wanted us hurt or dead or worse, he had every opportunity these past few days. No I think he's trying to help us. You see, these coordinates…I've located the planet they point to on the Pegasus galaxy map."
"And? Which one is it?"
"That's the thing. We have no idea. We've never been there, because according to the Ancient database, there is no stargate on this planet."
Sheppard grimaced and closed his eyes. "How does that help us then?"
"I don't know!" Rodney replied almost offended. "Why didn't he send you a warning about the spoiled food in the first place? Now that would be helpful not just some sort of…"
"He wants us to go there," Sheppard whispered. "That's it!"
It was Rodney's turn to not understand. "That's what? Sheppard?"
But Sheppard was already working on something on the laptop.
McKay rolled his eyes and collapsed into the pillow. "Right, just keep it to yourself then, it's not like I am dying over here or anything!"
"Isn't it obvious Rodney?" For the first time since the accident three days ago, Sheppard smiled. "He wanted me to stop the research because he must've known what's going to happen."
"How's that…"
"I don't know how it's possible, he just…knows things. Look, he wants us to go to that planet, because…most likely…there is something or someone that can help us now with the Hoffan plague. It's not like he would bother to send the coordinates, twice, just to humor us with a discovery of some planet across the galaxy."
"Just how difficult it is to write 'Go to this location to get the cure for the plague'. Seriously, that stalker sucks!" Rodney whined.
"Yeah, you know what, the next time I meet him, I'm gonna complain about the very same thing. But for now, let's just focus on getting the all of you healthy again."
In that precise moment, the laptop came back to life again, with one another message.
Later, on board the Deadalus, Sheppard, Ronon, McKay and Doctor Michihiko waited to be given a green light to fly the jumper to the planet.
"You okay there McKay?" Sheppard eyed him suspiciously out of the corner of his eye.
"Never better…what do you think? I'm so dead if this turns out to be just a pile of rocks, with nothing of interest at all!"
"Yeah yeah, just keep calm in there, 'kay?"
"Colonel, you have a go," informed him Caldwell via radio. "We just dropped out of hyperspace. Your planet's dead ahead."
"Copy that. Alright, buckle up ladies."
Having observed structures definitely made by some sort of civilization, Sheppard landed with the jumper as close as he dared and so they headed for what appeared to be quite an impressive city.
"So, what do you think McKay?" Sheppard asked the stumbling scientist.
"Looks…fairly…promising," he breathed out heavily but continued walking anyway.
"Hang in there smart boy," he smirked just as he got a nudge from Ronon.
"We got some locals right there," he pointed to a crowd of people gathering on a small square, watching the Atlanteans curiously.
"Alright, let me handle this," John offered and stepped up to the people. "Hey, um…How're you doing?"
The citizens exchanged confused looks and continued to eye the newcomers suspiciously.
Sheppard grimaced and looked back at his teammates. "That went well."
"Ano…," spoke suddenly a short man, stepping out of the crowd and carefully closing up on them. "Omaetachi wa…dare desu ka?"
Sheppard raised his brows, confused. "What's that McKay…Chinese?"
McKay rolled his eyes. "Do I look like a linguist to you?"
"It's Japanese, sir," spoke Doctor Michihiko, almost forgotten until now.
McKay was surprised for a moment, but then he suddenly came to an understanding. "Hm. So THAT would explain why the stalker wanted her here of all the people, I mean she's a geologist!"
Sheppard nodded. "And native Japanese." He turned to Michihiko. "Doc, do you think you'll be able to forward our message to them?"
Before answering, she faced the citizen that stood patiently in front of them. "Watashitachi wa ryokousha desu. Tankeka desu."
The man nodded slowly and pointed at himself. "Boku wa Hiroichi da."
She smiled and replied: "Michihiko Asami, yoroshiku ne," she said with a smile and bowed slightly.
He did the same and looked over his shoulder at the curious crowd speaking to them shortly.
"Yes sir, I believe I can," she told Sheppard with a smile.
"Seriously, Japanese in the middle of the Pegasus galaxy, that's just strange," McKay said as they were beamed down to the gate room.
Sheppard grimaced disapprovingly. "Not any stranger than English all over the galaxy. Besides…"
"Colonel?" a female voice stopped him mid sentence.
"Ah, doc, here you are," he greeted her and outstretched his hand, holding on to a medical box. "Here, take it. It's the cure."
Her eyes widened and she was just about to speak her mind, when Sheppard beat her to it. "Explanations can wait for later, there's enough to distribute among all that are showing symptoms AND enough for you to study and recreate. And after that, you can go on that huge holiday travelling across the galaxy, distributing it to all the worlds afflicted."
Keller was speechless; so she just nodded and took the box from Sheppard. "Let's start with you Rodney."
"Ha, no need to," he smiled triumphantly. "As it turns out, I was requested by the stalker to be present, so they could isolate the disease in my blood and use the acquired knowledge to make the cure. Seems the planet has some unique plants and the locals seem to be quite…advanced in the ah…herbology," his smile widened. "I'm hundred percent cured, hundred percent alive and hundred percent sure I am not about to die any moment now." His smile faded suddenly. "At least I think I'm not."
Keller smiled at that. "Okay, I'll be going then," and headed for the infirmary.
Just another crazy day in this crazy galaxy, John thought as he sat in his office, writing the report. He stopped for a second as he realized just how bad the day could've played out. But thanks to his mysterious stalker, as Rodney named him, they were not only able to save the ill Lanteans, but will be able to save hundreds of other people throughout the galaxy.
He saved the report and exited the program, ending up in watching his mail box, where the last message still lingered open.
'Take McKay and Michihiko with you.'
Sheppard massaged his temples, exhausted, trying to think. This person knew stuff. And it was not just technical knowledge or their names. He knew them. And so much more.
But Sheppard remained cautious. He was grateful to him, in a way, yes. He did just save a lot of people after all. But that doesn't change the fact, that he's watching from somewhere afar, safe, unknown. Why doesn't he show himself? What kind of game is he playing?
"Who are you?" he whispered into the empty room as he stared intently at the screen.
Sheppard decided that no matter what, he's going to find out.
She stood on the bridge, her eyes watching something far away, deep in the darkness of space. Resolve was written all over her face.
This is it, she thought ironically.
She was about to sacrifice everything she has, just to save them. Like she did before.
There was no regret, no second thoughts. After all, she is already dead.
She died so long ago. And there's no going back.
She heard footsteps behind her.
"I'm ready," Elizabeth Weir said decisively and faced the newcomer.
A/N: It ended up being a bit longer than I have anticipated, but hopefully to your liking. Anyway, this story is just getting started and you can expect some major twists in the next two chapters. Won't spoiler you anymore ;D So, who do you think the stalker is? Or are you just as confused as the poor Colonel?
Loved your feedback guys, hope you enjoyed the second chapter :)
Lantia
As for the Japanese parts:
Omaetachi wa…dare desu ka? - Who are you people?
Watashitachi wa ryokousha desu. Tankeka desu. - We are travellers, explorers.
Boku wa Hiroichi da. - I am Hiroichi.
Michihiko Asami, yoroshiku ne. - I am Michihiko Asami, nice to meet you.
Next: Chapter 3 – Ghosts of the past.